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National Center For Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion | ||||||||
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Since the release of the first Surgeon Generals Report in 1964, the scientific knowledge about the health consequences of tobacco use has greatly increased. It is now well documented that smoking cigarettes causes chronic lung and heart disease, and cancer of the lung, esophagus, larynx, mouth, and bladder. Cigarette smoking contributes to cancer of the pancreas, kidney, and cervix. Consequences of using smokeless tobacco include cancer of the gum, mouth, pharynx, larynx, and esophagus. Studies have also demonstrated that women who use tobacco during pregnancy are more likely to have adverse birth outcomes, including low birth weight babies. Low birth weight is a leading cause of death among infants. Studies also indicate that nonsmokers are adversely affected by environmental tobacco smoke. Researchers have identified more than 4,800 chemical compounds in tobacco smoke; of these, at least 69 cause cancer in humans and animals. Each year, because of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, an estimated 3,000 nonsmoking Americans die of lung cancer, and 300,000 children suffer from lower respiratory tract infections. Particularly alarming is the fact that more than 3 million young people under age 18 smoke half a billion cigarettes each year and that more than one-half of them consider themselves dependent upon cigarettes. The decision to use tobacco is nearly always made in the teen years, and about one-half of young people usually continue to use tobacco products as adults. Graph: Trends in
Current Cigarette Smoking by Grade in School—United States, 1975–2001 Graph: Annual Deaths Attributable to
Cigarette Smoking—United States, 1995–1999 |
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Privacy Policy | Accessibility TIPS Home | What's New | About Us | Site Map | Contact Us CDC Home | Search | Health Topics A-Z This page last reviewed April 17, 2003 United States
Department of Health and Human Services |
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