By [1] Tom Dell

Tobacco use kills at least 5 million people annually, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) report released December, 2009.

The leading cause of preventable death, tobacco use could kill as many as 8 million people yearly by 2030, the WHO estimates. The report also noted that second hand smoke kills about 600,000 people every year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates there were about 43 million smokers in the U.S. in 2007. Although smoking-related diseases kill about 443,000 Americans annually and costs the U.S. about $193 billion a year in health care costs, the number of American smokers fell about 15 percent in the last decade. The growth of tobacco use noted in the WHO report is concentrated outside the U.S., particularly in developing countries.

Disturbingly, however, the last five years have seen the declines in American smoking slowing after being halved since 1965, according to the CDC’s November, 2009, study. “The difference between the states making the most progress and the states not making progress is really stark and shows that government policies make a difference,” Thomas Frieden, head of the CDC, told [2] Bloomberg News. “It’s ironic that when we spend more than $7,500 per person, per year, on clinical curative care, we’re struggling to try to spend $10 a year on prevention.”

Effects on the Body

When people smoke, their heartbeats increase from 10 to 20 beats per minute and their blood pressure increases from five to 10 points as blood vessels constrict. With all that blood rushing to the heart, skin temperatures drop by six degrees Fahrenheit. Adding to all that, the body’s stress reaction causes blood sugar levels to drop.

Long time smokers are subject to some or all of the following:

• Loss of concentration and/or patience.
• Dizziness.
• Tingling in the arms and legs.
• Coughing.
• Craving.
• Tension.
• Irritability.
• Restlessness.
• Depression.

Smoking takes an average of seven years off every smoker’s life. That works out to five-and-one-half minutes per cigarette. If you are a smoker and that statistic isn’t enough to compel you to quit, perhaps some of the following information from the American Lung Association, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and various Surgeon Generals will.

Nicotine

Nicotine sits at the top of the CDC’s list of the world’s most addictive substances. Heroin only makes fifth. In tobacco plants, nicotine is a poison used as a natural defense against insects.

Smoking and Women

Women who smoke more than half a pack a day might have irregular menstrual cycles or suffer infertility. In addition, menopause might occur earlier in women who smoke.

Smoking while pregnant increases the chance of miscarriage, stillbirth or premature labor. Babies born to women smokers are more likely to have birth defects or abnormalities and to develop colds, bronchitis, asthma, or other respiratory diseases. On average, babies born of women who smoke frequently while pregnant weight seven ounces less than other babies.

Secondhand Smoke

About 3,000 non-smoking Americans die of diseases caused by exposure to secondhand smoke annually, according to the EPA. Classified as a carcinogen since 1992, secondhand smoke contains more than 4,800 chemical compounds including carbon monoxide, ammonia and formaldehyde, according to the CDC. Many chemicals found in secondhand smoke, such as benzene, 2-naphthylamine, 4-aminobiphenyl, and polonium-210, are classified as known cancer-causing agents. Cigarette smoke contains 69 cancer causing chemicals in all, according to the CDC. Even if it doesn’t give you cancer, secondhand smoke can still cause coughing, phlegm production, chest discomfort and reduced lung function.

24 states ban smoking in all enclosed public places, including bars and restaurants. As of November, 2009, these states are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin (effective 2010).

The Good News

Even long-time smokers can regain their health if they quit in time. According to the American Cancer Society, when people quit smoking they experience the following:

• Blood pressure drops to normal in about 20 minutes.
• The carbon monoxide level in the blood drops to normal in about eight hours.
• Nerve endings start regrowing and the senses of smell and taste return to normal in about 48 hours.
• Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath decrease and cilia regrow in the lungs in about nine months.
• The chance of dying from lung cancer decreases by about half in five years.
• The risk of heart disease becomes equal to that of a non-smoker while the risk of dying from lung cancer becomes only slightly higher than that of a non-smoker in 15 years.

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