SMOKING STATISTICS

In Days of Old

In days of old it may have been considered cool to smoke. Today with all the results of studies showing life threatening diseases and illnesses we realize it is not cool at all to smoke. But the addiction to nicotine is said to be comparable to heroin, so it is not an easy habit to break. Perhaps realizing your own mortality will help you to seek help in kicking the smoking habit.

Studies show that fifty people per hour around the world die as a result of smoking. That is twelve hundred people every day. The average smoker looses an estimated twelve years of life due to complications from smoking.

Smoking increases the risk of many types of cancer. The highest risk is lung cancer. More than eighty percent of lung cancer is caused from smoking. Cancer is not the only life threatening disease that can be caused from smoking. COPD is a respiratory disease that can eventually end up as emphysema. Smoking also raises the risk of developing diabetes. For years we have known that smoking increases your chance of having a heart attack or stroke.

Changing your cigarette brand to a lower tar level does not decrease your chances of developing life threatening illnesses. The only way to improve your chances of developing health problems is to quit smoking. There are many aids to assist you with quitting. Gum, nicotine patches, and a variety of help groups. So why not choose one and get started on a healthier you.