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Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking						Print
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			Smoking and DeathSmoking and Increased Health RisksSmoking and Cardiovascular DiseaseSmoking and Respiratory DiseaseSmoking and CancerSmoking and Other Health RisksQuitting and Reduced RisksReferences
		
Cigarette smoking harms nearly every organ of the body, causes many diseases, and reduces the health of smokers in general.1,2
Quitting smoking lowers your risk for smoking-related diseases and can add years to your life.1,2Smoking and DeathCigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States.1
Cigarette smoking causes more than 480,000 deaths each year in the United States. This is nearly one in five deaths.1,2,3
Smoking causes more deaths each year than the following causes combined:4Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
Illegal drug use
Alcohol use
Motor vehicle injuries
Firearm-related incidents
More than 10 times as many U.S. citizens have died prematurely from cigarette smoking than have died in all the wars fought by the United States.1
Smoking causes about 90% (or 9 out of 10) of all lung cancer deaths.1,2 More women die from lung cancer each year than from breast cancer.5
Smoking causes about 80% (or 8 out of 10) of all deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).1
Cigarette smoking increases risk for death from all causes in men and women.1
The risk of dying from cigarette smoking has increased over the last 50 years in the U.S.1Top of PageSmoking and Increased Health RisksSmokers are more likely than nonsmokers to develop heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer.1
Estimates show smoking increases the risk:
For coronary heart disease by 2 to 4 times1,6
For stroke by 2 to 4 times1
Of men developing lung cancer by 25 times1
Of women developing lung cancer by 25.7 times1
Smoking causes diminished overall health, increased absenteeism from work, and increased health care utilization and cost.1Top of PageSmoking and Cardiovascular DiseaseSmokers are at greater risk for diseases that affect the heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular disease).1,2
Smoking causes stroke and coronary heart disease, which are among the leading causes of death in the United States.1,3
Even people who smoke fewer than five cigarettes a day can have early signs of cardiovascular disease.1
Smoking damages blood vessels and can make them thicken and grow narrower. This makes your heart beat faster and your blood pressure go up. Clots can also form.1,2
A stroke occurs when:
A clot blocks the blood flow to part of your brain;
A blood vessel in or around your brain bursts.1,2
Blockages caused by smoking can also reduce blood flow to your legs and skin.1,2Top of PageSmoking and Respiratory DiseaseSmoking can cause lung disease by damaging your airways and the small air sacs (alveoli) found in your lungs.1,2
Lung diseases caused by smoking include COPD, which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis.1,2
Cigarette smoking causes most cases of lung cancer.1,2
If you have asthma, tobacco smoke can trigger an attack or make an attack worse.1,2
Smokers are 12 to 13 times more likely to die from COPD than nonsmokers.1Top of PageSmoking and CancerSmoking can cause cancer almost anywhere in your body:1,2
Bladder
Blood (acute myeloid leukemia)
Cervix
Colon and rectum (colorectal)
Esophagus
Kidney and ureter
Larynx
Liver
Oropharynx (includes parts of the throat, tongue, soft palate, and the tonsils)
Pancreas
Stomach
Trachea, bronchus, and lungSmoking also increases the risk of dying from cancer and other diseases in cancer patients and survivors.1
If nobody smoked, one of every three cancer deaths in the United States would not happen.1,2Top of PageSmoking and Other Health RisksSmoking harms nearly every organ of the body and affects a person’s overall health.1,2
Smoking can make it harder for a woman to become pregnant. It can also affect her baby’s health before and after birth. Smoking increases risks for:1,2,5Preterm (early) delivery
Stillbirth (death of the baby before birth)
Low birth weight
Sudden infant death syndrome (known as SIDS or crib death)
Ectopic pregnancy
Orofacial clefts in infantsSmoking can also affect men’s sperm, which can reduce fertility and also increase risks for birth defects and miscarriage.2
Smoking can affect bone health.1,5Women past childbearing years who smoke have weaker bones than women who never smoked. They are also at greater risk for broken bones.
Smoking affects the health of your teeth and gums and can cause tooth loss.1
Smoking can increase your risk for cataracts (clouding of the eye’s lens that makes it hard for you to see). It can also cause age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD is damage to a small spot near the center of the retina, the part of the eye needed for central vision.1
Smoking is a cause of type 2 diabetes mellitus and can make it harder to control. The risk of developing diabetes is 30–40% higher for active smokers than nonsmokers.1,2
Smoking causes general adverse effects on the body, including inflammation and decreased immune function.1
Smoking is a cause of rheumatoid arthritis.1Top of PageQuitting and Reduced RisksQuitting smoking is one of the most important actions people can take to improve their health. This is true regardless of their age or how long they have been smoking. Visit the Benefits of Quitting page for more information about how quitting smoking can improve your health.ReferencesU.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2014 [accessed 2017 Apr 20].
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease: What It Means to You. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2010 [accessed 2017 Apr 20].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. QuickStats: Number of Deaths from 10 Leading Causes—National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2010. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 2013:62(08);155. [accessed 2017 Apr 20].
Mokdad AH, Marks JS, Stroup DF, Gerberding JL. Actual Causes of Death in the United States. JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association 2004;291(10):1238–45 [cited 2017 Apr 20].
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Women and Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General. Rockville (MD): U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Office of the Surgeon General, 2001 [accessed 2017 Apr 20].
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Reducing the Health Consequences of Smoking: 25 Years of Progress. A Report of the Surgeon General. Rockville (MD): U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 1989 [accessed 2017 Apr 20].Top of Page
							
					
							Last Reviewed:  October 29, 2021						Source: 	Office on Smoking and Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
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