Insufficient oxygen supply to the heart is a cause of heart attacks. Carcinogens absorbed from cigarette smoke and smokeless tobacco are concentrated and excreted in the urine. The bladder and the kidneys are in constant contact with these cancer-causing chemicals. Chronic bronchitis predisposes smokers to emphysema, an incurable lung disease. Emphysema is characterized by stretching and breaking of the tiny air sacs of the lungs, making them useless for breathing.
Cigarette smokers are ten times more likely to die of lung cancer than nonsmokers.
Babies born to women who smoke are lighter and smaller than those born to nonsmokers. This is important because birth weight is a predictor of infant health. Women who take birth control pills and who smoke are at greater risk for cancer. A combination of high blood pressure and smoking is associated with stroke, the third leading cause of death in the U.S. Nicotine from any source constricts blood vessels and restricts oxygen supply. These examples are not intended to be all inclusive.