The fact that smoking, especially cigarette smoking, can damage people's health is well-documented.
Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States.
It is a major cause of emphysema, chronic bronchitis, lung cancer and heart disease. Cigarette smoking also increases the total exposure to harmful chemicals that workers receive. More important, it can act in combination with workplace chemicals to raise the level of damaging health effects. In addition, harmful health effects can occur from smoking a cigarette that is contaminated with chemicals or other substances used or produced on the job. Nonsmokers may also develop health problems from breathing in smoke from co-workers' cigarettes.