On the average, people who smoke die 5 to 8 years earlier than people who don't smoke. Tobacco users, and people who live with smokers, have nearly all cases of lung cancer. Their risk of developing throat, mouth, esophageal, pancreatic, kidney, bladder, and cervical cancer is several times greater than for people who are not regularly exposed to tobacco smoke. Smoking is the major cause of emphysema, a debilitating lung disease which slowly destroys a person's ability to breathe normally. Smokers, and those living with smokers, have a two times greater risk of fatal heart disease.
Smoking also increases the risk of having a stroke.
Women, especially those over 35 years old, who take birth control pills and smoke have an increased risk of stroke or heart attack. Increased blood pressure is another danger of smoking. Smokers and people living with them have a two to three times greater chance of having peptic ulcers. In addition, smoking complicates sleep disorders. Smokers also tend to get colds and other respiratory tract infections more often than nonsmokers.