It's also the leading cause of deaths related to cancer. More than four out of five lung cancers are linked to cigarette smoking. Smoking thickens the lining of the lung. As a result, agents in smoke that can cause cancer get trapped there. This starts a process where normal cells change into cancerous ones.
Smoking also makes the lungs less able to clean themselves.
Can't smell and taste things like they used to. The moment smoke touches your lips or nose, it begins to attack living tissues. It keeps doing this wherever it travels in your body. Second-hand smoke increases the risk of cancer in nonsmokers. Health Canada estimates that second-hand smoke causes at least 330 deaths from lung cancer in Canadian nonsmokers each year.