Most of the people who decide to quit smoking do so because they realize how much damage it brings to their health. This is a reasonable concern, because half of smokers die from a smoking-related disease.

A person's increased risk of contracting disease is directly proportional to the length of time that a person continues to smoke as well as the amount smoked. However, if someone stops smoking, then these chances gradually decrease as the damage to their body is repaired. A year after quitting, the risk of contracting heart disease is half that of a continuing smoker. The health risks of smoking are not uniform across all smokers. Risks vary according to amount of tobacco smoked, with those who smoke more at greater risk. Light smoking is still a health risk. Likewise, smoking "light" cigarettes does not reduce the risks.

Tobacco use most commonly leads to diseases affecting the heart and lungs, with smoking being a major risk factor for heart attacks, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, emphysema, and cancer, particularly lung cancer, cancers of the larynx and mouth, and pancreatic cancer. Overall life expectancy is also reduced in regular smokers, with estimates ranging from 10 to 17 years fewer than nonsmokers. About two thirds of male smokers will die of illness due to smoking. The association of smoking with lung cancer is strongest, both in the public perception and etiologically. People who have smoked tobacco at some point have about a one in ten chance of developing lung cancer during their lifetime. If one looks at men who continue to smoke tobacco, the risk increases to one in six.

Here are just some of the diseases, ailments, and health risks connected to cigarette smoking.

Never start smoking and you will have a much lower risk of getting many of these diseases. Quit smoking today and your chances of getting them will go down significantly.

Quit smoking and you will find you love being healthy!

• Atherosclerosis (fatty buildups that obstruct the arteries, leading to high blood pressure and maybe strokes)


• Coronary heart disease (including recurrent coronary heart disease after bypass surgery) THIS IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN THE US.


• Lupus


• Strokes


• Lowered HDL


• Aortic aneurysm


• Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body


• Lung Cancer (about 85% of lung cancer deaths caused by cigarette smoking)


• Cancer of the bladder


• Cancers of the oral cavity


• Pharynx cancer


• Cancer of the Esophagus


• Cervical cancer


• Cancer in the kidneys


• Pancreatic cancer


• Stomach cancers


• Acute Myeloid Leukemia


• Peripheral vascular disease


• Chronic obstructive lung disease


• Increased infertility problems


• Increased chance of preterm delivery


• Stillbirths


• Low Birth Weights


• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)


• Lower bone density


• Increased risk of hip fracture


• Cancer of the rectum


• Increased coughing


• Sleep difficulties


• Lowered immune response


• Gum disease


• Chronic bronchitis


• Emphysema


• Heart Attacks


• Stomach ulcers


• Osteoporosis


• Pain in the legs and gangrene


• Raynaud's disease


• Cataracts


• Colds


• Tuberculosis


• Leukoplakia


• Caries (tooth decay, cavities)


• Less oxygen to the brain