Smoking & DiseaseS

Smoking & Disease

Although everybody is aware of the health dangers of smoking, these dangers are frequently underestimated. The truth is shocking to most people.
Smoking as a cause of death and disability

* Smoking-related disease is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the world.
* Smoking-related disease will cause the death of one in every two life-long smokers.
* Smoking kills more than 19.000 Australians per year or around 50 people per day - this equates to one Australian every thirty minutes!!
* Smoking is the single largest cause of lung cancer and is an important factor in at least seven other cancers.
* Smoking causes around 82% of deaths from lung cancer.
* Smoking increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and several other causes of death. Smokers in their 30’s and 40’s are five times more likely to have a heart attack than non-smokers.
* About half of all people killed by tobacco-related diseases die in middle age, with an average loss of about 20–25 years of life expectancy.
* Diseases associated with smoking can cause pain, distress and disability for many years before death.

Smoking and cancer

Cancer is the best-known risk associated with smoking. In Western Europe, North America and parts of Asia, it has been estimated that smoking accounts for approximately 30% of all cancer deaths.

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Smoking and the heart and blood vessels

Smoking increases the risk of death caused by arterial disease. The arteries carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body. During normal ageing the lining of the arteries becomes less flexible, fatty deposits are laid down in the walls of the artery and the diameter of the artery narrows. This process is known as atherosclerosis. This narrowing reduces the amount of oxygen reaching the rest of the body. This lack of oxygen can result in angina (crushing, cramp-like pain in the chest) when the arteries supplying the heart are affected. It can also lead to heart attack and stroke. Smoking can accelerate the process of atherosclerosis and therefore increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Smokers who die from smoking in their 30’s and 40’s die mainly from heart attacks. Risk of death from heart attacks in this age group of smokers is five times higher than that of non-smokers. It is estimated that tobacco is responsible for up to 80% of all heart attack deaths in smokers under 50 years of age.

Although death from stroke is less common than death from heart attack, risk is increased in people who smoke. In the USA, death from stroke and other diseases involving the blood vessels in the brain is increased in people aged 35–64 years who smoke.

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Diseases of the lung

There are other diseases of the lung that can be caused by smoking aside from cancer. Smoking also increases the risk of chronic obstructive lung disease and consequent infection of the airways. This disease is due to three processes:

* Persistent cough and phlegm production caused by production of excess mucus (commonly referred to as the ‘smoker’s cough’)
* Thickening and narrowing of the airways in the lung
* Emphysema (expansion and damage of the smallest air chambers in the lung) 3⁄4 smoking causes 90% of deaths from this condition.

Other diseases

Smoking may also increase the risk and possibly the severity of a variety of disorders other than those mentioned above. These include:

* Stomach ulcers
* Impotence
* Female infertility
* Tooth/gum disease

Women smokers are also at greater risk of hip fracture from osteoporosis than corresponding non-smokers.
Smoking and pregnancy

It is well known that smoking during pregnancy can damage the baby and even cause a miscarriage. Compared with non-smokers, smoking during pregnancy can cause:

* Reduced birth weight
* Increased risk of the baby dying just before or just after birth