11 Facts About Smoking

1. About 8.6 million people in the U.S. have at least one serious illness that’s caused by smoking.


2. For every person that dies from a smoking-related disease, there are 20 more who suffer from at least one serious illness associated with smoking.


3. The CDC estimates that adult male smokers lose an average of 13.2 years of life and female smokers lose 14.5 years of life because of smoking, and given the diseases that smoking can cause, it can steal your quality of life long before you die.


4. Smoking is the cause of 1 in 5 deaths in the U.S. annually. And tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death.


5. In 2010, 19 percent of Americans, 18 and older, were current smokers.


6. Every day over 3,800 teens, 18 and younger, smoke their first cigarette. While, 1,000 teens start smoking on a daily basis.


7. A single cigarette contains over 4,800 chemicals, 69 of which are known to cause cancer.
   • Secondhand smoke contains over 7,000 chemicals, including 70 cancer-causing chemicals.


8. In 2013, states will collect $25.7 billion from tobacco taxes and legal settlements but are spending less than 2 percent of that on tobacco control programs.


9. Investing 15 percent ($3.7 billion) of the $25.7 billion it would fund every state tobacco control program at CDC-recommended levels.


10. Every year, there are approximately 46,000 deaths from heart disease in people who are current non-smokers.


11. Smoking increases your risk of getting lung diseases like pneumonia, emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

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Sources: CDC, American Cancer Society, American Lung Society