smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths in U.S. On average, people who smoke die 5 to 8 years earlier than people who do not smoke. Those who use snuff, and people who live with smokers have virtually all cases of lung cancer. Your risk of developing cancer of the throat, mouth, esophagus, pancreas, kidney, bladder and cervix is several times higher than among people who are not regularly exposed to smoke snuff. Smoking is the major cause of emphysema, a debilitating lung disease that slowly destroys a person’s ability to breathe normally.
Smoking is especially dangerous for people with:

  • Heart disease
  • Blood vessel disease
  • Diabetes
  • High blood pressure
  • High cholesterol

family history of these diseases.
Smokers and children living with them, have twice the risk of fatal heart disease. Smoking also increases stroke risk. Women, especially those over 35 years taking pills of birth control and smoke are at increased risk of stroke or heart attacks. Increased blood pressure is another danger of smoking. Smoking also reduces the levels of HDL or “good cholesterol”.