What is tobacco?

According to the 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 70.3 million Americans age 12 or older reported current use of tobacco.

• 59.9 million (24.9 percent of the population) were current cigarette smokers
• 13.7 million (5.7 percent) smoked cigars
• 7.2 million (3.0 percent) used smokeless tobacco
• 1.8 million (0.8 percent) smoked pipes,
• An estimated 18 percent of pregnant women smoke during their pregnancies

Tobacco is one of the most widely abused substances and the leading preventable cause of death in the United States.  Tobacco use costs society; in addition to healthcare costs, the costs of lost productivity due to smoking are estimated at $82 billion per year, bringing the economic burden of smoking to more than $150 billion per year[i].

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Why is it harmful?

Cigarette smoking harms every organ in the body. Cigarette smoking has been linked to about 90 percent of all lung cancer cases, the number-one cancer killer of both men and women. Smoking is also associated with cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, cervix, kidney, ureter, and bladder.  Death rates for cancer are twice as high in smokers than nonsmokers.  Smoking has been also been linked to leukemia, cataracts, and pneumonia.

These diseases are not just attributed to direct tobacco use, but can also be caused by secondhand smoke. In addition to cancer, exposure to tobacco smoke causes lung diseases such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema, and has been found to increase asthma symptoms in adults and children.  Smoking also increases the risk of heart disease including stroke, heart attack, vascular disease, and aneurysm.

Exposure to tobacco smoke in the home is also a risk factor for childhood asthma and has been associated with sudden infant death syndrome. In addition, dropped cigarettes are the leading cause of house fires, leading to more than 1,000 deaths each year[ii].

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Nicotine addiction

Nicotine stimulates the release of epinephrine (adrenaline), which causes an increase in blood pressure, respiration and heart rate.  It also increases dopamine levels, which causes the enjoyable sensations experienced by many smokers.  However, these effects disappear quickly, leading the smoker to continue using to maintain these pleasing effects and prevent withdrawal.  Most smokers use tobacco regularly because they are addicted to nicotine. Addiction is characterized by uncontrollable drug-seeking and use, even in the face of negative health consequences.  Most smokers know tobacco use is harmful and nearly 35 million of them want to quit each year.

Nicotine withdrawal symptoms include irritability, craving, difficulty concentrating, sleep disturbances, and increased appetite, making it extremely difficult to quit.  It is important to address cravings with some form of nicotine replacement, like gum or a patch, but also identify environmental triggers of withdrawal and craving so you can use strategies to prevent any urges[iii].

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For more information

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Tobacco Information and Prevention Source offers a publications catalog, research and data, links to Surgeon General reports, and many other resources and materials on tobacco use and cessation.

National Institute on Drug Abuse: Resources, publications and recommended readings on smoking/nicotine.

National Cancer Institute: Tobacco information, research, literature, statistics, quitting and prevention resources, and clinical trials.  Information is also available in Spanish.

Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco:  A membership organization with the goal of generating new knowledge around nicotine.  Publications and resources are available.

You Can Quit Smoking Now:  An online guide to quitting smoking sponsored by U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in partnership with the National Cancer Institute and American Cancer Society.

Quitnet: Join All Together Online:  An online smoking cessation resource.

The American Heart Association:  Information on the risks of smoking, resources to quit, and fighting tobacco deaths through advocacy.