Smoking is the most preventable cause of death in our society.1 million people in developed countries died as a result of smoking. One tobacco use is responsible for nearly one in five deaths in the United States. Lung Cancer mortality are about 23 times higher for current male smokers and 13 times higher for current female smokers compared to a lifelong never-smoker. In addition to being responsible for 87% of lung cancers, smoking is also associated with cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, pancreas, uterine cervix, kidney, and bladder. Smoking accounts for at least 29% of all cancer deaths, is a major cause of heart disease, and is associated with conditions ranging from colds and gastric ulcers to chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and cerebrovascular disease. Women have a better chance in getting lung cancer then men do. This year the disease will kill 68,000 women in the United States, more than one and a half times as many as breast cancer. Even if a woman smoked for awhile and quit, her chances are much greater then a man that smoked 2 times longer then the woman did. Scientists still don't know all the reasons why this happens. With 23 million women still smoking. Lung cancer will remain a deadly epidemic threatening the lives of millions of women. Second hand smoke, also called environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), is a human carcinogen. Each year about 3,000 nonsmoking adults die of lung cancer as a result breathing the smoke of others" cigarettes. Second hand smoking causes an estimated 35,000 to 40,000 deaths from heart disease in people who are not current smokers. It also causes respiratory problems in nonsmokers such as, coughing, phlegm, chest discomfort, and reduced lung function. Each year, exposure to secondhand smoke causes 150,000 to 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections in U.S. infants and children younger then 18 Page 2 months of age. These infections result in 7,500 to 15,000 hospitalizations every year.
