World No Tobacco Day

For decades, the tobacco industry has utilized strategic campaigns to entice people to tobacco and nicotine use. The World Health Organization created World No Tobacco Day in the late 80’s to draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic and all the harm it can cause. 

According to the CDC, tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. Cigarette smoking, for example, causes about one of every five deaths in the United States each year. In order to continue to bring attention to the tobacco epidemic we’ve compiled a list of 10 reasons why you should stop smoking today:

1. Lung Cancer: Smoking is the number one cause of developing lung cancer. 

2. Liver Cancer: Smoking increases your risk of many different cancers, including liver cancer. The risk of liver cancer is increased further if you smoke and drink alcohol.

3. Diabetes: In 2014 Surgeon General’s Report found that smoking is a cause of type 2 diabetes, which is also known as adult-onset diabetes. Furthermore, according to the CDC, the risk of developing diabetes increases with the number of cigarettes smoked per day. 

4. Heart Disease: Over time, smoking can contribute to atherosclerosis that, in turn, increases the risk of having heart disease, heart failure, or a heart attack. One out of 5 heart disease deaths is directly related to smoking.

5. Erectile Dysfunction: Although ED can be caused by a wide range of physical and psychological factors, among them is cigarette smoking. Smoking builds up plaque in the arteries and obstructs blood flow.

6. Ectopic Pregnancy: Smoking is thought to increase the risk of an ectopic pregnancy by up to four times. An ectopic pregnancy is when the egg implants itself in the fallopian tube instead of the womb. This can affect a woman’s ability to conceive in the future.

7. Vision Loss: Many people don’t realize that smoking can lead to vision loss. Smoking can increase the risk of age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy.

8. Tuberculosis: Tobacco smoking can increase the risk of developing tuberculosis. If you have been treated for tuberculosis in the past, smoking can nearly double your chance of getting it again.

9. Rheumatoid Arthritis: Smoking increases the likelihood of developing rheumatoid arthritis, particularly for people who have smoked 20 years or longer.

10. Colorectal Cancer: It’s known that smoking can cause many types of illnesses including cancer — colon cancer is one that many may not immediately associate with cigarettes. Smokers have a very high risk of not only developing colon cancer but also dying from it.