The 1982 United States Surgeon General’s report stated that “Cigarette smoking is the major single cause of cancer mortality [death] in the United States.” This statement is as true today as it was then.
Tobacco use is responsible for nearly 1 in 5 deaths in the United States. Because cigarette smoking and tobacco use are acquired behaviors — activities that people choose to do — smoking is the most preventable cause of death in our society.
Here is a brief overview of cigarette smoking: who smokes, how smoking affects health, what makes it so hard to quit, and what some of the many rewards of quitting are. For more, see our Guide to Quitting Smoking
Taking care of yourself
If you have used tobacco in any form, now or in the past, tell your health care provider so he or she can be sure that you have right preventive health care. It is well known that smoking puts you at risk for certain health problems. This means part of your health care should focus on related screening and preventive measures to help you stay as healthy as possible.
For example, your doctor may recommend that you check the inside of your mouth regularly for any changes. If you do find any changes or problems, you should have an oral exam done by your doctor or dentist. The American Cancer Society recommends that medical check-ups should include mouth (oral cavity) exams. By doing this, tobacco users may be able to find changes such as leukoplakia (white patches on the membranes in the mouth) early. This may help prevent oral cancer..
What is in tobacco?
Cigarettes, cigars, and spit and pipe tobacco are made from dried tobacco leaves, as well as ingredients added for flavor and other reasons. More than 7,000 different chemicals have been found in tobacco and tobacco smoke. Among these are more than 60 chemicals known to cause cancer (carcinogens).
Many substances are added to cigarettes by manufacturers to enhance the flavor or to make smoking more pleasant. Some of the compounds found in tobacco smoke include ammonia, tar, and carbon monoxide. Exactly what effects these substances have on the cigarette smoker’s health is unknown, but there is no evidence that lowering the tar content of a cigarette lowers the health risk.
Until recently, cigarette manufacturers were not required to share information about the additives used in cigarettes, which made it harder to determine their possible health risks. But since the 2009 passage of a new federal law, manufacturers are required to submit lists of ingredients to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Nicotine addiction
Addiction is marked by the repeated, compulsive seeking or use of a substance despite its harmful effects and unwanted consequences. Addiction is defined as mental and emotional dependence on the substance. Nicotine is the addictive substance in tobacco, although researchers are looking for other substances that may also contribute to tobacco dependence. Regular use of tobacco products leads to addiction in many users.
How powerful is nicotine addiction?
About 70% of smokers say they want to quit and about half try to quit each year, but only 4% to 7% succeed without help. This is because smokers not only become physically dependent on nicotine; there is a strong emotional (psychological) dependence. This is what leads to relapse after quitting. The smoker may link smoking with social and many other activities. Smokers also may use cigarettes to help manage unpleasant feelings and emotions, which can become a problem for some smokers when they try to quit. All of these factors make smoking a hard habit to break.
