Smoking is a major cause of many diseases. Some of those include:

• Cancer of lung, larynx, mouth, and esophagus
• Coronary heart disease; strokes; chronic bronchitis
• Low bone density; hip fractures
• GERD and Peptic Ulcers

People who smoke may not understand or they may choose to ignore all of the risks listed on the labels of tobacco products. Smokers who do quit can lower their risks of contracting disease caused by smoking and can improve their overall health. (more…)

Smoking Overview

Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, causing more than 440,000 deaths each year and resulting in an annual cost of more than $75 billion in direct medical costs. Nationally, smoking results in more than 5.6 million years of potential life lost each year (CDC). Quitting Smoking is Hard But YOU CAN DO IT! and YOU HAVE TO!Nicotine is a very addictive drug. For some people, it can be as addictive as heroin or cocaine. Quitting is hard. Usually people make 2 or 3 tries, or more, before finally being able to quit. Each time you try to quit, you can learn about what helps and what hurts. (more…)

Lung cancer has surpassed breast cancer to become the number one cancer killer among women.

Trends in women’s lung cancer can be clearly linked to smoking behavior; currently observed increases in lung cancer rates mirror trends in women’s uptake of smoking 30-40 years ago.

Smoking cessation clinical trials reveal that the same treatments benefit both men and women. Therefore, the same interventions can be used with both men and women.

Some treatments, however, are less efficacious in women than in men (e.g., nicotine replacement therapies). (more…)