The WHO says smoking kills about 6 million people worldwide each year. Roughly 600,000 of those people are non-smokers who die from breathing second-hand smoke.
In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control says more than 1,200 people die daily as a result of smoking. That’s about 443,000 a year.
Smoking opponenst are recognizing the 50th anniversary of the landmark first U.S. Surgeon General's report linking smoking to lung cancer, heart disease and other illnesses.
In Ohio, the American Cancer Society efforts when it comes to smoking focus mainly on cessation and prevention, smoke-free environments and raising the tobacco tax.
Jeff Stephens, Ohio Government Relations for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, said the tax is now $1.25 per pack. The national average tax is $1.61 per pack.
Stephens’ organization is pushing to have it raised by $1 to $2.25 here.
“It has to be raised by a significant level for it to have the desired health impact,” Stephens said. “People are going to quit and it is going to keep young people from starting.”
Smoking plays a factor in 17,700 deaths in Ohio per year, Stephens said.
Nationally, for each person who dies a smoking-related death, the CDC says there are 20 others who suffer with at least one serious illness caused by smoking. Below are five examples of those potentially deadly illnesses used in the CDC's "Tips From Former Smokers" ad campaign. Descriptions are taken from the CDC's website.
Blood vessels swell, which can prevent blood flow, causing clots to form. This can lead to pain, tissue damage, and even gangrene (the death or decay of body tissues). In some cases, amputation may be required.
Almost everyone with Buerger’s disease smokes cigarettes. However, Buerger’s disease can occur in people who use other forms of tobacco, like chewing tobacco. People who smoke 1½ packs a day or more are most likely to develop Buerger’s disease.
Researchers are working to understand how tobacco increases the risk for Buerger’s disease. One idea is that chemicals in tobacco irritate the lining of the blood vessels and cause them to swell.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD
The condition refers to a group of diseases that cause airflow blockage and breathing-related problems. It includes emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and in some cases asthma.
In the United States, tobacco smoke is a key factor in the development and progression of COPD, although exposure to air pollutants in the home and workplace, genetic factors, and respiratory infections also play a role. In the developing world, indoor air quality is thought to play a larger role in the development and progression of COPD than it does in the United States.
Each year, more than 30,000 new cases of cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx are diagnosed and over 8,000 deaths due to oral cancer occur. The 5-year survival rate for these cancers is only about 50 percent. Mortality from oral cancer is nearly twice as high in some minorities (especially black males) as it is in whites. Methods used to treat oral cancers (surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy) are disfiguring and costly. Preventing high risk behaviors, that include cigarette, cigar or pipe smoking, use of smokeless tobacco, and excessive use of alcohol are critical in preventing oral cancers. Early detection is key to increasing the survival rate for these cancers.
Smoking can also cause cancer in the bladder, blood (acute myeloid leukemia), cervix, colon and rectum (colorectal) esophagus, kidney and ureter, larynx, liver, oropharynx (includes parts of the throat, tongue, soft palate, and the tonsils)pancreas, stomach, trachea, bronchus, and lung.
The disease is the leading cause of cancer death and the second most common cancer among both men and women in the United States.
In 2010 (the most recent year numbers are available)— 201,144 people in the United States were diagnosed with lung cancer, including 107,164 men and 93,980 women.
Another 158,248 people in the United States died from lung cancer, including 87,698 men and 70,550 women.
Lung cancer begins in the lungs and may spread to lymph nodes or other organs in the body, such as the brain. Cancer from other organs also may spread to the lungs. When cancer cells spread from one organ to another, they are called metastases.
Lung cancers usually are grouped into two main types called small cell and non-small cell. These types of lung cancer grow differently and are treated differently. Non-small cell lung cancer is more common than small cell lung cancer.
Smokers are at greater risk for diseases that affect the heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular disease).
Smoking causes stroke and coronary heart disease—the leading causes of death in the United States.
Even people who smoke fewer than five cigarettes a day can have early signs of cardiovascular disease. Smoking is estimated to increase the risk for coronary heart disease and strokes by two to four times.
Contact this columnist at arobinson@DaytonDailyNews.com or Twitter.com/DDNSmartMouth
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