Smoking
Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death and disease in the
United States. Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, which
reach your lungs every time you inhale. Your blood then carries the poisons
to the rest of your body.
Smoking harms almost every organ in the body and can cause serious health
problems, including cancer, heart disease, stroke, gum disease and eye
diseases that may lead to blindness. According to the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services, smoking causes nearly one of every five
deaths in the United States each year.
Smoking during pregnancy does not only cause harm to you but also to your
baby. Women who smoke have a greater chance of problems during pregnancy
or having a baby die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Quitting
smoking, even if you’re already pregnant, can make a big difference
in your baby’s life.
Smoking is also bad for those around you. They breathe in your smoke
secondhand and can get many of the same problems as smokers.
Quitting smoking is the most important step to take to improve your health.
The sooner you quit, the greater the benefit. For more information, visit
www.smokefree.gov.