Main Content

Impacts of Tobacco

Cigarettes 

  • Smoking kills half of those who don’t quit. 
  • Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death.  
  • Smokers are exposed to a toxic mix of over 7,000 chemicals when they inhale cigarette smoke.  
  • Not all of the harmful chemicals created during cigarette manufacturing are man-made. Some of the carcinogens occur naturally as tobacco is cured. 
  • The harmful chemicals in cigarette smoke can damage nearly every organ in the body. 
  • The tobacco industry spends billions of dollars each year on marketing cigarettes.  
  • Smoking costs the United States billions of dollars each year.  
  • Nonsmokers are exposed to many of these same chemicals through secondhand smoke. 
  • According to the National Cancer Institute, the average cost of a pack of cigarettes is $6.36. Let’s say someone smoked 30 cigarettes in one day. In a month, that’s $191. In a year, that’s $2,300. In 10 years, that’s $23,000.

 

Cigars 

  • Cigars are not a safe alternative to cigarettes and cigar smoke is at least as toxic as cigarette smoke, if not more. 
  • Large cigars can deliver as much as 10 times the nicotine, two times the tar, and more than five times the carbon monoxide of a filtered cigarette. 
  • Regular cigar smoking is associated with an increased risk for cancers of the lung, esophagus, larynx (voice box), and oral cavity (lip, tongue, mouth, throat), gum disease and tooth loss. 
  • Heavy cigar smokers and those who inhale deeply may be at increased risk for developing coronary heart disease, and lung diseases such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis. 

 

Smokeless Tobacco 

  • Smokeless tobacco is common as dip, chew, Snuff, SNUS. 
  • Although you don’t inhale smokeless tobacco, there are still more than 4,000 chemicals in these products, and as many as 30 of these have been linked to cancer. 
  • Each year in the U.S., more than 2,300 people are diagnosed with oral, esophageal, and pancreatic cancers caused by smokeless tobacco use. 
  • Smokeless tobacco use is responsible for gingivitis and periodontitis, tooth loss as a result of gum disease, cavities, and stained teeth.  
  • Using smokeless tobacco products may also increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. 

 

E-cigarettes/Vapes 

  • E-cigarettes are devices that heat a liquid into an aerosol that the user inhales. The liquid usually has nicotine and flavoring in it and other additives.  
  • E-cigarette use poses a significant – and avoidable – health risk to young people in the United States.  
  • The outbreak of E-cigarette, or Vaping, product use-Associated Lung Injury (EVALI) hospitalized over 2,800 and killed 68 last year.
    • EVALI is strongly linked to vitamin E acetate, an additive in some e-cigarettes and vaping products 
    • Reduce risk by not using e-cigarettes and vaping products from informal sources like friends, family, or in-person or online dealers
  • Besides nicotine, e-cigarettes can contain harmful and potentially harmful ingredients, including: 
    • ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs  
    • flavorants such as diacetyl, a chemical linked to serious lung disease 
    • volatile organic compounds 
    • heavy metals, such as nickel, tin, and lead 
  • On average, an electronic cigarette (a JUUL) costs $20 and pods for that JUUL cost $5. Let’s say someone spent $20 a week, that would be $84 per month and $1,008 per year.
  • On average, a refillable e-cigarette costs $30. The average cost of e-juice is $30 per week. That would cost someone $126 per month and $1,512 per year.

 

Hookahs 

  • Hookah (water pipe) smoke exposes people to the addictive chemical nicotine and contains many of the same toxic chemicals that are in cigarette smoke. 
  • Waterpipe smokers may absorb even more of the harmful chemicals found in cigarette smoke because smoking sessions are typically longer. A typical one-hour hookah session involves inhaling 100–200 times the volume of smoke from a single cigarette. 
  • Waterpipe smokers are at risk for the same kind of diseases caused by cigarette smoking and may absorb even more toxic chemicals like carbon monoxide than cigarette smokers.  

 

Nicotine During Pregnancy 

  • Nicotine exposure harms the developing fetus and causes lasting consequences for the developing brain and lung function in newborns. 
  • Nicotine exposure also affects maternal and fetal health during pregnancy and can result in low birth weights, preterm delivery, and stillbirth. 

 

 Long-term Financial Effects of Tobacco 

  • Higher health insurance costs: Tobacco users can face charges up to 50% more for health insurance than non-tobacco users.
  • Tobacco cessation must be provided at no cost under most types of health insurance including counseling, prescription cessation, and/or over-the-counter nicotine replacements.
  • Increased absenteeism at work: Across workers, full-day absenteeism (due to smoking-related health concerns) cost the employee an estimated $341 per complete missed workday. Partial-day absenteeism (due to recurring smoke breaks) cost an estimated $13 per workday, equaling almost $3,077 per year.
  • Dental hygiene: In adults aged 18-64, current smokers have poorer oral health status, more oral health problems, and more need for a dental health professional. Costs of these appointments prevent 56% of current smokers with an oral health problem from seeing a dentist.
  • Lower resale values of property: A home’s property resale value can go down by up to 29% if someone has smoked in it. Buyers can detect smells and signs up smoking, as pollutants remain up to two months after a home has been cleaned and vented.

 

Adapted from: