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If you continue to block out some of the frightening risks associated with cigarette smoking, here is a more mundane reminder: Its getting too cold outside to huddle in a doorway smoking. But regardless of the weather, the time is right to quit. Why not today? Youll have a lot of company.
This week marks the 36th annual Great American Smokeout, and the American Cancer Society is encouraging smokers to use the time as a starting point to quit, or to at least try By doing so, smokers will be taking a step towards a healthier and longer life one that can lead to reducing cancer risk.
Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the U.S., yet more than 46 million Americans still smoke. And more than half these smokers have attempted to quit for at least one day in the past year.
The American Cancer Society has some facts about smoking that might compel you not to light up during the Great American Smokeout and beyond:
Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the U.S.
Each year, smoking results in an estimated 443,000 premature deaths, of which about 49,400 are nonsmokers -- a result of exposure to secondhand smoke.
Tobacco use is responsible for nearly 1 in 5 deaths in the U.S.
Nearly 47 million Americans still smoke.
Smoking accounts for $193 billion in health care expenditures and productivity losses.
Tobacco use increases the risk of cancers of the lung, mouth, nasal cavities, larynx, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, colorectum, liver, pancreas, kidney, bladder, uterine cervix, ovary and myeloid leukemia.
Tobacco use accounts for at least 30 percent of all cancer deaths and 87 percent of lung cancer deaths.
Cigarette use has had a dramatic decline since the release of the first U.S. Surgeon General's Report on Smoking and Health in 1964. Regardless, about 24 percent of men and 18 percent of women still smoked cigarettes in 2009, with almost 80 percent of them smoking daily.
Smokeless tobacco products are a major source of cancer-causing nitrosamines and a known cause of human cancer. They increase the risk of developing cancer of the mouth and throat, esophagus and pancreas.
Quitting smoking is an important step towards reducing your cancer risk and celebrating more birthdays, said Michelle Wolf, vice president for health initiatives. The American Cancer Society Great American Smokeout provides great tips and tools to help you beat the urge to smoke. There has never been a better time to quit- we can help.
The Westchester County Chapter of the American Cancer Society can guide you through steps you can take to quit smoking, and they can provide resources and support to increase your chances of successfully and finally quitting.
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