Tobacco Use Facts
Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death. The act of smoking is guaranteed to lead to disease and disability, and harms nearly every organ of the body.
Tobacco use causes more than 7 million deaths per year. The CDC states that if the pattern of smoking worldwide doesn’t change, more than 8 million people a year will die from diseases related to tobacco use by 2030. Listed below are tobacco use facts from the CDC:
- More than 16 million Americans are living with a disease caused by smoking.
- Cigarette smoking is responsible for more than 480,000 US deaths per year, with 41,000 resulting from secondhand smoke exposure. This is about one in five deaths annually, or 1,300 deaths every day.
- For every person who dies because of smoking, it is estimated that 30 people are living with a serious smoking-related illness.
- Smoking causes cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Tobacco use also increases risk for tuberculosis, certain eye diseases, and problems of the immune system.
- On average, smokers die 10 years earlier than nonsmokers.
Prevention and Tobacco Cessation
Never starting the habit of smoking or using tobacco products and distancing yourself from those who do, is the best way to prevent tobacco related disease and death. For those that do smoke, now is the perfect time to quit. The health benefits of tobacco cessation begin almost immediately and, over time, it lowers your risk for smoking-related diseases and can add years to your life. Additional benefits of quitting smoking include:
- Improved Heart Health: 20 minutes after quitting your heart rate drops back down to normal. In just 2 weeks to 3 months your heart attack risk begins to drop. In a year, your risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker. And your heart keeps on getting healthier. In 15 years, your risk of heart disease is the same as that of a nonsmoker.
- Improved Lung Function: Smoking causes wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath. Quit, and in 2 to 3 months your lung function noticeably improves.
- Reduced Risk of Cancer: 10 years after quitting your risk of cancers of the lungs, mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas decrease significantly.
- A Better Night’s Sleep: Smoking irritates the membranes in the nose and throat which can block the airways, causes snoring and leads to more tossing and turning.
- Reduced Financial Stress: By quitting smoking a pack a day, you can save $2,200 a year. In addition, you also have lower insurance premiums and reduced healthcare costs.
How to Quit
If you are an employee, look into your company’s wellness program offerings and see if they have a tobacco cessation program you can join. You should also speak with your doctor for more information on how to quit.
If you are an employer looking to help your employees quit smoking and reduce their health risks, contact us today! Health Designs provides Telephonic Tobacco Cessation Coaching services with the objective of promoting health, reducing health risks, decreasing tobacco dependency and improving employee well-being. Each participant will engage one-on-one with a well-being coach to focus on behavior change, addiction counseling, and stress management. A dedicated Wellness Manager, Well-being Coach, and team of wellness professionals will guide your initiative to higher engagement and success throughout the program.
Visit our website to learn more!
