Smoking risks are supported by years of research. The statistics are overwhelming. Below are the smoking risks that actual experience has shown.A smoker’s increased risk of acquiring a disease is directly proportional to the length of time that he continues to smoke as well as the amount smoked. A person who has smoked at some point in his life has a 1 in 10 chance of developing lung cancer. If he continues smoking, the risk increases to 1 in 6. In the United States, 87% of lung cancer cases are caused by smoking. Passive smoking increases a nonsmoker’s risk of acquiring lung cancer by 20 to 30%. Long term exposure to carbon monoxide and cyanide causes increased risk of acquiring emphysema and chronic obstructive disease.

Smokers below 40 years old are 5 times more likely to have heart attack. Smoking also increases the risk of acquiring atherosclerosis, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. Passive smoking increases a nonsmoker’s risk of acquiring heart disease by 25 to 30%. And smoking 20 cigarettes a day increases the risk of acquiring tuberculosis by 2 to 4 times.

Pregnant women who smoke are at increased risk of suffering miscarriages. And smoking during pregnancy puts the life of the fetus at risk. In the United States, 430 infant deaths are caused by sudden infant death due to passive smoking. Smoking also risks infants to be born with low birth weight and small for gestational age.

Lastly, smoking puts your life at risk — not just your life but the lives of people around you! A smoker’s life expectancy is reduced by 2.5 to 10 years. For every puff of a cigarette, a smoker risks losing 11 minutes of his life. Smoking is now the second major cause of death worldwide!

Both passive and active smoking can kill! Will you risk your like just to smoke a cigarette? Quit smoking now. And reduce the smoking risks that can cause your death!

Click here for more information on smoking risks.