- Special Sections Special to the Times-Record May is Stroke
Awareness Month, and City- County Health District and the Center
for Tobacco Prevention and Control Policy (the Center) are using
the opportunity to underscore how the connection between
cigarette smoke and stroke reinforces the need for comprehensive
smoke-free policies. Stroke is the fourth-leading cause of death
in the U.S., and people who smoke cigarettes are twice as likely
to have a stroke. In addition to smokers being at risk, those
breathing secondhand smoke also suffer at least a 30 percent
increased stroke risk, as reported in a recent issue of
â€śPreventing Chronic Disease,â€ť published by the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to CDC, both
smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke thicken the blood, thus
making it more likely to clot. This can lead to increased plaque
buildup in arteries and damage blood vessels leading to the
brain, which can cause or worsen a stroke. â€śThe increased risk
of stroke caused by sec