Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death and disease in the United States. Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, which reach your lungs every time you inhale. Your blood then carries the poisons to the rest of your body.
Smoking harms almost every organ in the body and can cause serious health problems, including cancer, heart disease, stroke, gum disease and eye diseases that may lead to blindness. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, smoking causes nearly one of every five deaths in the United States each year.
Smoking during pregnancy does not only cause harm to you but also to your baby. Women who smoke have a greater chance of problems during pregnancy or having a baby die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Quitting smoking, even if you're already pregnant, can make a big difference in your baby's life.
Smoking is also bad for those around you. They breathe in your smoke secondhand and can get many of the same problems as smokers.
Quitting smoking is the most important step to take to improve your health. The sooner you quit, the greater the benefit. For more information, visit www.smokefree.gov.