Tobacco's
Health Effects
Tobacco's Health Effects
Tobacco on average takes away 10 years of life
by raising the risk of serious health conditions.
Cardiovascular disease
Several types of cancer
Respiratory diseases
Other diseases: diabetes, vascular disease and osteoporosis
Smoking also can be deadly to the people around you.
Cigarette smoking causes 1 in every 5 deaths each year. Tobacco harms every organ in the body and is the #1 cause of preventable death in the United States. On average, tobacco use takes away 10 years of life by raising the risk of these serious health conditions:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Heart disease
- Several types of cancer including cancer of the lung, throat, mouth, esophagus, pancreas, bladder, and cervix and leukemia
- Respiratory diseases
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Emphysema
- Chronic bronchitis
Tobacco smoke also affects and worsens many other diseases such as diabetes, vascular disease, and osteoporosis. It can contribute to these other problems:
- Gum and tooth disease
- Halitosis (bad breath)
- Reduced ability to taste food and drinks
- Wrinkles
- Yellow teeth
Tobacco’s Effects on Others
Tobacco doesn’t just affect the person who chooses to use it. Smoking can be dangerous to the people and pets around you. People who live in or around your cigarette smoke, even just occasionally, could suffer in these ways:
- They have an increased risk of lung cancer.
- Children near you are more likely to have sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), asthma, lung problems, and ear infections.
- Unborn babies are more likely to be born early and at a low birth weight. They are more likely to have birth defects including cleft palate and other health problems.
- Pets have increased risks of cancers when they breathe in secondhand smoke, or when they lick smoke particles that stick to their fur.
There are many reasons to quit tobacco and the Quitline can help you start your quit journey off right. We’ll help you identify how quitting tobacco can help your health and relationships.
What’s your why? Explore our interactive tools to find out why quitting is important to you.
Join Our Program At Anytime
It only takes five minutes to start a new chapter in your quitting journey
Program FAQs
Thinking about enrolling in the Quitline? Here are answers to common questions about cost, coaching and other aspects of the program.
The Quitline is free to participants. Your public health department, health plan or employer pays the program costs. If you choose to use nicotine quit medications, such as nicotine gum or patches, you may be eligible to receive 2 weeks or more for free. After that, there may be a cost for medication. When you enroll in the Quitline program, we'll help you work through these details.
You may be eligible to receive the first 2 weeks of quit medication for free. After that, you may be eligible for additional free quit medication through the Quitline based on your health plan and employer. Enroll in the program to learn more.
We offer an Online Only program with our website and other online materials. However, research shows people who use coaching are more likely to successfully quit. Completing even a few calls with a quit coach could make a difference for you. Learn more about the Quitline programs.
Enroll today—it’s easy and takes less than 5 minutes! You can enroll online, or if you'd like to speak to someone to get more information, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW. You can use the Quitline more than one time, so there is no harm in enrolling as soon as you feel ready.