Making the decision to quit tobacco

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Respiratory cilia	Secondhand Smoke and Lung Cancer	Tobacco and cancer	Tobacco and chemicals
Tobacco and vascular disease	Tobacco health risks

Secondhand smoke; Cigarette smoking; Tobacco cessation; Smoking and smokeless tobacco

Tobacco is a plant grown for its leaves, which are smoked, chewed, or sniffed for a variety of effects.

• It is considered an addictive substance because it contains the chemical nicotine.
• Tobacco also contains more than 19 known cancer-causing chemicals (most are collectively known as "tar") and more than 4,000 other chemicals.

Most smokers in the United States would like to quit smoking. Most people who have quit smoking made at least one unsuccessful quit attempt in the past. Try not to view past attempts to quit as failures, but rather as learning experiences.

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HEALTH RISKS OF SMOKING OR SMOKELESS TOBACCO

Many smokers come to depend on the positive effects of nicotine, such as boosting their mood, improving short-term memory and concentration, and producing a sense of well-being.

There are many more reasons to quit using tobacco. Knowing the serious health risks may help motivate you to quit. When used over a long period, tobacco and related chemicals such as tar and nicotine can increase your risk of many health problems.

• Heart and blood vessel problems:
  • Blood clots and aneurysms in the brain, which can lead to strokes
  • Blood clots in the legs, which may travel to the lungs
  • Coronary artery disease, including angina and heart attacks
  • High blood pressure
  • Poor blood supply to the legs
  • Problems with erections because of decreased blood flow into the penis
• Cancer (especially in the lung, mouth, larynx, esophagus, bladder, kidney, pancreas, and cervix)
• Poor wound healing, especially after surgery
• Lung problems such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis, or asthma that is harder to control
• Problems during pregnancy, such as babies born at low birth weight, premature labor, miscarriage, and cleft lip
• Other health risks or problems:
  • Decreased ability to taste and smell
  • Harm to sperm, which contributes to infertility
  • Loss of sight due to an increased risk of macular degeneration
  • Tooth and gum diseases
  • Wrinkling of the skin