Twice the risk of stroke
Ten times the risk of lung diseases
Twelve times the risk of lung cancer
Three times the risk of heart disease
Six times the risk of mouth cancer
Ten times the risk of larynx cancer
Three times the risk of leukemia
Three times the cavities and tooth loss (not to mention stained teeth and bad breath)
Four times the risk of need for upper back and neck surgery
Three times the risk for lower back surgery
Four times more likely to have excessive facial wrinkles at a younger age than nonsmokers - especially women

Tobacco-related deaths in the United States equal over 430,000 every year. That's more than heroin, alcohol, fire, auto accidents, homicide and suicide combined.

Approximately 10,250 of those deaths are in Indiana. That is 28 Hoosiers a day losing their life from smoking-related disease.

Maternal use of tobacco causes an increased risk of prematurity, low birthweight, stillbirths, miscarriages and strabismus (crossed eyes).

Mothers who quit smoking while they are pregnant and begin again once the baby is born, or those mothers who never quit, put their newborn at twice the risk of dying from SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) than nonsmoking mothers.

Second-hand smoke kills 53,000 nonsmokers every year. That makes it the third leading cause of death. The nonsmoking spouse of a smoker has a 40% greater risk for developing lung cancer over the mate who lives with a nonsmoker.

Exposure to passive smoke has shown a decrease in lung growth in children.

Children in homes of smokers miss more school due to illnesses than those in smoke-free homes. They have more frequent respiratory problems (chest colds, bronchitis, pneumonia), tonsillitis, and ear infections. Asthmatic children have more frequent or severe attacks in homes of smokers.

Carbon monoxide - the chemical that people die from in house fires, funace malfunctions, bad exhaust systems on cars, etc. - is one of the primary poisons in tobacco.

Carbon monoxide takes the place of oxygen in the blood. It is absorbed 200 times faster than oxygen.

Tar, another deadly substance, damages the lungs in two ways:

It releases cancer-causing agents into the tissues.
It hardens the air sacs (alveoli) where gas exchange occurs.

Here are just a few of the 4,000 deadly chemicals found in tobacco smoke:

ACETONE - Nail polish remover
AMMONIA - Floor/toilet cleaner
FORMALDEHYDE - Funeral preservative
CADMIUM - Rechargeable batteries
BUTANE - Cigarette lighter fluid
VINYL CHLORIDE - Plastic pipe
DDT - Insecticide
ARSENIC - Poison
NAPHTHALENE - Moth balls
NICOTINE - Insecticide
METHANOL - Rocket fuel

Nicotine is one of the worst chemicals in tobacco because of its addictive qualities. Nicotine changes the way nerve cells transmit information in the brain. Instead of tobacco being stimulating, the smoker must continue to smoke just to feel normal.

Nicotine is more addictive than cocaine and heroin.

The Lung Center has several programs to help you quit smoking or can tell you where to go to find these programs. You can call the Lung Center at (574) 251-0041 or toll free at (800) 586-4872. This could be the MOST important call of your life.

Email: lungctr@memorialsb.org