Smoking: the leading preventable cause of premature death

Smoking is the leading preventable cause of premature death worldwide, with more than 8 million victims each year. Also, reducing the number of smokers by implementing the recommendations of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) is the most effective way to save lives and improve general well-being.

A regular smoker loses an average of 10 to 15 years of life[1].

Tobacco smoke is a deadly mixture of more than 7,000 toxic chemicals, including at least 70 known carcinogens, that can damage every organ in the human body.[2].

Even before conception and during pregnancy, tobacco consumption by women or their exposure to passive smoking have serious consequences for the fetus and the future child. In particular, they promote intrauterine growth retardation, premature births, stillbirth, sudden infant death syndrome, and certain congenital malformations.

The most common diseases linked to tobacco consumption are cancers, cardiovascular diseases (stroke, heart attack, arteritis) and respiratory diseases (COPD).

Research has shown over the years that tobacco-related diseases are actually more common and varied. Among the new known risks associated with smoking are described kidney failure, intestinal ischemia and hypertensive heart disease.

All of these risks are observable from very low consumption, from 1 cigarette/day. Additionally, exposure to secondhand smoke is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and respiratory diseases.

Therefore, combating tobacco consumption must be a top priority in all countries so as not to remain the leading preventable cause of premature death worldwide.

©Generation Without Tobacco