Discuss the impact of tobacco use on health and disease in the U.S

Answer 1

?Tobacco use was declared public health enemy number one by former surgeon general C. Everett Koop, who in 1982 declared tobacco use as the leading cause of death and disability in this country. Three decades ago, this was a pretty significant statement. Analysis published by McGinnis and Foege (1993 ) quantified the numbers of deaths attributed to tobacco use as 400,000 a year; eleven years later, the number of per annum deaths had risen to 435,000 (18.1% of preventable deaths). The current estimate of tobacco-attributed deaths is 465,000 per year; one in five deaths is attributed to tobacco. One-third of all cancers are tobacco related. For certain diseases, the percentage of deaths attributed to tobacco use is much higher. Deaths attributed to tobacco use are highest for lung cancer (87%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (79%), and heart disease (32%). In addition, 8% of infant deaths are attributed to tobacco - either sudden infant death syndrome or low birth weight and respiratory problems. On an individual level, the life expectancy of a smoker is approximately 11 years shorter than that for a nonsmoker. Quitting smoking, before age 40, and with time for the body to repair, can return life expectancy to that near a nonsmoker.