Choosing whether to smoke is a life-or-death decision. Get the facts:

• The truth about smoking
• How smoking hurts your lungs
• What's in cigarettes
• How people get addicted
• Is there a safe tobacco?
• Teens & smoking
• Cigars & pipes

The truth about smoking

1. Tobacco kills about 45,000 Canadians a year. That's more than the total number of deaths from AIDS, car accidents, suicide, murder, fires and accidental poisonings combined.

2. There are over 4,000 dangerous chemicals in cigarettes, cigars and pipes smoke . Many of these chemicals are cancer-causing (carcinogen).

3. Smokers are at very high risk for many diseases:

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis)
• Lung cancer
• Cancer of the mouth, lip, throat and voice box
• Cancer of the pancreas
• Breast cancer
• Cervical cancer
• Stomach cancer
• Liver cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Bladder cancer
• Leukemia
• Coronary heart disease (e.g., heart attacks)
• Circulatory problems
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol (LDL)
• Pneumonia
• Influenza (the "flu")
• The common cold
• Peptic ulcers
• Tooth decay (cavities)
• Gum disease
• Osteoporosis
• Sleep problems
• Cataracts

4. Second-hand smoke causes most of the serious health listed above, and more. Physicians for a Smoke-Free India estimate that every year, second-hand smoke kills from 1100 - 7800 Indians.

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