Smoking
A smoker was defined as someone who smoked at least one cigarette in the past 30 days. On the other hand, people who had not smoked in the past month but had smoked previously are considered non-smokers
Tobacco smoke is produced when tobacco and paper (with other
additives) are burned at temperatures reaching 1000 degrees Celsius.
That smoke contains many toxic chemicals in the form of gases and
particles that cause inflammation, irritation, asphyxiation and cause
cancer. Smokers inhale the smoke that comes from cigarettes, on the
other hand, passive smokers (or non-smokers) are those who are exposed
to secondhand smoke (inhaling environmental tobacco smoke). Both active
and passive smokers inhale toxic components through the lungs. One of
those substances is carbon monoxide, which enters the bloodstream and
spreads throughout the body.
Cigarette smoking is the number one cause of avoidable mortality in the United States and other countries. It is a risk factor for many deadly diseases, including lung cancer, heart attacks, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and stroke. Despite these risks, approximately 50 million Americans continue to smoke. However, although 70% of smokers want to quit, it remains a significant challenge as only 34% try to quit and only 2.5% succeed each year.
Cigarette smoking among high school students increased during
the first part of the decade, before declining after 1997. More than
three-quarters of smokers start by age 19, so monitoring of youth
smoking patterns is necessary.
