English: In its background, this image depicts an opened pack of cigarettes with its side-panel health warning to would-be smokers stating some of the ill effects attributed to smoking, and in the foreground, a ruby-colored glass ashtray containing the butts of two cigarettes.

Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body, causing many diseases and affecting the health of smokers in general, as well as those inhaling “second hand” smoke. Quitting smoking has immediate as well as long-term benefits for you and your loved ones.

Smoking causes death.

- The adverse health effects from cigarette smoking account for an estimated 443,000 deaths, or nearly one of every five deaths, each year in the United States.

- More deaths are caused each year by tobacco use than by all deaths from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders combined.

- Smoking causes an estimated 90% of all lung cancer deaths in men and 80% of all lung cancer deaths in women.

- An estimated 90% of all deaths from chronic obstructive lung disease are caused by smoking.