as a result of smoking.” (Tommy Thomson, Health and Human Services Secretary)

Cigarette smoking has been part of the American culture for decades. Smoking is the nation’s leading cause of preventable death, claming more than 400,000 lives a year, according to the federal government. (Neergaard) It has been proven time and again that tobacco products not only increase the risk of disease in humans, but also increases the chances of taking human lives. In 1964, the Surgeon General’s report on smoking increased awareness of the damage it causes among Americans. However, since that report, the war on tobacco companies has been focused on preventing our young people from starting the habit. However, America is not yet fully aware of the hazardous and devastating effects smoking has had on women. In 1999, approximately 165,000 women died prematurely from smoking-related diseases, such as cancer and heart disease. Women also face unique health effects from smoking such as problems related to pregnancy. (Women and smoking) Women should know the dangerous effe!

cts of smoking and how tragically this habit can end their life as w

I am 27 years old and I’ve been a smoker since I was 11 years old. I quit one time for a year cause I was having severe chest pain. After I stopped, I felt great. But being addicted to nicotine never left me. I felt that mentally I could keep going on; physically my body desired the drug. Everyday I want to quit but I forgot how I did it in the first time. I cough almost all day. I have asthma because of smoking. It took all this time to find out that I am an addict to nicotine. Smoking has made me a very depressed person. I wish I never started in the first place. I might die from it, I don’t know. Or maybe I have to live with fighting this disease for the rest of my life. –Anonymous- (Why quit Smoking?)

Dr.Thomas A. says, “ Breast cancer is not typically thought of as a smoking-associated malignancy but for susceptible women it could be quite an important contributor.” (Laino ) Smoking is another big major risk among women with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer. Breast cancer is one of the scariest diseases that most of women don’t want to get it in their lives. There could be a genetic problem or other issues that could cause breast cancer but smoking affects a lot in a way of women of getting breast cancer. US researchers reported that 132 families with at least three breast or ovarian cancer patients found that patients’ sisters and daughters who smoked were more than twice as likely to develop breast cancer, compared with the nonsmoking sisters and daughters of patients. (Boggs) A lot of women would be wondering how smoking affects women of getting breast cancer. Smoking boosts carcinogens, or cancer-causing chemicals, in the blood. These chemicals can cause mutations in the DNA of breast cells that, over time, lead to cancer. (Boggs)

Why do women continue to smoke today? There are three major reasons why women can’t quit smoking. First of all, they get addicted to cigarettes. Cigarettes have nicotine, which is very addictive. This chemical is so poisonous that only fifty milligrams (less than half an ounce) of it, injected into a vein, will kill a person. (Why quit smoking?) Also, when you get addicted to cigarettes, you depend on nicotine to control your mood psychologically, which le

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