Considerations

• The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that 90% of lung cancer fatalities were due to smoking in men, while 80% were accounted for women.
  
  

Function

• Cigarettes contain many harmful chemicals such as tar and pesticides that can cause many diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
  
  

Time Frame

• The longer someone smokes, the more chance they will have of developing a fatal disease. Once cigarette smoking is stopped, the body begins repairing itself, lessening the chances of diseases caused by smoking.
  
  

Misconceptions

• Diseases from smoking do not affect everyone. Smoking only increases the chance of smoking-related diseases.
  
  

Benefits of Quitting

• By quitting smoking, the chances of developing smoking related diseases gradually reduce. After 15 years, the risk of heart disease drops to that of someone who never smokes. After 10 years, the risk of cancer significantly decreases.