Uncovering Important Facts & Fiction Around Tobacco Use

Tobacco has and continues to be a major public health concern, impacting the health of millions of individuals every year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that more than 16 million people nationwide are living with a smoke-related disease.

While we hear time and again how unhealthy tobacco use is, there are still many individuals who may have learned certain myths or developed false ideas about tobacco use.

Here are some important facts and falsehoods about using tobacco.

Fact vs. Fiction

Fact: Smoking tobacco impacts more than just the lungs.

In fact, smoking tobacco can negatively impact almost every organ in your body. Cigarette smoking in particular is the leading preventable cause of disease, death and disabilities in the country, and it isn't only due to lung cancer. Smoking can also cause cancer in your pancreas, colon, liver, stomach many other places.

Fiction: Filtered cigarettes are safer.

Although filtered cigarettes may be marketed as a safer alternative to unfiltered tobacco smoking, those filters do not protect you. According to the CDC, filters only make smoke particles smaller, allowing your body to absorb nicotine better and increase addiction.

Fact: Secondhand smoking contributes to more than 40,000 deaths in the U.S.

The CDC says that more 40,000 adult deaths and 400 infant deaths are related to secondhand smoking. Similar to a smoke, individuals exposed to secondhand smoke could experience adverse health conditions like coronary heart disease, stroke and lung cancer.

Fiction: Smokeless tobacco isn't harmful.

Smokeless tobacco products may still contain nicotine, which is addictive and impacts the brain. The CDC says smokeless tobacco can also adversely impact your health and cause heart disease, diseases of the mouth and cancers in your mouth, pharynx and larynx.

Fact: It's never too late to quit smoking.

While longtime smokers may feel that the "damage has been done" and there's no longer any benefit to quitting tobacco use, the CDC says the sooner you quit, the more time your body has to heal. In 2-5 years after quitting, your risk of stroke returns to that of a nonsmoker, and in 10 years, your risk of lung cancer is cut in half.

How to Quit

EvergreenHealth's Smoking Cessation program offers a focused, one-on-one approach to help you.

Our Smoking Cessation providers are clinical pharmacists who focus on wellness programs and have specialized training in smoking cessation therapies.

You will need a physician referral to enroll in the Smoking Cessation program. Once we have received a referral from your physician, we will contact you to schedule your first appointment.