In the current issue of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, are the most recent state rankings of prevalance and trends in cigarette smoking. The study looks at smoking habits in the United States from 1998 through 2007. Of the 50 states in 2007, Kentucky had the highest number of current smokers: 28.3 percent of the population over the age of 18. During the same year, an estimated 19.8 percent of adults in the United States were current smokers.
Tobacco is one of the strongest cancer-causing agents. Tobacco use is associated with a number of different cancers, including lung cancer, as well as with chronic lung diseases and cardiovascular diseases. Cigarette smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, causing an estimated 438,000 deaths - or about 1 out of every 5 - each year
When people inhale cigarette smoke, they bring into their lungs tar that includes over 4,000 chemicals, some of which are carcinogenic (cancer-causing). Other inhaled chemicals in cigarette smoke that may increase the risk for cancer include cyanide, benzene, formaldehyde, methanol (wood alcohol), acetylene (the fuel used in torches), and ammonia. Smoke also contains nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide, both harmful gases.
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