Did you know?

If you want to cut your risk of developing many types of cancer, quit smoking cigarettes and other tobacco products. Smoking has been linked to cancers of the lung, esophagus, larynx, mouth, kidneys, throat, pancreas, cervix, and stomach, and may also contribute to acute myeloid leukemia, a cancer of the white blood cells. Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, and at least 250 are known to be harmful, including carbon monoxide, ammonia and cyanide. The National Cancer Institute says at least 69 of the chemicals in cigarettes are known carcinogens. Some of these cancer-causing agents are benzene, cadmium, nickel, and vinyl chloride. Smoking causes 80 percent of lung cancer deaths among women and 90 percent among men, and many chronic lung diseases are attributed to smoking. What’s more, in addition to increasing one’s risk of developing cancer, smoking can increase one’s risk of heart attack by up to six times compared to that of a nonsmoker.