Pulmonology

Consultants

Health vs. tobacco

Tobacco is currently the leading cause of death in the world. According to the WHO it kills approximately 6 million people a year. In Spain, there are around 50,000 deaths from tobacco.

Its effects on the health of the world population could be compared to an air crash every day with more than 100 passengers on board, without any survivors. This is why it can be considered to be a real epidemic.

Substances harmful to health

Cigarettes contain toxic substances. The most well-known is nicotine (which is responsible for addiction), but it also contains cyanide salts, arsenic and butane, among others.

Tobacco smoke produces irritation in the airways, which causes an alteration in the function as well as the structure of the lungs and leads to respiratory illnesses like emphysema or COPD.

Furthermore, it is related to cardiovascular diseases (myocardial infarction, angina, etc.) and cerebrovascular diseases such as stroke. In short, tobacco is directly related to more than 29 diseases, including 10 different types of cancer.