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Tobacco Facts

No one is safe. Tobacco products of all types are dangerous to everyone.
10 Important Facts

The Dangers of Tobacco

Lung Cancer From healthy to deadly… Tobacco use accounts for at least 30 percent of all cancer deaths, causing 87 percent of lung cancer deaths in men, and 70 percent of lung cancer deaths in women. 1
Oral Health 60 to 78 percent of chewing tobacco users have oral lesions. Exposure to tobacco juice causes cancer of the esophagus, pharynx, larynx, stomach, and pancreas.2,3
Secondhand Smoke Secondhand smoke causes more than 7,300 lung cancer deaths to non-smokers each year in the United States. There is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke. 4
Birth Defects When you smoke, you add lethal poisons into your bloodstream. The same blood stream you share with your baby. Smoking can damage baby’s lungs and lead to premature birth and underweight babies. 5
Chemicals in Vapes Not just harmless water vapor! E-cigarettes (and secondhand vape) deliver a cocktail of toxic chemicals including carcinogens. Plus, e-cig liquid is highly poisonous—a teaspoon of it, even highly diluted, can kill a small child or pet. For more information, visit E-cigarettes.SurgeonGeneral.gov. 6,7
Thirdhand Smoke Thirdhand smoke is the invisible combination of particles and gases that remain after secondhand smoke clears. The sticky chemical residue includes heavy metals, carcinogens and other harmful chemicals that babies and young children (even pets) can get on their hands and clothes and then ingest. 8,9
Smokeless Tobacco Chewing tobacco is not a safe alternative to smoking. A can of chew tobacco can be more addictive than a pack of cigarettes because it contains more nicotine. One can holds as much nicotine as 80 cigarettes. 10
Hookah Just one puff from a hookah can fill your lungs with 12 times more smoke than ONE hit from a cigarette, and in 1 hour hookah smokers can be exposed to 100 times the volume of smoke inhaled with a single cigarette. 11,12
Cost Many South Dakotans don’t know what the real cost of tobacco is. State and Federal tax bills add up to $828 per family. Sooner or later, we all pay. 13
Child Health Secondhand smoke can trigger severe asthma attacks that could actually put a child’s life in danger. If you smoke, quit. If your family and friends smoke, ask them to keep it away from your children. 14
10 Important Facts

The Dangers of Tobacco

  • 01 Lung Cancer
  • 02 Oral Health
  • 03 Secondhand Smoke
  • 04 Birth Defects
  • 05 Chemicals in Vapes
  • 06 Thirdhand Smoke
  • 07 Smokeless Tobacco
  • 08 Hookah
  • 09 Cost
  • 10 Child Health

Lung Cancer

From healthy to deadly… Tobacco use accounts for at least 30 percent of all cancer deaths, causing 87 percent of lung cancer deaths in men, and 70 percent of lung cancer deaths in women. 1

Oral Health

60 to 78 percent of chewing tobacco users have oral lesions. Exposure to tobacco juice can cause cancer of the esophagus, pharynx, larynx, stomach, and pancreas.2,3

Secondhand Smoke

Secondhand smoke causes more than 7,300 lung cancer deaths to non-smokers each year in the United States. There is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke.

Birth Defects

When you smoke, you add lethal poisons into your bloodstream. The same blood stream you share with your baby. Smoking can damage your baby’s lungs and lead to premature birth and underweight babies. 5

Chemicals in Vapes

It's not just harmless water vapor! E-cigarettes (and secondhand vape) deliver a cocktail of toxic chemicals including carcinogens. Plus, e-cigarette liquid is highly poisonous—a teaspoon of it, even highly diluted, can kill a small child or pet. For more information, visit E-cigarettes.SurgeonGeneral.gov. 6,7

Thirdhand Smoke

Thirdhand smoke is the invisible combination of particles and gases that remain after secondhand smoke clears. The sticky chemical residue includes heavy metals, carcinogens and other harmful chemicals that babies and young children (even pets) can get on their hands and clothes and then ingest. 8,9

Smokeless Tobacco

Chewing tobacco is not a safe alternative to smoking. A can of chew tobacco can be more addictive than a pack of cigarettes because it contains more nicotine. One can holds as much nicotine as 80 cigarettes.

Hookah

Just one puff from a hookah can fill your lungs with 12 times more smoke than ONE hit from a cigarette, and in 1 hour hookah smokers can be exposed to 100 times the volume of smoke inhaled with a single cigarette. 11,12

Cost

Many South Dakotans don’t know what the real cost of tobacco is. State and Federal tax bills add up to $828 per family. Sooner or later, we all pay. 13

Child Health

Secondhand smoke can trigger severe asthma attacks that could actually put a child’s life in danger. If you smoke, quit. If your family and friends smoke, ask them to keep it away from your children. 14
Why Quit?

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Take a deep dive into everything you need to know about the harmful effects of tobacco use, why you should quit the habit and more.
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SD Quitline

People who use a Quit Coach are 2x more likely to quit and stay QUIT!