Cause and Effect

My whole life, I have been around cigarettes and smoking. Most of my family smokes or has smoked. My mom and dad were both smokers. My mom still smokes today but my dad switched to smokeless tobacco. My aunt is a smoker. Both my mom’s parents were smokers and it took both their lives. My dad’s mother use to smoke but she quit ten years ago. My cousins Allen and Michael are both smokers. My brother has tried it and so has my cousin Harley. My daughter’s mother also is a smoker. So a lot of people in my life are smokers. I hate that so many of my friends and family smoke because I know that with every smoke, they are shortening their lives. Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body and it causes many diseases and reduces the health of smokers in general, (“Health”). More deaths are caused each year by tobacco use than by all deaths from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders combined, (“Health”). Smoking causes an estimated 90% of all lung cancer deaths in men and 80% of all lung cancer deaths in women, (“Health”). An estimated 90% of all deaths from chronic obstructive lung disease are caused by smoking, (Health). Smoking causes an estimated 90% of all lung cancer deaths in men and 80% of all lung cancer deaths in women, (Health). Smoking increases coronary heart disease by 2 to 4 times, (Health). Your chances of having a stroke are also increased 2 to 4 times, (Health). When men smoke, it increases the chance of them developing lung cancer by 23 times and when women smoke it increases their chance of developing lung cancer by 13, (Health). The chance of dying from a chronic obstructive lung disease such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema is increased by 12 to 13 times, (Health). Smoking is probably most harmful to the lungs. It causes lung cancer and it also