How Many Deaths Are Caused By Smoking Each Year?

 Smoking deaths each year include over 40,000 deaths caused by secondhand smoke exposure. About 41,000 deaths caused by secondhand smoke are reported annually across the nation. More than 7 million of these deaths are a direct result of tobacco consumption, and about 1.2 million are a result of secondhand smoke exposure among non-smokers. There is no safe level of secondhand tobacco smoke exposure, and it causes over 1.2 million premature deaths each year as well as severe cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. 

Nearly half of children routinely inhale tobacco-smoke-contaminated air in public places, and 65 000 people die every year as a result of diseases linked to secondhand smoke. Tobacco smoking is one of Australias biggest causes of preventable disease and death. Despite substantial progress since the first report by the surgeon general, issued 50 years ago, smoking remains the single largest preventable disease and death in the US. Despite tremendous progress in tobacco use reduction, tobacco smoking is still the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, and it has terrible costs for families, businesses, and governments. 

In fact, tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States,1 contributing to over 480,000 deaths every year. Well, in reality, what kills is not the smoking habit so much as it is the preventable diseases tobacco use causes. Cigarette smoking is responsible for the deaths of 480 people in the United States, including over 41,000 deaths resulting from secondhand smoke exposure. Cigarette smoking is directly responsible for 1,300 deaths every day, and approximately 1 in 5 total deaths nationwide every year. 

Most of the 20 million deaths associated with smoking since 1964 were adults who had a smoking history; however, 2.5 million of these deaths were non-smokers dying of diseases caused by exposure to secondhand smoke. About 87% of deaths attributed to tobacco smoking occurred in current smokers. Unfortunately, that is not true: A study from the World Health Organization determined that 1.2 million deaths were caused by indirect exposure to tobacco. 

Tobacco use kills about five million people each year around the world, accounting for more than 20% of all deaths among adult men and 5% of deaths among adult women. Cigarettes are responsible for the overwhelming majority of all tobacco-related diseases and deaths in the U.S. Smokers are exposed to a toxic mixture of more than 7,000 chemicals when inhaling cigarette smoke,2 with consequences that may endanger their health in a number of ways. 

Deaths and disease from tobacco use in the U.S. Individuals who die every year as a result of either smoking cigarettes themselves or secondhand smoke exposure. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed the tobacco industry is responsible for 480,000 American deaths every year. Cancers and Other Conditions Caused by Smoking Over two-thirds of the 47 million deaths among adults aged 25+ globally in 2012 were caused by cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and tuberculosis (WHO 2013a). The prevalence of smoking is decreasing from year to year, but is still one of the leading causes of health problems and causes of mortality. More