Smiling Lady One of the best things you can do for your health and the health of your family and community is to quit commercial tobacco. You can send a positive message for younger generations about becoming healthier. When you quit using commercial tobacco, your body begins repairing itself almost immediately even if you already have a smoking-related illness — it's never too late to quit!

 
What happens to your body when you quit smoking infographic


Effects of Commercial Tobacco Use on Your Health

Cigarette smoking causes one in every five deaths each year. Commercial tobacco harms every organ in your body and is the number one cause of preventable death in the United States. Commercial tobacco also causes and worsens many chronic diseases that American Indians already suffer. On average, commercial tobacco use takes away 10 years of your life by raising the risk of these serious health conditions:

  • Cardiovascular disease:
    • Heart attack
    • Stroke
    • Coronary heart disease
    • Aortic aneurysm
  • Cancer throughout the body:
    • Mouth, throat, and esophagus,
    • Lung, bronchus, trachea
    • Stomach, liver, kidney, pancreas
    • Colon and rectum
    • Bladder and cervix
    • Leukemia
  • Respiratory diseases:
    • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
    • Emphysema
    • Chronic bronchitis
    • Asthma
  • Diabetes
  • Reproductive problems for men and women
  • Arthritis
  • Immune function problems

And, it can contribute to other problems:

  • Gum and tooth disease
  • Halitosis (bad breath)
  • Reduced ability to enjoy the taste food and drinks
  • Wrinkles
  • Yellow teeth


Commercial Tobacco’s Effect on Others

Commercial tobacco doesn’t just affect the person who uses it. Smoking can be dangerous to your family, community, and people and pets around you. People who live in or around your cigarette smoke, even just occasionally, could suffer in these ways:

  • Increased risk of lung cancer
  • Children near you are more likely to have sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), asthma, lung problems and ear infections
  • Unborn babies are more likely to be born early and at a low birth weight
  • Birth defects including cleft palate and other health problems
  • Pets have increased risks of cancers when they breathe in secondhand smoke, or when they lick smoke particles stuck to their fur

There are many reasons to quit commercial tobacco and the American Indian Commercial Tobacco Program (AICTP) can help you start your quit journey. We’ll help you identify how quitting commercial tobacco can help your health, the health of your family and your community.

Why do you want to quit commercial tobacco? Use our Interactive Tools to explore why quitting commercial tobacco is important to you.