Women and Smoking-Related Diseases:The Scope of the Epidemic

Smoking-related diseases have reached epidemic levelsamong women in the United States. Since 1980, neoplastic,cardiovascular, respiratory, and pediatric diseases attributableto smoking-as well as cigarette burns-havebeen responsible for the premature deaths of 3 millionAmerican women and girls. Lung cancer is now the leadingcause of cancer-related deaths among US women; itsurpassed breast cancer in 1987.¹

The first US Surgeon General's report on womenand smoking was issued in 1980. In the past 20 years, numerousstudies have shown that in addition to lung cancer,heart disease, and emphysema, a multitude of otherhealth problems threaten the approximately 22% of Americanwomen who smoke. The results of these studiesprompted the US Surgeon General to release a second reportdevoted to women and smoking. The Table summarizesthe major smoking-related health risks listed in thereport.

References:

REFERENCE:1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Women and smoking: a reportof the Surgeon General. MMWR. 2002;51(RR-12):1-30.