Tobacco-free Campus
QuestionS & AnswerS
Q: Why should I stop smoking?
A: Smoking causes not only cancer but also heart disease and lung disease, including emphysema, bronchitis and chronic airway obstruction.
A: Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, causing 443,000 deaths per year.
A: On average a smoker will die 13 to 14 years earlier than nonsmokers.
Smoking also increases the length of time people will live with a disability by two years.
Q: Why not just switch to smokeless tobacco, such as chewing tobacco or snuff?
A: Chewing tobacco and snuff are just as deadly as smoking tobacco.
A: 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.
Q: What is the truth about secondhand smoke?
A: 49,000 deaths per year are from secondhand smoke.
Q: How are children affected by secondhand smoke?
A: Being around smokers increases children’s risk of asthma attacks, respiratory infections, ear infections and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Q: What about women who smoke?
A: Women who smoke are subject to adverse effects on reproduction:
- Infertility
- Preterm delivery
- Stillbirth
- Low birth weight
A: Female smokers are also likely to suffer from lower bone density, increasing their chances of bone pain or breakage later in life.
Q: Where do I go to get information on smoking and tobacco use?
A: The following websites should are helpful: