Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that an estimated 443,000 Americans die every year from smoking-related diseases, including those indirectly affected. Secondhand smoke is a mixture of the smoke from the burning end of a cigarette or cigar and what the smoker exhales. Even low levels of secondhand smoke are harmful. Secondhand smoke contributes to the incidence of ear infections and asthma attacks in children, increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome and can cause smoking-related diseases in people who have never smoked. More than 3,400 lung cancer deaths every year in the U.S. are attributed to secondhand smoke, according to the American Cancer Society. Besides the negative health effects, smoking is expensive: Smoking a pack of cigarettes each day costs more than $5,000 a year. Even though many smoking-induced effects can be reversed after quitting, some are permanent. The best way to avoid these risks is to not smoke or to quit if you have started.
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