According to the World Health Organization (WHO), tobacco is the leading preventable cause of illness, disability and premature death in the world. In Europe, smoking causes 1.2 million deaths each year. It is directly related to the appearance of 29 diseases (of which 10 are different types of cancer) and is the main cause of a good part of deaths from lung cancer and more than 50% of cardiovascular diseases.

Among the diseases related to tobacco, the following stand out:

• Chronic bronchitis.
• Pulmonary emphysema.
• Lung cancer
• Arterial hypertension.
• Coronary heart disease                  (Angina or myocardial infarction)
• Cerebrovascular accidents (thrombosis, hemorrhages or embolisms.  Gastrointestinal ulcer.
• Chronic gastritis.
• Laryngeal cancer
• Oropharyngeal cancer.
• Kidney or urinary tract cancer.
• Sexual impotence in men
• Sleep disorders.
• Character and intellectual capacity disorders.

*Additional risks in women:

• The probability of having a heart attack is multiplied by 10 in women who smoke and use oral contraceptives.
• .Among women who smoke, menopause occurs an average of 2 to 3 years earlier than in women who have never smoked.
• .Increases the risk of osteoporosis.
• Lung cancer in women is increasing significantly, due to the increase in tobacco use among the female population. In the last 10 years, lung cancer mortality in women has increased by 20%, compared to 5% in men.

Tobacco consumption increases the risk of dying prematurely by various diseases derived from tobacco consumption by 70%. This increased risk is directly proportional to the length of time you have been smoking, the number of cigarettes smoked daily, the depth of smoke inhalation, and the nicotine and tar content of the brand smoked.

Smoking is the cause of:

• .More than 90% of cases of bronchitis
• .Of 95% of cases of lung cancer.
• Of 30% of all coronary heart disease.
• An important part of the cases of cancer of the esophagus, urinary bladder, oral cavity and larynx.