Tobacco and your Health
- Tobacco kills around half of the people who smoke. Around 360 persons die each year in Malta from diseases attributable to tobacco. Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, 69 of which are known to cause cancer. Tobacco contains the highly addictive psychoactive chemical called nicotine, acting both as a stimulant and a relaxant.
- 20.10% of the Maltese population smoke on a daily basis (European Health Interview Survey 2014). 12% of 15 year old boys and 11% of 15 year old girls smoke (Health Behaviour in Schoolchildren Survey 2014).
- Tobacco smoking is one of the main risk factors for several chronic non-communicable diseases. It is the leading cause of preventable death. It harms nearly every organ of the body, causing diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, chronic respiratory diseases and various forms of cancer. These diseases result in early death and ill-health. Smoking causes 9 out of 10 of all lung cancer deaths in men and women.
- Smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to develop heart disease, stroke and lung cancer.
- Smoking is estimated to increase the risk.
- For heart disease by 2 to 4 times.
- For stroke by 2 to 4 times.
- Of men and women developing lung cancer by 25 times.
- Smoking is estimated to increase the risk.
- Quitting smoking lowers your risk for smoking-related diseases and can add years to your life. It is never too late to stop, as a positive effect results from quitting at any age.