Nicotine's strong pull makes quitting smoking difficult

By DR. NICHOLAS A. NELKEN

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Nov 08, 2011

~~<p>After years of research, the message is clear: Smoking kills. Tobacco use is responsible for 1 in every 5 deaths in the United States. It kills more people than alcohol, AIDS, car crashes, drug abuse, murders and suicides combined. Smoking harms nearly every organ in the body, causing many diseases and complications, and reducing quality of life and life expectancy. Men who smoke lose, on average, 13.2 years of life, and female smokers lose 14.5 years.</p>
<p>If these statistics aren't alarming enough, consider the side effects on a more personal level.</p>
~~

After years of research, the message is clear: Smoking kills. Tobacco use is responsible for 1 in every 5 deaths in the United States. It kills more people than alcohol, AIDS, car crashes, drug abuse, murders and suicides combined. Smoking harms nearly every organ in the body, causing many diseases and complications, and reducing quality of life and life expectancy. Men who smoke lose, on average, 13.2 years of life, and female smokers lose 14.5 years.

If these statistics aren't alarming enough, consider the side effects on a more personal level. Login for more...