Smoking is one of the most dangerous bad habits for your health in our economy today. Smoking causes lung cancer and other life-threatening conditions. Quitting smoking reduces the risk of lung disease and cancer for loved ones around you. My grandfather smokes more often and has had several heart attacks and is still with me today, I hope to have him for another 17 years and more. Smoking damages almost every organ in the body and decreases a person's overall health. Millions of Americans have health problems caused by smoking. Smoking is a leading cause of cancer and cancer death. It causes cancers of the lung, esophagus, larynx, mouth, throat, kidney, bladder, pancreas, stomach and cervix, as well as acute myeloid leukemia. Cigarette smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke cause more than 440,000 premature deaths in the United States each year. Of these premature deaths, approximately 40% are due to cancer, 35% are due to heart disease and stroke, and 25% are due to lung disease. Smoking is the leading cause of death or premature death, but preventable death in this country. Secondhand smoking causes illness and premature death in non-smoking adults and children. Exposure to secondhand smoke could increase your risk of heart disease by 25-30%. In the United States, exposure to secondhand smoke is believed to cause approximately 46,000 deaths and kill thousands of people from heart disease each year. Pregnant women exposed to secondhand smoke run the risk of having a low birth weight baby. Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at increased risk of SIDS, ear infections, colds, pneumonia, bronchitis, and more severe asthma. Exposure to secondhand smoke slows liver growth in children... middle of paper......otin is a highly addictive drug. Smokers can become addicted very quickly and it can take years and enormous effort to kick the habit. Not many people manage to remain casual smokers. It is illegal for retailers to sell tobacco or tobacco products to anyone under 18. The leaves of the tobacco plant are dried and then rubbed to produce a brown, flaky mixture. It can be purchased loose as rolling tobacco or in ready-made cigarettes. Tobacco is often smoked, but some people chew it. The cost depends on the extent of the smoking habit. Works Cited "Why is smoking bad for you?" Why is smoking bad? Np, nd Web. November 1, 2013."Why is smoking bad for you?" http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/10566.php. Np, nd Web. November 1, 2013."Why smoking is a bad habit." http://www.livestrong.com/article/189618-why-smoking-is-a-bad-habit/. Np, nd Web. November 1. 2013.