Chapter 3 The health effects of active smoking

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3.0 Introduction

3.1 Smoking and heart disease

3.2 Respiratory diseases (excluding lung cancer)

3.3 Smoking and cancer

3.4 Lung cancer

3.5 Other cancers

3.6 Reproductive health

3.7 Pregnancy and smoking

3.8 Child health and maternal smoking before and after birth

3.9 Increased susceptibility to infection in smokers

3.10 Eye diseases

3.11 Dental diseases

3.12 Gastro-intestinal diseases

3.13 Musculoskeletal diseases

3.14 Skin

3.15 The impact of smoking on treatment of disease

3.16 Smoking and diabetes

3.17 Inflammatory conditions and autoimmune disease

3.18 Other conditions with possible links to smoking

3.19 Smoking and accidents

3.20 Tobacco poisoning

3.21 Health effects for younger smokers

3.22 Poorer quality of life and loss of function

3.23 Smoking, dementia and cognitive decline

3.24 Genetic influences on tobacco-caused disease

3.25 Smoking compared with or in combination with other pollutants

3.26 Health effects of smoking brands which claim to deliver lower levels of tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide

3.27 Health effects of smoking tobacco in other forms

3.28 Health 'benefits' of smoking?

3.29 Smoking and body weight

3.30 Deaths attributable to tobacco by disease category

3.31 Morbidity and mortality due to tobacco-caused disease and socio-economic disadvantage

3.32 Health effects of smoking other substances

3.33 Health effects of chewing tobacco, and of other smokeless tobacco products

3.34 Public perceptions of tobacco as a drug, and knowledge and beliefs about the health consequences of smoking

3.35 Health and other benefits of quitting

3.36 The global tobacco pandemic


Margaret Winstanley

We are grateful to Dr Andrew Penman, Chief Executive Officer,
The Cancer Council NSW, for his review of this chapter.

Ms Carolyn Ford, Information Coordinator for Quit Victoria,
also provided valuable advice and assisted with provision of resources.