Harris C. Faigel, M.D.
Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics
Tufts University School of Medicine
Boston, MA 02111

Mailing address:
55 Kensington Circle
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467-2675

617-943-5312
617-232-1407
Fax 617-738-7980
e-mail: hfaigel@massmed.org
 
 

   Tobacco addiction begins in adolescence and the consequences are severe.  One in four adults in the US smokes despite evidence that tobacco is the leading factor in preventable diseases and deaths in the nation.  In 1998, there were 1.1 billion smokers worldwide according to World Health Organization data.  More than 10,000 die and many thousands more become disabled by smoking-related disease each year.  The risk of heart and lung disease and cancer are widely publicized in print and on the backs of cigarette packages.  However, little similar attention is given to the deleterious effects of smoking on every system in the body.  This report reviews the impact of smoking in biochemical and microvascular dysfunction that causes diseases in the skin, brain, pituitary, ears, eyes, nose, teeth, mouth, throat, airway, lungs, breasts, heart, blood pressure, stomach, intestines, liver, pancreas, kidneys, bladder, ovaries, uterus, testes, prostate, arteries, veins, nerves and bones.  Smoking interferes with healing and accelerates aging.  Physicians who care for adolescents play a crucial role in educating them about all of the effects of tobacco on every part of the body and reducing its use should be among their highest health and prevention priorities.