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  5. Cigarettes: the hard truth

Cigarettes: the hard truth

  1. Home
  2. Cancer information
  3. Reduce your risk
  4. Live smoke-free
  5. Cigarettes: the hard truth

Smoking shortens lives

People who smoke have a higher risk of developing at least 16 different types of cancer. Unless they quit, up to half of all people who smoke will die from smoking-related illnesses.
A body showing 16 cancers people have a higher risk of developing if they smoke: mouth, lung, liver, etc.

Our recommendation

There is no safe level of smoking tobacco. Living smoke-free is the best thing you can do to reduce your risk for cancer.

It is never too late to quit smoking. You can benefit from quitting at any age, no matter how long you have been smoking. The sooner you quit, the lower your cancer risk.

Did you know?

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Canada. About 72% of lung cancer cases in Canada are due to smoking tobacco. The longer a person smokes and the more cigarettes they smoke each day, the more their risk of cancer increases. People who smoke are at a higher risk of lung cancer if they’re also exposed to radon or certain chemicals in their home or workplace.

Tobacco use is the number 1 risk factor for preventable disease and death in Canada. Find out about our advocacy work in tobacco control.

Top 6 reasons people say they smoke

"I'm addicted."

Nicotine is a powerful, addictive drug found naturally in tobacco. When you smoke, nicotine quickly reaches your brain and briefly boosts your mood, making you feel calm and more alert. But over time, your energy level and mood can drop, causing you to crave another cigarette. Then you smoke again, repeating the cycle. The more you smoke, the more nicotine you need.

Good news: you can quit smoking for good. Many people have found success with quitlines, nicotine replacement therapies and other support.


"It's relaxing."

Many people who smoke believe that smoking relaxes them. In fact, it does the opposite to your body. Smoking makes your heart beat faster, makes you breathe faster and raises your blood pressure.

Why do some people who smoke feel relaxed when they smoke? Often, it’s because smoking relieves the nicotine withdrawal that occurs between cigarettes. It also releases dopamine – a chemical in your brain that creates feelings of pleasure. But this feeling of relaxation lasts for only a few moments. Often, it’s not the cigarette, but taking a break from work or a stressful situation that creates the real relaxation.

"It helps maintain my weight."
It’s true that nicotine can suppress your appetite and may increase your metabolism slightly. But smoking puts an enormous amount of stress on your heart and lungs. There are healthier and much less expensive ways to maintain your weight than smoking.
"It helps me stay focused."
People who smoke often say that smoking helps them concentrate and stay focused. There are a few reasons for this. One is because nicotine is a stimulant. Another is because smoking relieves the nicotine withdrawal felt between cigarettes. Unfortunately, smoking also blocks blood vessels, arteries and veins, starving the brain of the oxygen it needs to work properly. The good news is that there are other ways to maintain focus – without the risks and high cost of smoking.
"It's a social thing I do with my friends."
It’s easy to believe that smoking is part of the reason you have a good time with friends who also smoke. But chances are you’d have just as much – or more – fun without the cigarettes. With the many restrictions on smoking in public places, and fewer people smoking, it’s easier than ever to be social without cigarettes.
"I'm afraid the quitting process will be awful."
Some people who smoke may be worried about the symptoms of withdrawal. Dealing with withdrawal can be hard, but there are tools to help. Withdrawal symptoms don’t last forever and are a sign that the body is healing. And it won’t be long before you’ll experience the health benefits of quitting. Many people have successfully quit and maintained it. Though it can be hard at first, it gets easier and more manageable over time, and the benefits make it worthwhile.

6 benefits of quitting

Your life will be easier.
Smoking is hard work. With so many restrictions on smoking in public places, you have to plan ahead and sneak away to have a cigarette. Not being able to have a cigarette when you want one can make you irritable, taking the fun out of everyday activities. And sneaking out of social and family activities can put a strain on your relationships. It is freeing to be smoke-free!
You'll save money.
Smoking is expensive. Put the money you would have spent on cigarettes toward something that really makes you happy, whatever that may be! Check out our quit calculator to see how much you would save by quitting.
It will be easier to exercise.

Playing a sport, going to the gym and living an active life is much easier when you quit smoking.

When you smoke, your heart has a harder time keeping up with the demands of exercise, so your body wastes a lot of heartbeats just trying to keep up during exercise. Smoking also affects your lung capacity, your ability to gain and maintain muscle and your overall energy level. Quitting makes it easier to exercise and frees up time to do so. You’ll have more time for activities you love, like swimming, cycling and other hobbies without needing to stop for a smoke.

You'll be a better role model for the young people in your life.
The last thing most people who smoke want is to “inspire” a young person to take up smoking. And most kids today are learning the risks of smoking at a young age, so it’s confusing and upsetting when they see a loved one smoke. Quitting smoking sets a positive example and shows the young people in your life that it is possible to live smoke-free. Young people benefit from seeing adults demonstrate resilience and perseverance. 
Your body, hair, clothes, home and car will smell better — and be healthier.
Second-hand smoke travels through the air, leaving toxic chemicals on carpets, furniture, hair and clothing (known as third-hand smoke). When you quit smoking, you can enjoy fresher scents and the knowledge that your home is safer for family, friends and pets too.
Your family and friends will also benefit.
If your loved ones worry about your health because you smoke, they’ll be happy when you quit. You’ll be helping them be healthier, too, by not exposing them to second-hand smoke.

Amazing ways your body bounces back — from the minute you stop smoking

  • 20 minutes after quitting: Your blood pressure starts to lower.
  • After 8 hours: The level of carbon monoxide (a toxic gas) in your blood drops to normal.
  • After 24 hours: Your risk of having a heart attack starts to drop.
  • After 2 weeks to 3 months: The airways in your lungs relax and you can breathe easier.
  • After 1 to 9 months: You cough less and your lungs are even stronger.
  • After 1 year: Your added risk of coronary heart disease is half that of someone who smokes.
  • After 5 years: You have the same chance of having a stroke as someone who does not smoke. Your risk of getting mouth, throat, esophageal or bladder cancer is half of what it was when you smoked.
  • After 10 years: Your risk of getting lung cancer is about half of what it was when you smoked.
  • 15 years after quitting: Your risk of coronary heart disease is similar to that of someone who has never smoked.
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Every cigarette you smoke can take years off your life

It's never too late to quit smoking. When you're ready to quit, every province and territory offers quitline services and many other programs free of charge to support you. Call your province or territory's quitline to work with a quit coach for free: 1-866-366-3667.
Find help to quit smoking

You won’t believe how many ingredients are in cigarette smoke

Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, many of them poisonous. Both the chemicals that exist naturally in tobacco and the chemicals formed when the cigarette is burned are released into tobacco smoke.
Found in nail polish remover
A common household cleaner
Used in rat poison
Found in gasoline
Used in batteries
Found in car exhaust fumes
Used as embalming fluid
A main component in rocket fuel

More of the chemicals found in tobacco smoke

Acetaldehyde, acrolein, acrylonitrile, aromatic amines, 1,3-butadiene, benzo[a]pyrene, butyraldehyde, chromium (hexavalent), hydrogen cyanide, isoprene, lead, 2-naphthylamine, 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), nickel, N’-nitrosoanatabine (NAT), N’-nitrosonornicotine (NNN), polonium-210, propionaldehyde, styrene, toluene, vinyl chloride.

Did you know?

When you smoke, the chemicals in each cigarette mix together to form a sticky goo called tar. This tar is inhaled in tobacco smoke and sticks to the tiny hairs that line the insides of your lungs (called cilia) – hairs that are supposed to keep your lungs clean by sweeping out dirt and germs. When those hairs are covered in tar, they can’t do their job properly. This makes you more likely to develop lung diseases.

Do you know how to live smoke-free?

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