Behavior Health and Wellness Blog
Tobacco use continues to be one of the leading preventable causes of death, not only due to direct smoking but also through secondhand exposure. Since the landmark 1964 Surgeon General’s Report, tobacco control efforts have made major strides—researchers estimate they’ve helped avert 8 million premature deaths and added 2.3 years to male and 1.6 years to female life expectancy. Despite this progress, 5.6 million adolescents under 18 are still projected
Secondhand smoke poses serious health risks to both children and adults, and there is no safe level of exposure. The home remains the leading source of secondhand smoke exposure, especially for children. To protect your loved ones, make your home and car completely smoke-free, and encourage family members who smoke to seek help quitting. Smoking in a separate room, using fans, or opening windows will not prevent secondhand smoke from
Cigars—once seen as a niche luxury—are now aggressively marketed to youth, women, and communities of color through flavored products, low prices, and targeted advertising. The tobacco industry has designed and promoted cigars using flavors like cherry and vanilla to mask harsh tobacco, making them appealing to first-time users. From 2009 to 2020, cigar sales rose from $2.47 billion to $3.27 billion, largely due to flavored options. Alarmingly, over half of
Despite popular belief, smoking cannabis is not a safer alternative to tobacco—it still poses serious risks to your lung health. Whether it’s through joints, bongs, blunts, or bowls, cannabis smoke contains many of the same harmful toxins, irritants, and carcinogens as tobacco smoke. These substances can damage lung tissue, scar small blood vessels, and increase the risk of bronchitis, chronic coughing, and excessive mucus production. Although these symptoms may improve