It will probably help you to make a good decision if you understand the risks involved when you smoke — both to you and to those around you. Read the reasons below. When you decide to quit, get help from Foothill Health Services. There is NO SAFE Amount
The 2010 Surgeon General's Report clearly states that there is no safe amount of exposure to cigarette smoke, validating earlier findings and expanding and strengthening the science base, as well as describing in great detail the multiple ways that tobacco smoke damages every organ in the body, resulting in disease and death. Read the evidence:

• The Dangers of Tobacco Smoke
• New FDA Cigarette Health Warnings
• Tobacco Facts (Cigs, Dip)

Secondhand Smoke KILLS
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports: More than 600,000 deaths per year worldwide are caused by second-hand smoke (SHS) — more than 1 percent of all deaths. 165,000 of these deaths are children. Read the evidence:

• WHO Health Topics — Tobacco

And if all that isn't enough —Another Reason to Stop:
ALZHEIMER'S & DEMENTIA RISKS SPIKE with Smoking
Researchers analyzed health data of 21,123 Kaiser Permanente members. They found that compared with non-smokers, those who had smoked two packs of cigarettes a day increased their risk of developing Alzheimer's by more than 157 percent and had a 172 percent higher risk of developing vascular dementia. Read the evidence:

• Kaiser Permanente's Report

Click here to go back to the Smoking Cessation page. Click here to learn about Foothill's smoke-free campus policy.