Smoking harms nearly every organ and system in the body. It is the cause of 80 percent of lung cancer cases and is linked to many other cancers. It is a major cause of heart attacks, heart disease, stroke, and respiratory diseases such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Smoking can also cause blindness, impotence and infertility.

Indirect effects on children

Smoking also impacts significantly on children’s health through its direct effects during pregnancy and indirect effects in childhood. These include increased risk of serious respiratory tract conditions such as croup, bronchitis and pneumonia and increased risk of middle ear infections.

Deaths from smoking-related illnesses

It is estimated that half of all long-term smokers will die from a smoking related disease. Those smokers who die from a smoking-related illness lose on average 15 years of life compared with non-smokers. About 5,000 deaths each year in New Zealand are attributed to direct smoking or second hand smoke – that’s 13 people a day.