The recent stats on tobacco usage in the US has shocked the world with more than 500,000 estimated deaths which are almost equal to the deaths caused by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Despite the efforts from governments as well as nonprofit organizations, the number of tobacco users has drastically increased. Even the warnings on the cigarette pack have failed to save people from buying tobacco products and nearly 14% of the total US population has continued to smoke.
The deaths caused by tobacco usage have increased to an alarmingly higher number and the World Health Organization has even named smoking no less than an epidemic.
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According to some experts, the solution to control all these tobacco usage deaths in the US is to have a corporate “death penalty” which is also called judicial dissolution. In this situation, a judge can revoke the charter of any corporation, if he is convinced that it is a threat to public health and society. Under this judicial dissolution, the company can be ceased permanently, and not just the management but workers will also lose their jobs.
Despite they are legal, still the punishment of the corporate death penalty is not common in the US in fact, it hasn’t been sentenced to people for many years. But the threat to impose it may do the benefit and help to control tobacco usage in the US.
Although tobacco usage has been one of the leading causes of death, it is still preventable. According to researchers, tobacco users die nearly 10 years before non-smokers and the presence of other factors further increases the risks.
Most people only know about cancer which is caused by excessive smoking. But there is so much evidence that suggests that smoking affects all body organs, not the lungs alone. But the smokers have a 20% higher risk to get diagnosed with any type of cancer and a 30% higher risk of death by cancer.
According to the American Cancer Society, nearly 80% of cases and deaths due to lung cancers are spotted in people who are smokers. And this is common in both men in women.
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The types of cancers linked with smoking include; larynx/pharynx cancer, kidney cancer, liver cancer, cervical cancer, pancreatic cancer, stomach cancer, colon cancer, and bladder cancer. It doesn’t directly cause but increases the risk of acute myeloid leukemia.
All smokers are at increased risk of following diseases
- Gums and dental diseases (including tooth loss)
- Compromised immunity
- Diabetes type 2
- Early aging and death
- Bad breath and yellowish teeth
- Extremely low bone density and high risk of fractures
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Cataracts in the eyes
- Age-related macular degeneration and permanent blindness
All of these physical problems have relative psychological effects, for example, they can make it hard for a person to socialize and make friends. It may cause hindrances in building a relationship or get professional success. However, quitting smoking as soon as possible, preferably at a younger age can prevent all these problems.
