![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcC43sQtgMhooyGCxodPR-F2BPuYzJewgZ_1H-X6dqInyWYbtwDdubZgeiRqEAqA8DhyphenhyphenVIuSMiV-ns2c4HX1kLD_v3Hd-m2w_oOEC-iafyeb2a60ZOu3W1DsCnDL8JBH7fkHOHM-G02Ao/s400/s-SPAIN-SMOKING-BAN-large.jpg)
Smoking isn’t just bad for your lungs
No matter how you slice it, puffing on a cigarette, or any other tobacco product for that matter, simply ups the ante for more health complications. Smoking causes nearly 1 in 5 deaths each year. About 8.6 million Americans suffer from smoking-related chronic conditions, including chronic bronchitis, emphysema and heart disease.
Pregnancy and childhood
During pregnancy, smoking increases the risk of complications that can endanger a mother’s life. It nearly doubles the risk of having a low-birth-weight baby and is a leading cause of preterm labor, the March of Dimes says. Smoking causes an estimated 910 infant deaths a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Babies who breathe in secondhand smoke are at increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome, asthma, ear infections and other problems.