The Dangers of Smoking Smoking is the most important single preventable cause of illness and premature death in North America. In the United States alone, more than 500,000 deaths are attributed to tobacco use each year. This exceeds the total number of American lives lost in all of the wars fought since the country was founded. In 1962 the Royal College of Physicians of London had released a significant study, which concluded: "Cigarette smoking is a cause of lung cancer and bronchitis and various other diseases." Cigarette smoking and second hand smoke can cause many different diseases and complications. Another major issue is underage smokers, and the fact that smoking