Harmful effects of tobacco
on human health
Tobacco consumption causes preventable illness and premature death.
In the DRC, the mortality rate due to smoking in 2019 was estimated at 4.05%.
Second-hand smoke is also one of the factors accelerating smoking-related mortality in the DRC.
Smoking is a serious health problem for smokers and those exposed to tobacco smoke. It remains the leading preventable risk factor for non-communicable diseases. In 2019, more than 8 million people (6.53 million adult men and 2.14 million adult women) died as a result of smoking.
Active smoking is the main cause of death (7.37 million), followed by passive smoking (1.30 million). Every year, 146,000 Africans die from smoking. The economic cost of treating tobacco-related diseases represents 3.5% of total annual health expenditure in Africa.
This page presents the damaging effects of tobacco on human health in the DRC. It covers the health consequences of smoking, tobacco-related diseases and other factors associated with smoking.
Health effects of smoking
Tobacco poses a health risk whatever the method of consumption.
a) Effects of tobacco smoke on the body
Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 toxic substances, including some seven carcinogens.
The chemicals in tobacco smoke can damage the human body in a number of ways. For example, nicotine constricts veins and arteries. This can damage the heart by forcing it to work faster and harder, slowing down your blood and reducing the oxygen supply to your feet and hands. Carbon monoxide deprives the heart of the oxygen it needs to pump blood. Over time, the airways swell, letting less air into the lungs.
Tar is a sticky substance that coats the lungs of smokers like soot in a chimney. Phenols paralyze and kill the hair cells in the airways. These cells clean the lining of the airways and protect them from infection. The tiny particles in tobacco smoke irritate the throat and lungs, causing “smoker’s cough”. This damages lung tissue, forcing it to produce more mucus. Eyes, nose and throat are irritated by ammonia and formaldehyde. Carcinogenic chemicals cause cells to develop too quickly or inadequately. This can lead to cancerous cells.
b) Effects of smokeless tobacco on the body
Among the 2000 or so chemical substances contained in smokeless tobacco are many of the same toxic and carcinogenic products found in cigarette smoke, such as nitrosamine, radioactive polonium, cyanide and arsenic, to mention but a few. There’s also nicotine, a source of physical dependence like cigarettes. These substances are absorbed through the mucous membrane of the mouth.
An average dose of snuff, held in the mouth for around 30 minutes, provides as much nicotine as four cigarettes. The user reaches a level of nicotine in the blood that is as high or even higher than smoking a cigarette. Snuff is more addictive than chewing tobacco, and carries a greater risk of cancer.
Ailments Caused by Smoking Cigarettes
The figure below describes the effects of smoking in the human body.
Source: Lushniak BD, Samet JM, Pechacek TF, Norman LA, Taylor PA. The Health consequences of smoking-50 years of progress: A report of the Surgeon General.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK179276/pdf/Bookshelf_NBK179276.pdf
Smoking-related diseases
Cardiovascular diseases
Cardiovascular diseases
Around 7 million strokes and 8 million heart attacks are recorded worldwide. The first symptoms of cardiovascular disease (CVD) can appear in people who smoke just five cigarettes a day. The risk of CVD increases with daily cigarette consumption and after a certain number of years of smoking. The risk of cardiovascular disease is not reduced by smoking cigarettes containing less tar or nicotine. Non-smokers exposed to passive smoking contract heart disease. Heart attacks and strokes can also be caused by exposure to passive smoking in non-smokers.
Non-smokers exposed to passive smoking contract heart disease. Heart attacks and strokes can also be caused by exposure to passive smoking in non-smokers.
Cerebrovascular accidents
Cerebrovascular accidents
Smokers are twice as likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke, and twice as likely to die from them. Smokers who smoke 25 or more cigarettes a day are three times more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke, and about five times more likely to die from either.
Respiratory diseases
Respiratory diseases
Damage to the arteries that supply blood to the brain is known as cerebrovascular disease. Smoking also damages the lungs, leading to diseases such as bronchitis and emphysema-pneumonia, two components of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In addition, smoking can exacerbate or prolong the signs and symptoms of respiratory illnesses such as the common cold and asthma. Smoking can lead to impotence in men, as it reduces blood flow to the penis. It can also reduce fertility in both men and women. It can be harder to recover from surgery if you smoke. Smoking damages almost every organ in the body, causing disease and disability. For every smoker who dies, at least 30 people suffer from a serious smoking-related illness.
In addition to emphysema and chronic bronchitis, smoking also increases the risk of developing cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung disease, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Smoking also increases the risk of developing tuberculosis, several eye conditions and immune system problems such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Every year, 400 infant deaths and 41,000 non-smoking adult deaths are attributed to exposure to passive smoking. Adults exposed to passive smoking develop coronary heart disease, lung cancer and stroke. Acute respiratory infections, middle ear disease, more severe asthma, respiratory symptoms and stunted lung growth are more common in children exposed to passive smoking.
Prevalence of non-communicable diseases linked to tobacco use by gender in the DRC
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease and diabetes, are the leading cause of illness and death among women and men, accounting for 35 million deaths, or 60% of all deaths worldwide.
In the DRC, the mortality rate due to smoking in 2019 was estimated at 4.05%.
Worldwide, NCD rates will increase by 17% over the next ten years, largely due to population ageing and growth, globalization and urbanization.
The rate of increase in NCDs is highest among women.The four main NCD risk factors for women and men are unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, smoking and harmful alcohol use. All these factors are modifiable, and their elimination could prevent 80% of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes, and over 40% of cancers.
Prevalence of smoking-related non-communicable diseases by age group
NCDs affect people of all ages, living in all geographical areas and in all countries. Although these diseases are often associated with older age groups, statistics show that 17 million NCD deaths occur before the age of 70. Low- and middle-income countries account for an estimated 85% of these premature deaths. NCD risk factors, such as poor diet, inactivity, exposure to tobacco smoke and harmful alcohol consumption, can affect children, adults and the elderly.
These diseases are fuelled by factors such as aging populations, rapid and unplanned urbanization and the globalization of unhealthy behaviors. Obesity, hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia and high blood pressure can all be caused by poor diet and lack of exercise. These biochemical risk factors can lead to cardiovascular disease.
Smoking-related mortality rates in the DRC from 1990 to 2019
According to estimates by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), in 2017 around 13% of deaths worldwide were caused by active smoking, with a further 2% caused by passive smoking. This means that 15% – around 1 in 7 deaths – were due to tobacco. In some countries, this share was higher than 13%.
However, in the DRC, from 1990 to 2019, smoking-related morbidity fell from 4.90% to 4.05%. The solution to reducing the number of tobacco-related deaths is therefore to restrict smoking. Although many countries have adopted various strategies to reduce tobacco consumption and achieved beneficial results; more effective measures are still needed.
Mortality rate related to smoking in DRC from 1990 to 2019
Source: Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), Global Burden of Disease (GBD)
Mortality attributed to active and passive smoking in the DRC
Second-hand smoke is also one of the factors accelerating smoking-related mortality rates in the DRC. Data show that the highest number of Congolese who died from inhaling second-hand tobacco smoke was estimated at 2,331 in 2001.
Number of Deaths from Tobacco Use
Source: Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), Global Burden of Disease (GBD)
Number of Deaths from Second Hand Smoke
Source: Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), Global Burden of Disease (GBD)
There is no safe level of exposure to passive smoking. Even a small period of exposure to passive smoking can have negative effects on the health of non-smokers.
Adults who don’t smoke can suffer from coronary heart disease, stroke, lung cancer and other illnesses as a result of exposure to passive smoking. Passive smoking can also lead to premature death. Women exposed to passive smoking may experience problems with their reproductive system, such as low birth weight. Exposure to passive smoking has immediate negative consequences for the body. Within 60 minutes of exposure, passive smoking can have harmful inflammatory and respiratory consequences that can last for at least three hours.
