Tobacco smoking is the practice of burning tobacco and the absorption of the resulting smoke into one's body. The smoke may be inhaled, as is done with cigarettes, or released from the mouth, as is done with pipes and cigars. The practice is believed to have begun as early as 5000–3000 BC in Mesoamerica and South America. [1]. Smoking is when you inhale smoke from burning plant material. It can cause serious heart and lung diseases, cancer and other health issues. Cigarette smoking is a major public health concern, with over 16 million Americans living with a smoking-related disease. Smoking and secondhand smoke exposure cause over 480,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body and causes many diseases. There's no way around it. Smoking is bad for your health. Learn the effects of smoking (how smoking harms nearly every organ) and how to quit. Smoking is dangerous to your health. It can harm nearly every organ in your body and increase your risk of certain health conditions like glaucoma, cancer, and lung disease. smoking, the act of inhaling and exhaling the fumes of burning Nicotiana plant material. A variety of plant materials are smoked, including marijuana and hashish, but the act is most commonly associated with tobacco (Nicotiana) as smoked in a cigarette, cigar, or pipe. Smoking harms nearly every organ in the body, and is a main cause of lung cancer and COPD. It also is a cause of coronary heart disease, stroke and a host of other cancers and diseases. Learn about commercial tobacco products, their health effects, usage in the United States, and more. Find information on secondhand smoke, smokefree policies, and more. Commercial tobacco-related disparities result in higher levels of disease, disability, and death. Perception surrounding smoking has varied over time and from one place to another: holy and sinful, sophisticated and vulgar, a panacea and deadly health hazard. By the late 20th century, smoking came to be viewed in a decidedly negative light, especially in Western countries. Tobacco damages nearly every organ in the body, causing cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung disease, reduced fertility, weakened immunity and premature death. Tobacco kills more than 7 million people each year, including over 1.6 million non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke.