Smoking Deaths

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable illness, disability and death in Alberta and Canada. It's also the cause of one-fifth of all deaths from cancer, heart disease and stroke. Over 47,000 Canadians die each year from smoking. About 3,400 of these are Albertans.

Even though smoking rates have dropped, death rates in Canada continue to rise. This is because death rates today reflect the smoking behaviour of the 1970s and 1980s. Since 1991, tobacco-related deaths in Canada have increased by about 13%. Seven out of every ten of these increased deaths (71%) were women.

Mortality from fire

In Canada, materials like pipes, matches, cigarettes, cigars and lighters used in smoking are the leading cause of fire deaths. One in five fire deaths in Canada and one in four fire deaths in Alberta are due to fires ignited by smokers.

Health benefits of quitting

Quitting has major and immediate health benefits for all smokers. People who quit smoking substantially reduce their risk of heart disease, lung cancer, chronic lung disease and other tobacco-related illnesses. On average, people who quit smoking before they turn 50 cut their risk of death in half.

Quick Facts

• Smoking is the leading cause of preventable illness, disability and death in Alberta and Canada.
• Half of all regular smokers will eventually die from their habit. Most of these deaths are premature.
• Researchers estimate that, on average, smokers lose about 15 years of their lives.
• On average, people who quit smoking before they turn 50 cut their risk of death in half.
• Between 1997 and 2001, there were 40 deaths in Alberta from fires caused by smokers.
• In 2001, 87% of substance-related deaths in Alberta were related to tobacco use.