ABSTRACT
Tobacco smoke is probably the single most significant source of toxic chemical exposure to humans. The World Health Organization forecast cigarettes will kill nearly nine million people per year globally by 2030 (Mathers & Loncar, 2006). Smoking is associated with an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) including coronary heart disease (CHD) (e.g., angina, myocardial infarction, sudden-death, and congestive heart failure), cerebrovascular disease (e.g., transient ischemic attacks, stroke), and vascular diseases (e.g., claudication, aortic aneurysm, and atherosclerosis), and is the primary cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (e.g., mucous hypersecretion, interference with ciliary function, and alveolar destruction) (Centers for Disease Control, 1989). Direct medical and lost productivity costs in the United States (U.S.) alone totaled an estimated $193 billion per year between 2000 and 2004 (Lloyd-Jones et al., 2010).
