Diabetes is a long-lasting condition that affects your body’s ability to turn food into glucose, which it uses for energy. While some people are born with diabetes (type 1), other people develop diabetes later in life (type 2). People who smoke are 30%-40% more likely to get type 2 diabetes than people who don’t smoke.

How Does Smoking Cause Diabetes?

The more cigarettes you smoke, the higher your risk for type 2 diabetes. This is because the chemicals cigarettes release into your body, affect your cells’ ability to do their jobs. They also cause inflammation throughout the body, which reduces your body’s ability to lower blood sugar (glucose) by using insulin. Both of these effects increase your risk of developing diabetes.

How Does Tobacco Affect People Who Have Diabetes?

For people who already have diabetes, tobacco can make it harder to manage. The nicotine found in tobacco products makes your body less able to use insulin, which can lead to higher blood sugar (glucose) levels. People who have diabetes and use tobacco products may need more insulin to control their blood sugar (glucose). They are also at a higher risk of serious complications like heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney damage, blindness and poor circulation that can lead to amputations.

Taking Charge of Your Health

If you don’t have diabetes, quitting smoking lowers your risk. If you already have diabetes, quitting tobacco can’t reverse it, but it can make it easier to manage. There are a lot of resources available to help you live a tobacco-free life. If you’re looking to quit smoking, you can start by speaking with your healthcare provider or by checking out the tools and resources here.