Smoking and death. Hand of a skeleton holding a smoking cigarette over an ashtray to represent the dangers of tobacco smoking. Cigarette smoke has been linked to a variety of potentially fatal diseases. As well as producing chronic irritation of the respiratory system, tar in the smoke causes lung cancer. Tobacco smoking has also been linked with a greater risk of chronic bronchitis and coronary heart disease. Giving up smoking is hard as cigarette tobacco contains the addictive nerve stimulant nicotine.