"Smokers suffer more fractures than do nonsmokers. To be healthy, bones, like any other living tissue, need the oxygen and nutrients that blood supplies.

But just as smoking reduces blood flow to the heart and other critical organs, it also reduces blood flow to the bones. The consequences to the musculoskeletal system of decreased blood flow are many, as are the direct effects to that system of the chemicals in smoke.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t take a lifetime of smoking to increase the risk for brittle bones. Smoking teenagers are less likely to achieve the highest possible peak bone mass possible. Not achieving the highest possible peak bone mass is yet another risk factor for osteoporosis."