BBC.co.uk Health - Smoking is the single largest cause of preventable cancer deaths in the UK. Each year it causes about 38,000 deaths from lung cancer and 11,000 deaths from other cancers. The more you smoke, the greater your risk. However, just one or two cigarettes a day are more than enough to cause lung cancer. Chronic lung disease is also common among older smokers, destroying busy and active lives (Article medically reviewed August 2005). Read more .