The Dangers of Smoking About 400,000 Americans die every year because of health problems due to smoking. 1.5 million people quit smoking a year, but 50 million keep on going. Those 50 million people are addicted to nicotine. Nicotine addiction is when a person psychologically, physically, and socially has a compulsive need for nicotine. There is a persistent craving for the nicotine product. Out of all the people who smoke, 80% started before the age of 21. This means that you are more likely to start smoking as a teenager than any other age. It would follow that teenagers are more susceptible to the addiction. How do we prevent teens from staring to smoke.