World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that, in 2012, 38 million people died due to chronic noncontagious diseases, which was around 68% of all deaths that year.Today, the problem of chronic noncontagious diseases is a foundation for a growing community interest on a global scale. Along with the factors that we cannot influence like age, sex or genetics, risk factors for these diseases have proven to be excess weight, improper diet, insufficient body activity, cigarette and alcohol consumption as well as other unhealthy habits. As a subtype of chronic noncontagious diseases, malignant diseases are behind 27.9% of all causes of death. Lung cancer is a leading cause of death from malignant diseases in men in the Republic of Croatia, and the second most common in women. The growth of lung cancer incidence, the fact that the disease is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage as well as poor prognosis despite available treatment shows that today we are still having difficulties facing this problem and should therefore focus on prevention. The problem likely lies in the unhealthy habits of an average person in the 21. Century, which are responsible for the growth of lung cancer incidence. The most common cause of cell damage behind malignant genetic mutation in the respiratory system are carcinogenic substances that can be found in the composition of the cigarette smoke. Around 85-90% of all patients have a history of smoking cigarettes. Smokers have a fifteen times higher risk of developing lung cancer. It is also important to emphasize the danger of passive smoking where the inhaling non-smoking person is unwillingly exposed to cigarette smoke. Besides the smoke, non-smokers also inhale the unfiltered smoke from the top of the cigarette which contains three times more tar, nicotine, benzopyrene, carbon monoxide and also fifty times more ammonia.