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National Institute
of Health
National Cancer
Institute
Tobacco use, particularly cigarette smoking,
is the single most preventable cause of death in the United States.
Cigarette smoking alone is directly responsible for at least
one-third of all cancer deaths annually in the United States, and
contributes to the development of low birth weight babies and
cardiovascular disease. Quitting smoking can significantly reduce a
person's risk of developing heart disease and diseases of the lung,
and can limit adverse health effects on unborn children.
1. What are the effects of cigarette
smoking on cancer rates?
Cigarette smoking is the most significant
cause of lung cancer and the leading cause of lung cancer death in
both men and women. Smoking is also responsible for most cancers of
the larynx, oral cavity, and esophagus. In addition, it is highly
associated with the development of, and deaths from, bladder,
kidney, pancreatic, and cervical cancers.
2. Are there any health risks for
nonsmokers?
The health risks with cigarette smoking are
not limited to smokers -- exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS)
significantly increases a nonsmoker's risk of developing lung
cancer. (ETS is the smoke that nonsmokers are exposed to when they
share air space with someone who is smoking.) The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) released a risk assessment report in
December 1992 in which ETS was classified as a Group A (known human)
carcinogen -- a category reserved for only the most dangerous
cancer-causing agents. The EPA report estimates that ETS is
responsible for lung cancers in several thousand nonsmokers each
year, and ETS exposure is also linked to severe respiratory problems
in infants and young children. More recently, the California
Environmental Protection Agency issued a comprehensive report on the
health effects of ETS and concluded that ETS is directly related to
coronary heart disease.
3. What harmful chemicals are found in
cigarettes?
Tobacco smoke contains thousands of chemical
agents, including 60 substances that are known to cause cancer
(carcinogens)*. During smoking, nicotine is absorbed quickly into
the bloodstream and travels to the brain, causing an addictive
effect. The Surgeon General Reports noted the following conclusions
about nicotine: cigarettes and other forms of tobacco are addicting,
and the aspects that determine tobacco addiction are similar to
those that determine heroin and cocaine addiction. *National Cancer
Institute. Cancer Rates and Risks. 4th edition. National Institutes
of Health, 1996. p. 70.
4. How does exposure affect the cigarette
smoker?
The risk of developing lung and other
smoking-associated cancers, as well as noncancerous diseases, is
related to total lifetime exposure to cigarette smoke. This includes
the number of cigarettes a person smokes each day, the age at which
smoking began, the number of years a person has smoked, and ETS
exposure.
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