Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Even One Cigarette is Harmful

The Surgeon General, Dr. Regina Benjamin, issued a report on December 9, 2010 that stated emphatically that even one cigarette can lead to damaged DNA, a heart attack or stroke, sudden infant death syndrome or other health problems. The 700-page report describes how tobacco causes damage, even when inhaled as second-hand smoke. Tobacco smoke contains 7000 chemicals, hundreds of which are know to be toxic and 70 of which are carcinogenic. Every day 4000 Americans under the age of 18 try their first cigarette, and 1000 of them become addicted. 1200 Americans die every day of smoking related diseases. Many states use the money they received from the tobacco companies for general expenditures instead of preventing smoking related deaths as it was intended for. We have a smoking epidemic that we need to address in a big way.

See www.surgeongeneral.gov(click here) to see the highlights of the report.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I for one would agree with all you have to say about how bad cigarettes are.
Having been a smoker for 44 years now. I would like you to hear how I view the debate.
If you want to live for as long as possible. Eat right. Work hard. Stop taking the easiest way. Between the start and the end of every task.
Live like there is no tomorrow. Soak in all that there is to be had from life. In the first 50 years.
Because sooner or later, you will be lying in a bed. With tubes and hoses stuck in every orifice of your body, and a few other places where God, has not provided access.
With some over paid do gooder tugging on them periodically to see if you are still with the living. While suits and ties, try to find a way to keep you more comfortable. So that no one, (who does not care) can say you are suffering. All the while sucking the very last penny, from every possible location, known to your heirs. Billing incredible amounts to your insurance company. and getting rich. While you lay there unable to unplug yourself. Dead but not quite gone... Technically.
Of course this could never happen to a person in America. Where we all have the right to speak for ourselves. And Choose how, we live and exercise our freedoms. Without someone else DICTATING how we live

L Terry Chappell, MD said...

Thanks for sharing. Chronic lung disease is a terrible,usually preventable disease.