Smoking Causes Cancer

“Ninety-five per cent of lung cancer deaths are due directly to cigarette smoking", according to Dr Desmond Carney, oncologist at University College, Dublin, and secretary general of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer.

Women who smoke increase their risk of dying from lung cancer by nearly 12 times and the risk of dying from bronchitis and emphysema by more than 10 times. Between 1960 and 1990, deaths from lung cancer among women have increased by more than 400%--exceeding breast cancer deaths in the mid-1980s.(Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 1993;42(44)) The American Cancer Society predicts that 80,000 women will develop lung cancer this year and 67,000 will die from it, as compared to 43,500 deaths from breast cancer.

Men who smoke increase their risk of death from lung cancer by more than 22 times and from bronchitis and emphysema by nearly 10 times. Smoking triples the risk of dying from heart disease among middle-aged men and women. (CDC Smoking-attributable mortality and years of potential life lost--United States, 1990. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 1993;42(33):645-8.)

Now that you're totally terrified, take a look at it another way...
70%of all cancers occur in non-smokers.

The National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health report in the 1995 Information Please Almanac states that only 30% of all cancers are caused by smoking.

Did you know that United Nations statistics have listed Japan and South Korea respectively as first and second in both life expectancy and tobacco consumption? If smoking were really as dreadful, harmful, and dangerous as the Anti-Smoking propaganda blitz claims it to be . . . how can this be true?!The Japanese smoke twice as much as Americans and yet have half the number of lung cancers per 100,000 people.

Why do some people get lung cancer -- even if they never smoke?

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer deaths worldwide. The American Thoracic Society points out that over 75 percent of lung cancers are small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) and have an average overall 35-year survival rate of only 14 percent. Previous research has shown that about 90 percent of NSCLC appear to be activated by specific signaling pathways in lung tissue. The new study by Dr. Cho and his research team found that high amounts of dietary inorganic phosphates actually stimulate those same cancer-triggering pathways.New research suggests eating a lot of processed foods containing inorganic phosphates could be the explanation. In research published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, published by the American Thoracic Society, scientists from Seoul National University conclude that a diet high in inorganic phosphates, which are found in a host of processed foods including meats, cheeses, beverages, and bakery products, might spur the growth of lung cancer. The researchers also suggest the food additive may contribute to the development of malignancies in people predisposed to lung cancer.

While living organisms need a moderate level of phosphate, the use of inorganic phosphates as a food additive to increase water retention and improve food texture artificially has soared over the past decade. That means the average American diet is loaded with excess amounts of phosphates. "In the 1990s, phosphorous-containing food additives contributed an estimated 470 mg per day to the average daily adult diet. However, phosphates are currently being added much more frequently to a large number of processed foods, including meats, cheeses, beverages, and bakery products. As a result, depending on individual food choices, phosphorous intake could be increased by as much as 1000 mg per day," Dr. Cho explained in the media statement.

Problems with Smoking

Why is Smoking Dangerous?

We are two fourth grade girls. We became interested in this topic because our parents smoke. We are afraid that they might get cancer. They have been smoking for a long time. We want them to quit. Whenever we hug them they smell. Sometimes we get mad because we try to get them to stop smoking but they ignore us. So we decided to fill out a light bulb form and give it to Mr. Polack. We met with Mr. Polack and decided to make a website that might convince our parents to stop smoking. We also hope that our site will help convince kids not to start smoking.

Why is Smoking Dangerous?

Everybody knows that smoking is dangerous. Smoking can damage our body, For Example, your lungs, your brain, and your heart. The poisonous chemicals in a cigarette can cause death. Think about this, if you smoke you won't be able to run fast or jump as high if you can't breathe properly. Another problem is that you can get addicted easily by one of the chemicals called Nicotine. Nicotine can make you feel hyper sometimes. The more you smoke, the more you want to continue to smoke. Your body becomes physically dependent on the drug and begins to crave it.

What are the Parts of a Cigarette?

Did you know that there are over 4,000 chemicals in a cigarette? The Nicotine in a cigarette is also used in bug spray. Tar is an ingredient that gives cigarettes flavor. It's the same ingredient that people use to pave roads and driveways. Acetone is a common ingredient in a cigarette that is also used in nail polish remover.
Carbon monoxide is a common pollutant and the same stuff that escapes from the exhaust in cars. Hydrazine is a chemical used in jets and rocket fuel. When you smoke a lot you get this thick gooey ­ ness of tar. Another thing is that tar also hurts the "cilia" in a person's airway, which are tiny hairs that protect the lungs by sweeping out mucus and germs. Tar, like many other chemicals in cigarettes, can cause diseases related to how we breathe, like emphysema and bronchitis.

Are They Really Your Friends?

Peer pressure is when someone is telling you what to do but you don't want to because you think it's bad. Sometimes, people think that it is popular to smoke. Sometimes peers try to get you to smoke with them. You don't always have to say yes ­ even if you think you will be popular. Smoking doesn't make you popular it makes you have cancer. There are two things you have to remember. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do and it is perfectly okay to say no. You don't have to give an explanation.

Can You Help Someone Stop?

It is important to know that smoking is not just a habit it is an addiction. It's likely that your friend or family member wants you to stop smoking. Make sure you tell them that you want them to stop because if they don't they might get cancer. Let them know that it makes you scared. You are afraid they will get sick and also get you sick from the second hand smoke. When that person is not ready to quit yet, you might make a deal with them. You might say that you can do the dishes for three weeks if they stop smoking.

The Effects of Nicotine

What is Nicotine?

Nicotine, one of more than 4,000 chemicals found in the smoke from tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars and pipes, is the primary component in tobacco that acts on the brain. Smokeless tobacco products such as snuff and chewing tobacco also contain many toxins as well as high levels of nicotine. Nicotine, recognized as one of the most frequently used addictive drugs, is a naturally occurring colorless liquid that turns brown when burned and acquires the odor of tobacco when exposed to air.

Is Nicotine Addictive?

Yes, nicotine is addictive. Most smokers use tobacco regularly because they are addicted to nicotine. Addiction is characterized by compulsive drug-seeking and use, even in the face of negative health consequences, and tobacco use certainly fits the description. It is well documented that most smokers identify tobacco as harmful and express a desire to reduce or stop using it, and nearly 35 million of them make a serious attempt to quit each year. Unfortunately, less than 7 percent of those who try to quit on their own achieve more than 1 year of abstinence; most relapse within a few days of attempting to quit.

What Is the Extent and Impact of Tobacco Use?

According to the 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, an estimated 56.3 million Americans were current smokers and 7.3 million used smokeless tobacco, which means that nicotine is one of the most widely abused substances. In addition, in 1998 each day in the United States more than 2,000 people under the age of 18 began daily smoking. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the prevalence of cigarette smoking among U.S. high school students increased from 27.5 percent in 1991 to 36.4 percent in 1997 before declining to 34.8 percent in 1999. NIDA's own Monitoring the Future Study, which annually surveys drug use and related attitudes of America's adolescents, also found the prevalence rates for smoking among youth declined from 1999 to 2002. Since 1975, nicotine in the form of cigarettes has consistently been the substance the greatest number of high school students use daily.

How Does Nicotine Deliver its Effect?

Nicotine can act as both a stimulant and a sedative. Immediately after exposure to nicotine, there is a "kick" caused in part by the drug's stimulation of the adrenal glands and resulting discharge of epinephrine (adrenaline). The rush of adrenaline stimulates the body and causes a sudden release of glucose as well as an increase in blood pressure, respiration, and heart rate. Nicotine also suppresses insulin output from the pancreas, which means that smokers are always slightly hyperglycemic. In addition, nicotine indirectly causes a release of dopamine in the brain regions that control pleasure and motivation. This reaction is similar to that seen with other drugs of abuse-such as cocaine and heroin- and it is thought to underlie the pleasurable sensations experienced by many smokers. In contrast, nicotine can also exert a sedative effect, depending on the level of the smoker's nervous system arousal and the dose of nicotine taken.

Repeated exposure to nicotine results in the development of tolerance, the condition in which higher doses of a drug are required to produce the same initial stimulation. Nicotine is metabolized fairly rapidly, disappearing from the body in a few hours. Therefore some tolerance is lost overnight, and smokers often report that the first cigarettes of the day are the strongest and/or the "best." As the day progresses, acute tolerance develops, and later cigarettes have less effect.

Cessation of nicotine use is followed by a withdrawal syndrome that may last a month or more; it includes symptoms that can quickly drive people back to tobacco use. Nicotine withdrawal symptoms include irritability, craving, cognitive and attentional deficits, sleep disturbances, and increased appetite and may begin within a few hours after the last cigarette. Symptoms peak within the first few days and may subside within a few weeks. For some people, however, symptoms may persist for months or longer.

An important but poorly understood component of the nicotine withdrawal syndrome is craving, an urge for nicotine that has been described as a major obstacle to successful abstinence. High levels of craving for tobacco may persist for 6 months or longer. While the withdrawal syndrome is related to the pharmacological effects of nicotine, many behavioral factors also can affect the severity of withdrawal symptoms. For some people, the feel, smell, and sight of a cigarette and the ritual of obtaining, handling, lighting, and smoking the cigarette are all associated with the pleasurable effects of smoking and can make withdrawal or craving worse. While nicotine gum and patches may alleviate the pharmacological aspects of withdrawal, cravings often persist.

What Happens When Nicotine is Taken for Long Periods of Time?

Chronic exposure to nicotine results in addiction. Research is just beginning to document all of the neurological changes that accompany the development and maintenance of nicotine addiction. The behavioral consequences of these changes are well documented, however. Greater than 90 percent of those smokers who try to quit without seeking treatment fail, with most relapsing within a week.