Study Confirms There Is No Safe Level of Smoking

By Stacy SimonPeople who smoke as little as 1 cigarette a day over their lifetime still have a greater risk of early death than people who have never smoked, according to a study by researchers from the National Cancer Institute. The researchers say this shows that no level of cigarette smoking is safe.The study included 290,215 adults ages 59 to 82 who answered questions about how many cigarettes they smoked during different periods throughout their lives. Researchers then followed the participants for an average 6.6 years. Results showed that people who consistently smoked an average of less than 1 cigarette per day had a 64% higher risk of dying earlier than people who had never smoked. Those who smoked 1 to 10 cigarettes a day had an 87% higher risk of dying earlier than people who never smoked. The risks were lower among former smokers compared to those who still smoked. And among former smokers, the earlier people quit, the lower their risk.Results showed an especially strong link among study participants between cigarette smoking and death from lung cancer. People who consistently smoked an average of less than 1 cigarette per day had 9 times the risk of dying from lung cancer as people who had never smoked. Those who smoked 1 to 10 cigarettes a day had 12 times the risk of dying from lung cancer as people who never smoked, as well as significantly higher risks of death from respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.According to Cliff Douglas, the American Cancer Society...
Source: American Cancer Society :: News and Features - Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: Smoking/Tobacco Source Type: news