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Smokers' health risks

by Dr Arup Ratan Choudhury, The Independent

             Smokers and non-smokers alike often do not fully understand the health risks of tobacco use,
             particularly cigarette smoking. The latest epidenriological studies indicate that death rates for smokers
             are two to three times higher than for non-smokers at all ages. This means that half of all smokers will
             eventually die as a result of smoking.

             If current smoking trends persist, nearly 9 per cent of the world
             population, will eventually die as a result of tobacco.About half of all smokers who are killed by
             tobacco die in middle age. On average, these smokers who die in middle age lose about 20-25 years
             of life expectancy.

             By the end of the 21st century, cigarette smoking will have killed about 62 -million
             people in developed countries: 52 million men, 10 million women.Cigarettes consumption in developing
             countries has been rising among men over the last three four decades.

             In some developing countries,
             the health effects of this increase in tobacco use are already evident. For example, in China, smoking is
             estimated to be the cause of at least half a million deaths a year, mostly men.Most smokers live in
             developing countries. Of the 1. 1 billion smokers in the world in the early 1990s, 800 million live in the
             developing world.Smoking is already causing about one-sixth of all deaths in developed countries. This
             proportion is still rising mainly due to the increasing smoking habitat among women. If the proportion
             stays at or about one-sixth., then at least one-sixth of the population will eventually be killed by
             tobacco. This means that about 200 million out of the 1.2 billion people living in developed countries
             will eventually be killed by tobacco.

             People substantially underestimate the risks of smoking. In
             populations, where tobacco use has been common for several decades (e.g., men in the USA and.
             UK), tobacco is likely to be the most important risk of death in middle age. For example, in the United
             Kingdom, on average, among 1000 20 year olds who smoke cigarettes regularly.About one will die
             from homicide (murder) before age 70. About six will die from motor vehicle accidents before age 70
             and about 250 will die from smoking before age 70 (plus about another 250 deaths from smoking after
             age 70).

             Passive smoking:  Passive smoking is a cause of additional episodes and increased severity of
             symptoms in asthmatic children. Asthmatic children are up to 2.5 times more likely to have their
             condition worsened by passive smoking. In the United States alone it is estimate that 200 000 to one
             million asthmatic children have their condition worsened by passive smoking.Exposure to environmental
             tobacco smoke (ETS or passive smoking) is a risk factor for new cases of Asthma in children who
             have not previously displayed symptoms.

             The risk of lower respiratory tract diseases (such as croup,
             bronchitis and pneumonia) is estimated to be about 50-60 per cent higher in children exposed to ETS
             during the first 1-2 years of life compared with unexpected children,About half of all tobacco-related
             deaths occur at ages 35-69 years, making tobacco the most important cause premature death in
             developed countries.

              No single factor could have as much impact on the rising toll of cardiovascular
             deaths around the world as tobacco cessation.Lower tar cigarette do not substantially reduce the risk
             of heart attack in smokers.