Fifty years ago, a research published by the U.S. surgeon general had linked tobacco smoking to lung cancer. This year marks the 50th anniversary of that report and the current surgeon general has released new findings that relate more hazardous health conditions to tobacco smoking.
Boris D. Lushniak, the current surgeon general of the U.S., has released new information that links smoking to diseases like colorectal cancer and liver cancer. Moreover, a number of other diseases such as arthritis and diabetes have also been added to the list.
When the first report was published 50 years ago, the only disease linked to smoking was lung cancer. In the new report however, the number of smoking related health problems has risen to 13.
While there has been a reduction in the number of smoking adults in recent years, the number of young smokers has been rising and the facts are alarming. Back in the 1960's, 43 percent of adults smoked regularly. This number has fallen to around 18 percent in recent years. In the case of younger smokers however, over 3,000 young teens under 18 years of age are added to the list of smokers every day.
The report also revealed that secondhand smoke exposure increases stroke risk by 20 to 30 percent.
Lushniak said that the report was released to discourage the use of tobacco. The surgeon general also wants to ensure that the next generation of youths will be free from the dangerous effects of tobacco smoking.
The report, known as The Health Consequences of Smoking, 50 Years of Progress, also indicates that if the incidence of tobacco smoking is not reduced further, over 5.6 million children in the US may die premature deaths. The data included in the report also shows that in the last 50 years, tobacco-related deaths in the country currently number at around 20 million.
The U.S. surgeon general as well as thousands of other professionals in the health industry are also calling on all sectors, both federal and public, to make the necessary effort to help reduce smoking.
