Posted on 07/11/2006 8:14:03 AM PDT by at bay
Curbing tobacco use and taking other steps to eliminate some of the most common risk factors for cancer could save millions of lives over the next few decades, health officials said Monday.
Tobacco alone is predicted to kill a billion people this century, 10 times the toll it took in the 20th century, if current trends hold.
"In all of world history, this is the largest train wreck not waiting to happen," said John Seffrin, chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society.
Reducing tobacco use would have the single largest effect on global cancer rates, Seffrin and other health officials said Monday in unveiling two reference guides that chart global tobacco use and cancer.
Changing diets to contain fewer saturated fats and more fruits and vegetables, as well as reducing infection by cancer-causing viruses and bacteria, could also cut rates dramatically, they said.
"We know with cancer, if we take action now, we can save 2 million lives a year by 2020 and 6.5 million by 2040," said Dr. Judith Mackay, a World Health Organization senior policy adviser.
Today, tobacco accounts for one in five cancer deaths, or 1.4 million deaths worldwide each year, according to the new Cancer Atlas. When deaths from tobacco-related cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases are included, the yearly death toll rises to nearly 5 million and it's expected to keep going up.
An estimated 1.25 billion men and women currently smoke cigarettes, and more than half of them will die from the habit, according to the newly issued second edition of the Tobacco Atlas.
The two atlases were released Monday at an International Union Against Cancer conference. The two statistics-packed guides are meant as reference guides for doctors, politicians, academics, students and attorneys who work on cancer and tobacco control.
Lung cancer remains the major illness among the 10.9 million new cases of cancer diagnosed each year, according to the Cancer Atlas.
Oxygen in deadly. 100% of people who breath will die this century.
This lie was already discussed yesterday. Do a search before you post your anit-tobacco spam.
They get these numbers because they count any death of a smoker as a "smoking death." It's total BS.
Thank you for your tax-dollars in advance.
Global warming, tobacco, terrorism, famine, disease, an asteroid, George Bush, etc...
I think we should make anything that might harm an individual illegal.
Take all choices away, for the greater good.
134?
and more than half of them will die from the habit...
My philosophy is simple. Life causes death. Half those smokers won't die - they ALL will die.
5.56mm
Amen...........
As you rightly pointed out - we trashed this one yesterday - I'm not going to disturb my list for a rehash of the ninnies.........
Did search under "smoking". Found nothing. But what are you saying, they are putting lice eggs in tobacco? (nits) That kind of spam spreading might ruin the reputation of fine cigarette companies.
Yeap, get rid of dihydrogen monoxide as well.
http://www.dhmo.org/
It seems to me that when someone wants to commit suicide, what they DON'T do is go into the garage and light one up.
They often go into the garage, start the car and do it that way...
Wonder which is worse? Car exhaust is obviously quicker.
"Did search under "smoking". Found nothing. But what are you saying, they are putting lice eggs in tobacco? (nits) That kind of spam spreading might ruin the reputation of fine cigarette companies"
So don't smoke and leave the rest of us alone to kill ourselves as we like. Its called "freedom".
PF
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