Smoking causes gene damage in minutes

AFP ^ | 1/15/11 | AFP

[Drango]

Those first few puffs on a cigarette can within minutes cause genetic damage linked to cancer, US scientists said in a study released Saturday.

In fact, researchers said the "effect is so fast that it's equivalent to injecting the substance directly into the bloodstream," in findings described as a "stark warning" to those who smoke.

The study is the first on humans to track how substances in tobacco cause DNA damage, and appears in the peer-reviewed journal Chemical Research in Toxicology, issued by the American Chemical Society.~snip

"The results reported here should serve as a stark warning to those who are considering starting to smoke cigarettes," Hecht said.

[Ken H]

By the same token, anyone who wants to smoke, in spite of the known dangers should be able to do so, just like anyone who wants to eat fatty food should be able to without being made to feel inferior.

I agree, but until the government quits forcing me to pay for your right to indulge, restrictions are necessary. Get rid of the welfare state, then we'll talk. < /vile nanny statist>

I think it was the late Milton Berle who said "If you quit smoking, drinking, gambling, playing cards and sex, you won't live forever.....it'll just seem like it."

You sure that wasn't Bill Bennett?

[jjsheridan5]

Among the 21% of Americans who say they smoke, 74% say they would like to give up smoking, and 67% say they are addicted to cigarettes.

People use the word "addicted" for just about everything, from shopping, to television, to peanut butter. A study where people describe themselves as "addicted"? Completely worthless, yet it is telling that you thought it important enough to post ...

[Aleya2Fairlie]

Notice the name of the website? Kind of ironic, huh?

[Aleya2Fairlie]

It may well have been Bill Bennet. And I agree wholeheartedly about the welfare state.

In the last years I smoked, I paid for them out of earned wages and paid more than non-smokers for my health insurance.

[Aleya2Fairlie]

It’s even worse now in some areas. The Health Departments
have been given the right to ban smoking anywhere they want. They make a show of getting public input before they do it but it’ just a sham.

[goat granny]

**But hey, smoke em’ if you got em’**

I thank you so much for your permission..s/

Even the might UN (gag) study said there was no correlation between illness and second hand smoke....the anti-smoking nazi's deep sixed that one real quick....

[Aleya2Fairlie]

“I’d like to see this compared with other hazards that are “naturally” occurring — such as being out in the sunshine or eating celery with its psoralens.”

OMG!!! Celery???? I’m dooooooooomed!

[goat granny]

If smoking causes Gene damage, Gene should walk out of the room...he’s stupid for staying..:O)

[DJ MacWoW]

And isn't it a shame that you even have to point out the obvious? *shaking head and trying not to laugh*

Did you see the VERY appropriate Freepathon graphic in post 42? LOL

[30Moves]

Think of the study that sun causes skin cancer so everyone started using sun screen - now they are finding that many people have vitamin D deficiencies due to lack of sunlight on their skin - so people started taking large doses of vitamin D which turns out to be toxic.

I will believe all scientific studies when they can definitively decide if oatmeal reduces cholesterol.

Every month - another study - different outcomes...

Yep, smoking is bad - bacon is bad - sugar is bad - not flossing is bad.............

[DJ MacWoW]

Apparently chicken little has a large extended family. ;-)

[org.whodat]

People that make those stupid statements have never been in an old log house that used a fireplace for heat. Our ancestors lived in smoke filled caves.. just damn, the like of common sense.

[HollyB]

Saw Ronald Reagan and John Wayne. Those were some old ads, amazing how much things have changed. Beck had a segment about Edward Bernays methods to entice women to smoke. (among other marketing methods by Bernays). It was on either this past Thur or Fri.

[TChad]

Well, at least this thread has one interesting post.

Someone else has put together a similar chart:

http://www.kidon.com/smoke/percentages3.htm

I believe that smoking causes lung cancer, but assuming that your/his data is good, I wonder how epidemiologists and oncologists explain the apparent discrepancies between the prevalence of smoking and the incidence of lung cancer deaths.

Smoking has been studied to hell and back, so this subject must have been investigated.

[Just another Joe]

From all the studys that I have perused, and that's a good number, approximately 30% of smokers contract ANY health issues from smoking.
Of that 30%, 30% of them contract a life threatening illness.
Of them, 30% actually die from that illness.

So, approximately 3% of smokers die from an illness directly related to smoking.
That doesn't mean that all those smokers who died were in the prime of their lives. Many were probably in their final years. But anti-smokers would have you believe that every smoker that dies from a smoking related illness had, at least, 20 years of productive life ahead of them when they died.

[hosepipe]

[ Smoking causes gene damage in minutes ]

Bull Squirt.

[tiki]

My SIL and her husband are old hippies and they think smoking cigarettes is the most horrible thing but they have heated with wood forever. She smoked grass for years and her husband still smokes it and did various drugs for years but cigarettes with kill ya, you know. Oh yeah, and they are vegetarian health food eaters.

[TChad]

She smoked grass for years and her husband still smokes it and did various drugs for years but cigarettes with kill ya, you know.

Another lefty meme is that smoking tobacco is not bad for you, what kills you is the additives that the evil Republican-supporting tobacco companies put into cigarettes. So, if you smoke just healthy organic tobacco with no additives, you are safe.

The last leftist to tell me that recently died of small cell carcinoma of the lung. She had practiced what she preached. She was in her early fifties.

[TChad]

is the additives > are the additives

[jospehm20]

No, telling your fellow citizens how to live is a liberal trait. Why don’t you get an issue put on the ballot to ban alcohol and overeating, to force people to exercise and wear sunscreen? Maybe overweight, out of shape people with sunburns should be jailed? Did you get to vote on the seatbelt law also? We did not. They did not allow the people to vote on smoking restrictions where I live either. I doubt it would have passed here.