Tobacco - Still a Killer

Tobacco is the second major cause of death in the world and the leading cause of preventable illness, disability and premature death in Canada. Globally, 4.9 million people die each year from tobacco related illness, including 45,000 Canadians. The World Health Organization estimates that if the current rate of smoking continues, by 2030, tobacco will kill 10 million people annually world wide; half aged 35-69.

The health risks of smoking, including the harm associated with exposure to second hand smoke are well established and numerous. Forty years after the first U.S Surgeon General's report in 1964, the list of diseases and other adverse effects of smoking continues to expand.

In 2000, heart disease was the leading cause of death among the Newfoundland and Labrador population with 77.1 deaths per 100,000 attributed to acute myocardial infarction. Smoking is one of the controllable risk factors that contributed to these deaths. The provincial mortality rate due to lung cancer was 51.9 per 100,000 in 2000. A large body of research concludes that tobacco use is responsible for the majority of lung cancer cases and is a contributing factor to many other types of cancer. In 2000, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), a common respiratory disease, was the fourth leading cause of death among males in the Province. The number one risk factor for developing COPD is smoking.

In addition, the health effects from exposure to second hand smoke (SHS) are significant and well documented. SHS is known to cause lung cancer, stroke, cardiovascular disease and respiratory disease. Additionally, infants and children exposed to SHS are more likely to suffer a number of conditions such as impaired lung function and chronic ear infections. Infants' exposure to SHS has also been linked to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

For more information please contact the Newfoundland and Labrador Alliance for the Control of Tobacco, 29 Rowan Street, St. John's, phone - 709-753-0079, email melissamoore@actnf.com or visit us on the web at www.smokingsucks.ca

 

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