Just one cigarette a day can kill you
PEOPLE who smoke only one to four cigarettes a day are still three times more likely to die of heart disease or lung cancer, a study shows.
The impact is stronger for women and the report quashes the cherished idea that "social smokers" escape the serious health problems faced by heavier smokers.
Researchers in Norway tracked the health and death rates of almost 43,000 men and women from the mid-1970s up to 2002.
Compared with those who had never smoked, those who smoked between one and five cigarettes a day were almost three times as likely to die of coronary artery disease.
While there was little difference in the risk of dying from any type of cancer, this was not the case for lung cancer.
Men who were light smokers were almost three times as likely to die of lung cancer. Women were almost five times as likely to do so.
Light smokers also had significantly higher death rates from all causes – 1.5 times – than those who had never smoked, and death rates tallied with the number of cigarettes smoked every day.
As the light smokers had smoked for fewer years than the heavy smokers, the researchers analysed the projected impact of smoking at this level for five years.
This indicated that the risk of death from coronary artery disease would have been 7% higher – and the risk of lung cancer would have been 47% higher in women.
Dr Kjell Bjartveit, whose findings are published today in Tobacco Control, said: "Smoking control policy makers and health educators should emphasise more strongly that light smokers also endanger their health."
All the participants were aged between 35 and 49 at the start of the study when they were screened for heart disease and diabetes.
Although a significant proportion of the light smokers increased their consumption, it had not exceeded nine cigarettes a day. Almost as many had given up as had increased their consumption.
Dr Bjartveit, of the National Health Screening Service, Oslo, said: "Our study shows that five cigarettes per day is not a threshold value for daily cigarette consumption that must be exceeded before serious health consequences occur."
Maureen Moore, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) Scotland, said: "The evidence that social smoking is a health risk has always been there, but clearly we have not got the message across. Social smokers tend to equate lung cancer and heart disease with heavy smokers.
"We have always known that one cigarette a week harms your health. But the message has not got across to social smokers. They tend to put warnings about lung cancer and heart disease aside because they equate the diseases with heavy smokers."
She said she hoped the Scottish Executive would develop more subtle strategies to communicate with young people about the long term health risk of social smoking.
PEOPLE who smoke only one to four cigarettes a day are still three times more likely to die of heart disease or lung cancer, a study shows.
The impact is stronger for women and the report quashes the cherished idea that "social smokers" escape the serious health problems faced by heavier smokers.
Researchers in Norway tracked the health and death rates of almost 43,000 men and women from the mid-1970s up to 2002.
Compared with those who had never smoked, those who smoked between one and five cigarettes a day were almost three times as likely to die of coronary artery disease.
While there was little difference in the risk of dying from any type of cancer, this was not the case for lung cancer.
Men who were light smokers were almost three times as likely to die of lung cancer. Women were almost five times as likely to do so.
Light smokers also had significantly higher death rates from all causes – 1.5 times – than those who had never smoked, and death rates tallied with the number of cigarettes smoked every day.
As the light smokers had smoked for fewer years than the heavy smokers, the researchers analysed the projected impact of smoking at this level for five years.
This indicated that the risk of death from coronary artery disease would have been 7% higher – and the risk of lung cancer would have been 47% higher in women.
Dr Kjell Bjartveit, whose findings are published today in Tobacco Control, said: "Smoking control policy makers and health educators should emphasise more strongly that light smokers also endanger their health."
All the participants were aged between 35 and 49 at the start of the study when they were screened for heart disease and diabetes.
Although a significant proportion of the light smokers increased their consumption, it had not exceeded nine cigarettes a day. Almost as many had given up as had increased their consumption.
Dr Bjartveit, of the National Health Screening Service, Oslo, said: "Our study shows that five cigarettes per day is not a threshold value for daily cigarette consumption that must be exceeded before serious health consequences occur."
Maureen Moore, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) Scotland, said: "The evidence that social smoking is a health risk has always been there, but clearly we have not got the message across. Social smokers tend to equate lung cancer and heart disease with heavy smokers.
"We have always known that one cigarette a week harms your health. But the message has not got across to social smokers. They tend to put warnings about lung cancer and heart disease aside because they equate the diseases with heavy smokers."
She said she hoped the Scottish Executive would develop more subtle strategies to communicate with young people about the long term health risk of social smoking.
PEOPLE who smoke only one to four cigarettes a day are still three times more likely to die of heart disease or lung cancer, a study shows.
The impact is stronger for women and the report quashes the cherished idea that "social smokers" escape the serious health problems faced by heavier smokers.
Researchers in Norway tracked the health and death rates of almost 43,000 men and women from the mid-1970s up to 2002.
Compared with those who had never smoked, those who smoked between one and five cigarettes a day were almost three times as likely to die of coronary artery disease.
While there was little difference in the risk of dying from any type of cancer, this was not the case for lung cancer.
Men who were light smokers were almost three times as likely to die of lung cancer. Women were almost five times as likely to do so.
Light smokers also had significantly higher death rates from all causes – 1.5 times – than those who had never smoked, and death rates tallied with the number of cigarettes smoked every day.
As the light smokers had smoked for fewer years than the heavy smokers, the researchers analysed the projected impact of smoking at this level for five years.
This indicated that the risk of death from coronary artery disease would have been 7% higher – and the risk of lung cancer would have been 47% higher in women.
Dr Kjell Bjartveit, whose findings are published today in Tobacco Control, said: "Smoking control policy makers and health educators should emphasise more strongly that light smokers also endanger
All the participants were aged between 35 and 49 at the start of the study when they were screened for heart disease and diabetes.
Although a significant proportion of the light smokers increased their consumption, it had not exceeded nine cigarettes a day. Almost as many had given up as had increased their consumption.
Dr Bjartveit, of the National Health Screening Service, Oslo, said: "Our study shows that five cigarettes per day is not a threshold value for daily cigarette consumption that must be exceeded before serious health consequences occur."
Maureen Moore, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) Scotland, said: "The evidence that social smoking is a health risk has always been there, but clearly we have not got the message across. Social smokers tend to equate lung cancer and heart disease with heavy smokers.
"We have always known that one cigarette a week harms your health. But the message has not got across to social smokers. They tend to put warnings about lung cancer and heart disease aside because they equate the diseases with heavy smokers."
She said she hoped the Scottish Executive would develop more subtle strategies to communicate with young people about the long term health risk of social smoking.
PEOPLE who smoke only one to four cigarettes a day are still three times more likely to die of heart disease or lung cancer, a study shows.
The impact is stronger for women and the report quashes the cherished idea that "social smokers" escape the serious health problems faced by heavier smokers.
Researchers in Norway tracked the health and death rates of almost 43,000 men and women from the mid-1970s up to 2002.
Compared with those who had never smoked, those who smoked between one and five cigarettes a day were almost three times as likely to die of coronary artery disease.
While there was little difference in the risk of dying from any type of cancer, this was not the case for lung cancer.
Men who were light smokers were almost three times as likely to die of lung cancer. Women were almost five times as likely to do so.
Light smokers also had significantly higher death rates from all causes – 1.5 times – than those who had never smoked, and death rates tallied with the number of cigarettes smoked every day.
As the light smokers had smoked for fewer years than the heavy smokers, the researchers analysed the projected impact of smoking at this level for five years.
This indicated that the risk of death from coronary artery disease would have been 7% higher – and the risk of lung cancer would have been 47% higher in women.
Dr Kjell Bjartveit, whose findings are published today in Tobacco Control, said: "Smoking control policy makers and health educators should emphasise more strongly that light smokers also endanger their health."
All the participants were aged between 35 and 49 at the start of the study when they were screened for heart disease and diabetes.
Although a significant proportion of the light smokers increased their consumption, it had not exceeded nine cigarettes a day. Almost as many had given up as had increased their consumption.
Dr Bjartveit, of the National Health Screening Service, Oslo, said: "Our study shows that five cigarettes per day is not a threshold value for daily cigarette consumption that must be exceeded before serious health consequences occur."
Maureen Moore, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) Scotland, said: "The evidence that social smoking is a health risk has always been there, but clearly we have not got the message across. Social smokers tend to equate lung cancer and heart disease with heavy smokers.
"We have always known that one cigarette a week harms your health. But the message has not got across to social smokers. They tend to put warnings about lung cancer and heart disease aside because they equate the diseases with heavy smokers."
She said she hoped the Scottish Executive would develop more subtle strategies to communicate with young people about the long term health risk of social smoking.
PEOPLE who smoke only one to four cigarettes a day are still three times more likely to die of heart disease or lung cancer, a study shows.
The impact is stronger for women and the report quashes the cherished idea that "social smokers" escape the serious health problems faced by heavier smokers.
Researchers in Norway tracked the health and death rates of almost 43,000 men and women from the mid-1970s up to 2002.
Compared with those who had never smoked, those who smoked between one and five cigarettes a day were almost three times as likely to die of coronary artery disease.
While there was little difference in the risk of dying from any type of cancer, this was not the case for lung cancer.
Men who were light smokers were almost three times as likely to die of lung cancer. Women were almost five times as likely to do so.
Light smokers also had significantly higher death rates from all causes – 1.5 times – than those who had never smoked, and death rates tallied with the number of cigarettes smoked every day.
As the light smokers had smoked for fewer years than the heavy smokers, the researchers analysed the projected impact of smoking at this level for five years.
This indicated that the risk of death from coronary artery disease would have been 7% higher – and the risk of lung cancer would have been 47% higher in women.
Dr Kjell Bjartveit, whose findings are published today in Tobacco Control, said: "Smoking control policy makers and health educators should emphasise more strongly that light smokers also endanger their health."
All the participants were aged between 35 and 49 at the start of the study when they were screened for heart disease and diabetes.
Although a significant proportion of the light smokers increased their consumption, it had not exceeded nine cigarettes a day. Almost as many had given up as had increased their consumption.
Dr Bjartveit, of the National Health Screening Service, Oslo, said: "Our study shows that five cigarettes per day is not a threshold value for daily cigarette consumption that must be exceeded before serious health consequences occur."
Maureen Moore, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) Scotland, said: "The evidence that social smoking is a health risk has always been there, but clearly we have not got the message across. Social smokers tend to equate lung cancer and heart disease with heavy smokers.
"We have always known that one cigarette a week harms your health. But the message has not got across to social smokers. They tend to put warnings about lung cancer and heart disease aside because they equate the diseases with heavy smokers."
She said she hoped the Scottish Executive would develop more subtle strategies to communicate with young people about the long term health risk of social smoking.
[i]
