AND THEN SOME.

SURGEON GENERA: : =RAL'S WARNING.

8uses Lung Cancer, Heart

§ Moking Emphysema, And

§ Disea May Complicate Pregnancy,

GEARS \ Te 90% ORIN

bout thirty years ago, the US Surgeon General announced that smoking is dangerous to your health. In 1993, that statement is seen as a rather heavy understatement. Tobacco use kills over 35 000 Canadians each year, 4 000 of whom are non-smokers. Cigarette smok- ing is a major cause of emphysema, chronic bronchitis, Jung cancer, and heart disease. Smokers are two to three times more likely to have a heart attack, and three times more likely to have a stroke than those who don’t smoke. Smoking is the greatest single risk factor leading to Peripheral Vascular Disease. (When a blood clot forms in the body, possibly leading to amputation of an arm or leg.)

Studies show that smokers take other risks in their lives. They are less likely to wear seatbelts, are more likely to experiment with other drugs, and tend to be more sexually promiscuous than non-smokers. Obviously, people who don’t care about their health, their own bodies, would indulge in other risky behaviours. Also, perhaps due to this generally dangerous attitude toward life, smokers have more divorces than non-smokers. As the theory goes, if you don’t care about yourself, how can you really care about another person?

Now, these are very general facts and do not apply to all smokers; however, the findings have been significant enough to make these general conclusions. eer CM Urea tal] aera Most smokers know the risks of smoking. So why smoke?

8/X-Press/September 23, 1993