smoking

It may be common knowledge that smoking cigarettes leads to a host of diseases and early death, but did you know that 30% of all cancer deaths are smoking-related? This is according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. [1]
Smoking is the biggest preventable cause of death from cancer and other diseases, yet 40 million people continue to puff away on cigarettes, according to U.S. researchers from the American Cancer Society (ACS).

The federal government said on November 10th that cigarette smoking among American adults is still dropping dramatically. [1]
But the good news comes with 1 major caveat: smoking still causes 40% of all cancer diagnoses in the United States. Not just lung cancer, either. That percentage encompasses a dozen other parts of the body, including the throat, stomach, pancreas, and liver.

Over the past 16 years, the number of children diagnosed with cancer in the U.K. has shot up 40%, a new study shows; and experts are warning of a cancer “epidemic.”
The reason? Modern life is making people sick.

A new study published in the American Heart Association (AMA) journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Genetics finds that smoking cigarettes affects the human genome in the form of DNA methylation. [1]
If you quit smoking, the majority of the damage goes away, but not all of it. Translation: smoking causes some permanent damage.

A new study from Texas A&M University and published in the Journal of Toxicology suggests that oral nicotine may actually prevent the brain from aging, and thus developing Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

You can’t smoke cigarettes in a bar, but if some marijuana advocates in Colorado get their way, you’ll soon be able to vape cannabis in one. [1]
In November, Denver, Colorado residents will vote on an initiative that would allow businesses to obtain city permits to create designated areas for using marijuana.
Kayvan S.T. Khalatbari, the lead proponent of the initiative, said in a statement:

If you’ve tossed your pack of tobacco cigarettes aside for an e-cigarette thinking that it was a healthier choice…well, you might be wrong. A new study presented in August at the European Society for Cardiology congress in Rome shows that vaping may be nearly as bad for your heart as smoking cigarettes. [1]

Great efforts have been made to get people to quit smoking, and to help them avoid starting. The Great American Smokeout, held every third Thursday in November to encourage people to give up tobacco, began in the 1970’s. Medications like Zyban, Wellbutrin, and Chantix were introduced to help would-be quitters fight their cravings. And in the 1990’s, toll-free quit lines were launched in every state. [1]

Stroke is the 3rd leading cause of death, and the leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States. Approximately 795,000 people in the U.S. suffer a stroke each year, and about 140,000 strokes are fatal. [1]
Source: UF Health Shands Comprehensive Stroke Center

Childhood is the healthiest time in a person’s life, but the American Heart Association (AHA) is warning in a statement that, in the United States, less than 1% of children meet the organization’s definition of ideal cardiovascular health. [1]
Statement author Dr. Julia Steinberger said: