Tobacco Documents Online

Z r. U..S. DEYARTMENT OF MEALTM,' EDUGAT7ON;/YhIDWELLFARE. FOR I23MEDIATF. RELEASE THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 1978 JOHi3' 3LA.+:BHI:T - 2'04/2,"5-'u343 STATr.'^.ENT BY' JULIUS B. RIG:MOND' :SURGEON GRti'ERATL There is no known safe level of: s:noking of' any cicarette of any type. No one should'be misled bv Dr. Gori's studv into the belief that there is some way that one can adjust one''s smoking habits and the cigarette one smokes and thus avoid all healt.hh risks. Stopping smokirig completely, on the other hand, eve.^n if' or.e has been a 1ong-term smoker, has a dramatic beneficial effect. A,former smoker who has not smoked at all for 10 }+ears runs no more risk of lung, cancer, heart disease, emphysema orr chronic bronchitis than someone who never smoked' at all. While some cigarettes are less hazardous than athers,f there is no data•anywhere omthedangersof' smoking is such a thing, asa saf e smoking. in the large body of scientific evidence( that hold's out any hope that there cigarette or a safe.Level of (more)

- 2'- I The implications of'precision in the G;ori pater--that one mav safely s:no.ke 22 cigarettes a dayof this brand or 8' a day of that--are si:^riy u_.warra..tcd. CTnI'"i'nn arti~[ cigarette is dangerous for anv one. It cresents es-oeci'alT_v severe dangers to heal:th and life for the 10 million persons with heart conditions, 43 million with hypertension or e1evated- leveis of cholesterol or both; 12 million who have chronic bronchitis,, emphysema or, asthma; 3 milliion women who, become , 4 pregnant each year; 8 to 10' million women who take oral contraceptives; and the unknown mi1i'_ons who have been eYnosed toi asbestos and other hazardous substances in the workalace, whose harmful effects are.multialied by smoking. Even if' one does not fall intolpny of these categories,, however, a, key fact must be borne in mind'all: Everv smoker faces a risk of'death oi disability that is greater than that faced by those who do not smoke., Thus the efforts of the Public Health Service will continue to be primarilytoward helping smokers, to: quit and preventing young people from taking up the habit. Q. w .~ cn ~ w c~