World Lung Cancer Day 2024: Smoking is one of the leading causes of several health conditions. A person who smokes throughout their life is at high risk of developing a range of potentially lethal diseases.
Some of the diseases include cancer of the lung, mouth, nose, larynx, tongue, nasal sinus, oesophagus, throat, pancreas, bone marrow (myeloid leukaemia), kidney, cervix, ovary, ureter, liver, bladder, bowel and stomach, lung diseases such as chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which includes obstructive bronchiolitis and emphysema and even type 2 diabetes.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Health experts also emphasise that second-hand smoking can also have harmful effects on your body. Secondhand smoke exposure occurs when people breathe in smoke breathed out by people who smoke or from burning tobacco products. According to the CDC, there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Even brief exposure can cause serious health problems and be deadly.
Dr. Vibha Naik, Director – Medical Oncology & Haematology, Bone Marrow Transplant, Physician, Sterling Hospitals, Vadodara said that second-hand smoking plays a significant role in causing lung cancer, responsible for approximately 0.9 million deaths annually. Cigarette smoke contains around 7,000 chemicals, 500 of which are carcinogenic.
“When someone smokes, these toxic substances are released into the air, posing a risk to anyone nearby. Inhaling this harmful cocktail can lead to various health issues, including lung cancer. In India, nearly 30% of adults are exposed to second-hand smoke. The impact is particularly devastating for women and children. Women exposed to second-hand smoke have a higher risk of lung cancer compared to those who are not exposed,” Dr. Naik told Financial Express.com.
Children are even more vulnerable, as their lungs are still developing. Exposure to second-hand smoke can impair lung growth, increase the risk of respiratory infections, and contribute to the development of asthma, she said.
“Considering the steep levels of air pollutions and the added risk of second-hand smoking can cause a multiplier effect on an individual’s lungs leading to higher risk of lung cancer at a very early age in life,” she added.