Any Form of Tobacco is Lethal

Everyone knows that cigarette smoking is a killer, and second-hand smoke has now been successfully indicted, but other forms of tobacco are sometimes neglected. Canadian cardiologists have just pointed out that the dangers associated with cigarettes are equally risky for all forms of tobacco exposure, amounting to a tripling of the likelihood of a heart attack, or myocardial infarction (MI). The types of exposure covered were pipe and cigar smoking, second-hand smoke, sheesha smoking (using a water pipe, or hookah), beedie or bidi smoking (tobacco in a rolled leaf), and, of course, chewing tobacco.

The researchers also examine the benefits of quitting smoking, under various circumstances: while low levels of smoking (8-10 cigarettes a day) doubles the risk of an MI, quitting at this level eliminates all excess risks of heart attack within 3 years.

The scope of this survey was international, showing the worldwide nature of the tobacco scourge. It lends support to the worthwhile efforts being made to rid the world of tobacco . . .