The Evil Effects of Smoking and Drinking

Although I’ve often extolled the benefits of moderate drinking, there’s no doubt that heavy drinking is responsible for major ill-health effects. And we all know about the risks associated with smoking. But two recent studies are worth reporting, as reminders.

Researchers in Sydney, Australia, examined 10 published meta-analyses of lifestyle risk factors and occurrence of colorectal cancer. Their findings are published in the International Journal of Cancer. Individuals drinking the most alcohol (more than 7 drinks a week) had a 60% greater risk of developing the cancer, compared with non-drinkers. Smoking, diabetes, obesity, and a high meat intake were each associated with a 20% increased risk. Physical activity, on the other hand, was ‘protective’ against colorectal cancer.

The second report concerns chronic pancreatitis. A publication in the Archives of Internal Medicine described the relationships between smoking, drinking, recurrent acute pancreatitis, and chronic pancreatitis. One thousand patients enrolled in the North American Pancreatitis Study Group (540 with chronic, 460 with recurrent acute pancreatitis) provided information on their smoking and drinking habits. Their average age as 50, and 56.5% were women. Very heavy drinkers (5 drinks a day or more) were more than 3 times as likely to develop chronic pancreatitis as non-drinkers, with proportional increased likelihoods for moderate and heavy drinkers. Cigarette smoking was, on the other hand, an independent, ‘dose-dependent’ risk factor for both chronic and recurrent acute pancreatitis.

These results were more or less expected. However, it doesn’t hurt to confirm the links between an unhealthy lifestyle and two serious, potentially lethal, conditions. (And we shouldn’t forget all the other conditions caused by smoking and excess alcohol intake.)