FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1982
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DANGER OF 'PASSIVE SMOKING' STRESSED
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PRELIMINARY FINDINGS OF A STUDY ON THE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF CANCER INDICATE THAT PASSIVE SMOKING CAN CAUSE LUNG CANCER IN NON-SMOKERS, THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR K.L. THONG, WARNED TODAY.
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SPEAKING AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE HONG KONG ANTI-CANCER SOCIETY, DR THONG SAID THAT WHILE EVERY EFFORT IS BEING MADE BY THE GOVERNMENT TO DISCOURAGE CIGARETTE SMOKING, SOME PEOPLE WOULD ARGUE THAT A LARGE PROPORTION OF WOMEN WHO DEVELOPED LUNG CANCER WERE NON-SMOKERS.
+THIS ARGUMENT IGNORES THE POSSIBILITY OF PASSIVE SMOKING FROM HUSBANDS, RELATIVES AND WORKMATES WHO SMOKE AND WHO MIGHT THEREFORE CONTRIBUTE TO CARCINOMAGENESIS IN THESE WOMEN, HE SAID.
A JOINT STUDY ON THESE ASPECTS OF CANCER IS BEING CARRIED OUT BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PREVENTIVE MEDICINE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG, THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S INSTITUTE OF RADIOLOGY AND ONCOLOGY AND THE INSTITUTE OF PATHOLOGY.
DR THONG SAID THAT IN SPITE OF THE INCREASING EFFORTS AT EVERY LEVEL TO CONTROL CANCER, IT REMAINS A MAJOR HEALTH PROBLEM IN THE WORLD AND IN HONG KONG, WHERE THERE HAS BEEN A STEADY RISE IN THE DEATH RATE FROM THIS DISEASE.
IN MEN, THE DEATH RATE HAS RISEN FROM 120 PER 100 000 IN 1971 TO 152.3 PER 100 000 IN 1980, WHICH IS AN INCREASE OF 25 PER CENT, AND IN WOMEN IT HAS GONE UP FROM 88.9 PER 100 000 TO 100.7 PER 100 000 DURING THE SAME PERIOD, A RISE OF 11 PER CENT.
THE MAJORITY OF THE DEATH RATE FROM CANCER IS MAINLY REFLECTED IN DEATHS CAUSED BY CANCER OF THE LUNG, WHICH IS BY FAR THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF DEATH FROM THE DISEASE IN BOTH SEXES.
THE DEATH RATE IN LUNG CANCER IN MEN HAS RISEN FROM 26 PER 100 000 IN 1971 TO 46.6 PER 100 000 IN 1980, AND IN WOMEN FROM 18.9 PER 100 000 TO 24 PER 100 000 DURING THE SAME PERIOD.
+THE CURE RATE FOR THIS DISEASE IS LOW AND OUR EFFORTS THEREFORE HAVE TO BE CONCENTRATED ON THE PREVENTIVE ASPECT AS CIGARETTE SMOKING IS NOW RECOGNISED AS THE MAJOR RISK FACTOR IN LUNG CANCER, SAID DR THONG.
IN THE PAST TWO YEARS, THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND THE HONG KONG ANTI-CANCER SOCIETY HAVE INCREASED EFFORTS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CIGARETTE SMOKING THROUGH HEALTH EXHIBITIONS.
CANCER EDUCATION MESSAGES ARE BROUGHT TO THE PEOPLE THROUGH CAMPAIGNS IN VARIOUS DISTRICTS, PARTICULARLY IN SCHOOLS WHERE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE WARNED OF THE HAZARDS OF CIGARETTE SMOKING.
+ IT IS NOW GOVERNMENT'S POLICY TO DISCOURAGE CIGARETTE SMOKING BY REQUIRING WARNINGS TO BE INCLUDED IN CIGARETTE ADVERTISEMENTS AS WELL AS ON TV PRESENTATIONS,+ SAID DR THONG.
+THE CANCER PROBLEM IS IMMENSELY COMPLICATED AND AM GLAD TO NOTE THAT WE IN HONG KONG ARE EARNESTLY TACKLING THIS WITH ALL AVAILABLE FINANCIAL AND MANPOWER RESOURCES AT OUR DISPOSAL, + HE ADDED.
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