XN000022-1983-06-22 — Page 4

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 1983

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SHARING DR KHOO'S VIEWS, SENIOR MEDICAL AND HEALTH OFFICER DR S.C. LEUNG, SAID THAT IF THE WHOLE POPULATION WAS TO GIVE UP SMOKING, DEATHS FROM LUNG CANCER WOULD DECREASE BY 80 PER CENT WITHIN 20 YEARS.

SHE REVEALED THAT SMOKING ALSO CAUSED SUCH OTHER DISEASES AS CORONARY HEART DISEASE, BRONCHITIS AND EMPHYSEMA.

CORONARY HEART DISEASE ACCOUNTED FOR 8.9 PER CENT OF ALL DEATHS AND CLAIMED THE LIVES OF 2 262 PEOPLE IN 1982.

DR LEUNG SAID: THE RISK OF DEVELOPING CORONARY HEART DISEASE IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE NUMBER OF CIGARETTES SMOKED PER DAY. UNDER THE AGE OF 65, SMOKERS ARE ABOUT TWICE AS LIKELY TO DIE OF CORONARY HEART DISEASE AS ARE NON-SMOKERS, AND HEAVY SMOKERS ABOUT THRICE AS LIKELY,

SHE EMPHASISED THAT SMOKING WAS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS FOR PEOPLE WHO HAD OTHER RISK FACTORS SUCH AS HYPERTENSION AND HIGH CHOLESTEROL,

DR LEUNG ALSO SPOKE OF A GREATER PREVALENCE OF PEPTIC ULCER I SMOKERS THAN IN NON-SMOKERS AND THE EFFECTS OF SMOKING ON

THE FOETUS OF WOMEN WHO SMOKE DURING PREGNANCY.

SHE EMPHASISED THAT THERE WAS NO SAFE FORM OF SMOKING.

+ IT HAS BEEN SHOWN THAT THE RELATIVE ADVANTAGE OF LOW TAR CIGARETTES IS UNCERTAIN. RECENT RESEARCH IN THE UNITED KINGDOM SHOWED THAT THE ASSUMED HEALTH ADVANTAGES OF SWITCHING TO LOW TAR CIGARETTES MAY BE LARGELY OFFSET BY THE TENDENCY OF SMOKERS TO COMPENSATE BY INCREASING INHALATION.

+LOW TAR CIGARETTES HAVE NOT BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE THE RISK OF CORONARY HEART DISEASE AND THEY DO NOT LESSEN THE DAMAGE TO THE LUNGS WHICH CAUSES BREATHLESSNESS.

+FILTER-TIPPED CIGARETTES YIELD LESS TAR THAN PLAIN CIGARETTES AND PRODUCE LESS SPUTUM, BUT THE RISK OF LUNG CANCER IS STILL SIGNIFICANT, ABOUT FIVE TO 10 TIMES THAT OF A NON-SMOKER, DR LEUNG SAID.

WARNING THAT PASSIVE SMOKING WAS ALSO HARMFUL, SHE SAID: +BABIES WHOSE PARENTS SMOKE ARE MORE PRONE TO BRONCHITIS AND PNEUMONIA IN THE FIRST YEAR OF LIFE THAN THOSE OF NON-SMOKING PARENTS.

+ADULTS ARE AFFECTED AS WELL., TAR, NICOTINE AND CARBON MONOXIDE ARE ALL FOUND IN GREATER CONCENTRATION IN SIDESTREAM SMOKE THAN IN THE MAIN STREAM AND THEREFORE, INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL CIGARETTE SMOKE IS ACUTELY IRRITATIVE TO THE EYES, THROAT AND RESPIRATORY MUCOUS MEMBRANES.+

/SHE CONCLUDED