Tobacco Smoke Causes Immediate Damage To Cells And Tissue, US Surgeon General

Medical News Today 09 Dec 2010

Even brief and secondhand exposure to tobacco smoke damages cells and inflames tissue straight away, and repeated exposure weakens the human body's ability to repair the damage, a new report from the US Surgeon General reveals.  

The scientific report, titled "How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease: The Biology and Behavioral Basis for Smoking-Attributable Disease" and released earlier today, is Regina M. Benjamin's first report as US Surgeon General and the 30th smoking-related report from that office since 1964.

In a statement timed to coincide with the release of the report, Benjamin told the media that: 

"The chemicals in tobacco smoke reach your lungs quickly every time you inhale causing damage immediately."

"Inhaling even the smallest amount of tobacco smoke can also damage your DNA, which can lead to cancer," she stressed.

 The comprehensive report itemizes a number of pathways through which the chemicals in tobacco smoke damage the human body and lead to disease and death, said the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). 

The report also explains why so many people struggle to quit smoking. It says research shows that cigarettes are designed to be addictive and today's products are designed to be more attractive and addictive than ever before, delivering nicotine faster and more efficiently than previously. 

There are more than 7,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke, which the HHS describes as a "deadly" mixture containing hundreds of toxic substances, and at least 70 known to cause cancer. 

One in three deaths to cancer in the US are tobacco-related. 

More than 85 per cent of lung cancers are smoking-related, and smoking can also cause cancers that affect most other parts of the body. 

The report also describes how: 

Every time a person is exposed to tobacco smoke, they are exposed to substances that can damage DNA in a way that results in cancer. 

Exposure to tobacco smoke affects the body's ability to respond effectively to chemotherapy and other cancer treatments. 

As soon as people are exposed to the chemical mixture in cigarette smoke, the delicate lining of their lungs is already reacting and becoming inflamed. 

Repeated exposure over time can lead to more serious lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) including emphysema and chronic bronchitis. 

Our blood responds to chemicals in tobacco smoke, and these quickly damage blood vessels and make blood more likely to clot. 

Smoking causes cardiovascular disease and increases risks for heart attack, stroke, and aortic aneurysm. 

Even brief exposure to second hand smoke can result in cardiovascular disease, heart attack and other acute cardiac events. 

Smoking makes it harder for diabetics to control their blood sugar and for women to get pregnant; it causes miscarriages, preterm births, low birthweight; and damages fetal lungs and brain tissue. 

Infants exposed to secondand smoke are more likely to die from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). 

Benjamin urged that it is "never too late to quit, but the sooner you do it, the better". 

"This report makes it clear quitting - at any time - gives your body a chance to heal the damage caused by smoking", she added. 

HHS secretary Kathleen Sebelius said over the last two years the US government has increased efforts to reduce tobacco use, including bringing in new legislation, investing in local tobacco control measures, and widening insurance access so it covers tobacco cessation. 

"This will remain a key priority of this Administration," she added. 

EXPOSURE TO TOBACCO SMOKE CAUSES IMMEDIATE DAMAGE, SAYS NEW SURGEON GENERAL’S REPORT 

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Press Release 

December 9, 2010 

Report focuses on how tobacco smoke causes disease. 

Exposure to tobacco smoke – even occasional smoking or secondhand smoke – causes immediate damage to your body that can lead to serious illness or death, according to a report released today by U.S. Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin.  The comprehensive scientific report - Benjamin’s first Surgeon General’s report and the 30th tobacco-related Surgeon General’s report issued since 1964 - describes specific pathways by which tobacco smoke damages the human body and leads to disease and death. 

The report, How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease: The Biology and Behavioral Basis for Smoking-Attributable Disease, finds that cellular damage and tissue inflammation from tobacco smoke are immediate, and that repeated exposure weakens the body’s ability to heal the damage.

“The chemicals in tobacco smoke reach your lungs quickly every time you inhale causing damage immediately,” Benjamin said in releasing the report.  “Inhaling even the smallest amount of tobacco smoke can also damage your DNA, which can lead to cancer.”  

"Over the last two years we have stepped up efforts to reduce tobacco use, including implementing legislation to regulate tobacco products, investing in local tobacco control efforts and expanding access to insurance coverage for tobacco cessation" said Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius. "This will remain a key priority of this Administration." 

The report also explains why it is so difficult to quit smoking. According to the research, cigarettes are designed for addiction. The design and contents of current tobacco products make them more attractive and addictive than ever before. Today’s cigarettes deliver nicotine more quickly and efficiently than cigarettes of many years ago. 

Tobacco smoke contains a deadly mixture of more than 7,000 chemicals and compounds, of which hundreds are toxic and at least 70 cause cancer. Every exposure to these cancer-causing chemicals could damage DNA in a way that leads to cancer. Exposure to smoke also decreases the benefits of chemotherapy and other cancer treatments. Smoking causes more than 85% of lung cancers and can cause cancer almost anywhere in the body.  

One in three cancer deaths in the U.S. is tobacco-related. 

The report describes how the delicate lining of the lungs becomes inflamed as soon as it is exposed to the chemical mixture in cigarette smoke. Over time, the smoke can cause chronic obstructive pulmonary disease including emphysema and chronic bronchitis. 

Even brief exposure to secondhand smoke can cause cardiovascular disease and could trigger acute cardiac events, such as heart attack. The report describes how chemicals from tobacco smoke quickly damage blood vessels and make blood more likely to clot. The evidence in this report shows how smoking causes cardiovascular disease and increases risks for heart attack, stroke, and aortic aneurysm. 

Smoking causes many other harmful effects throughout the body, including making it harder for diabetics to control their blood sugar.  Smoking makes it harder for women to get pregnant and can cause a miscarriage, preterm delivery, low birth weight, as well as damage to fetal lungs and brain tissue. Babies who are exposed to secondhand smoke are more likely to die from sudden infant death syndrome, the report finds. 

 “This report makes it clear – quitting at any time gives your body a chance to heal the damage caused by smoking,” the Surgeon General said. 

 “It’s never too late to quit, but the sooner you do it, the better.” 

Fortunately, there are now more effective ways to help people quit than ever before. Nicotine replacement is available over the counter and doctors can prescribe medications that improve the chances of successful quit attempts. Smokers can also call 1-800-QUIT-NOW for help. 

To help communicate the report findings as widely as possible, the Surgeon General unveiled an easy-to-read guide with practical information about how tobacco smoke causes disease, A Report of the Surgeon General: How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease: What It Means to You.