The Florida Lung, Asthma and Sleep Specialists are joining heath care campaigns all over the world in a concern for a dangerous trend. It seems that even in today’s age of information, many people are blithely ignoring the health risks of a little bit of smoking. We are not referring to those people who are hard case addicts, but to the people who only smoke a few cigarettes a day.
A Smoker’s Delusion:
The psychology behind these people’s trend is that they smoke so little, it can’t possibly do them any harm. This is denial. In spite of the scientific evidence to the contrary, they think that smoking a little is safe, and they are some how immune to the risks. They also seem to be immune to research and public information.
One researcher stated, “People who smoke very much tend to underestimate their risks, and it makes me think that ‘denial’ is still prevalent. As an oncologist and tobacco control advocate, it amazes me and strikes me as so unfortunate that such lack of knowledge is so prevalent.”
Recently, at the European Lung Cancer Conference (ELCC) in Geneva, French researchers declared that “the war against smoking is far from over.”
Oncologist Dr Laurent Greillier from Hospital Nord in Marseille, France, presented the alarming results of surveys conducted with 1602 French people who were between age 40 and age 75.
Recent Research With A Look at the Numbers
The subjects of the above research group included:
1. 1463 people with no history of cancer.
2. 481 of them were former (or recovered) smokers.
3. 330 were current smokers. They considered themselves immune to the ravages of smoking in this group, simply because they only had an “average daily consumption of 14.2 cigarettes.”
Greillier stated, “Nowadays everyone knows that smoking is a risk factor for developing several cancers, especially lung cancer.” He added, “In this new survey we hypothesized that the perception of the risk of developing this disease could be influenced by personal smoking history. In other words, we thought that the risk might be minimized in smokers compared with never-smokers.”
Shocking Misconceptions
The researchers discovered 34% wrongly considered that a daily consumption of up to 10 cigarettes was not associated with any risk of lung cancer. We at Florida Lung, Asthma and Sleep Specialists can understand Greillier’s dismay at the findings. We want our readers, patients, friends and relative to know, low cigarette consumption is not safe. Here in Orlando Florida, the doctors and Staff of FLASS also want you to know there is no such thing as a safe cigarette. In the French study, half of the subjects stated belief that there existed such a thing.
Amazingly, only half of the current smokers in the study group thought they were at any higher risk for lung cancer that the average.
Likewise, less than 40% of the individuals were aware they still had a high risk of lung cancer even though they quit the habit. In a wry commentary on t
he situation, Greillier stated, “It seems that people are aware about the dangers of tobacco for health, but might consider that the risks are not for themselves, but only for other people.”
Greillier said,”It is essential that public health policies continue to focus on the tobacco pandemic. Our findings suggest to urgently initiating campaigns concerning the risk of any cigarette. The war against tobacco is not over!”
In the words of Dr, Carolyn Dresler, a US-based Board Member of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), “the results reflect a common situation internationally.” She added, “People who smoke, very much tend to underestimate their risks, and it makes me think that ‘denial’ is still prevalent. She also added, “As an oncologist and tobacco control advocate, it amazes me and strikes me as so unfortunate that such lack of knowledge is so prevalent.
Here is a two-fold take away, especially aimed at light smokers:
1. Your lung cancer risk builds up during the duration of your smoking, the days, the weeks, and the years. Do not think a few cigarettes do not count.
2. Like the European Society for Medical Oncology, the Florida Lung, Asthma and Sleep Specialists reminds you that “the risk for cardiovascular disease begins at one just one cigarette a day.
(We don’t mean to sound dramatic in a comparison, but if cigarettes were rat poison, would you think that a small amount a day would be harmless?)
If you think a few cigarettes a day are harmless, we suggest you go to this online resource and discover the truth, and get help with smoking cessation.
Dresler summarized the concerns all lung specialists feel, “We all have a strong ‘denial gene’ in us, and education must be clear, relevant and repeated if we are to change the perceptions that are 
evident from this survey.”
On Another Matter…
The Doctors and Staff gently remind all of our friends, patients, readers and associates that we will soon be celebrating Mother’s Day. FLASS says, “Honor her or her memory by lighting candles instead of cigarettes.”
Below is a little quote-gift from the famous writer Washington Irving, to help you think about Mom and her special day!
“A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.”