Show Page 14 — The Herald Journal Logan Utah Tuesday June 3 1997 The dangers of smoking cigars By Ann Landers Creators Syndicate Inc HEAR ANN LANDERS: Since cigar smoking seems to he gaining popularity the public should he aware of the potential consequences My father had a cigar in his mouth from my earliest memory When my mother died in 1963 and Dad came to live with us we made it clear that no smoking was allowed in our house His breath was terrible and his car smelled like a sewer fie often said he "wasn’t smoking” because the cigar wasn't always lit In 1972 he had surgery to remove part of his lip which was cancerous due to constant contact with cigars A few years later he died from lung cancer Please continue educating the public Ann Maybe if you say it often enough they will get the message -- Morton Grove III DEAR MORTON GROVE: I intend to keep harping in the dangers of tobacco even though 1 may he hiving people to distraction I'm interested in saving lives 1 would rather lose some readers because they are sick of my yakking about smoking than lose them because they died of lung cancer So here's more on the subject: DEAR ANN LANDERS: You recently printed a column about the trend supported by ine tobacco industry encouraging people to smoke cigars The federal law requiring health warnings on cigarette packs doesn't apply to cigars When cigar manufacturers importers and distributors add ingredients to tobacco they are not required to submit a list of the contents to the federal government Cigar smokers don’t realize what they are getting when they light up and start puffing and the tobacco FOR BETTER OR WORSE industry isn't about to tell anyone that cigars are just as dangerous as cigarettes The American Lung Association classifies cigars as a nicotine delivery system the same as cigarettes Cigar smokers get more laryngeal oral and - esophageal cancers than non-smoke- rs and they have a higher death rate from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Maybe the tobacco industry won't tell us the truth about cigars but we know we can count on you Julie Freestone Tobacco Prevention Project Ann of the Contra Costa County Health Services Department Martinez Calif DEAR JULIE FREESTONE: Don't stand on one foot waiting for tobacco companies to inform the public about the negative aspects of smoking They are not interested in killing the goose that is laying all those golden eggs Here are the facts provided by the American Lung Association: Cancer death rates for cigar smokers are 34 percent higher than for Carbon monoxide emissions from one cigar are 30 times higher than for one cigarette Cigar smoking can lead to cancer of the voice box (larynx) mouth esophagus and lungs Cigar smokers are three to five times more likely to die of lung cancer than Cigar smokers are five times more likely to get emphysema than Secondhand cigar smoke is more poisonous than secondhand cigarette smoke The smoke from one cigar equals the smoke of three cigarettes And now this is Ann talking Ten million Americans smoke cigars This is 2 million more cigar smokers than three years ago This means all those photos featuring famous people smoking cigars have had an impact Wake up America! If you want to kill yourself a bullet in the head is a lot quicker and less expensive than lung cancer DILBERT m GOING INTO BUSINESS A3 A PROFESSIONAL BEARER OF BAD NEDS Ill TRY TO FIND THE HUMOR THAT IS I GIVE UP (JHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BElUEENnfHOSMNO INHERENT IN EVER TRAGIC SITUATION AND THE SEVENTIES i non-smok- POP GROUP "VILLAGE PEOPLE"? 1 THEY'RE i COMING BACK m J non-smok- rs t ARLO AND JANIS How unsafe are herbal remedies? By Peter H Gott MD Newspaper Enterprise Association DEAR DR GOTT In several columns you have described imported herbal remedies as being unsafe I have read that according to government statistics about 601XX) people die evenr year from the side effects of phar- maceutical and drugs should withhold penicillin therapy in the presence infection? I think not The benefits or such therapy clearly outweigh the very real but ordinarily inconsequential risks Inis is not true of most imported herbal remedies which have not been thoroughly tested have not been proved effective and are often laced with dangerous components (such as cortisone) that do not appear on the labels Thus a person who takes an herbal remedy is in a very real sense performing his own experiment If the risk is death and the benefit is questionable why take a chance? As I have said before when an herbal remedy has passed the muster of scientific scrutiny I'll endorse it — but not before Finally I'm not a “shill” for the drug companies If you were a regular reader of my column you'd know that I often argue against using medication unnecessarily I believe thin people are frequently and tend to rely inappropriately on drugs both prescription and Each person who chooses to take a medication — even something as ordinarily innocuous as aspirin — must carefully analyze die risks and benefits rtf so doing of 14001)0 people are hospitalized Why do you ignore this information? You promote the use of drugs with such zeal that I wonder if you are a ‘‘shill' for the drug companies You don't have to be an MD to know that our bodies can react badly to any drug DEAR READER: Yes they can — and often do But as I have repeatedly stated you have to look at the riskbenefit ratio for any medication For example in the past 30 years thousands of people have died from taking penicillin Are you suggesting that based on this observation doctors GRIZZWELLS EEK & MEEK over-medicat-ed Horoscope ByBemicnBadnOtol Newspaper Enterprise Association For Wednesday June 4 1997 24-N- ov Your birthday A loyal friend who always has had your best interest at heart may be helpful to you again in the year ahead arrangement that could make or save you money 21-Ju- ne 20) You are rarely at a loss for creative ideas even though they often end up collecting dust somewhere However today your ingenuity will have functional channels for positive expression CANCER (June 21 July 22) Today you might profit from a commercial arrangement that won't be conducted conventionally Although daring and different it will be ethical LEO (July 22) The stars indicate that you should get along well with all associates today especially if you're able to deal with them on a bmis pt VIRGO (Aug 22) Substantial strides can he made today where your work is concerned provided that you replace old methods with unique approaches LIBRA (Sept 23-O- ct 23) Try not to schedule 23-A- ug one-to-o- ne 23-Se- GARFIELD 23-D- ec Study his or her advice in an GEMINI (May your day too far in advance Spur of the moment developments might emerge and you'll want to be free to participate SCORPIO (Oct 22) An unexpected benefit may be channeled through a family contact today Something of material value could be associated with this development SAGITTARIUS (Nov 21) The judgment is keen you possess today and your initial quite assessments of situations will be on target Stick with your gut feelings CAPRICORN (Dec 22-Ja- n 19) Unexpected changes might be made today that could have a positive effect on your earning powers Let your imagination run rampant b 19) Situations that AQUARIUS (Jan contain elements of chance could work out favorably for you today Take care not to risk a lot merely to gain a little PISCES (Feb 20) Today marks the beginning of a favorable shift in an arrangement you felt powerless to control Closures should work out to your benefit ARIES (March 19) You might hear from an old friend today who wants to get you involved in his or her latest idea If it sounds a bit far out research it in depth TAURUS (April 20) If your radar is working properly you could be luckier than usual today in financial and career areas Opportunities might develop in unique ways 20-Fc- 20-Mar- ch ril 20-M- ay Crossword FRANK AND ERNEST foully ON MAIN vMTEDi SUtXCTf tfiMWH vlAVtf AnO INTftUttNCf - H- I Js-- MW-I-T AtrtAtt took irAin wAVUAff it! 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