Show r K i WI r- r TH THE In r y HUMAN S IDE v By Diane Cashel Director of Drug Alcohol Education The US U.S. Surgeon General calls cigarette smoking the most important tant single cause of preventable death in the United States Cigarette smokers are dying and efforts by the tobacco industry are being made to replace their ers Luring people to smoke is nothing new for the tobacco com com- pany It wasn't until the that machines started mass producing producing producing ing cigarettes Smoking cigarettes started to become more common but the number of cigarettes smoked was still relatively small During World War I tobacco companies companies companies com com- gave away free cigarettes to millions of soldiers and it was only after the war that large numbers numbers numbers num num- bers of Americans smoked ciga- ciga 4 w V U Mt r Since there is a time lag of approximately 20 to 30 years between the onset of smoking and the development of lung cancer the damage done was not immediately immediately immediately immedi immedi- apparent Doctors were surprised surprised surprised sur sur- to see sec a sudden epidemic of lung cancer cases in the They quickly discovered the association association association asso asso- between smoking and lung cancer Large statistical studies in England and the United States in inthe inthe inthe the Doll and Hill Cutler conclusively proved beyond any shadow of a doubt that cigarette smoking markedly mark increased the chances of developing lung cancer By the lung cancer had gone from one of the rarest of cancers cancers cancers can can- cers to the number one killer cancer cancer cancer can can- in the United States Women did not smoke in the early twentieth century They were f |