Even if the government is leaving no stone unturned to check the use of cigarettes and tobacco products, cigarette smoking is getting more hazardous today than they actually were five decades ago.
A newly released US Surgeon General’s report shows smoking is leading towards more diseases, killing more and more people and imposing more burden to economy in the United States than 50 years ago.
“Smokers’ risk of death from all causes, compared to those who never smoked, has gone up significantly over the past 50 years,” said Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids president Matthew L. Myers on the report, which comes 50 years after the first Surgeon General’s report on smoking and health.
Highlighting the key points in the report, Myers further said, “Today’s cigarette smokers have a much higher risk of developing serious diseases like lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in comparison to the smokers in 1964.”
The starling exposure made in the report is that if the issue is not addressed urgently, about 5.6 million children under age 18 may die prematurely from chronic diseases.
The report has blamed changes in the design and composition of today’s cigarettes as the reason behind this grim situation and increase in health woes.
According to a government report, smoking is killing around 480,000 Americans each year. One out of every five deaths in the US is due to cigarette smoking. Moreover, it’s also claiming to financial losses. It costs the country at least US$289 billion in medical bills.
The report seeks urgent attention of the government, experts and the general public to understand the need of the hour.