By Staff Reports
(Hawaii)– From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.
The landmark Surgeon General’s report on smoking that came out 50 years ago said smoking causes lung cancer. But we know more now, and it’s a lot worse. A new surgeon general’s report goes over the latest knowledge, and Acting Surgeon General Boris Lushniak has part of the list:
“New diseases caused by smoking include diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, colon cancer, liver cancer.”
Also, cancers of the bladder; bone marrow and blood; mouth, nose and throat; stomach, voice box, and other places. And heart and blood vessel disease.
That’s to be expected. As Dr. Lushniak points out, cigarette smoking harms nearly every organ of the body.
It’s not easy to quit smoking, but help is available. For instance, people can call 1-800-QUIT-NOW.
Learn more at betobaccofree.gov.
HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.