Wellness article 2: Smoking Facts

EACH YEAR, OVER 45,000 CANADIANS DIE FROM TOBACCO USE
In Canada, smoking is the most important cause of preventable illness, disability and premature death. In 1996, greater than 45,200 deaths (29,229 male and 15,986 female) were caused by smoking -- more than 20% of all deaths among Canadians.

In 1996, smoking prematurely killed three times more Canadians than car accidents, suicides, drug abuse, murder and AIDS combined.

Compare this to death by: Murder – 510; Alcohol – 1,900; Car accidents - 2,900; Suicides – 3,900; Tobacco – 45,000.

Accounting for over 45,200 deaths in 1996, smoking far exceeded the second most important preventable cause of death -- accidents (over 8,600 deaths).

Compared with non-smokers, the risk of premature death is more than double among Canadian men and almost double among Canadian women who begin smoking by age 15.

Children of smokers are twice as likely to pick up the habit.
From Health Canada at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hecs-
sesc/tobacco/legislation/warnings/e_i.html


Lung Cancer Remains the Leading Cause of Cancer Death
Excerpts from: Canadian Cancer Statistics 2001
By National Cancer Institute of Canada

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death for both genders. Almost one-third of the cancer deaths in men and almost one-quarter in women are due to lung cancer alone.
Cancer is the leading cause of premature death in Canada, being responsible for almost one-third of all potential years of life lost.
Because of its relative frequency among younger Canadians and poor survival rates, lung cancer is by far the leading cause of premature death due to cancer.
Smoking is responsible for about one-third of potential years of life lost (PYLL) due to cancer, about one-quarter of PYLL due to diseases of the heart and about one-half of PYLL due to respiratory disease.