Smoking biggest killer in France

Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 04 Jan 2004 - 0:00 PDT

Current ratings for:
'Smoking biggest killer in France'

Patient / Public:4 stars

3.88 (66 votes)

Healthcare Prof:3 and a half stars

3.35 (17 votes)

Article opinions: 1 posts

66,000 each year die in France as a result of smoking (avoidable deaths).

'On average, one regular smoker in every two dies prematurely from his or her smoking habits... Half of those who die are between 35 and 69-years-old,' the French health ministry said in a statement issued jointly with the National Institute of Health Education and Prevention (INPES).

Smoking causes a third of all cancers in France, according to the statement, which was posted on an Internet site set up by the ministry and the INPES as part of a national stop-smoking campaign, launched in March 2003.

Lung cancer is a particular danger among smokers and those forced to inhale their noxious fumes, including children.

In France, 90 percent of all lung cancers are caused by actually smoking and a further 5 per cent by passive smoking, the statement stressed.

There is already a law in France against smoking in workplaces, airports, metro and rail stations and in some parts of restaurants. But it is widely ignored.

The Government is reinforcing its anti-smoking campaign by increasing the price of tobacco by 8 to 10 per cent as of January 5, the third rise in the space of a year.

The main aim of the campaign is to reduce the number of smokers by 30 per cent among young people and 20 per cent among adults.

The increase in smoking among young people is of particular concern, especially given scientific information that the dangers are more widespread than originally thought.

In 2002 the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a unit of the World Health Organisation (WHO) based in the French city of Lyon, added the following to the long list of cancers to which smokers are vulnerable - leukaemia and cancer of the stomach, liver, uterus and kidney.

Cigarettes also cause chronic bronchitis and heart attacks, the scientists say.

The WHO itself says smoking kills 4.9 million people around the world every single year and warns that number could double by 2020.

Smoking is 'the only weapon of mass destruction used against people all over the world,' commented John Seffrin, president of the American Cancer Society, during the world cancer congress in Chicago in May 2003.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
Visit our cancer / oncology section for the latest news on this subject.
There are no references listed for this article.
Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA
n.p. "Smoking biggest killer in France." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 4 Jan. 2004. Web.
26 May. 2012. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/5153.php>

APA
n.p. (2004, January 4). "Smoking biggest killer in France." Medical News Today. Retrieved from
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/5153.php.

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.



Visitor Opinions (latest shown first)

Don't Smoke

posted by steph on 15 Jan 2008 at 3:52 am

You shouldn't smoke. It kills. and you don't want to die.

| post followup | alert a moderator |


Add Your Opinion On This Article

'Smoking biggest killer in France'

Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)

Your Name:*
E-mail Address:*
Your Opinion Title:*
Opinion:*
This is to help prevent SPAM submissions. Please enter the words exactly as they appear, including capital letters and punctuation.*

* Fields marked with a * need to be filled in before you hit the submit button.

Contact Our News Editors

For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.


Cancer / Oncology

What is Cancer?

Cancer is a class of diseases characterized by out-of-control cell growth. There are over 100 different types of cancer, and each is classified by the type of cell that is initially affected. Read more...

Most Popular Articles



Follow Our Cancer News On Twitter

Follow Us On Twitter
Get the latest news for this category delivered straight to your Twitter account. Simply visit our Cancer / Oncology Twitter account and select the 'follow' option.



View list of all 'What Is...' articles »