In addition to the three main diseases mentioned above, there is evidence that cigarette smoking can cause other pulmonary disorders (see Pulmonary disorders, pp 1846 — 49), delays the healing of gastric ulcers, plays a part in the cause of some cancers of the mouth, voice-box, gullet and bladder, and leads to a degree of skin wrinkling appropriate to non-smokers who are 20 years older. There are other factors about smoking that are worth knowing. For nonsmokers, only about one in five will not reach retirement age; for smokers of over 25 cigarettes a day, two in five will not reach this age. In other words the risk is doubled and it isn’t only that smokers are more likely to die of certain diseases; they are more likely to be disabled by them.

The death rate for smokers is much higher among those who inhale than among those who do not; the earlier you start smoking the greater the risk; and the more you smoke the greater the risk. According to American findings the use of filter-tipped cigarettes does slightly reduce the risk of lung cancer. The risk of pipe (only) and cigar (only) smokers getting lung cancer is small, provided they don’t inhale although greater than for non-smokers. The question is: do you want to live or die? Throw away those cigarettes before the choice is completely out of your hands.