Lung Cancer and Tobacco Use

The Alien killer! TO-BA-CCO

Taiye Tunkarimu

The epidemic of lung cancer mortality has been identified as a major health issue confronting both the developed and underdeveloped countries. In 2000, over one million people died from lung cancer worldwide but estimates suggest that by 2030, all tobacco-related mortality, including lung cancer will reach 10 million deaths per year.
Now this is alarming, while, almost 98% of lung cancer cases are drawn from cigarette smoking, Nigeria is at a risk of increasing this figure especially in Lagos where electricity is a challenge and most people turn to using generators and the fumes pollute the air such that practically everyone inhales it. Now this is also very dangerous to the health.
Tobacco use kill an estimated 280,000 Nigerians yearly and about 25 percent of Nigerian teens, some as young as 10, are hooked on tobacco, double the smoking rate among men.
According to a publication on Nigeria National Tobacco control bill, it was said that the production of cigarettes should be ban and not the smoking. How about increasing the tariff on the sale of cigarette?
One of the largest producing tobacco firms, British American tobacco said in their regulatory statement that “we are committed to working with the government and their agencies in policy formulation on tobacco control”. What measures have they put in place with the government to increase the tariff on the sale of cigarettes so as to reduce the rate of people who die of lung cancer?
Although, the Nigerian parliament is currently debating sweeping new tobacco control legislation in a bid to break the growing tobacco addiction in the country. The bill has strong backing from anti-tobacco groups and health organizations
Nicotine is one of the ingredients that make up a cigarette and the chemical that causes it (cigarette) to be addictive .The amount of nicotine per cigarette smokers consume has increased considerably over the last six years, making it easier for them to become addicted and harder for them to quit.
According to a report from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, it was discovered that from 1998 – 2004, the overall nicotine yield—the amount of nicotine delivered to the smoker's lungs per cigarette—rose by 10%, from 1.72 mg to 1.89 mg. Of the 179 cigarette brands tested, 166, including 59 of the "light" brands and 14 of the "ultra lights," were rated as having a high nicotine yield—more than 1.2 mg per cigarette.

The diagram below shows the death toll of tobacco related disease.

Tobacco Related Disease Percentage
Cancer (inclusive Lung Cancer) 39.7%
Passive Smoking 0.7%
Heart Diseases 21.20%
Others including Stroke 18.3%
Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema 20.10%