WASHINGTON (EGMN) – For the first time, there is evidence of immediate and direct harm done by smoking even one cigarette, according to the 30th annual United States Surgeon General’s Office report on smoking, issued Dec. 9.

Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin said at a press briefing that previous reports from her office honed in on the various diseases that smoking could cause. “This report focuses on how tobacco smoke causes damage to every organ in your body,” she said.

When asked why this report could make a difference when so many previous warnings have not convinced all Americans to quit smoking, Dr. Benjamin said that she thinks that the direct evidence of harm will personalize the message.

“I believe it’s very important that every American knows what’s happening in their bodies, particularly those who are trying to quit.” She said it might be helpful for people to know the various biological reasons why quitting is so hard. (See “a hyper-realistic animation illustrating how smoking causes a heart attack” in a public service announcement video featuring the surgeon general.)

Dr. Benjamin said she knew that even President Obama was trying very hard to quit and that she’d told him about the new findings.

The 700-page “Report of the Surgeon General: How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease: The Biology and Behavioral Basis for Smoking-Attributable Disease” determined that tobacco smoke contains 7,000 chemicals, hundreds of which are known to be toxic and 70 of which are carcinogenic, she noted.

The report describes multiple insults to the body from those chemicals, including changes in DNA that can lead to cancer; damage to the lining of the lungs; obstructive pulmonary disease and bronchitis; stress on the vasculature and cardiovascular disease; and an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and aortic aneurysm.

Smoking also interferes with the effectiveness of chemotherapy and the control of blood sugar and leads to fertility problems, including difficulty conceiving, miscarriage, and preterm birth.

Just one cigarette can trigger a heart attack or stroke, she said.

In addition, the report examined the effects of secondhand smoke, finding that even brief exposure can cause cardiovascular disease and can also trigger acute cardiac events, such as heart attack. Babies exposed to secondhand smoke are more likely to die of sudden infant death syndrome.

The report highlights the increasingly addictive properties of today’s cigarettes, many of which are designed to enhance nicotine absorption and its crossing of the blood-brain barrier, Dr. Benjamin said. Some cigarettes also allow smokers to inhale more deeply into the lungs, increasing the disease risk.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said at the briefing that the report shows that “there is no safe level of exposure to tobacco smoke,” and, she added, “If you’re a smoker, the best time to quit is right now.”

John R. Seffrin, Ph.D., CEO of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, agreed. “Today’s report makes it clear, once again, that there is no such thing as a safe cigarette and no such thing as a safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke for nonsmokers,” he said in a statement.

Ms. Sebelius noted that, every day, 4,000 Americans under the age of 18 years try their first cigarette, and that 1,000 of them become daily smokers. Some 1,200 Americans die every day as a result of tobacco-related causes, she said, and the report is part of the Obama administration’s ongoing strategy to completely eliminate tobacco use.

Smoking rates declined until 2003, but since that time the rate has plateaued, with 20% of adults admitting they currently smoke. The administration has launched a multipronged attack, including giving the U.S. Food and Drug Administration the power to regulate tobacco and increasing funding to state and local programs for intervention and outreach programs. Medicare and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program both now offer coverage of tobacco-cessation strategies, Ms. Sebelius said.

Tobacco-related disease is a big reason why America is less healthy than other countries, and that has consequences. “If we’re a less healthy nation, we’re not competitive in a global economy,” she added.

The Surgeon General’s report is available at www.surgeongeneral.gov. The office has also created a consumer-friendly version of the report and a printable, one-page fact sheet for physicians to use in discussing the report with their patients.

The report only focuses on smoking’s effects on adults. The office is working on another report on adolescents and teenagers, Dr. Benjamin said.

Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Global Medical News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

华盛顿(EGMN)——12月9日美国卫生局长办公室发布的第30份年度吸烟报告首次证明吸烟具有立即和直接的危害，即使只吸一支烟亦如此。 

该报告证实，烟草含有7,000种化学物质，已知数百种有毒性，其中70种有致癌作用。这些化学物质可对身体造成多种伤害，包括DNA癌变、肺部内层损伤、阻塞性肺病和支气管炎、血管应激和心血管疾病以及增加心脏病发作、卒中和主动脉瘤的风险。吸烟还可影响化疗疗效和血糖的控制，并导致生育问题，包括受孕困难、流产和早产。即使只吸一支烟也能够引发心脏病发作或卒中。该报告对二手烟危害的分析显示，即使只是短暂地吸入二手烟也能够引起心血管疾病和触发心脏病发作等急性心脏事件。吸入二手烟的婴儿死于婴儿猝死综合征的可能性较大。报告提醒烟民注意，目前香烟的成瘾作用日益增加，许多香烟的设计目的在于增加尼古丁的吸收及使其易于通过血脑屏障，因此危害更大。 

该报告仅重点分析吸烟对成人的危害。卫生局长办公室目前正着手起草另一份有关青少年的报告。 

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