Passive smoking kills many: Expert Wednesday, 09 February 2011 02:26

DOHA: Smoking is major risk factor of lung cancer according to an expert. According to Iyad Mohammed Tabishat from Al Amal hospital, passive smoking is killing a number of non-smokers, at a forum held as part of World Cancer Day recently at Supreme Council of health.

“At least 60 out of 4000 toxic substances in smoke produced by burning tobacco in cigarettes are carcinogenic,” Tabishat said.

“Studies in Qatar show that the proportion of smokers here varies with age. At least 18 percent of the smokers in Qatar are in the age group between 15 and 20, 39.5 percent are aged 21 to 30 while 27.2 percent are 31 to 40 years of age, 12 percent between 41 and 50 and 3.1 percent age aged above 50.”

He also said that the number of smokers also vary according to marital status, with a 37.6 percent of them being single, 61.1 percent married and 1.3percent of widows, widowers and divorced.”

Statistics also show that lung cancer in non-smokers mainly due to passive smoking cause 130,000 deaths a year.

Symptoms of lung cancer includes persistent cough, loss of blood with phlegm, shortness of breath, pain in the chest area, frequent lung inflammation, hoarseness in voice, extreme tiredness and loss of appetite and weight.

“Lung cancer can be treated by surgery, chemotherapy or radiation. However, so far, there is no medically approved way for early detection of lung cancer,” he said.

The Peninsula

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