Its about cancer deaths. I read that 70% of all cancer deaths are from non smokers, so does it automaticly mean that if i smoke that i have a better chance of living. The figures seem to bear it out . Are they wrong? If they are right then i shall start.
2006-09-02 01:50:17 · 24 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Other - Arts & Humanities
I think you are saying that 70% of the people who die from cancer are non smokers, therefore it's better to be a smoker because only 30% of cancer deaths are of smokers. I will take your numbers as given, for the purpose of answering your question.
You are comparing the wrong groups. The fact that a large proportion of cancer deaths, 70% are of non smokers shows that there is more than one cause for cancer.
The way to tell whether smoking causes cancer is to look at whether there's a statistical correlation between smoking and cancer. Do people who smoke have a higher rate of cancer and cancer deaths than people who do not smoke? Yes, they do, so if you smoke you are more likely to die of cancer.
2006-09-02 01:52:38 · answer #1 · answered by TxSup 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think you need another figure thrown in here. How about what percentage of the Earth's population smoke? Because if it's less than 30%, then comparing it to the figures you've got doesn't look very good. Also, finding out the percentage of smokers who die from cancer might also be a good idea before you go out and buy enough packets to get addicted for life.
And although those 70% may not have been direct smokers, passive smoking can still give you cancer and I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be counted as smokers.
2006-09-05 23:20:47 · answer #2 · answered by Katri-Mills 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sorry, I'm afraid that isn't correct. One reason figures for cancer deaths may appear high for non-smokers is that they have a much longer life expectancy than smokers. Although the biggest concern with smoking portrayed by the media seems to be lung cancer, far more smokers actually die prematurely of cardiovascular disease and other lung diseases, before they get the chance to develop a cancer. Anyone who lives to a ripe old age has a high chance of having a cancer of some sort - but it often won't be their cause of death or necessarily even give them symptoms - hence the figures again. Please don't take that as a reason to start smoking! Your quality of life in the future, life expectancy and actual death are likely to be far more unpleasant if you do. Written by - a GP.
2006-09-02 02:08:44 · answer #3 · answered by drblonde 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Assume that your 70% statistic is correct.
In the uk, approx 25% of people smoke, so in a population of 60,000,000, 15,000,000 smoke and 45,000,000 do not.
Say there are 50,000 cancer deaths per annum in the uk, your statistic would suggest 35,000 of these were non-smokers and 15,000 were smokers.
So the chance of dying from cancer each year if you are a smoker is 1 in 1000
Where as if you are a non smoker, the chances of dying from cancer each year is 1 in 1,285
Again, these stats are based on your original 70% figure which i have not confirmed.
2006-09-02 02:00:29 · answer #4 · answered by Peakey 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. Your statistics are only correct if you assume that half the population smokes, and half doesn't smoke. That simply isn't the case. Only about 20% of Americans smoke, while 80% are nonsmokers. That means, 80% of the people account for 70% of cancer deaths, while 20% of the people (smokers) account for a whopping 30% of cancer deaths. Clearly, smokers have a higher chance of dying of cancer.
2006-09-02 01:53:46 · answer #5 · answered by surfinthedesert 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋
You have to look at the rate of cancer in smokers. Not cancer among smokers vs. non smokers. Anyone can get cancer, but your chances of getting cancer due to smoking is greatly increased because of the toxins in tobacco.
You can get cancer as a non smoker, like non hodgekins lymphoma or leukemia or brain cancers or breast cancer or ..... get the idea?
SMOKING CAUSES CANCER. IT KILLS PEOPLE.
Smoking causes many problems other than cancer. If you think it doesn't then tell that to my two kids who just lost their grandfather this year to emphysema (caused by years of smoking)
2006-09-02 01:58:46 · answer #6 · answered by lolo 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is true that some people who die of cancer have never smoked.
It is also true that cancer is one of many illnesses or diseases caused by smoking.
If you start smoking you might not get cancer but you could die a long and horrible death suffering from something else.
don't do it
2006-09-02 02:47:42 · answer #7 · answered by used to live in Wales 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the reason why 'non-smokers' die more compared to smokers are due to "2nd hand smoke".
I'm not sure how to explain this but people who inhale the smoke of a cigarette have greater possibility of dying from cancer. I dont know the scientific explanation of this but that's afact.
It also means that smokers already built toleration of the smoke or something like that...
2006-09-02 01:55:24 · answer #8 · answered by Jacky 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Do NOT start to smoke! It caused my husband to have acute emphysema , cancer of the bladder and prostate. The took out his bladder but it was too late. He only lived a few months after that.
I don't know which is worse: Dying of Smoking related maladies or WATCHING a loved one die because of smoking and having to clean up the aftermath of that death.
2006-09-02 06:54:01 · answer #9 · answered by x_southernbelle 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i am not a smoker myself and so i agree to a certain extent with that theory that 70% of cancer deaths from non-smokers, but this is as a result of passive smoking, so therefore no, smoking DOES NOT mean that you will live a longer life. its just that people who don't usually smoke are putting themselves at risk by sitting with and being exposed to people with lit up cigarettes in their mouths. by taking in the fumes this increases the risk of of them having lung cancer, heart disease, mouth cancer etc . and the same thing applies to smokers as well
2006-09-02 02:56:43 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋