Cigars Instead Smoking
one or two cigars a day doubles the risk of cancers of the lip, tongue, mouth
and throat, according to a government study. Daily cigars also
increase the risk of lung cancer and cancer of the esophagus, and increase the
risk of cancer of the larynx (voice-box) six-fold, say researchers at the
National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland. In addition,
the report revealed that smoking three or four cigars a day increased the risk
of oral cancer to 8.5 times the risk for nonsmokers and the risk of esophageal
cancer by four times the risk of nonsmokers. The health effects
of smoking cigars is one of eight sections of the article Cigars. Health Effects
and Trends. The researchers report that, compared with a cigarette, a large
cigar emits up to 90 times as much carcinogenic tobacco-specific
nitrosamines. "This article provides clear and invaluable
information about the disturbing increase in cigar use and the significant
public health consequences for the country," said Dr. Richard Klausner, director
of the National Cancer Institute, in a statement. "The data are
clear—the harmful substances and carcinogens in cigar smoke, like cigarettes,
are associated with the increased risks of several kinds of cancers as well as
heart and lung diseases," he added. "In other words, cigars are not safe
alternatives to cigarettes and may be addictive." "To those
individuals who may be thinking about smoking cigars, our advice is—don’t. To
those currently smoking cigars, quitting is the only way to eliminate completely
the cancer, heart and lung disease risks," warned Klausner.
According to a National Cancer Institute press release, there haven’t been any
studies on the health effects on nonsmokers at cigar social events, but "...a
significant body of evidence clearly demonstrates an increased lung cancer risk
from secondhand smoke." In the context of this passage, "secondhand smoke" in the last line
means ______.
A. smoking bad-quality cigars
B. smoking very cheap cigars
C. being near cigar smokers when they are not smoking
D. being near cigar smokers when they are smoking