It has been 50 years since the first U.S. surgeon general’s report warned that smoking was hazardous to our health.
Since then we are learning that not only lung cancer is caused by smoking but so is liver and colorectal cancers, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and even erectile dysfunction joining the list, according to a report released on Friday and provided by Reuters.
More than 20 million Americans died prematurely in the past 50 years due to smoking, according to the latest report.
“If current trends continue, another 5.6 million children are at risk of dying prematurely,” said Reuters.
“Enough is enough,” acting Surgeon General Dr Boris Lushniak told Reuters in a telephone interview. “We need to eliminate the use of cigarettes and create a tobacco-free generation.”
