A survey suggests the public are
still unaware of the dangers posed by smoking.
in a new survey conducted
recently, more than one in four people (28 per cent)
are still unaware that smoking is
the leading cause of mouth cancer, a disease that kills
one person every five hours
A lack of knowledge didn’t stop
at traditional cigarettes. When questioned about
some alternatives, more than half
(57 per cent) thought shisha
pipes (51 per cent) are safe
alternatives to smoking while just under half (48 per cent)
thought smokeless tobacco is a
safe substitute.
Smoking and tobacco use
is still the leading cause of mouth cancer. According
to the World Health organization, up to half of current users will
eventually die of
a tobacco-related illness.
Smoking can also cause a variety
of oral health problems including
-tooth staining,
-dental plaque,
-bad breath,
-tooth loss
-gum disease.
A study reveals “on average, smokers
lose about 16 years of their life.”
Given the substantial investment
in anti-smoking campaigns over the last ten years i would have
hoped for fewer people to be
unaware of the risks posed by the habit.
“However, the survey alongside
rising cases of mouth cancer shows there is still a
large percentage of the
population we must reach out to and educate. If combined
with drinking alcohol to excess,
these two habits can raise the rise of developing the
disease by up to 30 times.
“Poor diet and the human
papillomavirus (HPV), transmitted via oral sex, are also
risk factors. to ensure early
detection - something that can transform survival rates
from 50 per cent to up to 90 per
cent - we must all look for ulcers that do not heal
within three weeks, unusual lumps
or swellings and red or white patches in the mouth.
our message to everyone is
“if in doubt, get checked out.”
