Based on statistical analysis the researchers say that drinking a bottle of wine a week carries the same lifetime cancer risk as smoking up to 10 cigarettes a week in women and 5 in men.
While drinking can be a threat to your health, smoking is certainly worse. Unlike alcohol at low or moderate levels, there is no benefit to tobacco use at any level. When you smoke, you inhale various chemicals that can injure cells, causing both cancer and artery damage (e.g. heart attacks and strokes).
Alcohol use is one of the most important preventable risk factors for cancer, along with tobacco use and excess body weight. Alcohol use accounts for about 6% of all cancers and 4% of all cancer deaths in the United States.
It is estimated that more than 140,000 people (approximately 97,000 men and 43,000 women) die from alcohol-related causes annually, making alcohol the fourth-leading preventable cause of death in the United States behind tobacco, poor diet and physical inactivity, and illegal drugs.
In fact, tobacco alone is linked to a higher risk of 17 cancers, according to the National Cancer Institute. And excessive alcohol consumption is associated with an elevated risk for developing up to seven cancers, including breast cancer in women.
Regardless of drink type (beer, wine, or liquor), the risk of cancer increases with the number of drinks consumed, and even one drink a day increases the risk of developing cancers of the female breast, mouth, and esophagus. Reducing alcohol use may reduce the risk of cancer.
Cigarette smoking is the number one risk factor for lung cancer. In the United States, cigarette smoking is linked to about 80% to 90% of lung cancer deaths. Using other tobacco products such as cigars or pipes also increases the risk for lung cancer. Tobacco smoke is a toxic mix of more than 7,000 chemicals.
1: Vaping is less harmful than smoking, but it's still not safe. E-cigarettes heat nicotine (extracted from tobacco), flavorings and other chemicals to create an aerosol that you inhale. Regular tobacco cigarettes contain 7,000 chemicals, many of which are toxic.
Vaping is less harmful and cheaper than smoking, and can have a similar feel. Smoking is bad for your health as the toxins produced by burning tobacco cause smoking-related illnesses. The majority of health benefits are seen when you stop smoking completely.
Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the United States.
Overall, 5.6% of cancer cases and 4% of cancer deaths in the United State are due to drinking alcohol. Strong evidence shows that alcohol increases the risk of several types of cancer, including: Head and neck cancers – 40% to 500% increased risk. Esophageal cancer – 30% to 500% increased risk.
Alcohol is a known carcinogen. This means that alcohol causes cancer. There is strong evidence that drinking alcohol increases people's risk of cancers of the female breast, liver, mouth, throat (pharynx and larynx), oesophagus and bowel. Heavy drinking may also increase people's risk of stomach cancer.
Approximately 4% of cancers worldwide are caused by alcohol consumption. Drinking alcohol increases the risk of several cancer types, including cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract, liver, colorectum, and breast.
Here are some of the primary takeaways from the study: 57 percent said that cigarettes would be harder to quit than drugs or alcohol. Cigarettes were rated as less pleasurable than drugs or alcohol. Due to less pleasure, experts note that cigarette dependence is the least addictive of the two.
Smoking one or two daily carries large risk
They found that compared with never smoking, smoking about one cigarette per day carries 40–50 percent of the risk for coronary heart disease and stroke that is associated with smoking 20 per day.
The long-term effects of vaping are unknown but vaping has been estimated to be at least 95% less harmful than smoking. Colin Mendelsohn was a Sydney GP for 27 years with a special interest in smoking cessation and now works exclusively in tobacco treatment, helping smokers to quit.
A smoker typically puffs on a cigarette around 10-15 times before putting it out, so let's be conservative and estimate that puffing on a vape 15 times is approximately equal to smoking one cigarette. If that's the case, then a disposable vape that delivers 600 puffs is equal to about two packs of cigarettes.
Under state and territory laws, it is illegal to possess, supply or sell nicotine containing e-cigarettes, except: in specific circumstances. and when they are being supplied or accessed through a prescription.
“We also observed that when patients ceased vaping, they had a partial reversal of the condition over one to four years, though not complete due to residual scarring in the lung tissue.”
If You've Vaped Too Much...
The most common and least serious situation is being nauseous or having a headache after vaping too much. Usually, if you stop vaping you'll feel better soon. It is key, though, to stop as soon as you feel any symptoms - if you try and power through it you'll only feel worse.
In fact, being a current smoker has the same effect on the risk of death from all causes combined as adding about 5 to 10 years of age. For example, the risk of death for a 55-year-old man who currently smokes is 178 out of 1,000, about the same as the risk for a 65-year-old who has never smoked (176 out of 1,000).