ABSTRACT
SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM Burden of III Health The harmful effects of cigarette smoking on health have been extensively documented since the report of the Royal College of Physicians from the United Kingdom in 1963 and the Surgeon General’s Report from the United States in 1964. Harmful effects of tobacco use, particularly in relation to cancers of the mouth and lung, had been suspected for many years before these reports. Cigarette smoking is firmly established as the major cause of lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a major risk factor for coronary artery disease, and for other cancers, such as those of the pharynx, larynx, esopha gus, kidney, pancreas, and bladder. Cigarette smokers are also at higher risk for cervical and anal cancer. Chewing smokeless tobacco is a major cause of oral cancer.
