View report page

11
ANGER OF THE LUNG AMD BRONCHUS
During 1957, deaths of residents from the above cause numbered 22
(Males 16 and Females 6) as compared with 31 (Males 25 and Females 6)
in the preceding year, and showed a decrease of nine, The national
aspect is, however, quite different as will be seen from the following
table

Investigation into the association of tobacco smoking and lung
cancer has been in progress for over five years, and it seems clear that
a higher mortality rate can be expected in -
(a) Smokers rather than in non-smokers 3
(b) Heavy rather than in light smokers ;
(c) Cigarette smokers rather than in pipe
smokers 5 and
(d) Those who continued to smoke as compared
with persons who discontinued the practice.
No reduction in the number of deaths resulting from cancer in other
sites of the body has resulted to compensate for the rise in lung cancer
mortality.
Despite the manifold difficulties encountered in the continuing
investigations, it is apparent that the habit of smoking cannot be
definitely dissociated from the steadily advancing mortality figures
for lung cancer, neither is it felt that the increasing proportion of
aged persons is more than an incidental contribution. In the last ten
years the death rate for this particular cause, both among men and women,
has risen at all ages from early middle life onwards.
The general consensus of opinion supports the belief that Bmoking is
the primary reason for the dramatic rise in the number of lung cancer
deaths, and whilst it would be unrealistic to imagine that cigarette smoking
can, or should, be forbiddens every opportunity must be taken to encourage