eugenez@azure.UUCP (11/16/83)
Well, I noticed something in net.med about aldehyde damage from smoking so
I thought I'd interject a fascinating bit of news about cigarette smoke.
You can forget about aldehydes, noxious Carbon Monoxide, Benzopyrine (a
strong carcinogen), pesticides, and the other dozen or two poisonous
substances found in cigarette smoke---there is now a fact that should make
anyone who smokes to take notice:
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There are two radioactive isotopes highly concentrated in cigarette smoke.
They are Polonium-210 and Lead-210. The major source of polonium is the
phospate fertilizer used in growing tobacco.
A person smoking 1.5 (ond and one-half) packs of cigarettes
daily will get an annual radiation dose equivalent to 300
(yes, THREE HUNDRED) X-Ray Films of the CHEST.
In contrast, if you were standing for 25 hours directly downwind of the
Three-Mile Island nuclear power plant right after the accident, you would
have received the equivalent of 1 (one) chest X-Ray.
This was reported by Mark S. Boguski (Medical Scientist Training Program:
Washington University; St. Louis, MO)
This information was taken from the April 1983 issue of The Bob Hope
International Heart Research Institute (528 18th Avenue: Seattle, WA 98122)
**********************************************************************
If I were a smoker, I think just this ONE fact would convince me to
stop totally. After all, if I calculated how many packs of cigarettes I
smoked per day (on the average) and then multiplied that number by 200 to
see how many ANNUAL Chest X-Rays this was equivalent to, I would be forced
to realize that I couldn't risk such radioactive exposure just to ?enjoy?
Cigarette smoking.
ECZrjk@mgweed.UUCP (Randy King) (11/29/83)
What are the rad-effects of the bystanders? Randy King ihnp4!mgweed!rjk
eugenez@azure.UUCP (02/23/84)
To: randals Subject: Re: PAC-MAN EMERGENCY In-reply-to: Your message of Thursday, 4 March 1982 at 1331-PST. -------- Randal: I suspected that you have not had time to twiddle PAC-MAN, but was just checking in case you had"! I shall wait patiently. I just hear that the weather at the coast should be marvelous tomorrow! Gene
eugenez@azure.UUCP (02/23/84)
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* RADIOACTIVE SMOKE *
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I am reposting this because a lot of people may have missed it the first
time around.
Well, I noticed something in net.med about aldehyde damage from smoking so
I thought I'd interject a fascinating bit of news about cigarette smoke.
You can forget about aldehydes, noxious Carbon Monoxide, Benzopyrine (a
strong carcinogen), pesticides, and the other dozen or two poisonous
substances found in cigarette smoke---there is now a fact that should make
anyone who smokes to think about stopping the habit while they still have
time:
**********************************************************************
There are two radioactive isotopes highly concentrated in cigarette smoke.
They are Polonium-210 and Lead-210. The major source of polonium is the
phospate fertilizer used in growing tobacco.
A person smoking 1.5 (ond and one-half) packs of cigarettes
daily will get an annual radiation dose equivalent to 300
(yes, THREE HUNDRED) X-Ray Films of the CHEST.
In contrast, if you were standing for 25 hours directly downwind of the
Three-Mile Island nuclear power plant right after the accident, you would
have received the equivalent of 1 (one) chest X-Ray.
This was reported by Mark S. Boguski (Medical Scientist Training Program:
Washington University; St. Louis, MO)
This information was taken from the April 1983 issue of The Bob Hope
International Heart Research Institute (528 18th Avenue: Seattle, WA 98122)
**********************************************************************
If I were a smoker, I think just this ONE fact would convince me to
stop totally. After all, if I calculated how many packs of cigarettes I
smoked per day (on the average) and then multiplied that number by 200 to
see how many ANNUAL Chest X-Rays this was equivalent to, I would be forced
to realize that I couldn't risk such radioactive exposure just to ?enjoy?
Cigarette smoking.
How may Chest X-Rays are you getting each year? Calculate it and
see! If I smoked, I would really think about how hard it would be on my
loved ones to have to watch me die before their very faces from smoke
induced lung cancer---that alone would make me stop.
By the way---I stopped smoking in grade school.
ECZmark@cbosgd.UUCP (Mark Horton) (03/03/84)
I think Eugene Z underestimates the power of nicotine addiction. Have you ever seen someone who has had (smoking caused) cancer of the throat? They usually must have their larnyx removed. This leaves them incapable of speaking in more than a whisper, and they must usually resort to some mechanical device to be understood. They are left with a hole in their throat the size of a nickel. After going through all this, do they give up smoking? No! Most of them continue to smoke by holding the cigarette up to the hole in their throat! It takes a lot more willpower to quit smoking than just knowing that you're getting a chest x-ray every day. That's long term and invisible and *might* hurt them some day. Cancer is long term and almost certainly *will* hurt them some day. They know this. And they keep on smoking. I can't fully comprehend it either. I don't smoke and never have. But the actions of those addicted speak for themselves.