For the first time associations between cancers other than the lung and cigarette smoking are being made in an emphatic manner. The issue of sidestream smoke and the potential influences on non-smokers was also addressed and even though the scientific basis for the statements were not sound nevertheless the damage in done. The really important fact is that in a period of decreased governmental involvement and an economic recession the pressure is not decreasing. The Future Strategies document is even more disturbing than the Surgeon General's comment. Again this reflects a continuing pressure on the industry and requires a strategic response.
Cigarette smoke is biologically active.
A. Nicotine is a potent pharmacological agent. Every toxicologist, physiologist, medical doctor and most chemists know that. It is not a secret. B. Cigarette smoke condensate applied to the backs of mice causes tumors. C. Hydrogen cyanide is a potent inhibitor of cytochrome oxidase - a crucial enzyme in the energy metabolism of all cells.