They follow the example Jessie has set for 100 years. In all that time she never smoke and rarely drank alcohol. Alcohol is actually a labelled carcinogen. It causes three per cent of all cancer deaths and 10 per cent of deaths in heavy drinkers. Alcohol makes cancer grow in the liver, mouth, esophagus and is so clearly linked to breast cancer some doctors suggest women with a family history should not drink at all.
Smoking is another habit most people pick up in their teens.
Tobacco is classified as a group A level carcinogen. That means there is no known safe level of exposure. And according to a recent study published by Health Canada, active and passive smoking has been also been linked with breast cancer. Smoking is the single leading cause of cancer deaths. And yet some people smoke all their lives and never develop cancer.