Smoking (Hansard, 14 October 1991)

§ Mr. Michael
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what fresh assessment he has made of the relationship between smoking and angina;
(2) what fresh assessment he has made of the relationship between smoking and premature deaths from coronary thrombosis.

§ Mr. Dorrell
Over one in five deaths from coronary heart disease are smoking related. Cigarette smoking increases the risk of having heart attack by two or three times compared with the risk for non-smokers. Although smoking is an important risk factor for myocardial infarction and sudden coronary death, research studies indicate that it is not for angina pectoris when not complicated by a myocardial infarction. However, the 1989 United States Surgeon General's report found that smokers who have angina pectoris have a higher risk of death than non-smokers, and have a poorer long-term prognosis after a myocardial infarction. A copy of the report could be made available to the Library.

§ Mr. Michael
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what fresh assessment he has made of the connection between smoking and premature deaths from lung cancer.

§ Mr. Dorrell
Smoking is the major cause of lung cancer. Nine out of 10 deaths from lung cancer are smoking related. Epidemiological evidence has shown that the risk of lung cancer increases with the number of cigarettes smoked, the degree to which smoke is inhaled, and the age at which the smoking habit is started.

§ Mr. Michael
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what fresh assessment he has made of the health benefits to be gained from a reduction in smoking.

§ Mr. Dorrell
The Government are continuously assessing new medical evidence on the benefits of reducing smoking. Reducing or stopping smoking has major health benefits resulting in improvements in the quality and length of life. In particular, there is a reduction in the risk of lung cancer, other cancers, heart attack, stroke and chronic lung disease. In addition, women who stop smoking before becoming pregnant have no greater risk of having a low birth weight baby than women who have never smoked.
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§ Mr. Michael
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what fresh assessment he has made of the relationship between smoking and peripheral vascular disease.

§ Mr. Dorrell
In 1989 the United States Surgeon General published a report "Reducing the Health Consequences of Smoking—25 Years of Progress", which reviewed all the current research on smoking-related disease. This report, a copy of which could be made available to the Library, stated that in relation to peripheral vascular disease;

(a) cigarette smoking is a cause of and the most powerful risk factor for arteriosclerotic peripheral vascular disease:

(b) epidemiological and clinical studies have demonstrated that cigarette smokers have a higher prevalence of both symptomatic and asymptomatic lower extremity arterial disease;

(c)diabetes mellitus and cigarette smoking are important risk factors for lower extremity arterial disease and subsequent amputation.

§ Mr. Michael
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what fresh assessment he has made of the relationship between smoking and chronic bronchitis.

§ Mr. Dorrell
Smoking is the major cause of chronic bronchitis. Nine out of 10 deaths from chronic bronchitis and emphysema are smoking related.