At least 90% of cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are caused by tobacco, Mexican expert Ramón Iván de Dios Pérez warned today.
“Smoking is not only a risk factor for developing mouth or lung cancer, but also COPD,” the head of the Emergency Department of the Specialties Hospital of the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) in the state of Jalisco said in a statement.
The specialist explained that of every 10 patients with COPD, nine developed it because of their exposure to the chemicals contained in the cigarettes.
“Not only nicotine is what cigarettes contain, but tar, heavy metals such as lead, which are extremely harmful because they activate the oncogenes that promote the development of cancer,” he said.
Tobacco use also causes damage to tooth enamel and it is common for smokers to lose teeth while still young, he added.
According to data from the Global Survey of Smoking in Adults Mexico 2015, the average age at which young people start smoking is at 16.5 years.
That is why the expert asked to reduce or avoid the use of snuff and stressed the importance of the product is far from the reach of children and that parents are the best example of a healthy life for children.
