Miller's column fails to present health facts

As a health professional, I was surprised to read Stephen Miller's column regarding tobacco and health ("A smoker's plea," April 9). I thought we were well past the time when educated individuals believed propaganda from Big Tobacco.

The "renowned" Cato Institute, which Miller references, has close ties to the tobacco industry. Altria, Inc., formally known as Philip Morris, and R.J. Reynolds are included in Cato's list of donors. What we do know about tobacco, from research published in peer-reviewed journals and from the Center for Disease Control is:

Smoking Kills: In 2005, the CDC reported that more than 400,000 Americans die each year from smoking-related causes. The three leading specific causes of smoking-attributable deaths were lung cancer, COPD (including emphysema) and heart disease. The fires that Miller is so concerned about are only 918 deaths of the 400,000 (0.2 percent) and they are all fires caused by smoking.

Second-hand Smoke Kills: In addition to another Cato Institute report, Miller cites a tobacco-funded study that manipulates data collected in California more than 40 years ago, to claim that second-hand smoke is not hazardous. Repeatedly, independent studies show that exposure to second-hand smoke raises a non-smoker's risk of lung cancer by 25 percent and heart disease by 30 percent.

Nicotine is Addictive: Nicotine is the most addictive drug, more addictive than even heroin. In addition to manipulating information, tobacco companies have manipulated the design of their cigarettes, to make cigarettes, nicotine delivering devices, more addictive. Therefore, it is important to educate people about the real risks of tobacco so people don't start smoking or do consider the difficult task of quitting.

Ninety percent of tobacco users start using tobacco before age 25. Many Duke students tell me they smoke when they drink. In addition to educating students about healthy behaviors regarding nutrition and exercise, I encourage students to consider quitting even social smoking, to avoid becoming addicted. The addictive nature of this drug can take the choice part out of this health behavior for many people. Duke Student Health provides smoking cessation services including information, one on one help, and nicotine replacement therapy.

Anna Lutz

Trinity '99