‘A stark warning:’ Smoking causes genetic damage within minutes after inhaling

	Tweet

In research described as “a stark warning” to those tempted to start smoking, scientists are reporting that cigarette smoke begins to cause genetic damage within minutes — not years — after inhalation into the lungs.

Their report, the first human study to detail the way certain substances in tobacco cause DNA damage linked to cancer, appears in Chemical Research in Toxicology, one of 38 peer-reviewed scientific journals published by the American Chemical Society.

Stephen S. Hecht, Ph.D., and colleagues point out in the report that lung cancer claims a global toll of 3,000 lives each day, largely as a result of cigarette smoking. Smoking also is linked to at least 18 other types of cancer. Evidence indicates that harmful substances in tobacco smoke termed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, are one of the culprits in causing lung cancer. Until now, however, scientists had not detailed the specific way in which the PAHs in cigarette smoke cause DNA damage in humans.

The scientists added a labeled PAH, phenanthrene, to cigarettes and tracked its fate in 12 volunteers who smoked the cigarettes. They found that phenanthrene quickly forms a toxic substance in the blood known to trash DNA, causing mutations that can cause cancer. The smokers developed maximum levels of the substance in a time frame that surprised even the researchers: Just 15-30 minutes after the volunteers finished smoking. Researchers said the effect is so fast that it’s equivalent to injecting the substance directly into the bloodstream.

“This study is unique,” writes Hecht, an internationally recognized expert on cancer-causing substances found in cigarette smoke and smokeless tobacco. “It is the first to investigate human metabolism of a PAH specifically delivered by inhalation in cigarette smoke, without interference by other sources of exposure such as air pollution or the diet. The results reported here should serve as a stark warning to those who are considering starting to smoke cigarettes,” the article notes.

###

The authors acknowledged funding from the National Cancer Institute.

The American Chemical Society is a non-profit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 161,000 members, ACS is the world’s largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

###

Contact: Michael Bernstein

202-872-6042
American Chemical Society

RELATED STORIES:
Menthol Cigarettes Are More Addictive   Studies Show Marijuana Has Therapeutic Value   New marketing tactics by the tobacco industry reported   Smokers may have increased risk of pancreatitis   Easier access to patches could help smokers   German lawmakers want to ban smoking for drivers   Smoking harms women more than men: study   Smokers undergo the same changes in gene expression as patients with COPD   Babies who sleep with smoker parents exhibit high nicotine levels   Early smoke exposure ups serious infection risk   Casual Smoking Is Not a Good Idea in the Frat House – Or the White House   Secondhand smoke tied to bad heart failure outcomes

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

I wonder whether the message is sent to the general public by this research. I have read a lot of articles and am looking at the parents who smoke but do not have will power to quit the damn thing. I challenge the people to come forward and stop the smoking at or near the school, the breeding grounds for the bad habits. I appeal to the voters and the new aspirants for the political parties to bring new bills for voting in the parliaments to stop smoking at all places. Stop smoking at or near the school. Catch the school going students who smoke near the school and inform their parents. The governments are not responsible enough by putting the age limit on buying the tobacco products. They have brought this kind of laws just to throw dust in the public eye. Come on my dear friends let us develop a society which has the real power to challenge the selfish governments. If you think that it is not affecting your kids or grandkids today then I feel sorry for your limited thinking and wish God helps you take care of our future generation.

posted by baljit narwal on 01/17/2011 at 4:02 pm -08:00