European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 22, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and stripes thursday september 22, 1977 for Many last breath will be smoke if of Stottl to it of Trman Vii of of  continued from Page 7 seeing him have already suffered irreversible damage. In addition to its Many other effects on the vascular system smoking intensifies the problems of patients suffering from angina Rectoris a condition in which the heart muscle is deprived of sufficient blood and hypertension or High blood pres sure. It also is linked to Buerger s disease which severally affects the arteries and veins of body extremities. A famous victim of Buerger s disease was King George i of England an extremely heavy smoker. Of All diseases lung cancer seems to be the most strongly identified with heavy cigarette smoking. The american cancer society estimates there will be 98.000 new cases of lung cancer in the . This year with 89,000 deaths. Largely a preventable disease the society attributes 80 per cent of All lung cancer to smoking. Painful and difficult to treat lung cancer proves fatal to 90 to 95 per cent of its victims. Often signalled by a chronic cough and pain in the Chest lung cancer is now claiming the lives of an increasing number of women a reflection of the much heavier smoking of women in the past two decades. The second biggest killer among pulmonary diseases is emphysema which claims 20,000 americans a year. Although treatable the patient with emphysema gradually loses strength in a constant fight for oxygen. Often in the later stages the emphysema victim is a respiratory cripple gasping for air a condition that increases the work Load of the heart and May result in an enlarged heart. While not the exclusive maj. Vernon Nessan. Says Many rationalize cause of emphysema cigarette smoking is considered it major cause. Pulmonary doctors usually see chronic bronchitis As the most frequent problem with heavy smokers. Maj. Thomas Scott chief of pulmonary medical services at the army s 97th Gen eral Hospital in Frankfurt reports a High incidence of asthmatic bronchitis among heavy smokers. So Many of the people with asthmatic bronchitis have been coughing so Long that they Don t realize they re coughing Scott  sit Here and cough and deny that they Are coughing while Many patients Are beyond the Point where they can fully recover it certainly is better for them to quit smoking. They can Only get worse if they continue  Scott has seen fibrosis excessive tissue in the lungs of 24 and 25-year-oldpatients who smoked heavily since child Hood. Most of the people i see who suffer problems that Are beyond correction Are in their Early thirties and have smoked a pack of cigarettes a Day for at least 10 years Scott said at the general medical practitioner s level smoking is one of the main behaviour Al traits considered in making a presumptive  we get a patient 35 or older with a lung mass the chances Are Strong that it will turn out to be lung cancer if the patient smokes Scott said. If the patient does t smoke then the chances Are Good that the mass is not  re seeing More Young people with lung cancer now because people Are smok ing at a younger  alone is not the whole problem with smoking. Largely because of a com promised pulmonary system smokers often get into serious Post operative diff . Col. John a. Eielson. Chief of surgery at the 97th general says the big problem with the smoker in surgery is a kind of indolent  simply in t Fine to have a cigarette cough he warned. The medical profession too often ignores the cough simply writing it off As a cigarette cough. As for the smoker i find it incredible that he accepts the fact that he is going too Short of . Richard Bell a member of the 97th surgical staff says that from a medical viewpoint it is Clear who is a smoker and who is a nonsmoker. All surgeons Lake the smoking status of a patient into consideration before sur Gery Bell said. Patients often confirm the problems that smoking creates in surgery. Air Force wife Sheila Davis Ramstein Germany reports she had a terrible time with fluid in the Chest after an operation in 1973."last year i had major surgery again but suffered no problems because i had Given up smoking she said. Still another operating room problem faced by the smoker is reaction to Ane the Sia. It. Col. Joyce Hewitson anaesthetist at the air Force Hospital in Hahn Germany Points out that in inhalation anaesthesia it takes the smoker longer to go to sleep and longer to Wake up. She adds that smokers Are always considered a higher operating room risk than nonsmokers. Although most of the literature on smok ing deals with the cigarette it also contains warnings about the pipe and the Cigar. Statistics show that pipe and Cigar smokers outlive cigarette smokers but die before nonsmokers. The lower risk is usually attributed to pipe and Cigar smokers tendency not to inhale As much smoke or to inhale As deeply As the cigarette smoker. Inhaling is seen As a two edged problem. First the inhaler sucks tars Carbon Mon oxide and nicotine into his lungs. Tar is identified As a cancer producing agent Carbon monoxide reduces the ability of red cells to deliver blood throughout the body and nicotine has a vascular effect which restricts the blood vessels and increases coat ability. The second half of the nicotine problem is that it tends to habituate or addict the smoker. While most references on the subject use the term habituation a number of doctors consider nicotine addictive. Bell a former smoker says smoking is a form of addiction. 4 i have witnessed few sights More Piti Ful than the Chain smoker who has discovered himself to be fresh out of cigarettes while sitting in my office Ochsner said. He gets Panicky he sweats his Palms seem to itch his speech grows slovenly and he could t be More anxious to get away if he had just realized that he was sit Ting on a  Many doctors insist it is the addictive Quality of tobacco that makes it so difficult for the inhaler to smoke in moderation or to quit on doctor s orders. Maj. Vernon Nessan chief of pulmonary Medicine at the 2nd general says the habit has such a Strong hold that Many patients rationalize continuance of smoking eve though they Are suffering from a heavy cough and a severe shortness of breath both Clear indications of future trouble. Some authorities report that for a very limited number of smokers the habit May not be a serious health  Points out that it is these smokers who often make Page one of the newspapers by proclaiming that they lived to be 90 on a diet of Gin and  Are a very very few people who can smoke for years with no apparent and verse effect but there is no medical Way to predict who these people Are Scott said. Unfortunately the person who has chronic lung disease and tries to emulate the Man in the newspaper does t have a Chance to live to be 90."some observers wrestling with the ques Tion of Why people smoke put More weight on psychological reasons than on physical addiction. Col. Saul Holtzman chief of psychiatry at the 97th general Points out that some smokers rationalize their habit in much the same Way As fast Drivers  speeding and As alcoholics rationalize excessive drinking. Even when we Are losing As when we Are ill we refuse to follow the physician s order to quit smoking Holtzman said. But the game we Are playing is Ras Sian Roulette. One has to lose especially if one continues to play. Who will be next what will it be will it be chronic bronchitis heart disease tragic emphysema or a fulminating Down Hill course and death from a rapidly advancing carcinoma of the lungs tomorrow smoking and Young people american heart association the american heart association is dedicated to reducing Prema Ture death and disability from heart attack stroke and related diseases through research education and Community service projects. Make someone throw ii your 1978 Dod combined Federal Campaign overseas area 1978 National health agencies International service agencies american red Cross this is a stars and stripes Public service advertisement