Clinical and scientific letters

摘要

Smoking: keeping the joint alightThe topic of smoking seems to be quite controversial of late, with the health hazards being advertised across the board, from smoking cartons to billboards. Despite the increased publicity and warnings, people at large continue to smoke. This is of significant concern considering the health risks of smoking. Smokers reduce their life expectancy by ten years compared to non-smokers, with death being attributable to cardiac, vascular, pulmonary and cancer-related conditions.