research and brief history

History
Tobacco was first introduced to Britain in the sixteenth century when it was commonly smoked in pipes by men. 


Later cigar smoking became popular among men but it was the invention of cigarette-making machines in the later part of the nineteenth century that made mass consumption of tobacco possible.


By 1919, more tobacco was sold as cigarettes than in any other form of tobacco.


At first only men smoked cigarettes and their consumption rose steadily until 1945, when it peaked at 12 manufactured cigarettes per adult male per day.


Women began to smoke cigarettes in the 1920s but not in large numbers until after the Second World War, by which time they were smoking 2.4 cigarettes per adult female per day.


Statistics
More than half a century ago, the causal link between lung cancer and tobacco smoking was established.


Since then a wealth of information has been assembled on the tragic health consequences of tobacco consumption and the highly addictive nature of nicotine in cigarettes which makes smoking cessation so difficult.


Today, tobacco consumption is recognised as the UK’s single greatest cause of preventable illness and early death with around 107,000 people dying in 2007 from smoking-related diseases including cancers.


Around 86% of lung cancer deaths in the UK are caused by tobacco smoking and, in addition, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) states that tobacco smoking can also cause cancers of the following sites: upper aero-digestive tract (oral cavity, nasal cavity, nasal sinuses, pharynx, larynx and oesophagus), pancreas, stomach, liver, bladder, kidney, cervix, bowel, ovary (mucinous) and myeloid leukaemia.


Overall tobacco smoking is estimated to be responsible for more than a quarter of cancer deaths in the UK, that is, around 43,000 deaths in 2007.


While less than 1% of 11 and 12-year old children smoke, by the age of 15 years, 12% of children in England report being regular smokers despite the fact that it is illegal to sell any tobacco product to under 18s.


There is evidence that actual smoking rates among 15-year olds may be higher than reported, based on measurements of cotinine in saliva, with 21% of 15-year old boys and 19% of 15-year old girls having cotinine levels indicative of active smoking.