Taken from the BBC Website:

 

Smoking damages the body in minutes rather than years, according to research in the US.

 

The report, published in Chemical Research in Toxicology, shows that chemicals which cause cancer form rapidly after smoking.

 

Scientists involved in the small-scale study described the results as a stark warning to people considering smoking.

 

Anti-smoking charity Ash described the research as "chilling" and as a warning that it's never too early to quit.

 

The long term impact of smoking, from heart disease to a range of cancers, are well known. This study suggests the damage begins just moments after the first cigarette is smoked.

 

Faster than you might think

 

The researchers looked at the level of chemicals linked with cancer, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), in 12 patients after smoking.

 

A PAH was added to the subject's cigarettes, which was then modified by the body and turned into another chemical which damages DNA and has been linked with cancer.

 

The research shows this process only took between 15 and 30 minutes to take place.

 

Professor Stephen Hecht, from the University of Minnesota, said: "This study is unique, 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."

 

Martin Dockrell, director of policy and research at Ash (Action on Smoking and Health), said: "Almost everybody knows that smoking can cause lung cancer.

 

"The chilling thing about this research is that it shows just how early the very first stages of that process begin - not in 30 years but within 30 minutes of a single cigarette for every subject in the study.

 

"The process starts early but it is never too late to quit and the sooner you quit the sooner you start to reduce the harm."

 

The research was funded by the US National Cancer Institute.

 

If I've read that correctly, it means that smoking just one cigerette could cause cancer. Given that I've been indoctrinated from a young age about the dangers of smoking (having two non-smoking parents is one my my greatest blessings), I've never even considered smoking, although my friends have not been so lucky. What are your thoughts on this latest research, and on the wider issue of the health issues in smoking?

I'm not sure about this. Extreme claims can often damage a cause whether it's the CBI saying the minimum wage would mean the loss of millions of jobs or some of the more extreme claims about the effects of climate change. The fact that it's a small-scale study is reason enough to treat this with caution.

 

Don't get me wrong. I hate smoking as much as anyone but I don't think this is going to put people off smoking.

It would be an awful shame if this wasn't true, one of the most prequent reasons I hear from people my age smoking is "I'll quit by the time it starts to affect me, it's just enjoyable".

Have to admit this is quite alarming for me as I've smoked two cigarettes in my entire life! I think I probably agree with Suedehead though - I'll see if any future credible research corroborates this before believing it.

Oh good lord. I'm a casual smoker and this makes me just a lot more uneasy about it - the advice I've had from so many people of different ages who've quit is that casual smoking isn't good for you, obviously, but it's unlikely to have a severe effect so long as you give up before you're 30 (or whatever). I'd very much like to see the results of a study with a broader base of case subjects though...