Lung cancer has many different causes, but the most common is smoking and or vaping. Each year, around 480,000 people die from cigarette smoking in the United States, with over half having lung cancer, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).
The organization states, “About 80% of lung cancer deaths are thought to result from smoking, and this number is probably even higher for small cell lung cancer (SCLC).”
Additionally, the ACS reports that smokers increase their risk of getting lung cancer the more they smoke.
“The longer you smoke and the more packs a day you smoke, the greater your risk,” ACS said.
According to registered nurse Donna Herman, even brief exposure to secondhand smoke can increase lung cancer risk.
“My husband George and I grew up in a time where you could still go to restaurants and smoke, so we experienced a lot of secondhand smoke,” Herman said. “This may have contributed to him getting diagnosed with lung cancer.”
Herman believes that you can get lung cancer after years of not smoking.
“George smoked in his teen years, but was clean 45 years before he died of lung cancer,” Herman said, “but I do think cigarette smoking and all the chemicals they put in them [cigarettes] did not help.”
On the topic of smoking and vaping, Herman has some ideas on how to successfully quit the addiction, as she used to be a smoker herself.
“People do not realize that you can not quit an addiction in one day. Instead of just telling people to not smoke, you need to set a date,” Herman said. “Addiction is more of a mind game than people think.”
Health and wellness teacher Mike Bergey shares a similar outlook on the damaging effects smoking has on your lungs.
“You breathe in the air through a large tube in your lungs, and it turns into smaller ones [tubes]. That’s where a little areola artioli is, and that’s where the oxygen exchange occurs,” Bergey said.
Bergey said that smoking causes many problems for your lungs. “Your body is not supposed to be processing all the toxins and chemicals that are added to cigarettes.” and it can be very damaging to those little parts of the lungs.”
For sophomore Chloe Seaner, her grandfather’s experience with lung cancer has expanded her knowledge on the topic.
“My pop-pop got lung cancer from smoking multiple cigarettes a day. It was very unfortunate to see,” Seaner said. “He fought his battle for two years and eventually went on hospice.”
Seaner encourages more people to learn about the risks of smoking. “I wish I could have helped my poppop stop smoking, but I was only six. I hope more people stop smoking because it can lead to death.