Doctors have urged those who plan to quit smoking to do it before the age of 35.
"Smoking will gradually deteriorate your body, and it takes a period of at least 15 years for your body to recover. By the time smokers hit the age of 35, the benefits of quitting are drastically diminished because it is hard to recover from the damage that smoking has already done," said Dr Wu Deng-chiang (
Wu was quick to add that the findings did not mean that it was too late to quit after the age of 35, but merely that it was best to quit before 35.
Reporting the results of his research to the National Health Research Institute, Wu also expressed that the earlier one begins smoking, the higher the likelihood of eventually contracting cancer. That's mainly because studies showed that the earlier one starts, the longer one will smoke, Wu said
Furthermore, while most people understand that lung cancer and oral cancer can result from smoking they are unaware of other risks that smoking entails, Wu said.
"Even 15 years after they quit smoking, they are still in a high-risk group for esophageal, pancreatic, gastric, liver, colon and rectum cancer. My research shows that smoking directly causes these types of cancer," Wu said.
Wu's research indicates that smokers are 2.4 times more likely to get esophageal cancer than non-smokers, 1.6 times more likely to get pancreatic cancer, and 2.5 times more likely to get liver cancer.
In Taiwan, the incidence of esophageal cancer is gradually increasing. Records from 2001 show a 7.41 percent increase from the previous year.
Esophageal cancer was also identified as one of the 10 most common forms of cancer in Taiwan in recent years.
According to Wu, records show that there is a higher incidence of esophageal cancer in men. However, he points out that it is important to account for the fact that in Taiwan, more men than women chew betel nut.
While 16.4 percent of middle- and high-school male students regularly chew betel nut, the corresponding figure for women is only 1.2 percent, according to research recently completed by Department of Health's Bureau of Health Promotion.
The bureau's studies also showed that cancer is 18 times more likely in smokers, but 89 times more likely for those who smoke and chew betel nut. Those who only chew betel nut are 28 times more likely to be diagnosed with cancer than those who don't chew.
Wu stressed that eating raw vegetables, garlic and onions are useful in preventing the onset of esophageal cancer -- as is, apparently, taking aspirin.
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
CHANGES: After-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during vacations or after-school study periods must not be used to teach new material, the ministry said The Ministry of Education yesterday announced new rules that would ban giving tests to most elementary and junior-high school students during morning study and afternoon rest periods. The amendments to regulations governing public education at elementary schools and junior high schools are to be implemented on Aug. 1. The revised rules stipulate that schools are forbidden to use after-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during summer or winter vacation or after-school study periods to teach new course material. In addition, schools would be prohibited from giving tests or exams to students in grades one to eight during morning study and afternoon break periods, the
Advocates of the rights of motorcycle and scooter riders yesterday protested in front of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications in Taipei, making three demands. They were joined by 30 passenger vehicles, which surrounded the ministry to make three demands related to traffic regulations — that motorcycles and scooters above 250cc be allowed on highways, that all motorcycles and scooters be allowed on inside lanes, and that driver and rider training programs be reformed. The ministry said that it has no plans to allow motorcycles on national highways for the time being, and said that motorcycles would be allowed on the inner
AMENDMENT: Contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau must be reported, and failure to comply could result in a prison sentence, the proposal stated The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday voted against a proposed bill by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers that would require elected officials to seek approval before visiting China. DPP Legislator Puma Shen’s (沈伯洋) proposed amendments to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), stipulate that contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau should be reported, while failure to comply would be punishable by prison sentences of up to three years, alongside a fine of NT$10 million (US$309,041). Fifty-six voted with the TPP in opposition