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Aug-12-2013 14:07printcomments

Marijuana Can Prevent Millions of Tobacco Deaths

Meanwhile, our government makes billions ($47.2 billion in 2011) on the sales.

cigarette smoking
Photo by Bonnie King

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - The smoking and chewing of tobacco products causes about 430,000 deaths per year, just in the United States. It also kills about 3,000 people from second-hand smoke, and causes about 300,000 infants and children to get respiratory infections per year.

Tobacco adversely affects the lungs, heart, brain, mouth, larynx, esophagus, and bladder.

In opposition to this, is the U.S. government’s position that marijuana has no legitimate medical use, and in fact is dangerous. Marijuana has never killed anybody. NEVER.

The medical conditions caused by tobacco use are threatening. Among those are bronchitis (from the smoke irritation), emphysema (a serious lung disease), and heart disease. Tobacco smokers are twice as likely to have a heart attack. 470,000 die a year from heart attacks.

It also causes strokes, with about 160,000 deaths per year. Lung cancer is about the worst way to die that there is, it is slowly debilitating, almost like strangling. It kills about 160,000 people per year, as well. Smoking and chewing tobacco causes cancers of the mouth, larynx, esophagus, bladder, cervix, pancreas and kidney. Knowing all of this, why would the government actually promote this destructive habit - which they do! Follow the money.

According to a Centers for Disease Control study, costs related to smoking amount to $193 billion a year in both direct medical payments and lost productivity.

Compare that to the Revenue delivered to the government via our smoking public: The Federal Trade Commission reported that in fiscal year 2011, Federal excise on cigarettes ($1.01 per pack) grossed $15,101,077,368 in tax revenue, added to the state cigarette excise taxes (ranging from 17¢ to $4.35 per pack) reaping $17,347,260,335, plus the Federal and state excise taxes on OTP (Other Tobacco Products) added $2.6 billion, for a total of $47.2 billion in 2011. It’s not worth it folks.

To say it's "addictive" is an understatement. Quitting smoking tobacco is extremely difficult. It is much worse than for Heroin.

Whether people in history started smoking marijuana or tobacco first, is up for grabs, tobacco is legal- but lethal! Marijuana is safer, but thousands of people are in jail, some for even having one joint in their pocket.

We now have about 20 states which have legalized the use of marijuana in some way, so we do not have the hazards of jail or fines.

The number of Americans that smoke tobacco has dropped considerably over the past several decades to about 20% of the adults in our country. People are starting to see the long term benefits of not using tobacco products.

This article is an offer of hope to the millions who use tobacco today, and to the millions who will die.

MARIJUANA IS MUCH SAFER THAN TOBACCO.

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Got a question or comment for Dr. Leveque?
Email him:
Newsroom@Salem-News.com

More information on the history of Dr. Leveque can be found in his book, General Patton's Dogface Soldier of WWII about his own experiences "from a foxhole".
Order the book by mail by following this link: Dogface Soldier

If you are a World War II history buff, you don't want to miss it.

Watch for more streaming video question and answer segments about medical marijuana with Bonnie King and Dr. Phil Leveque.

Click on this link for other articles and video segments about PTSD and medical marijuana on Salem-News.com: Dr. Leveque INTERVIEWS & ARTICLES

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