Today is International Cancer Day with the sign "Give your children a smoke-free childhood"

From new data from the International Cancer Society: half of the world's children, about 700 million breathe toxic cigarette fumes

About half of the world's children - about 700 million children - are exposed to passive smoking in their childhood. This is according to studies published by the World Cancer Organization. This year World Cancer Day focuses on children. The World Cancer Organization (UICC) and the Cancer Society say that "it is important to encourage healthy habits already during childhood, so that they help prevent the disease later in life."

The awareness campaign of the cancer organizations all over the world is part of a 5-year program, which started last year, with the aim of reducing the incidence of cancer. The data shows that more than 7 million people worldwide die of cancer and 11 million are diagnosed every year. However, about 40% of cancer cases are preventable.

The recommendations for parents: do not smoke near the children; to ensure that the children engage in physical activity and enjoy a healthy diet; and prevent them from uncontrolled exposure to the sun. These are the main messages of "International Cancer Day" which is celebrated tomorrow (Monday, February 4.2.08, XNUMX) around the world.

The campaign in 4 simple ways by which parents can prevent cancer among their children, later in their lives:

• Provide children with a smoke-free environment.
• Ensure that children are physically active, and eat a healthy and balanced diet while avoiding obesity.
• Learn about vaccines against viruses that cause cervical and liver cancers.
• Make sure that the children are not exposed to the sun in an uncontrolled and protected manner.

The first step to prevention is education, already in childhood," says Isabel Murtera, director of the International Cancer Organization. "Tobacco-related cancers lead to a long list of preventable deaths, and hundreds to thousands of people who have never smoked die every year from diseases related to passive smoking. That's why this topic is so important."

Miri Ziv, CEO of the Association to Fight Cancer: "Smoking increases the risk of mortality from about 30% of cancers in general and about 85% of lung cancer cases in particular. Passive smoking increases the risk of developing lung cancer or heart disease by 20-30%. The Cancer Society calls on the public in Israel to declare their homes smoke-free. A decision that has the power to save lives."

It should be noted that the Association to Fight Cancer in Israel runs thousands of hours of education every year in schools all over the country, where the children learn about a healthy lifestyle and cancer prevention. This is in addition to the many outreach activities throughout the year.

The International Cancer Organization published this week 10 key facts on the subject:

1. Secondhand smoke, also known as "environmental pollution from tobacco", includes the smoke emitted from the smokers' mirrors and the smoke that is dispersed into the air as a result of the burning of tobacco between inhalations.
2. Secondhand smoke contains hundreds of chemicals known to be toxic or cancer-causing.
3. A 2006 US Chief Medical Officer report found that there is no "safe level" of exposure to secondhand smoke and that even a brief inhalation of smoke-soaked air can be harmful.
4. About half of the world's children are exposed to passive smoking. Their child's exposure to secondhand smoke is particularly high in Eastern Europe, where 8 out of every 10 children are exposed to secondhand smoke, at home and outside. The countries with the highest exposure rate, which according to reports reaches almost 100% of children: Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Croatia.
5. A single cigarette in a room without ventilation produces a higher concentration of toxins in the air than the concentration of toxins in the open air in cities.
6. The concentration of toxins emitted when smoking remains in the air for a long time. The nicotine emitted as a result of passive smoking sinks into household surfaces and dust.
7. The quality of the air trapped inside a car where we smoked is similar and even worse than the quality of the air found in smoky pubs.
8. Exposure of children to secondhand smoke increases the risk of cot death, ear infections, impairment of lung development, bronchitis and pneumonia, asthma, cough and breathing difficulties.
9. Passing laws that prohibit smoking in public places outside the home increases the motivation to quit smoking.
10. Babies are sensitive to the dangers of passive smoking because they are more active and breathe faster. Therefore, they inhale more toxins relative to their body weight, compared to adults.

A survey conducted by the Israel Cancer Society: 92% of mothers who smoke in Israel know that smoking near their children harms their health. Only about 2% of the mothers who smoke, do so very close to their children, but 22.5% smoke near their children, but "take care to sit far from the children".

Another interesting statistic concerns mothers who breastfeed and smoke: it was found that the concentration of nicotine secreted in the milk of a smoking mother is 3 times higher than the concentration of nicotine in the blood. This substance is well absorbed in babies.

The Cancer Society calls on the public in Israel to declare their homes smoke-free. The association calls on the public to order stickers for the house's door or frame, of a "smoke-free house", free of charge

The recommendations of the International Cancer Organization for parents:

• Avoid smoking at home or in the car
• Warn your children about inventions in places where people smoke, teach them that there is no "safe exposure".
• Do not smoke during pregnancy, or near a pregnant woman.
• Enroll your children in smoke-free kindergartens.
• Contact a doctor, ask how you can stop smoking.
• Stop smoking and thus you will reduce the chances of your children becoming addicted to this harmful and deadly habit. It has been proven that a parent is a role model for his children.

The World Cancer Organization (UICC), which is based in Geneva and represents about 300 organizations from 86 countries around the world, will launch an awareness campaign on International Cancer Day. The journey is aimed at parents, health system personnel and health policy makers, and its goal is to encourage healthy habits already during childhood, in order to help prevent cancer later in life. This is a very important message, which is why the Israel Cancer Society has also adopted these messages and is working to increase awareness of them in Israel.

The Israel Cancer Society is one of the organizations belonging to the International Cancer Organization. Prof. Eliezer Robinson serves as the chairman of the Cancer Society, and previously served as the president of the international organization, and the CEO of the Cancer Society is Miri Ziv, serving as a member of the international organization's management.