A study of more than nine million medicare patients reveals puffing on just one to three cigarettes a day, a light habit, is still bad for you.
"It was only by studying this many patients that there appears to be no safe lower limit for carbon monoxide" said Dr. Elizabeth Tam, of the John A. Burns School of Medicine.
Here's what the study, printed in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association reveals.
People smoking one to three cigarettes a day had a 64 percent rate increase for cardiovascular disease.
If the habit is 8 to 12 cigarettes a day, about a half a pack a day, then you've got a 79 percent increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Smoke a full pack a day, 18-to-22 cigarettes and your risk vaults to 100 percent.
"Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in our society", said Dr. Ralph Shohet of the American Heart Association.
But there is good news - It appears Hawaii is making headway in keeping youngsters from ever picking up the habit.
"Ten years ago our youth smoking rates was at about 25 percent, so one in four of our high school students smoked. At this point and time, because of those programs in the community it's now below ten percent. That's a dramatic change in only ten years", said Deborah Zysman, of Coalition for a Tobacco Free Hawaii organization.
Zysman says about three million dollars will be spent on anti-smoking campaigns this year.
She says that compares with big tobacco companies spending more than 42 million dollars in marketing their products in this state.
