DRUG SMOKING LINKED TO LUNG-CANCER RISK

Long-term marijuana or cocaine smoking might increase the risk of lung
cancer,suggests a small study that compared tissue samples from people
who smoke tobacco and illegal drugs.

Scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles,found that
smoking marijuana and crack can cause the same precancerous changes in
their bronchial cells that tobacco smoking causes well before the smoker
gets cancer.

The study,reported in this week's Journal of the National Cancer
Institute,also found that smoking both tobacco and marijuana or cocaine
increased the risk,because those smokers' were more likely to sustain
additional precancerous changes.Also,these combination smokers were more
likely to have damage to their p53 gene,an important gene in fending off
cancer.

Checked-by: willtoo