No butts: Adventists still needed in anti-smoking effort, church cardiologist says
Jump to full article: Adventist News Network (Seventh Day Adventist Church), 2009-09-29
Intro: New research claiming that smoking bans in public places cut heart attacks by a third offers further convincing proof of the dangers long associated with tobacco, Seventh-day Adventist health experts say. . . .
"As early as 1866, the fledgling Adventist church linked tobacco to poor health, and we were very vocal about something that wasn't accepted by the mainstream medical community until the '50s and '60s," said Dr. Peter Landless, a cardiologist and associate director for the world church's department of Health Ministries.
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Dewitt Williams, director of Health Ministries for the church in North America, agrees. "We're pleased to see that this study backs up what we've been saying for decades, that smoking -- even secondhand smoking -- leads to health problems," he said. "And we're always ready contribute to any means of reducing tobacco use."
Church-led efforts are intrinsic to the fight against tobacco, Landless said, and new findings such as the link between secondhand smoke and heart attacks should challenge the church to reclaim the forefront.
"Government and medical associations cannot do it alone," he said. . . .
Church efforts can particularly impact some developing countries, where smoking is often far more widespread, he said.
"We have an opportunity to be part of the groundswell of influence raising community awareness in these places," Landless said.
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