Alcohol and Tobacco Risks for Head and Neck Cancer

While tobacco and alcohol use are the main causes of head and
neck cancer, other risk factors include viral infections, sun exposure
and inhalation of carcinogenic materials.

The most common is cigarettes, but chewing tobacco has been gaining popularity, especially among young users. Although users of cigar and pipe tobacco tend not to inhale the carcinogens into their lungs, they are still at risk for lip, mouth, tongue, and throat cancers.


The use of chewing tobacco has tripled over the last 20 years, with a third of the users under age 21. Prolonged use increases the cancer risk five times when compared with a non-tobacco user. When heavy alcohol and tobacco are used together, the combined effect may increase the risk 100-fold. 75 to 80 percent of cancer cases are the result of heavy tobacco or alcohol use.


Risk also increases with age and is more often seen in men than in women. Malnutrition and vitamin deficiency can also make a person more susceptible to these types of cancer. Many believe that good oral hygiene helps prevent head and neck cancers. Genetic factors have been investigated as a cause, though head and neck cancers are not believed to be hereditary.

Information provided by : "Cure" Cancer Updates, Research  & Education

See the contents of the chemicals within a cigarette at http://www.quitsmokingsupport.com/whatsinit.htm.

Life insurance premiums are higher for individuals using tobacco.
On average, the following table depicts how much more this age group will pay for Life Insurance if they use tobacco.

Age 20 - 25% higher premium
Age 30 - 50% higher premium
Age 40 - 100% higher premium
Age 50 - 250% higher premium
Age 60 - 250-500% higher premium
All numbers are approximate