Lecture Vol. 14 # 8 January 29, 1988 cover
Smoking and Cancer by C. Everett Koop, MD, ScD
Surgeon General of the U.S. Public Health Service
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Presented
Dublin, Ireland
January 29, 1988
When Margaret Heckler finished her term as Secretary of Health and Human Services, she was rewarded by the administration with the post of Ambassador to the Republic of Ireland. When she got there, she was appalled at the obvious prevalence of smoking and, somehow or other felt, if I gave one good lecture in Dublin, the whole situation would change. I told her it wouldn't, but nevertheless, I would come and give the lecture as she requested. I chose to talk about smoking and cancer. The lecture is included here not because it says anything new, but because for a foreign audience, not particularly up on what goes on in the States in reference to tobacco control, it is a very good, concise, summary of what we know about smoking and cancer as of that date, but also taking into account some of the ancillary things that contribute to the whole mess, such as advertising, promotion, etc.
This was a particularly good smoking talk for the uninitiated or for one who wants the state-of-the-art knowledge of cancer and smoking as of 1988.