Much Greater Cancer Risk for Early Smokers

Researchers say there's a correlation between when a smoker lights their first cigarette each day and their risk of getting cancer.

Smokers who light up within half an hour of waking up face a far greater risk of lung, head, and neck cancers compared to those who are able to keep their jonesing in check until later in the day, according to a new study. Medical researchers at Penn State University concluded that craving cigarettes that early in the day is an indication of a much more severe nicotine addiction than for more casual smokers. Those heavy smokers faced a 79-per-cent greater risk of developing lung cancer than casual smokers, and a 59-per-cent greater risk of head and neck cancers. Unfortunately, this doesn't mean that waiting until after breakfast for that first cigarette of the day (widely considered the best cigarette of the day) means you won't get cancer, but the researchers do figure that knowing which people are most likely to develop cancer makes it easier to target cessation programs toward them.