Smokers seem remarkably indifferent if not blind to the risks their habit poses, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. A survey of more than 3,000 smokers examined their perceptions of heart disease and cancer risks. The authors found that only 29 per cent of smokers believed they had a higher-than-average risk of heart attack, while only 40 per cent believed they had a higher-than-average risk of cancer.
Heavy smokers, puffing through more than 40 cigarettes a day, were only slightly more aware, with 39 per cent accepting greater risk of heart attack, while 49 per cent of this group acknowledged increased risk of cancer. There are none so blind . . .