A nurse is teaching young adults about health risks. Which statement from a young adult indicates a correct understanding of the teaching?

A) "It's probably safe for me to start smoking. At my age, there's not enough time for cancer to develop."
B) "My mother had appendicitis so this increases my chance for developing appendicitis."
C) "Controlling the amount of stress in my life may decrease the risk of illness."
D) "I don't do drugs. I do drink coffee, but caffeine is not a drug."

Lifestyle habits that activate the stress response increase the risk of illness; so, controlling this will decrease risk. Smoking is a well-documented risk factor for pulmonary, cardiac, and vascular disease as well as cancer in smokers and in individuals who receive secondhand smoke. The presence of certain chronic illnesses (not acute illnesses-appendicitis) in the family increases the family member's risk of developing a disease. Caffeine is a naturally occurring legal stimulant that is readily available. Caffeine stimulates catecholamine release, which, in turn, stimulates the central nervous system; it also increases gastric acid secretion, heart rate, and basal metabolic rate.