Working the midnight shift will be listed as a “probable carcinogen,” or cause of cancer, by the World Health Organization and the American Cancer Society according to an AP article.
In studies, researchers have found that men working the graveyard shift have higher rates of prostate cancer, and women have higher rates of breast cancer. Additionally, lab testing has shown that animals who have their day/night schedules reversed, develop more cancerous tumors and die earlier than the control group of animals.
Why is this? Researchers aren’t sure, but it may be related to your circadian rhythm. The rhythm, or internal biological clock, schedules certain things such as melatonin production, cell division, and the repair of DNA.
The research is not conclusive, but it certainly helps to explain why cops seem to contract a lot more unusual, and aggressive, illnesses than the general population.
Make sure you bring this up in the next series of contract negotiations!
Stay safe!
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- Working on Christmas
