No More Tobacco

U.S. Falls Short in Anti-Tobacco Efforts…Reuters reported on January 10 that the U.S. Congress and President George W. Bush have stymied efforts to tighten regulation of tobacco and discourage smoking and states have not spent nearly enough to battle cigarettes, the American Lung Association said on Thursday. The group implied that heavy lobbying and spending by tobacco companies was influencing at least some politicians and urged Congress to give the Food and Drug Administration the authority to regulate cigarettes. “While many states have failed to make meaningful progress at protecting their most vulnerable citizens, the tobacco companies are spending billions of dollars annually marketing their deadly products,” the report reads. “A report issued by Common Cause and the Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund found that the tobacco industry made almost $3 million in Political Action Committee contributions to federal candidates during the 2005-2006 election cycle, including more than $1.7 million in contributions directly to federal candidates,” it adds. “The Institute on Money in State Politics found that tobacco companies and retailers gave over $96 million to state-level candidates, committees and ballot measure campaigns during the 2005 and 2006 election cycle.” In 1998, states reached a settlement with tobacco companies in which they received $246 billion over 25 years to pay for the costs of smoking-related illnesses. But anti-smoking campaigners say states have raided these and other tobacco-prevention funds to cover budget deficits, build roads or pay for non-tobacco related projects. For the full story: click here.

Canada is Onboard with not Smoking in Cars with Minors…Reuters Health reported on January 16 that most Canadians think it’s wrong to smoke while in a car with a child, a poll showed on Wednesday, and more than two-thirds of smokers agree. The national poll conducted for the Canadian Cancer Society showed 82 percent of Canadians and 69 percent of smokers would support a ban on smoking while driving with minors. “These poll results clearly tell us that Canadians are ready for action to protect the health of children,” said Rob Cunningham, senior policy analyst for the society. Studies show second-hand smoke is linked to the deaths of more than 1,000 Canadians every year and exposure affects children and infants more severely than adults. According to the Cancer Society, second-hand smoke increases the risk of asthma and is related to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Those who experience prolonged exposure are more likely to develop heart disease, breathing problems or lung cancer. The latest poll favoring butting out when you buckle up follows a number of moves across Canada to make it illegal to smoke when there is a child in the car. We should adopt the same policy throughout the U.S. For the full story: click here.

More Proof Smoking in Movies Influence Children…Reuters Health reported on January 16 that young children may be influenced to start smoking through exposure to movie characters who smoke, researchers suggest.”Exposure possibly occurring as early as ages 4 to 7 appears to have as much influence over later smoking initiation as exposure occurring when children are older,” Dr. Linda Titus-Ernstoff told Reuters Health.Titus-Ernstoff, of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, and colleagues, tallied how many times 2,255 elementary school students, between 9 and 12 years old, were exposed to smoking in the movies and how this affected initiation of smoking. At the start of the study, the researchers found the children averaged about 41 smoking exposures from movies previously watched. They were then assessed for smoking exposure one year later and again two three years later. By the end of the study the children averaged about 150 smoking exposures, the investigators report in the journal Pediatrics.
For the full story: click here.

Study: Teen Smokers At Risk For Hearing Loss… Fox News reported on January 2 that, in tests on 67 teenagers ages 13 to 18, university researchers found that teens exposed to smoke had trouble focusing and interpreting sounds when there was a distraction. Researchers also found that teens exposed to tobacco smoke had more white matter in the brain. White matter is the part of the brain responsible for communication and transmitting messages. The findings were reported in New Scientist magazine. For the full story: click here.

Secondhand Smoke May Raise Child Allergy Risk…Reuters Health reported on December 26 that young children who were exposed to cigarette smoke as babies may be more likely to suffer certain allergies, a new study suggests. Experts have known that exposure to secondhand smoke either prenatally or early in life can raise a child’s risk of developing asthma symptoms. But the evidence regarding allergies in general has been mixed.In the new study, Swedish researchers found that 4-year-olds who had been exposed to parents’ smoking during early infancy were at greater risk of allergies to indoor allergens like dust mites and cat dander. They were also at greater risk of food allergies.I t’s possible that secondhand smoke triggers inflammation in the lining of young children’s airways, which may sensitize them to allergy-triggering substances, according to the researchers, led by Dr. Eva Lannero of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. The researchers found that children who’d been exposed to cigarette smoke at the age of 2 months were 28 percent more likely to have antibodies to either an indoor air allergen or a food allergen. The findings, according to Lannero’s team, support the theory that early damage to the mucous membranes lining the airways may make children more sensitive to allergens. They also offer parents yet another reason to keep their children away from secondhand smoke.For the full story: click here..

NY High School Students on the Right Track! …CBS News reported on January 2 that the number of public high school students who smoke has declined again to its lowest on record, 8.5 percent, city officials said Wednesday. A survey conducted every two years found that 20,000 high schoolers in the city, out of about 235,000, smoked cigarettes in 2007. Two years earlier, the survey showed 11 percent were smokers, and in 1997 it was 23 percent. Mayor Michael Bloomberg attributed the decline to a multipronged anti-smoking effort, which includes a tax increase on cigarettes and subway advertisements that depict gruesome stories of tobacco-related illnesses. “Clearly, teens are getting the message: There’s nothing cool about smelling like an ashtray, being hooked on nicotine or dying young,” said Bloomberg, a former smoker. Nationwide, 23 percent of teens smoke, according to 2005 figures, which are the latest available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.For the full story: click here.

Applaud Illinois for Enacting a New Public Smoking Ban…CBS News reported on December 31 that, New Year’s resolution or not, health experts are hoping Illinois’ new smoking ban provides smokers the kick-start they need to ditch the habit. Starting Jan. 1, the Smoke-Free Illinois Act makes it illegal to light up in virtually any public place in the state. But experts caution smokers still need more than just willpower — and a new state law — to break nicotine’s hold. “Some people can just make the decision and quit,” said Andrea King, director of the clinical addictions research lab at the University of Chicago. “Other people need more support, need to make more attempts or need more comprehensive treatment.” Would-be quitters have more methods than ever to help quit smoking, thanks to new research. There are already two FDA-approved prescriptions to help smokers. And researchers are also studying a vaccine and other medications. Authorities said combining therapies such as counseling, medication and nicotine-replacement often gives smokers the best chance to kick the habit.For the full story: click here.

What’s New In French Cafes? Clean Air…CBS News reported on January 2 that France has reinvented itself with a new ban on smoking in cafes, restaurants and night spots, the most drastic measure yet to curb the habit in a country where cigarettes were long a potent lifestyle symbol. Some diehard smokers blamed health-obsessed Americans for starting the trend. But others were delighted by being able to sip or serve a strong espresso without finishing the day with clothes smelling of second-hand smoke. “It’s a new art of living,” Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot insisted on a visit to a cafe. With the ban, France joined the ranks of European countries and more than two dozen U.S. states that have enacted anti-smoking restrictions. In 1994, California became the first U.S. state to ban smoking in restaurants and bars.For the full story: click here.

The Rising Allure—and Danger—of Hookah…US News reported on January 2 that, the myth that “hookahs are safer than cigarettes because the water definitely cleans the smoke,” badly needs busting. In fact, this notion comes straight off the menu: “Smokers say shishas (hookahs) are smoother than cigarettes, and the water filter makes the smoke less harmful.” “Even though there’s water in these pipes, the smoke that comes out of the mouthpiece still contains carbon monoxide, tar, nicotine, and heavy metals,” says Thomas Eissenberg of Virginia Commonwealth University, whose research on smoking and addiction is funded by the National Institutes of Health. “So where’s the filtering?”For the full story: click here.

If you are still smoking, now is the time to quit. Make it your New Years resolution if you need to. Any step you can take to help make you smoke free, is a worth while step. Maybe you can really do it this time. Did you know that you lungs start to repair theirselves the instant that you quit smoking? So come on, make this the best year of your life, and do it smoke-free!