ASH Daily News for 21/12/2001
HEADLINES
ASH, 102 Clifton Street, LONDON, EC2A 4HW.
Tel 020 7739 5902 Fax 020 7613 0531
ASH Daily News
21 December 2001
HEADLINES
Smoke clouds over southern Europe, clearer further north
Significant drop in teen smoking in US
FULL TEXT
Smoke clouds over southern Europe, clearer further north
Southern Europe is the worst place for involuntary exposure to cigarette smoke and Scandinavia is the best according to an international study of passive smoking in 16 developed countries, published in the Lancet today. The European Respiratory Health Survey, which looked at samples of adults in 36 cities, found big variations in passive smoking. In Galdakao, Spain, 76 percent of the population was exposed to other people’s smoke; at the other extreme, in Uppsala, Sweden, the proportion was just 25 percent.
Levels were also high in Italy and low in Australia, New Zealand and the US. The four British cities surveyed, Ipswich, Norwich, Cambridge and Cardiff – came towards the lower end of the table, with between 32 and 39 percent of people exposed to passive smoking. The biggest differences were found in passive smoking at work rather than at home. The survey found a significant association between passive smoking and respiratory symptoms, including nocturnal neck tightness and breathlessness.
Source: Financial Times, 21 December 2001
Significant drop in teen smoking in US
Smoking among teens in the US has dropped significantly in the past 5 years, particularly amongst younger teenagers according a recent study.
The study, carried out by the University of Michigan and the Health and Human Services Department showed a 9% drop among those roughly between 13 and 16 years old who say they have smoked one or more cigarettes during the past 30 days. The study also reported a 7% drop among 18 year olds.
Lloyd D. Johnson, who directed the study at the University of Michigan, said more teens are viewing smoking negatively due to media coverage of tobacco litigation and the tobacco industries less glamorous portrayal of smoking.
William V. Corr, executive vice-president for the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids said the national decline in teen smoking is also due in large part to vigorous anti-smoking campaigns by a few states such as Florida. Mr Corr added that more states should earmark larger amounts of money from the multi-billion dollar settlement with tobacco companies for antismoking campaigns.
Source: Wall Street Journal Europe, 21 December 2001
Visit http://TobaccoPedia.org !
