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ASH Daily news for 16 August 2011

HEADLINES

  • 'Leicester hospital staff are using area as a giant ash tray'

    People who live near Leicester Royal Infirmary are calling for action to be taken to stop staff smoking and leaving rubbish outside their homes.

    Residents say they are forced to keep their windows shut during hot weather to prevent the smell of cigarette smoke filling their homes, and say food wrappers left behind by staff attract vermin.

    An on-site smoking ban was introduced at the hospital in 2006 and, since then, neighbours have regularly complained about staff smoking and leaving rubbish near their homes.

    Hospital managers have put up notices near some properties reminding staff to be considerate and some staff have been issued with fixed penalty notices for dropping litter, but residents said the problems were continuing.

    A Leicester City Council spokesman said it had received a number of complaints about the issue.

    He said wardens regularly patrolled the area and had issued a number of fixed-penalty notices for dropping litter.

    Source: This is Leicestershire - 15 August 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/pWVa1L

  • Scotland: Tobacco display appeal could spark fresh Supreme Court row

    The Scottish Government could face another showdown with the Supreme Court, this time over controversial plans to ban the display of cigarettes in shops.

    Tobacco giant Imperial Tobacco is appealing against the legislation, which it says Scottish ministers have no right to make because it involves powers reserved to Westminster.

    The group, one of the world’s largest multi-nationals, has indicated it could take the plans to Supreme Court judges if the Scottish Government does not back down.

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    Source: The Herald - 15 August 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/nGcpwX

  • Wales: Call for cigarette packaging to be changed over risk posed to women

    Health experts have made urgent calls to change the way cigarettes are packaged after a study found that women smokers were more at risk of heart disease.

    The calls come after a report which analysed previous studies involving more than four million people found the increased risk of developing heart disease from smoking is 25% higher for women compared to men.

    It is thought that physiological differences or cigarette smoke toxins could have a more potent effect on women.

    According to the Welsh Health Survey in 2009, 22% of Welsh women over the age of 16 smoke.

    Elen De Lacy, chief executive of ASH Wales, said: “The results of this research are quite alarming for the future health of women and for our young girls in Wales. We already know that smoking is highly addictive and that the younger a person starts to smoke, the harder it is for them to quit.

    “More needs to be done to protect children and young women in Wales from starting to smoke in the first place and ensure that the very best support, advice and treatment is available to those who want to quit.

    “We also need to ensure that the regulations to ban behind-the-counter displays of tobacco and the sale of tobacco from vending machines are implemented in a timely fashion which will be effective in denormalising and reducing the attraction of smoking amongst young girls.”

    Source: Wales online - 15 August 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/rp3sCp

  • Menthol cigarettes may make it tougher to quit smoking for certain populations

    New research has found that menthol cigarettes are associated with decreased quitting in the United States, and that this effect is more pronounced for blacks and Puerto Ricans.

    The findings, which appear in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, come as the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products is considering banning menthol cigarettes after its own Tobacco Product Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC) concluded that "removal of menthol cigarettes from the marketplace would benefit public health in the United States". 

    Previous studies regarding the impact of smoking menthol cigarettes and smoking cessation efforts have produced mixed results.

    Utilizing data from the 2003 and 2006-2007 National Cancer Institute Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey, investigators focused on white, black and Hispanic "ever-smokers," who were defined as current smokers and former smokers who quit in the past five years.

    Overall, menthol smoking was more common among females and young adults, ages 18 to 24. Menthol smoking varied considerably by race/ethnicity; among blacks, 71.8 percent smoked menthols, which is significantly greater than whites (21 percent) and Hispanics (28.1 percent). However, among Hispanics there were wide variations. Menthol smoking was more common among those of Puerto Rican descent (62 percent) than among those of Mexican (19.9 percent) and other Hispanic origins (26.5 percent).

    The study further found that menthol cigarette smoking was associated with lower levels of smoking cessation compared to non-menthol smokers, and this relationship was more pronounced among blacks and those of Puerto Rican descent. 

    Source: Health Canal - 15 August 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/nMCRd1

  • Switzerland: Tobacco ruling has a financial side

    Following a Federal Court ruling, the Federal Health Office has concluded that nicotine addiction can be considered an illness.

    The health office made its decision on August 9. Criteria have yet to be fixed.

    On August 4 the Federal Court underlined that alcohol and heroin addiction could be considered an illness and that “under certain conditions” so could dependence on nicotine. In this case, insurance companies would have to reimburse medicines to treat smoking addiction.

    The court partially agreed with drug maker Pfizer which wanted its Champix (or Chantrix) medication included in the list of medicines reimbursed by basic insurance.

    For their part, health insurance companies have denounced the “negative message.” 

    Source: Swiss Info - 15 August 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/nYAVZc

  • USA: NYC Governor signs bill banning smoking on outdoor train platforms

    Gov. Cuomo has signed a bill prohibiting smoking on MTA-operated outdoor train platforms, including those run by the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North.

    The new law extends the existing smoking ban on indoor mass transportation areas - including city subway platforms - to include outdoor ticketing, boarding and platform areas of railroad stations.

    "Secondhand smoke has been proven to cause serious health problems, including cancer, which is why we need to continue to protect individuals from exposure," said Sen. Charles Fuschillo (R-Nassau), who sponsored the measure.

    The smoking ban takes effect in 90 days.

    Source: NY Daily News - 15 August 2011
    Link: http://nydn.us/nVgPWu