Secondhand smoke damages arteries in teens: study

Children as young as 13 who have evidence of secondhand smoke in their blood also have visibly thicker arteries, Finnish researchers reported.

Their study suggests that the damage caused by secondhand tobacco smoke starts in childhood and causes measurable damage by the teen years.

"Although previous research has found that passive smoke may be harmful for blood vessels among adults, we did not know until this study that these specific effects also happen among children and adolescents," Dr. Katariina Kallio of the University of Turku in Finland, who led the study, said in a statement.

Her team studied 494 children aged 8 to 13 taking part in ongoing research on heart disease. They measured levels of cotinine, a byproduct of nicotine that is found in the blood after someone breathes in tobacco smoke.

They divided the children into groups with high, intermediate and low cotinine levels. Ultrasound was used to measure the thickness of the aorta and of the carotid artery in the neck.

Artery walls look thicker on an ultrasound if they are damaged by the process of atherosclerosis.

The children with the most cotinine in their blood had carotid artery walls that were, on average, 7 percent thicker than the children with the lowest cotinine levels, Kallio's team reported in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. Their aortas were 8 percent thicker.

The researchers also did a test that measures the flexibility of the arteries in the arm, another measure of blood vessel health and heart disease risk.

This measurement, called brachial artery flow-mediated dilation, was 15 percent lower in teenagers with the highest levels of cotinine, they found.

And measures of cholesterol showed unhealthier levels among the children with more smoke in their blood.

"These findings suggest that children should not face exposure to tobacco smoke at all," Kallio said. "Even a little exposure to tobacco smoke may be harmful for blood vessels."

In October, the U.S. Institute of Medicine reported that indoor smoking bans lower the risk of heart attack even among nonsmokers by reducing exposure to secondhand smoke.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Heart Association say secondhand smoke kills an estimated 46,000 Americans from heart disease every year.

The World Lung Foundation and the American Cancer Society jointly project that tobacco use will kill 6 million people next year from cancer, heart disease, emphysema and other ills, with direct medical costs to the global economy of $500 billion a year.

Source: Reuters News, 03 March 2010
Link: http://bit.ly/ao05RH

Tonne of tobacco found in lorry in Dover port

Customs officials have discovered more than a tonne of tobacco in the back of a lorry at the Port of Dover.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) said the tobacco was found among boxes of foam insulation and was enough to make two million cigarettes.

The discovery was made at Dover's Eastern Docks on Sunday. The tax evaded is estimated to be about £125,000.

The driver, a Croatian national living in Italy, is due before magistrates in Dover charged with duty evasion.

An HMRC spokeswoman said the driver had been charged with being "knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of duty chargeable contrary to section 170(2) of the Customs and Excise Management Act".

Source: BBC News, 02 March 2010
Link: http://bit.ly/ctHLhC

Smoking cessation boost in young and socially deprived

The number of people who gave up smoking in the UK increased significantly between April 2001 and April 2007, according to a cross-sectional study published in the British Journal of General Practice.

The study of 525 general practices identified an overall increase in the provision of smoking cessation advice and referral to stop-smoking services over a six-year period. The proportion of people who smoked reduced by 6%. The decrease was greatest in the most deprived areas and among the youngest patients.

Although there was an overall improvement in smoking cessation, comparatively high rates of smoking were identified among younger adults and those who are socioeconomically deprived. In 2006-07 more than twice as many patients in deprived areas smoked as those in affluent areas.

The authors recommended that more resources are focused on efforts to target the prevention of smoking uptake in children and adolescents and providing more resources for smoking cessation services aimed at younger and socioeconomically-deprived adults

Source: Nursing Times, 03 March 2010
Link: http://bit.ly/bJVMjy

Tobacco sector in last gasp legal challenge

Imperial Tobacco is considering legal action against the tobacco display ban as industry efforts to prevent it had fallen on deaf ears.

Speaking at The Grocer's Top 50 Annual Lunch, held this week at Claridges in London, Amal Pramanik, UK general manager for Imperial Tobacco, revealed legal action was "under serious consideration".

"We are taking advice right now, although no action has been taken yet," he said. "Legal action is always the last resort. We as a company do not want children to smoke and supported the government's proposal to stop underage access to tobacco through the introduction of electronic ID cards, token mechanisms and remote control technology. It was a matter of great regret that these proposals were disregarded."

The manufacturer's vending machines subsidiary Sinclair Collis revealed two weeks ago it was seeking a judicial review into the legality of banning tobacco vending machines from October next year.

Pramanik also revealed that since a display ban came into force in Ireland in July last year, there had been no reduction in smoking incidences. However, the illicit tobacco trade had increased, with illicit tobacco openly for sale.

"I visited Ireland at the end of January and witnessed the problems first hand," he said. "Leaflets are being put through mailboxes and front doors, displaying lists of brands and prices; people are receiving texts with brands and prices; there are ads on community notice boards in foreign languages; and cab drivers are openly offering cigarettes for sale. These are a big threat to the industry and all who deal with it."

If Imperial does not initiate the judicial review, it is understood that one of the other leading tobacco manufacturers will. One source close to the situation told The Grocer the major suppliers were still discussing between them which one will actually put their name to the challenge.

This is clearly the last resort for the manufacturers, who initially wanted to stay out of the fight against the ban, believing retailer and wholesaler views would hold more sway in government. The challenge will be based in restriction of trade arguments but it is understood the courts would not have the power to strike down the Health Act.

However, the courts could ask the government to look again at the proposals. As this would all take place after the general election it would fall on the next government to decide, offering the industry hope. But opponents of the ban believe it will come into force next year whichever party gets into power.

The Tories have previously stated concerns over the ban's impact on ­retailers but, one campaigner said, should they get into power, reversing the ­current government's plans was unlikely to be a priority.

Source: The Grocer, 27 February 2010
Link: http://bit.ly/cUhueA

Mourners given dead smokers' graveside message

A Kent smoker's dying wish to have a sign warning mourners at his funeral about the dangers of the habit has been carried out.

'Smoking Killed Me' signs were placed in the hearse carrying the body of Albert Whittamore, 85, who died of lung disease emphysema in February.

Mr Whittamore, known as Dick, blamed smoking on his condition and said he wanted to encourage people to give up.

The anti-smoking sign was displayed in his hearse as his body passed through the town of Dover and at the graveside during his burial.

Mr Whittamore ran a print shop in Dover for 50 years.

Paul Sullivan, from Sullivan and Sons Funeral Directors, said: "Although he had reached the age of 85, he had been suffering for a while and wanted to do his bit to warn others about smoking.

Albert Whittamore died after being a heavy smoker throughout his life. "He specified that that's what he wanted in his will. We gave it some thought but after a while we decided that that's what he had requested."

A spokesman for the stop smoking charity Quit said: "We understand Dick had emphysema, which is a lung condition caused by smoking which results in people struggling for breath.

"Dick is sending out a strong message to smokers as he doesn't want others to suffer."

Source: BBC News, 03 March 2010
Link: http://bit.ly/aZHu9W

Hong Kong proposes duty-free tobacco ban for incoming travellers

Hong Kong financial secretary John Tsang has proposed to abolish duty-free concessions on tobacco products for incoming travellers in his latest budget speech. Tsang said the abolition aims to “further protect public health”.

A government spokesperson said small amounts of tobacco products for own consumption would still be allowed to “facilitate law enforcement”.
 
The spokesperson explained: "Incoming passengers may carry up to 19 cigarettes; or one stick or 25g of cigar—to cater for the varieties of cigar packaging in the retail market, incoming passengers who have more than one cigar will be subject to a ceiling of 25g; or 25g of other manufactured tobacco products. Incoming passengers will be entitled to only one kind of tobacco product. Passengers who carry tobacco products in excess of this limit must make declarations and pay the relevant duty.”

The limit will apply to all incoming travellers, added the spokesperson. “The 24-hour rule on time spent outside Hong Kong for entitlement of the duty-free concessions on tobacco products that currently applies to Hong Kong identity card holders will be removed. This is to avoid frequent travellers between Hong Kong and the mainland who may have small amounts of tobacco products for their own consumption being caught for not making the necessary declaration in accordance with the law.”

The proposal will take effect “on completion of the legislative processes” and is expected to be implemented no earlier than the third quarter of 2010.

"Before the implementation of the new measure, we will conduct extensive publicity activities, including making announcements via the media and placing notices at border control points, as well as notifying the tourism industry and other countries, to ensure that both the public and incoming passengers are well-prepared for the new measure," the spokesperson concluded.

Source: DFNI Online, 02 March 2010
Link: http://bit.ly/8ZDQy6