HEADLINES

• Shop tobacco display 'likely to encourage children to smoke'
• Lung disease admissions 'to rise' says British Lung Foundation
• Smoking responsible for more women developing kidney stones
• Lifetime risk for COPD is one in four
• Turkey working on cigarette branding ban law

• Shop tobacco display 'likely to encourage children to smoke'

  Researchers have warned that tobacco displays in shops are attractive and memorable and are likely to encourage young people to take up smoking in future.
  
  A study funded by Cancer Research UK, questioned 950 non-smokers aged 11 to 16 about their attitudes towards tobacco displays and their ability to recall them.
  
  It claimed 27 per cent of the 950 questioned are susceptible to taking up smoking in the future because they failed to express a definite desire never to smoke.
  
  It also found that 81 per cent of the children questioned admitted noticing behind the counter tobacco displays, while nearly one in five paid close attention to them.
  
  With increasing levels of interest, the study concluded, there was a marked rise in the likelihood that a child would take up smoking in the future.
  
  Anne Marie Mackintosh, lead researcher in the study, said: "Demonstrating that young people who had never smoked appear vulnerable to the colourful and brightly-lit tobacco displays is a real concern and reinforces the importance of putting those displays out of sight."

  Source: Scotsman, 10 September 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/pQL6LR

• Lung disease admissions 'to rise' says British Lung Foundation

  According to new research, hospital admissions for lung disease and other smoking-related disorders are expected to rise by up to a quarter in some areas of the country by 2020.

  The study by Experian Public Sector and the British Lung Foundation shows that Torquay, the Isle of Wight and Barnstaple will see rises of at least 16% in admissions for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an umbrella term for a range of lung diseases including emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

  The Isle of Wight is also set to see the biggest increase in lung disease, with a 25.1% increase predicted by 2020, according to the study.

  Emily Sparks, director of health at Experian Public Sector, said the research shows that PCTs will have to adjust their budgets accordingly.

  She said: "Our research highlights dramatic differences in predicted rates and associated treatment costs for a range of lung diseases across the country. This underlines the importance of understanding how healthcare provision needs to be tailored to local communities."

  Source: Press Association, 09 September 2011
  Link: http://yhoo.it/mPLtWI

• Smoking responsible for more women developing kidney stones

  A leading expert from Barts Hospital commented that the increase in poor lifestyle choices, such as smoking and drinking is responsible for the dramatic rise in women developing kidney stones.

  Urology Consultant, Mr Noor Buchholz stated that the number of women who required kidney stone surgery has doubled within the last five years.

  Kidney stones are caused by various factors, such as having a sedentary lifestyle, excessive smoking and drinking as well as eating too much meat and salt.

  Mr Buchholz commented ahead of European Section of Urolithiasis (EULIS) Stone Conference to be held at Barts that, "There is no doubt in my mind that the increase in poor lifestyle choices including smoking and drinking among women is the key reason we are treating so many more of them."

  Statistics show that forty years ago men were three times more likely to require kidney stone treatment compared with women; however since then these numbers have drastically changed. Seven times more women require kidney stone treatment compared to four decades ago. Experts suggest that the dramatic rise, which started in the seventies, is due to women taking up the same bad habits as men in terms of smoking and drinking.

  Source: Medical News Today, 09 September 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/ptEP7A

• Lifetime risk for COPD is one in four

  One out of every four people aged 35 and older are likely to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) during their lifetime, according to the first comprehensive estimate of lifetime risk for COPD published in a special European Respiratory Society issue of The Lancet.

  According to the results, the average 35-year-old woman is more than three times as likely to get COPD than breast cancer during her lifetime, and the average 35-year-old man’s risk of developing COPD is three times greater than prostate cancer.

  COPD is projected to be the third most common cause of death worldwide by 2030, is a leading cause of hospitalisation, and one of the most costly chronic diseases. Yet, there is little public awareness of COPD and the disease does not receive the same funding, research, and profile as diseases with a similar burden, such as diabetes.

  The authors conclude: "Our findings draw attention to the huge burden of COPD on society and can be used to educate the public about the need for attention and resources to combat the disease [and to] justify the continuation of smoking cessation programmes, and the development of other strategies to optimise COPD care to improve the lives of affected individuals, their families, and their communities."

  Source: Eurekalert, 08 September 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/p4Du5D

• Turkey working on cigarette branding ban law

  Turkey is working on new regulations that would ban brand names, logos and designs on cigarette packaging and replace them with numbered black boxes, Milliyet [an Istanbul-based newspaper] reported.
  
  The regulations would ban any imagery or text other than health warnings and aims to reduce cigarette usage and smokers would be required to order cigarettes by number.
  
  Health Minister Recep Akdag has asked officials from the World Health Organization and Turkey’s Tobacco and Alcohol Markets Regulation Board, or TAPDK, to coordinate technical studies toward implementing the new regulations, Milliyet said.

  Source: Bloomberg, 07 September 2011
  Link: http://bloom.bg/n5oWU0