Brazil: President Silva quits smoking after 50 years

Brazil's president said on Tuesday that he kicked the smoking habit he had for 50 years after a recent health scare sent his blood pressure soaring.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said in an interview with The Associated Press that he stopped with sheer willpower. No nicotine patches or gum, and no medication.

Silva was just about to take off in his presidential plane in January for the World Economic Forum in Switzerland when his blood pressure rose dramatically. He spent the night in a hospital. On Tuesday, he characterized the hospitalization as a nuisance, "but the good thing is that I quit smoking." He blamed the scare on an exhausting schedule over three days.

Silva favored cigarillos, small cigars often made without filters. But he was never seen in public smoking since he assumed the presidency in 2003. Silva said he quit before, but thinks it will be for good this time because of his age. "I haven't smoked for 40 days now, and I'm feeling good," he said.

Silva said he won't try to persuade U.S. President Barack Obama to follow his example.  Obama had his first physical last month as commander in chief, and it revealed he hasn't kicked his smoking habit, though he has talked about his struggles. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said March 1 that Obama does occasionally fall off the wagon and is aware of the example he sets for America's youth.

"On these sort of things, you don't give advice," Silva said. "Everyone can do what they want if they're of age. Everyone knows that it's not good for your health."

Added Silva: "I don't have any more time to experiment with my life."

Source: Associated Press, 10 March 2010]
Link: http://bit.ly/dy756P 

Smoking vaccine licensed to Glaxo

Nabi Pharmaceuticals have reached an exclusive option and licence agreement with GlaxoSmithKline for their smoking vaccine NicVax.

The deal, potentially worth more than £340 million, including a £27-million upfront payment to Nabi, will also see Glaxo start work on developing a second-generation version of the drug.

NicVax works by training the immune system to make antibodies that attach themselves to nicotine, thus preventing the chemical from reaching the brain so people can quit smoking without the fear of being tempted to start again.

The deal was approved by Nabi shareholders on Tuesday, with shares in the company rising 4p after it was announced. Shares in London-based Glaxo fell by 9.3p afterwards

Source: Pharmacy Europe, 9 March 2010
Link: http://bit.ly/bFGpqe 

Wedding dream couple quit smoking

A couple are looking forward to their dream wedding after saving £1,600 for their big day by quitting their 70-a-day smoking habit. Maggie Loftus, 49, and Malcolm Page, 55, are getting married next month after kicking the habit which saw them get through 25,000 cigarettes - or £5,000 - a year.

As the rest of the country prepares for national No Smoking Day, the newly-quit couple put their success down to their love for each other.Ms Loftus, who has been smoking since her family moved to Chesterfield, Derbyshire, 33 years ago, said: "We are happy and we want to stay alive. I'm so excited about the wedding."

She said that after she recently left her job, and money became tight, the couple realised they could not afford to marry unless they quit smoking and saved.  The pair, who have been together for two years, have already spent £650 on deposits for the big day and are still putting £15 a week each in a special tin.

Thanks to the money they have saved by giving up smoking, they can now tie the knot next month at the Sandpiper Hotel in Chesterfield.

Ms Loftus said: "We decided we didn't want to get married in a register office because I've got a large family and we couldn't fit everyone in. That was one of the reasons we had to quit - so we could afford a bigger venue. The bottom line is if we start smoking again, there won't be a wedding because we can't afford it - and we deserve to have a nice day."
 

Source: UK Press Association, 9 March 2010
Link: http://bit.ly/a96InY

No Smoking Day? There's an app for that: Facebook and iPhone applications can help you stub out your smoking habit

Are you one of the more than 2 million smokers ready to quit on No Smoking Day? Then today is your day! Don't worry, you won't be alone as there is an app for it – well, several. And this is how you can call it a day:

First of all, you install the WeQuit Facebook app to let everybody know what your are up to. It's best to grab one of your chain-smoking friends for a competition. The Facebook version of WeQuit helps you to reward your friend if they achieve success and punish them in case of failure, perhaps by throwing a sheep at them. You can also use WeQuit to bet your Facebook friends to see who can give up for longest, or sponsor someone to quit to raise money for charity.

Secondly, you can use your iPhone to download a free NHS Quit Smoking app. Here a real-time counter keeps track of the money saved – a significant amount considering the cost of cigarettes. It also displays the minutes, hours and days you've been smoke-free.

If you are in danger of a relapse, a button on the app can connect you to an adviser on an NHS helpline. If not, you might find some solace in downloading the No Smoking PhotoBook for £1.19 to show you beautiful "no smoking" signs from all over the world.

Good luck!
 

Source: The Guardian, 10 March 2010
Link: http://bit.ly/dyElyj

Doctor calls for total smoking ban

A Southampton doctor has called for a total ban on cigarettes after treating young patients for smoking-related lung disease.

Anindo Banerjee, 41, a respiratory specialist at Southampton General Hospital, said cigarettes were increasingly becoming a major health problem for young people despite the ban on smoking in public. He highlighted the case of a 19-year-old patient who he treated for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

"Year on year we are seeing increasing numbers of patients with severe chest diseases due to smoking in which the lungs are damaged, such as COPD," he said.

"Depressingly, large numbers of young people smoke, and they often believe that the warnings do not apply to them. We are seeing increasing numbers of young people whose lungs have been destroyed by smoking, who suffer the same breathlessness and restriction and whose lives are blighted by their 'enjoyment'. Our youngest patient with this disease is 19 years old."

Treatment can include lung transplants or surgery to cut away the most diseased parts of the lungs, allowing the remaining lung to work more efficiently.

Source: Nursing in Practice, 10 March 2010
Link: http://bit.ly/dzVEdn