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ASH Daily News for 12 December 2007

Scotland: £11m to help smokers quit

Public health minister, Shona Robinson announced that health boards will continue to receive £11 million a year to help smokers quit.

Ms Robison said although much work had already been made in reducing the number of Scottish people who smoke, more was still needed to reduce smoking rates even further, particularly among young people.

Speaking at Scotland's first ever smoking cessation conference in Glasgow, Ms Robison said health boards would receive a share of £11 million a year for such services.

She said, "Great strides have already been made in reducing the numbers of smokers in Scotland in recent years, and creating an environment which supports people to give up by introducing the smoking ban.

"However, there is no room for complacency as more work remains to be done to reduce smoking prevalance, especially in young people.

"That is why I am delighted today to be able to announce that the Scottish Government will continue to make £11 million a year available to support smoking cessation services."

Ms Robison said the money would allow health boards to continue existing services and develop new ones.

She added: "I realise that it is a challenging task to take services out from traditional settings to more accessible places such as workplaces and social clubs, but I am confident that health boards and cessation workers can rise to this challenge."

Source: Buxton Advertiser, 12 December 2007
Link: http://tinyurl.com/272j96

Smoking raises risk of diabetes

US research has found  that smoking is linked to a significantly increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The University of Lausanne looked at 25 studies involving 1.2m patients and found smokers had a 44% increased risk of type 2 diabetes compared with non-smokers, with the risk rising with the number of cigarettes smoked.

The Journal of the American Medical Association study found the increased risk for those who smoked at least 20 cigarettes a day rose to 61%.

Smoking may be one of the pieces missing from the diabetes jigsaw which could help us to identify who is at a greater risk.

For lighter smokers the risk was 29% higher than a non-smoker and the increased risk of developing diabetes in former smokers was 23%.

The researchers said: "We conclude that the relevant question should no longer be whether this association exists, but rather whether this established connection is causal."

They admitted that the research did not prove that smoking contributed to the development of diabetes but they said the fact that people who smoked most heavily were most at risk is significant.

Previous research has linked smoking to insulin resistance, a condition which often leads to diabetes. 

However, proving a link is very difficult because smokers tend to indulge in other unhealthy habits, such as not exercising enough and eating unhealthy foods.

About three in 100 people in the UK aged over 40 and about 10 in 100 people over 65 have type 2 diabetes.

Douglas Smallwood, of the charity Diabetes UK, said: "This is interesting research. Smoking may be one of the pieces missing from the diabetes jigsaw which could help us to identify who is at higher risk.

"We already know that certain lifestyle factors such as being overweight or leading a sedentary lifestyle increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

He added, "The more we can find out about the exact causes of the condition the better chance we have of slowing down this growth."

Source: BBC News, 12 December 2007
Link: http://tinyurl.com/37oddh

New Zealand: Tobacco faces display ban

Tougher tobacco laws being considered by the Government could include cigarettes displays being hidden from sight.

Current restrictions allow a maximum of 100 cigarettes and 40 cartons to be on show, but the Health Ministry is proposing a total display ban.

The Cancer Society supports the ban but some retailers are unhappy with the proposal.

Maungakaramea service station owner John McKinney says it will be inconvenient having to reconfigure his shop to put cigarettes under the counter or in a place not visible to customers. .

Belinda Hughes, tobacco control spokesperson for the society, says the Government consultation paper follows recent evidence that tobacco displays make it harder for smokers to quit.

She cites new Australian research which shows 38 per cent of smokers who tried to quit in the last year had an urge to buy cigarettes as a result of retail displays.

The new restrictions might not only help those trying to quit but also discourage young people from starting.

The consultation paper does have a youth focus, says Health minister Damien O’Connor.

"Retail displays are now the only place where many young people are exposed to significant quantities of tobacco products and it is timely that the law around tobacco displays is reviewed."

Source: Stuff NZ, 11 December 2007
Link: http://tinyurl.com/2sguje

Canada: Critics raise concern about cigarettes with less tobacco smell

Anti smoking campaigners have criticised a new product Less Smoke Smell (LSS), a new technology launched by Japan Tobacco International, the world's third largest tobacco company.

The Mirage cigarettes, a new product exclusive to Canada, is promising to have "less lingering tobacco smoke smell in an enclosed area when compared to a typical Canadian cigarette."

Cynthia Callard, executive director of Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada said, "The smell of cigarette smoke is what lets people know to get out of the way."

Callard has sent a letter to Health Canada's Tobacco Control Program. She argues that the Mirage adverts contravene section 20 of the Tobacco Act, which states that no person can promote tobacco products by means "that are likely to create an erroneous impression about the characteristics, health effects or health hazards of the tobacco product or its emissions."

Andre Benoit, JTI-Macdonald's vice-president of corporate affairs and communication, says the cigarette paper for the new product has a vanilla aroma used to improve the smell of the smoke. He says neither the adverts or packaging indicate Mirage cigarettes are less hazardous to health than other varieties.

Japan Tobacco has applied for a Canadian patent for its smell masking technique. The patent's title is "Method of fixing flavourant which improves sidestream smoke smell of tobacco and cigarette." It states that a smell improving agent comprising an ethanol or propylene glycol solution is applied to the cigarette paper.

Rob Cunningham, a lawyer with the Canadian Cancer Society, says the Mirage cigarettes undermine efforts made to ensure people smoke outside their homes and vehicles so others are not exposed to secondhand smoke.

"This is an example of the bottomless creativity of tobacco companies to market their products," said Cunningham. "Give them an inch, and they take 10 miles."

Source: Canada.com, 10 December 2007
Link: http://tinyurl.com/3y5sy7