China: Raise tobacco tax, save lives

Raising the tax on cigarettes by 1 yuan per pack could help save thousands of lives and generate almost 65 billion yuan ($9.5 billion) in revenue for the government, a study released on Monday in Beijing said.

Hu Teh-wei, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley in the United States who led the research team, said: "The low cost of tobacco products in China contributes to very high levels of cigarette smoking, especially among males.

"The most effective way to reduce tobacco use is to raise retail prices through tax increases."

The study, released by the Chinese Association on Tobacco Control (CATC), said that after taking into account inflation and buying power, cigarettes are now twice as affordable as they were in 1990.

It is much cheaper to smoke in China than it is in regional neighbor countries such as Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, it said.

At present, taxes on cigarettes in China account for about 40 percent of the total retail price, far below the global average of 65 to 70 percent.

The report proposed an initial increase in the excise tax of 1 yuan per pack, with a gradual increase to 4 yuan per pack.

Over time, taxes on cigarettes should rise to more than 60 percent of the total retail price, it said.

Also, a single tax should be introduced to replace the current two-tier system, which would stop manufacturers lowering retail prices to offset the tax burden, it said. Smoking is a major contributor to early deaths, high healthcare costs and lost productivity, it said.

One million Chinese die each year from tobacco related diseases, with the figure forecast to rise to 2 million a year by 2020, it said.

Smoking also costs China 186 billion yuan a year, almost 2 percent of GDP, with direct medical costs accounting for 14 billion yuan, or about 3 percent of the country's total healthcare spending, the CATC said.

Mao Zhengzhong, a professor at Sichuan University's school of public health, said buying cigarettes also has an impoverishing effect.

"Families with smokers spend less on food, education, clothing and housing than those that have no smokers," he said.

Source: China Daily, 17 December 2008
Link: http://tinyurl.com/4842yc

Secondhand smoke exposure associated with fecundity, fetal loss

Exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) is associated with fecundity and fetal loss in a dose-dependent manner, a study suggests.

Luke Peppone, from the University of Rochester in Minnesota, USA, and co-authors conducted an epidemiologic analysis of 4,804 nonsmoking women exposed to SHS and who reported at least one pregnancy attempt during 1982-1998.

In their study, four out of five women reported exposure to SHS during their lifetime, with half growing up in a home with smoking parents and nearly two-thirds exposed to SHS at the time of the survey.

More than 40 percent of all women had infertility lasting over a year or suffered miscarriages.

Women exposed as children to SHS were 1.27 times more likely have trouble becoming pregnant than those not exposed to SHS. Furthermore, women exposed to SHS as adults were 1.30 times more likely to experience pregnancy difficulties or fetal loss than women unexposed to SHS.

The researchers also found that exposure of 6 or more hours a day to SHS as an adult was related to the occurrence of both multiple fetal loss and reduced fecundity (odds ratios = 1.30 and 1.36, respectively), compared with no exposure.

“However, due to the prevalent nature of these data, the results must be interpreted with caution, and causality cannot be concluded,” cautions the team.

Source: MedWire News, 15 December 2008
Link: http://tinyurl.com/4jmhv2

Top tips to quit smoking

It can take 12 to 14 attempts to quit before smokers stop for good, according to researchers at the University of California.

Professor Shu-Hong Zhu, who led the study said: “Quitting aids reduce the overall number of attempts that are needed, but smokers still have to make multiple attempts - with or without these aids.” 

So, the top tip for anyone who wants to break their habit is, don’t give up giving up.

Each time you stop, even if it’s only for a day or two, you will learn a little more about your tobacco triggers and how to head them off.

Here are some more tricks that will help:

WRITE A LIST Jot down all the reasons you want to stop - to improve your health, save money, set the kids a better example. Make a note of every single reason, no matter how small. Keep the list handy, and whenever you have time, or a craving, to kill, remind yourself of those reasons.

SET A DATE Don’t try to trail off by reducing the number of cigarettes you smoke. Studies show you will simply try to suck more out of the ones you do light up. Set a date, and stick to it.

AVERSION THERAPY Nicotine is actually a poison, but because cigarettes provide a drip-feed hit, it doesn’t actually make us feel ill. But smoke your day’s worth in one sitting and the chances are, you will turn green. Chain smoke your way through your daily dose and breathe in the foul smell of your ashtray as it fills. Focus on all the negatives - cigarettes cease to become fun when you have to smoke, despite feeling nauseous.

BIN THERE Once you’ve stopped, get rid of everything tobacco related - your cigarettes, matches, lighters, ashtrays, the lot. If you think you’ll be tempted to retrieve cigarettes from the bin, break them and pour water over the bits.

TELL PEOPLE The chances are you’ll be a bit cranky, so explain to people that you are quitting and ask them to be patient for a week or two. You’ll be surprised how many reformed smokers also have little tips and tricks that help.

TRIGGER POINTS Identify the situations where you crave a cigarette - when you’ve having a coffee, or an alcoholic drink - and avoid them. Switch to tea or go to the gym instead of the pub. Breaking those nicotine associations will stall cravings.

DEEP BREATHS When you want to light up, take six deep breaths instead - this will relax you and combat the stress chemicals being released by nicotine withdrawals.

GET FRUITY You’re much more likely to want a cigarette after eating spicy or very sweet food. Snack on fruit instead, the fresh flavours won’t have the same effect.

CASH IN Work out how much money you’ll save, and at the end of every smokefree day, put it into a jar or clear container so you can see what you’re saving. Use our calculator to see how much you could cash in. 

GUILT FREE If you do slip, and light up, don’t beat yourself up about it. Instead of focusing on the ‘failure’, remind yourself how long you went without a smoke and tell yourself you can do it again.

REWARDS With the cash you’re saving, treat yourself to little rewards at milestones - day three, a week, a month or more.

WEIGHT UP Sugarfree gum gives your mouth something to do without piling on the calories. But don’t use weight worries as an excuse for not trying to stop. You’ll need to pile on vast amounts of weight to be doing as much damage as cigarettes.

Source: The Sun, 17 December 2008
Link: http://tinyurl.com/3gauqa

Somerset crack down on under-age sales of tobacco

Somerset businesses have been cracking down on alcohol and tobacco sales to under-age people. 

Test purchases have shown a significant improvement in the number of companies obeying the law on the sale of age-restricted products.

The 250 checks were carried out by under-aged volunteers on behalf of Somerset County Council between April 2007 and April 2008.

Test purchases in premises where tobacco is sold over the counter have shown an 11 per cent increase in compliance in the last three years.

They showed that 95 per cent of those premises have complied with age restrictions.

Source: Western & Somerset Mercury, 17 December 2008
Link: http://tinyurl.com/4fb9yn