HEADLINES

• Rising status of women linked to more smoking
• Women who smoke at ANY stage of their lives 'are more likely to get breast cancer'
• Kids campaign to stop smoking in cars
• Zimbabwe's tobacco earnings rise 33%
• Roadblocks set up to catch smoking drivers
• USA: Spontaneous smoking cessation may be an early sign of lung cancer
• USA: Oklahoma Wildfire started by cigarette

• Rising status of women linked to more smoking

  Millions of women in developing countries risk disease and early death in the coming decades as their rising economic and political status leads them to smoke more, according to researchers from the University of Waterloo, Canada.

  An analysis in 74 countries found that men are five times more likely to smoke than women in countries with lower rates of female empowerment, such as China, Saudi Arabia and Uganda. In countries with relatively high female empowerment, such as Australia, Canada, Norway, Sweden and the United States women smoke almost as much as men do.

  Geoffrey Fong who led the study, said: "Our study makes a strong case for implementing gender-specific tobacco control activities ... such as more higher tobacco taxes, more prominent graphic health warnings, smoke-free laws, and advertising and promotion bans."
  Source: Los Angeles Times, 01 March 2011
  Link: http://lat.ms/ietYNs

• Women who smoke at ANY stage of their lives 'are more likely to get breast cancer'

  A study published in the British Medical Journal found that women who have smoked are at greater risk of developing breast cancer in later life.

  Researchers led by Dr Juhua Luo from West Virginia University and Dr Karen Margolis from  Minneapolis studied data from a sample of almost 80,000 women aged 50 to 79. During a ten-year follow-up study, they identified 3,250 cases of invasive breast cancer among the participants.

  The study found that women who smoked are 9 per cent more likely to develop the disease and that the earlier a woman starts smoking, the greater her risk, and it remains high for 20 years after she has given up.  The study suggests a 32 per cent raised risk among non-smoking women exposed to extensive passive smoking.

   

  The BMJ article can be read here. 
  Source: Daily Mail, 02 March 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/ex1Iaj

• Kids campaign to stop smoking in cars

  New research by the British Lung Foundation (BLF) has found that over half (51%) of eight to 15 year olds have been exposed to cigarette smoke when confined in a car, highlighting the need for Government measures to improve child protection in this area.

  Previous research shows smoking just one cigarette in the car, even with the window open, creates a greater concentration of second-hand smoke than a whole evening's smoking in a pub.

   

  The BLF will be working with schools to empower children and give them a voice to help change legislation. Twenty five campaign champions from schools across the country are travelling to London today to hand in the BLF petition signed by over 15,000 people.

  
   
  Source: Medical News Today, 01 March 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/iiEFA5

• Zimbabwe's tobacco earnings rise 33%

  Zimbabwe’s income from tobacco sales has jumped 33 percent, as a rise in sales outweighs a drop in prices, the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board said.

  The southern African nation has earned about $12 million from sales of the leaf since Feb. 16, up from $9 million a year earlier, the board said.

   

  Tobacco production in Zimbabwe is still below peak levels of about 236 million kilograms achieved in 2000. Output slipped to a low of 58.6 million kilograms in 2009, reflecting the effects of a political and economic crisis that peaked during 2008.

   

  Zimbabwe’s tobacco output may rise 38 percent to 170 million kilograms this season as more farmers grow the crop and as the nation’s “economic environment” improves, according to  Andrew Matibiri, the board’s chief executive officer.

   

  China was the main buyer of Zimbabwe’s crop, replacing Western companies that were traditionally the biggest buyers.
  Source: Bloomberg, 01 March 2011
  Link: http://bloom.bg/gZMHP3

• Roadblocks set up to catch smoking drivers

  Council wardens and Essex Police will carry out random inspections across the county to look for evidence of illicit cigarette use.

  Workers were banned from smoking in their company cars as part of the Health Act introduced in 2006. The law made it illegal in all vehicles used primarily for business purposes by more than one person.  Anyone caught breaking the law faces a £50 fixed penalty fine or a possible court conviction.

  
  Ian Wilkins, environmental officer at Tendring District Council, explained that the scheme was intended to raise awareness of the law.  "We will use the month of March to carry out inspections, offer advice and generally try and make sure people are aware of and compliant with the legislation.

   

  The scheme which is being carried out throughout March has been organised to coincide with National No Smoking Day which takes place on March 9.
   
  Source: The Telegraph, 02 March 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/fpjOpj

• USA: Spontaneous smoking cessation may be an early sign of lung cancer

  A sudden and spontaneous cessation of smoking may be an early symptom of lung cancer according to new research.

   The study, carried out by scientists in the USA, found that many long-term smokers spontaneously quit smoking, with little effort, shortly before they were diagnosed with lung cancer. 115 lung cancer patients were interviewed for the study.

   

  The researchers suggest that spontaneous smoking cessation may be an initial symptom of lung cancer, possibly caused by a substance secreted from the tumour which interferes with nicotine addiction.

   

  The researchers stress that the results should not be misinterpreted to encourage smokers to continue smoking. 
  Source: European Lung Foundation, 01 March 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/fgIcLs

• USA: Oklahoma Wildfire started by cigarette

  A fire that destroyed two mobile homes, damaged several others and burned 350 acres was caused by a discarded cigarette.

  No one was injured in the fire southeast of Blair in Jackson County that burned in high winds, said Blair Fire Chief Dennis Davis.

   

  102 firefighters from 16 departments fought the wildfire. Two mobile homes were destroyed and up to a dozen other homes sustained fire and smoke damages.

   

  The fire cause has been ruled accidental, Davis said.
  Source: NewsOK, 02 March 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/dGtMf0