HEADLINES

• Smoking Linked to Teen Migraines
• Smokers trying to give up don't stop thinking about cigarettes
• Discarded cigarette guts house
• 300,000 smuggled cigarettes seized
• Wales: Doctors condemn tobacco industry attempts to overturn legislation

• Smoking Linked to Teen Migraines

  Teens are more likely to have chronic headaches or migraines when they are overweight, smoke cigarettes, or get little or no exercise, new research shows.

  Teenagers in the study with all three negative lifestyle factors had a more than threefold greater likelihood of having frequent, severe headaches than normal-weight, active teens who did not smoke.

  Headaches are a common complaint among teenagers, with 5% of teenage boys and almost 8% of teenage girls in one nationwide study reporting frequent migraines. In another study of older teens in Poland, 28% reported having had a migraine headache.

  While obesity, smoking, and other lifestyle factors have been shown to influence the frequency and severity of chronic headaches in adults, the new study, published in the journal Neurology, is among the first to explore the relationship in teenagers.

  The study is the first to examine the individual impact of specific negative lifestyle factors like obesity and smoking, says study researcher John-Anker Zwart, MD, PhD, of the University of Oslo.

  "We were surprised by how many teenagers with headaches smoked or were overweight or physically inactive," Zwart tells WebMD. "We were also surprised that the impact of these negative lifestyle factors seemed to add up."

  The research included almost 6,000 students in Norway between the ages of 13 and 18 interviewed about their recent headache history. They also were asked if they smoked and how much they exercised.

  Roughly one in five teens (19%) said they were smokers, 16% were overweight, and 31% reported exercising less than twice a week.

  Overall, about a third of the girls (36%) and one-fifth of the boys (21%) reported having recurrent headaches within the past year.

  More than half (55%) of the overweight, sedentary teens who smoked reported recent frequent headaches, compared to one in four teens with none of these lifestyle factors.

  Compared to normal-weight, active, nonsmoking teens, overweight teens, and teens who smoked were 40% and 50%, respectively, more likely to have frequent headaches. Exercising less than twice a week was associated with a 20% increase in the likelihood of frequent headaches.

  It is not clear from the research if the negative lifestyle factors caused the frequent headaches or if they act more as triggers in already vulnerable teens.

  Source: WebMD, 18 August 2010
  Link: http://bit.ly/cOlKAx

• Smokers trying to give up don't stop thinking about cigarettes

  Blocking thoughts of cigarettes helps reduce smokers' intake at first, but means they smoke more than usual when they stop suppressing, according to new research.
  
  The study was carried out by researchers at St George's, University of London and the University of Hertfordshire.
  
  Co-author Dr James Erskine, a psychologist at St George's, says the study shows that many smokers attempting to give up as well as people trying to quit other vices may be thwarted by the very technique they use to stop.
  
  Dr Erskine said: "These findings have obvious implications for individuals seeking to give up certain behaviours, for example, smoking, overeating, drinking, sex and other excessive behaviours.
  
  "If trying to avoid thoughts of something in an attempt to give it up actually unwittingly triggers a subsequent increase, it's a poor method of achieving self control. This work may stop people using quitting techniques that are ultimately harmful."
  
  Dr Erskine and his team set out to test whether smokers experienced behavioural rebound the phenomenon where trying not to think about something leads to an increase in the behaviour. Their previous research into eating behaviour and thought suppression showed that people trying not to think about chocolate subsequently ate much more than people who were deliberately thinking about it. However, previous studies only examined behavioural rebound over a period of five minutes, rather than days and weeks.
  
  Eighty five smokers, who smoked at least ten cigarettes a day, took part in the latest study, which has been published in the journal Psychological Science. They were split into three groups and asked to monitor their cigarette intake over three weeks. All three groups were asked to behave as usual in the first and third weeks. But in the second week one group of 30 people was told to suppress their thoughts of smoking, and one group of 29 people was told to actively express thoughts about smoking. A control group of 26 was told not to change anything.
  
  The first week's results showed that each group smoked a different average number of cigarettes, so the researchers applied a formula to the following weeks' results to ensure they were comparing like for like.
  
  The results showed that neither the expression group nor the control group differed significantly in the number of cigarettes smoked from week to week. However, in the second week the suppression group smoked, on average, nearly five less cigarettes each than the expression group and almost four less than the control group. And in the third week when they stopped suppressing their thoughts the suppression group smoked nearly three more than the expression group and the control group. From the raw results, the suppressions group's increase from week two to three was six cigarettes per person, roughly three more each than smoked in the first week.
  
  Dr Erskine said: "This shows a clear behavioural rebound. The fact that the suppression group smoked less in the second week shows that this method may be effective in reducing unwanted behaviour in the short term. But this actually isn't helpful, as smokers might then think that thought suppression is a useful strategy in quitting smoking.
  
  "In this case, we asked the suppression group to stop suppressing in week three, but the rebound effect should be the same whether it is deliberate, or whether other real life factors cause someone to stop suppressing thoughts of smoking. In real life, it can be hard to continue suppressing your thoughts.
  
  "Although the differences in the number of cigarettes smoked from week to week may seem small, we know that habitual smokers are remarkably consistent in how many they smoke. So, even a small difference can be considered significant.
  
  "Knowing what techniques not to use should lead to better understanding of what methods of quitting do work."

  Source: Medical News Today, 17 August 2010
  Link: http://bit.ly/cHSWJM

• Discarded cigarette guts house

  A family of six are lucky to have escaped unscathed after fire ripped through their home.

  The blaze, caused by a discarded cigarette, gutted the upstairs floor of the semi-detached property.

  The latest incident follows the tragedy five days ago of a man in his 60s who died in a Southborne flat fire also caused by a discarded cigarette.

  Dorset Fire and Rescue Service investigations officer Mike Cox said the outcome in Hamworthy could have been a lot worse had the house not been fitted with smoke alarms.

  He said: “Early warning from the working smoke detectors allowed all the occupants to escape to safety.”

  Around 25 firefighters tackled the blaze, after receiving multiple 999 calls at 10.25pm on Tuesday night.

  Six firefighters wearing breathing apparatus climbed a nine-metre ladder to get to the fire that started in a bedroom.

  Mr Cox said: “When we arrived smoke and flames were coming out of the first floor bedroom window. The house was heavily involved in fire. Everyone was out of the property and crews managed to prevent the fire spreading to the roof space.”

  One neighbour, who didn’t want to be named, said: “I saw lots of smoke and some flames.

  “It must be a horrible feeling having your possessions destroyed, I really feel for them. But at least nobody was hurt, or killed.”

  Dorset Fire and Rescue Service is appealing to smokers to make sure matches, cigarettes and pipes are fully extinguished before going to bed.

  Source: Daily Echo, 18 August 2010
  Link: http://bit.ly/a0Utwy

• 300,000 smuggled cigarettes seized

  More than 300,000 smuggled cigarettes were seized from a van in Co Down, it has been disclosed.

  Customs officers swooped at the Newry dual carriageway in Banbridge on Tuesday.

  Two people from Co Antrim, a man and a woman, were arrested, questioned and released on bail pending further inquiries. The van and a car were confiscated.

  Mike Connolly, an assistant director at revenue and customs, said: "This form of criminality is motivated solely by greed and personal gain, costing us all, as taxpayers, about £2 billion per year in unpaid duty.

  "The unregulated sale of illegal cigarettes is not a victimless or harmless crime, and encourages otherwise honest people to trade with criminals."

  Revenue and Customs estimates the duty evaded on the 310,000 cigarettes to be £62,000.

  Investigations are continuing.

  Source: Belfast Telegraph, 18 August 2010
  Link: http://bit.ly/d6ZECO

• Wales: Doctors condemn tobacco industry attempts to overturn legislation

  Doctor's leaders in Wales have condemned the tobacco industry for lobbying to overturn legislation which would ban point of sale displays of tobacco.
  
  They are calling on Welsh MPs to help protect the young by ensuring the legislation goes ahead.
   
  Regulations following the Health Act 2009 will remove displays of tobacco in shops and also prohibit the sale of tobacco from vending machines. 
  
  Doctors believe that the regulations are vital and will help put an end to the loopholes that allows tobacco to be advertised to children.
   
  Although the regulations have already been passed, there are attempts supported by the tobacco industry to try and overturn them.  
   
  Dr Richard Lewis, Welsh Secretary of the BMA said: 'It is crucial that displays at point of sale are prohibited. These displays normalise tobacco use, especially because the packs are placed next to everyday items.
   
  'Smoking remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the UK. Nearly one in four adults still smoke and many others continue to take up the habit. The vast majority of individuals start smoking before the age of 25.
   
  'Maintaining strong regulations will help to protect children and prevent them from starting to smoke.'
   
  A study has shown that adolescents become more aware of tobacco brands when cigarettes are on display, and that they are more likely to express an interest in trying named brands.
  
  Schoolchildren shown a cigarettes display at point of sale were more likely to perceive that it would be easy for them to buy cigarettes than those who were shown a till point with no cigarette display.
   
  Dr Lewis warned: 'To ensure that public health remains a priority it is crucial that these pieces of public health legislation that have already been passed will not be revoked.
   
  'The government needs to show leadership, to protect the health of today's children and tomorrow's adults.'

  Source: dentistry.co.uk, 17 August 2010
  Link: http://bit.ly/axJqwK