HEADLINES

• Hackney Council pumps taxpayer millions into tobacco firms
• Do snus and e-cigarettes need a health warning?
• Research shows 71% accuracy as dogs sniff out lung cancer
• Risk of bladder cancer due to smoking higher than thought
• Stub it out before boarding, say cruisers

• Hackney Council pumps taxpayer millions into tobacco firms

  Hackney Council has admitted that it invests millions of pounds in the tobacco industry, despite also promoting several initiatives designed to combat smoking in the borough.

  According to the Council’s own figures, about 1.3% of its pension fund is invested in tobacco stocks, including British American Tobacco and Imperial Tobacco. These investments represent about £10.5 million.

  At the same time, the Council’s Health in Hackney Scrutiny Commission is looking at “what more can be done to reduce smoking at a local level.” Measures include a decision to make a local park’s play area and paddling pool a no smoking zone, and support to a national film competition designed to encourage young people not to smoke.

  A Council spokesperson defended the investments, saying that “The Council’s Pensions Sub-Committee has a duty to maximise returns for its pension fund. As a result, our external fund managers will explore investing in a wide range of investment opportunities to ensure the committee’s responsibilities are fully met. This situation is not specific to Hackney and is the same principle that all councils in London follow.”

  However, Amanda Sandford, Research Manager at ASH, challenged councils to think harder about where their money was invested.

  “Whilst we recognise that pension fund managers need to seek the best return on their investments,” she said, “this does not mean that they should ignore the ethical implications of their decisions … We urge all local authorities to review their portfolios and to stop supporting an industry that has such a devastating impact on society.”

  Source: Hackney Citizen - 18 August 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/puZaUF

• Do snus and e-cigarettes need a health warning?

  Jeff Stier, a senior fellow of the National Center For Public Policy Research (a conservative, free-market, nonprofit thinktank), explains why he thinks that harm reduction principles, which guide the US FDA's approach to new tobacco products, is a better way than the EU's prohibitionist stance.

  Source: The Guardian - 18 August 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/qlcKkW

• Research shows 71% accuracy as dogs sniff out lung cancer

  In a study carried out by researchers from Schillerhöhe Hospital in Germany and published in the European Respiratory Journal, dogs were able to correctly detect lung tumours in 71 per cent of patients, suggesting a similar technique could be used for early detection in future.

  The sniffing method relies on identifying so-called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are linked to the presence of cancer.

  In this study, the researchers worked with specially trained dogs and 220 volunteers, including some lung cancer patients, some with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients and some with no lung health problems.

  The results show the dogs successfully identified 71 samples with lung cancer out of a possible 100, and correctly detected 372 samples that did not have lung cancer out of a possible 400.

  The animals were also able to detect lung cancer independently from COPD and tobacco smoke.

  Source: Irish Times - 19 August 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/nOheaj

• Risk of bladder cancer due to smoking higher than thought

  According to a study in the August 17 issue of JAMA, an analysis of data from almost 500,000 individuals indicates, that the risk of bladder cancer among smokers is higher than reported from previous population data, and that the risk for female smokers is comparable with that of men.

  Tobacco smoking is the best-established risk factor for bladder cancer in both men and women. Previous studies suggest that current cigarette smoking triples bladder cancer risk relative to never smoking.

  The authors write:

  "However, the composition of cigarettes has changed during the past 50 years, leading to a reduction in tar and nicotine concentrations in cigarette smoke, but also to an apparent increase in the concentration of specific carcinogens, including beta-napthylamine, a known bladder carcinogen" adding that "changing smoking prevalence and cigarette composition warrant revisiting risk estimates for smoking and bladder cancer."

  The researchers analyzed data from 281,394 men and 186,134 women in the National Institutes of Health-AARP (NIH-AARP) Diet and Health Study, who filled in a lifestyle questionnaire and were followed up between October 1995 and December 2006.

  According to the data results, research suggests, that former smokers have a 2.2 times increased risk of bladder cancer and that the risk was approximately 4 times higher for current smokers in comparison to those who never smoked. 

  Source: MediLexicon - 18 August 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/nL4hMb

• Stub it out before boarding, say cruisers

  A study of 1,271 cruisers found 48% wanted a complete ban and 11% wanted smoking confined to a designated area. Among those questioned, 32% were smokers and 19% ‘social smokers’, with the remainder non-smokers.
  
  The majority of those who wanted a ban – 37% – said it was because of the health implications of passive smoking while 22% felt it was too dangerous to have lit cigarettes on board.
  
  Of the respondents who stated that smoking onboard a cruise liner should be limited to designated areas, 41% said that they felt this way because smokers are ‘used to the same limitations when at home in the UK’.
  
  Only 14% of the respondents cited that smokers on a cruise ship should ‘be entitled to smoke in their cabin’. 

  Source: e-tid.com - 18 August 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/raCzFm