Japan: New study finds children of smoking mothers have a higher risk of obesity

Children whose mothers smoked even in the early stages of pregnancy are nearly three times more likely to struggle with obesity later in life, according to a Japanese study.

The survey was done over a period of nearly two decades by a team led by Zentaro Yamagata, professor at Yamanashi University’s School of Medicine. It covered 1,400 women in Japan who gave birth between April 1991 and March 1997.

The researchers then collected data on 1,000 of their children until they entered fourth grade at age nine or ten.

The study showed that the risk of obesity was 2.9 times higher among children whose mothers smoked when they were three months pregnant or at an even earlier stage, as compared with children of non-smoking mothers.

Yamagata said, "The results indicate smoking during pregnancy, even in the early stages, can affect the health of children over a long period of time."

Source: Daily Times, 30 October 2007
Link: http://tinyurl.com/2n5gn4

UK smoking ban hits Imperial's cigarette sales

Imperial Tobacco has revealed that cigarette sales have plummeted in the first three months of the smoking ban in England.

Imperial said the smoking ban and a poor summer combined to undo a buoyant first half to the year, with volumes falling by around two per cent for the year to September 30.

The company said: "As anticipated, and in line with our experiences in other markets with similar legislation, these have resulted in an initial decline in cigarette market volumes. Once the initial impact of public smoking bans has dissipated, we expect annual cigarette market declines of 3 per cent to 4 per cent in line with the long term trend."

The company reported a 6 per cent improvement in full-year group pre-tax profits of £1.2 billion this morning, boosted by growth in Asia.

Imperial, the world's fourth largest international tobacco company, said that British revenue had risen five per cent to £876 million, while adjusted profit from ordinary activities rose 11 per cent to £564 million, aided by an eight per cent surge in the volume of fine cut tobacco.

The UK’s top-selling Lambert & Butler and Richmond economy cigarettes both increased their share in the domestic market.

The Bristol based company expects the acquisition of Altadis, the Franco-Spanish maker of Gauloise, to be completed by next January. The £11.2 billion deal was approved by the European Commission two weeks ago.

Source: The Times, 30 October 2007
Link: http://tinyurl.com/228nkz

Experts meet to look at how to reduce smoking during pregnancy

Health experts from across the country meet in the North-East today for a regional summit to bring down smoking rates in pregnant mothers. 

The Smoking and Maternal and Child Health conference will see health chiefs discuss and identify how to reduce smoking rates among women of child bearing age.

Smoking remains the number one cause of premature death in the region and up to half the difference in life expectancy between the most and least affluent groups is because of smoking.

The topic has already been given major focus in the region’s first health strategy, Better Health Fairer Health, which was launched last month and focuses on reducing the rates of smoking in pregnancy.

Now the summit on Teesside has been organised by Fresh, Smoke Free North-East, which is urgently calling for a review of the work currently being delivered in the region to address the issue of smoking and pregnancy, as well as reducing health inequalities among pregnant women. 

Ailsa Rutter, director for Fresh said: “Smoking can compromise the capacity to have a family, and parental smoking can have long term and serious consequences for child health."

“Exposure to secondhand smoke is a risk during pregnancy, and harms infants and children, but the good news is that quitting smoking reduces or eliminates many of the risks to reproductive life and health.”

She said the summit would act as a vital forum for all health professionals to thoroughly address smoking and pregnancy.

“Clear messages on the dangers of smoking and pregnancy must be given to women and their families in general and not just after a pregnancy occurs. We hope that the summit will enhance the importance of this issue and make it a much greater priority within the whole health service.”

Although the North-East has good support for pregnant women and their families to quit smoking through the local NHS Stop Smoking Services, smoking rates among pregnant women remain high, with around 25% of babies in the North-East born to mothers who have smoked throughout pregnancy.

The health strategy, which aims to transform the health of the region within a generation, is proposing to publish six monthly statistics on smoking during pregnancy as part of a wider marketing campaign to highlight the danger to babies of smoking during and after pregnancy.

It is proposed that a formal regional prevalence target should be adopted, aiming for a regional prevalence of no more than 23% by the end of 2010 and 20% or below the national average by 2015 and an absolute level of only 10% by 2032.

Source: Journal Live, 30 October 2007  
Link: http://tinyurl.com/237kpg