Home / Media Room / News / News & Events Bulletin / ASH News and Events Bulletin - 15-30 June 2009 / ASH News and Events Bulletin - 16-31 March 2011

ASH News and Events Bulletin - 16-31 March 2011

HEADLINES

EVENTS

  • Trader keeps cigs out of sight for 20 years

    Len Hartley and Bill Esterson MPAn off-licence owner has been keeping tobacco out of the sight of children in a bid to stop them getting hooked on smoking.

    Len Hartley, who has been manager of T.C Wine Shop on Bridge Road in Waterloo (near Liverpool) for 20 years, said having cigarettes on show encourages youngsters to take up the habit of smoking.

    Mr Hartley said: “Having cigarettes in full view in the shop definitely encouraged more kids to try and buy them. Because of this I decided to only stock a small supply below the counter. Out of view.

    “I’ve been doing this for 20 years. I don’t want to play any part in helping the tobacco industry attract new smokers.”

    You can read a press release about this story by Heart of Mersey here. Bill Esterson MP has also published a press release praising Mr Hartley; it can be viewed here.

    picture shows Bill Hartley and his MP Bill Esterson.

    Source: Crosby Herald - 17 March 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/glLF0a

  • European governments need to improve smoking cessation services, smokers say

    Over 78 million smokers in Europe want to quit, but half (50%) of those surveyed who have tried to quit rate smoking cessation services as inadequate, poor or unacceptable, according to new research.

    Amongst healthcare professionals (HCPs) surveyed, 87% believe this support for smokers should be provided by primary care physicians. However, over half of physicians (55%) believe primary care HCPs lack the educational support to deliver these services effectively.

    These findings form part of research commissioned by Pfizer, which examines attitudes to smoking and smoking cessation amongst 2,482 HCPs, 20,010 smokers and 22,683 non-smokers across 20 European countries. 

    When it comes to investment in improving smoking cessation services there is strong support from HCPs, non-smokers and smokers alike. 68% of non-smokers and 51% of smokers surveyed across Europe believe governments should invest more in bringing smoker numbers down, rather than in treating the health problems resulting from smoking. This is echoed by HCPs surveyed, 88% of whom believe it is the government's responsibility to improve infrastructure that supports smoking cessation.

    The report,  titled Europe Quitting: Progress and Pathways (EQUIPP), looks at how 20 countries across Europe are progressing in line with their obligations with Article 14 of the WHO's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). It represents the views of over 60 European smoking cessation experts and is endorsed by the European Respiratory Society (ERS), the European Network for Smoking and Tobacco Prevention (ENSP), and The German Society for Pneumology. The report makes actionable recommendations at both an EU and country level for how improvements can be made.

    Source: MediLexicon - 17 March 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/hsMgfh

  • Scotland: Five years of the smoking ban

    With the fifth anniversary of the most radical public health legislation since devolution, the Scotsman gauges how Scots have reacted and tries to discover what the next step might be.

    Five years on from its implementation on 26 March, 2006, the success or otherwise of the ban very much depends on who you ask. Research in Glasgow has suggested almost immediate health benefits. One study in 2007 concluded heart attacks among non-smokers had fallen by a fifth since the ban came in.

    And last year more research found that the rate of hospitalisations for children with asthmatic symptoms had dropped by more than 18 per cent year-on-year since the ban, the assumption being smoker parents are also cutting down at home. 

    So what is the next target to encourage cutting down on smoking in Scotland?

    Some experts have their eye on passive smoking in the home, while others have suggested a ban on smoking in cars carrying children. 

    ---------------

    The latest Health Behaviours in School-aged Children (HBSC) Scotland report, which was funded by NHS Health Scotland and is published by the University of Edinburgh found that drinking, drug use and smoking among schoolchildren have fallen to the lowest level in two decades

    Source: The Scotsman - 22 March 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/dS9jyA

  • Tax restructuring will be good for health - ASH response to the Budget

    ASH welcomes the decision by the Chancellor to maintain the tax escalator introduced by the previous Government by raising cigarette duty by 2% above inflation. ASH is particularly pleased that the Chancellor has heeded the recommendation of health groups to change the tax structure in order to narrow the gap between the highest and lowest cigarette brands, and between hand-rolled tobacco and manufactured cigarettes, in line with the revised European Union tax directive. This will reduce the likelihood of smokers 'trading down' to cheaper brands and instead should help more smokers to quit. However we are disappointed that he did not accept our recommendation to raise taxes by 5% above inflation which would have been popular with the public.

    Deborah Arnott, Chief Executive of ASH said:

    "This modest tax rise is welcome although a bigger increase would have had an even better health outcome. We are pleased that the Chancellor has recognised the importance of raising taxes to drive down smoking.

    To complement the rise in tobacco duty we look forward to the launch of the Government's plans to tackle the illicit trade of tobacco. A strong anti-smuggling strategy is vital to avoid the tax policy being undermined by criminals."

    Links to further coverage:

    - Cheap cigarettes prompt duty change, The Independent 

    - Budget 2011: £7 pack of cigarettes, The Telegraph 

    - Tweaks to duty hit smokers of cheaper brands, The Financial Times 

    - Cost of cigarettes to rise by up to 50p a pack, The Guardian

    Source: MediLexicon - 24 March 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/fy7EWL

  • The future of tobacco control legislation, smokeless tobacco, and 'safer' cigarettes

    The main thrust of tobacco control legislation is to reduce the harm done by smoking.

    This has led to health warnings, smoking bans and advertising restrictions.
    It has also led to compulsory filters and legislation to reduce tar. Short of banning the manufacture of cigarettes, where else will it lead and what product will tobacco consumers be buying in 2050?

    Projecting trends forward, it is inevitable that government legislation which has changed the cigarette from an initially high tar product with no filter tip will change it further by insisting on progressive reductions in the toxins produced by burning tobacco.

    Ultimately, health standards applied to tobacco smoke may become so rigorous that the industry might take the path away from burning to other means of delivering nicotine to tobacco users. 

    Source: Market Research World - 15 March 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/hkApU4

  • FDA weighs ban on Newports, other menthol cigarettes

    Phillip Gardiner started smoking after he quit his college basketball team. He soon switched from Winstons, then the country's topselling brand, to Kool menthols.

    Over the more than 40 years since Gardiner — who is black — opted for Kools, menthol cigarettes have become increasingly popular with African-American smokers.

    Today, black smokers are four times more likely to choose menthols than white smokers. (Gardiner quit smoking long ago.) By 2005, half of black smokers smoked Newports, the most popular menthol brand.

    Gardiner, a scientist with the Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program at the University of California Office of the President, calls this the "African-Americanization of menthol cigarette use." Once a niche product smoked mainly by women, menthols became the cigarette of choice for black smokers thanks in part to targeted marketing in urban centers and in publications aimed at black readers.

    Now the Food and Drug Administration is considering a ban on menthol cigarettes, fueling a debate about how such a move would impact African Americans. 

    Source: USA Today - 14 March 2011
    Link: http://usat.ly/eUxYKH

  • The wrangle over Rango: Is a smoking cartoon a health risk?

    Is the new animated film Rango a public health hazard or a harmless cartoon? The fact that some of the characters smoke has led to a debate on the impact it could have on yound viewers.

    Source: The Globe and Mail - 17 March 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/hKdYV0

  • Parliamentary question: Smoking in cars with children

    Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the effect on the health of young people of secondhand tobacco smoke in confined spaces; 

    (2) what steps he is taking to reduce the level of exposure of children to secondhand tobacco smoke in cars.

    Anne Milton: The Tobacco Control Plan for England, published on 9 March 2011, sets out the action Government will take across the six internationally recognised strands that make up a comprehensive, approach to tobacco control. This includes protection from exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke. The Plan is informed by The Impact of Smokefree Legislation in England an academic review of the evidence on the effectiveness of the 2006 smokefree law (which was published alongside the Plan) and by Passive Smoking and children: a report of the Royal College of Physicians. The reports include evidence of the impact of the law on the exposure of children to secondhand smoke.

    Although the exposure of children to secondhand tobacco smoke has come down in recent years, there is no room for complacency. We want smokers to change their behaviour so as to make sure that they do not harm those around them, particularly children in the home or in family cars. We will work with national media to raise awareness of the risks in exposing children to secondhand smoke. The Department's new marketing strategy for tobacco control will set out further details of how we will support efforts to encourage smokefree homes and family cars.

    Source: Hansard - 22 March 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/h984Kq

  • Parliamentary question: Proportion of smokers

    Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of (a) adults, (b) children and (c) young people were recorded as smokers in each of the last 10 years; and what estimate he has made of the equivalent numbers and proportions for each of the next five years. 

    Anne Milton: Information is not available in the format requested. We hold information for adults (aged 16 and over) and young people (aged 11-15) but we do not hold information for children under 11.

    Information on the prevalence of cigarette smoking by sex in England from 1978 to 2009 can be found in table 1.10 of "General Lifestyle Survey: Smoking and drinking among adults 2009". This is available here (pdf).

    Table 3.1a of "Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in England in 2009" shows smoking behaviour among young people aged 11-15 by sex for the period 1982-2000. Table 3.1b shows the same information for the period 2001-09. These are available here.

    The Department does not hold any forecasted estimates of the prevalence of smoking for either adults or young people. The Government have set ambitions to reduce smoking rates among adults, young people and pregnant women in England by the end of 2015, as described in "Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A tobacco control plan for England", published on 9 March 2011. 

    [ed. note: the Government has set three national ambitions to focus tobacco control work across the whole system:

    • Reduce smoking prevalence among adults in England: To reduce adult (aged 18 or over) smoking prevalence in England to 18.5 per cent or less by the end of 2015, meaning around 210,000 fewer smokers a year.
    • Reduce smoking prevalence among young people in England: To reduce rates of regular smoking among 15 year olds in England to 12 per cent or less by the end of 2015.
    • Reduce smoking during pregnancy in England: To reduce rates of smoking throughout pregnancy to 11 per cent or less by the end of 2015 (measured at time of giving birth).]
    Source: Hansard - 24 March 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/eXYgvF

  • Parliamentary question: Assessment of the effects of the Health Act 2006

    Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effects of the provisions of the Health Act 2006 on reducing the number of (a) males and (b) females aged under 17 who (i) smoke and (ii) take up smoking; and if he will make a statement.

    Anne Milton: The Health Act 2006 includes provisions for smokefree environments and powers to amend the age of sale of tobacco products.

    Under the powers in the Health Act 2006, the Children and Young Persons (Sales of Tobacco etc.) Order 2007 was made to raise the age of sale for tobacco products from 16 to 18 years. The order came into force in England and Wales on 1 October 2007. While data are not available in the format requested, research published in 2010 found that there was a greater fall in prevalence in 16 and 17-year-olds in England following the increase in the age of sale than in older age groups (Fidler J. and West R. (2010). 'Changes in smoking prevalence in 16-17-year-olds versus older adults following a rise in legal age of sale: findings from an English population study' in "Addiction". 105, pp.1984-8). A copy of this article has been placed in the Library.

    The primary objective of smokefree legislation was to reduce the risk to health from exposure to secondhand smoke, and no assessment has been made of the impact of this legislation on reducing smoking rates among young people. On 9 March 2011, the Department published 'The Impact of Smokefree Legislation in England: Evidence Review'. 

    Source: Hansard - 24 March 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/dNSHmL

  • Smoke in your Eyes

    The Morning Star examines the pressure groups and lobbyists behind the headlines that followed the launch of the Government's Tobacco Control Plan. 

    So who are the main players? In Britain these are the Tobacco Manufacters' Association, Forest (Freedom Organisation for the Right to Enjoy Smoking Tobacco), the Tobacco Retailers' Alliance and the National Federation of Retail Newsagents. 
     
    The Tobacco Manufacturers' Association represents Gallaher, Imperial Tobacco and British American Tobacco, which collectively controls around 90 per cent of the British market.
    Its chief executive Chris Ogden frequently appears on television on their behalf - and often alongside their subsidiary, the Tobacco Retailers' Alliance. Founded in 1982, its funding - £120,000 a year - comes entirely from the Tobacco Manufacturers' Association.
     
    Tobacco Retailers Alliance (TRA)
    A spokesman confirmed that Imperial Tobacco, British American Tobacco and Japan Tobacco International (which owns Gallaher) each paid £21,500 a year in "premier club" membership dues, plus events sponsorship and other arrangements, but added that this was "entirely separate" to their lobbying work.

    The National Federation of Retail Newsagents.
    The NFRN campaigns on a range of issues - but as Guardian reporters found last month, the relationship with sponsors runs far deeper. Ex-president Colin Finch alleged the federation was "a puppet" for the tobacco industry, while another described a "don't ask" policy for campaign funding.
     
    Other questions remain unanswered. What did Imperial Tobacco's public relations manager Iain Watkins do to win the federation's "fellowship award" in October? And why was the federation's own public relations manager Niki Haywood invited to speak at last year's Global Tobacco Networking Forum in India? Neither the federation nor Haywood responded to requests for comment.
     
    Forest
    One of the industry's best friends is Forest, a "smokers' rights" group which "represents adults who choose to smoke tobacco and non-smoking adults who are tolerant of other people smoking."
    It's anyone's guess how representative it really is, as director Simon Clark says allowing members to vote on policy would be "an administrative nightmare."

    Forest makes it clear on its website that most of its funding comes from industry groups. But what it doesn't say is just how much money there is. Clark confessed at a health select committee hearing back in 2000 that Forest operated on around a £250,000 a year, 96 per cent directly from Japan Tobacco International, Imperial Tobacco and British American Tobacco.
    Source: The Morning Star - 22 March 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/eeYYJ5

  • Cigarette companies target LGBT people

    The presence of Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans (LGBT)  themes in cigarette ads surprised a crowd of people at a workshop during the Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Ally College Conference at the University of Michigan last month. Because LGBT people are more likely to smoke cigarettes, the industry has responded accordingly.

    According to the American Legacy Foundation, sexual minorities are 1.5 to 2.5 times more likely to smoke cigarettes. Bisexual women are up to 3.5 times more likely to be smokers.

    Cigarette companies strive to associate with LGBT people - but not to come across as a pro-LGBT company, said Jaime Tam, who presented the "Big Tobacco and the LGBT Community" workshop. "They (want) to protect their image in the eyes of the general public."

    Tam said that tobacco ads are purposefully sexually ambiguous - featuring, for example, two men and a woman so that it's unclear who the primary male is attracted to. Some companies have aligned themselves clearly in support of the LGBT community as a way to sell cigarettes.

    Organizations such as The Last Drag, the American Legacy Foundation, and the National LGBT Tobacco Control Network work to provide LGBT people with resources and information about the negative effects of smoking and how and why LGBTs are targeted. The Tobacco Control Network states that it works "to eliminate tobacco health disparities for all LGBTs."

    Source: Pride Source - 17 March 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/fppNgA

  • Imperial Tobacco shares slide on slowing growth

    Imperial Tobacco shares fell by almost 3% after the company said revenue growth would slow.

    The company announced that revenues in the six months to the end of March were expected to grow by just 2%, after a 5% rise in the last three months of 2010.

    Part of the slowdown in sales growth was due to a changing market in Spain. The firm said Spain had continued to be a tough market due to a rise in tobacco duty in December, a ban on smoking in public places at the beginning of 2011, and the continued weakness of the economy.

    Source: BBC News - 23 March 2011
    Link: http://bbc.in/dIoZfB

  • British American Tobacco cut from U.S. racketeering case

    British American Tobacco Plc, Europe’s largest cigarette maker, was dropped from the U.S. government’s racketeering lawsuit after a judge in Washington ruled the U.S. no longer has the authority to hold the U.K. company liable for hiding the health hazards of smoking.

    U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler today said a 2010 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in a securities case restricts the U.S. from seeking liability from “what is essentially foreign activity.”

    “There is no evidence that Congress intended to criminalize foreign racketeering activities under RICO,” Kessler wrote.

    In 2006, Kessler found that the British American Tobacco (Investments) Ltd. unit of British American Tobacco and other cigarette companies violated anti-racketeering laws by conspiring to hide the dangers of cigarettes. Kessler ordered the companies to stop marketing cigarettes as “light” and “low-tar” and to make statements about the health effects of smoking in newspapers and magazines and on cigarette packages.

    Source: Bloomberg Businessweek - 29 March 2011
    Link: http://buswk.co/fjyUk2

  • Philip Morris International says Japan profits intact

    The earthquake and tsunami in Japan are not expected to affect Philip Morris International Inc.'s sales and profit in the country, the cigarette maker said; adding that all of the cigarettes for sale in Japan are produced outside the country and shipments at ports are "being unloaded normally."

    The company said four of 28 third-party distribution centers in Japan are closed because of damage. Two are expected to open this week, and other distribution arrangements are being made for the other two centers.

    Source: Richmond Times Dispatch - 28 March 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/giXZmq

  • Australia: Tobacco industry's anti plain packaging ad campaign backfires

    A major tobacco-industry funded advertising blitz has backfired, with new research revealing the "It won't work, so why do it" campaign persuaded more people to support the plain packaging of cigarettes than oppose it.

    The Cancer Council Victoria survey of 2,101 Victorians who recalled the ad campaign found that more than eight out of ten respondents said the ad didn't affect their view of plain packaging.

    Only 3.9% of respondents felt the ad reduced their support of plain packaging.  Just over half of those surveyed  recognised that the ads, under the moniker of the 'Alliance of Australian Retailers', were funded by the tobacco industry.
     
    Quit Executive Director Fiona Sharkie said the study showed the public wasn't falling for the industry's dirty tricks, but added that it was worrying that only just over half of respondents knew the ads were funded by the tobacco industry.
     
    "Alarmingly it's only a small majority of people who know who's behind this campaign, and that's exactly what the tobacco-industry wants. It knows people don't trust it, but hope it will trust this sham front group the 'Alliance of Australian Retailers'," Ms Sharkie said.
    Source: International Business Times - 30 March 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/dQAhNW

  • Tobacco Control Scale 2010 in Europe

    The report presents the results of a survey of tobacco control activity in 31 European countries in 2010 using the Tobacco Control Scale. The following six measures were described by the World Bank as essential to a comprehensive tobacco control programme:

    •     price increases through higher taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products;
    •     bans/restrictions on smoking in public and work places;
    •     better consumer information, including public information campaigns, media coverage, and publicising research findings;
    •     comprehensive bans on the advertising and promotion of all tobacco products, logos and brand names;
    •     large, direct health warning labels on cigarette boxes and other tobacco products;
    •     treatment to help dependent smokers stop, including increased access to medications.

    The Tobacco Control Scale 2010 is available for download by clicking on the link below.

    Source: ENSP - 23 March 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/i8j2CQ

  • Harm reduction and nicotine dependence

    Abstract
    In recent years, a renewed debate has developed around the potential for modified tobacco products to play a role in reducing tobacco-related harm. During the 1960s and 1970s medical experts recommended to smokers who could not quit that they switch to cigarettes with lower tar and nicotine content. At the time, survey data suggested that smokers who switched did not compensate for the reduction in nicotine by increasing their intake. However, public health scientists were hindered in their ability to evaluate the population impact of the reduced tar strategy by a limited understanding of nicotine addiction. Smoking dependence was seen as primarily psychological and social, rather than pharmacological or biological, until the late 1970s, when addiction researchers began to apply experimental techniques from other forms of drug abuse to study smoking behavior. This history has important lessons for current discussions about tobacco harm reduction and regulation of nicotine delivery.

    Parascandola M., Tobacco harm reduction and the evolution of nicotine dependence. American Journal of Public Health. 2011 Apr;101(4):632-41. Epub 2011 Feb 17.

    Source: PubMed - 17 February 2011
    Link: http://1.usa.gov/gAW6dI

  • Smoking reduction

    Abstract

    Aims To examine the effectiveness of smoking reduction counselling plus free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) for smokers not willing to quit.
    Design, Setting and Participants >1154 Chinese adult smokers not willing to quit but who were interested in reducing smoking were allocated randomly to three arms. Intervention Group A1 (n = 478) received face-to-face counselling on smoking reduction and adherence to NRT at baseline, 1-week and 4-weeks with 4-weeks of free NRT. Group A2 (n = 449) received the same intervention except without the adherence intervention. The Control group B (n = 226) received a simple cessation advice at baseline.

    Measurements Self-reported 7-day point prevalence of tobacco abstinence and reduction of cigarette consumption (≥50%) at 6-months and continuous use of NRT for 4 weeks at 3-months.

    Findings Using intention-to-treat analysis, compared to the control group B, the intervention groups (A1+A2) had achieved higher 6-month tobacco abstinence (17.0% versus 10.2%, P= 0.01) and reduction rates (50.9% versus 25.7%, P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the 4-week NRT adherence rate at 3-months, but Group A1 has achieved a higher abstinence rate than Group A2 at 6-months (20.9% versus 12.9%; P= 0.001).

    Conclusions In smokers with no immediate plans to quit, smoking reduction programmes with behavioural support and NRT are more effective than brief advice to quit. Current guidelines recommend advice to quit on medical grounds as the best clinical intervention in this group of smokers, but smoking reduction programmes offer an alternative and effective option.

    Chan, S., et al., A randomized controlled trial of a smoking reduction plus nicotine replacement therapy intervention for smokers not willing to quit smoking, Addiction, no. doi: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2011.03363.x

    Source: Wiley Online Library - 07 March 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/h1N0jJ

  • Finding it easy to quit smoking could be an early symptom of lung cancer

    Many longtime smokers quit spontaneously with little effort shortly before their lung cancer is diagnosed, leading some researchers to speculate that sudden cessation may be a symptom of lung cancer.

    Most patients who quit did so before noticing any symptoms of cancer, according to the study, which was published in the March issue of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology (JTO), the official monthly journal of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC).

    Researchers interviewed 115 lung cancer patients from the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center, all of whom had been smokers. Fifty-five (48%) had quit smoking before diagnosis, and only six of those (11%) had experienced symptoms of lung cancer by the time they quit. Patients with lung cancer who quit were as dependent on nicotine, when their smoking was at its highest point, as those who continued to smoke. Yet 31% reported quitting with no difficulty.  

    Researchers speculated that spontaneous smoking cessation may be a presenting symptom of lung cancer, possibly caused by tumor secretion of a substance interfering with nicotine addiction. 

    Source: Medical News Today - 02 March 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/dNPUDE

  • Impact of tobacco control policies on Australian youth smoking

    Abstract

    Aims:  To assess the impact of tobacco control policies relating to youth access, clean indoor air and tobacco advertising at point-of-sale and outdoors, in addition to cigarette price and per capita tobacco control spending, on adolescent smoking prevalence.

    Design:  Repeated cross-sectional surveys. Logistic regression analyses examined association between policies and smoking prevalence.

    Setting:  Australia 1990 to 2005

    Participants:  A nationally representative sample of secondary students (aged 12 to 17 years) participating in a triennial survey (sample size per survey range: 20,560 to 27,480)

    Measurements:  Students’ report of past month smoking. In each jurisdiction, extent of implementation of the three policies for the year of the survey was determined. For each survey year, national per capita tobacco control spending was determined and jurisdiction-specific 12-month change in cigarette price obtained.

    Findings:  Extent of implementation of the three policy areas varied between states and over the survey years. Multivariate analyses that adjusted for demographic factors, year and all tobacco control variables showed that 12-month cigarette price increases (OR = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.97-0.99), greater per capita tobacco control spending (OR = 0.99, 95%CI: 0.98-0.99) and stronger implementation of clean indoor air policies (OR = 0.93, 95%CI: 0.92-0.94) were associated with reduced smoking prevalence.

    Conclusions:  Adult-directed, population-based tobacco control policies such as clean indoor air laws and increased prices of cigarettes, implemented as part of a well-funded comprehensive tobacco control program are associated with lower adolescent smoking.

    White, V., et al., What impact have tobacco control policies, cigarette price and tobacco control program funding had on Australian adolescents’ smoking? Findings over a 15-year period, Addiction, Accepted Article (Accepted, unedited articles published online for future issues)

    Source: Wiley Online Library - 14 March 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/fDdk5Q

  • Tobacco smoking impacts teens' brains, UCLA study shows

     

    While studies have linked cigarette smoking to deficits in attention and memory in adults, UCLA researchers wanted to compare brain function in adolescent smokers and non-smokers, with a focus on the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain that guides "executive functions" like decision-making and that is still developing structurally and functionally in adolescents.

    They found a disturbing correlation: The greater a teen's addiction to nicotine, the less active the prefrontal cortex was, suggesting that smoking can affect brain function.

    In the study, 25 smokers and 25 non-smokers between the ages of 15 to 21 were asked to perform a test that activated the prefrontal cortex and required them to inhibit responding.

    The test, called the Stop-Signal Task (SST), was done while the participants were undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The Stop-Signal Task involves pressing a button as quickly as possible every time a lighted arrow appears - unless an auditory tone is played, in which case the participant must prevent himself from pressing the button. It is a test of a person's ability to inhibit an action.

    Prior to the fMRI test, the researchers used the Heaviness of Smoking Index (HSI) to measure the level of nicotine dependence in the smoking group. The HSI takes into account how many cigarettes a teen smokes in a day and how soon after waking he or she takes the first smoke.

    Among smokers, the researchers found that the higher the HSI - that is, the more a teen smoked - the lesser the activity in the prefrontal cortex. And yet, despite these lower levels of activation, the smoking group and the non-smoking group performed roughly the same with respect to inhibition on the Stop-Signal Task.

    Source: BrightSurf - 03 March 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/gatNIf

  • Smoking and dementia

    For a time, despite overwhelming evidence that smoking elevates the risk of nearly every chronic disease, dementia appeared to be one of the only exceptions. Preliminary evidence from case-control and prevalence studies suggested that smoking may be protective against Alzheimer disease (AD) and other types of dementia, but more recent evidence from prospective studies of older adults suggests that smokers may instead have an elevated risk of dementia. Yet, results have been mixed, perhaps because examining the relationship in elderly cohorts followed up for relatively short periods may miss the period in which smoking exerts its effect, which could occur many years before clinical manifestation of cognitive impairment. A recent study by Rusanen et al, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, addressed this shortcoming by examining smoking at midlife (aged 50-60 years) and subsequent risk of dementia in later life. The authors found that individuals who were heavy smokers at midlife had more than double the risk of dementia and the subtypes of AD and vascular dementia (VaD) compared with nonsmokers and that these findings were independent of many vascular factors, including stroke. These findings aid our understanding of smoking as a putative risk factor for dementia and, more generally, provide an opportunity to reflect on certain themes relevant to research into the determinants of dementia...

    Lowering smoking rates represents a potentially powerful lever in shifting the entire population curve for dementia. The challenge is, of course, getting individuals to change their behavior. Getting them to quit smoking is typically difficult. However, recent public health measures including antismoking campaigns, indoor smoking bans, and increased cigarette taxes have been successful in lowering smoking rates. It remains to be seen whether these measures will lead to a reduction in the burden of dementia in the coming decades. Much work remains, but the study by Rusanen et al is an important step in the right direction toward our understanding of the modifiable risk factors for dementia.

    Bryan, D. and Bennett, D., Smoking in Midlife and Dementia in Old Age: Risk Across the Life Course, Archives of Neurology. 2011;68(3):365-368.

    See also:
    Heavy Smoking in Midlife and Long-term Risk of Alzheimer Disease and Vascular Dementia


     

    Source: Archives of Neurology - 03 March 2011
    Link: http://bit.ly/e87zRy

Events

  • Tobacco control in practice: a postgraduate CPD module

    The module is aimed at professionals, at all levels, working in public health, health promotion and related fields. It aims to provide participants with an overview of key concepts and issues in tobacco control. Adopting an evidence-based approach, the unit will provide a background in the origins and key debates in tobacco control and enable students to critically evaluate current tobacco control interventions. The unit will also help students consider how they can apply lessons from current and emerging areas of tobacco control to their own areas of work.

    Applications will not be accepted after Friday 8th April 2011.
     
    UKCTCS: www.ukctcs.org
    University of Stirling: www.research.stir.ac.uk
    Date: 09 May 2011
    Venue: University of Stirling, Scotland
    Contact: c.a.french@bath.ac.uk

  • Health and Wellbeing – the 21st Century Agenda

    The second international conference organised by the journal Public Health is taking as its theme health and wellbeing. The conference will explore the relationships between health, wellbeing and the factors which influence them in a global environment. 


    website

    Date: 08 September 2011
    Venue: Friends House, 173-177 Euston Road, London, NW1 2BJ
    Contact: crobins@rsph.org.uk

  • 15th World Conference on Tobacco or Health

    The premier, international conference on tobacco control attracts thousands of academics, practitioners, non-government organisations and public officials. 

    Date: 20 March 2012
    Venue: Singapore
    Contact: http://wctoh2012.org