 |
|
Media undermine efforts to tackle nicotine addiction
June 05, 2002Inaccurate media reports surrounding the safety of new smoking cessation drugs are undermining the treatment of nicotine addiction, according to an editorial in this week’s BMJ.
Professor Linda Ferry presents two scenarios that illustrate the struggle between the press and medical experts to investigate and report concerns about the safety of new drugs for smoking cessation, and the effect this struggle has on reported attempts to quit smoking.
In the United Kingdom, bupropion hydrochloride (Zyban) was heralded by the media as a wonder drug when it was released in 2000. Not surprisingly, smokers queued up in waiting rooms, expecting their tobacco addiction to be vanish with this new pill.
The public enthusiasm changed abruptly in February 2001 when a London newspaper profiled a few dramatic reports of deaths in smokers using bupropion. Although experts remain convinced of the safety of bupropion, the demand for treatment has declined.
A similar shift in public opinion followed media reports in the United States about an increased risk of heart attack associated with nicotine patches. A subsequent trial showed that patches were safe to use, specifically in patients with heart disease, but many smokers still believe the original media messages that “if I use a patch and smoke even one cigarette, I might have a heart attack.”
Clinicians should give clear messages to their patients that it is much safer to use either of these drugs to help their attempts to quit than to continue smoking, says the author. Unfortunately, much damage has been done.
Tobacco treatment specialists and public health agencies need to refute the inaccuracies of the media and present a clear picture of the enormous problem of preventable disability and the 120,000 tobacco related deaths a year from the 13 million smokers in the United Kingdom, she concludes.
British Medical Journal (BMJ)
The public enthusiasm changed abruptly in February 2001 when a London newspaper profiled a few dramatic reports of deaths in smokers using bupropion. Although experts remain convinced of the safety of bupropion, the demand for treatment has declined.
A similar shift in public opinion followed media reports in the United States about an increased risk of heart attack associated with nicotine patches. A subsequent trial showed that patches were safe to use, specifically in patients with heart disease, but many smokers still believe the original media messages that “if I use a patch and smoke even one cigarette, I might have a heart attack.”
Clinicians should give clear messages to their patients that it is much safer to use either of these drugs to help their attempts to quit than to continue smoking, says the author. Unfortunately, much damage has been done.
Tobacco treatment specialists and public health agencies need to refute the inaccuracies of the media and present a clear picture of the enormous problem of preventable disability and the 120,000 tobacco related deaths a year from the 13 million smokers in the United Kingdom, she concludes.
British Medical Journal (BMJ)
Smoking Current Events and Smoking News RSSPregnant women with asthma can be more confident about some medicines
Women can usually keep using the same asthma drugs they were using before they got pregnant. Budesonide sprays are the best studied and can be regarded as safe.
Drop in cancer deaths tied primarily to gains in behavior and screening
Improvements in behavior and screening have contributed greatly to the 13 percent decline in cancer mortality since 1990, with better cancer treatments playing a supporting role, according to new research from David Cutler of Harvard University.
Pregnant women with asthma can be more confident about some medicines
Women can usually keep using the same asthma drugs they were using before they got pregnant. Budesonide sprays are the best studied and can be regarded as safe.
Newborns exposed to maternal smoking more irritable, difficult to soothe
Previous studies have shown that babies exposed to tobacco in utero are more likely to have a low birth weight and are at increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome.
Cardiovascular disease causing increasing inequity between rich and poor
A new paper released today by The George Institute for International Health is warning a cardiovascular disease based epidemic is gaining pace among many low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), exemplified at its worst in the world's largest populated countries - China and India.
High levels of prenatal smoking exposure affect sleep patterns in preterm neonates
A study in the Dec. 1 issue of the journal Sleep is the first to show that high levels of prenatal smoking exposure strongly modify sleep patterns in preterm neonates, which places infants at a higher risk for developmental difficulties that could persist throughout early and middle childhood.
Stanford/Packard study shows no benefit from drug widely used to prevent premature births
When a pregnant woman goes into early labor, her obstetrician may give her drugs to quiet the woman's uterus and prevent premature birth.
Hairspray is linked to common genital birth defect, says study
Women who are exposed to hairspray in the workplace during pregnancy have more than double the risk of having a son with the genital birth defect hypospadias, according to a new study published today in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
Ability to quit smoking may depend on ADHD symptoms, Columbia researchers find
Tobacco use is more prevalent and smoking cessation less likely among persons with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (A.D.H.D.) In a study of smokers with attention deficit and hyperactivity symptoms, those who exhibited elevated hyperactivity and impulsivity, with or without inattention, showed lower quit rates after 8 weeks than those with inattention symptoms alone or those without the A.D.H.D. symptoms.
Smoking, teens and their parents: New research
A new study found that adolescents were at the greatest risk of smoking when their parents began smoking at an early age and the parents' smoking quickly reached high levels and persisted over time.
More Smoking Current Events and Smoking News Articles
 | The Easy Way to Stop Smoking: Join the Millions Who Have Become Non-Smokers Using Allen Carr's Easyway Method by Allen Carr A new edition of the revolutionary bestseller, with four million copies in print. Allen Carr’s innovative Easyway method—which he discovered after his own 100-cigarette-a-day habit nearly drove him to despair—has helped millions kick smoking without feeling anxious and deprived. That’s because he helps smokers discover the psychological reasons behind their dependency, explains in detail... |
 | Mastering the Craft of Smoking Food by Warren R. Anderson Here is an exceptionally complete guide to making real smoked food at home that tastes far better than commercially made... |
 | Thank You for Smoking: A Novel by Christopher Buckley Nobody blows smoke like Nick Naylor. He’s a spokesman for the Academy of Tobacco Studies–in other words, a flack for cigarette companies, paid to promote their product on talk and news shows. The problem? He’s so good at his job, so effortlessly unethical, that he’s become a target for both anti-tobacco terrorists and for the FBI. In a country where half the people want to outlaw pleasure... |
 | Meat Smoking and Smokehouse Design by Stanley Marianski, Adam Marianski, Robert Marianski Most books on the subject of smoking include a drawing or two, a few pages on generating smoke, and the rest of the pages are filled with recipes. While those recipes usually get the spotlight, the technical know-how behind preparing and smoking meats is far more important. When writing about cold or hot smoke the authors don't end on just giving the temperature range for a particular method.... |
 | Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing by Michael Ruhlman, Brian Polcyn The only book for home cooks offering a complete introduction to the craft.Charcuterie—a culinary specialty that originally referred to the creation of pork products such as salami, sausages, and prosciutto—is true food craftsmanship, the art of turning preserved food into items of beauty and taste. Today the term encompasses a vast range of preparations, most of which involve salting,... |
 | A Guide to Canning, Freezing, Curing & Smoking Meat, Fish & Game by Wilbur F. Eastman This no-nonsense guide to canning, freezing, curing, and smoking meat, fish, and game is written in down-to-earth, informative, everyday language. The third edition of this perennial bestseller is completely revised and updated to comply with the latest USDA health and safety guidelines. Includes dozens of delicious recipes for homemade Beef Jerky, Pemmican, Venison Mincemeat, Corned Beef,... |
 | Easy Way to Stop Smoking (Book & Cds) by Allen Carr |
 | Stop Smoking in One Hour: Play the CD... Just Once... and Never Smoke Again! by Susan Hepburn Everyday, an estimated one thousand Americans die from the effects of smoking. There are 45 to 50 million nicotine addicts in the United States, and most would like to quit. If you are one of them, this book is your... |
 | Smoking Food: A Beginner's Guide by Chris Dubbs, Dave Heberle Everything you need to know about home smoking.In Smoking Food, Chris Dubbs and Dave Heberle assure us that smoking is an art, not a science, and they fearlessly reveal that art's essentials—and how simple they can be. They explain how to choose the best fuels (you can use corncobs!), how to build smokers from old refrigerators and cardboard boxes, and, of course, how to smoke everything from... |
 | Cold-Smoking & Salt-Curing Meat, Fish, & Game by A. D. Livingston Includes construction plans for a smokehouse and fifty recipes for smoked delicacies.... |
| © 2008 BrightSurf.com |