Research on tobacco, smoking, and quitting. Covers vaping trends, the social side of smoking, headache links, and cessation methods.
The study estimates the total cost of smoking in California at $18.1 billion for 2009, down from $7.6 billion and $15.8 billion in previous years. This decline is attributed to a decrease in adult smoking prevalence and a shift towards less intense smoking habits.
The Moffitt Cancer Center has received a $3.6 million grant to investigate the long-term use of e-cigarettes as a quit-smoking strategy. The five-year study will enroll 2,500 e-cigarette users and follow them for 24 months to gather data on their effectiveness.
Leading doctors and academics call for divestment from fossil fuel companies, citing the need to prevent runaway climate change and unprecedented harm to global health. The authors argue that shareholder engagement is ineffective in switching dependence on fossil fuels with renewables.
The BMJ investigation reveals a sharp divide within the public health community regarding e-cigarettes and 'harm reduction'. Experts debate the products' potential to help smokers quit and the tobacco industry's true intentions. Some argue for collaboration with the industry, while others fear it may be a Trojan horse.
A new study finds that as smoking declines overall, remaining smokers are actually less likely to smoke and more likely to quit. The study challenges the need to promote e-cigarettes as a harm reduction strategy, suggesting that current tobacco control policies have been successful in reducing smoking prevalence.
Researchers at Georgia State University found a doubling of establishments permitting smoking in designated dining areas and outdoor spaces. The percentage of restaurants and bars allowing smoking nearly doubled from 9.1% to 17.6% between 2006 and 2012.
A study published in Addictive Behaviors found that cigarette prices and pictorial labels are effective in reducing smoking rates among women. Highly educated women were more responsive to price increases, while less educated women were more influenced by pictorial labels.
Research published in Tobacco Control found that including experimenters in e-cigarette prevalence studies can lead to inaccurate results. The study suggests setting a threshold of six days out of the past 30 for more accurate monitoring of population health trends. Current smokers were more likely to use e-cigarettes than former or ne...
Research suggests pyrazines, found in low tar cigarettes, can act independently of nicotine to prompt dopamine release and enhance tobacco dependence. The study calls for swift regulation of pyrazine additives to mitigate their role in nicotine addiction.
A study by Dr Erdogan Ozturk and colleagues found that smokers need more anaesthetic and painkillers compared to non-smokers, while passive smokers also require higher doses. The researchers suggest that nicotine may affect anaesthetic metabolism or desensitize pain-sensing nerve cells.
A UK study found that 1.1 million children live with at least one smoker parent, and an additional 400,000 would be in poverty if tobacco expenditure is subtracted from household income. This highlights the financial burden of smoking on low-income families.
A new study found that smoke-free legislation in England leads to a significant reduction in hospital admissions for respiratory tract infections among children. The introduction of legislation resulted in an immediate decrease of 13.8% in lower respiratory tract infection admissions, while upper respiratory tract infections also saw a...
Research finds EU tobacco agreements with major companies have failed to stop cigarette smuggling and recoup lost tax revenues. The agreements contain many loopholes that the industry can easily exploit, making them ineffective deterrents.
An investigation by The BMJ found that 38 MPs have accepted over £60,000 worth of tobacco industry hospitality since 2010. More than half of these MPs are from constituencies with higher rates of smoking-related deaths. The study also revealed that 20 of the 38 who had accepted industry hospitality voted against plain packaging.
A University of Colorado Cancer Center study found smokers are 60% less likely to vote than non-smokers in a recent election. The data comes from the Colorado Tobacco Attitudes and Behaviors Study, which reached 11,626 people through random digit dialing.
A new study reveals that e-cigarettes' mechanical and chemical properties influence the production of toxic substances, including acrolein, acetaldehyde, and formaldehyde. The findings suggest that standardizing these devices is crucial to understanding their health effects.
A study of 30 healthy adult nonsmokers found that a single exposure to e-cigarette vapor diminished cough reflex sensitivity. However, sensitivity returned to baseline levels 24 hours after exposure. This effect suggests potential risks for chronic e-cigarette use on respiratory health.
New research from the University of Cincinnati found residues of chromium, arsenic, and cadmium in simulated hookah/steam stones smoking scenarios, raising concerns about the safety of these alternatives to cigarette smoking. The study suggests that most toxic metals came from charcoal used to heat the apparatus.
The Global Statistics on Addictive Behaviours report found that Australia has lower rates of tobacco use and alcohol abuse compared to the UK. Illicit drug use is significant in Australia, with higher rates of cannabis, ecstasy, and amphetamine-type drug use.
Researchers suggest four strategies to prevent marijuana use among minors: increasing prices through tax policy, regulating retail availability, preventing accidental ingestion by children, and restricting marketing. These measures can help minimize youth access to marijuana.
A new psychological technique called Motivational Interviewing has been shown to help smokers change their behavior and see tobacco as unpleasant. This technique, which takes just 20 minutes, increases self-efficiency and reduces resistance, allowing smokers to overcome motivation barriers.
Researchers at British American Tobacco developed a new smoking-specific survey, TQoLIT, to assess the impact of next-generation tobacco and nicotine products on 'otherwise healthy' smokers. The tool improves upon existing general health questionnaires by reducing ceiling effects and detecting specific smoking-related health changes.
A recent study found that electronic cigarette use among teenagers is increasing rapidly, with 10% of teens using e-cigarettes in 2012 rising to 11% in 2014. The study also showed that e-cigarette use was more prevalent among older youths and males.
The World Health Organization recommends a 30% reduction in smoking rates by 2025. Countries must triple tobacco taxes to achieve this goal, which could save an estimated 200 million lives by the end of the century. Quitting smoking before age 40 can substantially reduce risk.
A survey of French people aged 40-75 found that many incorrectly believed low cigarette consumption was risk-free for lung cancer. Only half of current smokers considered themselves at higher risk than the average population.
A new study published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research found that breastfeeding for at least 90 days can significantly reduce smoking in the months following childbirth. The study, which followed 168 pregnant smokers, discovered that breastfeeding was the only significant predictor of change in smoking behaviors among these women.
A recent study found that some e-cigarette flavors contain high levels of chemicals that exceed recommended exposure limits and could be respiratory irritants. The research analyzed 30 products and found that 13 contained flavoring chemicals totaling more than 1% by volume, with some levels reaching as high as 3% by weight.
Dr. Theresa Montini is awarding $300,000 from the National Institutes of Health to test a nicotine cessation approach in NYC homeless shelters. Her Matrix model-based treatment aims to promote self-esteem and dignity among homeless clients.
A study published in Tobacco Control found that women who believe smoking helps them manage their weight are less swayed by anti-smoking policies than other female smokers. The researchers suggest that policymakers should consider addressing concerns about weight gain to enhance the effectiveness of quitting smoking initiatives.
Researchers from PETA and PCRM review 50+ technologically advanced tobacco toxicology studies, finding non-animal methods to be quantitatively unreliable. They call for guidance from the FDA on in vitro test methods to reduce animal testing in support of tobacco product applications.
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a highly sensitive temperature sensor called cyberwood, which mimics the properties of temperature-sensitive plants. By incorporating plant cells and pectin molecules, the material responds to small temperature fluctuations with large changes in conductivity.
A new study from the University of Waterloo found that almost one in four high school seniors try smoking hookah, with over 78,200 youth current water pipe users. The study warns that water pipes carry similar toxins as cigarettes and can lead to increased cancer risk.
The Tobacco Atlas details the scale of the tobacco epidemic, its harmful influence on health, poverty, social justice, and the environment. The report highlights the tobacco industry's expanding array of tactics to preserve profits, including aggressive marketing and legal action, which cause economic, social, and environmental harm.
Standardized packaging with large graphic health warnings was associated with increased thoughts of quitting and quit attempts among adult smokers. The study found that smokers were more likely to report intentions to try to quit, conceal their packs from view, and stub out cigarettes prematurely during the introduction period.
Standardized packaging in Australia has been associated with increased thinking about quitting and quit attempts, as well as a decrease in appeal among school children. In contrast, retail prices for cigarettes have increased across the board, despite no evidence of an increase in illicit cigarette consumption.
A comprehensive survey of toxicants in smokeless tobacco products found that hydrazine is not a prevalent contaminant. Trace levels were detected in some samples but significantly lower than previous reports.
A genetic analysis of current smokers reveals that those consuming high amounts of tobacco are more likely to weigh less. The study found a 1.2kg lower body weight among double carriers of the CHRNA3 gene variant associated with higher tobacco consumption.
A cross-sectional analysis of 3,255 US non-smokers found a significant association between environmental tobacco smoke exposure and an increased risk of moderate/severe periodontitis. Serum cotinine levels were used to classify participants as exposed to ETS, with results showing a higher odds ratio among exposed individuals.
A global tobacco-free world is achievable in less than three decades with sufficient political support and stronger action against the tobacco industry. The Lancet experts call for a 'turbo-charged' effort to phase out tobacco sales by 2040, citing one billion expected deaths from smoking if efforts are not accelerated.
Researchers found that e-cigarette advertising with vaping visuals increased tobacco cravings in daily and former smokers. The study suggests that unregulated e-cigarette ad spending could lead to increased exposure to smoking cues, posing a public health risk. The findings are significant, considering the growing e-cigarette ad industry.
A new study of adult daughters found that women whose parents smoked during pregnancy had an increased risk of developing diabetes mellitus. Prenatal environmental tobacco smoke exposure appears to be a modifiable risk factor for diabetes in offspring.
A Concordia University study found no significant change in home smoking habits after a Quebec ban. The presence of non-smokers and social networks were key factors in influencing quitting behavior, rather than the law itself.
A new study reveals that up to two-thirds of Australian smokers can expect to die from their habit if they don't quit, with a three times higher risk than non-smokers. The research found that smoking is a major cause of cardiovascular disease and cancer, highlighting the need for continued tobacco control efforts.
Extending UK anti-smoking legislation to parks and squares aims to support healthy lifestyle choices, particularly among young people. The proposal is based on evidence from successful smoking bans worldwide, which have been shown to reduce smoking prevalence and improve public health.
A large Australian study confirms that up to two-thirds of smokers will die from their habit if they continue smoking. The study found that smokers have a three-fold risk of premature death compared to non-smokers.
The tobacco industry deployed massive third-party lobbying to subvert the revised European Tobacco Products Directive, which became national law next year. The directive includes increased graphic health warnings and restrictions on cigarette packs but was weakened due to industry interference.
A mobile app with decision support features significantly increased diagnosis rates for tobacco use, adult and pediatric depression, and obesity among registered nurses. The app prompted clinicians to follow evidence-based guidelines and encouraged detailed conversations with patients about their health.
Research published in BMC Public Health found that shisha pipes remove only a minimal amount of heavy metals from tobacco smoke. The study analyzed four popular brands of shisha tobacco and found that the levels of heavy metals in smoke were significantly higher than in water, with uranium being the most abundant metal present.
The UK government is set to introduce standardized packaging for tobacco products, building on evidence from Australia and other countries that suggests it can reduce smoking rates. Studies have shown that plain packaging may decrease the appeal of cigarette brands and increase awareness of health warnings, saving lives.
E-cigarettes have shown potential in helping smokers reduce or quit, with a significant role to play in public health. Research suggests that about 9% of smokers who used electronic cigarettes were able to stop smoking for up to one year, compared to 4% of those using nicotine-free placebos.
A suite of globally harmonized test methods is needed to measure a wider selection of toxicants in cigarette smoke. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) must coordinate these methods to ensure reproducible and comparable results.
A study by NYU Steinhardt School found that over a quarter of New York City retailers did not request identification from young adults buying cigarettes. Chain stores were more likely to comply with minimum age laws than independent vendors.
Research from the Universities of Exeter and Bristol found that plain tobacco packaging may reduce the likelihood of smokers seeking cigarettes, with a 10% decrease in 'cigarette-seeking' response compared to branded packs.
A study found that recent marijuana use is associated with symptoms of airway inflammation, while moderate lifetime smoking has no significant impact on lung function. Researchers analyzed data from over 5,000 adults and discovered a link between marijuana use and respiratory symptoms.
A new study estimates that up to two-thirds of never-smoking teens are exposed to secondhand smoke inside and outside their homes, highlighting the need for smoke-free environments. The study, published in Journal of Adolescent Health, analyzed data from over 350,000 teens across 168 countries.
A study published in British Medical Journal: Tobacco Control found that 11 top universities allow tobacco sales on 'campus cash' debit cards, which are often prepaid by parents. The research highlights the risk of students buying cigarettes with their parents' money, raising concerns about campus health policies.
Georgia State University will partner with Chinese health officials to expand tobacco control efforts in major cities, protecting non-smokers from second-hand smoke and encouraging smokers to quit. The project aims to curb smoking and increase quit rates in China, where the country produces more tobacco than any other nation.
A University of Alberta economics professor has discovered a link between contraband cigarette use and illicit drug use among Canadian teens. Contraband smokers are more than double as likely to use illicit drugs compared to non-contraband smokers, according to the study.
Researchers identify a proactive approach to help low-SES smokers quit smoking, with telephone-based motivational counseling and free nicotine replacement therapy increasing quit rates. The study found that community resources, such as physical activity and job counseling referrals, were crucial in promoting tobacco cessation.
A randomized clinical trial found that a telephone-based motivational counseling intervention with tobacco treatment specialists increased quit rates among low-SES adult smokers compared to usual care. The program also showed promise in addressing social context factors related to smoking, with women, blacks, and those living in low-in...