March 2009 Archives

To date, the majority of research conducted about tobacco use has been related to the impact of moderate to heavy smoking. The March 2009 issue of Nicotine and Tobacco Research is focused on examining light and intermittent smoking. Several of the nation's preeminent public health experts and researchers worked together to uncover trends related to light smokers, those who smoke less than 10-15 cigarettes per day and intermittent or occasional smokers, those who may not smoke every day.

According to the CDC, one-fifth of U.S. smokers are intermittent or occasional smokers. Yet, existing research and public health efforts have targeted moderate to heavy smokers. There is no safe level of cigarette smoke, though, and for this reason, the American Legacy Foundation, the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institutes of Health Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research co-funded Light and Intermittent Smoking, a special issue of Nicotine and Tobacco Research.

The issue includes 13 original, peer-reviewed articles that stemmed from recommendations made at a meeting of 29 collaborative scientists held in 2005. This unprecedented meeting yielded a concerted effort by the public health community to reduce light and intermittent smoking, and this compilation of research is the beginning of curbing that trend and helping to avoid the 1 billion projected tobacco-related deaths in the 21st century.

"This special issue is chapter one of a very important volume in the overall fight against tobacco," said Cheryl G. Healton, Dr. P.H., president and CEO of the American Legacy Foundation. "We are yet to fully understand the best ways to help these light smokers quit, a very important goal, as they represent an increasing percentage of the smoking population."

The articles examine:

Smoking Patterns - Light and intermittent smoking is more prevalent among African-Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, Asian American and Pacific Islanders compared with Whites. Those aged 20-34 were more likely than adults aged 35-50 to smoke five or fewer cigarettes per day; male smokers were significantly less likely to have light daily consumption; smokers with lower levels of education were more likely to consume a pack or more per day compared to those who had graduated from college.

Trends - Light and intermittent adolescents are an unstable group of smokers. Data indicate that among 12th grade light and intermittent smokers who were followed over time, less than half were found to still be light and intermittent smokers two years post-high school. Another study that examined U.S. trends in smoking from 1991-2002 found that among very light smokers, smoking prevalence declined at all levels among Americans who are more than 30 years old, while light and intermittent smoking between those aged 18-29 increased. Another interesting trend examined the association between light smoking and tobacco control policies. Young adults in states with strong policies were more likely to be light smokers, and there was a higher prevalence of light and intermittent smoking in young people with smoke-free homes

Addiction - Two studies in the issue examine the relationship between cigarette consumption and addiction. Adolescent very light smokers (less than five cigarettes per day), demonstrate no significant withdrawal symptoms after 24 hours without nicotine, while those adolescents consuming four to five cigarettes per day had subjective symptoms of withdrawal. A sub-group of Hispanic/Latino smokers who were studied demonstrated that, despite significant differences on dependence and withdrawal, low-level smoking was not associated with abstinence.

Health Effects - A study of college students found that smokers who smoked five or more days per month had a higher occurrence of shortness of breath than nonsmokers.

"In order to adequately address the issue of tobacco use in this country, we can not overlook light and intermittent smokers," said Dr. Pebbles Fagan, Health Scientist, Tobacco Research Branch, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences at the National Cancer Institute. "Research suggests an impending global pandemic of light smokers, and we must take what this paper outlines and move the agenda forward in advancing research of the full spectrum of smokers."

The American Legacy Foundation(R) is dedicated to building a world where young people reject tobacco and anyone can quit. Located in Washington, D.C., the foundation develops programs that address the health effects of tobacco use, especially among vulnerable populations disproportionately affected by the toll of tobacco, through grants, technical assistance and training, partnerships, youth activism, and counter-marketing and grassroots marketing campaigns. The foundation's programs include truth(R), a national youth smoking prevention campaign that has been cited as contributing to significant declines in youth smoking; EX(R), an innovative public health program designed to speak to smokers in their own language and change the way they approach quitting; research initiatives exploring the causes, consequences and approaches to reducing tobacco use; and a nationally-renowned program of outreach to priority populations. The American Legacy Foundation was created as a result of the November 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) reached between attorneys general from 46 states, five U.S. territories and the tobacco industry. Visit www.americanlegacy.org.

Nicotine & Tobacco Research is one of the world's few peer-reviewed journals devoted exclusively to the study of nicotine and tobacco. It is published by Oxford Journals, a division of Oxford University Press, on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT). For more information, please visit: http://ntr.oxfordjournals.org/.

Source: Oxford Journals, a division of Oxford University Press and the American Legacy Foundation.

Why are all these young people such chain smokers?  I guess it's better than doing drugs and being an alcoholic (in the case of Lindsay), but still not really acceptable or attractive.

Oh, and don't get me started on drinking soda!  That's nearly as bad as smoking!

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids applaud Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey's call for the Food and Drug Administration to exert its authority and immediately remove e-cigarettes from the market.

FDA officials have been quoted numerous times in many publications during the past few weeks saying that e-cigarettes are "new drugs," which require prior approval from the FDA before they are allowed to be sold. Without this approval, e-cigarettes are illegal to market or sell. Despite these statements, no action has been taken to remove e-cigarettes from the market.

Currently, e-cigarettes are being sold in 62 kiosks at malls across the United States, with plans to expand to another 55. E-cigarettes are also being marketed towards young people, who can purchase them in fruit flavors and online, without having to verify their ages.

Makers and retailers of these products have been making unproven health claims about their products, claiming that they are safer than normal cigarettes and asserting that they can help people to quit smoking. Absent scientific evidence, these claims are in blatant violation of FDA rules.

In fact, no studies have been done on e-cigarettes to date regarding their health effects or their effectiveness as cessation aids. Like the "light" and "low tar" cigarettes that tobacco companies claimed were healthier for consumers, there is no evidence to back up the claims made by e-cigarette makers. In September of 2008, the World Health Organization stated that they have "no evidence to confirm the product's safety or efficacy."

Our organizations thank Senator Lautenberg for his leadership in urging the FDA to remove these products from the market and echo his call that the FDA move quickly to remove these products from the marketplace.

While the FDA currently does not have jurisdiction over tobacco products, it does have jurisdiction over other products that contain nicotine including e-cigarettes, which have been marketed as delivering nicotine without tobacco.

SOURCE American Lung Association

Ugghh, not attractive.  (the outfit doesn't help either)

Today, South Dakota residents have reason to celebrate. South Dakota is now officially the 24th state in the nation, and the first in 2009 to pass a comprehensive smokefree workplace law protecting virtually everyone from secondhand smoke, in both public places and at worksites.

"We applaud Governor Rounds and South Dakota lawmakers for making great strides in protecting health and saving lives with this legislation," said Harold Wimmer, President and CEO of the American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest.

Secondhand smoke is the third-leading cause of preventable death in this country and kills an estimated 50,000 Americans annually, according to the U.S. Surgeon General, and is the cause of a host of diseases and ailments including lung cancer, heart disease, SIDS and asthma. "No one should have to choose between their health and a paycheck," added Wimmer.

The American Lung Association in South Dakota worked together as part of the South Dakota Tobacco Free Kids Network to show the strong grassroots base of support for this law. We will use those same networks and volunteers to assure a smooth implementation on July 1, 2009.

The leadership shown by Governor Rounds and the bipartisan majority that voted to approve this legislation should serve as an example to other states now considering smokefree air laws.

The American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest is dedicated to protecting all workers from secondhand smoke.

SOURCE American Lung Association South Dakota

The young star of the new 90210 tv remake, Shenae Grimes, apparently smokes up a storm. Sad, very sad.

With Nebraska's statewide smoking ban taking effect in less than three months, it's time for those who smoke to get serious about quitting. They'll be encouraged to do so on Wednesday, March 25, when school children throughout the state take part in "Kick Butts" Day 2009, sponsored by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids.

"The health risks from smoking are enormous. It's important for children to understand this, and to live in a smoke-free household," says Leslie Spry, M.D., president of the Nebraska Medical Association. "Kick Butts Day is one more way to bring that message home."

In Nebraska, 19.7 percent of high school students and 19.9 percent of adults smoke, with 2,100 children under age 18 becoming new daily smokers each year, and 96,000 exposed to second-hand smoke at home, according to the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids. The Campaign reports that 2,200 Nebraskans die each year from smoking and that 280 die annually from second-hand smoke, and projects that 36,000 Nebraskans now under age 18 ultimately will die prematurely from smoking-related illnesses. The annual cost of smoking in Nebraska exceeds $1 billion, according to the Campaign, which attributes $537 million of this loss directly to smoking and another $500 million to smoking-caused productivity losses.

Dr. Spry, an ardent supporter of Nebraska's smoking ban, acknowledges that often it's not enough to "want" to quit smoking. Many smokers need help. In addition to awareness campaigns such as "Kick Butts" Day, smokers need access to free or low-cost comprehensive public and workplace-sponsored smoking cessation programs. Such programs improve a smoker's odds of breaking the habit by offering literature, support, counseling, FDA-approved medications and multiple quit attempts. Research shows that many smokers require three or more attempts to quit, and the Centers for Disease Control supports funding at least two quit attempts.

Now in its 14th year, Kick Butts Day not only serves as a chance to educate children of all ages about the dangers of tobacco, but also acts as an opportunity for youth advocates to achieve real results in tobacco prevention, control and education. The campaign encourages activism and leadership among elementary, middle and high school students, with rallies and events taking place in every state, and several nations. For more information on Kick Butts Day or to plan an event, visit www.kickbuttsday.org.

SOURCE Nebraska Medical Association

How charming:

 

 

The following is a statement by Matthew L. Myers, President, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids:

The House Energy and Commerce Committee today set Congress on a course to take truly historic action to reduce tobacco use by approving legislation granting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authority over tobacco products. Today's 39-13 vote underscores the broad, bipartisan support for this legislation. Coming early in the new Congress, it sends a powerful signal that this year Congress will finally enact into law this long-overdue legislation to protect our children from tobacco addiction and save lives. Few actions would make a bigger difference for our nation's health than the regulation of tobacco products, the number one cause of preventable death in the United States.

We applaud House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Representative Todd Platts (R-PA) for their leadership in introducing this strong legislation and quickly moving it forward. Enactment of this legislation into law would represent a tremendous victory for America's health and a bipartisan achievement for the new Congress and President Obama, who co-sponsored the bill while a senator.

This legislation has strong, bipartisan support across the nation and in Congress. It has been endorsed by more than 950 public health, faith, medical and other organizations (see list at www.tobaccofreekids.org/reports/fda/organizations.pdf). A poll last year found that FDA regulation of tobacco products is supported by 70 percent of American voters (see details at www.tobaccofreekids.org/fdapoll/). It has been endorsed by scientific authorities including the Institute of Medicine and the President's Cancer Panel. The House of Representatives in July approved the legislation by an overwhelming vote of 326 to 102, and it had 60 Senate sponsors in the last Congress.

This legislation is urgently needed. Tobacco use kills more than 400,000 Americans and costs the nation $96 billion in health care bills each year. Every day, another 1,200 Americans die from tobacco use and another 1,000 children become new regular smokers. Yet tobacco products are virtually unregulated to protect public health. This lack of regulation allows tobacco companies to market their deadly and addictive products to children, deceive consumers about the harm their products cause, make changes to their products without disclosing them (such as manipulating nicotine levels in cigarettes) and resist any meaningful change to make their products less harmful.

This legislation would grant the FDA the authority and resources to effectively regulate the manufacturing, marketing and sale of tobacco products. Among other things, it would:

• Restrict tobacco advertising and promotions, especially to children.
• Stop illegal sales of tobacco products to children.
• Require larger, more effective health warnings on tobacco packages and advertising.
• Ban misleading health claims such as "light" and "low-tar" and strictly regulate all health claims about tobacco products to ensure they are scientifically proven and do not discourage current tobacco users from quitting or encourage new users to start.
• Require tobacco companies to disclose the contents of tobacco products, as well as changes in products and research about their health effects.
• Empower the FDA to require changes in tobacco products, such as the removal or reduction of harmful ingredients or the reduction of nicotine levels.

We urge both the House and the Senate to quickly enact this legislation into law and to resist all efforts to weaken it.

SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids