Tobacco News and Research

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Universities are effective sites for anti-smoking efforts

College campuses provide a captive audience for cigarette-makers, but a new review of tobacco intervention studies suggests that universities are also effective sites for anti-smoking efforts.

9 Feb 2005

Cancer pledge needs anti-smoking action

The community will question the Labor Government's commitment to boost spending on cancer prevention while it does little to stop passive smoking killing more and more West Australians, the AMA (WA) said today.

8 Feb 2005

Smoke free laws protect health and save lives worldwide

In a report out today (8 February 2005) from the BMA's Tobacco Control Resource Centre (TCRC), doctors' leaders from eight countries, including Scotland, describe the success of anti-smoking legislation.

7 Feb 2005

State policies decrease youth smoking, drinking, sex

State policies, such as taxing the sale of cigarettes and alcohol, decrease teenage smoking and drinking, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

3 Feb 2005

Nicotine may hold promise in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease

The chemical nicotine--a main ingredient in tobacco--may hold promise in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, give insight into therapeutic interventions for nicotine addiction and possibly complement the diagnosis of certain forms of lung cancer, according to a study in the January issue of the Society of Nuclear Medicine's Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

31 Jan 2005

$Screening for osteoporosis in men and women age 65 and older can prevent a large number of hip fractures$

Screening for osteoporosis in men and women age 65 and older can prevent a large number of hip fractures

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have determined that screening for osteoporosis in men and women age 65 and older can prevent a large number of hip fractures, a debilitating, traumatic experience for 340,000 older adults annually.

31 Jan 2005

Passive smoking increases likelihood of lung cancer in children later in life

Children who are exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (passive smoking) are at a higher risk of developing lung cancer as adults, says a paper in this week's BMJ.

30 Jan 2005

Instant tea may be a source of harmful levels of fluoride

The researchers found that some regular strength preparations contain as much as 6.5 parts per million (ppm) of fluoride, well over the 4 ppm maximum allowed in drinking water by the Environmental Protection Agency and 2.4 ppm permitted in bottled water and beverages by the Food and Drug Administration.

26 Jan 2005

BMA appeals for widespread support for Smoke-Free Liverpool

The first reading of the Private Bill to ban all smoking in Liverpool workplaces is being presented in the House of Lords today. Mr James Johnson, BMA Chairman and a vascular surgeon working around Liverpool, has called for mass support of the Bill.

24 Jan 2005

Few smokers make use of the help that is available

Antidepressant medicines, nicotine replacement products, and counseling can all help a smoker stick with that New Year's resolution to kick the habit. But a study by American Cancer Society researchers finds that few smokers make use of the help that is available.

17 Jan 2005

Damp and mould in homes causes asthma

Researchers at the University of Birmingham's Institute for Occupational and Environmental Medicine are citing damp and mould in homes as a cause of asthma. The study is published in the Environmental Health Perspectives journal and links the University of Birmingham with the University of Helsinki, Finland and the Diwan College, Taiwan.

17 Jan 2005

Scientific evidence on passive smoking is inconclusive

Scientific evidence on environmental tobacco smoke (ETS or so-called "passive smoking") is inconclusive and does not justify a total ban on smoking in public places, it was argued at a conference on public smoking in Edinburgh today.

17 Jan 2005

Tobacco smoke triggers the production of COX-2

Tobacco smoke triggers the production of COX-2, a cellular protein linked to the development and progression of cancer, according to research published in the January 15 issue of the journal Cancer Research.

16 Jan 2005

Tobacco industry involvement in p53 gene research impairs integrity of the scientific process

The strategies used by the tobacco industry to counteract research linking tobacco smoke to cancer-causing mutations in a gene called p53 are detailed in a study published in The Lancet.

13 Jan 2005

BMA condemns tobacco industry ventilation claims

The BMA today condemned claims made by the tobacco industry today (13 January 2005) that ventilation in bars could protect the public from the harmful effects of passive smoke.

13 Jan 2005

Alarming ignorance about cancer in Britain

There is an alarming ignorance about cancer and how to reduce the risk of the disease which is Britain's biggest killer – a special survey reveals today.

13 Jan 2005

Smoking marijuana is associated with increased risk of many of the same symptoms as smoking cigarettes

Smoking marijuana is associated with increased risk of many of the same symptoms as smoking cigarettes--chronic bronchitis, coughing on most days, phlegm production, shortness of breath, and wheezing, according to a Yale study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

13 Jan 2005

Study identifies potentially valuable applications for new drug Nifrolidine

Along with aiding efforts to study addicted smokers, a new drug that attaches only to areas of the brain that have been implicated in nicotine addiction may help studies of people battling other disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia.

12 Jan 2005

Italy's tough anti-smoking laws are an embarrassing reminder of Western Australia's ineffective new regulations

"For a country that has a large population of heavy smokers, the Italian Government has shown real courage in the fight against passive smoking," said association President Dr Paul Skerritt.

12 Jan 2005

First new guidelines in more than a decade for managing asthma during pregnancy

The report reflects new medications that have emerged and updates treatment recommendations for pregnant women with asthma based on a systematic review of data on the safety of asthma medications during pregnancy. An executive summary ("Quick Reference") of the guidelines is published in the January issue of the Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology.

12 Jan 2005