Nicotine News and Research

RSS

Nicotine is an alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants (''Solanaceae'') which constitutes approximately 0.6–3.0% of dry weight of tobacco, with biosynthesis taking place in the roots, and accumulating in the leaves.

Rates of secondhand smoke exposure high among college students

Secondhand smoke (SHS) is not only a nuisance, but a potential health concern for many college students, and administrators should be taking steps to reduce students' exposure, according to a new study by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

21 Jul 2009

Hospital workers smoking – only the most addicted flout the rules

A survey of staff at Addenbrooke's hospital has shown that those who break the smoke-free policy are generally more addicted than those who respect it. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Public Health also investigated staff's attitude to the smoke-free policy and found that smokers were less likely to believe that the policy would protect people from second hand smoke.

14 Jul 2009

‘Roll-your-own’ cigarettes as deadly as ‘ready mades’

Roll-your-own (RYO) cigarettes expose smokers to similar levels of cancer-causing chemicals as manufactured cigarettes according to a new study by Cancer Research UK now published in Addiction Biology*.

6 Jul 2009

Chantix and Zyban to get boxed warnings on serious mental health events

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced that it is requiring manufacturers to put a Boxed Warning on the prescribing information for the smoking cessation drugs Chantix (varenicline) and Zyban (bupropion). The warning will highlight the risk of serious mental health events including changes in behavior, depressed mood, hostility, and suicidal thoughts when taking these drugs.

1 Jul 2009

Study exposes tobacco industry's ‘shonky’ behaviour

Researchers in the United States have revealed that tobacco companies have continually changed the ingredients and the design of their cigarettes over time without alerting smokers.

21 Jun 2009

Senate passes landmark bill: FDA to regulate tobacco

The New York Times reports that "more than four decades after the surgeon general declared smoking a health hazard, the Senate on Thursday cleared the final hurdle to empowering federal officials to regulate cigarettes and other forms of tobacco for the first time.

13 Jun 2009

Nicotine promotes insulin resistance

Researchers have discovered a reason why smoking greatly increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. Nicotine promotes insulin resistance, also called prediabetes, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, according to the new study, which was presented at The Endocrine Society's 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

13 Jun 2009

Tobacco giants in the USA facing far stricter control

A bill which would give the government of the United States far more power and control over the tobacco industry has received the support of the Senate.

12 Jun 2009

Senate approves legislation to give the FDA power to regulate tobacco

The Senate overwhelmingly approved legislation today that gives the Food and Drug Administration regulatory power to limit nicotine in cigarettes, "drastically curtail" advertising and "ban candied tobacco products" aimed at the young, The Associated Press reports.

11 Jun 2009

Cisplatin doubles lung cancer survival time in mice

A lung cancer treatment that inhibits nicotine receptors was shown to double survival time in mice, according to Italian researchers.

9 Jun 2009

Diabetic medication 'glibenclamide' may prevent nicotine-induced SIDS

According to researchers at McMaster University, exposure of the fetus to nicotine results in the inability to respond to decreases in oxygen - known as hypoxia - which may result in a higher incidence of SIDS.

3 Jun 2009

Evidence supports use of online-based programs for smoking cessation

Available evidence supports the use of online or other computer-based smoking cessation programs for helping adults quit smoking, according to a meta-analysis of previously published studies appearing in the May 25 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

25 May 2009

Senate HELP committee approves bill that would allow FDA to regulate tobacco

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Wednesday voted 15-8 to approve a bill (S 982) giving FDA authority to regulate tobacco products, the Wall Street Journal reports.

22 May 2009

Senate HELP panel begins mark up of bill placing tobacco under FDA oversight

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Tuesday began marking up a bill (S 982) that would allow FDA to regulate tobacco products, CongressDaily reports.

20 May 2009

People with darker skin might be more susceptible to nicotine addiction

Blacks and others with darker skin might be at greater risk for tobacco addiction than whites and those with lighter skin because the greater the amount of melanin, the coloring pigment in skin, the more nicotine appears to be stored, according to preliminary findings published in the journal Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior, the New York Times reports.

19 May 2009

Morphine patches create addiction

Morphine patches are supposed to reduce use of painkillers, and provide more control over their use in chronic pain conditions. But researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and St. Olavs Hospital in Trondheim have found otherwise.

15 May 2009