Smoking Addiction News and Research

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Anti-smoking ads targeting the indigenous population launched

In a bid to reduce the smoking rates in Australia’s indigenous population the Federal Government is launching the first anti-smoking campaign this Monday (today) aimed specifically at indigenous Australians. Figures have shown that nearly 50% Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people smoke, and one in five die from smoking-related diseases. According to Government spokesmen the new campaign is part of its plan to halve the number of indigenous smokers by 2018. The radio, television and print campaign will cost $4 million and is part of the Government's wider aim to significantly reduce the number of Australians who smoke.

27 Mar 2011

New drug can aid in smoking reduction therapy

Researchers working in a research project within the Academy of Finland's Research Programme on Substance Use and Addictions have been developing a targeted drug that could aid in smoking reduction therapy. The new drug slows down the metabolism of nicotine, which would help smokers to cut down their smoking.

18 Mar 2011

Heavy smoking dropped drastically over last four decades: Study

A new study has shown that the rate of “pack-a-day” or more smokers in the United States has fallen sharply since 1965, particularly in California. There is evidence from earlier literature that a smaller percentage of Americans smoke now than in previous decades. This new study was published online in the Journal of the American Medical Association. It shows that high-intensity smoking is also less common.

15 Mar 2011

Test that measures destruction of lung air sacs, could help prevent progression of emphysema

During a regular annual physical exam, blood is usually drawn to check the health of a person's heart, kidneys and liver. Now, researchers at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center say a blood test that detects the early development of emphysema -- well before symptoms occur -- may someday also be offered.

12 Mar 2011

Tobacco display ban in England

Starting from 2015 all public displays of tobacco are to be banned in England said the Department of Health. This has made shopkeepers and cigarette manufacturers more than unhappy. However Health Secretary Andrew Lansley refuses to yield. It is suggested that this move will make less youngsters take up the habit.

9 Mar 2011

New drug approved for COPD by the FDA

The U.S. FDA has approved a new treatment for people with worsening symptoms of severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD affects smokers and the elderly and leads to severe difficulty in breathing, chronic cough and excessive mucus production. An exacerbation can last up to several weeks and result in a decline in lung function and increased risk of death, and it may be associated with severe anxiety, the FDA says.

1 Mar 2011

Rise of the female smoker in developing world

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1 Mar 2011

Tougher smoking restrictions in South Australia

Smokers are in for tougher restrictions as smoking is soon to be banned in bus, tram and train shelters, at taxi stands and near playgrounds in South Australia. These new laws will also allow local councils and other bodies to have events declared smoke-free while cigarettes will no longer go on display in shops or service stations from January next year. Specialist tobacconists will have until 2015 to adjust to the new measures.

1 Mar 2011

Menthol cigarette makers & FDA in a legal debate over ban

Tobacco companies have decided to sue the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over a decision that has been made in regards to cigarettes. The companies include the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. as well as Lorillard, Inc., have sued the FDA over a decision that would potentially ban all cigarettes that contain a chemical known as menthol.

28 Feb 2011

New York smoking ban gone too far? Health experts disagree

Now there is a faction that believes the soon-to-pass smoking ban on most parks and many beaches throughout New York City to be “going too far” and is questioning the bill.

20 Feb 2011

Smoking during radiation treatments reduces chance of overall survival

Smokers who continue to smoke while undergoing radiation treatments for head and neck cancer fare significantly worse than those who quit smoking before therapy, according to a study in the February issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology·Biology·Physics, an official journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

16 Feb 2011

E-cigarettes produce abstinence rates nearly double that of traditional method

Two new studies available online and being published in the April edition of the American Journal of Preventative Medicine find that electronic cigarettes produces abstinence rates nearly double that of traditional nicotine replacement methods and that consumer interest in e-cigarettes is currently much higher than interest in traditional nicotine replacement products.

10 Feb 2011

BUSPH: Electronic cigarettes are promising tool to help smokers quit

A study led by Boston University School of Public Health researchers reports that electronic cigarettes are a promising tool to help smokers quit, producing six-month abstinence rates nearly double those for traditional nicotine replacement products.

9 Feb 2011

Smoking kills, it’s as simple as that!

Australia’s Department of Health and Ageing yesterday (Monday) launched its most focused anti-tobacco campaign with a new TV adverts graphically linking smoking with lung cancer. The message of the $61 million campaign says, “Every cigarette you smoke brings cancer closer.”

1 Feb 2011

New nicotine addiction mechanism revealed

A new discovery has shown why some people cannot give up tobacco and may lead to new anti-smoking treatments. The researchers have found a brain pathway which when defective leads to an uncontrollable desire to smoke. This is a “sub-unit” of a receptor protein sensitive to nicotine.

31 Jan 2011

$61 million anti-tobacco campaign launched to prevent lung cancer

The Australian Federal Government is backing a $61 million advertising campaign to stop smoking. This is the nation’s biggest anti-tobacco campaign. The message is graphic and simple: every cigarette brings cancer closer. Health groups have backed the campaign but advertising industry experts say the public has become increasingly immune to scare campaigns.

31 Jan 2011

Breast and lung cancer: Shared risk and treatment

New research has shown that women who are heavy smokers before menopause, especially prior to giving birth, may significantly increase their risk of developing breast cancer. In the US study looking at almost 150,000 women from the Nurses’ Health Study; it was found that breast cancer rates increased with higher levels of smoking among younger age groups. The study appeared in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.

24 Jan 2011

Britain’s cancer rates improve while Denmark scores poorly

It appears that warnings regarding dangers of smoking appear to be having an effect with the UK placed in 22nd position in a world league of highest cancer rates. Figures show that for men, 280 cases per 100,000 people, is 33rd in the world, with France the highest. The rate for British women, however, is 260.5 per 100,000 – the world’s 12th highest, with Denmark top. The UK breast cancer rate for women, which is just over 89, ranks 11th.

23 Jan 2011

Hamilton Academy of Medicine launches campaign to increase awareness about smoking cessation

In honour of National Non-Smoking Week, The Hamilton Academy of Medicine is proud to introduce, It's Hamilton's Time to Quit, a campaign designed to increase awareness about local quitting resources and tools to help the community understand the support that is available, and encourage people to seek the assistance they need to stop smoking.

18 Jan 2011

Smoking harms DNA within minutes: Study

According to the latest research in the US, smoking tobacco damages the body in minutes rather than years. The study was published in the Chemical Research in Toxicology revealed that the chemicals which cause cancer form rapidly after smoking.

16 Jan 2011