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Propylene glycol in e cigarettes might keep us healthy, says researchers

According to the Centers for Disease Control, during 2000-2004, "An estimated 443,000 persons in the United States died prematurely each year from smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke.

4 Nov 2009

Health experts urge government authorities to declare a moratorium on new tobacco products

At the 6th Conference on Tobacco or Health being held in Montreal this week, numerous stakeholders are urging government authorities to declare a moratorium on new tobacco products to counter the innovative product launch and marketing strategies of cigarette manufacturers.

4 Nov 2009

NIH awards $4 million research grant to AllTranz

AllTranz, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing drugs to treat a variety of neurologic and inflammatory disorders, today announced that it has been awarded a $4 million research grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to advance the company’s transdermal tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) patch for the treatment of marijuana dependence and withdrawal.

3 Nov 2009

New study to assess preventative brain radiation therapy for lung cancer patients

A new study is taking a closer look at the benefits versus risks for lung cancer patients to undergo preventative brain radiation therapy as a means to stop cancer from spreading to the brain.

3 Nov 2009

Smokers with systemic lupus erythematosus at greater risk of skin damage and rashes

As if there weren't enough reasons to stop smoking, a team of researchers at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) have just found another. A study led by Dr. Christian A Pineau, Co-Director of the Lupus and Vasculitis clinic at the MUHC, has clearly linked skin damage and rashes to smoking in people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The study was published in a recent issue of the Journal of Rheumatology.

3 Nov 2009

Want to quit smoking? Try a nicotine patch plus a nicotine lozenge

In a comparison of five different smoking cessation medications, a nicotine patch plus a nicotine lozenge appears most effective at helping smokers quit, according to a report in the November issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

3 Nov 2009

New report on the global addiction pharmacotherapeutic market

The world market for medicines that treat addiction disorders is currently valued at US$3.2bn is set to increase by 19% by 2016 to $3.8bn, forecasts a new market report from URCH Publishing.

31 Oct 2009

WHO identifies five major causes of premature death

Targeting the five major causes of premature death could increase global life expectancy by almost five years, the WHO said Tuesday, Reuters reports. According to a WHO's Global Health Risks report, which looked at 24 major health risks, "[p]oor childhood nutrition, unsafe sex, alcohol, bad sanitation and hygiene, and high blood pressure are to blame for around a quarter of the 60 million premature deaths around the world each year," the news service writes.

28 Oct 2009

Development of VLN cigarettes for use in smoking cessation continues: 22nd Century

22nd Century Limited, LLC is pleased to announce that it is continuing development of a very low nicotine cigarette for use in smoking cessation. Clinical trial results demonstrate that these cigarettes, also referred to as ‘nicotine-free’ and ‘denicotinized,’ may be more effective for quitting than FDA-approved therapies.

28 Oct 2009

Health assessment may have some influence on health behaviors, say researchers

With open enrollment now underway at many companies, employees will be making decisions about their health care coverage for 2010. As part of their health plan enrollment, they may be asked to complete a health questionnaire known as a health assessment.

28 Oct 2009

Crushing virtual cigarettes reduces nicotine dependence

Smokers who crushed computer-simulated cigarettes as part of a psychosocial treatment program in a virtual reality environment had significantly reduced nicotine dependence and higher rates of tobacco abstinence than smokers participating in the same program who grasped a computer-simulated ball, according to a study described in the current issue of CyberPsychology and Behavior, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

28 Oct 2009

Exposure to carcinogens should be minimized to prevent cancer, says ACS

A new report from an American Cancer Society (ACS) scientific advisory subcommittee on cancer and the environment says exposure to carcinogens should be minimized or eliminated whenever feasible, and calls for new strategies to more effectively and efficiently screen the large number of chemicals to which the public is exposed.

28 Oct 2009

Even one cigarette has serious adverse effects on young adults, says researcher

Even one cigarette has serious adverse effects on young adults, according to research presented by Dr. Stella Daskalopoulou at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2009, co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.

27 Oct 2009

Smoking one cigarette can increase artery stiffness by 25% in young adults

27 Oct 2009

AJPM article calls for increased effectiveness research on clinical preventive services for adolescents

Too little attention is paid to improving the delivery of clinical preventive services to adolescents by addressing problems unique to that population, says a new study commissioned by Partnership for Prevention.

27 Oct 2009

Studies highlight race- and gender-specific disparities in gastrointestinal disease

Three studies presented this week at the American College of Gastroenterology's 74th Annual Scientific meeting in San Diego underscore the growing disparities in gastrointestinal disease, particularly colon cancer and Barrett's Esophagus, among certain ethnic and gender populations, including African Americans, Latinos and women. These race- and gender-specific disparities underscore the need for education and vigilance among these populations and perhaps more aggressive screening tactics than the population in general.

27 Oct 2009

Canadian Lung Association's initiative to reduce smoking rates in Canada

The Lung Association today hosted a roundtable meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and youth from St. Joseph High School in Barrhaven to talk about the impact of tobacco use among teenagers and young adults. The event was an opportunity for the Prime Minister to discuss with students leaders ways to move the youth anti-smoking agenda forward.

27 Oct 2009

Canadian Cancer Society promotes smoke-free lifestyles in Ontario's lesbian, gay and bisexual communities

The Canadian Cancer Society in Ontario has developed a new information and awareness resource entitled "Facts about Tobacco for Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual People: Reasons and Resources for Quitting Smoking".

27 Oct 2009

Relationship between cannabis and schizophrenia is controversial

Last year the UK government reclassified cannabis from a class C to a class B drug, partly out of concerns that cannabis, especially the more potent varieties, may increase the risk of schizophrenia in young people. But the evidence for the relationship between cannabis and schizophrenia or psychosis remains controversial.

23 Oct 2009

SmokeStik: Healthier and cheaper electronic cigarettes

We've all felt the price increase of smoking hit our wallets. Over the past ten years the price of a pack of cigarettes has more than doubled, tripled and even quadrupled in some areas, but the amount of people who still smoke isn't decreasing.

22 Oct 2009