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Poverty, drink and smoking mean Scots twice as likely to die in fires 

SCOTS are twice as likely to die in a fire than people living in the rest of the UK, according to a new report.

The study found that, in many instances, smoking, alcohol, deprivation and living alone were major factors in the number of house fires.

It was commissioned by the Scottish Government following a 62 per cent rise in the number of people killed in fires in Scotland between 2006-07 and 2007-08.

The survey showed that of 171 fatal fire incidents analysed over a three-year period, 131 were recorded as accidental house fire deaths. The most common causes were discarded cigarettes (54) and cooking appliances (28). Alcohol was a contributory factor in 81 of the 131 cases

The study group, chaired by Strathclyde Fire and Rescue's chief officer Brian Sweeney, has now made dozens of recommendations aimed at curbing the number of preventable deaths.

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Purchase of tobacco for under-18s outlawed  

Adults in Scotland who buy cigarettes for under-age young people could soon face prosecution, bringing the law on the sale of tobacco products in the country into line with that on alcohol.

The Scottish government revealed today that it is to insert a new clause into the Tobacco and Primary Medical Services Bill, now going through Parliament, would would outlaw the use of what is known as 'proxy purchasing'.

The move has been disclosed by Shona Robison, the deputy health minister in the Scottish government, in a letter to Christine Grahame, the convener of Holyrood's health committee. It comes after pressure from the committee for the new clause.

It is already illegal in Scotland for an adult to buy alcohol and then pass it on to a child, but as yet there is no such law for tobacco.

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Cigarette ban for teenage smokers 

Scottish government ministers have agreed to toughen up proposed laws on tobacco sales to make it illegal for under-18s to buy cigarettes.

If agreed, it would also be against the law to buy tobacco for those under age.

Ministers hope that the new legislation will limit the number of young smokers taking up the habit.

The law would bring the rules on tobacco sales into line with alcohol with police able to seize cigarettes from teenagers as they can with booze.

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Reliability of self reported smoking status by pregnant women for estimating smoking prevalence: a retrospective, cross sectional study (FULL TEXT) 

In conclusion, reliance on self reporting to measure smoking during pregnancy significantly underestimates the number of pregnant smokers in Scotland, with more than 2400 unrecognised pregnant smokers a year who will not be offered smoking cessation services. Reliance on self reporting resulted in twice as many undetected smokers in the most deprived areas compared with the least deprived areas. Overall, these figures call for more accurate methods of identifying pregnant smokers, especially when such data are used to inform policy and provide patient care.

What is already known on this topic

Self reported smoking during pregnancy is known to be an inaccurate method of identifying smokers Self reported smoking in Scotland is used to generate smoking prevalence and, largely, to target smoking cessation services

What this study adds

Reliance on self reported smoking during pregnancy underestimates the true smoking prevalence in Scotland by 17% Each year in Scotland twice as many pregnant smokers from more deprived areas go undetected compared with pregnant smokers in the least deprived areas Reliance on self reporting results in a failure to detect over 2400 pregnant smokers each year in Scotland who are therefore not offered smoking cessation services

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Reliability of self reported smoking status by pregnant women for estimating smoking prevalence: a retrospective, cross sectional study 

Objective To determine what impact reliance on self reported smoking status during pregnancy has on both the accuracy of smoking prevalence figures and access to smoking cessation services for pregnant women in Scotland. . . .

Conclusion Reliance on self reporting to identify pregnant smokers significantly underestimates the number of pregnant smokers in Scotland and results in a failure to detect over 2400 smokers each year who are therefore not offered smoking cessation services.

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• Around One In Five Pregnant Smokers Go Undetected Each Year 

Self-reported smoking during pregnancy underestimates the true number of pregnant smokers in Scotland by 17%, and results in a failure to detect 2400 pregnant smokers each year, finds new research published on bmj.com today.

This results in thousands of smokers not being identified or offered smoking cessation services, say the authors.

It is well known that self reported smoking during pregnancy is an inaccurate way to identify smokers. Yet it is still used widely by antenatal clinics to determine the smoking status of pregnant women and to refer them to smoking cessation services. The Scottish Government also relies on self-reported smoking figures to set targets and measure the success of smoking cessation services. . . .

The authors estimate that the true smoking prevalence for pregnant women in Scotland, after adjusting for area deprivation, maternal age and self-reported smoking is 28%, higher than the 23% based on self report data.

They conclude by calling for more accurate methods of identifying pregnant smokers, so that accurate data is used to inform policy and provide appropriate

Source British Medical Journal

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11.5% rise in female deaths from lung cancer  

More women in Scotland are dying from lung cancer, while rates of the disease among men have fallen, new statistics have shown.

Death rates from the disease rose by 11.5% for women over the past 10 years, compared with a drop of 21% for men. A total of 4000 people now die from the condition every year.

The rise in female mortality, outlined in the figures published by ISD Scotland, bucks the overall trend for cancer deaths, which dropped by 7% in the decade to 2008.

But the new statistics reveal the extent of the health divide in Scotland, where people living in the most deprived areas are 75% more likely to die from cancer than those in the richest areas. They are also 40% more likely to be diagnosed with any form of the disease, with rates of lung and cervical cancer particularly high among poorer sections of society.

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• Tobacco traders fired up over ban  

There is a long list of people who are barred from entering the shop of Edinburgh tobacconist Alan Myerthall. Gordon Brown, Alistair Darling, the chancellor, and former first minister Jack McConnell are all at the top, due to their support for the smoking ban, which tobacco retailers claim has been a nail in the coffin of their industry.

Now, ministers in the new Scottish government will also be turned away from the Leith Walk establishment if the proposed point-of-sale ban on the display of cigarettes and tobacco goes ahead.

The smoking ban has seen the demise of a number of Myerthall's peers, including the 100-year-old Glasgow institution Herbert Love, but the shelves in The Pipe Shop, Myerthall's store, are a tobacco lover's heaven. They are stacked with thousands of products, all related to cigarette, pipe and cigar smoking.

If the legislation goes ahead, retailers such as Myerthall, whose wife's family founded the tobacconist store more than 50 years ago, will be forced to keep cigarettes, rolling tobacco and cigarette papers out of sight under the counter, or behind a screen.

"Everyone in the trade is against it," said Myerthall

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Anger over tobacco display ban bid 

An SNP activist has blasted Scottish Government plans to ban the display of cigarettes, claiming the proposed new law was "turning smokers into a social pariah".

SNP ministers have said proposals in their Tobacco and Primary Medical Services Bill will help curb the sale of tobacco to youngsters.

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Stephen McGinty: Have a cigar – and do Cuba's tobacco rollers a good turn 

AT the Conservative Party conference this week, David Cameron was chastised for taking a sip of champagne at the Spectator bash. . . .

So the image of David Cameron sipping a glass of bubbly at, roughly, £9 a glass is wrong, but few batted an eyelid at the sight of Peter Mandelson, the epitome of New Labour, delivering his speech the previous week, while wearing, as later reported, ...

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Hospital Ban Has Gone Up In Smoke  

SMOKERS are blatantly flouting a ban on smoking in hospital grounds more than two and a half years after it was introduced.

Outside Glasgow's biggest hospital, groups of staff and visitors can regularly be seen lighting up directly outside entrances.

In some cases groups stand in huddles beneath or beside huge notices warning of the ban.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) brought in the no smoking policy in March 2007, one year after the government smoking ban in enclosed public spaces became law.

Officials said they have tried various methods to enforce the ban but have not been able to stamp it out completely because it is not legally enforceable.

On visits to the Royal Infirmary in Glasgow this week and as far back as two months ago, the Evening Times witnessed dozens of smokers breaching the policy at various sites around the hospital.

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Sheila Duffy: Young people key to stubbing out lethal habit  

THE increased involvement of young people in educating their peers about the harm caused by smoking will be a focus at ASH Scotland's AGM in Edinburgh today.

The tobacco industry has always needed to attract young people to replace the 49,000 smokers in Scotland who quit or die every year. Annually, they are replaced by 15,000 young people who take up the habit. . . .

In June this year, Scotland's first ever pro-choice smoking information group led by and for young people was launched. W-WEST – Why Waste Everything Smoking Tobacco – is a great resource for young people and those who work with them and its website provides advice and information for all in Scotland.

Teenage smoking has often been seen as cool or a rite of passage, but legislation, information campaigns, and youth projects have led to a cultural shift so that we now are not only seeing fewer teenage smokers, but also more engagement in prevention. This is something we should all welcome and encourage.

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Contribution of smoking during pregnancy to inequalities in stillbirth and infant death in Scotland 1994-2003: retrospective population based study using hospital maternity records (Full Text) 

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ON THIS TOPIC

Rates of both stillbirth and infant death show social gradients within developed countries Smoking during pregnancy has been clearly linked to stillbirth and infant deaths Quantifying the contribution that smoking during pregnancy has on the social inequalities gap in stillbirths and infant deaths is of interest

WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS

Social gradients existed in the stillbirth and infant death rates in Scotland during 1994-2003 Smoking during pregnancy accounted for 38% of the inequality in stillbirths and 31% of the inequality in infant deaths

In addition to tackling smoking during pregnancy and reducing infants’ exposure to tobacco smoke, other measures are needed to reduce social inequalities in these outcomes

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Contribution of smoking during pregnancy to inequalities in stillbirth and infant death in Scotland 1994-2003: retrospective population based study using hospital maternity records 

Conclusions Both tackling smoking during pregnancy and reducing infants' exposure to tobacco smoke in the postnatal environment may help to reduce stillbirths and infant deaths overall and to reduce the socioeconomic inequalities in stillbirths and infant deaths perhaps by as much as 30-40%. However, action on smoking on its own is unlikely to be sufficient and other measures to improve the social circumstances, social support, and health of mothers and infants are needed.

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• Stillbirths And Infant Deaths Related To Smoking During Pregnancy And Socioeconomic Inequalities 

New research published on bmj.com today reports that addressing the problem of smoking during pregnancy may help to reduce the socioeconomic inequalities in stillbirths and infant deaths by as much as 30 to 40 percent.

Without a doubt smoking during pregnancy has been associated with stillbirth. In addition, infant deaths and smoking rates during pregnancy vary strikingly with socioeconomic position. In order to find out more, a team of researchers began the task of measuring the effects of smoking during pregnancy and on the social inequalities gap in stillbirths and infant deaths.

They assessed the records of 529,317 live singleton births and 2,699 stillbirths delivered at 24 to 44 weeks' gestation in Scotland from 1994 to 2003.

Information on smoking during the pregnancy was gathered. A deprivation score was designated using postcode data from the 2001 population census.

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