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Florida Gov. Charlie Crist signs into law $1-per-pack cigarette tax increase  

Gov. Charlie Crist signed into law a $1-per-pack cigarette tax hike Wednesday - the biggest of its kind in Florida history -- saying he hopes to kill the habit that results in thousands of deaths every year.

"I view it more as a health issue than a tax issue," said Crist, a Republican who broke with a career-long opposition to tax increases. " Ronald Reagan used to say if you want to kill something, tax it. It wouldn't be bad if we killed smoking. It would save a lot of lives."

Florida's new cigarette tax, which takes effect July 1, is $1.34 per pack.

An equivalent increase also applies to smokeless and pipe tobacco, but not cigars.

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Hormone pills for menopause may make lung cancer more deadly, women's health study suggests  

There's more troubling news about hormone therapy for menopause symptoms: Lung cancer seems more likely to prove fatal in women who are taking estrogen-progestin pills, a study suggests.

Hormone users who developed lung cancer were 60 percent more likely to die from the disease as women who weren't taking hormones, according to results reported Saturday.

The new findings mean that smokers should stop taking hormones, and those who have not yet started hormones should give it careful thought, said Dr. Rowan Chlebowski of Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. He led the analysis and presented results at a meeting of the oncology society in Florida.

It's the latest finding from the Women's Health Initiative, a federal study that gave 16,608 women either Prempro or dummy pills. The study was stopped in 2002 when researchers saw more breast cancers in those on Prempro, the estrogen-progestin pill made by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. They continue to follow what happens to women in the study.

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HRT Ups Death Risk for Women With Lung Cancer  

The current use of combined hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is associated with a higher risk of dying for women diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer, a new study shows.

The risk was highest in current smokers, less high in former smokers and least high in women who never smoked, say researchers reporting Saturday at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), in Orlando, Fla.

"This is a major concern," said study lead author Dr. Rowan Chlebowski, a medical oncologist with the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. "In current smokers, one in 100 experience avoidable death from non-small cell lung cancer. Women almost certainly shouldn't be using both combined hormone replacement therapy and tobacco at the same time," he said at a Saturday ASCO news briefing.

"We want to do everything we can to prevent lung cancer," added Dr. Jeffrey Crawford, chief of medical oncology at Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center in Durham, N.C. "But if you're a current or former smoker, in particular, this is another reason not to consider hormone replacement therapy."

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Drug Trials Show Modest Gains Against Lung Cancer  

Certain drugs offer incremental yet significant improvements in pushing back advanced lung cancer.

That's the conclusion of studies presented Saturday at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Orlando, Fla.

Lung cancer remains America's leading cancer killer, and "significant" improvements in time-to-disease recurrence and survival are measured in weeks and months, not years, experts stress.

The benefits from any drug also vary from patient to patient. "Some patients are benefiting much more and some much less," noted Dr. Roy Herbst, chief of thoracic medical oncology at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and lead author of one of the studies presented at the meeting.

In data presented at an ASCO news conference Saturday, researchers found that the drug Alimta (pemetrexed) prolonged survival by almost three months in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer, the deadliest form of the disease. This

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• Wyeth’s Menopause Hormones Increase Risk of Lung Cancer Deaths 

Wyeth’s hormone replacement therapy, a menopause treatment whose use has declined after being linked to heart attack, stroke and breast cancer, increases the risk of death from lung tumors, a study found.

After five years on Wyeth’s Prempro, a combination of the hormones estrogen and progestin, 67 women died from non-small cell lung cancer, compared with 39 on placebo, the research showed. Results of the trial, which examined women age 50 to 79 and included current and former smokers, were presented today at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Orlando.

Sales of the pills plunged in 2002 after a U.S. study linked the therapy to breast cancer and cardiovascular risks. As many as 6 million women took the menopause treatments before the study curbed use. The products generated $1.1 billion last year, down from more than $2 billion in 2001.

“This is a new finding that tells us women who smoke shouldn’t take estrogen and progestin for menopause symptoms,” said Rowan Chlebowski, the study author and a researcher at Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, in an interview.

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Lorillard Announces Results of Annual Meeting of Shareholders  

Lorillard, Inc. (NYSE: LO - News) today announced that at its annual meeting of shareholders held this morning, shareholders elected Messrs. Robert C. Almon, Kit D. Dietz and Nigel Travis to serve as Class I directors for a three-year term ending at the annual meeting of shareholders for 2012 and until their successors are duly elected and qualified. Shareholders also approved the Lorillard, Inc. 2008 Incentive Compensation Plan and ratified the selection of Deloitte & Touche LLP as the Company's independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2009.

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How Smoking Affects Skin Health 

In many cases, these changes to skin are not life threatening, though they can change the physical appearance of the smoker. For example, smoking is associated with premature ageing and wrinkles. Smoking is also associated with very serious skin conditions, including squamous cell carcinoma of the skin (a type of skin cancer) and psoriasis. Awareness of the changes to physical appearance and the serious skin conditions associated with smoking may help motivate individuals to quit smoking.

How smoking affects the skin

The precise ways in which tobacco smoke damages or changes skin are not fully understood, though scientific studies have produced evidence about a number of possible ways. Studies suggest that tobacco smoke exposure decreases capillary and arteriolar blood flow, possibly damaging connective tissues that help maintain healthy skin. Skin fibroblasts (the cells in connective tissue that form collagen and elastin) are damaged by tobacco smoke.

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University of Minnesota/OSU Tobacco Control Study Flawed; Combining Data on Bars and Restaurants Skewed Results 

Ohio newspapers, radio and TV news recently broadcast the results of a study performed at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health with Elizabeth Klein, Assistant Professor, Health Behavior and Health Promotion, Ohio State University as lead researcher. This study was funded by ClearWay Minnesota, a non-profit organization that funds Minnesota tobacco control, and used employment data as its sole economic indicator. This study gained headlines in the media as "Ban hurting business? No, study says." (Columbus Dispatch, May 19, 2009, front page). All Headline News opened with "New research suggests that smoking bans in bars meant to improve the environmental quality of indoor air doesn't cause job losses." (Note: No reference to restaurants).

What is not mentioned is the reason that this study was conducted. According to the Abstract from Ms. Klein's study, "due to the perception of negative economic effects on alcohol-licensed hospitality businesses, partial CIA policies (those that provide an exemption for freestanding bars) have been proposed as a means to reduce the risk of economic effects of comprehensive CIA policies applied to all worksites."). UWeekly, an OSU student run publication, quotes Klein as saying "the places that made exemptions for bars they weren't significantly different from the places that provided no exemptions for bars."

Glaringly obvious even to a novice is that freestanding bars were supposed to be the target of the study. Even more obvious are these facts. . . .

Tobacco Control is well aware smoking bans have little effect on restaurants while bars are negatively impacted. So why were restaurants included in Klein's study? According to Pat Carroll, President of the Buckeye Liquor Permit Holders Association, "It's obvious why it was done this way. It's to distort the truth. You can't lump bars and restaurants together. We have entirely different customers and provide different atmospheres. We demand this study be done again without restaurant data." Pam Parker, BLPHA Board Member and co-founder of Opponents of Ohio Bans asks "The problem is that this study, timed quite nicely to be released just as we have SB 120 introduced to exempt family owned bars in Ohio, has been widely distributed. If the data from this study is reexamined and finds that bars are hurt from smoking bans, will the researchers go to similar lengths to see that proper retractions are printed and headlined?"

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New Mississippi Poll: Voters Strongly Support FDA Regulation of Tobacco Products 

A new statewide poll of registered voters finds that 62 percent of voters support Congress passing a bill to give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to regulate tobacco products. The U.S. Senate is expected to debate this issue next week, and Senators Cochran and Wicker will play a key role in determining whether Congress will finally pass this life-saving legislation.

"Senators Cochran and Wicker have a critical role to play in ensuring that strong FDA tobacco regulation is enacted into law," said Matthew L. Myers, President, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "Both Senators Cochran and Wicker were cosponsors of this legislation last year and we urge them to vote for the bill when it's on the floor this year."

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New Maine Poll: Voters Strongly Support FDA Regulation of Tobacco Products 

A new statewide poll of registered voters finds that 69 percent of voters support Congress passing a bill to give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to regulate tobacco products. The U.S. Senate is expected to debate this issue next week, and Senators Collins and Snowe will play a key role in determining whether Congress will finally pass this life-saving legislation.

"We want to thank both Senators Collins and Snowe for their long-time leadership on this issue," said Matthew L. Myers, President, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "The tobacco industry spends over $66 million a year marketing its products in Maine, through this legislation both of Maine's Senators are working to address the number one preventable cause of death and keep tobacco products out of the hands of children."

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Florida's $1 Cigarette Tax Increase a Big Win for Public Health 

The State of Florida took a major step forward to save lives and protect children yesterday when Governor Charlie Crist signed a $1 per pack surcharge into law. Additionally, the governor and legislature through the budget dramatically increased funding for smoking cessation services for Floridians, including monies for the state's toll-free QuitLine (877-U-CAN-NOW).

Florida's cigarette tax had been the fourth lowest in the nation. When the surcharge goes into effect July 1, Florida's taxes will rank 22nd.

"You cannot be serious about cancer control if you are not serious about tobacco control, and today the governor and the Florida Legislature proved their mettle in that regard," said Marty Larsen, chairman of the Board and president of the American Cancer Society's Florida Division. "This will reduce smoking and save lives."

The American Cancer Society, along with its advocacy affiliate the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) and other coalition partners, advocated for this increase as a way to improve the public's health.

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PA Department of Health Launches Spanish-Language Smoking Cessation Resource Web Site 

Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Everette James today announced the launch of Estoydecidido.com, a resource tool to help Latino residents of Pennsylvania go tobacco free.

Estoydecidido.com - which translates to "I am determined" - is the Spanish version of the state's popular DeterminedToQuit.com site.

"Latinos have become an emerging target for tobacco companies," said Secretary James. "Our department is dedicated to addressing tobacco-related health concerns in the Latino communities. Realizing that language barriers may discourage some of our Hispanic residents from seeking cessation assistance, Estoydecidido.com was developed to provide critical information associated with tobacco health-related risks and support for Latino residents who want to quit using tobacco products."

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SMOKED-IN CARS WORTH LESS SAYS BCA  

SMOKERS need to think carefully before lighting up inside their car as it could seriously devalue the vehicle when they come to sell it, according to BCA. “Our research shows that presentation is one of the top factors influencing the price of used cars,” says Tim Naylor, PR Manager at BCA. “And in a tough market, buyers are only going for the best quality stock. If a car’s interior smells like an ashtray, this makes it very difficult for a dealer to sell it on and the chances are they will turn to something else instead.”

“Motorists should avoid having a cigarette in their car, especially if they intend to sell it in the near future.

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Cigarettes are hazardous to your erection: smoking and sexual health 

The four most common causes of erectile dysfunction are smoking, high cholesterol, diabetes, and high blood pressure. All of these heath problems damage blood vessels. Of the four, only smoking is a otherwise healthy young man's problem. Smoking doubles the risk of moderate to severe erectile dysfunction.

A man who starts smoking at the age of 18 and continues for 20 years may have his sex life seriously derailed by the age of 38. Smoking is the most common cause of ED for men under 40. The more cigarettes smoked, the greater the risk. As men age other conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease, may develop further compounding the problem.

This kind of damage is very hard to reverse - only 25% of men will see improvement in their erectile dysfunction if they quit smoking. Other options include drugs like Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis; however, these therapies are most effective when combined with smoking cessation.

The good news - smoking rates in California are on the decline and are the second lowest in the United States. The bad news is 17% of Californian men and 9% of women still smoke.

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Drug Combo Proves Powerful Against Lung Cancer  

A two-drug combination treatment proved successful in safely slowing advanced non-small cell lung cancer in a recent clinical trial.

In the study, a phase 3 trial involving 768 people with the disease, those who had erlotinib (Tarceva) added to their dose of the bevacizumab (Avastin) saw the progression of the disease slow more than if on bevacizumab alone. People on the combo therapy tolerated the drugs well and survived an average of 4.8 months before the disease grew worse, compared with 3.7 months for those on bevacizumab alone.

Non-small cell lung cancer, often linked to past tobacco use, is the most common of all lung cancers, according to the National Cancer Institute.

"This is the first study to show the addition of erlotinib to maintenance therapy prolongs progression-free survival in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer," the study's co-author, Dr. Vincent Miller, a thoracic oncologist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, said in a news release from the center. "Knowing which patients will get the greatest benefit from this combination, based on the identification of biomarkers, will be an important next step in this research."

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