Tobacco.org

New smoking data have been reported by scientists at University of Otago 

According to recent research published in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research, "This study assessed the utility of spousal smoking as a measure of secondhand smoke exposure. The investigation involved secondary analysis of data from 526 female participants of a lung cancer case-control study from northeastern U.K.."

"Secondhand smoke exposure was measured in the home (spousal and nonspousal), workplace, and social/other settings over the whole life course. Almost all women (99.1%) had at least 10 years of secondhand smoke exposure from at least one source, most commonly from parental smoking in childhood, and spousal smoking, the workplace, and social settings during adulthood. Spousal smoking was strongly correlated with overall secondhand smoke exposure in the home

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• SANDFORD: Forget what the tobacco industry says 

There are many reasons why children take up smoking but youth exposure to tobacco marketing is a key factor. Although most forms of tobacco promotion were outlawed in the UK by the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002, the tobacco industry has continued to use its marketing muscle to lure children to its products through elaborate displays and fancy packaging. . . .

Naturally, the tobacco industry disputes the evidence because of its need to recruit and maintain new customers. The industry has an established track record of contesting research evidence to delay regulation. Tactics include challenging the evidence in order to create uncertainty and using apparently 'independent' researchers to do its dirty work. Such allies include the Cato Institute, for example. . . .

Furthermore there is simply no evidence to support the claim that putting tobacco out of sight at the point of sale leads to an increase in illegal sales. The vast majority of retailers are law-abiding and would not be tempted to try and sell illicit products. The rise in smuggling in both Ireland and Canada predates the implementation of display bans and there is no evidence of any causal association. Tobacco smuggling is clearly a huge problem that requires a strategic response but abandoning a policy that would stop tobacco being promoted to young people is not the answer.

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New research discovers link between smoking and brain damage 

New research which suggests a direct link between smoking and brain damage will be published in the July issue of the Journal of Neurochemistry. Researchers, led by Debapriya Ghosh and Dr Anirban Basu from the Indian National Brain Research Center (NBRC), have found that a compound in tobacco provokes white blood cells in the central nervous system to attack healthy cells, leading to severe neurological damage.

The research centers on a compound known as NNK, which is common in tobacco. NNK is a procarinogen, a chemical substance which becomes carcinogenic when it is altered by the metabolic process of the body.

Unlike alcohol or drug abuse NNK does not appear to harm brain cells directly, however, the research team believe it may cause neuroinflamation, a condition which leads to disorders such as Multiple Sclerosis.

"Considering the extreme economical and disease burden of neuroinflammation related disorders, it is extremely important from a medical, social and economic point of view to discover if NNK in tobacco causes neuroinflammation" said Ghosh.

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• A review of human carcinogens—Part E: tobacco, areca nut, alcohol, coal smoke, and salted fish 

New evidence continues to add to the extensive list of tobacco-related cancers (table); there is now sufficient evidence that tobacco smoking causes cancer of the colon3 and of the ovary.4 More than 150 epidemiological studies of tobacco smoking and breast cancer were reviewed. Large cohort studies5, 6 published since 20022 consistently show a small positive association (relative risks 1·1—1·3). Many chemicals in tobacco smoke cause mammary-gland tumours in animals, and these carcinogens are stored in breast adipose tissue in women; therefore, the Working Group concluded that there is limited evidence that tobacco smoking causes breast cancer. A causal link between parental smoking and childhood cancers has been established. Four recent studies showed that children born of parents who smoke (father, mother, or both, including the preconception period and pregnancy) are at significantly higher risk of hepatoblastoma, a rare embryonic cancer. The UK Childhood Cancer Study7 reported a relative risk of 1·86 for paternal smoking only and 2·02 for maternal smoking only, increasing to 4·74 (95% CI 1·68—13·35) when both parents smoke. For childhood leukaemia, a meta-analysis reported an association with paternal smoking before pregnancy (summary relative risk 1·12, 1·04—1·21).8 Second-hand smoke causes lung cancer.2 There is now limited evidence for an association with cancers of the larynx and the pharynx,9 whereas evidence for female breast cancer remains inconclusive. Since second-hand smoke contains most of the constituents of mainstream smoke, it might also be associated with other cancer sites. Many types of smokeless tobacco are marketed and all contain nicotine and nitrosamines. Hundreds of millions of people use smokeless tobacco, mainly in India and southeast Asia, but also in Sweden and the USA. Earlier findings showed a causal association between use of smokeless tobacco and cancers of the oral cavity and pancreas, and there is now sufficient evidence for cancer of the oesophagus.10 All of the forms of tobacco discussed above induce malignant tumours in laboratory animals.

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Delaware teens take on big tobacco for 10 years  

In 1999, 13 high school students from throughout the State of Delaware had enough of the tobacco industry’s tactics and decided to do something about it. So they formed an organization called the “Kick Butts Generation,” better known as the “KBG.”

Today, a decade later, they are 12,000 members strong and have made an impact on the health of Delawareans. In the past 10 years, they have advocated for stronger clean indoor air laws; cleaned Delaware beaches of cigarette butts; pushed for ID checks on tobacco purchases; and educated thousands of their peers about the dangers of tobacco use and smoking.

The KBG’s accomplishments also include:

• Advocated for tobacco-free beaches in Delaware

• Supported excise tax on tobacco products to deter youth from smoking

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LETTER: Some stretch meaning of state’s no-smoking law 

The majority has imposed its will on the minority. Smoking is now illegal inside buildings open to the public.

It seems that some, however, feel it necessary to mislead us and expand the law beyond what it says and does. For example: a local mall has posted signs saying that "Smoking is prohibited here and around all entrances to comply with Montana's Clean Air Act." Montana does not have a Clean Air Act - it's limited to indoors (except on school property). The act does not prohibit smoking around entrances. This lie is perpetuated even by state agencies that promote ads praising The Montana Clean Air Act.

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'Smoke Free for Baby and Me' campaign to raise awareness of health benefits of quitting smoking 

November is "The Great American Smokeout Month" and the Macon County Public Health Center is supporting a campaign to raise awareness of the immediate health benefits of quitting smoking with pregnant women and mothers with young children.

Stopping smoking is probably the single most effective step a pregnant woman can take to improve her own health and that of her baby, according to the Centers for Disease Control director. If you are pregnant and smoke:

-- You double the chances that your child will be born with a low birth weight.

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Shop Rite-Tobacco Plus Stores Donate to Saint Jude  

Shop Rite-Tobacco Plus stores made a major donation Wednesday to the St. Jude's Research Hospital.

The group handed over proceeds from its fundraising efforts to support the work in pediatric care being done at St. Jude's Research Hospital in Memphis, TN.

John Dan Gielen and his company presented a check for a little more than $124,000.

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Education campaign for Tobacco Law 

During a press conference Leader of Government Business McKeeva Bush reiterated Tobacco Law passed in October 2008 would finally take effect by the end of the year, and that public education campaign will be launched late November or early December.

"While regrettable, this delay will allow us to get it right and does have the added benefit that residents and businesses now have ample time to get to know the provisions of the Law before it comes into effect," Mr Bush said.

"We hope to see the regulations finalised and approved within a few weeks, after which public health officials will start a public education campaign that will include town hall-style stakeholder meetings," he said Mr Bush said that the delay in the Tobacco Law which is being pushed back to 31 December 2009, would allow the government the time needed to get it right.

"We want to assure business owners that they will have access to all the necessary information, so they can be compliant with the Law," Mr Bush explained.

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SCOR; More Money For Tobacco Farmers 

The South Central Ontario Region - or SCOR for short - is happy to announce the Federal Government has launched the Sand Plains Community Development Fund. It's a 15 million dollar program that will help Brant, Elgin, Middlesex, Oxford and Norfolk Counties make the transition out of tobacco.

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Smokebusters makes a stop in Lee's Summit 

Smokebusters, a smoking cessation group, made a stop in Lee’s Summit this week to talk to high school students about what they can do in their communities to stop teenagers from smoking.

“This year is phase two in the Smokebusters campaign,” explained Aimee Devooght, program coordinator. “Last year we introduced the program. This year, the kids are learning about the media and how they can get their message to reach a mass audience.”

Project Smokebusters is a Missouri-wide, three-year program to promote tobacco-free environments by decreasing exposure to second-hand smoke, reducing tobacco initiation and reducing use among young people.

Students from Lee’s Summit, Oak Grove, Odessa and Lexington attended an all-day event and discussed how they could make their high school campuses smoke-free.

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Malawi tobacco sales drop nine percent: official  

Sales of Malawi’s main cash crop tobacco dropped nine percent to 433 million dollars (293 million euros) this year, as prices at the auction floor fell by nearly a quarter, the country’s crop watchdog said Wednesday.

“The tobacco market suffered some price setbacks and average prices were down by 23 percent per kilo this year,” Bruce Munthali, general manager of the Tobacco Control Commission, told reporters.

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Medicaid access to smoking cessation falls short 

Adapted from Medscape Medical News—a professional news service of WebMD

Berkeley, CA - A national survey shows that although the majority of state Medicaid programs offer coverage for some form of tobacco-dependence treatment, most fall far short of a stated mandate to provide unrestricted access to approved therapies [1].

The report, with first author Dr Sara B McMenamin (University of California, Berkeley) is published in the November 6, 2009 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

It reveals that only six states cover all of the effective pharmacotherapies and individual and group counseling and only two states reported access to tobacco-dependence treatments without any limitations or restrictions.

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Ex-prison worker sentenced in tobacco-dealing case 

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. - A former worker at an Illinois federal lockup is now headed to federal prison for lying to investigators about a behind-bars tobacco-dealing operation that earned him $35,000.

In addition to six months in prison, 45-five-year-old Kenneth White of Centralia also was ordered Friday in East St. Louis to spend two years on supervised release after his prison time.

White pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement to a federal officer.

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• WTO hears RP complaint against Thailand  

The Philippines and Thailand were given a final opportunity until December 7 to comment and respond to questions before the WTO Dispute Settlement Panel is set to issue a ruling early next year over the countries cigarette tax dispute.

Philippine Ambassador to Geneva/WTO Ambassador Manuel AJ Teehankee relayed this in an email after the panel conducted the second substantive meeting last Nov. 4 to 6 in Geneva.

The panel hearing the (DS 371 Philippines versus Thailand on cigarette customs valuation), is chaired by H.E. Ambassador Roberto Acevedo, Permanent Representative of Brazil to the WTO, and its two additional members are Alvaro Hansen of Uruguay and Richard Gottlieb of Canada.

The panel heard rebuttal arguments and fielded searching questions on the facts, claims, and defenses presented by both parties since the first substantive meeting last June.

During the meeting, Teehankee highlighted issues of transparency, discrimination, and domestic protection in Thailand's regulatory regime

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