http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/category/women.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://diversitydata.sph.harvard.edu/rankings.jsp?i=274 http://tobacco.org/news/274664.html 1: Akron, OHMetro Area Non-Hispanic White 20.4%Non-Hispanic Black 18.4%Non-Hispanic Asian 3.5%Hispanic 6.0% 2: Albany--Schenectady--Troy, NYMetro Area Non-Hispanic White 19.2%Non-Hispanic Black 24.4%Non-Hispanic Asian 2.8%Hispanic 18.5% 3: Albuquerque, NMMetro Area Non-Hispanic White 15.7%Non-Hispanic Black 16.8%Non-Hispanic Asian 5.4%Hispanic 10.6% 4: Allentown--Bethlehem--Easton, PAMetro Area Non-Hispanic White 17.0%Non-Hispanic Black 21.6%Non-Hispanic Asian 2.7%Hispanic 11.3% The DiversityData project Wed, 19 Nov 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2008/11/16/unborn-babies-put-at-risk-with-figures-showing-1-in-5-pregnant-mums-smoke-78057-20898399/ http://tobacco.org/news/274659.html ONE in five pregnant women smoke despite the health risks to their unborn child. And of these, only one in 10 have tried to quit with NHS support. Smoking is linked to low birth weight and an increased risk of miscarriage and stillbirth. But government figures for 2007 show that 11,868 women were still smoking - 20.9 per cent of pregnant women - at the time of their first ante-natal booking. Of these, only 1307 - around 11 per cent - tried to quit by taking up NHS support and advice on quitting. Labour MSP George Foulkes said: "The Scottish government needs to do more to warn pregnant women of the dangers of smoking. . . . TVcelebrities such as Kate Garraway and Kerry Katona were seen smoking while pregnant. But in Britain, the practice was linked to about 14,000 low-weight births, 5000 miscarriages and 400 still births last year. NHS boards have tried a number of ways to help expectant women quit. Daily Record and Sunday Mail UK UK-Scotland Sun, 16 Nov 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/583675 http://tobacco.org/news/274625.html Cigarette smoking is associated with hot flashes, higher androstenedione levels, a higher total androgen-to-total estrogen ratio, and lower progesterone levels in women who are not postmenopausal, according to the results of a cross-sectional study reported in the November issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology. "Despite the decades of research that have been performed, few risk factors for hot flushes [flashes] have been identified," write Chrissy J. Cochran, PhD, from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland, and colleagues. "One of the most common risk factors studied in association with hot flushes is cigarette smoking." The goal of this study was to determine whether cigarette smoking is associated with hot flashes through a mechanism involving androgen levels, progesterone levels, sex hormone–binding globulin levels, or the ratio of androgens to estrogens. The study sample consisted of 362 women with hot flashes and 266 without hot flashes Medscape Mon, 17 Nov 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.bio-medicine.org/medicine-news/Smoking-Hinders-Pregnancy-15684-1/ http://tobacco.org/news/274606.html The lining of the womb may be damaged by heavy smoking, thereby reducing a woman's chance of getting pregnant according to recent research. The study revealed that smoking can directly affect the uterus, making implantation in the wall of the uterus difficult. The study was published in the journal Human Reproduction and it compared the pregnancy rates for IVF using donated eggs for those who either did not smoke or who smoked fewer than 10 cigarettes a day and for heavy smokers. Besides this none of the women's partners were smokers nor were there any heavy smokers among the egg donors. Bio-Medicine.org Tue, 18 Nov 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/129424.php http://tobacco.org/news/274554.html A new UCLA School of Nursing study is the first to reveal the devastating consequences of smoking on the nursing profession. Published in the November-December edition of the journal Nursing Research, the findings describe smoking trends and death rates among U.S. nurses and emphasize the importance of supporting smoking cessation programs in the nursing field. "Nurses witness firsthand how smoking devastates the health of their patients with cancer and respiratory and cardiovascular diseases," said principal investigator Linda Sarna, D.N.Sc, a professor at the UCLA School of Nursing. "Yet nurses struggle with nicotine addiction like the rest of the 45 million smokers in America. We are concerned that nurses who smoke may be less apt to support tobacco-control programs or encourage their patients to quit." Sarna led a team of researchers who analyzed data from the Nurses' Health Study, a historic study on women's health. Launched at Brigham and Women's Hospital in the mid-1970s, the study relied upon surveys completed every two years by 237,648 female registered nurses about their health, including smoking habits. . . . According to the most recent data, the smoking rate among registered nurses nationwide is nearly 12 percent. The rate of smoking among women in the Nurses' Health Study declined from 33.2 percent in 1976 to 8.4 percent in 2003. The number of cigarettes smoked per day also dropped. However, the daily number among current smokers still averaged more than 15 cigarettes, or over half a pack. "When the Nurses' Health Study began in 1976, nursing education gave limited attention to smoking's effect on health. Today, the amount of time devoted to tobacco cessation in the curriculum remains inadequate," Sarna said. Medical News TODAY Sun, 16 Nov 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://uk.reuters.com/article/healthNewsMolt/idUKTRE4AE0RP20081115?sp=true http://tobacco.org/news/274531.html Women 27 to 44 years old who smoke are twice as likely to develop premenstrual syndrome over the next two to four years, especially hormonally-related symptoms like backaches, bloating, breast tenderness, and acne, Dr. Elizabeth R. Bertone-Johnson of the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and her colleagues found. "Our findings lend further support to the idea that smoking increases the risk of moderate to severe PMS, and provides another reason for women, especially adolescents and young women, not to smoke," Bertone-Johnson told Reuters Health via E-mail Up to 20% of women have PMS severe enough to affect their relationships and interfere with their normal activities, Bertone-Johnson and her team note in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Reuters Sat, 15 Nov 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/kwn194 http://tobacco.org/news/274530.html Moderate to severe premenstrual syndrome (PMS) affects as many as 20% of premenopausal women. Although smoking may be more common in women with PMS, it is unknown whether smoking is involved in PMS etiology. In 1991-2001, the authors conducted a case-control study nested within the prospective Nurses' Health Study II. Participants were US women aged 27-44 years and free of PMS at baseline, including 1,057 who developed PMS over 10 years and 1,968 reporting no diagnosis of PMS and only minimal menstrual symptoms during this time. Smoking at various ages was assessed by questionnaires. After adjustment for oral contraceptives and other factors, current smokers were 2.1 times as likely as never smokers to develop PMS over the next 2-4 years (95% confidence interval: 1.56, 2.83). Total pack-years and smoking during adolescence and young adulthood were also independently associated with a higher risk of PMS. For example, the relative risk for women who started smoking before age 15 years, compared with never smokers, was 2.53 (95% confidence interval: 1.70, 3.76). Results suggest that smoking, especially in adolescence and young adulthood, may increase risk of moderate to severe PMS. These findings may provide an additional incentive for young women to avoid cigarette smoking. American Journal of Epidemiology journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org Mon, 17 Nov 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://news.theage.com.au/national/vic-men-quitting-smoking-living-longer-20081116-67u4.html http://tobacco.org/news/274521.html Many Victorian males now outlive their Japanese counterparts because of a rise in the life expectancy, attributed to quitting smoking. A Victorian male born in 2006 can expect to live for 80 years, overtaking the world's longest-living men, the Japanese, according to figures released by the Victorian government on Sunday. Health Minister Daniel Andrews said in 2006 Japanese men had an average life expectancy of 79 years. "One of the reasons advanced for the relative improvement in male life expectancy is because more men are giving up smoking, with deaths from lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease falling quicker in men than in women," Mr Andrews said. However, women are still outliving their male counterparts. In 1999, life expectancy for men was 76.7 years and 82.0 years for women. The Age Australia Sun, 16 Nov 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5731a2.htm http://tobacco.org/news/274482.html Cigarette smoking continues to be the leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality in the United States. Women of reproductive age (18--44 years) who smoke risk adverse pregnancy outcomes and adverse health consequences for themselves. They also are exposing their children to secondhand smoke and modeling behavior that will increase the likelihood that their children will become smokers. CDC analyzed state-specific prevalence of smoking and attempts to quit among women of reproductive age, using 2006 data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). The data indicated a six-fold difference between the state and territory with the highest and lowest prevalence (range: 5.8% [U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI)]--34.7% [Kentucky]). Among women of reproductive age, those aged 18--24 years were most likely to have attempted to quit (68.4%), but least likely to have quit smoking (26.3%). Successful prevention and cessation interventions for this group of women can protect their own and their children's health. Centers for Disease Control mmwrq@cdc.gov Fri, 08 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=621342 http://tobacco.org/news/274452.html Men are more likely to die from inoperable non-small cell lung cancer than women, U.S. researchers report. In fact, gender is the most important factor influencing overall survival of patients with this disease, the new study found. A team of researchers in six U.S. cities studied 1,365 patients enrolled in national group trials to determine the effect of such sociodemographic factors as gender, race and marital status on lung cancer outcomes. They found that men had a 1.23 times higher death rate than women, while race and marital status didn't significantly affect outcomes. "Our study corroborates the fact that gender plays an important role as a prognostic factor in people diagnosed with lung cancer," the lead author, Dr. Benjamin Movsas, chair of the radiation oncology department at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, said in a news release. "This underscores the importance of studying this disease entity in light of the fact that women diagnosed with lung cancer tend to have a better outcome in terms of survival." The study was to be presented Thursday at the Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology. At the same meeting, another group of U.S. researchers, from the South West Oncology Group, reported that a combination of traditional chemotherapy with targeted therapies called monoclonal antibodies was safe and improved survival of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. HealthDay [HealthScout] Thu, 13 Nov 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.nosmokingroom.org/about%20this%20site/history.html http://tobacco.org/news/274433.html The No Smoking Room started with a group of grown ups concerned by the number of girls, and women, who smoke. We know that girls are influenced to smoke by many media and social pressures. We have also learned how the internet plays a big part of young people’s lives. We decided to reach out to a community of young girls across North America who could tell us how to share our message with young girls just like you using the internet. Our “focus groups” with girls at community centers around the country, including Girls, Inc. sites in Indiana and Kentucky, were very informative. The girls were creative and engaging, and wanted to spread the word about living smoke-free. They drew websites for us to make sure that we understood what they wanted in a website. They spoke – we listened! We also developed a girl’s advisory group, who kept the grown ups on track with their vision. You can learn more about the girls who helped design this site by clicking here. We are proud of all of the girls who helped to bring the No Smoking Room alive. Our motto here is: There is no room for smoking in our lives! No Smoking Room.org info@nosmokingroom.org Fri, 14 Nov 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.nosmokingroom.org/index.html http://tobacco.org/news/274432.html The No Smoking Room is a safe place to help you live smoke-free. This site was created for girls, by girls, just like you. So, go ahead and explore. After all, it’s your room! No Smoking Room.org Fri, 14 Nov 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-11/dms-inw111308.php http://tobacco.org/news/274431.html A new Web site designed to emphasize smoking prevention for young girls has been launched through Children's Hospital at Dartmouth (CHaD) and Dartmouth Medical School (DMS). The safe, online patient education site was created by Dartmouth pediatrician Henry Bernstein to help prevent smoking in young girls 8-11 years old). Funded by Pfizer Inc. through an unrestricted educational grant, the site--No Smoking Room.Org (www.nosmokingroom.org) is designed to empower young girls to say "no" to smoking and to encourage those who are smoking to quit. Bernstein says the No Smoking Room team is looking for partners to spread the "no smoking" message to as many young girls and their health influencers, such as parents, as possible. . . . The Web site engages 8-11 year old girls through high-quality multimedia features, including "the girlz lounge" EurekAlert jason.aldous@hitchcock.org Thu, 13 Nov 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.thereporter.com/opinion/ci_10972381 http://tobacco.org/news/274391.html It's inevitable. At some point today, I will see a smoking advertisement. Whether it's at the market or drugstore, in a magazine or at major sporting event, this 14-year-old will see a tobacco ad. I'm a tobacco industry target. Take, for example, sponsorships. If you enjoy the thrill of race car driving, you're sure to see a cigarette brand name written in white across the chest of some driver in a red jumpsuit. Pretty packaging is another sleek marketing technique used by tobacco companies. I must admit, Camel No. 9's slick black box with pink and teal accents appeared attractive when shown to me. . . . The tobacco companies say they've cut back on advertisement and don't market to youth, yet they do. According to the Senate HELP Committee in 2007, the average youth in the United States was exposed to 559 tobacco ads between 1998 and 2005. Well, tobacco companies, I won't be one of your statistics. I won't help in your mission of targeting the youth, nor will I be one of the 438,000 people in the United States who die annually from tobacco-caused diseases. . . . I want to be healthy. I value my life and the lives of those around me. Tobacco companies just don't get it. Or worse, they just don't care. Vacaville Reporter Thu, 13 Nov 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=621312 http://tobacco.org/news/274377.html When it comes to premature birth rates, the United States rates a "D," and 18 states plus Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia get failing grades. That's the sobering conclusion of the March of Dimes' first annual Premature Birth Report Card, released Wednesday. Not a single state earned an "A." Only one -- Vermont -- received a "B," and 23 states were given a "D." The report card was released on the sixth annual Prematurity Awareness Day, which is meant to draw attention to premature birth, which affects more than 530,000 babies each year in the United States. Premature birth (before 37 weeks' gestation) is the leading cause of newborn deaths and a major cause of lifelong ills such as cerebral palsy, blindness, hearing loss, learning disabilities, asthma and other chronic conditions. "It is unacceptable that our nation is failing so many preterm babies. We are determined to find and implement solutions to prevent preterm birth, based on research, best clinical practices, and improved education for moms," March of Dimes President Dr. Jennifer L. Howse said . . . The report calls for: . . . * Policymakers to improve access to health coverage for women of childbearing age and to support smoking-cessation programs as part of maternity care. HealthDay [HealthScout] Wed, 12 Nov 2008 05:00:00 GMT