Health Effects
Research
Public increasingly favors employer incentives
to change health behaviors
A new study indicates that public sentiment is
shifting towards acceptance of higher health insurance rates
for people with unhealthy lifestyles, including smoking.
Click here
for more information.
Smokers exhibit unrealistic optimism
An article in the June 2006 issue of the Journal
of Health Communication shows that individuals who were
unrealistically optimistic were more likely to underestimate
lung cancer risk and less likely to quit smoking. View the
abstract
for more information.
Smoking increases risk of impotence
A 14-year study published in the Journal of
Urology demonstrates that smoking is related to erectile
dysfunction. Click here
to learn more.
Smoking reduces effects of alcohol and increases
risk of cancer when combined with drinking
A report by the Australian Council of Smoking and Health
reveals that the combination of drinking alcohol and smoking
tobacco leads to a greater risk of developing cancer. Click
here to learn
more. In addition, researchers in Texas have found that
smoking reduces the effects of alcohol, thus increasing
the amount consumed. Click here for additional information
on the study conducted by Texas A&M.
Prenatal maternal smoking related to behavioral
and auditory problems in children
A study conducted by the University of Illinois at Chicago
shows a link between smoking during pregnancy and early
child behavior problems. The research, published in the
July/August issue of the journal Child Development,
found that 2-year-olds regularly exposed to cigarette smoke
in utero were nearly 12 times more likely to show clinical
levels of behavior problems compared to toddlers who were
not exposed. Another study conducted by the University
of California, Irvine, shows that nicotine affects hearing
in the brains of children born to women who smoke during
their pregnancy. Click here
to learn more about the study conducted by UIC and here
to learn more about the UC-Irvine study.
Evidence regarding health impact of cigarette availability
to military personnel
The distribution of cigarettes to overseas personnel during
World War II and the Korean War and the availability of
low-cost tobacco products on domestic military bases have
contributed to premature mortality among veterans. A study
conducted by the University of Texas provides evidence that
between 35 and 79 percent of excess veteran deaths due to
heart disease and lung cancer are attributable to military-induced
smoking. Click here to view the
entire report.
Nicotine in cigarettes may promote lung cancer
A new study finds that the nicotine contained in tobacco
and nicotine-replacement therapy may help promote lung cancer,
even though it doesn't cause it in and of itself. Click
here
for more information.
Smoking may be related to lasting HPV infection
A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology
indicates that women who smoke may have a harder time
clearing the human papillomavirus (HPV), some strains of
which are related to cervical cancer, from their bodies.
Click here
to learn more.
Smokeless tobacco use increases risk of cataracts
Reserachers in India have found that use of smokeless
tobacco is related to an increased risk of cataracts. Click
here
for more information on the study, which was published in
the British Journal of Ophthalmology.
Smoking doubles risk of rheumatoid arthritis in women
Results from the Iowa Women's Health Study indicate
that women who do not have genetic risk factors for rheumatoid
arthritis are almost double as likely to develop the disease
if they smoke. The research was published in the Annals
of the Rheumatic Diseases. Click here to learn more.
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Resources
New reference guides for global health professionals and policymakers released
Three leading global public health organizations have
released two new reference guides for global health professionals
working in cancer and tobacco control. The Cancer Atlas
and The Tobacco Atlas were launched at the International
Union Against Cancer (UICC) World Cancer Congress 2006.
The atlases provide current statistical information on cancer
and tobacco use around the world, including useful educational
information for health professionals and policy makers.
The atlases, which are the only reference materials of their
kind, are currently available in English, Spanish and French,
and a Chinese version will be available later this year.
Click here
for more information and here
to access the atlases online.
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States
California
California smog technician who smokes compares
breath to car emissions
A smog technician in Costa Mesa, CA recently tested
his breath versus the emissions coming from a car to see
which was more polluted. The results: the car measured
50 parts per million of hydrocarbon emissions, while his
breath read 351. California is the only state in the nation
to classify second-hand smoke as a toxic air contaminant.
Click here
to learn more.
Florida
Moffitt Cancer Center studying interaction
of smoking and drinking
The H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center at the University of
South Florida is recruiting 105 individuals who smoke and
drink to determine how they react to different combinations
of alcohol and nicotine and the common visual and social
cues that prompt the desire to smoke and drink. Click here
to learn more about the study and here
to access the Moffitt Cancer Center website.
Washington
Washington health district will not hire smokers
The Snohomish Health District in Washington State is
instituting a policy to discontinue hiring smokers. The
Tacoma Pierce County Health Department and Alaska Airlines
have similar policies in place, due to the additional costs
of health care for those who use tobacco. Click here
to learn more.
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