Research

Researchers find pesticides in cigarette smoke
Researchers at the Colorado School of Mines have found previously undetected pesticides in tobacco smoke. Three nitro-containing pesticides suspected of being toxic to the endocrine system and of being carcinogenic were found in a wide variety of cigarette smoke samples. Click here for more information.

Smoking increases risk of impotence
New research has found that men who smoke a pack of cigarettes per day are 39% more likely to be impotent than non-smokers. Click here for more information.

Smoking causes premature death
Smoking greatly increases the risk of dying during middle age (between 40-70 years of age) for both men and women. Quitting smoking even later in life can decrease this risk according to a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Click here for more information.

Smoking doubles risk for root canal treatment
An article from the February 26, 2006 issue of Medical News Today cites a study from the Journal of Dental Research which shows cigarette smoking can lead to not only tooth discoloration and gum disease, but also to the need for root canal treatment. Click here to view the article.

Smoking increases risk of cervical cancer
According to researchers at the International Collaboration of Epidemiological Studies of Cervical Cancer, cigarette smoking increases a woman’s risk of developing cancer of the cervix. The risk increases with the number of cigarettes smoked per day and with age at smoking initiation. Evaluation of data from 23 studies show that current smokers have a 60 percent greater risk of cervical cancer than women who never smoked. Click here for more information.

Smokers at risk for blindness
According to research conducted in Scotland by the Royal National Institute of the Blind, the chemicals in tobacco can damage blood vessels behind the eyes, doubling the risk of blindness. Click here for more information.

Pregnant women who smoke increase risk of asthma in daughters
A study conducted by the University of Queensland in Australia has found that girls whose mothers smoked heavily while pregnant are more likely to develop symptoms of asthma at age 14. The connection did not hold for teenage boys. The researchers suggest that the gender difference may be because boys mature at different rates than girls or because maternal smoking is more damaging to the lung of female fetuses. The study can be found in the March issue of Epidemiology. Click here for more information.

Colon cancer occurs earlier in smokers and drinkers
A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that colon cancer patients who smoked and drank alcohol appeared to develop the disease up to ten years ealier than those who did not. Under current guidelines, people with no family history of colorectal cancer are advised to start testing for pre-cancerous intestinal polyps at age 50. These findings suggest a need for earlier screening for smokers and drinkers. Click here for more information.

Tar levels seven times higher in marijuana than cigarettes
According to a study conducted by the French National Consumer’s Institute, marijuana smoke contains seven times the tar and carbon monoxide than cigarette smoke. Thus the health risks from smoking a pack of cigarettes are equivalent to the risks of smoking only three marijuana joints. Click here for additional information.

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Alabama:
 
Auburn University employees who use tobacco must pay more for health insurance
Starting July 1st, Auburn University employees who use tobacco products must pay $240 more per year for health insurance. Ronald Herring, director in the Office of Payroll and Benefits, said Auburn chose to implement the new insurance policy because tobacco use leads to increased medical costs. Herring said the national average for medical costs are $3,000 more per year per smoker. Click here for more information.

California:
 
California Cancer Facts and Figures 2006 available
California Cancer Registry and the American Cancer Society have released a new booklet, “California Cancer Facts and Figures, 2006” The California Tobacco Control Initiative believes that California’s high tobacco taxes are responsible for reducing the state’s lung cancer rate. A copy of the report is available here. Click here for more information.

Wisconsin:
 
Wisconsin burden of tobacco report released
The Wisconsin Division of Public Health, the American Cancer Society, and the University of Wisconsin Tobacco Surveillance and Evaluation Program recently reported that more than 7,200 Wisconsin residents die from smoking-related illnesses each year. The report, “The 2006 Burden of Tobacco,” was released days before a Milwaukee common council committee voted on a proposal that would create a smoke-free policy in bars, restaurants, and other public places. Click here for more information.

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