Health Effects
Research
One cigarette may trigger urge to smoke years later
Researchers in the UK have found that preteens who try smoking
just once have an increased risk of becoming a regular smoker
in the future. Potential explanations include a breakdown
of barriers which might prevent a person from trying cigarettes
later on, or a change in reward pathways in the brain, resulting
in a “sleeper effect.” The study has been published
in the journal Tobacco Control. Click
here for more information and here
to view the abstract.
Just one cigarette stiffens heart muscle
Research conducted at the University of Arizona found that
smoking just one cigarette makes the heart function abnormally.
During an echocardiogram, researchers could see changes
in the way the heart relaxes between contractions, with
the heart muscle seeming to stiffen. A failure to relax
properly is an early marker for heart failure. For
more information, click here.
Links between smoking and osteoporosis strengthened
Two new studies have found that smoking increases the risk
for osteoporosis in men as well as women. One study, conducted
by Sweden’s Gothenberg University, examined 1,000
men ages 18-20, finding smokers to have a lower overall
bone mineral density, and a significantly lower density
in the spine and hip. The other study, conducted in China
by the Harvard School of Public Health, found that even
secondhand smoke was responsible for increasing the risk
for osteoporosis and bone fractures in both men and women.
Click
here for more information.
Young adults believe other tobacco products are
safer than cigarettes
An article in the May/June 2006 issue of the American
Journal of Health Behavior shows that young adults
tended to view light cigarettes, shisha and herbal products
as safer than regular cigarettes but there were differences
in ratings by race/ ethnicity, related to preferred cigarette
variety. View
the abstract for more information.
Respiratory symptoms decrease after public smoking ban enacted
in Norway
Service industry workers in Norway showed a decrease in
respiratory symptoms five months after the country enacted
a public smoking ban. The study was published in the June
2006 issue of Tobacco Control. View
the abstract to learn more.
Smoking history hinders lung cancer treatment
According to a study conducted by researchers at the University
of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, lung cancer patients
who have never smoked respond better to chemotherapy and
have a higher chance of survival compared to current or
past smokers. Click
here for additional information.
Research says women aren’t aware of lung cancer
risks
A national survey by the National Lung Cancer Partnership
found that most women don’t know important facts about
lung cancer, even though the disease kills 70,000 women
per year in the U.S. Only 12 percent of the women surveyed
believed they know the symptoms of lung cancer, and only
41 percent know that lung cancer is the number one cancer
killer in the country. View
the press release for more information.
Smokers believe hand-rolled tobacco poses less risk
A survey of 1,000 smokers in the U.K. found that 25% believe
that hand-rolled tobacco poses less risk to their health
than manufactured cigarettes. Some research suggests than
hand-rolled cigarettes may in reality be more harmful. Click
here for more information.
Link between heavy marijuana use and cancer disputed
Researchers at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
are surprised by their recent finding that even heavy, long-term
marijuana use does not increase the risk of developing lung
cancer or head and neck cancers. Click
here for additional information on the study.
Anticipation of smoking affects brain
A Canadian study published in Neuropsychopharmacology
has found that smokers who anticipate being able to smoke
in the near future are affected more by external cues than
by their level of craving or how long they have gone without
a cigarette. Click
here for more information.
Gender plays role in factors affecting smoking
initiation
Researchers at the University of Southern California have
found that women are more likely than men to start smoking
due to environmental factors, whereas genes affect smoking
initiation more in men. The study examined factors that
influenced twins to start smoking and to continue smoking.
Click here
for more information.
Smokers’ wrinkle patterns may determine
risk of COPD
A study has found that smokers with a lot of wrinkles are
far more likely to have lung damage than are smokers with
fewer wrinkles. The data, published in the journal Thorax,
demonstrates that facial wrinkling is associated with chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in smokers and that
both disease processes may share a common susceptibility.
Click here
for more information (free registration required)
and here
to view the abstract.
Hookah smoking just as dangerous as cigarettes
A study published in the July issue of Respirology demonstrates
that smoking a hookah is not a safe alternative to cigarettes,
as is commonly believed. Researchers found that although
the mean concentration of cotinine and nicotine was significantly
higher among cigarette smokers, they were still dangerously
high in hookah smokers. In addition, hookah smokers exhibited
more severe chronic bronchitis symptoms than did cigarette
smokers. Click here
for additional information.
HIV positive female smokers respond worse to anti-retroviral
treatment
A study of HIV positive women found that those who smoked
had poorer increases in their CD4 count and a greater likelihood
of failing therapy than nonsmokers, although they did not
have an increased risk of AIDS-related death. Researchers
hope that publicizing this relationship may prompt more
HIV positive individuals to quit smoking. Click here
for more information on the study, which was published in
the June issue of the American Journal of Public Health.
Smoking motives and affective vulnerability related
in young smokers
This study found that the motivation to smoke to reduce
negative affect was significantly related to anxiety sensitivity
and negative affectivity, but not anxious arousal. In addition,
habitual smoking motives demonstrated significant incremental
associations with anxiety sensitivity and anxious arousal
symptoms. View the abstract
for more information.
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National
WHO warns against use of alternative tobacco products
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned against the
use of products such as smokeless tobacco and water pipes,
sometimes considered to be a safer alternative to cigarettes.
Click
here for more information.
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States
Nebraska:
Tobacco use in Nebraska costs over $1 billion annually
The Nebraska Health and Human Services System released data
on the medical and productivity costs of tobacco use in
Nebraska. The 2004 estimates show that medical costs total
$537 million annually, and lost productivity due to tobacco-related
illnesses total $499 million, resulting in a total loss
of $1.036 billion. For
more information, click here.
