Research

Low-tar cigarettes just as harmful, Hong Kong study finds
Hong Kong Government scientists examined 95 brands of cigarettes and the smoking habits of the people who buy them. They concluded that although some brands contain less nicotine and tar, smokers who purchase these brands take deeper drags and smoke more frequently, thus canceling out the health benefit. Click here to read more.

Passive smoking linked with tuberculosis risk in children
A study conducted in South Africa lends further support to the association between cigarette smoke and tuberculosis. The team conducted a community survey of 15% of the suburbs in Cape Town, administering a tuberculin skin test to 1344 children. Of the 432 that had a positive tuberculin skin test, 1170 (87 percent) were classified as passive smokers, defined as living in a home with at least one adult who smoked for at least one year. The rate of a positive tuberculin test was 34 percent in children living with a smoker compared with 21 percent in those who were not passive smokers, a non-statistically significant result. However, there was a significant association between passive smoking and a positive tuberculin skin test in the 172 households that had a patient with tuberculosis. Children living in these conditions were five times as likely to test positive. Click here for more information.

Secondhand smoke may be associated with bone loss in subjects with periodontitis
A new study reveals that individuals with periodontitis who are exposed to secondhand smoke may be more likely to develop bone loss, the number one cause of tooth loss. Researchers examined three groups of periodontitis patients - those exposed to smoke produced by non-light cigarettes, a group exposed to smoke from light cigarettes, and a group that was not exposed to secondhand smoke. Results showed that bone loss was greater in the subjects exposed to secondhand smoke, regardless if the smoke was from light or non-light cigarettes, than those who were not exposed to secondhand smoke at all. To read more about the study, published in the Journal of Periodontology, click here.

Smoking may kill male fetuses
New research reveals that couples who smoke when they conceive are almost twice as likely to have a baby girl. Researchers at the Liverpool school of Tropical Medicine in the United Kingdom analyzed 9000 pregnancies and found that mothers who smoked during pregnancy were one-third less likely to have a male child than non-smokers. When the father also smoked, the chances of having a boy were cut almost in half. The researchers believe that chemicals in cigarettes, such as nicotine, inhibit sperm carrying male chromosomes from fertilizing eggs. Click here to read more.

Smoking in pregnancy tied to mental health problems
New research reveals that possible link between smoking during pregnancy and mental health problems, including anxiety disorders and depression. Researchers at Columbia University analyzed data based on 1516 interviews with women who took part in a survey involving alcohol use, all of whom were pregnant in the past year. Twenty-two percent reported smoking during pregnancy and 12 percent were classified as nicotine dependent. Almost half of cigarette smokers and 57 percent of those with nicotine dependence had a mental disorder such as depression or panic disorder. This research suggests that depression and anxiety may have a role in smoking addiction. Click here to access the press release.

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