Research
Smoking cessation improves life expectancy after coronary bypass surgery
Results from a recently presented study suggest that quitting smoking after coronary artery bypass surgery (CABS) results in a 40 percent reduction in mortality. This reduction is much higher than other popular prevention methods, such as aspirin therapy and statins. The thirty-year follow-up study tracked 551 current smokers starting at the time of CABS. The researchers assessed smoking status after the surgery by administering a questionnaire to these 551 participants, out of which 237 were classified as quitters and 314 were classified as persistent smokers. Primary long-term results from their study indicate that quitters had a life expectancy of 20 years. Three years longer than persistent smokers, who had a life expectancy of 17 years. Click here to read more about the study, which was recently presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress.

Pregnant U.S. smokers may suffer depression, which makes quitting more difficult
One recent and one current study have helped to highlight the problematic association between smoking and depression in women as well as how to break it. The first study included 1,500 pregnant women as a part of a larger study on the health of Americans. Researchers found that 22 percent of these women smoked at some point during pregnancy, while 12 percent were classified as dependent on nicotine. Of the women that smoked, approximately 30 percent were also depressed, while this percentage increased sharply to 50 percent among those dependent on nicotine. Given the obvious need to address the link between depression and smoking in this population, Project Baby Steps researchers are investigating whether intensive cognitive therapy for depression helps 250 inner-city women in Texas quit smoking. This intervention helps the women build problem solving skills to help improve the quality of dysfunctional relationships. Click here to read more about the studies.

Use of consumer survey data to target cessation messages to smokers through mass media
A recent study has identified the mass media channels that reach the most cigarette smokers. Researchers used data from the 2002-2003 ConsumerStyles and HealthStyles surveys of adults to estimate demographic-specific exposure to television, radio, newspapers and magazines. Primary results indicate that smokers watched more television and listened to more radio, while reading fewer magazines and newspapers than non-smokers. Cable television networks like USA, Lifetime and the Discovery Chanel and radio genres such as classic rock and country had high reach among smokers. Moreover, these channels were found be cost efficient for the number of cigarette smokers reached. Click here to view the study abstract, which is published in the June 2007 issue of the American Journal of Public Health.

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Projects

Oklahoma: Tobacco Trust targets money to anti-smoking campaign
The Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust board has agreed to allocate $3 million of its $13.3 million budget to a media campaign. The campaign will begin in January and is expected to help promote existing services like the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline. Nearly all of the remaining money will go towards other community programs. Click here to read more.

Muslim groups kick of Ramadan with anti-smoking initiative
Two organizations representing Islamic physicians and one Muslim civil rights group are encouraging Muslims living in the United States to quit smoking during Ramadan, which commenced in mid-September. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA), and the Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA) believe that Ramadan is an ideal time to quit smoking altogether, because Muslims already must forego the behavior during the day as well as practice restraint of other behaviors like eating and drinking. This anti-smoking initiative is part of a larger program called “Muslims Care,” which encourages Muslims to make beneficial contributions to American society. Click here to read more.

UK: New campaign launched to stop people smoking
A new campaign in northeast England called the Big Quit Club was recently launched to encourage smoking cessation in the wake of the smokefree legislation. The Big Quit Club campaign will feature daily radio competitions and talks by celebrities and experts to encourage people to quit. Local cessation services will also offer more drop-in sessions to enable smokers to come in without an appointment. Click here to read more about the campaign.

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