Research

Smoking hurts women more than men
According to a study presented to the European Society of Cardiology, smoking greatly affects the onset of heart disease among women. Although women generally get heart disease later in life compared to men, women’s heart disease onset is hastened by smoking more than men’s heart disease onset. Adjusting for risk factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes, the study found that female smokers have heart attacks 14 years younger than nonsmoking women, while male smokers have heart attacks only six years sooner than nonsmokers. While this gender gap seems large, other studies on gender differences in the health effects of smoking have been inconclusive, and the interaction between other cardiac risk factors and gender are still unclear. Click here for more information.

Docs don’t deliver “no smoking” message to pregnant women
The results of a recent study suggest that although most pregnant women are aware that they should not be smoking, women are not getting the medical advice they need to quit. The researchers analyzed data from the Pregnancy Risk Monitoring System (PRAMS) on women in New Jersey. Nearly half of the pregnant smokers in the study quit smoking before entering prenatal care, but only five percent quit after starting prenatal care. In addition, while most women reported that their prenatal care provider asked about their smoking status, only 56.7% of women were counseled by their physician about quitting. Because of the risk associated with smoking during pregnancy, this figure is alarming. However, the data show that women are quitting smoking before receiving prenatal care at higher rates than women in studies in the 1990s and earlier.  To read more about the study, click here. The research is published in the October issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

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Reports

Adult smoking drops slightly, rate hits new low (WA)
As of 2007, the statewide adult smoking prevalence in Washington State is at an all-time low of 16.5%. The current smoking rate represents a 25% drop in adult smoking since the state’s comprehensive tobacco prevention program began in 2000. Despite the overall improvement, smoking remains more common among state residents with lower incomes and less education. The smoking rate is 32% among low-income residents, and 27% among residents with a high school diploma or less. The state recently increased outreach efforts to these individuals by providing Medicaid coverage for prescription cessation medications. In addition, the state quitline offers support for all state residents, including personalized quit plans and at least two weeks of nicotine replacement therapy. To promote cessation, the state is participating in the national “Become an EX” campaign and a state advertising campaign to target groups with high rates of tobacco use. For more details, click here.

NAATEN/NNTPP National Conference presentations
On April 23-24, 2008, the Health Education Council (HEC) hosted a national conference, Promising Practices from the Field: Tobacco Control Strategies for Priority Populations, which highlighted tobacco control efforts in the African American community and efforts addressing tobacco control and poverty issues. Many presentations from the conference are now available on the National Network on Tobacco Prevention and Poverty website. Click here to access the site.

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