National

Cancer statistics, 2009
Based on data from the National Center for Health Statistics, the American Cancer Society estimates that in 2009 there will be approximately 1.4 million people diagnosed with cancer and 500,000 deaths due to cancer. Since 1990, cancer death rates have been on the decline among men, with lung, prostate, and colorectal cancers accounting for nearly 80% of the total decrease. This decrease in cancer death rates among men is attributed to a decrease in smoking over the past 50 years. The decline in cancer death rates among women is primarily due to a decrease in breast and colorectal cancer deaths, a trend which is attributed to early detection and/or treatment. Trends in cancer rates by state reflected differences in smoking prevalence. Click here to read the full article in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.

Cigarette smoking prevalence and policies in 50 states: An era of change
A new report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and Bridging the Gap, an RWJF-funded research program, offers data on state and national rates and patterns of tobacco use, policies to prevent tobacco use, and policies and programs to help tobacco users quit. The data are presented in charts and maps that are current as of April 2009. The data show that cigarette smoking among adults has significantly decreased in recent years from 24.5% in 1992/1993, to 18.5% in 2006/2007. However, smoking prevalence varies considerably from state to state. Social norms are changing, and more adults are living in smoke-free homes. The report provides further evidence that higher tobacco taxes are associated with lower rates of tobacco use, and that raising taxes does not decrease tax revenues. Click here to read key findings or to download the report. Click here to download a PowerPoint presentation that was delivered in conjunction with the release of the report at the National Conference on Tobacco or Health (NCTOH).

Trends in smoking before, during, and after pregnancy —Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), United States, 31 sites, 2000–2005
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a report on national trends in smoking during three states of pregnancy—before, during, and after. Data were collected from 31 sites across the country through a state and population-based surveillance system, the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS). The results indicate that efforts to reduce smoking prevalence among female smokers before pregnancy have not been effective. However, efforts targeting pregnant women have met some success as smoking rates have declined during pregnancy and after delivery. The prevalence of smoking during pregnancy decreased significantly overall, from 15.2% in 2001 to 13.8% in 2005, but changes in cessation rates during pregnancy varied by site. Two sites, Michigan and New Jersey, saw an increase in cessation rates among pregnant women from 2001 to 2005, while Louisiana had a decrease in cessation during that time. Prenatal smoking remains one of the most common preventable causes of infant morbidity and mortality. Click here for more information.

Report: Smoking declines as alcohol, drug use hold steady
A new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) indicates that the overall U.S. smoking rate has declined slightly since last year. Youths and young adults aged 12 to 25 showed the greatest decline in smoking. Trends in the state data from the National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) showed that perceived risk may play a role in engagement in risky behaviors, such as smoking, drinking, and illicit drug use. States with a large percentage of the population perceiving smoking to be risky typically had a lower smoking rate than states where a lower percentage of the population perceived smoking to be risky. Click here for more information. Click here to access the report, “State Estimates of Substance Use and Mental Health from the 2006-2007 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health.”

Experts: Big Tobacco dead by 2047, possibly sooner
American Journal of Public Health, researchers describe milestones of the tobacco control movement, and chart a plan to eradicate tobacco use over the next several decades. It has been noted that progress in decreasing tobacco use has stalled in recent years, but the researchers maintain that the dramatic progress achieved since the 1960s “underscores the remarkable success of tobacco control efforts to date.” They outline steps for a nationwide effort to revitalize progress in decreasing tobacco use over the next fifty years, including: substantially increasing tobacco taxes, eliminating nicotine from cigarettes, and funding an aggressive mass media campaign to counter tobacco industry marketing and promotions. Click here to read more, or click here to read the abstract of the commentary.

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International

The role of the media in promoting and reducing tobacco use
The National Cancer Institute has developed an executive summary of its recent monograph, “The Role of the Media in Promoting and Reducing Tobacco Use.” The executive summary provides a framework for understanding the relationship between tobacco and the media, and is based on a critical, scientific review and synthesis of the scientific literature on media communications in tobacco promotion and tobacco control. The executive summary can serve as a quick reference with its listing of major conclusions from the monograph, organized by chapter. With an understanding of the effects of media on tobacco use, tobacco control interventions can be developed to leverage the media to promote health. Click here to download the executive summary. To read the full monograph, or to access a collection of related fact sheets, click here.

Smoking kills - but few aware (China)
China’s Ministry of Health has released a report revealing a widespread lack of awareness of the health effects of smoking. The report notes that the majority of smokers are unaware that smoking is linked to heart disease and stroke. One third of physicians were unaware that smoking causes coronary heart disease, and four in five were unaware of the link between secondhand smoke and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Read more here.

WHO: 600 million cigarettes sold in Fiji annually (Fiji)
With a population of 800,000, Fiji manages to consume more than 600 million cigarettes annually. About half of the male population smokes, and 18% of females are smokers. A WHO representative is hoping to work with the Health Ministry to curb this problem. The Ministry states that they have been targeting young people so that they would not pick up the habit. Smoking is a contributor to Fiji’s high rate of non-communicable diseases. Read more here.

Monstrous (UK)
A recent study estimated that the actual cost of smoking to the U.K. National Health Service (NHS) is approximately four times the government’s previous estimate. Other studies have estimated the annual health and economic burden at £1.4 -1.7 billion, but this study found that the direct costs of smoking amounted to £5.2 billion in 2005-06. Even the revised cost estimate is likely to be an underestimate of the true costs of smoking, since indirect costs were not taken into account in the study. Additionally, the study determined that one in five deaths in the country is due to smoking, accounting for 27% of deaths in men and 11% in women. Click here to read more. Click here to read the abstract of the study, which was published in Tobacco Control.

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