National

New resource for tobacco-related research: CDC's Smoking and Health Resource Library
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Smoking and Health Resource Library is an online repository that is updated on a weekly basis, and contains recently published tobacco-related articles from peer-reviewed behavioral, scientific, and medical literature. Users may browse the new citations by week or search for them as part of the Smoking and Health Resource Library. Links to abstracts are provided for those items that are part of the National Library of Medicine collection. Click here to visit the Smoking and Health Resource Library.

CDC: Fewer smokers go to the dentist
According to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, smokers are less likely to go to the dentist than nonsmokers, despite having a higher prevalence of dental problems. Researchers analyzed 2008 National Health Interview Survey data, and found that more than one-third of smokers have three or more dental problems. Only 20% of smokers said they had been to the dentist in the past five years, compared to 10% of nonsmokers and former smokers. The most common reason respondents cited for not going to the dentist was cost, and smokers were more likely than nonsmokers to cite cost as a barrier. CDC stresses that good oral health is important to overall health. Click here to read more, and click here to see the report from the National Center for Health Statistics.

U.S. hookah tobacco smoking establishments advertised on the internet
A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine has found that websites may impact the misinformation that the public receives about hookah use. A systematic online search was conducted to learn about hookah website content. The results show that the word ‘tobacco’ was relatively uncommon and only 4% of websites included any warnings about negative health outcomes from using hookahs. The websites commonly promoted flavoring, pleasure, relaxation, product quality, and the cultural and social aspects of smoking hookah. The authors of the study stress that more intensive health education and policy measures may be necessary to counter the misinformation presented online. Click here to read the study abstract.

Dual users of both cigarettes and cigars are more likely to be young, African-American, and male
New research shows that 12.5% of cigarette smokers also use cigars. Cross-sectional data were analyzed to compare tobacco use behaviors among dual tobacco users (those using cigarettes and cigars) versus those that smoked only cigarettes. Those that are dual users are more likely to be male, African-American and between the ages of 18 to 29. The authors stress the importance of monitoring dual use of cigars and cigarettes in order to inform more comprehensive policy efforts. Click here to read the study abstract published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research.

More troops on smokeless tobacco after deployment
Military service members are at an increased risk of smokeless tobacco initiation and ongoing use during deployment, according to a newly-published analysis from the Yale University School of Medicine. Data from the Millennium Cohort Study, a large prospective cohort study, were analyzed to assess smokeless tobacco use patterns and risk factors among U.S. military service members in all branches. Over the course of the study, 1.9% of respondents initiated smokeless tobacco use and 8.9% were persistent users. Risk factors that significantly increased the odds of smokeless tobacco initiation included deployment (especially multiple deployments), combat exposures, and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. The authors conclude that physicians should ask military personnel about both cigarette smoking and other tobacco use, and note that further research is needed to identify opportunities to address tobacco use among military service members. Click here for more details, or click here to read the abstract of the study in Addiction.

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