National

Most and least healthy counties ranked in every state
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has released the annual County Health Rankings. This website contains the health rankings of nearly every county in the nation and shows that much of what affects health occurs outside of the doctor’s office. The website has interactive maps and new county-level trend graphs that show detailed changes over time for several measures, including smoking prevalence, children in poverty, unemployment, and quality of care. Click here for trends and highlights from the 2013 rankings, or click here to access the County Health Rankings website.

Journal supplement: The Tobacco Endgame
Forty top tobacco control advocates and researchers were convened at the University of Michigan School of Public Health to discuss possible endpoints for the tobacco control movement. The articles in a May 2013 supplement to the journal Tobacco Control stemmed from this discussion, and include editorials, tobacco endgame proposals, commentaries, and news perspectives. Read more here, or click here for the journal supplement.

Genetics might determine which smokers get hooked
A recent study identified genetic risk factors that might make teens more likely to later become heavy smokers. Researchers analyzed previous studies to develop a genetic risk profile for heavy smoking. Then, they examined data from 1,100 New Zealanders from birth to 38 years old regarding whether individuals with a high genetic risk for heavy smoking became nicotine dependent as teens or adults, and whether they had a difficult time quitting. The results showed that those with a high genetic risk profile were more likely to become daily smokers as teenagers and to later become heavy smokers (a pack a day or more). They were also more likely to experience relapse after quitting. This study provides evidence that genetic markers can predict heavy smoking and nicotine addiction, but not smoking initiation. Thus, programs are needed to prevent smoking initiation, particularly among adolescents who are at high risk of becoming addicted, in order to prevent continued smoking into adulthood. Click here for more details about this study published in JAMA. Click here to read the study abstract.

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