How many deaths will it take? : a death from asthma associated with work-related environmental tobacco smoke

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

Case report of an acute asthma death of a young waitress in a bar. Evaluation of the circumstances of her death and her medical history concluded that her death was from acute asthma due to secondhand smoke at work. Effective measures to protect hospitality industry workers from ETS are necessary from a public health point of view.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ajim.20538

Comment: Yet another waitress suffers Heather Crowe's fate.

Smoke-Free Housing Canada [home page]

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

National website dedicated to providing information on secondhand smoke in multi-unit dwellings (MUDs) and advocating for increased smoke-free housing options across Canada.

http://www.smokefreehousing.ca/

Comment: This informative Canadian resource is helpful for individuals living in apartments or those who are concerned with secondhand smoke in homes. Will there be a push to ban smoking in private residences? We will have to wait and see...

Nicotine interventions with comorbid populations

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

Reviews and comments on studies of treatment and prevention of cigarette smoking in individuals with comorbid psychiatric and non-nicotine substance abuse disorders. Identifies the importance and efficacy of specialized assessment and tailored interventions for these populations.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2007.09.004

Comment: There is an urgent need to expand and advance smoking cessation treatments specifically tailored to individuals with comorbidities.

Use of nicotine replacement therapy to reduce or delay smoking but not to quit : prevalence and association with subsequent cessation efforts

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

Non-standard nicotine replacement therapy (NSNRT) use occurs when someone uses NRT for reasons other than quitting (e.g. reducing consumption; delaying smoking). The authors found that NSNRT use was more common than previously thought, and they found little evidence that NSNRT use is harmful or helpful for future quit attempts.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/tc.2007.021485

Comment: NSNRT use is becoming more common. Hopefully this use can translate into successful cessation attempts in the future.

Ethical implications of physician involvement in lawsuits on behalf of the tobacco industry

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

Highlights the ethical dilemma faced by physicians who serve as expert witnesses for the tobacco industry. Medical associations can and should strongly enforce professional standards that do not tolerate tobacco industry influence on physician expert witnesses.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-720X.2007.00191.x

Comment: Physicians have a moral and professional responsibility to assist in the administration of justice.

Philip Morris's website and television commercials use new language to mislead the public into believing it has changed its stance on smoking and...

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

Evaluates the statements made on Philip Morris’s website on their belief about smoking against those claims made during court cases. Despite statements made on Philip Morris’s website that discuss how smoking can be addictive and can cause disease; there have been no such claims made during trials.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/tc.2007.024026

Comment: Demonstrates how the internet is a new and powerful tool for the tobacco industry to use to mislead the public.

Effects of cigarette smoking and family history of alcoholism on sweet taste perception and food cravings in women

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

This study found that women who smoked required higher concentrations of a sweet solution in order to detect sweet taste, and the more years a woman smoked cigarettes, the less sensitive she was to sweet taste. Also, women with a family history of alcoholism preferred higher levels of sweetness and craved sweet-tasting foods more often.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1530-0277.2007.00519.x

Comment: The more cigarettes you crave, the more high fat and high starchy foods you crave. Yet another reason to quit smoking!

The irreversible health effects of cigarette smoking

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)
This report examines the permanent health effects of smoking cigarettes (even if a smoker quits after smoking five years or more) on the: lungs; heart; eyes; throat; urinary tract; digestive organs; bones and joints; and the skin. Their hope is to discourage young people from taking up this habit.

http://www.acsh.org/publications/pubID.377/pub_detail.asp

Comment: Even today, this document from 1998 may have the power to encourage youth to think twice before lighting up. But, I must admit that reading this information can be a little depressing for all of us ex-smokers.

The impact of school smoking policies and student perceptions of enforcement on school smoking prevalence and location of smoking

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

Evaluates the impact of school tobacco policy on location of tobacco use and smoking rates during the school day in Canadian high schools. Results demonstrate that written policy intention and implementation need to be considered, and policies that are viewed by students as strongly enforced influence school smoking prevalence.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/her/cyl102

Comment: A school tobacco policy is only as strong as its enforcement.

Is nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation effective in the "real world"? : findings from a prospective multinational cohort study

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) has been found in clinical trials to increase cessation. However, recent cross-sectional surveys have questioned whether NRT use by individuals who smoke making a quit attempt without supervision within clinical trials can be successful. Findings reveal NRT use without assistance was correlated with more long-term cessation.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/thx.2007.078758

Comment: RCTs are important, but I think the "real world" questions carries more weight with a lot of practitioners.

Secret ties to industry and conflicting interests in cancer research

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

Presents examples of researchers who worked as consultants and failed to disclose financial ties to the tobacco industry. Highlights the case of Sir Richard Doll, whose influential paper in cancer epidemiology, concluded that only a small percentage of cancer was caused by environmental exposures. Calls for strict development and application of policies on disclosing conflicts of interest.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ajim.20357

Comment: The persistent and covert influence of the tobacco industry on scientific research and publication poses ethical challenges for academia, research institutions, and journal editors.

Childhood IQ, smoking, and cognitive change from age 11 to 64 years

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)
Present and non-smokers had considerably different mental test scores at 64 years of age, among participants of a Scottish IQ survey. Smoking history was among several independent determinants of mental function at this age. Smoking was an independent negative factor in cognitive aging.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2004.04.014

Comment: We are all familiar with the damage that smoking can do to one's physical health. This research confirms the effects of smoking on our cognitive abilities.

A Statewide evaluation of the effectiveness of media literacy training to prevent tobacco use among adolescents

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

Findings from this theory-based evaluation in Washington State imply that in general, the impact was each different for participants who had used tobacco and who had not used tobacco. Furthermore, all participants increased their knowledge and skill to resist smoking influences.

http://www.leaonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10410230701283306?

Comment: Considering the new and unregulated media 'sources' such as youtube, media literacy is an important skill for youth to possess to decipher the various and conflicting messages they receive every day.

An empirical investigation of the social market for cigarettes

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)
Social provision and acquisition of cigarettes among teens are widespread, reciprocal behaviours. This study examined the importance of social sources of cigarettes to teenagers, using data from the Youth Risk Behaviour Survey. Results show that high cigarette prices and smoking restrictions influence teens to borrow cigarettes from peers.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/hec.1215


Comment: Youth access to cigarettes is always a hot topic. Youth who smoke will always find ways to get access to cigarettes. It would be interesting to find out what these authors suggest in order to limit future youth access to cigarettes.

Health and social impacts of tobacco production

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

Summarizes current knowledge about the health and social effects of tobacco production to individuals, families and communities, and describes the research needed to better understand these deleterious effects.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/J096v11n03_08

Comment: What are alternative crops to tobacco? And who will help tobacco-dependent farmers make the transition?

The effect of chewing gum on tobacco withdrawal

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

The authors assessed smoke craving and nicotine withdrawal in 20 smokers, half of whom were given free access to chewing gum during an enforced period of abstinence. They found that chewing gum does reduce craving and helps with withdrawal when a nicotine-dependent person cannot smoke.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0306-4603(96)00072-X

Comment: Hopefully this coping technique for short-term abstinence can be translated into one for successful cessation.

Aniqsaattiarniq = Breathing Easy

(Disponible en anglais et inuktitut seulement.)

Features resource materials (posters, leaflets, newsletters, school kits, reports) created for the the Aniqsaattiarniq - Breathing Easy campaign, aimed at tobacco use prevention and reduction among Inuit peoples in Canada. Many of the resource materials can be downloaded (Adobe Acrobat reader required) and printed from this website.

http://pauktuutit.ca/tobacco/english/index.html

Comment:With extremely high prevalence rates, this is an incredibly important community to reach.

The ethics of requiring employees to quit smoking

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

A physician and a lawyer look at the ethical issues involved when an employer required employees to quit smoking and penalized those who did not.

http://virtualmentor.ama-assn.org/2007/01/msoc1-0701.html

Comment: Weyco, a Michigan-based insurance consulting company , gave employees 15 months to quit. In the end, 20 employees quit and 4 who wouldn't, were fired. Was the Boss justified?

An in-depth analysis of male adolescent smokeless tobacco users : interviews with users and their fathers

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

In relation to such factors as onset, patterns of use, social influences, attempts to quit and indications of addiction, they found that smokeless tobacco use appeared to be similar to cigarette smoking.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00844878

Comment: This 1989 article also states that 73% of the parents knew about their sons using smokeless tobacco but appeared tolerant. Would a similar analysis today show changes since this one was done?

Waterpipe smoking and nicotine exposure : a review of the current evidence

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

Reviews six studies that measure the cotinine or nicotine levels in waterpipe smoking in four countries (Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, and India). Analysis of human data reveals that everyday waterpipe use created a nicotine absorption rate equal to that of smoking 10 cigarettes/day and a 24-hr urinary cotinine level of 0.785 µg/ml.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14622200701591591

Comment: Yet another study that demonstrates that waterpipe smoking is not a harmless, social pastime. Information about the hazards of waterpipe smoking needs to get out there.

Smoke-free long-term care homes project manual

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

Introduction - Policy - Implementation: education and communication - Smoking, second-hand smoke, and quitting - Appendix 1: Literature review - Appendix 2: CCACs and SFOA - Appendix 3: Case studies.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1090198102239259

Comment: This was an emerging issue at the 5th National Conference. I think this manual might be useful across the country, if not now, then soon.

A content analysis of web sites promoting smoking culture and lifestyle

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

A content analysis of photographs from websites advertising smoking culture and lifestyle to determine age of the individuals in the photographs, amount of nudity and smoking. Almost all photographs showed smoking and contained women; however, few contained total or partial nudity. The tobacco control community and health educators should perform more research and have increased awareness of smoking on the Internet.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1090198102239259

Comment: As this study was published in 2003 and used Yahoo! as a search engine, it would be interesting to see what changes have occured since then.

From social taboo to "torch of freedom" : the marketing of cigarettes to women

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

Briefly discusses the evolution of female tobacco use from a social taboo to a "torch of freedom". Explores the specific marketing of tobacco as a form of rebellion and independence to women and the subsequent increase in female tobacco use.

http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/9/1/3

Comment: For those who are interested in history, this article certainly gives an insight into the marketing practices of the tobacco industry and how they targeted women to start smoking.

Reducing hookah use : a public health challenge for the 21st century

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

Background, history, and prevalence - Why hookahs have become so popular - Health risks of hookah use - Awareness, attitudes and misconceptions - Policy strategies, issues, and challenges - Conclusions and recommendations - Resources - References.


http://www.tobaccofreeu.org/pdf/HookahWhitePaper.pdf

Comment: The authors highlight that the majority of the studies on hookah use are from the Middle East. More studies on this emerging tobacco control issue are needed in North America.

The potential of the internet as a medium to encourage and discourage youth tobacco use

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

An increase in young Internet users has presented a problem and an opportunity for tobacco control advocates. The problem arises from the opportunities for advertising and marketing that the Internet provides pro-tobacco groups. However, tobacco control groups can also use the Internet as a tool for reaching young adults.

http://tc.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/abstract/12/suppl_1/i48

Comment: While there have been many changes in how the internet is used since 2003, how the industry uses the internet is still very important to understand. I think their presence on the web will continue to grow.

Chinese physicians and their smoking knowledge, attitudes, and practices

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

Survey of 3552 hospital-based physicians in China discovered that their smoking prevalence is 23%, and 37% of current smokers have smoked in front of their patients. While 64% usually advise smokers to quit, few set quit dates or prescribe pharmacotherapy. These issues need to be addressed to help reduce smoking rates in China.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2007.02.037

Comment: I find it quite shocking that 37% of doctors who smoke have smoked in front of their patients!

Cigarette smoking as an alternative to screened drugs : why juvenile probationers smoke more

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)
Purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which probation may be associated with excessive cigarette use among at-risk adolescents. More than 80% of male and female adolescent smokers enrolled in an alternate high school, believed that juvenile probation led to an increase in smoking.

http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a714006233

Comment: This article also stated that the increase in tobacco use was because their Department of Juvenile Probation did not analyze nicotine for urinalysis. Would cessation programs be beneficial to help this group quit smoking?

Tobacco industry efforts undermining evidence linking secondhand smoke with cardiovascular disease

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

After sifting through nearly 50 million pages of previously secret, internal tobacco industry documents, Tong and Glantz have documented for the first time how the tobacco industry funded and used scientific studies to undermine evidence linking secondhand smoke to cardiovascular disease.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.107.715888

Comment: Clearly shows that the tobacco industry continues to manipulate the content and presentation of scientific results.

Should smoking be banned in prisons?

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

This commentary suggests that taking cigarettes from inmates violates their human rights, that American prisons with smoking bans are doing a horrible job at keeping cigarettes out, and that cigarettes should be allowed into prisons with administrators somehow better controlling where they are smoked. Smoking bans in prison need to be implemented only in tandem with cessation programs proven to work for this population group.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/tc.2007.021600

Comment: Interesting that removing a deadly product (cigarettes) from prisoners is viewed as a violation of human rights.

Tobacco-free electronic cigarettes and cigars deliver nicotine and generate concern

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

Letter describes Ruyan cigarettes, the world's first "electronic" cigarettes, marketed by the Beijing-based company, Golden Dragon Group Ltd. Ruyan cigarettes are battery-powered, cigarette-shaped devices that deliver nicotine to smokers in a bid to emulate actual smoking.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/tc.2006.019687

Comment: Smokers across the world are looking for ways to end their habits. Is the electronic cigarette the next stop-smoking fad?

Into the mouths of babes

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

This article gives a brief overview of Sean Marsee, a teenager who started dipping snuff at the age of twelve and died from cancer when he was in his senior year in high school. It also discusses the health effects of smokeless tobacco and the use of this product by teenagers.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,959638,00.html

Comment: It's interesting to note that this article about smokeless and spit tobacco was published in Time in 1985.

Inuit & tobacco : a report under the National Inuit Tobacco Use Reduction Campaign

Executive summary - Introduction - Program participants - Current situation - Research methodology - Research findings - Recommendations and program design - Action plan - Appendices.
http://www.pauktuutit.ca/tobacco/pdf/InuitandTobacco_report_Eng.pdf

Comment: With the highest rates of smoking in Canada, it is important that the Inuit peoples are a focus for cessation and prevention efforts. It is especially important that recommendations come from within that community, rather than being dictated by outsiders.

Tobacco advertising and children's smoking : a review of the evidence

This literature review explores the relationship between tobacco industry advertising and children’s smoking. The literature focuses on three methods: studies on the effect of advertising bans, consumer response, and on economic techniques. The review concludes that within the spectrum of social science, it is unavoidable to refute that children’s smoking is affected by tobacco advertising.
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/10.1108/03090569510100678

Comment: Due to the ruling of the Supreme Court of Canada on June 28, 2007, I thought it was appropriate to bring forth evidence that tobacco industry advertising is effective; especially, to children.

Reduced admissions for acute myocardial infarction associated with a public smoking ban : matched controlled study

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

Matched control group study to determine whether there was a change in hospital admissions for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) among non-smoking individuals after a public smoking ban was implemented in Monroe County compared with Delaware County, Indiana, without such a ban. Researchers found significant reductions in AMI admissions associated with implementation of smokefree laws.

http://baywood.metapress.com/openurl.asp?genre=article&id=doi:10.2190/DE.37.3.a

Comment: More proof that smoking bans are beneficial for everyone.

Household smoking restrictions and adolescent smoking

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

Among adolescents, home smoking restrictions have been associated with decreased smoking. Accordingly, the current study tested the relation of adolescent smoking to home smoking policy, controlling for parental smoking, peer smoking and tobacco marketing. Researchers used the 1999 data from the Growing Up Today Study, a longitudinal cohort of adolescents.

http://www.healthpromotionjournal.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=AHJP&Product_Code=JV22I115&Category_Code=JV22I115

Comment: This article demonstrates how much of an influence parents have on their kids. Actions do speak louder than words.

Report of the Advisory Board on Tobacco Investment, University of Toronto, February 2, 2007

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

Introduction - Background - Basis of E-BUTT petition and students for tobacco responsibility - Legal advice on prohibition on tobacco investment - Responses to petition - Recommendations - Appendices.

http://www.businessaffairs.utoronto.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?did=45

Comment: After more than a year of petitioning and deliberation, the University of Toronto decided to divest from the tobacco industry. A great victory for E-BUTT (Education-Bringing Youth Tobacco Truths), a student group at U of T!

Hollywood Quits - behind the scenes of a Hollywood-based smoking cessation program

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

This study describes the development, implementation and efficacy of Hollywood Quits, a comprehensive cessation program using behavioural counseling and combination tobacco dependency treatment medications. Program was successful with entertainment workers - half of those who took part in the program quit and stayed quit.

http://www.atypon-link.com/PNG/doi/abs/10.5555/ajhb.2007.31.6.705

Comment: Read about this groundbreaking cessation program for members of the entertainment industry!

History of childhood candy cigarette use is associated with tobacco smoking by adults

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

Jonathan Klein of the University of Rochester and colleagues surveyed 25,887 U.S. adults from the Harris Poll Online (HPOL) and found that 12 percent of current and former smokers had never used candy cigarettes, compared to 22 percent of adults who never smoked. Findings suggest that playing with candy cigarettes may favorably set the minds of children towards becoming future cigarette smokers.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2007.04.006

Comment: It's disheartening to discover that something so seemingly innocent as candy can have such ramifications in later years.

Reducing the addictiveness of cigarettes

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

Report issued by the Council on Scientific Affairs on how to get rid of nicotine from cigarettes in order to reduce addiction to smoking. Some of the recommendations the council made include: encouraging the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to have control over tobacco products, identify tobacco products as a drug delivery mechanism and nicotine as a drug.

http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/7/3/281

Comment: This article was written in 1998. It's amazing to me that these ideas are still so current.

Clearing the smoke : assessing the science base for tobacco harm reduction

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

Reports on the ability of harm reduction products to decrease exposure from tobacco, the impact on public health, possible health benefits, and whether there are surrogate markers of effect for a suitable period of evaluation. Also recommends methods for product regulation, tracking their public health effects, and increasing access and education for scientific literature.

http://www.iom.edu/CMS/3793/5424.aspx

Comment: With the introduction of a snus-like product in Canada later this month, this issue is bound to heat up again.

Exposure to smoking depictions in movies : its association with established adolescent smoking

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

This study confirmed that exposure to movie smoking in adolescents, was a risk factor not just for trying smoking, but also for onset of most advanced stages of smoking.

http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/161/9/849

Comment: Time is NOW for Hollywood to critically address issues of youth exposure to smoking in movies.

Consumption patterns of food, tobacco and beverages : a cross-country analysis

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

Cross-country study of consumption patterns of food, tobacco, soft drinks, and alcohol in 43 developed and developing countries. Consumers in developing countries spend a much higher proportion of their income on food than consumers in developed countries. Expenditures allocated to the other three commodities - tobacco, alcohol, and soft drinks - were similar in the two groups of countries.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00036840500392664

Comment: I find it interesting that tobacco is categorized as either a "necessity" or a "luxury" depending on the country studied.

Trade agreements and tobacco control : how WTO agreements may stand in the way of reducing tobacco use

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

The globalization of tobacco - The WTO agreements - Implications for key tobacco control policies - Ending tobacco advertising and marketing - Health warnings and packaging requirements - Standards for tobacco products and exposure to them - Raising prices through taxation of tobacco products - Banning imports of foreign tobacco products - State monopolies - Economic alternatives - Conclusions - References.

http://policyalternatives.ca/documents/National_Office_Pubs/brief2_7.pdf

Comment: Many of the people I know who protest against globalization and the WTO are also smokers. I wish more of them thought about it as a political as well as a health issue.

Smoke-free entrances : a resource booklet

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

A message form the Durham Region Health Department - Workplace entrances and exits - Why consider smoke-free entrances? - Why develop a policy - Follow these three main steps to create smoke-free entrances - Appendix A: sample smoke-free entrance policy.

http://www.region.durham.on.ca/departments/health/idt/smokeFreeEntrances.pdf

Comment: Timely advice for businesses and property owners who want to eliminate cigarette smoke pollution from the entrances/exits into buildings and workplaces.

Cartoon characters as tobacco warning labels

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)
Purpose of this study was to 1) test the perceived importance and believability of familiar and novel tobacco warning messages with and without cartoons and 2) develop tobacco warning labels that feature cartoons with characteristics similar to the Joe Camel cartoon shown in cigarette advertisements. Findings showed that cartoon tobacco warning labels were more believable than plain warning labels.

http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/154/12/1230

Comment: Since warning labels are an effective smoking prevention tool in Canada, I wonder if adding these cartoons to Canadian warning labels would be effective.

Legal risks to employers who allow smoking in the workplace

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

As scientists continue to provide evidence of the harmful effects of secondhand smoke, employers could soon face a clear choice: either voluntarily ban smoking in their workplace or face an increasing wave of costly legal actions.

http://dx.doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2006.094102


Comment: Voluntarily banning smoking in the workplace is a cheap and easy way of removing a cumbersome and costly liability.

The $5 man : the underground economic response to a large cigarette tax increase in New York City

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

This study was conducted in the Spring of 2003, among Blacks aged 18 years and older living in Central Harlem, New York City. Researchers found that a large cigarette tax increase in New York City led to " a pervasive illegal cigarette market in a low-income minority community". Bootleggers created an environment in which low-price cigarettes were easier to access than cessation services.

http://dx.doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.079921

Comment: Shows how illegal cigarette sales continue to undermine the public health goal of reducing tobacco use.

Saliva cotinine and exhaled carbon monoxide levels in natural environment waterpipe smokers

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)
This study examined the variations in exhaled CO and saliva cotinine in natural environment waterpipe smokers and compared them with cigarette smokers and absolute non-smokers. Results confirm that, like cigarette smokers, waterpipe smokers are exposed to harmful substances, such as CO, which was found to be quite high.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08958370701401699

Comment: There is a misconception that smoking from a waterpipe is less hazardous than cigarette smoking, and this study helps disprove that.

Smoking, but not smokers : identity among college students who smoke cigarettes

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)
This survey asked participants who smoked whether they thought of themselves as smokers, and if they smoked because they were light (social) smokers. Findings show more than half (56.3%) refuted they were smokers (“deniers”) regardless of current smoker behaviour. Furthermore, in spite of identity, a majority wanted to quit by graduation.
http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a780759829

Comment: This article demonstrates the power of language and the negative connotations of the 'smoker' label. 'Smoker' is slowly being replaced by 'person who smokes' to combat this.

Legal options for tenants suffering from drifting tobacco smoke

Fact sheet for apartment residents who are considering legal actions against a neighbour or landlord because of continued exposure to secondhand smoke.
(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

http://www.doh.wa.gov/tobacco/contractors/SHSCAP/legaloptions.pdf

Comment: Tenants Alert! If mediation or reconciliation with your neighbour or landlord have failed, there are legal options available for dealing with secondhand smoke (SHS) in your apartment.

How peer proximity moderates indirect media influence on adolescent smoking

Survey of middle school students found that anti-smoking ads that warn about the dangers of smoking may intentionally encourage teenagers to smoke. Researchers concluded that anti-smoking ads can backfire unless constructed carefully.
(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0093650207302785

Comment: This study underscores the potency of peer influences on teenage smoking. Ads should try to convince teenagers that their friends are rejecting smoking, so they should too!

The inhibitory effect of a distressing anti-smoking message on risk perceptions in smokers

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)
Smokers were exposed to an anti-smoking message that either used images to maximize emotional distress or displayed less intense images. Smokers in the emotional distress group tended reduce their personal risk estimate. Authors imply that lowered risk estimates are partially due to defensive processes induced by distress related with views of individual susceptibility.
http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a771223606

Comment:This seems to go against what we've learned from the Canadian warning labels.

Elements that contribute to healthy building design

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)
Detailed discussion on healthy building design, focusing on three issues: 1) sustainable development of buildings and communities; 2) effect of occupants on the indoor environment; and 3) recent developments in healthy building products and materials.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.8988

Comment: Shows that healthy design of the places and spaces where we live, work and play, can deliver a wide range of benefits.

Children living with adult smokers, United States 2004

Presents estimates of the percentage of American children under age 18 at the end of 2004, who lived in homes containing at least one adult who smoked.
http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/data_files/publications/st147/stat147.pdf


Comment: Suffer the children...

Urinary biomarkers to assess exposure of cats to environmental tobacco smoke

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)
Cats from households that had owners that smoked had increased urine concentrations of total cotinine, total nicotine, and of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL) compared to cats that lived with owners that did not smoke. Biomarkers could initiate the research of the adverse effects of smoking on cats and other animals.
http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.2460/ajvr.68.4.349

Comment: Pets are often forgotten when discussing the harm caused by secondhand smoke. They also have no way to avoid SHS.

How big was the global illicit tobacco trade problem in 2006?

Summary - The different types of illicit tobacco trade - Estimates of cigarette smuggling - Cigarette sales in 2006 - Recent estimates of the size of the illicit tobacco trade - An estimate of the losses in government revenue.
http://www.fctc.org/x/documents/HowBigWasTheIllicitTobaccoTradeProblem_2006_English.pdf

Quelle est l'étendue du problème de la contrebande de cigarettes en 2006?
Sommaire - Les différents types de contrebande - Estimations de la contrebande de cigarettes - Ventes de cigarettes en 2006 - Estimations récentes du commerce illegal de tabac - Les pertes de revenus pour le gouvernement.
http://www.fctc.org/x/documents/HowBigWasTheIllicitTobaccoTradeProblem_2006_French.pdf

Comment: The illicit tobacco trade in Canada pales in comparison to the rest of the world. Knowing the ramifications of contraband here, seeing the economic impact of illicit tobacco on a global scale is staggering.

Engendering tobacco control : using an international public health treaty to reduce smoking and empower women

Commentary on the potential of the World Health Organization's (WHO's) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) to integrate gender and diversity into all future tobacco control.


http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/tc.2006016337

Comments: It's feasible and beneficial to integrate gender in tobacco control policies and programs.

Is YouTube telling or selling you something? : tobacco content on the YouTube video-sharing website

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)
This paper analyzes the amount of smoking material on the YouTube website. The authors conducted a search for videos containing smoking images; the search retrieved 29,325 videos. Of the first 50 videos, 24 had smoking images, 21 contained marijuana images, and 2 included cigar images. Authors also discuss the effects for tobacco control.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/tc.2007.020024

Comment: Just another sneaky way for the tobacco industry to market their products, without appearing to do so. The ability for the tobacco control movement to use YouTube shouldn't be overlooked, especially with the popularity of the website with youth. I don't think I'm alone in being sucked into YouTube for hours, with the intent of only watching a 3 minute video...

Keeping public institutions invested in tobacco

This paper uses tobacco industry documents to show how Philip Morris sought to restore its credibility as an inverstment vehicle, by commissioning a report from Wilshire Associates.


http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10551-006-9188-0

Comments: While the tobacco industry defends itself, the tobacco stock divestment movement moves on!! Recently, University of Toronto became the first Canadian university to sell off its tobacco stocks. Will other institutions follow suit??

Is there a health benefit of reduced tobacco consumption? : a systematic review

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)
This review of 25 studies indicates that a significant decrease in tobacco consumption does improve health. For instance, health advantages include: a 25% decrease in biomarkers and occurrence of lung cancer and a small slight increase in birth weight. Evidence for mortality and other health benefits is incomplete to generate conclusions.
http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a779329648

Comment: Decreasing tobacco consumption can also lead to cessation.

Smokers' choice : what explains the steady growth of cigar use in the U.S.?

Viewpoint on the rise in cigar consumption and prevalence in the United States, particularly among celebrities. Several factors have contributed to the steady growth in cigar use, namely, the disparity between taxation of cigars and cigarettes, innovative cigar marketing, and the expansion of available cigar products.

http://www.publichealthreports.org/userfiles/121 2/121116.pdf

Comments: How popular are cigars? Witness that on a recent trade mission to Ottawa, Canada, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger unexpectedly stops his 5-car motorcade at a hotel to buy a Cuban cigar!

Export "A" ads are extremely expert, eh?

This ad watch discusses the Export "A" ads in Canada for sponsoring various extreme sports. These ads incorporate ad elements from competitors, such as solo athletes and rebellious and extreme imagery (eg car racing, wild water kayaking) to reinvigorate the brand and appeal to young males.
http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/10/1/71

Comment: Another strategy used by the tobacco industry to sell it's product.

Can cigarette warnings counterbalance effects of smoking scenes in movies?

Explores whether Canadian cigarette warning labels can decrease the impact of the smoking in movies. Findings show that without a warning label, youth had positive smoking-related stereotypes to smoking in the movies. However, this did not occur if youth first viewed a picture and text warning.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?orig_db=PubMed&db=PubMed&cmd=Search&defaultField=Title&term=Psychological+reports%5BJour%5D+AND+2007%5Bpdat%5D+AND++cigarette+warnings

Comment: Proof that warning labels especially, Canadian warning labels are an effective strategy to deter smokers and youth from smoking.

Rabbis condemn smoking

Presents a ruling of a group of Orthodox rabbis, arguing that smoking is an "immediate and inevitable danger" and an "assault" on the health and physical integrity of those who are forced to breathe secondhand smoke.

http://ash.org/rabbitext.html


Comments: Read the decision to find out why Rabbi Tendler says that it's a greater sin to smoke a cigarette than to eat a ham sandwich!

How to prevent 100 million deaths from tobacco

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)
Dr. Thomas Frieden of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and Mayor Michael Bloomberg present their viewpoint on the tobacco epidemic and tobacco control. Suggest that all nations increase tobacco taxes, change the image of tobacco through advertising bans and anti-tobacco marketing, establish smoke-free places, help smokers to quit, and rigorously assess the implementation of tobacco control measures.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(07)60782-X

Comment: It's nice to see an elected official being so proactive, not just in their community, but on a global scale.

Building a United front : aligning the agendas for tobacco control, lung cancer research, and policy

Proposes a "United Front" for tobacco control researchers, clinicians and advocates, to work together in collaborative partnerships, and to communicate to policymakers about the severity of the tobacco epidemic.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-07-0342


Comments: With limited and declining funding for tobacco, there is a pressing need to work together to advance tobacco control issues.

Contraband cigarettes becoming a national norm

Reports on the escalating rise in contraband cigarettes in Canada, including the production and sale of cheap cigarettes via native reserves. Illegal cigarettes do not necessarily meet quality-control standards, and often contain unusual dangerous substances.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1503./cmaj.070562


Comments: Read about the growing problem of illegal cigarettes in Canada, and how it seriously undermines public health initiatives to curb smoking.

Effect of smoking regulations in local restaurants on smokers' anti-smoking attitudes and quitting behaviours

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)
In this telephone survey, having strict smoking regulations was correlated with an increase in the likelihood of making a quit attempt; however, it did not impact cessation. In smokers who already saw smoking as an anti-social behaviour, smoking regulations reinforced this belief.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/tc.2006.017426

Comment: Smoking regulations are increasing the likelihood of smokers to attempt quitting. This is great!

Women's smoking history prior to entering the US Navy : a prospective predictor of performance

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)
This prospective cohort study examined whether women's smoking behaviour prior to entering the US Navy was predictive of subsequent career outcomes. Results indicated that, for women entering the US Navy, being a daily smoker was a prospective predictor of poorer job performance.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/tc.2006.016436

Comment: I find it interesting that a study like this even took place. Did they conduct the same study with men?

Does smoking increase sick leave? : evidence using register data on Swedish workers

Smoking increased the number of days absent from work by 10.7; however, after controlling for workplace risk factors and health status, this number was reduced further (to 9.7 and 7.7 respectively). Findings recommend that there are benefits to help decrease or prevent smoking with regards to loss of workplace productivity.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/tc.2006.017798

Comment: This study of Swedish workers found that smokers took nearly eight days more sick days annually than their non-smoking co-workers. The causes for sick leave may be attributed to occupational risk and health-related factors.

Cigarettes and cinema : does parental restriction of R-rated movie viewing reduce adolescent smoking susceptibility?

Survey was conducted among 6th-, 7th-, and 8th-grade middle school students in Wisconsin, to determine their use of cigarettes, exposure to smoking in media, their views of smoking, and peer smoking behaviours. Parental restriction of movie viewing was associated with lower adolescent smoking susceptibility and lower smoking rates.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2006.09.017

Comment: The media can have a significant impact on children and youth. This article is proof that watching someone smoke in the movies can influence a young person to start smoking.

Lydia's comments: Parents! Are you restricting your teen's movie viewing in an attempt to prevent early initiation of tobacco use? According to this study, you're doing the right thing.....

Quit and Win contests : a social marketing success story

Quit and Win contests are social marketing campaigns that offer incentives for smoking cessation. These successful programs offer support to smokers and have helped approximately 150,000 smokers in over 80 countries quit. This article reviews the components responsible for successful Quit and Win programs.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15245000601163499

Comment: This is a clever marketing campaign that has had great success. Hopefully, the tobacco control community can continue with Quit and Win contests to help smokers beat their addiction to smoking.

Antidepressants for smoking cessation

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)
Purpose of this review was to assess the effects of antidepressant medications in aiding smoking cessation. Medications reviewed include bupropion, doxepin, fluoxetine, imipramine, moclobemide, nortriptyline, paroxetine, sertraline, tryptophan and venlafaxine.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD000031.pub3

Comment: Trials of burpropion and notriptyline, two medications used to treat depression, are shown to double quit rates of smokers and are similar to that of a nicotine replacement.

Family-based programmes for preventing smoking by children and adolescents

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)
Reviews randomized controlled trials of interventions with children (aged 5 to 12) or adolescents (aged 13 to 18) and family members to deter tobacco use. Fourteen databases, including the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group specialized register, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO and CINAHL, were searched.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD004493.pub2

Comment: The quality of study effected whether family interventions were effective in preventing adolescents and children from smoking. Programme staff training and the delivery of the program itself may also be related tot he effectiveness of prevention.

Teenagers' perceptions of blindness related to smoking : a novel message to a vulnerable group

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)
Examines the awareness and fear of blindness, lung cancer, heart disease and stroke among youth. More youth were afraid of blindness compared to the other health conditions; however not many believed that smoking caused blindness. A majority said they would quit smoking if they developed early signs of blindness compared with heart disease or lung cancer.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjo.2006.108191

Comment: Many of the adverse health effects caused by smoking are already known and ignored by teens. Sometimes something new and shocking such as blindness can motivate cessation among an otherwise unmoved group.

Weight concerns and cognitive style : which carries more "weight" in the prediction of smoking among college women?

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)
Researched whether cognitive style contributes to variations in smoker behaviour among women in college with different levels of weight concerns: bulimic tendencies, weight concerns, anorexic tendencies, and no weight concerns. Both concerns with body weight and cognitive-style variables, as well as self-control and perfectionism, were significant independent predictors of smoking among college women.

Comment: Weight converns and smoking are often talked about in relation to women. This article suggests that behavioral and cognitive factors are associated with weight-concerned female college smokers and should be taken into consideration during cessation programmes.

Are homeless transitional shelters receptive to environmental tobacco control interventions?

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)
The tobacco control community maintains that homeless shelter providers have common opinions that homeless individuals regard quitting smoking as unimportant and see tobacco as a commodity. Interviews and focus groups with homeless people reveal that homeless people are interested in quitting smoking in the near future.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/tc.2006.018697

Comment: Shows that when thinking about cessation programs aimed at specific groups, it’s important to talk to the audience directly, rather than the intermediaries.