Exhaled carbon monoxide with waterpipe use in US students

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

Twenty-seven students smoked water pipes for an hour on three different evenings; another five students didn't smoke the hookahs but stayed in the room with those who did. Researchers monitored carbon monoxide in the breath of the participants both before and after the experiment. Exhaled carbon monoxide in participants was an average of 42 parts per million, higher than that reported in cigarette smokers (17 parts per million).

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/299/1/36-a?rss=1

Comment: More research needs to be done on the dangers of waterpipe use due to the increased use of it among young adults, especially in Western countries.

Waking at night to smoke as a marker for tobacco dependence : patient characteristics and relationship to treatment outcome

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

Describes the characteristics of treatment-seeking patients who wake at night to smoke, identifies factors that may be associated with nigh smoking, and assesses the association between night smoking and treatment outcome. Suggests that night smoking is indicative of a strong addiction to cigarettes and that night- smokers experience more difficulty quitting than non-night-smokers.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1742-1241.2007.01653.x

Comment: First study to identify the characteristics of night-smokers in a real-world patient population.

Chacteristics of low-level smokers

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

Analyzes data from the Community Intervention Trial for Smoking Cessation (COMMIT) to compare individuals who smoke at low-levels and individuals who smoke heavily. The population of people who smoke at low-levels continues to grow. This group also has different health risks, intervention methods, and characteristics to that of people who smoke more heavily.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14622200500125369

Comment: Determining the characteristics of low-level tobacco users will aid in targeting cessation programs to this population.

Powerwalls prey on susceptible

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

The tobacco industry knows the importance of powerwalls in sparking impulse purchases. The eye-catching displays are a powerful temptation to individuals struggling to resist cravings and stay smoke-free. This commentary emphasizes the need to keep up the public health pressure , as the battle is far from over.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1360-0443.207.02085.x

Comment: This year, in Canada, a complete ban on tobacco displays, or powerwalls, is coming in Ontario and Quebec (May 31st) and in Alberta (July 1st).

Stop that smoking car!

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

Wolfville, Nova Scotia has become the first municipality in Canada to ban smoking in any automobile that's carrying a minor. The town's seven councillors voted unanimously in November 2007, to support the bylaw. The new rule will come into effect June 1, 2008.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.071728

Comment: Success! Hopefully this will be the first of many smoking bans in vehicles to come.

Enhanced identification of smoking-related words during the attentional blink in smokers

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

Heavy smokers (N = 55) performed an AB task on two occasions, once following 12-h of abstinence and once following ad libitum smoking. These data indicate that, in heavy smokers, smoking-related stimuli are more likely to engage conscious awareness than neutral words under conditions of limited attentional resources.

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

Comment: Shows just how thoroughly people are addicted.

Pilot study on lower nitrosamine smokeless tobacco products compared with medicinal nicotine

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

Investigates the effects of two smokeless tobacco (ST) products (Exalt and Ariva) and a medicinal nicotine lozenge (MNL, Commit) on individuals who quit smoking. While low-nitrosamine ST products could reduce exposure to tobacco chemicals and lower the risk of disease, it is unclear how this product will be promoted to the general public as a harm reduction product.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14622200701704228

Comment: Smokeless tobacco and harm reduction are current and divisive issues in tobacco control. It's encouraging to see that more research is being done in these areas.

Offering free NRT through a tobacco quitline : impact on utilisation and quit rates

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

This study examined the impact on quitline utilization and cessation outcomes of adding free nicotine patches to the existing Ohio quitline program offerings. Offering free NRT can have a significant impact on quitline utilization and smoking cessation rates.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/tc.2007.019919

Comment: NRT can increase quit rates, but can be cost-prohibitive to users. Providing free NRT is a step in the right direction for reducing smoking prevalence.