Effects of an advocacy intervention to reduce smoking among teenagers

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

This participation-based tobacco prevention program conducted in schools, demonstrated a considerable decrease (3.8%) in regular smokers, versus an increase (1.5%) in those at schools that utilized an information-based drug abuse prevention program. After a six month period, the number of regular smokers decreased from 25.1% to 20.3%, among students in the advocacy program.

http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/158/3/269

Comment: Student involvement in advocacy activities is key for the prevention of tobacco use.

Photos cigarillos

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

Collection of 11 colour photographs depicting cigarillos, cigarillo advertising, and cigarillo packaging. The Coalition explicitly gives permission for others to use these photos.

http://www.cqct.qc.ca/Communiques_docs/2008/PRSS_08_04_08_PhotosCigarillos.htm


Comment: It is quite astonishing to see the package design of these cigarillos; they look quite similar to candy.

Hooked from the first cigarette

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

Presents new findings on the speed with which teenagers can get hooked on cigarettes. It is the manner in which the brain reacts to nicotine, rather than personality, that is most important to determining whether an adolescent will become hooked on nicotine from cigarettes.

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=hooked-from-the-first-cigarette

Comment: One cigarette is all it takes to get hooked!

How much downside? : quantifying the relative harm from tobacco taxation

(Disponible en anglais seulement.)

The estimated loss of life expectancy due to tobacco tax varied from 0.005 to 0.027 years and increased for people living in poor neighbourhoods. However, the loss of life expectancy accredited to tobacco taxation was 42 to 257 times less than that accredited to smoking. Overall, tobacco taxation’s benefits outweigh its harms.

http://jech.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/58/6/451

Comment: Often the "harm" discussed with regards to tobacco taxes is lost revenues due to contraband. This article is interesting because it focuses on the estimated loss of life expectancy that higher tobacco taxes could cause.