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Health News:Smoking

Even Smokers Support Bans at Work

November 20, 2009

FRIDAY, Nov. 20 (HealthDay News) — Most smokers around the world support workplace smoking bans, according to a new study.

Researchers surveyed more than 3,500 employees who smoke and more than 1,400 employers (smokers and nonsmokers) in the United States and 13 other countries. They found that 74 percent of employees who smoke and 87 percent of employers said the workplace should be smoke-free.

“Although there was widespread variation among countries, overall the results demonstrate global support for workplace smoking bans,” lead author Michael Halpern, a senior fellow at RTI International, said in a news release. “This study shows support for additional programs and policies to increase those bans and assist employees with smoking cessation.” Read More

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Toddlers, Obese Kids Suffer Most From Smoke

November 19, 2009

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 18 (HealthDay News) — Secondhand smoke harms the cardiovascular health of children, especially toddlers and obese youngsters, U.S. researchers say.

Their study of 52 toddlers (aged 2 to 5) and 107 adolescents (aged 9 to 18) found an association between the amount of secondhand smoke exposure and a marker of vascular injury in toddlers. This link was two times greater in obese toddlers, the study authors noted. Read More

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Great American Smokeout ‘09: Time to Quit

November 19, 2009

THURSDAY, Nov. 19 (HealthDay News) — The less you smoke, the more birthdays you’ll have, says the American Cancer Society as it encourages smokers to quit on Thursday, the day of the 34th Great American Smokeout.

Research shows that smokers who quit at age 35 gain an average of eight years of life expectancy, and those who quit at 55 gain about five years. Even long-time smokers who quit at age 65 gain three years.

Smokers who quit before age 50 cut their risk of death within the next 15 years in half compared to people who continue to smoke. In addition, a former smoker’s lung cancer risk 10 years after quitting smoking is about half that of someone who still smokes, the society said. Read More

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Progress in Stamping Out Smoking Has Stalled

November 13, 2009

THURSDAY, Nov. 12 (HealthDay News) — After decades of progress, the number of Americans who smoke hasn’t budged over the last five years and actually rose slightly from 2007 to 2008, according to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Over the longer term, smoking rates have declined. From 1998 to 2008, the percentage of smokers in the United States dropped from 24.1 to 20.6 percent. Read More

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Switch to ‘Light’ Cigarettes Makes Quitting Tougher

November 3, 2009

TUESDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) — Experts have long known that “low-tar” and “light” cigarettes aren’t any healthier than regular cigarettes, and new research suggests they have another drawback: People who switch to them are less likely to quit, even those who switch specifically because they want to stop smoking.

In fact, “switching to ['light' cigarettes] for any reason is associated with continuing to smoke,” said study author Dr. Hilary Tindle, a researcher at the University of Pittsburgh’s Division of General Internal Medicine. Read More

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Nicotine Patch Plus Lozenge Best for Quitting Smoking

November 2, 2009

MONDAY, Nov. 2 (HealthDay News) — The first head-to-head comparison of different quit-smoking products finds that a nicotine patch combined with a nicotine lozenge had the most success.

More than other methods, including antidepressants, this combination best mimics the actual highs and lows of smoking to help smokers kick their habit, experts said.

“The study shows that, yes, one therapy came out on top, the patch and the lozenge [together],” said Dr. Jonathan H. Whiteson, co-director of the Joan and Joel Smilow Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention Center at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City. Read More

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Even Light Smoking Affects Young Adults’ Arteries

October 28, 2009

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 28 (HealthDay News) — Smoking just one cigarette stiffens the arteries of young adults by 25 percent, says a new study.

The stiffer a person’s arteries, the greater their risk for heart disease or stroke, noted researcher Dr. Stella Daskalopoulou, an internal medicine and vascular medicine specialist at McGill University Health Center in Montreal. Read More

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Is Smoking Tougher on Women?

October 26, 2009

SUNDAY, Oct. 25 (HealthDay News) — Women may be more vulnerable than men to the carcinogens and other noxious substances in cigarette smoke, a growing body of research suggests.

In one study of nearly 700 people with lung cancer, Swiss experts found that women tended to be younger when they received the diagnosis, even though they smoked less than the men who developed lung cancer.

In another study, researchers from Harvard University and the University of Bergen in Norway evaluated more than 950 men and women with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), known to be linked to smoking. The result: The women with COPD were younger when they got the diagnosis and had smoked less than the men with the respiratory ailment. Read More

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Smoking Bans Good for Non-Smokers’ Hearts: Study

October 15, 2009

THURSDAY, Oct. 15 (HealthDay News) — Bans on smoking in public places really do work at reducing heart attacks from secondhand smoke, a major study finds.

Smoke-free policies can reduce the risk of heart attack by up to 47 percent and significantly reduce the likelihood of other heart problems, according to a report released Thursday by the U.S. Institute of Medicine (IOM).

The report also found compelling evidence that even a brief exposure to secondhand smoke can trigger a heart attack. Read More

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Study Counters Warnings on Quit-Smoking Drug

October 2, 2009

FRIDAY, Oct. 2 (HealthDay News) — The smoking cessation drug varenicline (Chantix) does not increase the risk for self-harm or depression, according to a new British study.

In July, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration mandated that the drug carry a “black-box warning” on its packaging, indicating that people who use it face increased risk for “serious neuropsychiatric symptoms,” including changes in behavior, hostility, agitation, depressed mood, suicidal thoughts and behavior and attempted suicide. Read More

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