Adolescent males who smoke tend to be shorter than those who abstain, and young female smokers are no more likely to lose weight than nonsmokers, according to Canadian researchers.

The Canadian Press reported March 25 that University of Montreal researchers tracked 1,293 teens ages 12-17 on their smoking habits, weight, and height. Lead author Jennifer O'Laughlin said the findings about weight loss were especially surprising since even researchers believed that smokers tend to lose weight.

Adolescent boys who smoked were an average of 2.54 centimeters shorter than their nonsmoking peers, the researchers found.

The study was published online in the Annals of Epidemiology.

This article summarizes an external report or press release on research published in a scientific journal. When available, links to the sources are provided above.

http://www.jointogether.org/news/research/summaries/2008/smoking-stunts-male-growth-bu.html

New NSDUH Report - Nicotine Dependence: 2006

In the United States, tobacco is used more widely than illicit drugs, and it is implicated in more deaths each year than alcohol and illicit drugs combined. In 2006, 72.9 million Americans aged 12 or older (29.6 percent of the population) were current (i.e., past-month) users of tobacco, and 84.5 percent of these users smoked cigarettes. Nicotine dependence, which is measured for cigarette users, has been found to be associated with increased risk of alcohol and illicit drug use and of mental disorders.

The following are brief findings found in the report:

Among past-month cigarette smokers aged 12 or older, 57.7 percent met the criteria for past-month nicotine dependence.

Persons aged 12 or older who were dependent on nicotine in the past month were more likely than those who were not nicotine dependent to have engaged in alcohol use (61.7 vs. 49.1 percent), binge alcohol use (40.1 vs. 20.1 percent), and heavy alcohol use (14.9 vs. 5.5 percent) in the past month.

Persons aged 18 or older who were nicotine dependent in the past month were more than twice as likely as their counterparts who were not dependent on nicotine to have experienced serious psychological distress in the past year (21.2 vs. 9.4 percent).

Download NSDUH Report:
Nicotine Dependence: 2006 (256 KB)

Smoking increases risks of diabetes

Posted Monday, January 28, 2008 ; 06:11 PM Updated Monday, January 28, 2008 ; 07:00 PM

http://www.wowktv.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=34119

A Video of this newscast is also available at the website.

This story ran 28JAN08 on WTRF TV, WBOY TV, WOWK TV, and WVNS TV

There's no question that smoking is harmful to your health; however, now a new study shows smoking may also increase the risk of developing diabetes.

Morgantown, WV -- People most often associate cigarette smoking with an increased risk of getting cancer or heart disease. According to a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, type-two diabetes also makes the list. Geri Dino WVU School of Medicine says, "What's also interesting is that if, not only do you have a greater risk of getting diabetes, but if you have diabetes and you smoke, it increases the complications you'll get from diabetes."

You don't have to smoke to be at risk for health problems. Secondhand smoke is also hazardous to your health. According to Geri Dino with WVU School of Medicine, "Even if a woman does not smoke, but she lives in a household with smokers, that increases her chance of breast cancer."

There's good news for people who kick the smoking habit. WVU School of Medicine's Geri Dino states, "As soon as you quit smoking your body begins to heal. Some organs and some systems may take longer, but sometimes people say, "oh, I've been smoking for so many years, why should I, I'm 55-60 years old, why should I quit now? Absolutely you should quit."

Here are more reasons to quit: smoking increases your chances of stroke and fertility problems, not to mention catching colds and even getting infections.

How many deaths will it take?

A death from asthma associated with work-related environmental tobacco smoke.

Stanbury M, Chester D, Hanna EA, Rosenman KD.

Michigan Department of Community Health, E. Lansing, Michigan.

BACKGROUND: Despite epidemiologic, experimental and observational data on the association of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and adverse health effects, bar and restaurant workers remain exposed to ETS in the majority of states.

METHODS: Three public health surveillance systems were used to identify and conduct a follow-up investigation of a reported acute asthma death of a young waitress in a bar.

RESULTS: The waitress collapsed at the bar where she worked and was declared dead shortly thereafter. Evaluation of the circumstances of her death and her medical history concluded that her death was from acute asthma due to environmental tobacco smoke at work.

CONCLUSIONS: This is the first reported acute asthma death associated with work-related ETS. Recent studies of asthma among bar and restaurant workers before and after smoking bans support this association. This death dramatizes the need to enact legal protections for workers in the hospitality industry from secondhand smoke.

*I don't have access to the full article, nor its references:

Am. J. Ind. Med. 2007. (c) Wiley-Liss, Inc.

PMID: 18067177 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=18067177&ordinalpos=38&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVBrief

Smoke-free proves popular in Louisville

Lexington (KY) Herald-Leader, 2008-01-04 http://www.kentucky.com/591/story/276066.html

Intro:

A funny thing happened after a judge voided Louisville's smoking ban.

Most bars and restaurants chose to remain smoke free.

The Courier-Journal of Louisville surveyed businesses in two of the city's most popular entertainment districts -- Bardstown Road/Baxter Avenue and 4th Street Live! --and found that 19 of 30 voluntarily remained non-smoking even though they were free to let patrons light up.

Louisville plans to re-enact its smoking ban next week, minus the special exemption for Churchill Downs . . .

Smoke-free air isn't killing business anywhere. But it is helping people live healthier and longer.

The message that other Kentucky places (AND OTHERS!) should take away from the Louisville story: C'mon in. The air is fine.

Research Continues to Show That Smoking Bans Save Lives!!

Study Finds Non-Smokers Benefit when Smoking Bans Are Enacted: Reduced Exposure to Second Hand Smoke Reduces Heart Attacks in Non-Smokers November 21, 2007

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/455195/study_finds_nonsmokers_benefit_when.html

A new study by Indiana University researchers shows that hospital admissions for heart attacks dropped by 59 percent for non smokers after a countywide smoking ban was implemented â |

Cynthia Hallett, Executive Director of Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights (ANR), stated that the findings of the Indiana University researchers are consistent with eight other studies looking at the links between smoke-free laws and heart disease. She added, "The bottom line is smoke-free laws save lives."

___________________

Non-smokers the big winners when it comes to smoking bans

News-Medical.net, 2007-11-22

http://www.news-medical.net/?id=32827

American scientists have found that heart attacks decreased after a smoking ban was imposed but this only applied to non-smokers.

Their study suggests that the major benefit of the ban on smoking in public places is being seen in nonsmokers.

The researchers from Indiana University say even those with no risk factors for heart disease can still experience heart attacks but after a countywide smoking ban was implemented, hospital admissions for such heart attacks dropped 70 percent for non-smokers, but not for smokers.

Reduced Admissions for Acute Myocardial Infarction Associated with a Public Smoking Ban: Matched Controlled Study Journal of Drug Education, 2007-11-24

http://baywood.metapress.com/app/home/contribution.asp?referrer=parent&backto=issue,1,7;journal,1,147;linkingpublicationresults,1:300320,1

An ex post facto matched control group study was conducted to determine whether there was a change in hospital admissions for acute myocardial infarction among nonsmoking patients after a public smoking ban was implemented in Monroe County compared with Delaware County, Indiana without such a ban. Analysis was conducted for 44 months of hospital admissions. Findings included a significant drop occurred in the number of admissions among nonsmoking patients in Monroe County after the ban whereas a non-significant decrease in the number of admissions occurred in Delaware County. The changes in the number of smoking-patient admissions before and after the ban were not significant.

The Economic Impact of Clean Indoor Air Laws

by Michael Eriksen, ScD and Frank Chaloupka, PhD

Dr. Eriksen is Director and Professor, Institute of Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA.

Dr. Chaloupka is Distinguished Professor, Health Policy Center and Department of Economics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL.

Clean indoor air laws creating completely smoke-free environments are rapidly spreading throughout the world and are low-cost, safe, and effective, many of the characteristics associated with rapidly diffusing innovations. Experience to date demonstrates that clean indoor air laws protect nonsmokers from involuntary exposure to secondhand smoke, contribute to a reduction in overall cigarette consumption, protect hospitality workers from adverse respiratory conditions, and are well accepted by the general public.

It is likely that clean indoor air laws will continue to spread throughout the United States and around the globe, where smoke-free environments will be the norm and smoking being allowed in indoor public areas will be the rare exception. The vast majority of scientific evidence indicates that there is no negative economic impact of clean indoor air policies, with many studies finding that there may be some positive effects on local businesses. This is despite the fact that tobacco industry-sponsored research has attempted to create fears to the contrary.

Future progress can be expected in creating smoke-free environments in homes, multifamily dwellings, cars in which children are riding, and outdoor public venues.

The full paper is available at http://caonline.amcancersoc.org/cgi/content/full/57/6/367

Chewing tobacco: Not a risk-free alternative to cigarettes

Get the facts about chewing tobacco. It's more harmful and addictive than you might think.

You can call it what you want — smokeless tobacco, spit tobacco, snus, chew, snuff, pinch, plug or dip — but don't call it harmless. If you're considering making the switch from cigarettes to chewing tobacco because you think the smokeless version of tobacco won't hurt you, be forewarned — chewing tobacco also causes serious health problems. Find out why chewing tobacco is not a healthy option.

Chewing tobacco: Just one form of smokeless tobacco

Smokeless tobacco products consist of tobacco or a tobacco blend that's chewed, inhaled or sucked on rather than smoked. It's available in three main forms:

§ Chewing tobacco. This type of smokeless tobacco comes in loose leaf, plugs or twists. As the name suggests, it's chewed.

§ Snuff. This product is available dry or moist, in loose leaf or in pouches that look like small tea bags. A pinch of snuff may be placed between the cheek and the gum or inhaled into the nostrils.

§ Betel quid. A product of India, Africa and Asia, betel quid is produced commercially or made at home. It consists of a dried paste that often includes tobacco, areca nuts, catechu, and scent or flavoring. Catechu is a plant-based product used to treat diarrhea and sometimes used for birth control in some parts of the world. Areca nuts are a plant-based product often used as a recreational drug. Betel is placed in the mouth, usually between the gum and cheek, and gently sucked and chewed.

Though the concept of chewing tobacco might conjure up images of spittoons and messy brown liquid, not all smokeless tobacco needs to be spit out during use. Tobacco companies have developed a friendlier version of chewing tobacco — a spitless tobacco — in an effort to convince more smokers to consider using smokeless products in places where smoking is prohibited.

Health risks of chewing tobacco and other forms of smokeless tobacco

Using chewing tobacco and other smokeless tobacco products can cause serious health problems, from gum irritation to oral cancer.

Addiction
Chewing tobacco gets you hooked on nicotine, similar to the way cigarettes do. And once you're addicted, it becomes difficult to stop using chewing tobacco. Just as with smoking, withdrawal from chewing tobacco causes signs and symptoms such as intense cravings, increased appetite, irritability and depressed mood.

People who use chewing tobacco eventually develop a tolerance for nicotine and need more tobacco to feel the desired effects of the nicotine. Some people switch to brands with higher nicotine content and tend to use chewing tobacco more frequently the longer they've been using smokeless products. More severely addicted users may leave the chew in their mouths overnight and swallow the tobacco juices.

Cavities
Chewing tobacco and other forms of smokeless tobacco cause tooth decay. That's because chewing tobacco contains high amounts of sugar, which contributes to cavities. Chewing tobacco also contains coarse particles that can irritate your gums and scratch away at the enamel on your teeth, making your teeth more vulnerable to cavities.

Gum disease
The sugar and irritants in chewing tobacco and other forms of smokeless tobacco can cause your gums to pull away from your teeth in the area of your mouth where you place the chew. Over time you can develop gum disease (gingivitis) and possibly tooth loss.

Heart problems and non-oral cancer
Smokeless tobacco increases your heart rate and blood pressure. Some evidence suggests that it may put you at an increased risk of heart attack. People who use smokeless tobacco also have higher cholesterol levels than those who don't use tobacco. And a study published in June 2007 in the medical journal The Lancet showed a connection between the use of one form of smokeless tobacco (snus) and an increased risk of pancreatic cancer.

Precancerous mouth lesions
People who use smokeless tobacco are more likely to develop small white patches called leukoplakia (loo-ko-PLA-ke-uh) inside their mouths where the chew is most often placed. These mouth lesions are precancerous — meaning that the sores could one day develop into cancer. After stopping tobacco usage, the lesions usually go away in a few weeks or a few months.

Oral cancer
Your risk of oral cancer is increased if you use smokeless tobacco. Oral cancer includes cancers of the mouth, throat, cheek, gums, lips and tongue. Surgery to remove cancer from any of these areas can leave your jaw, chin, neck or face disfigured.

MORE ON THIS TOPIC

§ Gingivitis

§ Leukoplakia

§ Oral and throat cancer

Smokeless doesn't mean harmless

If you aren't convinced that chewing tobacco, spit tobacco and other forms of smokeless tobacco aren't risk-free, consider the words of someone who's seen the damage tobacco can do. Joe Garagiola, a former spit tobacco user, played major league baseball and later worked in broadcasting. After retiring from baseball he became a crusader against spit tobacco — the term he prefers since "smokeless" makes tobacco sound harmless.

"I chewed tobacco because it seemed to be the thing to do if you were playing baseball," says Garagiola. "Everybody chewed when I was playing, and nobody knew the dangers of it." But he's seen the dangers since, losing three close friends to oral cancer and seeing the harmful effects of spit tobacco on other people.

"You won't die of gum disease or yellow teeth, but develop oral cancer and it's a terrible way to go," Garagiola says. "Here you are with oral cancer from using spit tobacco, your jaw has been removed and you have to eat through a tube. You die one piece at a time. Spit tobacco is a horrible, horrible thing. I just wish I could get this message across to everyone."

It's never too late to quit

If you're using smokeless tobacco, quit. Now that you know the dangers associated with it, you have extra motivation to give it up. Here's what to do:

§ Set a quit date. Mark your quit day on your calendar and commit to it. Select a day at least one week away so that you have time to prepare for your life as a former tobacco user.

§ Talk to your doctor. Tell your doctor about your goal to quit using smokeless tobacco and ask for advice. Smokeless tobacco users have more success with quitting if they talk to a doctor or dentist about strategies for quitting.

§ Consider medications. Ask your doctor about medications that can help you quit, such as over-the-counter nicotine replacement products, including patches, gum, inhalers and lozenges. There are also non-nicotine prescription medications such as bupropion (Zyban) and varenicline (Chantix) that can ease nicotine withdrawal symptoms when you quit.

§ Get support. Join a support group in your area. Go online. Get help and support from people who understand what you're going through. Free resources are available, so don't worry about a financial cost.

Devise a plan to deal with cravings and know that cravings typically last only a few minutes. Eating licorice, chewing gum, going for a walk or calling a friend can help you get through them. And the interval between cravings increases the longer you've stopped using tobacco and eventually the cravings will go away.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/chewing-tobacco/CA00019

The high cost of smoking

The costs add up: Cigarettes, dry cleaning, insurance -- you can even lose your job. A 40-year-old who quits and puts the savings into a 401(k) could save almost $250,000 by age 70.

By Hilary Smith

If the threat of cancer can't persuade you to quit smoking, maybe the prospect of poverty will.

The financial consequences of lighting up stretch far beyond the cost of a pack of cigarettes. Smokers pay more for insurance. They lose money on the resale value of their cars and homes. They spend extra on dry cleaning and teeth cleaning. Long term, they earn less and receive less in pension and Social Security benefits.

Indeed, being a smoker can not only mean you don't get hired -- you can get fired, too. After announcing it would no longer employ smokers, Weyco, a medical-benefits administrator in Michigan, fired four employees who refused to submit to a breath test. It began testing the spouses of its employees, too, levying an $80-per-month surcharge on those who don't test clean.

Overall, 5% of employers prefer to hire nonsmokers, according to the most recent survey by the Society for Human Resource Management, and 1% do not hire smokers. A few examples:

Kalamazoo Valley Community College in Michigan stopped hiring smokers for full-time positions at both its Michigan campuses.

Alaska Airlines, based in Washington state, requires a nicotine test before hiring people.

The Tacoma-Pierce County (Wash.) Health Department has applicants sign an "affidavit of nontobacco use."

Union Pacific won't hire smokers.

That same poll found that 5% of companies charge smokers more for health-care premiums. The costs don't stop with your paycheck. Figures from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids assert that smokers cost the economy $97.6 billion a year in lost productivity.

That's based on the number of working years lost because of premature death. (The Bureau of National Affairs says 95% of companies banning smoking report no financial savings, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce finds no connection between smoking and absenteeism.)

An additional $96.7 billion is spent on public and private health care combined, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, and each American household spends $630 a year in federal and state taxes due to smoking.

More from MSN

Losing Money © Don Farrall / Photodisc Green / Getty Images

· MSN Health & Fitness' quit-smoking guide

· What works -- and what doesn’t

· Readers share their tips for quitting

· Insurance for the young and single

· Prozac: Hazard to your health insurance

Personal financial impact

The cost of a pack of cigarettes averages $4.49, including taxes. Using this number, a pack-a-day smoker burns through about $31.43 per week, or $1,635 per year. That's a fat house payment or a nice vacation with the family. A 40-year-old who quits smoking and puts the savings into a 401(k) earning 9% a year would have nearly $250,000 by age 70.

But only you know exactly how much you pay and how often. Plug your yearly tally into our Savings Calculator and see what it'll cost you over the coming decades.

The one place many smokers feel free and comfortable to light up is in their car. Without consistent and thorough cleanings, however, a car that is smoked in will soon start to resemble an ashtray on wheels. The interior inevitably smells like smoke, and stray ashes and butts can burn holes in the upholstery and floor mats.

None of these things has much financial impact until you try to sell the car. Figure a minimum of $150 for a good cleaning with an extractor.

Video on MSN Money

Time to quit?
Learn the first steps toward losing the urge to light up.

On a trade-in, dealers can easily knock off more than $1,000 on higher-end vehicles like vans, SUVs and expensive sport-types. Terry Cooper, a car dealer with seven new- and used-car stores, says he took a 1999 Porsche 911 Cabriolet in on trade for $37,000. That sounds OK, but the owner could have fetched $40,000 for it had he not "smoked out" the car's interior.

The criteria that apply to cars apply to homes as well, only on a bigger scale.

Smokers' houses often require all new paint and/or wall treatments, as well as professional drapery and carpet cleaning. According to Contractors.com, priming and painting an average-size living room, dining room and two bedrooms would cost around $2,100. The Carpet Buying Handbook puts the average cleaning cost per square foot at 28 cents, and the average home has 1,000 square feet of carpet. That's $280. Add $55 to clean a typical sofa and $25 for a chair, says Diversified Carpet in San Diego.

Walt Molony with the National Association of Realtors says that "certainly the smell of cigarettes can be a turnoff to potential buyers," but he notes that it is less of a problem in tight housing markets.

1 | 2 | next >

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Insurance/InsureYourHealth/HighCostOfSmoking.aspx

CASA: Smoking, Drinking, Drugs and Depression Related

News Summary

Depression, alcohol use, and marijuana use are all more prevalent among adolescents who smoke, according to a report from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA).

Reuters reported Oct. 23 that the report, which analyzed previously published data and surveys, found that 59 percent of smokers aged 12 to 17 also drank alcohol, compared to 11 percent of nonsmokers. Current cigarette smokers in this age group also were 13 times more likely to smoke marijuana, and also have a higher risk of depression and anxiety disorders.

Some researchers speculate that smoking may prime the adolescent brain for other types of addictive behaviors. "Teenage smoking can signal the fire of alcohol and drug abuse or mental illness like depression and anxiety," said CASA head Joseph Califano. "There's no question that early teenage smoking is linked to these other things. Now whether it's causing it or not, I think the jury is probably still out on that."

http://www.jointogether.org/news/headlines/inthenews/2007/casa-smoking-drinking.html

Big Tobacco Tried to Cloud Secondhand Smoke Research, Study Says

Research Summary

U.S. tobacco companies worked to discredit research showing the ill health effects of secondhand smoke, according to California researchers who reviewed a cache of secret industry documents.

The Sacramento Bee reported Oct. 16 that researchers Eliza Tong of the University of California at Davis and Stanton Glantz of the University of California at San Francisco also detailed how the industry relied on dubious research to back claims of producing "reduced risk" cigarettes.

The authors reviewed about 5,000 internal industry documents, including 47 dealing with the link between secondhand smoke and heart disease, and concluded that the industry actively suppressed research with negative findings, such as failing to publish complete results of studies or attributing ill health effects to stress and factors other than tobacco smoke.

"This special report exposes the deceitful practices of the tobacco industry in its attempts to fight smoke-free regulations and serves as an eye-opener for the public-health community and the federal government as the 'reduced-harm product' debate picks up steam," said M. Cass Wheeler, CEO of the American Heart Association.

"I think they are still trying to frame the issue to minimize the risks," said Tong. "Secondhand smoke does cause cardiovascular disease, and any research by tobacco industry should be treated with skepticism."

The report was published in the October 2007 issue of the journal Circulation.

Reference:
Tong, E.K., Glantz, S.A. (2007) Tobacco Industry Efforts Undermining Evidence Linking Secondhand Smoke With Cardiovascular Disease. Circulation, 116(16): 1845-1854.

http://www.jointogether.org/news/research/summaries/2007/big-tobacco-tried-to-cloud.html

Secondhand Smoke Hurts Kids' Grades
Teens exposed to fumes at home less likely to pass exams, research shows

FRIDAY, Oct. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Not only is secondhand smoke a threat to teen health, it can also affect their school test scores, a new study finds.

Researchers at Temple University found that 16- and 18-year-olds exposed to secondhand smoke at home were 30 percent less likely to pass standardized tests than their peers.

They reached this conclusion after analyzing data from thousands of mothers and children in the United Kingdom, and factoring in other known risk factors, such as socioeconomic status, gender and smoking by teens.

The study was published in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

The findings add to a growing body of evidence that secondhand smoke affects children's academic performance, as well as their health, the researchers said.

"It's important that we help smoking parents learn how to reduce their children's exposure to secondhand smoke, a goal that can be achieved without requiring the parent to immediately quit smoking, although that's the ultimate goal for the health of the entire family," study author Bradley Collins, an assistant professor of public health and director of the Health Behavior Research Clinic at Temple, said in a prepared statement.

This study did not answer why secondhand smoke affects teen's test scores. Previous studies have suggested a link between prenatal exposure to cigarette smoke and increased risk of cognitive and academic problems, learning disabilities and impulsivity in children.

More information

The American Lung Association has more about secondhand smoke and children.

-- Robert Preidt

SOURCE: Temple University, news release, September 2007

Last Updated: Oct. 19, 2007

http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=608516

W.Va. leads nation in women who smoke during pregnancy

by The Associated Press

More than a fourth of pregnant women in West Virginia smoked last year, putting themselves and their babies at risk.

The state's 27.3 percent maternal smoking rate was the highest rate in the country and nearly triple the national average, according to a recent report from the state Department of Health and Human Resource's Health Statistics Center. The state's rate was up slightly over the previous year and has hovered around 25 percent the past 10 years.

McDowell County had the highest rate of pregnant smokers, at more than 42 percent, the report said. The lowest rate, 15.8 percent, was in Monongalia County.

All total, smoking mothers across the state gave birth to about 5,500 babies last year.

"West Virginia has a virtual sustained epidemic of maternal smoking during pregnancy,'' said Dan Christy, who directs the Health Statistics Center. "It isn't healthy, and it's endangering the baby.''

Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of low-birth weight and premature babies, and can lead to a host of illnesses, including heart disease, breathing difficulties and mental health problems.

National researchers suggest pregnant smokers are typically poor, less educated and have less access to health care. The state's study found that a lack of education played a major role in West Virginia's numbers.

Christy noted that some women at a recent focus group meeting said they smoked during pregnancy because they thought they would have easier deliveries if their babies were smaller.

The state study found that more than half of women who didn't graduate from high school smoked while pregnant. It also found that more than 40 percent of West Virginia women covered by government-funded Medicaid health insurance smoked during pregnancy.

Christy said it's obvious that existing programs to curb smoking among pregnant women are not working.

National research released last month indicated the "quit for your baby'' message is too simplistic an approach for many women. It also suggested that many pregnant women who smoke may also suffer from depression, which makes it even more difficult to kick the habit.

A committee of state health advocates recently issued a list of recommendations that include increasing the state excise tax on tobacco products and expanding the state tobacco "Quitline,'' which offers free smoking-cessation services to all pregnant women.

The committee also urged the state to increase funding for tobacco-prevention programs from $6 million a year to $14 million, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

http://www.dailymail.com/story/News/200710231/W-Va-leads-nation-in-women-who-smoke-during-pregnancy/

Do Young Adults Mimic Smoking In Movies?

Oct. 3, 2007

(WebMD) Watching movie stars smoke on screen makes young adults more likely to smoke cigarettes themselves, according to a new study.

Researchers found young adults aged 18-25 who watched the most movies with smoking stars were 77 percent more likely to have smoked recently and 86 percent more likely to become regular smokers than those who rarely watched movies with smoking.

In fact, the study showed that the more movies with smoking that young adults watched, the more likely they were to become established smokers.

"The main effect is to recruit new smokers from among young adults," says researcher Stanton Glantz, PhD, professor of medicine at the University of San Francisco, in a news release. "Ages 18 to 25 are critical years, when one-third of smokers start and others who began smoking as adolescents either stop smoking or become regular smokers."

Previous studies have already shown that on-screen smoking can encourage adolescents to start smoking. But researchers say this is the first to show that exposure to smoking in movies also influences young adults and their smoking habits.

Movie Smoking Affects Young Adults
In the study, researchers surveyed more than 1,500 young adults aged 18-25 in a Web-based survey. The participants were asked about their smoking habits and which of a sample of 60 popular movies released between 2000 and 2004 they had seen. The results appear in American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

When researchers compared the number of exposures to smoking in movies with the young adults' smoking habits, they found the odds of smoking rose as exposures to on-screen visuals rose.

After adjusting for other risk factors, they found the odds of smoking rose by 21 percent for each 25 percent increase in exposure to smoking in movies.

The study also showed that two factors influenced the relationship between smoking in movies and young adults smoking in their own lives: positive expectations about smoking and having friends and relatives who smoke.

"Movies encourage them to experiment, and once they start experimenting with cigarettes other factors take hold," says Glantz. "Movies create the expectation that smoking will turn out OK."

By Jennifer Warner
Reviewed by Louise Chang
©2007 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved.

State ranks No. 1 in young smokers

For all adults, state ranks 2nd

http://www.wvgazette.com/section/News/2007100230

By Eric Eyre

Charleston Gazette staff writer

West Virginia leads the nation in the percentage of younger adults who smoke, new federal data show.

Slightly more than a third of West Virginians ages 18 to 35 count themselves as smokers, according to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study. That’s three times the smoking rate in Utah, which has the lowest percentage of younger adults who light up.

The new data was discouraging news for state health advocates who have spearheaded efforts to strengthen indoor smoking bans and raise awareness about the dangers of smoking in recent years.

About 4,000 West Virginians die each year from tobacco-related diseases.

“We have not fully funded tobacco prevention here in West Virginia as recommended by the CDC,” said Kevin Pauley, spokesman for the American Heart Association in Charleston. “That, coupled with the aggressive marketing tactics of the tobacco industry aimed directly at that age group, results in these higher numbers.”

The CDC analyzed smokers in the 18-35 age group because people who quit smoking before age 35 have a life expectancy similar to those who have never smoked, according to the study’s authors.

More than half of young adult smokers in West Virginia tried to quit last year, but most didn’t succeed, according to the study.

“The good news is it’s never too late to quit smoking,” said Dr. Corinne Husten, chief of epidemiology at the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health. “But it’s critically important for smokers to understand they must quit as early in life as possible if they’re to really avoid most of the adverse smoking effects. In this case, procrastination is deadly.”

Alaska had the second-highest percentage of younger adults who smoke, followed by Kentucky and Indiana.

Nationally, about one of every four people in the 18-35 age group smoke, according to the study.

The CDC study also included state-by-state smoking rates for all adults older than 18.

In West Virginia, 25.7 percent of all adults reported they smoked last year, the second highest rate in the nation. Kentucky led that group with 28.6 percent saying they light up.

West Virginia’s smoking rate for all adults dropped by 1 percent from last year, a decline that’s not statistically significant, but a positive sign nonetheless, said state officials.

The state’s smoking rate has declined four consecutive years.

“The smoking rate among adults is the lowest it has been in decades,” said Bruce Adkins, director of the state Division of Tobacco Prevention. “But we are still the second highest in the nation. We have a lot of work to do.”

In 2000, Adkins’ office started a “tobacco quit line,” which offers smokers and spit tobacco users coaching over the telephone and nicotine-replacement therapy. The division also operates anti-smoking programs for people without health insurance, pregnant smokers, active and reserve military personnel, and young adults ages 18 to 24.

The CDC says higher cigarette prices, motivational media campaigns, telephone quit lines, smoke-free policies and medications can help people quit smoking.

“Reducing tobacco use among West Virginians will have a significant impact on chronic disease and future health expenses,” Adkins said, “because all tobacco-related disease is totally preventable.”

The state Health Statistics Center estimates that smoking costs West Virginia more than $2 billion a year in associated health and occupational expenses.

The state spends about $6 million each year for tobacco prevention programs. The CDC has recommended that West Virginia increase that amount to $14 million.