Digest

New Facebook application to help smokers quit

Keeping the toughest New Year's resolution of them all could be made a little easier for Facebook users this year thanks to a new application - the Bupa 'QuitClock'. Bupa has exclusively designed this new application to both help and encourage any potential ex-smoker to give up cigarettes.QuitClock is a Facebook application that not only helps track the time since the last cigarette was smoked but also offers an at a glance view on how much money has been saved. By using Facebook, Bupa enables users to also draw on the online support of friends and family to track progress and leave messages of support. Two-thirds of smokers start before the age of 18, and smoking is highest among 20 to 24 year olds. By engaging users of this popular social networking site, Bupa hopes to target the most prolific group of smokers.

Source: Medical News Today, 06 January 2009

Link: http://tiny.cc/U6Haz

Smoking during pregnancy could cause aggression in children

Women who smoke during pregnancy risk delivering aggressive kids according to a new Canada-Netherlands study published in the journal Development and Psychopathology. While previous studies have shown that smoking during gestation causes low birth weight, this research shows mothers who light up during pregnancy can predispose their offspring to an additional risk: violent behavior. What's more, the research team found the risk of giving birth to aggressive children increases among smoking mothers whose familial income is lower than $40,000 per year. Another risk factor for aggressive behavior in offspring was smoking mothers with a history of antisocial behavior: run-ins with the law, high school drop-outs and illegal drug use.

Source: redOrbit, 06 January 2009

Link: http://tiny.cc/aYB7d

Why smokers struggle to quit

Just seeing someone smoke can trigger smokers to abandon their nascent efforts to kick the habit, according to new research conducted at Duke University Medical Center. Brain scans taken during normal smoking activity and 24 hours after quitting show there is a marked increase in a particular kind of brain activity when quitters see photographs of people smoking. The study, which appears online in Psychopharmacology, sheds important light on why it's so hard for people to quit smoking, and why they relapse so quickly, explains Joseph McClernon, an associate professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University Medical Center. "Only five percent of unaided quit attempts result in successful abstinence," says McClernon. "Most smokers who try to quit return to smoking again. We are trying to understand how that process works in the brain, and this research brings us one step closer."

Source: Medical News Today, 06 January 2009

Link: http://tiny.cc/RpOFM

Skin cancer 'increases risk of smoking related cancers'

Skin cancer patients have a higher chance of developing other forms of the disease, research suggests. Experts found people treated for melanoma were more than twice as likely to develop other, unrelated cancers than the general population. The risk was also elevated - although not as much - for patients with other forms of skin cancer. The study, led by Queen's University Belfast, features in the British Journal of Cancer. It echoes previous more general research suggesting that one type of cancer raises the risk of developing another. The researchers analysed data from the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry, including 1,837 patients with melanoma, the most aggressive form of skin cancer, and 20,823 patients with less aggressive forms of the disease. Patients with non-melanoma skin cancer were up to 57% more likely to develop another type of cancer than people in the general population. They were almost twice as likely to go on to develop melanoma and had an increased risk of smoking-related cancers. But the risk of subsequent cancers was even higher in the melanoma group - more than double that of the general population.

Source: BBC News, 07 January 2008

Link: http://tinyurl.com/8cvr7r

New study shows nicotine replacement therapy appropriate for gradual and
abrupt quitters

Nicotine gum has been in use for over 20 years to help smokers quit abruptly yet close to two-thirds of smokers report that they would prefer to quit gradually. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare have now found that smokers who are trying to quit gradually can also be helped by nicotine gum. The results of the first study to test the efficacy and safety of using nicotine gum to assist cessation by gradual reduction are published in the February 2009 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Almost 3300 smokers participated in this double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Participants were enrolled in 27 study sites across the US. Participants were allowed to choose between 2-mg and 4-mg doses of nicotine gum, with the higher doses generally being selected by heavier smokers. Within each dose group, participants were then randomised to receive either the active gum or a placebo, yielding 4 approximately equal groups.

Source: Medical News Today, 06 January 2008

Link: http://tinyurl.com/92c2nx

Firefighters' warning about the dangers of smoking

Kent Fire and Rescue Service says a series of house fires caused by cigarette smoking should support anyone's New Year's resolution to give up cigarettes. Fire crews attended eight blazes during December which are believed to have broken out from discarded or carelessly disposed of smoking materials. Over the entire year, Kent suffered 51 house fires where cigarettes, cigars, lighters and matches are believed to be the cause. KFRS Community Safety Manager Charlie Smith said: "Clearly the best way to keep you and your family safe is to give up smoking completely. "We know that these fires are more likely to start during the night and that some of the most common places for them to start are sofas, beds and carpets. Remember, a cigarette burns at up to 700C, so if you must smoke make sure when you put it out, it really is out. That final check could save your and your family's life".

Source: kentnews.co.uk, 14 January 2009

Link: http://tiny.cc/x7mcY

Smoking when pregnant affects thyroid for both mother and child

Here's another thing that smoking while pregnant can do -- it can damage both the mother's and the baby's thyroid function, British researchers reported on Tuesday. Cigarette smoke has been shown to cause babies to be born smaller, to make newborns more likely to die of sudden infant death syndrome, and even to affect the rates of cleft lips, heart defects and other problems Bijay Vaidya of Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital and colleagues found smoking can also affect the thyroids of both mothers and babies. "We studied the influence of cigarette smoking on thyroid function of two groups of women at different stages of pregnancy -- one in the first trimester and the other in the third trimester," Vaidya said in a statement. "In both groups we found that smoking during pregnancy is associated with changes in the mothers' thyroid hormone levels."

Source: Reuters Health, 14 January 2009

Link: http://tiny.cc/yoIiM

Experts warn of the dangers of 'thirdhand' smoke

We've all heard about the health risks of secondhand smoke. But thirdhand smoke? Medical experts say there is such a thing, and it's particularly hazardous for children. Thirdhand smoke isn't smoke in the traditional sense. It's defined as the residual contamination from tobacco smoke that remains after a cigarette is extinguished - toxic dust that settles onto surfaces and harmful volatile compounds that disperse in the airA recent study in the journal Pediatrics notes: "Children are especially susceptible to thirdhand smoke exposure because they breathe near, crawl and play on, touch and mouth contaminated surfaces." Researchers found that adults who believed thirdhand smoke harmed children's health were more likely to institute household smoking bans. More...

Source: Chicago Tribune, 05 January 2009

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last updated 22nd January 09
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		New Facebook application to help smokers quit Keeping the toughest New Year's resolution of them all could be made a little easier for Facebook users this year thanks to a new application - the Bupa 'QuitClock'. Bupa has exclusively designed this new application to both help and encourage any potential ex-smoker to give up cigarettes.QuitClock is a Facebook application that not only helps track the time since the last cigarette was smoked but also offers an at a glance view on how much money has been saved. By using Facebook, Bupa enables users to also draw on the online support of friends and family to track progress and leave messages of support. Two-thirds of smokers start before the age of 18, and smoking is highest among 20 to 24 year olds. By engaging users of this popular social networking site, Bupa hopes to target the most prolific group of smokers. Source: Medical News Today, 06 January 2009 Link: http://tiny.cc/U6Haz Smoking during pregnancy could cause aggression in children Women who smoke during pregnancy risk delivering aggressive kids according to a new Canada-Netherlands study published in the journal Development and Psychopathology. While previous studies have shown that smoking during gestation causes low birth weight, this research shows mothers who light up during pregnancy can predispose their offspring to an additional risk: violent behavior. What's more, the research team found the risk of giving birth to aggressive children increases among smoking mothers whose familial income is lower than $40,000 per year. Another risk factor for aggressive behavior in offspring was smoking mothers with a history of antisocial behavior: run-ins with the law, high school drop-outs and illegal drug use. Source: redOrbit, 06 January 2009 Link: http://tiny.cc/aYB7d Why smokers struggle to quit Just seeing someone smoke can trigger smokers to abandon their nascent efforts to kick the habit, according to new research conducted at Duke University Medical Center. Brain scans taken during normal smoking activity and 24 hours after quitting show there is a marked increase in a particular kind of brain activity when quitters see photographs of people smoking. The study, which appears online in Psychopharmacology, sheds important light on why it's so hard for people to quit smoking, and why they relapse so quickly, explains Joseph McClernon, an associate professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University Medical Center. "Only five percent of unaided quit attempts result in successful abstinence," says McClernon. "Most smokers who try to quit return to smoking again. We are trying to understand how that process works in the brain, and this research brings us one step closer." Source: Medical News Today, 06 January 2009 Link: http://tiny.cc/RpOFM Skin cancer 'increases risk of smoking related cancers' Skin cancer patients have a higher chance of developing other forms of the disease, research suggests. Experts found people treated for melanoma were more than twice as likely to develop other, unrelated cancers than the general population. The risk was also elevated - although not as much - for patients with other forms of skin cancer. The study, led by Queen's University Belfast, features in the British Journal of Cancer. It echoes previous more general research suggesting that one type of cancer raises the risk of developing another. The researchers analysed data from the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry, including 1,837 patients with melanoma, the most aggressive form of skin cancer, and 20,823 patients with less aggressive forms of the disease. Patients with non-melanoma skin cancer were up to 57% more likely to develop another type of cancer than people in the general population. They were almost twice as likely to go on to develop melanoma and had an increased risk of smoking-related cancers. But the risk of subsequent cancers was even higher in the melanoma group - more than double that of the general population. Source: BBC News, 07 January 2008 Link: http://tinyurl.com/8cvr7r New study shows nicotine replacement therapy appropriate for gradual and abrupt quitters Nicotine gum has been in use for over 20 years to help smokers quit abruptly yet close to two-thirds of smokers report that they would prefer to quit gradually. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare have now found that smokers who are trying to quit gradually can also be helped by nicotine gum. The results of the first study to test the efficacy and safety of using nicotine gum to assist cessation by gradual reduction are published in the February 2009 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Almost 3300 smokers participated in this double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Participants were enrolled in 27 study sites across the US. Participants were allowed to choose between 2-mg and 4-mg doses of nicotine gum, with the higher doses generally being selected by heavier smokers. Within each dose group, participants were then randomised to receive either the active gum or a placebo, yielding 4 approximately equal groups. Source: Medical News Today, 06 January 2008 Link: http://tinyurl.com/92c2nx Firefighters' warning about the dangers of smoking Kent Fire and Rescue Service says a series of house fires caused by cigarette smoking should support anyone's New Year's resolution to give up cigarettes. Fire crews attended eight blazes during December which are believed to have broken out from discarded or carelessly disposed of smoking materials. Over the entire year, Kent suffered 51 house fires where cigarettes, cigars, lighters and matches are believed to be the cause. KFRS Community Safety Manager Charlie Smith said: "Clearly the best way to keep you and your family safe is to give up smoking completely. "We know that these fires are more likely to start during the night and that some of the most common places for them to start are sofas, beds and carpets. Remember, a cigarette burns at up to 700C, so if you must smoke make sure when you put it out, it really is out. That final check could save your and your family's life". Source: kentnews.co.uk, 14 January 2009 Link: http://tiny.cc/x7mcY Smoking when pregnant affects thyroid for both mother and child Here's another thing that smoking while pregnant can do -- it can damage both the mother's and the baby's thyroid function, British researchers reported on Tuesday. Cigarette smoke has been shown to cause babies to be born smaller, to make newborns more likely to die of sudden infant death syndrome, and even to affect the rates of cleft lips, heart defects and other problems Bijay Vaidya of Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital and colleagues found smoking can also affect the thyroids of both mothers and babies. "We studied the influence of cigarette smoking on thyroid function of two groups of women at different stages of pregnancy -- one in the first trimester and the other in the third trimester," Vaidya said in a statement. "In both groups we found that smoking during pregnancy is associated with changes in the mothers' thyroid hormone levels." Source: Reuters Health, 14 January 2009 Link: http://tiny.cc/yoIiM Experts warn of the dangers of 'thirdhand' smoke We've all heard about the health risks of secondhand smoke. But thirdhand smoke? Medical experts say there is such a thing, and it's particularly hazardous for children. Thirdhand smoke isn't smoke in the traditional sense. It's defined as the residual contamination from tobacco smoke that remains after a cigarette is extinguished - toxic dust that settles onto surfaces and harmful volatile compounds that disperse in the airA recent study in the journal Pediatrics notes: "Children are especially susceptible to thirdhand smoke exposure because they breathe near, crawl and play on, touch and mouth contaminated surfaces." Researchers found that adults who believed thirdhand smoke harmed children's health were more likely to institute household smoking bans. More... Source: Chicago Tribune, 05 January 2009