Copyright 2008 Medical News Today Latest Smoking / Quit Smoking News From Medical News Today. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/sections/smoking/ admin@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Admin) editors@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Editors) en-us Sat, 19 Jul 2008 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/115499.php To help its members regain control of their health, Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alaska is partnering with the American Cancer Society (ACS) to provide Premera members with their best opportunity to break nicotine's addictive grip - the ACS Tobacco Cessation Program - that has the highest quit rate - 49 percent - for employer-sponsored programs in the nation. Sat, 19 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/115386.php Nicotine is one of the most heavily used addictive drugs in the United States, and more than one in five people use some form of the drug (cigarettes, cigars, pipes and chewing tobacco). Despite the fact that research consistently indicates tobacco use or exposure to tobacco smoke is harmful, new smokers initiate smoking each day. In the June 2008 issue of MEDSURG Nursing, Paul C. Lewis describes the prevalence of tobacco use and the challenges associated with smoking cessation. Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/115461.php Cigarette companies in recent years adjusted the level of menthol in different brands of cigarettes to attract younger smokers and maintain the business of older smokers, according to a report published Wednesday in the American Journal of Public Health, the New York Times reports (Saul, New York Times, 7/17). Thu, 17 Jul 2008 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/115366.php Menthol cigarette brands have been rising in popularity with adolescents, and the highest use has been among younger, newer smokers. Researchers at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) explored tobacco industry manipulation of menthol levels in specific brands and found a deliberate strategy to recruit and addict young smokers by adjusting menthol to create a milder experience for the first time smoker. Thu, 17 Jul 2008 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/115349.php Most teenagers who smoke cigarettes make repeated attempts to quit but most are unsuccessful, according to new research from the Universite de Montreal and funded by the Canadian Cancer Society. "The study found that teen smokers make their first serious attempt to quit after only two and a half months of smoking, and by the time they have smoked for 21 months they have lost confidence in their ability to quit," says Dr. Thu, 17 Jul 2008 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/115297.php Research released in the American Journal of Public Health found evidence that the tobacco industry has manipulated menthol levels and created new cigarette brands with the intention of gaining market share among young adults and adolescents. Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/115318.php A new study by US researchers who examined internal industry documents, market and national survey reports and lab test results, concluded that the tobacco industry manipulated the menthol content of cigarettes to attract young new smokers and encourage them to become dependent on nicotine. Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/115213.php Researchers examined U.S. cigarette brands popular among youth to determine whether or not tobacco manufacturers manipulate menthol in an effort to target young, experimental smokers. Menthol in cigarettes masks harshness and irritation for new smokers. Menthol is used as an additive in approximately 90% of cigarettes manufactured in the United States, although only about one-third of these cigarettes are explicitly marketed as mentholated. Wed, 16 Jul 2008 04:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/115205.php The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is concerned that Qantas has reintroduced tobacco sales on board its international flights. The sale of tobacco products will begin at the end of July. Despite restrictions preventing Qantas from advertising cigarettes in the on-board shopping catalogue, the airline is allowed to display these products on the duty-free trolley in the cabin. Wed, 16 Jul 2008 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/115118.php Face it: we all have our price. Still, despite prizes ranging from lottery tickets to cash payments, quit-smoking contests do not help people kick the habit in the end, according to a new systematic review of studies. None of the 17 studies, which involved roughly 6,300 participants, demonstrated significantly higher long-term quit rates for smokers offered incentives, despite some creative approaches. Wed, 16 Jul 2008 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/115115.php Tobacco addiction starts early, and public health experts agree that it is important to keep tobacco out of the hands of adolescents. Still, what works for prevention is a matter of controversy, and a new systematic review suggests that there is no clear answer. Review authors Lindsay Stead and Tim Lancaster at the University of Oxford examined 35 studies to determine whether programs targeting shopkeepers who sold tobacco to minors actually reduced how much teens smoked. Tue, 15 Jul 2008 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/115018.php Six treatments for smoking cessation perform better than placebos - including varenicline (Chantix®), recently approved for use in Canada - states a team of researchers from McGill University and the University of Montreal in an article published in CMAJ. Tue, 15 Jul 2008 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/115015.php Gallaher's agreement to pay millions of pounds in penalties to the OFT, following its admission that it engaged in unlawful price fixing demonstrates yet again that the tobacco industry can't be trusted.[1] This follows a recent study conducted for ASH showing that the tobacco industry has increased its prices way above inflation in recent years. Tue, 15 Jul 2008 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/115014.php Kids who see cigarettes as easily accessible are more likely to end up as regular smokers, particularly if they have friends who smoke, according to a new report published in the current issue of Annals of Family Medicine. The study, funded by the Substance Abuse Policy Research Program (SAPRP) of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, could be valuable to smoking intervention efforts by allowing health professionals to identify and target high-risk children. Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114922.php JIST will feature a line of branded smoking devices, in a host of styles and features. JIST uses advanced microelectronic technology to turn liquid into smoke-like vapor. Because it employs a harmless and odorless vapor, this lifestyle breakthrough gives you the freedom to enjoy JIST wherever and whenever you like. It is a safe, nontoxic, and non-flammable high tech device that won't impose on the environment or others around you. Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114912.php Alzheimer's Society comment on a review of research studies investigating nicotine and dementia, which have been conducted over the last 5 years 'Nicotine has previously been shown to help treat Alzheimer's disease in animal studies. This new review brings together evidence to explain the processes behind this and which types of nerve cells nicotine effects in the brain. Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114831.php Common genetic variations affecting nicotine receptors in the nervous system can significantly increase the chance that European Americans who begin smoking by age 17 will struggle with lifelong nicotine addiction, according to researchers at the University of Utah and their colleagues at University of Wisconsin-Madison. The study, published in the July 11, 2008 issue of PLoS Genetics, highlights the importance of public health efforts to reduce the number of youth who begin smoking. Sun, 13 Jul 2008 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114763.php The NPA is holding smoking cessation workshops at the European Pharmaceutical Student's Association (EPSA) Summer University on Tuesday 22 July at Manchester University. The workshops will provide attendees with a background on the development and marketing of a smoking cessation service. Margaret Peycke, NPA Service Development Manager said: "With smoking bans rolling out throughout Europe this topic is particularly relevant to all students attending the conference. Sat, 12 Jul 2008 04:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114681.php Alaskan Eskimos' significantly higher rates of fatty artery plaque than the general U.S. population may be due to unhealthy lifestyle habits, researchers report in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. Sat, 12 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114779.php Today, the California Governor's office announced that anti-smoking public service announcements (PSAs) developed by the state will be included in youth-rated DVD movies from several major Hollywood studios. The American Legacy Foundation(R), a national public health foundation dedicated to reducing tobacco use in the U.S., applauds the state of California for joining in the nationwide effort to educate youth on the dangers of tobacco use. Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114743.php A new report issued today by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) exemplifies the need for nonsmoking Americans to be better protected against exposure to secondhand smoke. The report finds that 46 percent of Americans show biologic exposure to the deadly toxins found in cigarettes. Even more startling are the millions of children this statistic includes. Fri, 11 Jul 2008 04:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114731.php Three hard hitting films - designed by teenagers for teenagers - were launched after a national competition helped uncover the next generation of British film makers. Cancer Research UK and Channel 4's 4Talent launched a joint initiative - funded by the Department of Health - called BREATHE to produce a selection of short online films to encourage young smokers to quit and deter others from starting. Fri, 11 Jul 2008 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114604.php Ms Mary Wallace T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children with special responsibility for Health Promotion and Food Safety, announced that further provisions of the Public Health (Tobacco) Acts 2002 and 2004 are to be commenced on 1 July 2009. Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114587.php A group of common genetics variants that affect the nicotine receptors in the nervous system could significantly increase the risk of developing nicotine addiction. These results, which could have powerful implications for policy preventing tobacco use in young people, were published on July 11, 2008 in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are variations in the genetic sequence that involve a single unit of DNA. Thu, 10 Jul 2008 16:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114565.php AccuQuote, a leader in providing term life insurance quotes to people across the United States, recommends several tips to help smokers find affordable term life insurance.