ScienceDaily: Smoking News

Addiction as a disorder of decision-making

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:58:58 EDT

New research shows that craving drugs such as nicotine can be visualized in specific regions of the brain that are implicated in determining the value of actions, in planning actions and in motivation. Researchers suggest abnormal interactions between these decision-making brain regions could underlie addiction.

H. pylori, smoking trends, and gastric cancer in US men

Tue, 21 May 2013 19:39:39 EDT

Trends in Helicobacter pylori and smoking explain a significant proportion of the decline of intestinal-type noncardia gastric adenocarcinoma incidence in US men between 1978 and 2008, and are estimated to continue to contribute to further declines between 2008 and 2040.

Aggressive behavior linked specifically to secondhand smoke exposure in childhood

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:21:21 EDT

Children who are exposed to secondhand smoke in early childhood are more likely to grow up to physically aggressive and antisocial, regardless of whether they were exposed during pregnancy or their parents have a history of being antisocial.

Women who smoke during pregnancy increase the risk of both obesity and gestational diabetes in their daughters

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:54:54 EDT

Women who smoke during pregnancy increase the risk of both obesity and gestational diabetes, in their daughters.

Bed sharing leads to fivefold increase in risk of crib death for babies whose parents do not smoke

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:54:54 EDT

Parents who share a bed with their breastfed baby could face a fivefold increase in the risk of crib death, even if the parents do not smoke, according to a new study.

Combined wood and tobacco smoke exposure increases risk and symptoms of COPD

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:27:27 EDT

People who are consistently exposed to both wood smoke and tobacco smoke are at a greater risk for developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and for experiencing more frequent and severe symptoms of the disease, as well as more severe airflow obstruction, than those who are exposed to only one type of smoke.

Prenatal exposure to traffic is associated with respiratory infection in young children

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:27:27 EDT

Living near a major roadway during the prenatal period is associated with an increased risk of respiratory infection developing in children by the age of 3, according to a new study.

Individuals who drink heavily and smoke may show 'early aging' of the brain

Sat, 18 May 2013 15:34:34 EDT

Alcohol treatment interventions work best when patients understand and are actively involved in the process. A first-of-its-kind study looks at the interactive effects of smoking status and age on neurocognition in one-month-abstinent alcohol dependent (AD) individuals in treatment. Results show that AD individuals who currently smoke have more problems with memory, ability to think quickly and efficiently, and problem-solving skills than those who do not smoke, effects which seem to become greater with increasing age.

No significant change seen in overall smokeless tobacco use among U.S. youths

Tue, 14 May 2013 18:41:41 EDT

Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death and disease in the United States. Declines in smoking among youths were observed from the late 1990s. "However, limited information exists on trends in smokeless tobacco use among U.S. youths," write the authors of a recent study.

Non-smoking hotel rooms still expose occupants to tobacco smoke

Mon, 13 May 2013 20:24:24 EDT

Non-smoking rooms in hotels operating a partial smoking ban don't protect their occupants from tobacco smoke, reveals new research.

Could eating peppers prevent Parkinson's? Dietary nicotine may hold protective key

Thu, 09 May 2013 09:12:12 EDT

New research reveals that Solanaceae -- a flowering plant family with some species producing foods that are edible sources of nicotine -- may provide a protective effect against Parkinson's disease. The study suggests that eating foods that contain even a small amount of nicotine, such as peppers and tomatoes, may reduce risk of developing Parkinson's.

Study adds to evidence that cigarettes are gateway to marijuana

Sun, 05 May 2013 07:37:37 EDT

Teen smokers who rationalize their use of cigarettes by saying, "At least, I'm not doing drugs," may not always be able to use that line. New research supports the theory that cigarettes are a gateway drug to marijuana.

Vitamin C may head off lung problems in babies born to pregnant smokers

Sat, 04 May 2013 16:33:33 EDT

Pregnant women are advised not to smoke during pregnancy because it can harm the baby's lungs and lead to wheezing and asthma, among other problems. If a woman absolutely can't kick the habit, taking vitamin C during pregnancy may improve her newborn's lung function and prevent wheezing in the first year of life, according to a new study.

Increases in heart disease risk factors may decrease brain function

Thu, 02 May 2013 18:54:54 EDT

Increases in heart disease risk factors may decrease brain function. The association between the two was noted in young and middle-age adults as well as the elderly. Smoking and diabetes were especially linked with reduced brain function.

Secondhand smoke presents greater threat to teen girls than boys

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:14:14 EDT

When teenage girls are exposed to secondhand smoke at home, they tend to have lower levels of the "good" form of cholesterol that reduces heart disease risk, according to a recent study.

Smoking prevention in schools: Does it work?

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 21:09:09 EDT

Smoking prevention in schools reduces the number of young people who will later become smokers, according to a new systematic review. For young people who have never smoked, these programs appear to be effective at least one year after implementation.

Early dialogue between parents, children stems teen smoking

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:16:16 EDT

Early, substantive dialogue between parents and their grade-school age children about the ills of tobacco and alcohol use can be more powerful in shaping teen behavior than advertising, marketing or peer pressure, a researcher has shown.

Anti-smoking ads with strong arguments, not flashy editing, trigger part of brain that changes behavior

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 21:17:17 EDT

Researchers have shown that an area of the brain that initiates behavioral changes had greater activation in smokers who watched anti-smoking ads with strong arguments versus those with weaker ones, and irrespective of flashy elements, like bright and rapidly changing scenes, loud sounds and unexpected scenario twists. Those smokers also had significantly less nicotine metabolites in their urine when tested a month after viewing those ads, the team reports.

Quit smoking? Vitamin E may give extra boost to heart health

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 09:08:08 EDT

Taking a specific form of a vitamin E supplement can accelerate the health benefits that occur when people quit smoking, new research suggests.

Even a few cigarettes a day increases risk of rheumatoid arthritis

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 10:10:10 EDT

Number of cigarettes smoked a day and the number of years a person has smoked both increase the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), finds new research. The risk decreases after giving up smoking but, compared to people who have never smoked, this risk is still elevated 15 years after giving up.

Smoking from hookah not a harmless alternative to cigarettes

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 15:43:43 EDT

Smoking tobacco through a hookah is a pastime gaining popularity among the college crowd, but many of them mistakenly believe that using the fragrant water pipe is less harmful than smoking cigarettes.

Tobacco companies keep people smoking despite UK cigarette tax increases

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 08:54:54 EDT

The tobacco industry keeps the price of its cheapest cigarettes virtually static despite annual increases in tobacco taxes, circumventing the United Kingdom's public health policy to reduce smoking through higher prices.

Stimulating the brain blunts cigarette craving

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 08:51:51 EDT

Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths globally. Unfortunately smoking cessation is difficult, with more than 90% of attempts to quit resulting in relapse.

England's smoking ban linked to annual 5 percent drop in emergency admissions for asthma

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 20:49:49 EDT

Emergency admissions for asthma among adults fell by just under five percent in each of the first three years after the ban on smoking in public places was introduced in England, reveals the largest study of its kind.

Teenage smoking behavior influenced by friends' and parents' smoking habits

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 13:24:24 EDT

The company you keep in junior high school may have more influence on your smoking behavior than your high school friends, according to newly published research.

Asbestos exposure, asbestosis, and smoking combined greatly increase lung cancer risk

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 08:42:42 EDT

The chances of developing lung cancer associated with asbestos exposure, asbestosis and smoking are dramatically increased when these three risk factors are combined, and quitting smoking significantly reduces the risk of developing lung cancer after long-term asbestos exposure, according to a new study.

Report finds continuing challenges in changing behaviors that increase cancer risk

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:38:38 EDT

New research finds continuing challenges in changing behaviors and risk factors in order to reduce suffering and death from cancer.

Reducing infant exposure to smoke

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 19:16:16 EDT

A study to investigate whether a hospital-initiated behavioral therapy program conducted in the neonatal intensive care unit can reduce secondhand smoke in homes with infants at risk for pulmonary problems has been launched by UTHealth researchers.

Smoking may negatively impact kidney function among adolescents

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:29:29 EDT

New research finds the effects of tobacco smoke on kidney function begin in childhood.

EU minimum tax legislation for cigarettes has had no effect on smoking prevalence, according to new Spanish study

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 06:44:44 EDT

Up to 2009 there is no statistically significant evidence of any reduction in smoking amongst men – and very little evidence of a reduction in smoking amongst women – resulting from the introduction of EU minimum tax legislation in Spain in 2006. This is despite the price of cigarettes rising up to three times faster than before the legislation came into effect, according to a new study.

Smoking and depressive symptoms in adolescent girls are 'red flag' for postmenopausal osteoporosis

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 11:26:26 EDT

Depression, anxiety, and smoking are associated with lower bone mineral density (BMD) in adults, but these factors have not previously been studied during adolescence, when more than 50% of bone accrual occurs. This longitudinal preliminary study is the first to demonstrate that smoking and depressive symptoms in adolescent girls have a negative impact on adolescent bone accrual and may become a red flag for a future constrained by low bone mass or osteoporosis and higher fracture rates in postmenopausal years.

Esophageal cancer risk may be reduced through a variety of lifestyle factors -- from taking aspirin to losing belly fat

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 14:31:31 EDT

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center is home to the Seattle Barrett's Esophagus Program, a multidisciplinary effort conducted in collaboration with researchers at Brigham & Women’s College and the University of California at San Francisco. This research team has shown that a systematic approach to early cancer detection can boost five-year survival rates from about 15 percent to more than 80 percent.

Early COPD diagnosis possible with nuclear medicine

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 11:15:15 EDT

In vivo ventilation/perfusion imaging can detect early changes to the lung caused by cigarette smoke exposure and provides a noninvasive method for studying lung dysfunction in preclinical models, according to new research. These measures have the potential to be applied clinically to study and diagnose the early stages of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Smoking immediately upon waking may increase risk of lung and oral cancer

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 12:51:51 EDT

The sooner a person smokes a cigarette upon waking in the morning, the more likely he or she is to acquire lung or oral cancer, according to researchers.

Anti-smoking drug improves smokers' chances of stopping, study finds

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 18:58:58 EDT

Varenicline reduces depressive mood, craving and reward value of cigarettes when smokers attempt to quit

Genetics might determine which smokers get hooked

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 16:32:32 EDT

Researchers have identified genetic risk factors that may accelerate a teen's progression to becoming a lifelong heavy smoker.

Adults with mental illness or substance use disorder more likely to smoke

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 13:33:33 EDT

Adults aged 18 or older who experienced any mental illness or who have had a substance use disorder in the past year are more likely to smoke and to smoke more heavily than others, according to a new report by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Real time secondhand smoke sensor invented

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 14:44:44 EDT

Making headway against a major public health threat, researchers have invented the first ever secondhand tobacco smoke sensor that records data in real time, a new study shows.

Spine patients who quit smoking report diminished pain

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 09:14:14 EDT

Smoking is a known risk factor for back pain and disc disease. In a new study, researchers reviewed smoking cessation rates and related pain in 6,779 patients undergoing treatment for spinal disorders with severe axial (spine) or radicular (leg) pain. Information on each patient's age, gender, weight, smoking history, assessment of pain, treatment type and co-morbid depression also were assessed.

Cigarette relighting tied to tough economy

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:47:47 EDT

In what is believed to be a first of its kind study, researchers have found that a trend of smokers relighting cigarettes is related to economic factors, and the practice has implications for tobacco dependence treatment and policy.

For smokers, low levels of vitamin D may lead to cancer

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 15:08:08 EDT

New research shows that decreased levels of vitamin D may predispose smokers to developing tobacco-related cancer. This study illustrates that simple vitamin D blood tests and supplements have the potential to improve smokers’ health.

Children of divorced parents more likely to start smoking, study finds

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 11:02:02 EDT

Both daughters and sons from divorced families are significantly more likely to initiate smoking in comparison to their peers from intact families, shows a new analysis of 19,000 Americans. The study shows that men who experienced parental divorce before they turned 18 had 48-per-cent higher odds of ever smoking 100 or more cigarettes than men whose parents did not divorce. Women from divorced families were also at risk, with 39-per-cent higher odds of smoking in comparison to women from intact families.

Tobacco industry appears to have evaded FDA ban on 'light' cigarette descriptors

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 18:22:22 EDT

New research shows one year after the U.S. government passed a law banning such descriptors as "light," "mild," and "low" on cigarette packages, smokers can identify their brands because of color-coding that tobacco companies added to "light" packs after the ban. These findings suggest the companies have been able to evade the ban on misleading wording and still convey false and deceptive message that lights are safer than "regular" cigarettes.

Weight gain after quitting smoking does not negate health benefits

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 16:12:12 EDT

A new study finds that the health effects of weight gained after quitting smoking do not counteract the known cardiovascular benefits of smoking cessation.

Regardless of possible weight gain, quitting smoking associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 16:11:11 EDT

Among adults without diabetes, quitting smoking, compared with continuing smoking, was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease despite subsequent weight gain, according to a new study.

Kids exposed to millions of tobacco images/messages every week on prime time UK TV

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 20:11:11 EDT

UK children are being exposed to millions of tobacco images/messages every week on prime time television, indicates new research.

Grandad's hip fracture a risk factor for Osteoporosis

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 10:16:16 EDT

Has your paternal or maternal grandfather broken their hip on any occasion? In that case there is a greater risk that your own bones are more fragile as an adult. This has been demonstrated in a study of over 1,000 young adults, which identified those factors increasing the risk of bone fragility in men.

Secondhand smoke exposure linked to signs of heart disease: Exposure to tobacco smoke may be more dangerous than previously thought

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 12:39:39 EST

Nonsmokers, beware. It seems the more you are exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke -- whether it was during your childhood or as an adult, at work or at home -- the more likely you are to develop early signs of heart disease.

A billion deaths from tobacco are a key obstacle to global development

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 12:35:35 EST

If the word's nations are going to prevent tobacco smoking from causing one projected billion deaths by the end of this century, they must classify tobacco marketing as a threat to public health, experts say.

Grandmother's cigarette habit could be the cause of grandchild's asthma

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 10:55:55 EST

Studies finding that grandmother's smoking habit may cause her grandchild to have asthma suggest environmental factors experienced today can affect families' health for generations to come.

Postmenopausal women who smoked are more likely to lose teeth due to periodontal disease

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 15:36:36 EST

Postmenopausal women who have smoked are at much higher risk of losing their teeth than women who never smoked, according to a new study.

New study shows cannabis effects on driving skills

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 12:22:22 EST

Cannabis is second only to alcohol for causing impaired driving and motor vehicle accidents. In 2009, 12.8% of young adults reported driving under the influence of illicit drugs and in the 2007 National Roadside Survey, more drivers tested positive for drugs than for alcohol. These cannabis smokers had a 10-fold increase in car crash injury compared with infrequent or nonusers after adjustment for blood alcohol concentration.

Screening could avert 12,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the United States

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 09:22:22 EST

Screening for lung cancer with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) in all screening-eligible current and former smokers has the potential to avert approximately 12,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the United States. By providing a national estimate of potentially avertable lung cancer deaths, the study will help policy makers better understand the possible benefits of LDCT lung cancer screening.

Smoking cessation in old age: Less heart attacks and strokes within five years

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 12:34:34 EST

Smokers increase their risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack) and stroke with every cigarette they smoke. Conversely, those who quit smoking even at an advanced age will have a considerable decrease in their risk after a very short time.

Nicotine lozenges, tobacco-free snuff help smokeless tobacco users quit

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 12:13:13 EST

Smokeless tobacco users who said they didn't want to quit changed their minds or significantly cut back when given nicotine lozenges or tobacco-free snuff in a new study.

Reduced Lung Function in Infancy Associated with Wheeze Later

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 16:41:41 EST

A study in Australia suggests that reduced lung function in infancy was associated with wheezing beyond childhood at 18 years of age, according to a new report.

Researchers find potential new therapeutic target for treating non-small cell lung cancer

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 08:47:47 EST

Researchers have found a potential targeted therapy for patients with tobacco-associated non-small cell lung cancer. It is based on the newly identified oncogene IKBKE, which helps regulate immune response.

Smoking bans linked with 'successive reductions' in preterm birth

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 19:41:41 EST

Smoking bans are associated with a "consistent pattern of reduction in the risk of preterm delivery," finds a new study.

California's Tobacco Control Program generates huge health care savings, study shows

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 17:31:31 EST

Over a span of nearly 20 years, California's tobacco control program cost $2.4 billion and reduced health care costs by $134 billion, according to a new study.

Alcohol consumption may be in response to smoking cessation

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 10:07:07 EST

New findings may help identify situations in which smokers who are trying to quit are at a higher risk of relapse.