Tobacco News

I had the opportunity to speak with the Mesquite Local News editor, Kent Harper. I so appreciated the time he gave me to discuss his background and credentials. While I respect all that he brings to the table, I do understand that he feels obligated to his advertisers, their fears and is making outlandish statements based on an agenda that has no base in reality. His comments that second hand smoke, which effect every person who enters our local establishments to dine and game are the same as restaurants/fast food that serve high-fat food is totally misguided. Ream more »

Fresh air is a precious commodity and a right for all New Yorkers, but many multi-unit dwellings are not smoke-free environments.

Tenants and property owners are subjected to the harmful effects of secondhand smoke even when they have chosen not to smoke themselves. According to the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research, secondhand smoke cannot be contained. Even cleaning the air and ventilating buildings cannot eliminate the health hazards of secondhand smoke exposure.
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We have highlighted the adverse effects of smoking to the human body in several of our previous posts. The thing with smoking, though, is that it does not just affect the health of the smoker himself (or herself), but the people around the smoker as well. The results of a new study bring to light effects of this nature, as it reveals how exposure from secondhand smoking can affect the hearing of teens.
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Unusual as it sounds, a recent analysis shows secondhand smoke may harm areas other than the respiratory system in teens.

Data taken from 1,533 U.S. participants between 12 and 19 years of age revealed that individuals with higher levels of one nicotine compound in their blood were also more likely to have a common type of hearing loss in at least one ear. Ream more »

THE anti-smoking campaign in Bartholomew County — and perhaps throughout the state — now has a face.

It is that of a dynamic woman who is most commonly known for her advocacy of other causes in this community — notably the arts and most especially Columbus Indiana Philharmonic.

Over the past three decades, Alice Curry and the philharmonic have been synonymous. As director of the organization for most of that time, she was known as a fierce champion for its mission.
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Children and adolescents in the United States exposed to secondhand smoke (SHS) are at risk of developing major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and conduct disorder, new research suggests.
In a national survey study of more than 2000 nonsmokers between the ages of 8 and 15 years, investigators found that serum cotinine levels, signifying SHS exposure, were positively associated with symptoms of all these disorders — and were especially correlated for boys. Ream more »

Pregnant women who don’t smoke but breathe the secondhand smoke of others have an increased risk for delivering stillborn babies or babies with birth defects, according to a new research review.

Children born to women who smoke during pregnancy have an increased risk for fetal death, premature birth, low birth weight, and birth defects.

Secondhand smoke exposure has been linked to lower birth weight, but it has not been clear if exposure during pregnancy influences other birth outcomes in nonsmoking women.
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Pregnant women who do not smoke but are exposed to secondhand smoke are at increased risk of having a stillborn baby, a British review says.

Dr. Jo Leonardi-Bee of the Center for Tobacco Control Studies at the University of Nottingham says the findings were drawn from a systematic review of 19 studies from North America, South America, Asia and Europe. The studies centered on pregnant women who did not smoke but were exposed to secondhand smoke at home or at work. Ream more »

For many smokers – and even non-smokers – on the Ohio State University campus, it sure feels like it. From tax hikes to warning labels to media reports to moves to remove smoking from movies – the war against tobacco is on, and has been on for some time now. But two recent moves by the federal government has some in the Columbus area feeling a little besmirched.
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A smoking ban proposal appears headed for a vote by O’Fallon residents on April 5.
The City Council, which held a public forum on the issue Wednesday night, would have to have an emergency meeting to approve the petitioners’ measure themselves. If the council does not vote before Jan. 11, the issue automatically will appear on the April 5 ballot.
Most of the 19 speakers at the public forum supported the measure. Proponents said they wanted to protect residents, business employees and patrons from secondhand smoke. Ream more »