E-Cigarettes Can Be Key Weapon Against Smoking, Say MPs
Re-post from the nicotine science and policy
Public Health England estimates that e-cigarettes are 95% less harmful than normal cigarettes and e-cigarettes should be made available on prescription to help more people quit smoking. George Butterworth, from Cancer Research UK, said any changes to current e-cigarette regulations “should be aimed at helping smokers to quit whilst preventing young people from starting to use e-cigarettes”. Professor Linda Bauld, professor of health policy at the University of Stirling, said: “This report is a welcome and evidence-based respite from all the scare stories we see about vaping.
19 August, 2018.
bbc.co.uk
Is nicotine actually bad for you?
Re-post from the nicotine science and policy
[…] Marketing aside, the lawsuits raise the question: how bad is nicotine, really? Law professor Kathleen Hoke, who specializes in public health law at the University of Maryland, says that in adults, nicotine’s health consequences “don’t kill you, don’t make you have an oxygen tank, don’t cause cancer.” Hoke adds that staking the lawsuits on nicotine’s health impacts — like in a traditional cigarette suit — may be a long shot.
15 August, 2018.
theverge.com
A guide for tobacco users to quit
Overview
This self-help material was developed based on WHO Capacity Building Training Package 4 entitled “Strengthening health systems for treating tobacco dependence in primary care”. Its target audience are tobacco users. It aims to give advice and information to improve tobacco user’ readiness to quit and to help those who are ready to quit to plan a quit attempt. The content of this self-help material includes:
- How to get ready to quit (for tobacco users not ready to quit);
- How to plan and make quit attempts (for tobacco users ready to quit);
- Local tobacco cessation support resources.
Click here to download a pdf manual.
14 August, 2018.
Socioeconomic Disparities in Smoking Behavior and Early Smoking Initiation Among Men in Malawi.
Sanni Yaya, Ghose Bishwajit Ghose Bishwajit, Vaibhav Shah
Background:
Tobacco smoking is a growing concern for health care systems as it is projected to become the leading cause of death in the developing world. Knowledge of how smoking behavior differs across socioeconomic groups is crucial for designing effective preventive policies and alleviating the disparities. The aim of this study was to report the prevalence of (1) smoking status, (2) early smoking initiation, and (3) association with socioeconomic status (SES) of the 2 among Malawian men. Click here to access the full report.
08 August, 2018.
Re-thinking nicotine and its effects
Summary
- Most of the physiological harm attributable to cigarette smoking derives from the toxicants in tobacco and combustion products. Preventable morbidity and mortality has overwhelmingly been related to combusted tobacco smoking, not to nicotine itself.
- Nicotine is not known to cause cancer. Epidemiological evidence in human populations does not support the basic science concern from laboratory studies that nicotine promotes some cancer pathway activation.
- Nicotine may contribute to cardiovascular disease (CVD), but its impact is much less, compared to tobacco smoke.
- Nicotine is not generally safe to use in pregnancy and can harm fetal development.
- Nicotine use causes neuroadaptive changes in the adult brain that may contribute to the risk of developing dependence, but many of these changes are largely reversible and not known to be harmful.
A full report can be Accessed here.
03 August, 2018
Pregnancy and Smoking
Smoking cessation is one of the most attainable measures in ensuring a healthy pregnancy. Still, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 13 percent of women smoke within the final three months of their pregnancies. Smoking at any point during pregnancy can result in lifelong implications for your baby.
It’s important to quit smoking if you haven’t quit before becoming pregnant. With determination and support, you can be successful. Click here to read the full article.
03 August, 2018
Time Malawi quit tobacco.
Handling tobacco leaves can cause nicotine to be absorbed into skin resulting in nausea, dizziness and headaches. Nicotine poisoning particularly affects brain development in children, and the industry has a long history of relying on child labour. Click here to read the full article.
02 August, 2018.
Can Smoking Cigarettes Cause Impotence?
Erectile dysfunction (ED), also called impotence, can be caused by a range of physical and psychological factors. Among them is cigarette smoking. It’s not surprising since smoking can damage your blood vessels, and ED is often a result of poor arterial blood supply to the penis. Fortunately, if you quit smoking, your vascular and sexual health and performance are likely to improve. You can access the full article here.
30 July, 2018.
Protect Children from Secondhand Smoke
Children who are exposed to secondhand smoke are at increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome, acute respiratory infections, middle ear disease, more severe asthma, respiratory symptoms, and slowed lung growth.
Download a parent’s guide that will help you manage and protect children from secondhand smoke exposure.
23 July, 2018.
https://www.cdc.gov/