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Tobacco News
Analysis Confirms Link Between Smoking and Prostate Cancer A meta-analysis of 24 previous studies concluded that there is "good evidence that prostate cancer is likely a smoking-related tumor," according to researcher Michael Huncharek. Marlboro Snus to Be Marketed Nationally Marlboro Snus, a version of smokeless tobacco developed by Philip Morris USA parent Altria Group, Inc., will soon be sold nationally. $1 Per Pack Tobacco Tax Hike Approved by Utah House The Utah House of Representatives has voted 39-35 in favor of a measure that would raise the state tax on cigarettes by $1 per pack, from the current 69.5 cents to about $1.70. Secondhand Smoke Can Damage Teens' Arteries, Study Finds Teens exposed to secondhand smoke have measurably thicker arteries than adolescents who are not exposed, suggesting that for children "even a little exposure to tobacco smoke may be harmful for blood vessels," according to researcher Katariina Kallio of the University of Turku in Finland. 'Hackademy Awards' Announced: 'Nine' Called Smokiest Movie of Year The star-powered (but ill-fated) musical 'Nine' got a thumbs-down as the year's smokiest movie as part of the annual Hackademy Awards. Ohio Judge Says Smokers, Not Bars, Responsible for Smoking-Ban Violations Ohio's smokefree law calls for fines of up to $1,000 on businesses that violate the statute, but a state judge recently ruled that patrons should be penalized for lighting up, not property owners. Study: Snuff Causes Nicotine Dependence Like Smoking Tobacco companies are promoting use of snuff and other smokeless tobacco products as an alternative to smoking, but new research shows that snuff users are just as addicted to nicotine as smokers. Big Tobacco Remains a Threat to Global Health, WHO Says "If Big Tobacco is in retreat in some parts of the world, it is on the march in others," says Margaret Chan, director general of the World Health Organization (WHO). Sexually Suggestive French Antismoking Ads Protested A French youth antismoking campaign that equates smoking to submissively giving oral sex is being criticized for its explicit theme and questionable effectiveness. Docs: Obama Should Quit Smoking, Moderate Drinking OK President Obama should continue to use alcohol in moderation but should keep trying to quit smoking, according to doctors who conducted his routine medical exam. Fla. Judge Cuts Jury Award to Former Smoker Philip Morris will have to pay $38.9 million to a former smoker with emphysema instead of the $300 million ordered by a jury, a Florida judge has ruled. Ban on Tobacco Lozenges Killed in Idaho A flip-flop by an Idaho state lawmaker who is married to a tobacco-industry lobbyist is being blamed for the defeat of a bill that would have banned the sale of dissolvable tobacco products. Ohio Weighs Cost Benefit of Smoking Ban Ohio's 2007 law that bans indoor smoking has cost the state a net of about $2 million to enforce. PLoS Journal to Reject Research Funded by Tobacco Industry Researchers who accept money from the tobacco industry will no longer be able to get their work published in PLoS Medicine, a journal produced by the Public Library of Science (PLoS). FDA Blessing Sought for 'Modified Risk' Tobacco Product Niche tobacco company Star Scientific is seeking the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval to sell its wintergreen-flavored, dissolvable tobacco lozenges as 'modified risk' products. Tobacco Companies Change Cigarette Packaging -- Barely -- to Comply with Law The packaging is almost exactly the same, but Philip Morris' Marlboro Lights brand is no more: with terms like "light" and "mild" now banned by law from tobacco marketing, the cigarettes are now being called "Marlboro Gold." Obama Administration Seeks $300 Billion from Tobacco Industry Both sides are appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court to rule in an ongoing court battle between the federal government and the tobacco industry over cigarette companies' long history of deceiving the public about the health risks of smoking. Secondhand Smoking Lawsuit Against Real Estate Agent Fails A Boston jury ruled against a woman who sued her real-estate agent after discovering that a downstairs neighbor was a smoker -- a fact she accused the agent of covering up. Cigars, Pipes Damage Lungs Like Cigarettes Smoking a pipe or cigar can damage your lungs even if you don't inhale, according to researchers who said that smokers are mistaken to believe that substituting one kind of tobacco use for another will protect their health. Panel Recommends Amending Federal Privacy Law to Help Integrate Addiction Treatment Records A new proposal to amend a landmark federal privacy law is butting up against resistance from recovery advocates and others, as the addiction treatment and recovery community struggles to strike a balance between the need for integration with mainstream medicine and privacy concerns about the use of electronic medical records. Study Details Stomach, Esophagus Cancer Risk of Smoking, Drinking A large Dutch study finds that smoking can vastly increase the risk of two types of stomach cancer and two forms of esophageal cancer, while drinking alcohol can increase the risk of one type of the latter disease. Smoking Residue Could Pose Cancer Risk So-called "third-hand smoke" -- nicotine residue that accumulates on clothing, furniture, and other surfaces -- can combine with another indoor pollutant to form cancer-causing nitrosamines, according to researchers. Nominations Sought for Leading Innovations in Behavioral Healthcare Services Behavioral healthcare organizations who are leading the way with innovative approaches to management and process improvement have an opportunity to be recognized as leading innovators with the first ever iAward, sponsored by State Associations of Addiction Services (SAAS) and NIATx. Study Says Cost a Big Barrier to Smoking Cessation Referrals Participation in a referral program for smoking and obesity prevention program dropped off 97 percent when patients were asked to pay for their own care. Most Smokers Don't Need Drugs to Quit, Study Says Researchers who reviewed 511 previously published studies on smoking cessation found that two-thirds to three-quarters of individuals who quit did so aided only by their own willpower, not nicotine-replacement therapy or other drugs.

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