CDC Releases New Quit Smoking Ads to Help Smokers Trigger Off Smoking Cessation

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a set of anti-smoking advertisements with the aim of motivating smokers for quit smoking. These ads will show real people along with their health complications caused by smoking. Some of these health problems shown on the ads are namely, diabetes causing leg amputation, throat cancer destroying the larynx and serious asthma attack in a teenager who was affected by second hand smoke.

These advertisements are aimed at highlighting the severe side effects of smoking addiction and thereby inspire smokers to stop smoking. Sources reveal that during the next 12 weeks` period, the anti-smoking ads will be aired on the television and movie theatres. These anti-smoking advertisements will also appear in newspapers and magazines as public service announcements.

 

According to Dr. Tom Frieden, the director of CDC, available scientific proof has shown that such public awareness strategies have resulted in a huge increase in the number of smokers who have successfully triggered off smoking cessation.

 

Source: boston.com, Date: 28^th March 2013

 

Female Smokers Are Now More Likely To Die Than They Were In The 1960s

A new US-based study has discovered that women who smoke are now more prone to die than they had that risk in the 1060s. The survey included more than 2.2 million men and women who were aged 55 yrs and above. The study also incorporated data from 1959 till 2010.  

The study was undertaken by Dr Michael Thun from The American Cancer Society and his group of researchers. According to the researchers, the results have shown that if women continue to smoke like men, they will eventually die like men.  

 

During the 1960s, American women who took to smoking were thrice more prone to die due to lung cancer than those women who never started smoking. However, in between 2000-2010, this risk was enhanced by 26 times. The enhanced risk of female deaths due to smoking exceeds the advancements seen in the medicine industry that have lessened death rates during the last 50 years.  

 

In comparison to the 1960s, now women start smoking cigarettes very early in life and continue the habit for a longer period. This may be largely responsible for the impact of smoking addiction.  

 

Source: cancerresearchuk.org, Date: 24^th January 2013

Ireland`s Health Minister Stresses On The Need To Quit Smoking

Soon after the report findings by Irish Cancer Society has revealed details on the rising cancer rate in underprivileged communities, James Reilly, the health minister of Ireland, is gearing up to teach people from low income categories about the hazards of smoking addiction.

James Reilly makes it apparent that the Irish Cancer Society report has discovered an increase in cancer rates due to smoking. So, according to him, to lower cancer rates, it is essential to teach people about the things that can facilitate cancer. 

According to James Reilly, teacher should take up active role and teach children that addiction to nicotine is capable of causing cancer. However, the Irish health Minister has stated that children should not keep this information to themselves but they should also pass on the knowledge to their parents. He adds that parents should ensure that they never lit cigarettes as this may influence their children also.

Reilly reveals that the society will soon formulate a five year plan to assist the influenced areas and induce alertness on the advantages of choosing a healthy lifestyle pattern.   

Source: http://topnews.net.nz/, Date: 22^nd January 2013

Beware Guys! Smoking Addiction Can Enhance Death Risk Of HIV Patients

A study was carried out to evaluate the effect of smoking on HIV affected patients and it led to the conclusion that HIV patients who are addicted to smoking are increasingly likely to die than those who do not smoke.

 

Marie Helleberg, from the Department of Infectious Disease at Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark, headed the study. The results derived from this study highlighted the urgent requirement of counselling and quit smoking programs to increase the life span of HIV patients.

 

The study was undertaken by observing 2,921 HIV positive patients undergoing antiretroviral therapy and 10,642 non-HIV positive controls for the year 1995-2010. However, the study results concluded that deaths due to all factors were considerably higher in smoking addicted individuals than those who were not addicted to smoking. According to the results obtained from the study, smokers had 3.7 times increased rate of mortality than non-smokers.    

 

The results of the study appeared in “Clinical Infectious Diseases.”  

According to estimates calculated from the study, a smoking addicted 35 year old individual suffering from HIV is likely to live for 62.6 years and the life expectancy of a non-smoking HIV patient is 78.4 years.   

The University of Copenhagen funded the study.

 

Source: http://www.dailyrx.com/, Date: 18^th December 2012

Ill-effects of Smoking

New Study Claims Smoking Can Damage Memory Power And Cause Brain Decay 

 

When Researchers from London`s King’s College undertook a analysis and brain tests of health and lifestyle data of a particular group of people aged over 50, they found out that the effects of smoking on the brain is more severe than obesity or high blood pressure. The results collected from the study led to the conclusion that smoking addiction causes significant harm to reasoning, learning or memory, resulting in decaying of the brain.

 

According to a BBC news report, the people participating in the study were made to undergo brain tests such as learning of new words or uttering the names of maximum number of animals in a single minute. The participants were again subjected to these tests after a period of four and then again for eight years. After thorough analysis and testing, the researchers discovered a link between low marks obtained in the tests and smoking addiction. 

Source: The Times of India, 27^th November 2012 

Original Source: PTI  

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New Zealand Study Reveals Video and Test Messages On Cell Phones Can Help People Cease Smoking

Date: 15^th November 2012 

A study conducted by New Zealand researchers led to the conclusion that text messages and videos on quit smoking appearing on cell phones increase the chances of quit smoking success by two times in comparison to the rate of success attained by people without any such help. However, Robyn Whittaker, the leading author of the study, makes it apparent that it cannot be said whether all text messages are going to help in quit smoking.

During the study, numerous cell phone messages were sent to the smokers on a daily basis for a couple of weeks and all these messages focussed on providing encouragement, tips on how to get rid of nicotine cravings and other quit smoking resources.

As the study came to a close, the researchers found out that in comparison to five percent smokers who got rid of smoking addiction without any assistance from cell phone videos or text messages, an astonishing number of 9 percent quit smoking enthusiasts who received help from cell phone messages, successfully abstained from cigarette smoking for a period of six months.

Robyn Whittaker, the leading author of the study, states that cell phone texts and videos can be considered as good and effective quit smoking services.

The work of the researchers appeared in The Cochrane Library.

Source: http://bit.ly/bYwzJ

Cessation Of Smoking Before 40 Will Add 10 More Years To Life

A latest study reveals that if a woman quits smoking before 40, it will increase her lifespan by 10 years. This study was conducted to evaluate the dangers of smoking as well as the advantages of quit smoking for women and it also leads to the conclusion that women who turn to smoking are likely to lose 10 years of their lives but if they stop smoking before 40, it will help in reducing 90% risk of dying due to smoking. The study results make it apparent that quit smoking before 30 will help in preventing 97% chances of dying because of smoking-induced hazards.

Sir Richard Peto, the author of the study, states that male or female smokers who successfully quit smoking before middle ages are likely to gain 10 years` lifespan on an average.

This study appeared in Lancet, a British Medical Journal and is based on results derived from the Million Women Study.

The study author, Sir Richard Peto, formed association with a couple of medical researchers from India in 2008 and jointly wrote a study highlighting that throughout 2010s, increased smoking will trigger off the deaths of millions in India on a yearly basis.

Furthermore, according to Richard Peto, if men and women in India get rid of smoking addiction before reaching the age of 40 or before 40, it will help them get an additional life expectancy of 10 years. He adds that it is even better to cease smoking before this age. 

Source: The Times Of India, dated 27^th October 2012

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Smoking Addiction By Pregnant Women Can Cause Serious Damage To Health

Date: 18^th November 2012 

According to a latest disclosure, pregnant ladies are increasingly getting addicted to cigarettes and this is posing a serious threat to their health and well-being. Scottish government had released statistics showing that in the year 2010; about 23.2 per cent pregnant women were found smoking cigarettes when they had appointment with the doctor for the first time.

John Lamont, the MSP of Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Ettrick makes it apparent that increased pressure to quit smoking can make pregnant women lie about their smoking addiction and hence the number of smoking-addicted pregnant ladies can be a comparatively higher figure.

Furthermore, statistics associated with smoking reveal that 23.2 per cent in 2010 is somewhat higher than 2009 when the number of pregnant women addicted to smoking was 22.7 per cent.

According to John Lamont, the statistics available on women getting addicted to cigarette smoking raises a lot of alarm and hence something needs to be done to encourage pregnant ladies to quit smoking at the earliest.

John Lamont reveals that addiction to cigarette smoking can inflict severe health damage and is likely to prove more dangerous for a pregnant lady. He further adds that cigarette smoking by pregnant women can lead to serious problems for the mother as well as the child and hence something is to done urgently to create alertness about this issue.

Source: http://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/