Fairfax County Can Persuade Its Employees To Opt For Stop Smoking Classes

According to a latest statement by Fairfax County Attorney David Bobzien, Fairfax can lawfully force its employees to register for smoking cessation classes.

 

The people functioning as “Fairfax County Board of Supervisors”, were looking for an answer to whether they were capable of persuading county employees to quit smoking. 

The Board of supervisors were also keen to know if to reduce the country’s increasing healthcare expenditure, they could decline to hire a person addicted to smoking.

 

According to David Bobzien, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors can’t reject to employ someone on the basis that the person is addicted to smoking. He states that it is directly prevented by state law. David Bobzien adds that the county may force its employees to opt for quit smoking classes just like it may need its workers to get training on other subjects. But it can’t force them to pass the classes and stop smoking.

 

David Bobzien reveals that the state law of Fairfax County prohibits the County Board from forbidding smoking on county property and also restrains it from controlling the dangerous behaviour of employees.

 

Source: http://washingtonexaminer.com/, dated 8^th December 2012

Benefits of Stop Smoking

Quit Smoking Can Help Reduce Back Pain

 

A latest revelation makes it apparent that smoking cessation by patients before or during the treatment of back pain can help in alleviating pain. The “University of Rochester Medical Center” undertook a thorough study of over 5,300 patients undergoing treatment for spinal disorders and reached the conclusion that people who were addicted to cigarettes felt more pain than those who didn`t smoke or had quit smoking.

According to Caleb Behrend, M.D and chief resident of the Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation at “University of Rochester Medical Center” (URMC), as stop smoking prior to or during the treatment of back pain has shown a tremendous improvement in pain, it has become essential for patients suffering from back pain to opt for planned stop smoking programs.

Glenn R. Rechtine, a popular spinal surgeon who was working as an adjunct faculty at the URMC, headed the study and it was published in the “Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.”

The American Society of Anesthesiologists reveals that there is a conflicting association between back pain and smoking. Nicotine has pain relieving qualities and clinical trials have made it apparent that smokers are increasingly prone to suffer from back pain and other disorders associated with chronic pain.

Caleb Behrend from URMC states that the people who had successfully quit smoking, gained the significant benefit of pain reduction. He also adds that apart from the lessening of pain, these people are likely to get a couple of other quit smoking advantages.

Source: http://scienceblog.com/

Mothers Who Stop Smoking During Pregnancy Are Likely To Take Up The Habit Again

A new research concludes that mothers who stop smoking during pregnancy are most likely to start smoking soon after giving birth. The study was undertaken by enrolling 512 mothers and it became evident that out of the total number of mothers, 47 percent re-started smoking just within 6 weeks of delivering their babies.  

 

Researchers undertook the study by analysing data collected from throughout the UK and reached the conclusion that women living in poor urban areas are most likely to continue smoking again after quitting. These women have two or more kids and most of them have not breastfed their infants.

 

According to specific results obtained from the study, mothers who live with another smoking addicted individual are more prone to resume smoking.

 

The results derived from the study are made available in “Nicotine and Tobacco Research.”

 

According to Dr Anjum Memon, a senior public health lecturer at the Brighton and Sussex Medical School, smoking relapse can trigger off harmful health results for both the mother and child and hence prevention of smoking relapse has emerged as an important health subject.

 

Source: http://www.herald.ie/ , dated 5^th December 2012

Experts State That Stop Smoking Policies In The US Are In Need Of Improvement

American Lung Association reveals that the US government has missed out on key chances to ensure that the Americans get enough medicines as well as counseling for stop smoking. The American Lung Association report states that there are only a few states in the US that offer coverage to help people trigger off smoking cessation.    

 

According to Paul Billings, senior vice president of education and advocacy at American Lung Association, lots of smokers in the US are eager to stop smoking but due to the intricate federal and state coverage for stop smoking treatments, they are not getting the required help. He adds that the US federal and state government can provide the much needed assistance and this will help in minimizing the health burden of tobacco usage.    

Source: http://health.usnews.com/ , dated 3^rd December 2012 

3 Students Caught Smoking Marijuana at the IIM-Indore Campus

Three students from IIM-Indore were found smoking marijuana in a hostel room and when the management came to know about this, it immediately issued an order for the expulsion of these students. IIM-Indore sources disclose that a security guard of the institution saw that the students smoking marijuana from chillums at the hostel room and then he narrated this incident to the hostel warden. Thereafter, the rooms of the students were raided and when they were found smoking grass, the management took quick action to expel the students. 

When the director of IIM-Indore, N Ravichandran was contacted, he verified the news informing that the expulsion of the students was done on the basis of the suggestions by the disciplinary committee.

 

Source: The Times of India, dated 24^th November 2012

People Who Quit Smoking Are Likely To Gain Body Weight Drastically

The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) is advising smokers to participate in the Great American Smokeout program. However, at the same time, quit smoking experts are cautioning people that those who have successfully triggered off smoking cessation are most likely to substitute the smoking habit with increased intake of snack items and this is likely to cause problem by facilitating weight gain. 

American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) `s expert report and its Continuous Update Project reveals that too much body fat is likely to enhance the risk of developing cancers in various parts of the body such as gallbladder, pancreas, kidney, breast and esophagus.

Source: http://www.infozine.com/,   dated 26^th November 2012

Movie Earns Support From Goa Tourism For Promoting Quit Smoking

A new film “Cigarette ki Tarah”, is scheduled for release in India on 14^th December 2012, and it has started to gain enormous popularity. The film is encouraging smoking cessation and for this reason, the Goa tourism has come up to support the film. The actors, actresses and others involved with this upcoming film are planning to organize a charitable concert in Goa with the aim of collecting money to help people trigger off smoking cessation.   

This movie is extensively shot in Goa and it is produced by P.Y. Films.

 

Source: DELHI TIMES, THE TIMES OF INDIA, dated 24th November 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  

Latest Info On Cigarette Smoking

New Study Claims Reducing Cigarette Intake Can Lower Death Risk

Date: 26^th November 2012

 

A study undertaken by Tel Aviv University (TAU) researchers led to the conclusion that reduction of cigarette consumption by smokers leads to a significant decrease in the risk of death due to smoking. The researchers, namely, Dr. Yariv Gerber and Prof. Uri Goldbourt of the University’s School of Public Health and Vicki Myers of the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, studied the mortality as well as survival rates of smokers and found that those who lowered cigarette consumption, gained the benefit of reducing their death risk by 15%.

 

The results obtained from the study also revealed that people, who quit smoking, lessen their chances of dying due to smoking by 22%. Thus, by quitting cigarettes, smokers are likely to gain more benefits but nevertheless, the TAU study highlights that smokers can gain huge advantages by lowering cigarette intake.

Source: http://www.jpost.com/

Government In India Makes Firmer Graphic Warnings Compulsory For All Tobacco Products

The Indian government has notified that all inclusive graphic warnings are to be added to all types of tobacco products, including the smoking and smokeless ones. However, it is known that the government has set 1^st April 2013 as the cut-off date for this new implementation.

According to a notification released by the health ministry, a set containing three graphic warnings for smokeless and smoking forms of tobacco are to be highlighted on tobacco product packages. These pictorial images are likely to substitute the images already present on the packages of tobacco products.

Source: The Times of India, dated 23^rd October 2012

Original Source: PTI

Latest Info on How to Quit Smoking

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

Benefits of Quit Smoking

Study Reveals Quit Smoking Can Alleviate Symptoms Of Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux

Date: 26^th October 2012

 

A latest Norway-based study leads to the conclusion that smoking cessation helps in improving the symptoms of Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux in some of the patients.

 

The experiment was undertaken by enrolling around 30,000 individuals suffering from reflux symptoms and when it came to a close, it became apparent that people who minimized their cigarette intake or those who quit smoking had experienced a significant improvement in symptoms in comparison to those who were sticking to smoking cigarettes on a regular basis. 

 

According to Dr Eivind Ness-Jensen, who worked at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and Levanger Hospital`s HUNT Research Centre, the results obtained from this study offers convincing evidence and makes it apparent that quit smoking can be utilized as an effective scheme for treating gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD). 

 

Source: http://www.medizinfo.de/

Cigarette Packets Sold In India Are Lacking In Proper Graphic Warnings

According to a recent disclosure, a survey was conducted to find out pictorial warning size on cigarette packets sold in several countries as well as fulfilment of needs for graphic warnings on cigarette packets. However, as the review came to an end, it was strikingly revealed that India occupies123rd position among the 198 nations studied in the survey. The study results appeared in the “Cigarette Package Health Warnings: International Status Report” and this report was made public at a conference of WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). Thus the study report makes it evident that Indian ranks low among all countries participating in the survey. 

New sources reveal that graphic warnings are included in less than 40% of display area of cigarette packets sold in India. 

India has signed the FCTC treaty and international instructions under FCTC have made it mandatory for countries to incorporate large-sized pictorial warnings on cigarette packets. According to the FCTC guidelines, the graphic warnings are to be included on both front as well as back sides of cigarette packets and these packets should also have revolving pictorial warnings. 

Source: The Times of India, dated 16th November 2012

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

50% Increase In Cigarette Price Can Help Avoid 40 Lakh Deaths Caused By Smoking!

A latest report disclosed by Asian Development Bank, a multilateral funding organization, reveals that a 50% increase in cigarette prices would help in preventing 4 million (40 lakh) tobacco related deaths in India. This report also makes it known that increasing cigarette cost by 50% would help in avoiding 20 million tobacco related deaths in China. Altogether, the report discloses that 50% hike in cigarette prices would help avoid a total of 27 million (2.7 crore) tobacco related deaths in several nations, including India and China.

The report discloses that Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, India and China have emerged as the top five nations among the fifteen tobacco using countries that are responsible for two third of world tobacco use. According to the report, in India, 50% cigarette price increase results in 70-122% rise in taxes. Further, the report states that raising tobacco taxes in India and other top four tobacco consuming countries will ultimately result in lesser number of long-standing smokers and a fall in premature deaths caused by tobacco-related ailments. 

The report highlights that bidi is the general form of smoked tobacco in India. However, in the Indian subcontinent, cigarette smoking has gradually started to substitute bidi smoking. With that revelation, the report emphasizes on the need for governments to implement new cigarette tax regulations and at the same time maximize efforts to charge taxes on tobacco products on a broader basis. 

Source: The Times of India, dated 15th November 2012
Original Source: PTI

Public Health Agency Encourages People to Quit Smoking and Celebrate World COPD Day

Cigarette smoking is identified as the primary factor responsible for COPD. Hence, the Public Health Agency (PHA) is cheering smokers to stop smoking right away as a sign of support for the World COPD Day (14^th November 2012).

According to PHA`s Head of Health and Social Wellbeing Improvement Gerry Bleakney, smoking can damage or cause inflammation to the airways lining and is likely to evolve as the biggest factor responsible for COPD. However, Gerry also reveals that as an individual starts smoking for longer periods, it increases his risk of falling prey to COPD.

Furthermore, news sources make it apparent that in the year 2012; around 32,973 individuals have registered in Northern Ireland as patients of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). This ailment may lead to mild or severe type of abnormal sputum, wheezing, shortness of breath et al and when COPD becomes severe, it may cause problems in walking up the stairs.

The most common symptoms of COPD are breathlessness, wheezing, abnormal sputum (a mix of saliva and mucus in the airway), and a chronic cough often mistaken for a ‘smokers’ cough’.

Gerry Bleakney reveals that it is difficult to find a suitable treatment for COPD that can help patients get rid of the disorder. He adds that quit smoking is the best way to reduce the chances of worsening this disorder and to prevent your lungs from getting damaged.

People suffering from COPD should visit the general healthcare practitioner instantly and opt for early diagnosis. This is likely to help in preventing deaths from COPD.

Source: http://www.ballymenatimes.com/, dated  18^th November 2012

Latest News On Smoking

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/

Stop Smoking Events

1. The Great American Smokeout Event

The Great American Smokeout Event is aimed at raising awareness about the hazards of tobacco usage and it is celebrated every year on the third Thursday of November. This event was started by The American Cancer Society in 1977 with a view to teach the public on the dangers associated with tobacco use and to push smokers to get rid of smoking addiction for lifetime.

2. World No Tobacco Day

This is another quit smoking event and it is celebrated on 31^st May every year. This is an event started by the World Health Organization (WHO) and during this event, particular details are provided to the public on the dangers of tobacco, steps taken by the WHO to fight off large-scale tobacco usage across the world and also the strategies that can be adopted by people to ensure healthy living.

3. Kick Butts Day

Kick Butts Day was started by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids (CTFK) and it is celebrated every year on 20^th March. The significance of Kick Butts Day is that it is a day when the youth takes initiatives by standing up and speaking against tobacco use. On this day, the youngsters empower the fight against tobacco usage by creating awareness about the ill-effects of tobacco and by supporting stringent anti-tobacco laws.

On smoking and Stop Smoking

Why Do People Get Addicted To Smoking?

People get addicted to smoking cigarettes under the false impression that it is an integral part of style and culture. Some find that smoking cigarettes is the ultimate way to make a hip style statement and youngsters get addicted to smoking when they try to imitate film stars smoking on screen.

The Need For Stop Smoking

Addiction to cigarette smoking has emerged as the principal factor responsible for cardiovascular diseases, cataract, peptic ulcer, osteoporosis and a range of other ailments. Hence, quit smoking is the urgent need of the hour and people across the world have come to realize it.

Let me also add it right here that Passive Smoking is capable of inducing serious health hazards and this spells out the urgent need for stop smoking. 

Stop smoking Initiatives

• A significant number of countries across the world have banned smoking in restaurants, schools, parks,theaters and shopping malls. 

• A news release by the World Health Organization (WHO) has appealed to world leaders to
  take measures against attacks from the tobacco industry which weakens the policies formulated to
  safeguard people from the harm of tobacco use.