Employers In Massachusetts May Exclude Smokers From The List Of Job Seekers

According to a latest story published in the “Business Monday”, employers from Massachusetts are getting increasingly anxious about healthcare expenditure and loss in productivity due to sick employees who are addicted to smoking. This has prompted the employers to consider measures such as ruling out smokers from the list of job applicants.

 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that addiction to smoking costs the US state of Massachusetts productivity loss worth $1.9 billion and medical expenditure of $3 billion on an annual basis. Hence, an employer may consider a smoking addicted individual to be an additional responsibly and exclude him from the list of job seekers.

 

Thomas Jones, the vice president of the employers resource group for the Associated Industries of Massachusetts, states that the possibility of debarring smokers from the list of job seekers has emerged as a hot topic of discussion in the business-seminar circle.  

So, addiction to cigarette smoking can be a huge disadvantage in the job market of Massachusetts.   

 

Source: masslive.com, Date: 6^th February 2013

Renowned Oncologist Says That Cancer-Care Providers Should Motivate Patients to Stop Smoking

Dr. Bill Evans, a former oncologist and the regional vice-president of Cancer Care Ontario, states that it should be the main concern of cancer-care providers to motivate patients to stop smoking. According to Dr. Bill Evans, the quit smoking advantages for cancer patients are not especially known among oncologists or other cancer-care providers functioning within the oncology community.  

Dr. Bill Evans is the chairperson of Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) board which is looking forward to introduce quit smoking programs at several regional cancer centres. According to him, the principal responsibility of an oncologist is to treat the cancer and not essentially the complete individual, his habits or cravings.  

To add on, Dr.Evans makes it apparent oncologists and others who are operating in cancer-related programs, should reckon that the best care for cancer patients involve integrating the management of tobacco into cancer treatments.  

Moreover, Dr. Bill Evans reveals that cancer patients, who stop smoking after being identified with the disease, are likely to gain a range of benefits. These include a decreased risk of complications related to the healing of wounds, pulmonary problems and infections resulting from surgery.   He adds that stop smoking also lowers a patient’s chances of developing another form of cancer.

 

Source: ottawacitizen.com, Date: 4^th February 2013

Woman from Blackburn Starts a New Quit Smoking Campaign

 Bobby-Jo Martin, a woman from Blackburn, is starting a new campaign to help smokers trigger off smoking cessation. She is 22 years old and is also a mother of two kids. According to her, she gained motivation to stop smoking when she became pregnant for the third time. Bobby-Jo Martin reveals that she quit smoking successfully and now wants to help others achieve that.  

 

The principal aim of this new stop smoking campaign is to tell existing smokers about real-life stories of people who got rid of smoking addiction and thus encourage them to kick the habit.  

Bobby-Jo Martin and her partner Sam Madden have become fully involved in the quit smoking campaign. This anti-smoking drive is to be launched throughout Lancashire very soon.  

The woman Bobby-Jo Martin adds that she didn’t want to continue smoking during pregnancy and inflict harm on her unborn child and two young kids. She tried to quit smoking earlier and this time, she and her partner Sam Madden quit smoking jointly.   

Source: lancashiretelegraph.co.uk, Date: 11^th February 2013

New Quit Smoking Clubs Are Helping Female Smokers In Bradford

 A line of new stop smoking clubs for women have started offering their services in Bradford. The clubs are known as `Time 4 Me’ clubs and they remains operational for a period of 12 weeks.

 

The clubs are offering services for free of cost and the club sessions will be organized in five children’s centres throughout Airedale and Bradford. These centres include the Rainbow Centre, at Braithwaite, Keighley, Parklands at Thorp Edge, the Gateway Centre at Ravenscliffe, Wyke and Bierley.

 

Female smokers can enrol in the clubs for learning relaxation procedures, having fun, getting to know new people and for quit smoking together. These clubs are especially targeted at women who are pregnant, planning to achieve pregnancy or those who have pre-school children.

 

The new quit smoking clubs are substituting the Primary Care Trusts in Bradford. 

 

Source: thetelegraphandargus.co.uk, Date: 9^th February 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

B. C. Govt Gets Ready To Fight Off Smoking Addiction

With its free quit smoking program, the government of British Columbia (B.C.) is boosting up its fight against nicotine addiction. According to news sources, the government of B.C. is expecting a huge participation in its anti-smoking program. Large numbers of smokers choose to quit smoking in the New Year and hence the B.C. Health Ministry is anticipating that orders for prescription –based pills or nicotine-replacement therapies — such patches or gum will increase this month and till keep pouring in till March.

 

The B.C. government started the anti-smoking program in the month of September, 2011. However, according to the government, it was happy to see that it was able to fill above 161,453 orders.

 

Conventionally, the B.C. government has not provided for the expenses of maximum quit smoking therapies. But in accordance with the anti-smoking program, people are entitled to receive free, 12 week supply of prescription-based quit smoking medicines or a free supply of patches/gum for one time on a yearly basis.

 

The B.C. government pays for the cost of stop smoking medicines such as bupropion (Zyban) and varenicline (sold as brand names chantix and champix). According to a disclosure by the government, around 23,752 people from Vancouver have filled quit smoking orders till now.  

 

Source: timescolonist.com, Date: 13^th January 2013 

 

Quit Smoking Services Are Encouraging Gateshead Smokers to Stop Smoking

An array of quit smoking services in Gateshead are offering motivation as well as help to smokers who are looking forward to stop smoking.  A quit roadshow will be held at the Asda Metrocentre from Thursday till Saturday. Then this show will be organized at the Metro station interchange, West Street, from Tuesday, February 5 until Saturday, February 9.  Smokers will receive tips on how to stop smoking with ease.

People who stop smoking with the assistance of NHS Stop Smoking Service are four times more prone to quit smoking for ever.  

Carole Wood, the Director of Public Health for Gateshead reveals that a majority of smokers consider quitting smoking in the New Year. Hence, it is the best time to raise consciousness on this issue.

Source: chroniclelive.co.uk, Date: 22^nd 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