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