You may have chosen not to smoke or even quit smoking to protect your heart and health but what about the haze of smoke at your favorite bar or casino? Or the cigarette your spouse or best friend left burning in the ashtray? Second hand smoke is a major cause of heart disease, according to the American Heart Association.
Since 1963 February has been designated American Heart Month to help bring attention and awareness to cardiovascular disease and death. Exposure to secondhand smoke results in about 35,000 deaths from coronary heart disease among nonsmokers each year. Inhaling the smoke from just one cigarette increases the growth rate of plaque—the buildup of fatty substances on artery walls that leads to blockages and hardening arteries. Twenty minutes of breathing secondhand smoke does as much damage as smoking a pack a day.
Cardiovascular disease including heart attacks and strokes is the leading cause of death among women and smoking accounts for one in every five deaths from cardiovascular disease. Women who are exposed to secondhand smoke at home have a 23%-24% increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
If you are a heart attack survivor secondhand smoke exposure impairs cardiac performance and just two hours of being in a smoky room produces a greater risk of irregular heartbeat which could be fatal or trigger a heart attack.
So to protect your heart in addition to not smoking avoid secondhand smoke. Limiting exposure to cigarette smoke may seem easy but sometimes it is not.
Although, 23 states have now enacted clean indoor air legislation; Pennsylvania’s law allows exceptions for certain bars, casinos and private clubs.
Ask friends and family members to smoke outside—provide gum, mints and hard candy to make it easier for them not to smoke.
For more information about secondhand smoke or smoking cessation please contact the Pike County Tobacco-Free Coalition at 570-296-3400 or 1-800-QUIT-NOW the free Pennsylvania quit line.
Tobacco Free Northeast PA at Burn Prevention Network is funded by a grant
from the PA Department of Health Tobacco Prevention and Control Program
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Drinks to Success
A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I met at a local watering hole for an after work aperitif. There is nothing this side of hard physical labor that stimulates the appetite like a little anisette. As we placed our drink order with the bartender, I caught the eye of another patron. We acknowledged each other with a nod. Then he motioned to the bartender. When we received our drinks, they were compliments of this fellow. I lifted my glass in a thank you gesture and he returned the same.
Did this give my husband cause for concern? One might wonder. My husband did. However, there is a better explanation than bad bar etiquette. The man had been enrolled in Penn State Extension’s tobacco treatment in 2007, and I was the counselor for that program.
He was clearly grateful for putting tobacco behind him. I remember his circumstance well. As mentioned, he quit in 2007, which was 1 year before Pennsylvania’s Clean Indoor Act would eliminate smoking at his workplace. You see, he is a bartender at another restaurant and bar in town. It could not have been easy, but he made up his mind to quit, regardless of others smoking around him. How nice for him that his workplace has been smoke-free for over 4 years and he has been tobacco-free for more than 5!
If this is inspiration for you to quit, the same program that helped this man is available to you. Call or visit Penn State Extension in Pike County, 514 Broad Street, Milford, PA 18337, (570)296-3400, http://extension.psu.edu/pike. Support, counseling, and nicotine replacement is provided at no cost, thanks to Tobacco Free Northeast PA at Burn Prevention Network. Funding is through the PA Department of Health Tobacco Prevention and Control Programs.
Did this give my husband cause for concern? One might wonder. My husband did. However, there is a better explanation than bad bar etiquette. The man had been enrolled in Penn State Extension’s tobacco treatment in 2007, and I was the counselor for that program.
He was clearly grateful for putting tobacco behind him. I remember his circumstance well. As mentioned, he quit in 2007, which was 1 year before Pennsylvania’s Clean Indoor Act would eliminate smoking at his workplace. You see, he is a bartender at another restaurant and bar in town. It could not have been easy, but he made up his mind to quit, regardless of others smoking around him. How nice for him that his workplace has been smoke-free for over 4 years and he has been tobacco-free for more than 5!
If this is inspiration for you to quit, the same program that helped this man is available to you. Call or visit Penn State Extension in Pike County, 514 Broad Street, Milford, PA 18337, (570)296-3400, http://extension.psu.edu/pike. Support, counseling, and nicotine replacement is provided at no cost, thanks to Tobacco Free Northeast PA at Burn Prevention Network. Funding is through the PA Department of Health Tobacco Prevention and Control Programs.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Most Smokers Want to Quit, But Few Try the Best Strategies
More than two-thirds of smokers say they want to quit, but few actually succeed, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The report found that among smokers who wanted to quit, half tried in 2010, but only about 6% were able to do it. Fewer than one third of smokers who tried to quit sought help through counseling or medication, even though such treatments can double or even triple the odds of success. Slightly less than half of smokers reported receiving advice from their doctors to quit, even though this also can increase quit attempts and the likelihood of success.
During a press teleconference on Thursday, Dr. Tim McAfee, director of the office on smoking and health at the CDC, noted that the study still offered "reassuring" news about smokers: most of them want to kick the habit. Rather than being a "hardened" group that has given up on quitting, the majority of people who still smoke — nearly 1 in 5 American adults — are motivated to overcome their addiction.
"The enthusiasm for smokers of becoming nonsmokers and their actual behavior is at least the same, and in some cases, higher than 10 years ago," said McAfee.
Historically, smokers who have quit have largely done it on their own, despite the fact that nicotine addiction is considered by addiction experts as the hardest to kick. It has not always been easy to determine how effective quit-smoking treatments are, because those who seek help are often a self-selected group of smokers who typically have had a harder time quitting without treatment.
"It's not a random decision as to whether to use counseling or medication," McAfee acknowledged, but noted that data from studies do show that quit treatments help. "There's no question, from the basis of dozens if not hundreds of large, very well conducted, randomized controlled trials, with thousands of people, that use of medication — and use of counseling at least [for those who seek it] — significantly increases the likelihood of quitting."
The medication that has been proven to be most effective in helping smokers quit is the subject of recent controversy. Varenicline (Chantix) has been shown to be superior to other medications like bupropion (Zyban) when compared directly, but studies have also found that Chantix is associated with more psychiatric side effects, including psychotic, suicidal or aggressive impulses and behavior, compared with other anti-smoking medications.
In October, the FDA reviewed data on psychiatric problems and varenicline, and concluded that the benefits of the drug outweighed the risks for smokers trying to quit. But another major study published in November suggested that the drug's side effects make it too dangerous to use as a first option for smokers trying to quit.
"The short story is that this is an area that is somewhat controversial," said McAfee. "The evidence for effectiveness is very strong, and there are somewhat conflicting results about the likelihood that these neuropsychiatric effects are actually due to varenicline or due to other factors."
"My best advice is to talk to your doctor about this and have a solid conversation about the pros and cons," he said.
Other data from the new CDC study indicate that African American smokers are more likely than other ethnic groups to want to quit and to attempt to do so — but are less successful. The authors suggested that this could be attributable in part to the fact that African Americans are three times more likely than other groups to smoke menthol cigarettes, which are harder to quit.
The study also found that smokers who have a college degree are nearly three times more likely to kick the habit than those who have less than a high school education, suggesting that socioeconomic factors may also play a role in the racial differences found.
The study was based on a survey of about 27,000 Americans, interviewed between 2001 and 2010, and was published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report in advance of the Great American Smokeout. The annual event, held by the American Cancer Society to support quitting, will take place on November 17.
The good news is that the more you've tried to quit smoking, the more likely you are to succeed eventually, according to the research.
by MAYA SZALAVITZ Friday, November 11, 2011
The report found that among smokers who wanted to quit, half tried in 2010, but only about 6% were able to do it. Fewer than one third of smokers who tried to quit sought help through counseling or medication, even though such treatments can double or even triple the odds of success. Slightly less than half of smokers reported receiving advice from their doctors to quit, even though this also can increase quit attempts and the likelihood of success.
During a press teleconference on Thursday, Dr. Tim McAfee, director of the office on smoking and health at the CDC, noted that the study still offered "reassuring" news about smokers: most of them want to kick the habit. Rather than being a "hardened" group that has given up on quitting, the majority of people who still smoke — nearly 1 in 5 American adults — are motivated to overcome their addiction.
"The enthusiasm for smokers of becoming nonsmokers and their actual behavior is at least the same, and in some cases, higher than 10 years ago," said McAfee.
Historically, smokers who have quit have largely done it on their own, despite the fact that nicotine addiction is considered by addiction experts as the hardest to kick. It has not always been easy to determine how effective quit-smoking treatments are, because those who seek help are often a self-selected group of smokers who typically have had a harder time quitting without treatment.
"It's not a random decision as to whether to use counseling or medication," McAfee acknowledged, but noted that data from studies do show that quit treatments help. "There's no question, from the basis of dozens if not hundreds of large, very well conducted, randomized controlled trials, with thousands of people, that use of medication — and use of counseling at least [for those who seek it] — significantly increases the likelihood of quitting."
The medication that has been proven to be most effective in helping smokers quit is the subject of recent controversy. Varenicline (Chantix) has been shown to be superior to other medications like bupropion (Zyban) when compared directly, but studies have also found that Chantix is associated with more psychiatric side effects, including psychotic, suicidal or aggressive impulses and behavior, compared with other anti-smoking medications.
In October, the FDA reviewed data on psychiatric problems and varenicline, and concluded that the benefits of the drug outweighed the risks for smokers trying to quit. But another major study published in November suggested that the drug's side effects make it too dangerous to use as a first option for smokers trying to quit.
"The short story is that this is an area that is somewhat controversial," said McAfee. "The evidence for effectiveness is very strong, and there are somewhat conflicting results about the likelihood that these neuropsychiatric effects are actually due to varenicline or due to other factors."
"My best advice is to talk to your doctor about this and have a solid conversation about the pros and cons," he said.
Other data from the new CDC study indicate that African American smokers are more likely than other ethnic groups to want to quit and to attempt to do so — but are less successful. The authors suggested that this could be attributable in part to the fact that African Americans are three times more likely than other groups to smoke menthol cigarettes, which are harder to quit.
The study also found that smokers who have a college degree are nearly three times more likely to kick the habit than those who have less than a high school education, suggesting that socioeconomic factors may also play a role in the racial differences found.
The study was based on a survey of about 27,000 Americans, interviewed between 2001 and 2010, and was published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report in advance of the Great American Smokeout. The annual event, held by the American Cancer Society to support quitting, will take place on November 17.
The good news is that the more you've tried to quit smoking, the more likely you are to succeed eventually, according to the research.
by MAYA SZALAVITZ Friday, November 11, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
SMOKING AND VISION - Quitting Smoking Can Have Vision Benefits - Even after 80!
It's never too late to quit smoking -- and according to new research from UCLA, quitting can help save one's vision even after age 80. In a study focused on age-related macular degeneration (AMD) -- the leading cause of blindness in Americans over 65 -- researchers found that in women over 80, those who smoked were 5.5 times more likely to develop AMD than those who did not. According to lead author Ann Coleman, "The take-home message is that it's never too late to quit smoking. We found that even older people's eyes will benefit from kicking the habit."
Get all the details on this study at:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-12/uoc--int123009.php
(Source: Healthy Communities E-Newsletter, Volume 8, #2, Feb. 3, 2010)
Get all the details on this study at:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-12/uoc--int123009.php
(Source: Healthy Communities E-Newsletter, Volume 8, #2, Feb. 3, 2010)
Thursday, May 19, 2011
FDA and Public Health Experts Warn About Electronic Cigarettes
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently announced that a laboratory analysis of electronic cigarette samples has found that they contain carcinogens and toxic chemicals such as diethylene glycol, an ingredient used in antifreeze.
Electronic cigarettes, also called “e-cigarettes,” are battery-operated devices that generally contain cartridges filled with nicotine, flavor and other chemicals. The electronic cigarette turns nicotine, which is highly addictive, and other chemicals into a vapor that is inhaled by the user.
These products are marketed and sold to young people and are readily available online and in shopping malls. In addition, these products do not contain any health warnings comparable to FDA-approved nicotine replacement products or conventional cigarettes. They are also available in different flavors, such as chocolate and mint, which may appeal to young people.
Public health experts expressed concern that electronic cigarettes could increase nicotine addiction and tobacco use in young people. Jonathan Winickoff, M.D., chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Tobacco Consortium and Jonathan Samet, M.D., director of the Institute for Global Health at the University of Southern California, joined Joshua Sharfstein, M.D., principal deputy commissioner of the FDA, and Matthew McKenna, M.D., director of the Office of Smoking and Health for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to discuss the potential risks associated with the use of electronic cigarettes.
“The FDA is concerned about the safety of these products and how they are marketed to the public,” said Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D., commissioner of food and drugs.
Because these products have not been submitted to the FDA for evaluation or approval, at this time the agency has no way of knowing, except for the limited testing it has performed, the levels of nicotine or the amounts or kinds of other chemicals that the various brands of these products deliver to the user.
Health care professionals and consumers may report serious adverse events (side effects) or product quality problems with the use of e-cigarettes to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, by regular mail, fax or phone.
• Online: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/default.htm
• Regular Mail: use postage-paid FDA form 3500 available at: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/HowToReport/DownloadForms/default.htm and mail to MedWatch, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852-9787
• Fax: (800) FDA-0178
• Phone: (800) FDA-1088
(Source: FDA U.S. Food and Drug Administration News & Events News Release: July 22, 2009)
Electronic cigarettes, also called “e-cigarettes,” are battery-operated devices that generally contain cartridges filled with nicotine, flavor and other chemicals. The electronic cigarette turns nicotine, which is highly addictive, and other chemicals into a vapor that is inhaled by the user.
These products are marketed and sold to young people and are readily available online and in shopping malls. In addition, these products do not contain any health warnings comparable to FDA-approved nicotine replacement products or conventional cigarettes. They are also available in different flavors, such as chocolate and mint, which may appeal to young people.
Public health experts expressed concern that electronic cigarettes could increase nicotine addiction and tobacco use in young people. Jonathan Winickoff, M.D., chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Tobacco Consortium and Jonathan Samet, M.D., director of the Institute for Global Health at the University of Southern California, joined Joshua Sharfstein, M.D., principal deputy commissioner of the FDA, and Matthew McKenna, M.D., director of the Office of Smoking and Health for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to discuss the potential risks associated with the use of electronic cigarettes.
“The FDA is concerned about the safety of these products and how they are marketed to the public,” said Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D., commissioner of food and drugs.
Because these products have not been submitted to the FDA for evaluation or approval, at this time the agency has no way of knowing, except for the limited testing it has performed, the levels of nicotine or the amounts or kinds of other chemicals that the various brands of these products deliver to the user.
Health care professionals and consumers may report serious adverse events (side effects) or product quality problems with the use of e-cigarettes to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, by regular mail, fax or phone.
• Online: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/default.htm
• Regular Mail: use postage-paid FDA form 3500 available at: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/HowToReport/DownloadForms/default.htm and mail to MedWatch, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852-9787
• Fax: (800) FDA-0178
• Phone: (800) FDA-1088
(Source: FDA U.S. Food and Drug Administration News & Events News Release: July 22, 2009)
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Smoking is Down
Heavy smoking is decreasing dramatically in the United States, according to the research of John Pierce PhD, in (JAMA) Journal of the American Medical Association.
The percentage of adults who smoke a pack or more per day declined from 23.2% in 1965 to 7.6% in 2007. The decline is attributed to lower initiation rate among young people.
California leads with rates of 2.6% reported for this period. California's tobacco control legislation, aggressive cigarette tax, higher than average cigarette prices, its well funded tobacco control program, and restrictive smoking bans are responsible.
Less smoking equals more savings for Medicare and Medicaid. On average, smokers incur $2,800 in extra medical expenses over a five-year period versus non-smokers, with larger costs over time. Quitting results in an average savings of $1,860 per person.*
The following link is a hummingbird Nest Cam in Orange County, California. It really has nothing to do with the above, except for this stretch: California’s high emissions and clean air standards protect air quality for these little birds, and all else who breathe.
http://www.ustream.tv/hummingbirdnestcam
*CAMPAIGN for TOBACCO-FREE Kids, MEDICAID AND MEDICARE COSTS & SAVINGS FROM COVERING TOBACCO CESSATION (Based on Porposals in Senate Bill S. 854 and House Bill H.R. 3676),page 4.
The percentage of adults who smoke a pack or more per day declined from 23.2% in 1965 to 7.6% in 2007. The decline is attributed to lower initiation rate among young people.
California leads with rates of 2.6% reported for this period. California's tobacco control legislation, aggressive cigarette tax, higher than average cigarette prices, its well funded tobacco control program, and restrictive smoking bans are responsible.
Less smoking equals more savings for Medicare and Medicaid. On average, smokers incur $2,800 in extra medical expenses over a five-year period versus non-smokers, with larger costs over time. Quitting results in an average savings of $1,860 per person.*
The following link is a hummingbird Nest Cam in Orange County, California. It really has nothing to do with the above, except for this stretch: California’s high emissions and clean air standards protect air quality for these little birds, and all else who breathe.
http://www.ustream.tv/hummingbirdnestcam
*CAMPAIGN for TOBACCO-FREE Kids, MEDICAID AND MEDICARE COSTS & SAVINGS FROM COVERING TOBACCO CESSATION (Based on Porposals in Senate Bill S. 854 and House Bill H.R. 3676),page 4.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Link Found Between Secondhand Smoke and Diabetes
By Catherine Donaldson-Evans Mar 14th 2011 News
Smokers and people exposed to secondhand smoke have a higher chance of getting type 2diabetes than those who aren't around smoke at all, according to new research. And the more you breathe it in, the greater the risk.
Experts say the findings about secondhand smoke's potential role in the risk of diabetes were unexpected.
Lead researcher Dr. John P. Forman of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and his team studied 1982 data from questionnaires given to more than 100,000 women. The respondents were nurses who were part of a larger national survey that stretched over several decades.
They were asked how much time they spent around cigarette smoke and secondhand smoke, Reuters said.
Over the course of the following 24 years, about 1 in 18 of the participants were told they had type 2 diabetes. The National Institutes of Health estimates that 1 in 13 in the United States live with the disease.
The findings, published in the journal Diabetes Care, showed that the nurses who smoked more than two packs of cigarettes a day had the highest risk of getting diabetes. About 30 of the heavy smokers were diagnosed with the disease each year for every 10,000 women in the study. About 25 nonsmokers in 10,000 who were frequently around secondhand smoke got type 2 diabetes, according to the research.
Surprisingly, however, the risks of developing the disease were higher for former smokers and women exposed to secondhand smoke, with about 39 in 10,000 getting diabetes every year.
After the researchers accounted for other potential contributing factors, including age, weight and family history, they saw that the ex-smokers had a 12 percent higher chance of getting diabetes than the participants who routinely breathed in secondhand smoke.
It wasn't clear why a link emerged between type 2 diabetes and smoking, but inflammation in the cardiovascular system and cells is thought to play a part.
Dr. Gerald Bernstein, the director of the Diabetes Management Program at the Friedman Diabetes Institute in New York, said the findings make sense.
"Everything we do that is not good for you creates an inflammatory reaction of some kind," Bernstein told AOL Health. "Among them is cigarette smoke."
But, he said, the number of people at risk for type 2 diabetes is "enormous" to begin with.
"Because so many people are at risk for type 2 diabetes, the probability that a smoker could be next to somebody with that risk could be high," Bernstein said. "It will have an impact on the vascular system. Along with that, it might have an impact on the cells in the pancreas where insulin is produced."
Type 2 diabetes is characterized by the body's inability to process sugar, leading to potentially deadly complications and requiring sufferers to get regular insulin injections. It generally crops up in adulthood and can sometimes be managed with diet and exercise changes.
Dr. David Nathan, the head of the Diabetes Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, said the research doesn't mean smokers should keep up the habit, nor does it mean that women are more susceptible to diabetes than men if they're around cigarette smoke.
"There's no a priori reason to think that this wouldn't apply to men as well," he told Reuters.
The observational, retrospective study didn't establish a cause-and-effect relationship between the disease and smoking, but simply showed that the two seem to be associated.
But that doesn't take away from the study, Bernstein said.
"When you look at people with type 2 diabetes, you will see inflammatory events occurring around the beta cells. [Smoking] could just aggravate that," he told AOL Health. "That's conjecture because it's not proven ... but it's real. And it's not surprising."
Smokers and people exposed to secondhand smoke have a higher chance of getting type 2diabetes than those who aren't around smoke at all, according to new research. And the more you breathe it in, the greater the risk.
Experts say the findings about secondhand smoke's potential role in the risk of diabetes were unexpected.
Lead researcher Dr. John P. Forman of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and his team studied 1982 data from questionnaires given to more than 100,000 women. The respondents were nurses who were part of a larger national survey that stretched over several decades.
They were asked how much time they spent around cigarette smoke and secondhand smoke, Reuters said.
Over the course of the following 24 years, about 1 in 18 of the participants were told they had type 2 diabetes. The National Institutes of Health estimates that 1 in 13 in the United States live with the disease.
The findings, published in the journal Diabetes Care, showed that the nurses who smoked more than two packs of cigarettes a day had the highest risk of getting diabetes. About 30 of the heavy smokers were diagnosed with the disease each year for every 10,000 women in the study. About 25 nonsmokers in 10,000 who were frequently around secondhand smoke got type 2 diabetes, according to the research.
Surprisingly, however, the risks of developing the disease were higher for former smokers and women exposed to secondhand smoke, with about 39 in 10,000 getting diabetes every year.
After the researchers accounted for other potential contributing factors, including age, weight and family history, they saw that the ex-smokers had a 12 percent higher chance of getting diabetes than the participants who routinely breathed in secondhand smoke.
It wasn't clear why a link emerged between type 2 diabetes and smoking, but inflammation in the cardiovascular system and cells is thought to play a part.
Dr. Gerald Bernstein, the director of the Diabetes Management Program at the Friedman Diabetes Institute in New York, said the findings make sense.
"Everything we do that is not good for you creates an inflammatory reaction of some kind," Bernstein told AOL Health. "Among them is cigarette smoke."
But, he said, the number of people at risk for type 2 diabetes is "enormous" to begin with.
"Because so many people are at risk for type 2 diabetes, the probability that a smoker could be next to somebody with that risk could be high," Bernstein said. "It will have an impact on the vascular system. Along with that, it might have an impact on the cells in the pancreas where insulin is produced."
Type 2 diabetes is characterized by the body's inability to process sugar, leading to potentially deadly complications and requiring sufferers to get regular insulin injections. It generally crops up in adulthood and can sometimes be managed with diet and exercise changes.
Dr. David Nathan, the head of the Diabetes Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, said the research doesn't mean smokers should keep up the habit, nor does it mean that women are more susceptible to diabetes than men if they're around cigarette smoke.
"There's no a priori reason to think that this wouldn't apply to men as well," he told Reuters.
The observational, retrospective study didn't establish a cause-and-effect relationship between the disease and smoking, but simply showed that the two seem to be associated.
But that doesn't take away from the study, Bernstein said.
"When you look at people with type 2 diabetes, you will see inflammatory events occurring around the beta cells. [Smoking] could just aggravate that," he told AOL Health. "That's conjecture because it's not proven ... but it's real. And it's not surprising."
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