Health continues to go up in smoke

Smoking related hospital admissions have increased despite a fall in the number of smokers, new research reveals.

More than 1.6 million people were admitted to hospital due to smoking, with cancer accounting for more than one in ten (11 per cent) of these.

The statistics, released by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC)1, also reveal the number of young adults smoking (23 per cent) is higher than the number of adults who smoke (20 per cent).

Smoking can cause a variety of oral health problems including tooth staining, dental plaque, bad breath, tooth loss and gum disease. Of more concern is the significant risk of developing life-threatening diseases such as lung disease and mouth cancer.

Mouth cancer now affects more than 6,500 people in the UK2 – that’s 18 people diagnosed with the disease every day. With five year survival rates reliant upon early detection, Chief Executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter OBE, voiced his concerns over the increase in smoking-related hospital admissions. Classic cigarettes.

Dr Carter said: “We have seen mouth cancer rates soar over the past 10 years by almost 50 per cent, and an increase in hospital admissions due to smoking shows this upward trend may continue for some time.

“Smoking and tobacco use is the leading cause of mouth cancer. Even though it is encouraging the see the number of smokers falling, one in five people is still a high percentage. To curb rising mouth cancer figures, this needs to improve. Mouth Cancer Action Month, which takes place throughout November, is a good time for people to get on the road to kicking the habit. We know around two in three smokers actually want to quit, and the campaign offers a perfect opportunity to do this.

“We must not forget if you smoke and drink alcohol to excess you are up to 30 times more likely to develop the disease, so it is crucial we continue to educate the public about all of the risks. A poor diet and the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) are also risk factors for mouth cancer.

“As a result it is really important that everyone knows the warning signs for mouth cancer. They include ulcers which do not heal within three weeks, red and white patches in the mouth and unusual lumps or swellings in the mouth. Our message to everyone is simple – ‘If in doubt, get checked out’.”

Drug addicts 'can quit smoking' with additional therapy

New research from the National Institute of Drug Abuse, a part of the National Institutes of Health, suggests that people who are addicted to cocaine or methamphetamine are able to quit cigarette smoking while being treated for their substance addictions, and that quitting will not hinder their treatment.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cigarette smoking causes 1 in 5 deaths in the US every year. But the researchers say the highest death rate from smoking tobacco occurs in patients receiving treatment for substance abuse.
Figures from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reveal that in 2008, 63% of people who had a substance abuse disorder in the past year reported current tobacco use, while tobacco use in the general population stood at 28%.
But the researchers note that the majority of programs treating substance abuse do not look at helping patients quit smoking as part of their treatment.Davidoff cigarettes.

Introduction of smoking cessation therapy

With this in mind, the researchers conducted a study in which patients being treated for cocaine and methamphetamine addiction were randomly assigned to treatment aimed at helping them stop smoking (smoking cessation therapy).
Their treatment involved weekly counseling sessions for a period of 10 weeks, during which time the patients received bupropion extended-release medication - a form of antidepressant.
From weeks 4 to 10, participants received nicotine inhalers alongside contingency management - a strategy that awarded prizes to subjects with the aim of encouraging them to stop smoking.
All participants underwent drug and carbon monoxide testing to measure the levels of these substances in their bodies during the 10-week study, and at a 3- and 6-month follow-up. They were also required to self-report their outcomes.

'Beneficial' for substance abuse patients

Results of the study, published in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, revealed that patients who underwent smoking cessation therapy showed high smoking quit rates during substance abuse therapy and during the 3- and 6-month follow-up.
Furthermore, the researchers report that smoking cessation therapy did not interfere with patients' participation in substance abuse treatment.
Commenting on the findings, Dr. Nora D. Volkow, director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), says:

 

FDA analysis of cigarette warnings 'inadequate'

Canadian researchers claim that graphic images and warning labels on cigarette packaging do reduce smoking, suggesting the FDA has underestimated their significance.
The saying, "a picture is worth a thousand words" may sound like an advertising executive's mantra, but we often fall for the dream when sleek and glossy images allow us a glimpse of the "perfect world." But does the theory work in reverse?
A report, published in Tobacco Control, shows that when graphic warning labels were printed on cigarette packaging in Canada, smoking rates decreased between 12% and 20%.
The study authors say this challenges the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) June 2011 findings, claiming the analysis was "flawed."Continent cigarettes.
In August 2012, the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit found that the FDA analysis "essentially concedes the agency lacks any evidence that the graphic warnings are likely to reduce smoking rates."
The researchers claim that the FDA significantly underestimated the impact of the warning labels and suggest that their use in the US could potentially lead to a decrease of between 5.3 and 8.6 million smokers. Researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago, University of Waterloo and the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research in Canada used statistical methods to compare smoking rates in Canada 9 years before and 9 years after the introduction of graphic warning labels.
Canada was the first country in the world to introduce these labels and therefore has more statistical data for measuring their impact than any other country.
In addition, Canada's labeling policy is closer to that of the FDA, meaning it is easier to extrapolate the findings from Canada to the US, especially when coupled with the facts that Canada is culturally and geographically similar.
The researchers claim that smoking rates in Canada fell sharply after graphic warnings were introduced, and they say this was greater than the difference in smoking rates in the US, where there was no change in printed warnings for same time period.
The potential reduction in smoking rates in the US is between 33 and 53 times greater than the FDA's estimate, they say.
Dr. Jidong Huang, lead author of the paper, comments:
"These findings are important for the ongoing initiative to introduce graphic warnings in the US. The original proposal by the FDA was successfully challenged by the tobacco industry, and the court cited the very low estimated impact on smoking rates as a factor in its judgment."