Empowering consumers to control pandemics

The Covid-19 pandemic has focused global attention on the need for rational measures to reduce risks, effectively treat those afflicted and develop vaccines. [...] Yet at the same time another pandemic, one claiming over 20,000 deaths a day globally, rages on despite being something that can be easily addressed through effective public health policy. The cause is the use of toxic tobacco products as a way of obtaining nicotine, and India is well positioned to be a world leader in addressing it.

2021-01-18
economictimes.indiatimes.com

Anti-smoking group focuses on digestive cancers related to cigarettes for tobacco-free week

MONTREAL -- Beyond the lungs and heart, tobacco can also affect the digestive system, Quebec Council on Tobacco and Health (CQTS) says. The council took aim at these unknown impacts of cigarettes in its 44th week for a tobacco-free Quebec. Over time, the CQTS has often tried to educate Quebecers about the harmful effects of tobacco on the lungs and cardiovascular system. But this year, the council wanted to focus on the impacts of smoking on digestive cancers - liver, colorectal, pancreas, stomach and esophagus.

2021-01-18
montreal.ctvnews.ca

FDA issues warning letters to firms selling e-liquids which lack premarket authorization

[...] the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued warning letters to 10 firms who manufacture and operate websites selling electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) products, specifically e-liquids, advising them that selling these products, which lack premarket authorization, is illegal, and therefore they cannot be sold or distributed in the U.S. The firms did not submit a premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) by the Sept. 9, 2020 deadline. This is the first set of warning letters being issued to firms who have not submitted premarket applications to the FDA [...]

2021-01-18
news-medical.net

Smoking prevalence among hospitalized COVID-19 patients and its association with disease severity and mortality: an expanded re-analysis of a recent publication

There is a lot of debate about the effects of smoking on COVID-19. A recent fixed-effects meta-analysis found smoking to be associated with disease severity among hospitalized patients, but other studies report an unusually low prevalence of smoking among hospitalized patients. The purpose of this study was to expand the analysis by calculating the prevalence odds ratio (POR) of smoking among hospitalized COVID-19 patients, while the association between smoking and disease severity and mortality was examined by random-effects meta-analyses considering the highly heterogeneous study populations.

2021-01-18
harmreductionjournal.biomedcentral.com

Do vaping and e-cigarettes hurt your health? These Tri-Cities researchers look for answers

Many of us make New Year’s resolutions related to our health. We may vow to exercise more, eat better or lose weight. Some may decide to stop smoking or opt for electronic cigarettes, thinking they are a healthier alternative. At the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, researchers are collaborating on a first-of-its-kind study to learn more about the potential health effects of e-cigarettes. [...] researchers are exploring whether vaping causes subtle changes in proteins at the molecular level that could contribute to disease or other health problems.

2021-01-18
tri-cityherald.com

Will this year smoke out cigarette tax hikes?

This month and the last brought arrests and prison sentences for smuggling cigarettes and other contraband into correctional facilities in Kansas and Maryland, respectively. Lawmakers considering hiking cigarette taxes ought to note: Higher taxes encourage more illegal smuggling into a state, and if law enforcement can’t keep illicit smokes out of prisons, there is little hope of keeping smuggled ones out of the hands of the public.

2021-01-18
thehill.com