Cigarette smoke exposure and children

(dailyRx News) It is known that secondhand smoke can be harmful to those exposed, especially in confined spaces like cars.

A new study explored the rates of parent smokers who smoke in the car with children present.
Results showed that the majority of parent smokers surveyed did not enforce a strict no-smoke policy in regards to their vehicle.

"Talk to a therapist for help kicking the habit."

Led by Emara Nabi-Burza, MBBS, MS, from the Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, the research team used data gathered from families visiting pediatric health clinics across eight states.
In this study, smoke-free policies were considered "strictly enforced" if no one had smoked in the confined area during the past three months.
Of the 795 smoking parents with a car that were surveyed, only 29 percent were found to have a smoke-free car policy, and 24 percent categorized their smoke-free car policy as strictly enforced.
By contrast, 57 percent of these parents reported having a strictly enforced smoke-free home policy.
Among the 562 parents not enforcing a smoke-free car policy, 48 percent said that smoking did occur in the car when children were present.
This did not seem to be an issue strongly advocated for by healthcare professionals, as only 12 percent of smoking parents reported being advised to not smoke in the car by a pediatric healthcare provider.
According to the authors, this combination of high rates of confined tobacco smoke exposure and little advice against smoking in cars with children from healthcare professionals “highlights the need for improved pediatric interventions, public health campaigns and policies regarding smoke-free car laws to protect children from tobacco smoke.”
Of the parents surveyed, 77 percent were women, and 68 percent were non-Hispanic whites. The highest level of education completed for 42 percent of parents was a high school diploma.
After analyzing demographic data, the authors found that parents with a younger child and parents who smoked less than 10 cigarettes a day were more likely to employ a strictly enforced smoke-free car policy.
The study was published online in the journal Pediatrics on November 12, 2012. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), along with grants from a variety of different organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, which publishes Pediatrics.

Reviewed by: 

Joseph V. Madia, MD

Citation: 

"Parents Smoking in Their Cars With Children Present"

Source:dailyrx.com

Schools Get Smoked Out

As many have heard, smoking is not good for you and neither is second-hand smoke. Schools are now taking a stand and banning smoking around campus but does it actually help?
It is time for administrators and officials to do something about the college student smoking rate which is as high as 20 percent. Encouraging smoking bans might just do the trick, researchers believe.

"Smoking bans should be enforced at all schools and universities."

Dong-Chul Seo, Ph.D., an associate professor at Indiana University in the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation department, found that students not only smoked less, but their attitudes actually changed as well.
The percentage of students who smoked at Indiana University (IU) is now 12.8 percent- that’s a reduction of 3.7 percentage points. The researchers also found the number of cigarettes decreased.
More importantly, perceptions of smoking changed. The number of people who thought smoking was okay and should be allowed decreased, while the percentage of students who thought smoking should be regulated in public places increased to 82.1 percent.
The two year study included students from Indiana University, where a smoking ban was lightly enforced, and students from Purdue University, who had no smoking ban. The study ended in 2009.
Even though the exact element of the campus-wide smoke-free air policy that contributed to the positive changes in smoking rates isn't known, having a policy like that does seem to have an influence on students, Seo says.
Positive results were seen even though the smoke-free air policy was not actively enforced, Seo says, people were seen smoking on a regular basis. However, there was increased awareness by signage, media coverage and a campus bus wrapped with an anti-tobacco message, he adds.
These results are encouraging for universities looking into stronger tobacco control policies, Seo comments.
The observational study was presented in the journal Preventive Medicine.

Reviewed by: 

Joseph V. Madia, MD

Citation: Indiana University, “Study: Campus smoking ban reduced students’ smoking, changed attitudes”. 1-800-Therapist

Source:dailyrx.com

Smoking rates drop after college campuses ban tobacco

(dailyRx News) Smoking affects everyone in the vicinity. So, when clusters of students and teachers light up after class, everyone on campus has to put up with secondhand smoke. Is that fair?

A recent study surveyed thousands of students right before a campus-wide smoking ban and for several years afterwards. The number of students in support of the ban increased over time, as did the number of nonsmokers.

"Check your campus for smoking cessation assistance."

Yvon Fils-Aime, MD, tobacco health educator in the Department of Health Services, and William V. Lechner, MS, from the Department of Psychology, at Oklahoma State University, worked with a team to track the changes in smoking on college campuses in recent years.
For the study, 4,947 college undergraduates attending a large Midwestern university between 2007-2010 filled out surveys concerning attitudes and habits towards smoking. Surveys were completed at the start of the study and another three times through 2010.
Tobacco use was banned on the campus in 2008. Tobacco cessation information and assistance services were made available to all students at this time.
Surveys asked questions about secondhand smoke exposure, preferences about smoke-free environments and enforcement policies and beliefs about smoking.
The number of nonsmokers increased from 74 percent in 2007 steadily to 82 percent in 2010.
The rate of less frequent smokers went from 14 percent in 2007 to 9 percent in 2010.
The rate of more frequent smokers went from 10 percent in 2007 to 8 percent in 2008 and 7 percent in 2009 and 2010.
In 2009, 77 percent of students surveyed said they agreed with the tobacco ban and in 2010 the number increased to 81 percent.
Authors concluded, “It appears that a campus-wide tobacco ban is a well-accepted and effective prevention method for smoking. This study lends considerable support for efforts towards smoke-free campaigns.”
“Findings from this study should encourage other campuses to implement smoke-free interventions.”
Since May 2011, more than 245 campuses in the US have become 100 percent smoke-free environments.
This study was published in September in the Journal of American College Health.

Reviewed by: 

Joseph V. Madia, MD

Review Date: 

January 7, 2013

Citation: 

JACH, “Changes in Smoking Prevalence, Attitudes, and Beliefs Over 4 Years Following a Campus-Wide Anti-tobacco Intervention”

Last Updated: January 8, 2013

Source:dailyrx.com

Dangers Toxic elements in tobacco smoke

Toxic elements in tobacco smokeHeavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium, and lead have been detected in tobacco smoke, by showing that the toxic elements could propagate to distances varying natural airflow.A burning cigarette produces more than 4000 chemicals, many of which are toxic and about 40 cause cancer. These compounds remain in the air as environmental tobacco smoke is inhaled by others in the region. There are two types of cigarette smoke, the cigarette smoke that comes out of the mouth of the main smokers and sidestream smoke from the burning end of the cigarette.

Dangers of Secondhand Smoke

 Researchers have known that secondhand smoke can be just as dangerous for nonsmokers as smoking is for smokers, but now there's fresh evidence quantifying just how hazardous the after burn from cigarettes can be, and how quickly it affects your body. Scientists at the Oregon Department of Health documented for the first time an hourly buildup of a cancer-causing compound from cigarette smoke in the blood and urine of nonsmokers working in bars and restaurants in the state.