Tobacco major cause of cancer deaths - Research
Poster courtesy Malabar Cancer Centre, Thalassery
Dr. Phinse Philip of MCC presented this study at the 15th World Conference on Tobacco or Health that concluded at Singapore on 24 March 2012.
Saturday 31 March 2012
Peer pressure drives children to use tobacco
Poster courtesy Malabar Cancer Centre, Thalassery
Dr. Phinse Philip of MCC presented this study at the 15th World Conference on Tobacco or Health that concluded at Singapore on 24 March 2012.
Thursday 29 March 2012
Wednesday 28 March 2012
Smoking in 'Public Places' - Public Place Defined
Smoking is strictly prohibited in public places in India with effect from 2 October 2008. Public places includes auditorium, hospital buildings, health institutions, amusement centres, restaurants, work places, cinema halls
Tuesday 27 March 2012
Keen to quit: Ask your doctor
A study titled ‘Smoking Cessation Intervention through Primary Health Centres: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial from Kerala, India,’ conducted in six Primary Health Centres (PHCs) has found that advice and counselling by doctor/health worker has a cardinal role in helping to quit smoking.
About 20 per cent smokers stopped smoking following advice and counselling, and around 10 per cent abstained even after two years.
The study led by Dr. A. S. Pradeep Kumar, Addl. Director (Public Health), Directorate of Health Services, Kerala covered 755 male smokers, averaging 44 years, from six PHCs.
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| The New Indian Express, 24 March 2012 |
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| Chandrika, 24 March 2012 |
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| Deepika, 24 March 2012 |
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| Janmabhumi, 24 March 2012 |
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| Mathrubhumi, 24 March 2012 |
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Siraj, 24 March 2012
Deccan Chronicle story can be viewed here
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Monday 26 March 2012
40 per cent children exposed to SHS at home!
SHS is a known cause of lung cancer, heart disease, low birth-weight, chronic lung ailments, as well as other health problems. There are more than 4000 chemicals in tobacco smoke, of which at least 250 are known to be harmful and more than 50 are known to cause cancer. In adults, second-hand smoke cause serious cardio vascular and respiratory diseases including coronary heart disease and lung cancer.
In order to warn people about the deadly effects of second-hand smoke exposure on children, a new campaign `Tobacco is Eating Your Baby Alive' has been launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with technical and financial support from the World Lung Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies.
The campaign graphically depicts that exposure to tobacco smoke can cause Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), crippling asthma, painful ear infection, pneumonia and low birth weight among new-borns.
The nationwide campaign is being aired on all major TV and radio channels in 16 languages during February and March, complemented with a national outdoor campaign.
Second-hand smoke exposure increases the chances of children suffering from smoke-caused coughs and wheezing, bronchitis, asthma, pneumonia, potentially fatal lower respiratory tract infections, eye and ear problems, and other serious health problems.
Exposure to smoking causes disease and premature deaths in children and adults who do not smoke.
Babies of expectant mothers and newborn children exposed to SHS are at an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome. As their bodies are developing, infants and young children are especially vulnerable to the poisons in SHS. Smoking by parents causes respiratory symptoms and slows lung growth in their children.
It is estimated that more than 21.9 million children are at risk of reading defects because of SHS smoke. Higher levels of exposure to SHS also contribute to reasoning disorders among children. Apart from the massive health hazards caused by second-hand smoking on children's health, it has also been found that children/ youth who are exposed to SHS at home are one and a half or two times more likely to start smoking than those not exposed. Also children who have been affected by second-hand smoking are more likely to hold positive thoughts about the killer habit.
Guidelines to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, an international health treaty signed and ratified by India also state there is no safe level of exposure to SHS, and, therefore, implementing a 100 per cent smoke-free environment is the only effective way to protect the population from the harmful effects of exposure to SHS. The campaign hopes to disseminate this and more.
Courtesy: http://www.thehindu.com/health/article3222764.ece
Image: MoHFW
Friday 23 March 2012
Second-hand Smokers Beware!
Tobacco smoke expelled by smokers permeates the environment, making non-smokers susceptible to health disorders. Passive smoking or second-hand smoking can cause disease, disability or even death.
Image courtesy: Dr.A.S.Pradeep Kumar, Addl.Director of Health Services (Public Health), Government of Kerala
Wednesday 21 March 2012
Social Smoking Is No Better for Your Brain
Even social smokers are out of excuses. A recent study finds that it doesn’t matter whether you smoke every day or only on the weekends — at least when it comes to damaging your memory.
For the study, researchers from Northumbria University recruited 84 students. A third of students were “social smokers,” who smoked about 20 cigarettes once or twice a week, usually on weekends. Another third were regular smokers, who smoked 10 to 15 cigarettes daily, and the last group was never smokers.
The participants were given a video-based memory test in which they watched a short clip of a busy shopping area and were asked to remember a series of predetermined actions at specific locations shown during the clip. For example, they were asked to remember to text a friend when passing a certain store or to exchange a jumper they had previously purchased.
Based on the results, the researchers found that both groups of smokers performed significantly worse on the memory tasks than the non-smokers and there was no performance difference between the two smoking groups.
“Smoking-related memory decline in general has been linked with increases in accelerated cerebral degeneration such as brain shrinkage,” Dr. Tom Heffernan, senior lecturer in psychology at Northumbria University, said in a statement. “This new research suggests that restricting smoking to weekends makes no difference — smoking damages your memory.”
The researchers acknowledge that the sample of students used in the study may not be a representative of smokers in general, but previous research has shown links between smoking and memory loss in other age groups.
In February, a study from the University College London found that smoking was associated with faster cognitive decline in middle-aged men. Healthland’s Alice Park reported:
“The [study] found that men who smoked showed faster decline than nonsmoking men over 10 years. The size of the effect associated with smoking was similar to that of 10 years of aging.”
Another danger of occasional smoking, research suggest, is that social smokers are less likely to think about quitting since they don’t consider themselves “real smokers.” They don’t think they have a problem, so they’re not motivated to stop. But passing up even the occasional cigarette has health benefits — not only for your heart and lungs, but as recent research suggests, also for your brain too.
Courtesy - TIME Heathland http://healthland.time.com/2012/03/20/social-smoking-is-no-better-for-your-brain/
Tuesday 20 March 2012
Kerala Budget raises tax on tobacco products
Kudos to the Kerala Government and the Hon'ble Finance Minister Shri.K.M.Mani for raising tax on tobacco products! VAT on cigarettes increased from 12.5 to 15 per cent and tax on pan masala raised from 20 to 22.5 per cent.
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| The Hindu Business Line, 20 March 2012 |
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| The Hindu, 20 March 2012 |
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| Janmabhumi, 20 March 2012 |
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| Malayala Manorama, 20 March 2012 |
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| Mathrubhumi, 20 March 2012 |
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| The New Indian Express, 20 March 2012 |
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| Times of India, 20 March 2012 |
Saturday 17 March 2012
Bloomberg Head speaks on tobacco control in India
The figures don't read too well for India with the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2010 stating that of the estimated 275 million tobacco users in India, about 120 million of them are smokers (accounting for 10 per cent of the world's smoking population) and 163 million use smokeless tobacco. It is estimated that 2,500 Indians die every day and one million Indians die every year from tobacco-related diseases. If current trends continue tobacco will account for 13 per cent of all deaths in India by 2020.And warning that unless these figures are controlled it would register a sharp ascend in the coming years, Dr. Kelly Henning head of global health programs at Bloomberg Philanthropies who was in India recently said: "In India too many lives are lost to tobacco abuse. We, however, know that hard hitting, evidence based mass media campaigns work to warn people about the ill effects of tobacco. That is why Bloomberg Philanthropies is partnering with the Indian Government to help strengthen the tobacco control policies.
Through our global initiatives we continues to advocate for the use of these types of campaigns along with other evidences based strategies such as ensuring a 100 per cent smoke free workplace and higher price on all tobacco products. Stopping this epidemic requires nothing less.''
“Stringent monitoring, higher taxes, advertising ban on tobacco products are the way forward to ensuring that India has an edge over the war that it should wage against tobacco abuse in the country. The Government needs to get members from all sections of society to contribute towards preventing the spread of tobacco abuse especially among the youth of the country. There is an urgent need to tell the youth that tobacco kills and that can be reinforced in several ways. The tobacco abuse among the under 15 age group is alarming. Besides this, the abuse of chewable tobacco is a massive problem in the country and needs to be taken up on a war footing,'' she added.
Dr. Kelly underlined the four major objectives of the $375 million six year Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco – a global project aimed at curbing the tobacco epidemic in low and middle income countries.
This includes working towards developing a rigorous system to monitor the status of global tobacco use, to support advocates' efforts to educate communities about the harms of tobacco and to enhance tobacco control activities that work towards a tobacco free world.
“We are also working towards supporting public sector efforts to pass and enforce key laws and implement effective policies, including taxing cigarettes, preventing smuggling, altering the image of tobacco and protecting workers from exposure to second hand smoking. Work is also on to refine and optimize tobacco control programs to help smokers stop using tobacco and to prevent children from starting,” she said.
Excerpted from “Too many lives lost…”, The Hindu dated 16 March 2012
http://www.thehindu.com/health/policy-and-issues/article3001928.ece
Tuesday 13 March 2012
Villain Pan Masala!
Chewing tobacco products such as pan masala and ghutka are villains that prey on vulnerable youth population of Kerala
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| Deshabhimani, 9 March 2012 |
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| Mathrubhumi, 8 March 2012 |
Thursday 8 March 2012
Looking to quit: Take cue from this gentleman
"A sure way to quit smoking is to ask yourself whether you love your family and whether they want you to quit. If it is 'yes,' you can do it. Do it now"
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| The Hindu, 4 March 2012 |
Tuesday 6 March 2012
Guidelines for Tobacco-Free Schools
Schooling may be termed healthy only if students are kept away from the influence of harmful addictive products that can wreck their lives. Consumption of tobacco products among youth is a cause of concern, one which requires all-round efforts to tackle.
Schools can prove to be a safe-spot for children by following guidelines for curbing and discouraging tobacco use.
The website of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, lists these guidelines for tobacco-free schools/educational institutions:
1. Display of “Tobacco free School” or “Tobacco-free Institution” board at a prominent place on the boundary wall outside the main entrance.
2. No sale of tobacco products inside the premises and Within the radius of 100 yards from school / educational institutions and mandatory signage in this regard shall be displayed prominently near the main gate and on boundary wall of school / institute.
3. No smoking or chewing of tobacco inside the premises of institution by students/ teachers/ other staff members / visitors.
4. Display of sign boards “No Smoking Area- Smoking here is an offence”, of 60x30cm size inside the institution (as mandated by law).
5. Posters with information about the harm effects of tobacco shall be displayed at prominent places in the school/ institutions.
Students shall be encouraged to make their own posters on tobacco control themes.
6. A copy of the Cigarette and other tobacco products Act (COTPA) 2003 shall be available with the principal/ head of school/ institution. (May be downloaded from the website of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare)
7. A “Tobacco Control Committee” shall be in place. It may be chaired by school head/ principal, with members comprising a science teacher, or any other teachers , school counselor (if available), al least two NSS/NCC/scout students, at least two parents representatives, area MLA, area SHO, Municipal Councilor, member of PRIs, any other member. The committee shall monitor the tobacco control initiatives of the school/institute. The committee shall meet quarterly and report to the district administration.
8. Integrate tobacco control activities with on going School Health Programme of the State.
9. Promote writing of Anti- tobacco slogans on the School/Institute stationery.
10. The principal / head of school / institute shall recognize tobacco control initiatives by students/ teachers/ other staff and certificates of appreciation or awards may be given.
11. State Nodal Officer for Tobacco Control in the State Health Directorate may be consulted for technical or any other inputs.
Monday 5 March 2012
Indian tobacco policy in knots!
India's tobacco tax policy is tied up in knots. It does not tax tobacco adequately because of its many political compulsions, as a result of which more poor people will continue using it.
Cigarettes are taxed at 35-50% of their retail price, bidis next to negligible, and packaged chewing forms (very few companies are registered though thousands of brands exist) that started getting taxed only from 2008 are taxed around 15% of their retail price.
More than one million Indians are estimated to die annually simply from smoking tobacco. An unaccounted number of poor die from chewing tobacco as gutka, khaini and other nefarious blends that are unregulated for their content. No department within the government has a clue on the number or types of products, their brands, factories and the number of workers employed with them.
There is no mention of bidis that are consumed more than cigarettes or of chewed tobacco that is the most consumed of all tobacco in the country. Taxes on cigarettes are already low and that on bidis is close to zero. A study coordinated by the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy in 2010 demonstrated that the health impact of a 52.8% increase in bidi price would be 4.6 million averted premature deaths in current smokers and generate Rs 36.9 billion (or $0.8 billion) for the government.
An increase of cigarette prices by 158% would avert an additional 1.8 million premature deaths in current smokers and generate Rs 146.3 billion (or $3.1 billion). Another 2011 paper estimated that nearly 15 million people are pushed into poverty every year in India due to tobacco use and stated that controlling tobacco use would not only improve public health but also reduce poverty in India! Economic costs of tobacco use amounted to $1.7 billion annually.
The World Bank recommends 70-80% of the retail price as tobacco tax.
Budget 2012 provides a unique opportunity to revise the tax policy on tobacco, increase government revenues and demonstrate government's efforts to protect citizens' health.
Excerpted from the Economic Times story, Budget 2012: Government should tax all forms of tobacco
Friday 2 March 2012
Tobacco and nicotine in food products illegal
The Gazette Notification of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India dated 1 August 2011, vide Regulation 2.3.4 states: "Tobacco and nicotine shall not be used as ingredients in any food products."
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| Tribune, 22 February 2012 |
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| Asian Age, 22 February 2012 |
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