Snuff Tobacco Research Articles

Tobacco alkaloids and tobacco-specific nitrosamines in dust from homes of smokeless tobacco users, active smokers, and nontobacco users.

Smokeless tobacco products, such as moist snuff or chewing tobacco, contain many of the same carcinogens as tobacco smoke; however, the impact on children of indirect exposure to tobacco constituents via parental smokeless tobacco use is unknown. As part of the California Childhood Leukemia Study, dust samples were collected from 6 homes occupied by smokeless tobacco users, 6 homes occupied by active smokers, and 20 tobacco-free homes. To assess children's potential for exposure to tobacco constituents, vacuum-dust concentrations of five tobacco-specific nitrosamines, including N'-nitrosonornicotine [NNN] and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone [NNK], as well as six tobacco alkaloids, including nicotine and myosmine, were quantified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). We used generalized estimating equations derived from a multivariable marginal model to compare levels of tobacco constituents between groups, after adjusting for a history of parental smoking, income, home construction date, and mother's age and race/ethnicity. The ratio of myosmine/nicotine was used as a novel indicator of the source of tobacco contamination, distinguishing between smokeless tobacco products and tobacco smoke. Median dust concentrations of NNN and NNK were significantly greater in homes with smokeless tobacco users compared to tobacco-free homes. In multivariable models, concentrations of NNN and NNK were 4.8- and 6.9-fold higher, respectively, in homes with smokeless tobacco users compared to tobacco-free homes. Median myosmine/nicotine ratios were lower in homes with smokeless tobacco users (1.8%) compared to homes of active smokers (7.7%), confirming that cigarette smoke was not the predominant source of tobacco constituents in homes with smokeless tobacco users. Children living with smokeless tobacco users may be exposed to carcinogenic tobacco-specific nitrosamines via contact with contaminated dust and household surfaces.

Randomized controlled trial of the combined effects of Web and Quitline interventions for smokeless tobacco cessation

BackgroundUse of smokeless tobacco (moist snuff and chewing tobacco) is a significant public health problem but smokeless tobacco users have few resources to help them quit. Web programs and telephone-based programs (Quitlines) have been shown to be effective for smoking cessation. We evaluate the effectiveness of a Web program, a Quitline, and the combination of the two for smokeless users recruited via the Web. ObjectivesTo test whether offering both a Web and Quitline intervention for smokeless tobacco users results in significantly better long-term tobacco abstinence outcomes than offering either intervention alone; to test whether the offer of Web or Quitline results in better outcome than a self-help manual only Control condition; and to report the usage and satisfaction of the interventions when offered alone or combined. MethodsSmokeless tobacco users (N=1683) wanting to quit were recruited online and randomly offered one of four treatment conditions in a 2×2 design: Web Only, Quitline Only, Web+Quitline, and Control (printed self-help guide). Point-prevalence all tobacco abstinence was assessed at 3- and 6-months post enrollment. Results69% of participants completed both the 3- and 6-month assessments. There was no significant additive or synergistic effect of combining the two interventions for Complete Case or the more rigorous Intent To Treat (ITT) analyses. Significant simple effects were detected, individually the interventions were more efficacious than the Control in achieving repeated 7-day point prevalence all tobacco abstinence: Web (ITT, OR=1.41, 95% CI=1.03, 1.94, p=.033) and Quitline (ITT: OR=1.54, 95% CI=1.13, 2.11, p=.007). Participants were more likely to complete a Quitline call when offered only the Quitline intervention (OR=0.71, 95% CI=.054, .093, p=.013), the number of website visits and duration did not differ when offered alone or in combination with Quitline. Rates of program helpfulness (p<.05) and satisfaction (p<.05) were higher for those offered both interventions versus offered only Quitline. ConclusionCombining Web and Quitline interventions did not result in additive or synergistic effects, as have been found for smoking. Both interventions were more effective than a self-help Control condition in helping motivated smokeless tobacco users quit tobacco. Intervention usage and satisfaction were related to the amount intervention content offered. Usage of the Quitline intervention decreased when offered in combination, though rates of helpfulness and recommendations were higher when offered in combination. Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov. NCT00820495; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00820495.

Presence of the heavy metal lead in samples of tobacco (Nicotiana tabaccum) snuff in Nigeria

Presence of the heavy metal lead in samples of tobacco (Nicotiana tabaccum) snuff in Nigeria

Psychiatric correlates of snuff and chewing tobacco use.

Compared to the association between cigarette smoking and psychiatric disorders, relatively little is known about the relationship between smokeless tobacco use and psychiatric disorders. To identify the psychiatric correlates of smokeless tobacco use, the analysis used a national representative sample from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) wave 1. Smokeless tobacco use was classified as exclusive snuff use, exclusive chewing tobacco, and dual use of both snuff and chewing tobacco at some time in the smokeless tobacco user's life. Lifetime psychiatric disorders were obtained via structured diagnostic interviews. The results show that the prevalence of lifetime exclusive snuff use, exclusive chewing tobacco, and dual use of both snuff and chewing tobacco was 2.16%, 2.52%, and 2.79%, respectively. After controlling for sociodemographic variables and cigarette smoking, the odds of exclusive chewing tobacco in persons with panic disorder and specific phobia were 1.53 and 1.41 times the odds in persons without those disorders, respectively. The odds of exclusive snuff use, exclusive chewing tobacco, and dual use of both products for individuals with alcohol use disorder were 1.97, 2.01, and 2.99 times the odds for those without alcohol use disorder, respectively. Respondents with cannabis use disorder were 1.44 times more likely to use snuff exclusively than those without cannabis use disorder. Respondents with inhalant/solvent use disorder were associated with 3.33 times the odds of exclusive chewing tobacco. In conclusion, this study highlights the specific links of anxiety disorder, alcohol, cannabis, and inhalant/solvent use disorders with different types of smokeless tobacco use.

Differential use of other tobacco products among current and former cigarette smokers by income level

With the declining sales of cigarettes, the tobacco industry has been promoting other forms of combustible and smokeless tobacco to current and former cigarette smokers. Exposure to the promotion of tobacco products has been shown to vary by income level. We combined the 2006 through 2011 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health to compare the prevalence and patterns of other tobacco use (cigar, snuff, and chewing tobacco) between current and former cigarette smokers by income level. Other tobacco use was minimal among females and among male non-smokers. Approximately a third of both current and former male cigarette smokers reported past-year other tobacco use. Overall, current smokers were more likely than former smokers to have used cigars (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.69, 95% CI 1.50–1.92) or snuff (AOR 1.14, 95% CI 1.01–1.28) in the past year. The association of smoking status with other tobacco use differed by income level (interaction term p-value<0.001). Among lower income groups, current smokers were more likely to use cigars and snuff compared to former smokers. Among the highest income group, former smokers were just as likely to use smokeless tobacco as current smokers. The differing patterns of use of other tobacco between current and former smokers by income level highlight a need for studies to understand the motivations for the use of these products and their role in smoking cessation.

Effect of Sub-Lethal Doses of Smokeless Tobacco (Snuff) on Some Haemato-Rheological Parameters Using Albino Wistar Rats

The tobacco plant (Nicotiana tabacum) has been used globally for several years as chewing tobacco, kreteck, dry snuff and in pipe. Snuff is a form of tobacco that is processed to fine grains and packaged either in cans or pouches. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of sub-lethal concentrations of orogastrically-administered tobacco on some haematological and haemorrheological parameters of albino Wistar rats. Nineteen young albino Wistar rats with weights between 110-170 g were used for the study. The oral LD50 for the tobacco snuff concentration was determined as 10 mg per 200 g rat body weight. The control group A was given 1 ml of distilled water, while the experimental groups (B, C, D) were administered with tobacco snuff concentrations of 2.24 mg, 4.67 mg, and 6.77 mg per body weight respectively, through an oral route with the aid of orogastric tube for 14 days. Blood samples were collected under chloroform anaesthesia and analysed for haematocrit, haemoglobin concentration, white blood cell (WBC), platelet counts, whole blood viscosity, plasma viscosity and serum viscosity. WBC was significantly increased (p<0.05) in group D (13.43±4.26 x109/l) as compared to the control (10.0±3.12 x109/l). Platelet count was also significantly lower (p<0.05) in all the experimental groups B, C and D (473±160.84 x109/l), (357±66.55 x109/l) and (375.66±33.54 x109/l) respectively as compared to the control (758.25±113.41 x109/l). Whole blood viscosity was also significantly (p<0.05) increased. Smokeless tobacco may possibly affect clotting integrity and alter blood rheology.

Prevalence and Correlates of Smokeless Tobacco Use Among Grade 8–11 School Students in South Africa: A Nationwide Study

Smokeless tobacco in South Africa is commonly used in the form of snuff or chewing tobacco. This paper reports its use among secondary school students and provides evidence of its association with demographic characteristics, tobacco smoking, and socioeconomic status. Data were derived from a nationally representative study conducted in 2008 among 10,270 grade 8-11 students from 192 schools in South Africa. Data were collected with self-administered questionnaires. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to examine correlates of past-month smokeless tobacco use. Nationally, 12.4% of students used smokeless tobacco such as chewing tobacco or snuff in the month preceding the survey, with significantly higher rates among males (13.6%) than females (10.6%). Smokeless tobacco use differed between racial groups, with African (12.8%) and colored (11.7%) students having the highest rates of past-month use. Grade 8 students (15.3%) reported significantly higher rates of use than grade 11 students (9.1%). Current cigarette smokers (21.3%) reported a higher prevalence of smokeless tobacco use than noncurrent smokers (10.1%). Logistic regression of past-month smokeless tobacco use showed significant associations with race, grade, school socioeconomic level, urbanicity, current cigarette smoking, and having first smoked a cigarette before the age of 10 years. These findings provide evidence for policy makers and program developers to develop targeted and tailored interventions for young people regarding smokeless tobacco use.

Risk for oral cancer from smokeless tobacco.

Tobacco products which are used in a way other than smoking are known as smokeless tobacco. The most common smokeless tobaccos are chewing tobacco, naswar, snuff, snus, gutka, and topical tobacco paste. Any product which contains tobacco is not safe for human health. There are more than twenty-five compounds in smokeless tobacco which have cancer causing activity. Use of smokeless tobacco has been linked with risk of oral cancer. Smokeless tobacco contains tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs), polonium, formaldehyde, cadmium, lead, and benzo[a]pyrene, which are carcinogenic agents. Although there is presence of some compounds, carotenoids and phenolic compounds, that have cancer inhibiting properties, they are in low concentrations. Dry snuff use is linked with higher relative risks, while the use of other smokeless tobacco is of intermediate risk. Moist snuff and chewing tobacco have a very low risk for oral cancer. Therefore, from this review article, it was concluded that smokeless tobacco has risk for oral cancer – either low, medium or high depending on the balance between cancer causing agents and cancer inhibiting agents.

Prevalence and factors associated with use of smokeless tobacco in young Swiss men

Smokeless tobacco is of increasing interest to public health researchers and policy makers. This study aims to measure prevalence of smokeless tobacco use (nasal dry snuff, snus and chewing tobacco) among young Swiss men, and to describe its correlates. We invited 13 245 young men to participate in this survey on socio-economic and substance use data. Response rate was 45.2%. We included 5720 participants. Descriptive statistics and multivariable-adjusted logistic regression were performed. Mean age of participants was 19.5 years. Self-reported use once a month or more often was 8% for nasal dry snuff, 3% for snus and negligible for chewing tobacco. In multivariable-adjusted logistic regression, the odds for nasal dry snuff use increased in non daily smokers [odds ratio (OR) 2.41, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.90-3.05], compared with non smokers, participants reporting risky weekly drinking volume (OR 3.93, 95% CI 1.86-8.32), compared with abstinents, and binge drinking once a month or more often (OR 7.41, 95% CI 4.11-13.38), compared with never binge drinking. Nasal dry snuff use was positively associated with higher BMI, average or above family income and German language, compared with French, and negatively associated with academic higher education, compared with non higher education, and occasional cannabis use, compared with no cannabis use. Correlates of snus were similar to those of nasal dry snuff. One in 12 young Swiss men use nasal dry snuff and 3% use snus. Consumption of smokeless tobacco is associated with a cluster of other risky behaviours, especially binge drinking.

The Effects of Aromatherapy on Nicotine Craving on a U.S. Campus: A Small Comparison Study

To evaluate the effect of two inhaled essential oils (black pepper or angelica) on the nicotine habits of students, staff, and faculty on a U.S. college campus. Comparative study with pre-/post-test measures. Community college in rural East Texas. Convenience sample of 20 volunteers from the college community (students, faculty, and staff) who were regular (daily) users of nicotine (cigarettes, snuff, or chewing tobacco). Inhalation of one drop of essential oil on a tissue for 2 minutes when participant was craving nicotine. (1) Pre-inhalation journal recording of self-assessed level of craving for nicotine on a 0-10 scale, (2) post-inhalation journal recording of self-assessed level of craving for nicotine on a 0-10 scale, and (3) minutes that participant waited from start of inhalation until next use of tobacco. Both black pepper and angelica reduced the level of nicotine craving and allowed a longer delay before next use of tobacco. However, black pepper reduced the level of craving more than did angelica, and angelica allowed for a longer delay than did black pepper. Aromatherapy may be useful in nicotine withdrawal. Further studies are warranted.

The Country Store: In Search of Mercantiles and Memories in the Ozarks

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] There's nothing quite like going back home. If, like me, you're a child of the rural South, you'll know that feeling, see and smell and hear and feel that feeling. The smell of tilled earth or freshly cut hay, the crackle of a gravel road beneath hard rubber, that old whiff of red oak and varnish in the church house, low clouds of wood-stove smoke on winter mornings, jar flies on sultry summer days, lightning bugs and a Chuck-will's-widow in a dusky hollow. You can even taste it: well-water from a faucet, Momma's cornbread and pinto beans, cappuccino and a slice of Arrezzio's Chicago-style with black olives and banana peppers from the country store. Takes you back, doesn't it? Nothing reminds me of dear ol' Aunt Nellie quite like pizza, espresso, and frothing milk--except for maybe a Harley-Davidson do-rag, lemongrass soap, and a fifteen-minute bake in a tanning bed, all of which you can get at the country store, too. You know, back there next to the hoe handles and saw blades and pig shorts--the kind for feeding, not wearing. A couple of generations ago, a traveler in the rural South encountered a general mercantile every five miles or so. Most were simple establishments, combining the functions of filling stations, groceries, feed stores, hardware shops, and community centers under one roof. They were family-owned and operated, with the owners often occupying living quarters in back, upstairs, or in a house next door. Sometimes the country store was also home to the community post office, all the more reason for people to gather on the front porch or huddle around the potbellied stove inside. This country store of yesteryear no longer exists. Even in the most remote nooks and crannies of the South--Appalachia, the Ozarks, the Delta--the nostalgia seeker will come up short in the quest for mercantiles reminiscent of Lure and Abner's old Jot-em-Down Store, with its hand-cranked telephone, its cracker barrels and nail kegs, its bologna and produce hanging from the rafters, its fifty-pound sacks of flour and twenty-pound bags of sugar, its Bull of the Woods tobacco and Red Top snuff, its hardwood floors and creaking screen door and clanging wooden cash register. Yet, the essence of the country store, its immutable country storeness, has survived, even as the symbols by which it was once identified have faded into the past. In the face of a succession of challenges--parcel post and mail-order houses, automobiles and the good roads movement, dime stores and supermarkets and Walmart--the country store survives, albeit in scarcer quantities and with an evolution over time that has kept it relevant to its rural clientele. The survivors--and there are more of them than you might imagine--are models of adaptation. Country merchants no longer buy much of anything from their customers, no cream or eggs, apples, or hickory handles. They no longer furnish sharecroppers and small landowners in exchange for 10 percent per annum interest rates and liens on crops either. Instead, you will find in the Ozarks dozens of stores that serve their local customers in many of the same ways that their predecessors served rural communities generations ago, by providing feed and fertilizer, gasoline and farm diesel, tools and local gossip, groceries and tobacco products, overalls and work boots, benches and a warm stove. The country store has evolved to meet the changing needs of a rural clientele more likely to drive thirty miles to work in service jobs in the county seat than to spend all day plowing the back forty, gathering eggs, and milking cows. They also continue to provide a glimpse into life in the modern-day rural South, just as what remains of their predecessors, the yellowed photographs and musty ledgers and daybooks, provide an invaluable window into the region's past. As we are all susceptible to the pull of nostalgia, the country store's hallowed position in our collective memory seems secure. …

The chemical composition of smokeless tobacco: A survey of products sold in the United States in 2006 and 2007

Selected toxicant concentrations and other chemical measures have been determined for 43 U.S. smokeless tobacco products sold in 2006 and 2007. Products evaluated included moist snuff, dry snuff, loose leaf, plug, dissolvable and snus tobacco brands. Reference products available for scientific research purposes and eleven Swedish products were also evaluated and compared to the commercial products studied. Chemical endpoints determined included benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), N′-nitrosonornicotine (NNN), N′-nitrosoanatabine (NAT), N′-nitrosoanabasine (NAB), 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), nitrite, cadmium, lead, arsenic, nickel, chromium, chloride, water, pH and nicotine. Different toxicant profiles were observed for the products studied, with snus tobacco brands generally containing relatively low concentrations of B[a]P and tobacco specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) compared to other moist snuffs. Smokeless tobacco reference product toxicant profiles were similar to corresponding commercial products, with the exception of the TSNA content of the dry snuff reference material. TSNA concentrations observed for all commercial products were lower than historically reported values, likely reflecting changes in product shelf life, tobacco curing practices and, possibly, product blend formulations during the last 20–30years. The survey results summarized provide a temporal point of comparison with future data anticipated from FDA “harmful and potentially harmful constituents in tobacco products” reporting.

Trends in the use of smokeless tobacco in united states, 2000–2010

To quantify trends in the use of smokeless tobacco in the United States. Longitudinal analysis of national population database. The National Health Interview Surveys for 2000, 2005, and 2010 were analyzed for adult responses to specific questions regarding smokeless tobacco use, which includes chewing tobacco and snuff. Smokeless tobacco lifetime exposure, current use, and frequency of use were determined according to each sampled year, examining for trends over the past decade. Subset analysis for young adults (ages 18-44 years) was conducted. Demographic factors associated with smokeless tobacco use were also determined. A total of 86,270 adults were surveyed. Among all adults, the proportions of those who had ever tried chewing tobacco were 7.1 ± 0.2%, 8.5 ± 0.2%, and 9.2 ± 0.2% for 2000, 2005, and 2010, respectively (P < .001). Similarly, the proportions of those who had ever tried snuff were 4.4 ± 0.2%, 7.5 ± 0.2%, and 8.4 ± 0.3%, respectively (P < .001). In aggregate, the proportions who were regular users of chewing tobacco remained stable over the survey years: 1.3 ± 0.1%, 1.1 ± 0.1%, and 1.2 ± 0.1%, respectively (P = .382). In contrast, the percentages who were regular users of snuff tobacco increased significantly over the survey years: 1.4 ± 0.1%, 1.6 ± 0.1%, and 2.0 ± 0.1% (P < .001). The proportion of young adults regularly using snuff rose to 2.8 ± 0.2% (P < .001) in 2010. Male sex, non-Hispanic ethnicity, white race, and less than a high school education were characteristics that were strongly associated with smokeless tobacco use. There was a trend toward increased smokeless tobacco use, mainly snuff, in the United States in the past decade. This trend was more prominent among young adults and likely will have future health-care implications.

Golden-Silk Smoke: A History of Tobacco in China, 1550-2010 (review)

Reviewed by: Golden-Silk Smoke: A History of Tobacco in China, 1550-2010 Matthew P. Romaniello Golden-Silk Smoke: A History of Tobacco in China, 1550-2010. By Carol Benedict. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2011. 352 pp. $49.95 (cloth and e-book). In recent years there has been an undeniable turn toward the history of commodities. As an approach, it offers the opportunity to examine cross-cultural contacts, technology transfers, and the transmission of medical knowledge, among other attributes. At the same time, commodities history can uncomfortably straddle the intersections of economic and cultural history, as well as domestic and international history. It is a challenge at which few have excelled, but Carol Benedict is undoubtedly among those who have. Her study of the long history of China's experience with tobacco considers both national and international implications, the introduction and dissemination of foreign knowledge, and the remarkable progress by which tobacco became a "Chinese" product with its own cultural connotations. The book relates its history through the various tobacco products China consumed. Beginning with a long section on the arrival and spread of pipe tobacco, the narrative then discusses the differentiation of tobacco consumption with the rising popularity of snuff and water-pipe tobacco, and ends with the mass consumption of the machine-rolled cigarette. Though unquestionably a history of tobacco, the shifts in consumption reveal the underlying stages of commoditization. Borrowing Sidney Mintz's terminology, the early era is one of "extensification," when a new product is accepted and its consumption spreads throughout the social ranks. Snuff and water-pipe tobacco became popular with Chinese elites in the eighteenth century, and this class differentiation was "intensification" in which the commodity became a marker of elite social status. The cigarette, by comparison, was first consumed as a hand-rolled tobacco product among the urban poor, but, with the rise of machine-rolled cigarettes in the late nineteenth [End Page 426] century, modern marketing targeted all social groups, inventing new ways of appealing to elite consumers. Its overall popularity marks the cigarette as a prime example of an extensified commodity, but the connection between marketing and status meant it remained intensified as well. While the overarching narrative of tobacco's consumption resembles numerous other commodities, the depth of Benedict's research still offers new insights into the peculiarities of tobacco and Chinese society. China adopted a number of new crops from the New World, via the Spanish trade through Manila. First to be domesticated were maize and the sweet potato in the late sixteenth century, and tobacco arrived soon thereafter. Reflecting the diversity of the early modern global economy, tobacco appears to have arrived from Spanish and Portuguese traders along the coasts, from Korean merchants over land, and along Central Asian caravan routes. The Chinese reaction to tobacco has its similarities to and differences from that of the West. Unlike in Europe, there was little concern with the foreign nature of tobacco or of any particular association with "barbaric" peoples. Also unlike most Western societies, there was no particular fear of women smoking. Rather, overindulgence was condemned "as a wasteful extravagance." Furthermore, the criticism "was directed at all tobacco producers and consumers, not at female smokers in particular. To smoke was to indulge one's own pleasure at the expense of one's extended family and, by extension, the imperial order" (p. 85). Unquestionably, this is quite different from in the West, where a woman smoking was widely seen as a moral danger, even if female smokers were hardly unknown. The evaluation of the Chinese medical community, however, would have been familiar to Western doctors. Overindulgence placed patient's "health at risk by crossing moral boundaries of frugality and abstinence into the hedonism of overindulgence" (p. 97). While this verdict was the product of Chinese knowledge of "systematic correspondences," learning to moderate tobacco use was also the verdict of seventeenth-century English and Dutch medical authorities, whose knowledge came from Galenic principles. The mixture of Eastern and Western agreement and marked differences makes tobacco a template for comparing cross-cultural exchanges. Furthermore, one of the great strengths of Benedict's work is that the era of global exchange...

Role of Tobacco Use in the Etiology of Acoustic Neuroma

Two previous studies suggest that cigarette smoking reduces acoustic neuroma risk; however, an association between use of snuff tobacco and acoustic neuroma has not been investigated previously. The authors conducted a case-control study in Sweden from 2002 to 2007, in which 451 cases and 710 population-based controls completed questionnaires. Cases and controls were matched on gender, region, and age within 5 years. The authors estimated odds ratios using conditional logistic regression analyses, adjusted for education and tobacco use (snuff use in the smoking analysis and smoking in the snuff analysis). The risk of acoustic neuroma was greatly reduced in male current smokers (odds ratio (OR) = 0.41, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.23, 0.74) and moderately reduced in female current smokers (OR = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.40, 1.23). In contrast, current snuff use among males was not associated with risk of acoustic neuroma (OR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.57, 1.55). The authors’ findings are consistent with previous reports of lower acoustic neuroma risk among current cigarette smokers than among never smokers. The absence of an association between snuff use and acoustic neuroma suggests that some constituent of tobacco smoke other than nicotine may confer protection against acoustic neuroma.

Plasma concentration of ascorbic acid and some hematological parameters in tobacco snuffers among the Igbos of Southeastern Nigeria

Background:Tobacco snuffing, like cigarette smoking, is known to be a common habit among the adults of Igbo communities in Nigeria. In view of the various pharmacological actions of nicotine and other additive constituents of tobacco snuff, there is growing concern that ascorbic acid, which is a vital antioxidant, and blood cell production or morphology may be affected.Objective:To investigate the possible effects of prolonged use of tobacco snuff on plasma ascorbic acid concentrations and some hematological parameters.Materials and Methods:Fifty adults of Igbo extraction (35 males and 15 females) residents in and around Enugu metropolis, who have been snuffing tobacco for 6 years and above, were recruited for the study, after they gave informed consent. Also, 50 apparently healthy, age-matched persons (25 males, 25 females), who do not smoke or take tobacco snuff, served as controls. Spectrophotometric method was adopted for ascorbic acid determination while hematological profiles were assessed by Bain method.Results:The results showed no significant difference in the measured parameters relative to the controls AA (P=0.08); Hb (P=0.19); PCV (P=0.10); RC (P=0.06); PC (P=0.20); WBC (P=0.09).Conclusion:The results of the study suggest that tobacco snuff inhalation may not adversely affect plasma ascorbic acid concentration and hematological parameters in adult humans. The study, however, has not concluded that tobacco snuffing is totally wholesome.

Commentary on Etter &amp; Bullen (2011): Could E-cigs become the ultimate nicotine maintenance device?

Commentary on Etter &amp; Bullen (2011): Could E-cigs become the ultimate nicotine maintenance device?

A Comparative Evaluation and Toxicity Assessment of Heavy Metals in Commonly Smoked Cigarette Brands and Local Tobacco Snuff Purchased and Consumed in Nigeria

A Comparative Evaluation and Toxicity Assessment of Heavy Metals in Commonly Smoked Cigarette Brands and Local Tobacco Snuff Purchased and Consumed in Nigeria

Evaluation of electrogustometry and the filter paper disc method for taste assessment

Conclusion: The results indicate that electrogustometry and the filter paper disc method are reliable methods to measure taste with a high degree of reproducibility. Objectives: To thoroughly evaluate the reliability of electrogustometry and the filter paper disc method for taste assessments. Methods: Thirty-nine healthy test persons without any history of chronic middle ear disease, aged between 27 and 62 years, were recruited. In all, 772 electrogustometry and 30 filter paper disc assessments were made. A nerve decay test was performed, with measures taken before and after eating sweet, sour, bitter, salt, a mild or spicy meal, after smoking, and after taking Swedish tobacco snuff (‘snus’), as well as before and after local anesthesia of the tongue. Measurements were performed on 5 consecutive days and repeatedly during 1 day. The correlation between electrogustometry and the filter paper disc method was also studied. Results: The results indicate that electrogustometry and the filter paper disc method are reliable methods to measure taste with a high degree of reproducibility. The only actions causing significant changes in the electrogustometry readings were eating bitter a substance and having local anesthesia of the tongue. The correlation between the methods was statistically significant except for the bitter flavor, where the correlation was just below the level of significance.

A portable electronic nose system for the identification of cannabis-based drugs

We report on a research aimed at evaluating the capacity of a simple, low-cost, portable electronic nose system based on commercially available metal oxide gas sensors to classify different types of drugs. Five drugs, namely cannabis buds, cannabis plants, hashish, snuff tobacco and tobacco leaves were employed. A dedicated real-time data acquisition system based on dynamic headspace sampling, a microcontroller and a laptop computer have been designed and constructed for this application. To demonstrate its discrimination capability, unsupervised and supervised classification models have been built and validated. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of volatile profiles revealed five distinct groups corresponding to the five different drugs analyzed. This was further confirmed by a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) test. Support Vectors Machines (SVMs) were applied to build a classifier and reached a 98.5% success rate in the recognition of the different drugs analyzed. This work demonstrates for the first time that the electronic nose technology could be successfully applied to the identification of illegal drugs.