Impact Of Tobacco Research Articles

THE DEATH KNELL OF ENVIRONMENTAL TOBACCO SMOKE AT PUBLIC SPACES: CONSTITUTIONALITY OF SMOKING RESTRICTIONS AND SMOKE-FREE ZONE LAWS IN MALAYSIA

Control of tobacco faces a huge obstacle because it is where important health issue has to face the powerful opposition from the wealth influence of tobacco industries (TI). Death and disease caused by tobacco use now constitute a pandemic. Unfortunately, the power and impact of tobacco’s nature and commerce of its addiction make tobacco control a contentious issue of public health. The task of curbing the tobacco pandemic becomes more challenging with the use of human rights arguments and constitutional issues by smokers and the TI. This is a qualitative research on medical and legal aspects of tobacco use and smoking. This paper examines the origin of tobacco and its use as well as the development of scientific and medical reports relating to the effect of tobacco use particularly smoking. It also demonstrates how national and global policies relating to tobacco were formulated based on the scientific findings and medical reports by giving priority to public health. This is also a legal research relating to international legal framework of tobacco control, namely the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), and the legal regulations relating to tobacco control in Malaysia as well as its enforcement strategies. The legal challenge mounted against the law and policy restricting tobacco use is also examined. The study shows the implementation of WHO FCTC is crucial in fighting tobacco pandemic. The convention also upheld the right of the people to breathe fresh and clean air by prohibiting environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure in public spaces. Thus, the right must be respected by smokers and must not be infringed upon. The decision of the court is lauded because the law and policy relating to tobacco control are in line with rights guaranteed by the Federal Constitution and in tandem with WHO FCTC of which Malaysia is a party.

The Death Knell of Environmental Tobacco Smoke at Public Spaces: Constitutionality of Smoking Restrictions and Smoke-Free Zone Laws in Malaysia

Control of tobacco faces a huge obstacle because it is where important health issue has to face the powerful opposition from the wealth influence of tobacco industries (TI). Death and disease caused by tobacco use now constitute a pandemic. Unfortunately, the power and impact of tobacco’s nature and commerce of its addiction make tobacco control a contentious issue of public health. The task of curbing the tobacco pandemic becomes more challenging with the use of human rights arguments and constitutional issues by smokers and the TI. This is a qualitative research on medical and legal aspects of tobacco use and smoking. This paper examines the origin of tobacco and its use as well as the development of scientific and medical reports relating to the effect of tobacco use particularly smoking. It also demonstrates how national and global policies relating to tobacco were formulated based on the scientific findings and medical reports by giving priority to public health. This is also a legal research relating to international legal framework of tobacco control, namely the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), and the legal regulations relating to tobacco control in Malaysia as well as its enforcement strategies. The legal challenge mounted against the law and policy restricting tobacco use is also examined. The study shows the implementation of WHO FCTC is crucial in fighting tobacco pandemic. The convention also upheld the right of the people to breathe fresh and clean air by prohibiting environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure in public spaces. Thus, the right must be respected by smokers and must not be infringed upon. The decision of the court is lauded because the law and policy relating to tobacco control are in line with rights guaranteed by the Federal Constitution and in tandem with WHO FCTC of which Malaysia is a party.

Tamponade during immune checkpoint inhibitors therapy in lung cancer: case-reports and systematic review of the literature

Abstract Introduction Immune therapy is a new option that has revolutionized cancer therapy. Immune checkpoint inhibitors target mostly either PD-1 (Pembrolizumab, Nivolumab) or PD-L1 (Durvalumab). Immune-related cardiotoxic side effects, among them, tamponade, initially thought to be rare, seem to be increasingly cited in the literature. Moreover, tobacco smoking is linked to 80% of lung cancers. Smoking during cancer therapy may influence on radiotherapy and chemotherapy outcomes but little is known on immunotherapy. Purpose We aimed to review all the published cases of tamponade during immune therapy for lung cancer and to report all the cases that occurred in the University Hospital Ambroise Paré. We also wanted to highlight the possible impact of tobacco on immunotherapy. Methods We conducted a literature review in the PubMED database, from database inception up to 02/14/2020, with a combination of the following terms: “tamponade AND ((immune checkpoint inhibitors) OR (PD-1) OR (PD-L1))”. We also reported all the tamponade cases occurred in our hospital from the beginning of immune checkpoint inhibitors therapy existence up to 02/14/2020. Results Seventeen cases citing tamponade were identified in the literature to which we added 3 cases from our hospital. Mortality rate at 1 month was of 20%. Nivolumab was involved in 80%, Pembrolizumab in 10% and Durvalumab in 10%. In 75%, lung cancer was with a stage IV. Men accounted for 85% and mean age was of 62 years. Active smokers represented 85% and passive smokers existed in 5%, after diagnosis, smoking cessation was done in 10%. Tamponade occurred either shortly after the first administrations but also after several doses. Pericardial fluid cytology revealed malignant cells in half of the cases and microbiology was always negative. For all the cases, excepted for one who was directly considered as palliative, an evacuation of the pericardial fluid was done. In 45% a corticotherapy was initiated. Two cases quickly worsened after pericardial evacuation by unmasking a probable myocarditis with cardiogenic shock which needed the use of a veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Conclusions Tamponade under immune checkpoint inhibitors therapy appears less rare than initially thought and mortality rate at one month was not negligible. The use of regular echocardiography during this immune therapy may be crucial in detecting early stages of the disease process and smoking cessation should also be advised for these patients. The prevalence of complications among all the patients both exposed to immune therapy and tobacco could not be calculated in this work (case-reports), but some recent studies may indicate survival gains of smoking cessation. Further research establishing more specific guidelines is naturally necessary in dealing with this potentially fatal effect but also in establishing the possibly additional role of smoking in the cardiotoxicity of immunotherapy. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

Impact of Tobacco on Proinflammatory IL1α Protein Expression in Smokers and Chewing Tobacco Users: A Novel Approach towards Protein-Ligand Incorporated Docking Analysis

Impact of Tobacco on Proinflammatory IL1α Protein Expression in Smokers and Chewing Tobacco Users: A Novel Approach towards Protein-Ligand Incorporated Docking Analysis

Impact of Tobacco on Proinflammatory IL1α Protein Expression in Smokers and Chewing Tobacco Users: A Novel Approach towards Protein-Ligand Incorporated Docking Analysis

Impact of Tobacco on Proinflammatory IL1α Protein Expression in Smokers and Chewing Tobacco Users: A Novel Approach towards Protein-Ligand Incorporated Docking Analysis

Advocacy in Action: Passing Tobacco 21 Legislation in Washington State

Program Goals: Tobacco 21 legislation, increasing the minimum legal age to purchase tobacco and vaping products to 21 years, was signed into law in April 2019, after years of advocacy from the Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (WCAAP) and coalition partners. The WCAAP’s goal was to educate about the impact of tobacco and nicotine on youth, and to advocate for tobacco control policy to protect youth from tobacco use. Evaluation: Tobacco 21 was first proposed in the 2015 Washington legislative session. The WCAAP prioritized it due to its potential health impact on youth. WCAAP’s lobbyist worked with a broad coalition of …

Cutaneous lupus erythematosus: factors related to cutaneous activity and damage in a cohort of 260 patients from A Coruña, Spain.

Cutaneous lupus erythematosus is a chronic autoimmune disease that can leave important sequelae. To determine the factors that predict the activity and damage of the skin disease, and the impact of tobacco on the efficacy of antimalarials using the Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Disease Area and Severity Index. A consecutive case series was performed on 260 patients with cutaneous lupus erythematosus (α = 0.05; precision ± 6.5%). We carried out a descriptive analysis of the variables included, with a multivariate analysis to measure the association of variables with the Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Disease Area and Severity Index activity and damage (p value < 0.05). The Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Disease Area and Severity Index activity was greater in smokers than non-smokers (4.0 ±5.3 vs 1.2 ±3.4, p = 0.006). No significant differences were observed in the Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Disease Area and Severity Index activity when the efficacy of antimalarials was analyzed between smokers and non-smokers. Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Disease Area and Severity Index damage was higher in smokers than in non-smokers (2.0 ± 3.6 vs 1.2 ± 2.6, p = 0.029). Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Disease Area and Severity Index activity was associated with: (a) being an active smoker (odds ratio 3.04, 95% confidence interval 1.68-5.51, p < 0.001; regression coefficient 2.05, 95% confidence interval 0.69-3.42, p = 0.003); (b) the chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus subtype (odds ratio 1.98, 95% confidence interval 1.02-3.84, p = 0.044); and (c) C-reactive protein increase (≥0.5 mg/dL) (regression coefficient 2.56, 95% confidence interval 0.40-4.71, p = 0.020). Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Disease Area and Severity Index damage was associated with: (a) the activity (regression coefficient 0.11, 95% confidence interval 0.01-0.20, p = 0.024); (b) the chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus subtype (regression coefficient 2.46, 95% confidence interval 1.37-3.56, p < 0.001); (c) the use of topical treatment (regression coefficient 1.31, 95% confidence interval 0.01-2.61, p = 0.049); and (d) systemic treatment (regression coefficient 1.44, 95% confidence interval 0.35-2.53, p < 0.010). Smoking is related to an increase risk and a greater activity of cutaneous lupus erythematosus. The chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus subtype and an increased C-reactive protein level were also associated with a higher disease activity. The sequelae were related to the activity, the chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus subtype, and the use of topical and systemic treatment. The impact of tobacco on the efficacy of antimalarials may be caused by an increase in the severity of the disease more than by resistance in smokers.

Abstract A003: Group tobacco education at short- and long-term substance use disorder programs

Abstract Background: The use of tobacco remains the main cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, with 37.8 million American adults still smoking in 2016. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's Cancer Care Equity Program (CCEP) hired a Community Health Educator (CHE) to implement a tobacco education program in conjunction with CCEP's lung cancer screenings and smoking cessation counseling. This entailed completing Tobacco Treatment Specialist Training and developing an education curriculum in English and Spanish. In May 2016, CCEP met with a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Roxbury, MA, to begin integrating tobacco education for some of their behavioral health programs focused on Substance Use Disorder (SUD). Despite a 5% reduction in the number of smokers since 2005, the rate of active smokers among SUD patients remains higher than that of the general adult population. From 2009 to 2011, adults with SUD represented 8.7% of the population yet used 18.2% of all cigarettes smoked by adults. Methods: Information on the health impacts of tobacco when combined with alcohol and other substances, as well as the impact of tobacco on long-term abstinence, was added to the curriculum to reflect the needs of SUD patients. Two additional local cessation counseling programs were added to reflect where the patients received medical treatment. A bilingual flyer for the FQHC's smoking cessation program was distributed to staff and during the group to facilitate referrals. The weekly groups began at the two-week Acute Treatment Services (ATS) program and expanded monthly to four long-term residential recovery programs. Results: A total of 67 groups were conducted reaching 1,074 individuals. The majority (50) of the groups were conducted at ATS, which serves a patient population not limited to Boston, limiting the ability of the CHE to provide referrals to local cessation counseling programs. However, nicotine replacement therapy medications were available for interested patients. In the residential programs, the patients had established providers, allowing for more referrals to cessation counseling. Preliminary results indicate that although most individuals were familiar with and had used pharmacotherapy in the past, few had considered cognitive and behavioral treatment strategies to quit smoking. These include precessation treatment options, self-monitoring of smoking behaviors, self-management skills, urge coping strategies, maximizing support for nonsmoking, relapse prevention strategies, dealing with slips, and lifestyle balance. Conclusion: Despite the high number of patients with knowledge of the health effects of smoking and pharmacotherapy options, the groups illustrated a need for cognitive and behavioral treatment strategies among SUD treatment patients. Additionally, further evaluation in the form of a post-survey is needed to assess attitudes about the curriculum content and its effectiveness, given the challenges in documenting referrals to cessation counseling services. Citation Format: Christopher S. Lathan, Rebecca K. Jackson. Group tobacco education at short- and long-term substance use disorder programs [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2018 Nov 2-5; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl):Abstract nr A003.

Oral Hygiene and Tobacco Use Practices in Rural Villages of Jhapa District, Nepal.

Smoking and use of smokeless tobacco affect oral as well as general health. People are reluctant to achieve good oral health in lieu of the avoidance of deleterious habits. The objective of this study was to analyze two contrasting health behaviors; the oral hygiene practices against tobacco use in a sample from eastern Terai. This is questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey carried out in Jhapa district located in eastern Nepal. In this report, practice of toothbrushing, use of fluoridated toothpaste, frequency of using tobacco related products (paan, gutkha, chilim, cigarette, bidi, hukkah) was assessed. Association of health behavior to sociodemographic variables were tested with regression analysis at 95% confidence limits. A total of 1178 respondents (response rate = 96.8%) completed the interview, among them 80.8% were males. Mean age was 52.21 years (SD = 15.943). Overall 72.6% used fluoridated toothpaste and toothbrush for cleaning teeth, 58.8% consumed tobacco related products. Interdental aids utilization was very less (1.2% using dental floss). Age was significantly related to both toothbrushing and tobacco-consuming. Educational status was related significantly to toothbrushing (p less than 0.05). Other sociodemographic variables (marital status, ethnicity, educational status) were not related to consumption of deleterious products (p>0.05). Our results showed that consumption of tobacco related products is moderately high in Terai village and oral health practice was found to be influenced by educational status. More such studies to identify status of oral health and impact of tobacco are recommended.

Cigarettes still legal? Tobacco's impact on public health policy

Learning outcomes This case focuses on ethics issues arising from the tobacco trade. Government as regulator of that trade and guardian of public health faced complex political, financial and ethical issues in discharge of its responsibilities. The harms resulting from tobacco use were well-known and had generally attracted adverse decisions from governments everywhere. The company offering tobacco products for sale, Carreras Ltd., had generally continued to do well financially despite those adverse decisions. Government, in the present case, had introduced legislation to penalize tobacco use in public places, and in so doing, raised several ethical issues such as punishing smokers for using a legal, widely distributed product; classifying cigarettes as harmful to health yet allowing its wide distribution and sale; continuing to derive substantial tax revenue from sale of a harmful product; enabling Carreras to profit from sale of said harmful product; offering little help to smokers to break their nicotine addiction. Students should be asked to identify and recommend solutions to the ethical issues faced by: the government and its “point man”, the Minister of Health as they sought to reduce the public’s use of a harmful product. The smoker who may be even addicted to a product is known to cause or contribute to a host of serious diseases. Students were to identify and recommend solutions to ethical issues faced by the players in the case. One of these players was Carreras whose operations were facing severe regulatory and public relations headwinds. Another was the nonsmoking public whose health was put at risk even though they did not use the product. The sentences could be reworded to read; Carreras, in its continued efforts to justify selling a harmful product. Nonsmokers who, despite not using the product, suffered adverse health consequences because of its use by others. Case overview/synopsis Cigarette smoking has been linked to a long list of serious diseases including several cancers, cardio-vascular disease, pulmonary ailments and stroke. Despite several government actions over the years to reduce cigarette smoking, it remained widespread and continued to take a heavy toll on public health. The government’s latest gambit, the Public Health (Tobacco Control) Regulations introduced in 2013, represented the first legislation specifically designed to restrain smoking in “public places”. Carreras Ltd., a subsidiary of British American Tobacco (BAT), had been the only significant provider of cigarettes in Jamaica for several decades and in the period allocated for public feedback, mounted a fierce assault on the Regulations, and galvanized other private sector interests to join in that effort. The case addresses the interaction between government’s roles as guardian and financier of public health, the public’s right of choice, and a company’s right to sell a legal product, albeit one deemed harmful to public health. That government derived substantial tax receipts from trade in that product added another layer of complexity to the matter. The Minister of Health, Dr Fenton Ferguson, was the government’s point man and our protagonist. Complexity academic level Final year University students of Management would have been exposed to ethics theories. Many management courses do not devote enough effort to the study of the interplay between the ethical, financial, and legal and the issues that can arise therefrom to complicate decision-making. The case was structured to invite exploration of this interplay. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes. Subject code CSS 11: Strategy

Regional lung function in nonsmokers and asymptomatic current and former smokers.

Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is able to detect rapid lung volume changes during breathing. The aim of our observational study was to characterise the heterogeneity of regional ventilation distribution in lung-healthy adults by EIT and to detect the possible impact of tobacco consumption.A total of 219 nonsmokers, asymptomatic ex-smokers and current smokers were examined during forced full expiration using EIT. Forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and FEV1/FVC were determined in 836 EIT image pixels for the analysis of spatial and temporal ventilation distribution. Coefficients of variation (CVs) of these pixel values were calculated. Histograms and medians of FEV1/FVCEIT and times required to exhale 50%, 75%, 90% of FVCEIT (t50, t75 and t90) were generated.CV of FEV1/FVCEIT distinguished among all groups (mean±sd: nonsmokers 0.43±0.05, ex-smokers 0.52±0.09, smokers 0.62±0.16). Histograms of FEV1/FVCEIT differentiated between nonsmokers and the other groups (p<0.0001). Medians of t50, t75 and t90 showed the lowest values in nonsmokers. Median t90 separated all groups (median (interquartile range): nonsmokers 0.82 (0.67–1.15), ex-smokers 1.41 (1.03–2.21), smokers 1.91 (1.33–3.53)).EIT detects regional ventilation heterogeneity during forced expiration in healthy nonsmokers and its increase in asymptomatic former and current smokers. Therefore, EIT-derived reference values should only be collected from nonsmoking lung-healthy adults.

1.3 The Impact of Tobacco, Alcohol, and Cannabis Use on Treatment Outcomes Among Patients Experiencing First-Episode Psychosis: Data From the National RA1SE Early Treatment Program (ETP) Study

The goal of this session is to examine the effect of recent tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis use on treatment outcomes among participants experiencing first-episode psychosis (FEP); these participants were enrolled in a large multisite clinical trial called Recovery After an Initial Schizophrenia Episode—Early Treatment Program (RAISE-ETP).

Psychiatric Educators Issue ‘Call to Action’ on Climate Change

Psychiatric Educators Issue ‘Call to Action’ on Climate Change

World Health Organization Positioning. The Impact of Tobacco in the Environment: Cultivation, Curing, Manufacturing, Transport, and Third and Fourth-hand Smoking

World Health Organization Positioning. The Impact of Tobacco in the Environment: Cultivation, Curing, Manufacturing, Transport, and Third and Fourth-hand Smoking

Exploration of Motivational Factors behind Smoking

Currently smoking is estimated to be responsible for 3 million deaths annually worldwide, or about 6% of all deaths. But by the 2020’s or early 2030’s, it is expected to cause 10.9% of all deaths in developing countries and 17.7% of those in developed countries, more than any single disease. Smoking is probable cause of about 25 diseases; hence its impact on global disease is tremendous. About one-third of the global population aged 15 and over is indulged in smoking. In the light of the global impact of tobacco on human life, it is imperative that stronger measures be taken to persuade those who are indulged in smoking. The present study conducted on 100 male participants (18-45 years) of Kashmir, J&amp;K (India) enlightens us to shows various motivational factors behind smoking. The motivational factors are all perceived as being positive reasons to continue smoking. It is important for us to understand exactly why we smoke. Stimulation, Handling, Pleasurable, Relaxation, Crutch, Craving and Habit are the most important motivational factors behind smoking. These seven motivational factors can easily be changed by appropriate measures. It is hoped that the present study gives information on how medical professionals, health workers, clinicians and other allied agencies should tackle the problem. We would be pleased to receive any feedback on the usefulness of this study and suggestions on how to improve it.

The Study on Doctors’ Smoking Status and the Countermeasures of Doctors Smoking Control in a Third Grade General Hospital in Shandong Province

The objective of this paper is to investigate the behavior of doctors smoking and smoking control situation, and to analyze the reasons of doctors smoking. According to the reasons, put forward practical and feasible measures and provide scientific basis for tobacco control, for doctor’s own smoking cessation activities, for doctors’ advises to patients to quit smoking and for smoke-free hospital being successfully realized. The qualitative and quantitative research methods were used. 220 doctors from a big (3A) general hospital were selected for the investigation and 6 doctors of different departments were interviewed at the same time. General descriptive, chi-square test and other statistical methods were used for statistical analysis. There were significant differences in gender and age distribution of doctors smoking. The impact of tobacco on them selves, the knowledge of the relationship between tobacco and disease were differences in the doctors smoking,ex-smoking or no-smoking. Doctors’ self-control ability,the knowledge of the smoking control all have impacts on smoking control in hospital. Middle-aged male doctors were the “main force” of smokers; the doctors’ knowledge of substances in tobacco and its effect on health, and the knowledge of the relationship between tobacco and diseases had a certain deviation. Doctors’ self-control was not strong in actual smoking control action; there were resistances in the implementation process in hospital smoking control. For the current smoking status, the solutions are to set up smoking cessation clinics, to strengthen the smoking control interventions, to propagate and learn the knowledge of smoking-related diseases,to establish and improve the reward and punishment system, to train the doctors self-control and so on. The government and the hospital should work together to overcome and promote the smoking control in hospital.

Impact of tobacco and alcohol use on HRQOL in patients with advanced head and neck cancer: Results from a community oncology database.

e17512 Background:Tobacco and heavy alcohol use are important risk factors for head and neck (H&amp;N) cancer. H&amp;N cancer may affect activities of daily life (eg, eating, drinking, swallowing), and can be debilitating to health-related quality of life (HRQOL). This study reports HRQOL findings for patients (pts) with advanced H&amp;N cancer eligible for systemic treatment in multimodality or palliative care. Methods:Medical records from pts diagnosed 1/1/2007–10/1/2015 with stage III–IVc H&amp;N cancer and ≥1 disease progression were retrospectively collected from 10 US community oncology practices. We evaluated specific items and composite measures (physical symptoms, treatment effects, distress, despair, ambulation, and performance) with the Patient Care Monitor (PCM), an 86-item pt-recorded outcomes survey. Linear mixed models (LMM) assessed prespecified effects (eg smoking, alcohol use) and change over time across 2 lines of therapy. Results: The study included 462 pts (median age, 61 y; range, 26–99 y). Of these, 81% were male, 77% white, and 21% African American. The most common tumor locations were hypopharynx/larynx (31.1%) and oropharynx (30.9%). Overall, 41.8% of pts were current tobacco users and 22.3% were current or past alcohol abusers/excessive users. No significant difference was observed for receipt of surgery or radiation therapy in the first or second line for either alcohol or tobacco use. Approximately 1240 PCM surveys were collected from 146 pts. LMM showed effects for past tobacco use vs never/undocumented use for sore throat (1.31), dry mouth (1.46), and changes in taste (1.57); P&lt; 0.05. Effects were seen for alcohol use for increased trouble swallowing (1.87; P= 0.01) among current or past abusers/excessive vs never/undocumented users. LMM showed no impacts of tumor location. Models of composite scores showed that after progression, worsening was seen over time for despair (0.57; P= 0.03), impaired ambulation (0.81; P= 0.05) and performance (0.66; P= 0.05). Conclusions: The study showed smoking and alcohol use were associated with worsening clinical symptoms in pts with advanced H&amp;N cancer. Certain composite scores for symptom burden also worsened with progression.

Symptom Co-occurrences Associated with Smoking in Individuals with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis.

The impact of tobacco on the multiple sclerosis (MS) disease process and symptoms is complex and not clearly understood. Tobacco may be used to self-treat some symptoms but also seems to intensify others. Studies to date have not characterized co-occurring symptoms (symptom patterns) and their association with tobacco use. This study describes tobacco use in patients with relapsing-remitting MS and associated symptoms and symptom co-occurrences. In this cross-sectional study, 101 participants with an average age of 43 years completed a survey adapted from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and the revised MS-Related Symptom Checklist. Data reduction was performed using factor analysis on the 43 items of the checklist, and linear regression was used to detect associations between symptom clusters (factors) and smoking. Using the factor analysis result, the linear regression analysis found that tobacco use is positively associated with co-occurring symptoms and symptoms of factor 1: Mental/Emotional (anxiety, loneliness, depression, and difficulty sleeping) and factor 4: Neuro/Autonomic (urinary). Smoking is associated with patterns of symptoms. The study of MS and tobacco use over time will allow determination of the temporal pattern of tobacco use and MS symptoms.

Tu2013 Assessing Patient Knowledge of Tobacco's Impact on Disease Course and Medical Efficacy in IBD

Tu2013 Assessing Patient Knowledge of Tobacco's Impact on Disease Course and Medical Efficacy in IBD

Perspectives on Tobacco Product Waste: A Survey of Framework Convention Alliance Members' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs.

Cigarette butts (tobacco product waste (TPW)) are the single most collected item in environmental trash cleanups worldwide. This brief descriptive study used an online survey tool (Survey Monkey) to assess knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs among individuals representing the Framework Convention Alliance (FCA) about this issue. The FCA has about 350 members, including mainly non-governmental tobacco control advocacy groups that support implementation of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). Although the response rate (28%) was low, respondents represented countries from all six WHO regions. The majority (62%) have heard the term TPW, and nearly all (99%) considered TPW as an environmental harm. Most (77%) indicated that the tobacco industry should be responsible for TPW mitigation, and 72% felt that smokers should also be held responsible. This baseline information may inform future international discussions by the FCTC Conference of the Parties (COP) regarding environmental policies that may be addressed within FCTC obligations. Additional research is planned regarding the entire lifecycle of tobacco’s impact on the environment.