Missouri's Tobacco Control Exchange

Study: Smoking Bans Don't Decrease Number of Smokers

For the most part, statewide smoking bans don't stop smokers from lighting up.

That is according to a new study by Agnes Scott College in Georgia and the University of California, Irvine, published the study in Health Economics.

The study says that smokers kept on smoking - with the exception of bartenders, who usually quit after smoking was now allowed in bars. 

Read more about the study.

Study: Morning Smoke Sign of Greater Addiction

Need a cigarette first thing in the morning? Then likely you are more addicted than those who can hold off lighting up for a few hours.

That's according to a new study released by Penn State University. It shows that smokers who light up when they rise have more nictotine byproducts in their systems than those who wait.

Read more from CanWest News Service.

Smoking Decline Undermined by Obesity

Fewer people smoke in the United States, but the benefits of kicking the habit may be outweighed by obesity.

That's according to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. It shows that teens today will lose eight months of their lives due to the impact of extra fat.

Bloomberg has an excellent story on the study..

Herb Cigarettes Not Safe

One way smokers can feel good about their habit is thinking it is healthy.

Some opt for Chinese herbal cigarettes because herbs are supposed to be good for you. It takes away the danger and guilt associated with smoking. However, a new study shows that these cigarettes are just as dangerous as regular smokes.

The American Association for Cancer Research sponsored the study, which was published in the December issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

Read more

Study: Kids Exposed to Same Amount of Secondhand Smoke after Ordinance

In Wales, some had worried a 2007 public smoke-free policy would increase secondhand smoke exposure in the home.

That didn't happen. A new study shows that the level of secondhand smoke did not increase in homes. However, it remained the same in households with children, who had absorbed toxins from passive smoking.

Read more ScienceDaily.com

Prenatal Smoking Increases ADHD Risk in Babies

Expectant mothers who smoke and are exposed to lead are eight times as likely to have a child with ADHD, a new study shows.

From the Palm Beach Post's Health section:

The researchers concluded that about 38 percent of ADHD cases among children aged 8 to 15 in the United States may be caused by prenatal exposure to tobacco smoke, while 25 percent of ADHD cases are due to lead exposure, according to the study in the Nov. 23 online issue of Pediatrics.

Outdoor Smoking Areas Dangerous

A new study shows that extremely high levels of nicotine byproducts can be found in outdoor smoking areas. One of the study's researchers explains in this quote from a story at ScienceDaily.com:

"Indoor smoking bans have helped to create more of these outdoor environments where people are exposed to secondhand smoke," said study co-author Luke Naeher, associate professor in the UGA College of Public Health. "We know from our previous study that there are measurable airborne levels of secondhand smoke in these environments, and we know from this study that we can measure internal exposure.

"Secondhand smoke contains several known carcinogens and the current thinking is that there is no safe level of exposure," he added. "So the levels that we are seeing are a potential public health issue."

"Light" Cigarettes Not the Answer to Quit Smoking

Low tar cigarettes may seem like a good idea to those who want to kick the nasty - and expensive - habit. However, people who smoke light cigarettes are half as likely to actually quit.

That's according to a new study by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. 

More on the Web:

Want to Quit Smoking? Don't Turn to Light Cigarettes (FoxNews)

Switching Cigarettes May Hinder a Smokers' Efforts to Quit (The Guardian)

Study: Young Arteries Damaged by Smoking

Just one cigarette can harden arteries in Canadian youth.

That's according to a new study presented at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2009.

The study shows that it takes just one cigarette to harden arteries in 18 to 30 year olds.

The results are available in this Times of India article.

Secondhand Smoke Could Lead to Respiratory Infections

Secondhand smoke exposure could hinder the body's production of immune cells that fight respiratory diseases.

That's according to a new study published by Spanish and U.K. researchers in the journal Infection and Immunity.

ScienceDaily.com has the details on the study.