Tobacco.org

• Estimating the probability of smoking cessation in Italy: stall in quitting levels, 1986-2009 

Results

Annual cessation probabilities were higher than 5% only in elderly persons and in women aged < 30 years, while in adults aged 30-49 and 50-59 cessations were about 2% and 3-5%, respectively. Most of quit probabilities stalled from 1986 to 2009. . . .

Conclusions

Over the last 20 years, cessation probabilities among Italian smokers, particularly for those aged 30-59 years, have been very low and stalled. Quitting in Italy is considered as a practicable strategy only by women in the age of pregnancy and by elderly persons, when it's likely that symptoms of tobacco-related diseases have already appeared. In order to increase cessation probabilities, smoking cessation treatment policies (introducing total reimbursement of cessation treatments, with a further development of quitlines and smoking cessation services) should be empowered and a country-wide mass media campaign targeting smokers aged 30-59 years and focusing on promotion of quitting should be implemented.

Jump to full article »

Smoking is cool, says DSquared: Cigarettes on the catwalk and the front row at Milan show  

And just six months on, the Canadian designers have again taken a leaf out of Kate Moss' book by getting their models to walk down the runway in Milan holding cigarettes.

Ms Moss famously smoked at a Louis Vuitton show this time last year - flouting an indoor smoking ban in Paris.

And a similar ban in Italy perhaps explains why the cigarettes held by DSquared models were mainly used as accessories. The women modelling brothers Dean and Dan Caten's Sixties-inspired outfits rarely brought the cigarettes anywhere near their mouths.

The same cannot be said for Zombie Boy, Lady Gaga's friend who was sitting in the front row.

Everyone's at it: Model Rick Genest, aka Zombie Boy, was smoking too - from the front row

The tattoo-covered 26-year-old puffed away before the show as he posed for photographers.

It really did seem like the whole show was geared up to give the message that smoking is cool.

Or perhaps it was all just an homage to Mad Men?

Jump to full article »

• Milan Fashion Week 2012: Cigarettes on catwalk and front row at DSquared show  

the Canadian designers have again taken a leaf out of Kate Moss' book by getting their models to walk down the runway in Milan holding cigarettes.

Ms Moss famously smoked at a Louis Vuitton show this time last year - flouting an indoor smoking ban in Paris.

And a similar ban in Italy perhaps explains why the cigarettes held by DSquared models were mainly used as accessories. The women modelling brothers Dean and Dan Caten's Sixties-inspired outfits rarely brought the cigarettes anywhere near their mouths.

The same cannot be said for Zombie Boy, Lady Gaga's friend who was sitting in the front row. . . .

The tattoo-covered 26-year-old puffed away before the show as he posed for photographers.

It really did seem like the whole show was geared up to give the message that smoking is cool.

Or perhaps it was all just an homage to Mad Men? . . .

But it is the cigarettes the models were carrying that will make the most lasting impression - particularly as the show had a rather inappropriate school hall-style setting and many of the models must still be in their teens.

Let's hope that that smoking is one fashion trend that will not catch on.

Jump to full article »

• Italians seeing increase in health issues  

An increasing number of Italians face serious health issues brought on by sedentary lifestyles, smoking and drinking, Italy's Higher Health Institute said.

High cholesterol, hypertension, respiratory illness and type-2 diabetes, all of which are directly related to diet and lack of exercise, are on the rise in Italy, Italy's ANSA news agency reported.

The report from the Higher Health Institute, released Friday . . .

Health issues directly related to poor diet, smoking and drinking are more prevalent in central and southern Italy, the report said.

Jump to full article »

A population-based cohort study of chest x-ray screening in smokers: lung cancer detection findings and follow-up 

Background

Case-control studies of mass screening for lung cancer (LC) by chest x-rays (CXR) performed in the 1990s in scarcely defined Japanese target populations indicated significant mortality reductions, but these results are yet to be confirmed in western countries. To ascertain whether CXR screening decreases LC mortality at community level, we studied a clearly defined population-based cohort of smokers invited to screening. We present here the LC detection results and the 10-year survival rates.

Methods

The cohort of all smokers of >10 pack-years resident in 50 communities of Varese, screening-eligible (n = 5,815), in July 1997 was invited to nonrandomized CXR screening. . . .

Conclusion

In the setting of CXR screening offered to a population-based cohort of smokers, screening participants who were diagnosed with LC had more frequently early-stage resectable disease and significantly enhanced long-term LC survival. These results translated into enhanced 10-year LC survival, independently related to CXR screening exposure, in the entire population-based cohort. Whether increased long-term LC-specific survival in the cohort corresponds to mortality reduction remains to be evaluated.

Jump to full article »

• Association between exposure to secondhand smoke and sleep bruxism in children: a randomised control study 

Exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) is a serious public health threat and represents a preventable cause of morbidity among children. Sleep bruxism is characterised by teeth grinding or clenching movements during sleep and may begin in adulthood as well as in childhood. . . .

Conclusion

The findings showed that high and moderate exposure to SHS is associated with sleep bruxism in children.

Jump to full article »

Mancini advises Mario Balotelli over smoking  

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has admitted that if Mario Balotelli was his son he would give him "a kick up the arse" for his smoking habit.

Balotelli, 21, has been no stranger to the limelight following a string of off-the-field misdemeanours, including recently escaping unharmed after his bathroom was set on fire by a firework. . . .

"I have told him it is better that he doesn't smoke because I am always against cigarettes and that's why my son doesn't smoke.

"There are players in Italy who smoke and some over here but I don't think he smokes a lot - maybe five or six a day."

Jump to full article »

Is Second-Hand Coke As Dangerous As Second-Hand Smoke? This Possibility is Worth Exploring, Researchers Say  

Can second-hand coke be as dangerous as second-hand smoke? This will be a new area for research as a new study has found that regions with high level of cocaine and marijuana use have higher concentrations of cocaine in the atmosphere.

The study also revealed a statistical relationships between cocaine levels and some cancers, and between cannabinoid levels and mental disorders. But Cecinato cautions about the meaning of these correlations, adding that the study could be a starting point for future research.

Analytical chemist Angelo Cecinato and colleagues at the Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research in Rome who conducted a follow up study made by on the correlation between illicit drugs and the presence of airborne cocaine in Rome and some parts of Italy, also found out that there is a correlation between the level of airborne coke with the amount of drugs seized by police, and even a possible association with some types of crime, including robbery. . . .

The team reported their findings in the Science of the Total Environment.

Jump to full article »

The Pap smear screening as an occasion for smoking cessation and physical activity counselling: Baseline characteristics of women involved in the SPRINT randomized controlled trial 

Discussion

Out of the 5,657 women undergoing the Pap examination, 1,100 participants (55% of smokers) were randomized in 1 of the 3 study groups (363 in the S, 366 in the S + PA and 371 in the C groups). The three arms did not differ on any demographic, PA, or tobacco-use characteristics. Recruited smokers were older, less educated than non-participant women, more motivated to quit (33% vs.9% in the Preparation stage, p < 0.001), smoked more cigarettes per day (12 vs.9, p < 0.001), and were more likely to have already done 1 or more quit attempts (64% vs.50%, p < 0.001). The approach of SPRINT study appeared suitable to enrol less educated women who usually smoke more and have more difficulties to quit.

Jump to full article »

• Effect of an Electronic Nicotine Delivery Device (e-Cigarette) on Smoking Reduction and Cessation: A Prospective 6-Month Pilot Study [FREE FULL TEXT] 

Background: Cigarette smoking is a tough addiction to break. Therefore, improved approaches to smoking cessation are necessary. The electronic-cigarette (e-Cigarette), a battery-powered electronic nicotine delivery device (ENDD) resembling a cigarette, may help smokers to remain abstinent during their quit attempt or to reduce cigarette consumption. Efficacy and safety of these devices in long-term smoking cessation and/or smoking reduction studies have never been investigated. Methods: In this prospective proof-of-concept study we monitored possible modifications in smoking habits of 40 regular smokers (unwilling to quit) experimenting the ‘Categoria’ e-Cigarette with a focus on smoking reduction and smoking abstinence. Study participants were invited to attend a total of five study visits: at baseline, week-4, week-8, week-12 and week-24. Product use, number of cigarettes smoked, and exhaled carbon monoxide (eCO) levels were measured at each visit. Smoking reduction and abstinence rates were calculated. Adverse events and product preferences were also reviewed.

Results: Sustained 50% reduction in the number of cig/day at week-24 was shown in 13/40(32.5%) participants; their median of 25 cigs/day decreasing to 6 cigs/day (p<0.001). Sustained 80% reduction was shown in 5/40(12.5%) participants; their median of 30 cigs/day decreasing to 3 cigs/day (p=0.043). Sustained smoking abstinence at week-24 was observed in 9/40(22.5%) participants, with 6/9 still using the e-Cigarette by the end of the study. Combined sustained 50% reduction and smoking abstinence was shown in 22/40 (55%) participants, with an overall 88% fall in cigs/day. Mouth (20.6%) and throat (32.4%) irritation, and dry cough (32.4%) were common, but diminished substantially by week-24. Overall, 2 to 3 cartridges/day were used throughout the study. Participants’ perception and acceptance of the product was good. . . .

CONCLUSIONS

Current smoking cessation interventions can increase the chance of quitting in committed smokers who are already motivated and prepared to stop smoking [33], but a broader range of interventions are needed in order to bring more smokers into treatment and increase the numbers who are motivated to make quit attempts. Although not formally regulated as a pharmaceutical product, the e- Cigarette can help smokers to remain abstinent or reduce their cigarette consumption. By replacing tobacco cigarettes, the e-cigarette can only save lives.

Here we show for the first time that e-Cigarettes can substantially decrease cigarette consumption without causing significant side effects in smokers not intending to quit. However, large and carefully conducted RCTs will be required before a definite answer about the efficacy and safety of these devices can be formulated. Some of these trials are now in progress in Italy [34-36] and New Zealand [37] and hopefully they will be able to confirm and expand the preliminary observations reported in the present article.

Jump to full article »

Market Report, "Smoking Tobacco in Italy", published 

RYO tobacco and pipe tobacco are mainly popular amongst male smokers from lower-income groups. The consumers of RYO tobacco are classified into two main categories. Loyal RYO tobacco smokers prefer its taste to cigarettes, and frequently view RYO tobacco as more natural and containing fewer chemicals than cigarette tobacco. In addition, a greater number of smokers were switching to RYO tobacco towards the end of the review period for reasons of economy. Over the review period, the wider...

Euromonitor International's Smoking Tobacco in Italy report offers a comprehensive guide to the size and shape of the market at a national level. It provides the latest retail sales data 2006-2010, allowing you to identify the sectors driving growth. It identifies the leading companies, the leading brands and offers strategic analysis of key factors influencing the market - be the new legislative, distribution or pricing issues. Forecasts to 2015 illustrate how the market is set to change.

Jump to full article »

What now for Foxy?  

Yet the man who really set her in his sights and would become her nemesis was the veteran local prosecutor, Giuliano Mignini -- and it is he who must bear the heaviest responsibility for her wrongful conviction.

Almost from the moment the pipe-smoking Mignini viewed Meredith's semi-naked body under a duvet ('Only a woman would have covered her up after killing her,' he told me), he formed the theory that she had been killed in some sort of twisted, ritualistic sex game, and Knox was among the culprits.

Jump to full article »

Smoking Tobacco in Italy - Market Report - new market report published 

RYO tobacco and pipe tobacco are mainly popular amongst male smokers from lower-income groups. The consumers of RYO tobacco are classified into two main categories. Loyal RYO tobacco smokers prefer its taste to cigarettes, and frequently view RYO tobacco as more natural and containing fewer chemicals than cigarette tobacco. In addition, a greater number of smokers were switching to RYO tobacco towards the end of the review period for reasons of economy. Over the review period, the wider...

The Smoking Tobacco in Italy report offers a comprehensive guide to the size and shape of the market at a national level. It provides the latest retail sales data 2006-2010, allowing you to identify the sectors driving growth. It identifies the leading companies, the leading brands and offers strategic analysis of key factors influencing the market - be the new legislative, distribution or pricing issues. Forecasts to 2015 illustrate how the market is set to change.

Jump to full article »

Universal Corporation Reports EU Court Decision  

Universal Corporation (NYSE: UVV) (the "Company") announced that earlier today the General Court of the European Union (the "Court") issued a decision rejecting the appeal of Deltafina, S.p.A, its Italian subsidiary. That appeal related to the European Commission's revocation of Deltafina's immunity from a penalty of EUR 30 million (about $41 million on September 9, 2011) assessed against Deltafina and the Company jointly for actions in connection with Deltafina's purchase and processing of tobacco in the Italian raw tobacco market between 1995 and 2002.

The Company and Deltafina are reviewing the decision and will evaluate whether to file an appeal. At this time, it is likely that the Company will accrue a charge for the fine and related interest in the quarter that will end on September 30, 2011. That amount, as of September 9, 2011, is estimated at approximately $49 million at current market exchange rates.

Jump to full article »

Commission welcomes Court judgments in Italian raw tobacco cartel 

The European Commission welcomes the judgments by the General Court which uphold a decision of 2005 fining Italian tobacco processors (including Deltafina and Alliance One and its subsidiaries) for operating a buying cartel in the Italian raw tobacco market.

The Deltafina judgment is very important because it confirms the Commission's policy of granting immunity to a cartel participant only if its cooperation is "full, continuous and expeditious" as stated in the Leniency Notice on immunity or reductions from fines.

Jump to full article »