Treatobacco.net

Treatobacco.net: "Welcome to Treatobacco.net

Treatobacco.net is an essential resource for those working on the treatment of tobacco dependence throughout the world. It presents authoritative evidence-based information about the treatment of tobacco dependence, under five headings:
Efficacy
Safety
Demographics and Health Effects
Health Economics
Policy

Key findings, commentaries and supporting references have been collated and reviewed by over 40 international experts and the evidence is periodically updated to incorporate new research. Referenced slide kits and other resources can also be downloaded from the site.

Treatobacco.net is run by the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT) and the World Health Organization (WHO), and is a collaborative initiative between public and private organizations. Treatobacco.net is currently available in 11 languages making it a genuinely international resource for those interested in treating tobacco dependence around the world.

Please contact us at info@treatobacco.net "

Public Health and tobacco control in Brazil

José Gomes Temporão
Cadernos de Saúde Pública - Public Health and tobacco control in Brazil: "According to estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO), smoking accounts for 5 million deaths annually and may reach 10 million a year in the next 15 years if nothing is done to prevent the expansion of tobacco consumption, currently concentrated in the developing countries.
This scenario led 190 countries to propose, during the World Health Assembly (WHA) in 1999, the negotiation of the first international public health treaty, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), which aims to 'protect the present and future generations from the devastating health, social, environmental, and economic consequences of tobacco consumption'. The Convention sets international tobacco control standards in the areas of advertising, tax and price policy, product labeling, illicit trade, passive smoking, and others."

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Smoking and fat speed up ageing, say researchers

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Smoking and fat speed up ageing, say researchers
James Meikle, health correspondent
Tuesday June 14, 2005
The Guardian

Smoking and obesity accelerate people's biological ageing processes as well as shortening their lives, researchers suggested last night.

Tobacco and having too much fat speed up the rate of DNA damage so that being obese adds nearly nine years to a person's age, while smoking a pack of cigarettes a day for 40 years adds more than seven, according to Tim Spector of St Thomas's hospital, London.

"We have shown someone who smokes and is obese at 30 can look and feel like someone who is 40. If you tell a girl in her teens or her 20s that if she carries on smoking she could die at 75 instead of 80, it might not have much effect. But if you tell her she is going to look much older when she is still a young woman, that could make her consider giving up cigarettes and eat healthily."

Article continues
Professor Spector and colleagues in the US reported their findings in a research letter published online by the Lancet. They analysed telomeres, sections of DNA that cap the ends of chromosomes in cells and prevent damaging unions with other chromosomes. Every time a cell divides, and as people age, their telomeres get shorter.

Doctors have long warned of the dangers to longevity from smoking and obesity, but analysing the molecular consequences is a far newer science. "Obesity and cigarettes cause oxidative stress to increase and this cumulative damage over time causes the loss of the telomeres, which we believe is a marker of accelerative ageing and accounts for why these people get heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis and other age-related disease," said Prof Spector.

The investigators measured concentrations of a body fat regulator, leptin, and telomere length in blood samples from 1,122 women between 18 and 76. Telomere length decreased steadily with age, and telomeres of obese women and smokers were much shorter than those of lean women and those who had never smoked.

Prof Spector said: "The difference in telomere length between being lean and being obese corresponds to 8.8 years of ageing, smoking (previous or current) corresponds on average to 4.6 years of ageing, and smoking a pack per day for four years corresponds to 7.4 years of ageing."

But ex-smokers had less shortening of their telomeres than those who still smoked. "Their rate of loss slows down. There is a point in giving up."

Despite these average trends, there was still variability between individuals, he said. It could be that people are born with a genetic susceptibility. Further work was under way to establish whether those with shorter telomeres had more arthritis, heart disease and hormonal problems, for instance with ovarian function.

There was not enough information at present for screening tests, he said, and for the moment the picture gave averages, rather than focusing on individuals.

However, he could see tests being developed in the future. "I am not sure everyone would necessarily want to know what they have been doing to themselves."

Lorna Layward, the research director of Help the Aged, said people already knew about the dangers of smoking and obesity. "While the [new] research is not conclusive, we should take heed of the alarm bells. Most over-65s are not getting enough exercise, which has massive implications aside from obesity, such as declining strength and mobility. Giving up smoking is the biggest thing you can do to reduce your chances of developing coronary heart disease."

Smoking and fat speed up ageing, say researchers
http://www.guardian.co.uk/smoking/Story/0,2763,1505964,00.html

James Meikle, health correspondent
Tuesday June 14, 2005
The Guardian

Smoking and obesity accelerate people's biological ageing processes as well as shortening their lives, researchers suggested last night.

Tobacco and having too much fat speed up the rate of DNA damage so that being obese adds nearly nine years to a person's age, while smoking a pack of cigarettes a day for 40 years adds more than seven, according to Tim Spector of St Thomas's hospital, London.

"We have shown someone who smokes and is obese at 30 can look and feel like someone who is 40. If you tell a girl in her teens or her 20s that if she carries on smoking she could die at 75 instead of 80, it might not have much effect. But if you tell her she is going to look much older when she is still a young woman, that could make her consider giving up cigarettes and eat healthily."

Article continues

---

---

Professor Spector and colleagues in the US reported their findings in a research letter published online by the Lancet. They analysed telomeres, sections of DNA that cap the ends of chromosomes in cells and prevent damaging unions with other chromosomes. Every time a cell divides, and as people age, their telomeres get shorter.

Doctors have long warned of the dangers to longevity from smoking and obesity, but analysing the molecular consequences is a far newer science. "Obesity and cigarettes cause oxidative stress to increase and this cumulative damage over time causes the loss of the telomeres, which we believe is a marker of accelerative ageing and accounts for why these people get heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis and other age-related disease," said Prof Spector.

The investigators measured concentrations of a body fat regulator, leptin, and telomere length in blood samples from 1,122 women between 18 and 76. Telomere length decreased steadily with age, and telomeres of obese women and smokers were much shorter than those of lean women and those who had never smoked.

Prof Spector said: "The difference in telomere length between being lean and being obese corresponds to 8.8 years of ageing, smoking (previous or current) corresponds on average to 4.6 years of ageing, and smoking a pack per day for four years corresponds to 7.4 years of ageing."

But ex-smokers had less shortening of their telomeres than those who still smoked. "Their rate of loss slows down. There is a point in giving up."

Despite these average trends, there was still variability between individuals, he said. It could be that people are born with a genetic susceptibility. Further work was under way to establish whether those with shorter telomeres had more arthritis, heart disease and hormonal problems, for instance with ovarian function.

There was not enough information at present for screening tests, he said, and for the moment the picture gave averages, rather than focusing on individuals.

However, he could see tests being developed in the future. "I am not sure everyone would necessarily want to know what they have been doing to themselves."

Lorna Layward, the research director of Help the Aged, said people already knew about the dangers of smoking and obesity. "While the [new] research is not conclusive, we should take heed of the alarm bells. Most over-65s are not getting enough exercise, which has massive implications aside from obesity, such as declining strength and mobility. Giving up smoking is the biggest thing you can do to reduce your chances of developing coronary heart disease."

A culpa ainda é da vítima?

clicRBS
(Artigo do Jornal Zero Hora do dia 13 de junho de 2005)
A culpa ainda é da vítima?
PEDRO RUAS/ Advogado

O jornal Zero Hora do dia 9 deste mês, trouxe a notícia de um julgamento importante, ocorrido na 1ª Vara Cível do município de Alvorada (RS). Em uma ação indenizatória, a família de Valcir Frigi alegou que sua morte ocorreu em função de enfisema pulmonar decorrente do tabagismo, pleiteando uma indenização por danos materiais e morais contra as empresas Phillip Morris Brasil e Souza Cruz. Pelo resumo publicado da sentença, conclui-se que restou provado que a doença fatal se desenvolveu em função do consumo de cigarros durante muitos anos e, apesar disso, o juiz negou a pretensão dos herdeiros sob o argumento de que "a improcedência da ação vem amparada na culpa exclusiva da vítima, já que, conhecendo os malefícios que o hábito de fumar poderia acarretar, mesmo assim permaneceu fumante por muitos anos, sendo evidentemente possível parar com o consumo de cigarros como milhões de fumantes já o fizeram".

Não conheço os autores da ação, nem o juiz que proferiu a decisão. Tampouco advogo na área cível, pois atuo somente na Justiça do Trabalho. Contudo, salta aos olhos que a sociedade deve preocupar-se com esse posicionamento, já que é divergente dos avanços mundiais no exame em tal tipo de matéria. Na verdade, quanto mais desenvolvidos os países, maiores têm sido as punições para as empresas que produzem e estimulam - principalmente entre os jovens - o consumo de cigarros, o que leva à conclusão de que a capacidade de punir os produtores é um dos critérios de avaliação de desenvolvimento de cada sociedade.

Como a matéria é pública, pode-se afirmar que a sentença desconheceu os estudos que nortearam a inclusão do tabagismo como doença mental, o que retira da maioria dos fumantes essa suposta capacidade de parar de fumar quando quiserem, mesmo que alguns consigam fazê-lo. Também ignora a sentença que a nicotina é um elemento químico cuja ausência, por minutos ou horas, comprovadamente produz síndrome de abstinência, com sintomas que variam em cada indivíduo, isto sem falar no fumante passivo, que não tem alternativa de deixar de fazer o que já não faz, além daqueles que, mesmo superando o tabagismo, terminam doentes em decorrência do período em que anteriormente foram fumantes.

Décadas atrás de outros países, o Brasil ainda engatinha nas medidas de combate ao cigarro, tendo conseguido, há pouco tempo, legislação restritiva da propaganda indiscriminada de seu consumo. Assim, é preocupante uma sentença que anda na contramão da História, o que se espera que seja um caso isolado das demandas semelhantes que os tribunais pátrios ainda vão examinar. Nesse tema, como em outros, o avanço nunca é culpar as vítimas, mas, sim, quem as produz.

::: V Congresso da Sociedade Brasileira de Psicologia Hospitalar :::

::: V Congresso da Sociedade Brasileira de Psicologia Hospitalar :::
De: Silvia Maria Cury Ismael [mailto:sismael@hcor.com.br]

Venho por meio desta divulgar o V Congresso da Sociedade Brasileira de Psicologia Hospitalar em São Paulo de 7 a 10 de setembro.
Mesmo sabendo que sua lista é na maioria da área médica pode ser que existam médicos que trabalhem com psicólogos. Caso não possa, não há nenhum problema em me dizer.
Se o senhor quiser visitar o site é www.sbph.org.br tem um link do evento.
Grata pela atenção.

Silvia Cury

IX Simpósio Internacional de Tratamento do Tabagismo

:: C&M Congresses and Meetings ::
IX Simpósio Internacional de Tratamento do Tabagismo

VI Simpósio Internacional de Álcool e Outras Drogas

I Simpósio de Jogo Patológico e Outros Transtornos de Impulso

Framework Convention Alliance for Tobacco Control

Framework Convention Alliance for Tobacco Control
The FACTS

Tobacco kills almost five million people each year. If current trends continue, it is projected to kill 10 million people a year by 2020, with 70% of those deaths occurring in developing countries. Tobacco also takes an enormous toll in health care costs, lost productivity, and of course the intangible costs of the pain and suffering inflicted upon smokers, passive smokers and their families.

The TREATY

In May 2003, the member countries of the World Health Organization adopted an historic tobacco control treaty, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which has the potential to reduce this terrible toll.

The ALLIANCE

The Framework Convention Alliance is made up of approximately 200 organizations representing about 80 countries around the world. It was created to support the development, ratification, and implementation of the WHO FCTC. This website will provide you with the resources you need to take the vision of this treaty and make it a reality. You will find details on the specific provisions of the FCTC, signing and ratification information and extensive links to online tobacco resources. Thank you for visiting, and please let us know how we can improve this site.

Philip Morris contra el tabaco

Philip Morris contra el tabaco > elmundo.es salud: "Philip Morris contra el tabaco

La compañia tabaquera informa de los riesgos del tabaco a partir de folletos incluidos en las cajetillas y panfletos distribuidos en los estancos"
MARÍA SAINZ
Detalle de uno de los panfletos que se pueden encontrar en los estancos
Detalle de uno de los panfletos que se pueden encontrar en los estancos
A D E M Á S ...

* Los documentos de las tabaqueras

>>> informaciones anteriores

* Las tabaqueras y el gobierno de EEUU negocian un acuerdo
* Fumadores por la Tolerancia, acusada de estar al servicio de las compañías tabaqueras
* Philip Morris ocultó la relación entre el tabaco y la muerte súbita infantil
* Nuevos datos sobre las maniobras para ocultar el daño del tabaco

>> NOTICIAS RELACIONADAS

Después de haber escondido durante 30 años los efectos negativos del tabaco ambiental y de haber financiado estudios que negasen el peligro de los cigarrillos -entre otras muchas estrategias-, Philip Morris intenta lavar su imagen incluyendo folletos informativos en los paquetes de cigarrillos y distribuyéndolos en los puntos de venta. "Fumar acorta la vida", reconoce el encarte.

Effectiveness of a large-scale distribution programme of free nicotine patches: a prospective evaluation

The Lancet: "Effectiveness of a large-scale distribution programme of free nicotine patches: a prospective evaluation

Nancy Miller a, Thomas R Frieden email address a Corresponding Author Information, Sze Yan Liu a, Thomas D Matte a, Farzad Mostashari a, Deborah R Deitcher a, K Michael Cummings b, Christina Chang a, Ursula Bauer c and Mary T Bassett a
Summary
Background

After an increase in cigarette taxes and implementation of smoke-free workplace legislation, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the New York State Department of Health, and the Roswell Park Cancer Institute undertook large-scale distribution of free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). We did a 6 month follow-up survey to assess the success of this programme in improving smoking cessation on a population basis."

Cigarette firms attempt to lure women

IOL: Cigarette firms attempt to lure women
Cigarette firms attempt to lure women

By Michael Kunzelman

Tobacco companies have done elaborate research on women to figure out how to hook them on smoking - even toying with the idea of chocolate-flavoured cigarettes that would curb appetite, according to a new analysis.

Researchers at Harvard University's School of Public Health said they examined more than seven million documents - some dating back to 1969, others as recent as 2000 - for new details about the industry's efforts to lure more women smokers.

Carrie Carpenter, the study's lead author, said companies' research went far beyond a marketing or advertising campaign.

Cardiovascular Effects of Secondhand Smoke Nearly as Large as Smoking

Cardiovascular Effects of Secondhand Smoke Nearly as Large as Smoking
Joaquin Barnoya, MD, MPH; Stanton A. Glantz, PhD
Background—Secondhand smoke increases the risk of coronary heart disease by
30%. This effect is larger than one would expect on the basis of the risks associated with active smoking and the relative doses of tobacco smoke delivered to smokers and nonsmokers.
Methods and Results—We conducted a literature review of the research describing the mechanistic effects of secondhand smoke on the cardiovascular system, emphasizing research published since 1995, and compared the effects of secondhand smoke with the effects of active smoking. Evidence is rapidly accumulating that the cardiovascular system—platelet and endothelial function, arterial stiffness, atherosclerosis, oxidative stress, inflammation, heart rate variability, energy metabolism, and increased infarct size—is exquisitely sensitive to the toxins in secondhand smoke. The effects of even brief (minutes to hours) passive smoking are often nearly as large (averaging 80% to 90%) as chronic active smoking.
Conclusions—The effects of secondhand smoke are substantial and rapid, explaining the relatively large risks that have been reported in epidemiological studies. (Circulation. 2005;111:2684-2698.)
Key Words: smoking; cardiovascular diseases; endothelium; epidemiology; tobacco smoke pollution
Secondhand smoke (SHS) increases the risk of heart disease by
30%,1–7 accounting for at least 35 000 deaths annually in the United States.2,8 Protection of nonsmokers through smoke-free environments leads to a decrease
in heart disease mortality through a combination of reduced exposure to SHS and an environment that makes it
easier for smokers to stop smoking.9 The California Tobacco Control Program that stressed smoke-free policies has been associated with preventing 59 000 deaths resulting from heart disease between 1989 and 1997.10 An evaluation of a geographically isolated community (Helena, Mont) showed that the number of hospital admissions resulting from acute myocardial infarction decreased after the implementation of a law ending smoking in public and workplaces, an effect that partially reversed when enforcement of the law was suspended by a lawsuit.11 The effects observed in epidemiological studies are both larger and faster than one would expect if there were a simple linear dose-response relationship between level of smoke exposure in passive smokers and active smokers.12 Despite the fact that the dose of smoke delivered to active smokers is 100 times or more that delivered to a passive smoker, the relative risk of coronary heart disease for smokers is 1.78,5 compared with 1.31 for passive smokers (Figure 1). Rapidly accumulating evidence, however, indicates that many important responses of the cardiovascular system (Table 1) are exquisitely sensitive to the toxins in SHS. These mechanisms, rather than isolated events, interact with each other to increase the risk of heart disease.
The present article extends earlier reviews of the biological effects of SHS on the cardiovascular system,3–5,14–21 with particular emphasis on literature on the effects of low doses of tobacco smoke exposure and the speed of the effect on the cardiovascular system. In many cases, the effects of even brief (minutes to hours) passive smoking are nearly as large as those from chronic active smoking.