E-cigarettes and smokeless tobacco can put you at a greater risk of oral cancer, says study

Source: www.thehealthsite.com Author: Sreemoyee Chatterjee Not just cigarette smokers, those smoking e-cigarettes as well as consuming smokeless tobacco like chewing tobacco and more are at greater risk of developing oral cancer, shows a recent study conducted by University of California. In case you think only cigarette smokers are at a higher risk of getting oral cancer, you are widely mistaken. A recent study has found that a wide majority of non-cigarette tobacco users as well those using electronic cigarettes are exposed to considerable level of carcinogen, as much as a cigarette user is exposed to. Not just that, shockingly smokeless tobacco users were found at a greater exposure to tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNA). The study has been conducted by the scholars from University of California, San Francisco. Starting from cigarettes to cigar, waterpipes, pipes, marijuana containing cigar to smokeless products like moist snuff, chewing tobacco, e-cigarettes, snus and other nicotine replacement products can increase your chance of getting oral cancer, revealed the study. What is Oral cancer? Belonging to the head and neck cancer group, oral cancer is a type of cancer that grows in mouth or throat tissues and mostly hit the squamous cells of your mouth, tongue and lips. Oral cancer can of several types – lip cancer, tongue cancer, cancer in the inner lining of your cheek, gums, floor of the mouth and hard and soft palate. It is important to go to a dentist for a biannual check-up for early detection of oral cancer, experts say. Due [...]

Smoking hits new low; about 14 percent of US adults light up

Source: https://flipboard.com Author: Mike Strobbe, AP Medical Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Smoking in the U.S. has hit another all-time low. About 14 percent of U.S adults were smokers last year, down from about 16 percent the year before, government figures show. There hadn't been much change the previous two years, but it's been clear there's been a general decline and the new figures show it's continuing, said K. Michael Cummings of the tobacco research program at Medical University of South Carolina. "Everything is pointed in the right direction," including falling cigarette sales and other indicators, Cummings said. The new figures released Tuesday mean there are still more than 30 million adult smokers in the U.S., he added. Teens are also shunning cigarettes. Survey results out last week showed smoking among high school students was down to 9 percent, also a new low. In the early 1960s, roughly 42 percent of U.S. adults smoked. It was common nearly everywhere — in office buildings, restaurants, airplanes and even hospitals. The decline has coincided with a greater understanding that smoking is a cause of cancer, heart disease and other health problems. Anti-smoking campaigns, cigarette taxes and smoking bans are combining to bring down adult smoking rates, experts say. The launch of electronic cigarettes and their growing popularity has also likely played a role. E-cigarettes heat liquid nicotine into a vapor without the harmful by-products generated from burning tobacco. That makes them a potentially useful tool to help smokers quit, but some public health experts [...]

2018-06-20T10:10:36-07:00June, 2018|Oral Cancer News|

Troisi: Raising age on tobacco purchases would protect Texas children

Source: www.mystatesman.com Author: Catherine Troisi Tobacco products are a known cancer-causing agent and responsible for one in three cancer deaths. Smoking kills more people than alcohol, AIDS, car crashes, illegal drugs, murders and suicides combined — and thousands more die from smoking-related causes such as fires caused by smoldering cigarettes. E-cigarettes, often touted as a safer alternative, have not been well-studied and may contain unknown poisons. We are not protecting our children from this danger. Unlike alcohol sales, where you have to be 21 years to purchase legally, adolescents and young adults 18 and over can purchase tobacco products. While the Texas Legislature wisely raised the age to buy e-cigarettes from 14 to 18 years last year, it’s time to look at raising the legal age for all tobacco products to 21. The problem is not just those age 18 and older smoking. This young legal age to purchase makes it easier for children under age 18 to get access to cigarettes and other products. Each year, 19,000 Texas children under the age of 18 start smoking. In Texas, almost one out of every six high school students smokes — and over their lifetime, half a million Texans who started smoking under age 18 will ultimately die of tobacco-related diseases. Most of us have someone in our family or know someone who has been affected by a tobacco-related disease. A colleague lost both parents and his only sibling as a result of smoking that began when they were teens. Each [...]

California Raises Smoking Age To 21

Source: www.huffingtonpost.comAuthor: Huffington Post Staff  The law makes it the second state to raise the minimum age to 21, following Hawaii.   SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - California will raise the legal age for purchasing tobacco products to 21 from 18 under a bill signed on Wednesday by Democratic Governor Jerry Brown, part of a package of anti-smoking measures that also regulates electronic cigarettes. Under five bills signed into law on Wednesday, California will ban the sale of vaping products or tobacco to anyone under the age of 21, imposing a fine of up to $5,000 against companies that violate the law. “It is long past due for California to update our approach to tobacco,” said Steven Larson, president of the California Medical Association. “There has been an alarming rise in the use of e-cigarettes by teens, putting them at risk for lifelong addiction.” Under the measures, electronic cigarettes will be regulated like traditional ones. That means that wherever cigarettes are banned, such as in restaurants, workplaces and public areas, use of e-cigarettes will also be prohibited. The state will also expand its funding for anti-smoking programs under the bills. Brown stopped short of allowing local counties to impose their own tobacco taxes, noting in his veto message that several proposed new taxes would be placed before voters on the November ballot. *This news story was resourced by the Oral Cancer Foundation, and vetted for appropriateness and accuracy.

2016-05-05T12:59:24-07:00May, 2016|Oral Cancer News|

e-Cigarette Use Tied to Tobacco Use in Teenagers

Source: www.Medscape.comAuthor: Diana Swift e-Cigarette smoking appears to promote progression to traditional cigarette smoking and may be helping form a new population of smokers, according to a prospective study published online September 8 in JAMA Pediatrics. Brian A. Primack, MD, PhD, from the Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in Pennsylvania, and colleagues analyzed data on 694 young nonsmokers who were attitudinally nonsusceptible to smoking at baseline. The very small proportion (2.3%) who already used e-cigarettes at baseline proved more likely to progress to smoking or to being open to it. The cohort, which was more than 75% non-Hispanic white, consisted of 374 females. The mean age of the 16 baseline e-cigarette users was 19.5 years compared with 20 years for nonusers. Study data came from waves 2 and 3 of the US-based Dartmouth Media, Advertising, and Health Study, a national survey of adolescents and young adults aged 16 to 26 years who were recruited via random digit dialing using landline (66.7%) and cellular (33.3%) telephone numbers. The survey, conducted from October 1, 2012, to May 1, 2014, started tracking e-cigarette use at wave 2 (2012 - 2013), which served as the baseline, whereas wave 3 (2013 - 2014) served as follow-up for the current study. Eligible participants had to be never-smokers and attitudinally nonsusceptible to smoking at baseline. This was assessed with these questions: "If one of your friends offered you a cigarette, would you try it?" and "Do you think you will smoke a [...]

2016-02-10T17:34:33-07:00February, 2016|Oral Cancer News|

E-cigarettes may be ‘no better’ than smoking regular cigarettes, warn scientists

Source: www.independent.ie Author: staff According to a new study, the vapour from the electronic devices was shown to damage or even kill human cells during lab tests. The research comes as UK public health officials and Prime Minister David Cameron backed the use of e-cigarettes to help people quit smoking. An estimated 2.6 million people in the UK use e-cigarettes. They are to be licensed and regulated as an aid to quit smoking from 2016. Dr Jessica Wang-Rodriguez, co-author of the latest study, said: "Based on the evidence to date I believe they are no better than smoking regular cigarettes." The scientists treated cells in Petri dishes with vapour from a nicotine-based e-cigarette and a nicotine-free variety and found that the cells which had been exposed to the vapour were more likely to become damaged or die than those that had not. Those containing nicotine were also said to be more harmful than those that did not, although the authors said it may not be as a result of the addictive substance. Dr Wang-Rodriguez, chief of pathology at the San Diego branch of the US Department of Veteran Affairs, added: "There have been many studies showing that nicotine can damage cells. But we found that other variables can do damage as well. It's not that the nicotine is completely innocent in the mix, but it looks like the amount of nicotine that the cells are exposed to by e-cigarettes is not sufficient by itself to cause these changes. "There must [...]

2015-12-30T08:51:54-07:00December, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

E-cigarettes contain flavouring chemical linked to deadly ‘popcorn lung’

Source: The Telegraph Author: Sarah Knapton, Science Editor Public health experts are sharply divided about e‑cigarettes Photo: ALAMY   Three quarters of e-cigarettes tested by Harvard scientists contained the chemical diacetyl which is known to cause lung damage. Vapers could be at risk of developing the deadly disease ‘popcorn lung’ after scientists found a toxic chemical in 75 per cent of flavoured electronic cigarettes. Diacetyl, a chemical which is used as a butter substitute in flavours like Cotton Candy and Cupcake, has been linked to respiratory disease bronchiolitis obliterans Although it is thought to be safe when eaten, the United States National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has said it could be hazardous when inhaled over a long period. It follows incidences in several factories which manufacture microwave popcorn where workers developed bronchiolitis obliterans. Diacetyl is known to cause inflammation, scarring and constriction of the tiny airways in the lung known as bronchioles, reducing air flow. There is currently no known cure except for a lung transplantation. Researchers said 'urgent action' was needed to 'evaluate this potentially widespread exposure via flavoured e-cigarettes.' "Recognition of the hazards associated with inhaling flavouring chemicals started with 'Popcorn Lung' over a decade ago,” said lead author Joseph Allen, assistant professor of exposure assessment science at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “However, diacetyl and other related flavouring chemicals are used in many other flavours beyond butter-flavoured popcorn, including fruit flavours, alcohol flavours, and, we learned in our study, candy flavoured e-cigarettes." E-cigarettes use [...]

2015-12-09T10:52:17-07:00December, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

Researchers Find Hookah Smoking Can Lead to Serious Oral Conditions – Equivalent To Smoking 100 Cigarettes

Source: www.multivu.comAuthor: PR Newswire CHICAGO, Oct. 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2.3 million Americans smoke tobacco from pipes, and many of those who smoke waterpipes, or hookahs, believe it's less harmful than cigarettes. However, research published in The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) suggests hookah smoking is associated with serious oral conditions including gum diseases and cancer. "We found that waterpipe smoking is associated with serious health problems affecting the head and neck region," said study author Teja Munshi, B.D.S., M.P.H of Rutgers University. "The public needs to know they are putting themselves at risk. They should be made aware of the dangers of smoking hookahs." The authors conducted a literature review that focused on waterpipe smoking and head and neck conditions. They found waterpipe smoking to be associated with gum diseases, dry socket, oral cancer and esophageal cancer among other conditions. According to the World Health Organization, smoking a hookah is the equivalent of smoking 100 cigarettes, based on the duration and number of puffs in a smoking session. "This study sheds light on the common misconception that smoking from a waterpipe is somehow safer than smoking a cigarette," said JADA Editor Michael Glick, D.M.D. "Whether you are smoking a cigarette, an e-cigarette, a cigar, or tobacco from a waterpipe, smoking is dangerous not only to your oral health but to your overall health." The American Cancer Society is hosting The Great American Smokeout on November 19, 2015, an annual event that encourages [...]

2015-10-29T12:32:23-07:00October, 2015|Oral Cancer News|

E-cigarette laws may be harder to regulate than originally thought

Source: apnews.com or ap.orgAuthor: Summer Ballentine & Michael Felberbaum JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - In a rush to keep electronic cigarettes out of children's hands while the federal government creeps forward with a proposed national ban for minors, experts say that many states are passing laws that could mean fewer restrictions on the nicotine devices later. Lawmakers last month made Missouri the 41st state to outlaw selling e-cigarettes to minors. Age restrictions have wide support, but Gov. Jay Nixon and public health advocates opposed a piece of the legislation that prevents tobacco taxes or regulations from being imposed on the electronic devices, which heat liquid nicotine into an inhalable vapor. E-cigarette makers have been in a tug-of-war with state and federal governments since the battery-powered devices first were sold in the U.S. in 2007. A 2009 law gave the U.S. Food and Drug Administration the power to regulate a number of aspects of tobacco marketing and manufacturing. It first said it planned to assert authority over e-cigarettes in 2011, but it hasn't yet done so. In April, the FDA for the first time proposed a set of regulations for e-cigarettes, including banning sales to minors and requiring health warning labels, as well as approving new products. The agency has said its proposal sets a foundation for regulating the products but the rules wouldn't immediately ban the wide array of flavors of e-cigarettes or curb marketing on places like TV. In the absence of regulation, members of Congress, state leaders and public [...]

2014-10-07T13:01:37-07:00October, 2014|Oral Cancer News|

The Debate Over E-Cigarettes Begins

Source: TIME.comAuthor: Mandy Oaklander The debate over the safety of e-cigarettes, and whether they will help smokers to quit, or simply make it easier for them to start or continue lighting up, heated up this week. On one side of the disagreement are those pushing for regulation. In 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) began a review of data on e-cigarettes and based on studies conducted so far, last month recommended tighter regulation of the devices to protect consumers’ health. But in a new article published in the journal Addiction, other scientists argue that the WHO misinterpreted the data in a “misleading” way and that the group’s advice for more stringent oversight is problematic. In the Addiction paper, the authors take issue with nine of WHO’s conclusions, some of which surround the safety of e-cigarettes, their toxin levels, and how likely younger people are to adopt them. They cite some of the same data as the original WHO review did, but interpret it differently, arguing that the benefits of e-cigarettes, especially as an effective tool in helping some smokers to quit, outweigh potential risks from the chemicals and nicotine used in the devices. Therefore, they say, e-cigarettes should be more accessible than the WHO recommendations would allow. “…The WHO’s approach will make it harder to bring these products to market than tobacco products, inhibit innovation and put off smokers from using e-cigarettes, putting us in danger of foregoing the public health benefits these products could have,” said Ann McNeill, lead author [...]

2014-09-10T09:57:34-07:00September, 2014|Oral Cancer News|
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