Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Brief smoking cessation intervention in relation to breast cancer surgery: a randomized controlled trial.
Smokers are more prone to develop postoperative complications. Smoking cessation intervention beginning 4-8 weeks prior to surgery improves the postoperative outcome. Cancer patients, however, often undergo surgery less than 4 weeks after diagnosis. The primary objective of this study was therefore to examine if a brief smoking cessation intervention shortly before breast cancer surgery would influence postoperative complications and smoking cessation. ⋯ Brief smoking intervention administered shortly before breast cancer surgery modestly increased self-reported perioperative smoking cessation without having any clinical impact on postoperative complications. The study adds to the body of evidence indicating that brief intervention has no clinical importance for surgical patients in regard to postoperative morbidity. Future studies should be designed to determine the optimal time of smoking cessation before surgery.
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The use of smokeless tobacco as part of a strategy to reduce the harm from cigarette smoking is a topic of debate within the tobacco control and public health communities. One concern voiced regarding endorsement of such a tactic is the possibility of actually increasing harm should current smokers adopt dual cigarette/smokeless tobacco use (dual use), which could lead to unintended consequences by perpetuating cigarette smoking, diminishing tobacco cessation, or increasing tobacco-related harm. ⋯ Overall, the concern about dual use appears to be contradicted by the evidence in the literature that dual use of smokeless tobacco and cigarettes may result in reduction in smoking-related harm as smoking intensity is decreased and smoking cessation increases.
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Comparative Study
Substance abuse treatment counselors and tobacco use: a comparison of comprehensive and indoor-only workplace smoking bans.
While indoor smoking bans reduce employee tobacco use, less is known about whether comprehensive bans, which prohibit smoking in both indoor and outdoor areas, are associated with lower rates of tobacco use than indoor-only bans. ⋯ Although relatively few substance abuse counselors worked in treatment organizations with comprehensive bans, such bans may represent a promising direction for tobacco control. Given recent research documenting how tobacco use is negatively associated with the delivery of smoking cessation services by health care workers, additional research on the impact of comprehensive environmental tobacco policies is needed.
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To describe the prevalence, correlates of, and reasons for use of roll-your-own (RYO) tobacco in a high RYO use and ethnically diverse country: New Zealand (NZ). ⋯ RYO smoking is particularly associated with individual deprivation and high levels of dependence. Its capacity to blunt price signals provided by tobacco taxes is accompanied by misperceptions that it is less hazardous to health and it is particularly prevalent among vulnerable disadvantaged populations (including Māori, young people, and those with mental health problems). Governments should reconsider removing any tax advantages given to RYO tobacco, ensure RYO smokers are properly informed of health risks, and supported to quit as strongly as other smokers. However, governments should also examine a broader range of options including a higher differential tax on RYO tobacco, removing flavors, and controlling all tobacco marketing.