Casual smokers may think that smoking a few cigarettes a week is "no big deal." But according to new research from physician-scientists at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, having an infrequent smoke, or being exposed to secondhand smoke, may be doing more harm than people may think. The findings may further support public smoking bans, say the authors.
According to a new study published today in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, being exposed to even low-levels of cigarette smoke may put people at risk for future lung disease, such as lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Epidemiological studies have long shown that secondhand smoke is dangerous, but there have never been conclusive biological tests demonstrating what it does to the body at a gene function level, until now.
"Even at the lowest detectable levels of exposure, we found direct effects on the functioning of genes within the cells lining the airways," says Dr. Ronald Crystal, senior author of the study and chief of the division of pulmonary and critical care medicine at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell and chair of the department of genetic medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City.
Dr. Crystal explains that genes, commonly activated in the cells of heavy smokers, are also turned on or off in those with very low-level exposure.
"The genetic effect is much lower than those who are regular smokers, but this does not mean that there are no health consequences," says Dr. Crystal. "Certain genes within the cells lining the airways are very sensitive to tobacco smoke, and changes in the function of these genes are the first evidence of 'biological disease' in the lungs or individuals."
To make their findings, Dr. Crystal and his collaborators tested 121 people from three different categories: "nonsmokers," "active smokers" and "low exposure smokers." The researchers tested urine levels of nicotine and cotinine -- markers of cigarette smoking within the body -- to determine each participant's category.
The research team then scanned each person's entire genome to determine which genes were either activated or deactivated in cells lining the airways. They found that there was no level of nicotine or cotinine that did not also correlate with genetic abnormalities.
"This means that no level of smoking, or exposure to secondhand smoke, is safe," says Dr. Crystal. He goes on to say that these genetic changes are like a "canary in a coal mine," warning of potential life-threatening disease, "but the canary is chirping for low-level exposure patients, and screaming for active smokers."
Dr. Crystal says that this is further evidence supporting the banning of smoking in public places, where non-smokers, and employees of businesses that allow smoking, are put at risk for future lung disease.
Co-authors of the study include Yael Strulovici-Barel, Dr. Michael O'Mahony, Dr. Cynthia Gordon, Dr. Charleen Hollmann, Dr. Ann Tilley, Jacqueline Salit, Dr. Ben-Gary Harvey, all from NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell; Dr. Jason Mezey from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York and Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City; and Dr. Larsson Omberg from Cornell University.
Funding for the study came from grants from the National Institutes of Health, The Flight Attendant's Medical Research Institute, and the Cornell Center for Comparative and Population Genomics.
Sunday 22 August 2010
Finland Bans Tobacco Display In Europe's Toughest Tobacco Control Law
ASH congratulates the Finnish president who signed a new law putting tobacco displays out of sight in shops. Finland joins a growing number of countries including Ireland, Canada and Norway that have adopted the measure to protect young people from tobacco marketing. [1] In several jurisdictions, including Scotland and England, tobacco manufacturers have initiated legal challenges to defend this highly effective marketing asset. [2]
The Finnish law does not stop at ending tobacco displays: it also makes it an offence for under 18s to possess tobacco products. Buying cigarettes on behalf of a minor becomes an offence punishable by up to 6 months in prison.
Martin Dockrell, Director of policy and research at the health charity Action on Smoking & Health said:
"Across the UK those who make and sell cigarettes have been fighting tooth and nail to overturn this legislation but the tide is running against them. Laws for smokefree public places started in a few small jurisdictions and rapidly spread across the globe. We are seeing exactly the same process here, the only question is: Will the UK be one of the first major economies to implement a display ban or will it be the first to cave in to tobacco industry pressure and reverse a law that has already been passed by parliament?"
Notes:
[1] To date 5 countries have implemented tobacco display bans: Australia, Canada, Iceland, Ireland and Norway. The ban on tobacco displays in Finland will come into effect on 1 January 2012. A ban on the sale of tobacco products from vending machines will be implemented from 1 Jan 2015.
[2] Legal challenges have been issued in England, Scotland and Norway.
The following is a summary of the new Finnish tobacco law:
The new objective of the Tobacco Act is to put an end to the use of tobacco products in Finland. The purpose is to achieve this aim by preventing in particular children and adolescents from taking up smoking. Finland is the first country to lay down the aim of putting an end to smoking in a law. The Government proposed passing the bill on Wednesday 18 August. The purpose is that the President of the Republic will approve the proposed Act on Friday.
The purpose of the Act is to restrict the marketing and supply of tobacco products especially in the everyday life of children. Not only shops but also private persons may not sell or supply tobacco products to persons under 18. According to the Act, even selling one cigarette or fetching a packet of cigarettes from a shop to a minor person should be interpreted as a tobacco selling violation, for which the person can be fined or sentenced to prison for a maximum of six months. It is also forbidden to offer tobacco without payment to minor persons, but this is not punishable however.
People under 18 are forbidden to import and possess tobacco products. A fine can be imposed on import of tobacco products, but possession is not punishable under the law. In the future, also sellers of tobacco products must be aged at least 18 years.
There will be a total ban on the sale of snuff in Finland, as the ban on import and sale will be extended to also apply to private persons. Ordering snuff e.g. via the Internet will also be forbidden. A maximum of 30 packets, each containing 50 grams snuff, may however be imported for one's own use. It will be forbidden to import snuff as a gift.
The prohibitions against smoking will be extended e.g. in facilities used by children and young people, the joint facilities of apartment house companies, events organised outdoors and hotel rooms.
In the future, tobacco products or their trademarks may not be displayed in retail sale facilities. Customers can at their request be shown a catalogue or be given a printed list of the prices of the tobacco products on sale. Furthermore, the sale of tobacco products from vending machines will be forbidden. The Medicines Act is amended to the effect that nicotine preparations can be sold, besides in shops, kiosks and gas stations, also in restaurants.
The Act enters into force as soon as on 1 October this year. The prohibition on display of tobacco products as well as the restrictions on smoking in hotel rooms enter into force at the beginning of 2012. The vending machines for tobacco products will be forbidden as from the beginning of 2015.
The Finnish law does not stop at ending tobacco displays: it also makes it an offence for under 18s to possess tobacco products. Buying cigarettes on behalf of a minor becomes an offence punishable by up to 6 months in prison.
Martin Dockrell, Director of policy and research at the health charity Action on Smoking & Health said:
"Across the UK those who make and sell cigarettes have been fighting tooth and nail to overturn this legislation but the tide is running against them. Laws for smokefree public places started in a few small jurisdictions and rapidly spread across the globe. We are seeing exactly the same process here, the only question is: Will the UK be one of the first major economies to implement a display ban or will it be the first to cave in to tobacco industry pressure and reverse a law that has already been passed by parliament?"
Notes:
[1] To date 5 countries have implemented tobacco display bans: Australia, Canada, Iceland, Ireland and Norway. The ban on tobacco displays in Finland will come into effect on 1 January 2012. A ban on the sale of tobacco products from vending machines will be implemented from 1 Jan 2015.
[2] Legal challenges have been issued in England, Scotland and Norway.
The following is a summary of the new Finnish tobacco law:
The new objective of the Tobacco Act is to put an end to the use of tobacco products in Finland. The purpose is to achieve this aim by preventing in particular children and adolescents from taking up smoking. Finland is the first country to lay down the aim of putting an end to smoking in a law. The Government proposed passing the bill on Wednesday 18 August. The purpose is that the President of the Republic will approve the proposed Act on Friday.
The purpose of the Act is to restrict the marketing and supply of tobacco products especially in the everyday life of children. Not only shops but also private persons may not sell or supply tobacco products to persons under 18. According to the Act, even selling one cigarette or fetching a packet of cigarettes from a shop to a minor person should be interpreted as a tobacco selling violation, for which the person can be fined or sentenced to prison for a maximum of six months. It is also forbidden to offer tobacco without payment to minor persons, but this is not punishable however.
People under 18 are forbidden to import and possess tobacco products. A fine can be imposed on import of tobacco products, but possession is not punishable under the law. In the future, also sellers of tobacco products must be aged at least 18 years.
There will be a total ban on the sale of snuff in Finland, as the ban on import and sale will be extended to also apply to private persons. Ordering snuff e.g. via the Internet will also be forbidden. A maximum of 30 packets, each containing 50 grams snuff, may however be imported for one's own use. It will be forbidden to import snuff as a gift.
The prohibitions against smoking will be extended e.g. in facilities used by children and young people, the joint facilities of apartment house companies, events organised outdoors and hotel rooms.
In the future, tobacco products or their trademarks may not be displayed in retail sale facilities. Customers can at their request be shown a catalogue or be given a printed list of the prices of the tobacco products on sale. Furthermore, the sale of tobacco products from vending machines will be forbidden. The Medicines Act is amended to the effect that nicotine preparations can be sold, besides in shops, kiosks and gas stations, also in restaurants.
The Act enters into force as soon as on 1 October this year. The prohibition on display of tobacco products as well as the restrictions on smoking in hotel rooms enter into force at the beginning of 2012. The vending machines for tobacco products will be forbidden as from the beginning of 2015.
Second Hand Smoke More Harmful Than People Think
Being exposed to second hand smoke, also known as passive smoking - non-smokers breathing in smoke from lit cigarettes around them - may significantly increase the long-term risk of developing lung disease, such as lung cancer and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), according to a report published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. The same applies to casual (occasional) smoking.
This is the first study to demonstrate what passive or occasional smoking does to the body at a gene function level, say the authors.
Study author, Dr. Ronald Crystal, head of pulmonary and critical care medicine at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell and chair of the department of genetic medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, said:
Even at the lowest detectable levels of exposure, we found direct effects on the functioning of genes within the cells lining the airways.
The genes which are usually activated in the cells of regular heavy smokers may also be turned on/off in individuals with very low-level exposure, Dr. Crystal explained.
Dr. Crystal added:
The genetic effect is much lower than those who are regular smokers, but this does not mean that there are no health consequences. Certain genes within the cells lining the airways are very sensitive to tobacco smoke, and changes in the function of these genes are the first evidence of 'biological disease' in the lungs or individuals.
The researchers tested 121 individuals from three different categories:
* Non-smokers
* Currently active regular smoker
* Low exposure smokers
To determine what category they were, participants' urine levels of nicotine and cotinine were measured - these are markers of cigarette smoking within the body.
Each participant's entire genome was scanned to find out which genes were either activated or deactivated in the cell linings of the airways. The researchers discovered that there was no level of nicotine or cotinine that did not also correlate with genetic abnormalities.
Dr. Crystal said:
This means that no level of smoking, or exposure to secondhand smoke, is safe.
Dr. Crystal added that the genetic changes act like a canary in a coal mine warning of latent life-threatening conditions and diseases..
..but the canary is chirping for low-level exposure patients, and screaming for active smokers.
This is further compelling evidence in favor of banning smoking in public places where non-smokers may be at risk of future lung disease, Dr. Crystal says.
Second hand smoke - also known as passive smoking or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is environmental tobacco smoke that is inhaled involuntarily by a non-smoker.
This is the first study to demonstrate what passive or occasional smoking does to the body at a gene function level, say the authors.
Study author, Dr. Ronald Crystal, head of pulmonary and critical care medicine at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell and chair of the department of genetic medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, said:
Even at the lowest detectable levels of exposure, we found direct effects on the functioning of genes within the cells lining the airways.
The genes which are usually activated in the cells of regular heavy smokers may also be turned on/off in individuals with very low-level exposure, Dr. Crystal explained.
Dr. Crystal added:
The genetic effect is much lower than those who are regular smokers, but this does not mean that there are no health consequences. Certain genes within the cells lining the airways are very sensitive to tobacco smoke, and changes in the function of these genes are the first evidence of 'biological disease' in the lungs or individuals.
The researchers tested 121 individuals from three different categories:
* Non-smokers
* Currently active regular smoker
* Low exposure smokers
To determine what category they were, participants' urine levels of nicotine and cotinine were measured - these are markers of cigarette smoking within the body.
Each participant's entire genome was scanned to find out which genes were either activated or deactivated in the cell linings of the airways. The researchers discovered that there was no level of nicotine or cotinine that did not also correlate with genetic abnormalities.
Dr. Crystal said:
This means that no level of smoking, or exposure to secondhand smoke, is safe.
Dr. Crystal added that the genetic changes act like a canary in a coal mine warning of latent life-threatening conditions and diseases..
..but the canary is chirping for low-level exposure patients, and screaming for active smokers.
This is further compelling evidence in favor of banning smoking in public places where non-smokers may be at risk of future lung disease, Dr. Crystal says.
Second hand smoke - also known as passive smoking or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is environmental tobacco smoke that is inhaled involuntarily by a non-smoker.
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