Smoking by adolescents: large revenue but little for prevention

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to report on the government revenue gained from the sale of cigarettes to minors and the proportion of this revenue that is spent on attempting to prevent adolescents from taking up this habit Prevalence of smoking by minors was extrapolated for the individual states using Australian prevalence data; estimates of annual cigarette consumption were coupled with the respective cost of cigarettes in each state to derive an estimate of the total revenue accumulating from cigarette consumption by minors. From our analysis, approximately 211 000 Australian children under the legal age to purchase cigarettes consumed approximately 11.5 million packets of cigarettes in 1990. The estimated tax revenues to the federal and state governments from these sales were $8.42 million and $12.78 million respectively. While the average state revenue from cigarette consumption by minors during 1990 was just over $60 per under-age smoker, only $0.11 per under-age smoker was spent on anti-smoking campaigns in 1990. This is equivalent to approximately 0.002 per cent of state revenue from cigarette smoking by those under the legal purchase age being spent on discouraging adolescents from taking up this habit Clearly, there is an inequitable expenditure on antismoking activities, given the enormous resources obtained from sales to minors.     

Density of tobacco retail outlets near schools and smoking behaviour among secondary school students

Objective: To investigate whether the density of tobacco retail outlets near schools in Victoria, Australia, is associated with adolescent smoking behaviour. Methods: Cross‐sectional survey data of 2,044 secondary school students aged 12–17 years was combined with tobacco outlet audit data. Associations between students' self‐reported tobacco use and the density of tobacco outlets near schools was examined using multilevel logistic and negative binomial regression models, with cigarette price at local milk bars and key socio‐demographic and school‐related variables included as covariates. Results: Increased tobacco retail outlet density was associated with a significant increase in the number of cigarettes smoked in the previous seven days among students who smoked in the past month (IRR=1.13; 95% CI 1.02–1.26), but not the odds of smoking in the past month in the larger sample (OR=1.06; 95% CI 0.90–1.24), after controlling for local mean price of cigarettes and socio‐demographic and school‐related variables. Conclusions and implications: This study suggests there is a positive association between tobacco retail outlet density and cigarette consumption among adolescent smokers, but not smoking prevalence, in the Australian context. There is value in considering policy measures that restrict the supply of tobacco retail outlets in school neighbourhoods as a means of reducing youth cigarette consumption.     

Association between parental and student smoking behaviour in a Brazilian medical school

In a 20% random sample of University of Brasilia medical students no association was found between student and parental smoking behaviour. A low prevalence of habitual smoking (14.0%) and a low mean daily cigarette consumption (8.9 cigarettes per smoker, per day) characterized this population.     

Trends in cigarette smoking among refinery and petrochemical plant employees with a discussion of the potential impact on lung cancer

Objective: To examine trends in cigarette smoking prevalence and intensity among petroleum industry employees over a 22-year period, from 1976 to 1997, and to evaluate the hypothesis that the (about 20%) lower lung cancer mortality, when compared with the general population, among these workers is due to lower average cigarette consumption. Methods: Self-reported smoking prevalence and intensity (number of cigarettes smoked per day) data were available from the Shell Health Surveillance System for approximately 5,400 employees in the 1970s, 11,000 in the 1980s, and 8,300 in the 1990s. Data were analyzed by gender, time period, and work status (production vs. staff). Results: During the 22-year study period, smoking prevalence dropped significantly in this working population. When compared with the general US population, smoking prevalence trends were very similar. For the entire employee population, smoking prevalence was highest for women working in production (hourly) jobs. While smoking prevalence was higher among production employees than among staff employees, daily cigarette consumption was slightly lower. Cigarette consumption among Shell employees was similar to that in the US in the 1970s, but lower in the 1980s and 1990s. By applying smoking consumption data from the 1970s, the ratio of weighted lung cancer relative risks for Shell employees and the US general population was 0.98. In other words, the lung cancer mortality rate of refinery and petrochemical employees would be adjusted upward by 2% if one were to remove the influence of smoking consumption by Shell employees. Conclusions: Based on our data, it is unlikely that differences in smoking prevalence and intensity between refinery/petrochemical workers and the general population could account for the lower risk of lung cancer mortality reported in the literature. Received: 25 August 2000 / Accepted: 7 May 2001     

Associations between smoking prevalence, stages of change, cigarette consumption, and quit attempts across the United States

BACKGROUND: We tested whether across the 50 U.S. States, smoking prevalence was associated with smoking behavior among smokers. METHODS: We used published data on smoking prevalence, cigarette consumption, and quit attempts by State from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) for 1993, 1996, and 1999, and published data on the distribution of smokers by stage of change in each State from the Current Population Survey (CPS). Data were weighted for the population size in each State. RESULTS: For 1993, we found no statistically significant association between smoking prevalence and stages of change. For 1996 and 1999, across the 50 States, each additional percentage point in smoking prevalence was associated with, respectively, 0.62% and 1.19% more smokers in the "precontemplation" stage, that is, smokers not intending to quit smoking (both P < 0.01), with, respectively, 0.82% and 1.21% more "heavy" smokers who smoked 21-40 cigarettes per day (both P 相似文献   

Smoking in Aborigines and persons of European descent in southeastern Australia: prevalence and associations with food habits,body fat distribution and other cardiovascular risk factors

Abstract: As part of a population-base study of risk factors for heart disease, we aimed to establish the prevalence of smoking and to indentify associations between smoking and other risk factors in Australian Aborigines (n = 306) and persons of European descent (n = 553) in two country towns. Smoking prevalence was first analysed as a dichotomy (current smokers compared with nonsmokers), and according to three levels of exposure (< 10, 10—20 and > 20 cigarettes per day), and two levels of nonexposure (never and former smoker). Other behavioural, biochemical and physical variables were included in multivariable analyses. Of the Aborigines, 64.4 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval (CI) 59.0 per cent to 69.8 per cent) were current cigarette smokers, compared with 22.8 per cent of non-Aborigines (CI 19.3 per cent to 26.3 per cent). For persons aged 13 to 54 years, using the five categories of exposure, smoking in Aborigines again far exceeded that in non-Aborigines in all age groups (for males χ² = 72.8, for females χ² = 94.6, 4 df, P = < 0.0001 for both sexes). In non-Aboriginal females, the highest prevalence was in the youngest group (56 per cent of those aged 13 to 17 years). Food habit was associated with smoking. Subjects who ate meat without trimming the fat were more likely to smoke. In Australian country towns, Aborigines and all young women need smoking cessation programs. The nutritional status of smokers requires further study.     

组织改变理论在工厂戒烟干预中的应用研究

目的探索组织改变理论模型在中国工厂戒烟干预应用的可行性和效果。方法于2008～2009年对上海市两家工厂进行对照研究。对照组246人(男204,女42),平均年龄(34.7±13.2)岁,干预组233人(男203,女30),平均年龄(31.1±11.9)岁。将组织改变理论模型的4个阶段应用到干预组的戒烟干预中。分别在干预前和干预后,以问卷调查表的形式收集员工每日吸烟量、吸烟率、危害认知和戒烟意愿等方面的改变。在干预6个月后以戒烟者尿液中可的宁浓度的生物学检测判定是否成功戒烟。结果干预组的现在吸烟率由干预前的59.8%下降到干预后的39.1%(P<0.01),每日吸烟量由(15.0±8.6)支/天下降到(11.9±7.9)支/天(P<0.01)。对照组则无显著改变;干预组吸烟者中愿意接受同事戒烟帮助的比例由干预前的3.7%上升到干预后的15.6%(P<0.01),认为吸烟对健康有严重危害的比例也由干预前的36.5%上升到干预后的64.4%(P<0.05),对照组则均无显著改变(P>0.05);干预组吸烟者中打算在1个月内戒烟的比例由干预前的11.0%提高到干预后的41.5%(P<0.01),而对照组则无显著改变(8.5%vs9.5%);干预组和对照组6个月的戒烟成功率分别为24.6%和6.4%(P<0.01)。结论组织改变理论模型在中国工厂开展戒烟干预中的应用是可行的;该模型的应用对降低工人的吸烟率和每日吸烟量,提高吸烟者的戒烟意愿是显著的,6个月的戒烟成功率也显著提高。     

Relationships of Cigarette Smoking and Alcohol Consumption to Metabolic Syndrome in Japanese Men

Background

Cigarette smoking is an important, aggravating factor in metabolic syndrome (MetS). In addition, some studies have reported that MetS is related to alcohol consumption irrespective of the amount consumed. However, the relationship of the combination of the 2 habits to MetS has not been fully described.

Methods

In this cross-sectional survey, a questionnaire was used to collect information on cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption from 3904 Japanese men aged 20 years or older. MetS was defined according to Japanese criteria. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze relationships of cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption with MetS, after adjustment for potential confounding factors.

Results

Among the subjects, 581 (14.9%) had MetS. Daily cigarette and alcohol consumption were significantly associated with the prevalence of MetS (P < 0.0001, P = 0.030 for trend). The multivariate-adjusted odds ratio for the prevalence of MetS was 1.89 (95% confidence interval: 1.34–2.65) for subjects who smoked ≥30 cigarettes/day, as compared with nonsmokers; 1.54 (1.06–2.23) for those who consumed ≥69 grams of ethanol/day, as compared with nondrinkers; and 3.63 (1.91–6.90) for those who smoked ≥30 cigarettes/day and consumed ≥69 grams of ethanol/day, as compared with those who neither smoked nor drank. The interaction of smoking ≥30 cigarettes/day with drinking ≥69 grams/day was 2.03 (1.02–4.01, P = 0.043).

Conclusions

Cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking had independent relations to the prevalence of MetS. In addition, the prevalence of MetS was higher among Japanese men who smoked and drank heavily.Key words: metabolic syndrome, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, cross-sectional study, Japan     

National trends in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smoking and quitting, 1994-2008

Objective: To describe the trends in the prevalence of smoking, quitting and initiation among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and women aged 18 years and over. Methods: Analysis of responses to smoking questions in national Indigenous surveys in 1994, 2002, 2004 and 2008. Results: Male Indigenous smoking prevalence fell significantly from 58.5% in 1994 to 52.6% in 2008, an absolute decrease of 0.4 (CI 0.1–0.7)% per year, with the same decline in remote and non‐remote areas. Female smoking fell from 51.0% to 47.4%, with markedly different changes in remote and non‐remote areas. In non‐remote areas, there was an absolute decrease in female smoking of 0.5 (CI 0.2–0.9)% per year, but in remote areas, female smoking increased by 0.4 (CI 0.0–0.8)% per year. From 2002 to 2008, the percentage of ever‐smokers who had quit (quit ratio) increased absolutely by 1% per year in both men and women, remote and non‐remote areas. Results about trends in initiation were inconclusive. Conclusions and Implications: Health Minister Roxon has committed to halving the Indigenous smoking prevalence by 2018, and has dramatically increased Indigenous‐specific funding and activity in tobacco control. The reported historical trends in this paper are encouraging as they occurred at a time when there was little such tobacco control activity focused on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. However, to meet the Minister's goal, Indigenous smoking prevalence will need to fall more than six times as quickly as occurred from 1994 to 2008.     

Impact of Tobacco Control on Adult per Capita Cigarette Consumption in the United States

Objectives. We assessed the impact of tobacco control on adult per capita cigarette consumption in the United States from 1964 to 2011.Methods. We used logit regression to model the diffusion of smoking from 1900 to 2011. We also projected hypothetical cigarette consumption after 1963 in the absence of tobacco control. Model predictors included historical events such as wars, specific tobacco control interventions, and other influences.Results. Per capita consumption increased rapidly through 1963, consistent with S-shaped (sigmoid) diffusion. The course reversed beginning in 1964, the year of publication of the first surgeon general’s report on smoking and health. Subsequent tobacco control policy interventions significantly reduced consumption. Had the tobacco control movement never occurred, per capita consumption would have been nearly 5 times higher than it actually was in 2011.Conclusions. Tobacco control has been one of the most successful public health endeavors of the past half century. Still, the remaining burden of smoking in the United States augurs hundreds of thousands of deaths annually for decades to come. Reinvigorating the tobacco control movement will require novel interventions as well as stronger application of existing evidence-based policies.January 11, 2014, will mark the 50th anniversary of the release of the first surgeon general’s report on smoking and health,1 widely considered to demarcate the beginning of the tobacco control era in the United States. Tobacco control has consisted of development and dissemination of information on the hazards of smoking, policy implementation, and other interventions in the public, voluntary, and private sectors. These diverse efforts are linked by their dedication to reducing cigarette smoking and, with it, the most grievous toll of disease and death ever wrought by a single product (we use the terms tobacco control, tobacco control era, and tobacco control movement throughout as shorthand to refer to the totality of these efforts).Three measures of cigarette consumption have dominated discussions of the behavioral effects of tobacco control: adult cigarette smoking prevalence, average daily cigarette consumption per smoker, and annual adult per capita cigarette consumption, the latter defined as the total number of cigarettes consumed per year divided by the population older than 17 years. Adult smoking prevalence declined 55% from 1965 to 2011, from 42.4% to 19.0%. The number of cigarettes consumed per smoker per day has been falling steadily, from a peak of nearly 34 cigarettes in 1980 to 18 in 2011.2 Adult per capita consumption, which depends on both prevalence and quantity smoked per smoker, fell 72% between 1963 (the year before the first surgeon general’s report) and 2011, from 4345 cigarettes to 1236.As impressive as these results may be, they do not fully reflect the impact of tobacco control. The assumption implicit in these comparisons is that smoking had peaked immediately before 1964 and, hence, that the contribution of tobacco control has been simply to decrease smoking from those mid-1960s levels. In point of fact, cigarette consumption was rising sharply and quite steadily from 1900 through the early 1960s. It almost certainly would have continued to rise in the absence of the report and subsequent tobacco control initiatives because smoking among women was increasing rapidly at that time, paralleling the diffusion of smoking among men 2 to 3 decades earlier. The onset of the tobacco control movement stalled and eventually reversed the then rapidly growing prevalence of smoking among women.3Three previous analyses, to our knowledge, have assessed how much higher adult per capita consumption would have been in the absence of tobacco control, reflecting the increases in smoking that would have been anticipated had the movement never materialized.4–6 In the most recent of the 3 studies, Warner found that actual per capita consumption fell by 26% from 1963 to 1987, whereas consumption likely would have been 79% to 89% higher in 1987 had it not been for the salutary effects of tobacco control.6With no analysis of this phenomenon for a quarter of a century, we believed that it was time to estimate how much tobacco control has affected cigarette consumption as the movement concludes its fifth decade. Relative to previous studies, we employed a more sophisticated conceptual model to estimate tobacco control’s effects. The resulting change in methods has no impact on the qualitative conclusions of the earlier studies and indeed only a minor quantitative impact. Had the original methodology been used in our study, however, it would have overestimated the impact of tobacco control considerably.     

江苏省居民吸烟行为及烟草消费情况分析

目的 了解江苏省居民吸烟行为,分析吸烟者烟草消费情况。方法 采用多阶段整群随机抽样方法在江苏省14个疾病监测点中抽取8 400名≥18岁成人进行问卷调查。结果 调查对象现在吸烟率为27.1%,男性为56.9%,女性为2.5%,男女性差异有统计学意义(P<0.01),随年龄和学历增长,现在吸烟率呈现先上升后下降的变化;吸烟者吸烟量中位数为15支/d,男、女性吸烟者重型吸烟(吸烟量≥20支/d)比例分别为48.8%和23.7%,35~64岁和中小学学历吸烟者重型吸烟比例>50%;吸烟者购买卷烟价格中位数为7元/盒,62.1%的男性吸烟者购买卷烟价格为5~19元/盒,64.7%的女性吸烟者购买卷烟价格<5元/盒,年龄越大、学历越低、收入越低的吸烟者,购买卷烟价格<5元/盒比例越高;吸烟者每月烟草消费中位数为150元,38.5%的男性吸烟者烟草消费≥200元/月,82.4%的女性吸烟者烟草消费<100元/月,34.5%的城市吸烟者烟草消费≥300元/月,44.3%的农村吸烟者烟草消费<100元/月。结论 江苏省男性吸烟率和吸烟量较高,吸烟者购买低价卷烟的比例较高,应有效提高烟草税收和价格,控制烟草消费,改变吸烟行为,降低人群吸烟率。     

Joint effects of alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking on atherogenic lipid and lipoprotein profiles: results from a study of Chinese male population in Taiwan

Background: The present study examines the effect of joint exposure to cigarette smoking and alcohol intake on serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglyceride (TG) among Chinese male adults in Taiwan. Methods: A sample of 3311 men aged 20–59 years who reported having stable smoking and drinking behaviors during the period between January 1995 and December 1996 was selected from a periodic health checkup population. Serum lipids and lipoprotein cholesterol fractions were measured on fasting blood samples taken from participants. Statistical methods of analysis of variance and analysis of covariance were conducted to examine the associations of different smoking–drinking behavioral patterns with lipid and lipoprotein levels. Results: In the observed population, the percentages of men who had stable cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption behaviors were 39.5% (1307/3311) and 27.0% (895/3311), respectively. Mean values of TC and TG increased significantly and monotonically with increasing levels of cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption. In addition, alcohol intake was significantly associated with increased HDL-C and reduced LDL-C levels in a dose-dependent manner. More interestingly, the effect of alcohol consumption on LDL-C (negative) and TG (positive) levels was substantially greater for heavy smoker (> 20 cigarettes/day) than for light smokers ( 20 cigarettes/day) and non-smokers, while alcohol intake exerted a strong positive influence on HDL-C concentration regardless of levels of cigarette smoking. Conclusions: In this Chinese male population, cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption were confirmed to have similar effects on lipid and lipoprotein levels as in Caucasians. More interestingly, a significance of joint exposure to smoking and drinking in predicting lipid and lipoprotein levels was evident. These data indicate the importance of multifactorial interventions to obtain more favorable lipid and lipoprotein levels in the population.     

Blood pressure,lipids and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease in Aborigines and persons of European descent of southeastern Australia

Abstract: Based on a survey in two country towns of southeastern Australia, cardiovascular risk-factor prevalence data from Aborigines and persons of European descent are presented. The mean diastolic blood pressure in 123 Aboriginal males was 83.2 mmHg, compared with 79.2 mmHg in 272 European males (P= 0.005). In 178 Aboriginal females, mean diastolic pressure was 79.2 mmHg, compared with 76.3 mmHg in 281 European females (P = 0.006). Mean plasma total cholesterol was higher in Europeans (both males and females: 5.7 mmol/L) than in Aborigines (in males 5.2 and females 5.0 mmol/L) (male comparison, P = 0.02, female comparison, P < 0.001). The prevalence in participants aged 25 to 64 years of at least one major risk factor (diastolic blood pressure 95 mmHg or higher, plasma cholesterol 6.5 mmol/L or higher, or smoking more than one cigarette daily) was higher in both these samples of Aborigines (94 per cent in males, 89 per cent in females) and Europeans (70 per cent in males, 59 per cent in females) than in the 1989 urban sample of the National Heart Foundation (47 per cent in males, 36 per cent in females). Multivariate analyses showed statistically significant independent contributions of body mass index and the variable ‘ethnicity’ (unidentified genetic and environmental differences between the groups) to blood pressure and other risk factors. The higher cardiovascular mortality of Aborigines may be explained partly by the higher prevalence of risk factors in this group compared with other Australians. Further, the risk-factor profile may be worse among rural compared with urban Europeans.     

Stages of change, smoking characteristics, and cotinine concentrations in smokers: setting priorities for smoking cessation

ObjectiveWe assessed whether the salivary cotinine content of daily smokers varied with the readiness to quit and smoking characteristics.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted in Barcelona, Spain (n = 1245) in 2004–2005. We administered a questionnaire to assess smoking behaviour and collected saliva to determine the cotinine content. We determined the distribution of 278 adult daily smokers across different stages of change and categorised them by individual and smoking characteristics. We used medians and interquartile ranges (IQR) to relate cotinine concentrations to different stages of change, tobacco consumption, and nicotine dependence based on the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND).ResultsAround 68%, 22%, and 11% of smokers were in precontemplation, contemplation, and preparation stages, respectively. A mean of 17.0 cigarettes was smoked daily, with no differences among stages of change. The median cotinine concentration was 151.3 ng/ml (IQR: 83.2–227.8 ng/ml), with no differences among stages of change. The cigarette consumption scores, FTND, and time to first cigarette of the day were positively associated with cotinine concentration.ConclusionsThe cotinine concentration was similar among the stages of change, but varied within each stage according to the number of cigarettes smoked, time to first cigarette of the day, and nicotine dependence.     

State cigarette excise taxes - United States, 2010-2011

Increasing the price of cigarettes reduces the demand for cigarettes, thereby reducing youth smoking initiation and cigarette consumption and decreasing the prevalence of cigarette use in the United States overall, particularly among youths and young adults. The most common way governments have increased the price of cigarettes is by increasing cigarette excise taxes, which currently are imposed by all states and the District of Columbia. To update data on state cigarette excise taxes in 2009, CDC conducted a survey of changes in state cigarette excise taxes during 2010-2011. During that period, eight states increased their cigarette excise taxes, and one state decreased its tax; as a result, the mean state tax increased from $1.34 in 2009 to $1.46 in 2011. Previous evidence indicates that further increases in cigarette excise taxes would be expected to result in further reductions in demand for cigarettes, decreasing smoking and associated morbidity and mortality.     

Predictors of continued smoking over 25 years of follow-up in the normative aging study

OBJECTIVES: This study tested the hypothesis that high daily cigarette consumption and addiction to smoking are risk factors for the long-term continuation of smoking. METHODS: Using longitudinal data from 986 male smokers, we entered cigarettes per day, psychological addiction, age, and education into a survival analysis as predictors of continued smoking over a 25-year period. RESULTS: Younger men and those who smoked more cigarettes per day were more likely to remain smokers in the long term. Addiction and education level were not significant predictors of continued smoking. CONCLUSIONS: Heavier smokers are more at risk than lighter smokers for long-term smoking. It is therefore very important to provide smoking cessation treatments for heavy smokers as early as possible after the initiation of smoking.     

Smoking in Italy, 1949-1983

Trends in the prevalence of cigarette smoking and the number of cigarettes smoked per day in Italy were derived from six national probability sample surveys conducted between 1949 and 1983. There was a steady and substantial decrease in reported smoking prevalence among adult men (from 71.4% of current smokers in 1949 to 45.6% in 1983), although the estimated average number of cigarettes smoked per day increased, at least up to 1980. Among women, large increases in smoking prevalence have occurred since the mid-1960s (up to 17.7% among women age 14 or over in 1983) and in average number of cigarettes smoked per day (10.9 in 1980). Both the reported decreasing prevalence among men and the increasing prevalence among women were concentrated mostly in the younger age groups. Data on national surveys of tobacco use may give interesting indications for the analysis of different trends in sex or age groups. They should, however, be interpreted critically, since large discrepancies between interview-based data and information on legal sales of manufactured cigarettes have emerged over the last years, indicating that interview data are largely biased in the sense of systematic underreporting. It seems, therefore, that more than any real changes in smoking habits taking place, it is the attitudes toward reporting smoking that have changed in Italy over the last three decades: in fact, in 1983 cigarette sales reached a maximum both in absolute terms and in average levels per adult.     

Co-variation in dimensions of smoking behaviour: A multivariate analysis of individuals and communities in Canada

We evaluated the effects of socioeconomic status on the prevalence of current smoking, number of cigarettes smoked per day and pack-years, and the extent to which prevalence and consumption co-vary across communities, health regions, and provinces in Canada between 2001 and 2010. Current smoking, cigarettes per day, and pack-years were considered as outcomes within individuals using a multilevel analytical framework. Markers of SES were education, income, and occupation. Residual covariance estimated at the different levels of geography was used to determine if areas high in current smoking were also high on levels of consumption. A strong inverse gradient was found between education and current smoking and level of consumption with large variation found in levels of consumption between individual smokers. The co-variation between current smoking and level of consumption was positive and statistically significant at the level of communities and health regions. Our findings suggest that novel policy efforts may be needed to encourage smoking prevention/cessation among certain population groups and in places with high levels of smoking prevalence and tobacco use intensity.     

Overtime work, cigarette consumption, and addiction to cigarette among workers subject to mild smoking restrictions

The goal of the present study was to investigate the relation of hours of overtime work to cigarette consumption and addiction to cigarette, which was measured by the heaviness of smoking index. The subjects were 571 male daily smokers who responded to a cross-sectional survey of municipal employees of a Japanese city office, in which smoking was permitted in designated areas. Those who engaged in moderate overtime work (10-29 h per month) consumed less number of cigarettes per day and had lower levels of heaviness of smoking index, compared with those who worked either shorter or longer hours of overtime, although the differences were not statistically significant. In the workplace, men who worked 50 h or longer overtime last month consumed, on average, 4 cigarettes more than men who worked less than 30 h of overtime. Home cigarette consumption decreased as hours of overtime work increased. In stratified analysis, there was a significant difference in daily cigarette consumption according to hours of overtime work among smokers in staff position or under low psychological work stress; showing reduced consumption associated with medium levels of overtime work, compared to either no overtime work or extended overtime hours. The U-shaped relations of hours of overtime work to overall cigarette consumption and addiction to smoking deserve further investigations.     

Measurement of self reported active exposure to cigarette smoke

STUDY OBJECTIVE—The number of cigarettes smoked per day is an imprecise indicator of exposure to cigarette smoke, and biochemical assessment of exposure is not always feasible. The aim of this study was to develop more accurate measures of self reported active exposure to cigarette smoke.
DESIGN—Mail survey in 386 smokers, retest at one month in 94 participants (24%), analysis of saliva cotinine in 98 participants (25%), collection of empty cigarette packs in 214 participants (55%), collection of cigarette butts in 107 participants (28%). Ten questions and items intended to assess active exposure to cigarette smoke were tested and compared with saliva cotinine, the Fagerström test for nicotine dependence, and self rated dependence.
SETTING—A population sample in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1999.
PARTICIPANTS—323 daily smokers and 63 occasional smokers.
MAIN RESULTS—Measures that were associated with saliva cotinine included the number of cigarettes smoked per day (r²=0.36), smoking intensity (r²=0.40), the type of cigarettes smoked (regular versus light) (r²=0.04), smoking when ill (r²=0.15) and a single item rating of the total quantity of smoke inhaled (r²=0.27). A multivariate model combining the first four items explained the largest proportion of the variance in cotinine (r²=0.63), substantially more than was explained by the number of cigarettes per day alone, by 75% in all smokers and by 110% in daily smokers.
CONCLUSIONS—The study identified measures of exposure to smoke that reflect saliva cotinine better than the number of cigarettes per day. These measures can be used in studies of the dose related risk of smoking and in smoking reduction studies.