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Smokers with Stroke in the Family 6 Times More Likely to Have Stroke Too 

A new study shows that people who are smokers and have a family history of brain aneurysm appear to be significantly more likely to suffer a stroke from a brain aneurysm themselves. The research is published in the December 31, 2008, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology and will appear in the January 6, 2009, print issue of Neurology.

The type of stroke, called subarachnoid hemorrhage, is one of the bleeding types of stroke and is deadly in about 35 to 40 percent of people. . . .

“While all people should be advised to quit smoking, our findings suggest that there is an interaction so that if you smoke and you have a family history of aneurysms, you are at an extremely high risk of suffering a stroke from a ruptured brain aneurysm,” says study author Daniel Woo, MD, with the University of Cincinnati in Ohio and member of the American Academy of Neurology.

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GUTFELD: Beware Third-Hand Smoke and Junk Science  

So here's another example of how junk science has become even junkier than something really junky:

Researchers have identified "third-hand smoke," an invisible evil that acts like a deadly Ghost of Cigarettes Past: Polluting the air, killing innocent babies and ottomans -- even if they aren't present at the time.

As you can guess, this research is geared toward one end only: The banning of all smoking on private property -- including your home. . . .

But get this: After saying that a smoker's third-hand smoke is bad for babies, the researchers then note that for a smoker, breastfeeding a baby is still better than bottle-feeding. So after all this crap about poisoning the air, they're saying breast milk from a smoker is still better than milk from a bottle. Theoretically, a smoking mom that breastfeeds is a better mom, than a non-smoking bottle-feeder.

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Spousal and Alcohol-Related Predictors of Smoking Cessation: A Longitudinal Study in a Community Sample of Married Couples  

We investigated the longitudinal influence of spousal and individual heavy drinking and heavy smoking on smoking cessation among married couples. Couples' (N=634) past-year smoking, alcohol problems, and heavy drinking were assessed. We used an event history analysis and found that spousal and one's own heavy smoking and one's own heavy drinking decreased the likelihood of smoking cessation. Heavy drinking and spousal behavior should be considered when developing public health interventions and policies for smoking cessation.

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• Children's Secondhand Smoke Exposure in Private Homes and Cars: An Ethical Analysis  

In response to the growing body of scientific literature linking SHS with serious diseases, many countries, states, and cities have established policies mandating smoke-free public spaces. Yet thousands of children remain unprotected from exposure to SHS in private homes and cars.

New initiatives targeting SHS in these spaces have raised ethical questions about imposing constraints on private behavior. We reviewed legislation and court cases related to such initiatives and used a principlist approach to analyze the ethical implications of policies banning smoking in private cars and homes in which children are present.

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A New Cigarette Hazard - ‘Third-Hand Smoke’ 

Doctors from MassGeneral Hospital for Children in Boston coined the term "third-hand smoke" to describe these chemicals in a new study that focused on the risks they pose to infants and children. The study was published in this month's issue of the journal Pediatrics. . . .

Dr. Philip Landrigan, a pediatrician who heads the Children's Environmental Health Center at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, said the phrase third-hand smoke is a brand-new term that has implications for behavior.

"The central message here is that simply closing the kitchen door to take a smoke is not protecting the kids from the effects of that smoke," he said. "There are carcinogens in this third-hand smoke, and they are a cancer risk for anybody of any age who comes into contact with them."

Among the substances in third-hand smoke are hydrogen cyanide, used in chemical weapons; butane, which is used in lighter fluid; toluene, found in paint thinners; arsenic; lead; carbon monoxide; and even polonium-210, the highly radioactive carcinogen that was used to murder former Russian spy Alexander V. Litvinenko in 2006. Eleven of the compounds are highly carcinogenic.

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• Beliefs About the Health Effects of "Thirdhand" Smoke and Home Smoking Bans  

RESULTS. Of 2000 eligible respondents contacted, 1510 (87%) completed surveys, 1478 (97.9%) answered all questions pertinent to this analysis, and 273 (18.9%) were smokers. Overall, 95.4% of nonsmokers versus 84.1% of smokers agreed that secondhand smoke harms the health of children, and 65.2% of nonsmokers versus 43.3% of smokers agreed that thirdhand smoke harms children. Strict rules prohibiting smoking in the home were more prevalent among nonsmokers: 88.4% vs 26.7%. In multivariate logistic regression, after controlling for certain variables, belief that thirdhand smoke harms the health of children remained independently associated with rules prohibiting smoking in the home. Belief that secondhand smoke harms the health of children was not independently associated with rules prohibiting smoking in the home and car.

CONCLUSIONS. This study demonstrates that beliefs about the health effects of thirdhand smoke are independently associated with home smoking bans. Emphasizing that thirdhand smoke harms the health of children may be an important element in encouraging home smoking bans.

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• Survey Highlights Beliefs About Children's Risks from 'Third-Hand Smoke'  

Action Points

* Explain to interested patients that it is well-known that second-hand smoke harms the health of children.

* Note that this study examined the behaviors associated with the belief that "third-hand smoke" -- toxins left on surfaces once tobacco smoke dissipates -- can also harm children's health.

* Explain the study found that fewer people are aware of the danger, but those who are were more likely to completely ban smoking in their home.

Such toxins are especially hazardous for children who breathe near the surfaces, crawl and play on them, or touch and mouth them, according to Jonathan Winickoff, M.D., of the Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, and colleagues.

Although most adults are aware of the danger of second-hand smoke for children, the risks of third-hand smoke are lesser known, Dr. Winickoff and colleagues said in the January issue of Pediatrics.

The conclusion is based on a nationally representative survey that examined beliefs about second- and third-hand smoke and behaviors derived from those beliefs, the researchers said.

The Social Climate Survey of Tobacco Control, an annual cross-sectional look at smoking, was given to 1,478 adults, reached by telephone, in November 2005. . . .

Primary source: Pediatrics Source reference: Winickoff JP, et al "Beliefs about the health effects of "thirdhand" smoke and home smoking bans"

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Salma Hayek Loves Cigarette Smoking 

Salma Hayek continues her bad habit and puffs away at her cancer stick while out and about with her her daughter Valentina, 15 months, in Los Angeles on Friday (December 27).

The 42-year-old actress whipped out her cigarette after shopping up a storm at the Neiman Marcus department store. Salma’s mother, Diana Jiminez, looked after little Valentina during the actress’s smoke break.

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ROBERTSON: Hampton proposes license to kidnap children 

Rep. Susan Kepner wants to make it easy to abduct the children of smokers. In this latest assault by the Nicotine Nazis, Frau Kepner is leading the charge to ensure we are not allowed within 25 feet of a playground if we're smoking. . . .

Somehow, when I went to the polls last November, I had a feeling it would be imprudent to put a graduate of the Fazio Institute of Cosmetology into a political office. Following that aversion to making blatantly idiotic choices, I did not vote for Frau Kepner. Unfortunately, I was in the minority and she wormed her way in by a reported margin of 406 votes. The actual number was probably 666 votes.

A kidnapper with a 35-pound kid under his arm can get a pretty good running start if he snags one from the other side of the sandbox. . . .

When I was growing up, we were taught that playgrounds were a place to share with other children. If Kepner has her way, the children will be able to share, but the adults will not. Great way to teach our children manners and cooperation by example, Susan. Way to go.

At least I now understand the dangers of voting for someone who spent years sniffing peroxide fumes.

-- Lily Robertson will soon be recognized by the gold Phillip Morris emblem legally required to be displayed on her coat for easy identification purposes on her way to the smoker's ghetto, or can be contacted by e-mail at canopicjargon@gmail.com.

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Quitting Smoking Can Be a Parent's Best New Year's Resolution 

Parents magazine and the American Legacy Foundation(R) have teamed up to create Parents Quit for Good, a special quit plan for moms and dads powered by the foundation's cutting-edge online program, Become an EX(R). The free program launches just in time to help parents plan their New Year's resolutions to quit smoking.

This new collaboration will be featured in the February, March and April issues of Parents. Because smoking is undeniably one of the hardest addictions to break, it's important that parents know they aren't alone during the quitting process. Starting December 29, parents can visit www.ParentsQuitForGood.com, which offers moms and dads step-by-step assistance in identifying their own smoking triggers, advice on how to get through the day without cigarettes, and opportunities to connect with other parents trying to quit. Whether you smoke a pack a day or only light up occasionally, there's never been a better time to commit to quit.

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Newborns Exposed To Maternal Smoking More Irritable, Difficult To Soothe 

Now new research by The Miriam Hospital reveals that these babies are also less likely to self-soothe and are more aroused and excitable than newborns whose mothers did not smoke during pregnancy.

Researchers from The Miriam Hospital's Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine say early identification and targeted intervention efforts aimed at both infants and parents may help prevent possible disruption in early maternal-infant bonding and, ultimately, long-term adverse outcomes. The study is published online by the Journal of Pediatrics.

"A baby who is harder to soothe and more irritable could be more difficult to take care of and could potentially affect the developing mother-child relationship, especially for mothers who are already stressed and have fewer resources," says lead author Laura Stroud, PhD, a psychologist with The Miriam Hospital's Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine. "We need better treatment programs to help women not smoke during pregnancy, to keep them from starting smoking after the baby is born, and to help them take care of an excitable or colicky baby."

Between 11 and 30 percent of women continue to smoke during pregnancy

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• National Survey: Children Remain Especially Vulnerable to Secondhand Smoke, Despite Nation's Progress in Clean Indoor Air Policies  

Nearly half of all children in the United States are still exposed to secondhand smoke (SHS) each week, according to a new survey from the American Legacy Foundation®, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Julius B. Richmond Center of Excellence and researchers from Mississippi State University.

The groups say that while America has come a long way in changing the social perception of smoking in the past 10 years, children are still exposed to secondhand smoke at alarming rates, and they are encouraging parents who smoke to quit for good.

The Social Climate Survey of Tobacco found that 42 percent of children are exposed to SHS each week and there are public settings where children could be exposed that are still not smoke-free.

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• Quitting Smoking Can Be a Parent’s Best New Year’s Resolution  

Parents magazine and the American Legacy Foundation® have teamed up to create Parents Quit for Good, a special quit plan for moms and dads powered by the foundation's cutting-edge online program, Become an EX®. The free program launches just in time to help parents plan their New Year's resolutions to quit smoking.

This new collaboration will be featured in the February, March and April issues of Parents. Because smoking is undeniably one of the hardest addictions to break, it's important that parents know they aren't alone during the quitting process. Starting December 29, parents can visit http://www.parentsquitforgood.com/, which offers moms and dads step-by-step assistance in identifying their own smoking triggers, advice on how to get through the day without cigarettes, and opportunities to connect with other parents trying to quit. Whether you smoke a pack a day or only light up occasionally, there's never been a better time to commit to quit.

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Living With In-Laws Linked to Heart Risks in Japanese Women  

Japanese women are generally not at high risk for heart attacks -- unless they live with in-laws, according to a new study.

Married Japanese women who live with both their husbands and a set of parents -- in Japan, that almost always means the husband's parents, according to the researchers -- were three times more likely to suffer a heart attack than those living just with their husbands.

Having children at home also was associated with an increased risk of heart attacks among Japanese women, but not by as much, the study found. When women lived with both parents and children, the risk of heart attacks doubled rather than tripled.

The heart attack risk was slightly higher among women living with both spouses and children, the study found.

The study was conducted by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and was published in this week's issue of the journal Heart. . . .

Women who lived with their spouses and parents, usually in-laws, were less likely to smoke or drink heavily, but were three times more likely to have had a heart attack, the researchers found.

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Secondhand Smoke Boosts Asthmatic Boys' Behavior Woes  

Secondhand smoke in the home increases the risk of behavioral problems in boys with asthma, researchers report.

The study, by a team at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, included 220 boys and girls ages 6 to 12, with asthma.

For each doubling of secondhand smoke exposure, boys showed a twofold increase in behavioral problems such as hyperactivity, aggression, and depression.

The researchers found that secondhand smoke had no impact on girls, even though they were on average exposed to higher levels of tobacco smoke than boys. Additional research is needed to explain this gender difference, the researchers said.

The study was published online in the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics.

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