say no to smoking and alcohol

Is smoking driving sales of top selling drugs ?

2009-10-05T02:51:00.001+04:00

Top Ten Selling Drugs of the World

1.LIPITOR (ATORVASTATIN) - PFIZER
Its obvious that cholesterol lower drug should stand in 1st place.Wide spread smoking , unbalanced food , stress have widely added people to nest of cardiovascular disease…

2.PLAVIX (CLOPIDOGREL) BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB AND SANOFI-AVENTIS
Anti platelet drug used in coronary artery disease , cerebrovascular disease.

3. NEXIUM (ESOMEPRAZOLE) ASTRAZENECA
Proton pump inhibitor – used to decrease acid secretion of stomach.

4. SERETIDE/ADVAIR (FLUTICASONE+ SALMETEROL) - GLAXOSMITHKLINE
Bronchodilator used in bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

5.ENBREL (ETANERCEPT) AMGEN AND WYETH
TNF inhibitor used in auto immune diseases.

6. ZYPREXA (OLANZAPINE) ELI LILLY
Atypical anti psychotic drug used in schizophrenia.

7. RISPERDAL (RISPERIDONE) JANSSEN-CILAG
Atypical anti psychotic drug used in schizophrenia.

8. SEROQUEL (QUETIAPINE) ASTRA ZENECA
Atypical anti psychotic drug used in schizophrenia.

9. SINGULAIR (MONTELUKAST SODIUM) MERCK
Leukotriene receptor antagonist used in asthma.

10. ARANESP (DARBEPOETIN ALFA) AMGEN
Synthetic erythropoietin . Used for anemia mainly in chronic renal failure and chemotherapy where you see decrease production of erythrocytes…

I like to point that all these drugs are used in conditions or disease were there is direct link of smoking as risk factor or precipitating factor…

Is smoking single largest sales driver for all these drugs .....

surely a debate is needed ??????????........

NO SMOKING ADS

2009-09-29T01:31:00.032+04:00

World No Tobacco Day 2009

2009-05-30T18:50:00.004+04:00

“Tobacco health warnings”—the theme for this year’s No Tobacco Day on March 31^st, reinforces the need to step up graphic warnings on tobacco packages to discourage consumers from using tobacco in any form—smoking cigars, cigarettes, water pipes, hookah and beedis and the non smoking version such as chewing tobacco or sniffing powdered tobacco.

Several international studies have proved that effective health warnings, especially graphic details of the health hazards of tobacco can motivate users to quit using tobacco and discourage first timers from getting into the habit. More and more countries are beginning to follow the guidelines drafted in the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and putting up a spirited fight to beat the tobacco industry as it tries to lure more hapless people into tobacco addiction.

Tobacco Trouble

Unable to plug tobacco at the supply level, health organizations all over the world issue repeated warnings about the devastating effects of tobacco on the health of consumers –especially smokers, and also on hapless people who are passive smokers or second hand smokers, inhaling the toxic smoke released by smokers.

Strong medical evidence supports the fact that using tobacco seriously affects many organs of the body, causing various diseases and reducing overall health. Several studies have shown the negative health effects of cigarette smoking on people of all ages –unborn fetus, infants, young children, adults and seniors.

Some of the health risks of tobacco include lung cancer, oral cancer, cancers of the stomach, bladder, kidney and pancreas, impotence, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) and cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks angina and stroke.

Shocking Smoking Statistics and Facts

There are currently more than 1.1 billion smokers in the world and the number could increase to 1.6 billion by 2025
Approximately 10 million cigarettes are purchased each minute worldwide
Benzene in cigarette smoke is a known cause of acute myeloid leukemia
One in five teens in the world begins smoking when 13 years old
Every 8 seconds someone dies of tobacco use in the world (approx 5 million deaths annually)
Passive smoking (second hand smoke) takes in over 50% cancer-causing chemical compounds

Specific Tobacco Health Warnings Needed

According to a recent WHO observation, though there is a general awareness in many countries that tobacco harms health, consumers lack specific knowledge of the serious health risks of tobacco.Studies done in Asia and Africa support this disparity in knowledge.

China

only 37% of smokers knewsmoking causes coronary disease
only 17% of smokers knew it causes stroke
though 95% of physicians knew smoking causes lung cancer,
only 66% of physicians knew it causes heart disease

India

less than 50% of school and college students in Gujarat knew
Gutka (popular mix of betel nut and tobacco) causes oral cancer
58% of those who chew areca nut and tobacco in Tamil Nadu were unaware of the serious health hazards

Israel

50% of school children believed smoking water pipe was less harmful than smoking cigarettes (it is equally harmful)

Africa

though 87% of those who responded knew the harmful effects of smoking, only 58% knew smoking causes cancer and only 36% related heart problems to smoking

Kick the Butt Now

Cigarette smoking and all other kinds of tobacco use are addictive because nicotine in tobacco triggers addiction similar to heroin or cocaine addiction. Nicotine is known to cause chemical changes in the brain that make nicotine addiction a physical dependency. Withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, irritability, hunger, insomnia, decreased heart rate and blood pressure are common. There are several ‘Quit Smoking Aids’ available world wide to help people addicted to smoking.

Studies show that the people have quit smoking for reasons such as health concerns, life style changes, having a baby, high cost of cigarettes or death of a friend or family member. The most common reason smokers put forward for not kicking the butt is lack of will power.

True to the maxim “A picture is worth a thousand words,” the WHO is exhorting all countries to display pictorial warnings on tobacco packages so that the message of the evils of tobacco reaches the literate and the illiterate. With tobacco traders continuously stepping up sale of tobacco products, health experts are aware that it is getting increasingly difficult to persuade people to give up the nicotine craving, which is a leading cause of preventable death. Scaring people into giving up the obnoxious use of tobacco by displaying horror pictures of tobacco –related diseases should hopefully do the trick and help consumers shake free of their tobacco addiction.

Source-Medindia
Mrs Thilaka Ravi

WHO backs gruesome picture warnings on cigarette packs

2009-05-29T21:54:00.000+04:00

GENEVA (AFP) — Pictures of rotting lungs, miscarried foetuses and bleeding brains should be put on all tobacco packages as they are effective in preventing tobacco use, the World Health Organisation said Friday.

"Today, WHO urged governments to require that all tobacco packages include pictorial warnings to show the sickness and suffering caused by tobacco use," said the UN health agency in a statement.

Graphic warnings showing illnesses caused by tobacco have been put on cigarette packagings in countries such as Brazil, Canada, Singapore and Thailand.

Studies have indicated that they help smokers to quit, according to the UN health agency, which launched its own explicit poster campaign for World No Tobacco Day on May 31.

"Effective health warnings, especially those that include pictures, have been proven to motivate users to quit and to reduce the appeal of tobacco for those who are not yet addicted," said the WHO.

However, the WHO noted that nine out of 10 people in the world have no access to such warnings.

"This represents a tragic underuse of a simple, cost-effective strategy that can vastly reduce tobacco use and save lives," said Marc Danzon, WHO Regional Director for Europe.

The WHO estimates that tobacco kills more than five million people every year.

"In order to survive, the tobacco industry needs to divert attention from the deadly effects of its products," said Douglas Bettcher, Director of WHO's Tobacco Free Initiative.

"Health warnings on tobacco packages can be a powerful tool to illuminate the stark reality of tobacco use," he added.

source: google news

A.K.A.R.A

2009-04-16T11:39:00.002+04:00

how to lead life without alcohol,

below blogs provide experience of blogger ,how he cope up without it

interesting ..........

http://akara-alsoknowasarecoveringalcoholic.blogspot.com/

229 million males in India consume tobacco

2009-03-08T23:22:00.000+03:00

Around 229 million males in India consume tobacco. Only China has more male smokers — 331 million.Over 11 million Indian women use tobacco while 5 million smoke cigarettes or bidis and 6 million others chew it.

As a result, female smokers in India die an average of eight years earlier than their non-smoking peers.

India is also the third leading producer of leaf tobacco, after China and Brazil. Over one lakh hectares of land is devoted to growing tobacco.

These are the findings of the world's latest `Tobacco Atlas', which will be released in Mumbai on Monday.

The Atlas has projected that tobacco will kill 6 million people annually from 2010, more than 80% of which will happen in low- and middle-resource countries like India.

These untimely deaths will drain $500 billion from the global economy each year as a result of lost productivity, misused resources, ineffective taxation and premature death.

The Atlas, prepared by the World Lung Foundation and the American Cancer Society, says that 25% of smokers die and many more become ill during their most productive years.

According to it, cigarettes are the world's most widely smuggled legal consumer product. In 2006, about 600 billion smuggled cigarettes made it to the market, representing an enormous missed tax opportunity for governments, as well as a missed opportunity to prevent many people from starting to smoke and encourage others to quit.

Tobacco replaces potential food production on almost 4 million hectares of the world's agricultural land, equal to all of the world's orange groves or banana plantations, the Atlas says.

The Atlas says that since 1960, global tobacco production has increased 300% in low- and middle-resource countries while dropping more than 50% in high-resource countries.

In India and China together, over half a billion men consume tobacco. According to mathematical models, in Bangladesh alone, if the average household bought food with the money normally spent on tobacco, more than 10 million people would no longer suffer from malnutrition and 350 children under age five could be saved each day.

Globally, one billion men in the world smoke -- about 35% of men in high-resource countries, and 50% of men in developing countries. "Almost one billion men worldwide smoke and about 250 million women are daily smokers. Tobacco killed 100 million people in the 20th century and could kill one billion in the 21st century. At present, tobacco accounts for about 8.8% of all global deaths and 4.2% of disabilities. Nearly half the world's children are exposed to deadly tobacco smoke in their daily environment,: the report says.

It points out that if the tobacco industry were a country, it would have the 23rd largest GDP, surpassing Norway and Saudi Arabia.

The report adds, "Nearly 25% of young people who smoke tried their first cigarette before the age of 10. Smokers die an average of 15 years earlier than non-smokers. During 2010, 6.3 trillion cigarettes will be produced and 12 million will be smoked every minute."

Tobacco is grown in 120 countries, but 67% originates in China, Brazil, India or the US.

source: TOI

survey says Indian wants smoke-free public places

2009-02-26T23:17:00.002+03:00

A near unanimous majority of Indians - 99 percent - favour a prohibition of smoking in public places, including workplaces, restaurants and

bars, and demand stringent enforcement of rules to check smoking in offices, a survey has found.

According to the survey released by Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI) Tuesday, majority of people agree that "all workers in India should be protected from exposure to second-hand smoke in workplaces".

A randomly selected sample of 1,026 respondents in four metros of the country - Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata - were interviewed in December last year.

"Majority of Indians support prohibition of smoking inside public places, including workplaces, restaurants and bars and an overwhelming 99 percent of Indians strongly favour enforcement of smoke-free rules in work places in order to provide comprehensive protection from second-hand exposure to tobacco smoke," the survey found.

Further, as many as 92 percent of respondents stated that exposure to second-hand smoke constitutes a serious health hazard for non-smokers.

In India, smoking in all public places, including workplaces, restaurants and educational institutions, is prohibited according to a regulation by the ministry of healthwhich came into effect Oct 2, 2008.

Commenting on the results of the survey, Bhavna B. Mukhopadhyay, senior director of VHAI, said: "These concerns translate to the very strong belief among Indians that it is the right of customers and employees to breathe smoke-free air in workplaces and public places."

S.S. Shastri, head, department of preventive oncology, Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, said: "India has always been faced with the rampant use of tobacco across all sections of society. The general consensus achieved by the survey is a very positive indicator of the sentiments of the public."

"It is very heartening to know that Indians recognise the fact that second-hand smoke is a major health hazard, and feel that the ban on smoking in public places should be more strictly enforced," said Shastri.

source:TOI

liquid smoking : a new way to cope up nicotine addiction

2008-10-30T21:05:00.000+03:00

A Dutch company has come up with a non-nicotine based soft drink which gives off a sensation akin to smoking cigarettes.

The drink, 'Liquid Smoking,' comes in a 275ml can shaped like a cigarette packet and will cost ?1.50 when introduced in Britain shortly.

It is an energy drink laced with South African herbs, which gives off "a slight energising effect, followed by a euphoric sense of calming and relaxation."

It has been on sale in the Netherlands for nearly a year now, and the Dutch company, United Drinks and Beauty Corporation, plans to launch it in Britain close to Christmas, The Telegraph has reported.

There is no lower age limit to buy it, but the manufacturer believes it should not be drunk by anyone under 15.

Company chief executive Martin Hartman told The Telegraph: "The product we have developed has got similar properties to nicotine, so we are trying to help people out who are affected by the ban on nicotine."

People might use this instead of a cigarette or tobacco to help the cravings. "It will take the edge off of a need for nicotine for between one to four hours."

Anti-smoking groups in Britain are concerned as such alternatives to smoking are unregulated and users have only the manufacturers' word about what they actually contain.

source : sify

smoking increases chances of aneurysm rupture

2008-10-16T20:28:00.000+04:00

Women who smoke are more likely than their ex-smoking and non-smoking peers to undergo surgery for an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) or to experience a ruptured aneurysm. An AAA occurs when the wall of the aorta, the body's largest artery that carries blood from the heart, is stretched or weakened as it passes through the abdomen. Blood pumping through the artery can cause the weakened wall to balloon out and possibly rupture. A ruptured AAA is an extremely dangerous event causing a massive amount of internal bleeding that is fatal without immediate surgery to repair the aorta. To assess the potential risk factors for abdominal aortic aneurysm events (repairs and ruptures) in women, researchers from America studied 1,61,808 postmenopausal women aged between 50 and 80 years. During the 8 years of follow-up, the researchers took lifestyle factors such as dietary habits and smoking status of the participants into consideration. Overall, 184 women experienced an AAA rupture or repair during the period of study.It was found that compared with former smokers and those who never smoked, current smokers had an increased the risk of an AAA event by 5- and 9-fold, respectively. Also, for every 10-year increase in age, the risk of an event rose by 77 percent. On the other hand, diabetes was associated with a 71 percent decreased risk of an AAA event. Further, compared with women who never used hormone therapy, current and past use cut the odds of an event by 52 and 24 percent, respectively. However, since further trials are needed to confirm the positive association of hormone therapy with AAA event, researchers do not yet recommend using hormone therapy for AAA prevention. The largest study of its kind shows that smoking increases the odds of developing AAA in women and is yet another reason for people to give up this habit.
BMJ Online First

Ramadoss strikes right chord

2008-10-12T16:43:00.003+04:00

After a ban on smoking in public places, Union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss is now eyeing the bottle. A National policy on alcohol control will soon be implemented in the country, Ramadoss said.

He said consultation with experts have begun but refused to elaborate. "On weekends in cities like Bangalore and Chennai even women are going on smoking and drinking binge. It's a dangerous trend. We'll have to intervene and regulate the system," he said.
Ramadoss hoped the WHO would soon designate October 2 as the global prohibition day. "Alcohol consumption poses a grave threat to India, the nation with 600 million people less than 30 years of age," he said.

"The Constitution mandates all states to exercise prohibition but except J&K and Gujarat none of the states follow it. Prohibition is a state subject, I would urge all state governments to enforce to total prohibition."

ads against smoking and alcohol

2008-10-08T16:48:00.004+04:00

India bans smoking in public from Gandhi's birthday

2008-10-01T16:28:00.002+04:00

Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss has said that a blanket ban on smoking in public places would be strictly enforced from October 2 on eve of Mahatma Gandhi's birthday.

India is among the few countries to ban tobacco-related advertisements but apart from the ban in media, the ban on smoking in public places or sale to minors is blatantly flouted.

"The Health Ministry can implement the law, the rule, the act wholeheartedly. From October 2, India is going to go smoke free in all public places," said Ramadoss.

Urging the people to self-impose the ban, the Health Minister said the need for restrain smoking had to come from within the individuals.

"Please self-impose this act. That is my main appeal. Every public in India has to self-impose," said Ramadoss.

India is the third largest tobacco producer and consumer in the world after China and United States of America. India, exports one fourth of its total annual tobacco output, which is nearly 545 million kilograms.

A Health Ministry handout said India has the highest number of oral cancer cases in the world and 90 per cent of all oral cancers are tobacco related.

More than 2200 Indians die everyday due to tobacco use and 40 per cent of all cancers in the country are due to tobacco use.

According to the WHO, there will be more than ten million deaths a year due to oral cancer in the next thirty years with 70 per cent of those occurring in developing countries like India.

source : ANI

Ramadoss justifies smoking ban

2008-09-30T12:34:00.000+04:00

Forty percent of India's health problems are linked to smoking, Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss says, defending the stringent measures to bansmoking in public places from Oct 2.

"According to a WHO survey, the (size of the) tobacco industry is Rs 35,000 crore (Rs 350 billion/$8 billion). Government as well as individual expenditure on preventing and treating tobacco-related health ailments as well as loss of production due to these diseases is Rs.36,000 crore (Rs.360 billion)," Ramadoss said in an interview.

He also pointed out that of the five million people the world over who have health problems because of tobaccouse, one million are Indians.

Ramadoss denied suggestions that he was playing the moral policeman due to the health ministry's banning smoking in public places from Oct 2.

"I am not trying to play a moral policeman or guardian. I am just doing my job. As health minister it is my responsibility to create awareness in the general population and to save every youth from everything that can harm their health.

"What happens in India impacts global figures. One sixth of humanity lives in India. As many as 600 million people here are below 30 years of age. We consider them as the high-risk group when it comes to tobacco, alcohol, drugs use, HIV infection and junk food consumption. It is the responsibility of the government to highlight the ill effects of these to the naive, illiterate and the youngsters," Ramadoss contended.

"If I, as health minister, can't do it who can? We don't want the young people to become a liability for our society," he contended.

He also spoke of the resistance to his anti-smoking measures from the cigarette and bidi lobby.

"Surprisingly, also from politicians. The chief ministers of (West) Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh wrote to lobby against these measures. More than 80 Members of Parliament made a representation against the ban and pictorial warning," Ramadoss said.

At the same time, he pointed out that India was obligated to imposing the measures because it was one of the 152 signatories to WHO's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control 2004.

He was also confident that smokers would be deterred by pictures of a skull or damaged lungs on a pack.

"Canada, Brazil and Singapore saw a three to five percent drop in smokers after such a measure. In the UK, 45,000 people quit smoking after smoking in public places was banned. Besides, the effect of pictorial warning on packs will be reviewed by a health ministry committee after one year.

Ramadoss also contended that the government would draw huge political capital from the anti-smoking measures.

"I feel there is going to be a huge gain for the Manmohan Singh government in the vote bank," the minister said.

light cigarette too as strong as regular ones

2008-09-28T22:43:00.000+04:00

Contrary to the popular notion, light cigarettes can deliver nearly as much nicotine to the brain as regular cigarettes, according to a new study.

For decades, cigarette makers have been marketing the so-called light cigarettes - which contain less nicotine than regular smokes - with the implication that they are less harmful to smokers' health, however, the new study from University of California, Los Angeles challenges the notion.

Light cigarettes have nicotine levels of 0.6 to 1 milligrams, while regular cigarettes contain between 1.2 and 1.4 milligrams.

The research team led by UCLA psychiatry professor Dr. Arthur L. Brody have found that low-nicotine cigarettes act similarly to regular cigarettes, occupying a significant percentage of the brain's nicotine receptors.

They also looked at de-nicotinized cigarettes, which contain only a trace amount of nicotine (0.05 milligrams) and are currently being tested as an adjunct to standard smoking-cessation treatments.

They found that even that low a nicotine level is enough to occupy a sizeable percentage of receptors.

"The two take-home messages are that very little nicotine is needed to occupy a substantial portion of brain nicotine receptors and cigarettes with less nicotine than regular cigarettes, such as 'light' cigarettes, still occupy most brain nicotine receptors," said Brody.

"Thus, low-nicotine cigarettes function almost the same as regular cigarettes in terms of brain nicotine-receptor occupancy.

"It also showed us that de-nicotinized cigarettes still deliver a considerable amount of nicotine to the brain.

"It can cause specific neurons to communicate and thus increases dopamine for an extended period of time.

"Most scientists believe that's one key reason why nicotine is so addictive," he added.

During the study, fifteen smokers were given positron emission tomography (PET) scans, a brain-imaging technique that uses minute amounts of radiation-emitting substances to tag specific molecules.

In this case, the tracer was designed to bind to the nicotine receptors in the brain.

The researchers could then measure what percentage of the tracer was displaced by nicotine when the research subjects smoked.

The data showed that smoking a de-nicotinized cigarette and a low-nicotine cigarette occupied 26 percent and 79 percent of the receptors, respectively, which was very close to what the researchers had originally estimated.

"Given the consistency of findings between our previous study with regular cigarettes and the present study - that showed us that inhaling nicotine during smoking is solely responsible for occupancy of brain nicotine receptors," said Brody.

The study appears in online edition of the International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology.

source: ANI

Mumbaikar to welcome smoking ban wholeheartedly

2008-09-20T13:12:00.002+04:00

The four-city survey conducted, between August 9 and 24, by Healis Sekhsaria Institute for Public Health found that 92% of those surveyed were in favour of smoke-free India. In Mumbai, 96% of the respondents supported the legislation.

When the ban on smoking at work and public places comes into effect on October 2, there won't be any protests here. The city's residents, along with those in Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai, have voted in a survey to indicate that they are overwhelmingly in favour of the Centre's plan to introduce smoke-free zones.

"People have clearly stated that they are against smoking in all public places and workplaces, including restaurants and bars," said Dr P C Gupta at a press conference on Thursday. The survey also found that Indians viewed second-hand smoke as a health risk. "Nine out of ten surveyed knew that exposure to second-hand smoke is a serious (84%) or moderate (14%) health hazard for the non-smoker," he added.

Health experts are enthused with the survey's findings, given the fact that support for anti-smoking measures has only increased in cities\countries that banned smoking a few years ago. "When California banned smoking in 1998, overall community approval for the move was 65.2%. Two years later, the rate of approval had increased to 72.6%," said Dr S Shastri, head of preventive oncology at Tata Memorial Hospital, quoting a study published in the Journal of Public Health.

Asked if the legislation would be successful, Dr Gupta said, "There is overall support for the notification. Moreover, the Centre is launching a public campaign. Each city has a local programme targeting schools, workplaces, etc."

source: Times of India

Ramadoss back in action

2008-09-03T18:30:00.000+04:00

Bangalore, Sept 2 (PTI) In keeping with its sustained anti-tobacco campaign, the Centre will implement a "workplace smoke-free policy" from October 2."Smoking will not be permitted in private and public buildings. Those wishing to smoke will have to step out on the roads," Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr Anbumani Ramadoss told reporters here.The ban applies to all companies, including the IT sector, Ramadoss said. Companies could no longer have designated smoking rooms, he added.The rule would also apply to small cafes, restaurants, pubs or discotheques. Hotels having more than 30 seat arrangement would have to create a separate enclosure for smokers and a separate ventilation arrangement as per the act, he said.Currently the punitive action for those violating the ban is Rs 200 but the ministry is keen on increasing it to Rs 1,000 for individuals committing the offence and Rs 5,000 for organisations.The government would run a series of advertisements highlighting the ban. Celebrities including Bollywood stars would be roped in to publicise the no-smoking rule.A pictorial warning would also be carried on all tobacco products with effect from December 1. Tobacco manufacturers had been notified and given three months time to comply.The Indian Government was an early signatory of an international agreement which requires the country to reduce the tobacco cultivation and consumption. Moving in this direction the government was keen to wean away tobacco cultivators to growing medicinal herbs, he said.
source : PTI

smoking in movies cause teenagers to start smoking

2008-08-23T15:08:00.000+04:00

Tobacco promotions and depictions of smoking in movies cause teenagers to start smoking, according to a sweeping report on tobacco in the media released on Thursday. The report by the National Cancer Institute found the tobacco industry spent more than $13 billion on smoking-related advertising and promotion in 2005. These efforts boosted overall tobacco use, contradicting industry claims that they are intended to build brand loyalty. "This is the first government report to present definitive conclusions that, number one, tobacco advertising and promotion are causally related to increased tobacco use in the population," said Ronald Davis, senior scientific editor of the report and past president of the American Medical Association. "And, number two, (it shows) that depictions of smoking in movies is causally related to youth smoking initiation," Davis told a news conference. Tobacco use remains the single-largest cause of preventable death in the US, accounting for more than 400,000 premature deaths each year. Smoking is down from 42% of US adults in 1965 to 21% in 2006. Still, more than 4,000 young people smoke their first cigarette each day, and another 1,000 become regular smokers. Nearly 90% of adult smokers began smoking while in their teens. The report found that even brief exposure to advertising influences adolescent attitudes. Three-quarters or more of hit movies depict cigarette smoking.

Alcoholism among young women linked to delayed childbearing

2008-08-21T14:35:00.000+04:00

Alcohol use during teen years can lead to a host of problems like risky sexual behaviour and a greater risk of delayed reproduction.
An examination of the link between a history of alcohol dependence (AD) and timing of first childbirth has found that AD is associated with delayed reproduction.
'Reproductive dysfunctions include a range of menstrual disorders, sexual dysfunctions, and pregnancy complications that include spontaneous abortion or miscarriage,' explained Mary Waldron, assistant professor at Washington University School of Medicine and co-author of the study.
'Teenagers who drink tend to have disruptions in their menstrual cycle as well as unplanned pregnancies,' she said.
These complications may become more pronounced with time, added Sharon C. Wilsnack, a neuroscience professor at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences.
'Higher rates of reproductive dysfunction in adult women may reflect the cumulative effects of longer exposure to alcohol for older women than for female adolescents,' she said.
Waldron and colleagues analysed data gathered from two groups of Australian twins born between 1893-1964 (3,634 female and 1,880 male twins) and 1964-1971 (3,381 female and 2,748 male twins).
Control variables included socio-demographic characteristics, regular smoking, history of psychopathology, and family and childhood risks.
Results indicate delayed reproductive onset among alcoholic women in both groups, with little or no effect observed among men.
'To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine alcohol's effects on reproductive onset across reproductive development,' said Waldron.
'Most previous research has examined risks to teens or adults but not both. Our findings highlight a risk associated with AD in women that is not widely recognised - a risk that has assumed increasing importance given the increased rates of alcohol misuse by women and particularly young women.'
These results will appear in the November issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

source: IANS

how crazy are people around us

2008-08-19T02:17:00.001+04:00

i wonder why ?

people are crazy for hard drinkz
few days back i was moving down streets of small city in russia,
i was broken up after seeing atleast 2 or 3 bottle caps of hard drinks
at every footstep along the street
it was around 6 in the morning
suddenly i saw an old man rushing past me
i was thinking in my mind

what a responsible man he would be !

walking stead fast to work early morning.
few steps down i saw him returning back
this time he changed my view about him
he was carrying a beer bottle
actually he was rushing to beer shop to pick up some for him

alas how could we change them.....

Smoking: Why the first puff can get you hooked

2008-08-08T17:06:00.002+04:00

For many, the first fag is just for the sake of trying out smoking, but for some, this first puff turns out to be a life time of addiction. Scientists have now attributed this tendency to the brain's procession of 'rewarding' and addictive properties of nicotine.
In their new study, researchers at The University of Western Ontario have said that the mechanism behind the brain's processing of the 'rewarding' and addictive properties of nicotine, may explain why some people seemingly become hooked with their first smoke.
Led by Steven Laviolette of the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, the study could lead to new therapies to prevent nicotine dependence and to treat nicotine withdrawal when smokers try to quit.
"Nicotine interacts with a variety of neurochemical pathways within the brain to produce its rewarding and addictive effects. However, during the early phase of tobacco exposure, many individuals find nicotine highly unpleasant and aversive, whereas others may become rapidly dependent on nicotine and find it highly rewarding. We wanted to explore that difference," explained Laviolette.

The scientists particularly found one brain pathway that uses the neurotransmitter 'dopamine' to transmit signals related to nicotine's rewarding properties.
This pathway is called the 'mesolimbic' dopamine system and is involved in the addictive properties of many drugs of abuse, including cocaine, alcohol and nicotine."While much progress has been made in understanding how the brain processes the rewarding effects of nicotine after the dependence is established, very little is known about how the mesolimbic dopamine system may control the initial vulnerability to nicotine; that is, why do some individuals become quickly addicted to nicotine while others do not, and in some cases, even find nicotine to be highly aversive," said Laviolette.
The team then identified which specific dopamine receptor subtype controlled the brain's initial sensitivity to nicotine's rewarding and addictive properties and were able to manipulate these receptors to control whether the nicotine is processed as rewarding or aversive.
"Importantly, our findings may explain an individual's vulnerability to nicotine addiction, and may point to new pharmacological treatments for the prevention of it, and the treatment of nicotine withdrawal," said Laviolette.
The paper is published in the latest issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.

ANI

Booze: Who's drinking what where

2008-08-07T17:43:00.005+04:00

The world consumed 18.3 billion liters of spirits in 2007, with China, whose thirsty citizens drank 3.7 billion liters, leading the way, according to the global market intelligence firm Euromonitor International. But don't expect to have heard of any of these brands—a majority of this tipple is local hooch made and consumed in China.
By far the most popular category of liquor in the world was vodka (3.7 billion liters), thanks to Russia's immense appetite for the stuff, followed by whiskey (2.1 billion liters). But fans of Dewar's or Jack Daniel's will be surprised to learn that most of this is not the familiar Western brands but rather Indian-made whiskeys, with some ersatz Scottish names like Bagpiper and McDowell's. Indians consume nearly 800 million liters of whiskey, both domestic and imported, a year.
But local labels produced purely for local markets aside, which are the global brands that have established the greatest presence behind the bar?
With the opening up of Russia and Eastern Europe, the growing prosperity in Asia and South America, and above all the Westernization of popular culture, Western spirit brands have become the drink of choice for the emerging middle class from Shanghai to São Paulo—and the category that's leading the way is Scotch whisky.
According to Martin Riley, international marketing director for Chivas Brothers (Chivas Regal, Glenlivet, Ballantine's, Royal Salute, Beefeater Gin), a division of Pernod Ricard: "These are very good times for Scotch whisky. The whole world, with one or two exceptions, is really embracing it in its different forms. We are seeing growth at all levels."
He points out that Scotch whisky is the only spirit you can find in every market where it's legal to sell alcohol, and in most markets of the world it's the imported spirit of choice.
Blended or single Malt?
Scotch has a major advantage in that it is not really one but three categories of spirit—blends, super-premium blends such as Johnnie Walker Blue and Chivas Regal's Royal Salute, and single malts—so even if one is in decline in a particular market, another might be growing.
An example of this is the U.S. and Britain where sales of blended Scotch are flat or even declining while single malts are growing at double-digit rates. These countries both have a strong history of Scotch drinking and a knowledgeable consumer base that's receptive to the appeal of single malts.
With the opening up of Russia and Eastern Europe, the growing prosperity in Asia and South America, and above all the Westernization of popular culture, Western spirit brands have become the drink of choice for the emerging middle class from Shanghai to São Paulo—and the category that's leading the way is Scotch whisky.
According to Martin Riley, international marketing director for Chivas Brothers (Chivas Regal, Glenlivet, Ballantine's, Royal Salute, Beefeater Gin), a division of Pernod Ricard: "These are very good times for Scotch whisky. The whole world, with one or two exceptions, is really embracing it in its different forms. We are seeing growth at all levels."
He points out that Scotch whisky is the only spirit you can find in every market where it's legal to sell alcohol, and in most markets of the world it's the imported spirit of choice.
Blended or single Malt?
Scotch has a major advantage in that it is not really one but three categories of spirit—blends, super-premium blends such as Johnnie Walker Blue and Chivas Regal's Royal Salute, and single malts—so even if one is in decline in a particular market, another might be growing.
An example of this is the U.S. and Britain where sales of blended Scotch are flat or even declining while single malts are growing at double-digit rates. These countries both have a strong history of Scotch drinking and a knowledgeable consumer base that's receptive to the appeal of single malts.
The US, not surprisingly, drinks more bourbon than anywhere else, though American whiskey—bourbon and Tennessee—have long played catch-up with Scotch in global markets. Scotch established itself around the world in the 19th and 20th centuries thanks to the wide reach of the British Empire, while U.S. whiskey was crippled by Prohibition, but the major labels, such as Brown-Forman's (BFA) Jack Daniel's and Fortune Brands' (FO) Jim Beam, are now making a big push into the emerging markets of Eastern Europe, Russia, and China.
However, while they are showing success in terms of growth—sales of American whiskey grew by 269% in China from 2002 to 2007—they still represent only a small fraction, 5.6%, of the overall whiskey market there. In fact, one brand of Scotch, Chivas Regal, sells four times as much whisky in China as all the American whiskey brands combined.
The US is also, and somewhat surprisingly, the largest market for cognac. In contrast, the French, while embracing Scotch, have fallen most decidedly out of love with their own national spirit; consumption fell by 55% from 2002 to 2007 and now is just 1/20th of that of Scotch.
Russians drink more vodka than anyone else (274 million cases), but growth is minimal, whereas cognac is up 134% in that country over the last five years, and Scotch a whopping 561%, all according to IWSR.
Big "Scotch" drinkers
The world's largest consumer of "Scotch" is India—the word is in quotes because 99% of it there is not produced by Messrs. Walker, Haig, and their Scottish friends, but a local spirit as often as not made from molasses rather than barley.
To protect this domestic production, India imposes a controversial 52.5% tariff on imported Scotch, so the real stuff accounts for only 1% of Indian whiskey consumption.
Needless to say, the Scotch Whisky Assn. is not happy with the situation, and the lawsuits are flying. The SWA recently won a case in the Delhi High Court forbidding the locals from labeling their spirit "Scotch," but this is only the beginning of the fracas. With angry accusations of protectionism and imperialism being tossed around, it's going to be a long time before this particular liquored-up brawl is settled.
What this all amounts to is that the international premium spirits brands are becoming an increasingly successful worldwide phenomenon. In the developed world they are an affordable luxury; in the emerging markets of Eastern Europe, Russia, and China, they have become emblematic of an aspirational Western lifestyle; and for everyone, every patron of trendy cocktail bars and pulsing discos from Singapore to Seattle, they connote a self-congratulatory air of worldly sophistication.

source: BusinessWeek

SRK to give up smoking?

2008-08-04T17:33:00.000+04:00

Health Minister A Ramadoss may finally breathe a sigh of relief. Shah Rukh Khan has decided to give up smoking.
"I am planning to quit smoking for the sake of my children, who hate to see me smoke," Shah Rukh Khan said, in an interview to the Malayalam daily, Malayalam Manorma. "It is a blessing in disguise and I will quit smoking in the next two months," he added.
SRK's smoking had become a kind of war between him and the Health Minister.
Ramadoss had often stated that Shah Rukh's habit of smoking publically set up a bad precedent for youngsters. But the actor did not stop.
"I am sure Mr Ramadoss will be very happy to hear this news," Shah Rukh told the Malayalam newspaper.
The interview was conducted at Pollachi in Tamil Nadu where SRK is shooting for Billo Barber, directed by Priyadarshan .The film's Tamil version, Kuselan and Telugu version Kathanayakudu -- both starring Rajnikanth -- released last week.
"I started smoking when I was 22. For the last 20 years, I have been a smoker," SRK said.
"The idea of quitting propped up during a 17-hour flight," SRK explained. The actor could not smoke on the flight, and did not even feel the urge. "So if I can do without smoking in flight, I am sure I can do without it on land too," he said.
But this is not the first time Shah Rukh has promised to quit smoking.

this happens when u r boozed

2008-08-02T19:02:00.000+04:00

so lets stop drinking, make others to stop drinking

feel free to give ideas and tips to make people stop drinking.

this is what happened to me....................................

2008-08-02T18:46:00.000+04:00

friends you may wonder , why i have started this blog ?

because i am future doctor , social worker , many thing may poke your brains.

but reason behind it is a small incident happened to me two weeks ago

i was coming back home from my practical class,

i was alone, on the way two drunkards stopped me.

they were fully boozed, one was still having beer bottle in his hand.

they asked me to give some money.

i nodded in negative, then they looked at my pocket ,started searching me,

i was just frightened, i tried to run, they blocked me

one was to beat me,

then two people came back from car hit them hard , they asked me to run

i just can't imagine situation how hard they were hit down , i felt pity for them

i thought what made them to do this with me and got conclusion

they wanted money to buy more alcohol.

i decided to stop people from being loosing themselves, making hell for themselves

so i started this blog

you may add your experiences, say how to stop people from this social habit,

Public Ban on Smoking Improves the Health of Both Smokers and Nonsmokers

2008-07-31T20:20:00.000+04:00

Public bans on smoking improve the overall health of people, a new study carried out in Scotland and published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed.
The interesting thing is that researchers looked for signs that the person was a smoker, a non-smoker and started their research from there.
Researchers found that after a ban smoking in enclosed public place was introduced in Scotland in March 2006, there was a 17 percent reduction in hospital admissions for acute coronary syndrome. There was a 14 percent reduction in admissions among smokers, a 19 percent reduction among former smokers, and a 21 percent reduction among people who’d never smoked, the US News and World Report noted.
Nonsmokers saw a 20% reduction in their hospital admissions.
Previous studies showed that banning smoking in public places reduced hospital admissions, but they didn’t take into considerations cathegories such as nonsmokers, smokers, or both.
It looks like the home is now the most likely place to breathe second-hands smoke. Another study showed that the risk people who had never smoked but lived with a smoker to have a stroke raised by 42 %. If the person smoked at some point of his/her life but given up, the risk to have a stroke raised at 72 %.
A similar study made in Rome after a ban smoking in enclosed public places was introduced in Italy showed that the number of acute coronary events dropped significantly among adults in Rome.

THE HEALTH AND SOCIAL HAZARDS OF SMOKING

2008-07-31T00:42:00.000+04:00

HOW DOES SMOKING AFFECT A PERSON'S HEALTH?
Smoking affects a person's health in many serious ways, having both immediate and long term ill effects on your quality of life. It is a very serious addiction, caused by the drug nicotine. Once inhaled, nicotine from smoking reaches the brain almost immediately (within seven seconds). Milligram for milligram, the nicotine contained in all cigarette smoke is more potent than heroin.
Whenever you light a cigarette, the nicotine in its tobacco causes an increase in your heart rate and blood pressure, and the air passages in your lungs constrict, making it more difficult for you to breathe. This is dangerous to even the healthiest person, and can be disastrous to anyone with a medical illness. As small blood vessels constrict, your skin temperature may also decrease, causing your fingers, toes and skin to feel cold. Smoking dulls more than your social appeal, it decreases your senses, particularly your sense of smell and taste ( that's why you can't smell the stink you carry around with you, if you smoke). Finally, carcinogens, or cancer causing agents, and toxic gases, such as carbon monoxide, enter your blood. This can cause chest pain and disturbance of your heart rhythm during physical activity or exercise. The long term effects of smoking are extremely dangerous. Smoking contributes to various respiratory diseases, such as asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, or a shortness of breath and eventual chronic cough leading to extreme breathing difficulty and gasping for air, and Lung infections, including frequent colds, flu and pneumonia are much more common and severe in smokers.
In addition, smoking leads to cardiovascular illnesses such as high blood pressure, and coronary artery disease (clogged arteries). As arteries constrict, there is also a greater risk of stroke, which results in a disruption of the flow of blood carrying oxygen to the brain. In fact, studies show that smokers are two to three times more likely to have a stroke or heart attack than non-smokers, and the risk of cardiovascular disease is highest for smokers with high blood pressure and relatively high for women who smoke and use oral contraceptives.
In addition to causing lung cancer, smoking has been linked to other forms of cancer, including cancer of the throat (or voice box); cancer of the mouth, larynx and esophagus; and cancer of the kidneys, pancreas, stomach and bladder.
Pregnant women who smoke have a greater chance of giving birth to stillborn, low-birth weight or premature babies, or of having a miscarriage .
Recent studies have also linked smoking to looking old for your age. Researchers have found that smoking more than triples the average person's chance of premature facial wrinkling, and that the severity of wrinkling increases with the number of pack years, doubling and in some cases quadrupling depending on the number of packs smoked per day over a long period of time.
Smoking also stains your fingers and teeth, and leaves a stale smell on your hair, breath and clothes.
WHY SHOULD I QUIT? Most importantly: you will reduce your risk of heart attack, cancer and stroke, as well as add years to your life. You will breathe more easily, your lungs and heart will work better, your sense of smell and taste will improve, your home, car, clothes and hair will look and smell fresher; you'll have more energy and save money.
HOW DO I QUIT?Various methods are available to those who need help in kicking the habit, including behavior modification; medical treatment, such as the use of prescription products approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration as smoking cessation aids; counseling; and hypnosis.
If you decide to quit cold turkey, set a target date. When it arrives, throw out your cigarettes, lighters, matches and ashtrays. Find someone to quit with you. To reinforce your decision, have your teeth cleaned; begin an exercise program; estimate how much money you will save.
If you want to cut down on your smoking gradually, try to: switch brands to one you find distasteful; smoke only half of each cigarette; smoke without inhaling; buy cigarettes by the pack, not the carton; hide your cigarettes in an inconvenient place; keep a smoking "record" of when you smoke and why, and try to eliminate the least important cigarettes.
Once you've started to cut down, set a daily quota and reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke each day; increase your exercise; postpone your cigarette until you can go all day without one; smoke only in uncomfortable places; spend time where smoking is prohibited; do things that occupy your hands.
If you use smoking cessation devices, such as a nicotine patch, remember that your chances of kicking the habit greatly improve when used in combination with a comprehensive behavioral smoking cessation program.
WHAT ABOUT WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS?If you experience withdrawal symptoms, try to think of them as signs of recovery; your body is cleaning itself out! Here are some typical withdrawal symptoms and advice about how to manage them.
Coughing: Don't be alarmed if you initially cough more after quitting; your lungs are clearing out. Cough drops might help.
Lack of concentration: Rest, exercise and time will overcome this problem.
Tiredness: Get an extra hour or so of sleep. Brisk exercise during the day may help you sleep more soundly.
Nervousness: Drink lots of water to flush the nicotine out of your system. Also, try to cut down on your caffeine intake. Sore throat: Drinking liquids may help.
Headache: Get plenty of rest and exercise. If this persists, see your doctor.
Constipation: Include more whole-grain foods and fresh fruit and vegetables in your diet. Again, exercise.
Sleeplessness: Exercise regularly. You may also experience irritability or depression.
To avoid gaining weight, try to keep a variety of low calorie snacks available, such as carrots, celery, fruit juice and sugarless gum. The physical withdrawal of nicotine from the body takes approximately 2-3 weeks. After that time period, cravings are more psychological in origin.
WHAT ABOUT SECOND-HAND SMOKE?Studies indicate that breathing second-hand smoke, or environmental tobacco smoke (ETC), can also pose certain risks. The poisons in second-hand smoke can burn the eyes, nose and throat, and cause coughing; increase the heart rate; raise blood pressure; cause headaches; and upset the stomach. Over time, breathing second-hand smoke can increase the risk of lung problems, cancer, heart attacks, and strokes.
Those with health problems are at greater risk, particularly those with heart problems, allergies, or breathing problems, such as asthma.
Infants and young children may also be seriously affected by second-hand smoke. Studies indicate that children of smokers are more likely to have coughs, colds, lung problems including asthma, ear infections, behavior problems, heart disease and cancer later in life.

Indians start drinking alcohol at 13: Ramadoss

2008-07-30T13:30:00.000+04:00

There are over 62 million alcohol drinkers in India and the age of initiation is just 13.5 years, Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss said Tuesday.
'The age of initiation to alcohol has come down from 19 years in 1986 to 13.5 years in 2006,' Ramadoss said.
'In India alone, there are 62.5 million alcohol users and their numbers are increasing rapidly. It is documented that more than 50 percent of all drinkers in India come under the criterion for hazardous drinking,' he added, while speaking at the India-Brazil-South Africa health ministers' conference here.
Reminding the delegates about the 58th World Health Assembly's warning on the harmful effects of drinking, the minister said: 'Drinking is among the foremost underlying causes of diseases, domestic violence against women and children, disability, social problems and pre-mature deaths'.
To denounce drinking and create awareness about its ill effects, the minister proposed to observe World No Alcohol Day' on Oct 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
'In making this suggestion, I voice the sentiments of 1/6th of humanity living in the world's largest democracy (India).
'In addition, we would also like to urge the institution of a Framework Convention on Alcohol Control similar to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control,' Ramadoss said, while seeking support of Brazil and South Africa to fight the alcohol menace.
Brazilian Health Minister Jose Gomes Temporao, South African Health Minister Tshabalala Msimang and health officials from both countries are in India for the summit.

source : IANS

Smoker husband can raise your stroke risk

2008-07-30T13:26:00.000+04:00

Apart from verification of credentials, just find out whether your potential life partner puffs or not, for a new study has revealed that being married to a smoker can significantly raise your risk of a stroke. Previous studies have indicated the dangers of stroke to smokers, but till now had not explored the high risk from passive smoking. Now a team at Harvard University has found that even if one does not smoke, tying the knot with a smoker increases the chance of suffering a heart stroke by upto 72 per cent, the report said. "These findings indicate that spousal smoking increases stroke risk among non-smokers and former smoker. "The health benefits of quitting smoking likely extend beyond individual smokers to affect their spouses, potentially multiplying the benefits of smoking," lead researcher Dr Maria Glymour wrote. The researchers came to the conclusion after analysing the records of more than 16,000 people in the US. They looked at people aged over 50, and their spouses, over a period of nine years. The study found that if the person had never-smoked, living with a smoker raised stroke risk by 42 per cent. If he or she had smoked at some point in their lives, but given up, the increase in risk was even higher, at 72 per cent. The results were true after taking all other factors into consideration. However, the study revealed that being married to a former smoker did not increase risk, suggesting that this extra risk would fall away if the partner stopped smoking.

source: PTI

one of consequences of drinking alcohol

2008-07-27T18:51:00.000+04:00

This young lady in Oprah and what a loving, forgiving young woman she is ! An amazing story of what she has suffered and will bear rest of her life.

It was just due one of our largely spread social negligence.

Jacqueline partying with his friends

The car in which Jacquillene travelled,she was hit by another car,that was driven by 17 year old male student on his way home after drinking couple of hard packs with his friends.this was in december 1999.

After accident Jacquillene has needed over 40 operations.

Jacquillene was caught in burning car and her body was heavily burnt during 45 seconds.

During treatment with his father in 2000.

Without her left eyelid Jacquillene needs eye drops to keep her vision.

Now boy in 2004, he cannot forgive himself for driving drunk on that night,he is aware of Jacquillene's life.this changed his mind towards alcohol.

Not everyone who gets hit with car dies, this picture was taken 5 years after accident and doctors are still working on Jacquillene whose body was covered with 60% severe burns.

So lets now stop everybody from drinking alcohol to save many lifes from being destroyed like this girls.

" SAY NO TO ALCOHOL"

share your experiences as alcoholics, what made you to stop drinking alcohol, how can we stop it and all ...........................................

Cigarette smoke makes viral infections worse

2008-07-27T00:02:00.000+04:00

A new study in mice has provided an insight into why viral infections have more severe consequences in individuals exposed to cigarette smoke than in those not exposed to it.The study, conducted by researchers at Yale School of Medicine, also identified the mechanism by which viruses and cigarette smoke interact to increase lung inflammation and damage. Their experiments showed that the immune systems of mice exposed to cigarette smoke from as little as two cigarettes a day for two weeks overreacted when they were also exposed to a mimic of the flu virus. The mice's immune systems cleared the virus normally but the exaggerated inflammation caused increased levels of tissue damage.

"The anti-viral responses in the cigarette smoke exposed mice were not only not defective, but were hyperactive," said Jack A. Elias, M.D., the Waldermar Von Zedtwitz Professor of Medicine and chair of internal medicine at Yale School of Medicine."These findings suggest that smokers do not get in trouble because they can't clear or fight off the virus; they get in trouble because they overreact to it. "It's like smokers are using the equivalent of a sledge hammer, rather than a fly swatter, to get rid of a fly," he added.Elias and his colleagues also found that mice with viral infections that had been exposed to cigarette smoke had accelerated emphysema and airway scarring. They also defined the signaling pathway that mediates this exaggerated innate immune response."If the exaggerated responses are verified in human studies, it will be the first explanation for why viral infections are more serious in smokers," said Elias. "Once verified, we can find ways to prevent the destruction of lung tissue and the higher illness and death among smokers," he added.James P. Kiley, director, Division of Lung Diseases of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, said: "These studies have identified molecular pathways that can explain how cigarette smoke exposure and viral infections interact to make breathing problems worse in diseases like COPD," said"With further research, these findings may even lead to more effective drug treatments for COPD," he added. The study is published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

source: ANI