Screening for Nicotine Increasingly the Norm

February 11th, 2011   Add Comment

Without question, cigarette smoking has negative consequences for your health and adds to health costs for both individuals and employers. Yet cigarettes are also a legal product that people can choose to use in all 50 states. For businesses, it is a vexing problem, and more and more businesses are choosing to screen for nicotine before they hire…much to the displeasure of current smokers.

The NYTimes covered the situation yesterday. They note that some states have rejected smoker bans and some have not, but that regardless, a trend is emerging:

There is no reliable data on how many businesses have adopted such [non-smoker] policies. But people tracking the issue say there are enough examples to suggest the policies are becoming more mainstream, and in some states courts have upheld the legality of refusing to employ smokers.

Steven C. Bjelich, the chief executive of St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo., adds “We felt it was unfair for employees who maintained healthy lifestyles to have to subsidize those who do not…Essentially that’s what happens.”

Of interest is the fact that many of those banning smoking and nicotine testing job applicants are large health organizations and hospitals. It probably won’t surprise you that the American Cancer Society and the American Lung Association haven’t been hiring smokers. Hospitals taking up the standard is a little more unusual, and points to a trend. Organizations like the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) are being asked about the issue as well, although it is at the moment not a high priority.

The NYT closes the story with an interesting anecdote – 68 year old John Stinson applied for a job at the Cleveland Clinic, despite their no-smoking/er policy and his old decades old habit. He stayed clean in time for his nicotine urine test …and lo and behold, it wasn’t just a break from a bad habit – it helped him quit smoking.

Still, people are understandably uneasy about the decision of employers to bar smokers. For some it is a question of the right to use a legal product; for others it is the fact that a non-smoker policy falls more heavily on those in service jobs. The 2010 Monitoring the Future survey for example found that non-college bound students smoke at double the rate of college bound students.

What are your thoughts on this trend in business? A good large scale policy, or a violation of people’s rights and privacy? Individual states are grappling with the issue as well, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if one day this question made its way as many others do to the United States Supreme Court.

How Do Alcohol & Tobacco Interact?

August 10th, 2010   Add Comment

Anyone who has gone to parties and social gatherings will be aware of people who smoke only socially. Social smoking or smoking only atparties seems like a concept that is generally accepted by many. Research supports the fact that those who consume large amounts of alcohol are also likely to be those who smoke a lot too. It is probably not known that the combined effects of alcohol and tobacco can be relatively more devastating.

Almost all alcoholics (80 to 95 percent) smoke cigarettes. This is a rate that is three times higher than the normal population. Out of this about 70 percent of alcoholics are known to be heavy smokers as well. The proportion of heavy smokers in the overall population is ten percent.alcohol and nicotine effects
The concurrent use of alcohol and tobacco fall under what is called the rewarding affect or the aversive affect. In the first case consumption of the other adds to the rewarding effect of the first and in the aversive effect the negative effect of the first reduces.

The Risks Associated with Consuming Alcohol and Smoking

Smoking and consuming alcohol increase the risk of cardiovascular andlung diseases. The combined effect has also been known to cause somekind of cancers like mouth cancer, throat cancer and esophagus cancer. The risks posed are greater than the additive of the risks associated with smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol. The risk of developing a mouth cancer is 7 times higher among those who smoke and 6 times higher for those who consume alcohol than the general population. The same risk is amplified to 38 times more for those who smoke and consume alcohol at the same time. And for an alcohol test to work, you must put down your cigarette – 15 minutes should go by before you consume anything for the test to be administered correctly.
Tobacco and alcohol together also result in nutritional deficiencies too. This occurs due to the lack of proper absorption of the food. The combination is also notorious for resisting the proper action of antioxidants, elements that are able to otherwise fight cancer cells from  developing.

How does Simultaneous Tobacco and Alcohol Use Increase the Risk of Cancer?
There are more than 4000 toxic chemicals in a cigarette that are burnt when one is smoked. These are collectively known as tar and are converted into chemicals that can cause cancer (carcinogens). When one consumes alcohol, certain microsomal enzymes are produced that can increase the activity of these toxic chemicals, increasing the chances of smoking related cancers to a large extent. Some researchers also feel that the dehydrating effect of alcohol results in the ability of the tobacco chemicals to be absorbed in the mouth to a larger extent. This results in a much higher risk of mouth cancer than otherwise. Whether it is to show off to the opposite sex or generally increase camaraderie among friends, social smoking is something that should be avoided completely, lest it become a habit to smoke every time you drink. If you understand the amount of amplification that smoking and drinking together brings about, you should surely ensure that you avoid concurrent consumption.

How To Stop Smoking

June 18th, 2010   1 Comment

Smoking is a habit that frequently becomes an integral part of the life of a smoker. It becomes ingrained in one’s routine – there is one cigarette that you have in the morning and then after breakfast and one needs to be lighted on the way to work and the schedule goes on even when one is not consciously aware of it.

The idea of giving up smoking is something that almost all smokers consider at some point in time. It might actually be difficult to find a smoker that does not know the harm that smoking can cause. The battle therefore is more than just one of awareness.

Understand the Objective

If you want to quit smoking then you may have to realize that giving up the habit requires step by step management. There is also the need to identify the specific positives that you get from smoking. There are people who smoke from sheer boredom and then there are others that need a cigarette in their hands to relax or release tension. There are also those who start off as social smokers and then cannot kick the habit.

Create your own Game Plan

If you are able to identify the reason why you smoke, you should take specific measures to defeat the craving. If you smoke for relaxation, then substitute the craving with long deep breaths, meditation or exercise. Those who smoke out of boredom should look for a hobby that they are passionate about so that they can keep themselves fervently busy. Social smokers who find comfort in smoking in public may want to check out some counseling classes and those who just have to have a smoke after a meal should try topping the meal with a sumptuous dessert.

Get Support from Friends and Family

If you are trying to quit smoking then you can be sure that you will get all the support that you need from friends and family. Involve them in your decision and tell them to administer a nicotine test to you every week. Just to check. This might help you keep off cigarettes, especially if you do not want to lose face in front of them.

Medication Therapy to Quit Smoking

Nicotine and non-nicotine therapies can be used to ensure that the craving for smoking can be kept at a minimum in the beginning in order to help you manage the change. Nicotine replacement therapy involves the use of nicotine replacement products such as a nicotine patches or nicotine chewing gums. These products work by releasing small amounts of nicotine into the blood stream. This helps in managing the withdrawal symptoms too. The non-nicotine medications help by reducing withdrawal symptoms in a different manner. Bupropion (Zyban) and varenicline (Chantix) are two medicines that are currently being used.

Non Medication Therapies to Quit Smoking

Other ways in which people quit smoking include hypnosis, acupuncture, behavioral therapy and motivational therapy. The extent to which these remedies work is subjective and non-documented in nature.

Whether it is through medication, alternative therapies or pure will the fact is that the only manner in which you can stop smoking is by making a decision and then sticking to it. While there is no substitute for your determination to quit, a nicotine test can help you keep a check on yourself especially if you have your friends or family around helping to check on you once in a while.

-Article by Anne Hamilton

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What Do Caffeine and Nicotine Have in Common?

April 16th, 2010   Add Comment

(Ever thought while enjoying your morning coffee that you were sipping a giant ashtray? Well, don’t worry, you’re not! But caffeine and nicotine do have a lot in common).

Photo by Julius Schorzman

Photo by Julius Schorzman

What do caffeine and nicotine have in common?  The science stuff:  Both are alkaloids and derived from plants and natural anti-herbivore chemicals. Both readily cross the blood brain barrier that separates the blood stream from the interior of the brain. The basics:  Both caffeine and nicotine are stimulants.  Both increase alertness and concentration and are addictive…but you knew that, didn’t you?

Caffeine

Caffeine is found in beans, leaves and the fruit of some plants. Basically, it acts as a natural pesticide in plants, where it paralyzes or kills insects that feed on the plant. In humans, however, it acts as a stimulant. The most common means of caffeine consumption by humans is beverages prepared from coffee beans and tea leaves. It is also present in various foods and beverages prepared from the kola nut. Other natural sources include plants of species of holly and guarana.

As a central nervous system stimulant, caffeine restores wakefulness by warding off drowsiness, the primary reason for the popularity of coffee, tea, soft drinks and energy drinks. Regular consumption often leads to tolerance. In people who are not tolerant to caffeine it increases the flow of urine when administered in sufficient quantities.

Caffeine is a metabolic stimulant commonly used recreationally…that may sound like a strange way to describe such a common part of our lives, but it’s true. It is also used medically to reduce fatigue. It is absorbed quickly, within 45 minutes, by the stomach and intestines and then transported throughout the body. Caffeine crosses the blood-brain barrier easily and works as a non-selective agonist and combines with adenosine receptors on the surface of cells. Adenosine is a functional nucleotide that is found in every part of the body and plays a significant role in metabolism and is necessary for RNA synthesis.

Once inside the body, caffeine starts having its effect within 30 minutes and when taken in mild quantities, the effect wears off in three to four hours. There is only a temporary reduction in feeling of tiredness and as such, it is an effective external aid for enhancing performance. However, though you might try, it does not obviate the need to sleep.

Caffeine works to increase the number of adenosine receptors in the body, which makes users much more sensitive to adenosine. This results in tolerance or substantial reduction in its effectiveness as a stimulant. At the same time, cessation of caffeine leads to withdrawal symptoms.

Nicotine

Nicotine is found in the nightshade family of plants. As an anti-herbivore chemical, specifically for insects, it was widely used as a natural insecticide. The most common source of nicotine delivery is through tobacco in various forms  smoking, chewing and taken in the nose.

Nicotine inhaled while smoking a cigarette reaches the brain within seven seconds through the bloodstream after crossing the blood brain barrier. The amount of nicotine released in the body depends largely on the type of tobacco and the manner in which it is used. Chewing tobacco or holding tobacco between lip and gum or tobacco taken through the nose delivers a much greater amount of nicotine than cigarette smoking.

Cigarette smoking works as a stimulant as well as a relaxant. Nicotine delivered by smoking or chewing tobacco causes the liver to release glucose and the adrenal medulla to release epinephrine. In the brain, it stimulates the release of numerous chemical messengers including endorphin, the body’s natural analgesic. Apparently, smoking enhances concentration and memory and the analgesic effect of endorphin reduces pain.

The biggest negative effect of smoking or chewing tobacco is dependence and withdrawal. It is at least as addictive as cocaine and heroin. Nicotine dependence is actually the hardest addiction to break. The carcinogenic properties of nicotine have not been properly evaluated but those of cigarette smoking have been well researched. Nicotine does not appear in the group of carcinogens but it increases cholinergic activity, which can potentially lead to cancer. Smoking and the consequent release of carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke, on the other hand, is known to directly cause cancer.

Most surprising of all though, is that nicotine and caffeine have in common that they are natural pesticides! That such common items in our lives contain what could be effective pesticides is in my opinion quite fascinating.

(And by the way, you can check out our nicotine test by clicking on the link.  We do not sell or even think there exists a caffeine test at this time!).

- Anne Hamilton

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Nicotine And Women

March 20th, 2010   Add Comment

Smoking is a habit that does no one good. Even a single cigarette is harmful for the system. Women suffer from all the negative effects of smoking as men do. These include a higher risk of cancer including cancers of the lung, mouth, larynx, pharynx, esophagus, kidney, pancreas, kidney and bladder. Other smoking risks associated with the habit include all kinds of respiratory diseases. Women smokers are at a 12 times higher risk of dying from lung cancer and 10 times more likely to meet their death from bronchitis and emphysema.

Some of the specific risks that women face when they indulge are discussed below.

Infertility

Women smokers have reduced fertility. A study showed that 38 percent of non smoking women conceived in their first cycle as against only 28 percent of those who did. A woman smoker is more likely (3.4 times more) to take more than a year to conceive.

Menstruation

Secondary amenorrhea (absence of menstruation or irregular menstruation) is a common issue that female smokers face. Vaginal discharge that is not regular and bleeding is also common. The toxic effect also leads to a quicker menopause than what would have been otherwise.

Hormones

Lower levels of estrogen in women who smoke leads to early menopause! While estrogen replacement therapy helps, taking external hormones and smoking at the same time increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Osteoporosis

Smoking reduces the bone density and therefore increases the already high risk of osteoporosis in women. It was seen that women who smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day lower their bone density by 5 to 10 percent. This reduction can lead to significantly higher chances of fractures.

Pregnancy

Women who smoke through their pregnancy have children who are more susceptible to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. The habit also leads to preterm delivery that can bring other issues related to it along with. Chances of low birth weight, placenta previa, miscarriage and neonatal death is also common. Smoking can also reduce the flow of blood to the fetus thereby reducing the amount of nutrients that reach it.

Oral contraception

The use of oral contraceptives along with smoking increases the risk of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases in women by ten times. This smoking risk increases with age and is considerably higher in women above the age of 35.

Other smoking risks

Smoking risks include lung cancer to a large extent in women. It is estimated that about 68,000 women in the US die each year from the condition. The risk of cardiovascular diseases is three times higher in middle aged smoking women than in middle aged non smoking women, according to the American Heart Association. Skin related issues such as wrinkles and spotting are also known to appear in women who smoke. It also leads to yellow and stained teeth, bad breath, tartar deposits and tooth loss.

The best way of managing the issue of smoking is to ensure that you never really start. One way in which you can keep your teenager from smoking is to make her aware that you have a nicotine test at home that you can use anytime. Stay vigilant about telltale signs of smoking so as to prevent the habit from forming in the first place.

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Cigarette Companies – Still Not Playing By The Rules?

March 15th, 2010   3 Comments

The NY Times today covers an interesting advertising campaign on the part of Camel that is raising eyebrows.  Roni Caryn Rabin writes:

Though R.J. Reynolds, the company that makes the cigarettes, pulled the ads in 2008, a new study says they had a big effect on teenage girls. The ads bore a striking resemblance to fashion spreads and ran in women’s magazines like Glamour and US Weekly, which are popular among teenagers. They offered promotional giveaway items like berry lip balm – and cellphone jewelry.

and

While the ad campaign was going on in 2007 and 2008, 44 percent of teenage girls said they had a favorite cigarette ad – up from less than one-third in 2003. Those who said Camel was their favorite ad doubled, from 10 to 13 percent to 21.5 percent, even while Marlboro’s popularity held steady.

“There was no such increase in brand awareness among boys, which strongly suggests it was the Camel No. 9 brand — the girl brand — that did it,” said Dr. Cheryl G. Healton, president of the American Legacy Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing youngsters from smoking and one of the authors of the paper.

Camel seems to be pushing the maxim “any publicity is good publicity” here.  They are explicitly not allowed to target youth, and of course in the US people under the age of 18 are not allowed to purchase cigarettes.  But tempting youngsters is a tempting prospect to the giant corporations – why not corner a new market?  As the study above suggests, that is exactly what Camel did – to 174,000 girls under the age of 18.

For parents, this signals business as usual from cigarette companies.  As always, vigilance is required.  If you want to know for sure that your child is not smoking cigarettes, purchase an inexpensive nicotine test and you will be able to find out.  Even as restrictions tighten, cigarette companies seem to have little trouble finding ways to broaden their consumer base.

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