Hundreds of people died last year of lung, mouth and bladder cancer - all of which are closely linked with smoking.
Each of those cancers took record numbers of lives, and it has been warned that even though fewer people than ever now smoke, that won't make a positive impact on death rates for around ten years.
Figures released by ISD Scotland showed that 602 people died of lung cancer, a 20-year high, while 43 died of mouth cancer and 72 of bladder cancer.
The number of women dying of tobacco-linked diseases is rising particularly sharply, and this is because it became more common for females to smoke in the 1970s.
Chief executive of Edinburgh anti-tobacco group ASH Scotland, Sheila Duffy, said: "We are now nearly 40 years on from the boom in women smokers, which is why lung cancer rates in women are still increasing.
"To reduce these figures it's vital that NHS stop-smoking services continue to attract women and support them, but just as importantly we need to keep cutting the numbers of girls taking up smoking."
Another type of cancer to reach a record high was kidney cancer, which killed 53. This has been put down to rising obesity rates.
Some key cancers did go down, particularly those which have been subject to major awareness campaigns such as breast and prostate cancer.
However, skin cancer hit a record 34 deaths last year.
In total, 2147 people died from cancer in the Lothians, compared with 2064 in 2008. This is in contrast to a downwards trend in Scotland, which can be explained by the Lothians' faster-than-average population rise, and more older people.
Experts said the fact fewer people were dying from strokes and heart attacks meant they had a greater chance of living long enough to develop cancer.
Dr Dermot Gorman, consultant in public health medicine for NHS Lothian, said that although the figures increased this year the long-term trend was downwards.
He said: "The standardised death rate from cancer in Lothian has slowly fallen over the past decade.
"Early detection can lead to a better chance of survival, and we have a wide range of screening programmes to help detect cancer as early as possible.
"We would urge people to protect their health by exercising, eating healthily, stopping smoking and reducing excessive alcohol intake."
среда, 27 октября 2010 г.
Tobacco tax increase could give Anchorage $5 mil per year
The Anchorage Assembly heard some new information about the proposed tobacco tax increase Tuesday night.
Assembly Chair Dick Traini said he's introducing a different version of the proposal that would split where the money from the tax increase would go.
Under his new plan, half of the money raised by the increase would go toward property tax relief. A quarter of the money would go to the Anchorage Fire Department budget and a quarter of the money would go to the police budget.
Under his old ordinance all money from the tax increase would go to property tax relief.
The mayor's office says the increase in tobacco tax in Anchorage would raise more than $5 million each year.
Traini says while you might find that tobacco companies hire lobbyists in Juneau, it's not every day you find one at the local level.
“RJ Reynolds and Phillip Morris have hired lobbyists. The names are there at the clerk’s office. You can pull it up. We must be getting somebody’s attention,” said Traini.
The Assembly listened to about an hour’s worth of public testimony and then closed the hearing.
The Assembly will make their final decision on the ordinance at its next meeting.
Assembly Chair Dick Traini said he's introducing a different version of the proposal that would split where the money from the tax increase would go.
Under his new plan, half of the money raised by the increase would go toward property tax relief. A quarter of the money would go to the Anchorage Fire Department budget and a quarter of the money would go to the police budget.
Under his old ordinance all money from the tax increase would go to property tax relief.
The mayor's office says the increase in tobacco tax in Anchorage would raise more than $5 million each year.
Traini says while you might find that tobacco companies hire lobbyists in Juneau, it's not every day you find one at the local level.
“RJ Reynolds and Phillip Morris have hired lobbyists. The names are there at the clerk’s office. You can pull it up. We must be getting somebody’s attention,” said Traini.
The Assembly listened to about an hour’s worth of public testimony and then closed the hearing.
The Assembly will make their final decision on the ordinance at its next meeting.
Tobacco farmers register
At least 75 000 farmers are expected to register as growers in the 2011/11 season, up from 52 000 the previous season, Tobacco and Industry Marketing Board chief executive Dr Andrew Matibiri, has said.
So far more than 45 000 farmers countrywide have registered to grow tobacco in 2010/11 agricultural season ahead of the registration deadline at the end of the month. Growers are required to register with the TIMB annually. TIMB has embarked on a mobile registration exercise in tobacco growing regions to ensure that all farmers interested in growing the crop obtained grower registration numbers.
Dr Matibiri said they were projecting that the number of tobacco farmers interested to grow the crop in the next coming season to reach 75 000. "The enthusiasm to grow tobacco is very much there as evidenced by inquiries that we continue to receive. This year we had 52 000 registered growers and in the next season we are projecting that the figure could reach 75 000. To date about 45 387 growers have registered," he said.
Dr Matibiri said they had also sold enough seed to produce seedlings for over 100 000 hectares compared to 67 000 hectares grown in the 2009/10. Meanwhile, he said sales were still continuing to mop up tobacco deliveries that had not been delivered prior to the closure of the marketing season last month. Tobacco has so far earned the country US$355,276,031 from the sale of 123 295 314 kilogrammes at an average price of US$2.88 per kg. Most of the crop delivered came through the contract system resulting in 80 575 384 kg being sold while 42 719 930 kg was obtained through the auction system.
Last year, tobacco raked in US$168 million from 58 million kg. Since liberalisation of the economy in 2009, the sector has registered an increase in the number of farmers interested in growing the golden leaf.
So far more than 45 000 farmers countrywide have registered to grow tobacco in 2010/11 agricultural season ahead of the registration deadline at the end of the month. Growers are required to register with the TIMB annually. TIMB has embarked on a mobile registration exercise in tobacco growing regions to ensure that all farmers interested in growing the crop obtained grower registration numbers.
Dr Matibiri said they were projecting that the number of tobacco farmers interested to grow the crop in the next coming season to reach 75 000. "The enthusiasm to grow tobacco is very much there as evidenced by inquiries that we continue to receive. This year we had 52 000 registered growers and in the next season we are projecting that the figure could reach 75 000. To date about 45 387 growers have registered," he said.
Dr Matibiri said they had also sold enough seed to produce seedlings for over 100 000 hectares compared to 67 000 hectares grown in the 2009/10. Meanwhile, he said sales were still continuing to mop up tobacco deliveries that had not been delivered prior to the closure of the marketing season last month. Tobacco has so far earned the country US$355,276,031 from the sale of 123 295 314 kilogrammes at an average price of US$2.88 per kg. Most of the crop delivered came through the contract system resulting in 80 575 384 kg being sold while 42 719 930 kg was obtained through the auction system.
Last year, tobacco raked in US$168 million from 58 million kg. Since liberalisation of the economy in 2009, the sector has registered an increase in the number of farmers interested in growing the golden leaf.
Whimsy touches tobacco shop
The Milford Tobacco Shop, at 2017 Bridgeport Ave., has all of the right touches, including the wooden cigar-store American Indian guarding the display cases.
But it's details beyond what you'd expect to find that makes Luzanne McCollough's year-old business fascinating, even for non-smokers. There is the Civil War memorabilia, including soldiers' letters home, the lead "minie balls" that were fired from their smooth-bore rifles and a replica of the small pistol that killed President Abraham Lincoln.
These items take up several glass cabinets in what might be called the 19th-century gallery of McCollough's personal museum, which also includes programs from Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, photos of its star Annie Oakley and authentic stagecoach tickets for a line that operated in western Montana and Wyoming.
There are Egyptian and pre-Colombian artifacts that McCullough said she collected in her travels or acquired from museums that were selling off the smaller or less-valuable items in their collections. Programs from Worlds Fairs dating to the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia form another part of her collection.
A Milford native and a graduate of Lauralton Hall and Endicott College, McCullough said that she wasn't particularly interested in history when she was in school. She said it was only after she began touring Civil War battlefields with a friend that she became fascinated with that era.
Her store carries cigars from around the world, including exotic, brandy-infused rarities that can sell for as much as $15. The humidors are stocked with all kinds of cigars, including those made with Connecticut broadleaf wrappers. There also are vintage cigar boxes from the 19th century.
About half of her business is tobacco-related, McCullough said. She also cuts keys and sends and receives faxes for customers.
Her sense of whimsy can be seen throughout the spacious store. There is a mannequin of Elvis Presley from his Las Vegas period of white jumpsuits with sequins. McCullough found him on eBay, and she buys and sells antiques and collectibles through her site, www.rothchildeantiques.com.
"My friends used to say that my house looked like a museum, and now my store looks like my house," she joked.
But it's details beyond what you'd expect to find that makes Luzanne McCollough's year-old business fascinating, even for non-smokers. There is the Civil War memorabilia, including soldiers' letters home, the lead "minie balls" that were fired from their smooth-bore rifles and a replica of the small pistol that killed President Abraham Lincoln.
These items take up several glass cabinets in what might be called the 19th-century gallery of McCollough's personal museum, which also includes programs from Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, photos of its star Annie Oakley and authentic stagecoach tickets for a line that operated in western Montana and Wyoming.
There are Egyptian and pre-Colombian artifacts that McCullough said she collected in her travels or acquired from museums that were selling off the smaller or less-valuable items in their collections. Programs from Worlds Fairs dating to the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia form another part of her collection.
A Milford native and a graduate of Lauralton Hall and Endicott College, McCullough said that she wasn't particularly interested in history when she was in school. She said it was only after she began touring Civil War battlefields with a friend that she became fascinated with that era.
Her store carries cigars from around the world, including exotic, brandy-infused rarities that can sell for as much as $15. The humidors are stocked with all kinds of cigars, including those made with Connecticut broadleaf wrappers. There also are vintage cigar boxes from the 19th century.
About half of her business is tobacco-related, McCullough said. She also cuts keys and sends and receives faxes for customers.
Her sense of whimsy can be seen throughout the spacious store. There is a mannequin of Elvis Presley from his Las Vegas period of white jumpsuits with sequins. McCullough found him on eBay, and she buys and sells antiques and collectibles through her site, www.rothchildeantiques.com.
"My friends used to say that my house looked like a museum, and now my store looks like my house," she joked.
B.C. man's lonely cross-country trek against tobacco nears end
An anti-tobacco industry lobbyist expects to make Montreal this weekend, the end of a cross-Canada trek that began in Victoria in May.
Errol Povah, who runs and walks 42 kilometres a day, six days a week, is making the solo trek to spread awareness of the hazards of the tobacco industry and raise funds for the Variety Club (the Children's Charity) of British Columbia, B.C.'s Children's Hospital and Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto.
The Surrey, B.C., man hopes to collect $47,000 in donations — a dollar for every death from tobacco in Canada each year.
So far, the 57-year-old retired BC Ferries officer has raised about a tenth of that.
"It's a huge struggle," Povah said from Ottawa Tuesday, adding the lack of support crew or sponsors is a major disappointment.
Because he is doing it solo, he's worked out a complicated daily schedule in which he parks his van on the side of the road and runs or walks back five kilometres or so, then returns to the van and does the same in the other direction.
He then drives it ahead 10 kilometres and does the same thing all over again, for a total of 42 kilometres — essentially a marathon.
After the trek ends in Montreal, Povah hopes to make a dogleg through the U.S. in November to visit the New York City headquarters of the Philip Morris cigarette company.
Povah said 30 per cent of money raised will go to the charities, while the rest will go to the anti-tobacco lobby group he runs, Airspace Action on Smoking and Health.
Errol Povah, who runs and walks 42 kilometres a day, six days a week, is making the solo trek to spread awareness of the hazards of the tobacco industry and raise funds for the Variety Club (the Children's Charity) of British Columbia, B.C.'s Children's Hospital and Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto.
The Surrey, B.C., man hopes to collect $47,000 in donations — a dollar for every death from tobacco in Canada each year.
So far, the 57-year-old retired BC Ferries officer has raised about a tenth of that.
"It's a huge struggle," Povah said from Ottawa Tuesday, adding the lack of support crew or sponsors is a major disappointment.
Because he is doing it solo, he's worked out a complicated daily schedule in which he parks his van on the side of the road and runs or walks back five kilometres or so, then returns to the van and does the same in the other direction.
He then drives it ahead 10 kilometres and does the same thing all over again, for a total of 42 kilometres — essentially a marathon.
After the trek ends in Montreal, Povah hopes to make a dogleg through the U.S. in November to visit the New York City headquarters of the Philip Morris cigarette company.
Povah said 30 per cent of money raised will go to the charities, while the rest will go to the anti-tobacco lobby group he runs, Airspace Action on Smoking and Health.
понедельник, 18 октября 2010 г.
Quit Smoking Monday Messages
The Meaning of Freedom when we Quit Smoking
Once we quit smoking, the word freedom takes on a depth of meaning it never had before. The benefits of better health and more money in our pockets only marks the beginning of the positive changes most of us enjoy after quitting.
The quit stories in today's feature illustrate the value freedom from nicotine addiction has had on 10 unique and precious lives.
Healthy Monday encourages us to think of every Monday as a day that we can begin work anew on goals that we have for ourselves. If you're still smoking, put your cigarettes down and get started on your quit program today.
Quit Smoking Monday Messages Archive
We all have the ability to quit smoking successfully, and we all deserve a life that is free of addiction. Honor your life by choosing Monday as the day to start and reinforce your quit program.
You can quit smoking ... and we're here to help you, one simple Monday at a time.
Once we quit smoking, the word freedom takes on a depth of meaning it never had before. The benefits of better health and more money in our pockets only marks the beginning of the positive changes most of us enjoy after quitting.
The quit stories in today's feature illustrate the value freedom from nicotine addiction has had on 10 unique and precious lives.
Healthy Monday encourages us to think of every Monday as a day that we can begin work anew on goals that we have for ourselves. If you're still smoking, put your cigarettes down and get started on your quit program today.
Quit Smoking Monday Messages Archive
We all have the ability to quit smoking successfully, and we all deserve a life that is free of addiction. Honor your life by choosing Monday as the day to start and reinforce your quit program.
You can quit smoking ... and we're here to help you, one simple Monday at a time.
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