Late Breaking News
Trial begins in tobacco company lawsuit against Australia’s plain packaging law for cigarettes
Texas city of Fort Worth considers no longer hiring smokers for city employment
Primarily propelled by smoking, lung cancer rates among women in the UK continues to rise
Menthol smokers are more likely to suffer strokes than non-menthol cigarette smokers
Society News
New SRNT Fund Supports International Travel Scholarships
The SRNT Board of Directors has created a new fund to support travel scholarships for international researchers to attend the 2013 Annual Meeting in Boston, and meetings beyond. The fund will support experienced, as well as young, investigators.
For more information, please click here.
Genetic variants appear to contribute to the metabolism of a carcinogenic tobacco-specific nitrosamine
Tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNA) such as NNK (4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are considered to be important carcinogens for lung cancer development. After humans smoke or otherwise consume tobacco, NNK is rapidly metabolized to NNAL (4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol) and NNAL-glucuronide which can then be excreted. This study is the first to examine a large number of readily available, high quality genotyped data on a number of polymorphisms in NNK metabolism with total NNAL levels as a biomarker. While confirmation in a larger sample of smokers is warranted, the paper provides evidence that genetic variability in NNK carbonyl reductases, HSD11B1 and AKR1C4, may contribute to the inter-individual variability seen in total NNAL, previously shown to be a predictor of lung cancer risk.. More...
Ter-Minassian M, Asomaning K, Zhao Y, Chen F, Su L, Carmella SG, Lin X, Hecht SS, Christiani DC. (2011) Genetic variability in the metabolism of the tobacco-specific nitrosamine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) to 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL). International Journal of Cancer. (in press), published online May 4, doi: 10.1002/ijc.26162.
Asthma and Cigarette Smoking in a Representative Sample of Adults
The current study examined the association between asthma and both smoking and nicotine dependence in the National Comorbidity Survey-Replication (NCS-R) as well as the temporal patterning between smoking and asthma onset (N = 5692; 53% female; M age = 45.01, SD = 17.9). Results indicated lifetime history of daily smoking and nicotine dependence were both significantly associated with asthma diagnosis and half of individuals with asthma reported that their asthma diagnosis preceded smoking onset. These data suggest that nicotine dependence may maintain a stronger relation with asthma than smoking and that there may be distinct developmental trajectories for asthma–smoking relations. More...
McLeish, A.C., Cougle, J.R., & Zvolensky, M.J. (in press). Asthma and cigarette smoking in a representative sample of adults. Journal of Health Psychology.
Mechanisms of change in extended cognitive behavioral treatment for tobacco dependence
Extended cognitive behavioral treatment (E-CBT) for tobacco dependence has yielded impressive long-term abstinence rates. To delineate the processes underlying this potent intervention, Hendricks et al. (2010) evaluated several potential mediators of E-CBT’s impact on cigarette use. The authors found that E-CBT increased abstinence self-efficacy over the course of treatment. This effect, in turn, was positively associated with non-smoking. Abstinence self-efficacy accounted for 61% to 83% of the effect of E-CBT on cigarette use. These findings suggest that boosting individuals’ confidence in their ability to quit may be the best method for enhancing the efficacy of existing tobacco dependence interventions. More...
Hendricks, P.S., Delucchi, K.L., & Hall, S.M. (2010). Mechanisms of change in extended cognitive behavioral treatment for tobacco dependence. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 109, 114-119.
Nicotine Reduction Revisited: Science and Future Directions
An increasing number of research and policy experts believe that reducing the nicotine delivery in tobacco products to non-addictive levels could be the ultimate harm reduction policy intervention. However, few studies have addressed whether or not reducing nicotine in cigarettes is a viable public health policy measure. To examine this issue, two meetings were convened in the US with non-tobacco-industry scientists of varied disciplines, tobacco control policymakers and representatives of government agencies. This article provides an overview of the current science in the area of reduced nicotine content cigarettes and key conclusions and recommendations for research and policy that emerged from the deliberations of the meeting member. More...
Hatsukami DK, Perkins KA, Lesage MG, Ashley DL, Henningfield JE, Benowitz NL, Backinger CL, Zeller M. (2010). Nicotine reduction revisited: science and future directions. Tobacco Control, 19(5), e1-e10
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