Malaysian and Thai smokers' beliefs about the harmfulness of 'light' and menthol cigarettes

OBJECTIVE

This study explored the extent to which Malaysian and Thai smokers believe "light" and menthol cigarettes are less harmful than "regular" cigarettes and the correlates of these beliefs.

METHODS

The study used data from wave 1 of the International Tobacco Control Southeast Asia Survey. 2006 adult smokers (95.3% male) from Malaysia and 2000 adult smokers (94.5% male) from Thailand were interviewed face to face in 2005.

RESULTS

29% of Malaysian respondents reported currently smoking light cigarettes and 14% menthols, with 19% agreeing that lights are less harmful and 16% agreeing that menthols are less harmful. 38% of Thai respondents reported currently smoking light cigarettes and 19% menthols, with 46% agreeing that lights are less harmful and 35% agreeing that menthols are less harmful. Malaysian smokers reporting current use of light or menthol cigarettes were more likely to believe that they are less harmful. Reported use of lights did not relate to beliefs for Thai respondents. The belief that light and/or menthol cigarettes are less harmful was strongly related to the belief that they have smoother smoke.

CONCLUSIONS

The experience of smoother smoke is likely to produce some level of belief in reduced harm, regardless of how brands are labelled and whether or not Federal Trade Commission FTC/International Organisation for Standardisation tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide yield figures are used.

Impact of graphic and text warnings on cigarette packs: findings from four countries over five years

OBJECTIVES

To examine the impact of health warnings on smokers by comparing the short-term impact of new graphic (2006) Australian warnings with: (i) earlier (2003) United Kingdom larger text-based warnings; (ii) and Canadian graphic warnings (late 2000); and also to extend our understanding of warning wear-out.

METHODS

The International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Survey (ITC Project) follows prospective cohorts (with replenishment) of adult smokers annually (five waves: 2002-2006), in Canada, United States, UK and Australia (around 2000 per country per wave; total n = 17 773). Measures were of pack warning salience (reading and noticing); cognitive responses (thoughts of harm and quitting); and two behavioural responses: forgoing cigarettes and avoiding the warnings.

RESULTS

All four indicators of impact increased markedly among Australian smokers following the introduction of graphic warnings. Controlling for date of introduction, they stimulated more cognitive responses than the UK (text-only) changes, and were avoided more, did not significantly increase forgoing cigarettes, but were read and noticed less. The findings also extend previous work showing partial wear-out of both graphic and text-only warnings, but the Canadian warnings have more sustained effects than UK ones.

CONCLUSIONS

Australia's new health warnings increased reactions that are prospectively predictive of cessation activity. Warning size increases warning effectiveness and graphic warnings may be superior to text-based warnings. While there is partial wear-out in the initial impact associated with all warnings, stronger warnings tend to sustain their effects for longer. These findings support arguments for governments to exceed minimum FCTC requirements on warnings.

Ziconotide, a new N-type calcium channel blocker, administered intrathecally for acute postoperative pain

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Voltage-sensitive calcium channel conductance is essential for the nervous system to signal a painful event. However, intrathecal administration of L-type calcium channel blockers does not provide analgesia. The present investigation was designed to assess the safety and analgesic efficacy of ziconotide, a new N-type calcium channel blocker, when administered intrathecally to patients with acute postoperative pain.

METHODS

This randomized, double-blind, pilot study included patients undergoing elective total abdominal hysterectomy, radical prostatectomy, or total hip replacement. After intrathecal injection of local anesthetic and before surgical incision, a continuous intrathecal infusion of either placebo or 1 of 2 doses of ziconotide (0.7 microg/h or 7.0 microg/h) was started and continued for 48 to 72 hours postoperatively. Primary and secondary efficacy variables were the mean daily patient controlled analgesia (PCA) morphine equivalent consumption and visual analog pain intensity (VASPI) scores, respectively.

RESULTS

Thirty patients received study drug; 26 were evaluable for efficacy. Mean daily PCA morphine equivalent consumption was less in patients receiving ziconotide than in placebo-treated patients, and the difference was statistically significant between 24 and 48 hours (P = .040). VASPI scores during the first 8 hours postoperatively were markedly lower in ziconotide-treated than in placebo-treated patients. In 4 of 6 patients receiving the high-dose of ziconotide (7 microg/h), adverse events, such as dizziness, blurred vision, nystagmus, and sedation contributed to study drug being discontinued after 24 hours. After ziconotide discontinuation, these symptoms resolved.

CONCLUSIONS

Ziconotide showed analgesic activity, as shown by decreased PCA morphine equivalent consumption and lower VASPI scores. Because of a favorable trend of decreased morphine consumption with an acceptable side-effect profile in the low-dose ziconotide group, 0.7 microg/h may be closer to the ideal dose than 7 microg/h. Large-scale studies are required to clarify this issue.

Extraction of light filth from tea: collaborative study

The present AOAC method for determining insect and rodent filth in tea is time-consuming because it produced filter papers which are heavy in plant residue and therefore required long paper-reading times. A new method for the analysis of light filth in tea was developed to remedy existing problems and to improve recoveries. The method consists of the following steps: sample preparation, wet sieving, dilution with 40% isopropanol, flotation with mineral oil-heptane, and trapping off in a Wildman trap flask. In an interlaboratory collaborative study, analysts reported combined insect fragment recoveries of 99.2% for the proposed method and 93.0% for the AOAC method; the same analysts recorded combined rodent hair recoveries of 92.2% for the proposed method and 47.6% for the official method. Average times for reading individual subsamples were 9 min for the proposed method and 27 min for AOAC method. the proposed method has been adopted official first action.