Electric cigarette explodes in man's mouth

A gentlemen from Pensacola, FL was using an electronic cigarette, when it exploded in his mouth. The man, use name has not been released, suffered severe burning to his face and loss some of his front teeth.

North Bay Fire Department Division Chief Joseph Parker says it appears the cigarette's battery exploded while the manwas smoking. Parker described it as a bottle rocket going off in the man's mouth. The victim also lost part of his tongue.

Parker added that the man was using the e-cigarette to assist him in quitting smoking. The consumer is being treated in Mobile, Alabama in a burn unit.

There was no mention of what maker or model the electronic cigarette was. The story had no comment from the tobacco industry.

Less Smoke Exposure in Teens' Cars, Study Finds

MedPage Today reported this week that fewer teens are inhaling secondhand smoke in cars as efforts continue to limit youth exposure to the potential harms of tobacco, a nationwide survey found.

From 2000 to 2009, the number of adolescents overall who reported riding in cars with someone smoking fell from 48.1 to 29.8 percent, according to Brian A. King, PhD, and colleagues from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. And during that time, the percentage of nonsmoking teens exposed to secondhand smoke in cars decreased from 39 to 22.8 percent, which was a 71.1 percent change, the researchers reported online ahead of print in the March issue of Pediatrics.

"Nonetheless, in 2009, over one-fifth of nonsmoking students reported [secondhand smoke] exposure in a car in the previous seven days," meaning that continued efforts to limit exposure are needed, they observed.

Read the full article here: http://www.cadca.org/resources/detail/less-smoke-exposure-teens-cars-study-finds

FDA to Weigh Safety of OTP's

Last week the Food and Drug Administration held a 3 day meeting to discuss the safety and risks associated with "dissolvable" products.

"Dissolvables" are flavored mints, strips and sticks of smokeless tobacco. These products are not stop-smoking aids. Instead, they are designed to allow people to satisfy their cravings for nicotine in places where smoking is banned.

Although not available nationwide....yet, RJ Reynolds is completing test marketing in two cities and Star Scientific markets two products that are available now (Ariva and Stonewall).

These products worry many public health advocates due to risks these products pose to children and teens, whether that's addiction or nicotine poisoning. The risk of accidental ingestion, which results in poisoning, is already on the rise. According to a 2010 study published in Pediatrics, smokeless products are the second most common cause of nicotine poisoning in children....behind cigarettes.

So all eyes are on the FDA. It was the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act that gives authority over the manufacture, distribution and marketing of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products.

http://www.healthfinder.gov/news/newstory.aspx?Docid=660712&source=govdelivery

Just More Proof

A study released this week from Massachuetts showed that....for every dollar spent in smoking prevention three dollars are saved!! Its always been known that prevention improves health and saves lives, now we can see that it saves money.

George Washington University, who conducted the study, found that members who quit smoking saved three times the cost of the program in fewer heat-related hospitalizations after just over one year. The studey did not take into account the benefits of avoiding cancer or other long-term smoking related illnesses.

The study has some added weight because it's one of just a few that conclude that the state's landmark health care law is making people healthier and saving money. To date there has been a lot of speculation, but very little proof.

For more information about the study, use the link below:

http://commonhealth.wbur.org/2012/01/smoking-cessation/