Smoking

A new health campaign in Los Angeles aims to reduce smoking among gays, lesbians and bisexuals. Smoking rates are 50 percent higher in this community, compared with heterosexuals.

Quitting smoking may yield health benefits for some people sooner than previously thought, according to new research presented this week at the American Heart Association scientific meeting.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg signed a bill this week that raises the minimum age to buy tobacco products from 18 to 21. The law will take effect in May 2014.

The attorneys general of 24 states are urging the Food and Drug Administration to ban the sale of menthol cigarettes, CSPnet.com reports.

An increasing number of students in middle school and high school are smoking e-cigarettes, hookahs and cigars, a new government report concludes.

E-cigarette companies are using celebrities in ads and flavorings in their products to appeal to new customers, USA Today reports. Unlike regular cigarettes, the marketing of e-cigarettes is not currently regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.

A new study adds to evidence that e-cigarettes may help some smokers quit. The study followed e-cigarette users for one year, and found they cut back or quit regular cigarettes in large numbers, according to Reuters.

Other cities and states are closely watching New York City’s vote this week to raise the legal age for buying tobacco from 18 to 21, according to U.S. News & World Report.

New York City lawmakers passed a measure Wednesday that raises the legal age for purchasing tobacco to 21, from 18. The law covers cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars and cigarillos, The New York Times reports.

A number of states are making their own decisions about regulating e-cigarettes, as they await the Food and Drug Administration’s rules about the devices. Four states have included e-cigarettes in indoor smoking bans, and more are considering following suit.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has decided to drop a bill that would have required stores to keep cigarettes out of sight, according to The New York Times. Bloomberg still hopes to raise the legal smoking age to 21.

A trade group representing the e-cigarette industry will be traveling to Washington on November 4 to urge Congress not to classify the devices as tobacco products, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Babies whose mothers smoke during pregnancy have an increased risk of being hospitalized for potentially deadly infections, according to new research.

Tobacco companies, which have been banned from targeting children and teens in the United States, are focusing on young people in the developing world, according to Scientific American.

Vermont will join dozens of other states that have adopted tobacco-free policies at state-funded addiction treatment centers, the Associated Press reports.

Almost one in 12 high school seniors smoke small, sweet-flavored cigars, according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The findings are based on a survey of nearly 19,000 students in grades 6 through 12.

Living close to a tobacco retail outlet may increase a person’s urge to smoke, a new study suggests.

High-cost cigarettes and smoke-free homes reduce smoking among people with low incomes, a new study concludes. Cigarettes that cost $4.50 or more per pack are associated with lower cigarette use, researchers from the University of California, San Diego found.

This October marks the centennial anniversary of America’s “public health enemy number one”: cigarettes. As smoking has evolved from a fashionable accessory to what we now understand as deadly addiction, at least 43 million Americans still smoke, despite its negative health, social and economic impact. So why do smokers still smoke asks Legacy President and CEO Cheryl Healton?

A new study finds cigarettes are linked to the cause of death in more than 60 percent of smokers. Smoking shortens the life of an average smoker by 10 years, Australian researchers found.

A new survey of teens finds those who start puberty early are more likely to try cigarettes, alcohol and marijuana, compared with those who begin on time or late.

Members of the European Parliament on Tuesday voted against tight regulations for e-cigarettes, according to The New York Times. The vote comes as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration prepares to issue regulations for the devices.

The United States Supreme Court this week rejected the tobacco industry’s appeal of a Florida court ruling. The decision could make it easier for ill smokers or their survivors to sue cigarette makers, Bloomberg reports.

Makes of e-cigarettes are lobbying the Food and Drug Administration to regulate their products less strictly than traditional cigarettes, The Washington Post reports. The agency has said it will start regulating the e-cigarette industry later this month.

Public health officials are trying to figure out how to target their anti-smoking ads to young and old people alike, as some cities experience a rise in the number of children and senior citizens, The Atlantic reports.