Smoking in Otago

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Fred99

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#2413971 7-Feb-2020 09:12

I heard a figure being quoted on National Radio the other day (but don't recall the original source) - that currently ~13% of NZers are smokers. Took me a while to think of how many close friends or family are still smokers, I can only think of two, one is 84 and has COPD, the other is about 55 and has terminal lung cancer. 0% smoking rate is a good target.

networkn

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#2414014 7-Feb-2020 09:26

Fred99:

I heard a figure being quoted on National Radio the other day (but don't recall the original source) - that currently ~13% of NZers are smokers. Took me a while to think of how many close friends or family are still smokers, I can only think of two, one is 84 and has COPD, the other is about 55 and has terminal lung cancer. 0% smoking rate is a good target.

Interestingly, I met a couple of doctors when I was in the US and the medical consensus on vaping is starting to change due to the unregulated nature of it. There are for example, in NZ, no guidelines on what can and can't be put into those vaping "flavours". The US has some but not enough.

Most products have almost zero labelling so it's a lottery what you might be inhaling. The presence of vaping related illness is already showing itself, doctors here are very concerned.

Fred99

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#2414020 7-Feb-2020 09:33

networkn:

Interestingly, I met a couple of doctors when I was in the US and the medical consensus on vaping is starting to change due to the unregulated nature of it. There are for example, in NZ, no guidelines on what can and can't be put into those vaping "flavours". The US has some but not enough.

Most products have almost zero labelling so it's a lottery what you might be inhaling. The presence of vaping related illness is already showing itself, doctors here are very concerned.

From US CDC:

Emergency department (ED) visits related to e-cigarette, or vaping, products continue to decline, after sharply increasing in August 2019 and peaking in September.

National ED data and active case reporting from state health departments around the country show a sharp rise in symptoms or cases of EVALI in August 2019, a peak in September 2019, and a gradual, but persistent decline since then.
Reasons for the decline are likely multifactorial and may be related to the following:

Increased public awareness of the risk associated with THC-containing e-cigarette, or vaping, product use as a result of the rapid public health response.
Removal of vitamin E acetate from some products.
Law enforcement actions related to some illicit products.
Although cases related to the outbreak are decreasing, new cases continue to be reported to CDC by state health departments and samples connected to EVALI patients continue to be tested by both CDC and FDA.

Laboratory data show that vitamin E acetate, an additive in some THC-containing e-cigarette, or vaping, products, is strongly linked to the EVALI outbreak.

A recent study analyzed samples from 51 EVALI cases from 16 states and a comparison group of samples from 99 healthy people for vitamin E acetate, plant oils, medium chain triglyceride (MCT) oil, coconut oil, petroleum distillates, and diluent terpenes.
Vitamin E acetate was identified in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid samples (fluid samples collected from the lungs) from 48 of the 51 EVALI patients, but not in the BAL fluid from the healthy comparison group.
No other toxicants were found in BAL fluid from either group, except for coconut oil and limonene (1 EVALI patient each).

Fred99

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#2414026 7-Feb-2020 09:42

Looks like they have it pretty much under control in the US (from CDC link above):

wellygary

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#2414093 7-Feb-2020 10:11

networkn:

Having just spent 2 weeks in the US, it was even more apparent how obvious the smokers were here than there.

Smoking rates in the US vary hugely depending on what state you are in, ( ~10% California and Utah, to ~25% in Kentucky, West Virginia, and Louisiana)

https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/adult_data/cig_smoking/index.htm

This seems to follow the varying levels of state tobacco taxes (on top of the federal tax) rates are generally higher on the coasts, ( except for the SE - which is where most US tobacco is grown)

https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/assets/factsheets/0222.pdf

networkn

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#2414094 7-Feb-2020 10:13

wellygary:

networkn:

Having just spent 2 weeks in the US, it was even more apparent how obvious the smokers were here than there.

Smoking rates in the US vary hugely depending on what state you are in, ( ~10% California and Utah, to ~25% in Kentucky, West Virginia, and Louisiana)

https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/adult_data/cig_smoking/index.htm

This seems to follow the varying levels of state tobacco taxes (on top of the federal tax) rates are generally higher on the coasts, ( except for the SE - which is where most US tobacco is grown)

https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/assets/factsheets/0222.pdf

Yes, I am just sharing my anecdotal experience.

networkn

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#2414095 7-Feb-2020 10:15

Fred99:

Looks like they have it pretty much under control in the US (from CDC link above):

Interesting. The guys (One ED and One GP) I spoke to talked about this, but also about the general health issues vapers are presenting with, much earlier than they would have expected.

They were also talking about seeing more kids who weren't smoking, taking up vaping.

Smallish sample size, but consistent with discussions my GP here too.

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Fred99

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#2416755 12-Feb-2020 15:55

networkn:

Fred99:

Looks like they have it pretty much under control in the US (from CDC link above):

Interesting. The guys (One ED and One GP) I spoke to talked about this, but also about the general health issues vapers are presenting with, much earlier than they would have expected.

They were also talking about seeing more kids who weren't smoking, taking up vaping.

Smallish sample size, but consistent with discussions my GP here too.

A significant confounding variable would be the correlation between % of individuals smoking and vaping with other non-smoking related (causative) issues.

I believe there'd be very strong correlations between mental health issues (diagnosed or not), smoking rates, general health, and poverty.

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