Search

The clinical course of nicotine dependence, nicotine withdrawal and smoking cessation varies significantly between men and women smokers. Recent research has also suggested that certain personality traits and experiences predict and help maintain smoking behavior, thus leading to dependence and negative health consequences. The chapters in this book include research on the correlation between people's early engagement in smoking behavior and later problematic levels of use, the role of hormone therapy (HT) to treat smoking/nicotine dependence; the association between active and passive water pipe tobacco smoking and health issues that might develop later on (as well as the similarities and differences between tobacco smoking and cigarette smoking). Worldwide tobacco use, production and consumption are continuing. Of approximately 1.2 billion smokers in the world, about half of them will die from diseases caused by smoking. The authors'describe the extent of nicotine dependence, the neurobiology of nicotine dependence, which is important for understanding tobacco addiction and its treatment, and describe the pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments of nicotine dependence, including electronic cigarettes. The final two chapters detail the chemical composition and health risks associated with secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure. These chapters address the impact of SHS on children in particular, as well as the deleterious effect on workers'health that often takes place in indoor environments, and finally, recent global public policies that have been implemented on tobacco control are addressed.

Data suggest that exposure to secondhand smoke can result in heart disease in nonsmoking adults. Recently, progress has been made in reducing involuntary exposure to secondhand smoke through legislation banning smoking in workplaces, restaurants, and other public places. The effect of legislation to ban smoking and its effects on the cardiovascular health of nonsmoking adults, however, remains a question. Secondhand Smoke Exposure and Cardiovascular Effects reviews available scientific literature to assess the relationship between secondhand smoke exposure and acute coronary events. The authors, experts in secondhand smoke exposure and toxicology, clinical cardiology, epidemiology, and statistics, find that there is about a 25 to 30 percent increase in the risk of coronary heart disease from exposure to secondhand smoke. Their findings agree with the 2006 Surgeon General's Report conclusion that there are increased risks of coronary heart disease morbidity and mortality among men and women exposed to secondhand smoke. However, the authors note that the evidence for determining the magnitude of the relationship between chronic secondhand smoke exposure and coronary heart disease is not very strong. Public health professionals will rely upon Secondhand Smoke Exposure and Cardiovascular Effects for its survey of critical epidemiological studies on the effects of smoking bans and evidence of links between secondhand smoke exposure and cardiovascular events, as well as its findings and recommendations.

The last several years have seen a wealth of new evidence on the health effects of exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke (SHS), the benefits of smoke-free environments and best practice in implementing smoke-free policies. Compiling and disseminating this evidence is critical to raising awareness among decision-makers and public health advocates about the necessity for smoke-free environments to protect health and their broad acceptance and endorsement. It is for this reason that WHO is now publishing policy recommendations on protection from SHS exposure.--Publisher's description.

The health effects of tobacco smoke on smokers are well defined. However, the effects on non-smokers are not so clear. Which of the many diseases, cancers, and pathologies that are certainly associated with smoking are also induced by tobacco smoke in non-smokers? What are the effects on non-smokers of smoking bans in the workplace and changes in a