Environmental tobacco smoke in outdoor areas: a rapid review of the research literature.

Restrictions on smoking outdoors have been introduced for reasons of public amenity and to promote litter reduction. This review considers the evidence about whether outdoor secondhand smoke (SHS) might also pose health risks to others. Six published studies have assessed outdoor levels of SHS using metred PM2.5 as a marker of exposure. The magnitude of PM2.5is dependent on the number of smokers present, proximity of the measurement device to the source of the SHS, the extent to which the outdoor space is physically constrained (e.g., walls, partial roof, umbrellas), and wind. The data show peak outdoor PM2.5 levels in semi-enclosed areas with several smokers present can be comparable to those recorded in indoor smoky environments. However, outdoor PM2.5 levels are more transient as the smoke plume is less confined and can rapidly dissipate. SHS can be a major source of PM2.5, particularly in indoor environments. The average PM2.5 level in bars where smoking occurs is 303 µg/m3 and 157 µg/m3 in restaurants. Because of repeated and cumulative exposure to SHS in outdoor settings like beer gardens and outdoor eating areas, occupational exposures to PM2.5 from SHS are likely to be far higher than those experienced by patrons who are present for far shorter periods. We estimate that occupational exposure to SHS in waitstaff working in outdoor patio areas where smoking is allowed could average 1.6 to 9.8 µg/m3 per year. It is thus plausible that occupational exposure to PM2.5 in outdoor work settings where smoking is allowed could exceed the Australian National Environment Protection Measure for Ambient Air Quality benchmark annual average target of 8µg/m3 . An increase of 5µg/m3 to 10 µg/m3 in average annual PM2.5 exposure is associated with a 3-6% increase in all-cause mortality. Personal monitoring studies have not yet been conducted to corroborate modelled estimates of staff exposure in these settings. Such studies should be conducted to test the modelled exposure estimates we have calculated.The Sax Institut

Environmental tobacco smoke in outdoor areas: a rapid review of the research literature.

Restrictions on smoking outdoors have been introduced for reasons of public amenity and to promote litter reduction. This review considers the evidence about whether outdoor secondhand smoke (SHS) might also pose health risks to others. Six published studies have assessed outdoor levels of SHS using metred PM2.5 as a marker of exposure. The magnitude of PM2.5is dependent on the number of smokers present, proximity of the measurement device to the source of the SHS, the extent to which the outdoor space is physically constrained (e.g., walls, partial roof, umbrellas), and wind. The data show peak outdoor PM2.5 levels in semi-enclosed areas with several smokers present can be comparable to those recorded in indoor smoky environments. However, outdoor PM2.5 levels are more transient as the smoke plume is less confined and can rapidly dissipate. SHS can be a major source of PM2.5, particularly in indoor environments. The average PM2.5 level in bars where smoking occurs is 303 µg/m3 and 157 µg/m3 in restaurants. Because of repeated and cumulative exposure to SHS in outdoor settings like beer gardens and outdoor eating areas, occupational exposures to PM2.5 from SHS are likely to be far higher than those experienced by patrons who are present for far shorter periods. We estimate that occupational exposure to SHS in waitstaff working in outdoor patio areas where smoking is allowed could average 1.6 to 9.8 µg/m3 per year. It is thus plausible that occupational exposure to PM2.5 in outdoor work settings where smoking is allowed could exceed the Australian National Environment Protection Measure for Ambient Air Quality benchmark annual average target of 8µg/m3 . An increase of 5µg/m3 to 10 µg/m3 in average annual PM2.5 exposure is associated with a 3-6% increase in all-cause mortality. Personal monitoring studies have not yet been conducted to corroborate modelled estimates of staff exposure in these settings. Such studies should be conducted to test the modelled exposure estimates we have calculated.The Sax Institut

Combining social and nutritional perspectives: from adolescence to adulthood (the ASH30 study)

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to focus specifically on the benefits of using mixed methods to investigate dietary change from adolescence to adulthood exemplified using the findings from the ASH30 longitudinal study. The ASH30 study is a longitudinal dietary survey which provided quantitative evidence of dietary change and investigated factors influencing dietary change from adolescence to adulthood. Design/methodology/approach Two three-day food diaries were collected both in 1980 (aged 11-12 years) and 2000 (aged 31-32 years) from the same 198 respondents in North East England. In 2,000 questionnaires were used to collect perceptions of, and attributions for, dietary change and open-ended responses were analysed using content analysis. Findings The use of mixed methods brings added breadth and depth to the research which cannot be achieved by a single discipline or method. Determining what has influenced change in dietary behaviour from adolescence to adulthood is a complex and multifaceted task. Eating habits are influenced by multiple factors throughout the life course. Change in food intake between adolescence and adulthood related to life-course events and trajectories. The qualitative findings highlighted relevant contextual information such as themes of moral panics, the concept of “convenience” and “fresh” foods. Practical implications Adopting mixed method approaches to exploring dietary change should offer a rich perspective from which to base realistic interventions. Originality/value Longitudinal dietary surveys present an opportunity to understand the complex process of dietary change throughout the life course in terms both of how diets have changed but also of why they have changed

The Commercial Use of Puckerbrush Pulp

This study investigates the potential of several local puckerbrush or weed trees and shrubs as sources of fiber for papermaking. Four different pulping processes were used (sulfate, magnesium bisulfite, neutral sulfite semichemical, and cold caustic) with six puckerbrush species (alder, gray birch, red maple, pin cherry, aspen, and willow). Mixtures of puckerbrush species, and commercial chip-puckerbrush species mixtures were pulped by the sulfate process with the objective of producing a pulp that would be suitable for fine-grade papers. The results produced a good grade of bleachable pulp with adequate physical characteristics for most fine paper grades. The other three pulping processes were used to produce higher yield pulps suitable for coarse grades of paper and paperboard. The magnesium bisulfite process produced a pulp in the 50 percent yield category but did not adequately pulp the bark. The neutral sulfite semichemical process gave a relatively high yield of a pulp that compared favorably to commercial pulps used in the manufacture of corrugating board. The cold caustic pulping process resulted in high yields of a pulp that had many of the characteristics of pulp from commercial hardwood chips.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/aes_techbulletin/1138/thumbnail.jp

TB65: The Commercial Use of Puckerbrush Pulp

This study investigates the potential of several local puckerbrush or weed trees and shrubs as sources of fiber for papermaking. Four different pulping processes were used (sulfate, magnesium bisulfite, neutral sulfite semichemical, and cold caustic) with six puckerbrush species (alder, gray birch, red maple, pin cherry, aspen, and willow). Mixtures of puckerbrush species, and commercial chip-puckerbrush species mixtures were pulped by the sulfate process with the objective of producing a pulp that would be suitable for fine-grade papers. The results produced a good grade of bleachable pulp with adequate physical characteristics for most fine paper grades. The other three pulping processes were used to produce higher yield pulps suitable for coarse grades of paper and paperboard. The magnesium bisulfite process produced a pulp in the 50 percent yield category but did not adequately pulp the bark. The neutral sulfite semichemical process gave a relatively high yield of a pulp that compared favorably to commercial pulps used in the manufacture of corrugating board. The cold caustic pulping process resulted in high yields of a pulp that had many of the characteristics of pulp from commercial hardwood chips.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/aes_techbulletin/1138/thumbnail.jp

TB49: Puckerbrush Pulping Studies

A study was made of the potential of weed trees and shrubs, called puckerbrush, native to the state of Maine as a source of fiber for the paper industry. Six species—gray birch, red maple, pin cherry, aspen, alder, and willow—were used in the study. All components of each species were studied separately, including stemwood, branches, roots, and stump. In addition, two mixtures of components of each species were studied: Composite 1, a representative mixture of stem, branches, roots and stump, and Composite 2, a mixture of stem and branches.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/aes_techbulletin/1144/thumbnail.jp

Self-Reported Exposure to Policy and Environmental Influences on Smoking Cessation and Relapse: A 2-Year Longitudinal Population-based Study

Although most smokers want to quit, the long-term success rate of quit attempts remains low; research is needed to understand the policy and environmental influences that can increase the success of cessation efforts. This paper uses regression methods to investigate self-reported exposure to policy and environmental influences on quit attempts, maintenance of a quit attempt for at least 6 months, and relapse in a longitudinal population-based sample, the New York Adult Cohort Survey, followed for 12 months (N = 3,261) and 24 months (N = 1,142). When policy or environmental influence variables were assessed independently of other policy or environmental influence variables, many were significant for at least some of the cessation outcomes. In the full models that included a full set of policy or environmental influence variables, many significant associations became nonsignificant. A number of policies may have an influence on multiple cessation outcomes. However, the effect varies by cessation outcome, and statistical significance is influenced by model specification

How Do Price Minimizing Behaviors Impact Smoking Cessation? Findings from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four Country Survey

This paper examines how price minimizing behaviors impact efforts to stop smoking. Data on 4,988 participants from the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation (ITC) Four-Country Survey who were smokers at baseline (wave 5) and interviewed at a 1 year follow-up were used. We examined whether price minimizing behaviors at baseline predicted: (1) cessation, (2) quit attempts, and (3) successful quit attempts at one year follow up using multivariate logistic regression modeling. A subset analysis included 3,387 participants who were current smokers at waves 5 and 6 and were followed through wave 7 to explore effects of changing purchase patterns on cessation. Statistical tests for interaction were performed to examine the joint effect of SES and price/tax avoidance behaviors on cessation outcomes. Smokers who engaged in any price/tax avoidance behaviors were 28% less likely to report cessation. Persons using low/untaxed sources were less likely to quit at follow up, those purchasing cartons were less likely to make quit attempts and quit, and those using discount cigarettes were less likely to succeed, conditional on making attempts. Respondents who utilized multiple behaviors simultaneously were less likely to make quit attempts and to succeed. SES did not modify the effects of price minimizing behaviors on cessation outcomes. The data from this paper indicate that the availability of lower priced cigarette alternatives may attenuate public health efforts aimed at to reduce reducing smoking prevalence through price and tax increases among all SES groups

Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma: Australian Experience with Genetic Testing

Linkage analysis has been performed in four pedigrees with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A (MEN 2A) or familial medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) using pericentromeric chromosome 10 probes. Important information regarding carrier status has been provided in 10 individuals, many of whom would not have been identified by pentagastrin stimulation testing. We have also used pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) to link the probes H4JRBP and pMCK2 to a 150 kb fragment. Using PFGE, no evidence was found in DNA from lymphocytes of a major DNA rearrangement in two individuals affected with MEN 2A and an individual with MEN 2B compared with normals. Metastatic MTC from one patient has been used to generate a cDNA library which will be used to screen for candidate MEN 2A and MEN 2B gen