Butt out, Ralphie -AB

For Klein to lecture Albertans on health is bizarre

By Ezra Levant -- Calgary Sun Mon, January 17, 2005

Premier Ralph Klein had said he wanted to put up billboards saying "if you're stupid, smoke".

Did he mean that only stupid people smoke? Surely not. Because he smokes himself. And Klein isn't stupid. Many intelligent people smoke. Einstein was a chimney.

So maybe Klein meant that while stupid people smoke, some smart people, like himself, smoke too, for reasons that are stupid. Perhaps there are some stupid reasons to smoke. But how about the main reason people smoke? They like the taste, and the unique feeling that nicotine gives its users: Simultaneous relaxation and stimulation.

Liking that sensation isn't stupid, even though it may be unhealthy. The premier and his health minister, Iris Evans, are both overweight, too.

That's just as unhealthy as smoking -- but is it stupid? Would Klein and Evans put up billboards saying: "If you're stupid, eat dessert?" Everyone who smokes knows it may be unhealthy, just as anyone does who eats hollandaise sauce or cheesecake. But we don't call that stupid. We call that a personal choice, because enjoying life is a part of living. At least it still is, for now.

Perhaps by stupid, Klein and Evans mean that smoking costs the government money in health care.

Could be -- but smokers more than make up for it through high taxes and, frankly, by dying a few years earlier than the rest of us. Which means they take less pension money. It's a ghoulish calculation, but if cost to the taxpayer is a reason not to be "stupid," then dying the day one stops working is the new definition of "smart".

Smokers know smoking may not be healthy. They do it anyway, because it's a free country. For the government to tax, and condemn, and regulate, and ban, and eventually criminalize smoking is the government's way of saying that you no longer own your body -- they do.

Klein changed his mind on banning smoking province-wide late Friday and one has to wonder who or what got to him. Perhaps common sense. Maybe his hypocrisy, since obviously he and Evans can't govern their own appetites, yet wanted to govern yours.

But how about those other unhealthy appetites? Klein has admitted to a problem with alcohol. Evans, before she was elected to public office, had a habit that could only be described as bizarre -- her "occupation" was entering contests and draws. I don't know if that's a gambling addiction, but it's odd. Yet these two were ready to cast the first stone at tobacco sinners.

They failed, of course. People don't smoke because Klein and Evans, or the government, approve or disapprove. They didn't start because of Klein's bad example, and they won't stop because he's now holier than them.

It's another sign of Klein's drift. There are real problems out there -- a socialist health-care system, a renewed Kyoto threat, Ottawa disparaging our elected senators, an energy tax grab against Newfoundland that looks like a dry run for a swipe at Alberta. But instead of dealing with any of these real issues, Klein and his red Tories are focusing their laws and our tax dollars on being busybodies, nannies and nags.

Sorry. Free men wouldn't listen to such preaching even from a lean, fit abstainer. Coming from Klein and Evans, a mixture of curses and jeers is in order.

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/Columnists/Calgary/Ezra_Levant/2005/01/16/900586.html

Media Advisory - Rising Health Risks Linked to Urban Sprawl: Family Doctors to Release Comprehensive Research Review

    On Wednesday, join us for the results of a comprehensive review of research on the links between urban sprawl and public health
    TORONTO, Jan. 17 /CNW/ - On Wednesday, January 19th, the Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP) will release an exhaustive review of research on the relationship between urban sprawl and public health. A group of distinguished family doctors authored the study in order to provide policy makers with the clearest research summary on the topic of urban sprawl and public health - critical for planning our communities - and to help educate Ontarians about the choices we make as a society.
    The results of this review cover selected studies and describe the findings regarding major adverse health effects associated with urban sprawl.
Come to find out more about the study's findings, which include:
    -  Longer commuting distances mean increased traffic fatalities (one of our populations leading causes of death);
    -  Greater travel distances lead to increased air pollution, which is worsening in Ontario and contributing to rising incidences of respiratory and cardiovascular disease;
    -  Sprawl makes public transit less financially feasible;
    -  People in car-dependent neighbourhoods walk less, weigh more, have  higher blood pressure, and more incidences of diabetes and cardiovascular disease; and,
    -  People in sprawling communities are more likely to suffer mental health problems.
    Who:   Jan Kasperski, RN, MHSc, CHE, Executive Director and Chief  Executive Officer, OCFP; Riina Bray, BASc, MSc, MD, CCFP, Physician - Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre, Chair OCFP's Environmental Health Committee; Cathy Vakil, MD, CCFP, Lecturer - Queen's University, Member OCFP's Environmental Health Committee.
    When:  Wednesday, January 19, 2005- 11 a.m.
    Where: Media Studio
           Queen's Park, Main Legislature Building
           Toronto, ON
 For further information: Mike Van Soelen, Environics Communications, (416) 969-2717
 http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/January2005/17/c3498.html

Consumers' Association Launches Class Action Lawsuit Against Beverage Industry, Retailers and Encorp Pacific

    VANCOUVER, Jan. 17 /CNW/ - The Consumers' Association of Canada today announced that on behalf of all consumers in British Columbia it has filed a major class action lawsuit against the beverage industry, retailers and Encorp Pacific. The focus of the lawsuit is the illegal use of consumer deposits collected under BC's Beverage Container Stewardship Program Regulation.
    Dozens of companies such as Coca-Cola Bottling, Save-On Foods, Wal-Mart and London Drugs are named in the lawsuit. Encorp Pacific is the beverage
container agency, the authorized steward approved by the BC Government under the regulation.
    "The BC beverage container regulation is very clear," said Mr. Bruce Cran, President of the Consumers' Association of Canada, "deposits collected from consumers can only be used for one purpose - paying refunds to consumers when containers are returned. Since 1998 the industry has collected and used over $70 million in consumer deposits for purposes that are not authorized under the regulation."
    For example, consumer deposits were used to pay damages awarded as a result of a lawsuit against the beverage container agency for improper conduct in the operation of its stewardship plan.
    When the Beverage Container legislation was introduced the Government made clear that this legislation was based on an industry stewardship model reflecting the polluter pay principle. "At the time beverage containers were filling up landfills and costing municipalities millions of dollars each year to manage," said Mr. Cran.
    "The purpose of the legislation was to have industry assume responsibility for its polluting product by putting into place a recycling system and paying the costs of this system," said Mr. Cran. "The consumers' role was to pay the deposit, incur the costs of returning the container and then obtain a refund when the container was returned. To date, consumers have carried out their responsibility to a high level and recycling is a major  success in the province."
    Not only did the beverage industry use consumer deposits for purposes not authorized by the regulation they also imposed an additional unauthorised recycling fee on top of the deposit. Since 1999 the beverage industry has collected about $60 million from its Container Recycling Fee without having any legislative authority for this levy. "Simply stated, it's an illegal fee," said Mr. Cran.
    "The industry shifted all its polluter pay costs onto the backs of consumers and did so without any legislative authority," said Mr. Cran. "It's time the industry started paying its fair share of the costs for managing its product."

For further information: Contact Mr. Bruce Cran, Tel. (604) 418-8359

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/January2005/17/c3388.html

Media Advisory - National Health Organizations Participating in Pivotal Tobacco Court Case This Week

    Young People Should Not Be Exposed to Tobacco Promotion
    OTTAWA, Jan. 17 /CNW/ - The Canadian Cancer Society, Canadian Lung Association, Canadian Medical Association and Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada will be contributing to the fight against tobacco on         
Wednesday, January 19 through their participation in a pivotal tobacco court case being heard by the Supreme Court of Canada. 
    The Supreme Court will be considering the validity of Saskatchewan legislation prohibiting tobacco displays and signage in premises accessible to minors. The four national health organizations have intervener status in the case. The groups have submitted their written argument to the Supreme Court in support of the Saskatchewan legislation. The health groups believe that young people should not be exposed to promotional displays of tobacco products as these products are addictive and lethal.
    "The tobacco industry is fighting the Saskatchewan legislation to protect their sales and profits," says Rob Cunningham, lawyer for the Canadian Cancer Society. "The tobacco industry spends the largest portion of its marketing budget on point of purchase promotion of tobacco products. In 2002, the industry spent $77 million across Canada in payments to retailers."
    In March 2002, Saskatchewan legislation came into force to ban tobacco displays in premises accessible by minors. In an effort to strike down this legislation, Rothmans, Benson & Hedges filed a constitutional challenge with the Saskatchewan Court of Queen's Bench. In September 2002, this Court upheld the legislation, but a year later this decision was overturned on appeal. In October 2003, the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal ruled that the ban on retail displays was in conflict with the federal Tobacco Act and, as a result, was inoperative. The Saskatchewan government appealed the case to the Supreme Court of Canada. Manitoba and Nunavut have adopted legislation similar to that in Saskatchewan. In addition, Ontario introduced anti-tobacco legislation in December that would, among other things, curb displays of cigarettes in stores.
    "Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable lung disease and the leading cause of preventable death in Canada," says Deirdre Freiheit, President and CEO of the Canadian Lung Association. "Retail displays have been used by the tobacco industry to target and manipulate youth. We must protect Canadians, especially our children, from inducements to consume this deadly product."
    "We know that the point of advertising is to increase consumption of products, and tobacco is no exception," says Sally Brown, CEO, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. "This is why it is so critical to uphold Saskatchewan's attempts to ban the retail promotion of tobacco. Thislegislation will make a difference and will keep our children from being exposed to promotions of a harmful product."
    "Canada's doctors are involved because tobacco kills our patients," says Dr. Albert Schumacher, President, Canadian Medical Association. "Initiatives restricting the promotion of tobacco products to our kids are critical to ensure they are not seduced into this life-threatening addiction."
    January 16 to 22 is National Non-Smoking Week; Wednesday, January 19 is Weedless Wednesday.
    The hearing, which starts at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 19, will take place at:

    The Supreme Court of Canada
    301 Wellington Street
    Ottawa, Ontario

    The four national health groups are entitled to submit written argument (but not oral argument) to the Supreme Court. To view the written submission of the four health groups to the Supreme Court of Canada go to www.cancer.ca.   Six provinces (British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island) and the federal government have also intervened in support of the Saskatchewan legislation.
    The Canadian Cancer Society is a national community-based organization of volunteers whose mission is to eradicate cancer and to enhance the quality of life of people living with cancer. When you want to know more about cancer, visit our website at www.cancer.ca or call our toll-free, bilingual Cancer Information Service at 1 888 939-3333.
    The Lung Association is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the lung health of Canadians through research, prevention and education. With a focus on the prevention and control of lung diseases such as asthma and COPD, The Lung Association also offers help in the area of smoking prevention, cessation and air quality. The Lung Association offers a toll-free line at 1-888-566-5864 (LUNG) and our website at www.lung.ca.
    The Heart and Stroke Foundation (www.heartandstroke.ca) is a leading funder of heart and stroke research in Canada. Our mission is to improve the health of Canadians by preventing and reducing disability and death from heart disease and stroke through research, health promotion and advocacy.
    The Canadian Medical Association is the national voice of physicians in Canada. Representing 59,000 physicians across the country, the CMA's mission is to serve and unite the physicians of Canada and be the national advocate, in partnership with the people of Canada for the highest standards of health and health care.

For further information: Canadian Cancer Society, Rob Cunningham, (613) 565-2522, ext. 305; Canadian Lung Association, Mary-Pat Shaw, Director,
National Programs and Administration, (613) 569-6411, ext. 227; Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, Heather Rourke, Communications, (613) 569-4361, ext. 318, hrourke@hsf.ca; Canadian Medical Association, Carole Lavigne, Manager, Media Relations, (613) 731-8610/1, 1-800-663-7336, ext. 1266
 http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/January2005/17/c2668.html

Doctors and dentists team up against tobacco

    HALIFAX, Jan. 17 /CNW/ - Health-care providers are continuing to line up against tobacco use. Nova Scotia's doctors and dentists, who see the effects of smoking on their patients every day, have joined forces to talk to their patients about the health impacts of tobacco.
    "Talking about smoking is the first step on the road to quitting," said Dr. Maria Alexiadis, President of Doctors Nova Scotia. "We want to open the dialogue between us, the health-care providers, and our patients."
    Opening that dialogue is easier with a new Why You Want to Quit Smoking information card produced jointly by the Nova Scotia Dental Association and Doctors Nova Scotia.
    "Tobacco cessation is an important initiative for dentistry," said Dr. Heather Carr, a practicing dentist and Tobacco Cessation Representative for the dental association. "From periodontal disease to oral cancer, tobacco frequently causes significant damage in a person's mouth." Statistics show that smokers are between four to 15 times more likely to contract oral cancer.
    Why You Want to Quit Smoking is being distributed to physician and dental offices across Nova Scotia during National Non-Smoking Week, Jan. 16 to 22.  The information is also available on the Doctors Nova Scotia website,www.doctorsNS.com. This tool represents the latest in a series of cooperative
tobacco-cessation initiatives between the two organizations.
    The information card is aimed at making smokers think about their own personal reasons to quit smoking to help them see how they could benefit from
quitting.
    "Together, the membership of our two organizations reaches the majority of Nova Scotians at some point during the year," said Dr. Alexiadis, "and its important that we use that opportunity to help our patients who smoke realize how their habit is affecting their health."
    Doctors Nova Scotia and the Nova Scotia Dental Association want to ensure all Nova Scotians know there is support for anyone who is thinking about quitting smoking. "Talking with a health-care provider about your reasons to quit," said Dr. Alexiadis, "is an excellent way to start."

    FOR BROADCAST USE:
    Doctors and dentists across Nova Scotia have teamed up against tobacco use.
    Doctors Nova Scotia and the Nova Scotia Dental Association have jointly produced a new information card, Why you want to quit smoking. This tool is aimed at opening dialogue between patients and their health-care providers.   The province's doctors and dentists want Nova Scotians to know there is
support for tobacco users who want to quit. Talking with a health-care provider is an excellent way to start.
    Doctors Nova Scotia is the professional association that represents over 3,000 physicians, medical students and residents in the province of Nova Scotia. The association works in partnership with other health-care organizations to enhance the quality of medical care for Nova Scotians. This is achieved through health promotion, development of health-care policies, peer review, medical education and negotiations with government on behalf of physicians.
    The Nova Scotia Dental Association is the professional membership organization representing this province's 460+ dentists. The Association is engaged in member advocacy, the advancement of the profession of dentistry and the promotion of the benefits of good oral health to all Nova Scotians.  Dentistry's award-winning children's web site, www.healthyteeth.org, features tobacco cessation information aimed at the province's school children.

For further information: Karla Gimby, Health Promotions/Issues  Coordinator, Doctors Nova Scotia, (902) 468-1866 ext. 239,
karla.gimby@doctorsns.com; Steve Jennex, APR, Communications Director, Nova
Scotia Dental Association, (902) 420-0088, nsda@hfx.eastlink.ca

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/January2005/17/c2675.html

Canadian Cancer Society urges the BC Government to Support Smoke-free Legislation

    VANCOUVER, Jan. 17 /CNW/ - The Canadian Cancer Society believes that the British Columbia government must make curbing tobacco a priority. Tobacco use is the number one cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in Canada. More than 47,000 Canadians, including 5,600 British Columbians, die each year from tobacco related illness, including lung cancer, throat and oral cancer, heart disease, stroke, and emphysema. Further, each year more than 500 British Columbians die from exposure to second-hand smoke. Cigarette smoking is responsible for 30% of all cancer deaths and more than 85% of lung cancers.
    "Given these sobering statistics, it is startling that British Columbia's existing second-hand smoke regulation allows smoking in enclosed rooms in restaurants and bars," said Barbara Kaminsky, CEO of the Canadian Cancer Society, BC and Yukon Division. The regulation, which states that rooms must be separately ventilated and workers can not spend more than 20% of their shift in these rooms, is more cosmetic than real. There is little enforcement of the law and businesses are not held accountable. Research has shown that the designated smoking rooms do not protect workers and patrons to the dangerous effects of second-hand smoke. Something must be done about this. The Canadian Cancer Society, BC and Yukon Division, believes that the government of British Columbia must enact legislation that would restrict smoking in all public places and workplaces, including restaurants and bars.
    In Canada, British Columbia was once a leader in tobacco control. Today, six provinces (Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick and Newfoundland) and two territories (Northwest Territories, Nunavut) have adopted or announced 100% smoke-free legislation. Several US States (California, New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maine, and Rhode Island) have already implemented smoking bans in restaurants and bars. Internationally, in 2004, Ireland, Norway, and New Zealand all implemented nation-wide smoke-free legislation. If Ireland, with its pub culture, can ban smoking in all bars, British Columbia can certainly do the same.
    "Strong non-smoking legislation protects workers and patrons from the dangerous effects of second-hand smoke," said Kaminsky. "Further, non-smoking legislation helps smokers to quit or smoke less, thus reducing smoking rates.  The Canadian Cancer Society would like you to take steps to tell government
that British Columbians want smoke-free public places."
    The BC government's own Tobacco Control Strategy makes no commitment towards announcing or adopting province-wide smoke-free legislation. In November 2004, the Select Standing Committee on Health issued a report entitled, The Path to Health and Wellness: Making British Columbians Healthier
by 2010. While the report contained many good recommendations to government, it fell short of recommending a province-wide smoking ban.
    The Canadian Cancer Society knows first hand the harm and devastation tobacco related disease can cause, and is committed to curbing the tobacco epidemic. National Non-Smoking Week is the perfect time for you to call on your government to protect the health of all BC workers. Let your voices be heard. This election year, ask your MLA his or her position on smoking bans in public places and workplaces. Ask candidates from other parties where they
stand on the issue. Together, we must let the government of British Columbia know that it needs to act now, to protect all BC workers from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke, and to showcase a smoke-free BC at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. In 2004, 8,500 British Columbians were expected to die from cancer. Imagine if this number were reduced by 30%!

For further information: Heather Lochner, Communications Manager, Canadian Cancer Society, (604) 675-7340, hlochner@bc.cancer.ca

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/January2005/17/c3344.html

Blood test could pave way for better use of promising cancer treatment, new Canadian Cancer Society research shows

    Canadian anti-angiogenesis expert leads exciting new study
    TORONTO, Jan. 17 /CNW/ - Canadian Cancer Society researcher Dr. Robert Kerbel has new evidence that a blood test could provide doctors with the first effective way to evaluate a promising experimental cancer therapy in patients.  Dr. Kerbel's findings are published in the January 17, 2005 issue of Cancer
Cell.
    "Anti-angiogenesis is an exciting treatment concept, but a major hurdle to its success in clinical development has been the lack of a valid tool to measure its effectiveness in patients," says Dr. Kerbel, a scientist at Sunnybrook & Women's Research Institute and the University of Toronto.
    "Our research has found that a blood test that measures levels of certain cells circulating in the blood stream is a strikingly accurate way to monitor anti-angiogenic treatments. Moving forward, we now may have a better way to reliably determine optimal dosing for patients, which could be the key piece of the puzzle for bringing anti-angiogenic treatments into standard use."
    Dr. Kerbel is recognized internationally for his pioneering work in the field of anti-angiogenic therapy. This treatment approach - currently being tested on patients in many clinical trials, including trials in Canada - works by interfering with tumour angiogenesis, the process whereby tumours form new blood vessels. By blocking a tumour's access to blood vessels, this treatment aims to starve the cancer of the oxygen and nutrients in its blood supply, slowing its growth and perhaps even causing it to wither away.
    Canadian Cancer Society research spokesperson, Dr. Michael Wosnick, says, "This research is a true made-in-Canada success story. Anti-angiogenic therapy is a prime example of Canadian research helping lead the way towards more selective cancer treatments that target biological processes associated with tumour development and minimize side effects for patients.
    "Anti-angiogenic treatments hold great promise for patients with cancers including prostate, colorectal, lung and breast cancer. With further research in this area, we may see an exciting improvement in the outlook for many of these patients worldwide," adds Dr. Wosnick, who is executive director of the National Cancer Institute of Canada, the research partner of the Canadian Cancer Society.
    In this study, Dr. Kerbel and his research team - including lead author Yuval Shaked, a post-doctoral fellow in Dr. Kerbel's lab - used a number of mice models to investigate properties of certain blood vessel cells circulating in the blood stream. Their findings show that the levels of these circulating cells correspond remarkably well with new blood vessel formation in tumours as well as blood vessel response to anti-angiogenic therapy.
    More importantly, treatment with anti-angiogenic drugs caused a dose-dependant reduction in the circulating cells that precisely parallel the anti-tumour activity established in animal models of these drugs. The researchers suggest the blood test could therefore be a way to better determine the optimal dosage of anti-angiogenic therapies for patients.
    One of Canada's foremost cancer researchers, Dr. Kerbel is highly regarded for discoveries that are helping to improve cancer therapies and the lives of cancer patients. He is this year's recipient of the Robert L. Noble Prize, the most prestigious research award sponsored by the Canadian Cancer Society for outstanding achievements in cancer research. His research, and in particular his development of anti-angiogenic therapy, has been supported with funds from the Canadian Cancer Society throughout his career.
    The Canadian Cancer Society is a national community-based organization of volunteers whose mission is to eradicate cancer and to enhance the quality of life of people living with cancer. When you want to know more about cancer, visit our website at www.cancer.ca or call our toll-free, bilingual Cancer Information Service at 1 888 939-3333.

For further information: contact: Carmen Kinniburgh, Communications, Canadian Cancer Society, (416) 934-5684; Fiona Taylor, Public Affairs,  Sunnybrook & Women's Research Institute, (416) 480-4040

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/January2005/17/c3345.html

http://www.chroniclejournal.com/story.shtml?id=25351

Jan. 17, 2005. 01:00 AM

When Ottawa and the provinces finally got serious about getting Canadians to butt out, they augmented their television and newspaper ads telling us that smoking is bad for our health with regulatory and tax changes that were far more effective in getting people to quit.

The Kyoto agreement comes into force on Feb. 16. With the clock starting to tick on that day, Ottawa must move beyond jawboning, and get on with a serious action plan.

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=110574377123

8&call_pageid=968256290204&col=968350116795

SAGINAW, Mich. Is there a way to make cigarettes less smelly and annoying?

Yes, says a Saginaw native at the helm of a small independent cigarette company.

John Czerewko is vice president of E Tobacco. The lifelong smoker was recruited about two years ago to bring his new cigarettes to market.

Because smokers' bodies are depleted of vitamin E by their habit, Russo invented and patented a tobacco blend and chemical process that allows smokers to absorb the nutrient as they puff.

Besides the benefits of vitamin E, Czerewko said, the additive in E Cigarettes produces several beneficial side effects. But he concedes smoking is still a dangerous habit.

He says noticeable effects include reductions in both lingering smoky odor and throat irritation.

The cigarettes, manufactured in South Boston, Virginia, are available at several locations throughout Michigan.

http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=2819389

http://www.wibw.com/home/headlines/1356626.html

Posted By: News-Medical in Medical Research News Published: Monday, 17-Jan-2005

Researchers at the University of Birmingham's Institute for Occupational and Environmental Medicine are citing damp and mould in homes as a cause of asthma. The study is published in the Environmental Health Perspectives journal and links the University of Birmingham with the University of Helsinki, Finland and the Diwan College, Taiwan.

The 6 year study followed 1,984 Finnish children aged 1 to 7 years to see if they developed asthma. Researchers recorded if a child's parents had asthma or allergies, and looked at the condition of their houses, noting histories of water damage, presence of moisture and visible moulds, and perceived mould odour in the home. A total of 138 children developed asthma, 7.2% of the study, with mould cited as a contributing factor independent of parents' medical histories.

Professor Jouni Jaakkola, Director of the University of Birmingham's Institute for Occupational and Environmental Medicine explains: "These finding strengthen evidence that exposure to moulds increases the risk of developing asthma in childhood. They also show the importance of heredity - children of parents with asthma have a two-fold risk of asthma compared with children of non-asthmatic parents".

He adds: "The results of this study are of interest in every country where housing stock is prone to damp, and add to previous studies linking asthma with chemicals and cigarette smoke. Simple ways to protect children against developing asthma include keeping damp and mould at bay, exposing children to fresh air, and never letting them breathe second hand cigarette smoke".

The University of Birmingham started to work in this area 70 years ago with the establishment of the Department of Industrial Hygiene and Medicine, and has changed emphasis along with changes in working life from the industrial revolution to today's mobile and dynamic workplace. As we are interested in the how the environment as a whole affects human health there is now more synergy between occupational and environmental health in research and teaching.

A recent study led by Prof Jouni Jaakkola identified jobs that put people at higher risk of developing adult asthma. Asthma risk was increased consistently in heavy industries such as chemical, rubber and plastic, and wood and paper. More nonindustrial employees such as waiters, laboratory technicians and dentists are also at risk. This study was the first to identify an increased risk of asthma among waiters and waitresses, likely to be explained by exposure to environmental tobacco smoke.

National Asthma Campaign statistics state that over 5.1 million people in the UK have asthma -around 1 in 13 adults.

http://www.bham.ac.uk

http://www.news-medical.net/?id=7326

Did you know that director Manu Rewal's 'Chai Pani Etc' met with stiff resistance from the unpredictable Censor Board?

The censors objected to a scene showing Konkona Sen Sharma smoking a cigarette. Thereafter, the film got stuck for seven months! The director was keen on entering the competition section of the International Film Festival in Goa. By then, the cut-off date for entering the film had elapsed. Strange, hot smooching and lovemaking scenes are allowed to go by but just one cigarette isn’t!!!

http://www.bollyvista.com/article/a/32/4026

*goa is the festival in India

17/01/2005 04:49

http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/leary%20l

oves%20golden%20globes%20freebies

* held Sunday at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills the great nonsmoking state.

    Canadian anti-angiogenesis expert leads exciting new study
    TORONTO, Jan. 17 /CNW/ - Canadian Cancer Society researcher Dr. Robert Kerbel has new evidence that a blood test could provide doctors with the first effective way to evaluate a promising experimental cancer therapy in patients.  Dr. Kerbel's findings are published in the January 17, 2005 issue of Cancer
Cell.
    "Anti-angiogenesis is an exciting treatment concept, but a major hurdle to its success in clinical development has been the lack of a valid tool to measure its effectiveness in patients," says Dr. Kerbel, a scientist at Sunnybrook & Women's Research Institute and the University of Toronto.
    "Our research has found that a blood test that measures levels of certain cells circulating in the blood stream is a strikingly accurate way to monitor anti-angiogenic treatments. Moving forward, we now may have a better way to reliably determine optimal dosing for patients, which could be the key piece of the puzzle for bringing anti-angiogenic treatments into standard use."
    Dr. Kerbel is recognized internationally for his pioneering work in the field of anti-angiogenic therapy. This treatment approach - currently being tested on patients in many clinical trials, including trials in Canada - works by interfering with tumour angiogenesis, the process whereby tumours form new blood vessels. By blocking a tumour's access to blood vessels, this treatment aims to starve the cancer of the oxygen and nutrients in its blood supply, slowing its growth and perhaps even causing it to wither away.
    Canadian Cancer Society research spokesperson, Dr. Michael Wosnick, says, "This research is a true made-in-Canada success story. Anti-angiogenic therapy is a prime example of Canadian research helping lead the way towards more selective cancer treatments that target biological processes associated with tumour development and minimize side effects for patients.
    "Anti-angiogenic treatments hold great promise for patients with cancers including prostate, colorectal, lung and breast cancer. With further research in this area, we may see an exciting improvement in the outlook for many of these patients worldwide," adds Dr. Wosnick, who is executive director of the National Cancer Institute of Canada, the research partner of the Canadian Cancer Society.
    In this study, Dr. Kerbel and his research team - including lead author Yuval Shaked, a post-doctoral fellow in Dr. Kerbel's lab - used a number of mice models to investigate properties of certain blood vessel cells circulating in the blood stream. Their findings show that the levels of these circulating cells correspond remarkably well with new blood vessel formation in tumours as well as blood vessel response to anti-angiogenic therapy.
    More importantly, treatment with anti-angiogenic drugs caused a dose-dependant reduction in the circulating cells that precisely parallel the anti-tumour activity established in animal models of these drugs. The researchers suggest the blood test could therefore be a way to better determine the optimal dosage of anti-angiogenic therapies for patients.
    One of Canada's foremost cancer researchers, Dr. Kerbel is highly regarded for discoveries that are helping to improve cancer therapies and the lives of cancer patients. He is this year's recipient of the Robert L. Noble Prize, the most prestigious research award sponsored by the Canadian Cancer Society for outstanding achievements in cancer research. His research, and in particular his development of anti-angiogenic therapy, has been supported with funds from the Canadian Cancer Society throughout his career.
    The Canadian Cancer Society is a national community-based organization of volunteers whose mission is to eradicate cancer and to enhance the quality of life of people living with cancer. When you want to know more about cancer, visit our website at www.cancer.ca or call our toll-free, bilingual Cancer Information Service at 1 888 939-3333.
 For further information: contact: Carmen Kinniburgh, Communications, Canadian Cancer Society, (416) 934-5684; Fiona Taylor, Public Affairs,  Sunnybrook & Women's Research Institute, (416) 480-4040

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/January2005/17/c3345.html