Study: E-Cigs Linked to Dangerous Lung Disease


vape e-cigarettes teens youth e-cigs

Over 75 percent of flavored electronic cigarettes contain diacetyl, a chemical linked to severe lung disease. Diacetyl along with two other compounds was found in most sweet tasting flavors, such as cupcake, cotton candy and fruit squirts, CBS News reports. Researchers at Harvard University looked for the presence of dyacetyl, a chemical additive that’s often added to foods such as popcorn to give them a buttery flavor. Diacetyl has been associated with a severe lung disease condition known as bronchioles obliterans more commonly known as “popcorn lung,” named after many workers at microwave popcorn factories were diagnosed with the disease. "One of three flavoring chemicals was found in 92 percent of the e-cigarettes we sampled and these chemicals are of interest because of ...

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Renowned Pulmonologist Pushes to Raise the Smoking Age to 21


Early Smoking Heart Disease Risk Smoking Age to 21

Raising the smoking age to 21 could curb access to tobacco products at an early age, which could lead reductions in smoking prevalence, said Dr. Daniel Ouellette, a Henry Ford Hospital pulmonologist. “Most of my patients are diagnosed with emphysema or lung cancer at a relatively young age from smoking, despite the media attention given to the health risks of smoking, and despite them knowing about those risks,” Oulette said. Smoking causes 1 in 5 deaths in the United States and is linked to cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung disease, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to the CDC. Oulette warns that based on current smoking rates 5.6 million Americans under 18 will die during their lifetime due to smoking and tobacco products. Need help to kick ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat 10/20/15: Quitting Smoking with the Help of Technology


fda cigarette graphic warning labels quit smoking

Technology is a promising way to help smokers quit, given the dire health and cancer consequences of smoking. What technologies are working? Let’s use #SaludTues on Oct. 20, 2015, to tweet information, resources, and tips that can uncover the ways technology can help people kick the habit now (and for good!): WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “Quitting Smoking with the Help of Technology” TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015 WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: @SaludAmerica CO-HOST: The CDC (@CDCTobaccoFree) SPECIAL GUEST: The American Lung Association (@LungAssociation) We’ll open the floor to your stories and experiences as we explore: How much do people smoke (and why quit)? What technologies are emerging to ...

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Exposure to Chemicals Tied to Risk of Obesity and Diabetes


Exposure to chemicals

The Endocrine Society recently published research that reveals exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) is associated with increased risk of developing diabetes and obesity. These common chemicals are found in everyday items like food can linings, cash register receipts, plastics, cosmetics, flame retardants and pesticides. “The evidence is more definitive than ever before – EDCs disrupt hormones in a manner that harms human health,” said Andrea C. Gore, Professor and Vacek Chair of Pharmacology at the University of Texas at Austin, in a recent Newswise article. Gore went on to state that, “Hundreds of studies are pointing to the same conclusion, whether they are long-term epidemiological studies in human, basic research in animals and cells, or research into ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat 8/18/15: Access to Clean & Sustainable Water


Clean water action

We are running out of water according to the NASA satellite GRACE. How do we know what technology will help us or hurt us in accessing and finding sustainable sources of water? California, Michigan, and other states have dealt with water issues for the last decade. We all need to talk about water, and what resources we have to help find solutions for clean and sustainable access of water for everyone. What can be done? Learn more about increasing access to sustainable water resources and questions about how to access resources at the #SaludTues Tweetchat, “Access To Clean & Sustainable Water” at noon central (1 p.m. eastern) Tuesday, August 18, 2015. The chat is co-hosted by Salud America! Follow the Tweetchat on Twitter (via @SaludAmerica, @LatinaLista and ...

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Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez among Recipients of $8 Million in Grants for Cancer Research


quitxt quit smoking service new grant

Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at the Health Science Center, the team behind SaludToday, was awarded a $1.4 million grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. She was among several researchers were among those awarded $7.6 million to prevent cancer this week. Ramirez will develop bilingual, relevant social and mobile messages and channels to recruit young adult smokers to sign up for a text-message-based tobacco cessation service. “Smoking is a problem among young adults in South Texas, but there are no relevant programs that utilize heavy usage of social media and texting to help them quit," Ramirez said. “If our project goes as planned, it will increase young adults’ use of tobacco cessation ...

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