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Tobacco (Nicotiana spp., L.) refers to a genus of broad-leafed plants of the nightshade family indigenous to North and South America, or to the dried and cured leaves of such plants. Tobacco leaves are often smoked (see tobacco smoking) in the form of a cigar or cigarette, or in a smoking pipe, or in a water pipe or a hookah. Tobacco is also chewed, "dipped" (placed between the cheek and gum), and sniffed into the nose as finely powdered snuff. The Spanish word "tabaco" is thought to have its origin in Arawakan language, particularly, in the Taino language of the Caribbean, said to refer to a roll of these leaves (according to Bartolome de Las Casas, 1552) or to the "tabago", a kind of y-shaped pipe for sniffing tobacco smoke (according to Oviedo), but Sp. tabaco (also It. tobacco) was commonly used to define medicinal herbs from 1410, originating from the Arabic "tabbaq", reportedly since the 9th century, as the name of various herbs. The word might then be European, and later applied to this plant from the Americas.
Tobacco contains the alkaloid nicotine, a powerful neurotoxin that is particularly harmful to insects. All means of consuming tobacco result in the absorption of nicotine in varying amounts into the user's bloodstream, and over time the development of tolerance and dependence. Absorption quantity, frequency and speed seem to have a direct relationship with how strong a dependence and tolerance, if any, might be created. A lethal dose of nicotine is contained in as little as one half of a cigar or three cigarettes; however, only a fraction of the nicotine contained in these products is actually released into the smoke, and most clinically significant cases of nicotine poisoning are the result of concentrated forms of the compound used as insecticides. Other active alkaloids in tobacco include harmala alkaloids.
Tobacco smoking carries significant risks including the potential to develop various cancers as well as strokes, and severe cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. * Significantly shorter life expectancies have been associated with tobacco smoking. * Many jurisdictions have enacted smoking bans in an effort to minimize possible damage to public health caused by tobacco smoking. The substantially increased risk of developing cancer as a result of tobacco usage seems to be due to the plethora of nitrosamines and other carcinogenic compounds found in tobacco and its residue as a result of anaerobic heating, either due to smoking or to flue-curing or fire-curing. The use of flue-cured or fire-cured smokeless tobacco in lieu of smoked tobacco reduces the risk of respiratory cancers but still carries significant risk of oral cancer. * In contrast, use of steam-cured chewing tobacco (snus), avoids the carcinogenicity by not generating nitrosamines, but the negative effects of the nicotine on the cardiovascular system and pancreas are not ameliorated. *
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New drug being tested in Africa for river blindness
Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:00:00 -0000
1 July 2009 -- The clinical trial of a drug that could eliminate river blindness is being launched in three African countries. Also known as onchocerciasis, this disease is one of the leading infectious causes of blindness across Africa.
Working relationship between the Russian Federation and WHO strengthened
Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0000
26 June 2009 -- Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of WHO, today met Mr Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, during an official visit to the country. The visit has seen the strengthening of the working relationship between the Russian Federation and WHO.
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Thu, 18 Jun 2009 10:00:00 -0000
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Wed, 17 Jun 2009 19:15:00 -0000
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Pedestrians, cyclists among main road traffic crash victims
Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:00:00 -0000
15 June 2009 -- The first global assessment of road safety finds that almost half of the estimated 1.27 million people who die in road traffic crashes every year are pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists. While progress has been made towards protecting people in cars, the needs of these vulnerable groups of road users are not being met.
Greater equity in health should be a progress indicator
Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:00:00 -0000
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Addressing Tobacco in Managed Care - Tobacco use reduction conferences, papers, research results, and best practices of interest to health plans; health effects; secondhand smoke; effectivess of media campaigns; effectiveness of quit smoking methods.
Addressing Tobacco In Managed Care - Set of research articles on how and why tobacco use is a priority in managed care, and what can be done about it.
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Addressing Tobacco in Managed Care-- Bibliography Fall 1998 - Annotated technical bibliography on tobacco cessation, policy, clinical practice guidelines, smoking costs and cessation cost effectiveness, secondhand smoke, physician intervention, pregnancy, spit tobacco, and youth.
AMWA Position Paper: Tobacco Control and Prevention - The American Medical Womens Association outlines its stand and proposed policy initiatives.
Anti-Tobacco Measures Prevent Cancer - California's tough anti-smoking measures and public health campaigns have resulted in a 14% decrease in lung cancer.
Cigarette Law - Article in law digest reviews the history of how cigarettes got exempted from almost all product liability law, and considers if the behavior of the tobacco industry would have been different without those exemptions.
Meta Description: [ Page Not Found at the Indiana University School of Law Bloomington ]
Corpwatch - Tobacco, Free Trade and Globalization - Articles addressing how restricting tobacco is getting harder to do as the world drops trade restrictions and economies become intertwined.
FindLaw Legal News: Tobacco - Updates on tobacco law from international to local, tobacco ligitation updates, and tobacco industry documents that feature in tobacco law.
Meta Description: [ FindLaw for Legal Professionals is a free resource for attorneys that includes online case law, free state codes, free federal codes, free legal forms, and a directory of products and services for lawyers. This online legal Web site also includes a legal career center. ]
Report and Recommendations of the Ad Hoc Advisory Committee on Tobacco Investments - University of Michigan considers whether to own tobacco stock; a report of the committee appointed to study the question.
Selling Off or Selling Out? Medical Schools and Ethical Leadership in Tobacco Stock Divestment - Tobacco industry documents show that Philip Morris used its funding of medical schools to get them to keep their investment in tobacco stocks.
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The Economic Case Against Tobacco Stocks - While some investors avoid tobacco stocks for moral reasons, this article discusses economic reasons for avoiding investing in tobacco stocks.
The Effect of Tobacco Advertising Bans on Tobacco Consumption - Paper in the Journal of Health Economics; concludes that comprehensive bans reduce consumption, limited bans have little or no effect.
Tobacco Law Compendium - Searchable by case, legislation, bylaw, or legal literature, as well as document text. In English and French.
Tobacco Legal and Policy Issues - Papers on state laws on tobacco control, preemptive state tobacco laws, attitudes towards smoking in different states, effectiveness of tobacco control programs, and MMWR reports.
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