Smoking

Truth Initiative names Anna Spriggs Chief Operating Officer

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, February 7, 2024

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Truth Initiative , the nation's largest public health organization dedicated to achieving a culture where all young people reject smoking and vaping and anyone can quit is pleased to announce the appointment of Anna Spriggs as its Chief Operating Officer.

Key Points: 
  • WASHINGTON, Feb. 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Truth Initiative , the nation's largest public health organization dedicated to achieving a culture where all young people reject smoking and vaping and anyone can quit is pleased to announce the appointment of Anna Spriggs as its Chief Operating Officer.
  • During that time, Spriggs played a major role in equipping Truth Initiative with outstanding talent and making Truth Initiative a best-in-class place to work.
  • Kathy Crosby, CEO and President of Truth Initiative, praised Spriggs' contribution, stating, "Anna played a crucial role in building Truth Initiative into the leading public health organization it is today.
  • Before joining Truth Initiative, Spriggs worked at the U.S. Department of Justice, serving as office administrator in the federal programs department.

Rest's Smoking Detection Solution Now Available on Oracle Cloud Marketplace

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, February 7, 2024

DALLAS, Feb. 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Rest, a leading provider of smoke monitoring and monetization and a member of Oracle Partner Network (OPN), today announced that Rest is available on the Oracle Cloud Marketplace and can be deployed on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) and integrated with the Oracle OPERA Cloud via the Oracle Hospitality Integration Platform (OHIP). Oracle Cloud Marketplace is a centralized repository of enterprise applications offered by Oracle and Oracle partners.

Key Points: 
  • DALLAS, Feb. 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Rest , a leading provider of smoke monitoring and monetization and a member of Oracle Partner Network (OPN), today announced that Rest is available on the Oracle Cloud Marketplace and can be deployed on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) and integrated with the Oracle OPERA Cloud via the Oracle Hospitality Integration Platform (OHIP).
  • Oracle Cloud Marketplace is a centralized repository of enterprise applications offered by Oracle and Oracle partners.
  • "Rest's participation in Oracle Cloud Marketplace further extends our commitment to the Oracle community and enables customers to easily reap the benefits of the Oracle Hospitality Integration Platform.
  • Oracle Cloud Marketplace is a one-stop shop for Oracle customers seeking trusted business applications offering unique business solutions, including ones that extend Oracle Cloud Applications.

King Charles is having cancer treatment. What can he, and others with cancer, expect?

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, February 7, 2024

The type of cancer has not been revealed, but it has been confirmed it is not prostate cancer.

Key Points: 
  • The type of cancer has not been revealed, but it has been confirmed it is not prostate cancer.
  • So what can King Charles and the millions of others who are newly diagnosed with cancer each year expect?

What actually is cancer?

  • Normally, cells multiply and die in a regulated way, so each new cell replaces a cell that is lost.
  • The cancer cells can break away and travel through the bloodstream or lymph vessels to other parts of the body.
  • If the primary cancer cells grow and form another tumour at a new site, it is called a secondary cancer or metastasis.


Read more:
How does cancer spread to other parts of the body?

Millions of new cases each year

  • And King Charles’ diagnosis is one of roughly 19.3 million new cases of cancer diagnosed worldwide each year.
  • The most common cancers can vary between countries, due to a number of factors such as genetics, lifestyle and environment.
  • In Australia, for example, the most common cancers are prostate, breast, skin melanoma, colorectal cancer and lung cancer.

Cancer accounts for 1 in 6 deaths

  • Worldwide, leading cancer-related deaths are from lung, colorectal, stomach, breast, pancreatic, oesophageal, prostate and liver cancer.
  • In 2023, there were roughly 165,000 cases of cancer diagnosed and 51,000 cancer deaths in Australia.

But more people are surviving cancer

  • Advances in medicine and treatments for cancer have led to more people surviving cancer.
  • This therapy destroys cancer cells using a controlled dose of radiation to kill or damage cancer cells so they cannot grow, multiply or spread, while sparing surrounding healthy tissue.
  • There is also “CAR T-cell therapy”, which harnesses the body’s own immune system to fight against cancer.
  • Thanks to COVID, mRNA technology and other nanoparticle delivery systems are also an area yielding promising results for cancer vaccines.

Do treatments work?

  • With such new treatments, cancer survival rates have improved significantly.
  • In Australia, for example, five-year survival rates improved from 52% to 70% from 1989–1993 to 2014–2018.

In a nutshell


King Charles’ cancer diagnosis, at the age of 75, is one of millions of new cancer diagnoses globally. While cancer remains a leading cause of death worldwide, survival rates are improving thanks to extensive advances in treatments and treatment options.

Read more:
What happens if King Charles can no longer perform his duties?


Sathana Dushyanthen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Redwood Scientific Enters into Agreement with Jeeva Clinical Trials to Launch Clinical Effectiveness Study of its TBX-Free Oral Strips for Smoking and E-cigarette Cessation

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, February 6, 2024

NEW YORK, Feb. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Redwood Scientific Technologies Inc. (OTC: RSCI), ("Redwood" or "the Company"), a pioneering pharmaceutical company headquartered in New York, announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Jeeva Clinical Trials to launch a clinical effectiveness study of its TBX-Free oral strips products for smoking and e-cigarette cessation. The company has engaged top U.S. institution, George Mason University, to conduct the efficacy study on this new product.

Key Points: 
  • NEW YORK, Feb. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Redwood Scientific Technologies Inc. (OTC: RSCI), ("Redwood" or "the Company"), a pioneering pharmaceutical company headquartered in New York, announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Jeeva Clinical Trials to launch a clinical effectiveness study of its TBX-Free oral strips products for smoking and e-cigarette cessation.
  • The company has engaged top U.S. institution, George Mason University, to conduct the efficacy study on this new product.
  • Unfortunately, nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs) that are currently on the market still rely on the continued use of nicotine.
  • Our goal is to foster healthier communities with access to such products that will lead to a brighter future for all."

Youth drinking is declining – myths about the trend, busted

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, February 6, 2024

And with many pubs and cocktail bars now catering to the sober and “sober curious”, it’s easier than ever to opt out.

Key Points: 
  • And with many pubs and cocktail bars now catering to the sober and “sober curious”, it’s easier than ever to opt out.
  • The proportion of 16- to 24-year-olds who report drinking alcohol in the last week fell from 67% in 2002 to 37% in 2021.
  • We have been researching the decline in youth drinking in England and Australia, using both surveys and interviews with young people.

Why are young people drinking less?

  • From smoking to sex, young people – including those in early adolescence and in their early twenties – are generally more risk averse than previous generations.
  • Recent research shows that drinking has become less routine and expected for young people, while not drinking has become more socially acceptable.
  • However, it can’t be the only explanation, as in some countries where there has been a decline in youth drinking, policies regulating young people’s access to alcohol haven’t changed.

Misconceptions about youth drinking

  • But both of these – like the rise in teen vaping – occurred years after the decline in youth drinking was well-established.
  • And while the rise of the internet and social media happened at the same time as the drinking decline, there is little evidence that young people are using technology in place of drinking.
  • It is important to note that the decline in youth drinking is not the same as the growing “sobriety movement”.
  • Those who speak publicly about their decision to go sober usually describe how this decision was made after years of binge drinking.


Laura Fenton receives funding from Wellcome Trust (208090/Z/17/Z) for her research on the decline in youth drinking. Amy Pennay receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia) and the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation. John Holmes receives funding from Wellcome (208090/Z/17/Z) for his research on the decline in youth drinking.

Is your pet exposed to secondhand smoke? Here are the (serious) health risks

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, February 6, 2024

Between 80 and 90% of lung cancer cases are associated with exposure to cancer-causing componds from first-or second-hand smoking.

Key Points: 
  • Between 80 and 90% of lung cancer cases are associated with exposure to cancer-causing componds from first-or second-hand smoking.
  • Children’s oral health, development, and future health outcomes are also negatively affected by exposure to secondhand smoke.
  • Exposure to secondhand smoke is a common but avoidable risk factor for health concerns in pets and people alike.
  • Reducing exposure to secondhand smoke, can enhance overall health, welfare and longevity for both pets and their people.

Tobacco plain packaging progress continues worldwide with 42 countries and territories moving forward with regulations

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, February 6, 2024

Presently, 42 countries and territories are actively moving ahead with plain packaging, with 25 having adopted the measure, 3 having it in practice, and 14 in the process of implementation.

Key Points: 
  • Presently, 42 countries and territories are actively moving ahead with plain packaging, with 25 having adopted the measure, 3 having it in practice, and 14 in the process of implementation.
  • progressing
    "There is a strong global trend for countries to implement plain packaging," says Rob Cunningham, Senior Policy Analyst, CCS.
  • There are now 25 countries and territories that have adopted plain packaging, up from only 9 countries in 2018 and 21 countries in 2021.
  • Guidelines under the international tobacco treaty, the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), recommend that countries consider implementing plain packaging.

Tobacco plain packaging progress continues worldwide with 42 countries and territories moving forward with regulations

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, February 6, 2024

TORONTO, Feb. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- An international report released today by the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) reveals ongoing advancements in tobacco plain packaging worldwide. Presently, 42 countries and territories are actively moving ahead with plain packaging, with 25 having adopted the measure, 3 having it in practice, and 14 in the process of implementation. The CCS report, titled Cigarette Package Health Warnings: International Status Report, details global progress on plain packaging, ranks 211 countries and territories on the size of their health warnings on cigarette packages, and lists the 138 countries and territories that now require graphic picture warnings.

Key Points: 
  • Presently, 42 countries and territories are actively moving ahead with plain packaging, with 25 having adopted the measure, 3 having it in practice, and 14 in the process of implementation.
  • progressing
    "There is a strong global trend for countries to implement plain packaging," says Rob Cunningham, Senior Policy Analyst, CCS.
  • There are now 25 countries and territories that have adopted plain packaging, up from only 9 countries in 2018 and 21 countries in 2021.
  • Guidelines under the international tobacco treaty, the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), recommend that countries consider implementing plain packaging.

Children’s high-impact sports can be abuse – experts explain why

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, February 6, 2024

CTE continues to be a serious risk associated with high impact sports, such as boxing, American football and rugby.

Key Points: 
  • CTE continues to be a serious risk associated with high impact sports, such as boxing, American football and rugby.
  • The NFL has paid out almost a million pounds to former players suffering the effects of sport-induced brain trauma.
  • Each additional year of playing impact sports raises the risk of CTE, by as much as 30% in American football.
  • Academic evidence and medical professionals now agree that sport-induced brain trauma leads to degenerative brain disease.

Not suitable for under-18s

  • We are not calling for adult versions of impact sports to be banned and our argument does not apply to sports or activities where brain trauma might occur by accident.
  • For example, heading a football can result in immediate and measurable alterations to brain functioning and longer-term brain diseases, such as CTE.
  • The risk of CTE is far higher in sports such as American football and rugby.

Staying healthy

  • Teams sports can reduce isolation and help players to develop a range of social skills.
  • There are no health benefits of tackling – and there are no health benefits of being struck in the head.
  • Research has shown that incidents of contact during children’s rugby are the cause of cause of 87% of known injuries.

Inability to consent

  • Children are unable to make informed decisions about the long-term risks of these activities.
  • Our research draws on a number of legal positions that support our argument that neither children nor parents on their behalf can consent to sports that require brain trauma as a necessary component of the sport.
  • Some commentators have agreed that while high-impact sports are dangerous, using the term child abuse is a step too far.
  • Read more:
    Sport-induced traumatic brain injury: families reveal the 'hell' of living with the condition


Keith Parry is affiliated with the Concussion Legacy Foundation (UK). Eric Anderson and Gary Turner do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Thought Leadership & Innovation Foundation Announces Strategic Partnership with American Macular Degeneration Foundation, Debuts Patient Testimonial Video Featuring TLI Fellow

Retrieved on: 
Monday, February 5, 2024

Thought Leadership & Innovation Foundation (TLI) , a not-for-profit organization that works at the nexus of science, technology and public health, today announces a strategic partnership with the American Macular Degeneration Foundation (AMDF), beginning with the debut of a patient testimonial video produced by the AMDF and featuring TLI Fellow, Laura Carabello, who documents her timely intervention and management of macular degeneration.

Key Points: 
  • Thought Leadership & Innovation Foundation (TLI) , a not-for-profit organization that works at the nexus of science, technology and public health, today announces a strategic partnership with the American Macular Degeneration Foundation (AMDF), beginning with the debut of a patient testimonial video produced by the AMDF and featuring TLI Fellow, Laura Carabello, who documents her timely intervention and management of macular degeneration.
  • As a patient advocate for AMDF and as Chair of the TLI Fellows, Carabello urges people to understand their risk for macular degeneration, recognize symptoms, seek early treatment and be compliant with ongoing therapy.
  • “Laura's journey provides an insightful and assuring perspective, chronicling her personal challenges with macular degeneration from diagnosis to clinical intervention.
  • Together, TLI and AMDF are dedicated to advancing awareness, research and support, forging a path towards a future where the impact of macular degeneration is minimized, and the gift of sight is preserved.