1. Rolling Tobacco in Banana Leaves, Newspaper, or Copybook Paper Associated With Significant Reduction in Lung Function in Vanuatu
- Author
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Howard Silverman, Gwang Lee, Kelsey N. Dancause, Akira Kaneko, Charles A. Weitz, Cheng Sun, J. K. Lum, Chim W. Chan, Alysa Pomer, Kathryn M Olszowy, Len Tarivonda, and Ralph M. Garruto
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,Paper ,Adolescent ,Vital Capacity ,Rolling paper ,Newspaper ,Toxicology ,03 medical and health sciences ,Young Adult ,0302 clinical medicine ,Copybook ,Vanuatu ,Forced Expiratory Volume ,Humans ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Lung ,Lung function ,Aged ,Smoke ,Aged, 80 and over ,Smoking ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Tobacco Smokers ,Newspapers as Topic ,Musa ,Tobacco Products ,Middle Aged ,Geography ,030228 respiratory system ,Female - Abstract
In addition to the widespread availability of packaged cigarettes, the inhabitants of island nations of the Southwest Pacific frequently smoke commercially available loose tobacco using manufactured rolling papers, as well as locally grown tobacco rolled in manufactured rolling paper or wrapped in leaves, copybook paper, and newspaper. In this study, Vanuatu men who smoked local tobacco rolled in leaves, copybook paper, or newspaper showed significantly lower forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), and FEV1/FVC ratios than men who smoked packaged cigarettes, store-bought tobacco rolled in manufactured rolling paper, or who smoked locally grown tobacco rolled in manufactured rolling papers. The addition of toxins from these unusual tobacco-wrapping media produces lung function deficits similar to the pattern noted among tobacco smokers who also inhale smoke from burning biomass. Thus, public health initiatives should consider including strategies addressing the use of wrapping media among smokers in South Pacific island societies.
- Published
- 2017