An article by USA today (click here for article) reported that retail chains are making progress towards reducing tobacco use in the US. More specifically, New Hampshire, Illinois, and Tennessee all have Bills pending to bar pharmacies with walk in clinics from selling tobacco products. New York has a Bill that would ban all pharmacies, including Wal-Mart from selling tobacco products. This is a large step towards eliminating many risks that are associated with the use of tobacco products. As it is right now, many grocery stores no longer carry tobacco products. They don’t want to be associated with the sale of carcinogens.

Many argue that the government should not step in and tell people what they can and cannot sell, but they have already done this fairly successfully with the sale of alcohol products. It is more than likely to be successful with the sale of tobacco products. There was an interesting quote in the article from Bill Phelps, spokesman for Philip Morris the number one cigarette maker in the world. He doesn’t think that the government should impose bans on tobacco products, ‘we think retailers should be able to decide’. I am sure the beer companies felt the same way when the drinking age was raised from 18 years to 21 years. But this policy has helped save many lives in the United States.

Since there isn’t a magic pill that is going to reverse the damage that cigarette smoking does to the body, society is going to have to change its views towards tobacco use. It is a choice and an unhealthy one at that. If people start to perceive tobacco use as being a stigma, then they will be less apt to use it. For those who have already started using tobacco, there is an option to stop. Quitting will only put wealthy companies like Philip Morris out of business and help greatly reduce your risk of preventable death.

The Los Angeles Times reports that restaurants that ban smoking also help reduce the number of youths who light up.  (click here for article).  When young adults are not given an environment where they can openly partake in an unhealthy habit, they are less likely to continue the behavior.  This article is a good example of how a simple policy change can have an impact on the overall health of the people in the community.  By eliminating an opportunity to light up, the risk of developing lung cancer can be reduced.  More policies need to be implemented in order to cut down on the number of smokers in the United States.

The Chicagotribune.com posted an article regarding elderly drinkers putting their lives at risk by consuming more than the recommend amount of alcohol for their age (click here for article). The elderly group has been defined as those over the age of 65. The concern is that alcohol can cause greater problems for those suffering from dementia, depression, balance issues, and mixing it with prescription drugs.

When it comes to alcohol consumption, what is the best way to determine if an elderly person has a drinking problem? Is alcohol use harder to detect in the elderly population than the younger population? Do people understand the risks involved when they mix medications with alcohol? Are they provided with the support and resources needed to seek help if a problem is suspected? The author of the article pointed out that health-care professionals should be aware of the symptoms so that they can screen for heavy drinkers in the elderly population. Health-care providers can provide resources for those who may have a tendency to over indulge on alcohol in a manor that can be detrimental to their life.

Also, those who care for older adults need to be provided with educational resources on how they can help reduce the risk of over consumption of alcohol in older adults. It was also mentioned in the article that there are a limited number of outpatient programs that target older adults who are seeking treatment. This is an issue that is going to grow as the population ages. Preventative education now can help reduce this problem and help keep it under control.

“I Just Couldn’t Sacrifice My Son”, By David Nicholson (registration required)
- Update, my colleague Malia at Boys and Schools has written a great post about this story.

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