Cervical spine subdural hematoma: A rare radiographic abnormality in a trauma patient.

Spinal subdural hematomas (SSDH) are a rare radiographic finding that can lead to significant long-term disability. Many clinicians are unfamiliar with this condition and the available treatment options. This article describes one approach to managing a patient with an SSDH.

Application of a rating system to state clean indoor air laws (USA).

Objective: To develop and implement a system for rating state clean indoor air laws.

Design: The public health interest of state clean indoor air laws is to limit non-smoker exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Current estimates of health risks and methods available for controlling ETS provided a framework for devising a ratings scale.

State laws on youth access to tobacco in the United States: measuring their extensiveness with a new rating system.

Objective: To develop and implement a rating system evaluating the extensiveness of state laws restricting youth access to tobacco.

Design: State laws on youth access to tobacco were analysed and assigned ratings on nine items. Six items addressed specific tobacco-control provisions, and three related to enforcement provisions.

Development of cancer prevention and control initiatives in a state health agency: the New York experience.

The public health response to cancer in the New York State Department of Health has evolved over many years. A number of organizational units contribute to surveillance and monitoring, quality assurance, policy analysis and advocacy, education, service delivery, and evaluation components. Extensive cooperation with health professionals and consumers outside of state government is also essential.

Results of an antismoking media campaign utilizing the Cancer Information Service.

In this paper, results are presented on the response to an antismoking media campaign designed to encourage women cigarette smokers with young children to call for information on quitting. The intervention campaign used a mix of professionally produced broadcast and print materials that encouraged smokers to call the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service (CIS) for information on quitting. The campaign was implemented in seven media markets in New York state, Pennsylvania, and Delaware; each of these markets was paired with a control market in one of the three states.

Health and economic impact of cigarette smoking in New York State, 1987-1989.

This study provides estimates of deaths attributable to smoking, years of potential life lost (YPLL), and economic costs for each of New York's 57 counties and New York City for the period 1987 to 1989. Results show that in New York State, cigarette smoking was responsible for an average of 30,359 deaths, 409,129 YPLL, and nearly $4 billion in economic costs annually. Overall, smoking-attributable deaths comprised 17.

The impact of tailored self-help smoking cessation guides on young mothers.

It has been suggested that tailoring self-help materials for specific target populations will increase their effectiveness. This study tested the value of a self-help guide tailored specifically for women with young children. These women were recruited through a media campaign that encouraged smokers to call the Cancer Information Service (CIS) for assistance in stopping smoking.

Tobacco advertising in retail stores.

Recent studies have described tobacco advertising in the print media, on billboards, and through sponsorship of cultural and sporting events. However, little attention has been given to another common and unavoidable source of tobacco advertising, that which is encountered in retail stores. In July 1987, we conducted a survey of 61 packaged goods retail stores in Buffalo, NY, to assess the prevalence and type of point-of-sale tobacco advertising.

What scientists funded by the tobacco industry believe about the hazards of cigarette smoking.

Despite overwhelming evidence documenting the hazards of cigarette smoking, the tobacco industry denies that smoking has been proven to cause disease. The industry professes a desire to clear up the smoking and health "question" and often points to its support of the Council for Tobacco Research (CTR) as evidence of its interest in investigating the health dangers of smoking. This paper presents results of a survey of CTR-funded scientists regarding their beliefs about the health dangers posed by smoking cigarettes.

Impact of a community-wide stop smoking contest.

Abstract This paper presents the results of a follow-up evaluation conducted to assess the impact of a community-wide stop smoking contest conducted in Buffalo, New York in January 1988. The contest challenged smokers to make a pledge to quit jar 30 days to have a chance to win $1,000 cash, a vacation trip, or other prizes. Finalists were randomly selected and chemically tested to verify abstinence.

The public health benefit of increasing tobacco taxes in New York State.

The 1989-1990 New York State budget increased the tax on a package of cigarettes from 21 to 33 cents. In this paper we estimate the impact of this tax increase on smoking prevalence and smoking-induced deaths in New York State. Findings show that 115,967 New Yorkers will be encouraged to quit or not start smoking as a result of the increased cigarette tax.

An intervention to reduce the sale of cigarettes to minors.

This study reports the results of an intervention to stop the illegal sale of cigarettes to minors. Sixty-two of 120 stores in Erie County, New York, were randomly selected to receive in the mail an informational packet requesting their help in stopping the illegal sale of tobacco to minors. The packet included a letter to the store manager citing the law prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to minors and requesting their assistance in observing the law; a supply of warning signs; and a tip sheet designed to assist store managers in educating their employees about the law.

Enhancing resources for smoking cessation through community intervention: commit as a prototype.

Of the 17 million smokers in North America who attempt to quit smoking each year, fewer than one in ten succeed [1, 2]. How can communities improve smokers' chances of quitting? The National Cancer Institute addresses this question through COMMIT, the Community Intervention Trial for Smoking Cessation. COMMIT is the largest smoking intervention trial in the world, involving over 2 million people in twenty-two North American communities.

Media Advocacy and Public Education in the Community Intervention Trial To Reduce Heavy Smoking (COMMIT).

The Community Intervention Trial (COMMIT) is designed to reduce the rate of heavy smoking in eleven pairs of North American communities over an eight-year period. The intervention, consisting of a minimum of fifty-one activities, is being implemented through local community boards and task forces. This article describes the goals and activities for the public education task force with a specific focus on "media advocacy," an innovative use of mass media that follows more closely political activist models than traditional public service models.

Format and quitting instructions as factors influencing the impact of a self-administered quit smoking program.

This article presents results from an experimental study designed to evaluate the effects of two features of self-help smoking cessation booklets, format (i.e., day-by-day plan for quitting versus a less structured menu format) and quitting instructions (i.

Impact of a newspaper mediated quit smoking program.

We present the results of a survey conducted to evaluate the impact of a newspaper mediated smoking cessation program conducted in Buffalo, New York in January 1987. Over half of all smokers surveyed reported exposure to the newspaper series; 13 per cent reported that the series prompted them to try to quit smoking, and 4 per cent stopped smoking for at least one week. We estimate that over 9,600 smokers in Erie County, New York stopped smoking for at least one week as a result of the newspaper's smoking cessation program.

Physician advice to quit smoking: who gets it and who doesn't.

This is a study of physicians' stop-smoking advice to patients in a university-affiliated family medicine outpatient center. The study population consisted of 311 cigarette-smoking patients of 28 family-practice residents. Patients were monitored for three months to assess changes in their smoking habits and to measure the effects of advice from their physicians.

Behavior and single gene substitution in Drosophila melanogaster. I. Mating and courtship differences with w, cn, and bw loci.

The effect of single allele substitutions into an isogenic background in Oregon-R inbred lines of Drosophila melanogaster on courtship and mating patterns has been studied. A comparison has been made between the white locus w, wco, we, the wild type w+, cn, bw, and cn bw to test the effect of eye pigmentation in influencing courtship and mating patterns. It was found that w, we, wco, cn, and bw females were more successful in mating than were wild-type and cn bw females, cn bw females being less successful than wild-type females.