Smoking/Alcohol
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Female smoking death risk 'has soared'
23 January 2013 Last updated at 22:22 ET By James Gallagher Health and science reporter, BBC News Women smoking nowadays are far more likely to die as a result of their habit than they were in the 1960s, according to a new study. Changing habits such as starting earlier and smoking more cigarettes have been blamed for the dramatically increased risks of lung cancer. The trends, reported in the New England Journal of Medicine , show death rates in women have caught up with men.
12 December 2012 Last updated at 02:53 GMT By Michelle Roberts Health editor, BBC News online Women who are light smokers - including those who smoke just one cigarette a day - double their chance of sudden death, a large study suggests. The research tracked the health of 101,000 US nurses over three decades. Light-to-moderate smokers were twice as likely to die of sudden heart problems than those who had never smoked. But those who quit smoking saw their risk begin to go back down within years, a journal of the American Heart Association reports. Raised risk
Light smoking 'doubles sudden heart death risk in women'
Smoking in the car 'breaks toxic limit'
15 October 2012 Last updated at 21:10 ET By Michelle Roberts Health editor, BBC News online The researchers used monitors strapped to the back seat of the car to measure pollution levels Smoking in the car, even with the windows open or the air conditioning on, creates pollution that exceeds official "safe" limits, scientists say.
28 August 2012 Last updated at 23:08 GMT By Michelle Roberts Health editor, BBC News online Repeated exposure to alcohol can scar the liver A traffic-light colour-coded blood test can reveal hidden liver damage caused by drinking above recommended alcohol limits, say experts. The UK doctors who devised the test say anyone who regularly drinks more than three or four bottles of wine a week, for example, is at significant risk. Ultimately, GPs could offer the test to patients, especially since many people do not recognise unsafe drinking.
Traffic-light blood test shows hidden alcohol harm
28 August 2012 Last updated at 12:28 GMT By James Gallagher Health and science reporter, BBC News When a teenager smokes cannabis are they permanently damaging their brain and dulling their intellect for a lifetime? The dangers of smoking cannabis, and the potential health benefits, have been a source of controversy for many years.
How could cannabis alter the teenage brain?
28 August 2012 Last updated at 08:35 ET By Dominic Hughes Health correspondent, BBC News Prof Terrie Moffitt, researcher: "Those who started using cannabis regularly when they were in secondary school had lost, on average, about eight IQ points" Young people who smoke cannabis for years run the risk of a significant and irreversible reduction in their IQ, research suggests.
Young cannabis smokers run risk of lower IQ, report claims
Drinking alcohol, even in moderation, 'a dementia risk'
18 July 2012 Last updated at 03:24 ET By Michelle Roberts Health editor, BBC News online Glass sizes and alcohol percentage determines how many units a drink contains Drinking even "moderate" amounts of alcohol increases dementia risk, US research suggests. The findings, presented at an international conference, challenge the notion that some alcohol could be good for ageing brains.
6 July 2012 Last updated at 03:18 ET Many seek to unwind after work with a drink Almost two-thirds of people rely on alcohol to relax in the evenings, the charity Drinkaware has warned. A poll of 2,000 adults aged 30-45 carried out by ICM found 44% drank all or most - and a third think about having a swift drink before they even get home.
Two thirds 'turn to drink' to relax in the evening
27 June 2012 Last updated at 18:00 GMT By James Gallagher Health and science reporter, BBC News Researchers believe vaccines may one day help people if they choose to quit. Smokers could one day be immunised against nicotine so they gain no pleasure from the habit, according to researchers in the US. They have devised a vaccine that floods the body with an antibody to assault nicotine entering the body. A study in mice, published in Science Translational Medicine , showed levels of the chemical in the brain were reduced by 85% after vaccination. Years of research are still needed before it could be tested on people.
'Smoking vaccine' blocks nicotine in mice brains
LSD 'helps alcoholics to give up drinking'
8 March 2012 Last updated at 21:44 ET Could LSD be used to treat alcoholism? One dose of the hallucinogenic drug LSD could help alcoholics give up drinking, according to an analysis of studies performed in the 1960s. A study, presented in the Journal of Psychopharmacology , looked at data from six trials and more than 500 patients.Fewer premature births after smoking ban in Scotland
6 March 2012 Last updated at 22:01 GMT By Michelle Roberts Health reporter, BBC News Exposure to tobacco smoke has been linked to lower birthweights and early deliveries Since Scotland introduced a ban on smoking in public places in 2006 there has been a 10% drop in the country's premature birth rate, say researchers. They believe this is a smoke-free benefit that can be chalked up alongside others, like reductions in heart disease and childhood asthma. Tobacco smoke has been linked to poor foetal growth and placenta problems. Plos Medicine analysed smoking and birth rates for all expectant women in Scotland before and after the ban.2 March 2012 Last updated at 04:46 ET Cannabis floods the brain with a host of chemicals which lead to changes in mood and memory Scientists believe they are closer to understanding how taking cannabis disrupts short-term memory. The Canadian team from Ottawa University narrowed the effect down to a particular type of brain cell called an astrocyte. Writing in the journal Cell, they said it might be possible to block it in medicines based on cannabis.
Cannabis memory effects examined
23 October 2011 Last updated at 10:53 ET Drinking alcohol daily leads to a higher risk of liver disease, the Royal College of Physicians says
Avoid alcohol three days a week, doctors warn
Passive smoking 'doubles hearing loss risk among teens'
18 July 2011 Last updated at 22:25 ET Tobacco smoke contains toxins Passive smoking nearly doubles a teenager's risk of hearing loss, research reveals. Investigators say the findings, from a study of over 1,500 US teens aged 12 to 19, suggest that secondhand tobacco smoke directly damages young ears. And the greater the exposure the greater the damage. Often it was enough to impair a teen's ability to understand speech, Archives of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery reports.14 July 2011 Last updated at 09:26 ET Obesity levels have risen sharply in many western countries since the 1970s