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Britain's Got Talent presents "The Zimmers"
On July 27, 2013 July 27, 2013 By Paul2 Comments
Marilyn Monroe film (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Have you seen or heard of the "The Zimmers" singing & performing in Britain's Got Talent 2012 audition? If not, you're in for an unexpected surprise, as "these delicate looking old folk will give a very surprising performance that will have you in stitches.
"A very good performance that has a bit of humor and a lot of fun"!
Awesome, spirited & entertaining . . . Standing ovation! So exciting . . . energising . . . exhilarating . . . enthusiastic . . . fantastic than when they were really young!
SFI – Senior Fellowship Initiative
Ageing is a state of mind
Be as young as you feel & be fine
Feeling young depends on your heart
Take care before the years take you apart!
Among us we have such a group of friends ranging from the 60s to the 80s. We are known as Senior Fellowship Initiative (SFI)
These past years we've been meeting for lunch & dinner . . . chatting & celebrating each others' birthdays . . . & some karaoke singing.
We ought to take heart & courage & emulate "The Zimmers"!
Let's also sing & perform
Be creative & project our initiative!
Let's have FUN
While we can still RUN!
IF UPON READING THIS & YOU'RE INTERESTED,
WRITE & CONTACT US VIA THE COMMENTS
OF THIS BLOG.
The Hollywood Sign
On September 8, 2012 September 9, 2012 By Paul1 Comment
Signs are designed to signal directions
They're also able to instil inspiration
As well as hope, dream & aspiration
Ever since I was a school projectionist for our cinema club, I was fascinated & captivated by the word "Hollywood".
One of my travel dream destinations is to see the Hollywood sign in all of its glory perched high on top of
Mount Lee in Los Angeles, little realising that in 1923, a Los Angeles real estate group first unveiled it as a massive billboard to promote their new "Hollywoodland" development. Little did they know too that their brash operation has come to remain such a lasting significant Sign.
So the Sign from "Hollywoodland" became known as just "Hollywood".
The Hollywood Sign is a landmark and American cultural icon located in Los Angeles, California. It is situated on Mount Lee in the Hollywood Hills area of the Santa Monica Mountains. (Wikipedia)
It's more than just nine white letters spelling out a city's name; it's one of the world's most evocative symbols – a universal metaphor for ambition, success, glamour…for this dazzling place, industry and dream we call
H-O-L-L-Y-W-O-O-D
Although the Sign's appearance and purpose have evolved over the years, its basic aspirational message remains the same: This is a place where magic is possible, where dreams can come true.
The Sign seen from the farmers market in Los Angeles
For many visitors to Los Angeles, there is no more coveted photo than a shot of the world famous Sign. Though it is visible from all over the city from its lofty perch on Mt. Lee, it can actually be surprisingly difficult to get a well angled shot. Many are surprised to learn that it's actually illegal to hike to (or basically get anywhere near) the Sign, which is set well back behind restricting gates and protected by security cameras and Park Rangers.
Contrasting Abraham Lincoln & Nancy Pelosi
On April 4, 2010 August 27, 2010 By Paul14 Comments
By P Chong Sun. 4 April 2010
Americans have had great presidents in the past. Abraham Lincoln was one such president. Herein below are some of his great wisdom:
How true in what he said. He had the absolute ability of saying a lot with the least number of words. Abraham could "paint with words". World leaders should emulate him and implement his wisdom . . . then the present world would not be this topsy-turvy.
People at the helm of government must be smart and act the part. The destiny of a nation depends entirely upon the calibre of leaders.
Consider this true incident of a supposedly great lady politician:
Nancy Pelosi – A "Brain Lift" Rather Than A "Face Lift"
A noted psychiatrist was a guest speaker at an academic function where Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of Congress, happened to appear. Ms Pelosi took the opportunity to schmooze the good doctor a bit and asked him a question with which he was most at ease.
"Would you mind telling me, Doctor," she asked, "how you detect a mental deficiency in somebody who appears completely normal?"
"Nothing is easier," he replied. "You ask a simple question which anyone should answer with no trouble. If the person hesitates, that puts you on the track."
"What sort of question?" asked Pelosi.
"Well, you might ask, 'Captain Cook made three trips around the world and died during one of them. Which one?"
Pelosi thought a moment, and then said with a nervous laugh, "You wouldn't happen to have another example would you? I must confess I don't know much about history."
Can you imagine that? With people like that, what can you you expect of the country? Surely not as dumb as a box of rocks!
Democrat Jokes about Pelosi's Mortality (thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com)


A day at Forillon National Park is a great opportunity for hiking.
Not to be missed is the remarkable Bout du Monde lookout and the breathtaking scenery of Cap-Bon-Ami with cliffs that fall to the sea! Watch whales, paddle with seals, bike, or enjoy the beach at Penouille, including interpretation activities to discover fauna and the territory's history.
A day in Forillon is so much more than enjoying the park. Discover the nearby lighthouses, museums, and interpretive centres that tell the story of the Micmacs, cod fishing and the cradle of Canada. Visit the town of Gaspé and end your day by enjoying a good meal in one of the restaurants.
In short, a day in Forillon is a day of exciting discoveries!


If you've had an untreated cavity for a long time, and you're suddenly experiencing pain in and around that tooth, you might need a root canal. Dr. Cary Limberakis and Dr. Johnathan Limberakis, your dentists in Jenkintown, PA, use root canal therapy to treat many of their patients' advanced decay; this procedure is designed to keep your natural teeth intact while eliminating any problems you might be experiencing as a result. If you're unfamiliar with how root canals are performed, or you just need a refresher, this is the post for you!
Root canals not only fix the visible portion of a damaged tooth, they also repair and stabilize what you can't see inside the tooth and below the gum line. When decay infiltrates the inner tissues, blood vessels and nerves of a tooth, it can be very painful and puts the rest of the mouth at risk for further problems. Root canal therapy, performed by your Jenkintown dentist, removes what's inside the tooth and replaces it with a durable latex material, made from a rubber tree, before being topped off with a porcelain crown. This keeps the tooth from being hollow and keeps the roots firmly in place, allowing you to chew and smile normally.
This is a common question that your Jenkintown dentist hears about root canal therapy. The truth is that in many ways, root canals can be thought of as an in-depth cavity filling, which means that you can expect a similar experience. The procedure usually takes a bit longer, but plenty of anesthetic is used to ensure you won't feel a thing. After your root canal, you might have some mild soreness after the anesthetic wears off, but this usually subsides in a day or two and can be controlled with over-the-counter analgesics.
Contact Limberakis Family Dentistry in Jenkintown, PA to schedule an appointment with Dr. Cary Limberakis or Dr. Johnathan Limberakis for any and all of your dental needs!


As part of our on-going series about new features in the PDF Converter for SharePoint 4.0, we would like to showcase our exciting new HTML to PDF conversion functionality.
Similar to the other file formats supported by the PDF Converter for SharePoint, HTML conversion is available via the User Interface, Workflows as well as the Web Service. This post describes how to convert SharePoint pages such as calendars, lists or even entire publishing pages to PDF Format using the Personal Actions menu.
There is not much to it really, just navigate to the SharePoint page to convert and select Convert page to PDF from the Personal Actions menu as per the screenshot below.
This new functionality lives in a SharePoint Feature named Muhimbi.PDFConverter.ConvertWebPage.Site, which needs to be enabled at the Site Collection level.
The following image shows the original SharePoint page on the left hand side and the converted PDF file on the right. As you can see this works very well.
Don't hesitate to leave a comment below if you have any questions or contact us if you want to discuss anything related to our products.
This really looks interesting, and I can't wait to try it out. When will the RTM ship?
The current beta is very stable, but there are some final steps, such as documentation, that need to be sorted out. We are aiming for mid October.
I installed a trial version of PDF Converter for SharePoint 4.0 on W2K3 WSS 3.0 platform. I don't see the above feature enabled on my calendar page. Could you tell me how to enable it? Thanks!
You need to enable the Feature at the site collection level. For more detail see section 2.2.3 in the Administration Guide.
Can I use this product with Windows SharePoint Service 2.0 and Office 2003?
Our SharePoint UI does not integrate with WSS 2, however you can use our PDF Conversion Services product to convert WSS 2 pages to PDF. You will just need to do a little bit of programming against our public API to provide the glue. Please use the 'Contact Us' link at the top of this page for more details.
In central administration i've selected only html &bitmap formats and TIFF files. Test and validation setting are ok. Any idea?
I am fairly sure your HTML Conversion problem is authentication related. Please carry out the following tests.
1. Launch the diagnostics tool from the start menu.
2. Switch to the HTML Conversion tab.
4. Click the second Convert button and let me know the outcome.
5. If steps 3 and 4 provide proper output then please enter a URL of your SharePoint site in the 'URL To Convert' and click the 'Convert' Button again.
Please contact support@muhimbi.com if this doesn't help.
1. Your site works perfect.
3. If diagnostic tool works fine what should i do make it work on sharepoint?
It sounds like you have an SP2010 specific isue. Please contact support@muhimbi.com and request the 5.2 Interim release.
The Service's config file can be found by following the shortcut in the start menu to the Service's installation directory. Open this file, search for the following line and change "False" to "True"
Please restart the Muhimbi Service once this change has been made.
It looks like our comments strip out XML elements. The instructions are as follows, just replace '[' and ']' with angle brackets.
I'm looking forward to get this new release from you.
As far i see my content is cut to fit the page (on sharepoint site are scrollbars). Is is possible to get whole page content (even it's not visible due scrollbars)?
Support will pick it up from here.
Some problems are difficult to get around with complex HTML as HTML is not intended for use on A4 or Letter based PDF files. There is a "HTMLConverterFullFidelity.ScaleMode" option in the service's config file as well as some other HTML Conversion specific settings. Please have a look in the Admin Guide section 2.3.2 subsection "HTML Specific switches".
Support has now responded. Please let me know if you did not receive the reply.
I've got it and it works in diagnostic tool. Now I try to make it work in sharepoint. According to Admin Guide 2.3.2 Authentication I try diffirent scenarious - so far it didn't work.
2. Anonnymous user can convert page to PDF (internet).
Please revert your authentication changes in the config file. They have nothing to do with HTML authentication.
Please deal with support@muhimbi.com for your remaining questions, the comments to this post are really not the right place for this.
SharePoint and Anonymous users can convert HTML pages to PDF just fine, please talk to our support team.


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SETi and Cascade Designs announce JDA to develop UV-LED water-purification systems
Columbia, SC –– Sensor Electronic Technology, Inc. (SETi) and Cascade Designs, Inc. of Seattle, WA today announced they have entered into a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to develop the next generation of portable water purification systems for commercial, military and disaster relief/humanitarian applications. The water purification systems will take advantage of SETi's germicidal ultraviolet light emitting diodes (UV LEDs) to provide potable water to small groups from any source of fresh water anywhere.
Germicidal UV LEDs are a new technology that offers an alternative to mercury lamps or chemical treatment and enables a compact, lightweight and mechanically robust disinfection solution that can stand up to the rigors of military and humanitarian use and, when powered with an alternative energy source, can offer a sustainable source of drinking water for many months.
Through a development program funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), SETi has already successfully demonstrated the use of its germicidal UV LEDs in a bench top disinfection chamber. The collaborative effort with Cascade Designs will further this work and lead to the development of the first multi‐stage UV LED‐based water purification system.
Cascade Designs has 40 years of experience developing and manufacturing innovative products for the outdoor and military markets. Under the MSR® (Mountain Safety Research) and Platypus® brand names, the company has a significant share of the portable, point‐of‐use water treatment market. Cascade Designs is the standard‐issue supplier of sleep pads, snowshoes, camp stoves, and on‐the‐move water treatment systems for the U.S. Army and Marine Corps.
Together, the companies believe that UV LEDs, combined with proprietary filtration and absorption technologies, will have breakthrough potential for the military and humanitarian relief efforts.
"We see great potential in partnering with SETi," said Joe McSwiney, president of Cascade Designs, Inc. "With SETi's UV LED technology and our experience in designing and manufacturing a broad range of water treatment products, we believe we can develop revolutionary new water treatment systems that will advance the work we're already doing to supply the U.S. military and bring sustainable relief to people around the world who lack potable water."
Dr. Remis Gaska, president and CEO of SETi agrees. "With a strong track record of taking new technologies to market, Cascade Designs is the obvious choice for SETi to partner with," Dr. Gaska said. "This collaborative effort will demonstrate the effectiveness in UV LEDs for disinfection and will not only address the need of the public sector markets, but will also pave the way for the development of UV LED‐based disinfection products in the private sector."
About Sensor Electronic Technology, Inc.
SETi is the global leader in UV LED technology that spans the wavelength range from 240nm to 360nm. With brands UVTOP® and UVClean®, SETi supplies the most comprehensive suite of UV LED products including LEDs, LED lamps and light sources and complete LED solutions. SETi is fully vertically integrated, and designs, develops and manufactures is products in accordance to ISO9001 and AS9100 standards at its facility in Columbia, South Carolina.
About Cascade Designs
For forty years, Seattle‐based Cascade Designs, Inc. has led the outdoor industry in designing innovative, useful and long‐lasting equipment, manufacturing the majority of products in their Seattle, U.S.A. and Cork, Ireland facilities. From the original self‐inflating Therm‐a‐Rest® camping mattress to the first multi‐fuel stove, Cascade Designs has developed products that explorers, travelers, adventurers, outdoor enthusiasts and weekend campers can rely on to deliver optimum performance in the outdoors through exceptional engineering and quality.
For more information on Cascade Designs, please visit www.cascadedesigns.com or call us at 1‐800‐531‐9531.
Sensor Electronic Technology, Inc. 1‐803‐647‐9757
E-mail:info@s‐et.com
Web Site:www.s‐et.com

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


To honor those individuals that have given so much to serve our country a Veterans Memorial was erected in Duchesne City through the combined efforts of American Legion Post 22, Duchesne Beautification Committee and Duchesne City. Veterans that previously served in the military and are from Duchesne or the surrounding area have their names engraved on the walls of the memorial. The memorial is open to the public all days and hours of the year.
If you would like to have a name added to the wall it can be engraved for a minimum donation of $200. Click on the form below and follow the steps.


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Tension is high in the former Portuguese colony of East Timor following clashes between pro-independence groups and factions who want the island to be integrated into Indonesia.
Indonesia's occupation of the colony in 1975 has never been accepted by the international community. A United Nations-brokered referendum on autonomy or independence is scheduled for July 15, but the process has been destabilised by factional fighting in which up to 30 people have died.
Australian prime minister John Howard is to meet Indonesian president J. B. Habibie to try to restore stability. But Bill Watson, a social anthropologist at the University of Kent and an Indonesian specialist, said: "I'm not convinced that Australia will be able to achieve anything. The Indonesian government doesn't seem to pay much heed to Australia in general and is rather amused by Australia's alleged fear of a long-term Indonesian military threat.
"The best bet is for the UN to try to persuade the Indonesian government to allow in a peace-keeping force. But there is reluctance since it implies that Indonesia is unable or unwilling to deal with the situation."
Details of Indonesia's proposed autonomy package are being kept secret, possibly because the military fears similar demands from separatists, particularly in Aceh and Irian Jaya.
"In the long term, autonomy is the best solution (and should have been offered years ago) given the unviability of an economically independent Timor, but I cannot see any way in which the independence leaders could accept it."
If the referendum favours independence, Dr Watson said the militant integrationists held responsible for the recent killings might be reassured with an offer of Indonesian passports and right of abode.
"There is a ironic precedent. When the Dutch left Indonesia in 1950, a movement of Moluccans (from Ambon) did not want to integrate with the new Indonesia, and when things went against them then, the Dutch gave them Dutch passports and right of abode. Things have not gone all that well for the Moluccans in the Netherlands but that is another story."


Gourmet Girl Cooks: Pizza -- Saturday's Meatza Pizza Pie -- Grain free & Low Carb Heaven!
Pizza -- Saturday's Meatza Pizza Pie -- Grain free & Low Carb Heaven!
This evening I made pizza for dinner. I had hoped to make it last night but got home too late from Costco. This morning I made myself an awesome omelet filled with meat and veggies. I used the other half of my omelet meat and veggie filling as the topping for tonight's pizza and doctored it just a little bit more by adding more mushrooms, spinach and roasted tomatoes. For those of you that didn't see my omelet this morning, I will give you a run down on the topping for tonight's pizza: well browned ground sirloin, diced onion, diced fresh mushrooms, fresh baby spinach and oven roasted roma tomatoes (packed in oil). When I reheated my filling to top my pizza, I added more mushrooms, baby spinach and oven roasted roma tomatoes (everything was pre-cooked before placing on pizza). I decided to use the roasted tomatoes instead of pizza sauce because they have such a rich deep tomato flavor. I made my favorite Almond-Flax-Parmesan Pizza Crust and after my crust was done (you pre-bake the crust), I topped it with sliced mozzarella cheese and then piled it with the cooked beef and veggie topping and added a little additional mozzarella, and some shredded Parmigiana Reggiano. I gave it a final topping of Boar's Head pepperoni and a little thinly sliced onion, then baked it for an additional 7 to 8 minutes to melt everything together until bubbly. Honestly, this was probably one of the best pizzas I have ever had...regular or grain free! I have been making this crust for a long time time (since going grain free) but the combination of flavors in the toppings, especially the oven roasted roma tomatoes was outstanding. I ate a little less than half of the small rectangular pizza. While I don't usually drink sodas, this evening I decided to have a cola with my pizza. It's made by Zevia which uses stevia to sweeten it. I probably don't drink more than 1 or occasionally 2 a year...but I like to keep a few on hand in case the mood should ever strike. I definitely had "Saturday Night Pizza Fever" tonight and was glad I waited until this evening to make and enjoy it. If you have just recently gone grain free and are missing pizza...this crust is definitely worth trying. I snapped a few photos below and the recipe for my pizza crust can be found here: Pizza Crust. Enjoy!
GG, what no Chianti with your fabulous Pizza ?
sundried tomatoes, I have never seen that particular one at our store, like so many other products that you found. By the way the Tri-Tip Roast was 2 $ more per pound here.
Did I mention that we love your Pizza!
I have 4 jars of Almond butter in the cellar. I am not using it enough!
We are enjoying our rain. We just had all our windows cleaned yesterday and voila here is the rain(exterior) 2 stories), but the rain is more important than sparkling windows! I enjoyed them for 6 hours!
What an absolutely beautiful pizza!
I wonder if the almond butter is more expensive due to the drought in California. Apparently there is also a lack of bees. My husband read in a financial journal that almond trees need very large numbers of bees for pollination and that growers are having to import them from foreign countries.
PS: Glad to hear that it's raining somewhere in Calif.


Home Medicine Cancer Are Oral Microbes Linked to Head and Neck Squamous Cell Cancer Risk?
Are Oral Microbes Linked to Head and Neck Squamous Cell Cancer Risk?
Researchers investigated the association between different types of microbes normally found in the mouth and the risk of head and neck squamous cell cancer.
The human body is colonized by trillions of microbes (bacteria, fungi, and viruses) living on and in the body. These microbes outnumber human cells by about ten to one. They are mostly found in the gut, particularly the large intestine, but they are also found in the mouth. All the genetic material contained in these microbes is called the "microbiome" and this varies between individuals. It is beginning to be understood that the pattern of the microbiome is important for health, in particular for immunity and nutrition. There has been much research looking at the associations between microbiome patterns and the risk of particular cancers.
What is the Link Between the Oral Microbiome and Head and Neck Squamous Cell Cancer?
Every year, there are over half a million new cases of head and neck cancers (mouth and throat) worldwide. About 85% of these are squamous cell cancers, meaning that they develop in the lining cells of the mouth and throat. Researchers in the US performed a large study looking at the association between oral microbiome patterns and the risk of head and neck squamous cell cancer. They recently published their findings in JAMA Oncology.
This study included 129 cases of head and neck squamous cell cancer diagnosed during two large cancer screening projects – the American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Study (CPS-II) and the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCO) – and 254 matched control subjects from the screening studies. All subjects were cancer-free at the start of the screening period.
The CPS-II study included 184,000 participants aged between 50-74 years who completed a baseline diet and lifestyle questionnaire in 1992. The CPS-II study group sent follow up questionnaires every alternate year to update this information and to ask about any incident cancers. They -took oral wash samples from 70,000 participants in 2001-2002. The PLCO study was a large randomized study looking at the effects of screening on cancer-related mortality. This study recruited participants aged between 55-74 years between 1993 and 2001 and followed them for cancer incidence. The participants were randomized either to receive cancer screening or to the control arm (no screening). Oral wash samples were collected from those in the control arm (52,000 subjects). The follow-up included annual questionnaires to ask about incident cancers.
For the current study, the researchers analyzed the stored oral wash samples from the 129 head and neck squamous cell cancer cases and the 254 controls subjects in the laboratory to determine and compare their oral microbiome patterns.
They found that the patients with head and neck cancer were more often smokers and had a greater consumption of alcohol than the control group. The overall microbiome pattern was not found to be associated with risk of head and neck squamous cell cancer. However, a greater presence of two bacteria – Corynebacterium and Kingella – was associated with a decreased risk of head and neck squamous cell cancer. These associations were particularly strong in those with a history of smoking. Corynebacterium and Kingella are known to break down the carcinogens found in cigarette smoke, and this may be an explanation for their protective effect.
The maintenance of a healthy oral microbiome is important for oral health. The finding that an increased presence of Corynebacterium and Kingella is associated with a decreased risk of head and neck squamous cell cancer may have future implications for its prevention, in addition to measures such as stopping smoking and decreasing alcohol consumption.
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It appears that bogus IRS and U.S. Treasury calls are not the only fake calls that consumers are getting. We've been hearing about callers pretending to represent National Grid, a utility company, demanding payment for overdue bills or they will cut off your home/business electricity.
Warning pages are being posted on the Internet. Bottom line, no legitimate business is going to call you and demand immediate payment over the phone for anything. If they do, hang up!


Picture day must be enjoyed simply by everyone. All of us love the job consequently it's essential that you love all of us too. Our bodies is designed by simply ELTs consequently integrating with typical center days is simple. We merely breeze throughout the morning taking amazing tiny smiles as you go along. Our team turns into part of the middle team. To provide a product that nobody else complements relies on very important humans. Our amazing photographers. Them aren't merely someone who has acquired in affinity for photography for a time or utilized to play with spy cameras in senior high school, our selected few are professional wedding and Childcare photographers, currently leaders within their field. This kind of industry wants quick, quickly photographers so, who are amazing with individuals and who are able to organise details. Let's face it, a standard day at daycare never visits plan therefore the ability to take care of things expertly and light heartedly is urgent to our achievements. Enter, all of us of amazing photographers. Put simply, put into effect care of all kinds of things. We can provide centres with marketing e-mails, posters and flyers to families to make sure that everyone knows we are coming. Thus parents can begin to put together photo outifts!


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Q: SQL: breaking a tie I have an SQL database structured like Major League Baseball. It has an American League and National League, which contain divisions, which contain teams, which have Win/Loss records and contain players.
My League table has: |league_name|league_id(primary key)|wild card|
Where wild card is a foreign key teamID that is the best team in a division who doesn't lead that division.
Here is my trigger to update wild card when I update my Z_TEAMS table (where the win/loss records are kept):
UPDATE Z_LEAGUES
SET `Z_LEAGUES`.`Wild Card` = (SELECT teamID
                           FROM Z_TEAMS
                           WHERE (teamWins/teamLoss) =
                           (SELECT MAX(teamWins/teamLoss) FROM Z_TEAMS,
                           Z_DIVISIONS WHERE Z_TEAMS.divID =
                           Z_DIVISIONS.divID AND Z_DIVISIONS.leagueID =
                           Z_LEAGUES.leagueID AND Z_TEAMS.teamID != Z_DIVISIONS.divLeader))

It usually works well and picks the correct team every time Z_TEAMS is updated. However, if I try to update Z_TEAMS so that 2 teams have the same record and both are candidates for wild card, the trigger returns more than one row and restricts the update.
My question is: How can I break this tie? I am open to displaying both teams in the wild card spot, or arbitrarily picking one, or picking by say, alphabetical order. I'm fairly new to SQL and can't figure this out.

A: UPDATE Z_LEAGUES
SET `Z_LEAGUES`.`Wild Card` =
(SELECT teamID
 FROM Z_TEAMS
 WHERE (teamWins/teamLoss) =
    (SELECT MAX(teamWins/teamLoss)
     FROM Z_TEAMS, Z_DIVISIONS
     WHERE Z_TEAMS.divID = Z_DIVISIONS.divID
       AND Z_DIVISIONS.leagueID = Z_LEAGUES.leagueID
       AND Z_TEAMS.teamID != Z_DIVISIONS.divLeader)
 ORDER BY teamID
 Limit 1)

Added the last 2 lines to your base query.
Limit will limit the output rows, and order by will order them for precitability of which row will be selected.
You may use order by teamID desc to reverse sort.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: Merge and group by keys to aggregate another key in a list of dicts? I have the following list of dicts:
dict_lst = [{'ecs_service': {'bedstock-service': 0.6071428571428571}}, {'ecs_cluster': {'petardeer': 0.671957671957672}}, {'approval': {'yes': 0.6507936507936508}}, {'ecs_service': {'bedstock-service': 0.6180555555555555}}, {'ecs_cluster': {'tesg6': 0.6888888888888888}}, {'ecs_service': {'tickly-service-2': 0.6696428571428571}}, {'ecs_service': {'chagan-service-2': 1.0}}, {'ecs_cluster': {'chagan': 0.875}}, {'ecs_service': {'thioantimoniate-service': 0.6956521739130435}}, {'ecs_cluster': {'pinfish': 0.7619047619047619}}, {'ecs_service': {'biliously-service': 0.6694677871148459}}, {'ecs_cluster': {'test-cluster-4': 0.6904761904761904}}, {'ecs_service': {'chagan-service': 0.8857142857142858}}, {'ecs_cluster': {'chagan': 1.0}}, {'ecs_cluster': {'bedstock': 0.6212121212121212}}, {'approval': {'yes': 0.6161616161616161}}, {'ecs_service': {'bedstock-service': 0.8113636363636364}}, {'ecs_cluster': {'test-cluster-4': 0.6024531024531025}}, {'approval': {'yes': 0.6161616161616161}}, {'ecs_service': {'chagan-service-2': 0.7430555555555555}}, {'ecs_cluster': {'chagan': 0.75}}, {'ecs_service': {'chagan-service-2': 0.968421052631579}}, {'ecs_cluster': {'chagan': 0.8631578947368421}}, {'ecs_service': {'tickly-service': 0.6761904761904761}}, {'ecs_cluster': {'test-cluster-4': 0.638095238095238}}, {'ecs_cluster': {'unsaturation': 0.6428571428571429}}, {'ecs_service': {'coracopectoral-service': 0.6558091031775243}}, {'ecs_service': {'chagan-service-2': 0.7113095238095237}}, {'ecs_cluster': {'chagan': 0.7380952380952381}}, {'ecs_service': {'chagan-service-2': 0.7183641975308642}}, {'ecs_cluster': {'chagan': 0.7407407407407408}}, {'ecs_service': {'chagan-service-2': 0.9185185185185185}}, {'ecs_cluster': {'chagan': 0.8444444444444446}}, {'ecs_service': {'biliously-service': 0.6078431372549019}}, {'ecs_cluster': {'hirsel': 0.642483660130719}}, {'ecs_service': {'coracopectoral-service-2': 0.6327972709551657}}, {'ecs_service': {'chagan-service-2': 0.6928763440860215}}, {'ecs_cluster': {'chagan': 0.7311827956989246}}, {'ecs_service': {'chagan-service-2': 0.6732142857142858}}, {'ecs_cluster': {'chagan': 0.7238095238095239}}, {'ecs_service': {'chagan-service-2': 0.8941176470588236}}, {'ecs_cluster': {'chagan': 0.8352941176470589}}, {'ecs_service': {'coracopectoral-service-2': 0.6192645074224021}}, {'ecs_service': {'chagan-service-2': 0.6575854700854701}}, {'ecs_cluster': {'chagan': 0.717948717948718}}, {'ecs_service': {'chagan-service-2': 0.6478174603174603}}, {'ecs_cluster': {'chagan': 0.7142857142857143}}, {'ecs_service': {'chagan-service-2': 0.6343085106382979}}, {'ecs_service': {'chagan-service-2': 0.6367753623188406}}, {'ecs_cluster': {'chagan': 0.7101449275362318}}, {'ecs_service': {'chagan-service-2': 0.6195987654320988}}]

And I want to aggregate the dicts in the following way:
Group by outermost keys, then on the inner ones and average the values.
Meaning that if I have 2 dicts in my list:
[{'ecs_service': {'bedstock-service': 0.6}},
    {'ecs_service': {'bedstock-service': 0.2}},
    {'ecs_service': {'bedstock-service': 0.9}}]

I would like to get:
{'ecs_service': {'bedstock-service': 0.57}}

And so on for other keys.
I am trying to do this using:
final = {}
for d in test:
    for k, v in d.items():
        temp = defaultdict(list)
        for l, p in v.items():
            temp[l].append(p)
        final[k] = temp

But I am getting only the last entries. Also I will be happy to see a best practice how to merge such dicts in a more elegant way. Please advise.

A: Try:
from statistics import mean

out = {}

for d in dict_lst:
    for k, v in d.items():
        for kk, vv in v.items():
            out.setdefault(k, {}).setdefault(kk, []).append(vv)

for k, v in out.items():
    for kk in v:
        v[kk] = round(mean(v[kk]), 2)

print(out)

Prints:
{
    "ecs_service": {
        "bedstock-service": 0.68,
        "tickly-service-2": 0.67,
        "chagan-service-2": 0.75,
        "thioantimoniate-service": 0.7,
        "biliously-service": 0.64,
        "chagan-service": 0.89,
        "tickly-service": 0.68,
        "coracopectoral-service": 0.66,
        "coracopectoral-service-2": 0.63,
    },
    "ecs_cluster": {
        "petardeer": 0.67,
        "tesg6": 0.69,
        "chagan": 0.79,
        "pinfish": 0.76,
        "test-cluster-4": 0.64,
        "bedstock": 0.62,
        "unsaturation": 0.64,
        "hirsel": 0.64,
    },
    "approval": {"yes": 0.63},
}


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text:
Mutti, et al. 2014. Prepaid monetary incentives—Predictors of taking the money and completing the survey: Results from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four-Country Survey [show abstract ▼] [hide abstract ▲] [access full article]
Mutti, S., Kennedy, R.D., Thompson, M.E., Fong, G.T. (2014). Prepaid monetary incentives - Predictors of taking the money and completing the survey: Results from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four-Country Survey. Sociological Methods & Research, 43(2), 338-355.
Prepaid monetary incentives are used to address declining response rates in random-digit dial surveys. There is concern among researchers that some respondents will accept the prepayment but not complete the survey. There is little research to understand check cashing and survey completing behaviors among respondents who receive prepayment. Data from the International Tobacco Control Four-Country Study—a longitudinal survey of smokers in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia—were used to examine the impact of prepayment (in the form of checks, approximately US$10) on sample profile. Approximately 14 percent of respondents cashed their check, but did not complete the survey, while about 14 percent did not cash their checks, but completed the survey. Younger adults (Canada and United States), those of minority status (United States), and those who had been in the survey for only two waves or less (Canada and United States) were more likely to cash their checks and not complete the survey.
Bansal-Travers, et al. 2014. Awareness of pro-tobacco advertising and promotion and beliefs about tobacco use: Findings from the Tobacco Control Policy (TCP) India Pilot Survey [show abstract ▼] [hide abstract ▲]
Bansal-Travers, M., Fong, G.T., Quah, A.C.K., Sansone, G.C., Pednekar, M.S., Gupta, P.C., Sinha, D.N. (2014). Awareness of pro-tobacco advertising and promotion and beliefs about tobacco use: Findings from the Tobacco Control Policy (TCP) India Pilot Survey. Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health, 4(4), 303-313.
Tobacco companies are utilizing similar strategies to advertise and promote their products in developing countries as they have used successfully for over 50 years in developed countries. The present study describes how adult smokers, smokeless tobacco users, and non-users of tobacco from the Tobacco Control Project (TCP) India Pilot Survey, conducted in 2006, responded to questions regarding their perceptions and observations of pro-tobacco advertising and promotion and beliefs about tobacco use. Analyses found that 74% (n = 562) of respondents reported seeing some form of pro-tobacco advertising in the last six months, with no differences observed between smokers (74%), smokeless tobacco users (74%), and nonsmokers (73%). More than half of respondents reported seeing pro-tobacco advertising on store windows or inside shops. Overall, this study found that a significant percentage of tobacco users and non-users in India report seeing some form of pro-tobacco advertising and promotion messages. Additional analyses found that smokers were more likely to perceive tobacco use as harmful to their health compared with smokeless tobacco users and non-users (p < 0.01). The findings from this study reiterate the need for stronger legislation and strict enforcement of bans on direct and indirect advertising and promotion of tobacco products in India.
Abdullah, et al. 2014. Patterns and predictors of smokeless tobacco use among adults in Bangladesh: Findings from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Bangladesh Survey [show abstract ▼] [hide abstract ▲]
Abdullah, A.S., Driezen, P., Ruthbah, U.H., Nargis, N., Quah, A.C.K., Fong, G.T. (2014). Patterns and predictors of smokeless tobacco use among adults in Bangladesh: Findings from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Bangladesh Survey. PLOS One, 9(7), 101934.
Background: Although smokeless tobacco (SLT) use is prevalent in South Asian countries including Bangladesh, information about the pattern and correlates of SLT use is scarce. This study described the pattern and predictors of SLT use among Bangladeshi adults.
Methods: The data for this study were derived from the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Bangladesh (ITC BD) Survey, a prospective cohort survey of a nationally representative sample of smokers and non-smokers, conducted during November 2011 and May 2012. The study included 5522 adults aged 15 or above. We used multiple logistic regression models to identify predictors of SLT use.
Results: Of the respondents (N = 5522), 20% were SLT users. In general, SLT use was significantly higher among women, the illiterate and residents of the Dhaka slums or non-tribal/non-border areas outside Dhaka; SLT use increased with age. Several attitudinal factors were also associated with SLT use. Multivariable logistic regression analyses revealed several predictors of SLT use: being female (OR = 1.96, 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.18– 3.24), an increasing age, being a resident of a Dhaka slum (OR = 5.86; 95% CI: 3.73–9.21) or nontribal/non-border areas outside Dhaka (OR = 3.42; 95% CI: 1.94–6.03), being illiterate (OR = 3.37; 95% CI: 1.99–5.71), holding positive opinion towards societal approval of SLT use (OR = 5.84; 95% CI: 3.38– 10.09), holding positive opinion towards SLT use by women (OR = 2.63; 95% CI: 1.53–4.54), believing that SLT is addictive (OR = 2.96; 95% CI: 1.51–5.81), and believing SLT is less harmful than bidi (OR = 2.22; 95% CI: 1.36–3.62).
Conclusion: The findings suggest that coordinated efforts of governmental and non-governmental organizations, targeting both smoked tobacco and SLT use reduction and cessation, could be modified to reach each level of population including those who are marginalized, female, less educated and elderly. As most tobacco control programs in Bangladesh target mainly cigarette or bidi smoking, coordinated programs are needed that will also include SLT use within the tobacco control policy and prevention strategies.
Richardson, et al. 2014. The impact of televised tobacco control advertising content and socioeconomic status on campaign recall: Evidence from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) United Kingdom Survey [show abstract ▼] [hide abstract ▲]
Richardson, S., McNeill, A., Langley, T., Sims, M., Gilmore, A., Szatkowski, L., Heath, R., Fong, G.T., Lewis, S. (2014). The impact of televised tobacco control advertising content and socioeconomic status on campaign recall: Evidence from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) United Kingdom Survey. BioMed Central Public Health, 14(1), 432.
Background: Although there is some evidence to support an association between exposure to televised tobacco control campaigns and recall among youth, little research has been conducted among adults. In addition, no previous work has directly compared the impact of different types of emotive campaign content. The present study examined the impact of increased exposure to tobacco control advertising with different types of emotive content on rates and durations of self-reported recall.
Methods: Data on recall of televised campaigns from 1,968 adult smokers residing in England through four waves of the International Tobacco Control (ITC) United Kingdom Survey from 2005 to 2009 were merged with estimates of per capita exposure to government-run televised tobacco control advertising (measured in GRPs, or Gross Rating Points), which were categorised as either "positive" or "negative" according to their emotional content.
Results: Increased overall campaign exposure was found to significantly increase probability of recall. For every additional 1,000 GRPs of per capita exposure to negative emotive campaigns in the six months prior to survey, there was a 41% increase in likelihood of recall (OR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.24-1.61), while positive campaigns had no significant effect. Increased exposure to negative campaigns in both the 1-3 months and 4-6 month periods before survey was positively associated with recall.
Conclusions: Increased per capita exposure to negative emotive campaigns had a greater effect on campaign recall than positive campaigns, and was positively associated with increased recall even when the exposure had occurred more than three months previously.
Hitchman, et al. 2014. Socioeconomic status and smokers' number of smoking friends: Findings from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four Country Survey [show abstract ▼] [hide abstract ▲] [access full article]
Hitchman, S.C., Fong, G.T., Zanna, M.P., Thrasher, J.F., Chung-Hall, J., Siahpush, M. (2014). Socioeconomic status and smokers' number of smoking friends: Findings from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four Country Survey. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 143, 158-166.
Background: Smoking rates are higher among low socioeconomic (SES) groups, and there is evidence that inequalities in smoking are widening over time in many countries. Low SES smokers may be more likely to smoke and less likely to quit because smoking is heavily concentrated in their social contexts. This study investigated whether low SES smokers (1) have more smoking friends, and (2) are more likely to gain and less likely to lose smoking friends over time. Correlates of having more smoking friends and gaining or losing smoking friends were also considered.
Method: Respondents included 6321 adult current smokers (at recruitment) from Wave 1 (2002) and Wave 2 (2003) of the International Tobacco Control Project (ITC) Four Country Survey, a nationally representative longitudinal cohort survey of smokers in Australia, Canada, UK, and US.
Results: Low SES smokers reported more smoking friends than moderate and high SES smokers. Low SES smokers were also more likely to gain smoking friends over time compared with high SES smokers. Smokers who were male, younger, and lived with other smokers reported more smoking friends, and were also more likely to gain and less likely to lose smoking friends. Smoking behaviours, such as higher nicotine dependence were related to reporting more smoking friends, but not to losing or gain smoking friends.
Conclusions: Smoking is highly concentrated in the social networks of lower SES smokers and this concentration may be increasing over time. Cessation interventions should consider how the structure of low SES smokers' social networks affects quitting.
Balmford, et al. 2014. Reported planning before and after quitting and quit success: Retrospective data from the ITC 4-Country Survey [show abstract ▼] [hide abstract ▲] [access full article]
Balmford, J., Swift, E., Borland, R. (2014). Reported planning before and after quitting and quit success: Retrospective data from the ITC 4-Country Survey. Psychology of Addictive Behaviours, 28(3), 899-906
Planning before quitting smoking is widely believed to be beneficial and is usually recommended in cessation counseling, but there is little evidence on the efficacy of specific planning activities. Using data from 1140 respondents who reported quit attempts at Wave 8 of the ITC 4-Country Survey, we analyzed use of 8 specific planning strategies before (5) and after (3) implementation of a quit attempt, in relation to cessation outcomes, delay in implementation of the attempt, and recent quitting history. Most participants reported some planning both before and after quitting, even among those reporting quitting 'spontaneously.' Younger smokers, those who cut down before quitting, and users of stop-smoking medication were more likely to report planning. Those who planned prequit were also more likely to plan postquit. Unexpectedly, we found no clear benefit of planning on short-term (1 month) cessation outcomes, whereas one prequit strategy (practicing not smoking) was negatively related to outcome. There was evidence for a predicted moderating effect of recent quitting experience on planning for the prequit task 'practice replacement strategies.' This predicted quit success among those with multiple quit attempts in the past year, but failure among those without. This finding suggests that the quality of planning may be critical. More research, particularly on the moderating effect of quit experience, and where measures of planning are collected before outcomes become evident, is needed before clear recommendations can be made on the utility of various forms of planning for the success of quit attempts.
Yong, et al. 2014. Mediational pathways of cigarette warning labels' impact on smoking cessation attempts in four countries: An application of the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Conceptual Model [show abstract ▼] [hide abstract ▲] [access full article]
Yong, H.H., Thompson, M.E., Thrasher, J.F., Borland, R., Fong, G.T., Hammond, D., Cummings, K.M., Nagelhout, G.E., Meng, G., McNeill, A. (2014). Mediational pathways of the impact of cigarette warning labels on quit attempts. Health Psychology, 33(11), 1410-1420.
Objective: To test and develop, using structural equation modeling, a robust model of the mediational pathways through which health warning labels exert their influence on smokers' subsequent quitting behavior.
Method: Data come from the International Tobacco Control Four-Country Survey, a longitudinal cohort study conducted in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Waves 5-6 data (n = 4,988) were used to calibrate the hypothesized model of warning label impact on subsequent quit attempts via a set of policy-specific and general psychosocial mediators. The finalized model was validated using Waves 6-7 data (n = 5065).
Results: As hypothesized, warning label salience was positively associated with thoughts about risks of smoking stimulated by the warnings (β = .58, p < .001), which in turn were positively related to increased worry about negative outcomes of smoking (β = .52, p < .001); increased worry in turn predicted stronger intention to quit (β = .39, p < .001), which was a strong predictor of subsequent quit attempts (β = .39, p < .001). This calibrated model was successfully replicated using Waves 6-7 data.
Conclusion: Health warning labels seem to influence future quitting attempts primarily through their ability to stimulate thoughts about the risks of smoking, which in turn help to raise smoking-related health concerns, which lead to stronger intentions to quit, a known key predictor of future quit attempts for smokers. By making warning labels more salient and engaging, they should have a greater chance to change behavior.
Gravely, et al. 2014. Awareness, trial, and current use of electronic cigarettes in 10 countries: Findings from the ITC Project [show abstract ▼] [hide abstract ▲] [access full article]
Gravely, S., Fong, G.T., Cummings, K.M., Yan, M., Quah, A.C.K., Borland, R., Yong, H.H., Hitchman, S.C., McNeill, A., Hammond, D., Thrasher, J.F., Willemsen, M.C., Seo, H.G., Jiang, Y., Cavalcante, T.M., Perez, C., Omar, M., Hummel, K. (2015). Awareness, trial, and current use of electronic cigarettes in 10 countries: findings from the ITC Project. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 12(5), 4631-4637.
Background: In recent years, electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have generated considerable interest and debate on the implications for tobacco control and public health. Although the rapid growth of e-cigarettes is global, at present, little is known about awareness and use. This paper presents self-reported awareness, trial and current use of e-cigarettes in 10 countries surveyed between 2009 and 2013; for six of these countries, we present the first data on e-cigarettes from probability samples of adult smokers.
Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of probability samples of adult (≥ 18 years) current and former smokers participating in the International Tobacco Control (ITC) surveys from 10 countries. Surveys were administered either via phone, face-to-face interviews, or the web. Survey questions included sociodemographic and smoking-related variables, and questions about e-cigarette awareness, trial and current use.
Results: There was considerable cross-country variation by year of data collection and for awareness of e-cigarettes (Netherlands (2013: 88%), Republic of Korea (2010: 79%), United States (2010: 73%), Australia (2013: 66%), Malaysia (2011: 62%), United Kingdom (2010: 54%), Canada (2010: 40%), Brazil (2013: 35%), Mexico (2012: 34%), and China (2009: 31%)), in self-reports of ever having tried e-cigarettes (Australia, (20%), Malaysia (19%), Netherlands (18%), United States (15%), Republic of Korea (11%), United Kingdom (10%), Mexico (4%), Canada (4%), Brazil (3%), and China (2%)), and in current use (Malaysia (14%), Republic of Korea (7%), Australia (7%), United States (6%), United Kingdom (4%), Netherlands (3%), Canada (1%), and China (0.05%)).
Conclusions: The cross-country variability in awareness, trial, and current use of e-cigarettes is likely due to a confluence of country-specific market factors, tobacco control policies and regulations (e.g., the legal status of e-cigarettes and nicotine), and the survey timing along the trajectory of e-cigarette awareness and trial/use in each country. These ITC results constitute an important snapshot of an early stage of what appears to be a rapid progression of global e-cigarette use.
Nargis, et al. 2014. Smokeless tobacco product prices and taxation in Bangladesh: Findings from the International Tobacco Control Survey [show abstract ▼] [hide abstract ▲]
Nargis, N., Hussain, A.K.M.G., Fong, G.T. (2014). Smokeless tobacco product prices and taxation in Bangladesh: Findings from the ITC Survey. Indian Journal of Cancer, 51(Suppl 1), S33-38.
Smokeless tobacco use occupies a significant portion of overall tobacco consumption in Bangladesh. Yet very little is known about the effectiveness of tax and price policy in controlling the use of smokeless tobacco use in the country.
Methods: The paper examines the price distribution of various smoked (cigarette, bidi) and smokeless tobacco products (zarda, gul) using the univariate Epanechnikov kernel density function. It estimates the own and cross price elasticity of demand for the most widely used smokeless tobacco product zarda using two-step regression analysis. The analysis is based on data from the ITC Bangladesh Wave 3 Survey which is a nationally representative cohort survey of tobacco users and nonusers conducted in in Bangladesh during 2011-12. Results: The price elasticity of lower price brands of zarda is estimated at −0.64 and of higher priced brands at −0.39, and the cross price elasticity of zarda with respect to cigarette price at 0.35. The tax increase on smokeless tobacco needs to be greater than the tax increase on smoked tobacco to bridge the wide price differential between the two types of products that currently encourages downward substitution from smoked to smokeless tobacco and discourages quitting behavior.
Conclusions: This paper argues that increasing tax on smokeless tobacco simultaneously with the tax increase on smoked tobacco can have significant negative impact on the prevalence of smokeless tobacco use in Bangladesh. Finally, a specific excise system replacing the existing ad valorem excise tax can substantially contribute to the revenue collection performance from smokeless tobacco products.
Pawar, et al. 2014. The relation between price and daily consumption of cigarettes and bidis: Findings from the Tobacco Control Policy (TCP) Evaluation Wave 1 Survey [show abstract ▼] [hide abstract ▲] [access full article]
Pawar, P.S, Pednekar, M.S., Gupta, P.C., Shang, C., Quah, A.C.K., Fong, G.T. (2014). The relation between price and daily consumption of cigarettes and bidis: Findings from TCP India Wave 1 Survey. Indian Journal of Cancer, 51(Suppl 1), S83-87.
Context: In India, 14% of the population use smoked tobacco products. Increasing prices of these products is one of the measures to curb their consumption. AIMS: This study analyzes "unit price" and "daily consumption" of cigarettes and bidis and investigates their relation with each other.
Settings and Design: A cross‑sectional survey was conducted in four states of India (Bihar, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra) as a part of the International Tobacco Control Policy (TCP) Evaluation Project (the TCP India Project) during 2010–2011.
Methods: Information was collected from adult (aged ≥15) daily exclusive smokers of cigarette/bidi regarding (a) last purchase (purchase in pack/loose, brand and price) and (b) daily consumption. Average unit price and daily consumption was calculated for different brands and states. Regression model was used to assess the impact of price on daily consumption.
Results: Bidis were much less expensive (₹0.39) than cigarettes (₹3.1). The daily consumption was higher (14) among bidi smokers than cigarette smokers (8). The prices and daily consumption of bidis (₹0.33–0.43; 12–15) and cigarettes (₹2.9–3.6; 5–9) varied across the four states. The unit prices of bidis and cigarettes did not influence their daily consumption. Smokers purchasing bidis in packs paid substantially less per unit and purchase of bidis and cigarettes in packs influenced their consumption positively.
Conclusions: Cigarettes although more expensive than bidis, seem very cheap if compared internationally. Hence, prices of both cigarettes and bidis do not influence their consumption. Recommended
Dhumal, et al. 2014. Quit history, intentions to quit, and reasons for considering quitting among tobacco users in India: Findings from the Tobacco Control Policy (TCP) Evaluation India Wave 1 Survey [show abstract ▼] [hide abstract ▲]
Dhumal, G.G., Pednekar, M.S., Gupta, P.C., Sansone, G.C., Quah, A.C.K., Bansal-Travers, M., Fong, G.T. (2014). Quit history, intentions to quit, and reasons for considering quitting among tobacco users in India: Findings from the Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation India Wave 1 Survey. Indian Journal of Cancer, 51(Suppl 1), S39-45.
Background: Global Adult Tobacco Survey India 2009-2010 revealed that more than one-third (35%) of adults in India use tobacco in some form: 21% use smokeless tobacco, 9% smoke, and 5% are mixed users (they smoke and use smokeless tobacco), and the quit rate is very low. In an effort to decrease prevalence of tobacco use, it is thus important to understand the factors that are related to intention to quit among Indian tobacco users. Research has shown consistently that intention to quit is a strong predictor of future quitting. The present study reports the factors encouraging quitting tobacco products in India.
Subjects and Methods: Cross-sectional data from Wave 1 of the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation India Survey conducted in four cities and surrounding rural areas (i.e. Mumbai [Maharashtra], Patna [Bihar], Indore [Madhya Pradesh], and Kolkata [West Bengal]) between August 2010 and December 2011 were analyzed. A total of 8051 tobacco users (15+ years) were randomly sampled from 8586 households: 1255 smokers, 5991 smokeless users, and 805 mixed (smoke and smokeless) users. Validated, standardized questions were asked about current tobacco use, intention to quit, and factors encouraging quitting.
Results: Overall, 19.6% of tobacco users intended to quit. Smokers had less intention to quit as compared to smokeless tobacco users whereas mixed users had more intention to quit (odds ratio [OR] =1.48, 95% confidence interval [CI] =1.12-1.97) compared to smokeless tobacco users. Highly educated people were more likely to report intention to quit (OR = 1.82, 95% CI = 1.09-3.02) compared to less educated. Advice by doctors to quit tobacco had a strong impact on intention to quit (OR = 1.68, CI = 1.29-2.15). Tobacco users who were exposed to antitobacco messages at work places (OR = 1.74, CI = 1.23-2.46), at restaurants (OR = 1.65, CI = 1.12-2.43), bars (OR = 1.81, CI = 1.07-3.06), on public transportation (OR = 2.14, CI = 1.49-3.08) and on tobacco packages (OR = 1.77, CI = 1.29-2.14) also expressed greater intention to quit tobacco use.
Conclusion: Around one-fifth of tobacco users in India intended to quit tobacco use. Higher education, doctor's advice, and antitobacco messages were positively associated with users' intention to quit tobacco.
Thompson, et al. 2014. Accounting for the effects of data collection method: Application to the International Tobacco Control Netherlands Survey [show abstract ▼] [hide abstract ▲] [access full article]
Thompson, M.E., Huang, C., Boudreau, C., Fong, G.T., van den Putte, B., Nagelhout, G.E., Willemsen, M.C. (2014). Accounting for the effects of data collection method: Application to the International Tobacco Control Netherlands Survey. Population, 68(3), 447-471.
Qualitative surveys employ an ever wider range of data collection methods. The development of telephone surveys in the 1900s offered a cheaper alternative to face-to-face interviews (Riandey and Firdion, 1993). Later, as the number of cell phone owners increased, technical advances made it possible to conduct detailed interviews and to directly select random samples of adults by means of cell phone numbers. More recently, the spread of the Internet has made it possible to conduct surveys with minimal data collection costs on "spontaneous" samples of volunteers or on representative samples of respondents recruited by phone. These innovations raise questions of sample representativeness and of the effect of data collection mode on the responses obtained. Analysing the Dutch version of an international survey on tobacco control, Mary Thompson and her colleagues compare the results obtained on two subsamples, on that responded via the web, and the other by phone. They highlight differences linked to the respondents' characteristics and other attributable to the data collection mode, and present a method or estimating the results that would have been obtained using a single collection method, i.e. that used in the other countries.
Caruso, et al. 2013. Toxic metal concentrations in cigarettes obtained from U.S. smokers in 2009: Results from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) United States Survey Cohort [show abstract ▼] [hide abstract ▲] [access full article]
Caruso, R., O'Connor, R.J., Stephens, W.E., Cummings, K.M., Fong, G.T. (2013). Toxic metal concentrations in cigarettes obtained from U.S. smokers in 2009: Results from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) United States Survey Cohort. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 11(1), 202-217.
Smoking-related diseases can be attributed to the inhalation of many different toxins, including heavy metals, which have a host of detrimental health effects. The current study reports the levels of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), and lead (Pb) in cigarettes obtained from adult smokers participating in the 2009 wave of the ITC United States Survey (N = 320). The mean As, Cd, Cr, Ni, and Pb levels were 0.17, 0.86, 2.35, 2.21, and 0.44 μg/g, respectively. There were some differences in metal concentrations of cigarette brands produced by different manufacturers, suggesting differences in the source of tobaccos used by different companies. For Ni, there were significant pairwise differences between Philip Morris U.S. (PMUSA) and R.J. Reynolds (RJR) brands (PMUSA higher; p < 0.001), PMUSA and other manufacturer (OM) brands (PMUSA higher; p < 0.001), and RJR and OM brands (RJR higher; p = 0.006). For Cr, RJR brands had higher levels than did OM brands (p = 0.02). Levels of As, Cd, and Pb did not differ significantly across manufacturer groups (p > 0.10). Because of the variety of toxic heavy metals in cigarette tobacco, and their numerous negative health effects, metal content in cigarette tobacco should be reduced.
Hitchman, et al. 2013. Changes in effectiveness of cigarette health warnings over time in Canada and the United States, 2002-2011 [show abstract ▼] [hide abstract ▲] [access full article]
Hitchman, S.C., Driezen, P., Logel, C., Hammond, D., Fong, G.T. (2014). Changes in effectiveness of cigarette health warnings over time in Canada and the United States, 2002 - 2011. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 16(5), 536-543.
Introduction: Article 11 of the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) requires countries to implement health warnings on tobacco products. The Article 11 Guidelines advise countries to periodically rotate warnings to prevent "wearout" of the health warnings. This study investigates potential wearout of cigarette health warnings over a period of 9 years in 2 countries: Canada, where larger pictorial warnings were implemented approximately 1 year prior to the study, and in the United States, where small text-only warnings were in place for 17 years at the beginning of the study.
Methods: Data were drawn from national samples of smokers from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Surveys in Canada (N = 5,309), and the United States (N = 6,412) recruited originally by telephone using random digit dialing. Changes in 4 measures of health warning effectiveness and in a composite Labels Impact Index were examined over 8 waves of survey data (2002-2011). Analyses were conducted in 2012.
Results: The health warning effectiveness measures and the Labels Impact Index indicated that the effectiveness of both the Canadian, and the U.S. warnings declined significantly over time. The Canadian warnings showed greater declines in effectiveness than the U.S. warnings, likely due to the initial novelty of the Canadian warnings. Despite the greater decline in Canada, the Canadian pictorial warnings were significantly more effective than the U.S. text-only warnings throughout the study.
Conclusions: Health warnings decline in effectiveness over time. Health warnings on tobacco products should be changed periodically to maintain effectiveness.
Thrasher, et al. 2013. Tobacco smoke exposure in public places and workplaces after smoke-free policy implementation: A longitudinal analysis of smoker cohorts in Mexico and Uruguay [show abstract ▼] [hide abstract ▲] [access full article]
Thrasher, J.F., Naveli Abad-Vivero, E., Sebrie, E.M., Barrientos-Gutierrez, I., Boado Martinez, M., Yong, H.H., Arillo-Santillán, E., Bianco, E. (2013). Tobacco smoke exposure in public places and workplaces after smoke-free policy implementation: A longitudinal analysis of smoker cohorts in Mexico and Uruguay. Health & Policy Planning, 28(8), 789-798.
Objective: To determine the prevalence, correlates and changes in secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure over the period after comprehensive smoke-free policy implementation in two Latin American countries.
Methods: Data were analysed from population-based representative samples of adult smokers and recent quitters from the 2008 and 2010 waves of the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Survey in Mexico (n = 1766 and 1840, respectively) and Uruguay (n = 1379 and 1411, respectively). Prevalence of SHS exposure was estimated for regulated venues, and generalized estimating equations were used to determine correlates of SHS exposure.
Results: Workplace SHS exposure in the last month was similar within and across countries (range: Mexico 20–25%; Uruguay 14–29%). At the most recent restaurant visit, SHS exposure was lower where comprehensive smoke-free policies were implemented (range: Uruguay 6–9%; Mexico City 5–7%) compared with Mexican cities with weaker policies, where exposure remained higher but decreased over time (32–17%). At the most recent bar visit, SHS exposure was common (range: Uruguay 8–36%; Mexico City 23–31%), although highest in jurisdictions with weaker policies (range in other Mexican cities: 74–86%). In Uruguay, males were more likely than females to be exposed to SHS across venues, as were younger compared with older smokers in Mexico.
Conclusions: Comprehensive smoke-free policies are more effective than weaker policies, although compliance in Mexico and Uruguay is not as high as desired.
Li, et al. 2013. Impact of point-of-sale tobacco display bans: Findings from the International Tobacco Control Four Country Survey [show abstract ▼] [hide abstract ▲] [access full article]
Li, L., Borland, R., Fong, G.T., Thrasher, J.F., Hammond, D., Cummings, K.M. (2013). Impact of point-of-sale tobacco display bans: Findings from the International Tobacco Control Four Country Survey. Health Education Research, 28(5), 898-910.
This study examined the impact of point-of-sale (POS) tobacco marketing restrictions in Australia and Canada, in relation to the United Kingdom and the United States where there were no such restrictions during the study period (2006–10). The data came from the International Tobacco Control Four Country Survey, a prospective multi-country cohort survey of adult smokers. In jurisdictions where POS display bans were implemented, smokers' reported exposure to tobacco marketing declined markedly. From 2006 to 2010, in Canada, the percentages noticing POS tobacco displays declined from 74.1 to 6.1% [adjusted odds ratio (OR)¼0.26, P<0.001]; and reported exposure to POS tobacco advertising decreased from 40.3 to 14.1% (adjusted OR¼0.61, P<0.001). Similarly, in Australia, noticing of POS displays decreased from 73.9 to 42.9%. In contrast, exposure to POS marketing in the United States and United Kingdom remained high during this period. In parallel, there were declines in reported exposures to other forms of advertising/promotion in Canada and Australia, but again, not in the United States or United Kingdom. Impulse purchasing of cigarettes was lower in places that enacted POS display bans. These findings indicate that implementing POS tobacco display bans does result in lower exposure to tobacco marketing and less frequent impulse purchasing of cigarettes.
Nargis, et al. 2013. The choice of discount brand cigarettes: A comparative analysis of International Tobacco Control Surveys in Canada and the USA (2002-2005) [show abstract ▼] [hide abstract ▲] [access full article]
Nargis, N., Fong, G.T., Chaloupka, F., Li, Q. (2014). The choice of discount brand cigarettes: A comparative analysis of International Tobacco Control Surveys in Canada and the United States (2002-05). Tobacco Control, 23(Suppl 1), i86-i96.
Background: Increasing tobacco taxes to increase price is a proven tobacco control measure. This article investigates how smokers respond to tax and price increases in their choice of discount brand cigarettes versus premium brands.
Objective: To estimate how increase in the tax rate can affect smokers' choice of discount brands versus premium brands.
Methods: Using data from International Tobacco Control surveys in Canada and the USA, a logit model was constructed to estimate the probability of choosing discount brand cigarettes in response to its price changes relative to premium brands, controlling for individual-specific demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and regional effects. The self-reported price of an individual smoker is used in a random-effects regression model to impute price and to construct the price ratio for discount and premium brands for each smoker, which is used in the logit model.
Findings: An increase in the ratio of price of discount brand cigarettes to the price of premium brands by 0.1 is associated with a decrease in the probability of choosing discount brands by 0.08 in Canada. No significant effect is observed in case of the USA.
Conclusions: The results of the model explain two phenomena: (1) the widened price differential between premium and discount brand cigarettes contributed to the increased share of discount brand cigarettes in Canada in contrast to a relatively steady share in the USA during 2002-2005 and (2) increasing the price ratio of discount brands to premium brands-which occurs with an increase in specific excise tax-may lead to upward shifting from discount to premium brands rather than to downward shifting. These results underscore the significance of studying the effectiveness of tax increases in reducing overall tobacco consumption, particularly for specific excise taxes.
Fong, et al. 2013. Evaluating the effectiveness of France's indoor smoke-free law 1 year and 5 years after implementation: Findings from the ITC France survey [show abstract ▼] [hide abstract ▲] [access full article]
Fong, G.T., Craig, L., Guignard, R., Nagelhout, G.E., Tait, M., Driezen, P., Kennedy, R.D., Boudreau, C., Wilquin, J.L., Deutsch, A., Beck, F. (2013). Evaluating the effectiveness of France's indoor smoke-free law 1 year and 5 years after implementation: Findings from the ITC France Survey. PLOS One, 8(6), 66692.
France implemented a comprehensive smoke-free law in two phases: Phase 1 (February 2007) banned smoking in workplaces, shopping centres, airports, train stations, hospitals, and schools; Phase 2 (January 2008) banned smoking in hospitality venues (bars, restaurants, hotels, casinos, nightclubs). This paper evaluates France's smoke-free law based on the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project in France (the ITC France Project), which conducted a cohort survey of approximately 1,500 smokers and 500 non-smokers before the implementation of the laws (Wave 1) and two waves after the implementation (Waves 2 and 3). Results show that the smoke-free law led to a very significant and near-total elimination of observed smoking in key venues such as bars (from 94–97% to 4%) and restaurants (from 60–71% to 2–3%) at Wave 2, which was sustained four years later (6–8% in bars; 1–2% in restaurants). The reduction in self-reported smoking by smoking respondents was nearly identical to the effects shown in observed smoking. Observed smoking in workplaces declined significantly after the law (from 41–48% to 18–20%), which continued to decline at Wave 3 (to 14–15%). Support for the smoke-free laws increased significantly after their implementation and continued to increase at Wave 3 (p,.001 among smokers for bars and restaurants; p,.001 among smokers and p = .003 for non-smokers for workplaces). The findings demonstrate that smoke-free policies that are implemented in ways consistent with the Guidelines for Article 8 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) lead to substantial and sustained reductions in indoor smoking while also leading to high levels of support by the public. Moreover, contrary to arguments by opponents of smoke-free laws, smoking in the home did not increase after the law was implemented and prevalence of smoke-free homes among smokers increased from 23.2% before the law to 37.2% 5 years after the law.
Sirirassamee , et al. 2013. Trends in tobacco use among Thai adolescents [show abstract ▼] [hide abstract ▲] [access full article]
Sirirassamee, T., Sirirassamee, B. (2013). Trends in tobacco use among Thai adolescents. Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand, 96(1), 78-84.
Background: Tobacco use continues to be the leading global cause of preventable death. Understanding the trends in prevalence of cigarette smoking and smoking behaviors among adolescents enables physicians to target prevention resources more effectively.
Objective: The objectives of this study were to monitor the prevalence of smoking, to compare the prevalence of smoking in subgroups of region, gender and age, and to explore smoking behavior among adolescent smokers.
Material and Method: The International Tobacco Control Survey-Thailand is a population-based, national representative, longitudinal survey conducted among adolescents between the ages of 13-17. Adolescents were sampled from Bangkok and 4 regions of Thailand using stratified multistage sampling. Three surveys were conducted during January 2005 to March 2008. Respondents were asked to complete self-administered questionnaires. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Results: Overall, smoking prevalence has increased from 12.0% in wave 1 to 14.3% in wave 2 and 18.3% in wave 3. Smoking prevalence in males was more than 10 times higher than females. Manufactured cigarettes were most frequently used by adolescents. More than 70% of smokers reported that they smoked manufactured cigarettes. Total amount of tobacco use per day increased from wave 1 to wave 3. The proportion of smokers who reported that they bought cigarettes by themselves increased during the follow-up waves (38.3%, 60.9%, 68.2% respectively). More than 20% of smokers reported that they never plan to quit smoking.
Conclusion: Smoking prevalence among thai adolescents was apparently increased.
Nagelhout, et al. 2013. Socioeconomic and country variations in cross-border cigarette purchasing as tobacco tax avoidance strategy. Findings from the ITC Europe Surveys [show abstract ▼] [hide abstract ▲]
Nagelhout, G.E., van den Putte, B., Allwright, S., Mons, U., McNeill, A., Guignard, R., Beck, F., Siahpush, M., Joossens, L., Fong, G.T., de Vries, H., Willemsen, M.C. (2014). Socioeconomic and country variations in cross-border cigarette purchasing as tobacco tax avoidance strategy: Findings from the ITC Europe Surveys. Tobacco Control, 23(Suppl 1), i30-i38.
Background: Legal tobacco tax avoidance strategies such as cross-border cigarette purchasing may attenuate the impact of tax increases on tobacco consumption. Little is known about socioeconomic and country variations in cross-border purchasing.
Objective: To describe socioeconomic and country variations in cross-border cigarette purchasing in six European countries.
Methods: Cross-sectional data from adult smokers (n=7873) from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Surveys in France (2006/2007), Germany (2007), Ireland (2006), The Netherlands (2008), Scotland (2006) and the rest of the UK (2007/2008) were used. Respondents were asked whether they had bought cigarettes outside their country in the last 6 months and how often.
Findings: In French and German provinces/states bordering countries with lower cigarette prices, 24% and 13% of smokers, respectively, reported purchasing cigarettes frequently outside their country. In non-border regions of France and Germany, and in Ireland, Scotland, the rest of the UK and The Netherlands, frequent purchasing of cigarettes outside the country was reported by 2-7% of smokers. Smokers with higher levels of education or income, younger smokers, daily smokers, heavier smokers and smokers not planning to quit smoking were more likely to purchase cigarettes outside their country.
Conclusions: Cross-border cigarette purchasing is more common in European regions bordering countries with lower cigarette prices and is more often reported by smokers with higher education and income. Increasing taxes in countries with lower cigarette prices, and reducing the number of cigarettes that can be legally imported across borders could help to avoid cross-border purchasing.
Partos, et al. 2013. Cigarette packet warning labels can prevent relapse: Findings from the International Tobacco Control 4-Country Policy Evaluation Cohort Study [show abstract ▼] [hide abstract ▲] [access full article]
Partos, T.R., Borland, R., Yong, H.H., Thrasher, J.F., Hammond, D. (2013). Cigarette packet warning labels can prevent relapse: Findings from the International Tobacco Control 4-Country Policy Evaluation Cohort Study. Tobacco Control, 22(1), 43-50.
Objectives: To investigate the links between health warning labels (WLs) on cigarette packets and relapse among recently quit smokers.
Design: Prospective longitudinal cohort survey.
Setting: Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA.
Participants: 1936 recent ex-smokers (44.4% male) from one of the first six waves (2002–2007) of the International Tobacco Control 4-Country policy evaluation survey, who were followed up in the next wave.
Main outcome measures: Whether participants had relapsed at follow-up (approximately 1 year later).
Results: In multivariate analysis, very frequent noticing of WLs among ex-smokers was associated with greater relapse 1 year later (OR: 1.52, 95% CI 1.11 to 2.09, p<0.01), but this effect disappeared after controlling for urges to smoke and self-efficacy (OR: 1.29, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.80, p=0.135). In contrast, reporting that WLs make staying quit 'a lot' more likely (compared with 'not at all' likely) was associated with a lower likelihood of relapse 1 year later (OR: 0.65, 95% CI 0.49 to 0.86, p<0.01) and this effect remained robust across all models tested, increasing in some.
Conclusions: This study provides the first longitudinal evidence that health warnings can help ex-smokers stay quit. Once the authors control for greater exposure to cigarettes, which is understandably predictive of relapse, WL effects are positive. However, it may be that ex-smokers need to actively use the health consequences that WLs highlight to remind them of their reasons for quitting, rather than it being something that happens automatically. Ex-smokers should be encouraged to use pack warnings to counter urges to resume smoking. Novel warnings may be more likely to facilitate this.
Cooper, et al. 2013. Variations in daily cigarette consumption on work days compared with nonwork days and associations with quitting: Findings from the International Tobacco Control Four-Country Survey [show abstract ▼] [hide abstract ▲]
Cooper, J., Borland, R., Yong, H.H., Hyland, A., Cummings, K.M. (2013). Variations in daily cigarette consumption on work days compared with nonwork days and associations with quitting: Findings from the International Tobacco Control Four-Country Survey. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 15(1), 192-198.
Introduction: We explore whether reported daily cigarette consumption differs between work days and nonwork days and whether variation in consumption between work days and nonwork days influences quitting and abstinence from smoking. We also explore whether effects are independent of measures of addiction and smoking restrictions at work and home.
Methods: Data were from 5,732 respondents from the first five waves of the International Tobacco Control FourCountry Survey, occurring between 2002 and 2006. Respondents were current smokers employed outside the home. Variation in daily cigarette consumption on work days compared with nonwork days at one wave was used to predict the likelihood of making an attempt and the likelihood of maintaining a quit attempt for at least a month at the next wave. Generalized estimating equations were used to combine data for multiple waves.
Results: Just under half reported smoking more on a nonwork day, a little over a third reported no difference, and around one fifth reported smoking more on a work day. Controlling for possible confounding factors, smoking more on a work day was associated with making quit attempts. Among people who made a quit attempt, variation in consumption did not consistently predict one month's abstinence, being positive in Australia, but negative in the United Kingdom.
Conclusion: Those who smoke more on work days try to quit more. Country differences for success may be related to the extent of bans on smoking, with those smoking more on work days more likely to succeed where bans in workplaces and public places were more prevalent, such as Australia at the time.
Zawahir, et al. 2013. Effectiveness of antismoking media messages and education among adolescents in Malaysia and Thailand: Findings from the International Tobacco Control Southeast Asia Project [show abstract ▼] [hide abstract ▲]
Zawahir, S., Omar, M., Awang, R., Yong, H.H., Borland, R., Sirirassamee, B., Fong, G.T., Hammond, D. (2013). Effectiveness of antismoking media messages and education among adolescents in Malaysia and Thailand: Findings from the International Tobacco Control Southeast Asia (ITC-SEA) Project. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 15(2), 482-491.
Introduction: Finding ways to discourage adolescents from taking up smoking is important because those who begin smoking at an earlier age are more likely to become addicted and have greater difficulty in quitting. This article examined whether anti smoking messages and education could help to reduce smoking susceptibility among adolescents in two Southeast Asian countries and to explore the possible moderating effect of country and gender.
Methods: Data came from Wave 1 of the International Tobacco Control Southeast Asia Project (ITC-SEA) survey conducted in Malaysia (n = 1,008) and Thailand (n = 1,000) where adolescents were asked about receiving antismoking advice from nurses or doctors, being taught at schools about the danger of smoking, noticing antismoking messages, knowledge of health effects of smoking, beliefs about the health risks of smoking, smoking susceptibility, and demographic information. Data were analyzed using chi-square tests and logistic regression models.
Results: Overall, significantly more Thai adolescents reported receiving advice from their nurses or doctors about the danger of smoking (p < .001), but no country difference was observed for reported antismoking education in schools and exposure to antismoking messages. Multivariate analyses revealed that only provision of antismoking education at schools was significantly associated with reduced susceptibility to smoking among female Malaysian adolescents (OR = 0.26). Higher knowledge of smoking harm and higher perceived health risk of smoking were associated with reduced smoking susceptibility among Thai female (OR = 0.52) and Malaysian male adolescents (OR = 0.63), respectively.
Conclusions: Educating adolescents about the dangers of smoking in schools appears to be the most effective means of reducing adolescents' smoking susceptibility in both countries, although different prevention strategies may be necessary to ensure effectiveness for male and female adolescents.
Kasza, et al. 2013. Effectiveness of stop-smoking medications: Findings from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four Country Survey [show abstract ▼] [hide abstract ▲]
Kasza, K.A., Hyland, A., Borland, R., McNeill, A., Bansal-Travers, M., Fix, B.V., Hammond, D., Fong, G.T., Cummings, K.M. (2013). Effectiveness of stop-smoking medications: Findings from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four Country Survey. Addiction, 108(1), 193-202.
Aim: To evaluate the population effectiveness of stop-smoking medications while accounting for potential recall bias by controlling for quit attempt recency.
Design: Prospective cohort survey.
Setting: United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and the United States.
Participants: A total of 7436 adult smokers (18+ years) selected via random digit dialling and interviewed as part of the International Tobacco Control Four Country Survey (ITC-4) between 2002 and 2009. Primary analyses utilized the subset of respondents who participated in 2006 or later (n = 2550).
Measurements: Continuous abstinence from smoking for 1 month/6 months.
Findings: Among participants who recalled making a quit attempt within 1 month of interview, those who reported using varenicline, bupropion or nicotine patch were more likely to maintain 6-month continuous abstinence from smoking compared to those who attempted to quit without medication [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 5.84, 95% confidence interval (CI) (2.12–16.12), 3.94 (0.87–17.80), 4.09 (1.72–9.74), respectively]; there were no clear effects for oral NRT use. Those who did not use any medication when attempting to quit tended to be younger, to be racial/ethnic minorities, to have lower incomes and to believe that medications do not make quitting easier.
Conclusions: Consistent with evidence from randomized controlled trials, smokers in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and the United States are more likely to succeed in quit attempts if they use varenicline, bupropion or nicotine patch. Previous population studies that failed to find an effect failed to control adequately for important sources of bias.
McKee, et al. 2013. Longitudinal associations between smoking cessation medications and alcohol consumption among smokers in the International Tobacco Control Four Country Survey [show abstract ▼] [hide abstract ▲] [access full article]
McKee, S., Young-Wolff, K.C., Harrison, E.L., Cummings, K.M., Borland, R., Kahler, C.W., Fong, G.T., Hyland, A. (2013). Longitudinal associations between smoking cessation medications and alcohol consumption among smokers in the International Tobacco Control Four Country Survey. Alcoholism Clinical and Experimental Research, 37(5), 804-810.
Background: Available evidence suggests that quitting smoking does not alter alcohol consumption. However, smoking cessation medications may have a direct impact on alcohol consumption independent of any effects on smoking cessation. Using an international longitudinal epidemiological sample of smokers, we evaluated whether smoking cessation medications altered alcohol consumption independent of quitting smoking.
Methods: Longitudinal data were analyzed from the International Tobacco Control Four Country (ITC-4) Survey between 2007 and 2008, a telephone survey of nationally representative samples of smokers from the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and the United States (n = 4,995). Quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption, use of smoking cessation medications (varenicline, nicotine replacement [NRT], and no medications), and smoking behavior were assessed across 2 yearly waves. Controlling for baseline drinking and changes in smoking status, we evaluated whether smoking cessation medications were associated with reduced alcohol consumption.
Results: Varenicline was associated with a reduced likelihood of any drinking compared with nicotine replacement (OR = 0.56; 95% CI = 0.34 to 0.94), and consuming alcohol once a month or more compared to nicotine replacement (OR = 0.43; 95% CI = 0.27 to 0.69) or no medication (OR = 0.63; 95% CI = 0.41 to 0.99). Nicotine replacement was associated with an increased likelihood of consuming alcohol once a month or more compared to no medication (OR = 1.14; 95% CI = 1.03 to 1.25). Smoking cessation medications were not associated with more frequent drinking (once a week or more) or typical quantity consumed per episode. Medication effects on drinking frequency were independent of smoking cessation.
Conclusions: This epidemiological investigation demonstrated that varenicline was associated with a reduced frequency of alcohol consumption. Continued work should clarify under what conditions nicotine replacement therapies may increase or decrease patterns of alcohol consumption.


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First National of Nebraska, Inc. is a multi-state holding company, which engages in the provision of banking and financial services. It operates through its subsidiaries in different states which also operates and provides banking and financial services. The company was founded on August 27, 1968 and is headquartered in Omaha, NE.
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