Mapping tobacco use

Local tobacco control profiles for England 2011 are now online. Newly included is data relating to smoking prevalence overall and also in the routine and manual workers group. A study from the University of Nottingham looks at who receives prescriptions for smoking cessation medication (including nicotine replacement therapy, varenicline and bupropion). Analysing general practice data from the Health Improvement Network Database, researchers found that patients with COPD or depression were more likely to be given smoking cessation prescriptions, while younger and otherwise healthy individuals were least likely to receive them. Younger healthy individuals in the form of adolescents are the subject of a longitudinal social network analysis that seeks to map changes in friendship selection and smoking behaviour amongst British teenagers.