Rolling Tobacco in Banana Leaves, Newspaper, or Copybook Paper Associated With Significant Reduction in Lung Function in Vanuatu

• Published in: Asia-Pacific journal of public health Vol. 29; no. 3; pp. 180 - 188
• Main Authors: Weitz, Charles A., Olszowy, Kathryn M., Dancause, Kelsey N., Sun, Cheng, Pomer, Alysa, Silverman, Howard, Lee, G., Tarivonda, Len, Chan, Chim W., Kaneko, Akira, Lum, J. K., Garruto, Ralph M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA Sage Publications, Inc 01-04-2017; SAGE Publications
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Female; Forced Expiratory Volume - physiology; Humans; Lung - physiopathology; Male; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Middle Aged; Musa; Newspapers as Topic; Original Article; Smoking - adverse effects; Tobacco Products - adverse effects; Tobacco Products - statistics & numerical data; Vanuatu; Vital Capacity - physiology; Young Adult; cigarette rolling; South Pacific; lung function; smoking
• ISSN: 1010-5395; 1941-2479; 1941-2479
• DOI: 10.1177/1010539517696552

In addition to the widespread availability of packaged cigarettes, the inhabitants of island nations of the Southwest Pacific frequently smoke commercially available loose tobacco using manufactured rolling papers, as well as locally grown tobacco rolled in manufactured rolling paper or wrapped in leaves, copybook paper, and newspaper. In this study, Vanuatu men who smoked local tobacco rolled in leaves, copybook paper, or newspaper showed significantly lower forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV₁), and FEV₁/FVC ratios than men who smoked packaged cigarettes, store-bought tobacco rolled in manufactured rolling paper, or who smoked locally grown tobacco rolled in manufactured rolling papers. The addition of toxins from these unusual tobacco-wrapping media produces lung function deficits similar to the pattern noted among tobacco smokers who also inhale smoke from burning biomass. Thus, public health initiatives should consider including strategies addressing the use of wrapping media among smokers in South Pacific island societies.