smoking

Topic description and stories

Risk of premature birth from smoking while pregnant more than double previous estimates

28 Sep 2023

Cambridge researchers have found that women who smoke during pregnancy are 2.6 times more likely to give birth prematurely compared to non-smokers –...

‘Fingerprint database’ could help scientists to identify new cancer culprits

16 Apr 2019

Scientists in Cambridge and London have developed a catalogue of DNA mutation ‘fingerprints’ that could help doctors pinpoint the environmental...

Smoking and pre-eclampsia may cause fertility problems for offspring, study suggests

29 Mar 2019

Low levels of oxygen in the womb – which can be caused by smoking or conditions such as pre-eclampsia – may cause problems with fertility later in...

Young people exposed to vaping ads less likely to think occasional smoking is bad for health

05 Sep 2016

Exposure to advertisements for e-cigarettes may decrease the perceived health risks of occasional tobacco smoking, suggests new research from the...

Macrophage engulfing Tuberculosis bacteria, Credit: ZEISS Microscopy

‘Clogged-up’ immune cells help explain smoking risk for TB

24 Mar 2016

Smoking increases an individual’s risk of developing tuberculosis (TB) – and makes the infection worse – because it causes vital immune cells to...

Alineando secuencias (cropped), Credit: Shaury Nash

No evidence that genetic tests change people’s behaviour

15 Mar 2016

Genetic tests that provide an estimate of an individual’s risk of developing diseases such as lung cancer and heart disease do not appear to motivate...

Portrait #122 - Coline - While she was smoking (cropped)

Old before your time: Study suggests that ageing begins in the womb

01 Mar 2016

The process of ageing begins even before we are born, according to an international team of researchers led by the University of Cambridge. In a...

Ads for candy-flavoured e-cigarettes could encourage vaping among school children

18 Jan 2016

Advertisements featuring e-cigarettes with flavours such as chocolate and bubble gum are more likely to attract school children to buy and try e-...

Shopping vouchers could help one in five pregnant women quit smoking

26 Feb 2015

Financial incentives could help one in five women quit smoking during pregnancy, according to new research published today in the journal Addiction...

Research unit to help encourage healthier habits launched

12 Apr 2011

New research unit to focus on how to change behaviours responsible for the majority of premature deaths worldwide.

Second-hand smoke linked to cognitive impairment

12 Feb 2009

Exposure to second-hand smoke could increase the risk of developing dementia and other forms of cognitive impairment, according to research published...