Introduction: Tobacco smoke pollution (TSP) has been identifi ed as a serious public health threat. Although the number of jurisdictions that prohibit smoking in public places has increased rapidly, just a few successful attempts have been made to pass similar laws prohibiting smoking in cars, where the cabin space may contribute to concentrated exposure. In particular, TSP constitutes a potentially serious health hazard to children because of prolonged exposure and their small size. Methods:The present study investigated the levels of TSP in 18 cars via the measurement of fi ne respirable particles (<2.5 microns in diameter or PM 2.5 ) under a variety of in vivo conditions. Car owners smoked a single cigarette in their cars in each of fi ve controlled air-sampling conditions. Each condition varied on movement of the car, presence of air conditioning, open windows, and combinations of these airfl ow infl uences. Results:Smoking just a single cigarette in a car generated extremely high average levels of PM 2.5 : more than 3,800 m g/m 3 in the condition with the least airfl ow (motionless car, windows closed). In moderate ventilation conditions (air conditioning or having the smoking driver hold the cigarette next to a half-open window), the average levels of PM 2.5 were reduced but still at signifi cantly high levels (air conditioning = 844 m g/m 3 ; holding cigarette next to a half-open window = 223 m g/m 3 ).Discussion: This study demonstrates that TSP in cars reaches unhealthy levels, even under realistic ventilation conditions, lending support to efforts occurring across a growing number of jurisdictions to educate people and prohibit smoking in cars in the presence of children. IntroductionTobacco smoke pollution (TSP; also known as environmental tobacco smoke, secondhand smoke, and passive smoke) is a complex mixture of contaminants released by the burning and exhalation of tobacco products in the form of various gases and particulate matter. TSP is responsible for the preventable morbidity and mortality of hundreds of thousands of nonsmokers worldwide ( ( Glantz & Parmley, 1995 ;Law, Morris, & Wald, 1997 ;Taylor, Johnson, & Kazemi, 1992 ). Recently, a review of the epidemiological evidence concluded that TSP was associated with a signifi cant increase in breast cancer among premenopausal women ( California Environmental Protection Agency, Air Resources Board, 2005 ).Of great concern is the health hazard that TSP exposure poses to children who are still developing physically and biologically. Compared with adults, children breathe more rapidly, absorb more pollutants because of their small size, have less developed immune systems, and are more vulnerable to cellular mutations ( Bearer, 2005 ), making them more susceptible to the effects of TSP exposure. TSP is associated with a greater likelihood of asthma, triggering an asthma attack, and chronic lung diseases ( USDHHS, 1986 ), and it has been recognized as a cause of sudden infant death syndrome ( Anderson, & Cook, 1997 ; USDHHS, 1986 ). It has b...

Although most quit attempts were planned and planners had higher odds of using quit aids, planning did not increase the likelihood of success.

Older adults represent the highest proportion of gamblers (Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation [OLG], 2012). Unpartnered older adults may be more socially isolated and lonely (Dykstra & de Jong Gierveld, 2004), thus more likely to be at risk for problem gambling (McQuade & Gill, 2012). We examined whether gambling to socialize or from loneliness and going to the casino with friends/family mediate the relation between marital status and problem gambling. Data from a random sample of older adults at gambling venues across Southwestern Ontario indicated that gambling with family/friends and gambling due to loneliness mediated the relationship between marital status and problem gambling. Relative to those married, unpartnered older adults were less likely to gamble with family/friends, more likely to gamble due to loneliness, and had higher problem gambling. Prevention and treatment initiatives should examine ways to decrease loneliness and social isolation among older adults and offer alternative social activities.

A RESPONSE TO PROCHASKA: LIFE DOES NOT ALWAYS GO ACCORDING TO PLAN; YOUR QUITTING MIGHT NOT EITHERWe would like to thank Professor Prochaska for his interest in our paper [1] and for the opportunity to respond. Prochaska's primary argument is that setting a quit date cannot be used to understand the utility of planning as a comprehensive process [2]. We agree. However, our research did not portent to address these broad issues. Rather, our research focused on whether giving significant forethought to the time and day when one has their last cigarette influences their likelihood of remaining smoke free. Our question of interest was how far in advance people planned the start of their most recent quit attempt. Our data, and data from others [3][4][5][6], suggests planning one's last cigarette well in advance does not necessarily confer a benefit. Our study was not designed to tell us anything about whether preparing to find social support or quit aids can help a person after their quit attempt has started, and we were careful not to draw such conclusions. A second issue raised by Prochaska was whether planners and non-planners were equivalent on other important variables such as level of nicotine dependence. Close inspection of our analyses shows that we controlled for these variables to allow for a comparison that adjusted for differences between groups.We agree with Prochaska that the time since the most recent quit attempt has the potential to be a confounder for some of the research where long periods have passed since the most recent quit attempt and the time that information about the quit attempt was collected [3][4][5]. If this was a valid concern, then we should expect those studies with longer intervals to be different from studies with shorter intervals. However, results among studies with relatively short intervals (<6 months) [1,4] are the same as those with longer intervals.Professor Prochaska concluded that nothing practical can be learned from the research on unplanned quit attempts. We respectfully disagree. An important consequence of our work is that health professionals and others should emphasize the importance of quitting today or, at least, as soon as possible. Patients need not worry about having elaborate plans to stop using tobacco as a prerequisite for success. The sooner one stops smoking, the sooner health and social benefits can be achieved. The sooner one stops, the sooner one can identify and apply the proper combination of relapse prevention strategies. Clinicians would then need only to inform and encourage people to seek out and utilize appropriate aids (social, pharmacological, behavioural, etc.). Whether a quitter secures nicotine replacement therapy 4 weeks prior to the quit day or an hour after their last cigarette may not matter as much as arranging the appropriate aids once it has been determined that they are needed.A better understanding of how individuals start and proceed through quit attempts may identify appropriate interventions and when to apply them. Such resear...