Smoker drops discrimination claim
A heart patient who is suing a hospital for negligence admits there is no firm evidence he was discriminated against because he smoked.

Young smokers risk greater genetic damage
Smokers who start the habit early in life are at greater risk of developing lung cancer than those who start as adults, a study has found.

Anti-depressants beat the craving
Anti-depressants can almost double a smoker's chance of quitting compared to using nicotine patches alone, according to a study.

£10m lung cancer blitz
The government announces a £10m programme to prevent and improve treatment of lung cancer - the UK's third biggest killer.

Tobacco firms 'hid safer cigarettes'
Tobacco manufacturers have developed 57 ways to make cigarettes safer but have chosen not to use the technology, according to a study.

Cancer sufferers abandon tobacco case
A group of lung cancer sufferers have decided to abandon their case for compensation from leading tobacco companies.

Cigarettes: a complex cocktail of chemicals
More than 600 substances can be legally added to cigarettes, many of which act to increase the addictive impact of nicotine.

High Court rules against tobacco claimants
A High Court judge has ruled that eight lung cancer sufferers cannot proceed with a claim for compensation from two tobacco companies.

Alert over herbal cigarettes
Herbal cigarettes, marketed as an aid to quit smoking, are a potential health hazard, scientists have warned.

Smokers advised to combine therapies
The combined use of nicotine patches and sprays is the best way to quit smoking, researchers find.

Health coalition begins anti-smoking crusade
Seven health charities have banded together in a unique move to support government initiatives to reduce the 120,000 a year deaths from tobacco-related illnesses.

Smoking cities
Children are having to breathe in so much air pollution in some major cities in the developing world that they are comparable with heavy smokers, scientists are told.

Dobson launches tobacco crusade
Health Secretary Frank Dobson has launched a White Paper designed to cut smoking in the UK. It includes proposals to curb tobacco advertising and sponsorship and measures to help smokers beat their addiction.

Mixed reaction to tobacco White Paper
Doctors and anti-smoking campaigners have given a mixed reaction to the White Paper on tobacco, with some expressing disappointment that it does not go far enough.

Public say passive smoking is dangerous
The public believes passive smoking is a risk to health, despite split scientific opinion on the issue, a survey has found.

Higher death risk for women smokers
Women are twice as likely to develop an untreatable form of lung cancer than men, according to the UK's biggest lung cancer study.

Government targets young smokers
The government's White Paper on tobacco proposes specific measures for reducing smoking among children and young people.

Controversy on passive smoking measures
The hospitality industry has welcomed the government's choice of a voluntary code rather than an all-out ban but the medical profession says it is not enough.

Nicotine patches to be free on the NHS
Nicotine replacement therapy is to be provided free to those in deprived areas, the government has announced.

Controversial ban among tobacco controls
The government attempt to stop people smoking includes the controversial ban on sponsorship and advertising.

Tobacco tax hike prompts smuggling warning
The illegal smuggling of tobacco products will be encouraged by an increase in taxation on packets of cigarettes, the pro-smoking lobby warns.

'Stop tobacco firms targeting children'
Campaigners are calling for international controls to stop tobacco companies targeting women and children in the developing world.