Plaintiff in smoking lawsuit takes stand

Just before noon on Wednesday, one juror started wiping away tears. Then another. And another.
The jury learned more about John Rizzuto's life Wednesday as he testified against tobacco manufacturers Philip Morris and the Liggett Group. For the past week and a half, jurors got quick glimpses into who Rizzuto was as a person, but heard more about his medical history and expert testimony than his character.
"I'm a person of faith," Rizzuto said. "I'm not afraid to die, but I am afraid to die slowly," said Rizzuto, who lives by himself. Rizzuto said he's also afraid of becoming a "burden" to his children.
"Quite honestly I don't know what I would do," Rizzuto said, adding he would likely go into an assisted living facility at that point. "My family is very important to me, I'd do anything for them, they'd do anything for me," Rizzuto said, seeming to spark the jurors' emotions. Kiss cigarettes .
Rizzuto, 66, of Spring Hill, filed a civil lawsuit more than five years ago against the cigarette companies whose cigarettes he smoked for about 40 years. Rizzuto was first diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), in 1994, and today lives with "severe COPD" according to doctors.
Rizzuto said more than once throughout the morning that family was the most important thing to him. Sunday dinners are an Italian tradition Rizzuto carries on with his children and grandchildren today, with Rizzuto making sauce, but not nearly as good as his late wife who taught him.
Singing was important to Rizzuto, who crooned doo-wop tunes throughout his school with friends on street corners and in basements. By 13, Rizzuto's close friends had started smoking. One evening, he lifted a L&M brand cigarette from one of his parents, walked to one of the main streets in Ozone Park, Queens, and lit up.
His first cigarette was "nothing spectacular." But he lit up the next day or day after.
By 14, Rizzuto met his future wife, Marianne. Both were smokers, and Rizzuto said most of his family and friends were smokers too.
Rizzuto tried to stop smoking in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, according to testimony. In 1994, Rizzuto was diagnosed with mild COPD, and quit for good in 2000 after being hospitalized for shortness of breath.
"I just couldn't get the air in," Rizzuto said. "It was a scary situation."
Since 2000, Rizzuto said he's had cravings to smoke but never acted upon it, and believes he is still "addicted." Rizzuto told his attorney, Brent Bigger, about the "adaptations" to his life over the past 20 years.
He's never walked his dog, a terrier named Spike, and only attends his granddaughter's softball games if they play the Anderson Snow fields closest to the parking lot. He cleans his own house and does his own food shopping, although slowly.
"I probably should use the motorized cart, but quite honestly, it's an embarrassment to me," Rizzuto said.
During cross examination, Philip Morris attorney William Geraghty called into question statements Rizzuto has made in past depositions.
Geraghty said back in 2008, Rizzuto said he "didn't know" if he was "addicted" to cigarettes, saying he believed addiction to be a medical term, and he wasn't qualified to speak to his medical state.
Geraghty then moved forward to an Aug. 1 deposition, when Rizzuto told lawyers he is still addicted to cigarettes.
"You said you still believe to this day you were addicted to cigarettes, even though you haven't smoked cigarettes in more than 13 years ... your addiction has not caused you to smoke a single cigarette in the last 13 years?" Geraghty said.
"That's true," Rizzuto answered.
Geraghty also drew from previous depositions, reminding Rizzuto he said he smoked to "calm down," but also used other methods for relaxation, such as taking a Xanax, reading a book, watching television or drinking coffee.
During questioning, Rizzuto maintained he didn't cut back on smoking in the 1970s because of health reasons, but because of the cost. Rizzuto maintained he was aware of the warning label on cigarette boxes at the time, which stated "Cigarette smoking may be hazardous to your health."
Geraghty also questioned Rizzuto about his other significant health problems, which include foot and circulation problems, back pain, elevated cholesterol, hypertension and Type 2 diabetes.
Rizzuto's daughter, Gina Stifanic, also testified on Wednesday. Stifanic told jurors when she danced with her father at her 2001 wedding, he was "out of breath" after.
"I'm concerned he's not going to be around that much longer, to see my kids get married, graduate," Stifanic said.

Campaign to stop smoking

HEALTH visitors and school nurses have been running a series of campaigns to help encourage parents and children to stop smoking.
Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust has been running the scheme to encourage people in the Fareham and Gosport area to quit.
So far, around 25 referrals into the trust’s smoking cessation service Quit4life have been made.
Kath Clark, locality clinical manager for Fareham and Gosport, said: ‘We’re delighted with the success of our smoking cessation campaigns and will continue to help encourage parents and young people in the Fareham and Gosport areas to stop smoking.’

BIR won’t reclassify premium cigarets to low-tier brands

Informed sources said the BIR has rejected Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corp.’s plan to introduce low-priced Marlboro cigarettes in the domestic market as this would be in conflict with the sin tax reform law, which sets a two-tier system for cigarette products.  Marlboro is classified as a premium brand under the sin tax measure.
Excise tax on low priced brands is P12 per pack while that on the higher tier is P25/pack.
Sought for comment, BIR commissioner Kim Henares neither confirmed nor denied the report but pointed out that the law must always prevail.
“I can not make any comment at this point. Rest assured we will always follow the law,” Henares said in a text message.Philip Morris International producer of Marlboro Flavor Note cigarettes and LM cigarettes.
PMFTC, the joint venture between taipan Lucio Tan and American tobacco giant Philip Morris International, made the proposal following stagnating sales as consumers switch from premium to super cheap cigarettes.

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It lost a bit of control over a market it once dominated completely due to intense competition from bargain brands like Mighty which sells cigarettes for P1 per stick.  This triggered a price war that dented the bottom-line and topline of PMFTC.

Last year, low-priced cigarettes accounted for only five percent of the country’s 100-billion cigarette sticks  industry, estimated to be worth around  P150 billion. Studies show that while bargain brands have started to make their presence felt in the industry, Marlboro remains the dominant brand in the sector.
However, the new six tax law provides for a unitary tax regime of P30 per pack of cigarettes by 2017. This is to simplify the current multi-tiered structure, prevent downshifting to lower priced brands, discourage consumption of sin products and for easy tax administration.
To prevent the excise taxes to be eroded by inflation, the excise tax rates will be increased by four percent every year effective 2016 for distilled spirits and 2018 for cigarettes and beer.
On the first year of implementation of the sin tax law, the government is expected to raise additional revenues worth P33.96 billion, of which P23.4 billion is from cigarettes, P6.06 billion from distilled spirits and P4.5 billion from fermented liquors.
In the first nine months of the year, collection of excise tax on tobacco and alcohol jumped  by 63.9 percent to P63.6 billion or 73 percent of the government’s collection goal of P85.56 billion this year.  Of that amount, P43 billion will come from incremental revenues from the sin tax law.
The total Philippine tobacco industry volume of 23 billion units is  seen to have declined by 6.7 percent due to the proliferation of counterfeits, which is eating into PMFTC’s market share.
 The Philippines is one of the key markets for Philip Morris as it contributed 22 percent to the company’s shipments to Asia last year.

Smuggled cigarettes sale costs exchequer heavily

The government has failed to curb the illegal smuggling of cigarettes inside Pakistan that is depriving the national exchequer of billions of rupees, which can be collected from the taxes imposed on sale of cigarette.
It is worth stating here that imported cigarettes through improper channels are banned in the country and only those brands and cigarettes can be sold, those have paid taxes and carry the government of Pakistan’s health warning on it

• Parliament cigarettes

Contrary to these orders from the government there are too many imported brands available in the market and the shopkeepers are selling those cigarettes without any worry. Only a single brand ‘Pine’ deprives the national kitty of more than Rs 1 billion per annum, according to a report. It is pertinent to mention here that across the world cigarettes are heavily taxed and the governments collect heavy amounts from the tobacco companies under the head of sales tax. It would also be justified to say that people mostly do not protest against the tax imposed on the cigarettes. As it is not considered basic necessity of a human being though a large number of global residents use tobacco.
Pakistan too can collect handsome amount from the tax on cigarettes but due to loopholes in the system and corrupt practices of most of the government officials, it is unable to collect that much amount that is supposed to be collected.
When asked how do they manage selling illegal smuggled cigarettes, several shopkeepers replied, “We pay them.” It is not the government whom they pay; rather they are talking about the officials appointed to curb such practices.
Certain quarters believe that high-ups should personally visit the markets and suspend the relevant officials if illegal cigarettes are found in the area of some official. At the same time certain quarters believe that curbing illegal trade is not a big deal but it only requires political will.

University prepares smoking cessation resources for students and faculty

As the upcoming smoking ban rests on smokers’ minds, the University prepares to release its resource plans to help those who want to quit smoking. The ban will take effect on Jan. 1, 2014.
According to the Illinois Tobacco Survey conducted in late April 2012, 27 percent of students and 31 percent of faculty want to quit smoking. McKinley Health Center will offer programs geared toward students, while the UI Wellness Center will focus on helping faculty.

“We are very aware that there are people who don’t want to quit smoking, but they want to comply with the rules,” said Michele Guerra, director of UI Wellness Center. “We want to help them be able to get through their day without feeling anxiety because they cannot nourish their craving. We are trying to offer a menu of services to cater to everyone.” Cigaronne cigarettes.
Both offices are waiting on final approval from the chancellor’s office on official cessation programs, Guerra said. However, both centers have begun to roll out programs to aid smokers before the ban is in place.
“It’s very personal, and different people quit in different ways, so we want to steer people in the right way,” Guerra said. “For example, with behavior, some may smoke to help them relieve stress. So, we look into stress management.”
Gabriella Booker, freshman in LAS, never considered quitting smoking until she heard news of the ban.
“I’m excited for the ban because I need to quit. I feel that it would benefit me and others in the long run,” Booker said. “It’ll be much easier than to have to constantly go off campus just to find a place to smoke.”
But Booker said she does not plan to use the resources at McKinley.
“When I quit, I would just cut off on my own,” Booker said. “I wouldn’t want resources, but it’s interesting to know that they are offering them.”
Several group cessation sessions are available, and McKinley offers one-on-one counseling with trained facilitator Beth Frasca. One of the most publicized options is the Illinois Tobacco Quitline, a telephone counseling program with nicotine replacement therapy. Sessions can be scheduled to a person’s convenience. The quitline is offered in over 200 languages, which Guerra said is great for the University’s diverse demographic.
Almost 69 percent of students voted to eliminate smoking on campus in a November 2011 referendum. For those who voted against the ban, about 30 percent of student smokers (9 percent of total number of students who voted) and about 33 percent of employee smokers (almost 7 percent of total number of employees who voted), said they are less likely to stay at the University once the ban is set in place.
Keith Berman, junior in LAS, does not plan to quit smoking once the ban is passed and finds the ban to be a “slight abuse of power.”
“I don’t think it’ll make a big change in my smoking habits because I’m not sure how they are going to enforce it. I also live right near the edge of campus, so I could always just walk across the street,” he said. “While I understand smoking regulations in dorms and buildings for safety purposes, I don’t necessarily agree with the ban.”
The University received a $50,000 “We Choose Health” grant, which is a part of a multi-year effort to encourage and support tobacco prevention in Illinois communities. The Champaign-Urbana Public Health Department organized the Champaign County coalition that applied for the grant.
Grant money was used toward implementing the policy. This included hiring Sarah Sommer, a graduate assistant at the Wellness Center, as a smoke-free campus assistant to provide administrative and organizational support to create a smoke-free campus over the next year.
According to the recommendation report from the Smoke-Free Ad Hoc Committee, international students will receive fair warning of the smoke-free policy by recruiters in their home countries. After arriving on campus, groups such as the Peer Health Advocates, Student Health Services as well as University Housing and Dining Services will assist International Student and Scholar Services in bringing awareness to programs that may provide free nicotine patches, gum and counseling sessions.
As of July 2013, 1,178 campuses nationwide have smoke-free campuses, according to the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation. These campuses may have policies that have been enacted but are not yet in effect. Including the University, the state of Illinois currently has 14 smoke-free campuses, 8 of which are completely tobacco-free.

Smoking a tough addiction to quit

Thursday is the Great American Smokeout, a day recognized by the American Cancer Society as a chance to reinforce how vitally important it is for those who smoke to quit, set a date to quit, or at least contemplate quitting. No one can argue that quitting smoking is hard. There are those who work in the addictions field who say that nicotine can be more addictive than heroin, making it harder for some people to stop smoking cigarettes than it is to quit using heroin. That speaks volumes about how difficult it truly is to quit smoking. Nicotine is only one of about 4,000 chemicals found in cigarette, pipe and cigar smoke, but it is the major one responsible for the addictive quality of smoking. The cigarette itself is probably the fastest and most efficient way to deliver a drug to the brain besides intravenous injection. The brain receives the highest level of nicotine within 10 seconds of the first inhalation but the effect only lasts a few minutes, which causes the smoker to continue inhaling in order to maintain the drug’s pleasurable effects and prevent withdrawal. That’s why the more one smokes, the more one smokes.

 An addiction is defined as compulsive drug-seeking and use, even in the face of negative health consequences. It is well documented that most smokers know it is harmful and many would like to quit, but the addiction is very strong. Nicotine stimulates a part of the brain that is responsible for pleasurable feelings, just like other drugs that are abused. No wonder so many smokers find it so hard to quit. It feels good! The immediate effects of nicotine withdrawal, on the other hand, feel terrible. Irritability, craving, trouble thinking and paying attention, sleep disturbances, and increased appetite can begin within a few hours of the last cigarette — potentially sending a wanna-be-ex-smoker right back to the habit. These symptoms can be strong for a few days before they begin to decrease in the following days, weeks and months. The negative health effects of smoking are staggering. Cigarette smoking kills more U.S. citizens a year than alcohol, cocaine, heroin, homicide, suicide, car accidents, fire and AIDS combined. It’s not just lung cancer, either. “Smoking harms every organ in the body, causing many diseases and compromising smokers’ health in general,” according to a research report by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Here’s a short list: Cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, cervix, kidney, ureter and bladder. The list also includes chronic bronchitis, emphysema, heart disease, stroke, heart attack, blood vessel disease, and aneurysm (ballooning and possible bursting of a blood vessel). Not so short, is it? Dunhill cigarettes.

 Having said all that, it is possible for anyone to quit, no matter how much or for how long one has been smoking. There are multiple kinds of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) in the form of patches, gum, lozenges and inhalers. If a smoker who has tried quitting using one of these products has not been successful in the past, another form of NRT might work. Several oral medications are available that have been proven to help a smoker become a non-smoker. These meds are available by prescription only, so a phone call or visit to one’s health care provider is required and it would make their day. Research is showing that NRT or medication combined with behavior modification learned either in a class setting or one-on-one, is the most successful recipe to quit smoking. The NRT or medication takes care of the physical craving for nicotine. Behavior education/modification helps one recognize situations where there is a high-risk for relapse and fosters development of coping strategies, stress management techniques and increases social support. The New York State Smoker’s Quitline is a useful resource for those who want to quit or are even thinking about quitting. It’s free, staffed by trained personnel, and some people are eligible for free NRT. Chewing tobacco is not a safe alternative to smoking. E-cigarettes are not yet tested by the FDA so no one really knows what the vapor contains besides nicotine. It is hard to deem something like that safe until testing has been carried out.

The day after the Great American Smokeout

The folks with the American Cancer Society spent Thursday promoting the 38th annual Great American Smokeout. It’s the one day, of the year, the group targets tobacco user to give up the habit. But what happens one day later? Friday is the day after the Great American Smokeout. Juliana Frederick, with the West Virginia American Cancer Society, said Friday is just as important as the day before. That’s because users begin to preparing for the long haul.

“They have to come up with a quit plan to stop smoking!” Those first few days tend to be the most difficult according to Frederick.
She stressed her office works year round on policies and programs to help people stop using tobacco. They’re currently working with Congress. U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller has co-sponsored a bill to raise the federal tobacco tax to $1.95 a pack.
“The most effective way to get people to quit using tobacco products is to increase the tax on them,” explained Frederick.
She said getting folks to quit is a matter of life and death. Currently 19 percent of Americans use some type of tobacco product. The number is higher here in West Virginia where 25 percent of men and 23 percent of women use tobacco. West Virginia is second only to Kentucky when it comes to the number of smokers. Last year 3,800 West Virginians died from complications of tobacco use.
Frederick stressed the Great American Smokeout gives people a date to start but it’s what happens in the days, weeks and months after that really counts.

Government extends smoking bans

Train and tram commuters will no longer have to put up with passive smoke as they wait, with bans to roll out early next year.
Fines will be enforced for all those caught smoking on train platforms and at raised tram stops.
Meanwhile, further bans around public transport stops are being considered with the new restrictions to take effect from early next year.
Health Minister David Davis said all public transport users would benefit from this move.
“The community will welcome this,” he said.
“Families and children shouldn’t be exposed to second-hand smoke, should be able to travel on our transport system without having to encounter smoking and second-hand smoke.”
Quit Victoria's Fiona Sharkie agreed with Mr Davis.
“We know that children and teenagers are heavy users of public transport, and we also know that the less children see of smoking, the less likely they are to start smoking themselves,” she told 3AW News.

Suicide risk among patients using anti-smoking drugs did not increase when compared to those using nicotine patches and gum, according to a new study conducted by researchers from University of Bristol.

New York state parks officials must stop enforcing their recent ban on outdoor smoking, a state judge ordered, agreeing with a smokers' rights group that the state exceeded its authority. The February rules establishing no-smoking areas at various parks, including popular beaches and all nine state parks within New York City, aren't supported by any policy set by the Legislature, state Supreme Court Justice George Ceresia said. The city has a separate outdoor smoking ban for its parks and beaches that wasn't challenged in this lawsuit. The judge noted that while lawmakers enacted restrictions on indoor smoking, the Assembly and Senate have attempted but failed to target smoking in outdoor parks. "In the court's view, this is a strong indication that the Legislature is uncertain of how to address the issue," he wrote. Officials from the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation said they enacted the rules to protect visitors from secondhand smoke.

The parks office said Friday it's considering an appeal and that officials believe they have authority to manage the often conflicting park use of patrons, extending to regulation of outdoor smoking on playgrounds, swimming pools, beaches, and other places children and visitors congregate. Ceresia wrote that the broad language of the state parks law doesn't empower the office "to promulgate rules regulating conduct bearing any tenuous relationship to park patrons' health or welfare." He ordered parks officials to take down the no smoking signs related to the outdoor ban. While acknowledging the state's position that you don't need to be an expert to understand that secondhand smoke is "deleterious to the health of nonsmokers, especially children," the judge wrote that he was expressing no opinion on the wisdom of outdoor smoking regulations should they be enacted with proper authority to do so. The lawsuit was brought by NYC Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment. "This ban was imposed by bureaucratic fiat, not legislated law, and on that basis, alone, it's unconstitutional," said Audrey Silk, the group's founder. "It was certainly a vindication of individual rights in the face of government overreach," said attorney Edward Paltzik. Brett Joshpe, his co-counsel, said the issue with the parks under New York City jurisdiction is different, since those restrictions have City Council backing, but there may be another avenue of legal attack there. The New York Attorney General's Office, which is defending the state park rules, is reviewing the decision along with parks officials, a spokesman said Friday.

Smoking bans could challenge human rights in prisons and cause riots, ministers warned

Smoking could be banned across all prisons in England and Wales by 2015, amid fears that prisoners could begin rioting over the change. The smoking ban introduced in England in 2007 restricted smoking in prisons but allowed inmates to smoke cigarettes in their cells. A pilot project would prevent this and smoking in all parts of the prison, including the exercise yard.

The move is believed to be linked to a campaign led by staff from the Prison Officer's Association, who are concerned about suffering the effects of passive smoking. The group began campaigning for a smoking ban in all prisons in 2007 after the it was introduced across workplaces and enclosed public spaces in England and Wales. The ban did not apply to prisoners smoking in their cells however, as these spaces were considered their "domestic premises". The rule change will affect 80 per cent of the 84,300 inmates who smoke whilst serving their sentence, leading to fears of rioting from prisoners, who will be offered nicotine patches to cope with withdrawal symptoms.

 One prison source warned: “I am not sure it is the right time. Everything in jails is extremely stretched and more job losses are coming.” Mark Johnson, chief executive of the ex-offender charity User Voice argued that smoking in prison is a human right". He added that inmates who smoke could take legal action against the ban, according to the Telegraph.

A document addressed to senior prison staff and seen by The Times said: “You will no doubt be aware that the decision has been made that the time is right for the prison estate to adopt a tobacco and smoke-free policy to provide a smoke-free workplace/environment for our staff and prisoners.” It went on to say that the prisons involved in the pilot scheme would be selected from the South West and will include Exeter and Eastwood Park Women's Prison. The ban will be implemented in the chosen pilot jails when health authorities and the Prison Service considered them to be ready for the change, the letter added. The ban will then be implemented across all prisons gradually over a 12 month period. Steve Gillan, general secretary of the POA, told The Times they welcomed the news.

 "It is our policy to have smoke-free prisons for our members. We will work with the ministry to make sure it works effectively.” He said that although introducing the ban among prisoners could be difficult, it had been successfully implemented in prisons across Canada and young offenders institutes in England and Wales. But Andrew Neilson, from campaign charity the Howard League for Penal Reform, said prisons could be put under huge pressure when the policy is introduced.

 Speaking to the BBC, he said: “Prisons are going through unprecedented budget cuts, prison resources, staff resources have been cut, there may well be good intentions behind this policy proposal, but it will undoubtedly put a lot of pressure on jails which are already pretty stretched.” A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “We are considering banning smoking across the prison estate and as part of this are looking at possible sites as early adopters.”

Smoking drivers in grave danger

While travelling towards my house one evening recently, I was shocked to see a driver smoking in the car while driving, and throwing the cigarette on the road, totally unconcerned about the danger he was causing to other drivers.

Studies have shown that smoking while driving increases the probability of a crash. The authorities have also instituted a financial penalty of Dh500 and four black points for such careless drivers. Despite this, I was shocked to see drivers smoking at leisure and throwing cigarette butts out on the road. The cigarettes can ignite other flammable substances, which could be disastrous for other vehicles on the road and lead to a great calamity.

According to local news reports, the number of road accident deaths in the first eight months of this year is much higher than the total number of deaths in the previous year and such an alarming fact could also be attributed to the careless attitude of such drivers. Despite the number of campaigns held and punishments instituted, these drivers are adamant that they would not change. Such drivers need to be caught and punished in a way that they would never repeat this offense again.

As a concerned resident, I appeal to all drivers to drive safely without causing harm to yourself and others. Keep your belts buckled, phones at the side and cigarettes inside. After all, everybody aims to reach their destination safe and sound!

Butler County sixth in state for smoking-related complaints

Restaurants and bars have racked up more than $3.6 million in fines from the Ohio Health Department for violating the state’s smoking laws, and some of the most frequent offenders operate in southwest Ohio.
Ohio passed the Smoke Free Workplace Act, which prohibits smoking cigarettes in public spaces and workplaces, in 2006.
Since 2011, the Ohio Division of Liquor Control has rejected liquor license renewals for 12 bars across the state because the establishments’ owners had repeatedly failed to pay smoking-related fines for violating the law to the Ohio Department of Health.
Two of those 12 bars sit in Butler County: Froggy Blues Cafe in Monroe has amassed $36,600 in smoking fines and Cobblestone Tavern in Fairfield has generated $24,100 since the state department began issuing fines in 2007, according to state records.
‘We have some teeth’

An Oklahoma City police officer who pulled over the tour bus of rapper 2 Chainz "smelled an overwhelming odor of marijuana" when the driver opened the door, a police affidavit says.
Eleven people, including 2 Chainz, were arrested Thursday after refusing to get off the bus for about nine hours following the traffic stop. The 35-year-old rapper, whose real name is Tauheed Epps, had performed with Lil Wayne and T.I. in Oklahoma City the night before.
Many people love to smoke Parliament cigarettes and Kiss cigarettes.
The affidavit, filed Monday in Oklahoma County District Court, says the officer pulled over the bus on Interstate 40 early Thursday morning because none of the rear taillights on the passenger side were working.
The officer smelled marijuana when the driver of the bus, identified as Sedric A. Brooks, opened the door, the affidavit says, and the officer

Sitting is the new smoking, as experts fear our sedentary lifestyle is killing us

THAT comfy chair is taking on a sinister new role as it moves up the rankings of public health's Most Wanted list.
In the United States the current buzz phrase is "sitting is the new smoking" as chairs are blamed for a widening host of ailments and shortening lifespan.
Efforts to combat chair-linked illness range from "standing meetings" to "treadmill desks", which are now on sale in Adelaide .
Sitting now is being blamed for anything from heart attacks and diabetes to insomnia, constipation, sore necks, sore backs, varicose veins, joint problems, poor circulation, poor digestion ... and the list goes on.
As arguably the most sedentary society in history, Australians now spend the equivalent of a full working week on their bums. And it is killing us. The origins of the war of chairs goes back to a landmark study of bus drivers and conductors.
More:

Anti-smoking battle moves outdoors; bans increase

City parks, public beaches, college campuses and other outdoor venues across the country are putting up signs telling smokers they can't light up. Outdoor smoking bans have nearly doubled in the last five years, with the tally now at nearly 2,600 and more are in the works.
But some experts question the main rationale for the bans, saying there's not good medical evidence that cigarette smoke outdoors can harm the health of children and other passers-by.
Whether it is a long-term health issue for a lot of people "is still up in the air," said Neil Klepeis, a Stanford University researcher whose work is cited by advocates of outdoor bans.
Ronald Bayer, a Columbia University professor, put it in even starker terms.

"The evidence of a risk to people in open-air settings is flimsy," he said. More cigarettes find here.

There are hundreds of studies linking indoor secondhand smoke to health problems like heart disease. That research has bolstered city laws and workplace rules that now impose smoking bans in nearly half of the nation's bars, restaurants and workplaces.
In contrast, there's been little study of the potential dangers of whiffing secondhand smoke while in the open air. But that hasn't stopped outdoor bans from taking off in the last five years. The rules can apply to playgrounds, zoos, beaches and ball fields, as well as outdoor dining patios, bus stops and building doorways.
"Secondhand smoke is harmful. It's particularly harmful to children," said Councilwoman Mary Cheh of the District of Columbia, one of more than 90 U.S. municipalities or counties considering an outdoor smoking law.
But is it really dangerous outdoors?
Federal health officials say yes. Studies have clearly established that even a brief exposure indoors to cigarette smoke can cause blood to become sticky and more prone to clotting. How long that lasts after just one dose isn't clear, officials say. The best-known studies so far have measured only up to about a day afterward.
Repeated exposures are more dangerous, and can worsen your cholesterol, increase the odds of plaque building in arteries, and raise the risk of chest pain, weakness, or heart attack.

Smoking Cessation Health Center

Learning a type of meditation technique might make it easier for smokers to cut down, at least on a short-term basis, new research suggests.
The finding is based on the experiences of just five smokers, and could be purely coincidental. Researchers found, however, that training other smokers how to relax had no effect on how much they smoked, a sign that there may indeed be something to the meditation approach.
So should smokers meditate if they want to smoke less?
"Sure, why not?" said study co-author Michael Posner, professor emeritus at the University of Oregon's department of psychology. "[Still], I can't say that all forms of meditation will produce these affects. It's likely that it depends on the brain state that the person is in, and there may be other ways to get into it."
Researchers have linked "mindfulness meditation" to a variety of health benefits. In just the past few years, it's been associated with relief from cold, flu, hot flashes and irritable bowel syndrome. It also has been linked to healthy changes in the brain itself.
Mindfulness meditation is designed to help people to relax, focus on the current moment and, essentially, go with the flow of thoughts and sensations.

South Smoke Shop Announces Exciting Atom RX Vaporizer Line

Thanks to a new partnership Atom RX Vaporizers, it is a new day for South Smoke Shop. Of course, this business has already earned a strong position in the online retail industry.

Miami, FL (PRWEB) August 11, 2013

Since 2005, South Smoke Shop has offered a highly original selection of tobacco products. This company has gained a reputation for high-quality, affordable smoking supplies. From traditional and filtered cigars to small cigars and beyond, South Smoke Shop offers a remarkable selection of goods.

Russian Federation (Russia) has one of the highest smoking rates in the world.

Background

The Russian Federation (Russia) has one of the highest smoking rates in the world. The purpose of this study is to analyze past and current trends of the tobacco epidemic in the Russian Federation, review current tobacco control policy responses, and identify areas of opportunity for policy priorities.

Methods

We used a policy triangle as analytical framework to examine content, context, and processes of Russian tobacco control policy. The analysis was based on secondary data on supply and demand sides of the Russian tobacco epidemic, tobacco-related economic and health effects during Russia’s economic transition, and compliance of Russian tobacco policy with international standards and regulations.

Earnings Preview: Altria Group Inc.

Altria Group Inc., parent of the biggest U.S. cigarette maker, Philip Morris USA, should give investors a sense of whether its top-selling Marlboro brand can keep its command of the market when it releases its second-quarter financial results before the stock market opens Tuesday.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: The premium Marlboro brand has been under pressure from competitors and lower-priced cigarette brands as consumers face economic stress and high unemployment.

The Real Cost Of Smoking

You know about the many health risks associated with smoking, but do you have a sense of how it impacts your financial health? Take a guess at how much smoking can cost a smoker per year. Did you guess $15,000? From dental costs to laundry to property damage to productivity loss, the incidental costs of smoking can really add up to a whole lot more than you might think. The Obama administration recently passed a bill that will prevent tobacco companies from creating flavors and slogans that make some cigarettes appear less dangerous than others. But although some companies might claim to be healthier for your body, all smoke-related products are unhealthy for your wallet.Explicit CostsSmoking causes one in five adult deaths in the U.S. That's a steep cost in itself, but there are a lot of lesser-known economic costs that go along with smoking. Let's start with the most obvious

Philip Morris Tobacco Smoker Medical Monitoring Class Action Lawsuit Certified

A class action lawsuit pending in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts alleging that Philip Morris designed cigarettes that delivered excessive levels of carcinogens, has been certified as a class action lawsuit by federal Judge Nancy Gertner, according to a class action lawsuit news report.
The Philip Morris class action lawsuit reportedly includes as class members thousands of Massachusetts smokers age 50 and older who have smoked at least one pack of Marlboro cigarettes a day for at least 20 years.
The Philip Morris class action lawsuit complaint reportedly seeks to have Philip Morris pay for medical monitoring (i.e., regular screenings to detect early signs of lung cancer) in the form of a low-dose computed tomography scan (which typically cost $400 to $500 per year).

Spreading the ‘no-smoking’ message

For a change, celebrities turned up on time for an event. Vivek Oberoi and other guests spoke of the ill effects of tobacco, and girls Shweta Pandit, Akriti Kakkar and Shilpa Rao threw away cigarette packets into a mock flame to make their point.
Also here were Maharashtra Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik, Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa, Deepshikha, Raghav Sachar and Atul Kasbekar.

Celebrities smokers

Brad Pitt cigarette smoking cigarette Celebrities while other people have the same needs, the same enjoyment in your life as well as bad habits. One of many bad habit they share with us can be cigarette smoking. Celebrities will always be in view of the public and their look could be the basic criteria which make them popular and asked-for. Mostly, this considerations ladies. Well-known actresses and also singers and even governmental women spend a lot of their time and generating to have the best appearance and to carry their years well. The keep on different diet plans, deprive themselves through various delicious meals, drinks, exhausting themselves in sport health clubs, to be in good suit and look. They experience this, but ignore the single fact, in which smoking damages their own health and look and cause premature aging.

UK government delays decision on cigarette branding ban

Australia passed law last year ordering plain packets
* Health campaigners criticise the delay
* Industry welcomes, says law would encourage smuggling
By William James
LONDON, July 12 (Reuters) - The British government on Friday delayed plans to ban company branding on cigarette packets in England, saying it wanted to first see the impact of a similar decision in Australia.

Pupils advised against cigarette smoking

The Vision for Alternative Livelihood Development (VALD) has advised pupils against cigarette smoking because it is harmful to the human body and leads to death.

Mr Labram Musah, Programme Director of VALD, a non-government organisation fighting against tobacco smoking, gave the advice at a day’s event at a community forum organised for pupils of the Nurudeen Islamic School and community leaders of Kanda Ruga, a suburb of Nima West, in Accra.

It was to sensitise the pupils on the hazardous effects of tobacco smoking.

The programme, supported by the Norwegian Cancer Society (NCS), was also aimed at building the capacity of the community members on the Part Six of the Tobacco Control Measures of the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851), which gives legal backing to the ban of cigarette smoking in public places in the country.

Mr Musah said tobacco smoking and use lead to dreadful heart diseases, lung, oral, and throat cancers as well as respiratory diseases, poverty and deaths.

He asked the pupils to spread the message on the harmful effects on the product in their homes and among their peers.

The Programme Director took the gathering through the 13 key areas of the measures of the Act, which says: “A person shall not smoke tobacco or a tobacco product or hold a lighted tobacco product in an enclosed or indoor area of a work place, or in any other public place.”

“A person shall not advertise either directly or indirectly tobacco or a tobacco product. A Person shall not promote tobacco or a tobacco product by retail sale through the mail or any means of communication.

“A person, who contravenes any provisions of the Tobacco Control Measures...subject to section 56 of the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) Act, 1960 (Act 30) shall be prosecuted by a court of competent jurisdiction.

“Anybody, who violates the Tobacco Control Measures ... commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not more than 750 penalty units or to a term of imprisonment of not more than three years or to both and in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine of 10 penalty units for each day during which the offence continues.”

Mr Musah said tobacco use in any form is dangerous, and it is the most single cause of deaths and disabilities.

Alhaji Shamsu Alawiye, Chairman of the event asked the children not to attempt indulging in the habit of tobacco smoking and should communicate what they have learnt to their parents in a polite manner so that they would not be enraged.

He said: “Just respectfully say no to your parents and other persons when they send you to buy cigarette,” and advise your peers not to attempt indulging in cigarette smoking.

Alhaji Alawiye commended VALD and the Norwegian Cancer Society for bringing such informative programme to their doorsteps, which would go a long way in helping the children to shun cigarette smoking, and for those who are already engaged in it to stop.

Local group wants smokers to pay a dollar deposit per pack

As part of Car Free Day in Vancouver on Sunday, one group wanted to see if they could get people to pick up and return cigarette butts in exchange for money.
Just like a bottle return program.
The West End Cleanup group decided to offer one penny for every butt returned. That translated into $20 for every one pound of butts turned in. It took the group three hours to burn through their $500 budget.
52,000 butts were collected in total.For more info about cigarettes please click here.
But the bigger province-wide plan is to see smokers pay a dollar per deposit per pack, and the money would be reimbursed when the cigarette butts are returned.
“If they feel like they don’t want their money back, this is not a tax, this is a returnable thing, they’re free to litter, and then what I propose would be one cent per butt picked up by whoever is interested in picking that up,” said Dr. Stuart Kreisman, an endocrinologist at St. Paul’s Hospital and founder of the Cigarette Deposit Commmittee.
“Once you put a value on cigarette butts, littered or otherwise, they’re all going to disappear.”
In the greater Vancouver area five million cigarettes are smoked everyday, and it’s estimated, by the Cigarette Deposit Commmittee, that around one million butts are not disposed of properly.
The program is getting some traction and backing from local politicians.
“The rates of litter are staggering,” said Kreisman. “About one in three cigarette butts gets littered, is the statistic.”
He estimated about 13 per cent of Greater Vancouverites are smokers.

Tobacco Brands Still Relentless on Advertising in Indonesia

Five-year-old Bayu was watching a movie on television. During the ad break, a barrage of cigarette ads streamed across the screen. Bayu was able to recognize the brand of each cigarette just by watching the commercials.
“They were funny. Those men were really funny and smart,” he said.
Bayu is also regulary exposed to cigarette branding while watching badminton on TV with his father, or while enjoying telecasts of music concerts. He has also seen ads created by a cigarette company that blatantly say “Don’t Quit” on their billboards, an advertising move it would be hard to mistake as having any other motive than to discourage smokers from kicking the habit.

Birth defects linked for first time to smoking in pregnancy

Doctors are urging mothers-to-be to give up cigarettes after new research linked smoking in pregnancy to babies suffering birth defects such as clubfoot, missing limbs and deformed limbs.
Those who smoke while expecting a baby increase the risk of their child being born with a serious malformation by as much as 50%, the study found. The disclosure led to calls for new measures to reduce what the authors called "staggeringly high" levels of smoking among pregnant women.
Although smoking by pregnant women has already been linked to a higher risk of a woman having a miscarriage or her baby being born prematurely or having a low birth weight, 45% of women under 20 do so while one in seven is still a smoker when she gives birth.
The authors from University College London said their paper was "the first comprehensive review to identify the specific birth defects most associated with smoking cigarettes ."
They

US to revise cigarette warning labels

The U.S. government is abandoning a legal battle to require that cigarette packs carry a set of large and often macabre warning labels depicting the dangers of smoking and encouraging smokers to quit.
Instead, the Food and Drug Administration will go back to the drawing board and create labels to replace those that included images of diseased lungs and the sewn-up corpse of a smoker, according to a letter from Attorney General Eric Holder obtained by The Associated Press. The government had until Monday to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review an appeals court decision upholding a ruling that the requirement violated First Amendment free speech protections.

Benefits, health risks of electronic cigarettes are debated

Tyson Nuss inhaled his first e-cigarette about two years ago, hoping to kick a 20-year tobacco habit.
After he switched to the nicotine-delivery device, the 41-year-old Tucson resident tried smoking a conventional tobacco cigarette. He snuffed it out halfway through and says he hasn’t used tobacco since.
Now, he persuades other smokers to switch and recommends the brands and equipment to use. He is convinced that e-cigarettes reduce a user’s exposure to tobacco’s well-documented health risks, from lung cancer to cardiovascular disease.

Where to Get Cheap Cigarettes

Nowadays, you are able to buy cigarettes online like purchasing other varying products. Besides, it is more interesting, and it is possible to purchase cheap cigarettes utilizing the web. It is also possible to come across numerous online stores of that type, which provide all famous brands, including Magna and Capri. Thus you can have a magnificent possibility to buy cheap cigarettes. Well, it is possible to choose the best ones.


Important Things to Know

When you clearly buy cigarettes online, you are not going to have troubles with the unavailability of any precise brand and expensive taxes.Purchasing cheap cigarettes online you will have an amazing possibility to enjoy a wide range of discounts, as these are tax free. However, it is advised to choose a good web site. As soon as you register, it is a wise idea to give your personal information, like your name, in order to help in delivering those items. There is no need to worry about it, as those online providers are trustworthy ones, thus your personal info won't be given to other persons.

Society and parents are teaching kids to smoke

Studies done in the UK looked at the top broadcast network TV shows, most aimed at kids, over a given period of time, and found that 34 percent contained some sort of tobacco content. They were looking for actual or implied tobacco use, the presence of smoking products, and other references to smoking or tobacco. "Based on the program content and the sizable audience viewing figures for young people, this translates into 59 million instances of tobacco imagery/messaging, 16 million of actual tobacco use, and three million of tobacco brand appearances every week," say the authors of the research published online in Tobacco Control. Using smoking cessation products Evidence has mounted that show the standard smoking cessation products such as medications (Zyban), patches, gums, electronic cigarettes, and the like are just giving smokers a short break from smoking with the almost inevitable chance of coming back, often in fewer than two weeks. Classic Cigarettes.

Secondhand smoke really does cause heart attacks

Even legislation declaring only some public places off-limits to smoking reduced the rate of heart attacks by 11 percent, researchers have found. The greatest benefits were seen among women, all adults between the ages of 65 and 74, and non-smokers.

The REGICOR Study (Girona Heart Registry) was conducted in the Spanish province of Girona by researchers from IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute) in Barcelona, the Josep Trueta Hospital, the Blanes Hospital and IDIAP Jordi Gol in Girona (Primary Healthcare Research Institute).

Coronary heart disease is the number one killer in the world, and was responsible for 9.2 percent of all deaths in Spain in 2011. More than 50,000 people were hospitalized in that year for heart attacks (acute myocardial infarctions) alone. Researchers estimate that 20 percent of all heart disease in European countries is caused by tobacco smoke. Buy cigarettes.

"Smoking and second-hand smoke are major and preventable public health hazards and risk factors for coronary heart disease, the single most common cause of death and morbidity worldwide," the researchers wrote.

Does the U.S. Military policy encourage smoking cigarettes?

Statistics show that many of the tobacco users in the military DID NOT SMOKE before they entered the service. Over 40 percent surveyed said cigarettes are available at installations. This costs the Dept. of Defense about 1.6 BILLION DOLLARS per year for extra medical care, hospitalization and lost days of work.

Dragging "once in a while" smokers into the "pack-a-day misery" is big business. Do you think Big Tobacco cares if you're in the military or not? Do you think Big Tobacco cares if you're 17 years old or 50? Do you think Marlboro, Camel, Winston and Merit care if you're serving in the Middle East and you can't quit smoking cigarettes? They're too busy making money, not saving lives. Big Tobacco has been engaged in unethical marketing for decades. Joe Camel was marketed at kids. Doctors used to recommend Camel cigarettes in 1930s advertisements.

Teen smoking: 10 ways to keep teens smoke-free

Teen smoking might begin innocently, but it can become a long-term problem. In fact, most adult smokers begin smoking as teenagers. Your best bet? Help your teen avoid taking that first puff. Follow these tips to help prevent teen smoking. 1. Set a good example Teen smoking is more common among teens whose parents smoke. If you don't smoke, keep it up. If you do smoke, quit — now. The earlier you stop smoking, the less likely your teen is to become a smoker. Ask your doctor about ways to stop smoking. In the meantime, don't smoke in the house, in the car or in front of your teen, and don't leave cigarettes where your teen might find them. Explain to your teen how unhappy you are with your smoking, how difficult it is to quit and that you'll keep trying until you stop smoking for good.


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Quit smoking: Proven strategies to help you quit

Put it on paper Consider what you don't like about smoking and why you want to quit smoking. Are you worried about health consequences, such as lung cancer and heart disease? Do you want to feel better? Set a good example for your kids? Rid yourself of that lingering smoke smell on your hair, skin and clothes? Write it all down and carry the list with you.

Each time you pick up a cigarette or have the urge to, read your list and remind yourself why you want to quit smoking. Enlist support


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What is a Cigarette Card?

A cigarette card is a small piece of card originally designed to protect cigarettes which were in paper packaging. Manufacturers later came up with the idea of printing promotional messages on the cards. Eventually they produced ranges of designs allowing collectors to try to put together a full set. The first cigarette card to carry a promotional message was launched by American firm Allen & Ginter in 1886. The idea soon crossed the Atlantic to Great Britain two years later. The idea of collectable sets followed in the 1890s and was popular for most of the following 50 years. The cigarette card became less popular after the Second World War when production was slowed or even banned to save on resources. The few sets produced during both World Wars are now highly valued by collectors. The hobby of collecting cigarette cards is known as cartophily. The hobby has changed over the years as new card sets are much rarer today than in years past. Instead of buying cigarettes to get new cards, collectors are more likely to hunt down old cards. As these are rarer, collectors will pay high sums, particularly to complete a series.

Child asthma admissions fall after smoking ban

The number of children admitted to hospital with symptoms of asthma has fallen since the ban on smoking in enclosed public places came into effect, a study has found. Research shows there was a 12.3% fall in admissions in the first year after the law was introduced in July 2007, and these have continued to drop in subsequent years, suggesting that any benefits of the legislation have been sustained. NHS statistics analysed by researchers at Imperial College London showed the decline was equivalent to 6,802 fewer hospital admissions in the first three years of the law coming into effect. The findings have been published in the journal Pediatrics. Asthma affects one in 11 children in the UK. Before the ban was implemented, hospital admissions for children suffering a severe asthma attack were increasing by 2.2% a year, peaking at 26,969 admissions in 2006-07. The findings show the trend reversed immediately after the law came into effect, with lower admission rates among boys and girls of all ages, in both wealthy and poor neighbourhoods and in cities and rural areas. Previous studies have shown that hospital admissions for childhood asthma fell after smoke-free legislation was introduced in Scotland and North America. The smoking ban in England has also been found to have reduced the rate of heart attacks.

BBC forced to axe Casualty storyline due to Welsh anti-smoking laws

The BBC was forced to axe a storyline in Casualty about the dangers of smoking because of Wales's stringent anti-smoking laws. BBC1's long-running hospital drama was planning a storyline in which a smoker inadvertently caused a fire in a hotel. But Welsh law bans smoking in enclosed public places and in the workplace, which includes – unlike England – actors lighting up on set. Clare Hudson, head of productions at BBC Wales, told the Welsh national assembly on Tuesday that the smoking ban could cost its economy up to £20m a year in lost work. "We had one storyline in Casualty warning about the dangers of smoking and how it caused a fire in a hotel," said Hudson. "But we could not go ahead with it because of the current legislation. "And scenes in [the revamped] Upstairs, Downstairs were difficult to work around because we had to shoot them outside of Wales. "Our drama in Wales has been growing very steadily over the past few years. We don't want to see that growth capped on the basis of the current legislation. "Without the additional burden of this regulation we would become more successful. It would be part of a fantastic set of incentives to attract dramas here."

Top Hollywood - Smoking Actresses

A snapshot of Madhur Bhandarkar's much-hyped upcoming film Heroine that shows Kareena Kapoor smoking and drinking has aroused curiosity among citizens ever since it was released by the filmmaker on Twitter recently. The photograph showed that Kareena gearing up for a scene that obviously has her lighting up Marlboro cigs, with a glass of alcohol in one hand, even as a crew member readies to sound the clapboard. This is the second time in the recent past that a top Hollywood actress will be seen puffing away on screen. While the Union health ministry has banned the depiction of tobacco use in films and on TV unless there is 'strong editorial justification', Vidya Balan was seen smoking and drinking freely in her National Award-winning role of the eighties siren Silk in The Dirty Picture.

Efforts to curb teen smoking in full swing

As reported by the Lutterworth Mail, a school in the Harborough district in Leicestershire is offering smoking cessation help to its students. The school authorities are offering smoking cessation advice and are also providing quit smoking aids like nicotine patches to its students, the weekly newspaper notes, adding that while the focus is mostly on teen smokers, the authorities at Robert Smyth Academy are not discriminating amongst pupils of different ages.

Smoking cannabis puts drivers in the danger seat

Drivers who smoke cannabis three hours before driving are twice as likely to cause a car crash as those not under the influence of alcohol or drugs, unveils a Canadian study. Research team from Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada, which reviewed nine studies of more than 49,000 people involved in accidents on public roads, found that drivers who had consumed marijuana within three hours of driving were twice as likely to cause a fatal collision. The study also found that the risk of collision was higher if the driver was aged below 35, but failed to find how much of cannabis is needed to worsen the risk of a crash. The research published in the British Medical Journal has raised the concern about the influence of drugs on road safety, as the illicit substance is used by millions of Britons aged between 16 and 24 years.

Smokeless Cigarettes – Skippy Says They’re Safer to Smoke

For the legions of cigarette smokers who can't seem to quit, the arrival of e-cigarettes has been a godsend. While most of those who smoke realize the health implications of lighting up, traditional cigarettes are extremely addictive. For those who buy smokeless cigarettes from a reputable e-cigarette store smoking has become safer and much less of a hazard.

For the legions of cigarette smokers who can't seem to quit, the arrival of e-cigarettes have been a godsend. While most of those who smoke realize the health implications of lighting up, traditional cigarettes are extremely addictive. For those who buy smokeless cigarettes from a reputable e-cigarette store smoking has become safer and much less of a hazard.