Smoking


Light Saber

Tobacco companies take New York City to court over false claims

Image
© Savulich for NewsFascist scare tactics: NYC's lies are being challenged in court
Tobacco companies have taken the city of New York to court in reaction to anti-smoking signs that illustrate the various health hazards of smoking.

The New York Health Department developed three different signs that show the harmful effects of smoking on the body last December, requiring all cigarette sellers in the city to display at least one warning sign at the cash register or next to the cigarettes.

The lawsuit claims that by forcing the signs, which bear messages such as "smoking causes tooth decay," on vendors, the city is violating their rights.

"The government may not force private parties to carry messages beyond purely uncontroversial factual statements that are designed to prevent consumer deception," said the lawsuit cited by Reuters.

"The signs ... do not describe the risks of smoking in purely factual terms. Instead, the signs force tobacco manufacturers and retailers to communicate vivid images at the point of sale," the suit said.

Bulb

Warning: Nicotine Seriously Improves Health

Image
Remember people, it's just another plant! They're the ones making a big deal out of it where none exists
Nicotine could soon be rehabilitated as a treatment for schizophrenia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, as well as hyperactivity disorders.

Research shows that the chemical that has addicted millions to smoking has a powerful impact on brain activity in patients who suffer from psychiatric and degenerative disorders.

Some experiments have shown that nicotine can slow down the onset of Parkinson's symptoms; others have had revealed its power in curtailing the hallucinations of schizophrenics.

'A whole range of psychiatric conditions seem to be helped by nicotine,' said Dr Dan McGehee, a neurobiologist at the University of Chicago. 'However, such benefits do not justify smoking. The lethal effects of cigarettes far outweigh any help they provide. On the other hand, our research does suggest that derivatives of nicotine, administered medically, could help to alleviate a range of psychiatric problems.'

Nicotine is known to switch on receptors on the surface of cells in certain parts of the brain, causing these neurones to release the neuro-transmitter dopamine, a chemical that is associated with feelings of pleasure. This effect leads to a person's addiction.

Comment: On this paragraph:
'A whole range of psychiatric conditions seem to be helped by nicotine,' said Dr Dan McGehee, a neurobiologist at the University of Chicago. 'However, such benefits do not justify smoking. The lethal effects of cigarettes far outweigh any help they provide. On the other hand, our research does suggest that derivatives of nicotine, administered medically, could help to alleviate a range of psychiatric problems.'
The most effective and practical way to infuse nicotine into the brain is by smoking tobacco. Other commonly available methods are much less effective.

There is a BIG difference between smoking more or less pure tobacco and name brand cigarettes, specifically, the any number of over 200 chemicals that are added to name brand cigarettes that are not present in hand rolled tobacco. Is the scientific community so impotent that it cannot figure this out and at least do some studies on it?


Health

Don't Quit Smoking! Longtime Smokers Less Likely to Develop Parkinson's Disease

Medical scientists have investigated the incidence of Parkinson's disease for long-term smokers and have discovered an inverse correlation between smoking and Parkinson's disease.

"The study, released today in the journal Neurology looked at the lifetime smoking history of more than 300,000 people, and confirmed the inverse relationship between smoking and Parkinson's disease, established in earlier scientific studies. But, researchers say they've found a critical new piece to the puzzle: It appears to be the length of time one has been a smoker - not the number of cigarettes smoked - that has the most effect on disease risk reduction," reports the Paging Dr. Gupta blog.

Experts are quick to let the public know they are not advocating smoking. However, they are curious to find out what chemicals in cigarettes lower the risk of Parkinson's disease.

Arrow Up

Long-Term Smoking Protects Against Parkinson's, Study Confirms

The latest study to find a link between smoking and lowered risk of Parkinson's disease says that the protective effect appears to be related to the number of years of smoking, not how many cigarettes a smoker consumes daily, Reuters reported March 10.

Researchers studied more than 305,000 men and women over 10 years and found that the more years the subjects smoked, the lower their risk of developing Parkinson's disease. Those who smoked at least a pack a day for less than 10 years reduced their risk by 4 percent, for example, but those who smoked 10-19 years had a 22-percent lower risk, and risk was reduced 41 percent among those who smoked for 30 years or more.

Magnify

Study: Nicotine Takes Time to Accumulate in Brain

A new study shows that nicotine builds up in the brain over the course of smoking a whole cigarette.

Researchers at Duke University Medical Center put to rest the idea that each puff on a cigarette causes a spike of nicotine to the brain.

In fact, it takes a while for the nicotine to reach its peak effect.

The researchers used a PET scan on 13 addicted smokers and ten non-addicted smokers to see which parts of the brain lit up and when.

The addicts took longer to get all the nicotine up to their brains, which surprised researchers.

Comment: See other articles on nicotine and its beneficial effects:

Warning: Nicotine Seriously Improves Health

Nicotine Activates More than Just the Brain's Pleasure Pathways

Nicotine Benefits

Brain Cells Work Differently than Previously Thought: Nicotine Helps to Spark Creativity

Nicotine Lessens Symptoms Of Depression In Nonsmokers


Health

Are the new FSC fire-safe cigarettes making smokers sicker than ever?

Image
After lighting up are you experiencing more headaches, stomach cramps or a coppery taste in your mouth? Does your new FSC (fire-safe cigarette) taste bad, cause dry mouth and are you coughing more?

New York State was one of the first states to require that cigarettes be made with the new fire-safe paper. This paper is constructed by gluing two or three thin bands of less-porous paper together with an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer emulsion based adhesive (carpet glue).

These papers have bands (see image) that act as speed bumps, so if the cigarette is left unattended it will self-extinguish. The coalitions that passed these laws believe that these cigarettes would limit the number of cigarette fire deaths.

Though this law was passed in 2004, the number of deaths caused by fires from cigarettes hasn't been greatly reduced, but complaints from smokers all over the U.S have multiplied.

Read more at Examiner.com

Propaganda

American study claims third-hand smoke bad for you

Old tobacco smoke does more than simply make a room smell stale -- it can leave cancer-causing toxins behind, U.S. researchers reported on Monday.

They found cancer-causing agents called tobacco-specific nitrosamines stick to a variety of surfaces, where they can get into dust or be picked up on the fingers. Children and infants are the most likely to pick them up, the team at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California reported.

"These findings raise concerns about exposures to the tobacco smoke residue that has been recently dubbed 'third-hand smoke'," the researchers wrote in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, available here.

They suggested a good clean-up could help remove these potentially harmful chemicals and said their findings suggest other airborne toxins may also be found on surfaces.

Comment: The relentless push to eradicate smoking takes another ridiculous turn. It's as if they were afraid of smokers... now why might that be?

Let's all light up!


Laptop

Does Second-Hand Smoke Really Void Apple's Warranty?

Apple Logo
© Unknown
Now, I am as much against smoking as anyone. I also do not want workers needlessly exposed to hazardous substances. Still, for Apple to deny warranty claims on Macs exposed to cigarette smoke seems way over the line.

Yet, that is what The Consumerist says Apple has done on at least two occasions in recent months.

Apple is apparently telling at least some customers that the amount of cigarette smoke residue inside their computers makes it unsafe for the company to perform warranty service on them, despite the lack of such a clause in the company's warranty agreement.

Attention

Lawsuits Claim Harm From Pfizer Quit-Smoking Drug

Lawsuits claim Chantix led to attempted suicide, death

New York - Three personal injury lawsuits were filed against Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) on Thursday, claiming its smoking cessation drug Chantix caused attempted suicides and death.

The lawsuits, filed in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan, claim that at the time the plaintiffs took Chantix, Pfizer did not tell doctors and patients about dangers it allegedly knew were related to the drug, including depression and thoughts of suicide.

Although Pfizer subsequently added warnings to its package insert, the law firm that filed all three lawsuits alleged the drug's label is still inadequate.

Bizarro Earth

Smoking ban goes into effect in Dubai

The national public smoking ban officially goes into effect today, but it remains unclear how it will be accepted as long as smoking is allowed to continue in some cafes, restaurants and other places.

Most provisions of the federal tobacco ban will take effect after the publication today of the law's articles in major newspapers, officials at the Ministry of Health said.

But cafes and restaurants located in residential buildings and areas, which either allow smoking, serve shisha pipes or both, will have a grace period of two years to relocate their businesses or prohibit smoking.

For non-residential restaurants, hotels, cafes, shopping malls and other enclosed public spaces, designated smoking areas will be allowed.

"But they must adhere to specifications that will be outlined in the law's appendix that we are currently drafting," said Dr Salem al Darmaki, the acting director general at the Ministry of Health.

Comment: Let's All Light Up!