The effort to battle smoking in the United States began in earnest 50
years ago this past Saturday, when Surgeon General Luther Terry said
that smoking was dangerous and urged action.
Today, the war against this leading
preventable cause of death is far from over, but it has been largely
successful, and that triumph offers important lessons about the power of
government, science and persistent advocacy.
It's hard to imagine today, but in
1964 smoking was acceptable practically everywhere, from hospitals to
airplanes to children's nurseries. About 42 percent of American adults
smoked, and there were few meaningful restrictions on the ability of
minors to buy tobacco. Athletes smoked. Doctors smoked. Many who didn't
partake likely declined out of personal preference, rather than medical
fear.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Monday, December 16, 2013
Why Is Smoking Bad For You?
Smoking is responsible for several diseases, such as cancer, long-term (chronic) respiratory diseases, and heart disease,
as well as premature death. Over 440,000 people in the USA and 100,000
in the UK die because of smoking each year. According the US CDC
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), $92 billion are lost each
year from lost productivity resulting from smoking-related deaths.
Of the more than 2.4 million deaths in the USA annually, over 440,000 are caused by smoking.
Smoking is the largest cause of preventable death in the world. Recent studies have found that smokers can undermine the health of non-smokers in some environments.
In an article published online in Medical News Today on 30 May 2013, we presented data demonstrating that, on average, smokers die ten years sooner than non-smokers.Pall Mall cigarettes.
Smoking also raises the risk of cancer recurrences (the cancer coming back).
Of the more than 2.4 million deaths in the USA annually, over 440,000 are caused by smoking.
Smoking is the largest cause of preventable death in the world. Recent studies have found that smokers can undermine the health of non-smokers in some environments.
In an article published online in Medical News Today on 30 May 2013, we presented data demonstrating that, on average, smokers die ten years sooner than non-smokers.Pall Mall cigarettes.
Smoking causes cancer
90% of lung cancer patients developed their disease because of smoking. Lung cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer deaths in the world. Smokers also have a significantly higher risk of developing:- Bladder cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Cancers of the pharynx and larynx (throat cancer)
- Mouth cancer
- Esophagus cancer
- Cancer of the pancreas
- Stomach cancer
- Some types of leukemia
- Cancer of the nose and sinuses
- Cervical cancer
- Bowel cancer
- Ovarian cancer
- In some cases, also breast cancer
Smoking also raises the risk of cancer recurrences (the cancer coming back).
Why does smoking raise cancer risk?
Scientists say there are over 4,000 compounds in cigarette smoke. A sizeable number of them are toxic - they are bad for us and damage our cells. Some of them cause cancer - they are carcinogenic.New store aims to decrease smoking, increase downtown traffic in Kilgore
Some people blow smoke, others blow vapor.
The vaping trend will make its way to downtown Kilgore soon with Wakie Taylor and husband Bandy Clinton’s new store, Innovapetions.
The term “vaping” is likely new to many in Taylor and Clinton’s native Kilgore, but it gives smokers an alternative to traditional cigarette smoking.
Although it will be a store to sell the personal vaporizers and accessories, the main goal for Taylor and Clinton is to spread awareness and educate people about vaping as an alternative to smoking.
“The products we sell are just a bonus to us,” she said. “The biggest benefit is just you’re saving lives.”
The action of smoking is there, but the only similarity to smoking is the nicotine.The cost of vaping is less than smoking, especially for people who might currently smoke multiple packs a week, Taylor said.
“Compared to smoking cigarettes, you’re going to save money for sure,” she said.
Before she quit after 17 years of smoking, Taylor said she was
smoking one pack a day, and spending nearly $200 per month. With the
vaporizer, Taylor said a starter kit will probably start at about $30 –
for the vaporizer, a small e-liquid mixture, a battery and a charger –
and it can go up from there.
Not only is vaping less expensive over time than regular cigarettes, but the vaporizers also contain four ingredients instead of the hundreds of chemicals in regular cigarettes, she says.
The four ingredients are combined to create an e-liquid used in the personal vaporizers. The liquid has a foodgrade base of either propylene glycol (PG) or vegetable glycerin (VG), which can be found in many personal care items. Some people are allergic to PG, though, so they can have a base made completely of VG, creating a similar base but without the allergen.
The base is then combined with three ingredients – nicotine, water and flavoring.
Some people will eventually find themselves ‘vaping’ with a mixture devoid of nicotine. These are usually people who were light smokers before becoming vapers or who have stepped down their nicotine intake to to a point at which they no longer need it. The vaporizers are not cessation devices, though, Taylor said.
She emphasized, though, that she was not encouraging non-smokers to try vaping for fun. They are promoting vaping as an alternative to smoking for people who are currently smokers.
With many different flavors to choose from, Taylor said she will blend the liquids in the store, so it will be whatever the customer needs. Rothmans cigarettes.
“You’re getting flavor plus the smell,” Clinton said. More cigarettes.
Taylor wants Innovapetions to be the go-to place for people looking to start vaping in Kilgore. The service and advice she and Clinton got at different vape stores when they first started was good, and she wants to continue that through their education on vaping, she said. It can be a little complicated at first, Taylor said.
“I will be here to help them understand how to use [their] equipment and how to use [their] e-liquid,” she said.
A lot of the learning is a hands-on process, Clinton said.
Taylor started vaping about a month ago, and she said she tried one of the tobacco company’s e-cigarettes. It did not have enough nicotine to curb her cigarette craving.
It is the customization and control Taylor has with her personal vaporizer that she likes best. She can choose the nicotine level in her vaporizer as well as the flavor.
The e-cigarettes from the major tobacco companies do not have the customization
The flavors will vary, but she does not know what flavors they will be offering yet.
“Everything is completely customizable,” Clinton said.
Taylor and Clinton have gotten positive feedback from the surrounding businesses and community, Taylor said.
Taylor plans to sell starter kits, “mods, and everything in between.”
At first, Taylor said she will put up a curtain to divide the room in half with only the front half open to the public. After they see the response, Taylor said she hopes to open the back half as a sitting and lounge area with Wi-Fi and a self-serve coffee bar.
“I’m hoping to get a lot of the college kids to come down here and stop smoking and switch to the alternative,” she said.
Although there are no regulations yet on who can buy personal vaporizers, Taylor said she decided her store would not sell vaporizers izers to anyone under 18 years old. And just like when trying to buy cigarettes, customers will have to present an I.D. to prove they are old enough to purchase a vaporizer.
“I don’t want a kid coming in here, buying them just because they’re cool, and then getting hooked on nicotine,” she said.
Taylor is working on purchasing inventory and will be setting up a website and Facebook for Innovapetions. In addition to an online presence, Clinton said he hopes news about the store’s opening will spread through word of mouth.
Clinton, a native of Kilgore, said he would love to see downtown grow, and said it would be great if Innovapetions tions could help the area grow.
“We want to have that warm, inviting, comforting feel when you come in,” Taylor said.
The vaping trend will make its way to downtown Kilgore soon with Wakie Taylor and husband Bandy Clinton’s new store, Innovapetions.
The term “vaping” is likely new to many in Taylor and Clinton’s native Kilgore, but it gives smokers an alternative to traditional cigarette smoking.
Although it will be a store to sell the personal vaporizers and accessories, the main goal for Taylor and Clinton is to spread awareness and educate people about vaping as an alternative to smoking.
“The products we sell are just a bonus to us,” she said. “The biggest benefit is just you’re saving lives.”
The action of smoking is there, but the only similarity to smoking is the nicotine.The cost of vaping is less than smoking, especially for people who might currently smoke multiple packs a week, Taylor said.
“Compared to smoking cigarettes, you’re going to save money for sure,” she said.
Not only is vaping less expensive over time than regular cigarettes, but the vaporizers also contain four ingredients instead of the hundreds of chemicals in regular cigarettes, she says.
The four ingredients are combined to create an e-liquid used in the personal vaporizers. The liquid has a foodgrade base of either propylene glycol (PG) or vegetable glycerin (VG), which can be found in many personal care items. Some people are allergic to PG, though, so they can have a base made completely of VG, creating a similar base but without the allergen.
The base is then combined with three ingredients – nicotine, water and flavoring.
Some people will eventually find themselves ‘vaping’ with a mixture devoid of nicotine. These are usually people who were light smokers before becoming vapers or who have stepped down their nicotine intake to to a point at which they no longer need it. The vaporizers are not cessation devices, though, Taylor said.
She emphasized, though, that she was not encouraging non-smokers to try vaping for fun. They are promoting vaping as an alternative to smoking for people who are currently smokers.
With many different flavors to choose from, Taylor said she will blend the liquids in the store, so it will be whatever the customer needs. Rothmans cigarettes.
“You’re getting flavor plus the smell,” Clinton said. More cigarettes.
Taylor wants Innovapetions to be the go-to place for people looking to start vaping in Kilgore. The service and advice she and Clinton got at different vape stores when they first started was good, and she wants to continue that through their education on vaping, she said. It can be a little complicated at first, Taylor said.
“I will be here to help them understand how to use [their] equipment and how to use [their] e-liquid,” she said.
A lot of the learning is a hands-on process, Clinton said.
Taylor started vaping about a month ago, and she said she tried one of the tobacco company’s e-cigarettes. It did not have enough nicotine to curb her cigarette craving.
It is the customization and control Taylor has with her personal vaporizer that she likes best. She can choose the nicotine level in her vaporizer as well as the flavor.
The e-cigarettes from the major tobacco companies do not have the customization
The flavors will vary, but she does not know what flavors they will be offering yet.
“Everything is completely customizable,” Clinton said.
Taylor and Clinton have gotten positive feedback from the surrounding businesses and community, Taylor said.
Taylor plans to sell starter kits, “mods, and everything in between.”
At first, Taylor said she will put up a curtain to divide the room in half with only the front half open to the public. After they see the response, Taylor said she hopes to open the back half as a sitting and lounge area with Wi-Fi and a self-serve coffee bar.
“I’m hoping to get a lot of the college kids to come down here and stop smoking and switch to the alternative,” she said.
Although there are no regulations yet on who can buy personal vaporizers, Taylor said she decided her store would not sell vaporizers izers to anyone under 18 years old. And just like when trying to buy cigarettes, customers will have to present an I.D. to prove they are old enough to purchase a vaporizer.
“I don’t want a kid coming in here, buying them just because they’re cool, and then getting hooked on nicotine,” she said.
Taylor is working on purchasing inventory and will be setting up a website and Facebook for Innovapetions. In addition to an online presence, Clinton said he hopes news about the store’s opening will spread through word of mouth.
Clinton, a native of Kilgore, said he would love to see downtown grow, and said it would be great if Innovapetions tions could help the area grow.
“We want to have that warm, inviting, comforting feel when you come in,” Taylor said.
Friday, November 29, 2013
Kennesaw proposal would ban smoking in most public places
Kennesaw could join a growing list of Georgia cities that have banned smoking nearly everywhere except private residences.
Last week, City Councilmember Dr. Cris Welsh introduced an ordinance that would ban smoking tobacco and e-cigarettes in public places.
"What we want to do is talk to our business owners, talk to our citizens and just begin the conversation -- see if this is something they would like to follow in the footsteps of Savannah, DeKalb County and other municipalities around us who have created a smoke-free environment for their citizens," said Welsh.
Unlike state law, Dr. Welsh's ordinance would ban smoking in bars, restaurants, public parks and all privately owned, indoor workplaces. The ban even includes e-cigarettes.
Dixie's Vapor Shop owner David Owens says no studies have proven that what comes out of an e-cigarette or vaporizer is harmful.
"It's a bi-product of the vegetable glycerin, which is basically a water vapor that you exhale, and very, very little of the nicotine is exhaled because most of it -- because it's vaporized -- is absorbed immediately into your system," said Owens.
Smokers think banning tobacco nearly everywhere except their homes is a violation of their rights as adults.
"I believe much in tobacco, so I am very against this movement of people trying to ban smoking at public facilities," said John Fitzrobert Webb.
The proposal would severely limit the places smokers could light up.
"The places that we would be looking at are public parks, public buildings -- anywhere that children would be," Welsh said.
According to Welsh, Kennesaw says a vote on the draft ordinance won't come anytime soon. Last week was just initial presentation of the proposed smoking ban.
Last week, City Councilmember Dr. Cris Welsh introduced an ordinance that would ban smoking tobacco and e-cigarettes in public places.
"What we want to do is talk to our business owners, talk to our citizens and just begin the conversation -- see if this is something they would like to follow in the footsteps of Savannah, DeKalb County and other municipalities around us who have created a smoke-free environment for their citizens," said Welsh.
Unlike state law, Dr. Welsh's ordinance would ban smoking in bars, restaurants, public parks and all privately owned, indoor workplaces. The ban even includes e-cigarettes.
Dixie's Vapor Shop owner David Owens says no studies have proven that what comes out of an e-cigarette or vaporizer is harmful.
"It's a bi-product of the vegetable glycerin, which is basically a water vapor that you exhale, and very, very little of the nicotine is exhaled because most of it -- because it's vaporized -- is absorbed immediately into your system," said Owens.
Smokers think banning tobacco nearly everywhere except their homes is a violation of their rights as adults.
"I believe much in tobacco, so I am very against this movement of people trying to ban smoking at public facilities," said John Fitzrobert Webb.
The proposal would severely limit the places smokers could light up.
"The places that we would be looking at are public parks, public buildings -- anywhere that children would be," Welsh said.
According to Welsh, Kennesaw says a vote on the draft ordinance won't come anytime soon. Last week was just initial presentation of the proposed smoking ban.
Nicolites Respond to Smoking Rates in Wales
Leading electronic cigarette provider, Nicolites, has responded to the
release of figures which suggest that if smoking rates in Wales do not
decrease by 7%, smoking related illnesses could cost the NHS millions of
pounds.
As reported by Wales Online, it is thought that 23% of people in Wales smoke, and so it has been suggested that further action needs to be taken to meet the target of reducing rates of smoking to 16% within the next seven years.
The Welsh Government has outlined that, by 2020, it wishes to reduce rates of smoking by 7%. As the number of people who have stopped smoking has reduced by only 1% since the implementation of the smoking ban in 2007, it has been suggested that this target may be missed. Smoking related illnesses currently cost the NHS in Wales approximately £1 million each day, and not meeting targets could increase this figure.
Dr Ruth Hussey, Chief Medical Officer, spoke to Wales Online about introducing a public health bill which would focus on helping to improve people’s lifestyles and reduce smoking rates. She also spoke of campaigns to help people stop smoking, adding that:
“It’s something that needs continued attention and multiple ways in which we raise awareness of the harms smoking causes. Research has shown that a lot of smokers – around 70% – are ready to quit, so it’s finding the methods that help people to say ‘now is the moment for me to do this’”.
The recent concerns over meeting smoking targets in Wales come after the approaching Stoptober campaign, which encourages smokers to give up smoking for 28 days throughout October.
As a leading electronic cigarettes provider, Nicolites closely follow industry news. Offering an alternative for those looking to quit smoking, a representative for the company offered their comments:
“With initiatives and legislation proposed in order to help reduce the number of people who smoke, many smokers are looking to quit the habit. Electronic cigarettes offer an alternative for those who feel they are unable to give up smoking completely, and have also been suggested to help people quit smoking. Nicolites’ e cigarettes are similar in appearance to traditional cigarettes which help to satisfy tactile and oral cravings. Containing a measured dose of nicotine, these products also help to satisfy nicotine cravings.”
Nicolites is now the leading and most widely available brand of electric cigarette in the UK; they have formed business partnerships with many of the largest retailers to bring these wonderful innovations right on to the doorstep of every person in the country. Established in late 2007, Nicolites has grown into a multi-million pound company with international distribution networks and continues to grow at a phenomenal rate. Available at competitive prices, you can buy Nicolites online today.
As reported by Wales Online, it is thought that 23% of people in Wales smoke, and so it has been suggested that further action needs to be taken to meet the target of reducing rates of smoking to 16% within the next seven years.
The Welsh Government has outlined that, by 2020, it wishes to reduce rates of smoking by 7%. As the number of people who have stopped smoking has reduced by only 1% since the implementation of the smoking ban in 2007, it has been suggested that this target may be missed. Smoking related illnesses currently cost the NHS in Wales approximately £1 million each day, and not meeting targets could increase this figure.
Dr Ruth Hussey, Chief Medical Officer, spoke to Wales Online about introducing a public health bill which would focus on helping to improve people’s lifestyles and reduce smoking rates. She also spoke of campaigns to help people stop smoking, adding that:
“It’s something that needs continued attention and multiple ways in which we raise awareness of the harms smoking causes. Research has shown that a lot of smokers – around 70% – are ready to quit, so it’s finding the methods that help people to say ‘now is the moment for me to do this’”.
The recent concerns over meeting smoking targets in Wales come after the approaching Stoptober campaign, which encourages smokers to give up smoking for 28 days throughout October.
As a leading electronic cigarettes provider, Nicolites closely follow industry news. Offering an alternative for those looking to quit smoking, a representative for the company offered their comments:
“With initiatives and legislation proposed in order to help reduce the number of people who smoke, many smokers are looking to quit the habit. Electronic cigarettes offer an alternative for those who feel they are unable to give up smoking completely, and have also been suggested to help people quit smoking. Nicolites’ e cigarettes are similar in appearance to traditional cigarettes which help to satisfy tactile and oral cravings. Containing a measured dose of nicotine, these products also help to satisfy nicotine cravings.”
Nicolites is now the leading and most widely available brand of electric cigarette in the UK; they have formed business partnerships with many of the largest retailers to bring these wonderful innovations right on to the doorstep of every person in the country. Established in late 2007, Nicolites has grown into a multi-million pound company with international distribution networks and continues to grow at a phenomenal rate. Available at competitive prices, you can buy Nicolites online today.
Monday, November 25, 2013
New shop offers smoking alternative
Soon-to-be Arkansas City resident Cindi Campbell visited Juicy's Vapor Lounge early Monday afternoon to introduce herself to the new shop's owner.
"I'm so glad you're here," said Campbell, of Sand Springs, Okla. "I'm moving here next week and thought I'd have to stock up (on e-cigarette products) down there."
She addressed Juicy's
Vapor Lounge LLC co-owner and Ark City store manager Michael Yeager, who
opened the local shop about a month ago in a strip mall in the 1000
block of North Summit Street, next to Ionic Salon.
Campbell said she no
longer has to worry about stocking up on e-cigarettes since she
discovered Juicy's as she was driving down Summit Street on Monday.
E-cigarettes appear to be receiving a lot of attention in Ark City, as they have been throughout the country in recent years. Cigaronne cigarettes.
The devices — referred to
by Yeager as e-juice vaporizers — are shifting from being a fad to
being a mainstream way to kick the smoking habit, The Winston-Salem
Journal reported earlier this year.
They deliver smaller amounts of nicotine than cigarettes, along with vaporized juices that can be purchased in various flavors.
And the e-cigarettes
don't contain many other harsh chemical ingredients, in addition to
nicotine, that are in cigarettes, Yeager said.
"Chemical-wise,
cigarettes have over 4,000 chemicals, but the ingredients (delivered in)
our inhalers are propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, food flavoring
and nicotine," he said.
"We mix our juices with from zero milligrams of nicotine to 6, 12, 18 or 24 milligrams of nicotine."
Sales of e-cigarettes are
expected to surpass $1 billion this year and analysts at Wells Fargo
predict sales will top $10 billion in five years, according to The Daily
Ticker, the finance blog of Yahoo.com, in a posting last week.
The battery-operated
devices are atomizers consisting of a base; tiny heating coil wrapped
around wicks that soak up e-juice, then vaporize it; metal ring; glass
tube; seal ring; and clip tip used as a mouthpiece when "vaping."
Users of e-cigarettes do not refer to themselves as smokers, as a slogan in the new Ark City shop indicates:
"Stop smoking, start vaping."
Juicy's co-owners Yeager,
of Lamont, Okla., and Zac Kirby, of Stillwater, Okla., decided recently
to be a part of the growing e-cigarette market.
"It's a humongous industry just now starting to set in," Yeager said.
In July, the two men started the first of seven shops in Kansas and Oklahoma, Yeager said.
In Oklahoma, stores have
been opened in several cities, including Clinton, Enid, Ponca City (two
shops), Stillwater and Weatherford.
The Juicy's in Ark City is the most recent to open and is their only Kansas store, he said.
Yeager and his assistant manager, Kelsey Keyworth, have been busy since the shop opened.
They have waited on many
customers and potential customers — recent non-smokers, usually — by
answering questions about the technology of e-cigarettes.
They also sell product components including "tanks" — small tubes — of juices mixed with nicotine, batteries, coils and wicks.
The Ark City shop has a comfortable seating area with a TV across the room from the shop's sales counter and product shelves.
On a low table, surrounded by chairs and couches, are dozens of small tanks, or tubes, of different e-juice flavors.
It is called the "tester
table" and potential customers can try out as many flavors as they want
before deciding on a purchase, Yeager said.
The shop offers 70
e-juice flavors in all, including various fruit and dessert flavors such
as blackberry, blueberry, cherry limeade, sour grape, orange cream,
apple pie, and banana pudding; a few drink flavors, including rum and
coke; and 10 cigarette flavors, including Marlboro, Cowboy Menthol and
Midnight Toke.
Yeager said he doesn't like the term e-cigarette because it implies a product that is disposable.
But the battery-operated devices offered at Juicy's can last for months, or "as long as you take care of them."
"This is probably the
best product on the market, by far, to stop smoking," said Yeager,
himself a former smoker who became sold on e-cigarettes after his
business partner gave him one to try.
"It seemed to me one of
the products that takes care of nicotine craving and the habit of
smoking or having to have something in your hand," he said.
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