Japanese Smoking Pastime Combated with Bubbles

At the height of smoking in Japan, as many as 80 percent of the men smoked. That figure is double what American's saw during the height of tobacco use. For many in Japan, smoking is more than a bad habit or an addiction, it is an integral part of their way of life, especially where conversing is concerned.

Anti-smoking activist Bungaku Watanbe stated, "It's not that Japanese love smoking so much, it's that tobacco has been a pillar of Japanese national policy." The third-largest tobacco company, Japan Tobacco, is located near Government offices. The company is majority-owned by the government and lobbying has successfully warded off most legislature aimed at banning smoking.

In Japan, it is estimated that $90 billion is spent yearly on cigarette-related health costs and damages. That figure is more than three times the annual tobacco sales in the country according to the Japan Health Economics Association. To compare, in Japan, approximately 1/3 of all men smoke where the US figures state approximately 1/4 of males use cigarettes. With lung cancer rates spiking, positive anti-smoking legislature and bans are making headway.

As are bubbles. Continue Reading

Multiple tobacco companies have released dissolvable tobacco products that look, taste, and smell like candy.

Dissolvable tobacco products are not necessarily new, as they have been around for a few years. Addressing their style, shape, flavors, and marketing brings heightened concern to some professionals amidst Big Tobacco claiming these products are an alternative to smoking in a ban-heavy world.

For tobacco maker, R. J. Reynolds and others, the introduction to dissolvable tobacco products has brought a new audience to their deadly products. Snus, Strips, Sticks, and Orbs have become a common purchase as an alternative to cigarettes. The packages are designed to resemble candy and gum alternatives, donning a tagline, "Anytime, anywhere." Which leaves some to question the intended target audience.

The advertisement on the right shows a young girl smiling behind R. J. Reynolds' Camel orbs, sticks, and strips. The age of the girl in question begs the question, "Are these products geared towards teen and young adults?" Some professionals believe so.

Dr. Leslie Kohman, the Medical Director of the Upstate Cancer Center believes the main purpose is to hook kids on nicotine, gradually increasing the content of the nicotine products used encouraging a new age of adult smokers. Continue Reading

Tobacco companies knew for over 40 years that cigarettes contained a radioactive substance, Polonium-210, a new study of historical documents revealed.

Scientists from the University of California in Los Angeles reviewed 27 documents released by tobacco companies that were not previously analyzed. The findings are shocking.

The study's lead author, Hrayr Karagueuzian said the companies' level of deception surprised him.

Tobacco companies knew of radioactive properties found in cigarettes as early as 1959. Not only were they aware of the dangers, they tested and found that snakes developed lung cancer as a result of exposure to Polonium-210. Continue Reading

Were Cigarettes to Blame?

Smoking is addictive and it kills. The chemicals entering the body cause a host of issues including COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and multiple types of cancers. The effects of smoking were the center focus of a lawsuit against R. J. Reynolds, tobacco maker of Camel cigarettes.

Reinaldo Ojeda, son of Juan Ojeda, brought forth a lawsuit claiming that tobacco company, R. J. Reynolds' product was to blame for his father's premature death. Juan smoked two packs of Camel cigarettes per day. In 1991, Juan had breathing difficulties and was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In 1996, Juan was diagnosed with lung cancer and died a few months later. Continue Reading

A small town actor and producer, Shafique Sheikh, in Malegaon, Maharashtra, India died at 25 due to Tongue Cancer from Smokeless Tobacco.

"Ye Hai Malegaon Ka Superman," translated to This is Malegaon Superman, Sheikh plays a spoof version of Superman who fights against an evil "gutkha king" who attempts to flood a town with a highly addictive chewing tobacco. While Superman fought against smokeless tobacco in the movie, Sheikh battled a soon-to-end fight against cancer caused by the same villain.

Sheikh began chewing tobacco at the age of eight, consuming between 30 and 40 packs per day until the age of 18 when he was diagnosed with oral submucus fibrosis. A chronic, irreversible precancerous condition effecting the jaw. In the latest stages, the condition prohibits the sufferer from Continue Reading

Grandparents have a unique relationship with grandchildren that is founded on love, support, and respect. Seldom are grandparents in a disciplinary roll, which makes communication more fluid and focused, especially important when it comes to discussing poor choices and health effects of any given activity.

Grandparents are key influencers on a child's sense of identity. The intergenerational connection between grandparent and grandchild could provide the support and encouragement for one child to decline the offer to try tobacco products down the road. Celebrate Grandparent's Day by discussing the ill effects of smoking. Continue Reading

In Sri Lanka, National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) chief Prof Carlo Fonseka noted that, "Tobacco and alcohol products are the two worst killers accounting for a majority of premature deaths and ailments across the world. In addition, this causes many social and economic sequences that impinge negatively on social-life, well-being, and economic development."

During Mr. Foneska's speech, he stated that no television programs should show any scenes that involve tobacco or alcohol use. If there are any aforementioned scenes in the program, for a full twenty seconds preceding the program, a warning as issued by NATA should be aired. Continue Reading

It is common place in America to file a law suit for just about anything. Tobacco companies are not exempt from this policy, especially when they are required to promote an anti-smoking campaign. For five tobacco companies, they have joined together and filed suit with the US Supreme Court; stating the required labels on cigarette packaging violate their first amendment right.

Freedom of speech allows The Safe Cig to maintain a blog where smoking is Continue Reading

Perusing articles this morning, I came across an opinion piece at CNN.com that was about smoking. It is written by Bob Greene, a best-selling author. In the article, Mr. Green talks about the statistics of smoking as well as the high price of cigarettes and the labels set to release next year. Continue Reading

Quitting smoking is a personal decision for every person out there. For some, the urge to quit smoking comes with seeing the devastating health risks common with cigarettes. Others quit to save money or at the seemingly unending requests of loved ones. No matter your reason for quitting smoking, preparing yourself for the journey is vital for your success.

List the reasons why you want to quit smoking and carry it with you. Having a detailed list of why you want to quit smoking at your finger tips can help stave off cravings while you work through the withdrawals. The list you create should be more than just a Continue Reading