Don't light up that grill, killer!

Image via Wikipedia According to a report from the BBC, a new study says that cranking up your backyard grill could kill you with cancer. Specifically, they say:

A study by the French environmental campaigning group Robin des Bois found that a typical two-hour barbecue can release the same level of dioxins as up to 220,000 cigarettes. Dioxins are a group of chemicals known to increase the likelihood of cancer.

That's pretty scary, isn't it? The equivalent of 220,000 cigarettes! For all of you readers who have believed that second-hand smoke is dangerous, think about the secondary meaning of the statement above. If you have trouble believing that a barbeque is dangerous, how can smoke from a few cigarettes be of any significance at all? There certainly is no location on earth that has ever had the smoke from 220,000 cigarettes.

If we're to take the report as scientific, then the danger from one cigarette's second-hand smoke must be 1/220,000th as dangerous as a single barbeque. Actually, the report doesn't say they're referring to second-hand smoke. They could be saying that all the smoke from 220,000 cigarettes is equal to one barbeque. That would be first-hand smoke, the kind I've gleefully filled my lungs with for 40-some years.

So... for all of you who are convinced that cigarette smoke causes cancer, kills tens of thousands of people every year, reduces birth weight, and all the other nonsense that has been pumped toward us... you should REALLY get up in arms about barbeques!

If cigarettes are so dangerous that they've been doubled (or more) in price with taxes, and outlawed in many places, what would be the appropriate reaction to a FAR GREATER risk?

Rest easy for a moment... the article goes on to say:

"I'm sure that just the odd barbecue during the summer is not going to have any effect. "But if you have a barbecue once or twice a week through the summer, and all crowd round it and inhale the fumes then over 10 or 20 years maybe that would do something."

Now that's more believable, isn't it? Nevertheless, the author recommends putting warnings on grills.

People have been barbequing for a long time, and some people do it almost daily. Barbeques have become standard operating procedure for home get-togethers, and are in the news frequently as the Presidential candidates travel around campaigning... at barbeques. John Kerry recently held a big barbeque at his home (well... his wife's home).

Unfortunately for you barbeque fans, the fumes aren't the only danger you're facing. The "carbonizing" result of barbequing (that dark crustiness that's the main appeal of barbequed food) possibly causes cancer too.

If we were to take this report seriously (and I doubt that you will), we'd be justified in taking the following actions:

Banning TV advertising of grills, briquets, barbeque tools, barbeque sauces, etc., so that our children don't get corrupted into thinking that such things are OK.

Bringing class action lawsuits against the manufacturers of all those products (especially Kingsford Charcoal) since they must have (or should have) known that they were pushing cancerous products off on an unsuspecting public. Undoubtedly a major charcoal "settlement" should be forthcoming, with huge payments extracted from the violators, with the proceeds to be distributed to offset the additional medical costs from all those extra cancer cases.

Restrictions on barbequing in locations where the fumes might drift toward other people. We could certainly set distance limits like no barbequing within 1,000 feet of a school, church, or other public meeting place. Certainly, grills would have to be removed from all public parks.

To further protect our children, there must be a minimum age requirement for purchase of barbequing "paraphenalia", with serious fines for any merchant selling to minors.

Naturally, special taxes will have to applied to all barbeque-related products, to encourage the poor hapless victims of addicting crispies to QUIT their smelly, dangerous habit.

C'mon folks... it's only fair... all those things have been done, and are continuing to be done, by the anti-smoking campaigns, and it's clear how much more destructive barbeques are. If we're concerned about our health, can we do less for a danger that's WAY worse?

I hope this nonsense is really beginning to soak in. Is the lightbulb over your head starting to flicker?

The second-hand smoke issue was CREATED, from scratch, for political purposes, because nobody could make a solid case against FIRST-HAND smoke. Smokers didn't buy it, and wouldn't quit, so they invented the second-hand smoke issue to try to "guilt" smokers into quitting for the sake of "others".

All of the numbers you've heard about deaths from second-hand smoke are projections, based on faulty assumptions. Never, ever, has there been a real death attributed to second-hand smoke, and there are massive studies over many years that show NO effect from second-hand smoke.

But... so many people believed the lies that it has now become "common knowledge". If you repeat a lie enough times, it becomes the truth.

Smokers have warned for many years that the people profiting from the anti-tobacco campaigns would eventually turn their greed toward other areas. Attacks on fast food, and more, are well underway. Thousands of organizations have received funds diverted from the tobacco settlement. Thousand of attorneys have received truly gross fees from tobacco trials, and many other organizations have suckered hundreds of thousands into volunteering their time and money for "the cause".

The tactics of unscrupulous scare-mongers are gradually taking choices away from us and, frankly, taking a lot of fun out of life. Worse, they're gradually corrupting scientists with funds paid for producing the "correct" results. The result is that the public doesn't know what to believe any longer. Media will always report anything that is scary, especially if it sounds even a little bit scientific. That's how the lies get repeated.

Barbequers of the world... I doubt that you have to worry. Grilling is an American institution. Millions of men now pride themselves on their grilling, and their women are more than glad to get rid of some cooking. Having a good grill, your own set of unique grilling tools, and your own special techniques is part of the American male role now. Political shindigs are not likely to switch to serving sushi. Barbeque will likely "get a free pass", like the most destructive of our bad habits... liquor... does.

I love barbequed food, and liquor, and I also enjoy smoking cigarettes. Too bad so many of you have copped out on my favored "bad habit". Don't expect any support from me when "they" come after yours.

from:

"." 12 Sep. 2008 .

97 Reasons to Quit Smoking

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97 Reasons to Quit Smoking (Reasons 1-10)

(FOTOLIA/ISTOCKPHOTO)

1. You won't have to pay more and more and more and more each year.
Yup, taxes will almost certainly continue to go up. New Jersey, Vermont, and Connecticut are among the states leaning harder on smokers for revenue, but even some tobacco-growing states are beginning to milk the coffin-nail cash cow. Lawmakers' reasoning: There is evidence that price increases cause smokers to reduce consumption. And the medical costs of smoking are astronomical—a huge burden to the states.

2. Really, if you think cigarette prices can't go up much more, you've got Wall Street against you as well as the government.
Addiction—to oil, tobacco, etc.—is a very good thing to bank on. Many on Wall Street remain bullish about Big Tobacco's ability to jack up prices, even if sales drop because of tax increases.

3. You'll be smarter than Goofy.
"No Smoking" is a superb 1951 Disney cartoon depicting the history of tobacco use and, in modern times, Goofy's addiction and attempt to quit (there's a hilarious Mad Men-ish scene of an office full of smokers). It ends with him smoking an exploding cigar as the narrator concludes: "Give the smoker enough rope and he'll hang on to his habit."

(YOUTUBE.COM)

4. Once you quit, you'll find it more amusing that tobacco soup smells like s**t.
Or at least that's what kids at a Washington state elementary school said when Teens Against Tobacco Use visited their class recently and mixed up a concoction of cigarette ingredients.

(SMOKE-FREE.CA)

5. Smoking can cramp your style in the bedroom.
Smoking can affect circulation; with less blood flow to your genitals, arousal for both men and women can be more difficult.

6. Sever yourself from the sordid history of animal testing in smoking research.
Smoking-related cancer researchers have long used animals as test subjects, producing the famous smoking beagles photos from the 1970s, which are still used by antivivisection sites today.

(VIOLENCEFREESCIENCE.ORG)

7. You'll sleep better.
Smokers are four times as likely to report feeling unrested after a night's sleep, a Johns Hopkins study found; it seems going through nicotine withdrawal each night can contribute to sleep disturbances.

8. Cool bonuses at work may be in your future.
Employers are increasingly offering incentives—such as gift cards, premium discounts, or cash—to employees who participate in smoking cessation programs.

9. Quitting is a plausible excuse to play computer games.
A recent survey commissioned by online game maker RealNetworks suggests that playing games online can help distract people from smoking.

Find this at:
http://www.health.com/health/condition-article/0,,20210803,00.html

Quit Smoking Nicotine Help

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Smoking is strange behaviour. Almost every smoker knows that it's bad for his health, but many smokers continue the habit for decades, each year experiencing a further decline in health and well-being. Looked at rationally, smoking is quite disgusting. It stains the teeth and the fingers, causes bad breath, and creates an unpleasant environment for non-smokers.

It must be pleasurable, though, otherwise nobody would put up with the negative side of smoking. Most smokers admit that they enjoy cigarettes, and those that have managed to quit often feel that they have lost an old friend.

Tobacco is an addictive substance so it's understandable that people find it hard to quit. Less understandable is what motivates people to take their first cigarette. What is behind that decision to start smoking?

Many people start smoking when they are teenagers. The desire to fit in and be one of the 'crowd' is particularly strong during adolescence. Of course, this desire is also present in adults and can be a motivating factor behind much human behaviour. Many teenagers begin smoking because they want to be cool. If their friends smoke there's a lot of subtle (and not-so-subtle) pressure to take up the habit.

Young people may also feel that smoking makes them 'grown up' or it may be a form of rebellion against their parents and teachers. Most young people are already aware of the dangers of smoking so lecturing them about how they are harming their health can be futile.

Appealing advertising is also a big motivator in the desire to take up smoking. Tobacco ads usually depict young healthy active people taking part in fun group activities. The message is clear -- Smoke X brand and you can have this much fun too.

Adults are just as susceptible to popular images surrounding smoking. They are usually self-aware enough to know that smoking will not be the deciding factor behind social acceptance, but there is still the powerful image of the smoker as the rebel -- cool and independent. This can be alluring for some young adults, especially those who see themselves as being on the fringe.

Perhaps certain individuals are more drawn to smoking than others. There is evidence that people with a long-term outlook on life are less likely to start smoking because they know that smoking will shorten their life span and cause future health problems. On the contrary, those with shorter outlooks are more likely to smoke.

Other people turn to smoking because they are looking for a way to relieve stress. Even though tobacco is ineffective for handling stress in the long run, it does provide short-term relief. Those who have stressful jobs or who are in difficult life situations may decide to take up smoking.

Most smokers will come to a point in life where they want to quit. They may face increasing health problems and finally come to the decision to give up the habit. Unfortunately, the addictive nature of tobacco makes this a difficult task.

from:

"Quit Smoking Nicotine - Quit Smoking Nicotine Homepage." 1 Sep. 2008 .

Marketing and tobacco use in youth

New report from The National Cancer Institute (NCI) and co-edited by University of Minnesota professor Barbara Loken, reaches the government's strongest conclusion to date that tobacco marketing and depictions of smoking in movies promote youth smoking. "There is now incontrovertible evidence that marketing of tobacco, and the depiction of smoking in the movies, promote youth smoking and can cause young people to begin smoking," said Loken, professor of marketing at the Carlson School of Management and one of the report's five scientific editors.

The 684-page monograph, "The Role of the Media in Promoting and Reducing Tobacco Use," presents definitive conclusions that

a) tobacco advertising and promotion are causally related to increased tobacco use, and
b) exposure to depictions of smoking in movies causes youth smoking initiation.

The report also concludes that while mass media campaigns can reduce tobacco use, youth smoking prevention campaigns sponsored by the tobacco industry are generally ineffective and may even increase youth smoking.

"The role of marketing in the success of the tobacco companies is conclusive," according to Loken. "The report's recommendations offer the best approach to employ marketing techniques and the media to help prevent a further increase in youth smoking."

The NCI report reaches six major conclusions:

1. Cigarettes are one of the most heavily marketed products in the United States.

2. Tobacco advertising targets psychological needs of adolescents, such as popularity and peer acceptance. Advertising creates the perception that smoking satisfies these needs.

3. Even brief exposure to tobacco advertising influences adolescents' perceptions about smoking, smokers, and adolescents' intentions to smoke.

4. The depiction of cigarette smoking is pervasive in movies, occurring in 75 percent or more of contemporary box-office hits, with identifiable brands in about one-third of movies.

5. A comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising and promotion is an effective policy intervention that prevents tobacco companies from shifting marketing expenditures to permitted media.

6. The tobacco industry works hard to impede tobacco control media campaigns, including attempts to prevent or reduce their funding.

"This direct link between marketing and tobacco use is very powerful." Loken said, "Anti-tobacco ads before films and a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising are two effective strategies found to curb effects of tobacco images on youth. Now we need to use marketing to steer youth and others away from tobacco."

The report provides the most current and comprehensive analysis of more than 1,000 scientific studies on the role of the media in encouraging and discouraging tobacco use. The report is Monograph 19 in the NCI's Tobacco Control Monograph series examining critical issues in tobacco prevention and control. Research included in the review comes from the disciplines of marketing, psychology, communications, statistics, epidemiology and public health.

"Marketing and tobacco use in youth | 03MD: «More information, better health»." 1 Sep. 2008 .

Quitting Smoking – The Nicotine Substitute Method

Image via Wikipedia "It's not the nicotine in cigarettes that's harmful. It's the smoke."

That was the tag line provided by a manufacturer of nicotine gum during the famous debut of their product's commercials a decade ago. While not an entirely accurate statement (will discuss that later) it did strike a nerve with millions of smokers and led them to a rush to purchase nicotine gum. Unlike many other products of the past which promised a lot and delivered little, nicotine transmission products such as gum, patches, sprays et al turned out to work quite well. This was a veritable godsend! For many years people struggled to discover reliable cures for the pain of nicotine and cigarette addiction but they all were of no avail. Yes, many people were able to quit smoking cold turkey or through other means but with the advent of nicotine transmission substitutes such as nicotine gum and nicotine patches the ability to kick the habit was made far easier than ever before. Because of this, sales of these products boomed to a degree far greater than anyone ever expected.

Whether one is taking nicotine gum, a lozenge or a patch all of these methods serve the same purpose: to deliver nicotine in much smaller doses than what is found in cigarettes and also with the added benefit of not having to inhale dangerous smoke into one's lungs. Of course, different people react differently to different methods and it may take a little trial and error before finding which particular product works for you. So, if one method doesn't work there is no reason to feel despondent. Simply try another method/product and see if better results will occur.

Of course, one must never lose sight of the fact that you should not be puffing away while also chewing your nicotine gum! When you are taking one of these cigarette substitutes it is critical to stop smoking when taking the product. There are many people who use these products as a means of cutting back on the number of cigarettes they smoke per day with the eventual goal of smoking none. While this may seem like a decent plan it is NOT the suggested method promoted by the actual product. The reason for this is that if one were to chew nicotine gum and smoke at the same time the sheer volume of nicotine one would ingest performing such "double duty" would be far too much and certainly not healthy.

It needs to be pointed out that nicotine is harmful and it is not just the smoke that can harm you. In fact, nicotine in high doses can be poisonous! Also, no matter what form you ingest nicotine it still remains a highly addictive substance so when you chew nicotine gum there comes the potential to being addicted to the gum as well. Now, this is not stated as a means of scaring people into avoiding nicotine gums, patches, etc but rather it is a method of presenting certain warnings regarding continued use of these products. They are designed to wean you off the drug not replace one transmission method with another.

Darren O Connell - How to stop smoking naturally without patches pills drugs http://www.quit-smoking-2day.com and how to stop smoking in less than 3 hours http://www.quitfast.quit-smoking-2day.com

"Quitting Smoking – The Nicotine Substitute Method by Darren O Connell." 1 Sep. 2008 .

Say Goodbye to Cigarettes: Kicking an Addiction

Smoking is a highly addictive habit, and trying to quit can be one of the hardest things a person has ever done. Smoking is destructive to your health, causing heart disease and lung cancer, among many other problems. The wisest choice is to never begin smoking in the first place, but once you've started it is hard to stop. Television blasts dozens of commercials for nicotine patches, chewing gums, and even oral medication. Yet any of these supplements will not work without some behavior modification. So when you are ready to quit, here are some ways to get started.

First, throw away the cigarettes. Don't try to convince yourself to "cut down" or "wean off" the habit. If you have cigarettes in your house, you will smoke them. Don't give yourself access to the temptation. If you always buy your cigarettes at a certain convenience store, don't go to that store anymore. Shop at a different supermarket or buy gas at different gas station. If you typically buy cigarettes when you buy gas, then try paying for your fuel at the pump so you won't even have to step foot through the door.

Second, identify your motivation for smoking. Do you smoke when you're bored? Is smoking a way to relax and unwind? Once you understand your motivations, you can begin to find substitutes to make quitting easier.

If you smoke when you're bored, then try other activities to keep your hands busy. Keep a pencil handy to doodle, or carry a stress ball to roll around in your hands. You could try painting or doing crossword puzzles. Try anything you enjoy to distract yourself from the desire to light up.

If you smoke to wake yourself up, find other stimulating activities. You can get the same "high" and adrenaline rush from a brisk walk or run. While caffeine isn't the best substance for your health, substituting a cup of coffee in place of a cigarette would be a beneficial trade off. Breaking the caffeine habit is a lot easier than kicking the cigarette addiction.

from:Amber Benge, published Aug 27, 2008, "Say Goodbye to Cigarettes: Kicking an Addiction - Associated Content." 1 Sep. 2008 .

Electronic Cigarette Helps You Stop Smoking

It feels like a cigarette, looks like a cigarette but it isn’t bad for your health. A Chinese company marketing the world’s first “electronic” cigarette hopes to double sales this year as it expands overseas and as some of China’s legions of smokers try to quit. Golden Dragon Group Ltd’s Ruyan cigarettes are battery-powered, cigarette-shaped devices that deliver nicotine to inhalers in a bid to emulate actual smoking.

“The nicotine is delivered to the lungs within 7 to 10 seconds,” said Scott Fraser, Vice President of SBT Co. Ltd., the Beijing-based firm that first developed the electronic cigarette technology in 2003 and which is now controlled by Golden Dragon.

From:

http://www.yankodesign.com/2007/05/10/electronic-cigarette-helps-you-stop-smoking/

If you stop smoking

This what will happen to you if you stop smoking. Why don't you give it a try now then ? !!!

Harmful Effects Of Smoking

Image by Cayusa via Flickr Cigarettes and more specifically tobacco smoke are full of chemicals and poisons. As you discovered in our chemicals in cigarettes section tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals, many of which make smoking harmful.

Effects of Tobacco Smoke

• Smoking KILLS

• Every year hundreds of thousands of people around the world die from diseases caused by smoking.

• One in two lifetime smokers will die from their habit. Half of these deaths will occur in middle age.

• Tobacco smoke also contributes to a number of cancers.

• The mixture of nicotine and carbon monoxide in each cigarette you smoke temporarily increases your heart rate and blood pressure, straining your heart and blood vessels.

• This can cause heart attacks and stroke. It slows your blood flow, cutting off oxygen to your feet and hands. Some smokers end up having their limbs
  amputated.

• Tar coats your lungs like soot in a chimney and causes cancer. A 20-a-day smoker breathes in up to a full cup (210 g) of tar in a year.

• Changing to low-tar cigarettes does not help because smokers usually take deeper puffs and hold the smoke in for longer, dragging the tar deeper into their lungs.

• Carbon monoxide robs your muscles, brain and body tissue of oxygen, making your whole body and especially your heart work harder. Over time, your airways swell up and let less air into your lungs.

• Smoking causes disease and is a slow way to die. The strain put on your body by smoking often causes years of suffering. Emphysema is an illness that slowly rots your lungs. People with emphysema often get bronchitis again and again, and suffer lung and heart failure.

• Lung cancer from smoking is caused by the tar in tobacco smoke. Men who smoke are ten times more likely to die from lung cancer than non-smokers.

• Heart disease and strokes are also more common among smokers than non-smokers.

• Smoking causes fat deposits to narrow and block blood vessels which leads to heart attack.

• Smoking causes around one in five deaths from heart disease.

• In younger people, three out of four deaths from heart disease are due to smoking.

http://www.quit-smoking-stop.com/harmful-smoking-effects.html

The Real Cost of Smoking

Need another reason to quit smoking? Smoking causes one out of five deaths in America. Once you understadn the real costs of smoking, you'll be ready to put down that cigarette!