Ciggyfree Blog & Gov Alert

China has imposed a partial ban on smoking in public places in line with its aim to hold a smoke-free Olympic Games. Melissa Chan reports from Beijing.

It’s Time to Call a Halt to the SPP!! North American Standards and Regulatory Area, NASRA. by Tom Deweese of Canada Free Press

The “Three Amigos” are attempting an old-fashioned switcheroo, much like the 1930’s grifters portrayed by Newman and Redford in “The Sting.”

Frustrated that alert and clear-thinking Americans and Canadians see the nefarious purposes behind the “Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP),” President Bush has apparently concluded “that dog won’t hunt” - at least not under the moniker of “SPP.” In a surprisingly simple-minded approach, the President has apparently decided changing a skunk’s name changes the fact that it still stinks. Shame on President Bush! If he weren’t up to his neck in treachery, he would not need to hide his activities from the nation.

Last year’s secret SPP summit meeting in Montebello focused on finding ways to get the people to swallow the idea of the collaboration leading to the North American Union, and to quiet its critics. Presumably, these were the topics of discussion when members of the North American Competitiveness Council (NACC) met with the leaders behind closed doors. The NACC is a largely secretive advisory council to the SPP consisting of representatives of such companies as Wal Mart, Chevron Oil, and Lockheed-Martin.

An internal memo from Canada’s Foreign Affairs and Internal Trade ministry documents that the NACC was urged to launch a public relations campaign to counter growing criticism of the trilateral cooperative that is a cornerstone of the building North American Union. According to the memo, “Leaders discussed some of the difficulties of the SPP, including the lack of popular support and the failure of the public to understand the competitive challenges confronting North America.” The memo emphasized the “NACC members should (play) a role in communicating the merits of North American collaboration.” Am I the only one who remembers the definition of “collaboration,” at least as it applies to nations and their citizens?

Further, in point of fact, these “competitive challenges” do not face North America…they face global corporations doing business in North America. The SPP has nothing to do with ensuring the security and prosperity of the United State’s citizens, or U.S. corporations would first and foremost conduct business as Americans. The “Partnership” is between government and business; it values the nation’s citizens only as human resources.
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Secondhand smoke in the home appears to induce markers for heart disease as early as the toddler years, researchers reported at the American Heart Association 48th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention in March.

It has long been known that many forms of cardiovascular disease in adults are initiated and progress silently during childhood. Now researchers have found a young child’s response to smoke may not just affect the respiratory system, but the cardiovascular system as well.

“This is the first study that looks at the response of a young child’s cardiovascular system to secondhand smoke,” said Judith Groner, MD, lead author of the study, pediatrician and ambulatory care physician at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Research Institute in Columbus, OH.
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Slave to the New World Order? Read spp.gov

Source: www.ThinkProgress.org

Melinda and Kenny Peterson wanted to kick their two-pack-a-day smoking habit.  In early January, the Green Bay couple started taking three-month prescriptions of Chantix, a new anti-smoking pill. About six weeks later, they weren’t smoking at all.

But what the Petersons didn’t know was that as they were weaning themselves off cigarettes, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an alert: Some patients taking the powerful drug had experienced serious neuropsychiatric symptoms. And Pfizer, the maker of Chantix, had recently added a warning about these symptoms in a more prominent position in the drug’s information packet, at the FDA’s urging.

The alert was issued in early February. But the Petersons didn’t know about it until the end of March, when a friend who was a pharmacist filled them in.  By then, it was too late. About a week earlier, Kenny Peterson had spiraled into a deep depression. He told his wife he wanted to kill himself. His family checked him into a hospital psychiatric ward four days before Easter.
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While most adults would counsel that the greatest negative involved with smoking cigarettes is greatly increased risk of lung cancer, that possibility is so (seemingly) far away in the minds of most young smokers, they tend to not even think about it.

So, if you’re a teen smoker and “not afraid” of lung cancer, just think about the following here-and-now downsides to smoking. They should be more than enough to convince you to quit:

• Nicotine is considered the most addictive substance known to man, and the longer you smoke, the more powerful your addiction becomes. It is much easier for a smoker of a few years to overcome nicotine addiction than for someone who has smoked for decades. Quit now, while it’s still fairly easy to do. You will never regret the decision.

• Unfair (but life itself is not fair, as you are just now learning), cigarettes are an easy target for tax revenue generation. Because of money grubbing politicians and sheep-like citizens, the price of a pack increases constantly and exponentially - and that trend is guaranteed to continue. If you think it’s financially painful to support your habit today with the cost of a pack at more than $4, just imagine how badly your bank account will suffer when that pack costs $10 or more a decade from now.

• Think about what nicotine provides you: Your first few smokes gave you a very short, very minor high. While that was certainly interesting, you should realize by now that as your body has become addicted to nicotine, the only “benefit” you’re provided by the drug is a feeling of normalcy. Think hard about this one: You’re paying money for a drug that does nothing, other than allowing you to feel normal - allowing you to obtain the exact same state of normalcy that non-smokers obtain without doing anything, or paying any money. Now is that stupid, or what?

• Do the math. Break out your calculator and punch in the following numbers for a smoker who starts in 2008 and continues for four decades: 40 years x 365 days x average of 1.5 packs per day x average of $8 per pack (I’m being conservative on the average price; in reality, it will probably be even greater) = $175,200.

That’s no typo: $175,200.
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I’m ready for Georgie to leave the White House…It can’t be soon enough. He is the worst president in the history of the United States. He is the biggest liar and idiot to ever represent us, how could we have elected him? I am PROUD to say that I didn’t vote for him!

WASHINGTON – The Food and Drug Administration may soon have the ability to regulate sales, distribution and advertising of tobacco products, but it would not be allowed to require removal of nicotine from cigarettes.Nicotine, the most addictive ingredient in a cigarette, increases the level of the dopamine neurotransmitters in the brain. Dopamine controls many important responses in the brain, such as behavior. Nicotine spreads in the brain within a few minutes of the first inhalation, creating feelings of reward, which then cause the smoker to continue smoking.

“People may smoke for non-nicotine reasons, but it is the nicotine that is the primary addictive component of cigarettes,” said Dr. Allison Chausmer from the National Institute of Drug Abuse.

Although the FDA would not be able to get rid of nicotine altogether under the bill being considered by Congress, it would have the power to reduce nicotine levels in tobacco products. The possible benefits for smokers, just like the bill, remain debatable.
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NIDA Researchers Identify Genetic Variant Linked To Nicotine Addiction And Lung Cancer - Variant Also Increases Risk For Cardiovascular Disease

Scientists have identified a genetic variant that not only makes smokers more susceptible to nicotine addiction but also increases their risk of developing two smoking-related diseases, lung cancer and peripheral arterial disease. The research was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The study, published in the April 3 issue of the journal Nature, “highlights the advances that are being made in genetics research, which can now identify gene variants that increase the risk of complex bio-behavioral disorders,” says NIH Director Dr. Elias Zerhouni. “This finding will help us in our efforts to further reduce the scope and devastating consequences of cigarette smoking.”

“These results suggest for the first time that a single genetic variant not only can predispose to nicotine addiction but may also increase sensitivity to extremely serious smoking-related diseases,” explains NIDA Director Dr. Nora Volkow. “Additionally, it points to potential targets for new smoking-cessation medications that may be more effective at helping smokers to quit.”

The variant is closely linked to two of the known subunits of nicotine receptors, the sites on the surface of many cells in the brain and body that can be bound by nicotine. When nicotine attaches to these receptors in the brain, there are changes in cell activity that results in its addictive effects.
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Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services encourages New Hampshire residents to join millions of people around the world on March 29 at 8 p.m. in making a statement about climate change by turning off your lights for one hour.

“Earth Hour” is an event that was created by the World Wildlife Fund in Sydney, Australia in 2007 to reduce energy use and heighten awareness of everyone’s impact on climate change.  In one year the event has grown from an event in one city to a global movement. In 2008, millions of people, businesses, governments and civic organizations in nearly 200 cities around the globe will turn out for Earth Hour.  More than 100 cities across North America will participate.

By participating in this event, New Hampshire residents can take a symbolic step towards making changes that will help to address the impacts of climate change.  Simple things like turning off appliances and lights while not in use, switching your lights to energy efficient bulbs, can make a big difference in reducing your energy use, and can save you money on your electric bill in the process.

To learn more about Earth Hour or sign up to participate, visit www.earthhour.org.  For more energy saving tips, go to www.des.nh.gov/ard/climatechange/.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: March 28, 2008
CONTACT: Kathy Brockett, 603-271-6284

A simple discussion of lung capacity appears to double the rate patients follow a doctor’s advice to quit smoking.

A study published online March 7 in the British journal BMJ suggests that if a doctor tells smokers their “lung age” — the age of the average healthy nonsmoker who would match them in breathing strength — they are more likely to stop smoking.

Using a spirometer, a device that measures how fast and how much air a person can breathe, British doctors tested 561 smokers, men and women with an average age of 53.

Half were randomly assigned to receive their results as lung age, explained with a chart showing lung capacity as it normally decreases with age. The other half were told the amount of air in liters they could force out in one second and were to return in a year “to see if there has been any change in lung function.”
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We all are aware that smoking is hazardous to one’s health. But now it is being reported that prolonged exposure to second-hand smoke can cause serious damage to your Nintendo Wii.

Now who could have thought of that? But it’s actually true. Essentially, the smoke damages the laser that reads Wii game discs.

The issue came to light with the release of the latest installment in the Mario Bros series of video games-“Super Smash Brothers Brawl”. The game released in Japan last month but made its debut in the United States on Sunday and is likely to be one of Nintendo’s biggest Wii titles for 2008.

“Smash Brothers” contains so much data that it had to be produced on a double-layer DVD. This huge amount of data requires higher levels of accuracy from the internal laser that helps read the game disc, thus amplifying any deficiencies inherent within the system.

Apparently, second-hand smoke can seep into the Wii itself and leave residue or other contamination on the laser’s lens, thus interfering with the ability of the console to run a game.

According to a statement on the Nintendo Web site, “A very small percentage of Wii consoles may have trouble consistently reading data off this large-capacity disc if there is some contamination on the lens of the disc drive.” poker spielen ohne anmeldenpoker regeln straÃ?einternet texas holdemgeld online gewinnengratis poker gameswww party poker degratis poker ohne downloadpoker spiel runterladenpoker ohne internetkostenloses poker spieltexas holdem poker pcparty poker 2bester poker bonuspoker spielen auf deutschgioco carte pokerpoker gioco completoprobabilità pokerstrategia texas holdemregole gioco pokerpoker online gamesgiochi da pokerscommesse internetforum poker onlinedraw poker on linepoker tutto gratisgiochi poker gratis da scaricarescuola poker onlineworld pokerpoker su internetcasino texas holdemstreep poker on linegioco poker in italianostri pokergioca a poker on linewww super poker compoker on line multiplayerpoker game gratisadvance? cash loan online payday ?video poker deucesfree backgammon game,free backgammon,backgammon download free online playbest casino online payouts,best casino,best online casino bonuscasino online rollerbest internet casinofree blackjack casino game,blackjack free ware,free blackjackno deposit casino cash,casino cash,free cash casinofree pokerjuegos polli pokeromaha high pokerjugar video poquer onlinecasino on net com

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Like we need one more reason not to smoke, especially during pregnancy (and even for the men in the house who create second-hand smoke): new science is telling us that the increased risk for SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) among people exposed to nicotine is very real. And very explainable.

Sleep Review magazine is reporting a fascinating study that just came out, detailing why an infant’s ability to respond to oxygen deprivation after birth is dramatically compromised by exposure to nicotine in the womb–even when that exposure is light to moderate.

Picture a baby lying face down in bed. A normal, healthy baby would sense it’s being deprived of vital oxygen, and thus move its head. This is similar to the “flight or flight” response we get when we’re in a dire situation and have to move fast to survive (our body moves without us really thinking about it).

But when a baby has been exposed to the chemical nicotine in the womb, apparently this instinctual arousal mechanism doesn’t work so well. So the baby isn’t quick enough to respond and save his life.
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KILL SPAM DEAD…Use AKISMET!

Akismet has caught 4,805 spam. You have no spam currently in the queue. Must be your lucky day.

NEW YORK — WHO today released new data showing that while progress has been made, not a single country fully implements all key tobacco control measures, and outlined an approach that governments can adopt to prevent tens of millions of premature deaths by the middle of this century.

In a new report which presents the first comprehensive analysis of global tobacco use and control efforts, WHO finds that only 5% of the world’s population live in countries that fully protect their population with any one of the key measures that reduce smoking rates. The report also reveals that governments around the world collect 500 times more money in tobacco taxes each year than they spend on anti-tobacco efforts. It finds that tobacco taxes, the single most effective strategy, could be significantly increased in nearly all countries, providing a source of sustainable funding to implement and enforce the recommended approach, a package of six policies called MPOWER (see below).

“While efforts to combat tobacco are gaining momentum, virtually every country needs to do more. These six strategies are within the reach of every country, rich or poor and, when combined as a package, they offer us the best chance of reversing this growing epidemic,” said Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of WHO. Dr Chan launched the WHO Report of the Global Tobacco Epidemic at a news conference with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Bloomberg Philanthropies helped fund the report.

“The report released today is revolutionary,” Mayor Bloomberg said. “For the first time, we have both a rigorous approach to stop the tobacco epidemic and solid data to hold us all accountable. No country fully implements all of the MPOWER policies and 80% of countries don’t fully implement even one policy. While tobacco control measures are sometimes controversial, they save lives and governments need to step up and do the right thing.”
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Cigarette tax would go from 7 cents per pack to 30-50 cents in plan

The country’s second-largest cigarette company is an anonymous backer of a campaign opposing a bill to raise South Carolina’s lowest-in-the-nation cigarette tax.

The message began showing up in mailboxes last week — 10,000 postcards sent to Republican activists by the S.C. Association of Taxpayers.

The postcards express concern about a proposed plan to raise the state’s cigarette tax, now 7 cents per pack, to between 30 and 50 cents per pack. Some legislators have suggested the new tax revenue could go toward providing employers tax credits to buy employee health insurance.

Featuring a graph showing a “$190 million unfunded taxpayer mandate,” the postcards ask voters to “stop this HillaryCare styled welfare plan.”

Several state Senate staffers said the chart on the postcards is the same chart that R.J. Reynolds lobbyists showed some state senators in recent weeks.
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Should the University of Tennessee accept money from the tobacco industry to help promote the growth of domestic tobacco production? That ethical question has yet to be debated—even nearly six months after UT quietly received a one-year $445,000 grant from Philip Morris to establish and operate a Center for Tobacco Grower Research in Morgan Hall on the Knoxville campus.News of the grant is coming as a surprise to anti-smoking activists and even UT staff.

“It blows me away that UT would take money from a cigarette manufacturer, knowing that smoking kills,” says Douglas Benton, an Alcoa resident who earned a business degree at UT and founded No Smoking in Restaurants in Tennessee (NoSIR) in 2005. “I don’t like people making one penny off killing other people. I don’t understand why my university would try to help farmers to make more money selling something that has no possible benefit at all to a human.”
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A new study indicates that smoking is linked to anxiety with depression, as well as to anxiety alone. However, people who are depressed but not anxious smoke the same as any other smokers. These findings come from a joint study from Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH), University of Bergen and King’s College in London.

The link between smoking and anxiety/depression was most apparent among women and young people. Data were collected from 60 000 participants in “Health Studies in North-Troendelag” (HUNT), a study based in a county in northern Norway.

Figures from the World Health Organisation (WHO) show that 30 percent of inhabitants in the western world smoke daily. Earlier studies have found that people with mental health problems are twice as likely to smoke as the rest of the population. Injuries to physical health after smoking are well documented. It is also known that smoking is linked to other psychological problems. Anxiety and depression are the most common complaints and are often both present in people who smoke.
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