Ciggyfree Blog & Gov Alert

Today, the Nicaraguan Appellate Court ruled 2-1 in favor of Innocence for Eric Volz and demanded his immediate release. In fulfillment of Nicaraguan law, Judge Ivette Toruno, the convicting judge who is required by law to sign the release papers, arranged for Eric’s attorney to pick-up the release papers at 2pm this afternoon. However, Toruno left the court at 1:30 and will not come back for the rest of the day. It is unclear as to whether or not she will be in the office tomorrow, as well.

Judge Toruno is currently in contempt of court by refusing to make her appointment and sign the release papers. Eric has been freed, but is still being detained illegally, against the orders of the Appellate Court.

Nicaraguan radio broadcasts have been announcing that the people need to take justice into their own hands, since word of the court’s decision. We are more concerned than ever before, for Eric’s safety.

It appears as if no one in the judicial, penal and/or immigration systems in Nicaragua is responding to requests by Eric’s attorney or by the US Embassy to process Eric’s release immediately as ordered by the court.

Eric’s mother, Maggie, will appear on CNN AC360 TONIGHT [12-17-07] and The Today Show [12-18-07]

You’ve heard all the warnings and scientific data, even seen disclaimers on the side of the box.

Prevention, however, is hard to accomplish.  According to a new study from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Alabama ranks 49th when it comes to funding tobacco prevention programs, spending only 2.9% CDC’s minimum recommendations.
Continue Reading »

Joggers–put down the hog head cheese. A new study of half a million people from the National Cancer Institute finds that red and processed meat not only promotes colon cancer–which everyone knew–but esophagus, liver, lung and pancreas cancer!

Grilled meat, the study found, is especially bad because it produces *heterocyclic amines –linked to breast, colon, stomach and prostate cancers–and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, another class of carcinogens formed from dripping fat.

Much to the chagrin of cattlemen, in the last two decades red meat has gone from good-for-you to do-it-if-you-feel lucky. Not as kamikaze as smoking or eating a Lake Michigan fish but getting there.

In fact the all American meal of roast beef swimming in a moat of gravy and mashed potatoes, rolls, butter and pie for dessert is now regarded as a coronary waiting to happen.

And that’s before we get to the all American breakfast of sausage and bacon.

No, for anyone who wants to live past 40 today the four food groups are no longer cholesterol, salt, calories and fat. There’s a new sheriff in town and he’s called fiber.

It’s got to be rough on the Department of Agriculture these days–promoting beef and the beef industry while safeguarding the population whose health it destroys.
Continue Reading »

You are thinking that maybe it is time to stop?  You go girl!!!

London: Singing can cure various ailments ranging from breathing problems and depression to memory disorders and nicotine addiction, suggest several researches done across the world.

According to a study by scientists at the Western Ontario University in Canada, singing tones muscles at the back of the throat and this helps long-suffering partners of snorers get a silent night.

“Surgical interventions to treat snoring include removing tissue from the upper throat or toughening it by creating scar tissue. Singing offers a harmless, healthy, non-invasive, inexpensive and enjoyable way to restore the throat’s tone,” study author Alise Ojay said.
Continue Reading »

RICHMOND, Va. - A national study by an anti-smoking group says Virginia continues to lag behind in the amount of money spent on anti-smoking campaigns for minors.

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids reports that in the last fiscal year, Virginia spent $14.5 million on anti-smoking campaigns for youths. That’s less than half of what it should be spending based on recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The group said Wednesday that Virginia’s spending puts it at 32nd in the nation, down from a ranking of 24th last year.

The report said 19 percent of Virginia adults smoke, while 21 percent of the state’s teenagers smoke.

Source: AP

In a new report outlining the use of tobacco state by state New Hampshire has received a failing grade.

It was released jointly by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and American Lung Association.

The report, entitled “A Broken Promise to Our Children,” ranked states on their cost associated with programs aimed at protecting kids from the dangers of tobacco, and ranked the state of New Hampshire a disappointing 41st.

The state spends 1.3 million dollars per year on anti-tobacco programs for kids, which is only 12% of the recommended spending amount.

Other states did not fair much better on the national ranking report.

North Carolina came in a disappointing 28th in anti-tobacco spending, offering a yearly allotment of just over 17 million dollars.

Massachusetts came in at number 33, only spending 12.8 million dollars per year on anti-tobacco campaigns aimed at kids.

“Massachusetts has made a modest improvement in protecting kids from tobacco, but budget cuts have reduced the effectiveness of what was once one of the nation’s best tobacco prevention programs,” said William V. Corr, executive director of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, in a statement.
Continue Reading »

Once among the nation’s leaders for anti-smoking campaigns for youth, Mississippi now ranks 27th among states that spend money on tobacco prevention, a new report says.

The report _ released Wednesday _ also found that tobacco companies spend $183 million a year on marketing in Mississippi, almost 23 times the state funding for tobacco prevention.

State Health Officer Dr. Ed Thompson said there’s been some decline in youth tobacco use rates in the state, but there’s a “great deal of competition from the tobacco industry so that’s an uphill battle.”

Overall, states this year have increased total funding for tobacco prevention programs by 20 percent to $717 million, the report said. Maine, Delaware and Colorado were the only three states that funded tobacco prevention programs at minimum levels recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the report said.

Issued by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Heart Association, American Lung Association and the American Cancer Society, the report called for the implementation of tobacco control measures. Those included prevention programs, higher tobacco taxes and smoke-free workplace laws.
Continue Reading »

Sounding a warning over the dangers of passive smoking, a large-scale government study has found that women whose husbands smoke at home have twice the risk of developing a specific type of lung cancer compared with those married to nonsmokers.

The research team of the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry that carried out the study, whose results were announced Wednesday, also said that about 40 percent of nonsmoking female cancer patients might not have contracted the disease if they had not been exposed to cigarette smoke at home.

The lung cancer in question, adenocarcinoma, is one type of non-small cell lung cancer that often develops along the outer edges of the lung and under the membranes lining the bronchi. It is the most frequently found type of lung cancer, cases of which have been increasing in the country. Those who have developed the cancer account for 70 percent of female lung cancer patients and 40 percent of male lung cancer patients.

The study was conducted on about 28,000 nonsmoking women who were aged between 40 and 69 over about 13 years from the early 1990s.
Continue Reading »

More salads, exercise, can keep lung tumors at bay, one study found

While genes and environment can affect your risk for cancer, so can everyday lifestyle choices on things such as diet, exercise and smoking, new research shows.

The findings were to be presented Friday in Philadelphia at an American Association for Cancer Research conference on cancer prevention.

One study found that people who quit smoking can further reduce their risk of lung cancer by eating plenty of vegetables (four or more servings of salad a week or equivalent). The researchers at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center also found that former smokers who get exercise through gardening are 45 percent less likely to get lung cancer than former smokers who don’t garden.

Current smokers who ate three servings or less of salad a week were two times more likely to develop lung cancer than current smokers who ate four or more salads a week. Current smokers who gardened were 33 percent less likely to get lung cancer than current smokers who didn’t garden, the Texas team found.
Continue Reading »

Study will focus on connection between smoking and anxiety disorders

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A Florida State University professor will share a $3.3 million federal grant with a colleague from the University of Vermont to develop an innovative method that will help smokers with anxiety disorders extinguish the habit.

FSU psychology Professor Brad Schmidt and UVM psychology Professor Michael Zvolensky are recruiting about 600 people — 300 at each campus — to participate in the study over the next five years. Funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, the $3.3 million grant is one of the largest the scientific organization has ever awarded for this kind of study, Schmidt said.

Cigarette smoking, the leading cause of preventable death and disability in North America, is particularly common among those with, or at risk for developing, panic disorder, according to Schmidt. About 40 percent of individuals with panic disorder are regular smokers and more than 60 percent have a lifetime history of smoking.

These rates are higher than in the general population where about 25 percent are smokers. Yet no specialized approach currently exists to help smokers with anxiety problems quit, Schmidt said.

The thing that makes this smoking cessation program unique is the focus on reducing anxiety sensitivity, which is a risk factor for developing anxiety problems,  he said. Nicotine withdrawal produces all kinds of unpleasant feelings, and if you’re extremely sensitive to these kinds of bodily sensations, it could provoke anxiety and panic responses.
Continue Reading »

Reality Check is a proactive group of New York Teens who refuse to allow the tobacco industry to continuously manipulate teens into smoking.

They expose the shady practices of the major companies that sell marlboro, newport, camel, kool, and every other brand of cigarettes that is advertised to teens.

At their website they state: “It would be easier to kick the habit if the tobacco industry didn’t add AMMONIA to cigarettes to make the nicotine reach our brains quicker. Making us crave it even more.”

Reality Check is not against smokers.

“We are against an industry that deliberately goes after us in their relentless effort to addict us to nicotine in order to replace their dying customers.

Check out their site today!
http://www.realitycheckny.org/

With all the news about government spending on unnecessary items comes news that spending on a program that helps may not be used effectively.

America’s Medicaid system could spend $10 billion less in costs for its patients’ care over the next five years if they were to stop smoking, according to a new study by the American Legacy Foundation. It also found that effective smoking prevention and cessation programs could cut the cost of funding Medicaid by 5.6 percent. This is according to a recent press release issued by the American Legacy Foundation.

According to the report, the costs vary from state to state. In a state such as Wyoming the current Medicaid spending on smoking is $15 million. Meanwhile, in a much more populated state such as New York, that total is much higher, in the amount of $1.5 billion. Overall as a country, if all the smokers on Medicaid quit at the same time it would save the country $9.7 billion according to the press release.

“This report is a wake up call to the nation’s health policy makers,” said Janet Napolitano, who is the Governor of Arizona and also a board member for the American Legacy Foundation. “All of us who are struggling with the ever-rising costs of Medicaid should take these dramatic findings to heart. With more than 8.6 million Americans suffering from tobacco-related disease, and tobacco remaining the number one preventable cause of death in our nation, we must help smokers quit. These data make clear that investing in proven tobacco cessation programs is sound fiscal and public health policy. We can - and must - take the necessary steps to save both lives and taxpayer dollars.”, concluded Napolitano.
Continue Reading »

PORTLAND, Ore., Nov. 30 — Smoking cessation rates doubled when quit-line callers were given free nicotine patches in addition to counseling, researchers found.

Calls to a smoking cessation hotline increased 112% when, in addition to a 30-minute telephone counseling session, callers were given a two-week supply of transdermal nicotine patches, said Jeffrey Fellows, Ph.D., of the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research here, and colleagues.

Quit rates also improved from 8.2% with counseling alone to 15.7% with the patches plus counseling, they reported in a December supplement to the journal Tobacco Control.

In a separate randomized trial, more than 21% of smokers quit when they received intensive counseling plus nicotine patches, versus 11.7% among smokers who received a single brief counseling session and no patches.

Dr. Fellows noted that offering free nicotine replacement ultimately reduces the “average cost per quit.” In the first program, he said, the total one-year cost for counseling alone was $1.97 million versus $2.25 million when the patch giveaway was added. However, the addition of patches quadrupled the number of smokers who quit, so the cost per quit was $1,050 with the patch giveaway compared with $3,778 without it.
Continue Reading »