According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 44.5 million US adults were current smokers in 2006 (the most recent year for which numbers are available). This is 20.8% of all adults (23.9% of men, 18.0% of women) — more than 1 out of 5 people.

When broken down by race/ethnicity, the numbers were as follows:

Whites 21.9%
African Americans 23.0%
Hispanics 15.2%
American Indians/Alaska Natives 32.4%
Asian Americans 10.4%

The numbers were higher in younger age groups. In 2006, CDC reported almost 24% of those 18 to 44 years old were current smokers, compared to 10.2% in those aged 65 or older.

Nationwide, 22.3% of high school students and 8.1% of middle school students were smoking in 2004. More White and Hispanic students smoked cigarettes.  Can anyone tell me why the highest percentages would among American Indians and native Alaskans?

Listen, as long as you’re sitting there wondering who smokes, why don’t you, if you smoke check out Smoke Away, or if you don’t but have a friend or loved one that smokes, steer them towards Smoke Away? What do you have to lose? Besides that craving to smoke?

Chewing tobacco and snuff are less dangerous than cigarettes but the smokeless products still raise the risk of oral cancer by 80 percent, the World Health Organization’s cancer agency said on Tuesday.

The review of 11 studies worldwide showed people who chewed tobacco and used snuff also had a 60 percent higher risk of esophagus and pancreatic cancer.

The researchers sought to quantify the risk of smokeless tobacco after a number of studies differed on just how dangerous the products were, said Paolo Boffetta, an epidemiologist at the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.

“What we did was try to quantify the burden of smokeless cancer,” he said in a telephone interview. “This has never been attempted in such a systematic way before.”

The researchers, who published their findings in Lancet Oncology, did this by looking at population-wide studies and trials of both humans and animals.

They found frequency of use varies greatly both across and within countries, depending on sex, age, ethnic origin and economic background, and were highest in the United States, Sweden and India.

They also found that while snuff and chew were less dangerous than smoking because they were not linked to lung cancer, getting cigarette users to switch was not good public policy.

“If all smokers did this there would be a net benefit,” Boffetta said. “The point is we don’t know whether this would happen and there is no data to suggest these smokers would stop or switch.”

Smoke Away wants you to quit the usage of any nicotine laced product. Remember, it’s not just smoking that kills, its the addiction to nicotine as well!

Tobacco is the leading preventable cause of death in the world, and yet it causes one in ten deaths among adults. In 2005, tobacco caused 5.4 million deaths, or an average of one death every six seconds. At the current rate, the death toll is projected to reach more than eight million annually by 2030 and a total of up to one billion deaths in the 21st century.
Last month the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced World No Tobacco Day to highlight the dangers of cigarettes and their effects on younger generations. The WHO also revealed shocking statistics, such as tobacco kills 50 per cent of its users. This means, of the 1.3 billion smokers alive today, 650 million will be killed by tobacco.

1. Why is smoking addictive?
Nicotine is a psychoactive drug, which the body accepts like a “normal” messenger substance stimulating the electrical activity of the brain. It has calming effects, especially at times of stress. Smoking is a physical addiction, which is almost as strong as that of heroin, since nicotine also induces structural changes in the brain of smokers. When nicotine is suddenly withdrawn, normal functions in the brain and other parts of the body are disturbed resulting in withdrawal symptoms.
2. What damage does smoking do to the body?
Smoking causes many premature deaths from diseases that are largely preventable:Heart disease: Smoking is responsible for 30 per cent of all heart attacks and cardiovascular deaths. Cancer: At least 30 per cent of all cancer deaths are caused by smoking. Lung disease: More than 80 per cent of all lung problems, mainly chronic bronchitis and emphysema can be avoided by not smoking. Peripheral artery disease: Smoking is the main cause of peripheral artery occlusion, and this is extremely dangerous when associated with diabetes.
Premature ageing of the skin: It also causes premature wrinkling of the skin of the face. On average, smokers look five years older than non-smokers of the same age.

Others: It also contributes to stomach ulcers and osteoporosis, reduces female fertility and causes premature births and infant death.

3. Why can smoking be even worse for men?
Younger and middle-aged men are at a higher risk for premature arteriosclerosis and heart attacks than women of the same age. Therefore, male gender may be considered a risk factor in itself. Smoking does not just add on some risk, it multiplies the chances of developing heart disease.
As smoking causes damage to blood vessels, it also impairs erections in middle-aged and older men and may affect the quality of their sperm. It can have the effect of sedating sperm and can impair their mobility.

4. What are the best ways to quit smoking?
You mean other than Smoke Away? All kidding aside, Self-help is, in fact, the only way to quit smoking. Others can give advice and support, but in the end it is up to the individual. To succeed you must have sufficient motivation to carry yourself through the task ahead. At least two-thirds of smokers are likely to find it difficult to give up smoking. However, it is not their fault that they find it difficult. They do not continue smoking because they are weak-willed or irresponsible, but because they are addicted. There are various motivations for trying to quit smoking:
The most important is concern for health and well-being. The onset of minor ailments, such as coughs, sore throats, breathlessness, indigestion, and feeling generally less well and less fit, are early signs that the body has had enough.
Some smokers come to resent the feeling of being controlled by their need to smoke, and are motivated to stop by their desire to regain control and self-mastery.
To help make up your mind about stopping, make a list of all the reasons that are important for you. Make a similar list of all the positive benefits of smoking you will miss and any withdrawal difficulties you anticipate when you stop. Weigh up the lists and tell yourself that any suffering you may endure will be temporary and may last only a few weeks
You must be prepared to work hard at stopping smoking. Here are the steps to take:
Plan to stop on a particular day. Choose a time when you are not under too much pressure from other tasks and when you can avoid situations that you know will make it more difficult. Don’t put it off for too long unless you have to. Make plans to keep away from smokers and other tempting situations after you have stopped.
Plan to stop smoking completely on your target day. Cutting down gradually is less effective. Telling too many people that you are going to stop is not always helpful. To be constantly asked how you are getting along can bring the subject to your mind just when you are learning not to think about it
Prepare on a small card a list of your reasons for stopping. You may need to have this in your pocket or close at hand if things get difficult and your motivation falters after you have stopped. On the night before your target day, make sure all cigarettes, ashtrays and lighters are removed from your home. Of course the makers of Smoke Away would love for you to try our product, but we realize that sometimes you have to go through hell with a lot of different methods before you come to see us. That’s ok. Just as long as you quit in the end!

5. How can quitting smoking be made easier?
There is no drug for smoking that can cure your problem for you without you having to make any effort. However, there are some treatments that you can use to aid your self-help:
Counseling and support, either in single sessions or in groups. It is also important that partners do not smoke or stop smoking at the same time. Otherwise, the smoker gets “re-infected” time and again.
Hypnosis and acupuncture may help some people, but not everyone is susceptible to these techniques.
Nicotine substitution like patches or chewing gum can help overcoming the habit of lighting a cigarette, and the dose can be tapered down over time.
No one is born as a smoker. In all drug addictions, psychosocial factors determine the initial exposures. Addiction may subsequently develop if the drug has effects that people like or find rewarding. Younger people may think that it is “cool” to smoke because it makes them appear more “grown-up”. Ultimately, it is up to you to finally decide to quit smoking, on your terms.

The new Smoke Away widget is finally available to put on your facebook page or on your blog or even on your desktop. It is contantly updated and is a good reminder of the task at hand. Are we trying to push Smoke Away? It wouldn’t be a bad idea, but really what we want you to do is to, quit smoking.

You’ll find links access to all of the social media sights that Smoke Away is a part of, we hope this helps in reaching out to people that might be able to help you. And don’t forget you can always check in at The Smoke Away Support Group for instant help and advice as well as access to a large knowledge base!

He started taking the medication, and a couple of nights later, as he was driving his pickup truck on a country road in Louisiana, Williams suddenly swerved left.

His girlfriend, Melinda Lofton, who was with him, later told him that his eyes had rolled back in his head and that it had seemed as if he was frozen at the wheel, accelerating.

Moments later, they were in a bayou, struggling to escape the murky water, Williams said.

“Since I was a kid, never had anything like this ever happened before,” he said.

“It never happened before, and it hasn’t happened since. And all the tests I’ve taken say I have nothing wrong with me at all.”

The nonprofit Institute for Safe Medication Practices last week linked Chantix to more than two dozen highway accidents reported to the Food and Drug Administration, saying the mishaps may have resulted from such drug side effects as seizures.

The FDA had earlier issued a warning about suicidal thoughts and suicides among patients taking Chantix and is now evaluating whether it needs to expand and strengthen that precaution.

Pfizer, the drug’s manufacturer, said that as early as May of last year, it had added a warning to the prescribing literature for Chantix that patients should exercise caution when driving or operating machinery until they know how the medication affects them.

But such admonitions apparently didn’t get much notice from busy doctors. Even some government transportation agencies missed them.

The Federal Aviation Administration continued, until last week, to list the drug as approved for pilots. The federal truck safety agency was also unaware of the risk.

“That is a problem,” said Janet Woodcock, head of the FDA’s drug evaluation center, adding that her office needs to find ways to communicate safety information more effectively.

The military, which bans Chantix for flight and missile crews, is considering whether other precautions are needed, Pentagon officials said.

Woodcock said the FDA believes the medication should remain on the market as an option for smokers trying to quit.

Approved two years ago, it differs from other smoking-cessation drugs by acting directly at sites in the brain affected by nicotine, blocking the pleasure that comes from smoking as well as the cravings.

But Williams, 28, said he was surprised that a drug he had hoped would help turn him into a healthier person instead, he believes, caused an accident in which he could have been seriously hurt, even killed.

Lofton is still struggling with a neck injury she suffered.

Williams, a telephone service technician, lives near Rayville, La., between Shreveport and the Mississippi River.

He said he went to see his doctor last year for help quitting his nearly two-pack-a-day habit. He’d started smoking in high school and had failed in previous attempts to quit.

But he knew people who recommended Chantix.

They were talking about how good it was supposed to be, and it seemed like the right thing to do since I was trying to quit,” Williams said.

The crash occurred July 15, two days after he started taking Chantix.

He said the last thing he remembers is heading home after checking on the house of a friend who was out of town.

“I woke up in the bayou, with water coming into the truck,” he said. “I didn’t know where I was.”

Lofton had gotten out first and was on the bank, calling to him. He followed the sound of her voice and paddled to safety.

Williams said he had no history of seizures and does not drink alcohol.

His doctor, who has treated Williams from childhood, made the connection to Chantix.

Williams said he was considering suing Pfizer. His lawyer, Kristian Rasmussen of Birmingham, Ala., said he was aware of at least one other Chantix accident, involving a deliveryman who fell out of a moving truck.

The FDA has received more than 3,000 reports of serious problems involving Chantix, but Pfizer said that had to be put into context, since more than 5 million people in the U.S. had taken the medication.

The company said that no direct cause and effect had been proved between the drug and the problems.

The FDA is most concerned about reports of mental health problems, including more than 400 cases involving Chantix users who reported suicidal thoughts and more than 30 who killed themselves.

Yet many patients report success with the medication.

Kathy MacInnis, 44, of Kingston, Mass., said she had been smoking for more than 30 years and quit on New Year’s Day.

“Without Chantix, I had never been able to quit,” she said. “It just put me in a calm place.”

She was smoking close to two packs a day when her 12-year-old daughter confronted her.

“She came home from school and said her health teacher asked her if her parents smoked, because she could smell it on her,” MacInnis said. “That was my turning point.”

MacInnis videotaped her story for Pfizer but she said the company did not pay her other than covering the costs of traveling to New York for an interview session.

She reported no unpleasant side effects while taking the medication, only vivid dreams that some call “Chantix dreams.”

“The first few days, I kind of felt funny,” said MacInnis. “You kind of feel high.”

Why not Smoke Away?

The makers of Smoke Away realize that the smoking cessation is very crowded. As well it should be, with an average of 400,000 people year dying from smokng related ilnesses and Big Tobacco continuing to manufacture cancer sticks, there is ample room for plenty of companies who want to help people quit smoking.

When Smoke Away was first created almost 10 years ago, it was with one thing in mind, and one thing only. That was, to help as many people as we could to quit smoking.  Over that period of time, we have learned a lot on what it takes to help keep people nicotine free. As much as Smoke Away helps, there is also a healthy dose of reality involved in helping you keep the quit. The reality being, if you don’t quit smoking now, today, this week, whatever, you will die eventually, that is the sad fact.

It has been written over and over and over. Smoking cigarettes will stunt your life. It will cause you to die sooner than if you did not smoke. Period. The sooner you get this thru to your thick skull, the sooner the makers of Smoke Away can help YOU quit smoking.

Sure you can try other smoking cessation methods and products. But chances are, the success that you have had is one of the reasons why your are reading this now. The reality? it didn’t work. That’s why you are here. You are looking for answers. Generally what we do is tell people who want to quit smoking, go visit Smoke Away Support and talk regular people just like you. It’s a forum with almost 3,000 people who have quit smoking, or are in the process of stopping smoking. Find out why Smoke Away worked for them, or maybe why it didn’t. The important thing is, start the dialogue now and find out why you need to ask yourself, Why not Smoke Away?

Smokers with lung disease require more than brief smoking cessation interventions to successfully quit, researchers in the Oregon Health & Science University Smoking Cessation Center report.

Quitting smoking can be difficult for some and almost impossible for others. The reason — your genes — New research has found that a certain gene can make the difference as to whether or not someone will start smoking and then become addicted to the nicotine. In two studies featured in this month’s American Psychological Association’s journal of Health Psychology, researchers discovered that people carrying a particular version of the dopamine transporter gene are less likely to start smoking before the age of 16 and are more likely to be able to quit smoking if they start.In their article, ”Evidence Suggesting the Role of Specific Genetic Factors in Cigarette Smoking,” psychologist Caryn Lerman, Ph.D., of the Georgetown University Medical Center and her co-authors demonstrated for the first time that a link exists between smoking behavior and the dopamine transporter gene. In their study of 289 smokers and 233 nonsmokers, they found that individuals with a that specific genotype were less likely to be smokers than individuals without that gene. Furthermore, those with that gene started smoking later and were able to quit for longer periods oftime than other smokers.

Although many smokers attempt to quit at some point in their lives, only 20 percent actually succeed in quitting, say researchers. In their article, ”A Genetic Association for Cigarette Smoking Behavior,’‘ Dean H. Hamer, Ph.D., of the National Cancer Institute and colleagues found from examining 1,107 nonsmokers, current smokers and former smokers that the above mentioned gene was associated with certain personality characteristics that influenced a person’s susceptibility of being able to start and stop smoking.

A person with that genotype was found to have lower novelty seeking traits than a person without this genotype, according to the study. And because novelty seeking has been associated with a desire to smoke, said Dr. Hamer, ”a low level of novelty seeking could be a predictor of smoking cessation. Indeed, average novelty seeking scores were found to be significantly lower in former smokers than in current smokers. Those with low levels of novelty seeking have an easier time giving up cigarettes than those with high levels of novelty seeking.”

”We found that individuals who have the SLC6A3-9 gene were one and a half times more likely to have quit smoking than individuals lacking this gene,” said Dr. Hamer. ”However,” he cautioned that, ”the SLC6A3-9 gene is not a strict determinant of the ability to quit smoking, but rather an influence on an individual’s general need and responsiveness to external stimuli, of which cigarette smoking is but one example. Hopefully, with more of an understanding of the genetics of cigarette smoking behavior, we can develop more effective, targeted pharmacological and psychoeducational cessation strategies that will take these individual differences into account.”

The bottom line is if you smoke you need to quit. The makers of Smoke Away do not care how you do it, you just need to do it. Today!

I wonder if this latest news was created by Big Tobacco?

A study by an award-winning cancer expert shows that cell phone use could kill more people than smoking, it is reported.

According to the U.K.’s Independent newspaper, the study, headed by Dr. Vini Khurana, shows that there is a growing body of evidence that using handsets for 10 years or more can double the risk of brain cancer.

Khurana — one of the world’s top neurosurgeons — based his assessment on the fact that three billion people now use the phones worldwide. That is three times higher than people who smoke. Smoking kills some five million globally each year.

He warned that people should avoid using handsets whenever possible and called on the phone industry to make them safer. France and Germany have already warned against the use of mobile phones, especially by children, it is reported.

The study is said to be the most damning indictment of cell phone use. According to the Independent, cancers take at least 10 years to develop, which has influenced earlier cancer studies showing relative safety when using cell phones.

“Earlier this year, the French government warned against the use of mobile phones, especially by children. Germany also advises its people to minimise handset use, and the European Environment Agency has called for exposures to be reduced.

Professor Khurana – a top neurosurgeon who has received 14 awards over the past 16 years, has published more than three dozen scientific papers – reviewed more than 100 studies on the effects of mobile phones. He has put the results on a brain surgery website, and a paper based on the research is currently being peer-reviewed for publication in a scientific journal.

He admits that mobiles can save lives in emergencies, but concludes that “there is a significant and increasing body of evidence for a link between mobile phone usage and certain brain tumours”. He believes this will be “definitively proven” in the next decade.

Noting that malignant brain tumours represent “a life-ending diagnosis”, he adds: “We are currently experiencing a reactively unchecked and dangerous situation.” He fears that “unless the industry and governments take immediate and decisive steps”, the incidence of malignant brain tumours and associated death rate will be observed to rise globally within a decade from now, by which time it may be far too late to intervene medically.

“It is anticipated that this danger has far broader public health ramifications than asbestos and smoking,” says Professor Khurana, who told the IoS his assessment is partly based on the fact that three billion people now use the phones worldwide, three times as many as smoke. Smoking kills some five million worldwide each year, and exposure to asbestos is responsible for as many deaths in Britain as road accidents.

Late last week, the Mobile Operators Association dismissed Khurana’s study as “a selective discussion of scientific literature by one individual”. It believes he “does not present a balanced analysis” of the published science, and “reaches opposite conclusions to the WHO and more than 30 other independent expert scientific reviews”.

Reading news like this almost gives smokers a new reason to keep smoking. Or better yet, why don’t they just smoke and talk on their cell phones at the same time? Listen, if you are serious about quitting smoking, then why not at least try something, anything. The makers of Smoke Away would love for you to use their product, but if you don’t, thats ok. Just quit smoking!

How to Quit Smoking With the Help of Smoke Away

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
When trying to quit smoking its important to realize you will need more than just a commercially available product such as Smoke Away. Here is a list of steps and tips to help you with your quit. Remember that quitting smoking is the goal here, so make sure that you have buy in from your family and friends.

Steps

1. Make an honest list of all the things you like about smoking.
2. Make another list of why quitting won’t be easy.
3. Set a quit date.
4. Write all your reasons for quitting on an index card
5. Stop buying cartons of cigarettes as you’re getting ready to quit.
6. Keep a list of when you smoke, what you’re doing at the time, and how bad the craving is
7. Prepare a list of things to do when a craving hits.
8. Throw out anything that reminds you of smoking when your quit date arrives.
9. Play a game of solitaire on your computer instead of a cigarette break at work.

Tips

• Switch to a cup of herbal tea whenever you usually have a cigarette
• Switch your cigarette habit for a nut habit
• Carry some cinnamon-flavored toothpicks with you
• Make an appointment with an acupuncturist
• Swing by the health food store for some Avena sativa (oat) extract
• Think of difficult things you have done in the past
• To minimize cravings, change your routine
• Tell your friends, coworkers, boss, partner, kids, etc
• If you relapse, just start again
• Put all the money you’re saving on cigarettes in a large glass jar
• Switch to decaf until you’ve been cigarette-free for two months
• Create a smoke-free zone.
• Find a healthy snack food you
• Quit when you’re in a good mood
• Post this list in a visible location in your house

Warnings

Whenever you’re tempted to light up, take a look at all the ways smoking can damage your health:

• Increases risk of lung, bladder, pancreatic, mouth, esophageal, and other cancers, including leukemia
• Reduces fertility
• Contributes to thin bones
• Affects mental capacity and memory
• Reduces levels of folate, low levels of which can increase the risk of heart disease, depression, and Alzheimer’s disease
• Increases likelihood of impotence
• Affects ability to smell and taste
• Results in low-birth-weight, premature babies
• Increases risk of depression in adolescents
• Increases risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure
• Increases risk of diabetes
• Increases your child’s risk of obesity and diabetes later in life if you smoked while pregnant

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world’s largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Quit Smoking With the Help of Smoke Away. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Perhaps these warning shots that are now coming across the bow of every smoker will hit home. In an effort to stem the growth of smoking globally, governments are now slapping warning labels on the packs of all cigarettes. Check them out:

In early 2006 a new initiative was introduced in Australia, with graphic images depicting the effects of smoking  cigarettes to be displayed on cigarette packets.  Warnings must cover 30% of the front and 90% of the back of the box. The 10% of the back not occupied by a warning is used by the message “Sale to underage persons prohibited”.

For cigarette packets, warnings include: Smoking causes peripheral vascular disease Smoking causes emphysema Smoking causes mouth and throat cancer Smoking clogs your arteries Don’t let children breath your smoke Smoking - A leading cause of death Quitting will improve your health Smoking harms unborn babies Smoking causes blindness Smoking causes lung cancer Smoking causes heart disease Smoking doubles your risk of stroke Smoking is addictive Tobacco smoke is toxic

With each warning is an accompanying graphic, and detailed information on the back of the packet. In addition, cigar and loose tobacco packets show other, slightly altered warnings. These warnings target the misconception that alternative, non-cigarette tobacco products are less harmful.

In Germany, the message is more of the same but less graphical, with the following messages printed on the labels and packs: Smoking is lethal, Smoking severely harms you and the people around you, Smokers die sooner, Smoking leads to clogging of arteries and causes heart attacks and strokes, Smoking while pregnant harms your child, Protect children - don’t let them breathe your tobacco smoke! Your doctor or pharmacist can help you to give up smoking. Smoking is very quickly addictive: Don’t start in the first place, Giving up smoking reduces the risk of fatal heart and lung diseases. Smoking can lead to a slow and painful death. Smoking can lead to blood circulation disorders and causes impotence. Smoking makes your skin age. Smoking can damage spermatozoa and decreases your fertility. Smoke contains benzene, nitrosamine, formaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide. Talk about driving the point home! We can’t think of anything more effective in the fight to stop smoking world wide, then the cold hard facts about what smoking can do to you! Here is Germanys label:

The Canadian Tobacco Act requires warnings to be printed on all tobacco products sold in Canada.

Each warning is printed along with a short explanation and is accompanied by a picture illustrating that particular warning, for example:

WARNING
CIGARETTES CAUSE LUNG CANCER
85% of lung cancers are caused by smoking.
80% of lung cancer victims die within three years.

Accompanied by a picture of a human lung detailing cancerous growths.

In France, the warnings are similar to Germany with: Smokers die prematurely, Smoking clogs arteries and causes heart attacks and strokes, Smoking causes fatal lung cancer, Smoking during pregnancy harms your child’s health, Help yourself quit smoking: call 0 825 309 310.

In Hong Kong, thery are even more adamant in their usage of warnings.

Packaging must indicate the amount of nicotine and tar is present in cigarette boxes in addition to graphics depicting different health problems caused by smoking in the size and ratio as prescribed by law. The warnings are to be published in both official languages, Traditional Chinese and English.

Warning begins with the phrase ‘HKSAR GOVERNMENT WARNING’ and then one of the following in all caps.

• Smoking causes lung cancer
• Smoking kills
• Smoking harms your family
• Smoking causes Peripheral Vascular Diseases
• Smoking may cause impotence
• Smoking can accelerate aging of skin

In addition, any print advertisement must give minimum 20% coverage of the following warnings: HKSAR GOVERNMENT HEALTH WARNING

• January -February SMOKING KILLS
• March- April SMOKING CAUSES CANCER
• May- June SMOKING CAUSES HEART DISEASE
• July- August SMOKING CAUSES LUNG CANCER
• September- October SMOKING CAUSES RESPIRATORY DISEASES
• November - December SMOKING HARMS YOUR CHILDREN

In Italy, the message is more of the same but with some variance in the delivery. Smoking kills / Smoking may kill, Smoking heavily damages you and whoever is near you, Smokers die early, Smoking clogs arteries and causes heart diseases and strokes, Smoking causes fatal lung cancer, Smoking during pregnancy injures the baby, Protect the kids, don’t smoke in their presence, Your doctor or your pharmacist may help you quit smoking, Specialists in the medical profession may help you quit smoking, Smoking is highly addictive, don’t start, Quitting smoking reduces the risk of deadly cardiovascular and lung diseases, Smoking causes oral cancer.

In Latvia, here is their label.

The Netherlands.

Portugal

South Korea, with a bit of a twist on the message: Smoking causes lung cancer and other dieseases and it is especially dangerous for teenagers and pregnant women and It is illegal to sell cigarettes to people under 19! It hurts your children’s health. Smoking damages your health. Once you start smoking, it is very difficult to quit.

In the United Kingdom, the message is quite clear. One of the following general warnings must be displayed, covering at least 30% of the surface of the pack:

• Smoking kills
• Smoking seriously harms you and others around you

Additionally, one of the following additional warnings must be displayed, covering at least 40% of the surface of the pack:

• Smokers die younger
• Smoking clogs the arteries and causes heart attacks and strokes
• Smoking causes fatal lung cancer
• Smoking when pregnant harms your baby
• Protect children: don’t make them breathe your smoke
• Your doctor or your pharmacist can help you stop smoking
• Smoking is highly addictive, don’t start
• Stopping smoking reduces the risk of fatal heart and lung diseases
• Smoking can cause a slow and painful death
• Get help to stop smoking: telephone/postal address/internet address/consult your doctor/pharmacist
• Smoking may reduce the blood flow and cause impotence
• Smoking causes ageing of the skin
• Smoking can damage the sperm and decreases fertility
• Smoke contains benzene, nitrosamines, formaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide.

The first written warnings on packets in Britain appeared in 2003, and shocking warning pictures are set to appear on British packets in 2008 alongside the written messages, revealed Alan Johnson, Secretary of Health in August 2007.

In conclusion, the makers of Smoke Away certainly applaud the efforts of other countries, but it is not enough. Developing nations are smoking more and more and something needs to be done to provide some type of free resource to help these people quit. There are certainly many avenues and channels to acquire cigarettes, but how many exist to help people quit smoking?

For more information on how to quit smoking or to talk to people who have quit smoking with or without the help of Smoke Away, log onto the Smoke Away support site to talk with people just like you!

This just in. If you think by allowing people to smoke is good for your business, you’re sorely mistaken! Studies of restaurants and bars in Boston, New York City, San Francisco and Washington D.C. all show business up since they banned smoking. Chicago went smoke free the beginning of this year.

In the United States, 23 states have already banned smoking in restaurants and bars. A number of other states, including Michigan, are considering it. While many bar and restaurant owners say a smoking ban would hurt business, that appears to not be the case at all.

So you think there’s nothing wrong with a little second hand smoke?

According to a case report by a Michigan State University physician, published in the February edition of the American Journal of Industrial Medicine,  a woman arrived at a bar in Michigan for her shift as a waitress and, according to co-workers, seemed happy and healthy. About 15 or 20 minutes later she collapsed and within a few minutes died.

“This is the first reported acute asthma death associated with work-related ETS,” said Kenneth Rosenman, an MSU professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. “Recent studies of air quality and asthma among bar and restaurant workers before and after smoking bans support this association.”

In 2006, the surgeon general’s report concluded that ETS causes coronary heart disease, lung cancer and premature death. But at that time there was little hard evidence linking ETS to the exacerbation of asthma in adults. ETS for the uninitiated is shorthand for environmental tobacco smoke or “second hand smoke”.

Here is the most comprehensive list of what smoking does to you. The makers of Smoke Away ask you, what more do you need to know in order for you to quit smoking? How about 70 reasons not to smoke!

Cigarette Smoking causes:

• Stained teeth, fingers, and hair
• Increased frequency of colds, particularly chest colds and bronchitis
• Asthma
• Neuralgia
• Gastrointestinal difficulties, constipation, diarrhea, and colitis
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Convulsions
• Leukoflakia (smoker’s patch)
• Insomnia
• Heart murmur
• Buerger’s disease (inflammation of blood vessel linings)
• Shortness of breath
• Arthritis
• Smoker’s hack
• Nervousness
• Wrinkles and premature aging
• Tension
• Gastric, duodenal, and peptic ulcers
• Lung cancer
• Cancer of the lip, tongue, pharynx, larynx, and bladder
• Emphysema
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Artherosclerosis & arteriosclerosis (thickening and loss of
  elasticity of the blood vessels with lessened blood flow)
• Inflammation of the sinus passages
• Tobacco angina (nicotine angina pectoris)
• Pneumonia
• Influenza
• Pulmonary tuberculosis
• Tobacco amblyopia
• Impared hearing
• Decreased sexual activity
• Mental depression
• Blood flow to the extremities is decreased (cold hands and feet).
• Nicotine affects the nerve-muscle junctions, causing tremors and shaking.
• Nicotine causes narrowing and constriction of the arteries, adding to the heart’s load.
• Nicotine, through its ability to stimulate, causes excitement and anxiety.
• Nicotine, an insecticide, makes the blood more viscous and decreases the available oxygen. 
• Nicotine adversely affects the breathing, sweating, intestinal, and heart actions of our autonomic nervous system.
• Two to four cigarettes in a row increase blood fats 200 to 400%. The average smoker (30 cigerettes per day) has 4 to 6 times the chance of having heart disease if he’s in the 45-54 year age group.
• If the mother smoked during pregnancy, her baby will average 6 ounces less and its pulse will be 30% faster than a non-smoker’s baby, and there’ll be withdrawal symptoms in the baby after birth.
• Premature birth has been related to smoking by the mother.
• There is a direct link between parents’ smoking and children’s respiratory disease.
• Smoking causes widespread permanent destruction of the tiny air sacs (alveoli) and narrowing of small blood vessels in the lungs, decreasing the oxygen supply, requiring a higher blood pressure, thus causing extensive circulatory problems and premature heart attacks.
• Smokers have difficulty running and exercising.
• The cilia are tiny, delicate, hairlike coverings on the thin membrane of the surface of the lungs and trachea. This delicate lung-cleaning mechanism, in a cigarette smoker, at first paralyzes, then deteriorates, and is eventually made inoperative, through the complete destruction of the cilia. The smoker then must resort to coughing as a lung-cleaning method. This isn’t efficient, and more than a cupful of tars will have accumulated in his lungs by the time of his premature death.
• Air pollution (auto exhausts, industry wastes, etc.) increases the lung cancer rate of the smoker, but not of the non-smoker. Apparently, the lung-cleaning cilia are alive and working for the non-smoker.
• The time to recover from any specific ill, whether caused by smoking or not, is much longer for the smoker. Often, a non-smoker will survive a sickness from which he would have died had he smoked.
• The non-smoker has no need to spend money to buy cigarettes, matches, lighters, holders, ashtrays, or to spend a dime a mile for that special trip to the store.
• By dying earlier, the smoker will lose many tens of thousands of dollars in social security and other benefits which will naturally end up in the pockets of the non-smoker. The cigarette tax is more money from the smoker to the non-smoker.
• The smoker is sick more often, explaining why he misses an average of 7½ work days per year, usually with a loss of pay, while the non-smoker will miss only 4½ days.
• The overall bad health of the smoker results, on average, in a decrease of 8.3 years in his life expectancy, or about 12 to 14 minutes per cigarette.
• The smoker’s body requires more sleep every night. This extra sleep must come from his spare time. Besides needing more sleep, smokers don’t sleep as well.
• Smoking destroys vitamins, particularly vitamin C and the B’s.
• Smoking has induced cancer in dogs.
• Insurance rates can and will be higher for smokers.
• Some 100,000 doctors stop smoking every year.
• Foods will taste much better to non-smokers.
• Smoking causes smelly breath; smelly house; smelly clothes; messy rugs and furniture, often burned; cigarettes lying around for kids to smoke (and matches to light);
• Smoking is a bad influence on kids; you’re held in low esteem by your kids and your friends (even your smoking friends);
• The inside of your home and auto windows need cleaning more often; death or property loss due to smoking in bed.  
• Smokers get into more auto accidents due to being less alert, having slower reflexes, and also due to fussing around while driving (lighting up, etc.).
• A non-smoker would have to put on an additional 150 pounds in order to increase his mortality rate to that of an average smoker.
• The fact that the tobacco industry provides work, that wouldn’t exist without it, is a myth. The money now wasted on tobacco, if diverted elsewhere, would create a wealth of new job openings in industries producing goods and services more useful to the society than cigarettes.
• Smoking makes a person irritable and argumentative, partially due to a subconscious knowledge of all of the above facts.
• Smoking has been related to brain damage and premature senility.
• A smoker needs much more food and sleep since nicotine makes his body work harder and less efficiently and his heart beat faster, thus using more fuel and energy. This, together with the fact that a smoker loses much of his appetite and his taste for food, explains why smokers have less trouble keeping their weight down.
• When one quits smoking, it’s IMPERATIVE that the intake of food is drastically reduced in order to keep the body weight normal.
• Having to eat less is of course an additional saving of time and money.

You now have read over 70 facts ans reasons why smoking is a) not good for you and b) can seriously shorten your life expectancy. What MORE do you need to know in order for you to quit smoking? Smoke Away knows that you want to quit, or you would not be reading this. If you don’t want to use our product that is fine, but at least TRY something! You, your family and your friends, will be better off because ot it. For more info, talk to the users of the Smoke Away support group, they might be able to shed some light!

The American Lung Association developed the Quit Smoking Action Plan under the guidance of a team of experts on cigarette smoking.  It offers specific recommendations for selecting a personalized plan to free yourself of cigarettes and stay that way.

To help you better understand your options, the material is presented in the following 3 Steps of a Quit Smoking Action Plan, along with charts to guide you through each step.

A Deadly Combination: Addiction and Behavior

Nicotine is a powerful drug that raises mood, reduces anxiety, and, in those accustomed to it, increases alertness. Over time, it causes changes in smokers’ brains that make them need nicotine. Then, when they try to quit, smokers have unpleasant symptoms such as irritability, craving for cigarettes or difficulty concentrating.

An additional obstacle to quitting is the many daily behavior patterns that smokers may not even realize they have, such as morning or before-bed cigarette routines, or smoking with friends, co-workers or spouses. Each person’s smoking behavior is different, but these established patterns link smoking to many activities of daily life. These are called triggers.

People who are fairly dependent on cigarettes need to incorporate multiple sources of help in their quitting plan to maximize their odds of success. Those who are less dependent on cigarettes may be successful by using only a few sources of help. However, the more help you have, the better your chances of quitting and staying smoke-free.

Be a Smart Quitter!

There are many programs to help you quit smoking. The cost of these programs may vary from almost nothing to hundreds of dollars. A higher cost does not guarantee success. Many health plans and worksites provide free quit-smoking programs and some health plans cover the cost of medications to help you quit. Check with your insurance carrier or employer for more information.

Before investing your time or money in a program, ask questions such as:

• Is there a cost to you?
• Is the program convenient for you?
• Is the staff well trained and professional?
• Does the program meet your needs?
• What is the success rate of this program?

A program representative should be able to answer your questions. If they can’t, keep looking. There are no tricks or magic bullets to make you stop smoking. If a program seems too easy, guarantees you will quit, or claims a success rate that sounds unrealistic, look elsewhere.

Examining Your Options

STEP #1: Preparing to Quit

What You Need to Do

1. Identify your personal reasons for quitting.

2. Set a quit date, usually within 10 days to several weeks. If you smoke mostly at work, try quitting on a weekend. If you smoke mostly when relaxing or socializing, quit on a week day.

3. Identify your barriers to quitting (such as your spouse smokes or you’ve relapsed before due to depression or weight gain). You’ll find sources of help in this booklet to overcome these barriers.

4. Make SPECIFIC plans AHEAD OF TIME for dealing with temptations. Identify two or three coping strategies that work for you (such as taking a walk or calling a friend).

5. Get cooperation from family and friends. They can’t quit for you but they can help by not smoking around you, providing a sympathetic ear and encouragement when you need it and leaving you alone when you need some space.

STEP #2: Using Medications

What You Need To Know

When you smoke a cigarette, a high concentration of nicotine enters your body rapidly and travels to your brain. Nicotine medications provide you with a safer alternative source of nicotine that enters the body less rapidly and in a lower concentration than cigarettes. There is much unfounded concern about the safety of nicotine medications even though they have been extensively tested and used by millions of people. Unlike cigarettes, which contain thousands of harmful chemicals, nicotine medications contain small doses of nicotine alone to combat cravings and urges to smoke.

To optimize your chances of success, generally medications should be a component of your Quit Smoking Action Plan. However, not everyone who decides to quit smoking will want or need to use them. Depending on the medication you use, you may need a prescription. As with any medication, consult the package directions or your pharmacist before using. If you are pregnant, consult your physician; if you are taking other medications, consult the doctor who prescribed them or your pharmacist. The flip side of this would be the use of a product that did not have any medication in it nor tobacco, such as the product Smoke Away

Your goal in using nicotine medication is to stop smoking completely. If you plan to take nicotine medications, begin using them on your quit day. If you continue to have strong urges to smoke or are struggling to stop smoking completely, ask your healthcare provider about additional help.

If you take the non-nicotine medication,  such as Smoke Away, it should be started about 7-10 days before your target quit date.

Other Tips for Using Medications:

• Ask your physician or pharmacist for advice if you are uncertain about which medication to use.
• Learn to use the medication you choose (examples: apply patches properly, use nicotine gum, nasal spray or inhaler as recommended on package labeling).
• Many experts believe nicotine medications are often taken for too short a time to be of full benefit to users. For this reason, your healthcare provider may advise you to use your medication for a longer period of time or in combination with another medication. However, if you take these medications on your own, do not deviate from package directions.

STEP #3: Staying Smoke-Free

What You Need To Remember

After quitting and getting through the first couple of weeks, staying off cigarettes is critical—and not always easy. Research indicates that continued support and encouragement from health providers, family, friends and other sources are extremely helpful. With Smoke Away, we provide a support group that includes people that have already quit, and people who are currently in the process. It is a great resource for support in your quest to quit smoking.

Your friends and family won’t automatically know how to encourage you. Talk to them ahead of time about what they can do. Also, think about who you want to give you encouragement—someone who will stay positive even if you have some problems along the way.

The average person makes two to four attempts at quitting before they are able to stay smoke-free. If you return to smoking, it doesn’t mean you can’t quit. It just means you need to try again by figuring out what caused you to slip and improving your plan for next time.

You may want to use medications this time if you have tried to quit without them in the past. Or you may want to try a different group, individual counselor or other source of help if you’ve been unsuccessful at quitting on your own.

Some smokers wrongly believe they can reduce their health risks and continue to smoke by substituting other forms of tobacco. Low tar/nicotine cigarettes are not safer than cigarettes, nor do they reduce your risk of smoking-related disease. Smokeless tobacco, pipes and cigars also are not safe. Remember in the end, it will be up to you, and your support network that ultimately decides whether this will be your final quit.

Lung cancer is the most common form of cancer diagnosed in the United States, and the major cause of death. This lung cancer screening quiz will help you identify any signs and symptoms you may be experiencing; however, it is not intended to diagnose any condition. If you have any signs and symptoms of lung cancer, you should see your doctor immediately.

Q: Do you have a persistent cough?

Yes
No

Q: Do you have a deep, wheezing cough?

Yes
No

Q: Do you cough up mucus?

Yes
No

Q: Do you cough up bloody sputum?

Yes
No

Q: Do you have difficulty breathing?

Yes
No

Q: Have you had reoccurences of pneumonia or bronchitis?

Yes
No

Q: Do you have difficulty swallowing?

Yes
No

Q: Have you had long-term exposure to asbestos, or other dusts, chemicals, or fibers?

Yes
No

Q: Do you smoke or have you smoked in the past?

Yes
No

Q: Have you been feeling unusually fatigued or have you had a loss of appetite?

Yes
No

If you answered yes to the majority or even half of these questions, it would appear that you have many of the signs and symptoms of Lung Cancer. Because Lung Cancer is a slow progressing lung disease, it may take many years before signs and symptoms appear. Therefore, if you are experiencing many of the signs and symptoms of Lung Cancer, you should see your doctor immediately. Only your doctor can make an accurate diagnosis. If you are a smoker, you should quit smoking now. As we head into the new year, you may want to try quitting with Smoke Away. Though not a substitution or a cure for lung cancer, Smoke Away might help you in your quest to quit smoking.

Here are 25 triggers that make you feel like you want to smoke.  But…Here are 18 ways to avoid the triggers.  But first lets look at the acronym, HALT.

HALT = Hunger, Anger, Lonely, Tired

Hunger - It is amazing how our minds will tell us that everything’s wrong when all we really need to do is eat.

Anger - If we are angry, our minds tell us we need a cigarette to cope. Until your mind learns that it doesn’t need a cigarette to cope, try to avoid upsetting situations. Avoid certain people that may bother you. If you can’t get some time off, quit smoking on a long weekend.

Lonely - It is good to know some people who are going through the same thing. (Come to chat!!!!)

Tired - If we are tired, it is easy to become irritated and when we get irritated our minds will tell us that a cigarette will help. Our overall resistance becomes weak and it is easy to say, “Oh well, I guess I’ll have a smoke.”

Other common triggers: 

	After sex
	With alcoholic beverages
	Stressful work situations
	Social functions
	Boredom
	With coffee
	While driving
	End of a workday
	Enjoying a sense of accomplishment
	Facing a family crisis
	Finishing a meal
	Getting out of bed
	Playing cards
	Reading
	Friends who smoke
	Talking on the telephone
	Waiting for someone or something
	Watching TV
	Work breaks
	Out of habit - for no reason whatsoever

Make note of your triggers. When do you smoke? Is it associated with any of the above triggers? Maybe you have others. It is very important for you to prepare for any of your triggers. Know how you will handle them. Those triggers can quickly overwhelm the unprepared quitter, but a good plan of your own will carry you through all of them. As we head into the final days of 2007. Now is the time to set your sites on 2008 as the year that quit smoking. Smoke Away knows that you want to quit. We want you to quit. Best of all, whether you use our product or not, the bottom line is that YOU are making an effort to something about your addiction to nicotine. Below are ways to combat your triggers:

Substitution Suggestions:

34 Tips to Help You Quit Smoking Successfully

1.Wake up! We all know that smoking is bad for us, but if you’re like most smokers, you avoid looking at the destruction smoking causes whenever possible. Take the blinders off and read everything you can get your hands on about smoking. It will help you start to make the mental shift necessary to quit smoking.

2. Write it down.  Writing down what you’re going through is a useful tool for anyone trying to quit smoking. Start with your list of reasons for quitting. Include everything from big to small, and leave room to add to it. Think about the pros and cons of smoking and make your list as detailed as possible. Be honest with yourself.

3. Reaffirmation We have a way of believing what we tell ourselves over and over. Your journal will help you cement these goals. Prompt yourself with present-tense messages like: “I am a nonsmoker” or “I am strong and healthy”, and commit them to paper. Daily affirmations will plant the seeds of change in your mind, and it won’t be long before your actions are following your thoughts.

4. Lean on Someone  Having others who are interested in your success is very important. The Smoking Cessation Forum here at Smoke Away is a thriving, active group of people who can give you the help and encouragement you need. Sign in as a guest to browse and read posts from other quitters, or register(free) to post messages of your own.

5. Start taking your body back. Smoking cessation throws our bodies into shock initially. If you take care to give your body the fuel it needs to run properly, you’ll find that you’re better able to cope with the discomforts of nicotine withdrawal. Have the right foods within easy reach and you’ll minimize weight gain due to quitting.

6. Listen to your body. When you’re tired, cravings to smoke will seem stronger while you feel less able to manage them. Fit a full 8 hours of sleep in every night, and a nap here and there if you need it. If you have trouble sleeping when you first quit smoking, try taking a long walk a couple of hours before bed. Most importantly, you have been abusing your body with nicotine for so long, it’s time to repair it.

7. Water You’d be surprised what water can do. It will help to flush residual toxins out of your system, and beat back cravings to smoke. When you’re well-hydrated, you’ll feel better in general, which is a plus when you’re going through nicotine withdrawal.

8. Get back in the groove. If you already have a daily exercise regimen, good for you! If not, start now. Choose something you enjoy doing, and you’ll be more likely to stick with it. Aim for a half hour of exercise every day. Walking is a great way to move and it’s a quick fix for the urge to smoke. Get out for a 15 minute walk around the block and you’ll come back refreshed and relaxed.  Chances are if you start seeing an impvovement, you’ll want to keep it going. But you have to start.

9. Be Determined. Your determination to quit smoking is built one day at a time. Every smoke free day makes you stronger, and when you consciously take time to reflect and rejoice in the value of what you’re doing, you’re working to fortify your will to make this the quit that lasts you a lifetime.

10. Be grateful that you still have a chance to change things.Think about the blessings in your life. We all have them. Be thankful for the freedom you’re creating for yourself today. Remember that you’ve wanted to quit smoking for a long time and you’re finally doing something about it. List out the benefits you see in your health and overall being due to quitting tobacco. Make gratitude a daily conscious part of your life.

11. Know that it’s hard and accept the challenge. Relax into your quit and embrace cravings to smoke as they come. Don’t fight - lean into urges and ride them out. Most cravings last 3-5 minutes. Think of them as signs that your body is healing - that is just what they are.

12. Don’t long for the old you. Quitting tobacco is a gift, not a sacrifice. Don’t sabatoge yourself by feeling sorry that you can’t smoke. You are choosing not to smoke because you want to be free of this killer of an addiction. Keep your perspective!

13. It doesn’t happen overnight. Just as Rome wasn’t built in a day, people don’t quit smoking in a day either. Most of us had 20 years or more of smoking under our belts before we quit. Give yourself the gift of time and patience. Work to undo old patterns and replace them with newer, healthier choices. Each day you complete smoke free brings you closer to lasting freedom.

14. Make this the year  We all vow to do it, but we let lifes challenges knock us off track. But remember, life’s challenges are easier to deal with when you are not chained to nicotine addiction. You can quit smoking for good!  and Shed the chains of addiction and take back your life.

15. Decide Right Now to Believe that You CAN Quit Smoking

Studies of smokers who successfully quit smoking show that one of the most important traits of a successful quitter is their belief that they have the ability to quit smoking.

Do you believe that you can quit? If you don’t, you will have a much harder time trying to quit. The best action you can take right now to start the quitting process is to fix in your mind the belief that you have the ability to quit smoking. You might say that you can’t change your belief, but you can.

Believing you can quit is so important because your belief will guide everything you do in your attempt to quit. The way you think, the research you do, the steps you take, the people you talk to, the help you seek–all these will be influenced by the belief you have in your ability to give up cigarettes.

16. One little smoke does make a difference. If you don’t truly believe you can quit, you’ll probably find yourself saying, “What’s one little cigarette? I’ve got a headache. I just can’t quit like other people.” If you believe you can quit, instead you’ll be saying “My head is hurting from withdrawal, but I can make it through this. I know the headache and other withdrawal symptoms will go away in a few days. My life is more important than a stupid cigarette.”

17. Believing shapes everything you do. So does not believing. If you believe something strongly enough your mind will give you the correct thoughts to help your body take you in the direction of your belief. You must believe that you can quit smoking, even if it takes 10,000 attempts. 

• Realize that your old belief was founded on old ideas and circumstances and that your new belief is based on new information and your newfound desire to quit smoking now.
• On 3X5 cards, write out several positive statements about your ability to quit. Read your cards three times a day: morning, noon and bedtime. Some statements to use: “I believe that I have the ability to quit smoking,” “I am a non-smoker,” “I no longer need cigarettes in my life,” “I happily quit smoking,” “It’s easy to quit smoking,” “I am a powerful, self-directed person,” “I control my own life.” Make up some of your own statements. Make them positive, as if you have already completed the task.
• Post a sign on your bathroom mirror with one of the above statements on it.
• Repeat the above statements to yourself, whenever you have a free moment.
• Use visualization techniques  to visualize yourself mastering your smoking habit and winning the fight.
• Ask your family and friends to encourage you with positive statements about your ability to quit smoking.

18. Create a “Quit Plan” Successful people in all walks of life become successful through planning. The same is true for smokers who successfully quit smoking. You must create a plan that you will follow daily, so that you quit smoking purposefully, not haphazardly.PLan your work and work your plan.

19. Take the plan seriously. This is your life we are talking about! Study this report and write down how you will mentally prepare yourself to quit smoking. Don’t try to quit until you feel you are ready.

20. Set a quit date. Decide on a specific date that you will quit. Write down your “quit da