Quit smoking products

Secondhand Smoke Linked to Chronic Sinusitis

noreply@blogger.com (astra) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 14:21:00 +0000

Researchers Add Sinus Trouble to List of Health Problems Connected to Secondhand Smoke
Secondhand smoke exposure contributes to as many as 40% of the roughly 30 million cases of chronic sinusitis among adults in the U.S., a new study shows.

Chronic sinusitis, also known as rhinosinusitis, is defined as allergic and non-allergic sinus inflammation lasting at least three months. Symptoms can include, but are not limited to, n asal congestion, facial pain, headache, and daytime or nighttime coughing.

In a 2006 report, the surgeon general estimated that 60% of nonsmokers in the U.S., or 126 million adults and children, are routinely exposed to secondhand smoke.

Secondhand smoke exposure has been implicated as a risk factor for a number of respiratory ailments, including asthma and other conditions including heart disease, sudden infant death syndrome, and cancers of the lung and sinus.

Sinusitis and Secondhand Smoke

Researchers compared secondhand smoke exposures among patients with chronic sinusitis to non-sinus sufferers matched for age, sex, and race in four settings: home, work, public settings, and private social gatherings. None of the study participants smoked.

Participants with chronic sinusitis were almost twice as likely as those without sinusitis to report secondhand smoke exposure at social gatherings (51% vs. 28%) and slightly more than twice as likely to report exposure at work (18% vs.7%).

The patients were also more likely to report exposure at home and in public places, although these associations did not reach statistical significance.

Full article

Quit smoking with acupuncture

noreply@blogger.com (astra) — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 10:13:00 +0000

Millions of dollars are spent every year on different types of medications for smoking cessation programs. However, not all these programs are beneficial. This is because all these programs do not provide any incentive to quit smoking. Acupuncture provides the extra impetus to the smoker to quit smoking for good.
Acupuncture uses small needles of different lengths and sizes to stimulate the skin in a particular area of the human body.
The area for stimulation is chosen corresponding to meridian or pathway that provides energy to the affected body field or area.
If acupuncture uses for quit smoking aid, needles are inserted to the areas that will affect energy flow to the mouth, lungs and respiratory system as well as to the parts of the brain that create cravings for tobacco smoke.

What are the advantages of using this method?

Acupuncture treatment provided by a professional, this is a safe method.
It is a drug-free treatment but for more power effect you can combine it with other methods(for example Nicotine Replacement Therapy).
Ideal for those who prefer holistic treatments.
Weight gain may be minimal as the same acupuncture points are used that control craving for food.

Are there any disadvantages?

In some cases the insertion of the needles may cause some discomfort.
There is danger become infected if the needles are not clean
This treatment may be expensive.
The needles could be pushed in too far.

Any therapy to quit smoking is good. Acupuncture may or may not be able to help you kick the dangerous- habit.

ZeroSmoke - Safe Magnetic Auricular Therapy

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Commit lozenges for stop smoking aid

noreply@blogger.com (astra) — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 09:43:00 +0000

Commit Lozenges have effect of smoking deterrence and effective way to stop smoking. It works by providing low levels of nicotine, which may help you to quit smoking by lessening physical symptoms of withdrawal.

They come in 2 mg and 4 mg sizes that recommend depend on the number of cigarettes per day that you smoke and are becoming an increasingly popular stop smoking help aid.

Before using Commit lozenges

Some medical conditions may interact with Commit Lozenges. So you should inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have any medical conditions. It is especially important if any of the following apply to you: if you are planning to become pregnant or pregnant.

if you are taking any prescription or nonprescription drugs, or l dietary supplement
if you have allergic reaction to particular medicines or food
if you are using other medicines to help you quit smoking
if you are on a low-sodium diet or if you have phenylketonuria (PKU)
if you have high blood pressure or heart problems (eg, chest pain, irregular heartbeat), or you have had a heart attack
if you have an ulcer, diabetes, overactive thyroid, blood vessel problems, or adrenal gland tumor (pheochromocytoma)

Side effects of Commit lozenges

A possible mild side effect of Commit lozenges is a warm or tingling feeling in your mouth. You might also experience a headache, problems sleeping, hiccups, heartburn or mild nausea. If you experience more serious side effects, talk to your doctor immediately. These include pain or soreness in your mouth, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, sweating, weakness and a fast or irregular heart beating.

Quit smoking medication NicoDerm patch

noreply@blogger.com (astra) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:10:00 +0000

NicoDerm is stop smoking drug which belongs to a family of medications known as nicotine replacement therapies.
NicoDerm patch works as deterrent while smoking cessation. Alternative brand names are Prostep, Habitrol, NiQuitin, Nicotrol, Nicorette, and Commit.

It provides low levels of nicotine, which may prpvide aid to quit smoking by lessening physical signs of smoking withdrawal symptoms. You must give up before using the NocoDerm and continue not to smoke while using this medication.

Compare to other quit smoking medication Nicoderm patch has proven to provide only slight result reducing craving. It is most effective when combine with a smoking cessation program. Nevertheless NicoDerm has become the most popular topical quit smoking medication over the past several years.

NicoDerm stop smoking patch comes in 3 different variations ranging from 7 mg to 21 mg. The main difference between each level is not the content of nicotine placed between the backing and the adhesive, but the size of the patch.
This is due to the nature of the adhesive. For the adhesive to maintain its hold properly, the consistency of it must remain the same, thereby allowing only a specific amount of nicotine.
Side effects

This quit smoking medication may induce headache, dizziness, lightheadedness, drowsiness, stomach upset, nausea or flushing the first few days as your body adjusts to the medication.
You should inform your doctor if these symptoms persist or become bothersome.
If the area around the patch becomes red, itchy or irritated, try a new site. If the irritation continues or becomes worse, notify your doctor.

You should also seay your doctor if you develop: breathing difficulties, chest pain, irregular heartbeat, nervousness, anxiety, tremors.

It is very important that this quit smoking medication be used on a regular schedule as prescribed by the doctor. Check with your health care provider before you start, stop, or change the dose of any quit smoking medication.

How nicotine addiction ruin your health

noreply@blogger.com (astra) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 04:37:00 +0000

Do you want to quit smoking? When you decide to quit smoking, take another decision in your mind.You must focus yourself about the benefits of achievements and learn full information how nicotine can affect your health.

Nicotine altered Brain Chemistry

Nicotine conteined in tobacco is absorbed into the bloodstream where it affects brain chemistry. It quickly affects both mood and focus. Because of the large surface area of the lungs, smokers receive a big "hit" of nicotine with every puff. Since nicotine is absorbed directly into the bloodstream, the brain receives an almost instantaneous dose of pleasure with every inhalation of smoke.

Nicotine primarily altere the mid-brain, the part of the brain that controls moods and emotions. It produces pleasurable sensations while smoking, and anxiety and craving when nicotine is withheld.

Behavioral Reinforcement

Because of the immediate stimulation to the brain, smoking behavior is constantly reinforced. When smokers try to quit, they have to overcome both the physical addiction to nicotine and the associations they have made to the behavior. This means breaking the mental connection between the physical act of picking up, lighting, and smoking the cigarette, and the pleasurable sensations it produces.

Besides the physical addiction, there are also strong behavioral and social reinforcements to smoking. Certain situations (such as experiencing stress, finishing a meal, or going to a bar) become so strongly associated with smoking that smokers will automatically reach for a cigarette without thinking.

Genetic Predisposition

However, some people become more addicted to nicotine than others. The reason for this may be genetic. Some people metabolize nicotine more slowly, which makes them less likely to become addicted. There is a particular enzyme present in the liver that breaks down nicotine. People with a genetic "flaw" in producing the enzyme are less likely to smoke, and if they do smoke, they smoke fewer cigarettes than those with the normal enzyme.

There may also be genetic reasons related to behavior that encourage smoking addiction. Reaction to stress, for example, can be partially genetically determined -- and stress relief is 1 of the major reasons people smoke. Nicotine free spray

SmokeLessCounter

noreply@blogger.com (astra) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 15:59:00 +0000

The SmokeLessCounter works by gradually eliminating both the physical AND the psychological urge to smoke. No more expensive Drugs or Patches that do not eliminate the HABIT of smoking! The SmokeLessCounter works using the principals of behavior modification and gradual nicotine withdrawal. It is a fact that most smokers would prefer to be non-smokers. Almost every smoker has thought about quitting. Many have tried to stop but have failed because they did not break the HABIT of smoking! The SmokeLessCounter is made for these people because it gradually eliminates the HABIT of smoking both physically and psychologically. With the SmokeLessCounter, you choose the time you need to quit smoking up to 180 days. Simply enter some information about your smoking habits, and the SmokeLessCounter creates a program specifically for you. The SmokeLessCounter will emit a low beep when it is time to smoke and gradually, day by day, week by week you smoke less and less until your quit day arrives. The SmokeLessCounter also has a HOLD function for those smokers who just want to cut back on the amount of cigarettes they smoke each day but do not want to quit. SmokeLessCounter is about the size of a credit card so you can take it everywhere. To help keep you motivated, the SmokeLessCounter even tells you how much money you're saving. All this, at a cost usually less than a carton of cigarettes!

What are smokeless cigarettes?

noreply@blogger.com (astra) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 15:43:00 +0000

Smokeless cigarettes also known as e-cigarettes and electric cigarettes are the newest product on the market.
The typical smokeless cigarette is made of stainless steel, has a chamber for storing liquid nicotine in various concentrations, is powered by a rechargeable battery and resembles a real cigarette.
When the smoker starts inhaling, the atomizing chamber converts the diluted liquid nicotine into vapour, and this satisfies the smoker. The vapour evaporates soon, causing no irritation to people near the smoker.
The main advantages smokeless cigarettes have over nicotine patches or gum is firstly, users have the nicotine hit much quicker and secondly, because a big reason why smokers fail to quit suing patches and gum is because they still miss the act of inhaling smoke from a cylindrical object. The electronic cigarette emulates that even down to the smoke.
A smokeless cigarette contains a taste of tobacco but none of the harmful substances found in normal cigarettes allowing smokers cravings to be satisfied without inhaling the many dangerous toxins. Apparently also useful in helping to reduce and indeed quit smoking altogether.
None smokers also will benefit, as their worries about passive smoking are rendered null and void by the electronic cigarette.
As electronic cigarettes become more and more popular, they are increasingly used to smoke in pubs and clubs with a smoking ban. Smokeless cigarettes seem to be the next thing and may soon replace real cigarettes in public places.

Tobacco tax increase expected to reduce smoking

noreply@blogger.com (astra) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 16:19:00 +0000

original article on USAToday

By Brian Tumulty, Gannett Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — For the estimated 20% of Americans who smoke cigarettes, the impact of a federal excise tax increase that takes effect Wednesday is already being felt.

Earlier this month the manufacturer of Marlboro, Parliament and Virginia Slims, Philip Morris USA, increased prices by 71 cents a pack, 9 cents more than the federal tax increase. The maker of Camel, Kool and Salem cigarettes, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco, bumped wholesale prices up by 44 cents a pack and reduced discounting.

The revenue from the tax increase, which will be used to expand coverage under the State Children's Health Insurance Program to an additional 4 million low-income children, was signed into law in February.

It calls for a 62-cents-a-pack increase, to $1.01, in federal excise taxes on cigarettes for the nation's estimated 45 million cigarette smokers as well as increases in taxes on little cigars, cigars, and pipe and chewing tobacco.

The higher prices should have the positive effect of reducing teenage smoking, according to Dr. Jonathan Klein, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Rochester.

"There's very good evidence that adolescents are the most price-sensitive," Klein said.

New York state, which has among the highest tobacco tax rates in the nation, has seen a decline in teenage smoking. States with lower taxes have not, Klein said.

Last year the state increased its tax on cigarettes by $1.25, from $1.50 to $2.75 per pack.

New York also imposes a 4% state sales taxes on tobacco products, said Tom Bergin, spokesman for the state Department of Taxation and Finance. Local sales taxes push up the overall sales tax to more than 8% in Yonkers and New York City and on Long Island.

But the biggest impact is expected to be hundreds of miles away from the Empire State, where tobacco taxes are low.
South Carolina has the nation's lowest tax on cigarettes — 7 cents a pack. Missouri imposes a 17-cents-a-pack tax.

The current average among the states is $1.19 a pack, according to Eric Lindbloom, director of policy research for the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids.

Dr. Irwin Redlener, president of the Children's Health Fund in New York City, predicts that adult smokers who are economically "onthe edge" also may quit.

"Given the economic climate that we are in ... a new tax may be the final incentive to get them to stop smoking," Redlener said.

But Redlender said he dislikes the fact that the tax increase was used to finance an expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program under legislation signed into law in February.

"I don't want to see our health coverage of children dependent on this," said Redlender, who said he would prefer to see the expanded coverage paid for from the federal government's general revenue.

The Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids is hailing the fact that the tax increase will equalize the way that small cigars, which are increasing in popularity, are taxed.

"They really are cigarettes pretending to be little cigars so you can pay less tax," Lindbloom said. "This is a problem nationwide. It's a problem with state tax rates. It's a big deal because cigarette sales have been going down, but little cigar sales have been going up."

The federal tax on little cigars is currently 3.7 cents per pack of 20, while a pack of cigarettes is taxed 39 cents.

Come Wednesday, both types will be taxed $1.01 a pack.Likewise, the tax on roll-your-own tobacco was 4.5 cents per pack and will increase to $1.01.

Smaller tax increases will be imposed on large cigars and chewing tobacco, which will be taxed at 11.3 cents a can.

The International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association predicts that the nation's estimated 12 million cigar smokers and 1.2 million pipe smokers will trade down to less-expensive blends.

The average cigar smoker smokes only two cigars a week, said Joe Rowe, the group's executive director.

"I suspect pipe smokers will continue to buy pipe tobacco and smoke," Rowe said. "Pipe tobacco has been declining for years, and it's a choice and not habit."

Frank Cervone, store manager of Mom's Cigar in Scarsdale, agreed.

"They are probably not going to stop smoking but go to a lower-priced cigar," said Cervone, whose store sells premium cigars for $4 to $12.50 each.

Suggestions on Smoking Cessation

noreply@blogger.com (astra) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 05:22:00 +0000

In their booklet Clearing the Air: Quit Smoking Today, the National Cancer Institute offers many helpful hints for people who wish to stop smoking. These hints include START, which stands for:

S = Set a quit date.

T = Tell family, friends, and coworkers that you
plan to quit smoking.
A = Anticipate and plan ahead for the challenges
that you will face while quitting.
R = Remove cigarettes and other tobacco products
from your home, car, and work.
T = Talk to your doctor about getting help to quit.

Smokers should also think about reasons why they wish to stop smoking. In addition to improving health, they can save money and set a better example for their children. Women may wish to quit smoking to avoid getting wrinkles on their faces. Many people regard nonsmokers as more self-disciplined than smokers. Smokers who wish to quit smoking may wish to list their reasons for quitting on a piece of paper where they can periodically review it.
Smokers also need to discover their personal triggers that may cause them to smoke, such as finishing a meal or talking on the phone. Once triggers are identified, they can be replaced. For example, the smoker could eat in a nonsmoking section of a restaurant if finishing a meal is usually followed by smoking. At home, the person could move the dining table so that the visual cues are different. It is important to remember that the urge to smoke lasts about three to five minutes and it can be overcome. After several days, the urges start to abate.
The initial period of withdrawing from smoking can be a difficult time for the smoker, who may feel irritable and moody. This is normal and to be expected, as the toxic effects of the nicotine leave the body. Within several days, however, the body begins to recover and become healthy again.

Secondhand smoke

noreply@blogger.com (astra) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 05:16:00 +0000

Smoke that is generated by cigarettes, cigars, or pipes that other individuals are smoking. It is also known as environmental tobacco smoke. According to the American Cancer Society, 35,000–40,000 people who are not smokers die of heart disease because of exposure to secondhand smoke.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States, secondhand smoke contains more than 4,000 substances, and at least 40 of them are carcinogenic (cancer causing).
The EPA has classified secondhand smoke as a known cause of LUNG CANCER in humans that causes about 3,000 lung cancer deaths in nonsmokers every year. The EPA also estimates that there are between 7,500–15,000 hospitalizations of infants and children under the age of 18 months each year for respiratory tract infections that are caused by secondhand smoke. Children with asthma who live with smokers must cope with a greater number of attacks that are more severe.

There are two forms of secondhand smoke.

Sidestream smoke is from the lighted cigarette, cigar, or pipe. Mainstream smoke is exhaled by the person who is smoking. When either form of smoke is inhaled by nonsmokers, it is called passive smoking or involuntary smoking.

Recommendations for Smokers

For their own health and the health of others, all smokers should stop smoking. Until then, people who smoke should smoke outside their home or workplace so that others will not be exposed to secondhand smoke. Parents should make sure that they tell babysitters and family members they disapprove of smoking and should not allow smoking around their children. If a family member or other person smokes inside the house despite requests for no smoking, windows should be opened and exhaust fans turned on.

Health risk of active smoking

noreply@blogger.com (astra) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:46:00 +0000

The extent to which active smoking risks health and causes disease is remarkable. Active smoking results in most of the leading causes of death worldwide: cancers, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, and respiratory infections. The risks for most of these diseases increase with the number of cigarettes smoked and the length of smoking, and decrease after quitting. Filters on cigarettes do not greatly reduce the risk of smoking, nor are the cigarettes labelled “light” or “mild” any safer than regular cigarettes.
Since 1964 the U.S. Surgeon General has published periodic reviews of the health effects of smoking. Smoking is sourcing of risk almost all kinds of cancer.
For example, cigarette smoking is a major cause of cancers of the oral cavity in the United States.
The relationship between active cigarette smoking and death rates from peptic ulcer, especially gastric ulcer, is confirmed.
Cigarette smoking is the most important pulmonary disease of the causes of chronic bronchitis in the US, and increases the risk of dying from chronic bronchitis.
Consideration of evidence from many different studies has led to the conclusion that cigarette smoking is the overwhelmingly most important cause of cough, sputum, chronic bronchitis, and mucus hypersecretion.
Smoking cessation reduces the risk of pancreatic cancer, compared with continued smoking, although this reduction in risk may only be measurable after ten years of abstinence.
Not surprisingly, smokers have a substantially reduced life span in comparison with people who have never smoked.

Passive smoking 'linked to dementia'

noreply@blogger.com (astra) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 05:29:00 +0000

EXPOSURE to secondhand smoke boosts the risk of dementia and other cognitive problems, even among people who have never smoked, the largest study of its kind says.

Ill effects on non-smokers of constant exposure to tobacco smoke include an increased risk of lung cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke and death, earlier research has shown.

As for the impact on brain function, active smoking has been found to impair the mind but the evidence for passive smoking has until now been sketchy.

Using new methods in the largest clinical trial to date, a team led by Cambridge University professor David Llewellyn found that even people who had never smoked but kept constant company with smokers performed less well in cognitive tests.

The investigation focussed on nearly 5,000 adults over the age of 50 who were former smokers or who had never smoked.

The volunteers were divided into four groups according to their exposure to passive smoking.

This was determined by saliva samples, which were tested for a by-product of nicotine called cotinine.

Cotinine lingers in the saliva for about 25 days. The higher the levels of cotinine, the higher the exposure to recent secondhand smoke.

The volunteers then took neuro-psychological tests that assessed brain function and cognitive abilities, focusing on memory and the ability to work with numbers and words.

Using the lowest cotinine group as a benchmark, the researchers found a clear and progressively stronger link between impairment in brain function and exposure to secondhand smoke.

In the most-exposed group, the risk of cognitive impairment was 44 per cent higher than the benchmark group.

Factors such as age and medical condition, including a history of heart disease, that could have skewed the outcome were all taken into account.

"A similar pattern of associations was observed for never smokers and former smokers," said the study, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).

"Given the ongoing international policy debate on exposure to secondhand smoke, this is a topic of major public health significance."

Governments in North America, Australia and Europe have progressively enacted "smoke free" legislation for the workplaces, bars, restaurants and other public places over the last 15 years.

Some of the major ways that smoking harms the body

noreply@blogger.com (astra) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 17:37:00 +0000

According to the Surgeon General’s report, smoking harms the body in the following key ways:

• Nicotine reaches the brain 10 seconds after smoke is inhaled. It has been found in every part of the body, including breast milk.
• Toxic ingredients in cigarette smoke travel throughout the body, causing damage in several different ways.
• Carbon monoxide binds to hemoglobin in the red blood cells, preventing the affected cells from carrying a full load of oxygen.
• Carcinogens (cancer-causing agents) in tobacco smoke damage the genes that control cell growth, causing cells to grow abnormally or reproduce too rapidly.
• The carcinogen benzopyrene, a chemical compound in tobacco smoke, binds to cells in the airways and major organs of smokers.
• Smoking can cause oxidative stress that mutates DNA, promotes atherosclerosis, and also leads to chronic lung injury. Oxidative stress is believed to be behind the aging process and the development of cancer and cardiovascular
disease.
• Smoking lowers levels of antioxidants in the body. Antioxidants repair damaged cells.
• Smoking is linked to higher levels of chronic inflammation in the body.

Effects of chewing tobacco

noreply@blogger.com (astra) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 15:45:00 +0000

Some people who want to stop smoking, but who still crave the nicotine, turn to chewing tobacco which also called smokeless tobacco using wrongly thinking that they are doing something good for themselves.

Tobacco is highly addictive. Chewing tobacco can cause oral cancer in the mouth and throat. It increases the risk of developing this cancer by an estimated 50 times, according to the American Cancer Society. The cancer is most commonly found in the cheek, gums, and inner lips.
Chewing tobacco may cause esophageal cancer. It can cause bleeding gums and sores, and it stains the teeth a yellowish brown color. Smokeless tobacco also causes chronic bad breath. The constant spitting those smokeless tobacco users must perform often disgusts onlookers.

On average, effect of chewing tobacco increases your heart rate 10 to 20 beats per minute, and it increases your blood pressure reading by 5 to 10 mmHg (because it constricts the blood vessels).
Nicotine may also cause sweating, nausea, and diarrhea. Nicotine elevates the blood level of glucose (blood sugar) and increases insulin production. Nicotine also tends to enhance platelet aggregation, which may lead to blood clots.

While chewing tobacco nicotine temporarily has effects of stimulating memory and alertness.
People who use tobacco frequently depend on it to help them accomplish certain tasks at specific levels of performance. Nicotine also tends to be an appetite suppressant. For this reason, fear of weight gain also influences the willingness of some people to stop smoking and consumption of chewing tobacco.

Despite the painful and dangerous effects of chewing tobacco quitting with traditional techniques remains very difficult.

What about the low tar/nicotine brands?

noreply@blogger.com (astra) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 11:41:00 +0000

(original article on QuitSmokingNews )

A: Theoretically, the low tar and nicotine brands that have taken over a large share of the Canadian cigarette market in the past few years may offer a slightly reduced risk of lung cancer. But only theoretically.

Several facts not widely known are:

1.The “light” effect is generally acheived through air dilution using ventilation holes near the filter.

2.Regular smokers who switch to those low tar and nicotine cigarettes tend to compensate by smoking more cigarettes, or by inhaling more deeply and longer, or by covering up the ventilation holes. Thus they do not really reduce the amount of tar and nicotine they inhale.

3.Smokers of these cigarettes have a greatly increased risk of heart attack because they get more carbon monoxide by inhaling more deeply and longer.

Are mentholated cigarettes more or less harmful?

About 4% of all Canadian cigarettes sold contain some menthol. The metholated brands contain enough to produce a cool sensation in the throat when smoke is inhaled. Menthol does not add or detract from the harm caused by cigarettes, so far as tests show.

Has it been scientifically proven that cigarette smoking causes cancer?

Smoking is estimated to be responsible for 30% of all cancer deaths and specifically related to about 87% of lung cancer cases. It is also a contributory factor for the development

What is effect when combine nicotine and alcohol

noreply@blogger.com (astra) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 10:24:00 +0000

Nicotine and alcohol can intensify the attacks of the cluster headaches; alcohol is especially harmful as even small amounts can trigger an attack.
The researches demonstrate that regular alcohol using increases levels of cytochrome P450, a metabolic enzyme responsible for converting the tar in cigarettes to cancer-causing chemicals.
And alcohol activates nicotine metabolizing enzymes, which makes it necessary to take more cigarettes to achieve the accustomed effect. Nicotine can also mollify alcohol-related motor and coordination difficulties-hence the drinker who lights up to "steady his nerves."
By normalizing levels of vasopressin, a neurochemical messenger, nicotine can help neutralizeal cohol-induced memory impairment.
Alcohol, a depressant, mitigates some of the adverse effects smokers' experience, such as an increased heart rate.

Psychological effects of nicotine and alcohol using both alcohol drinking and smoking are addicted. But if they try to stop smoking, they go into nicotine withdrawal. Maybe alchohol will actually help them out initially, but then they use more and they develop even worse learning deficits, so now they begin smoking again and they end up relapsing. This could feed into a spiral in which initially nicotine and alcohol each block the adverse effects of the other. But as that happens then smokers and drinkers develop tolerance and use greater amounts of each drug, and then when they try quitting one or the other, they then have this cognitive deficit and may reach for either alcohol or nicotine or both to try and reverse it, but they just spiral into the addiction again.

Tobacco and Hallucinogens

noreply@blogger.com (astra) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 06:22:00 +0000

Hallucinogens may be defined as substances that cause hallucinations.
Tobacco is closely related to hallucinogenic plants, in terms of its physiological effect and the context of its use. However, there are similarities in nicotine’s physiological effect to hallucinogens, especially in extremely large doses.
Research indicates that nicotine can cause hallucinations by altering neurotransmitter levels
American hallucinogens include Solonacea, such as Atropa and Datura. Nicotiana tobacco belongs to this family. Solonacea contain hallucinogens, including atropine, or scopolamine, and are found
in prehistoric burials with tobacco pipes. The effects of high nicotine doses, especially the sense of flight, probably resulted in some ritual activities and symbols found in prehistoric Native American contexts.
Tobacco was used along with hallucinogens in many cultures.
Shamans use tobacco with Banisteriopsis in Peru, Columbia, and Bolivia. Oaxacan shamans used tobacco with Psilocybin mushrooms. Modern ethnologists have observed tobacco smoked during peyote (Lophophora williamsii) harvesting and cite use among Southwestern Indians. Californian
Indians used Datura with tobacco. The usage is not a strictly American phenomenon, as evidenced by the use of tobacco and hallucinogenic mushrooms in New Guinea. While ritual hallucinogen use is worldwide, there is often a preference for more controllable substances. Tobacco became a safe alternative to plants like Datura, allowing more widespread use of hallucinogens,
taking spirituality away from shamans who had previously benefited from specialized knowledge that allows the control of dangerous but spiritually powerful substances. Increased tobacco use is likely another reason behind the pan-continental distribution of tobacco in native
North America.

Fire risk is one more effect of smoking

noreply@blogger.com (astra) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 06:20:00 +0000

It is well-known fact that smoking causes a lot damage of health. But there is side effects from smoking.
Every year, fires caused by cigarettes result in billions of dollars in property damages, health care costs, lost productivity, and fire and emergency services. These fires burn homes, killing children and families; burn buildings and factories; and devastate city blocks, entire villages, and enormous tracts of forestland and other wilderness. Many cigarette induced fires occur when a mattress or furniture is ignited while people are asleep or intoxicated. As a result, cigarette fires are disproportionately responsible for fire-related deaths. Cigarettes are the leading cause of fire death among the industrialized western nations. An estimated 30 percent of fire deaths in the United States (approximately 1,000 people a year) and 10 percent of all fire deaths globally are attributable to smoking.
The call to develop a fire-safe cigarette dates back more than a hundred years, as a result of the common association between smoking and fire-related disasters.
A fire-safe cigarette would be designed either so that it would be less likely to ignite materials with which it remained in contact as it burned or so that it would self extinguish when left unused for an extended period.
Publicly, the tobacco industry has opposed fire-safe cigarette legislation, claiming that fire-safe cigarettes are unacceptable to consumers, that no testing method can accurately predict whether a cigarette is fire-safe, and that proposed changes would likely increase product toxicity.
It is unlikely that a fire-safe cigarette will ever become standard commercially.

CigArrest Official Site

Smoking and pregnancy

noreply@blogger.com (astra) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 06:11:00 +0000

The adverse effects of smoking begin even before birth. Maternal smoking reduces fertility and adversely affects pregnancy outcomes. Smoking during pregnancy reduces birth weight by approximately 200 grams on average. The degree of birth weight reduction is related to the amount smoked. If a mother who smokes gives up this behaviour by the third trimester of pregnancy, much of the weight reduction can be avoided. Smoking also increases rates of other adverse effects on reproduction including spontaneous abortion, and smoking during pregnancy is now considered to be a cause of sudden infant death syndrome. There is more limited evidence suggesting that smoking by the mother while pregnancy may increase risk for congenital defects, especially cleft lip and palate.
Smoking during pregnancy also causes acute lower respiratory tract infections; asthma induction and exacerbation; chronic respiratory symptoms; middle ear infection.
Smoking while pregnant has been shown to reduce the production of a chemical that relaxes blood vessels and can lead to lowered blood flow to the fetus. It is resulting in lower birth weight, shorter length and smaller head circumference.
Researchers also found that if the expectant mother quits smoking early in pregnancy, the enzyme that produces nitric oxide returns to normal levels and the infant is born at normal birth weight.

Role additives in cigarettes

noreply@blogger.com (astra) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 08:46:00 +0000

The flavour of a tobacco product is primarily determined by the tobacco leaf blend, while additives are used to modify or enhance tobacco flavour characteristics. Menthol is the only commonly recognized tobacco flavour category, although vanilla, cherry, orange, and other product flavours have been introduced commercially. Most additives are used in very small amounts—less than .01 percent of total weight. Additives perform a number of roles in addition to altering product flavour. For example, additives may also control cigarette burn rates, properties of tobacco such as moisture and consistency, and delivery of specific smoke constituents.

Additives may produce important changes to the effects of tobacco, altering dependence, toxicity, or use behaviours. Changes to the physiological properties of nicotine could also radically alter the character of tobacco dependence. Additives that enhance the body’s interaction with nicotine or other constituents may increase their addictive or toxicological effects. The addition of bronchodilators to cigarettes may have similar effects by allowing deeper inhalation and deposition of smoke constituents in areas of the respiratory tract where they are more likely to be absorbed. The perception of smoother smoke may facilitate increased or deeper inhalation of tobacco smoke by removing physical barriers. Similarly, reduced irritation may encourage or support increased frequency of use. Candy-like flavours, such as cherry, may also be used to target youth and women.
Tobacco manufacturers emphasize in public statements that the majority of additives have been shown to be safe when eaten in foods.
However, compounds are significantly more toxic when inhaled or absorbed directly into the bloodstream rather than ingested.
In the digestive system, additives and other complex molecules are broken down by enzymes into simpler chemical structures and/or transformed into other compounds. These processes render most substances less toxic to the body. In contrast, tobacco additives escape the metabolic pathways that would help make them less toxic. Although a number of additives are present in commercial products only in small concentrations, it does not follow that these can be considered harmless.

Quit Smoking Addiction with Smoking Replacements

Treating Nicotine Addiction

noreply@blogger.com (astra) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 08:20:00 +0000

The understanding that nicotine addiction drives the process of tobacco use has been met by safer ways of satisfying and treating the addiction. For example, some people can be counselled to gradually reduce their dependence on nicotine and thus break the addiction over time, that is, typically a few months. Others can be treated with nicotine-delivering medicines (chewing gum, skin patch, and inhaler). Most people who quit smoking using this method usually discontinue the medicine within two to three months of use of the medicines.
By the 1990s medicines delivering nicotine were available in several forms including chewing gum, skin patch, nasal spray, and lozenge. Also by the 1990s medicines that did not contain nicotine were recognized as effective including clonidine, nortriptyline, and bupropion.
The dawn of the twenty-first century witnessed yet new generations of medicines including vaccines intended to keep former smokers from going back to smoking by preventing nicotine from getting to the brain in those who tried to resume smoking. Some people, however, appear unable to discontinue nicotine use.
Finding safer ways other than smoking to feed their addiction may be lifesaving. Thus, although not advocated by the pharmaceutical companies that make nicotine-delivering medicines, many health professionals recommend that these smokers continue to use nicotine gum or patches as long as needed to remain abstinent from tobacco.
International public health organizations recognize that many people will be unable to give up their addictions completely and that tobacco products should be made as low in actual harmfulness as possible.
The international Framework Convention for Tobacco Control includes articles that could lead to the genuine reduction of the toxicants in tobacco products through government regulation and thus to reduced disease risk in people who do continue to use tobacco.
However, public perception that smoking regulated cigarettes might be less hazardous may discourage some smokers from quitting, ultimately leading to a net increase in tobacco-related disease and death. These efforts may take decades to implement and have not yet been proven effective.

Smoking and cancer

noreply@blogger.com (astra) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 04:29:00 +0000

Tobacco use, particularly cigarette smoking, is the single most preventable cause of death in the United States. Cigarette smoking alone is directly responsible for approximately 30 percent of all cancer deaths annually in the United States. Cigarette smoking also causes chronic lung disease (emphysema and chronic bronchitis), cardiovascular disease, stroke, and cataracts.

Cigarette smoke contains about 4,000 chemical agents, including over 60 carcinogens. In addition, many of these substances, such as carbon monoxide, tar, arsenic, and lead, are poisonous and toxic to the human body. Nicotine is a drug that is naturally present in the tobacco plant and is primarily responsible for a person’s addiction to tobacco products, including cigarettes. During smoking, nicotine is absorbed quickly into the bloodstream and travels to the brain in a matter of seconds. Nicotine causes addiction to cigarettes and other tobacco products that is similar to the addiction produced by using heroin and cocaine.

Real facts of links between smoking and cancer.

Here are evidence of smoking effects in pictures. There is no doubt between smoking and cancer.

Smoking is responsible for most cancers of the larynx, oral cavity and pharynx, esophagus, and bladder. In addition, it is a cause of kidney, pancreatic, cervical, and stomach cancers, as well as acute myeloid leukemia.

Smoking cessation has major and immediate health benefits for men and women of all ages and considerably decreases risk of cancer. Quitting smoking decreases the risk of lung and other cancers, heart attack, stroke, and chronic lung disease. The earlier a person quits, the greater the health benefit. For example, research has shown that people who quit before age 50 reduce their risk of dying in the next 15 years by half compared with those who continue to smoke. Smoking low-yield cigarettes, as compared to cigarettes with higher tar and nicotine, provides no clear benefit to health. Link between smoking and cancer is proved be scientific researches.

Urgent medical consultation Live Expert Advice.

Marketers of electronic cigarettes should halt unproved therapy claims

noreply@blogger.com (astra) — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 05:57:00 +0000

Image by Getty Images via Daylife
(original article)

19 September 2008 | GENEVA -- Contrary to what some marketers of the electronic cigarette imply in their advertisements, the World Health Organization (WHO) does not consider it to be a legitimate therapy for smokers trying to quit.

"The electronic cigarette is not a proven nicotine replacement therapy," said Dr Ala Alwan, Assistant Director-General of WHO's Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health Cluster. "WHO has no scientific evidence to confirm the product's safety and efficacy. Its marketers should immediately remove from their web sites and other informational materials any suggestion that WHO considers it to be a safe and effective smoking cessation aid."

The typical electronic cigarette is made of stainless steel, has a chamber for storing liquid nicotine in various concentrations, is powered by a rechargeable battery and resembles a real cigarette. Users puff on it as they would a real cigarette, but they do not light it, and it produces no smoke. Rather, it produces a fine, heated mist, which is absorbed into the lungs.

Developed in China in 2004, the electronic cigarette is sold there and in numerous other countries, including Brazil, Canada, Finland, Israel, Lebanon, the Netherlands, Sweden, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

Marketers of the electronic cigarette typically describe it as a means to help smokers break their addictions to tobacco. Some have even gone so far as to imply that WHO views it as a legitimate nicotine replacement therapy like nicotine gum, lozenges and patches.

But WHO knows of no evidentiary basis for the marketers' claim that the electronic cigarette helps people quit smoking. Indeed, as far as WHO is aware, no rigorous, peer-reviewed studies have been conducted showing that the electronic cigarette is a safe and effective nicotine replacement therapy.

WHO does not discount the possibility that the electronic cigarette could be useful as a smoking cessation aid. The only way to know is to test.

"If the marketers of the electronic cigarette want to help smokers quit, then they need to conduct clinical studies and toxicity analyses and operate within the proper regulatory framework," said Douglas Bettcher, Director a.i. of WHO's Tobacco Free Initiative. "Until they do that, WHO cannot consider the electronic cigarette to be an appropriate nicotine replacement therapy, and it certainly cannot accept false suggestions that it has approved and endorsed the product. "

The WHO Study Group on Tobacco Product Regulation is scheduled to address the electronic cigarette, among other topics, 12-14 November 2008 in Durban, South Africa. Convened by WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan, its mandate is to advise her on scientifically sound and evidence-based recommendations to the Member States about tobacco product regulation.

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New quit smoking aid - Auricular Magnets

noreply@blogger.com (astra) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 13:27:00 +0000

If you make decision to quit smoking ZeroSmoke and ZeroStress advanced quit smoking system gives you chance to stop smoking without patches, pills, and gum.

New quit smoking aid includes Zero Smoke Magnets therapy and ZeroStress anti-stress supplement.

The system includes:

1 Set of 24K Gold Plated Auricular Magnets
All-Natural Non-Allergenic Auricular Therapy
Easy To Use Anywhere
1 set Lasts a lifetime
BONUS 30 Day Supply of ZeroStress Anti Stress Supplement

Auricular Magnets are applied to specific acupressure points to release endorphins, and stamp out your cravings so you can quit smoking for good.

How Does new quit smoking ZeroSmoke Work?

The magnets should be used from a minimum of 3 hours to a maximum of 4 hours a day. If possible, use at home or at a time when you are calmest. For example, in the evening after eating until you go to bed. The magnets are two different sizes. The smaller magnet is placed in front of the ear and the larger behind the ear. You do NOT make a hole in the ear. The inherent property of the magnets keeps them in place by attraction, and there is no risk of them falling off. This process is carried out for 6 to 7 days during which you can continue to smoke normally. On the seventh day, if you have not already done so, stop smoking. You will find it very easy to stop smoking because the magnets have already induced the production of endorphins that remove the craving to smoke. Continue to use the magnets for 20 to 25 days and follow the instructions and advice given in the manual QUIT. Try the new quit smoking aid and after using Zerosmoke, when you are offered a cigarette, you will be able to give the satisfied reply: "No thanks, I've stopped smoking!"

The Effects of Smoking on the Body and Weight

noreply@blogger.com (astra) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 08:25:00 +0000

In the 2000s, the most well-known risks of Smoking are lung cancer and heart disease, but prolonged Smoking increases the risk of getting cancer in practically every other part of the Body. As well as lung cancer, smoking can lead to respiratory conditions such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
Moreover, there are other, less publicized, effects of smoking on almost every other body part.

Smoking weakens the immune system, leaving the body vulnerable to disease. It prematurely ages the skin, causing wrinkles, and can increase the risk of getting psoriasis. It interferes with the mouth’s chemistry, contributing to tooth decay, and reduces the levels of oxygen in smokers’ blood, leading to problems such as osteoporosis.

Smoking raises blood pressure, leading to heart conditions, and can damage the blood vessel walls, making it harder for the heart to pump blood around the body.

It can impair fertility in both men and women and lead to problems in pregnancy and birth among women. Among women in particular, fear of weight gain is one of the reasons smokers give for continuing smoking.

There is conflicting evidence as to whether this is the case and the consensus among researchers seems to be that the weight gained will be a small amount (approximately 5 pounds or 2.3 kg). However, research has shown that smoking affects the distribution of weight on the body. Smokers are more likely to store fat on the waist and torso, rather than the hips, which puts them more at risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and other problems.

Smoking also has an aesthetic impact on the body, particularly among heavy smokers, as nicotine can cause discoloured fingers and teeth, and many people object to the smell. The risks of passive smoking are well documented as environmental tobacco smoke has a negative effect on the health of those around smokers, making tobacco smoking a social as well as an individual problem.