IT WAS an unprecedented reparation when a Suffolk Superior Court jury this week awarded $152 million in total damages to the family of Marie Evans. The jury decided that Lorillard illegally gave away free Newport cigarettes to children in a black Boston housing project in Roxbury a half-century ago. Evans was one of those children, and she died of lung cancer in 2002 at age 54. The suit was the first of its kind to focus on the free samples to underage youth. Documents showed Lorillard blatantly targeted inner cities and said “the base of our business is the high school student.’’
The award “can’t bring my mother back, but it was good to see the company held responsible for what they did,’’ Evans’s son Willie said to the Globe yesterday.
But we should not kid ourselves. The tobacco companies are still trying to buy a good image with our kids. This singular victory for the Evans family would mean so much more if leaders stood up and held themselves responsible to hold the line against the death peddlers. But while Willie Evans savors a victory against the exploitation of the inner city by a cigarette company, it is shameful that the most elite of African American organizations continue to wallow in the cash thrown at them by Big Tobacco.
Of course African American organizations are not alone. Big tobacco buys off any organization it can. The 2009 list of charitable contributions by Altria, the corporate cover for Philip Morris USA, includes many Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCAs and YWCAs, Boy Scout, Girl Scout, 4-H, Junior Achievement, and Camp Fire councils, Big Brothers and Big Sisters chapters, and United Way chapters. The R.J. Reynolds Foundation boasts of similar contributions. The national presidents and CEOs of all those organizations need to say no more to tobacco money.
But the Evans suit, which focused on Lorillard specifically targeting low-income black children, is a riveting reminder that African-Americans are disproportionately likely to develop and die from lung cancer. That makes it incumbent on highly influential organizations to tell Big Tobacco that they will not be exploited anymore. But there is little sign of that, when Lorillard is one of the top political action committee contributors to the Congressional Black Caucus.
Prominent on Altria’s list are the national offices of the CBC, the Urban League, the United Negro College Fund, and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. There is a parallel list for Latinos. Among local chapters on Altria’s contribution list is the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts.Altria is also the producer of Marlboro cigarettes.
Local Urban League President and CEO Darnell Williams said in an email that Altria is one of the sponsors of its charity golf tournament. “We use the proceeds from the tournament to fund youth activities in Boston,’’ Williams wrote. “Football teams, basketball teams, youth scholarships to college, and youth civic engagement have all benefited.’’ Williams described Altria as “solid and responsible partners’’ that “we have not hesitated in working with to carry out our mission to empower people and change their lives.’’
It is time to hesitate. Big Tobacco is working to disempower people all over the world, fighting efforts from here to Uruguay to limit or prevent graphic warnings on cigarette packs. No matter how wonderful is the work of civic organizations, and our local Urban League is indeed a vital part of Boston, the goal of empowering people and changing their lives is tragically diminished when organizations take money from forces that steal decades from those lives.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Quit smoking for healthy life
These people are not killed by the nicotine in the cigarette, but by the other constituents of tobacco smoke --- carbon monoxide and the other 4000 chemicals present in tobacco.
All the cigarettes , no matter of the brand, either it is Davidoff cigarettes or Parliament cigaretes containd chemicals.
What the nicotine does is keep the smoker addicted.
At least, that is the opinion of many medical health specialists. Which is how NRT, or Nicotine Replacement Therapy came to be.
According to Wikipedia, “Nicotine replacement therapy helps to damp down the urges to smoke that most smokers have in the early days and weeks after quitting, rather than remove them totally. It gives the smoker the chance to break smoking cues in their daily lives, and might provide a more comfortable exit from the smoking habit.” Sound good, doesn’t it?
And it has helped many people quit the bad habit. Take Ankur Samantray, who works for an IT firm, for instance.
“I had been smoking for about five years --- 20-25 cigarettes a day --- when I decided to quit. I think I tried quitting six or seven times, but each time, I would end up back to my old habits in two weeks. My mom was worried, and so she looked up NRT s and asked a family member to send across nicotine gum and nicotine patches from USA. I would alternate between the two, and ended up quitting after about five months. I’ve had the occasional cigarette here and there, but it’s no longer an issue,” he says, glowing about the benefit of NRT s.
But the use of NRT products is not prevalent in the country.
Using willpower alone has so far been the most popular method in India to try and quit smoking. Dr Sajeela Maini, a tobacco cessation specialist, explains, “This is really the need of the hour in India. Today smokers must have a 360 degree environment of support.”
“NRT addresses the issue of physical addiction to nicotine and allows the smoker to focus his or her will-power on combating the habits and triggers that perpetuate the addiction to cigarettes.”
And while NRT s have been found to be quite successful in helping some people quite, others are not quite as happy.
According to Grace Chandy, who works for an NGO, NRT s are just another form of nicotine addiction.
“Honestly speaking, I have tried the gum, but it never really did much for me. It’s just another way to get hooked to nicotine. When I stopped the using the gum, the craving came back, and I ended up smoking again. When I finally did quit smoking, it was sheer will-power that helped me do so. All there nicotine replacement therapies are just illusions.”
But the nicotine gum and the patch aren’t the only NRT options that one has. One particularly controversial NRT , the electronic cigarette, has found many takers.
The e-Cigarette is a non-flammable device that consists of a tiny rod that is longer than a real cigarette, and comes with a replaceable cartridge that contains liquified nicotine, propylene glycol, tobacco flavor, and a membrane to hold the in gredients.
The e-Cigarette also has a small rechargeable battery that allows nicotine to be converted into vapor with each inhalation.
When a smoker takes a puff, a sensor present in the e-Cigarette detects the air flow and a microprocessor injects tiny small drops of liquified nicotine, which gets vaporised.
The vapor has no smell and dissipates fast.
To make the mist look like normal cigarette smoke, ethylene glycol is used.
So not only does this device satisfy the chemical craving for the drug, but using the it allows the smoker to imitate the physical action of smoking a cigarette or pipe.
Nirbhay Sen, a data analyst, absolutely loves his electronic cigarette.
“I stopped coughing, I don’t smell like an ashtray and I feel addicted to the e-cigarette, but less so than I was to cigarettes.
I’ve been using it for about four months, and I will probably eventually quit smoking the e-cigarette too, but not any time too soon,” he says.
And while he might be appreciative of this particular form of NRT , he is not so find of others.
“I don’t remember which brand I tried, but the nicotine gum was awful. It doesn’t taste like gum, it breaks up in your mouth and it burns in your stomach. To top it off I started hiccuping constantly. And after all that I still wanted to smoke, so I just gave up on the gum,” says Nirbhay.
But the e-cigarette technology is fairly new and the health effects of long term use are currently unknown.
Several studies regarding the long-term health effects of inhaling nicotine vapor are currently in progress.
All the cigarettes , no matter of the brand, either it is Davidoff cigarettes or Parliament cigaretes containd chemicals.
What the nicotine does is keep the smoker addicted.
At least, that is the opinion of many medical health specialists. Which is how NRT, or Nicotine Replacement Therapy came to be.
According to Wikipedia, “Nicotine replacement therapy helps to damp down the urges to smoke that most smokers have in the early days and weeks after quitting, rather than remove them totally. It gives the smoker the chance to break smoking cues in their daily lives, and might provide a more comfortable exit from the smoking habit.” Sound good, doesn’t it?
And it has helped many people quit the bad habit. Take Ankur Samantray, who works for an IT firm, for instance.
“I had been smoking for about five years --- 20-25 cigarettes a day --- when I decided to quit. I think I tried quitting six or seven times, but each time, I would end up back to my old habits in two weeks. My mom was worried, and so she looked up NRT s and asked a family member to send across nicotine gum and nicotine patches from USA. I would alternate between the two, and ended up quitting after about five months. I’ve had the occasional cigarette here and there, but it’s no longer an issue,” he says, glowing about the benefit of NRT s.
But the use of NRT products is not prevalent in the country.
Using willpower alone has so far been the most popular method in India to try and quit smoking. Dr Sajeela Maini, a tobacco cessation specialist, explains, “This is really the need of the hour in India. Today smokers must have a 360 degree environment of support.”
“NRT addresses the issue of physical addiction to nicotine and allows the smoker to focus his or her will-power on combating the habits and triggers that perpetuate the addiction to cigarettes.”
And while NRT s have been found to be quite successful in helping some people quite, others are not quite as happy.
According to Grace Chandy, who works for an NGO, NRT s are just another form of nicotine addiction.
“Honestly speaking, I have tried the gum, but it never really did much for me. It’s just another way to get hooked to nicotine. When I stopped the using the gum, the craving came back, and I ended up smoking again. When I finally did quit smoking, it was sheer will-power that helped me do so. All there nicotine replacement therapies are just illusions.”
But the nicotine gum and the patch aren’t the only NRT options that one has. One particularly controversial NRT , the electronic cigarette, has found many takers.
The e-Cigarette is a non-flammable device that consists of a tiny rod that is longer than a real cigarette, and comes with a replaceable cartridge that contains liquified nicotine, propylene glycol, tobacco flavor, and a membrane to hold the in gredients.
The e-Cigarette also has a small rechargeable battery that allows nicotine to be converted into vapor with each inhalation.
When a smoker takes a puff, a sensor present in the e-Cigarette detects the air flow and a microprocessor injects tiny small drops of liquified nicotine, which gets vaporised.
The vapor has no smell and dissipates fast.
To make the mist look like normal cigarette smoke, ethylene glycol is used.
So not only does this device satisfy the chemical craving for the drug, but using the it allows the smoker to imitate the physical action of smoking a cigarette or pipe.
Nirbhay Sen, a data analyst, absolutely loves his electronic cigarette.
“I stopped coughing, I don’t smell like an ashtray and I feel addicted to the e-cigarette, but less so than I was to cigarettes.
I’ve been using it for about four months, and I will probably eventually quit smoking the e-cigarette too, but not any time too soon,” he says.
And while he might be appreciative of this particular form of NRT , he is not so find of others.
“I don’t remember which brand I tried, but the nicotine gum was awful. It doesn’t taste like gum, it breaks up in your mouth and it burns in your stomach. To top it off I started hiccuping constantly. And after all that I still wanted to smoke, so I just gave up on the gum,” says Nirbhay.
But the e-cigarette technology is fairly new and the health effects of long term use are currently unknown.
Several studies regarding the long-term health effects of inhaling nicotine vapor are currently in progress.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Smoking kills: Spill blamed on cigarette break
The explosion which caused the Gulf of Mexico oil spill took place shortly after a man who was monitoring vital safety equipment decided to leave his workstation for a cigarette break.
Joseph E Keith, an employee of the Halliburton subsidiary Sperry Sun, told investigators that he failed torealise that the well was filling with dangerous levels of crude oil and natural gas because he was in the canteen, having a smoke and a cup of coffee.
By the time Mr Keith had resumed watching his monitors, which were tracking pressure levels on the Deepwater Horizon rig, the safety gauges had returned to normal, according to testimony he gave to the joint Coast Guard-Interior Department panel in Houston.
Not long afterwards, a huge explosion on the BP rig killed 11 people, injured 17 others, and caused oil to begin leaking into the Gulf. Over the ensuing three months, some 206 million gallons were released, in what is believed to be the worst accidental spill in history.
Mr Keith had worked on the Deepwater Horizon for eight years as a "mud logger", whose job was to monitor the flow of mud out of the well to ensure there were no build-ups of hydrocarbons or other volatile substances. He had 30 years of experience in the industry.
On the day of the blow-out, he recalled being "uncomfortable" with the number of activities taking place on the rig. "They were moving a lotof mud around," he said, meaningthat it became difficult to keep track of the mud that was leaving the well.
The fatal cigarette break lasted 10 minutes, and saw him smoke just half of his cigarette before returning to his workstation. Had Mr Keith seen the pressure data which had emerged during his absence, he "would have called the rig floor" to warn colleagues that they were in danger.
He did not hear the subsequent explosion and only realised something was seriously amiss half an hour later, when the screens he used to monitor drilling fluid in the small trailer where he worked began to bend and stretch due to intense heat. An air-conditioning unit in the ceiling then melted.
When he ran on to the deck of the stricken rig, Mr Keith discovered the body of a dead co-worker. He survived the ensuing fire, along with 114 other employees of BP and its myriad subcontractors, by boarding a life raft.
The eight-person Coastguard panel which heard his testimony is this week holding its sixth round of hearings into this summer's disaster. A separate inquiry by a White House commission is also ongoing, although members say their efforts to find out what went wrong are being obstructed by one of BP's leading suppliers, National Oilwell Varco.
Investigators for the panel say their efforts to recreate what dead crew members on the rig saw on their monitors on the day of the disaster are being hindered by the equipment supplier's failure to provide crucial information and assistance.
"For over a month, we have attempted to elicit National Oilwell Varco's assistance on this matter," they said in a letter to commissioners. "They have been generally unco-operative, either in the form of refusal or delay."
Joseph E Keith, an employee of the Halliburton subsidiary Sperry Sun, told investigators that he failed torealise that the well was filling with dangerous levels of crude oil and natural gas because he was in the canteen, having a smoke and a cup of coffee.
By the time Mr Keith had resumed watching his monitors, which were tracking pressure levels on the Deepwater Horizon rig, the safety gauges had returned to normal, according to testimony he gave to the joint Coast Guard-Interior Department panel in Houston.
Not long afterwards, a huge explosion on the BP rig killed 11 people, injured 17 others, and caused oil to begin leaking into the Gulf. Over the ensuing three months, some 206 million gallons were released, in what is believed to be the worst accidental spill in history.
Mr Keith had worked on the Deepwater Horizon for eight years as a "mud logger", whose job was to monitor the flow of mud out of the well to ensure there were no build-ups of hydrocarbons or other volatile substances. He had 30 years of experience in the industry.
On the day of the blow-out, he recalled being "uncomfortable" with the number of activities taking place on the rig. "They were moving a lotof mud around," he said, meaningthat it became difficult to keep track of the mud that was leaving the well.
The fatal cigarette break lasted 10 minutes, and saw him smoke just half of his cigarette before returning to his workstation. Had Mr Keith seen the pressure data which had emerged during his absence, he "would have called the rig floor" to warn colleagues that they were in danger.
He did not hear the subsequent explosion and only realised something was seriously amiss half an hour later, when the screens he used to monitor drilling fluid in the small trailer where he worked began to bend and stretch due to intense heat. An air-conditioning unit in the ceiling then melted.
When he ran on to the deck of the stricken rig, Mr Keith discovered the body of a dead co-worker. He survived the ensuing fire, along with 114 other employees of BP and its myriad subcontractors, by boarding a life raft.
The eight-person Coastguard panel which heard his testimony is this week holding its sixth round of hearings into this summer's disaster. A separate inquiry by a White House commission is also ongoing, although members say their efforts to find out what went wrong are being obstructed by one of BP's leading suppliers, National Oilwell Varco.
Investigators for the panel say their efforts to recreate what dead crew members on the rig saw on their monitors on the day of the disaster are being hindered by the equipment supplier's failure to provide crucial information and assistance.
"For over a month, we have attempted to elicit National Oilwell Varco's assistance on this matter," they said in a letter to commissioners. "They have been generally unco-operative, either in the form of refusal or delay."
Siliguri environmentalists support ban on sale of tobacco in plastic sachets
Environmentalists and anti-tobacco groups in West Bengal's Siliguri district supported the decision of supreme court to ban the sale of tobacco products packed in plastic.
SC's decision to ban the sale of tobacco products such as 'gutkha' and 'pan masala' in plastic sachets came on Tuesday.
Anti- tobacco organizations were pleased with the decision of the court.
"This is a positive step in the plastic pouch ban on tobacco products. Earlier also, there were so many directions given to ban tobacco but nothing worked out. The plastic pouches have been banned due to environmental reasons. When there would be packing in different material, this would affect the cost of the product," said Dhanajay Singh, coordinator of an anti-tobacco non-governmental organization.
"The court has also directed that these products should be costly in order to be out of the reach of common people. We would support this cause and this direction should be followed," he added.
Tobacco manufacturers, however, feel the ban would lead to the closure of thousands of tobacco manufacturing units all over the country and threaten the livelihoods of workers.There are many tobacco manufacturers like R.J. Reynolds, which produces Camel cigarettes or Philip Morris which manufactures Marlboro cigarettes.
"Tobacco eating is injurious for health. We know this but the government should give us a way out to sell our product. If the product is not sold in plastic pouches, then it should be followed on other products as well. Chips and shampoo sachets are also sold in plastic pouches so why a ban on only tobacco products?" said Pradeep Singhal, a tobacco manufacturer.
The tobacco manufacturers have been told to investigate alternative forms of packaging and report back to the court.
The central government has agreed to carry out surveys on the impact on public health of both the tobacco-related products and plastic packaging.
It is estimated that over 240 million people use some form of cheap and addictive tobacco, which is linked to over a million deaths every year.
The ban on plastic packaging would be effective from March 1, 2011. By Tarak Sarkar (ANI)
SC's decision to ban the sale of tobacco products such as 'gutkha' and 'pan masala' in plastic sachets came on Tuesday.
Anti- tobacco organizations were pleased with the decision of the court.
"This is a positive step in the plastic pouch ban on tobacco products. Earlier also, there were so many directions given to ban tobacco but nothing worked out. The plastic pouches have been banned due to environmental reasons. When there would be packing in different material, this would affect the cost of the product," said Dhanajay Singh, coordinator of an anti-tobacco non-governmental organization.
"The court has also directed that these products should be costly in order to be out of the reach of common people. We would support this cause and this direction should be followed," he added.
Tobacco manufacturers, however, feel the ban would lead to the closure of thousands of tobacco manufacturing units all over the country and threaten the livelihoods of workers.There are many tobacco manufacturers like R.J. Reynolds, which produces Camel cigarettes or Philip Morris which manufactures Marlboro cigarettes.
"Tobacco eating is injurious for health. We know this but the government should give us a way out to sell our product. If the product is not sold in plastic pouches, then it should be followed on other products as well. Chips and shampoo sachets are also sold in plastic pouches so why a ban on only tobacco products?" said Pradeep Singhal, a tobacco manufacturer.
The tobacco manufacturers have been told to investigate alternative forms of packaging and report back to the court.
The central government has agreed to carry out surveys on the impact on public health of both the tobacco-related products and plastic packaging.
It is estimated that over 240 million people use some form of cheap and addictive tobacco, which is linked to over a million deaths every year.
The ban on plastic packaging would be effective from March 1, 2011. By Tarak Sarkar (ANI)
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Cigarette display coverups could change attitudes about smoking among teens, new study says
Teenagers might change their attitudes about cigarette smoking by what could be dubbed a "don't show, don't tell" policy that keeps tobacco products in stores out of sight, according to a new British study.
Researchers in Ireland simply removed cigarette and tobacco items from store displays during a three-year survey that examined the effect on attitudes about smoking. The University of Nottingham's Centre for Tobacco Control Studies reports the number of teens who recalled the tobacco-driven ad displays dropped from 81% to 22%.
Researchers in Ireland simply removed cigarette and tobacco items from store displays during a three-year survey that examined the effect on attitudes about smoking. The University of Nottingham's Centre for Tobacco Control Studies reports the number of teens who recalled the tobacco-driven ad displays dropped from 81% to 22%.
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