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Maybe the saddest thing about being addicted to something is that you've given up control over your own life.

That's one of the main reasons I gave up smoking nearly two packs a day back in 1975.

The health risks were a consideration, but being owned by something really got my goat.

Like most smokers in denial, I used to say I could quit any time, then I tried a few times and found out I couldn't.

Through that two- or three-year quitting period, revelations concerning the tobacco companies kept creeping into public awareness. Despite the fact they knew their product to be a killer, I learned they had no problem in encouraging me to buy it and destroy my health. That they had no conscience, no remorse about causing millions of deaths worldwide.

That's when they became "the enemy," which helped a lot with my motivation to quit.

Then I got personal with the smokes. Having justifiably vilified their source, I resented having them control me. If you can't say no to something or someone, it controls you, and that's no way to live this wonderful life.

However, addicted as I was -- cigarettes were to me as implants are to Pamela Anderson -- I knew it was really going to be a challenge to give them up.

On a long haul trip with my brother back when he drove big rigs, we discovered a big box of chocolate-covered peanuts had broken open in the trailer. It was like winning a lottery.

We took that box into the cab, set it on the doghouse, and for three days ate endless handfuls of chocolate-covered peanuts. Mmmmm, were they good.

The fun waned about the time we started going to the bathroom a lot, and by the time it all ended, we had no desire ever to consume, or even see, a chocolate-coated peanut again.

I wondered if the same approach might work with cigarettes. I decided to try smoking every waking moment for a couple of weeks or as long as it took to get sick of cigarettes, then swear off them for good. It worked!

For about three weeks, I lit one cigarette off another, sucked each drag to my toes, even lit up if I had to get up in the night to visit the little boys' room. I always did that, anyway -- I really loved smoking.

Finally, at the point where I had lost all desire to puff, and hating the furry feeling in my mouth, I chucked the last empty pack away.

My self-inflicted revulsion lasted a good two weeks, by which time I had moved away from the addictive aspects (physical and mental) enough to be able to leave it behind ... but only because I really wanted to.

Health Canada chops aboriginal quit-smoking funds
Web Posted | Nov 15 2004 08:32 AM CST
WINNIPEG - Manitoba First Nations are blaming Health Canada for forcing them to cancel programs that would have helped band members quit smoking.

Almost 65 per cent of aboriginal Manitobans smoke – one of the highest rates in the world.

Health Canada had approved more than $500,000 for on-reserve tobacco-control programs this year. However, about $300,000 of that money is being redirected by the regional office to pay for other health costs, forcing First Nations to scale back tobacco-reduction programs and lay off staff.

Del Assiniboine, a health advocate with the Southern Chiefs Organization, is disappointed the money won't be spend on desperately needed quit-smoking programs. He says the decision is short-sighted, because Health Canada will have to pay later for many costly health problems related to smoking.

"It does get very frustrating when the government encourages us to make work plans, plans that we're going to do to help our people, and then Manitoba region says, 'no, you can't,'" he says.

Jim Wolfe, who heads the Manitoba region of Health Canada's First Nations branch, says the money was used for more urgent health costs.

Wolfe admits more money for tobacco control would have been useful, but he says the money was used for more urgent health costs.

"Yeah, you could go further, but you have to look at the overall situation with our resources, and we make that decision," he says. "The money goes to pay for things like trips out of the communities, you know, necessary vision and direct health-service kinds of issues, which are a higher priority than more discretionary funding like you would see in the tobacco funding."

Wolfe says a lot can still be done with the money his department will be providing.

Canadians' tap water may contain tiny traces of prescription drugs, a new federal study has found.

A study of water samples taken from locations near 20 drinking water treatment plants in southern Ontario found evidence of nine different drugs. They ranged from the painkiller ibuprofen, cholesterol-lowering drugs and antidepressants, such as Prozac.

The drugs are making it into the water supply because the human body doesn't always absorb all the medication it ingests. Some is excreted as solid waste, and the particles aren't removed in the treatment process.

"It's an element of modern life that tends to unnerve us," said Duncan Ellison of the Canadian Water and Wastewater Association.

The study, conducted by researchers from the National Water Research Institute for the federal government, has yet to be formally published. But it has been submitted to a British journal entitled Water Research and should be published in the new year.

The quantities of drugs involved would be equivalent to a single drop of water in an entire swimming pool.

Environmentalists counter by saying any quantity of prescription drugs in water is unacceptable, even if the drugs themselves have already been tested for safety.

"They certainly aren't tested in combination," said Angela Rickman of the Sierra Club. "So we're being exposed at any given time to three or four or five or any number of pharmaceuticals and no one knows the effect of that exposure."

There are also questions of the impact on aquatic life, on fetuses and on those who are ill or infirm.

As an example of what can happen, male smallmouth bass in a nicotine-polluted section of the U.S.'s Potomac River have started producing eggs.

Municipal governments, who bear operational responsibility for treating drinking water, say they are working on what is a complicated problem.

"There are research activities going on now to determine what we can do about it," Ellison said.

Experts say another way to solve this problem is to design better drugs that are fully metabolized by the body.

However, CTV's Paula Newton said designing such drugs is likely years away, as are any studies to determine whether prescription drug traces in treated drinking water are a health hazard.

Smoking ban snuffing out Canadian business profits
By CHRIS SEBASTIAN
Times Herald

Casino visitors normally don't have far to walk before they see someone with a slot-machine handle in one hand and a cigarette in the other.

Today, it's those smokers who have to walk to enjoy their habit at the Point Edward Charity Casino, and the managers say their business is hurting because of it.

Since the Lambton County no-smoking law that prohibits lighting up in any public building started Sept. 4, many businesses still are figuring out the ban's effects.

Casino spokesman Jim Cronin said he will know better at the end of December, when the casino's third financial quarter draws to a close, how the smoke-free atmosphere has affected the casino.

"We can certainly say that we anticipate there will be an impact both on visitation and revenue," Cronin said. "People still come in and play the slots; however, they may play for a shorter period of time."

Although businesses may be hurting, Lambton County officials said they were concerned about health when they enacted the smoking ban. They have said nonsmokers have the right to breathe smoke-free air.

The casino has a temporary outdoor smoking patio and next week will begin construction on a permanent one. About 30 locations have received permission from the Lambton County building department for patios.

The patios, however, won't provide a comfortable alternative as the weather gets colder. Some restaurants and bars plan to build enclosed patios to combat the cold.

While restaurants and bars have felt the greatest financial pain, they aren't alone. Some gas stations said their cigarette sales have declined.

Bowling alleys are experiencing problems, but not from a lack of business. Shirley Wickens, owner of Hi-Way Bowl in Sarnia, said she'll have higher heating bills this winter because people go outside to smoke.

"They are in and out, in and out," Wickens said. "We just don't like the thoughts of this door being open all the time in the winter."

The ban has hit some businesses hard. Thirsty's Roadhouse in Sarnia is for sale, owner Terri Kavanaugh said.

Sales dropped 20% in September and 25% in October, compared to the same time last year.

"I was optimistic at first, but as it turns out, nonsmokers are just not supporting my kind of business," she said.

Hinton Parklander — The Hinton Building Leadership for Action in Schools Today (BLAST) team from Harry Collinge high school, along with 12 other BLAST teams, met at the Hinton Environmental Training Centre for the annual North BLAST Conference.
During the Nov. 5-7 weekend, students and coaches took part in team building sessions, interactive presentations and educational workshops related to tobacco use.
The students also participated in project planning, sports, games and other fun activities.
“The conference was a 10, the enthusiasm alone was phenomenal and with the coaches as well,” said Hinton AADAC tobacco reduction counsellor, John Heffernan. “A lot of kids said that they would go back to work with their peers and help with programs to work with the schools.”
Along with HCHS the teams who participated were from Percy Baxter school, Prairie River Peer Support, Niton Central school, Jasper Jr/Sr High school, Pine Groves Middle school, Boyle school, Stettler Y.A.S Group, Mirror BLAST, Alix BLAST, Mayerthorpe high school and Holy Redeemer high school.
Presentations were made by Heffernan, Trina Bandi, health educator, Sandy Gill, dental hygienist, Jocelyne Lamoureux, respiratory therapist, Donita Large, tobacco cessation coordinator and John Dunn, health promotions facilitator.
“They were good presentations, if any smoker saw them they’d be scared out of their minds,” said Jackie Hall, first year HCHS BLAST team member.
Rachelle Andre said that the groups main focus so far is to protect those that can’t protect themselves, hence second-hand smoke.
“We’re not just telling people that they don’t have a right to smoke - it’s about the people that can’t protect themselves, the victims,” Hall said.
Heffernan said that all of the kids made some really strong bonds together. He also pointed out that a lot of kids think that they are immune to complications from tobacco effects and that you can only get sick in you’re 40’s.
“The dental hygienist Sandy showed us something on spit tobacco. One guy’s mouth was completely black and he was so young - it was worse than the videos you see in school,” second year HCHS BLAST member Jordan Pelley said.
For the future, the HCHS BLAST team is going to look at gathering signatures for a province-wide smoke ban.
“We always hear about people with cancer but when you see the pictures and the cancer it’s a lot more effective to quit smoking,” Andre said.

POSTED: 7:57 am CST November 15, 2004
HOUSTON -- A gunman who fatally shot a man in front of a friend outside a southwest Houston apartment building remains on the run Monday morning.

Officers said Samuel Gonzalez, 24, was shot in the forehead as he smoked a cigarette in the stairwell of a friend's apartment building on Corporate and Sharpcrest.

A witness told investigators he spotted the gunman in the parking lot before the shooting happened and heard him yell out a gang name.

He told police that he and some other residents of the building dragged the victim inside the building, where he died.