Comments

RE: KERRY Diotte's Dec. 1 column.* I guess in the old days, we used to put lepers into colonies. But we were never mean enough to then burn those colonies down. And that is what Crystal Brown and the rest of them seem to want to do. Do I smoke? Yes. But long before there were laws about smoking inside or even politically correct zealots, I respected others and I was careful with my smoking. In terms of smoking outside, leave this leper alone. I have enough problems with my cigarette addiction!

JOHN STEWART Dec 3, 2004
Nearly 300 Mississauga smokers are among a growing group of 10,000 who say they're fed up being treated as social outcasts.

"We've got ordinary Joes who've signed up and joined by the droves," said Nancy Daigneault, head of the smokers' rights group My Choice in an interview with The News. "Smokers want a voice. They're tired of being second-class citizens."

However, Ontario Lung Association Regional Director Edie Newton said from her Mississauga office yesterday that My Choice is the latest in a series of "fronts" for the tobacco industry.

Newton agreed with the Ontario Council for Action on Tobacco's assessment that, "the addictive nature of nicotine itself makes the idea of 'choice' a joke, if not an insult to those people who smoke."

The tobacco industry has no credibility, "because of their long history of deceiving the public, especially their own clients, regarding the health effects of their products," Newton said.

While My Choice is funded by $2.5 million in grants from cigarette companies, Daigneault said the lobby group operates independently.

"Smokers are really tired of being made to feel stupid," the My Choice president said, noting that a recent anti-youth smoking campaign has a website address of stupid.ca. "The implication is that anyone who smokes is stupid."

What sparked the new website, is proposed legislation in Ontario that all but bans smoking outright. The new law would ban smoking in Canadian Legion halls and other private clubs and on outdoor patios. It would go so far as to force smokers who need home care, to abstain from their habit for 24 hours before a nurse comes into their residence.

Since its online campaign was launched at www.mychoice.ca at the end of September, nearly 10,000 members have joined the Canada-wide group in just two months.

The majority of the membership wants separately-ventilated Designated Smoking Rooms in bars and restaurants so that they can continue to enjoy going out, without bothering non-smokers.

Daigneault, a former reporter at 680 News in Toronto, said the new group is about restoring balance to the debate about smoking in public, and private places.

"We want people to respect the fact that smokers have rights too and ensure that this minority is treated with respect," the former Mississauga resident said.

Surveys of the group's members show that 34 per cent want to quit smoking. The mychoice website has links to smoking cessation programs.

OTTAWA - Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh is pleased to announce today Canada’s ratification of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The FCTC is the first-ever global public health treaty. It is designed to protect present and future generations from the health and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to second-hand smoke by strengthening tobacco control initiatives around the world.

"Canada is a world leader in tobacco control," said Minister Dosanjh. "I am proud to say that Canada’s strong legislation and regulations inspired many of the Articles in the Convention. The FCTC is, in fact, based on a Canadian idea. In many cases Canada already meets, and exceeds, the requirements of the Convention.

The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control has the potential to improve the health and well-being of millions of people around the world. Tobacco use is the world’s leading cause of preventable illness, disability, and premature death. Globally, 4.9 million people die each year from tobacco-related illness, including 45,000 Canadians.

To announce the ratification, Minister Dosanjh was joined by forty Kingston-area students who have been advocates for the Convention. "It is appropriate that Canada, which sees itself as a world leader on the war on tobacco, has taken the historic step of ratifying the FCTC and has joined 39 other countries in setting an example for the world," said Jialin Guo, a student at Kingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute. "This is an important victory for people around the world who have long been exposed to the dangers of the tobacco trade."

The FCTC was adopted by member countries of the World Health Organization at the World Health Assembly on May 21, 2003, following almost three years of negotiations. Through ratifying the FCTC, Canada becomes a member of the Conference of Parties and will play an active role in the implementation and management of the Convention. Forty countries have now ratified the treaty, and it will come into force on February 28, 2005.

The Provincial and Territorial Ministers of Health have all indicated their support for the FCTC and reaffirmed their continued commitment to work collectively to addressing the public health consequences of tobacco consumption. Canada has invested heavily in terms of leadership, funding and hard work in domestic and international tobacco control efforts over many years. The Convention recognizes that effective tobacco control requires not only comprehensive, consistent and sustained domestic efforts around the world, but also strong, coordinated international efforts.

Canada fully supports the FCTC because it is consistent with and advances Canada's domestic efforts, which are guided by the Federal Tobacco Control Strategy. The Strategy includes a combination of tobacco control efforts in protection, prevention and cessation and harm reduction initiatives, including mass media campaign support for the Strategy's objectives.
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/english/media/releases/2004/2004_63.htm

PHILADELPHIA -- You've heard of candy cigarettes, but how about real cigarettes with a hint of candy flavor?

The new, flavored cigarettes from Camel have anti-tobacco activists up in arms. Many teens seem to like them, and the manufacturers said the brand is in demand.

Do you think R.J. Reynolds is targeting teens with their flavored cigarettes? Choice Votes Percentage of 6452 Votes Yes, and they should be banned 4369 (68% )Yes, but they should not be banned 1045 (16%) No, they're not specifically targeting teens 1038 (16%) Results : AS OF 3:49 PM DEC. 3/ 04

SURVEY DISCLAIMER Please keep in mind that our polls are for entertainment and are not conducted in a scientific fashion.
We make no guarantees about the accuracy of the results other than that they reflect the choices of the users who participated.
If you have questions or comments about our polls, please e-mail us. "They're kind of tasty. It sounds like a gimmick for kids, you know. I walk in there, I see the bright colors and I'm, like, 'I need that cigarette,'" said Kenny Silver, 18, a high school senior.

"It's all colorful and really cool and groovy and they look nice and, of course, people automatically think, 'Oh, nice, I want to smoke these now,'" said Hedi Lowe, 18, also a high school senior.

"So, they put them out there with a little color on there to attract people's attention. 'Oh, let me get those, let me try those,'" said Chris Jehova, a clerk at a Sunoco station.

Jehova said that the cigarettes are selling fast. That has anti-smoking activists worried. Dr. Sandra Weibel said it is obvious children are the target.

"I can't imagine adults in any way would want flavored cigarettes," Weibel said.

Weibel is the spokeswoman for the American Lung Association. She looked at Camel ads on the computer and said she believes they are marketed for teens.

"The number of new smokers per day are predominantly kids, and this case, this is who they are attracting, and people who get addicted usually start before they are 21," Weibel said.

The flavored cigarettes come with all the same health hazards and addictive potential of any tobacco product.

"We don't, under any circumstance, market our product to youth. Our adult consumers asked us and told us they like differentiated products. That is why we offer flavored cigarettes."

Tobacco companies in recent months have introduced a slew of new candy and fruit-flavored products with little appeal to established smokers and obvious appeal to new smokers, 90 percent of whom are teenagers or younger, according to TobaccoFreeKids.org. Not only did R.J. Reynolds introduced flavored versions of Camel cigarettes, including coconut and pineapple-flavored Kauai Kolada and citrus- flavored Twista Lime, Brown & Williamson has introduced flavored versions of Kool with names like Caribbean Chill, Midnight Berry, Mocha Taboo and Mintrigue.

"Ninety percent of smokers start before their 18th birthday -- 90 percent. That means if the tobacco industry doesn't get us while we are young, they will never get us at all," said Walter Kerr, 18, an anti-smoking activist.

Anti-tobacco activists are continuing to lobby for Food and Drug Administration regulations of tobacco products and marketing. Legislation came close, but did not pass in Congress this year. A new bill will be introduced in 2005.

12/3/04- In 1998, states across the country pledged to use tobacco settlement money to fund anti-tobacco programs, but a new report finds many are simply "blowing smoke" when it comes to such programs.

The campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids says only 3 states fund anti-smoking programs at the recommended minimum level. 10 states support funding to at least half of the CDC's minimum amount, but 32 states fund at less than 50%, and 5 states and Washington DC don't allocate any funds for tobacco prevention. The bottom line: the report finds states have allocated only about a third of the money the CDC recommends.

Since almost 90% of US smokers start at or before age 18, that's who the American Cancer Society says we should target, because cigarettes kill more Americans than AIDS, alcohol, car accidents, murders, suicide, drugs and fires combined.

The tobacco industry spends 472 million dollars a year to market cigarettes in Michigan. Gary McMullen of the American Cancer Society saysit's going to take more aggressive initiatives to counter their efforts.

Gary McMullen, American Cancer Society: "The best way is to attack tobacco from may fronts, that would include a clean indoor air initiative, and to limit opportunities for kids to role model with people who smoke."

McMullen says the State already took a step in the right direction this year by increasing the cigarette tax from 75 cents to $2.

Gary McMullen: "We know raising the price of cigarettes will help keep kids from starting a life-long addiction. It's a very good thing we're going to start to see a smoking rate decline as a result."

Right now, 30,000 kids in Michigan under 18 become regular smokers every year. That's why experts say we need to do a better job to make smoking less popular.

Gary McMullen: "One of the biggest things we can do is mandate better curriculum in schools. Right now, there is info and programs, but not every child gets it."

Michigan does spend a small amount of state, federal, and non-governmental funds on tobacco prevention. If you or your child wants help to quit smoking, you can call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-acs-2345.

Exposure to even small amounts of the chemical benzene may pose a health risk, say scientists.

They have shown that workers who inhaled less than one part per million had fewer white blood cells than those who were not exposed.

Benzene is found in many sources, including second-hand cigarette smoke, petrol vapours and air pollution.

The research, by US and Chinese scientists, is published in the journal Science.

Scientists have known that workers in industries like oil and shipping who are exposed to high doses of the substance run an increased risk of developing leukaemia.

But the potential dangers from smaller amounts of the chemical have been unclear.

The new study shows that even exposure to levels of the chemical that are considered safe under US guidelines appear to cause changes to the bone marrow.

The researchers compared 250 workers exposed to benzene-laden glues in two shoe factories in China to 140 workers who sewed clothes in other Chinese factories, but who did not come into contact with the chemical.

They measured benzene exposure by taking urine and blood samples and testing air in the factories, as well as at each worker's home.

As expected, workers exposed to benzene at levels of 1ppm and higher had fewer white blood cells, such as granulocytes and B cells, than did unexposed workers.

But this also held true for the 109 workers exposed to less than 1ppm of benzene - even after controlling for smoking and other potential confounding factors.

These workers had on average 15% to 18% fewer granulocytes and B cells than did unexposed workers.

The researchers say that although these workers showed no signs of ill health, the findings suggest that low doses of benzene may have a damaging impact on bone marrow which could lead to health problems.

White blood cells, which are produced in the bone marrow, play a key role in the body's ability to fight off infection and disease.

However, Dr Richard Irons, of the University of Colorado, who is leading an industry-funded study into the effect of benzene, said it was possible that the findings recorded by the study might be due to exposure to other chemicals, or factors such as nutrition.

The researchers also studied the effect of benzene on the progenitor cells found in the bone marrow that give rise to blood cells.

They found that the ability of progenitor cells to grow and multiply declined with higher exposures.

Dr Richard McNally, of the Cancer Research UK Paediatric and Familial Cancer Research Group, said it would be wrong to draw firm conclusions from the study.

He said: "It does not show how low-level exposure to benzene affects the risk of leukaemia, if at all.

"What it does show is that low-level exposure to benzene can lead to reduced blood cell counts.

"Whether exposure to benzene would have similar effects in the UK population would depend on how many people in the UK have the genetic susceptibility described in the report, and would need to be tested through further research."

Among the institutions who took part in the research were the US National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in Beijing, the University of California, Berkeley.

Your blood pressure drops to a level close to that before the last cigarette. The temperature of your hands and feet increases to normal.

Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath decreases; cilia (tiny hair-like structures that move mucus out of the lung) regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs and reduce infection.

The lung cancer death rate is about half that of a continuing smoker's. The risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, espohagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas decreases.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of conflict of interest disclosure policies by comparing a competing

interests disclosure statement that met the requirements established by the journal in a 2003 article on

health effects of secondhand smoke based on the American Cancer Society CPS-I dataset with internal

tobacco industry documents describing financial ties between the tobacco industry and authors of the

Design: Descriptive analysis of internal tobacco industry documents retrieved from the Legacy Tobacco

Results: Meeting the requirements for financial disclosure established by the journal did not provide the

reader with a full picture of the tobacco industry’s involvement with the study authors. The tobacco industry

documents reveal that the authors had long standing financial and other working relationships with the

Conclusion: These findings are another example of how simply requiring authors to disclose financial ties

with the tobacco industry may not be adequate to give readers (and reviewers) a full picture of the author’s

relationship with the tobacco industry. The documents also reveal that the industry funds research to

enhance its credibility and endeavours to work with respected scientists to advance its goals. These

findings question the adequacy of current journal policies regarding competing interest disclosures and the

(December 3, 2004)

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – www.ucr.edu – Cigarette smoke, whether first- or second-hand, complicates the careful cellular choreography of wound healing, according to a paper by University of California, Riverside researchers that was included in the 2004 Press Book of the 44th Annual Meeting of the American Society For Cell Biology (ASCB).

Cigarette smoke delays the formation of healing tissue and sets the stage for increased scarring at the edges of a wound according to the paper titled Smoke Gets In Your Wounds, one of 15 from a field of more than 1,200 submissions to the ASCB Annual Meeting Press Book.

UCR Professor of Cell Biology and Neuroscience Manuela Martins-Green will present her findings Sunday, Dec. 5, at the annual meeting, which is scheduled to begin Saturday, Dec. 4, in Washington D.C. and will run through Wednesday, Dec. 8.

The press book is the ASCB’s major effort to open cell biology research to a wider audience by helping science journalists discover the meeting’s most exciting and significant new work, according to an association statement.

Martins-Green, and student Lina Wong are part of a team of researchers who have published several papers on the subject. Similar findings were announced in the journals BMC Cell Biology in April and Wound Repair and Regeneration in August. Those papers also examined the role of fibroblasts, the cells that play a major role in wound healing.

Wound healing is a highly choreographed, biological drama of clotting, inflammation, cell proliferation and tissue remodeling. It features an exotic cast of clotting and growth factors, specialized cells and structural proteins, each of which must time their entrance and exit perfectly. Nothing messes up this timing like cigarette smoke. Clinical studies have consistently shown that individuals exposed to cigarette smoke – whether “first-” or “second-hand”– heal poorly and are more likely to develop scarring and associated diseases.

The negative effects of smoking on cells during the inflammatory phase of tissue repair are well documented. However the effects of cigarette smoke on the phase in which fibroblasts proliferate and migrate to create healing tissue, are less understood.

Using doses of cigarette smoke equivalent to “first-hand” and “second-hand” exposure in humans, Martins-Green and her colleagues focused on the structure and function of fibroblasts, both in mice and in human tissue culture.

Fibroblasts secrete many proteins that compose a matrix of connective tissue outside of the cells and are critical in orchestrating tissue repair and remodeling. Surprisingly, smoke, at levels found in tissues of smokers, did not kill the fibroblasts, but instead injured them in a way that allowed them to turn on certain genes that improved their survival. However, it was cell survival at the wrong time and in the wrong place, in terms of properly forming healing tissue.

During normal development of wound healing tissue, the fibroblasts at the site of the wound produce proteins that form a matrix into which fibroblasts and endothelial cells (which form linings of, among other things, blood and lymph vessels and the heart) migrate from outside the wounded tissue. These cells then knit the healing tissue together.

While smoke stimulates these cells to stay alive, it impairs their ability to move, causing them to bunch up at the margin of the wound, which promotes scarring. Both the mouse studies and human cell culture models of wound healing gave the same results, according to Martins-Green.

“Taken together, our results suggest that tobacco smoke may delay wound repair because of the inability of the fibroblasts to migrate into the wounded area, leading to an accumulation of these cells at the edge of the wound, thus preventing the formation of the healing tissue,” she said.

Martins-Green added that: “We’re now trying to isolate the component or components in smoke that inhibit cell migration.”