Free yourself! This is WHO's message to all governments on World No Tobacco Day 2013 today, and their theme for this year is - ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.
A comprehensive ban of all tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship is required under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). Tobacco kills nearly six million people every year, of which more than 600,000 are non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke.
Government leaders worldwide must intervene, and implement Article 13 of the WHO FCTC.
Why? Because about one-third of youth experimentation with tobacco occurs as a result of exposure to tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship. Advertising bans significantly reduce the numbers of people starting and continuing to smoke. Banning tobacco advertising and sponsorship is one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce tobacco use.
And because, whatever will be, doesn't have to be. The future can be ours to see.
Source: Quit Victoria - Australia | HT: Smoke Free Donna
Friday, May 31, 2013
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Someday Never Comes
By now, I'd have to say that all adult smokers know that smoking is hazardous to their health.
Yet, if you ask many of them when they are going to seriously take the steps necessary to beat their nicotine addiction, a good portion of them will respond with the dismissive word "someday".
As most anti-smoking advocates know, for a lot of those smokers, like Bill - someday never comes.
Bill urges young people to never start smoking. "If I was young again, I would never smoke," he says. "It's not good for your health or your pocketbook. It doesn't make you look cool, and it doesn't help you in any way!"
Bill also regrets the example he set for his children. "It's embarrassing when your 5-year-old asks you why you don't quit smoking. Yes, my children saw me smoke. But I'm glad they saw me quit!"
I can't say it enough - nothing good ever comes from a nicotine addiction. You'd better learn it fast, you'd better learn it young. Because for many, once you're addicted, someday never comes.
Yet, if you ask many of them when they are going to seriously take the steps necessary to beat their nicotine addiction, a good portion of them will respond with the dismissive word "someday".
As most anti-smoking advocates know, for a lot of those smokers, like Bill - someday never comes.
Bill urges young people to never start smoking. "If I was young again, I would never smoke," he says. "It's not good for your health or your pocketbook. It doesn't make you look cool, and it doesn't help you in any way!"
Bill also regrets the example he set for his children. "It's embarrassing when your 5-year-old asks you why you don't quit smoking. Yes, my children saw me smoke. But I'm glad they saw me quit!"
I can't say it enough - nothing good ever comes from a nicotine addiction. You'd better learn it fast, you'd better learn it young. Because for many, once you're addicted, someday never comes.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
The Freedom Of Choice Fallacy
I've been a disciple of Dr. Allen Brandt's views about nicotine addiction after I began to dig deeper into the issues involving smoking with Smoking Blows. I've been spreading his message ever since.
And the fact is - there is no such thing as "freedom of choice" when it comes to tobacco abuse.
Almost 90% of adults smokers began smoking while they were children, not yet capable of making a rational, informed, or even a legal decision to smoke. That's why the tobacco industry has targeted children and teens, they're easy to manipulate.
Once those young smokers become addicted to the nicotine found in cigarettes, and upon reaching adulthood and realizing their mistake, their addiction now impairs their ability to make the "choice" to quit smoking. Most adult smokers want to quit smoking, but many just can't beat their addiction.
Yet, the tobacco industry, the people in their pockets, and especially the many unwavering political Libertarians continue to push the view that smoking is a matter of personal choice.
In their views, smokers who experience the negative health consequences associated with long-term smoking should only blame themselves, because they had a "free choice" whether to smoke or not. Of course, once you understand the facts behind a nicotine addiction, you then realize that those views are pure fallacy.
Unfortunately though, there are still many uninformed people who buy into that Libertarian "freedom" line of reasoning whom mistakenly blame themselves for their medical predicament, and whom also support Big Tobacco's efforts to find replacement smokers and continue the genocide.
So, it's heartwarming to find other medical professionals following in Dr. Brandt's footsteps, and using all of their abilities and skills to inform the public about the real issues behind nicotine addiction and the fallacy of "freedom of choice" surrounding smoking. See for yourself -
Dr. Pauline Dekker and Dr. Wanda de Kanter are both pulmonologists at the Red Cross Hospital in Beverwijk (Netherlands). After 20 years of daily practice in which they treated thousands of patients with smoking related diseases (mainly lung cancer and COPD) they decided that something needed to change. Chemotherapy, inhalers, the pain and the suffering, all could have easily been avoided if only tobacco had never been legalized.
While continuing their work as chest physicians at the hospital in 2008 they started a project to keep young people from smoking. For their efforts they have received several prizes, the latest being the prestigious “Muntendam prize” by the Dutch Cancer foundation (KWF).
They used that money to fund their latest campaign at TEDx-Nijmegen which illustrates the guilt and the shame that lung cancer patients feel when confronted with their smoking related disease. Guilt and shame that should actually be felt by the tobacco industry.
And the fact is - there is no such thing as "freedom of choice" when it comes to tobacco abuse.
Almost 90% of adults smokers began smoking while they were children, not yet capable of making a rational, informed, or even a legal decision to smoke. That's why the tobacco industry has targeted children and teens, they're easy to manipulate.
Once those young smokers become addicted to the nicotine found in cigarettes, and upon reaching adulthood and realizing their mistake, their addiction now impairs their ability to make the "choice" to quit smoking. Most adult smokers want to quit smoking, but many just can't beat their addiction.
Yet, the tobacco industry, the people in their pockets, and especially the many unwavering political Libertarians continue to push the view that smoking is a matter of personal choice.
In their views, smokers who experience the negative health consequences associated with long-term smoking should only blame themselves, because they had a "free choice" whether to smoke or not. Of course, once you understand the facts behind a nicotine addiction, you then realize that those views are pure fallacy.
Unfortunately though, there are still many uninformed people who buy into that Libertarian "freedom" line of reasoning whom mistakenly blame themselves for their medical predicament, and whom also support Big Tobacco's efforts to find replacement smokers and continue the genocide.
So, it's heartwarming to find other medical professionals following in Dr. Brandt's footsteps, and using all of their abilities and skills to inform the public about the real issues behind nicotine addiction and the fallacy of "freedom of choice" surrounding smoking. See for yourself -
Dr. Pauline Dekker and Dr. Wanda de Kanter are both pulmonologists at the Red Cross Hospital in Beverwijk (Netherlands). After 20 years of daily practice in which they treated thousands of patients with smoking related diseases (mainly lung cancer and COPD) they decided that something needed to change. Chemotherapy, inhalers, the pain and the suffering, all could have easily been avoided if only tobacco had never been legalized.
While continuing their work as chest physicians at the hospital in 2008 they started a project to keep young people from smoking. For their efforts they have received several prizes, the latest being the prestigious “Muntendam prize” by the Dutch Cancer foundation (KWF).
They used that money to fund their latest campaign at TEDx-Nijmegen which illustrates the guilt and the shame that lung cancer patients feel when confronted with their smoking related disease. Guilt and shame that should actually be felt by the tobacco industry.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Nico-Teen Zombies | SWAT
Great anti-tobacco PSA from the smart generation of Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT).
SWAT is Florida's statewide youth organization working to mobilize, educate and equip Florida youth to revolt against and de-glamorize Big Tobacco. They are a united movement of empowered youth working towards a tobacco free future, and the prevention of nicotine zombies. Support their efforts!
SWAT empowers Florida youth to educate their peers about the manipulative tactics of Big Tobacco so that together they can take a stand and make a change for the next generation.
HT: Florida Tobacco Prevention Training
SWAT is Florida's statewide youth organization working to mobilize, educate and equip Florida youth to revolt against and de-glamorize Big Tobacco. They are a united movement of empowered youth working towards a tobacco free future, and the prevention of nicotine zombies. Support their efforts!
SWAT empowers Florida youth to educate their peers about the manipulative tactics of Big Tobacco so that together they can take a stand and make a change for the next generation.
HT: Florida Tobacco Prevention Training
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Tobacco Corruption
Great insight from the good folks at Breathe North Dakota -
Big Tobacco means Big Money. Each year, the tobacco industry spends $8.5 billion marketing its products in the US. That’s over 23 million dollars a day or about one million dollars every hour!
In North Dakota alone, the tobacco industry spends 25.7 million dollars per year. The most vulnerable members of our society – children – are more susceptible to advertising as well. Studies have shown that kids are three times as sensitive to tobacco advertising as adults.
Friday, May 3, 2013
Smoking | It's A Hard Habit To Break
Wouldn't it be much easier to never start smoking, and avoid becoming another victim of a tobacco industry always looking for replacement smokers? I would hope so. Because if you know anything about smokers, it's that many long-term smokers consider cigarettes their first love.
As such, trying to get smokers to quit smoking is one of the most difficult tasks anyone who cares about smokers can undertake. A nicotine addiction is a hard habit to break. But, don't just take my word for it, listen to these long-term ex-smokers from Chicago.
As such, trying to get smokers to quit smoking is one of the most difficult tasks anyone who cares about smokers can undertake. A nicotine addiction is a hard habit to break. But, don't just take my word for it, listen to these long-term ex-smokers from Chicago.
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