Regret Won't Cure Cancer

Like I've shown here many times before, every smoker thinks this won't happen to them. But the chances are it will. So, listen to Ken Newman, a smoker for over 50 years, explaining why he wishes he had never lit a cigarette in his lifetime.


Anti-tobacco insert from Fathima Simjee on Vimeo.

Smoking Kills

Mmm, mmm.. there's nothing like "Old Braiswoods" smoked meat.


Smoking Kills from 3rdEyelander Productions on Vimeo.

You Have The Power To Say "NO"

It's easy to say "NO", my ex-wife did it all of the time. Do yourself a big favor and learn to incorporate this simple word when it comes to smoking, like the following youth.

These smart high school students in Western New York, use their unique method of saying "NO" to speak out against the tobacco industry this past World No Tobacco Day.



World No Tobacco Day 2011 from RPCI Health Behavior-Paul Hage on Vimeo.

Never Give Up Giving Up

Quitting is a process. For many, quitting tobacco may be the hardest thing they do in their lifetime. But never give up. Every time you quit smoking, you get a little better at it, until eventually, you accomplish your goal of being smoke free.

Nicotine and Weight Loss

There's a newly published study in the June, 2011 issue of Science, reporting that nicotine decreases food intake and body weight by influencing the hypothalamic melanocortin system and identifies critical molecular and synaptic mechanisms involved in nicotine-induced decreases in appetite -- in mice. Sounds really scientific, huh?

According to the authors -

Smoking decreases appetite, and smokers often report that they smoke to control their weight. Understanding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the anorexic effects of smoking would facilitate the development of novel treatments to help with smoking cessation and to prevent or treat obesity.

Now I don't know about you, but when I read something being hyped in the media as "new and groundbreaking" by scientists who are seeking an "Understanding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the anorexic effects of smoking would facilitate the development of novel treatments to help with smoking cessation and to prevent or treat obesity.", I see behind-the-scenes efforts likely directed at generating pharma profits, instead of any true concern for smokers' health.

I'm also not sure that I automatically accept the authors' premise that nicotine is fully the cause for weight loss in smokers. According to an article published in The Independent -

British and American tobacco companies deliberately added powerful appetite-suppressing chemicals to cigarettes to attract people worried about their weight, according to internal industry documents dating from 1949 to 1999.

The presence of appetite-suppressing chemicals could help explain why smokers who quit often gain weight, according to Swiss researchers in the European Journal of Public Health. They call for stricter rules on tobacco additives amid suggestions that sensitive documents are being removed from databases by the industry to avoid disclosure.

So, like most people sick of the hypocrisy surrounding smoking, I can't help but wonder why scientists aren't directing their efforts towards removing the cause of the problem, instead of devising ways to treat the symptoms. Wouldn't that seem more scientific?

Southern Smokers

Southern smokers - defending their tobacco heritage since 1865.

Source: Very Demotivational Posters