Cigar Smoking Raises All-cause Mortality

There are some who smoke cigars because they think they are not as harmful as cigarettes. A 26 year study of almost 360,000 U.S. adults, found those who exclusively smoked cigarettes experienced twice the risk of never-smokers. The all-cause mortality of those who exclusively smoked cigars was 20% higher than never-smokers, but each group of smokers had a significantly…

No Safe Level for Smoking

Lighting up just one time per day poses a significantly increased risk for heart disease and stroke. This large meta-analysis of 141 studies in 21 countries found smoking one cigarette a day was associated with a 48-74% increased risk in men, and a 57-118% risk for women. PositiveTip: Remember, light smoking, smoking fewer cigarettes, and…

Phillip Morris Vows to ‘Give Up Cigarettes’

Phillip Morris International ran advertisements in the U.K. this week vowing to stop selling cigarettes. It is hard to believe, and many suspect this is a stunt--like a bad April's Fool's joke. PMI claims it has a global commitment to replace cigarettes with smoke-free alternatives. Yet teens who use these kinds of products are twice as likely…

From the Plant to the Puff

You may not be a smoker, but you know that cigarettes can kill you. It actually kills half of all who start and never quit! The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has created some videos and interactive tools to help you learn more about the potentially harmful chemicals in cigarettes from the plant to…

Global Smoking Deaths Rising

Smoking is responsible for about 6 million deaths per year globally at an estimated associated cost of $1 trillion. An international report projects that by 2030, smoking-related deaths will rise to over 8 million a year! While smoking in the U.S. has fallen to a record low of 15.!% of adults, it has been countered…

No Safe Level of Cigarette Smoking

Many smokers believe very light smoking or not smoking every day may reduce their health risks. In a study of 290,000 middle-age and older smokers, researcher found long-time, low-volume smokers had significantly higher mortality risks compared with those who had never smoked or quit. Those who reported consistently smoking 1-10 cigarettes a day had an 87%…

Big Money Spent to Fight Cigarette Tax Hikes

Big Tobacco will spend almost $100 million on this election to defeat tax hike propositions in just three states: California, Colorado, and North Dakota. If approved, per-pack taxes will rise by $1.75 to $2.00. Proponents of these hikes say one of the most effective ways to encourage people to stop smoking is to raise taxes by…

Will Big Tobacco be Victorious in the U.K.?

Big Tobacco, representing companies like Phillip Morris, British American Tobacco, Imperial Tobacco, and Japan Tobacco have filed suit against the U.K.'s "plain packaging" laws which are due to take effect in May 2016. They claim the law seizes their property without compensation. Tobacco kills over 100,000 people each year in the U.K. This law aims…

“Quit Like a Champion”

The 2015 Great American Smokeout is one week away! The American Cancer Society designates the third Thursday of each November to encourage smokers to go the distance and give up smoking. Ready-to-use graphics for social media, flyers, posters and table tents can be downloaded. If you are curious about the impact of smoking in the movies, check…

Kuddos to the FDA!

The U.S. Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has banned the marketing of four R J Reynolds cigarette brands because they do not meet specific safety and composition requirements. The FDA found they have changed so much over the last few years they do not resemble the original products--with higher levels of formaldehyde, menthol, sweeteners, and unclear tobacco…