Nich Wallace is smoking a vaporized version of nicotine. No tobacco. No cigarette smoke. An e-cigarette is a battery-operated device.
"All you're getting exposed to is a fog, a glycerine fog."
Also foggy -- the debate over the product's safety. Manufacturers say they are safer and healthier than regular cigarettes. It's an argument that's gotten the attention of the medical community.
"I am not going to say it is as dangerous as a cigarette. It is dangerous," said MCG Dr. Janie Heath.
Even if it's not the same as cigarettes, Dr. Heath still doesn't recommend it for people trying to quit smoking.
FDA studies found the vapor includes a chemical found in antifreeze and some amounts of carcinogens. But the FDA admits they've done just limited testing.
A federal court judge issued an injunction against the FDA on Thursday, ordering them to stop detaining imports of e-cigarettes that cross into the United States. The decision said the products could not be defined as a drug-device and are for therapeutic purposes. The FDA has been trying to regulate the drug by calling it a drug-device for its supposed similarities to cigarettes.
"We need more science to be able to say, yes it's OK, this is better to consume in a cigarette -- that there are 4800 toxins in one cigarette," said Heath.
Because it's not classified as a drug there are no mandated health warnings. Some retailers have them anyway -- to keep young people away.
"It's really appealing to youth, because it's cool looking, it's high tech, and it smells good," Heath added.
"When I was in school, you didn't want to bring in grape-flavored cigarettes either, you wanted Marlboro reds," Wallace said. "If you're doing it for that cool factor, this is not marketed towards them, not intended for them, and they probably wouldn't like it if they could get their hands on it."
Smoking of any kind is illegal under the age of 18.
Wallace supports enforcement, just not regulation that he says could take e-cigarettes out of his hands.
Adds Wallace: "The old quit or die attitude the government is pushing isn't going to work, and people are going to finally say, look this is safer, and I can do this, and I think we're going to win out on that."
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понедельник, 18 января 2010 г.
четверг, 29 октября 2009 г.
Cigarette tax hike? Idea is smoldering back to life in Legislature
After their bid for a tobacco tax hike went up in smoke last session, crusaders for the cause are coming back again, confident that Utahns will soon be paying more for their cigarette fix.
"It's 100 percent," said Sen. Allen Christensen, R-North Ogden, who has unsuccessfully sponsored the bill for the past several years.
Christensen said he plans to push to raise the 69.5-cent per-pack tax up to $2. It would make Utah's tax on par with Arizona's and give the state the 11th-highest cigarette tax in the country. Earlier this year, Congress raised the federal cigarette tax 62 cents per pack to $1.01.
Advocates for the tobacco tax hike, like the American Cancer Society and American Heart Association, hope the higher tax would motivate 3,000 teens and 10,000 adult smokers to kick the habit and thousands more to never pick up the habit.
The tobacco companies and Utah Food Industry Association have argued that a higher Utah tax would just force sales into neighboring states or onto Indian reservations or military bases.
Utah already has the lowest rate of smokers in the country, and its cigarette sales have been falling since the 1980s, meaning it could be a diminishing source of revenue.
Legislative leaders said earlier this year that a tobacco tax increase was likely.
"I think it will happen," Senate President Michael Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, said in May. "The question is the amount. Will it be a buck? Will itbe more?"
The estimated $76 million the tobacco tax increase could generate could help cover part of the state's budget shortfall, Waddoups said. The state is expected to have a budget shortfall as high as $850 million.
But it may be premature to start counting those tobacco dollars just yet. While supporters had former Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s support for a tobacco tax increase last year, Gov. Gary Herbert says he won't recommend a tobacco tax hike in his budget proposal due out in December.
"I'm not proposing or pushing any tax increases," he said in an interview last week.
And now legislative leaders are waffling on their seeming endorsement of the tobacco tax hike.
It boils down to a well-choreographed dance: Herbert won't propose a tax hike, passing the buck to the Legislature. The Legislature, calling Herbert's bluff, is challenging him to show how he will balance the budget without gutting state programs.
Waddoups said this week that he has told the governor he will support him in trying to pass a budget without new taxes, but the tobacco tax remains an option if legislators can't get the budget balanced.
If it comes to that, the tobacco tax battle will likely draw another swarm of lobbying from big tobacco companies and could pit members of the dominant Republican Party against each other.
House Majority Leader Kevin Garn, R-Layton, says tax hikes may be a nonstarter next year.
"I don't think anyone is eager to raise taxes right now in this environment we're in," said Garn. "I think we'd have a tough time raising taxes in the economy we're in right now. ... I don't think there's a lot of support for it."
And leading conservative legislators say they will fight any effort to increase the tobacco tax.
"As I've discussed this budget with my conservative colleagues, we have pretty much been in agreement that now is probably the worst time to consider tax increases when we're hoping to see this economy recover," said Rep. Greg Hughes, R-Draper, co-chairman of the House Conservative Caucus, which includes about 30 House members.
He said there is also concern that allowing a tobacco tax increase could open the door to other "sin taxes" such as soda and fatty food. Hughes said that between the cuts made last year and use of at least half of the $518 million held back in the state's Rainy Day Fund and Education Growth Fund, the budget can be balanced without a tax hike.
House Speaker David Clark, R-Santa Clara, suggested last session that the tobacco tax be kept in reserve in case it's needed in the coming year, and he thinks it might prove to be useful.
"As the financial pressure builds on the state more and more, I think that improves the likelihood of [the tobacco tax] passing," Clark said. "As the pain of the cuts become closer to reality, there may be more of an appetite to look at some of those revenue enhancements and tobacco has been one of them."
"It's 100 percent," said Sen. Allen Christensen, R-North Ogden, who has unsuccessfully sponsored the bill for the past several years.
Christensen said he plans to push to raise the 69.5-cent per-pack tax up to $2. It would make Utah's tax on par with Arizona's and give the state the 11th-highest cigarette tax in the country. Earlier this year, Congress raised the federal cigarette tax 62 cents per pack to $1.01.
Advocates for the tobacco tax hike, like the American Cancer Society and American Heart Association, hope the higher tax would motivate 3,000 teens and 10,000 adult smokers to kick the habit and thousands more to never pick up the habit.
The tobacco companies and Utah Food Industry Association have argued that a higher Utah tax would just force sales into neighboring states or onto Indian reservations or military bases.
Utah already has the lowest rate of smokers in the country, and its cigarette sales have been falling since the 1980s, meaning it could be a diminishing source of revenue.
Legislative leaders said earlier this year that a tobacco tax increase was likely.
"I think it will happen," Senate President Michael Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, said in May. "The question is the amount. Will it be a buck? Will itbe more?"
The estimated $76 million the tobacco tax increase could generate could help cover part of the state's budget shortfall, Waddoups said. The state is expected to have a budget shortfall as high as $850 million.
But it may be premature to start counting those tobacco dollars just yet. While supporters had former Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s support for a tobacco tax increase last year, Gov. Gary Herbert says he won't recommend a tobacco tax hike in his budget proposal due out in December.
"I'm not proposing or pushing any tax increases," he said in an interview last week.
And now legislative leaders are waffling on their seeming endorsement of the tobacco tax hike.
It boils down to a well-choreographed dance: Herbert won't propose a tax hike, passing the buck to the Legislature. The Legislature, calling Herbert's bluff, is challenging him to show how he will balance the budget without gutting state programs.
Waddoups said this week that he has told the governor he will support him in trying to pass a budget without new taxes, but the tobacco tax remains an option if legislators can't get the budget balanced.
If it comes to that, the tobacco tax battle will likely draw another swarm of lobbying from big tobacco companies and could pit members of the dominant Republican Party against each other.
House Majority Leader Kevin Garn, R-Layton, says tax hikes may be a nonstarter next year.
"I don't think anyone is eager to raise taxes right now in this environment we're in," said Garn. "I think we'd have a tough time raising taxes in the economy we're in right now. ... I don't think there's a lot of support for it."
And leading conservative legislators say they will fight any effort to increase the tobacco tax.
"As I've discussed this budget with my conservative colleagues, we have pretty much been in agreement that now is probably the worst time to consider tax increases when we're hoping to see this economy recover," said Rep. Greg Hughes, R-Draper, co-chairman of the House Conservative Caucus, which includes about 30 House members.
He said there is also concern that allowing a tobacco tax increase could open the door to other "sin taxes" such as soda and fatty food. Hughes said that between the cuts made last year and use of at least half of the $518 million held back in the state's Rainy Day Fund and Education Growth Fund, the budget can be balanced without a tax hike.
House Speaker David Clark, R-Santa Clara, suggested last session that the tobacco tax be kept in reserve in case it's needed in the coming year, and he thinks it might prove to be useful.
"As the financial pressure builds on the state more and more, I think that improves the likelihood of [the tobacco tax] passing," Clark said. "As the pain of the cuts become closer to reality, there may be more of an appetite to look at some of those revenue enhancements and tobacco has been one of them."
среда, 28 октября 2009 г.
E-Cigarette Battle Continues
PHOENIX – Despite concerns by public health officials as to their safety, electronic cigarettes are gaining ground in the United States, USA Today reports. The battery-powered device uses nicotine, flavoring and chemicals in a cartridge, which turns the nicotine into a vapor to be inhaled by the user.
State and local lawmakers are considering ways to restrict the smokeless product, which some use to get around smoking bans. The Electronic Cigarette Association (ECA) says at least 500,000 Americans use e-cigarettes. “People who smoke ought to have better alternatives because some can’t quit,” said Matt Salmon, who leads the ECA.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tested e-cigarettes and found the devices to have carcinogens. In a lawsuit, electronic cigarette distributors are challenging the FDA’s authority to regulate the products.
Across the country, several states are trying to restrict access to the products. “We’re actively investigating these companies and their products,” said Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal.
California banned the sale of e-cigarettes but Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed the bill. In Oregon, the state attorney general reached an agreement with retailers and distributors to keep the products off shelves.
A New Hampshire state representative is proposing a bill to make it illegal to sell the devices to minors, while in New Jersey, an assemblywoman will be submitting a bill to put e-cigarettes under the same restrictions as cigarettes.
State and local lawmakers are considering ways to restrict the smokeless product, which some use to get around smoking bans. The Electronic Cigarette Association (ECA) says at least 500,000 Americans use e-cigarettes. “People who smoke ought to have better alternatives because some can’t quit,” said Matt Salmon, who leads the ECA.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tested e-cigarettes and found the devices to have carcinogens. In a lawsuit, electronic cigarette distributors are challenging the FDA’s authority to regulate the products.
Across the country, several states are trying to restrict access to the products. “We’re actively investigating these companies and their products,” said Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal.
California banned the sale of e-cigarettes but Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed the bill. In Oregon, the state attorney general reached an agreement with retailers and distributors to keep the products off shelves.
A New Hampshire state representative is proposing a bill to make it illegal to sell the devices to minors, while in New Jersey, an assemblywoman will be submitting a bill to put e-cigarettes under the same restrictions as cigarettes.
четверг, 22 октября 2009 г.
More than $100,000 worth of cigarettes, Bacardi liquor and pharmaceuticals stolen
LOXAHATCHEE -- A 48-year-old man was arrested Wednesday on charges he stole more than $100,000 worth of cigarettes, Bacardi liquor, and pharmaceuticals and was storing the goods at his house in Loxahatchee.
Servando Gomez has been charged with grand theft over $100,000 and is in the Palm Beach county jail on $15,000 bond.
Investigators said they traced Gomez back to a home off Okeechobee Boulevard, where they discovered pharmaceuticals stacked floor to ceiling, according to an arrest report.
The cancer-fighting pharmaceuticals were reported stolen by a company in Tennessee.
Servando Gomez has been charged with grand theft over $100,000 and is in the Palm Beach county jail on $15,000 bond.
Investigators said they traced Gomez back to a home off Okeechobee Boulevard, where they discovered pharmaceuticals stacked floor to ceiling, according to an arrest report.
The cancer-fighting pharmaceuticals were reported stolen by a company in Tennessee.
вторник, 29 сентября 2009 г.
Americans give electronic cigarettes mixed reviews
NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Should electronic cigarettes be a new option for smokers trying to kick the habit? Reactions from Americans are mixed.
More than half of people questioned in a poll think electronic cigarettes should be regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but 47 percent believe the devices should be available to smokers who want to quit.
"In the hunt for a safer cigarette, electronic cigarettes, often referred to as ecigarettes, are becoming a popular option among those either trying to quit or who are looking to replace standard tobacco smoke with an alternative that manufacturers claim to be safer," Zogby International, which conducted the poll, said in a statement.
About half of the 4,611 adults who took part in the poll had heard about ecigarettes, which are battery-powered, or rechargeable devices that vaporize a liquid nicotine solution. They do not produce smoke but an odorless water vapor.
Sold mostly on the Internet, ecigarettes were first made in China. Last year the World Health Organization (WHO) warned against using electronic cigarettes, saying there was no evidence to prove they were safe or helped smokers break the habit.
The WHO said people who puff on ecigarettes inhale a fine mist of nicotine in the lungs.
Nearly a third of people questioned in the poll think that e-cigarettes, because they don't produce smoke, should be allowed in places where smoking is forbidden, but 46 percent disagreed.
Men who were aware of the availability of ecigarettes were more likely than women to say they should be an option available to smokers who want to quit.
Young people, aged 18-29, and singles were the groups most open to trying electronic cigarettes.
Tobacco is the single largest cause of preventable death worldwide, according to the WHO.
More than half of people questioned in a poll think electronic cigarettes should be regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but 47 percent believe the devices should be available to smokers who want to quit.
"In the hunt for a safer cigarette, electronic cigarettes, often referred to as ecigarettes, are becoming a popular option among those either trying to quit or who are looking to replace standard tobacco smoke with an alternative that manufacturers claim to be safer," Zogby International, which conducted the poll, said in a statement.
About half of the 4,611 adults who took part in the poll had heard about ecigarettes, which are battery-powered, or rechargeable devices that vaporize a liquid nicotine solution. They do not produce smoke but an odorless water vapor.
Sold mostly on the Internet, ecigarettes were first made in China. Last year the World Health Organization (WHO) warned against using electronic cigarettes, saying there was no evidence to prove they were safe or helped smokers break the habit.
The WHO said people who puff on ecigarettes inhale a fine mist of nicotine in the lungs.
Nearly a third of people questioned in the poll think that e-cigarettes, because they don't produce smoke, should be allowed in places where smoking is forbidden, but 46 percent disagreed.
Men who were aware of the availability of ecigarettes were more likely than women to say they should be an option available to smokers who want to quit.
Young people, aged 18-29, and singles were the groups most open to trying electronic cigarettes.
Tobacco is the single largest cause of preventable death worldwide, according to the WHO.
понедельник, 7 сентября 2009 г.
Australia May Raise Tobacco Tax by A$2 Billion, Australian Says
Sept. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Australia may raise cigarette taxes by A$2 billion ($1.7 billion) if it adopts the recommendations of a panel of advisers, the Australian newspaper reported.
The National Preventative Health Taskforce recommended a price rise of 17.5 Australian cents a cigarette, raising the price of a packet to A$20, and an increase to alcohol pricing, the newspaper said, citing Taskforce Chairman Rob Moodie.
More than 800,000 people might be saved from early deaths if the strategy reduces smoking and drinking rates and obesity levels stabilize, the newspaper said.
The National Preventative Health Taskforce recommended a price rise of 17.5 Australian cents a cigarette, raising the price of a packet to A$20, and an increase to alcohol pricing, the newspaper said, citing Taskforce Chairman Rob Moodie.
More than 800,000 people might be saved from early deaths if the strategy reduces smoking and drinking rates and obesity levels stabilize, the newspaper said.
четверг, 3 сентября 2009 г.
How Smoking Cigarettes Can Change Your Looks
Have you looked in the mirror lately only to be surprised by the person looking back at you? You might wonder what happened to make you look so much older. You might be really surprised to find out that the cigarettes you smoke are making you not only feel older, they are making you look older too. These cigarettes put out that awful smoke and this settles on the skin of your body clogging up the pores that your skin gets its air supply through. It not only clogs up the pores on the outside, but on the inside as well.
This is why you might start losing your hair or your teeth at a early age. Your skin will start looking like the skin of a much older person. It will also become dry and rough to the touch and all of that flaking is your dead skin. On the inside of your body everything in there is starting to slow down or just quit doing its job. When this happens you will most likely end up in the hospital one day with some kind of smoking related illness or disease. The bad thing about this is that once the damage to your body is really bad, it usually does not much better even if you quit because some damages are irreversible.
When somethings stops working you can usually get it fixed or replace it with a new one, but that is not always so with parts of the human body. When these parts get sick and die ,you can not always have them replaced. You could have yourself or a member of your family put on a organ donor list, but it might be quite some time before one is found. Even if a matching donor is found, a body might not accept it and you will have to be placed back on the list if a transplant is a viable option and sometimes it is not. Some people never get one in time.
Try to imagine yourself older and what shape you could get in if you continue to smoke. Your body might be trying to tell you that you should stop smoking before it is too late. If you are a woman and find that you are having to use more make-up, then the damage has started. If you stop right then your body might be able to start cleaning itself up. You might be able to notice the changes in some of these things right away and then again you might not, but quitting smoking is always a better choice than continuing to do so.
This is why you might start losing your hair or your teeth at a early age. Your skin will start looking like the skin of a much older person. It will also become dry and rough to the touch and all of that flaking is your dead skin. On the inside of your body everything in there is starting to slow down or just quit doing its job. When this happens you will most likely end up in the hospital one day with some kind of smoking related illness or disease. The bad thing about this is that once the damage to your body is really bad, it usually does not much better even if you quit because some damages are irreversible.
When somethings stops working you can usually get it fixed or replace it with a new one, but that is not always so with parts of the human body. When these parts get sick and die ,you can not always have them replaced. You could have yourself or a member of your family put on a organ donor list, but it might be quite some time before one is found. Even if a matching donor is found, a body might not accept it and you will have to be placed back on the list if a transplant is a viable option and sometimes it is not. Some people never get one in time.
Try to imagine yourself older and what shape you could get in if you continue to smoke. Your body might be trying to tell you that you should stop smoking before it is too late. If you are a woman and find that you are having to use more make-up, then the damage has started. If you stop right then your body might be able to start cleaning itself up. You might be able to notice the changes in some of these things right away and then again you might not, but quitting smoking is always a better choice than continuing to do so.
вторник, 1 сентября 2009 г.
3 million cigarettes seized in Carlow
Customs officers yesterday seized more than three million contraband cigarettes worth an estimated €1.2 million in Co Carlow.
The cigarettes arrived in Dublin from China on Friday in a 40-foot container supposedly carrying toys.
Customs officers, backed by members of the gardaí, kept the container under surveillance and when the cigarettes were being offloaded they moved in.
Three people from the Carlow area have been arrested in connection with the seizure and are being held at Carlow Garda station.
The cigarettes arrived in Dublin from China on Friday in a 40-foot container supposedly carrying toys.
Customs officers, backed by members of the gardaí, kept the container under surveillance and when the cigarettes were being offloaded they moved in.
Three people from the Carlow area have been arrested in connection with the seizure and are being held at Carlow Garda station.
пятница, 10 июля 2009 г.
What It Takes To Stop Smoking Cigarettes
How do you make yourself stop smoking cigarettes? Many smokers have already reached the conclusion that they have to quit sooner or later and they also know that sooner is the better choice. Knowing that you need to stop smoking is one thing, getting around to actually getting it done is quite another. People that are addicted to other drugs often go to a rehabilitation center to help them kick their habits to other substances. It could be said that a smoker does not need that kind of serious intervention, but with no many that fail in the quest to quit, it might be something to consider after all.
If you are like most people that smoke, you probably could not afford to go to a rehab center anyway. So, most people do what everyone else has tried. They buy nicotine patches, nicotine gum, they try cold turkey, they join support groups, they get hypnotized, and any other trick they can think of. Sometimes these methods work for some and not for others. Some smokers can quit much easier than some. Some just give up and this the the worst mistake they can make. They get frustrated with the constant cravings. Of course, they should expect this since it is something they have been doing up to 20 times a day or more everyday for possibly years.
Willpower and determination are the two deciding factors whether you will be able to quit or not. It all boils down to that. You can buy all of the stop smoking aids you can find, but they will never work for you unless you are absolutely set on quitting. It is nothing that you will be able to accomplish with a halfhearted attitude. You either are firm in your decision or not. This can be said for many things you want to do in life. Saving money, losing weight, giving up drugs or alcohol. It all comes down to you.
It is a shame that so many smokers wait until they have developed some serious health issues before they can reach the point where they absolutely want to quit. Often, by the time they reach this point they already have a disease that will be with them for the rest of their life and sometimes this might not be very long. Do not let yourself be one of those that wait almost too late before you try to quit. Made your firm decision today. Everyday longer you wait to start the quitting process, the harder it is likely to be ands the more risk you are taking with what might be left of your good health.
If you are like most people that smoke, you probably could not afford to go to a rehab center anyway. So, most people do what everyone else has tried. They buy nicotine patches, nicotine gum, they try cold turkey, they join support groups, they get hypnotized, and any other trick they can think of. Sometimes these methods work for some and not for others. Some smokers can quit much easier than some. Some just give up and this the the worst mistake they can make. They get frustrated with the constant cravings. Of course, they should expect this since it is something they have been doing up to 20 times a day or more everyday for possibly years.
Willpower and determination are the two deciding factors whether you will be able to quit or not. It all boils down to that. You can buy all of the stop smoking aids you can find, but they will never work for you unless you are absolutely set on quitting. It is nothing that you will be able to accomplish with a halfhearted attitude. You either are firm in your decision or not. This can be said for many things you want to do in life. Saving money, losing weight, giving up drugs or alcohol. It all comes down to you.
It is a shame that so many smokers wait until they have developed some serious health issues before they can reach the point where they absolutely want to quit. Often, by the time they reach this point they already have a disease that will be with them for the rest of their life and sometimes this might not be very long. Do not let yourself be one of those that wait almost too late before you try to quit. Made your firm decision today. Everyday longer you wait to start the quitting process, the harder it is likely to be ands the more risk you are taking with what might be left of your good health.
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