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Want to quit smoking? Switching to mild cigarettes will NOT improve your chances 

Smokers who swapped to low-tar cigarettes were less likely to successfully quit the habit

Smokers who hope to kick the habit by first switching to a low-tar or mild brand of cigarette may actually find it harder to quit, researchers said today.

They found that smokers who traded to light cigarettes were 50 per cent less likely to kick the habit.

'It may be that smokers think that a lighter brand is better for their health and is therefore an acceptable alternative to giving up completely,' said study author Dr Hilary Tindle from the University of Pittsburgh.

Her study of 31,000 smokers found that 12,000, or 38 per cent, had switched to a lighter brand.

Nearly half of these said they had switched brands because they wanted to smoke a less harmful cigarette and hoped to give up smoking completely.

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• Philip Morris In Negotiations With Original E-Cigarette Company 

What many e-cigarette users have feared from day one could be in the works: Philip Morris, the biggest maker of tobacco cigarettes in the United States, has been discovered to be in negotiations with Ruyan Group, which manufactured the original e-cigarette starting in 2005. A short news article on Quamnet.com states the seriousness of the matter:

"Ruyan Group said that an agreement between the Company and Philip Morris International Management S.A. could not be reached on matters relating to the co-operation between them on its "electronic cigarettes" by the end of the first and exclusive phase of negotiations."

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IDRIS: Cigarettes: Charge 'em RM30 for twenty 

The Consumers Association of Penang lauds the move mooted by Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai that with effect from January 2010, a minimum price will be fixed for a 20-sticks pack of cigarettes at RM6.20.

However, it is disappointing to note that the price fixed is so low that this will be a futile move if the government is really serious about addressing the fight against the growing smoking epidemic.

In a recent survey carried out by CAP, we found that the sale of 'value brand' cigarettes had increased. We found various brands - some of which were duty-free from Langkawi - being sold and easily available in outlets which sell cigarettes. Some of the brands were imported from Vietnam, Bangladesh and India. Most of these value brands do not even carry the health picture warning.

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Kent | Woman rescued from cigarette fire 

A woman is recovering in hospital after being rescued by Kent firefighters from a blaze caused by a cigarette.

Neighbours alerted emergency services after spotting smoke coming from the terraced home of Edwina Nixon, 45, in Station Road, Whitstable. . . .

A spokesman for Kent Fire and Rescue Service said the fire started when Ms Nixon fell asleep while smoking, setting fire to the sofa.

"This sends out a really important warning to others about the dangers of smoking and not disposing of cigarettes carefully," said Whitstable watch manager David Nolan.

"If it hadn't been for the neighbour, we could easily have been dealing with a fatality."

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Malawi tobacco sales 'drop 9%' 

Sales of Malawi's main cash crop tobacco dropped nine percent to 433 million dollars (293 million euros) this year, as prices at the auction floor fell by nearly a quarter, the country's crop watchdog said Wednesday.

"The tobacco market suffered some price setbacks and average prices were down by 23 percent per kilo this year," Bruce Munthali, general manager of the Tobacco Control Commission, told reporters.

Despite a record harvest of 208 million kilos of burley tobacco, average prices dropped to 1.86 dollars per kilo, from 2.42 dollars last year, he said..

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WILLIAMS: Ban and advocates need something stronger for support 

The question on many minds these days is, what’s up with Purdue’s proposed campus-wide smoking ban? To me, it’s just showing a dog (Purdue and secondhand-smoke opponents) that’s all bark and no bite. . . .

Let’s be honest, though: how many of you secondhand-smoke-on-campus complainers actually inhale smoke and not just the scent left behind from a cigarette? Don’t know the difference? Well, smoke is defined as a visually present cloud of gas particles produced from burning something; scent is the residual smell the dissipated smoke leaves behind.

Do you know how fast smoke dissipates in the open, outside air? . . .

The long and short of it is the University can’t back up the proposed (or current) policy with enforcement, and policy advocates can’t legitimately back up their secondhand smoke claims. Both entities should stop blowing smoke instead of trying to demonize actual smoke-blowing.

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Man smoking burns more than 50% of his body 

A man who was smoking set himself on fire and suffered burns to more than 50% of his body early Wednesday at a house on the Far South Side.

Firefighters responded to a working fire at 4:50 a.m. on the 10100 block of South Bensley Avenue, according to Fire Media Affairs Director Larry Langford.

Crews arrived at 4:54 a.m. and found the 36-year-old man had burns to more than 50% of his body.

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• Switching cigarettes may hinder smokers' attempts to quit  

What does this mean for me?

We don't know why people who switched cigarette types were less likely to succeed in quitting. The researchers suggest some possibilities:

* People who switched may have been more addicted to nicotine, so tried to cut down by switching first rather than simply trying to quit

* They may have used up their initial motivation by switching brands, and run out of enthusiasm to quit altogether

* They may have felt that quitting was less important, because they wrongly thought they were doing less damage to their health with the low-tar brand.

Overall, the study suggests that swapping types of cigarette doesn't help you give up smoking. The message seems to be that it's better to concentrate your energies on giving up, rather than worrying about the type of cigarette you smoke.

What should I do now?

If you want to give up smoking, contact your GP surgery. They can help you to quit. Alternatively, call the NHS Smoking Helpline on 0800 022 4332 to find out about stop smoking services in your area.

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Do movie critic's "smoke breaks" glorify an unhealthy smoking habit? 

It's no secret that Post-Standard movie critic Joan Vadeboncouer is a smoker. Drive past the downtown building at any time of day, and you're liable to see her standing outside smoking her cigarettes. (Smoking hasn't been allowed in the Post-Standard building for almost two decades.)

It's also no secret that JV knows movies. . . .

Last week, a fun new feature appeared on Syracuse.com called "Joanie's Smoke Break Movie Reviews." There's one posted about Whip It, and another about Zombieland. . . .

Research has shown that young people start lighting up partially because of what they see in the movies, because of the way filmmakers glamorize the dirty habit. US News & World Report has written about the controversy, and so has Forbes, in a story about how student participation in sports can't compete with the powerful influence of smoking in films. . . .

Clearly, it's a hot research topic, and a controversy in Hollywood. What about right here in Central New York? I've heard some complaints about JV's cigarettes, but what do you think? Are JV's "smoke breaks" a vector in the expansion of the smoking epidemic?

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Santa Fe College rejects campus smoking ban 

Santa Fe College opted not to follow UF's lead by banning smoking on campus.

SFC's College Senate voted 17-9 against a campus-wide ban during its general meeting Tuesday.

Santa Fe College President Jackson Sasser said he would not enforce the ban unless the Career Services, College Senate and Student Senate are in all in favor the ban. The College Senate is composed of SFC faculty members, unlike the Student Senate, which voted to oppose the ban last week.

However, all three groups agreed that smoking is a problem at Santa Fe and that regulations must be tightened so people don't abuse the privilege.

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St. Louis County Voters Embrace Future; Vote "Yes" for Smoking Ban 

That crisp, clean air you're smelling this morning? Ladies and gentlemen, that's progress!

That's (dare we say it?) the future! . . .

Oh, and that Kirkwood vote also won somebody a bet with anti-smoking-ban crusader Bill Hannegan. (I'll take that case of Schlafly Pale Ale whenever you get a chance.)

One last note: The city and county smoking bans don't go into effect for another 14 months -- January 2011. So, smoke 'em while you can.

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St. Louis County voters OK smoking ban  

St. Louis County voters approved a smoking ban for most public places at the polls Tuesday, a move that will trigger a similar smoking ban in St. Louis City.

Both bans take effect Jan. 2, 2011 and exempt casinos, some smaller bars and the smoking lounges at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.

More than 65 percent of county voters favored the smoking ban, called Proposition N, according to unofficial results from the St. Louis County Board of Election Commissioners.

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Prop N passes by wide margin  

“We have made a major step forward on cleaner air and obviously a healthy environment for our citizens in the county and city, and hopefully for the whole state in the future,” said County Councilwoman Barbara Fraser, D-University City, who introduced the St. Louis County Council bill that put the smoking ban on the ballot.

Proposition N opponent Bill Hannegan, though disappointed, downplayed the result, saying that “it was always going to be tough in the county” due to its low smoking rate.

Hannegan, who heads the group Keep St. Louis Free, added that “the fight’s not over” and that the opposition could challenge the constitutionality of the casino exemption, bring up a conflict between the two smoking bans and state law, or push to amend the city’s smoking ban. . . .

Proposition N supporters gathered with posters and signs during the Monday rush hour at five street-side locations, including the intersection of Forest Park Parkway and Skinker Boulevard.

More than 200 Saint Louis University medical students and faculty gathered on their campus on Thursday to rally for the ban.

The Washington University community’s highest-profile supporter of the proposition is Martha Bhattacharya, postdoctoral fellow in developmental biology, who served as treasurer of pro-proposition County Citizens for Cleaner Air. Bhattacharya said last week she encouraged students to vote for the measure.

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Purchase of tobacco for under-18s outlawed  

Adults in Scotland who buy cigarettes for under-age young people could soon face prosecution, bringing the law on the sale of tobacco products in the country into line with that on alcohol.

The Scottish government revealed today that it is to insert a new clause into the Tobacco and Primary Medical Services Bill, now going through Parliament, would would outlaw the use of what is known as 'proxy purchasing'.

The move has been disclosed by Shona Robison, the deputy health minister in the Scottish government, in a letter to Christine Grahame, the convener of Holyrood's health committee. It comes after pressure from the committee for the new clause.

It is already illegal in Scotland for an adult to buy alcohol and then pass it on to a child, but as yet there is no such law for tobacco.

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High tobacco prices not deterring smoking among the poor  

On Nov. 19, many people will throw away their cigarettes in honor of the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout. Jason Halford, 29, of Joliet probably will not be one of them.

In the nine years since he started smoking, Halford has quit twice, but he blames job and money-related stresses for lighting back up. Even the rising cost of cigarettes isn't enough to discourage him.

"I buy cheap brands and look for dollar-off specials," Halford said.

While some people might think the high cost of keeping the habit would discourage its use, recent research suggests the opposite may be true.

Dr. Bruce Christiansen of the University of Wisconsin's Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention (CTRI) discovered that half the adults in Milwaukee's poorest neighborhoods smoke, despite paying $9 for a pack of cigarettes on a household income below $15,000.

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