Tobacco quitters have chance to star in TV ads

Those in Davis County  who are ready to quit using tobacco products and would like to share their story with others in the state now have the chance through a Utah Department of Health program, “Be A Quitter.”
Anyone thinking about quitting in 2013 can tell his or her story in 250 words or less for a chance to star in commercials. Candidates will be chosen through January. Participants should submit their responses by mid-January, said Janae Duncan, of the state health department’s Tobacco Prevention and Control Board.
Winners will receive a stipend plus a tablet device to help them document their quitting process by detailing struggles and successes through social media and video updates, according to a health department press release.
The campaign will cast eight to 10 participants from across the state who represent a range of ages and types of tobacco use.
Participants should be 18 years and older. They will be asked to upload their own videos and social media  posts to keep viewers updated on their progress.
The “cast” of the realty TV campaign will agree to give details of the effects, both good and bad, that quitting has had on them, their families, co-workers and friends.
“Quitting for good is a hard thing to do and there are hurdles like relapsing and needing to start over. Sometimes it’s necessary to find alternatives to help kick the habit, said Amy Oliver, UDOH TPCP marketing manager. “We want this campaign to show tobacco users that they’re not alone in the quitting process and to encourage them to never give up.”

Smoking decline hits tax revenues

The good news is Hawaii residents are buying fewer cigarettes. The bad news is that the drop is hurting tax revenues.
According to tax collection records, island consumers bought 417 million packs of cigarettes during the first 10 months of the year, a 12 percent drop from the same 10-month period last year.The decline comes as officials hoped recent tobacco-related tax hikes would generate nearly $47 million in added revenue over two years to help balance the state's budget.
Higher tobacco taxes are aimed at driving down demand while increasing income for the state.

Exercise to quit smoking

Exercise can make cigarettes less tempting to smokers and may help them kick the habit, says a new study.
Research from the University of Exeter shows that exercise can decrease the power of cigarettes and smoking-related images that grab the attention of smokers.
The study involved moderately heavy smokers, who had abstained from cigarettes for 15 hours before the trial.
"We know that smoking-related images can be powerful triggers for smokers who are abstaining," said Kate Janse Van Rensburg, doctoral student at the University of Exeter, who led the study.
"While we are no longer faced with advertisements for cigarettes, smokers are still faced with seeing people smoking on television, in photographs or in person. We know that this makes it more difficult for them to quit," added Rensburg.
"During two visits to our laboratory participants began by being shown smoking-related and neutral images, and then spent either 15 minutes sitting or exercising on a stationary bike at a moderate intensity. Afterwards, they were again shown the images," she said.
While participants were shown the images, the research team used the latest technology to measure and record their precise eye movements.
They were able to show not only the length of time people looked at such images but also how quickly pictures of cigarettes could grab their attention, compared with non-smoking matched images.
The study showed an 11 per cent difference between the time the participants spent looking at the smoking-related images after exercise, compared with the after sitting.
Also, after exercise, participants took longer to look at smoking-related images. Exercise, therefore, appears to reduce the power of the smoking-related images to grab visual attention.
Numerous studies have shown that a single session of light to moderate intensity exercise, for example five-15 minutes of brisk walking, can reduce cravings and responses to smoking cues, said an Exeter release.

Convict pleads guilty to kidnapping family

GAFFNEY -- Jerry Douglas Case, a convicted murderer who sat on death row but was paroled, pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to kidnapping five members of a North Carolina family in July.
The crime spree began near Gastonia, where some members of the family had been fishing, and ended in Gaffney.
Case, 52, admitted he carjacked the family and committed two counts each of kidnapping and kidnapping involving a child. Testimony shows Case threatened to kill a Gastonia man, his adult daughter and two grandchildren, including an infant.
Case was accused of forcing the woman to drive aimlessly through North and South Carolina for 12 hours while pointing a gun at his victims. The victims told investigators Case forced the woman to stop and buy alcohol and cigarettes for him.
The next day about 5 a.m. while stopped at the Kangaroo Express convenience store on Highway 18 near Gaffney, Case accidentally left the keys in the car.
As he walked toward the store, the family drove away and used Case's cell phone to call 911. They were met by law enforcement officers several miles away from where they left Case.

Mickey Rourke on the priest who saved his life

In the Year for Priests, here's a story that reminds us the impact a priest can have on just one life:
Mickey Rourke has revealed that he was on the verge of suicide before he turned to the Catholic Church for help.
"The Wrestler" star, who battled alcohol and drug addiction for several years, claims in PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk's new book "One Can Make a Difference: How Simple Actions Can Change the World" that a priest helped save his life.
He explained: "One day I looked in the mirror and I saw myself the way others saw me. I saw the armour and I scared the f**k out of myself.
"I did see a priest for a while, a great one who stopped me from blowing my brains out. We'd go in the basement, he'd pour me a glass of wine, we'd smoke cigarettes, and then we'd pray. But I needed a shrink too, so I forced myself to go.
"I had to learn not to let people push my buttons, find out what was triggering all this rage, and stop throwing things away. I've barely missed a therapy session in over a decade, and that takes willpower."

Ban still permits sale of menthol cigarettes

This ban, authorized by the new Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, is part of a national effort by the FDA to reduce smoking in America. The ban on flavored cigarettes is aimed at reducing the number of children who start smoking and become addicted to tobacco products. In fact:
In 2004, 22.8 percent of 17- year-old smokers reported using flavored cigarettes over the past month, as compared to 6.7 percent of smokers over the age of 25.
A poll conducted in March 2008 found that one in five young people between the ages of 12 and 17 had seen flavored tobacco products or ads, while only one in 10 adults reported having seen them.
According to one study of youth smokers between the ages of 13 and 18, 52 percent of smokers who had heard of flavored cigarettes reported interest in trying them, and nearly 60 percent thought that flavored cigarettes would taste better than regular cigarettes.
The statistics, along with the fact the about 90 percent of smokers begin smoking as teenagers, certainly seem to support claims that candy- and fruit-flavored cigarettes are just another attempt by the tobacco industry to recruit "replacement smokers," replacing the number of people who quit smoking or die from smoking-related diseases each year with new, young smokers.
The new ban on flavored cigarettes is certainly a step in the right direction; however, for all the good intentions of the FDA, this ban stops short of eliminating the No.1 most prevalent cigarette flavoring in use today: menthol.
Research at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School has shown that menthol cigarette smokers take in more nicotine and carbon monoxide per cigarette than regular cigarette smokers, and a recent study at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey has shown that menthol smokers find it harder to quit, despite smoking fewer cigarettes per day.
Although I fully support the ban on flavored cigarettes, it is obvious to me that the tobacco industry still has enough influence to continue selling the cigarettes that are the real money makers for them, and that probably have the most influence on our nation's teenagers, menthol.
Hopefully, the ban on menthol cigarettes will be considered in the near future.

Love is all you need

ARARAT - Ararat Retirement Village resident Ivan Reid notched up a significant milestone last week, celebrating his 96th birthday with family and friends.
The quick-witted nonagenarian puts his longevity down to a healthy lifestyle, which includes avoiding the temptations of alcohol and cigarettes.
''I made a pact with God when I was 12 to avoid all intoxicating drinks and to try to convince others around me to do the same,'' Ivan said.
His one foray into smoking saw Ivan roll some lucerne, used by his mother to feed her chickens, in brown paper before proceeding to smoke it.
''I ended up burning my tongue and I've never smoked since,'' he said.
Enjoying the birthday cake alongside Ivan was the love of his life, wife Madge, 93.
The couple will celebrate 70 years of marriage on February 24 next year.
Ivan and Madge met at the Church of Christ in Geelong, where they courted for a number of years before marrying in 1940.
The couple moved to Ararat in 1954, buying a small business on the corner of George Road and Barkly Street that served as a tuck shop to the nearby high school.
Upon selling the shop, Madge moved to a Barkly Street florist while her husband worked at Cunningham and Murphy for a number of years before relocating to the Stawell Brick Company.
The Reids enjoy spending time with their close-knit family, which includes ten grandchildren and a number of great grandchildren.
The couple's three sons, Ken, Don and Trevor, all live nearby.
When asked the secret to a long and happy marriage, Ivan listed communication as an important factor.
''You've got to be honest with one another for a start,'' he said.
In a day and age where people often get married too quickly and divorced even quicker, Ivan and Madge's lifetime commitment to each other seems even more special.
''It's not hard to stay married - we love each other,'' Ivan said.
Remembering back to when they first met, Ivan added, 'plus, she was a smart looking chick, I can tell you'.

SoCal man gets death penalty for double murder

A judge has sentenced a Southern California man to death for the execution-style slayings of two liquor store clerks during a robbery in 2006.
Jean Pierre Rices, 27, was sentenced Friday after a jury recommended capital punishment in June.
Rices pleaded guilty to murdering Heather Mattia, 22, and Firas Eiso, 23, in 2006 as the two were closing shop at Granada Liquor in El Cajon.
An accomplice, Anthony James Miller, had packed cigarettes and $1,250 in cash into a bag before Rices shot them in the head.
Rices had prior convictions for selling drugs, robbing banks and carjacking.

Customs officers detain over 11 500 boxes smuggling cigarettes

Customs officers from mobile group for control and monitoring of General Toshevo checkpoint have seized 11 540 undeclared boxes of cigarettes of different brands with Ukrainian excise label. The smuggled cigarettes have been seized after a check of a suspicious mini-bus with Ukrainian license plate while entering the state. The shipment has been seized. The authorities drew up a statement of customs violation.

Capitol Hill tries to eliminate cigarette butts

Cigarette butts — the most-littered item in America — will soon become more scarce in the Capitol Hill area.

For the first time, the Capitol Hill Business Improvement District linked up with the Keep America Beautiful Cigarette Litter Prevention Program to help clear out tossed-away cigarettes left behind by smokers.

Three high-traffic areas on Capitol Hill were picked: the southeast corner of Eighth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue SE; on First Street SE in front of Bullfeathers and Tortilla Coast; and on the south side of Pennsylvania Avenue between Third and Fourth streets SE.

In 2008, nearly 200 communities reported an average 46 percent reduction in littered butts as a result of implementing the program.

"Cigarette litter is not only unsightly and costly to clean up, but also harmful to waterways and wildlife. Simple actions like installing ash receptacles and distributing pocket ashtrays will make a big difference in decreasing litter and ultimately keeping Capitol Hill beautiful," said Patty Brosmer, BID president.

The nonprofit Keep America Beautiful has field-tested and expanded the Cigarette Litter Prevention Program for the last six years with support from Philip Morris USA, an Altria company.

Limit smokers buying cigarettes abroad, says chief medical officer

Anti-smoking campaigns are being undermined by "ridiculous" European Union rules allowing British travellers to bring back 3,200 cheap cigarettes from member states, the chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, said yesterday.
Ministers should use next year's review of tobacco tax laws to impose a limit of 200 cigarettes or 250g of hand-rolling tobacco to tackle legal shopping and the burgeoning criminal trade in smuggled and counterfeit goods, he said.
Sir Liam, bemoaning the fact that 106,000 Britons still die each year from smoking-related causes, said: "Tobacco is a lethal product. It kills more people than anything else, yet by the pattern of price and regulation that is in place, death is made cheaper.
"For example, a holidaymaker going to Spain, can quite legally bring back into this country 160 packs [of 20 cigarettes].
"If they are a smoker that is enough to keep them going for six months and, given cheap flights and the opportunity to have a holiday along the way, it also gives quite a cost saving."
The price of a pack of popular cigarettes in Spain was £1.36, the equivalent in Britain was £4.89, and just two trips a year would save a smoker more than £1,000 in tax and duty.
"As well as a ready source for personal consumption, the temptation to sell on large amounts can prove hard to resist," he said.
The illicit street price for cigarettes in Britain was £2.50, and about a quarter of all cigarettes smoked here, and three-quarters of roll-ups, avoided UK tax and duties - either legally or illegally. This meant that government policies of raising prices - 10% increases traditionally brought 4% cuts in consumption - were being eroded.
Sir Liam, presenting his annual report on the state of public health, said the EU should insist on higher minimum prices for tobacco by fixing levels of duty and questioning "the illogical and health-damaging shopping allowance for tobacco ... It is quite ridiculous we have a limit of 3,200 cigarettes. It ought to be 200 in my view."
He also pressed ministers to follow the lead of Ireland, Sweden, Italy, Malta, some states and cities in the US and soon Scotland by having smoke-free public places and workplaces.
Cancer Research UK welcomed Sir Liam's attacks on low-price cigarettes, but Forest, the smokers' lobby group, condemned them.
Forest's director, Simon Clark, said a reduction in the number of cigarettes people could legally bring in would be "illiberal and impractical" and would "almost certainly see a return to the bad old days when ordinary cross-Channel shoppers found themselves routinely harassed and intimidated by over-zealous Customs officers".
Sir Liam, in a wide-ranging review, criticised some hospitals for failing to act speedily and comprehensively to safety alerts demanding changes in equipment and procedures. NHS trusts that have claimed to have complied with the rules had been found subsequently not to have done so.
"The NHS has not yet fully embraced the culture of patient safety," he said, adding that managers and other staff were "not wilfully bad people".
Sir Liam also called for the debate on school meals to spread to catering in hospitals, prisons, the armed forces and meals-on-wheels. The public sector as a whole served more than 1.8bn meals a year. "They need to be healthier and more nutritionally balanced. The public sector should use its huge financial muscle to improve the nation's health."
National standards were also required to improve the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a respiratory illness which killed 30,000 Britons each year.
The report showed continuing concern about strains of E coli infections resistant to antibiotics that have caused several deaths and much severe illness through urinary tract infections and blood poisoning.

Has The Price Of Cigarettes Made You Want To Quit

With the economy the way it is now days, there are a many people that wish they would have given up smoking once and for all a long time ago. Now that the price of a pack of cigarettes is reaching nearly five dollars a pack and even more in many places, it is a good time to seriously start thinking about giving them up. No matter what age you are, unless you are just plain wealthy, a heavy smoker these days can cost as much as 20 % of a pay check of average working men and women in the United States who make minimum wage or a little more.

Going back just only a few years ago, cigarette prices were around two dollars a pack, but with the new taxes being applied, they are now doubled in price. If you are a smoker and think that is bad, the states are beginning to apply their own tax on top of the one the government just put in place. This is similar to the gasoline issue in that it keeps going up, but we need gasoline to travel, we do not need cigarettes at all. Spend nothing on cigarettes and you will have plenty left to pay for that expensive fuel.

Finally, the cost of gasoline has peaked for the time being and came back down. Now you can at least make it to work without taking out a loan to get there. But smokers out there need to get ready to see the price of cigarettes be the back up for a tax revenue increase. Even though the extreme taxing of cigarettes might not be something that everyone, especially smokers, agree with, because they might actually go up in price so much that it will force some people to have to quit, but is that such a bad thing in itself?

When you are addicted to nicotine and what ever the thousands of chemicals are that go in the processing of cigarettes, it is similar to being an addict hooked on some of the harder drugs like heroine or methamphetamine. It is almost as difficult for some to stop smoking as it is for these other drug users to kick their habits. What is amazing to some people is that cigarettes are killers just like any of these other drugs, yet they are still legal for adults to buy. What many people do not understand about the government is how they determine that it is perfectly alright to tax one drug like cigarettes to death, and outlaw others. There is the argument that some drugs like methamphetamine or heroine alters the personality of the user and this is true. But have you ever seen a smoker who is really addicted to cigarettes when they can not get one? That also can be a very ugly picture.