Doctors Controlling Tobacco

Here is an exerpt from a recent article at "The Heart.org". It tells of how physicians should be on the front lines of tobacco control, effectively forcing change from within - both from a political and cultural standpoint. It is an interesting read. Click over to The Heart for the entire article.

It's no coincidence that the small South American country of Uruguay had a physician as president when it began implementing some of the strongest tobacco-control policies in the world five years ago. Dr Tabaré Vásquez, an oncologist, became president there in 2005 and proceeded to turn the nation of just 3.5 million people into a leading example of how to try to curtail cigarette consumption.

He achieved this through methods that are widely acknowledged to work by those advocating for global tobacco control: banning smoking in public places; increasing taxation on and subsequently the price of cigarettes; banning advertising, sponsorship, and promotion by tobacco companies; restricting the use of misleading words on cigarette packs; and making smoking-cessation programs and products widely available.

But the tobacco industry fought back, with Phillip Morris bringing an international lawsuit against the government there, "not because Uruguay is an important market but because its policies could spread over the world," explained Dr Walter Reyes Caorsi (Casa de Galicia Hospital, Montevideo, Uruguay) during a session on global perspectives on tobacco control at the recent American Heart Association (AHA) 2011 Scientific Sessions. Although Vásquez is no longer president of Uruguay, his successor, José Mujica, says he plans to continue the strong tobacco-control policies established by his predecessor.

Next in line to face the wrath of this industry—and a widely expected lawsuit—is likely the Australian government, which is hoping to enact, by the end of this month, a law that stipulates that cigarettes can be sold only in plain packaging.

Cigarette Packaging

Ah, cigarette packaging! Joe Camel and the Marlboro Man became household names, even in non-smoking families' homes, all because of how they appeared on a package of cigarettes. I still remember the dusty sunset in the background as the Marlboro Man rode his horse, smoking his trusty sticks of death. Heck, I even wanted to have a Marlboro Man poster in college for my dorm room and I didn't smoke. It was just that cool of an image.

Well, it looks like the tobacco companies are again, one step ahead of our human emotions. A long time ago, they realized that packaging sells. They realized that most people won't start smoking unless they think it's cool, attractive or taste good. It's like when they added menthol to cut down the dreadful flavor of tobacco. Lets face it, the tobacco companies are not filled with a bunch of Johnnie-Come-Lately's. When it comes to marketing and more specifically, cigarette packaging, they are the experts.

For instance, a recent study looked at packaging and its affect on smoking behavior. They found that cigarettes packs in plain packs were less likely to motivate the teenager to purchase them. They were simply considered too unattractive for the youth who wants to associate coolness with the distasteful habit. It's no surprise then to find that plain packs were also rated as the best way (of packaging) to keep non-smokers from starting and current smokers to cut down and eventually stop. This was particularly notable for the motivated quitter.

In contrast, the regular branded packs and "limited-edition" packs had the highest consumer appeal. Because...you know there's nothing like smoking a cigarette that came from one of only 5 million packs showing Joe Camel wearing a tuxedo. Hey, nothing says special like that! Okay, I'm only joking, but that is the scenario being framed by the tobacco marketeers. They know they need to keep the cigarette packaging visually interesting, so they do. And the poor saps who smoke, fall for it every time.

The simple fact is this: the tobacco companies understand human nature probably more than anyone, and they play it up at every opportunity, save maybe Nike. It's like when the "Air Jordans" first came out, everyone wanted them. I'm not sure what the latest tennis shoe craze is now, but the marketing process is the same.

So what have we learned about cigarette packaging? That's easy. It's all about the timeless appeal to the ego.

Trusting the Tobacco Companies

Okay, I know on the surface that asking a question like, "Can you trust the tobacco companies" is a little like saying can you trust a politician. We all know the answer. But lets just say, for the sake of argument, that we don't already know the answer. Is there any compelling documentation or proof that tobacco has acted in their own self interest in the face of overwhelming evidence that their products cause harm? I know, I know, just bare with me.

There is this thing in cigarette smoke called radioactive polonium 210 [(210)Po]. Yeah, it sounds nasty doesn't it? So if it's radioactive then does it do bad stuff when inhaled into the lungs? Intuition tells me yes, but lets continue. An article in Nicotine and Tobacco Research analyzed the internal secret documents that were made available by the Master Settlement Agreement of 1998. Wow, that sounded nefarious. Anyway, what did these documents tell us about (210)Po?

It looks like the industry was aware of this radioactive substance way back in 1959. Hello, is this thing on? That's 1959, 52 years ago. These secret documents also state that Big Tobacco knew of the potential for cancerous growth in smokers' lungs and estimated long-term radiation absorption doses emitted from the cigarette smoke. The amazingly accurate calculations were that inhaled tobacco would cause roughly 130 lung cancer deaths per 1,000 smokers per year. That's an astounding 13% death rate among smokers for just lung cancer alone. Still want that cigarette? But wait, that's not even the half of it, there's more.

In 1980, the industry discovered that you could acid wash the tobacco leaves which would effectively remove the (210)Po. Sounds great, right? Oh, but there is this little problem with acid washing. It does have an unwanted side-affect. You see, it ionized the nicotine, thereby effectively reducing its absorption into the brain. Since they knew nicotine was the hook that kept smokers coming back for more, the industry - as a whole - avoided the process. In other words, they would rather make money than save lives. I think they call this "blood money".

If this became known back in 1980 and then public in 1998, then why isn't acid washing currently performed on the tobacco leaves? Good question! It seems like a causal death rate in excess of 10% would be enough for conscience-minded people to take action and begin initiating the process of removing (210)Po. If the industry doesn't do it, then why, at the very least, doesn't the government make them? The whole idea of acting in the "public's best interest" and all. A question to ask your congressman or woman. Oh, but I'm reminded of how I started this post...you know, about "who you can trust".

So isn't it time you, quite literally, put down your "death stick" and joined the millions of people who have quit smoking?

Smokers Lungs

I couldn't find any good research articles today to bring to you, so I dug into my article bag. I found this article I wrote detailing the negative effects smoking has on your lungs. I call it, "Smokers Lungs" - enjoy.

Smokers Lungs

Twenty percent of all Americans smoke. The World Health Organization describes smoking as an epidemic around the world. Smoking has become a blight on those in the lower socio-economic cultures of the world. Tobacco companies have revenues in the billions. All this without advertisement on television or radio. So why?

This type of economic juggernaut must not impose very bad side-effects on its customers, right? If smoking were bad for you, then why do so many people do it?

All these are pretty good questions. The tobacco business goes all the way back to our founding fathers. Remember from history class what a cash crop was? That's right: tobacco was the king of cash crops. It wove it's way throughout the economic fabric of our bourgeoning country and it hasn’t looked back.

So here we are, 200 plus years later and we’re having to answer the question of whether tobacco is really that bad for you. Physicians and healthcare professionals can tell you the answer to the question. Yes, smoking is bad for you. Lets look at the statistics for a moment.

Roughly 90% of all lung cancers are attributable to smoking. Emphysema (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death in the US. Smoking is listed as a primary risk factor in over 70 diseases. It’s also a contributing risk factor in hundreds more. But what about the smokers’ lungs.

COPD is the single largest preventable disease, they just have to quit smoking. COPD stands for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. There is no cure. It is chronic and progressive which means the symptoms will begin to worsen over time. The only way to slow it down, is to stop smoking.

Lets go over 3 physiologic changes that take place in the lung after someone smokes.

1. The fine cilia in the throat begin to die off
2. The muscle that forms the airways loose their rigidity and spasm or narrow
3. The cellular walls in the tiny air sacs of the lung begin to tear apart

These 3 changes then result in the following symptoms:

1. Chronic coughing
2. Difficulty in removing secretions
3. Elevated risk of pneumonia
4. Shortness of breath
5. Wheezing
6. Poor oxygenation

These symptoms then need to be treated with medicines like expectorants, anti-biotics, inhalers, nebulizers and supplemental oxygen. Not quite the glamorous retirement you envisioned for yourself is it? Relying on inhaled steroids, nebulizers and oxygen can really put a damper on your visit with the grandkids.

So take smoking seriously. You know it’s bad for you. There are just so many great stop smoking benefits available to you if you’d only take a look. You’re a smart person and you can make this decision. But get the valuable stop smoking information you need, so you can be informed. The more educated you are, the better your chances of success.