Monday, October 27, 2008
Graphic Cigarette Warnings
A few months ago, I came across some graphic cigarette warnings out of Canada. It really made me think for a moment. Why don't we have something like this?
If you are a smoker, or know a smoker, and you live in the United States, you have seen the plain jane warning on cigarette packages. It's something like this:
When I came across the graphic ads from Canada, I wondered if other countries did this as well. I found that there are 12 countries that have graphic cigarette warnings, including the UK, Brazil, New Zealand, and most recently Egypt. These ads show the various disadvantages to smoking. One warning, aimed at men, shows that cigarettes can cause impotence. Another shows young women that cigarettes will affect there unborn children. A third will tell you that that smoking can increase your chance of lung cancer by 80%.
Having watched someone I love go through lung cancer, even though it wasn't caused by cigarettes, I wouldn't wish it on anyone. The pain of not being able to breathe, the insidiousness of the cancer as it spreads through your body. Smoking increases your risk factor in getting lung cancer. Quitting smoking is such a preventable way lowering your risk in getting this disease. When you quit smoking, the benefits to you happen almost immediately. When you quit, your body will start to cleanse itself of the toxins. I have heard quitters say food starts to taste better after just a few days.
The American Cancer Society says this about quitting:
Immediate rewards of quitting
Kicking the tobacco habit offers some benefits that you'll notice right away and some that will develop over time. These rewards can improve your day-to-day life a great deal.
- your breath smells better
- stained teeth get whiter
- bad smelling clothes and hair go away
- your yellow fingers and fingernails disappear
- food tastes better
- your sense of smell returns to normal
- everyday activities no longer leave you out of breath (such as climbing stairs or light housework)
Quitting benefits not only the smoker, but the people around them who smoke. If we had graphic packaging in the United States, I wonder how many people would stop and think about what they are doing to there bodies. As I sit in the coffee shop, writing this article, I wonder if the two men sitting outside, smoking their cigarettes near the No Smoking by ordinance of the City of Santa Rosa sign would consider if smoking was worth the impotence risk, if the woman who bummed a cigarette from them would consider that smoking could increase the risk of SIDS to her future children, if the guy waiting smoking and waiting for the light to change would stop would lower his chance of having his family watch him suffer through some smoking disease or cancer.
Because right now, that little inconsipicious text box is pretty easy to ignore.
*This post is dedicated to my friend. Good luck on your journey! You will only be better for it.*
Labels: lung cancer, multiple myeloma, organizations, second-hand smoke, share a story, support
Posted by Lynda ::
3:50 PM ::
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Wednesday, November 07, 2007
November - Lung Cancer Awareness Month
After a much published breast cancer awareness month in October we are a couple of days into November. November is the Lung Cancer Awareness Month and also Pancreatic Cancer Month. Below are some facts about lung cancer.
172,000 people will be diagnosed with lung cancer in 2008
163,000 Americans will die of lung cancer this year- equivalent to to the 9/11 attacks occurring 53 times in a year.
The average patient is diagnosed at around age 70, usually diagnosed with an advanced stage of lung cancer.
It is estimated that 50% of people diagnosed are smokers or former smokers who quit decades ago.
Lung cancer can occur in people who have never smoked.
Here are the cold facts about lung cancer - it's hard to find early and difficult to treat. I have learned it is one of the more miserable cancers to suffer from. However, lung cancer is also one of the most preventable types of cancer. That is the good news! By avoiding certain risk factors for lung cancer, we can reduce our chances of developing it. This is the first step in lung cancer prevention..The 5 ways to prevent lung cancer are:
1. Quit smoking - NOW
Smoking is the number one risk factor for lung cancer. It is estimated that 87% of lung cancer deaths are caused by smoking. As soon as you quit, your body reaps the benefits of being tobacco free. Quitting smoking is the BEST defense against lung cancer. Need help kicking the habit? Visit About's Quit Smoking Site
2. Listen to Mom, and eat those fruits and veggies!
Fruits and vegetables are rich with antioxidants and flavonoids. Antioxidants and flavonoids help protect your cell's DNA and repair damaged cells.
3. Have your home tested for radon.
Radon is the result of broken down uranium. It is a radioactive gas that cannot be seen, felt, smelled or tasted. Uranium occurs naturally in the soil, and the fear is that homes are being built over natural deposits, creating high levels of indoor radon exposure
4. Know what you are being exposed to in the workplace.
If you are exposed to fumes, dust, chemicals, etc in the workplace, you have a right to know what you are being exposed to. Gasoline, diesel exhaust, arsenic, beryllium. vinyl chloride, nickel chromates, coal products, mustard gas, and chloromethyl ethers are all carcinogens and can be found in some work environments. Talk to your employer about limiting exposure.
5. Keep away from secondhand smoke.
Secondhand smoke is the smoke exhaled from a smoker or smoke from a lit cigarette, pipe, or cigar. This smoke contains over 60 known carcinogens (agents causing cancer). These carcinogens interrupt normal cell development. This interference of cell development is what starts the cancer process.
Fortunately new treatments are developed every day so more people get treated and are getting hope and a better quality of life.
Lung cancer and also pancreatic are grossly underfunded and the treatments as for example as with breast cancer are not as widely available. I hope that there will be some awareness this month and that people will find it in their heart to donate some money to lung cancer research. I will post later date a little bit more about pancreatic cancer since we share November as a awareness month.Labels: Laurianne's hope, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, second-hand smoke
Posted by Henry (Calem's Opa) ::
2:57 PM ::
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Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Don't Pass Gas
I will not pass gas in my house
I will not pass gas near my spouse
I will not pass gas in your face
Because the gas I pass is worse than mace
A silent by deadly cloud of toxic waste.
The End
What does this have to do with lung cancer awareness? Click the link and find out:
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Vote for Laurianne's Hope for Best Health Blog for the Blogger's Choice Awards 2006.Labels: awareness, second-hand smoke, smoking cessation
Posted by Lynda ::
8:21 PM ::
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Friday, May 11, 2007
The Glamour of Smoking
I saw a report on TMZ.com that said smoking is going to be factored into a movie rating. It it is glamorized, then a movie could earn an "R" rating.
Since TMZ.com is a gossip rag, of course, I had to search out some articles from some other sources.
I actually was a little concerned a few weeks ago, when TMZ had on their sidebar, "Check out the smokin' celebs in our photo album, Whatcha Smokin'" or something like that. I clicked on it out of curiosity. Here is a sampling:
I don't think it looks all that glamorous. But that's just my opinion. Now sometimes seems rather glamorous in movies, so keep reading to find out about how smoking is going to affect movie ratings.
MPAA adds smoking as film-rating factor
DAVID GERMAIN
Associated Press
As reported by: Akron Beacon Journal
LOS ANGELES - Smoking will be a bigger factor in determining film ratings, the Motion Picture Association of America said Thursday, but critics said the move does not go far enough to discourage teens from taking up the habit.
MPAA Chairman Dan Glickman said his group's ratings board, which previously had considered underage smoking in assigning film ratings, now will take into account smoking by adults, as well.
That adds smoking to a list of such factors as sex, violence and language in determining the MPAA's G, PG, PG-13, R and NC-17 ratings.
Film raters will consider the pervasiveness of tobacco use, whether it glamorizes smoking and the context in which smoking appears, as in movies set in the past when smoking was more common.
Some critics of Hollywood's depictions of tobacco in films have urged that movies that show smoking be assigned an R rating, which would restrict those younger than 17 from seeing them.
"I'm glad it's finally an issue they're taking up, but what they're proposing does not go far enough and is not going to make a difference," said Kori Titus, spokeswoman for Breathe California, which opposes film images of tobacco use that might encourage young people to start smoking.
Glickman said a mandatory R rating for smoking would not "further the specific goal of providing information to parents on this issue."
Smoking in movies with a G, PG or PG-13 rating has been on the decline, and the "percentage of films that included even a fleeting glimpse of smoking" declined from 60 percent to 52 percent between July 2004 and July 2006," Glickman said.
Of those films, three-fourths received an R rating for other reasons, he said.
"That means there's not a great amount of films in the unrestricted category as it stands," said Joan Graves, who heads the ratings board. "We're not saying we're ignoring the issue. We're trying the best way possible according to what we've learned from parents to give them information about what's in a film."
Titus said smoking in films had declined in recent years but remains more prevalent than MPAA figures indicate.
Descriptions on sex, violence and language that accompany movie ratings now will include such phrases as "glamorized smoking" or "pervasive smoking," Glickman said.
If rated today, a film such as 2005's "Good Night, and Good Luck," about chain-smoking newsman Edward R. Murrow, would have carried a "pervasive smoking" tag but probably would have retained its PG rating because of its historical context in the 1950s, Graves said.
Titus said film raters should be as tough on smoking as they are on bad language to minimize the effects of on-screen smoking on children, including her own 5-year-old daughter.
"I don't want her using that language, but last time I checked, she's probably not going to die from that," Titus said. "If she starts smoking from these images she sees in movies, chances are she's probably going to die early from that."
While Titus' group wants tougher ratings restrictions, the MPAA released statements of support for its plan from John Seffrin, chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society, U.S. Sen. Joe Biden and filmmaker Rob Reiner, among others.
"By placing smoking on a par with considerations of violence and sex, the rating board has acknowledged the public-health dangers to children associated with glamorized images of a toxic and lethal addiction to tobacco," Barry Bloom, dean of the Harvard School of Public Health, said in a statement.
[end article]
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Vote for Laurianne's Hope for Best Health Blog for the Blogger's Choice Awards 2006.Labels: awareness, organizations, second-hand smoke, smoking cessation
Posted by Lynda (Laurianne's Sister) ::
2:04 PM ::
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Tuesday, May 08, 2007
To Smoke, Or Not To Smoke
I really enjoy the few weeks of nice weather we have here in Indiana, before it gets too humid to really enjoy being outside. When my husband, Dan, and I met for lunch, it would be really nice to sit outside.
There is one thing that stops us though. The nice weather always brings out smokers. If there is a breeze, it always seems to blow in our direction. In a lot of ways, I am more sensitive to it than Dan is, and even he will say, "It's such nice weather. Too bad sitting outside would be ruined by smokers."
I remember the great debates about smoking in California, before their establishments became smoke-free. In Indiana, it seems to be different. I think Indiana has a great smoking population than California does. We also have some of the best cancer research centers. Go figure. The way many people in Indiana feel is that if they are smokers, they have the right to smoke. They should be able to do this whenever and where ever they want. I remember reading an article in the IndyStar about how family restaurants were going to be changed to non-smoking. A woman commented that it would be nice to go some place with her family where she didn't have to worry about breathing in the smokey air. A person commented back to her that they were a smoker, and if this woman didn't want to breathe smokey air, she should just stay home.
Even before this ordinance, I was a little conflicted. Dan and I went to two restaurants where we asked for non-smoking, and the hostess sat us on the border of the smoking section. My sister had just passed away at the time, so as soon as we started smelling the foul stench of cigarettes, I flagged down the hostess and told her that we needed to be moved or we wouldn't be patronizing their establishment. I would tell her how my sister died of cancer at 25 years old, and even though it wasn't because she was a smoker, it doesn't mean it couldn't have factored in. The truth is, we probably will never know what caused Laurianne to develop lung cancer.
Once again, these are just my opinions. I can tell people to stop smoking, and list all the harm that smoking does to the smoker. Ultimately, it is each individuals choice. I know this. But, I think it is only fair, though, that smokers and non-smokers show each other consideration. Maybe then, I could enjoy the nice weather.
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Labels: awareness, cancer, Laurianne, lung cancer, second-hand smoke, smoking cessation
Posted by Lynda ::
7:18 AM ::
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Friday, April 13, 2007
Pall Malls
Yesterday, I read the Kurt Vonnegut died. I also read he was a long time fan of Pall Malls cigarettes. It got me to thinking.
The Pasadena Weekly said: Vonnegut smoked non-filter cigarettes most of his
adult life. Pall Malls to be exact, which back in Vonnegut's beginnings in the
mid-1950s had a catchy TV commercial pitch that invited consumers to try a smoke
that was “smooth and rich, and you can light either end.”
The Republican quoted a local lawyer as saying: "He always smoked Pall Malls and
drank JB with soda on the rocks," Scheinman said.
The Times Union said: Mr. Vonnegut died Wednesday at 84, some age for someone
who so long ago called himself an old (mildly scatological word here) with his Pall Malls.
From what I have read of Mr. Vonnegut, he seemed to have known the risks of lung cancer. It is even said that he felt his unfiltered Pall Mall cigarettes were "a classy way to commit sucide". And what does he die from? Hitting his head.
The point I am trying to make is not that you shouldn't smoke. Ultimately, that is your decision. The point that I am trying to make is that you never know what is going to do you in. Still, people want to blame lung cancer on smoking. I think more awareness is getting out there, but I have learned of so many people who have died from lung cancer, and never smoked. We need to think of these people too.
I have said it before, and I will say it again. Until we found out my sister had lung cancer, I would have been one of the people who said, "Well, you shouldn't smoke if you don't want lung cancer." I probably would not have attributed smoking to increasing breast cancer, colon cancer, prostrate cancer, any other type of cancer, but smoking increases your risk of getting those types of cancer as well.
So, how is it that a man can smoke for 70 years, and die from brain injuries, and someone in their 40's, 30's or 20's can be a non-smoker and die from lung cancer? Because other factors besides smoking can contribute to lung cancer. Other factors besides smoking can contribute to any kind of cancer.
That is why we created this blog.Labels: awareness, cancer, lung cancer, second-hand smoke, smoking cessation
Posted by Lynda ::
10:48 AM ::
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Friday, March 30, 2007
Some Chemicals found in Secondhand Smoke
Because I signed up for Smokefree Indiana information, I recieved a guide to help quit tobacco for good. For the record, I do not smoke.
Then again, Indiana has laws that allow smoking in some places. Recently, Dan and I went to Memphis, and even though I don't remember them asking us smoking or non-smoking, the people next to us were given an ash tray and lit up. I was glad we were done with our meal.
Stopping in Effingham, IL for dinner, we were asked smoking or non-smoking by the hostess. My well trained husband said, "As far away from smoking as possible!" Even worse is when you have to walk through the smoking section to get to the non-smoking section. Dan and I had that situation happen to us once at a restaurant.
Getting back to Indiana, a recent smoking law was passed that family restaurants were not allowed to have smoking sections anymore. If there was a bar, like in Applebee's, smoking is allowed during non-family hours, which is after 10 p.m. Dan and I use to go to lunch at this place near my work. We had only gone a few times, but they had pretty good burgers and potatos done in a different way. When the new smoking law came out, they actually built a bar and did not allow anyone under the age of 21 to enter the establishment.
Dan and I went there one time afterwards, right before they were about to close. Since they were ten minutes from closing, they turned us away. The place never smelled smoky and I never noticed anyone smoking, but I told Dan that I wasn't going to patronize them anymore. Why take the risk? Do you know what is in second hand smoke. The folks at WhiteLies.TV have a list:
Some Chemicals found in Secondhand Smoke. Polonium-210 Power in space satellites
Benzo[a]pyrene Motor vehicle exhaust
Hydrazine Rocket fuel
1,3 butadiene Found in gasoline
Benzene Found in crude oil
N-nitrosopyrrolidine Found in pesticides
Nickel Used in batteries
Aniline Used in lacquers and wood stains
2-Naphthylamine Used in dyes
4-Aminobiphenyl Rubber antioxidant
Nicotine Insecticide/addictive drug
Cresol Industrial adhesives
Pyrene A main constituent of coal tar
DDT A banned pesticide
Carbon Monoxide Car exhaust fumes
Ammonia Toilet bowl cleaner
Hydrogen Cyanide A fumigation poison
Acetone Fingernail polish remover
Methanol Rocket fuel
Formaldehyde Embalming fluid
Butane Cigarette lighter fluid
Naphalene Moth balls
Nitrobenzene Gasoline additive
Arsenic Rat poison
Cadmium Found in batteries
Toluene Industrial solvent
Isoprene Tire rubber
I prefer fresh air, thanks.
P.S. Anyone need a pocket guide to help them quit?Labels: awareness, cancer, second-hand smoke, smoking cessation
Posted by Lynda (Laurianne's Sister) ::
7:58 PM ::
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Support A Cause
In Memory of Laurianne
Lives Lost to Lung Cancer
