Testing It Up

Electronic cigarettes, commonly known as e-cigarettes, are quickly gaining a crowd of supporters on American soil. In fact, one-fifth of American adults who smoke cigarettes have reported that they have used e-cigarettes and the number of users grew substantially between 2010 and 2011, according to a new study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“E-cigarette use is growing rapidly,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, MD, MPH. “There is still a lot we don’t know about these products, including whether they will decrease or increase use of traditional cigarettes.”

The study is the first to investigate the changes in awareness and use of e-cigarettes between 2010 and 2011. It found that about 21 percent of adults who smoke traditional cigarettes had used the electronic inhaler in 2011, which is about 10 percent more than in 2010. The increase was noted in both sexes, and especially in non-Hispanic Whites (aged 45-54 years old), those living in the South, and current and former smokers. The report also showed that e-cigarette use was significantly higher among current smokers compared to both former smokers and people who have never smoked.

Although many believe that electronic cigarettes are safer than traditional cigarettes, more studies are needed to define their impact on long-term health. Similarly, research is needed to determine how e-cigarette marketing could impact initiation and use of traditional cigarettes, particularly among young people.

Nowadays, there is more to smoking than just increased risk for several health conditions; it may even cost smokers a shot at a job.

A feature on The Denver Post shared the increasing trend of “tobacco-free hiring” among hospitals and medical businesses. More of these organizations are implementing strict policies that list smoking as a reason to turn away job applicants. These policies are being implemented in an effort to increase worker productivity and reduce health care costs, as well as encourage healthy living.

Companies that implement such policies may ask applicants to submit to urine tests for nicotine, and their employees may face termination when they are caught smoking.

The policies, however, have become a subject of debate, even among anti-tobacco groups. Michael Siegel, a professor at the Boston University School of Public Health, said: “If enough of these companies adopt theses policies and it really becomes difficult for smokers to find jobs, there are going to be consequences… Unemployment is also bad for health.”

The anti-smoking non-profit group The American Legacy Foundation has even issued a comment saying that the refusal to hire smokers who are essentially qualified for the positions that they are vying for is tantamount to punishing “an addiction that is far more likely to afflict a janitor than a surgeon.”

Using smoking as a basis for employment is not new, and there are states that have passed laws that reject instituting bans against smokers. Academics, HR experts, and anti-tobacco experts are saying, however, that a “surge of interest” among health care providers seem to have fuelled this increase in companies that implement no-smoker policies in their workforce.

Ontario is suing the tobacco industry over the cost of health care for their citizens since 1955. The move was made by Ontario to compensate the tax payers of their province for those years of care paid for by them through Canada’s health care program. Ontario is the third of Canada’s provinces to take such action (New Brunswick and British Columbia did so before them) after the three provinces passed laws allowing them to take this action in 2005 which were upheld the Supreme Court of Canada that same year.

The province is suing companies like Altria,  J.P. Reynolds, Phillip Morris USA, and JTI-Macdonald none of which have made public comments on the lawsuit. Ontario is saying that such companies have known for a very long time that their products are dangerous for those who use them and are addictive. What’s more the companies have taken no action to make them less so and took far too long to put warnings about these problems on their packaging or marketing materials. It’s also suing JTI-Macdonald for an incident where their products were shipped to an Indian reserve on the border between the US and Canada and then smuggled back in to evade Canada’s high taxes on tobacco products. The suit has the company and some of their former executives awaiting criminal trial. The company is currently going through bankruptcy after being forced to pay Quebec 1.36 billion in back taxes for the plot.

Camel Orbs- a new product being test marketed by tobacco company R.J. Reynolds- could draw attention to the cause to ban menthol flavored tobacco products if early response gives any indication. The new product has already prompted critical response to the effect that it resembles candy, and therefore could appeal to children. The FDA has already banned cigarettes that were made with flavors seen as appealing to children such as clove, fruit and other candy flavors to help prevent cigarettes from appealing to children and make them less attractive to adults who didn’t like the taste of regular cigarettes.

Camel Orbs are mints that contain tobacco and nicotine and, according to the company, are intended for use by adults seeking an alternative to cigarettes. Despite information to the contrary many see the product as something that children could easily find appealing and want to try, an opinion that’s also held for Camel Sticks and Strips, two other products intended as alternatives to cigarettes created by the company. Orbs are being test marketed in the Columbus Ohio area and while they can’t be legally sold to anyone under the legal smoking age of 18 they’re still considered a potential hazard to children who could easily be drawn to try their parent’s or ask an older teen to buy the mints for them. The temptation to ingest more than one at a time (the mints are small and have a strong mint flavoring that could be seen as overpowering the nicotine in the product) could affect adults and children as well.

Tobacco products have faced a great deal of scrutiny in the last few years and recent laws have begun to affect tobacco companies enough to prompt lawsuits that attempt to subvert the FDA’s regulation of tobacco.

According to experts, around 800,000 children under the age of 16 begin smoking and continue on for life. To date, there are around 4.5 million teenagers in the United States alone who have developed a smoking habit. Worse is that they seem to find it hard to kick the habit.

It is the parents’ responsibility to help their teenage children stop smoking, and one of the best ways to do this is to administer nicotine tests to them. However, getting teenagers tested without having them prepared for it can be met with hostility because these teenagers may think that their parents do not trust them.

As such, it is important for parents to find concrete evidence first that their children are indeed smoking. Smell is the most obvious sign, but there are other, more subtle ones. Also, the children should be informed first that they are going to be tested so they would fear it and eventually stop smoking.

For full version of this article, please visit “Stop Teenage Smoking with Nicotine Tests“.

Smoking is an addiction that will lead to other addictions. In effect, a smoker might just turn into a modern day version of the ‘Hobbit’ of the ‘Lord of the Rings’. He/She might have the urge to eat more than is healthy, and in many cases develop a drinking habit. Moreover, the body undergoes changes with regards to smoking. As the bone density decreases, a smoker might actually have a stinted growth.

Smoking might also lead to insomnia. At the other end of the spectrum, a smoker does not really feel like sleeping. This hinders the sleep pattern. At first, it might seem like a good idea not to face the kind of fatigue and weariness experienced by non-smokers. However, after a time, the boon becomes a bane.

Smokers think they look cool smoking, as the nicotine works with respect to a rewards system. They feel that they can take on the world. Also, the menthol in the cigarettes gives a cooling effect to the mouth. All this hides the true nature of the cigarettes.

For full version of this article, please visit “A Few Uncommon Side Effects of Smoking that One Must be Aware Of“.

New research has found at least 21 new carcinogens and toxins in smokeless tobacco. According to this research this means that a single pinch of the product equals just as much harmful exposure as five cigarettes, making the effects far worse for the snuff user. Smokeless tobacco use has been rising since the 80s, primarily from the common misperception that smokeless tobacco is less harmful than cigarettes because it is not inhaled. The reality is that there are at least twenty six cancer causing substances in smokeless tobacco and a very high risk of developing oral cancers as well.  One of the new toxins found in smokeless tobacco is PAH, an environmental contaminate that comes from the wood burned in the fire curing process that makes the tobacco into a snuff.  Smokeless tobacco use is rising again due to the production and advertising of products like Snuss which offer smokers an alternative to going outdoors or looking for a smoking area when they need nicotine.

A diverse range of second hand smoking tests is available and most of them are quick, effective, and offer people an on the spot answer as to whether the person has been affected by tobacco smoke or not.

A second hand smoking test determines the level of tobacco exposure of a person. This exposure is over time and the people who frequently go through these tests include children, teenagers, and those who work in a place that allow smoking. One such second hand smoking test is the urine strip test. This non invasive test determines the levels of Cotinine, which is essentially a by product of the breaking down of nicotine by the body.

Another test is what is known as the HPLC based Fluorescent Test. However, this test is not a person based test but is used for the testing of the smoke in the environment.

For full version of this article, please visit “The Working of Second Hand Smoking Tests“.

When it comes to causes of Cancer, smoking is the biggest culprit. Around 80 percent of the lung cancer caused across the world is a result of smoking. There is an untrue belief that nicotine causes cancer. However, the truth is that nicotine is the agent that leads to smoking.

Inhalation of cigarette smoke helps the nicotine present in the cigarette to enter the bloodstream. In as little as seven odd seconds it starts affecting the brain. Nicotine induces a feeling of pleasure and over time a person gets addicted to cigarettes. On the other hand, tobacco products that are taken orally also have carcinogens and therefore chewing of tobacco will lead to oral cancer. When it comes to lung cancer it’s the various chemicals present in the smoke which enter the lungs, which are the reason behind the conditions.

It’s also important to put a rider here that not all smokers suffer from cancer, however they will definitely suffer from other serious ailments.

For full version of this article, please visit “Tobacco and Nicotine – Common Agents of Cancer“.

Children below the age of 16 have also started smoking these days. Smoking is habit forming, however, if you give your children nicotine tests, there is a chance that you might be able to stop them from smoking. You might also consider nicotine test if you are unsure whether your teenager is actually smoking or not.

The first type of nicotine test is the smell test. If you smell cigarette smoke emanating from their body or even their clothes then its time to ask them about their smoking and whether they are habitual smokers or not. Another aspect of the nicotine test is to see whether your teen is able to stay indoors for long periods of time.

These are just informal tests that you can use to check for signs of smoking. However, there are many instant nicotine tests available in the market or you could get one done in the lab.

For full version of this article, please visit “Nicotine Tests – Helping You Stop Teenage Smoking“.