Testing It Up

According to the European Food Safety Authority flavoring used in cheese, meat and fish to give it a smoky flavor could in fact be toxic. AM01 (one of these smoke flavorings) may be toxic to humans if consumed in large amounts. 11 other smoke flavorings used in cheese, meat, fish, soups, cereals and spices, were released with most giving no cause for concern. When tested on animals AM01 however, caused changes to the blood and made young animals gain weight at a slower rate than normal.

Translated to humans, a person would have to consume around 20 times the normal amount of foods containing the chemical every day to ingest enough AM01 to cause any ill effects. More information and more testing on the chemical (which is obtained from beech wood and is used as an alternative to traditional smoking) was asked for by the EFSA.

“The Panel based its conclusions on the limited data which are currently available as well as conservative – or cautious – intake estimates. The Panel expressed safety concerns for several smoke flavorings where intake levels could be relatively close to the levels which may cause negative health effects. However, this does not necessarily mean that people consuming these products will be at risk as, in order to be on the safe side, the consumption estimates deliberately overestimate intake levels.”  Said Klaus-Dieter Jany, chairman of EFSA’s expert Panel on flavorings.

Food labels mention only if flavorings or smoke flavorings have been used and do not specify which chemical has been added.

According to recent research even a single cigarette can harden the arteries of the person smoking, even in the very young and healthy. In fact any amount of smoking can and will do major harm to the lungs, arteries and heart. Once that damage has been done it can’t truly be undone, meaning that the curiosity and peer pressure of the teenage years could end up making that person pay for it in the end.

Those between the ages of 18 and 30 who smoked a single cigarette had a 25% greater stiffness in the arteries after treadmill exercise than those who hadn’t. As arteries harden it puts more stress on the heart making it have to work harder to pump blood through arteries. According to this research even a small and inconsistent smoking habit can cause significant health problems for the smoker. This hardening of the arteries lessens the body’s ability to deal with stresses like running and going up and down stairs.

While researchers know that this change is there they’re not sure if the change will consistently remain over time. Even if the smoking of in the past and was limited it will put you at higher risk of developing diseases that can be potentially life threatening later in life. Next the research group intends to do a study into the effects of smoking cessation, whether or not those who quit smoking might be able to regain some use of their lungs lost while smoking.

Are you fond of flavored cigarettes? As of Tuesday September 24^th you’ll not longer be able to get several varieties of flavored cigarettes after they were banned by the FDA’s new tobacco regulation branch.  Any flavors like clove, fruit or those which have a candy taste are now illegal in the United States. Why was this decision made? The move was made after concerns were evaluated that such flavorings could make tobacco products more appealing to children. It’s also believed that the move could have an impact on the rate of smokers in the US by prompting those who only smoke flavored tobacco to quit.

While other tobacco companies might be scrambling Lorillard Inc and Reynolds American Inc the 3^rd and 2^nd most successful tobacco companies in the United States aren’t being affected. Neither company will suffer losses because they don’t produce such flavors.

That could change if the FDA goes through with banning menthol as well (a plan they’ve been considering since tobacco regulation was given to them earlier this year). Newport, as the most popular brand of menthol cigarettes(responsible for 35 % of the menthol and 10% of cigarette profits overall),  is the largest source of income for tobacco giant Lorillard Inc. Both Lorrillard Inc and Reynolds American Inc have made motions to sue for the law that put tobacco regulation under the care of the FDA to be blocked. Hoping to hinder such actions both companies claim that the law allows the FDA to make unfair regulations on the production and sale of tobacco in the US.

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“.

Smoking is definitely injurious to ones health. If you work in a non-smoking workplace it will definitely improve your life and also your wallet. Second hand smoke is as bad as having smoked a cigarette yourself. It’s a killer and if inhaled in a large amount or through a specific period of time, one can suffer from serious medical conditions like lung cancer.

If it’s a smoke free environment, than health wise the environment is much healthier and is conducive to good and productive work. Spending money on cigarettes also takes its toll on the finances of a person. Moreover, the health costs associated with smoking also lead to a dwindling of finances.

Moreover, there are some States, which allow an employer to fire an employee if he/she is a smoker. What this essentially means is that apart from the fact that a smoker will always be under scrutiny and any slip-up might result in the person losing his/her job.

For full version of this article, please visit “A Non Smoking Workplace – Improving Lives and the Wallet“.

There are restrictions on smoking in the workplace in California. One of the primary restrictions is that an employer can permit smoking in the workplace either intentionally or knowingly. The various smoking laws that are place in the State of California will be strictly imposed by the local law enforcement agencies. Moreover, other organizations like the local health departments will also be in charge of enforcing such smoking laws.

However, there are a few workplaces wherein these laws do not apply. Care should be maintained in such cases by the employer to make sure that minors do not smoke at such a workplace.

There is a specific fine that accompanies these restrictions is case the employer violates any on them. Moreover, after three violations of the restrictions, the employer’s workplace would undergo a thorough investigation. If there are break rooms at the workplace, then the smoking restrictions do not apply on them.

For full version of this article, please visit “California Workplace Smoking Restrictions“.

If you want to eliminate smoking at the workplace you go to start NOW. You first need to chart out a strategy that will help you cut smoking from your workplace and thus also cut down on the health related costs. It must be a step-by-step procedure that will help you institute a set of regulations with respect to not smoking at the workplace.

The elimination of smoking at the work place should be an all round endeavour. It makes not sense to have a sudden change in the rules. This is because smokers cannot kick the habit at one go. They need time and they must be given time. Otherwise your strategy won’t be successful at all.

The policy must be such that it is acceptable to everybody. Think about aspects such as whether you want earmark a particular area for smokers or want a completely smoke free environment altogether.

For full version of this article, please visit “Start Eliminating Smoking at the Work Place“.

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.

The fact that people smoke in your company workplace should be a cause of concern for you. The fact remains that smoking increases the costs to the company. The first reason being the loss of productivity of the people working in the company, and the habit of smoking will take a little out of the man-hours allotted for work.

The second reason for escalation of costs is absenteeism. Smoking, it is estimated, is the reason behind a lot of absent employees. This could undermine the moral of other employees and once again lead to a loss of productivity and disaffection. Your company will also face the music with respect to spiraling insurance costs. The more the smokers in your company, the more the health problems! This will escalate the insurance costs by a long way.

When it comes to cost, smoking is one of the costliest of all health risks.

For full version of this article, please visit “Smoking in the Workplace – Will Cost Your Company Money“.

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“.