Posts from — October 2008

Tobacco firms are employing sneaky marketing ploys to target the teenage girl market. Silk Cut have come under scrutiny for applying a “Super Slim” message to their cigarettes. This faux branding doesn’t stop there. They will release their superslims in new packaging which resembles a perfume box. It’s pretty sick to be honest. Although with tobacco advertising restrictions it’s hardly surprising. It even makes sense to create an almost viral effect where the news is documented on The Independent. No such thing as bad publicity comes to mind.

It’s not the first time tobacco companies have tried to link smoking to weight loss. There’s always been a worry that giving up smoking leads to weight gain. These thought processes need to be broken. Although it’s true you’re more likely to a gain a few pounds from quitting… it’s much more important to think of the benefits:

• You’ll have a reduced risk of cancer and heart disease
• You won’t smell of ciggies
• Your sense of smell and taste will be heightened
• You’re more likely to attract love interest!
• More money in the pocket

For those that still think smoking is cool should have a look at the lovely ingredients in Silk Cut’s cigarettes. Mmmm mmmm.

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It’s Blog Action Day to increase awareness of poverty.

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Blog Action Day

Despite increasing my posts about Electronic Cigarettes and their potential benefits to smokers and non-smokers a health scare has appeared.

The article, from the BBC homepage today no less, explains that the lack of regulations and quality control of the products puts them at risk. Of course this is simply bureaucracy at this point as the products are claimed to be unharmful. Although initial tests were done on mice! Supposedly because these are small companies they didn’t have the budget to test the products on humans. That’s rather worrying. I’m hoping some full blown tests are commissioned as i think e cigs are a supurb idea.

Watch the video on the BBC site

What’s you thoughts on e cigarettes? Will this stop you using/buying them?

Nope i’m not lying you really can win money by quitting smoking! The competition has been developed by the National Public Health Institute in Finland and is now endorsed by the World Health Organisation. It’s main goal is stop young people, between the age of 14-25, quit smoking and to stay that way.

Competitors have to be able to quit smoking for more than 4 weeks to able to win the prizes. It’s even open to non smokers too – if you can keep up your abstinence for the same amount of time. (not quite sure how that would work).

The great thing is this another initiative to quit smoking. Electronic cigarettes are also helping people give up by providing more control of where and how you give up.

Quit and Win isn’t just in one country either. As well as the UK it’s also being organised in Germany, Finland, Spain, Greece, Iceland and Sweden.

Read more about Quit and Win here

They are already in use in several pubs across the UK. Now one company is making E-cigarettes available online.

Gower Entreprises is selling the smokeless electronic cigarette via their website www.QuitSmokingAid.co.uk. The e-cigarettes contain liquid nicotine, which is vaporized when the smoker inhales. When blown out from the smoker’s mouth, the vapour resembles smoke.

Sales Director Jean Rasbridge believes the E-cigarette has several advantages over other quit smoking aids.

“Smokers face two challenges when giving up the habit. One is dealing with the withdrawal symptoms caused by cutting down or quitting nicotine. The other is dealing with the habit of smoking.

“During trials we ran prior to entering the market, our users reported that it was an advantage to have something to do with their hands while they were cutting down on the nicotine. They also felt that having an instant ‘hit’ of nicotine on demand was more advantageous than the continuous supply of nicotine supplied by nicotine patches.”

The Electronic Cigarettes are not harmless. With the exception of the zero strength cartridges, they involve inhaling nicotine, which is a harmful substance in its own right.

However, the Electronic Cigarette has no tobacco or tar, and has none of the 4000 additional chemicals that can be found in traditional cigarettes. The chemicals that have been cut out of the E-cigarette include formaldehyde, which is used to preserve dead bodies, and arsenic.

“The Electronic Cigarette will not make you magically stop,” said Jean Rasbridge. “You have to want to stop. But as part of a nicotine cessation programme, it could definitely help!”