Posts tagged as Smoking
Today In Smoking And Drinking
"Researchers report in the journal Tobacco Control that nicotine gum and nicotine patches designed to help smokers quit aren’t any more effective than going cold turkey when it comes to keeping smokers off cigarettes for longer than a few months," but they are very nice to have if you're going to be trapped on a plane for more than a few hours. In related news, a British government committee has suggested that "abstaining from alcohol at least twice a week would help people's health," which, whatever, I'm not a scientist so what do I know, but the fact is abstaining from alcohol even once a week results in terrifying shakes and near-lethal boredom. Your health is a small price to pay. Even more frighteningly, Science may soon put forth "a natural substance that keeps [fun people] sober no matter how much they drink, neutralises hangovers and eventually breaks the cycle of alcohol addiction." It's getting to the point where I'm going to run out of excuses. Man, now I want a smoke/drink. READ MORE
A Friendly Reminder About Death
Lately I have been thinking a lot about death. The triggering event, appropriately, involved cigarettes; the store in which I attempted to procure a new pack only had my brand in soft pack. I mean, yes, I could have gotten 100s, but I always feel like I am done smoking 100s before the cigarette itself is finished and then there's that awkward moment where you stand there self-consciously smoking a cigarette in which you are no longer interested and the cigarette itself feels bad because it's not its fault that they made it longer than the normal cigarette and what kind of cigarette wants to be smoked by someone who is ambivalent at best about finishing it anyway? Also it knows that soon it will be thrust to the ground and stepped on to be extinguished forever. It's a nasty, brutal and short life for a cigarette, even a long one. But I digress. READ MORE
Quelle Chris, "Another Blunt"
Herman Cain's chief of staff Mark Block has made a new campaign ad. READ MORE
If You Give A Mouse Cocaine You Should Probably Give Him A Cigarette First
"Nicotine causes changes in gene regulation that enhance the brain's subsequent response to cocaine. The finding, in mice, provides the first clear evidence for a molecular mechanism supporting the idea of 'gateway drugs'.... In a study published today in Science Translational Medicine, the team shows that, in mice at least, nicotine causes epigenetic changes–long-lasting changes in the control of gene expression–that subsequently boost the response to cocaine."
Sad People Smoke
Daily smoking is a risk factor "for repeat episodes of depression." OR MAYBE IT IS A WAY OF COPING WITH REPEAT EPISODES OF DEPRESSION! Did you ever think of that, study? Grrr.
Smoke More, Obese Less
"Smokers are less likely to be obese. And the declining use of cigarettes across the country — due to both tightening pocketbooks and new laws (thanks, Mayor Bloomberg) — accounts for a bigger increase in the obesity rate in the U.S. than any other factor, according to paper authors Charles L. Baum and Shin-Yi Chou, who have both written with some frequency on the economics of obesity."
Ladies Like Pretty Colors
"Wrapping cigarettes in plain packaging and banning the sale of colourful, branded packs could help to reduce tobacco consumption among smokers, especially young women who smoke, a study has found."
Socialize Yourself Thin
"Loneliness is a profound factor for cancer and death; it's on par with cigarette smoking. Social engagement is very important." READ MORE
When Not To Smoke
"People who smoke within the first half hour of waking up are 79 percent more likely to have lung cancer than people who wait at least an hour after waking up to smoke, according to new research published in the journal Cancer. People who smoke first thing after waking up also have a 59 percent higher risk of head and neck cancers, compared to people who wait a bit before smoking, according to the research. And researchers also found that the chances of developing cancer based on the time of the day of the first smoke were independent of other smoking habits." READ MORE
People With Money Will Still Buy Cigarettes
"Wealthy people and adults ages 25 to 44 aren't deterred by cigarette taxes, continuing to light up despite the climbing price of a pack, a new Canadian study finds."
