Tobacco.org

LETTER: Smoking ban issues  

Regarding our new "no smoking" propaganda campaign, I truly wonder if the health of the students, faculty and extended staff was on the mind of ETSU President Dr. Paul Stanton when he arbitrarily decided to ban tobacco.

Or, more likely, was he simply seeking subsidy from some sector of Big Medical or special incentives from a government agency? Did he make that decision as a doctor or as a bureaucrat? . . .

Further, I must ask, are the members of the ETSU community going to be subordinate to the future whims of future do-gooders who have our "best interests" in mind?

Why not ban cell phones and iPods?

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LETTER 

Let's talk about a deposit for cigarette butts. Is it plausible? Should it be financially punitive to smokers to encourage them not to throw them away? Would it be financially attractive to people to pick them up, like we did with soda bottles? Well, the idea of two cents per cigarette butt is probably too cheap.

I think we need to charge 25 cents per butt.

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LETTER: Troops puff away, thanks to generous Valley 

The people of the Valley have done it again! On July 31, I promoted Support the Troops Night at my store, Cigars Ltd. I invited people to buy boxes of cigars for the troops, and I took care of shipping them to our troops. If participants bought two boxes, I sent a third box on their behalf.

The response once again made me proud to be a business owner in this Valley. The night was a huge success and a lot of fun. But what really overwhelmed me was how many wonderful people who never smoked cigarS in their lives showed up and excitedly purchased cigars to send.

I'm writing now because I have just started to receive e-mails and photos from the troops who have received, and are thoroughly enjoying, all the cigars that were sent.

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Health Blog : For Chantix and Ambien, Ads That Dare Not Speak the Drugs' Names 

And Pfizer, whose smoking-cessation drug Chantix has come under scrutiny for psychiatric side effects, has recently revived ads that send people to mytimetoquit.com.

The site gives readers lots of options to "learn about a prescription treatment option" -- which turns out to mean clicking through to the Chantix Web site.

The campaign isn't designed to circumvent FDA rules, Pfizer spokeswoman Sally Beatty tells the WSJ. "My Time to Quit is designed to encourage people who are thinking about quitting to speak to their health-care provider about the benefits of quitting smoking and available treatment options," she said.

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LETTER: Lay off tobacco 

When I read Micah Johnson's letter, "Troops puff away, thanks to generous Valley" [Aug. 26], I thought it was a joke. Who in his or her right mind would think that troops puffing away would be a good thing?

Gone are the days when the government would provide cigarettes with troops' rations during World War II, thereby causing a whole generation of young Americans to suffer the horrible effects of tobacco addiction.

Perhaps Mr. Johnson could find a more constructive way to support the troops.

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• LETTER: 'Poisonous gift' 

Once again, history repeats itself. During World War II, soldiers were given free cigarettes, dooming many of the survivors to lifetimes of nicotine addiction and lingering death by carcinogens.

Today, we don't have the luxury of ignorance about the health risks of tobacco. Yet the "Generous Valley" (letter Aug. 26) sends poison in the form of cigars to soldiers in the Middle East.

Micah Johnson of Cigars, Ltd. is a war profiteer selling cigars to be shipped as "joy from home." Aren't the troops in enough danger already? To say nothing of Mr. Johnson's future business from addicted soldiers if they return home.

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LETTER: No excuses for cigarette tossers 

I have often wondered how bush fires start. Apart from lightning, most instances of bush fires are caused by human activities. Like many motorists, I have received on numerous occasions on my car's bumper and hood the lighted cigarette butt tossed out by the driver in front of me. I have raged, sounded my horn and prayed that a cruising police officer would catch such an unconscious and criminal act. Alas!

I think such acts should be severely punished. In addition, there should be a public campaign to sensitize drivers and motorists

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Chatological Humor: Welcome Back: Palin Reax; Left Behind Poll (UPDATED 9.3.08)  

I've read that your sense of smell is more closely linked to memory than any of your other senses. For example, even today, when I smell of the kind of vinyl used in my dentist's office during 2+ years of regular, painful orthodontic adjustments, it causes my palms to sweat. On the flip side, however, some of the best times of my youth were spent playing baseball. During our games, many parents would sit in the bleachers and smoke (this was the mid-1970's), which would drift onto the field, albeit in diluted form. Perhaps as a result, when I get a furtive whiff of cigarette smoke under the right circumstances (usually outdoors), it takes me back to those days playing in the scorching Arizona sun, with "Yankees" emblazoned on my green shirt and my dad cheering me on, and puts me in my happy place for just a moment. Not that I would ever seek it out to get my "memory fix", but the associations will probably always be there for me. Kinda strange, huh?

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• LETTER: HEALTON/TOOMEY/WHEELER: Smoking: an R-rated offense  

The Times deserves credit for recognizing in its Aug. 23 editorial "Smoking in the movies" the tremendous impact smoking in movies has on our nation's youth. We disagree with its assertion, however, that giving movies that depict smoking an R rating amounts to censorship. The Motion Picture Assn. of America's rating system is not in place to control the content of films; rather, it allows parents to judge whether they want their children to see specific content such as drug use, violence or other risky behaviors. Because smoking kills more than 400,000 Americans each year and there is evidence (PDF) that more than 67% of adults agree that movies with cigarette smoking should be rated R unless they clearly depict the dangers of smoking, an R rating is simply a pragmatic approach to a public health epidemic. . . .

How many more studies will it take to show Hollywood that it has the power to make a difference and safeguard young lives from lifelong tobacco addictions? There are other and more original ways to convey independence, anxiety, toughness, weakness, desperation and sex appeal. If Hollywood makes connections on screen between cigarettes and these characteristics, or shows that cigarettes are a normal and effective way to deal with anxiety, weakness and desperation, it is doing much of the legwork for Big Tobacco.

We're confident that the world's masters of special effects can both save lives and work their magic at the box office. The nation's public health community is eager to see "The End" for smoking in youth-rated movies and is confident audiences will applaud loudly when it happens.

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LETTER: Lowering tobacco taxes not a cure for contraband  

The reduction of tobacco taxes in the 1990s was disastrous to public health. The implementation of lower taxes slowed the rate of decline in the number of smokers by enticing more nonsmokers to take up smoking and leading fewer people to quit. Since 30 per cent of cancer deaths are caused by tobacco, clearly the slow-down had a tragic effect on cancer prevention.

Low tobacco taxes in Ontario have not curbed contraband. .. .

The Canadian Cancer Society has proposed effective solutions that would result in a reduction of contraband tobacco. For example, the government could make it illegal to supply raw materials such as filters to illegal manufacturers. Political pressure could also be applied on U. S. officials to shut down illegal cigarette manufacturing operations that are shipping illegal product into Canada. These and other solutions would protect public health by preventing the sale of cheap, illegal contraband tobacco.

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LETTER: DISTASIO: Time to collect unpaid state cigarette taxes 

Governor Paterson is absolutely right — New York state must face budget issues head-on and address the growing fiscal crisis with courage. To us, "courage" includes collecting taxes on tobacco products sold by Native American retailers.

Because higher prices discourage consumption, Big Tobacco's grip on as many as 100,000 nicotine addicts would go up in smoke if consumers had to pay the taxes due on their cigarettes.

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LETTER: An open letter to Mayor England  

Imagine, if you will, that failure to affix your signature to this bill means that New Albany is the last city in America to ban workplace smoking. The economic damage would be incalculable. Being the last is an extreme, of course. But as civilized society moves inexorably toward such a state, why would an avowedly progressive mayor decline to join that march toward better public health? Why would you want to be the mayor that kept New Albany bringing up the rear?

Frankly, I don't see any downside to you, Mayor. A majority of the council has expressed the will of the people of New Albany. No one argues that the ordinance doesn't enjoy public support and praise of landslide proportions. A vocal but declining minority, most of whom are hopelessly addicted to that form of nicotine delivery or who have fallen for the propaganda that their incomes will suffer, shouldn't be able to run roughshod over the clear evidence of science.

You don't deny the effects of global warming, do you? So why would you align yourself with the deniers of the science on indoor smoking in the workplace?

I urge you to sign the ordinance. Most of your constituents do, too.

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LETTER: No more real smoke  

In response to your April 10 editorial titled “Misplaced priorities,” I ask that you read the Surgeon General’s latest report on secondhand smoke. I was privileged to watch him live when he discussed his report.

For those who have any doubts at all that secondhand smoke is harmful to everyone's health, including the smoker, our Surgeon General Richard Carmona said that “the debate is over” and “the scientific evidence indicates that there is no safe level of secondhand smoke.” . . .

You are misinforming your readers by stating that “in Pasadena, regulations against smoking are already some of the strictest in California.” On the contrary, Pasadena has a lot of catching up to do where indoor and outdoor air is concerned, compared with other cities. For instance, Beverly Hills and Santa Monica protect their outdoor diners, whereas we do not.

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LETTER: Endorsing MUI smoking ban 

Good to see someone at least thinking about taking the lead on this major social and health issue. But where is the government's leadership? Why isn't the health minister taking the lead? Or, better still, the President?

The health and social impacts of tobacco is an issue for all Indonesians and should not be left solely to a religious group to take the lead.

The economic and social costs of smoking will always far exceed the economic benefits from tobacco. . . .

Wake up Indonesia. Tobacco is a deadly drug and is killing your citizens -- your fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters and your children.

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LETTER: The original tobacco fighters 

Floridians have remained politely quiet, but no more. Too many people worked too hard for the heroic statement of John McCain took on "Big Tobacco" to continue, when in truth, Senator and Gov. Lawton Chiles, Buddy Mackay and the great Attorney General Bob Butterworth sued "Big Tobacco" for $400 million to pay for all the lives they had cost.

We won the suit.

Behind them solidly were youth and adult teams all over Florida who were nationally recognized . . .

Our group in Polk County was SWAT (Students Working Against Tobacco).

It was a terrific group of kids and some oldies, me. . . .

Maybe John McCain learned a few good lessons from our own fearless "Walking Lawton" and could lead the fight in Arizona.

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