In most western countries the Marlboro Man rode off wheezing into the sunset years ago, but in Indonesia he’s riding high into a new dawn. The country’s massive population and lax laws still offer a bonanza to big tobacco. The Marlboro Man is alive and well, adorning bill boards around Indonesia. David Stanford of the Indonesia Consumers Foundation says “from the tobacco company’s perspective Indonesia is a paradise”. It’s estimated that more than 80 million Indonesians smoke. Many favour clove cigarettes known as kreteks. They are immensely popular among l ... Jump to full article >>

Smokers have more options than ever in the fight to kick the habit. Nina Ball regularly walks by a row of smokers outside the charter school in North Philadelphia where she helps youths find jobs and get into college. A year ago, she might have bummed a cigarette there. But today, after a series of group counseling and fitness sessions at a local health clinic, she hopes she has replaced her addiction to nicotine with another obsession: a drive to write and perform poetry. “When I’m keeping busy with things I love, I feel less of a need to smoke,” said Ball, who ditched her M ... Jump to full article >>

Researchers at Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles and Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona have discovered a reason why smoking increases the risk of heart disease and strokes. The study, which will be presented June 11 at The Endocrine Society’s 91st annual meeting in Washington, D.C., found that nicotine in cigarettes promotes insulin resistance, a pre-diabetic condition that raises blood sugar levels higher than normal. People with pre-diabetes are at greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Theodore Friedman, MD, Ph.D., chief of the en ... Jump to full article >>

While living in the San Fernando Valley in early 2006, I remember thinking how ludicrous it was that the Calabasas City Council had adopted an ordinance that basically eliminated the ability for anyone to smoke in public. The secondhand smoke control ordinance specified that smoking was prohibited in all public places where other persons could be exposed to secondhand smoke, including indoor and outdoor businesses, hotels, parks, apartment common areas, restaurants and bars where people could reasonably be expected to congregate or meet. At the time, as a half-a-pack-a-day smoker, I felt perse ... Jump to full article >>

Suspended Oak Forest baseball coach Ron Czarnecki on Friday said he indeed used a smokeless tobacco substitute during games in the past couple of years, a day after saying he didn’t. Czarnecki on Friday said he didn’t understand the question when he said Thursday that he’d never used the product during games. “I was under the impression you were asking me if I was chewing tobacco-related products the past two years on the field, which I haven’t,” Czarnecki told the SouthtownStar. “But I have used the non-nicotine, non-tobacco products very sparingly th ... Jump to full article >>

Tobacco packaging serves as a critical link to consumers, both for the tobacco industry and for governments seeking to convey the health risks of smoking. The brand imagery of the package is the foundation upon which all other marketing is built and plays an even greater role in jurisdictions where traditional forms of advertising, promotion, and sponsorship are restricted. New international guidelines for tobacco packaging and labelling are being established under Article 11 of the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC)—the first international ... Jump to full article >>

Christopher Snowdon’s book is now in print. FORCES readers are familiar with Christopher Snowdon’s excellent research which has appeared widely. Chris informs us that his book on the history of anti-smoking, Velvet Glove, Iron Fist, will be formally released on 22 June, and is now available (with free worldwide shipping and inscribed by the author on request) by advance order via his website. We recommend Velvet Glove, Iron Fist to all FORCES readers. Two reviews here: From Michael J. McFadden, author of Dissecting Antismokers’ Brains: British author Christopher Snowdon h ... Jump to full article >>

Let me quote the doctor: “As best we can tell, on the basis of currently available research data, these products promise a risk of illness and death well under 1% of the risk posed by cigarettes.” Please note that this is not E Cigarette Direct’s claim, but that of a highly respected doctor, and one who is joined by many other distinguished academics and researchers such as Professor Brad Radu and Professor Michael Siegel. Many of these experts believe that electronic cigarettes are 2-3 magnitudes safer than ordinary cigarettes. Dr Joel Nitzkin states that if every smoker swi ... Jump to full article >>