Supreme Court OKs $20-Million Smoker Award

The U.S. Supreme Court let stand a $20 million award against R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. and a second cigarette maker, rebuffing the tobacco industry’s latest effort to derail thousands of Florida lawsuits, according to a Bloomberg report. The justices on Monday refused to hear a joint appeal from R.J. Reynolds and Vector Group Ltd.’s Liggett unit. A jury said the two companies were responsible for the death of Janie Mae Clay, who smoked for 40 years and died in 2003 of lung disease.

Lorillard Appeals Cigarette-Sample Ruling

Lorillard Tobacco Co. is optimistic that the Massachusetts’ Supreme Judicial Court will overturn a $116-million ruling on the basis that the Greensboro, N.C.-based company was denied a fair trial in 2010. Lawyers representing Lorillard tobacco argued that the original judge allowed the jury to hear biased and untrue claims from the plaintiff. Willie Evans sued the company on behalf of his mother Marie Evans, who died of lung cancer in 2002, accusing Lorillard of hooking Marie Evans on Newports by targeting African Americans and children through free cigarette samples handed out in the Boston housing project where she grew up. “This story was obviously racially charged and inflammatory,” the company's lawyers argued in their appeal. “The racial aspects of the story were also entirely irrelevant. There was no evidence that Lorillard conceived Newport as an 'African-American' brand. The evidence was that Lorillard marketed Newport to all races, using the same advertising campaign in magazines directed to African-Americans as it did in general-circulation magazines.”

Susan G. Komen for the Cure sells pink cigarettes for cancer fundraising (satire)

Susan G. Komen for the Cure today announced its alliance with the RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company in launching its new brand of pink cigarettes called "Komen Smokes." Emblazoned with the slogan, "A pack a day keeps cancer away," three cents from every pack of cigarettes will be directed to funding the search for the cure for cancer. It's all part of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure's expansion into fundraising for cancer research by selling more products and services that actually cause cancer. "Komen for the Cure has already endorsed fast food fried chicken and toxic cosmetics made with cancer-causing chemicals," said pinkwashing spokesperson Dave Sourface. "So we thought, hey, why not just make money off cigarettes, too?"

Surgeon General remains silent on Vitamin D

Finally, where is the Surgeon General on the vitamin D issue? If this Surgeon General had even one iota of compassion for the health of the American people, she would be touting the disease prevention benefits of vitamin D. There is no nutrient that holds more promise for ending the epidemic of cancer and preventing chronic degenerative disease than vitamin D. It's cheap, it's safe and it's widely available right now without a prescription. So why the silence on vitamin D?

Do Cigarette Warning Labels Work?

Warning labels were adapted in the late 1960s with a minor note saying "Smoking can be Hazardous to Health". It was only the 1970s that confirmed, smoking could kill. And, in 1985 other labels including warnings for Lung Cancer, Heart Diseases, Emphysema and that Smoking during pregnancy is Dangerous, were added.

Smoking is one habit that people are not ready to quit even when they are dying. This is because cigarette smoking leads to a rapid addiction for nicotine and is as addictive as alcohol and cocaine. Also, the placebo pleasures associated with smoking like stress relief, calmness and weight loss are other factors that keep the smokers addicted. "Cigarette Kills", "Cigarettes Cause Cancer" - these warnings do not help people quit or even reduce smoking. They are in fact ignored like they were meant to add 'grace' to the brand name. One reason why I think people tend to ignore the harmful effects of smoking is because they think and believe that they are immune to it. This could be because when their body gives them signals of illness and they think of giving it up, they see others smoking around and get tempted. Each smoker thinks he is not the only one. Not only are they tempted but in the middle of these thoughts comes the theory of 'One Life'. The concept of one life says we have just one life to live so do all the things that make you happy. "Whatever happened to the idea of quitting!"

How to quit smoking

Quitting tips Quitting smoking can be challenging, but succeeding can also be one of the most rewarding things you’ll ever do. Everyone has their own strategy and different methods suit different people, but here are some tips to help you quit. Stop-smoking tips Here are some simple suggestions to help make quitting smoking cigarettes just a little bit easier:

Work out why: Make a list of all the reasons you want to quit and stick them to the fridge, above your desk at work, or by your bed – anywhere that you’ll see them often and get the encouragement you need to stay focused. Set your goal: What is your ultimate goal? It might be something financial (save $100 a week by not smoking) or something more lifestyle related (run a half-marathon). Whatever you choose, decide on a solid goal and, again, place it somewhere where you’ll see it every day. Plan ahead: Set a date when you are going to quit and stick to it. Give yourself time to prepare. Avoid temptation: If you know certain places, people or activities are likely to trigger a craving then avoid them, at least for the first few weeks of your quitting journey. Why make things more difficult for yourself? Get Support: Ask friends and family to support your goal and perhaps ask a good friend to quit with you. Fill the bin: Search your house for anything related to cigarettes – ashtrays, lighters and matches – and throw them away. If you don’t trust yourself or feel tempted to hide an emergency cigarette somewhere, ask a friend to come and help you. Clean up: Give your house a spring clean and your clothes a wash – often the smell of smoke can trigger a craving, so make sure everything smells fresh and clean. Keep busy: Smoking used to take up a lot of your time, so find something new to fill it. At work, instead of nipping out for a cigarette, take a walk around the block. Early evening can be the most difficult time, so you could decide to take up a new hobby like footy, yoga, cooking or something else that keeps your hands busy. Remember, the craving will only last a few minutes, so don’t give in. Be careful about what you drink: Remember alcohol and coffee can be strong triggers for smoking, especially cigarettes. Try to avoid alcohol if it weakens your willpower, and limit tea and coffee to a few cups a day. Instead, opt for decaffeinated coffee, water or fruit juice. Be aware: Keep a journal of your experiences; record the highs and lows as well as any health benefits you start to feel. When you’re feeling tempted, look back on what you’ve written; it can really help. Plan rewards: Plan out a series of rewards at various milestones in your stop-smoking journey. They don’t have to be big; a simple trip to the movies or a massage can make you feel more positive. Don’t be too hard on yourself: If you do slip, don’t beat yourself up about it. Giving up smoking isn’t easy and the occasional failure is inevitable. Just pick yourself up and start again; tomorrow is a new day! Stash your cash: Save all the money you would usually spend on smoking and plan to use it for something you really want. Get help with cravings: Consider using Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) to help you control your cravings while you quit smoking.