The National Institute on Drug Abuse says that among American men ages 18 to 25, 42 percent have smoked in the past month. No wonder - the big tobacco companies are targeting this demographic more than ever. The reason? A 1998 settlement between 46 US states and the four largest tobacco manufacturers restricted these companies on the sale and marketing of their product to minors. So in the infinite quest to get as many people addicted to cigarettes as possible, Big Tobacco simply reallocated a big piece of its $13 billion annual marketing budget (yes, $13 billion) to go after all those teenage boys' older brothers.
This age group represents the youngest niche the industry can legally pitch, and the industry is going after these men with a vengeance. To "set the hook," tobacco companies are targeting bars in university towns. With plenty of drinking, feminine allure to feed the machismo, and lots of cigarette-puffing, addicted buddies hanging around, it's hard to imagine a more perfect environment for seeking out potential new addicts.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Sunday, March 8, 2009
The Anatomy of a Cigarette
Most smokers don't give a second thought as to how the cigarette they're puffing on is made. Heck, it's just tobacco rolled up inside some paper with a filter on the end to keep out the really bad stuff, right?
Think again. Tobacco companies use a very specific and scientifically-researched blueprint for cigarette design that borders on diabolical. Cigarettes are intentionally designed to get (and keep) you addicted as quickly and efficiently as possible. Here are the five evil elements of a cigarette's design:
*Reconstituted tobacco: This mix consists of chopped tobacco leaves and stems infused with pure nicotine to compensate for seasonal variations in the leaves' natural nicotine content. This blend also contains ammonia, which literally causes you to freebase the nicotine.
*Expanded tobacco: Some of the reconstituted tobacco is puffed with air so it expands and fills out the paper body of the cigarette. Before using air, one cigarette company used Freon, the burning of which produces Phosgene - an anti-personnel gas used in WW I.
*Porosity and Burn Rings: The more porous the paper, the more outside air can pass through to feed the fire. Burn rings are slivers of heavier paper that act as a series of fire breaks. Together, the porosity and number of burn rings control how fast you smoke the cigarette.
*Filter: Not really a filter at all - this wad of cellulose acetate (a substance also used in lacquer paint and photographic film) prevents very few of the 60-plus carcinogens in a typical cigarette from entering your lungs.
*Ventilation Holes: Found on "light" cigarettes, these holes are designed to dilute the smoke, and therefore the tar and nicotine you take in. But in practice, most smokers unconsciously block the holes with their fingertips or lips, or just take longer drags.
*Source: Jim Thornton, Men's Health magazine - June 2008
Think again. Tobacco companies use a very specific and scientifically-researched blueprint for cigarette design that borders on diabolical. Cigarettes are intentionally designed to get (and keep) you addicted as quickly and efficiently as possible. Here are the five evil elements of a cigarette's design:
*Reconstituted tobacco: This mix consists of chopped tobacco leaves and stems infused with pure nicotine to compensate for seasonal variations in the leaves' natural nicotine content. This blend also contains ammonia, which literally causes you to freebase the nicotine.
*Expanded tobacco: Some of the reconstituted tobacco is puffed with air so it expands and fills out the paper body of the cigarette. Before using air, one cigarette company used Freon, the burning of which produces Phosgene - an anti-personnel gas used in WW I.
*Porosity and Burn Rings: The more porous the paper, the more outside air can pass through to feed the fire. Burn rings are slivers of heavier paper that act as a series of fire breaks. Together, the porosity and number of burn rings control how fast you smoke the cigarette.
*Filter: Not really a filter at all - this wad of cellulose acetate (a substance also used in lacquer paint and photographic film) prevents very few of the 60-plus carcinogens in a typical cigarette from entering your lungs.
*Ventilation Holes: Found on "light" cigarettes, these holes are designed to dilute the smoke, and therefore the tar and nicotine you take in. But in practice, most smokers unconsciously block the holes with their fingertips or lips, or just take longer drags.
*Source: Jim Thornton, Men's Health magazine - June 2008
Stop The Insanity.
The tobacco industry kills more people each week than the terrorists killed on 9/11. I lost both my mother and father-in-law to lung cancer from smoking, and I'm pretty sick and tired of watching people die while these companies make millions. There are programs out there that work for most smokers - I say "most" because I've seen first-hand how addicted people can become to cigarettes and I realize how difficult it can be to quit. But if you are truly ready to quit, I've researched several programs and narrowed it down to two that look like the real deal:
EasyQuit
Quit Smoking Today
Whatever path you choose to take, I hope you've found some valuable information here and use it to help stop this "legalized murder."
EasyQuit
Quit Smoking Today
Whatever path you choose to take, I hope you've found some valuable information here and use it to help stop this "legalized murder."
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