Smoking Rate among Women in India Is Higher Than 30 Years Ago

Smoking rate among women in India has increased within the last 30 years however the number of men who light up on a daily basis dropped in the country where more and more people are consuming tobacco products these days, state analysts.

Smoking rate among Indian adult men declined from 33.8 % in 1980 to 23 % in 2013 whereas women smoking in 2013 constituted 3.2 %, virtually exactly the same as in 1980 affirms a completely different research on worldwide smoking predominance released not so long ago. In 2013 about 12.1 million women lighted up in India, in comparison to 5.3 million women smokers registered in 1980 whilst the predominance of male smokers stood at 98 million in the very same year. Cigarette users in India smoked about 8.2 cigarettes on a daily basis, according to the report.

United States mentioned 14.3 % women smokers accompanied by Russia and Nepal with 16.9 %, Brazil with 11 %, Pakistan 5.4 %, India 3.2 %, China 2.1 % and Sri Lanka 1 %.

India had 35 million cigarette users totaling about 110 million in spite of the drop in the smoking rate from around 19 % to 13 per cent of the population, reported the research.

The survey determined that worldwide smoking rate among men constituted 41 % in 1980; however it dropped to 31 %. When it comes to women, the expected predominance of day-to-day cigarette smoking constituted 10.6 % in 1980 and already 2013 that had decreased to 6.2 %. "India is at present in the 2 stage of the tobacco pandemic, which comes after a cyclical routine. Despite the fact that there are a lot of men smokers, women smokers do go along with this trend," explains Dr. Monika Arora. According to Dr. Monika Arora the rate of women smoking in cities has boosted. "Not so long ago we conducted a study of schools in Chennai and Delhi and discovered that the there is a very small gender difference among adolescents who are fighting up.

Yves Saint Laurent - Trendy Product

Anyone who has something to do with the fashion industry is aware of the fact that cigarettes are nearly more of a habit than the true clothing.

Nicotine controls your hunger and the fashion advertises the trend to be slim, as a result it has become the norm. The majority of cigarette breaks occur in the course of the day than anything else and from time to time they are also replaced for a lunch break. Not just that, but smoking them has been considered cool and stylish being displayed in advertising campaigns all over the world and even appearing on the stage at Louis Vuitton’s Fall show.

Yves Saint Laurent is the up to date high-fashion label to set its name on a package of cigarettes(here). To tell the truth, the package is appealing and trendy, with its black and gold colors used in the design practically making us ignore that its contents are habit-growing and can in fact lead to diverse diseases over time. The color scheme is similar of the fashion house’s “Opium” fragrance bottles which are fitting.

YSL is not the very first high-class brand to offer its name to cigarettes. For instance Pierre Cardin, Versace, Givenchy, Christian Lacroix and Cartier have all offered their well-known names to cigarette manufacturers. Despite the fact that it is not the healthiest kind of revenue, nicotine is one of the world’s largest businesses and therefore it is a good idea that some of the world’s most recognized brands would attempt to take advantage.

A smoke, a book, a cup of coffee

“A smoke, a book, a cup of coffee.

These are the little things that get us through this sometimes weary world and all the rainy days.”

  R.M. Engelhardt, The Resurrection Waltz Poems R.M. Engelhardt

I used to smoke cigarettes, ten a day, but gave up when I was 28. Now my vice is several cups of coffee a day, which isn't great if you're prone to weak bones as I am, as caffeine can leach calcium.
Britt Ekland
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/cigarettes.html#eRCCc2CyXS2C430C.99

I used to smoke cigarettes, ten a day, but gave up when I was 28. Now my vice is several cups of coffee a day, which isn't great if you're prone to weak bones as I am, as caffeine can leach calcium.
Britt Ekland
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/cigarettes.html#eRCCc2CyXS2C430C.99

Nicotine Increases Exercise Endurance

In my lectures on tobacco harm reduction I compare the properties of nicotine with those of caffeine (see slides at left).  Despite some obvious differences, the drugs have remarkably similar effects.  I have just found a study from 2006 showing that “…nicotine administration during moderate-intensity exercise delays fatigue, with a significant improvement of 17% [±7%] in time to exhaustion. This observation is similar to observations of the effects of caffeine supplementation.” (Available at the journal Experimental Physiology here).

Authors Toby Műndel and David A. Jones of the Human Performance Laboratory, School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, The University of Birmingham (United Kingdom), recruited 12 healthy non-smoking men and asked them to cycle in a laboratory setting at a moderate pace until exhausted on two occasions.  Subjects randomly applied either a 7 milligram nicotine patch or a placebo patch the evening before.  

Ten subjects who wore the nicotine patch cycled for 70 minutes – about 17% longer than the 62 minutes cycled by those with the placebo patch.  Nicotine had no effect on heart rate or respiratory parameters, and it “…did not alter the perception of effort… associated with progressive fatigue.”  The researchers noted that “…activity of dopamine pathways has

been suggested to be associated with improved endurance exercise performance.”  In other words, nicotine’s endurance boost stemmed from its effect on the brain. 

As I mentioned in 2011, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is considering labeling nicotine a performance-enhancing drug.  However, WADA could treat nicotine as it has caffeine, summarized this way by the agency in 2012 (here):

“Caffeine was removed from the Prohibited List in 2004. Its use in sport is not prohibited.  Many experts believe that caffeine is ubiquitous in beverages and food and that reducing the threshold might therefore create the risk of sanctioning athletes for social or diet consumption of caffeine.  In addition, caffeine is metabolized at very different rates in individuals.”

Since using nicotine is a “social” choice and the substance is metabolized at very different rates, one can only hope that WADA applies such a reasoned, practical analysis to it as well.

Cigar Versus Cigarette Smoking

There are no buts about it – smoking is bad for you. We all know that, but for those who crave a smoke

every once in a while, is there a less harmful option between cigars and cigarettes? There are many myths regarding the differences between these two smoking options. In this article, we’ll set the record straight.

Differences Between Cigars And Cigarettes

To figure out whether cigars or cigarettes are worse for your health, it’s important to first understand the differences between these two smoking options. The following are some of the key differences between cigars and cigarettes:

• Size: Cigars are much larger than cigarettes, with some measuring over 7 inches in length.
• Time: Since cigars are so much larger than cigarettes, they take longer to smoke. With larger cigars, it takes about 1 to 2 hours to smoke one. Cigarettes are generally smoked in less than 10 minutes.
• Filters: Most cigars do not have filters, while cigarettes do.
• Inhaling: Those who smoke cigarettes inhale the smoke into their lungs. Cigar smokers generally do not inhale the smoke; they let it sit in their mouth and throat instead.
• Tobacco types: Cigarettes are made from different blends of unfermented tobaccos. Cigars, on the other hand, are made from a single type of fermented and air-cured tobacco.
• Tobacco amounts: Cigarettes generally contain less than 1 gram of tobacco each. A cigar typically contains about 5 to 20 grams of tobacco.
• Wrapper: Cigars have less porous wrappers than cigarettes, which makes the burning of the tobacco inside less complete.
• Tar: Cigars have more tar per gram of tobacco smoked when compared to cigarettes.

Possible Dangers

The differences between cigars and cigarettes listed above account for many of the reasons that cigars are actually worse for you than cigarettes in most cases. First of all, the ingredients in cigars are in such larger quantities that many cigar smokers don’t realize the impact. For example, it could take 15 to 20 cigarettes to equal the same amount of tobacco in one large cigar. Therefore, regular cigar smokers often don’t realize that their habit could be the equivalent of smoking a pack a day – or more.
(If you’re trying to kick the habit, read Tips On How To Quit Smoking As Soon As Possible.)
Secondly, the size of the cigar accounts for much more exposure to second-hand cigar smoke. In addition to the cigar smoke that goes inside a smoker’s mouth and throat, many of these individuals sit in a cigar smoke-filled area for an hour or more while they smoke. In addition to that, it can take hours for that smoke to dissipate inside someone’s home. This second-hand smoke contains dozens of cancer-causing chemicals, some of which occur in higher quantities than in cigarette smoke. This is partially due to the cigars’ nonporous wrappers which lead to an increase in toxin concentration.
The process by which cigars are made also makes them a health hazard. The fermentation process used for cigar tobacco leads to high concentrations of nitrosamines, which can cause cancer.
Despite this information, cigarettes are just as bad for you. Both cigars and cigarettes can cause numerous types of cancer, including cancer of the lungs, mouth, tongue and esophagus. In addition, oral diseases such as gum disease may occur as the result of smoking. Cardiovascular diseases like heart disease, coronary artery disease, COPD and emphysema are much more common among smokers than non-smokers.

Myths About Cigars

Many cigarette smokers try smoking cigars because they believe they are less harmful. However, most of the myths about cigars aren’t true. For example:

• Cigars aren’t addictive. Cigars contain high levels of nicotine, which is the chemical that causes addiction. You can still get nicotine in your system even if you don’t inhale the smoke into your lungs because it is also absorbed through the lining in the mouth.
• Not inhaling makes them safer. Cigar smokers usually don’t inhale the smoke. However, that just means that they are more likely to get cancer in their lips, mouth, tongue or throat instead of in their lungs. The health risks still exist and the smoker is still exposed to cancer-causing chemicals.
• Cigars don’t have Surgeon General’s health warnings, so they are safer. Unfortunately, cigars are not regulated in the same way as cigarettes. Many are sold without any health warning label, particularly those which are imported. This lack of regulations can actually lead to cigars being more hazardous to your health than cigarettes.

It’s important to remember that, even if cigars are often worse for your health compared to cigarettes, neither of these smoking options are good for you. Both products are highly addictive and there is no safe level of tobacco use. There are several ways you can get help to quit smoking, including the Cancer.gov website (link below).

Sources:

• Mayo Clinic
• Cancer.gov
• QuitSmokingSupport.com

Russian President Vladimir Putin to Pass the Largest Crackdown on Cigarettes

Russian President Vladimir Putin is considering to pass the largest public health drive in the history of tobacco industry since former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev didn’t realize to break his county of the habit to consume alcohol with a strong crackdown on tobacco and drink.
An anti-smoking regulation presented to parliament on Friday will prohibit smoking in public places, any tobacco advertising and kiosk sales. That follows the actions to restrain the world’s fourth-highest alcohol use per capita with tax increases and by reducing trade. Russia is the world’s second-leading market for cigarettes and alcohol, according to recent estimates. The country with a population of 143 million is 5 million less than it was registered in 1991, when the Soviet Union ruined. Alcohol and tobacco use costs the Russian economy approximately $104 billion per year, or about 5% of gross domestic product (GDP), according to the government estimates.
The crackdown risks encouraging Russians to look for counterfeit cigarettes and drinks, according to cigarette manufacturers and alcohol industry experts. Illicit sale of vodka which is priced as little as $1 for a half-liter (0.13 gallon) will increase to about 60% from 30% of the market by 2014, according to the Center for Federal and Regional Alcohol Market Studies. Illegal cigarette trade may expand to about 45% of the market from 1%, the lobby group Tabakprom informs.
This year, Russia boosted the minimum price of a half-liter of vodka to about 125 rubles or $4 and plans to increase it further to 200 rubles by 2015, according to the government representative Dmitriy Fedorov. As about beer taxes, which were raised in 2010 they should be six times higher in 2015 than in comparison to 2009. “We are already used to smoke, drink and eat poor diet and doing less sport and then falling ill, and take pills in order to get better. But all these should be stopped, and as sooner as better,” stated Nikolai Gerasimenko, deputy head of the lower house of parliament’s ministry of health.

Smoking in the 70s

Cigarettes occupied a great part of life in the 70s. People lighted them up in great numbers. To quit or not, and to smoker of not were the most spread topics. In 1969, the most popular cigarette brand was Embassy Filter, which was launched in 1962 and took an astonishing 25% of the tobacco market in 1968. By 1971, it was displaced by the Players No 6. In 1972 the below listed cigarette brands constituted 95% of all tobacco products sold:
 • Sovereign (filter)
• Silk Cut (filter)
• Player No 6 (plain)
• Benson & Hedges King Size (filter)
• Rothman's King Size (filter)
The majority of the most famous brands contain filter. At those times smokers considered that the cigarette filter would protect them hazardous effects of smoking. However, various medical studies have demonstrated the contrary.
 In 1970, 55% of men and 44% of women lighted up. The number of smoking cigarettes had declined from the peak of 60% in 1948 and the effects of smoking on health were starting to slowly sink in. In spite of the study presented by Professor Sir Richard Doll, which linked smoking with various illnesses, cigarette smoking a great part of life that the habit was too difficult to eradicate.
In 1971, cigarette producers agreed to place health warnings on the packages – “Warning by HM Government Smoking Can Affect Your Health”. The organization has never published any report in which it would compare one cigarette brand with another. They acted only in the interests of consumers and advised only that people should think about giving up this habit. Also there were many stories regarding the safety pg other forms of smoking as cigar smoking or hookah.
So, the 70s was namely that period when people accepted the hazards of smoking and the number of the population who lighted up dropped greatly. The first anti-smoking group, ASH, was created in 1970 and had the objective to inform the public about the hazards of smoking. The rate of men and women smoking cigarettes declined during the 70s. Already by 1980, about 40% of men and 35% of women consumed tobacco products. Current figures are: 25% and 23% respectively.

Cigarette Smoking More Dangerous for Sick Smokers

Everyone has known for decades that smoking can harm the people’s health, especially those with prostate cancer. For example a recent study after investigated 21, 600 men with prostate cancer found that cigarette smoking not only can raises the risk of generating prostate cancer, but it also intensify the risk of dying because of this dangerous disease.

Scientists explained that prostate cancer is the most frequent cancer in American men with 186, 000 diagnoses in 2008, and 28,000 deaths due to the disease, but the cause is not understood yet. That’s why anti-tobacco researchers continued their research.

This actual study is based on various studies which had the same theme. Sometimes risk factors are not evident in smaller studies only because they are small.
In this study researchers grouped the men into two groups: never smoke and ever smoked. But previous studies categorized them by packs per day. Researchers also did not factor if the men changed their smoking habits and did not look at changes in their disease status.

Eight of the previous studies that looked at over 8,000 men analysis did categorize the men by how many packs they smoked per day and the researchers of this last analyze concluded that the heaviest smokers had a 30% increased risk of dying from prostate cancer when compared to non-smokers.

This recent study also found that among men under age 55, those with a history of smoking were at higher risk of having cancer that had extended beyond the prostate. The risk of having such a disease is higher for current smokers than that for former smokers.

As breast and colon cancer, prostate cancer is more spread in developed states. All diseases appear because of various bad habits. For example, lifestyle factors such as exercise, alcohol consumption, and diet have been shown to be strongly associated with the risk of developing breast and colon cancer. So, the high risk of developing and dying of prostate cancer is bound with lifestyle factors like smoking.

Statistics show that tobacco use is thought to cause about 30% of all cancer deaths and a total of 440,000 premature deaths in the US each year.

Caring for Our Recovery

First, the good news, the risk of relapse declines with the passage of time! While
roughly 95% of uneducated smokers who attempt to stop smoking relapse within a year,
the relapse rate declines to just 2 to 4% per year from years 2 to 10, and then falls to less
than 1% after 10 years.392 Keep in mind that these rates occurred among ex-users who
generally had little understanding of nicotine dependency and no formal respect for the
Law of Addiction. If compliant with the Law our risk of failure remains zero.
But just one powerful hit of nicotine and the addict is back! While ignorance of the Law
is no excuse, most ex-users do not remain ex-users because of understanding or respect
for “one puff” relapse rates seen in recovery studies. They do so because once home they
discover that life without nicotine is better than when using it.
While the relapse rate for years 2 though 10 may seem small, when added together the
risk becomes significant. One recent study suggests that as many as 17% who succeed
for 1 year may eventually relapse.393 These ex-users do not relapse because they dislike
being home. They do so because they lose sight of how they got there, who they are, and
the captivity they left behind.
Among educated ex-users there appear to be three primary factors associated with
relapse:
(1) a natural suppression of memories of recovery’s early challenges,
(2) the exuser
tries to rewrite or amend the Law and
(3) the ex-user thinks he/she has found a
legitimate excuse to break or ignore it. When these factors combine with an offer of a
cigar, alcohol use around those still using394 or occur in an impulsive-type person,395 the
risk of relapse is magnified.

Tobacco use

In conformity with 2002 edition of World Tobacco Atlas published by the WHO, in the region of the Caribbean Sea and Central America, every year local smokers consume from 500 to 1,200 cigarettes each. Although the smoking rates among men tend to drop in recent years, this decline is very slow-going.

Moreover, generally, more educated men from the Caribbean countries do not smoke or have quit lighting up, being aware of all the negative health consequences related to smoking. Therefore, smoking is more likely to be widespread among the non-educated lower- income men.