e-cigarettes: A New Frontier for Big Tobacco Companies?

They are all over the media, celebrities are endorsing them, and yet without regulation from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) e-cigarettes have no standards to follow or comply with. The short version- Americans know little about the risks associated with using e-cigarettes.

The Huffington Post published an article in early September - 9 Terribly Disturbing Things About Electronic Cigarettes The article gives a list to readers simply stating what is known about e-cigarettes.

        Biggest points from the article:
• e-cigarettes contain toxic chemicals.  Specifically diethylene glycol, a chemical found in antifreeze.
• Kids across the U.S. are able to purchase these products because there is little regulation and they can be purchased online.
• Companies that produce e-cigarettes are creating them in delicious flavors like milkshake.
• Laws regarding advertisement of cigarettes do not yet apply to e-cigarettes... meaning youth are able to see ads on tv, online, and anywhere they may go.

With so much unknown in the realm of e-cigarettes it is best to play it safe and stay away from using. re:TH!NK also encourages you to do your own research and learn more about these products if you are interested, make sure to look at credible sources (example: www.iheartecigs.com might not be the best place to find and read unbiased information ;).

World No Tobacco Day wrapped up the month of May in style on May 31st.  The theme this year: ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.  World wide people looked over policies regarding tobacco and highlighted the improtance of make changes toward a comprehensive tobacco policies. 

If you or someone you know is looking to quit tobacco check out some of the below smart phone applications... a high tech way to help quit!

1. Since iQuit: This nifty app tells you how long it's been since you tossed your cigs aside, how much money you've saved (in euro, if you you're a super fancy type who buys those Gauloises abroad) and allows you to share your info with the world if you choose via Twitter, Facebook, email or text. Oh, and you can opt for your tobacco of choice: cigarettes, pipes or cigars.]
2. No Smokes: An interactive quiz asking you how long you've smoked, how much you smoke, why you want to quit, when you're quitting. You're asked to choose whether you're Aboriginal or a Torres Strait Islander or both or neither, though the answers don't seem to change much no matter how you answer this question. At the end of the quiz, which is navigated by a computer-generated voice with an endearing Australian accent, you're given suggestions on how to approach quitting. After that, you're on your own with this one.
3. Zombie Smokeout: A Zombie-themed video game developed by the American Cancer Society. You are the super heroine out to douse the world's secondhand smoke. You jump over smoking Zombies. If you miss, you are enveloped in a deadly cloud of Zombie smoke. It's a distraction. And a pretty good one.
4. My Last Cigarette: This is the "Scared Straight" app. It shows you how much you've reduced your risk of heart attack and lung cancer and the number of people who died from smoking-related deaths since you tossed your cigs. It also tallies your savings and the number of cigarettes you've opted not to smoke. (Downside: Lots of advertisements, though there's a 99 cent version that makes the ads go away.)
5. Quit Pro: A simple interface tells you how much time since you've quit, how much you've saved, how many hours of life you've gained. It also helps you identify triggers -- hunger, stress, boredom -- as well as motivators for continuing to live a tobacco-free life.

Smoking and Mental Illness

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) release a report this month highlighting the connection between smoking and mental illness. The report explains that those with mental illness have an especially high smoking rate. 

1 in 3 adults with a mental illness smoke, compared with 1 in 5 adults without a mental illness. 

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) about 45.6 million people have a mental illness, meaning over 16 million adults with mental illness smoke. People with mental illness generally use smoking as a way of coping with the anxiety and stress of their mental illness and according to smoke experts, smoking has been accepted as part of the mental health scene for decades.

Many people with mental illness are at greater risk of dying earlier from smoking than dying from their mental health condition, Tom Frieden, director of the CDC, told reporters during a teleconference after the CDC released its report Tuesday. "This is a big mental health disparity and a vulnerable population, and we need to do more for smokers with mental illness," Frieden said. 

For more information about smoking and mental illness visit the CDC's Vital Signs at-
http://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/SmokingAndMentalIllness/index.html#RelatedLinks

Check out the Wisconsin program that helps those with mental health or substance abuse issues quit smoking (www.HelpUsQuit.org), including a video featuring patients talking about the issue. The program's formal name is the Wisconsin Nicotine Treatment Integration Project.

For quitting assistance, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (800-784-8669) or visit www.smokefree.gov.
Also, visit www.BeTobaccoFree.gov for information on quitting and preventing children from using tobacco.

A GREAT article from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel -
http://www.jsonline.com/features/health/smoking-more-common-among-mentally-ill-se8lmn4-189949731.html