Thurrock back national smoking scheme

A DECLARATION that highlights the affects smoking has on a community has been backed by Thurrock Council.
The Local Government Declaration on Tobacco Control is endorsed by the country’s leading public health organisations and is a statement of a local authority’s commitment to tackling harm from smoking.
It includes commitments to have a local plan, to support national action on tobacco and to protect local health policy from tobacco industry influence. Lady Rose
Smoking in Thurrock accounts for more early deaths than any other cause.
Councillor Barbara Rice, in charge of health, said: “I understand we’re the 22nd local authority to sign up which again shows Thurrock takes its public health responsibilities very seriously indeed.
“We want to do away with the inequalities in health that we see between different wards in our borough, but more importantly we want Thurrock to be a healthy place for everyone who lives here.
“That’s what we’re working towards, and tackling the evils of tobacco is one of the simplest ways of doing this. Stop smoking and immediately you increase your chances of a longer life.”

Smokers more concerned with ‘effect on their looks than health’

Smokers are more concerned about the effects cigarettes have on their looks than their health, new research revealed today.
Experts found that, despite the potentially fatal long-term consequences of lighting up, a large percentage still find skin wrinkles and yellow teeth more troubling than lung damage.
The study also found more than half of smokers either have, or are planning to, quit over fears about the damage it is doing to their appearance.
But the in-depth findings by electronic cigarette brand VIP found one in seven admitted they would be more likely to give up the cigarettes if they noticed an effect on how they looked, rather than because their health was suffering.  Glamour Superslims Menthol
And more than a quarter admitted this was the reason they have decided to quit tobacco for good.
Dave Levin, co-owner of VIP, said: ”The health effects of smoking are well documented, but people are less aware that cigarettes can also damage your looks.
”During our research three quarters of smokers said that their habit had caused deterioration to their looks and it was this, more than their health, that concerned them.
”While the health issues caused by smoking are so widely advertised, they aren’t always as easy to see or notice.
”But the effects on your appearance are something you can see every time you look at your reflection, whether it’s deeper wrinkles, discoloured teeth or a sallow complexion.”
The study, of 1,500 current or ex-smokers found that a staggering 88 per cent even admitted they regret taking it up in the first place because it is now showing in their appearance.
And the average smoker said they started to see the damage to their appearance around the age of 32.
Yellow teeth were named as the biggest concern with more than four in ten smokers saying they hated the effect cigarettes have had on their smile.
Bad breath, as well as the general odour that goes with being a smoker followed close behind, along with an increase in fine lines and wrinkles.
Stained and discoloured nails and fingers, wrinkled mouth and bad or ashen skin are also among the aspects of their appearance that smokers worry about.
Worryingly, the research also revealed that more than eight in ten admitted they are more likely to take notice of the effects of smoking they can actually see, such as yellow teeth and wrinkles, rather than what it is doing to their health and body internally.
One in three smokers has even experienced somebody insulting them or pointing out the effects of tobacco directly to their face.
And four in ten spend more time on their beauty regime to try and compensate for the effects of the cigarettes.
Dave Levin added: ”During the Christmas period Public Health England launched its latest TV advertising campaign to graphically demonstrate the health implications of tobacco.
”While we feel these messages are important and will resonate with some smokers, our research indicates that for many, vanity is also a key issue.
”VIP electronic cigarettes have been designed to offer a harm reducing alternative to smokers.
”They are not only widely recognised by a number of leading health professionals as healthier than tobacco cigarettes, but they’re also much kinder on our looks.
”Electronic cigarettes are free of the harmful toxins found in tobacco cigarettes which mean users can enjoy the great taste of VIP and stay looking good.
”What’s more, because VIP electronic cigarettes are virtually odourless and smoke free, there are no lingering tobacco smells.”
Top ten effects smokers worry about cigarettes having on their looks
1.            Yellowing teeth
2.            Bad breath
3.            General odour from smoke
4.            An increase in wrinkles
5.            An increase in fine lines
6.            Yellowing nails/fingers
7.            Missing teeth
8.            Wrinkly mouth/lips
9.            Bad skin
10.          Discoloured/ashen skin

How resolved is your resolution?

Now that it’s officially 2014, it’s time to make good on that resolution you made during your New Year’s Eve party. And while the thought of it may add yet another dimension to the post-party haze, it’s comforting to know that at least some people make good on them.
 In fact, according to a study in Forbes Magazine, the stuff that resolutions are made of — or that is, the desire for self-improvement, is what drives more than 40 percent of Americans to cut the deal in the first place. 

 But sadly, for all the good intentions, only a few of us actually achieve our goal — just 8-percent, according to research done by Scranton University. Gauloises cigarettes.
 What we say we’ll do may surprise you.
 According to a poll conducted by General Nutrition Centers and Quicken, the fifth most popular resolution made by Americans is simply to enjoy life more.
 Based on our hectic lifestyles, and how most of us struggle to make ends meet, it’s no wonder that “enjoying life more” has become a more popular resolution in recent years. Let’s face it — enjoying life more leads to a happier and healthier you.
 The fourth most popular resolution among Americans is to quit smoking. Fortunately, many over-the-counter nicotine replacement therapies now give smokers easier access to proven remedies. The average smoker will try to quit four times before successfully kicking the habit for good. If this is your resolution, look to free support services, hotlines, and other smoking cessation classes to help you become one of the successful 8 percent.
 The third resolution on the American list is, you guessed it — losing weight. With more than 66 percent of us considered to be too plump, it’s not surprising to find this one on our list. If this is your choice, boost your chances by keeping it real, setting reasonable goals and staying focused on them.
 Number two on the list is made by those who wish to remain fit by sticking to some sort of a daily or weekly exercise plan. Regular exercise has been associated with more health benefits than anything else known to man. Studies show that it reduces the risk of some cancers, increases longevity, helps achieve and maintain weight loss, enhances mood, lowers blood pressure and even improves arthritis.
 Spending time with family and friends tops the resolution list. More than 50 percent of Americans vow to appreciate and spend more time with friends and family members, promising to meet with friends for an evening of fun, or take the family on a vacation or on routine outings for fun.
 While former Fenton resident Steve McNamara said he often makes New Year’s resolutions, rarely does he keep them. “I’m always vowing to lose weight in the New Year,” McNamara said. “I’ll get a good start on it, but by the end of January, I’m usually back to my old eating habits.”
 More often than not, people who fail to keep their resolutions blame it on their own lack of willpower. In fact, the surveys conducted by the University of Scranton indicate that the would-be resolvers repeatedly say if they had more self-determination, they would have overcome the obstacles and achieved their goals.
 “It’s like I don’t have enough willpower,” McNamara said. “I actually do better on giving things up for Lent because it’s a shorter timeframe,” he said. “It’s easier to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
 Whatever your resolution may be, there are several things you can do to better your chances of succeeding.
Keep it simple
 Many folks use the New Year as an opportunity to create huge bucket lists or attempt extreme makeovers, whether it be personal or professional. While it’s a nice aspiration, experts agree that this type of approach is doomed to failure, and that shooting for the moon can be so psychologically daunting, you’ll end up failing to launch in the first place.
Make it tangible
 Goals should be bound by rational, achievable metrics. In fact, making a resolution to lose weight isn’t all that easy to follow. It’s a lot easier to come up with a plan for cutting all of the fast food, potato chips and ice cream out of the diet for six weeks. Instead of saying, you’re going to start going to the gym in 2013, be more specific and set a clear ambition like attending a weekly class, or lifting weights every Tuesday and Thursday.
Never stop believing
 It all boils down to this — you have as much willpower as you think you have, which means that on some level, your journey toward self-improvement will be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Smokers facing new tax hike

Smokers facing another tax increase as 2014 arrives are being urged to use the cost hike as an opportunity to quit.

The tobacco tax rises 10 per cent on Wednesday, the latest in a series of consecutive 10 percent tax hikes planned by the Government through to 2016.

And though tax increases are frequently unpopular, Quitline chief executive Paula Snowden is welcoming the rise.

"Smoking is expensive and it needs to be," she said.

 

"Tax increases trigger quitting and they are an essential part of the government's commitment to a Smokefree Aotearoa by 2025, which aims to reduce smoking prevalence to less than 5 percent."

Ms Snowden said Quitline wants to help anyone wanting to quit smoking, which she describes as "a creeping death that steals lives and robs families of health and wellbeing"

The 2013 census showed smoking had fallen from 20.7 percent prevalence in 2006 to 15.1 percent in 2013, which Ms Snowden said showed that tax increases, along with other measures such as smokefree environments and cessation support, are working.

The exact increase in the cost of a packet of cigarettes and loose tobacco after the tax increase will be determined by individual tobacco companies.

Boston approves ban on smoking in city-run parks

The Boston Parks and Recreation Commission on Monday approved a ban covering the 251 parks, squares, cemeteries and other spaces run by the Parks and Recreation Department, including Boston Common, the Public Garden and Franklin Park. No one spoke in opposition to the ban.
The ban takes effect immediately and applies to tobacco, marijuana and other "lighted or vaporized" substances. Violators face a $250 fine.
The City Council approved the measure last month. LM cigarettes.
"This amendment is necessary to maintain the health and safety of our public parks and ensure that these valuable resources can be enjoyed by all Boston residents," Mayor Thomas Menino said in a letter supporting the ban.
The Parks Department will post signs about the ban and the fine, and her department and the Health Commission will pass out informational materials, commission spokeswoman Jacque Goddard told The Boston Globe (http://b.globe.com/19Y5Hok ).
Police and park rangers will enforce the measure, which is an expansion of an existing law that prohibits smoking at playgrounds.
The ban will improve health, said Barbara Ferrer, executive director of the Boston Public Health Commission.
"Secondhand smoke in any concentration is dangerous," Ferrer said. "There's no safe level of exposure."
New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles are among other large U.S. cities with similar bans.

Miley Cyrus Explains She and Demi Lovato Didn't Cause Joe Jonas to Smoke Marijuana

Pop star Miley Cyrus claims she and Demi Lovato didn't pressure fellow Disney star Joe Jonas into smoking marijuana earlier in their careers.

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The former Jonas Brothers star recently revealed the 'Wrecking Ball' hitmaker and his former girlfriend Demi Lovato introduced him to the drug while they were all young stars working for the Disney Channel, but Miley says she didn't make Joe do anything he didn't want to.

She told the New York Times newspaper: ''If you want to smoke weed, you're going to smoke weed. There's nothing that two little girls are going to get you to do that you don't want to do.

''I thought maybe he was saying that like it was going to make him look badass.''

The 21-year-old pop star also believes it would have been impossible for her and Demi, 21, to have influenced Joe, who is three years their senior.

She added: ''We were so young that it's actually like, 'How did you get peer pressured by me?' ''

Joe previously said he was 17 or 18 when he first tried weed with Miley and 'Heart Attack' singer Demi.

He said: ''The first time I smoked weed was with Demi and Miley. I must have been 17 or 18. They kept saying, 'Try it! Try it!' so I gave it a shot, and it was all right. I don't even smoke weed that often anymore.''