Ban on Flavored Cigars

There has been increasing concern over the use of flavored cigars to attract the youth towards tobacco as an alternative to cigarette smoking. They have the same negative effects of smoking cigarettes and cigars, but contain "candy-like flavoring." The main differences between cigars and cigarettes are the size and type of tobacco used to create the products. In response to the flavored cigars, senators Frank Lautenberg, Dick Durbin, Sherrod Brown, Jeff Merkley, and Richard Blumenthal asked the FDA to ban the sale of flavored cigars, given the FDA's ability to regulate the sale of tobacco from the Family Smoking prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009. The cigar industry has fired back against the senators' call for the ban saying it would "devastate local stores."

Smoking and Probiotics?

In the British Journal of Nutrition, researchers discovered that the consumption of probiotics, microorganisms that provide health benefits to its hosts organism, help boost up the immune system of smokers by increasing NK activity. NK, natural killer cells, are lymphocytes that attack and kill harmful cells in the human body, i.e. tumor and virus cells. Although probiotics may assist in improving the immune system of smokers, this does not completely stop or reverse the negative effects of smoking. In fact, this research only emphasizes how much of a negative impact smoking has on the human body by demonstrating how susceptible smokers are to infections and diseases.

Smoking is the Biggest Risk Factor for Cancer

In an epidemiological research study conducted on risk factors for cancer, Professor Parkin from the Centre for Cancer Prevention at the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine in the UK discovered that smoking is the biggest risk factor for cancer, being a part of approximately 19% new cases for the year. Smoking was followed by diet at 9.2%; weight at 5.5%; and alcohol at 4%.

Menthol vs. "Regular" Cigarettes

Although menthol cigarettes may reduce the irritation and harshness of tobacco smoke, menthol cigarettes still instigate and cause the same negative effects of smoking a regular cigarette. According to the Sacramento Bee, menthol cigarettes may be worse than regular cigarettes because they make it more likely for individuals to become addicted to smoking due to their cooling and anesthetic properties. In other words, there are no substitutes to smoking a "better" or less harmful cigarette.

It's Back On!!!

In retaliation to U.S. District Judge Richard Leon's ruling that blocked the display of FDA-approved warning labels on tobacco products, the FDA will challenge the decision in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. According to Bloomberg, President Obama gave the FDA authority to regulate the sales of these products when President Obama signed the Family Smoking prevention and Tobacco Control Act in June 2009. Who do you think will win out in this ruling?

Indirect Benefit to Decreased Smoking

Besides the negative physical effects that are associated with smoking tobacco, analysis of data from 1991 to 2007 shows that if individual states follow new CDC guidelines, states could save up to 14-20 times the cost of tobacco control programs. According to San Francisco State economists David R. Pieper and Sudip Chattopadhyay, many of these savings would come from medical and productivity costs.

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FDA Sends 1,200 letters to tobacco retailers

Since last week's unfortunate event, when the tobacco company won the injunction set by the FDA to place warning labels on their products, the FDA fought back by reminding tobacco retailers  about the consequences of selling tobacco to minors and holding other illegal tobacco-related activities and sent out 1,200 warning letters. This was especially targeted at stores that did not pass the FDA inspection on tobacco-related sales and activities. More information about the topic can be located here:

http://www.iewy.com/36368-fda-acts-to-protect-children-from-illegal-tobacco-sales-2.html

Some of the Negative Effects of Smoking

Think smoking has no ramifications? Think again. Take a look at the FDA warning labels.

$600M on Anti-smoking Campaigns

The FDA plans to spend $600M on anti-smoking campaigns. According to SFGate, declining smoking rates have stalled in recent years. In order to resume the reduction in smoking, FDA plans to launch a campaign targeting 13-17 year-olds, young adults, and other figures that influence adolescents and teenagers as smoking typically begins adolescence/teen years. Approximately 3,450 kids in the U.S. try their first cigarette every day while 850 kids become daily smokers, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health in the SFGate. Only time will tell if this campaign is successful.

ACT-UP Food Fair at Hiram Johnson High School

At Hiram Johnson High School, swarms of people made their way to the ACT-UP stand for pizza and banana bread to raise money for the Johnson Generation Club.

 

Many people stopped by the ACT-UP stand for pizza and banana bread.

ACT-UP at Hiram Johnson High School

Johnson Generation Club

Food galore

However, most of it was quickly consumed by the school population.

Hiram Johnson High School ACT-UP Kickoff

ACT-UP finally came to Hiram Johnson High School this school year. Here are a few photos of the wonderful new members that we have at Johnson!

Family Fun Fair

Prairie Elementary School celebrated families with the Family Fun Fair and invited ACT-UP to the event. There were numerous games, face painting and wheel turning fun at the event. Thanks again to the youth volunteers for participating in the festivities!

Having fun with the kids.

Posing pretty with the frog.

Some of ACT-UP's great handiwork

What a ghoulish fiend!

The wonderful ACT-UP members that helped make this event a success!

Adventure Day at Southgate Plaza

Southgate Plaza in South Sacramento put on a family event to promote the shopping center and they invited ACT-UP to be a part of it. Southgate Plaza also adopted a smoke-free policy as a part of the Adventure Day event. Thanks to all of our youth volunteers for attending and helping out in the humid and hot weather that day.

Filipino Fiesta

On a rather interesting June day, ACT-UP along with our youth volunteers attended the annual Filipino Fiesta at the Jose Rizal Community Center in Sacramento. After an hour of chaos, we finally settled in and set up our booth. The Filipino Fiesta also adopted a smoke-free policy that day.

Smoke-free policy at Buddha Day Celebration

ACT-UP and our youth volunteers attended Buddha Day Celebration at Kim Quang Temple in the Arden-Arcade area on 5/29/11. Buddha Day Celebration marked the 2600th year of Buddhism. ACT-UP was invited to be a part of the festival that took place at Kim Quang Temple where the planning committee adopted a smoke-free policy.