Arkansas Blog

I tried one of them electronic cigarettes about a month ago. It's sorta like the difference between having sex with Jessica Simpson vs masturbating alone with gloves on. But...I guess in a pinch it would be better than nothing. As I was puffing away on this 6 ounce hard metal cigarette I started imagining all the trouble one could cause by dangling one of these things from your mouth in ANY public place.

You talk about the shit hitting the fan! In 2 minutes you'd have more people mad at you than are mad at Osama. I think it's a 125 dollar way to get your ass whipped. But by all means.....buy em, enjoy em, but make sure your health insurance is paid up before you do. And start exercising your lips at home while you wait for your e-cig to arrive. The damn thing is so heavy it fell out of my lips and I was afraid I was going to owe the little lady owner 125 bucks, but I picked it up off the floor and it was still working.

One more thing....Phillip Morris is up to something. For the last 2 months the Marlboro Lights I buy are hard to light and go out if you don't keep puffing like a bellows. It's not my imagination....some kind of change is in the works. Which made me wonder what will happen if someone invents a 100% safe cigarette? Who will we bully then? Imagine a world where cigarettes and Twinkies are safe.....ahhhhhhhhh.

How about Kings, Victory, and Round-up? Blowing powdered sugar can potentially put someone's eye out. As to the ACIA though, e-cigs are certainly ok, butt I'm not so sure about flatulence.

Cigarettes are safe if you don't light them. Clean coal is very clean if you don't burn it.

Buy some Walmart generic nicotine gum for $27 bucks as part of a plan to stop tokin.

If you think quit-smoking aids are expensive wait until you start buying respiratory inhalants and oxygen machines. It's a habit that you will keep for the rest of your life. Guaranteed!

DBI the manufacturers have added chemicals to the paper to keep cigarettes going without puffing.

The cig mfr said it was a hassle to have to keep relighting so they did it to benefit the smokers. A cig bigwig later admitted it was a way to sell more cigs since most people would have only smoked a few puffs and then let it go out and light it again 30 minutes later and have 2 puffs and so on. One cig could lasted from morning commute till ride home. But cig companies knew if they kept burning the smoker would use five cigarettes in the same time.

One for morning drive, one for break, one for lunch, one for break, one for afternoon drive.

The down side of the burn till consumed cigs was death in fires.

Without the chemicals added to the paper to keep them burning/sell more cigs, there would have been virtually NO FIRES CAUSED BY UNATTENDED CIGARETTES.

So big tobacco decided that them selling more cigarettes was more important than the thousands and thousands of preventable fires and the thousands of deaths and injuries and the billions of dollars of property damage

But what would you expect from an industry that knows that every one of their loyal customers would be killed by their product unless an accident killed them before the cancer and heart disease caused by cigs was able to?

Speaking of the Pump, ain't it funny that the non-smoking area is outside?

As a reformed smoker I think cig smoke in a restaurant actually bothers me more than before. Go figg'r...

And before any smoker gets on me I'll say that I try not to go to places that allow smoking...

>>manufacturers have added chemicals to the paper to keep cigarettes going without puffing.<<

And the really downside to that is the main chemical used to keep the burn going is potassium
nitrate, or commonly called salt peter. It's used in nudist camps to help the fellows keep a 'soft on'.

the ill effects of smoking are overblown. What is typically forgotten is that smokers are less likely to be overweight/obese. Many people who quit smoking gain a lot of weight too. While the smoking causes problems, being normal weight rather than overweight/obese is a confounding effect.

We need more smokers to support the state trauma system, and also to support the health programs for Children. Isn't the child's health insurance program (S-CHIP) funded by a federal cigarette tax?

*******
Interesting comments about health insurance reform from Consumers Union:

Dear Severus,
It's time you had health care freedom - keeping the good insurance you have through your job, or choosing decent insurance you can actually afford with a choice of doctors who provide quality care, and the security of knowing you can't be denied coverage if you lose or change jobs, move or get sick.
But we can't get that freedom unless our leaders really fix health care, and not give in to the special interests or politics as usual. As Congress starts to release the reform bills for committee votes, please help make sure they known that all Americans should have access to good, affordable health coverage. Take a moment to forward the message below to your friends and family, so they can join us in this important fight.
Sincerely,

DeAnn Friedholm, PrescriptionforChange.org
A project of Consumers Union
1101 17th Street NW,
Suite 500
Washington, DC 20036
============FORWARD THE MESSAGE BELOW==========
Never before have our voices on health care been more important--and I hope you will join me by sending a quick message from Consumers Union's health reform site, PrescriptionForChange.org.
Congress is fully focused on producing a final health reform bill, and the President has asked for measures that he can sign this year. But will the bills really fix our broken health care system? Or will Congress continue to let giant insurance companies price us out of good coverage and deny us insurance simply because of our age or a previous illness?
It's time we had health care freedom -- keeping good insurance we may have through our jobs, or if not, choosing decent insurance we can afford, a choice of doctors who provide quality care, and the security of knowing we can't be denied coverage if we lose or change jobs, move or get sick.
America is about solving problems, and there is a plan on the table to reform health coverage so it is:
Affordable now Reform must lower costs, and the insurance industry hasn't done it when left to their own devices. We need a strong public health insurance option to compete with industry to lower rates and keep them honest, and we need it to start from day one.
Available everywhere: A public health insurance option available throughout the country to compete with the insurance companies who often dominate our local market by controlling what we pay and what we get.
Held accountable: Dangerous hospital acquired infections continue to spread, while medical errors are still a leading cause of death ten years after the Institute of Medicine announced the need for immediate reform in 1999. Hospitals, drug companies and doctors can all do better, and they must.
Join me in telling Congress that we expect real, affordable health insurance choices, not just what the insurance industry wants, by sending an email at http://www.prescriptionforchange.org/.

Thank you!

Do e-cigs require a wi-fi connection?

Act 697 of 2009 established Reduced Ignition Propensity standards for cigs sold in AR. This basically puts little speed bump rings every so often in the paper in order to keep them from staying lit and ostensibly start few fires. This in my book is part of an industry ploy called harm reduction where the focus is on assuming that there in fact is a safer cigarette. Visits to the American Legacy Documents library searching key words Project Sunrise and Project Tomorrow reveal this intent from about 15 years ago. Philip Morris holds about 15 patents on the particular paper used and RJR has voluntarily begun using the RIP technology. Arkansas' law is not due to take effect until Jan 1 2010.

The FDA has blocked importation of some of the E cigs because they just have not been tested. It is basically a nicotine nebulizer and as such a drug delivery device. Research I have seen shows that while much of the particulates are absent there is a greater amount of the carcinogenic nitrosamines . Additionally, touted as a cessation device it is considered an ineffective delivery system. Of the 10 mg of nicotine in the cartridge actually only 2mg is delivered when inhaled.

Both are scams by the tobacco cartel: stalling tactics to preoccupy tobacco free advocates and the public health while the growth market in the developing world is exploited.

Severus,
As long as we are posting inanities. Here's the girl for you:
"Arkansans Focused On Health Care, Economy

It's no surprise that Arkansans are concerned about the critical issues facing our nation, from health care to the economy. Last week, I traveled across our state and in every town I visited, from Pine Bluff to Springdale, and Jonesboro to Russellville, Arkansans shared their personal experiences about how they're coping with rising health care costs, an uncertain job market, and the overall increase in the cost of living.

We have a lot to tackle in Washington, and this week the Senate Finance Committee, on which I sit, is at work crafting a health care reform proposal that will provide stable, affordable, and high-quality health care to all Arkansans.

I believe health care reform must build upon what works. We must invest in our nation's health care infrastructure-its providers, technologies, and facilities-especially in rural America where health care services and providers are fewer and farther between. Above all, we must bring stability to health care. As we work to reform our nation's health care system, we must pay for reform without adding to the deficit. I'll continue my fight for Arkansans as Congress moves ahead on health care reform.

I'm looking forward to heading back home to Arkansas this weekend. On Sunday, July 12, at 1:00 p.m., I'll be in Nashville to attend the dedication of the new Howard Memorial Hospital. This new hospital is a positive reflection of the people of Howard County and their commitment to enhancing their community. The new hospital will not only offer services to those in need, but also will provide new economic opportunities for Howard County. I commend the entire community for their successful efforts in reaching this achievement.

With Arkansas Pride,"

"the ill effects of smoking are overblown. What is typically forgotten is that smokers are less likely to be overweight/obese. Many people who quit smoking gain a lot of weight too. While the smoking causes problems, being normal weight rather than overweight/obese is a confounding effect."

Severus, I would like to see your scientific references for this statement. Actually, the link between cigarette smoking and a variety of illnesses, including cancer and stroke among others, is one of the most well-documented in medical history. The studies are designed specifically to account for confounding issues such as weight gain/loss.

If you want to justify smoking, don't attempt to do it with hard science.

I am a non-smoker. I have always been a non-smoker. However, I believe in the freedom of choice. If people want to smoke cigarettes - then let people smoke cigarettes. Who am I to decide what is best for OTHER people? I do enjoy having some places non-smoking and some places designated as smoking establishments...thus giving me CHOICE.

* However, can smokers please pick up their cigarette butts? Greatly appreciated.

P.S. -- I choose sitting next to smokers in a restaurant verses a screaming misbehaving-bouncing-on-the-booth-behind-me toddler ANY DAY!

If anyone is interested, www.invisismoke.com is giving away a Free electronic cigarette kit every month. The contest if Free to enter with no purchase necessary.

cheers