Grim Reality Campaign Video

Here is what the UK is doing to reduce the number of smokers. The Grim Reality Campaign uses graphic pictures to depict what happens when you smoke. Where are these pictures located? Right on the carton of cigarettes. Hopefully this will get the message across to smokers that their bad habit will eventually cause them harm, even if they don't see it right now. Check out the video in the post below to find out more about the effects of this campaign in the UK.

Hopefully in the future these kinds of tactics will come to the US. It's possible that those pictures could help reduce smoking rates in a big way. There are efforts underway now to get more control over the tobacco companies and how they advertise. A bill has been passed in the House of Representatives that would give the FDA the ability to regulate the advertisement and sale of tobacco products. If this is also passed in the Senate this could be a big step in reducing the power that the tobacco companies have in our nation. It will be a big step towards reducing the number of smokers in the US.

Grim Reality Campaign

The Low Down on Teen Smoking Stats

4.5 MILLION
teens are smokers.
Did you watch the 2008 Olympics in Beijing? They used a stadium there known as the Bird's Nest. It can hold 91,000 people at a time. It would take almost 50 of these stadiums to hold all the teen smokers in the United States.

3600

teens start smoking every day.
My high school had 2000 students. Can you imagine an more than one entire high school starting to smoke in one day?

1100
will become regular smokers.
Half of my high school would be smoking for the rest of their lives.

90%
of all people who smoke started before they were 21 years old.
So pretty much if your gonna start smoking you better do it before you turn 21 because it looks like when you turn 21 you finally get smart enough to realize that smoking is a bad choice.

20%
of high school seniors smoke at least one cigarette every day.
That's one out of every five seniors. Look around at your lunch table, which one of your five lunch buddies might be struggling with an addiction?

5.5%
of all 8th-graders smoke every day.
8th grade! That's 14 year olds! I wasn't even allowed to ride my bike around the neighborhood by myself at 14 let alone smoke cigarettes everyday. I think I'd rather be outside riding a bike than smoking though.

13%
of high school males use smokeless tobacco.
Ok smokeless tobacco, that means chew, snuff, you know spit tobacco. Gross. I would venture to say that another statistic might be that 13% of high school males aren't getting any kisses.

These statistics were found on the following websites:
Adolescent Smoking Statistics
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Kick Butts Day 2009

Wanna help in the fight against big tobacco?
Here is your chance! The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is sponsoring its annual Kick Butts Day next week. That's right! Wednesday, March 25, 2009 is Kick Butts Day. This is a day dedicated to empowering teens to have their voices heard. Next Wednesday teens across the nation will join in many activities to get the message out that big tobacco companies need to be stopped because smoking is causing so many problems in the United States. Some of the activities include creative demonstrations to let people know how bad the problem is locally and demonstrations to inform people of what really goes into cigarettes. These activities are fun and exciting and they really grab the attention of the public. If you want to get involved in your state it's really easy. Simply go to the map and find a Kick Butts Day event near you! Don't miss this great opportunity to be heard and make a difference!

STAND OUT… SPEAK UP… and SEIZE CONTROL AGAINST BIG TOBACCO!

What's Better than Smoking?

Some people might need some incentives to quit smoking so I've come up with a couple of things that are more fun than smoking.

Kissing: I have always found kissing to be a lot of fun. But I would venture to say that it's not a lot of fun to kiss someone with smoker's breath. Not to mention what kind of special pleasure it must bring to kiss someone with oral cancer! Do your significant other a favor and stop smoking.

Playing Football: Ah Football! Arguably the best sport in the world. You run to the sideline wide open and the QB throws you the perfect pass. The ball sticks to your fingertips as you dart to the end zone to score the game-winning touchdown. Now replay the scenario with emphysema, you're the one sitting on the sidelines watching. Wanna have fun? Quit smoking.


Belting your Favorite Song on a Roadtrip: What's more fun than driving across the country with a couple of your best buds at your side. You're driving along on that open stretch of highway, windows rolled down, wind in your hair, and your favorite song comes on the radio. You sing all the words you know and all the words you don't. These are the memories that stay with you forever, unless of course you've had a tracheostomy and you now have a hole in your throat
and you have to use a special machine just to talk.

How do I Kick the Habit?

So now you know how bad smoking really is and what it can do to your body. Not only that, smoking can burn a good size hole in your pocket. Wouldn't you rather spend your money on new clothes and shoes or a trip to the movies? Quitting smoking will help you save your money. At least you won't be spending it on something that is going to kill you!
So now you want to know how to kick the habit. Well for starters you have to make up your mind that that's what you want to do. Don't make the choice for anyone else but you. No one can make that decision for you. Once you make that choice you are well on your way to quitting. It might not be easy but I'll bet you're a bit tougher than those little cancer sticks that you might be addicted to. The TeensHealth website has a lot of suggestions for helping you stop smoking. It would be a good idea to search the Internet for advice. Here are some of there suggestions.

• Put it in writing: Write down your goal and be very specific. You can make a contract with yourself and sign it. This way you are making a commitment that you are more likely to follow through with.
• Get support: Tell the people you care about, if they know you are trying to quit they can help you. You may need someone to talk to or call whenever you get a craving. Having someone to talk you through that can be a big help.
• Set a date: Some people can stop cold-turkey but if that's not for you, set a date of when you want to be totally smoke free. Be realistic and plan a way to taper off your smoking habits so that you smoke less and less until you reach your quit date.
  
• Find your triggers: A lot of people need to smoke when they are stressed, when they want to relax, or maybe during a break at work. So find out what makes you want to smoke or what times of day you usually smoke. Then make a plan to try and avoid situations that will tempt you to smoke. You may have to stay away from friends who smoke or make other sacrifices. But you need to know what causes your cravings and have a plan to counteract them.
  
• There will be set-backs: Nicotine is very addictive so don't be discouraged if you mess up. Just realize that is part of the process, you can move forward from that point with a stronger determination to quit, don't give up on your goal.
• Reward yourself: Say you make a goal to smoke 5 cigarettes a day instead of 10. If you keep that goal, reward yourself. Go out to a movie, buy a new shirt, have a bowl of ice cream. Tell yourself that you are doing a good thing and you deserve a reward for your efforts, this will help you want to keep going until you quit for good!

These are all excellent suggestions for quitting smoking. Do some research and find out what methods will work best for you. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to quitting. You may need professional help as well, look for a smoking quit-line, a hot-line that you can call for support as you try to quit. There are many other options out there to help you quit so start looking and GOOD LUCK!

Other Support Resources
American Lung Association
Smokefree.gov

FAQ: Youth Smoking

How many adolescents smoke?
The American Lung Association estimates that 4.5 million adolescents are smokers! That's enough to fill Yankee Stadium over 88 times.

Do tobacco companies really target youth?
Tobacco companies say that they don't target youth with their advertisements. For example, Philip Morris, makers of Marlboro, Virginia Slims, Parliament and many other cigarette brands states, "While we want to grow our market share within the cigarette industry, we do not want adults to start smoking nor do we want kids to start smoking.

One study says, "For a study period of nearly ten years, popular youth cigarette brands were more likely than adult brands to be advertised in magazines with high youth readerships, researchers from Harvard University and the Boston University School of Public Health found.

"Our findings provide strong new evidence that cigarette brands popular among youth smokers are more likely to advertise in magazines with high levels of youth readership, that this relationship is not explained by levels of young adult readership in the magazines, and that this pattern of advertising persisted throughout at least a nine-year period during the late 1980s and early 1990s," said co-author of the study, Michael Siegel, MD, MPH. "

How many people die from smoking related causes?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that about, one of every five or about 438,000 deaths each year can be attributed to smoking. Of course, you don't die from smoking right away. It kills you slowly. Maybe if we break it down a little bit it will seem closer to home. So there are 440,000 per year, that makes 36,666 per month, 8,461 per week, 1,205 per day, 50 per hour. People are dying every day from smoking related illnesses.

What are the consequences of starting to smoke at a young age?
The longer you expose your body to cigarette smoke the more likely you are to experience adverse affects. A 2004 Surgeon General Report says that smoking will diminish your health overall, can contribute to cancers in many organs of the body (other than lung), it can also lead to cataracts and osteoporosis. This is in addition to all the terrible things listed in the previous post.

What makes it so hard for teens to stop once they start?
The nicotine that is found in cigarettes is one of the most addictive drugs known to man. Even in small quantities it can be incredibly addictive. After you have smoked a few cigarettes your body begins to recognize the nicotine as a substance that stimulates the brain. The brain likes to be stimulated in this way so the body starts to crave nicotine all the time. The only way to satisfy these strong cravings is to have another cigarette. This is how people get addicted to smoking. It's hard to stop because the body sends out signals saying that it needs more nicotine in order to feel good.

Why do teens start smoking in the first place?
Often teens start smoking to fit in. Being popular or feeling like you belong is a big part of growing up. As teens try to find their place in the social groups in school they may feel pressured to start smoking if their friends are doing it. Another reason teens smoke is because their relatives do and it seems normal and OK to do it. Another reason could be the fact that they are so highly targeted by the tobacco companies. Teens are very susceptible to cigarette advertisements so if they are seeing a lot of cigarette ads than chances are they may decide to start smoking.

Who smokes more, teenage boys or teenage girls?
According to CDC data from 2007 19% of females were current smokers and 21% of males were current smokers.

Where do minors get cigarettes?
Even though selling cigarettes to minors is illegal teens still manage to get cigarettes in their hands. Many find that it is perfectly easy to just go up to the cash register and ask for them. If the clerk doesn't card them they just got their supply of cigarettes. Teens can also purchase cigarettes online if they enter a birthday that makes them look old enough to purchase them. Many teens have older friends buy them for them, or they may get them from family members or friends.

Are smoking rates going up or down among teens?
Since the mid-1990's smoking rates among teens have been declining regularly but recent studies show that this trend is beginning to level off and rates are staying about the same.

How can I quit smoking if I am already addicted?
There are many sources available if you want to quit smoking. There are several websites and hot lines that you may find helpful. A future post will be dedicated to this topic. In the mean time visit some of the following websites to get you started on the path to a smoke free life!
smokefree.gov
whyquit.com
American Cancer Society