NOT ONLY CELEBRITIES DIE FROM SMOKING

You look up to some celebrities, maybe you want to resemble their style and glamour, but illness and death from tobacco related causes are not the traits you want to copy.

Joan Crawford

Sinatra & Martin

Clark Gable

Babe Ruth

Ed Sullivan

Humphrey Bogart

Patrick Swayze

Jacqueline Kennedy

John Wayne

George Harrison

Bette Davis

John Candy

Peter Jennings

Walter Matthau

Princess Margaret

If you are still smoking and want, need, think about, or even remotely consider the possibility of ceasing to smoke, come and take a look at the free e-books and videos that I have prepared for you,  the information there might be useful to help you make the decision and quit without suffering…

THERAPIES WITHOUT RISK

There are some kinds of therapy that do not bear any sort of damage or ill side effects to their users, and their results are as good, if not even better, than those described before, take a look:

NAME: ACUPUNCTURE / AURICULOTHERAPY

HOW IT WORKS: By stimulating several energy points of the body or of the ear, with needles, seeds or magnets, they restore the production of endorphins and other natural neurotransmitters, whose production has been inhibited by nicotine

HANDLES WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS: yes

HANDLES HABITS: No

DURATION OF TREATMENT: 1 to 5 sessions

REAL SUPPORT AND FOLLOW-UP: Varies, and it is only for withdrawal symptoms

SUBSTITUTES FOR ANOTHER ADDICTION (WEIGHT GAIN): It varies, depending on who’s administering the therapy; some also stimulate the specific points for hunger, to avoid excessive eating,

PROBABLE EFFECTS AND RISKS: None that is known about

RISKY DURING PREGNANCY AND BREASTFEEDING: No

INFORMS CONSUMERS ABOUT ITS RISKS: No known risks

ALTERS BRAIN CHEMISTRY: Yes, it stimulates the production of endorphins and other neurotransmitters

PROMOTES COGNITIVE CAPACITY: No

NAME: LOW LEVEL LASER

HOW IT WORKS: By stimulating several energy points of the body or of the ear, with the light of a low level laser, they restore the production of endorphins and other natural neurotransmitters, whose production has been inhibited by nicotine. It works the same as acupuncture and auriculotherapy, but is the least invasive method.

HANDLES WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS: Yes

HANDLES HABITS: No

DURATION OF TREATMENT: 1 to 5 sessions

REAL SUPPORT AND FOLLOW-UP: Varies, and it is only for withdrawal symptoms

SUBSTITUTES FOR ANOTHER ADDICTION (WEIGHT GAIN): It varies, depending on who’s administering the therapy; some also stimulate the specific points for hunger, to avoid excessive eating.

PROBABLE EFFECTS AND RISKS: None that is known about

RISKY DURING PREGNANCY AND BREASTFEEDING: No

INFORMS CONSUMERS ABOUT ITS RISKS: No known risks

ALTERS BRAIN CHEMISTRY: Yes, it stimulates the production of endorphins and other neurotransmitters

PROMOTES COGNITIVE CAPACITY: No

MY COMMENT: Acupuncture, auriculotherapy and low level laser therapies are very effective, especially in smokers whose addiction has a low psychological content, and best of all, there are absolutely no unwanted side effects. Their limited spreading is due to the fact that there is not a strong industry that benefits from them and therefore backs them. Their high effectiveness makes them the target of ungrounded criticism. The only deficiency in these therapies is that they do not handle the psychological aspect of addiction.

NAME: YES, I CAN QUIT Without suffering and in 10 days

HOW IT WORKS: By stimulating several energy points of the ear, with the light of a low level laser, the production of endorphins and other natural neurotransmitters (whose production has been inhibited by nicotine) is restored. Besides, by learning how to deal with them the habits are handled and extinguished. The smoker is prepared, previously to quitting, and once he is ready, he quits.

HANDLES WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS: Yes

HANDLES HABITS: Yes

DURATION OF TREATMENT: 10 days

REAL SUPPORT AND FOLLOW-UP: Yes

SUBSTITUTES FOR ANOTHER ADDICTION (WEIGHT GAIN): No. It includes a specific program for the ex-smoker to be compensated for the loss of the “pleasure” of smoking, and thus there is no substitution for food or any other addiction, aside of stimulating the hunger points.

PROBABLE EFFECTS AND RISKS: None

RISKY DURING PREGNANCY AND BREASTFEEDING: No

INFORMS CONSUMERS ABOUT ITS RISKS: No known risks

ALTERS BRAIN CHEMISTRY: Yes, it stimulates the production of endorphins and other neurotransmitters.ll

PROMOTES COGNITIVE CAPACITY: Yes

MY COMMENT: This therapy combines the efficiency of auriculotherapy and low level laser; and, in a simple and practical manner, it handles simultaneously the conditionings of tobacco, and besides it includes a system to avoid substituting nicotine for any other addiction (food, alcohol, gambling, etc.) There are no unwanted side effects.

OTHER SYSTEMS TO QUIT

These other systems are not intended to use drugs or nicotine replacement, but… The information here was furnished by different services providers

NAME: HYPNOSIS OR SELF-HYPNOSIS (Several methods)

HOW IT WORKS: By inducing hypnosis, some orders, suggestions or instructions are introduced, to be executed automatically during wake time.

HANDLES WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS: Usually they say that these do not exist, that those are responses created by the mind, that they are not physical.

HANDLES HABITS: No

DURATION OF TREATMENT: Varies from 1 to 10 sessions, according with the method.

REAL SUPPORT AND FOLLOW-UP: Varies, according with the method

SUBSTITUTES FOR ANOTHER ADDICTION (WEIGHT GAIN): It doesn’t offer support to avoid substituting tobacco with food or any other addiction. They do not consider the fact.

PROBABLE EFFECTS AND RISKS: Service providers indicate there are none

RISKY DURING PREGNANCY AND BREASTFEEDING: Unknown

INFORMS CONSUMERS ABOUT ITS RISKS: No

ALTERS BRAIN CHEMISTRY: Unknown

PROMOTES COGNITIVE CAPACITY: No

NAME: CONDUCT THERAPIES

 

 

HOW IT WORKS: Conduct group therapy, they generally use a drug or nicotine replacement therapy as a complement

HANDLES WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS: No

HANDLES HABITS: Partially, it depends on the method

DURATION OF TREATMENT: Varies, depending on the method

REAL SUPPORT AND FOLLOW-UP: Varies, depending on the method

SUBSTITUTES FOR ANOTHER ADDICTION (WEIGHT GAIN): It doesn’t offer support to avoid substituting tobacco with food or any other addiction. They do not consider the fact.

PROBABLE EFFECTS AND RISKS: The ones linked with the drugs and the nicotine replacement product they use

RISKY DURING PREGNANCY AND BREASTFEEDING: Yes, the same as above

INFORMS CONSUMERS ABOUT ITS RISKS: No

ALTERS BRAIN CHEMISTRY: Yes, the same ones linked with the drugs and the nicotine replacement product they use

PROMOTES COGNITIVE CAPACITY: No

COMMENT BY THE AUTHORS: Even though hypnosis is presented as some kind of meditation, it is far from being so, and its negative effects may be really severe. It may substitute, alter, increase and/or create internal conflicts, which the individual is not aware of, and which may translate into excessive weight gain or other reactions. Extreme vulnerability to post-hypnotic suggestions and orders may cause severe conflicts, and an array of unwanted side effects, problems that didn’t exist before suddenly appear.

Unfortunately, conduct group therapies are just a complement to drugs and nicotine replacement, but they do not avoid their severe risks. There are also some therapies that are advertised as conduct therapies, where at the end of the session there is hypnosis, without the expressed acceptance by the participants.

I appreciate your comments very much!

PRODUCTS THAT CAUSE REJECTION

The products described here produce different kinds of rejection to smoking, the description of the products is as published by their manufacturers.

NAME: MOUTH WASH (Several brands)

HOW IT WORKS: The active substances produce foul mouth taste when smoking

HANDLES WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS: No

HANDLES HABITS: No

DURATION OF TREATMENT: 2 to 3 weeks

REAL SUPPORT AND FOLLOW-UP: No

SUBSTITUTES FOR ANOTHER ADDICTION (WEIGHT GAIN): It doesn’t offer support to avoid substituting tobacco with food or any other addiction. They do not consider the fact.

PROBABLE EFFECTS AND RISKS: Manufacturers do not indicate risks

RISKY DURING PREGNANCY AND BREASTFEEDING: Manufacturers do not indicate anything on the subject

INFORMS CONSUMERS ABOUT ITS RISKS: No

ALTERS BRAIN CHEMISTRY: Manufacturers do not indicate anything on the subject

PROMOTES COGNITIVE CAPACITY: No

NAME: HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES (Several brands)

 

HOW THEY WORK: Do not indicate how they work, nor what do they contain

HANDLES WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS: They indicate that they produce relief from the need of nicotine, of withdrawal symptoms, and from smoking symptoms

HANDLES HABITS: No

DURATION OF TREATMENT: No indication

REAL SUPPORT AND FOLLOW-UP: No

SUBSTITUTES FOR ANOTHER ADDICTION (WEIGHT GAIN): It doesn’t offer support to avoid substituting tobacco with food or any other addiction. They do not consider the fact.

PROBABLE EFFECTS AND RISKS: Manufacturer indicates there are none

RISKY DURING PREGNANCY AND BREASTFEEDING: Not indicated

INFORMS CONSUMERS ABOUT ITS RISKS: No

ALTERS BRAIN CHEMISTRY: Since its components are not disclosed, it is not possible to know

PROMOTES COGNITIVE CAPACITY: No

MY COMMENT: In both cases there are no indications as to what do the products contain nor how do they work, therefore it is not possible to know neither their effectiveness nor their potential risks; besides, once again, the smoker is on its own regarding the psychological aspect of his addiction. Regarding the mouthwash, the smoker learns very easily that by eating something the effect of the mouthwash disappears, and they can resume smoking without the nasty taste.

Next week we’ll continue with this series, thanks for your appreciation on this subject!

NICOTINE REPLACEMENT THERAPIES

Today we’ll see what are considered the most used methods to stop smoking. The description of the products is as published by their manufacturers.

 

NAME: Chewing gum (several brands)

HOW IT WORKS: The nicotine contained in the product penetrates the body via the mouth tissue

HANDLES WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS: Yes, partially, depending on the frequency of use of the product

HANDLES HABITS: No

DURATION OF TREATMENT: 7 weeks

REAL SUPPORT AND FOLLOW-UP: Some manufacturers offer online

SUBSTITUTES FOR ANOTHER ADDICTION (WEIGHT GAIN): It doesn’t offer support to avoid substituting tobacco with food or any other addiction. They do not consider the fact.

PROBABLE EFFECTS AND RISKS: This material may produce stimulation to the central nervous system, and skin reactions on contact

RISKY DURING PREGNANCY AND BREASTFEEDING: Unknown to the manufacturer.

INFORMS CONSUMERS ABOUT ITS RISKS: Information is scarce and in very small print. Very often the prescriber doesn’t make sure that the patient knows and understands the risks.

ALTERS BRAIN CHEMISTRY: Yes, it is nicotine

PROMOTES COGNITIVE CAPACITY: No

 

NAME: TRANSDERMAL PATCH (Several brands)

HOW IT WORKS: The “Therapeutic Nicotine” contained in the product is released along 24 hours, and penetrates the body via the skin

HANDLES WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS: It reduces them

HANDLES HABITS: No

DURATION OF TREATMENT: 10 to 12 weeks

REAL SUPPORT AND FOLLOW-UP: Online

SUBSTITUTES FOR ANOTHER ADDICTION (WEIGHT GAIN): It doesn’t offer support to avoid substituting tobacco with food or any other addiction. They do not consider the fact.

PROBABLE EFFECTS AND RISKS: Skin rash, hives, itching, skin reddening and inflammation, difficulty breathing

RISKY DURING PREGNANCY AND BREASTFEEDING: Unknown to the manufacturer.

INFORMS CONSUMERS ABOUT ITS RISKS: Information is scarce and in very small print. Very often the prescriber doesn’t make sure that the patient knows and understands the risks.

ALTERS BRAIN CHEMISTRY: Yes, it is nicotine

PROMOTES COGNITIVE CAPACITY: No

 

NAME: LOZENGES (Several brands)

HOW IT WORKS: The nicotine contained in the product is slow and gradually absorbed via the mouth tissue

HANDLES WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS: Works as a temporary aid to reduce them.

HANDLES HABITS: No

DURATION OF TREATMENT: 12 weeks

REAL SUPPORT AND FOLLOW-UP: On line

SUBSTITUTES FOR ANOTHER ADDICTION (WEIGHT GAIN): On line they offer advice to refrain from eating excessively

PROBABLE EFFECTS AND RISKS: Insomnia, nausea, hiccups, cough, heart burn, headaches, flatulence; due to overdose: nausea, vomit, dizziness, weakness and tachycardia.

RISKY DURING PREGNANCY AND BREASTFEEDING: Unknown to the manufacturer.

INFORMS CONSUMERS ABOUT ITS RISKS: Information is scarce and in very small print. Very often the prescriber doesn’t make sure that the patient knows and understands the risks.

ALTERS BRAIN CHEMISTRY: Yes, it is nicotine

PROMOTES COGNITIVE CAPACITY: No

 

NAME: E-CIGARETTE (Several brands)

HOW IT WORKS: By inhaling or aspiring through the nozzle, nicotine turns into vapor and is absorbed by the mouth and the throat

HANDLES WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS: It can reduce them, because it is nicotine

HANDLES HABITS: No

DURATION OF TREATMENT: 3 to 6 months

REAL SUPPORT AND FOLLOW-UP: No

SUBSTITUTES FOR ANOTHER ADDICTION (WEIGHT GAIN): It doesn’t offer support to avoid substituting tobacco with food or any other addiction. They do not consider the fact.

PROBABLE EFFECTS AND RISKS: Irritation of mouth and throat, cough, upset stomach, nose burning, nasal secretion, sore throat, watery eyes, sneezing

RISKY DURING PREGNANCY AND BREASTFEEDING: Yes, it is inhaled nicotine

INFORMS CONSUMERS ABOUT ITS RISKS: Information is scarce and in very small print. Very often the prescriber doesn’t make sure that the patient knows and understands the risks.

ALTERS BRAIN CHEMISTRY: Yes, it is nicotine

PROMOTES COGNITIVE CAPACITY: No

 

NAME: NICOTINE NASAL SPRAY (Several brands)

HOW IT WORKS: It is sprayed into both nostrils and nicotine is absorbed

HANDLES WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS: Helps to alleviate them

HANDLES HABITS: No

DURATION OF TREATMENT: Not recommended for use over six months

REAL SUPPORT AND FOLLOW-UP: No

SUBSTITUTES FOR ANOTHER ADDICTION (WEIGHT GAIN): It doesn’t offer support to avoid substituting tobacco with food or any other addiction. They do not consider the fact.

PROBABLE EFFECTS AND RISKS: Irritation in mouth and throat, nausea, diarrhea, hiccups, headaches, influenza-like symptoms, pain, back pain, allergies, flatulence, fever. Poisoning symptoms that are potentially fatal for children and pets

RISKY DURING PREGNANCY AND BREASTFEEDING: It may adversely affect either the mother or the fetus.

INFORMS CONSUMERS ABOUT ITS RISKS: Information is scarce and in very small print. Very often the prescriber doesn’t make sure that the patient knows and understands the risks.

ALTERS BRAIN CHEMISTRY: Yes, it is nicotine

PROMOTES COGNITIVE CAPACITY: No

MY COMMENT: Removing nicotine addiction with nicotine? It is like removing tequila addiction with tequila! The addiction to nicotine continues, and the habits, which may be as strong as the chemical addiction, remain untouched, and it is for the smoker the responsibility of dealing with them, or not, however he can. Besides, some manufacturers indicate “industrial secret ingredients”, which we don’t’ know what they are, and therefore ignore their effects.

Next week I’ll continue with this series, I’ll meet you here!

DRUGS TO QUIT SMOKING

Today I will start the series of entries where I analyze the most popular quitting methods, and I’ll start with DRUGS

The description of how these drugs work, as well as their effects, is provided by their manufacturers

And you may want to follow this link…

http://whyquit.com/videos/FDA-SHOW74-SEG3.MPG

NAME: CHANTIX, CHAMPIX, Active substance: Varenicline

HOW IT WORKS: It addresses to the nicotine receptors of the brain, attaches to them and blocks them so that nicotine doesn´t land on them. When these nicotine receptors are activated, it is believed that Chantix causes less dopamine to be liberated, when compared with nicotine.

HANDLES WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS: It helps to reduce them by 30%

HANDLES HABITS: No

DURATION OF TREATMENT: 12 weeks

REAL SUPPORT AND FOLLOW-UP: Hot line is offered.

SUBSTITUTES FOR ANOTHER ADDICTION (WEIGHT GAIN): It doesn’t offer support to avoid substituting tobacco with food or any other addiction. Weight gain is among the probable effects and risks.

PROBABLE EFFECTS AND RISKS: Several and with different levels of dangerousness, among them: nausea, vomit, diarrhea, headaches, insomnia, tremors, palpitations, acne, excessive sweating, gastritis, sexual dysfunction, abnormal semen, flatulence, hypertension, weight gain, mood swings, hostility, depression, suicidal thoughts or actions, anxiety, panic attacks, aggression, mania, abnormal sensations, hallucinations, paranoia, confusion, skin reactions, and life threatening allergic reactions.

RISKY DURING PREGNANCY AND BREASTFEEDING: Yes

INFORMS CONSUMERS ABOUT ITS RISKS: Information is scarce and in very small print. Very often the prescriber doesn’t make sure that the patient knows and understands the risks.

ALTERS BRAIN CHEMISTRY: Yes

PROMOTES COGNITIVE CAPACITY: No

NAME: ZYBAN (WELLBUTRIN) Active substance: Bupropion

HOW IT WORKS: The mechanism through which Zyban enhances the ability of patients to refrain from smoking is unknown. Though it is presumed that this action is mediated by noradrenergic and/or dopaminergic mechanisms.

HANDLES WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS: No indication

HANDLES HABITS: No

DURATION OF TREATMENT: 7 weeks

REAL SUPPORT AND FOLLOW-UP: No

SUBSTITUTES FOR ANOTHER ADDICTION (WEIGHT GAIN): It doesn’t offer support to avoid substituting tobacco with food or any other addiction. They do not consider the fact.

PROBABLE EFFECTS AND RISKS: Serious neuropsychiatric events, including but not limited to depression, mania, homicide ideation, suicide attempts, suicides performed, paranoia, psychosis, hallucinations, agitation, anxiety, panic attacks, conduct or thought changes.

RISKY DURING PREGNANCY AND BREASTFEEDING: Yes

INFORMS CONSUMERS ABOUT ITS RISKS: Information is scarce and in very small print. Very often the prescriber doesn’t make sure that the patient knows and understands the risks.

ALTERS BRAIN CHEMISTRY: Yes

PROMOTES COGNITIVE CAPACITY: No

MY COMMENT: The risks stated here appear in documents published by the manufacturers, so we question: how come someone prescribe these drugs? If they know about the risks, too bad, and if they don’t, it’s also too bad. Depression, suicide attempts, homicide ideation… are these acceptable risks for quitting? Besides, it is very common that smokers who suffer one or several of these side effects, mistake them for withdrawal symptoms, so they feel that quitting is much more difficult than it really is, and will hardly try quitting again, out of fear of those effects, which they ignore that were caused by the drug.

What do you feel about this?

WHICH IS THE RIGHT QUITTING METHOD FOR ME?

I will give you here a compilation of the most popular methods and systems to quit smoking available at present, new offers are constantly appearing, each one of them being more or less effective and secure, with their pros and cons. The information herein is provided by the manufacturers of each product; the bases of my judgments regarding any one of the solutions are the specific references given to me by smokers who used them.

It is my intention that with this information it will be possible for you to avoid unnecessary exposure to unnecessary risks due to lack of information, be it voluntary or involuntary, from manufacturers, providers of the services, and from those who prescribe them; it is also my aim to prevent the possibility of shattering the decision to quit of those who fail because of deficient systems.

I’m aware that there are a number of reasons why a method fails, some due to the method itself, and some others are attributed to the smoker, and in some cases it is due to both the method and the smoker.

Of course, with a good method the success rate is higher, and with a good attitude the success rate is raised as well, if these two conditions are given together, they are devastating for the addiction.

Unfortunately, with a poor attitude no method is good enough.

Anyway, the most common cause of failure is the fact that the tobacco issue is addressed just from one angle, being this the psychological or the physiological component of the addiction; so, if the method or system chosen is of a psychological nature, they leave the smoker on its own when it comes to the withdrawal symptoms, in which case most of them smokers don’t have a clue on what to do, other than using “will power”, which not all of them have, and so, not all of them can defeat nicotine; in other words, they are doomed to failure or to unnecessary effort.

On the other hand, there are those who claim to be able to handle the physiological aspect with substances that modify brain chemistry, which they are very far from doing effectively and without risks. But supposing that it was true that they handle the physical aspect, they would anyway leave untouched the very important psychological aspect. So the treatment, the solution, is once again incomplete, insufficient, partial.

In my next entry I will start with this analysis and I hope you will have the necessary elements so you can easily choose the solution that’s best fit for you.

 

TOBACCO: TARGETING THE KIDS

In the U.S. every day 3,000 people quit, plus 1,500 die of smoking related causes, which means that the tobacco companies lose 4,500 clients per day. In order to maintain their sales level, they need to replace the lost clients, this is why their strategies are aimed at teenagers.

Why do they smoke, if we see so many anti-tobacco campaigns? The American Lung Association estimates that every minute 4,800 teenagers will take their first puff, from them, approximately 2,000 will turn into compulsive smokers.

The number of teenager smokers has risen in the last 20 years. Approximately 19% of male teenagers smoke regularly, and in female teenagers it is 27%, besides, women smoke more cigarettes per day than men.

To achieve this, tobacco companies have spent millions of dollars studying teenagers, to determine which stimuli will make them want to smoke; this is important for them because their studies show that the younger they start smoking, the deeper the addiction, this is because nicotine and the addictive additives will reach a brain still in formation, so they will develop what is called a “nico-brain”, which is an organ so severely addicted, that it alters the thinking patterns to make them want to keep being addicted, no matter what. Despite the negative experiences they might have had, like watching the suffering and loss of a loved one to tobacco.

The means used by tobacco companies are several, mainly:

SEX.- Tobacco companies pay so that in films sex is associated with smoking, the message they want to deliver is that smoking is a part of having sex, and that if they don’t smoke they will not get sex. Advertisements enhance the “macho” character for boys and the “sexy and liberated” character for girls.

SENSE OF BELONGING.- We humans have the tribal instinct, we want to belong to our group, and tobacco companies know this all too well, so they give away T-shirts, lighters and other very “cool” objects so that teenagers have them to identify with each other, and the others want to belong to the group. In the U.S., R.J. Reynolds bought the “Weekly Reader”, which is a magazine for children, so they start sending, at that early age, the message that smoking is “cool”

MOVIES.- The tobacco companies pay so that their products and brands appear in films, always in pleasant situations, for instance, in “Independence Day”, each important event in the plot is celebrated with a cigar, so that the film is a looong advertisement. They know that youngsters who admire smoking movie stars are the ones who start earlier.

ENTERTAINMENT.- Tobacco companies sponsor musical and sports events aimed specifically at teenagers, and they make sure to give away tons of cigarettes and cool promotional objects with their logos.

BODY WEIGHT.- It has been emphasized that smoking helps to keep weight down, so it has been turned into a valuable tool for girls who want to stay slim. This is why a huge proportion of bulimic and anorexic people are chain smokers.

DESIGN.- The packs, as well as their advertising are designed with shapes, colors and textures that are attractive and modern, specially aimed at the young ones, and mostly to girls. Also very important is the positioning of the packs in the stores, always trying to place them next to candies for children, so that from a very early age they grow accustomed to their presence.

As you can see there is a huge marketing strategy working 24/7 to get more clients and keep the existing ones.

CELEBRITIES WHO DIED OF TOBACCO RELATED CAUSES

This is a list that does not pretend to be complete, it includes movie stars, entertainers and celebrities who were smokers and died of causes directly related to smoking, some of them were really young…

• Bill Hicks, 32, Comedian * Pancreatic Cancer
• Lorraine Hansberry, 34, Writer Lung Cancer
• Bob Marley, 36, Reggae singer * Lung Cancer
• Carrie Hamilton, 38, Actress, * Lung Cancer
• Wilhelmina Cooper, 40, Model * Lung Cancer
• Eric Carr, 41, Musician * Lung Cancer
• Carolina Knapp, 42, Writer *Lung Cancer
• John Candy, 43, actor,*Heart attack
• Judy Holliday, 43, Actress * Throat Cancer
• Scott Fitzgerald, 44, writer, *Heart attack
• Nat “King” Cole, 45, Singer * Lung Cancer
• Lon Chaney, 47, Actor/Director * Lung Cancer
• Graham Chapman, 48, Comedian * Throat Cancer
• Enrico Caruso, 48, opera singer, *Abscesses from pleurisy of the lungs
• Mary Wells, 49, Singer * Larynx Cancer
• Jack Cassidy, 50, Actor * Died in a fire caused by smoking in bed
• Errol Flynn, 50, Actor *Heart Attack
• Steve McQueen, 50, Actor * Lung Cancer
• Jim Varney, 50, Comedian * Lung Cancer
• Rod Serling, 51, Director * Heart Disease
• Carl Wilson, 51, Musician * Lung Cancer
• Wayne Mclaren, 51, “Marlboro Cowboy” * Lung Cancer
• Roger Maris, 51, Baseball player * Lung Cancer
• Robert Shaw, 51, Actor * Heart Attack
• Lloyd Haynes, 52, Actor * Lung Cancer
• Eddie Kendrick, 52, Singer * Lung Cancer
• Roy Orbison, 52, Singer * Heart Attack
• Babe Ruth, 53, Baseball player * Oral Cancer
• Jerry Garcia, 53, Musician * Heart Attack
• Jimmy Dorsey, 53, Musician, Band Director * Lung Cancer
• Lindley “Spike” Jones, 53, Band Director * Emphysema
• William Talman, 53, Actor * Lung Cancer
• Michael Landon, 54, Actor * Pancreas and Liver Cancer
• Krzystof Kieslowski, 54, film director, *Heart attack
• Mark Belanger, 54, Baseball player * Lung Cancer
• Larry Gilbert, 55, PGA Golfer * Lung Cancer
• Susan Hayward, 55, Actress * Lung Cancer
• Lee Remick, 55, Actress * Lung and Liver Cancer
• Doug Mclure, 56, TV Actor * Lung Cancer
• Betty Grable, 56, “Pin-Up Girl”, Actress * Lung Cancer
• King George VI, 56, Father of Queen Elizabeth II * Lung Cancer, heart attack
• Ian Fleming, 56, Creator of James Bond * Heart Attack
• Eddie Rabbitt, 56, Singer, composer * Lung Cancer
• Humphrey Bogart, 57, Actor * Esophageal Cancer
• Will Thornbury, 57, Model of Camel * Lung Cancer
• Edward R. Murrow, 57, Reporter * Lung Cancer
• Wolfman Jack, 57, Disk Jockey * Heart Attack
• Patrick Swayze, 57, Actor and dancer * Pancreatic Cancer
• Robert Taylor, 57, actor, *Lung cancer
• George Harrison, 58, Musician * Lung and Brain Cancer
• Gracie Allen, 58, Actress * Heart Attack
• R.J. Reynolds, 58, Founder of the tobacco company bearing his name * Emphysema
• R.J. Reynolds, III, 59, Heir of the same tobacco company * Emphysema
• Anne Ramsey, 59, Actress * Throat Cancer
• Clark Gable, 59, Actor, * Heart Attack
• Gary Cooper, 60, Actor, * Lung Cancer
• Bob Fosse, 60, dancer/choreographer, *Heart attack
• Jesse Owens, 66, track star,1936 Gold Medal winner, *Lung cancer
• General Ulysses S. Grant, 63, 18th President of the US, *Throat cancer
• Jacqueline Kennedy, 64, First Lady, * Non-Hodgkins Linfoma
• Walt Disney, 65, Animator and producer* Lung Cancer
• Yul Brynner, 65, Actor,* Lung Cancer
• Sammy Davis Jr., 65, Entertainer, * Throat Cancer
• Hubert Humphrey, 66,Vice-President, *Bladder cancer
• Lee Marvin, 67, actor, *Heart attack.
• Peter Jennings, 67, ABC News Anchor man, * Throat Cancer
• Spencer Tracy, 67, Actor, * Heart Attack
• Joan Crawford, 68, Actress, * Liver Cancer
• Melina Mercouri, 68, actress, *Lung cancer
• Dmitri Shostakovich, 69, composer, *Lung cancer
• Desi Arnaz, 69, Entertainer, * Lung Cancer
• King Edward VII of England, 69, *Pneumonia
• King George V of England, 70 *Viral respiratory infection.
• Suzanne Pleshette, 70 Actress, * Lung Cancer
• Buster Keaton, 71, deadpan silent film actor, *Lung cancer
• Princess Margaret, 71, sister of Queen Elizabeth II, *Stroke/heart attack
• George C.Scott, 71, actor, *Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm
• Lou Rawls, 72, singer, *Lung cancer
• John Wayne, 72, Actor, * Lung and Gastric Cancer + Bypass surgery
• Ed Sullivan, 73, TV Show host, * Lung and esophageal Cancer
• Noel Coward, 73, playwright, entertainer,*Heart attack
• Ann Richards, 73, Texas Governor, *Aesophageal cancer
• Jean-Paul Sartre, 74, philosopher, author, *Edema of the lungs
• Rosemary Clooney, 74, singer, actress, *Lung cancer
• Duke Ellington, 75, Musician and Band Director * Lung Cancer
• T.S.Eliot, 76, author, poet, *Emphysema
• Vittorio Gassman, 77, Italian Actor, author, *Heart attack
• King Edward VIII of England, 77, *Throat cancer.
• Ayn Rand, 78, author/philosopher, *Heart failure/lung cancer
• Dean Martin, 78, Singer/Actor, * Emphysema
• Johnny Carson, 79, TV Show host, * Emphysema + Quadruple Bypass
• Bill Blass, 79, fashion designer, *Throat cancer
• Walter Matthau, 79, actor, *Heart attack.
• Robert Mitchum, 79, actor, *Emphysema, lung cancer
• Edward G. Robinson, 80, Actor, * Lung Cancer
• Bette Davis, 81, Actress, * Breast Cancer
• Cantinflas, 81, Mexican comedian,*Lung cancer
• John Huston, 81, director, *Emphysema/pneumonia
• Boris Karloff, 81, actor, *Heart and lung disease
• Pat Nixon, 81, First Lady of the US, *Mouth and lung cancer, emphysema
• Vincent Price, 82, actor, *Lung cancer
• Frank Sinatra, 82, singer, *Heart attack, bladder cancer, early Alzheimer’s and stroke.
• Barbara Stanwyck, 82, actress, *Congestive heart failure
• Cary Grant, 82, Actor, * Stroke
• Sigmund Freud, 83, psychiatrist, *Cancer of the jaw
• Joe Di Maggio, 84, baseball player, * Lung Cancer
• Groucho Marx, 86, actor/entertainer, *Lung cancer.

How many more will be added to this list?

WHO’S HELPING TO KEEP ME HOOKED?

As we are about to see, the creativity of the industry knows no boundaries when they are seeking expansion, and along with other mercenary industries, they enthusiastically work to increase their client network…

HOLLYWOOD AND ITS HARMFUL ROLE

The tobacco industry joined Hollywood in 1927, when talking movies appeared. In the 30’s and 40’s two out of every three movie stars advertised cigarettes. Classic films like “Casablanca”, even up to date help promote smoking; some of the celebrities that helped most to increase its sales were: Clark Gable, Cary Grant, Spencer Tracy, Joan Crawford, John Wayne, Bette Davis, and Betty Grable: they all died of causes directly related to smoking.

Films are better than any TV commercial or printed ad, because the public is not aware that they are being advertised was the message Hollywood sent to tobacco companies.

Cigarettes and their advertisements are carefully positioned in positive situations, and whenever they appear in a negative situation, you can never see the brand.

The producers of “A license to kill” were paid several hundred thousands of dollars so that James Bond smoked Larks; Sylvester Stallone was paid $500,000 dollars to smoke a certain brand in 3 movies; even in The Muppets’ film Phillip Morris placed its products!!!

In the awarded film “Avatar”, the scientist, who is a great character, the first thing she asks for when she comes back are her cigarettes!

In the 70’s and 80’s, there was a decrease in the number of scenes with cigarettes in movies, but in the 90’s it increased back to the same levels of the 60’s, even though people who go to the movies smoke less than they did in the 50’s and 60’s.

Studies made on the subject report that in movies in the 60’s one cigarette was smoked every 5 minutes, in the 70’s and 80’s, it was one every 10 to 15 minutes, but since the 90’s a cigarettes is smoked, or is mentioned, or cigarette smoke or a brand appears every 3 to 5 minutes. Take a close look the next time you watch a movie, and you’ll find this to be astonishingly true!

In a study made in 2006, it was found that 90% of the scenes containing cigarettes belong to films by the major studios, so it was concluded that these studios are the main providers of teen-age smokers to the industry, since teenagers who admire smoking stars, are more prone to start the addiction; this is why the tobacco companies pay hefty bonuses to “paparazzi” who take pictures of actors and actresses while smoking or cigarette in hand.

Next time I’ll share with you a list of celebrities who died from tobacco related causes