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By the numbers: The Economist put together a great infographic, visualizing the information provided by a new study from the University of Buffalo’s Gary Giovino. Printed in The Lancet, Giovino’s new study closely examines tobacco use, among 3 billion people in 16 countries, offers an interesting look at the gender, age, and economic affluency of those who choose to use. source
» That brings the grand total to $600 million: Michael Bloomberg’s spent hundreds of millions to fight smoking globally through his charitable foundation. The NYC mayor, who calls tobacco ”a scourge all over the world,” plans to use the money to fund legal challenges against smoking in low-and-moderate-income countries where smoking is widespread, including Russia, China and India. Bloomberg’s anti-smoking efforts in NYC (which included increasing cigarette taxes and encouraging directors not to film actors smoking in films) have met with success; the smoking rate has dropped in the city. Bloomberg might face trouble in China, however: Smoking is a very common part of socializing in the region and cigarettes cost less than a dollar a pack, and China relies heavily on tax revenues raised through packs of cigarettes.
Starting next year, cigarettes Will have to put warnings like this on all their packs. The graphic warnings will cover up about half of the pack — both front and back. (For a slideshow of the graphic images, check here.) They should hit around September of next year. While the FDA says that this will help people quit, others say smokers are already aware of the risk they take when they light up. It’s also worth noting that other countries have had much harsher warnings on their cigarettes for years, and studies have shown they’ve helped people quit smoking. Either way, tobacco companies aren’t happy with this, and neither are many smokers. What do you think? source
Never a bad time: The new, concerning report on cell phone use isn’t the only place you’ll hear the word “carcinogenic” being used today; May 31st is World No Tobacco Day, a cause that could probably benefit from a slightly less clunky title. The World Health Organization estimates that some 6 million people die each year from tobacco-related illness. Anti-smoking measures within the U.S. have blossomed over the last decade, with smoking bans in public places, restaurants, and bars becoming more and more prevalent across the states — check here for a list of smoking bans applicable in your area. source
» Won’t someone please think of the CHILD-REN?! Some groups are coming out against the Johnny Depp film as a result, saying that there are so many scenes of characters smoking in “Rango,” they need a DVD to get a firm number. ”A lot of kids are going to start smoking because of this movie,” said Stanton Glantz, an anti-tobacco activist and official at the University of California-San Francisco. While they have a point, is it really worth all this hand-wringing?
» Yes, it’s illegal: Bhutan banned the practice of smoking in the country way back in 2005, and last year tightened the grip further by working to prevent smuggling. For his part, Tshering, who was in tears after the ruling, says that he should have been punished, but “but the penalty could have been lighter. I wasn’t aware about the act.”
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