Blowing smoke over secondhand smoke
A blog entry on Respectful Insolence, by “Orac”: Blowing smoke over secondhand smoke. Excerpt: “We already know that smoking causes cancer and heart disease; it is thus plausible that exposure to secondhand smoke would be likely to cause cancer as well, just at a decreased rate because of its much lower dose.”
A defective product that should be recalled
This letter to the editor was published (in a slightly edited form) in the Vancouver Sun on July 16, 2007:
“China the leading source of recalled products” (July 9) raises the question, “When will China itself, as well as Canada, the U.S. and all other supposedly ‘civilized nations’ of the world begin to recall the most defective, disease-causing, debilitating and deadly product of all?
It maims and kills more people than alcohol (including drunk driving), crack, cocaine, heroin, AIDS, homicide, suicide, car accidents and fires, plus all of the 431 Chinese-made products that have been recalled in Canada since 2005…COMBINED!!!
It’s a product which, when used exactly as intended by the manufacturer, currently kills about 5 million people a year. And that figure is expected to double over the next 12 years.
Amazingly, about 65 per cent of all men in China use the product, including 60% of male doctors there.
The product: Tobacco.
Please, join Airspace Action on Smoking and Health — Canada’s leading all-volunteer anti-tobacco organization — in its efforts to, ultimately, totally eradicate the tobacco industry from the face of the planet.
Feel free to laugh at us and say, “It’ll never happen!”
We’ve heard that virtually every step of the way…most notably, just prior to smoking bans in grocery stores, on airlines, in restaurants and bars and, most recently, in multi-unit dwellings (apartments, condos, duplexes, etc.), as well as in parks, on beaches, etc….and, quite frankly, hearing that just inspires us all the more.
Errol E. Povah
Delta, BC
Former New York Mayor calls for outlawing cigarettes
Ed Koch, the former Mayor of New York City, has written this: SMOKE OUT: It’s time to outlaw the manufacture and sale of tobacco products in the U.S..
Excerpt: “Those who use tobacco products should not be deemed criminals, only those who engage in the manufacture and sale of these products.”
Litter Letter published in July, 07 All Point Bulletin (Point Roberts, WA)
The following letter was published, verbatim, in the July, 07 All Point Bulletin (Point Roberts, WA):
Dear Editor:
I try to catch the APB as often as possible, but sometimes it’s a little hit and miss. Such was the case with the June issue: I didn’t come across it until June 10 which was, unfortunately, the day after the “Point Roberts Community LITTER CLEAN-UP” (the ad for it was on page 4).
I would’ve gladly participated in the clean-up had I known about it sooner. That said, I can — with a great deal of certainty — predict what the #1 leading type of litter picked up that day was, by far…and, quite frankly, I’m totally fed up with cleaning up after piggish smokers.
I have no idea what percentage of all smokers fall into the “piggish” category, but how is it that only about 15% of the population is directly responsible for 60%, 70% or more of all litter? And, if I may be so bold, I would suggest that smokers are responsible for most of the ‘non-tobacco-related‘ litter too! After all, those who don’t think twice about tossing (often still-smoldering) butts out of their car windows or onto the street they’re walking along wouldn’t likely be too concerned about tossing any other kind of garbage either (candy/gum/chocolate bar wrappers, etc.).
Smoking banned on patios in Victoria
Victoria, BC has reclaimed its position as one of the toughest cities to find a place to smoke in. Story from the Globe and Mail:
Smokers told to get their butts off the patios