The Real Truth about Tobacco – Part 3

Dear World

World No Tobacco Day 2019

Simple Living Global has reported on this topic in 2017 and 2018 on World No Tobacco Day.

We have extensively covered throughout in a simple and easy to read format for every reader to get the Real Truth about Tobacco, which includes the stats, facts and many questions to consider.

The purpose is to bring more awareness so that we can learn and understand more about Tobacco.

There is enough evidence over the past century telling us clearly that Tobacco is killing us and yet we seem to want more and more proof of what it is doing to the human frame.

This 3 part should be more than enough proof, which requires nothing more and nothing less as it speaks volumes for those who are ready to take note.

This is the final part in our series – The Real Truth about Tobacco and the various forms we have created to ingest and inhale this toxic substance.

GLOBAL

1.1 BILLION SMOKERS

7 million each year die from Tobacco

The Tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced.
World Health Organization | 2018 (1)

Over 1 billion smokers on earth

What exactly is this telling us all

Everyone knows that smoking is not for human consumption but yet we have a very large population doing exactly that – in all the various forms that we keep on creating.

WHY

Is anyone really listening to the statement last year from the World Health Organization.

How have we got to this point where we have a lifestyle choice that has become one of the biggest public health threats that our world has ever faced.

What is the real cost to humanity if we continue on this ill road in life, with a substance that has become so popular for various reasons. 

What is the cost to our health systems because we choose to use Tobacco for our pleasure.

What is the pain and suffering that is waiting along the road if we continue with Tobacco in any form.

What is needed to turn the tides once and for all

GLOBAL

Tobacco Markets | 2019 – 2024
Focus on Cigarettes | Roll your Own | Cigars | Cigarillos | Smokeless Tobacco

8.2 million tons – Global Tobacco Market | 2018

9.1 million tons by 2024 – market projection

70 species of Tobacco known – N. tabacum remains chief commercial crop

Tobacco contains a colourless volatile alkaloid – nicotine, which is responsible for

  • constricting peripheral blood vessels
  • increasing blood pressure
  • raising heart rate
  • stimulating brain functions

Dried Tobacco leaves are used for smoking in cigarettes | cigars | pipes | shisha

Chewing Tobacco used as snuff | snus | dipping tobacco

Global Tobacco Market Drivers/Constraints

The demand for Tobacco has recently witnessed a shift from the developed regions to the developing nations such as Asia and consumers increased income levels, larger populations and lenient government regulations. Introduction of numerous premium Tobacco products such as flavoured, long and skinny, coloured and e-cigarettes by the manufacturers has further created a positive outlook for the growth of the tobacco market.

A surge in investments in the research and development has resulted in the introduction of products with reduced levels of toxicants. This has helped in attracting a larger consumer-base for Tobacco products.

Higher levels of education along with rising awareness about health concerns related to Tobacco consumption, such as different types of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, pulmonary diseases etc., has hampered the growth of the market.

Apart from this, stringent regulations in the developed countries further restricts the market growth.

Type Insights

On the basis of type, the market has been segregated into cigarettes, roll your own, cigars, cigarillos, smokeless tobacco and others.

Currently, cigarettes represent the most popular product type, accounting for the majority of the global market. Their rising demand can be attributed to the surging population and tax regulations, especially in the developing countries.

Regional Insights

China has the leading position in the global tobacco market due to an increase in the production of tobacco leaves in the region. As smoking is considered cool among the younger generations, there has been a constant demand for tobacco in the country.

Other major regions include India | Brazil | United States | EU 15

Competitive Landscape

The market is highly concentrated with the presence of three large manufacturers which currently hold more than two-thirds of the total share. (2)

Hello

Did we know there are 70 species of Tobacco

What on earth does that mean to us on the street

Even if we are not good with Numbers – this is easy to work out.

1 gram or less of Tobacco is in each cigarette

8.2 million tons – how much are we consuming

The sums are not needed

The point is we have an industry that is trading this drug of choice in epic proportions.

The simple sum is any form of Tobacco is not good for our health.

Tobacco users should quit all tobacco products to reduce health risks
CDC | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (3)

This article will refer to Hookah and Shisha – both are the same

Hookah smoking is NOT a safe alternative to smoking cigarettes
American Lung Association (3)

Hookahs are water pipes used to smoked specially made tobacco that comes in different flavours such as 
apple | mint | cherry | chocolate | coconut | liquorice | cappuccino | watermelon

Other names for hookah are Narghile | Argileh | Shisha | Goza | Hubble-Bubble

Hookahs vary in size, shape and style

A typical modern hookah has a –

  • head with holes in the bottom
  • metal body
  • water bowl
  • flexible hose
  • mouthpiece

Hookah smoking is usually done in groups, with the same mouthpiece passed from person to person.

Hookah Use

Hookah use began in Ancient Persia and India

Today, hookah cafes are gaining popularity around the world

Hookah use by youth and college students is increasing

1 in 5 high school seniors used hookah in the past year
Monitoring the Future survey | 2010 (3)

Other studies found high prevalence of hookah use among college students

New forms of electronic hookah smoking – hookah pens | steam stones

Products are battery powered and turn liquid containing nicotine, flavourings and other chemicals into a vapor which is inhaled.

Very little information is currently available on the health risk of electronic tobacco products. (3)

Dear World

We have been told by the World Health Organization last year that Tobacco is the biggest ever public health threat that we have faced – so do we need to wait around for more research, more evidence, more information about electronic tobacco products.

The fact that an electronic tobacco product is now on the market tells us SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT.

We keep creating new ways to take this poison and we forget that the suppliers are just giving us what we want. We, the consumers are the ones demanding the products and they simply deliver.

IMPORTANT NOTE
We cannot blame or judge the industry and all those who profit because we are the ones saying Yes.

If we want change then we as individuals have to make that change first.

There can only be a market if there are customers in the first place.

Right now there are over 1.1 billion customers for this toxic substance called Tobacco.

Tobacco is a poison and not for human consumption
Fact

Health Effects of Hookah

Using hookah to smoke tobacco poses serious health risks to smokers and others exposed to the smoke from the hookah.

Hookah Smoke and Cancer

The charcoal used to heat the tobacco can raise health risks by producing high levels of carbon monoxide, metals and cancer-causing chemicals.

Even after it has passed through water, the smoke from a hookah has high levels of these toxic agents.

Hookah tobacco and smoke contain several toxic agents known to cause lung, bladder and oral cancer.

Tobacco juices from hookahs irritate the mouth and increase the risk of developing Oral cancers.

Other Health Effects of Hookah Smoke

Toxic agents in hookah tobacco and smoke can cause clogged arteries and Heart disease.

Infection can be passed to other smokers by sharing a hookah

Babies born to women who smoked water pipes everyday while pregnant weigh less at birth.

Babies born to hookah smokers are also at increased risk of respiratory diseases.

Hookah Smoking Compared to Cigarette Smoking

Hookah smoking has many of the same health risks as cigarette smoking

Many hookah smokers think this practice is less harmful than smoking cigarettes.

Water pipe smoking delivers nicotine – the same highly addictive drug that is found in other tobacco products.

The tobacco in hookahs is exposed to high heat from burning charcoal and the smoke is as toxic as cigarette smoke.

The way a hookah is used, smokers may absorb more of the toxic substances also found in cigarette smoke than cigarette smokers do.

One hour hookah smoking session involves 200 puffs
Smoking an average cigarette involves 20 puffs

90,000 ml – amount of smoke inhaled in average hookah session
500 – 600 ml inhaled when smoking a cigarette

Hookah smokers may be a risk for some of the same diseases as cigarette smokers, which include –

  • Oral cancer
  • Lung cancer
  • Oesophagus cancer
  • Stomach cancer
  • Decreased fertility
  • Reduced lung function

Non Tobacco Hookah Products

Some flavoured and sweetened non tobacco products are sold for use in hookahs.

Adverts and labels for these products often claim that users can enjoy the same taste without the harmful effects of tobacco.

Studies of tobacco based shisha and ‘herbal’ shisha show that smoke from both preparations contain carbon monoxide and other toxic agents known to increase the risks for smoking-related cancers, heart disease and lung disease. (3)

Carbon Monoxide – poisonous gas formed by the burning of carbon, especially in the form of car fuel. (4)

Hookah Smokers Inhale Toxic Chemicals That May Harm the Heart, Report Warns 

There is growing evidence that hookah smoking affects Heart rate and Blood Pressure with chronic use linked to an increased risk of Heart disease, the American Heart Association warned on 8 March 2019.

“Many young people mistakenly believe that smoking tobacco from a hookah is less harmful than cigarette smoking because the tobacco is filtered through water but there is no scientific evidence that supports that claim.

Smoking hookah carries health risks such as Diabetes, Obesity and increased risks of Heart disease and Heart attack.

From the review of evidence, we found that hookah smoke contains many of the same toxic chemicals that are present in cigarettes and sometimes these harmful chemicals are even higher in hookah than in cigarettes.” 
Aruni Bhatnagar – Professor of Medicine | University of Louisville, Kentucky | Director of the University of Louisville Diabetes and Obesity Center (5)

The report reviewed more than 100 studies on hookah smoking

HELLO – over 100 studies have been reviewed

Think about all the time and money we are consistently spending as researchers keep coming up with more and more evidence about the harm of Tobacco.

Are we wanting more and more research so we get some time to delay what we all know the Truth is.

Do we really need more or do we need to get Real and get Honest about what we all already know.

There is so much evidence about hookah smoking and if we join the dots it is very clear – it has tobacco and that is why it has a health risk.

Risks

Smoking cigarettes and hookah have similar effects on the body but “what happens with hookah is that you get a log of exposure in a small amount of time.”
Aruni Bhatnagar – Professor of Medicine | University of Louisville, Kentucky | Director of the University of Louisville Diabetes and Obesity Center (5)

For example, both cigarette and hookah smokers are exposed to the chemical carbon monoxide.

A single session of hookah use, typically 30 minutes long, exposes the smoker to higher levels of the chemical than a single cigarette.

The report states that during one hookah session, many litres of smoke filled with large quantities of the pollutant particulate matter are inhaled at higher concentrations than cigarettes. These particles can be harmful to our health because they irritate the eyes, nose or throat and smaller particles can get into the lungs and the blood.

Hookah also contains other harmful chemicals such as nicotine and lead that can affect a smoker’s cardiovascular system. Most of these chemicals are higher in concentration in hookah than in cigarette smoke. This is due to charcoal being burned in hookah and different durations and temperatures.

Long-term use of water pipes has also been linked to an increased risk of coronary artery disease, according to the report.

Observational studies from India and Pakistan showed that “people who use hookah on a regular basis have higher levels of risk in terms of developing heart disease.”
Aruni Bhatnagar – Professor of Medicine | University of Louisville, Kentucky | Director of the University of Louisville Diabetes and Obesity Center (5)

USA

50% of hookah users are age 18 – 24
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Data analysed in 2013 – 2014 (5)

What is Behind the Rising Numbers

Some of the factors behind hookah’s appeal are similar to what attracts young people to E-Cigarettes namely flavourful tobacco options and Social Media.

Flavours and sweeteners that can be added to the tobacco make the smoke less harsh and therefore easier to start and continue smoking hookahs, according to the research cited in the American Heart Association study.

Many consume hookah in cafes and lounges to give an image of being less habit forming, the report added.

“People believe that occasional use of hookah does not really matter because they would not get addicted. But there is evidence that even occasional use of hookah could be addictive and could be a catalyst for transitioning into other tobacco products, which is cigarettes.”
Aruni Bhatnagar – Professor of Medicine | University of Louisville, Kentucky | Director of the University of Louisville Diabetes and Obesity Center (5)

“Hookah smoking is still tobacco smoking
While the report focuses on Heart disease, one of the biggest killers worldwide, other research shows hookah is also linked to several Cancers and lung diseases.

The general public should be made aware of the harms of this hookah smoking through increased regulation and health promotion efforts.”
Dr. Mohammed Jawad – Research Postgraduate | Imperial College, London – not involved in the study (5)

What is Shisha

Shisha is the name for pipes containing water at the bottom and a platform at the top where flavoured tobacco or non-tobacco herbal mixtures is covered with foil.

Hot charcoal is then placed on top of the foil and when a user breathes through a hose, a vacuum is created, drawing smoke thorough the water and into the mouth, where it is inhaled into the lungs.

Shisha is a social activity with one pipe having a number of hoses or the hose being passed around.

Research Study
The Effects of Waterpipe Tobacco Smoking on Health Outcomes: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis by Waziry et al (2016)

Published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, systematically reviewed studies investigating use of shisha and health outcomes. The authors of the research study identified 50 studies that fit these criteria and found evidence that use of waterpipes was associated with –

While it might be thought that herbal shisha is safer than tobacco shisha, the burning of the charcoal used to heat the pipe produces carbon monoxide and benzene, which are also inhaled through the pipe. There have been case reports of acute carbon monoxide poisoning after shisha use, which is not the case with cigarettes.

There has been far less investigation of the constituents of shisha smoke compared to cigarette smoke, but the research that is available suggests tar, nicotine, carbon monoxide and a number of carcinogens seen in cigarette smoke are also present in shisha smoke.

Anecdotally, there seems to be a lack of understanding that the flavoured products used in waterpipes predominantly contain tobacco. Although there are some herbal products, which claim to be a safer alternative, most of the products available for use are flavoured tobacco.

While herbal products do not contain nicotine, they release a number of the same toxins as found in tobacco smoke and the carbon monoxide and benzene from the charcoal is still inhaled. (6)

Facts about Benzene

Benzene is a chemical liquid at room temperature
It has a sweet odour and is highly flammable

Benzene is formed from both natural processes and human activities
Natural sources of benzene include volcanoes and forest fires
Benzene is a natural part of crude oil, gasoline and cigarette smoke

Industries use benzene to make other chemicals used to make plastics | resins | nylons | synthetic fibres.

Other use – types of lubricants | rubbers | dyes | drugs | detergents | pesticides

A Major Source of Benzene Exposure is Tobacco Smoke

How Benzene works

Benzene works by causing cells not to work correctly

Example – it can cause bone marrow not to produce enough red blood cells, which can lead to anaemia.

It can damage the immune system by changing blood levels of antibodies and causing the loss of white blood cells.

The seriousness of poisoning caused by benzene depends on the amount, route and length of time of exposure as well as the age and pre-existing medical condition of the exposed person.

Immediate Signs | Symptoms of Exposure to Benzene   

Breathing in high levels of benzene may develop the following within minutes

  • Confusion
  • Death (at very high levels)
  • Dizziness
  • Drowsiness
  • Headaches
  • Irregular Heartbeat
  • Rapid Heartbeat
  • Tremors
  • Unconsciousness

Direct exposure of the eyes, skin or lungs to benzene can cause tissue injury and irritation.

Showing these signs and symptoms does not necessarily mean that a person has been exposed to benzene.

Long-Term Health Effects of Exposure to Benzene

The major effect of long-term exposure of a year or more is on the blood

Benzene causes harmful effects on the bone marrow and can cause a decrease in red blood cells, leading to anaemia. It can also cause excessive bleeding and can affect the immune system, increasing the chance for infection.

Some women who breathed high levels of benzene for many months had irregular menstrual periods and a decrease in the size of their ovaries.

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has determined that benzene causes cancer in humans. (7)

EXPOSURE TO BENZENE:  A MAJOR PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN
World Health Organization

Benzene is carcinogenic to humans and no safe level of exposure can be recommended – World Health Organization (8)

UK

Rogue Shisha Bars – Councils ask for Stronger Powers

Councils have called for licensing powers to tackle “lawless” shisha bars that violate smoking and fire safety regulations by serving under 18s and allowing people to smoke indoors.

The Local Government Association (LGA) has been struggling to improve the regulation of premises that persistently flout regulations, as prosecutions are slow and owners making high profits are increasingly deterred by one-off fines of £2,500.

Council leaders said part of the problem is secrecy about the ownership of many premises, limiting the ability of councils and police to take action against them.

The number of shisha bars has trebled in recent years

“There are not strong enough punishments to deter irresponsible shisha bar owners.
The growing popularity of shisha bars and the lawless way some of them are being run exposes the loopholes that exists in our outdated and inflexible licensing system. Smoke free laws are not offering strong enough punishments to deter irresponsible shisha bar owners who are making lucrative profits, which mean Councils often need to carry out costly and lengthy investigations to take action against the same bar over and over again.”
Simon Blackbury – Local Government Association (9)

As well as violating smoking regulations, shisha tobacco is often imported illegally and sold without any duty being paid.

The LGA is calling for an expansion of the activities that councils can license. This would make it easier to vet licence holders prior to bars opening, monitor premises more effectively and revoke licences for repeat offenders.

Some bars that go against regulation get shut down after a year and then they re-open under a different name or in a different area, with the intent to make quick profits. (9)

Hello

For many, shisha bars are cool and fashionable

We have all night shisha bars and it brings customers of all ages and has become very popular.

Why are we not listening to the Local Government Association and what they have to say about costly and lengthy investigations, which can lead to the shisha bar closing down, only to reopen elsewhere.

In other words, no real change

What is missing and why are we allowing this in our neighbourhoods, towns and cities.

Do we – those who do nothing have a Responsibility

Electric Hookahs Might be no Safer than Traditional Charcoal Based

Traditional hookahs burn charcoal as a heat source but recently electrical heating elements (EHEs) have been introduced to the market. Reinforced by product advertising and package labelling, many hookah smokers believe that EHEs are less harmful than charcoal.

In traditional hookahs, smokers burn charcoal on top of a tobacco preparation known as ma’ssel – a mixture of tobacco, glycerine, water and flavourings. The resulting smoke bubbles through the water at the bottom of the pipe before being inhaled through a tube by the smoker.

Previous studies have shown that charcoal contributes most of the harmful polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and carbon monoxide found in hookah smoke. Manufacturers have therefore developed EHEs for hookahs and in some cases, advertising them as “toxicant-free” or “carbon monoxide free.”

Researchers examined emissions from a hookah using charcoal or one of three commercially available EHEs as the heat source with an automatic smoking machine.

They found the EHEs reduced carbon monoxide and PAH emissions by 80%.

However, emissions of acrolein – a highly reactive irritant thought to be responsible for nearly all non-cancer respiratory diseases in cigarette smokers was several orders of magnitude higher with EHE use, compared with charcoal use.

In addition, levels of some other volatile aldehydes were higher in EHE-produced smoke than in charcoal-produced smoke.

The researchers say that marketing EHEs as safer than charcoal might be misleading. (10)

Note – aldehyde is a chemical substance made from alcohol (11)

Heat Not Burn Devices (HNB)   

Heat-not-burn (HNB) devices can alter vital physiological functions in the lung.

HNB devices may not be a safer option than Cigarette Smoking or E-Cigarette vaping.

This does not support the recommendation of their use over other nicotine delivery products.

While cigarette smoking still remains one of the most pressing global health issues of our time, newer forms of smoking device have been introduced across the globe in the last decade.

Electronic nicotine/non-nicotine delivery systems commonly known as electronic cigarettes (eCig) heat a solution (e-liquid) to create vapour; the latest addition to this list is the introduction of heat-not-burn (HNBs) tobacco products.

HNBs are hybrids between e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes
They are equipped with a device that heats the product, without burning to generate aerosol and the product being heated is not a liquid but real tobacco.

E-cigarette vaping is comparatively new but its use is increasing at an alarming rate. It is estimated to surpass the use of traditional cigarettes by 2024

$10 Billion e-cigarette global sales in next 5 years (12)

Emerging data shows that e-cigarette use, particularly among youth is associated with future cigarette use.

Over half of the people interested in one brand of HNB are never-smokers

Therefore, both e-cigarettes and HNB products may represent a gateway for nicotine addiction among never-smokers, rather than a substitute use for harm-reduction purposes in current smokers.

It is now clear that e-cigarette vapour contains high levels of toxic compounds, which adversely affect respiratory, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular systems both  
in vitro – in the lab

in vivo – in the living organism

It is important to recognise that HNB products are comparatively new but emerging research suggests that HNB products emits substantially high levels of carbonyls. (12)

Sohal, Eapen, Naidu and Sharma (2019) found that exposure to HNB products was as toxic as cigarette smoke at even low levels of concentration.

The research suggests that HNB products are as effective as cigarette smoke in inducing chemokine release from the human bronchial epithelial cells and the human airway smooth muscle. (12)

Chemokine functions include attracting white blood cells to sites of infection and tissue damage.

The data suggests that like traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes, HNB exposure contributes to altered mitochondrial function which can further exaggerate airway inflammation, airway remodelling and lung cancer through active EMT (Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition), as seen in smokers.

Mitochondrial dysfunction also underpins many normal physiological processes and in certain pathological conditions, such as obesity or with an oxidant trigger such as smoke, e-cigarettes and HNB, it may impact lung diseases.

Cigarette smoking and e-cigarettes can exaggerate respiratory infections by increasing microbial adherence to the airways; HNB may increase respiratory infections through similar mechanisms.

Given current findings and those of previous studies, in a manner very similar to cigarette smoke and e-cigarettes, HNB products have the potential to –
Increase oxidative stress and inflammation, infections, airway remodelling and initiate EMT-related changes in the airways of users of these devices. (12)

Hello – this is bang up to date news

2019 study telling us HNB same as cigarettes

Is this a wake up call or do we want to wait for more clinical studies to be conducted to tell us the same news but in another way.

Mitochondria

Specialised structures unique to the cells of animals, plants and fungi.
They serve as batteries, powering various functions of the cell and the organism as a whole.

The main function of mitochondria is to metabolise or break down carbohydrates and fatty acids in order to generate energy. (13)

Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition is the process by which polarised epithelial cells that are connected via adhesion lose their characteristics and acquire migratory and invasive properties characteristic of a mesenchymal cell. This occurs during developmental processes such as neural tube formation, and when metastasis is initiated in cancer. (14)

Epithelial Cells

Epithelial cells are the first cell types to come into contact with external stimuli, such as chemicals and particulate materials. (15)

Mesenchymal Cells

Loosely organised undifferentiated mostly mesodermal cells that give rise to such structures as connective tissues, blood, lymphatics, bone and cartilage. (16)

Mesoderm

The middle germ layer of an animal embryo, giving rise to muscle, blood, bone and connective tissue. (17) 

Betal Nut | Areca Nut

Areca Nut | Tobacco | Alcohol use are among the leading causes of Oral Cancer. (18)

Areca nut is also known as beta nut – a fruit that is chewed and spat out
Similar to chewing tobacco

It is highly addictive, stains the teeth and leaves mouth area red

10 – 20% of the world population chew areca nut in some form

4th widely used psychoactive substance after Nicotine Alcohol Caffeine

The most common method of use is thin strips sliced and rolled into a betal leaf with slaked lime powder or crushed seashells.

This leaf package is known as –
Betal Quid
Betel Nut Chew
Betel Paan

They can contain Tobacco and other additives like
Cloves | Cardamom | Nutmeg | Aniseed | Coconut | Sugar | Syrups (19)

Areca nut with or without Tobacco – carcinogenic to humans

Risk of malignancy further increases with addition of smokeless Tobacco

Lime used in Betal Quid has high concentrations of arsenic

Areca Nut users have –

Bleeding gums
Halitosis
Increase gingival lesions
Periodontal pockets
Poor oral hygiene
Poor periodontal health
Recession

Mild to severe physiological loss of tooth structure – common among users (20)

PAPAU NEW GUINEA

98% with mouth cancer chew areca nut

80% population chew areca nut

Malignant mouth cancer – highest rate in the world

Mouth cancer – highest killer of men
3rd highest cause of death in women

Habitual betal chewers – children age 8 years (21)

Behavioural risk factors for oral diseases –

ALL shared with other major non-communicable diseases –

Hello

How has this stuff not made it to the front page News headlines across the world.

We have a direct link telling us that the majority of one country are consuming areca nut daily and it has the leading malignant mouth cancer in the world.

8 out of 10 in this country are chewing areca nut

Can we all agree SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT

How are we going to get on the front foot and stop kids as young as 8 years old from taking this habit that they see all around in others – supposedly their role models in life.

A single nation – a microcosm of our world, heavily reliant on a psychoactive substance in daily life.

How are they coping

How is their health system doing

What is the toll to individuals, their families, communities, towns and cities if chewing tobacco is seen and accepted as a normal part of life because the masses are doing it.

Have we stopped to consider that how these people are living is far removed from their natural state of being, simply because they are having to use a drug to get through the day. 

Dear World

What if we could agree that nothing is working

What if we could agree that there needs to be real change.

What if real change can only come from those who walk the talk.

In other words, Real people who live in a way that is not harming their body and they consistently maintain this way of being, without perfection.

What if we all need real education to bring awareness.

What if we start to change the current education system by incorporating Simple basic learning about human life.

What if schools everywhere have to bring in a basic introductory course about human life to prepare us for real living without causing harm.

What if our current form of Intelligence1 is not really that Intelligent2 if we have a whole country dying because of a lifestyle choice.

What if we need to challenge our current intelligence and all those in the academic world by saying that we cannot rely any longer on more and more research.

What if we need to bring an understanding in a real and tangible way about the harm caused when we consume any drug.

What if we could bring video footage and real life suffering into schools to educate on the dangers of what Tobacco does to the human frame.

What if anecdotal evidence does hold meaning and can no longer be seen as weak or not as robust as large numbers and hypothesis after hypothesis that very few understand.

What if we can no longer allow the world of academia and the rules it creates, to lead the way for humanity as the current mess we are in tells us it is not working.

What if we need to find Another Way to get on the front foot, as we have become so reliant on research to tell us and prove to us what we all know and have felt way before the study comes out.

What if this Website is presenting another way that is not so popular right now as man is yet to wake up to what is really going on.

What if this website is a blessing for our world as it consistently delivers another dose of Simple and Real stuff that makes sense.

This book is the first of many more in our Real Truth series to bring more awareness on topics that affect our true health and wellbeing.

Our book is for humanity – those who are ready for another way because we know what is not working.

THE END

 

References   

(1) (2018, March 9). Tobacco. World Health Organization. Retrieved May 25, 2019 from
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/tobacco

(2) (2019, February 19). Global Tobacco Markets, 2019 – 2024 – Focus on Cigarettes, Roll Your Own, Cigars, Cigarillos, Smokeless Tobacco and Others. www.globenewswire.com Retrieved May 28, 2019 from
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/02/19/1736705/0/en/Global-Tobacco-Markets-2019-2024-Focus-on-Cigarettes-Roll-your-Own-cigars-Cigarillos-Smokeless-Tobacco-and-Others.html

(3) (2018, January 17). Hookahs. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Retrieved May 28, 2019 from
https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/tobacco_industry/hookahs/index.htm

(4) (n.d). Cambridge Dictionary. Retrieved May 28, 2019 from
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/carbon-monoxide

(5) Avramova, N. (2019, March 8). Hookah Smokers Inhale Toxic Chemicals that May Harm the Heart, Report Warns. CNN. Retrieved May 23, 2019 from
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/03/08/health/hookah-smoking-toxic-chemicals-heart-study-intl/index.html?no-st=1556943746

(6) Gage, S. (2016, April 19). Hooked on Shisha? Why Hookahs Might be More Harmful Than You Think. The Guardian. Retrieved May 28, 2019 from
https://www.theguardian.com/science/sifting-the-evidence/2016/apr/19/hooked-on-shisha-why-hookahs-might-be-more-harmful-than-you-think

(7) (2018, April 4). Facts About Benzene. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Retrieved May 28, 2019 from
https://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/benzene/basics/facts.asp

(8) (2010). Exposure to Benzene: A Major Public Health Concern. World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved May 25, 2019 from
https://www.who.int/ipcs/features/benzene.pdf

(9) Skopeliti, C. (2019, February 23). Councils Ask for Stronger Powers to Deal with Rogue Shisha Bars. The Guardian. p. 27

(10) American Chemical Society. (2019, May 22). Electric Hookahs Might be No Safer than Traditional-Charcoal Based Ones. ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 30, 2019 from
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190522120547.htm

(11) (n.d). Cambridge Dictionary. Retrieved May 30, 2019 from
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/aldehyde

(12) Sohal, S. S., Eapen, M. S., Naidu, V. G. M., & Sharma, P. IQOS Exposure Impairs Human Airway Cell Homeostasis: Direct Comparison with Traditional Cigarette and E-Cigarettes. ERJ Open Res 2019; 5: 00159-2018.

(13) Vidyasagar, A. (2015, April 30). What Are Mitochondria? www.livescience.com. Retrieved May 30, 2019 from
https://www.livescience.com/50679-mitochondria.html

(14) (n.d). Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition. Nature.com. Retrieved May 29, 2019 from
https://www.nature.com/subjects/epithelial-mesenchymal-transition

(15) (2014). Epithelial Cells. Science Direct. Retrieved May 29, 2019 from
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/epithelial-cells

(16) (n.d). Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved May 29, 2019 from
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mesenchyme

(17) (n.d). Dictionary.com. Retrieved May 29, 2019 from
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/mesodermal

(18) (2018, September 24). Oral Health. World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved May 29, 2019 from
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/oral-health

(19) (2019, May 8). Betel Nut. Alcohol and Drug Foundation. Retrieved May 29, 2019 from
https://adf.org.au/drug-facts/betel-nut/

(20) (n.d). Areca Nut. Science Direct. Retrieved May 29, 2019 from
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/areca-nut

(21) Lahari-Wiliams, L. (2018, March 5). Papua New Guinea’s Mouth Cancer “Epidemic”. PMN 531. Retrieved May 29, 2019 from
http://radio531pi.com/blog/papua-new-guineas-mouth-cancer-epidemic

 

 

 

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Comments 12

  1. HOT SMOKING NEWS

    Neuroscience News – 5 June 2019

    https://neurosciencenews.com/schizophrenia-smoking-14173/

    Tobacco smokers are at increased risk of developing schizophrenia and psychosis.

    Researchers are saying that nicotine is most likely responsible for the link.

    The review of 8 long-running studies has found strong evidence of an association between smoking and mental illness, which they suggest is mostly likely caused by nicotine.

    The findings have raised serious concerns about the increasing use of nicotine through e-cigarettes by young adults.

    “People who smoke tobacco have an approximately twofold increased risk of developing schizophrenia or psychosis.
    While e-cigarettes reduce some of the harms associated with smoking, governments need to consider their potential to harm the mental health of young people.
    More research is urgently needed to examine the association between e-cigarette use and psychosis, particularly in adolescents and young adults.”
    Until there is a better understanding of the harm of e-cigarettes, it would be safest that liquid nicotine remains illegal to buy in Australia without a prescription.”
    Dr. Scott – Associate Professor | University of Queensland

    This is bang up to date news Dear World – are we listening?
    Was this something we were not hoping for or even expecting?

    We have all known for a very long time that smoking is harmfull for the human body.

    We have since learned that the nicotine is not only addictive but has many other side effects.

    Now we are learning that this is having an affect on our mental health.

    How serious is this and are we going to wake up and listen to what this research is spelling out, or are we going to continue to wait for even more research to tell us what we already know?

    The fact is – more and more of our young population are finding ways to take nicotine and becoming addicted.

    We have created something that suits their lifestyle – e-cigarettes.

    Whilst it was said it was to wean smokers off cigarettes there seems to be another group – teens and adolescents who are the biggest users.

    What exactly is this telling us?
    Have we joined the dots here?

    If we now have liquid nicotine causing psychotic disorders – what is going to happen to the future generation of adults who are the current users – our youth?

    Young adults are the largest consumer group for the e-cigarette market and this is a fast growing industry.
    For more on e-cigarettes read part 2 of this series
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/the-real-truth-about-tobacco-part-2/

    Do we blame the vaping shops and suppliers or do we take a look at why there is such a strong demand that is on the increase?

    What is going on for our high school children and college students?
    What is going on for our teenagers and all our youth of today?

    Do we need to get on the ground and find some real anecdotal evidence?
    Do we need to answer every question that this 3 part series on the Real Truth about Tobacco is presenting?

    What is needed is to bring awareness and real education to everyone and start it from day dot at school as nothing thus far is working.

    Those presenting – like the author of this book need to deliver because they are free from the ills of tobacco and having never ingested it, they have the vibration to reflect the Truth without any doubt.

    In other words, what they say holds a quality because they are not tainted or moved in any way by what tobacco brings.

    It is time to turn the tides and not wait for more and more evidence and more and more research telling us the harm of this toxic substance called Tobacco.

    Simple Living Global have done the research, joined the dots and applied a dose of common sense so that we can all wake up to THE REAL TRUTH ABOUT TOBACCO.

    To continue and give even more evidence would not change anything as enough has been said to deliver the Truth – Tobacco is not for human consumption and we have enough proof that could fill up libraries telling us so.

  2. Liverpool Echo – 8th October 2019

    Menthol Cigarettes to be Made Illegal This Year.
    https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/menthol-ban-include-click-dual-17049933

    Menthol cigarettes are to be banned as new laws come into effect in the new year.

    The ban stems from new EU Tobacco Product Directive laws which outlaws menthol cigarettes.

    The move is part of an attempt to stop young people smoking by banning cigarettes with a ‘characterising flavour’ other than tobacco.

    Naturally, the manufacturer of this brand of cigarettes tried to appeal against the law change to the European Court of Justice, but was unsuccessful.

    The charity, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), said that outlawing menthol tobacco will deter young people from smoking.

    The law has already been changed so that menthol cigarettes are currently only sold in packs of 20.

    This was part of a wider plan to phase out flavoured cigarettes completely by May 2020.

    A spokesperson from ASH told the Echo how policies such as this are making smoking less appealing. She said: “Cigarettes are already expensive and the price of cigarettes is a key factor in making people quit smoking. So by removing the packet of 10 cigarettes, this means people will have to find that extra money for a packet. It will hit poorer and younger smokers who are more likely to buy smaller packs.”

    However, she said that there was little evidence which suggested that menthol cigarettes make it easier for people to smoke.

    She said: “It’s naturally hard to inhale smoke and for many, the first time they smoke it is repugnant, but people persevere with it and that’s when they become addicted. There is evidence that menthol cigarettes relax the airways and the flavour masks the harshness of the smoke, therefore younger people find it easier to smoke. However, it is an absolute myth that menthol cigarettes are better for you. All cigarettes are harmful and menthol cigarettes are just as dangerous as normal cigarettes.”

    Any measure to encourage people to stop smoking is always going to have my vote.

    The UK Government has outlined plans for the England to be smoke free by 2030 anyway, which according to The Independent, “includes an ultimatum for industry to make smoked tobacco obsolete by 2030, with smokers quitting or moving to reduced risk products like e-cigarettes”
    https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/smoking-ban-uk-end-cigarettes-tobacco-health-green-paper-a9016636.html

    This, of course, is an excellent plan apart from one snag – “moving smokers to reduced risk products like e-cigarettes.”

    With this snag it would appear that this is not now such an excellent plan, but more of a compromise.

    Is it possible that all we are doing is changing one poisonous habit for another?

    Is it possible that, like removing the menthol from tobacco, this is just a band-aid to a bullet hole?

    Is banning flavours in tobacco going to have any true lasting effect?

    Is it possible that these younger people will just be encouraged to smoke normal cigarettes?

    At some point, we have all been a teenager. If we really want to do or try something, we are going to do it and putting obstacles in our way is more likely to drive us forward.

    If you take away the flavourings in tobacco, we are still left with the tobacco – the stuff that kills people.

    Is it possible we need to have an outright ban on all cigarettes – full stop?

  3. The Telegraph – 20th December 2019

    Smoking to be Banned on all Hospital Grounds
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/12/20/smoking-banned-hospital-grounds-next-april/

    Under new NHS rules, smoking will be banned from all hospital grounds from April 2020.

    Next year’s NHS contract with hospitals will say no-one should be allowed to smoke in any areas such as car parks.

    Despite NHS policies that say smoking should be banned, a third of hospital trusts have not brought in such rules.

    The total ban is in a consultation on the NHS standard contract for 2020-21.

    While two in three trusts currently say they have such rules, many struggle to comply with them. Research by the anti-smoking charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) suggested at least 42 out of 52 mental health trusts had introduced a smoke free policy. However, almost all the trusts that responded to the ASH survey reported various levels of non-compliance.

    The research follows the government’s pledges to make the country “smoke free” by 2030.

    The Health Service Journal reported that supplementary documents say the rule would “not apply at this stage to e-cigarettes”.

    Last year, hospitals were told they should let patients vape indoors – and should even be allowed to vape in their beds if they had single rooms.

    Public Health England (PHE), who are totally behind e-cigarettes, said every smoker struggling to quit, including pregnant women, should be encouraged to take up e-cigarettes.

    Is it possible that pregnant women being encouraged to take up e-cigarettes is not conducive to optimum health?

    Is it possible that the lawmakers or policy makers are in some way invested in this product?
    In other words, they may be current smokers or past smokers.

    With all the research that has been done and all the horror stories coming out recently about the harm-full effects of e-cigarettes, it beggars belief that any of us can say pregnant women should take up e-cigarettes.

    It is great that NHS contracts will now stipulate all smoking will be banned, but only time will tell if this new policy will be enforced.

    However we choose to look at it, smoking and the associated clouds of smoke coming from our cigarettes, cigars, roll–ups, e-cigarettes, etc. are certainly harmful to the person smoking and it can be harmful to those who come into contact with the smoke.

    Stories like this have the potential to invoke a lot of passion. On one hand we have people that smoke. People choose to smoke of their own volition and they have that right to choose to smoke.

    On the other hand, we have people that choose not to smoke.

    Is it possible that, those who choose not to smoke, should then not have to suffer those that do smoke?

    If someone wants to smoke and are doing so in their own private space which doesn’t affect anyone else, then that is their choice but when it impacts others around them, isn’t there a responsibility by authorities to minimise any harm or inconvenience?

    With that in mind, how can patients possibly be allowed to smoke in their beds?

    What about the hospital staff, doctors, nurses, cleaners etc. that have to treat these patients?

    What about the next patient coming into that room?

    I have had cause to frequent hospital several times in the last twelve months and the one thing that always amazed me was how people, patients, staff and visitors, were allowed to smoke right outside the entrance doors of the hospital, so when you enter, you have to walk through billowing clouds of poisonous smoke.

    We go to hospital to get better, to heal. It doesn’t bode well if one of our first steps is to walk through a wall of smoke.

    This situation presents a paradoxical image. Is it possible that those in authority need to take more action to halt this practice?

  4. Edition CNN – 23rd January 2020

    US Surgeon General Says Doctors Aren’t Encouraging Enough Smokers to Quit
    https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/23/health/surgeon-general-smoking-cessation-report-bn/index.html

    A new report by the US Surgeon General points to tobacco smoking as the leading cause of preventable disease, disability and death in the United States – and notes that smoking cessation is beneficial at any age.

    Yet about two-fifths of smokers are not routinely told by their physicians to stop smoking, the US surgeon general said.

    As the nation’s doctor, he said that number “jumped out” at him.

    He said: “Forty percent of smokers who see a health provider each year aren’t advised by those health providers to quit.”

    While there are interventions already approved by the US Food and Drug Administration – such as counselling and certain medications – to help people quit smoking, the Surgeon General said that “two-thirds of smokers who try to quit don’t use FDA approved medications and counselling.”

    Behavioural counselling has been found to increase chances of quitting smoking and seven medications have been approved for helping adults quit smoking: five forms of nicotine replacement therapy and two non-nicotine medications.

    The advice accompanies the Surgeon General’s 700-page report on smoking cessation, released by the US Department of Health and Human Services.

    The new Surgeon General report is the first since 1990 to focus solely on quitting smoking. The Surgeon General said: “This report highlights that quitting smoking is one of the most important things that people can do to improve their health.” He added that he lost both of his grandfathers to smoking related conditions.

    He said: “I didn’t even know until this report came out that you can add as much as 10 years to your life expectancy by quitting smoking. In addition to the human toll, smoking related illnesses cost the US more than $300 billion each year.”

    Those in the medical world have known for a very long time that smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths so why is it that the last report on the very harm-full effects of tobacco was over 30 years ago?

    Even the youngest children know the harm of smoking.
    Do we really need a 700 Page report to tell us, as adults, that smoking is not good for us?

    Yes, the health providers may need to up the encouragement to get more people to stop smoking, but as has just been said, as adults we all know the harm that tobacco causes but yet we still choose to smoke.

    Is it possible that we don’t want any advice to stop smoking?

    Is it possible that smoking gives us something far more deeper than the obvious relief we get?

    As humans, we have a proven track record of abusing ourselves to the point of death.

    Is a report, of any number of pages, really going to get us to stop?

  5. The Conversation – 23rd January 2019

    Big Tobacco Wants Social Media to Promote its Products
    https://theconversation.com/big-tobacco-wants-social-media-influencers-to-promote-its-products-can-the-platforms-stop-it-129957

    Big tobacco likes to stay ahead of the curve – it has to in order to survive. Its fundamental problem though, is that one in two of its long-term users die from tobacco-related diseases. To hook a new generation into addiction, it has to try every advertising and marketing trick in its playbook.

    And it has to be innovative. As one ex-marketing consultant remarked: “The problem is how do you sell death?” He said the industry did it with great open spaces, such as mountains and lakes. They did it with healthy young people and iconic images. So the…Man became a symbol of masculinity and, for women, the industry promoted smoking as a “torch of freedom”.

    For years, the industry fought the regulators who slowly restricted the places and ways it could advertise and market its products. Then came the Internet, which was a dream come true for a tobacco marketer. The industry could run riot in an unregulated haven. One commentator noted in a magazine in 2017 that the Internet was a contemporary incarnation of the Wild West.

    As old rules no longer applied, Big Tobacco began using social media platforms to bypass advertising ads. They began paying social media influencers to promote traditional tobacco products as well as e-cigarettes online. And they were very successful at it.

    In August 2018, the New York Times investigated Big Tobacco’s social media influences. The paper found 123 hash tags associated with companies’ tobacco products, which had been viewed a staggering 25 billion times.

    A professor at the University of Southern California told the newspaper that what the industry was doing was a “really effective way” to get around existing laws to restrict advertising to young people.

    The pressure on the tobacco industry to act increased in May 2019 when 125 public health organisations called on social media platforms to immediately end the promotion of cigarettes and e-cigarettes. This included banning the use of social media influencers. The industry ignored the request.

    In December 2019, in a landmark decision, the UK Advertising Standards Authority ruled against four big tobacco companies for promoting their products on a social media platform, after complaints by several anti-smoking groups.

    In a follow-up statement, two social media platforms announced what many saw as a long-overdue update to their policy on tobacco. It said that branded content that promotes goods such as vaping, tobacco products and weapons “will not be allowed”. The statement made the bold claim that their advertising policies had long “prohibited” the advertisement of these products. The platforms promised that enforcement would begin on this in the coming weeks.

    Headlines touting the new policy made it clear that the platforms would ban influencers from promoting e-cigarettes and tobacco products. For example, a BBC headline announced a certain social media site had “banned e-cigarette posts by ad watchdog”.

    But three crucial points have been missed: First, a social media platform’s policies are designed for companies that play by the rules, not for tobacco companies whose playbook is to find ways around them or flout them.

    Second, those who track the industry’s activities online say it is notoriously difficult to tell what a social media platform calls “branded content”. On one platform, Big Tobacco’s influencers post glamorized images of vape products with hash tags such as idareyoutotryit and captions such as “feeling Vype AF”.

    Thirdly, serious doubts remain about how any of this will be enforced. The reality is that Big Tobacco needs these platforms to survive and can’t afford to be excluded. A market research company recently noted that 96% of all brands have incorporated a social media platform into their influencer strategy and that one platform’s influencer marketing activity increased by 48% in 2019.

    A spokesperson from Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids said: “In the weeks since the announcement that influencers would be banned form promoting tobacco and e-cigarettes, tobacco companies have continued to exploit influencer marketing on two platforms to advertise addictive products to young people without consequence.”

    She added: “These two platforms are uniquely positioned to cut off Big Tobacco’s easiest access point to kids and young people around the world – but without swift enforcement and strict enforcement of new policies, the announcement is yet another hollow statement from a company that no longer has any excuse for inaction on this issue.”

    Is it possible that Big Tobacco has no interest in the health and well-being of all of us, especially the young who are considered to be their perpetual ‘meal ticket’?

    Is it possible that the aim is for Big Tobacco to continue selling products irrespective of the harm it does to people and everything is done to keep us hooked?

    Is it possible that, although tobacco companies claim to have our best interests at heart, there is, in fact, no true integrity there?

    Is it possible that these social media platforms are just as complicit, or even more so, as well?

    The fact is, these platforms DO have the power to stop these advertisements if they choose to do so.

    But, unfortunately, like many businesses in this world of ours, it appears that money is the sole motivation regardless of who gets harmed along the way.

  6. Action on Smoking and Health – 3 February 2020

    https://ash.org.uk/media-and-news/press-releases-media-and-news/every-day-in-england-280-children-start-smoking-while-government-action-on-its-smokefree-2030-pledge-is-awaited/

    England
    280 Children start smoking everyday
    200 Adults die from smoking everyday

    Since the government first announced its ambition for England to be smoke free by 2030 last year, over 50,000 children under age 16 have started smoking. Two-thirds of young people will end up going on to become daily smokers.

    This news story highlights the limited public funding and tougher regulation of tobacco companies if we are to see a smoke free country in 10 years.

    Hello

    Let’s just stop for a moment and take a pause. How on earth are we going to get on the front foot and make a U turn if we have 280 children starting to smoke daily and 66% of them go on to be daily smokers?

    This means we have future adult generations who are not going to be quitting as this article and the previous 2 in our Real Truth about Tobacco series confirms – smoking is addictive and there is no getting away from that immutable fact.

    https://simplelivingglobal.com/the-real-truth-about-tobacco-part-1/

    https://simplelivingglobal.com/the-real-truth-about-tobacco-part-2/

    So how on earth are we going to turn the tides and where do we start?

    We all know that nothing thus far has worked and it is like we are wired in a way that does not let us state the obvious or even consider a simple way that may be worth checking out.

    Real Education – how about that dear world?

    We get those who walk the talk and talk the walk to educate from day dot at schools and see where we go. We can also bring them into colleges and throughout society for those who are ready to quit once and for all.

    Now to be a real role model we need to clear of any form of tobacco or other addictive substances for at least 15 years. Then we need to be well informed about the ins and outs of nicotine, smoking, vaping and everything that has been covered in this 3 part series on this website. Then and only then can we as a society endorse such presenters to deliver to our children a new form of education, where the students can feel that this is making sense.

    Next – what do we do with all the current smokers who know they are on borrowed time when it comes to their health and well-being?
    First we present to those who are ready and willing for true change and that means not swapping smoking for another substance or certain foods just to keep the cravings going. That would not work as no real change has taken place, so no point being fooled.

    Numbers is not the answer. Getting the masses to change will not happen overnight but one by one if there are people genuinely ready they can start just by reading what this website has to offer on smoking and then extend their reading to other well-being blogs which present more than just lifestyle choices.

    Enough said, this is another way being presented and it may just be the ticket as waiting for funding and wanting tobacco companies to give us money is not going to happen. We need to get real and honest that true change can and will happen if we as individuals take the responsibility for our own lives and see how this can reflect to another and so it goes…

    To inspire others, we need to be living the quality we want first and foremost.

    AND finally, let us not forget that our tobacco companies are making huge profits but that is because we, those who want their products demand it. The supply would soon end if we stop the smoking, vaping and chewing their products. Blaming and venting at them is not going to stop these global giants finding other ways to keep the supplies going.

  7. Scienmag – 21st April 2020

    $17m Invested in Research on Health Impacts of E-cigarettes and Nicotine on Youth
    https://scienmag.com/nearly-17-million-invested-in-research-to-fast-track-studies-on-health-impacts-of-e-cigarettes-and-nicotine-on-youth/

    The American Heart Association, the world’s leading voluntary organisation dedicated to a world of longer, healthier lives, is investing nearly $17 million in scientific research to study the health impacts of e-cigarettes and other nicotine delivery systems on youth and young adults. The ENACT – End Nicotine Addiction in Children and Teens Research Initiative – is funding groundbreaking research to fill a critical need for clear scientific knowledge. This is the latest in a multi-pronged, ongoing commitment to fight the growing epidemic of youth vaping.

    A professor and president of the American Heart Association said: “E-cigarettes are being marketed as a healthy option to traditional cigarettes, but no one knows if vaping is safe in the long run because e-cigarettes haven’t been around long enough to be studied deeply. Some diseases can take years and even decades to develop, so there is more work needed to fully understand all the dangers. There’s certainly plenty of indication they’re harmful for growing minds and bodies because we know e-cigarettes contain nicotine and we know the harmful effects of nicotine, but it’s important we grow that overall body of scientific evidence.”

    The president said that there is a sense of urgency because, at a time when regular cigarette smoking has reached an all-time low, young people are turning to e-cigarettes at epidemic proportions with nearly one in four high school students reportedly vaping. That’s why these research projects will be high impact and fast tracked, only two years in length and funded at levels among the highest individual grants awarded in the Association’s history. The initiative is designed to produce turnkey programs to support youth as well as provide clear evidence to inform policy decisions.

    The president said: “The rapid pace of e-cigarette products entering the market and targeting our youth requires an ambitious, aggressive approach beyond the incremental pace achieved through traditional research mechanisms. Policymakers, regulators, medical professionals and schools are looking to enact strategies, policies and solutions but there’s inadequate evidence to inform these efforts.”

    Exactly how much ‘clear scientific knowledge’ do we need to realise that putting any poison into our bodies is not a good thing?

    The report says that e-cigarettes haven’t been around long enough to get a proper scientific balanced view.

    The professor stated that some disease can take decades to develop – is it possible that a 2 year study really isn’t going to tell the scientists that much?

    “The American Heart Association has funded more than $4.6 billion in cardiovascular research since 1949.”

    Is it possible that all of this research and money has brought us nowhere near to us finding out the truth about cardiovascular disease?

    Why do we need to spend another $17 million on a study where all the answers are already known?

    Is it possible that, ingesting any form of toxic substance, will have a negative effect on us?

    The professor has already said that e-cigarettes contain nicotine and the harmful effects of nicotine are already known – why then would another study be necessary?

  8. CNN Health – 13 July 2020

    https://edition.cnn.com/2020/07/13/health/young-adults-smoking-risk-coronavirus-wellness/index.html

    According to new research published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, 1 in 3 young adults is at risk of severe Covid-19 and smoking plays a big part in that risk.

    8,000 participants ages 18 to 25.
    32% were medically vulnerable.

    “Recent evidence indicates that smoking is associated with a higher likelihood of Covid-19 progression, including increased illness severity, ICU admission or death. Smoking may have significant effects in young adults, who typically have low rates for most chronic diseases” says Sally Adams, lead author of the study and a specialist at University of California, San Francisco’s National Adolescent and Young Adult Health Information Center.

    What is this telling us and can we read between the lines here?

    Reading the 3 blogs in our Real Truth about Tobacco series on this website will leave the reader in no doubt that smoking is not for human consumption. We have known this for a very long time so its not something new for us to consider.
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/the-real-truth-about-tobacco-part-1/
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/the-real-truth-about-tobacco-part-2/
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/the-real-truth-about-tobacco-part-3/

    What would be a wise consideration is to ask WHY our youth of today are smoking?

    Most have had an education and are so-called “intelligent” according to the current form of intelligence that we all subscribe to in our world.
    So how come these intelligent young beings are choosing to smoke a poison that is toxic and causing harm to their body? Makes no sense.

    Knowing what this research is telling us – do we now have a whole generation, a group of youngsters that are going to ADD to our already depleted health systems because of the vulnerability associated with smoking?

    Have we got a 911 coming and if so, how prepared are we really?

    Research is great as it informs us but with due respect, how many more studies do we need to know about smoking and the knock on effects.

    Is anyone really surprised with this latest research study?

    Is it simply a case of accepting it and hoping things will change out there and not affect the status quo we have in our little world?
    In other words, as long as it is not directly linked to us in our home and our family, we are ok to continue ‘business as usual’ and that means not get concerned about the world and what’s going on out there.

    For the record – our world is in a 911
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/911-emergency/

    Our world if it was a business is very very sick and continuing to get worse.
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/our-world-as-a-business/

    Our world is not coping and our solutions are simply not cutting it.

    We have created smoking and all the other poisons including sugar, caffeine and alcohol that harm the human frame.
    Surely we have the answers to get out of this if we use the word RESPONSIBILITY.

    It is easy to sit back and point fingers, judge and blame the world and its brothers and that will of course guarantee no change.

    What if we took a dose of honesty and started to look at our own lives to see what needs adjusting or changing, so that we can support our body to live in daily life and not just wing it or function?

    Could that be the game changer that we need and would it also benefit our world?

    Our body is very resilient and takes the hit over and over again with harm-full substances that we ingest to poison it. What we do know, even if it is not consciously present at the forefront of our minds is that there will come a point when our body communicates and says enough. We call that illness and dis-ease.

    History has told us smoking kills and continues to kill.
    Let us not forget that immutable fact.

  9. World Health Organization News – 22 September 2020

    https://www.who.int/news/item/22-09-2020-tobacco-responsible-for-20-of-deaths-from-coronary-heart-disease

    Title: Tobacco Responsible for 20% of Deaths from Coronary Heart Disease

    1.9 million people die every year from tobacco-induced heart disease. This equates to 1 in 5 of all deaths from heart disease.

    Just a few cigarettes a day exposure to second hand smoke or occasional smoking can increase the risk of heart disease.

    Smokeless tobacco is responsible for 200,000 deaths from coronary heart disease per year.

    E-cigarettes also raise blood pressure increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

    Will we pay attention as we have the bigwig world organization on health telling us some serious facts that we may not be aware of. Is this new news or the same stuff we already know and that is – smoking tobacco or ingesting it in any form is NOT for human consumption?

    Our new solution is vaping and we also know that it is not cutting it and we have been sold yet another lie telling us it is better than smoking tobacco but they forgot to mention it is highly addictive and has enough evidence confirming it is poison in our body.

    This blog and the previous 2 on the topic of Tobacco are well worth reading.
    It is also an invitation to study for any scholars out there, ready for the Real Truth about Tobacco.
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/the-real-truth-about-tobacco-part-1/
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/the-real-truth-about-tobacco-part-2/

    The facts and stats are presented and there is enough research confirming what we have known for a very very long time.

    However, it does not mean that people who smoke will suddenly stop.

    If we take India for example – smoking starts at a very young age and is acceptable widely as the norm. Try educating on the reasons WHY they should stop smoking or offer a cessation program when poverty is what they face in daily life and we could say we have no chance.

    What is needed and policymakers take note – real education for children from day dot.

    That means presenting the facts and keeping it super simple. Show graphic images of a smokers lungs, teeth and all the harm tobacco does to the human body.
    Make the teaching real and relatable so for example in India chewing tobacco and having red teeth is the norm, so present about oral cancer so the kids have the awareness.
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/oral-health/

    Our education system is great at teaching everything but how to live human life every day.
    Our Time is up and we need real change and it starts with us – all of us as individuals.

    Those of us who do know then have a greater responsibility to support others.

    On that note, the author of this comment has consistently presented articles, call them blogs on this website that now form a library – a ‘go to’ for any member of humanity who is calling for change and asking – “Is there another way?”

  10. AL-MONITOR – 4 January 2021
    https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/12/egypt-observatory-tobacco-smoking-coronavirus.html

    In co-operation with the World Health Organization, Egypt has launched the first observatory to monitor any violations from tobacco companies in Egypt and the Middle East, as the country faces a growing number of tobacco users.

    280 MILLION CIGARETTES – DAILY CONSUMPTION 2017-18

    4 BILLION PACKS OF CIGARETTES CONSUMED IN EGYPT ANNUALLY
    80 BILLION CIGARETTES
    $4.4. BILLION (70 BILLION EGYPTIAN POUNDS)

    50,000 TONS OF MUASSEL (TOBACCO USED FOR HOOKAH)
    $191 MILLION ( 3 BILLION EGYPTIAN POUNDS)
    The above includes other types of tobacco like cigars and pipes.

    The Chairman of Egypt’s Association against Smoking said that tobacco companies make profitable gains from this industry and do not prevent direct sales to minors or those under 18, adding that these companies even pay some scientists to claim that smoking protects against the current virus, without relying on any scientific data.

    Is mr chairman, Essam el-Moghazy on to something different and will it work?
    The plan of the association is to prevent direct and indirect advertising of tobacco companies, prevent advertising campaigns that promote donations from such companies to hospitals or oncology institutes, while they are in fact promoting their own products and causing the death of thousands of citizens suffering from respiratory diseases and cancer.

    The following are the latest statistics from the Central Agency for Public Mobilization & Statistics:

    25% HOUSEHOLD SPENDING IN EGYPT – TOBACCO | ALCOHOL | DRUGS

    171,000 DIE ANNUALLY DUE TO SMOKING-RELATED DISEASES

    Hookah smoking appears to be increasing with age.

    Whilst this article and the other 2 parts cover The Real Truth about Tobacco,
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/the-real-truth-about-tobacco-part-1/
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/the-real-truth-about-tobacco-part-2/

    it serves as a reminder for the reader to take note of what doctor Muhammad Amin has to say as he specializes in respiratory diseases and allergies. Here are some important points –

    Smoking is extremely bad for the health under normal circumstances. The hot air resulting from smoking enters the lungs’ airways where the hairs, similar to nasal hairs are shook 20,000 times.

    Nicotine that fills the lungs which is poison, destroys the respiratory system’s cells, causing cancerous infections and diseases. Smoking also causes normal cells to turn carcinogenic inside the body. Plus catarrh, bronchial asthma, pneumonia, enlargement of the heart muscle and respiratory failure.

    And finally, a statistical study in 2019 by the Cairo Center for Economic Studies and Alastaratejah showed Egypt was among the top 10 countries whose population smokes all kinds of tobacco.

    HELLO

    Dear World – we better all listen up and go back on this comment and read those statistics above.
    Tons of tobacco being consumed and billions and billions of cigarettes smoked and this is just one country in our world.

    This is a huge wake up call and a reminder that whilst the masses may have switched to vaping as an alternative to smoking, the real smokers are still puffing away and this country is telling us we are far from turning the tides on all forms of smoking.

    What this report is highlighting is there are those that need to be held accountable and the public deserve to know what is going on behind the scenes, so to speak, when it comes to this conglomerate multi-national gigantic tobacco industry.

    Great that we may have more transparency thanks to this chairman Essam and the World Health Organization, but let’s hope it does not lose traction as most things of this kind do.

    We cannot take on an industry of this epic proportion but what we can easily do is expose what is going on by alerting the public so we are no longer in the dark, being fooled, as the truth is we know things are not right. Governments need to be held accountable for allowing smoking to continue with little or no efforts to support all those addicted to this toxic substance.

    What is interesting is it is these governments and policy makers that get involved in the “consequences”. In other words, their health systems have to have an infra structure and funding to deal with the knock on effect of the ills and harm that smoking does to the human body.
    It makes no sense and yet it continues and has done so for centuries.

    Campaigning, fighting or championing to save the world from Tobacco will never work.
    We need to get down to ground zero and find out why anyone starts smoking. Most of us know of people around us that smoke and ask anyone and it is clear they started as a teenager. Rare do we find an elderly person who has just begun to smoke or ingest tobacco.

    This means we have future adult generations guaranteed to have ill health caused by the effects of smoking and let’s add to that the popularity of the modern day equivalent called e-cigarettes.

    The fact that the electronic version has the name “cigarette” tells us it is one and the same and yet we want to believe and subscribe to the distorted meaning as it suits us. One has flavour and bellows out lots of white cloud (no doubt polluting mother earth, but no research yet on this) and the other is an in your face toxic smell that most of us want to run from – both not designed for human consumption.

    Then we’ve got the hookah, which is like a social past time for many in the middle east and now super popular in the western world. Passing a mouthpiece with a group of people may not be the right move for some now that they have the fear instilled about a virus but let’s get real, it will not stop the habit as hookah is addictive and this forensic article is presenting the finite detail about this important form of ingesting a poison, regardless of the fact it comes in flavours like cherry, chocolate, coconut, cappuccino or watermelon.

    If the World Health Organization told us that Tobacco is the biggest ever public health threat that we have ever faced, do we need to make some decisions fast and not hold back in delay?

    What if we made the point of not having anyone who smokes, vapes, uses tobacco in any form, drinks alcohol or takes drugs to be making decisions on behalf of Public Health?

    In other words, we the public tell them “you cannot hold a position of power and be advising our country and the world on what to do and not do because you mr sir or ms madam have a blind spot and that is you continue in your private life to engage in activities that are harmfull to the human body and the very thing you want us to change in our lives. It will not work so please resign and move on, as we have serious work to do and that means recruiting those that walk the talk, know what they are on about and the quality of how they live their personal and private life is no different to work life. In other words, they offer a transparency so there is nothing hidden or going on behind the scenes.”

    Then we find out if they are doing porn and other such self-medication. We have the right to know this as we deserve not to be kept in the dark about these matters as they have been given these positions of authority that effect us all in a big way.

    Then we check them out and see how they benefit. Have they got a deal going here and there, backhanded? Being in with the so-called right people where they all profit and this will lead to exposing the corruption that we all know goes on but say nothing and do nothing as that is how we have operated and it is because that suits us.

    Now with those that need to go gone, we can bring in real education and present to our children, their parents and all those in our current education system that there is value and importance in teaching our kids about the ill effects of smoking, vaping, drugs and alcohol. We will add sugar on the school agenda as that is also a drug killing the human frame.

    We engage the kids and not just reel off facts, do a memory recall test and set them up to be competitive. No no – we find another way. We do not move on in class until all these young people understand what is being presented. We employ people like the author of this incredible website to lead projects and bring a new way of real education, which is for the people and about the people. This means teaching them from young about how to live human life and letting them know we are here to evolve and not be indulging in stuff that actually hurts our body.

    We keep it light and simple and then we call the shots, yes we the public have our say and demand independent research studies on how many of these kids end up being smokers or seeking any drugs and let’s include in that caffeine and alcohol.

    Enough said, time for change. The way we are living is making no sense, we all know that and yet we keep going and seeking solutions.

    This news article is saying we cannot continue and their aim is to call out the violations taking place within the tobacco industry.

  11. Sky News – 28 December 2021

    https://news.sky.com/story/teenagers-whose-parents-smoke-four-times-more-likely-to-take-up-the-habit-12504996

    Teenagers with parents who smoke are 4 times likely to take up the habit.

    Research has highlighted the impact adult smokers have on young people.

    Young teenagers who grow up with a smoking caregiver also smoke regularly.

    The NHS have released a film as part of the campaign showing health experts discussing the link between adults smoking and the chances of their children starting.

    It shows a family GP and smoking cessation experts from Imperial College London urging parents to quit for their new year resolution.

    The Health Minister is hoping this film will give people the extra will power and motivation to quit smoking, as many attempt in January.

    Do we need to question WHY we have so much support and the majority continue to smoke?

    Firstly, why are apps, social media, receiving daily emails, texts and an online Personal Quit Plan not cutting it?

    Do we need to consider that there is more at play with a smoker and it is not a simple thing of giving up as it’s a New Year?

    How many of us give up something like smoking and go to another habit forming substance like vaping, cannabis, eating more chocolate, sugary foods or junk foods?

    Are we seriously going to listen to qualified experts in the field of smoking cessation, who urge us to quit or will we nod and say yes but have no real intention of stopping, or are we so owned by the habit that we simply find it impossible to just stop?

    Is quitting smoking really simple or are there deeper and more underlying issues that must be dealt with first if we are to see real change, turn the tides and have statistics that are consistently demonstrating how people stopped smoking?

  12. European Society of Cardiology – 25 August 2022

    https://www.escardio.org/The-ESC/Press-Office/Press-releases/Smoking-is-even-more-damaging-to-the-heart-than-previously-thought

    Smoking is causing even more damage to the heart than previously thought.

    Smokers have weaker hearts than non-smokers, according to research presented at the ESC Congress 2022. The study found that the more people smoked, the worse their heart function became.

    It is well known that smoking causes blocked arteries, leading to coronary heart disease and stroke. It also shows that smoking leads to thicker, weaker hearts. It meaNs that smokers have a smaller volume of blood in the left heart chamber and less power to pump it out to the rest of the body. The more you smoke, the worse your heart function becomes. The heart can recuperate to some degree with smoking cessation, so it is never too late to quit.” said study author Dr. Eva Holt of Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.

    She concluded: “Our study indicates that smoking not only damages the blood vessels but also directly harms the heart. Some damage is reversible by giving up.”

    The researchers noted that cigarette smoking is responsible for 50% of all avoidable deaths in smokers, with half of these due to atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke.
    https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2022/08/25/smoking-heart-damage-study/3421661433475/

    They said the detrimental effects of smoking on the arteries and arterial diseases, such as heart attack and stroke, are well established.

    Studies also have linked smoking to a higher risk of heart failure.

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