Topic: cigarettes

Smoking In Movies: Is It Making Cigarettes Cool Again?

When I first started watching Mad Men, one of most disconcerting elements of the show to me was initially its inclusion of cigarettes. These constant, steady cigarette smoke streams throughout each episode — in the office, at home, in restaurants, by and around pregnant women. It was completely different than how things are presently, and it was considerably different than so many shows and movies that have been produced in the last fifteen years that don’t use cigarettes.

Now, however, smoking in movies appears to be increasing. Again. More »

Do We Need Another Anti-Smoking Campaign Centered Around Fear?

“Record your voice for your loved ones while you still can.”

“Secondhand smoke causes asthma attacks.”

“If you smoke with diabetes, plan for amputation, kidney failure, heart surgery … or all three.”

” More »

Clean Smoking? Researchers Test “Healthier Cigarettes” With Less Toxic Smoke

Researchers at British American Tobacco (BAT) have been working hard to create a “healthier cigarette” prototype. The flavor and experience should be the same as a traditional Camel or Virginia Slim. The difference? Less toxins. More »

The Reasons Women Give Up Smoking Versus Men

Obviously, quitting smoking is an incredibly healthy thing to do for your body. It lowers your blood pressures, restores oxygen to your blood stream, increases lifespan, decreases risk of respiratory illness and clears up skin, not to mention the social … More »

Science Says You Shouldn’t Tell Your Kids About Past Drug Use

I look forward to having children some day more than I can say, so I am always on the lookout for things that might make parenting a little easier to navigate (though I am well aware that it’s still pretty … More »

Frequent Secondhand Smoke Exposure Also Ups Dementia Risk

Like most things that are bad for you, smoking can up your risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Now a large international study shows that regular exposure to secondhand smoke (what we are now calling ‘passive smoking?’) could also increase dementia risk. More »

EU Moves To Restrict Cigarette Marketing To Lower Smoking Rates…Finally

The EU is (finally) taking a queue from other countries and considering some severe tobacco restrictions, including banning menthol cigarettes and forcing tobacco companies to scale back their branding on cigarette packaging. Which means…the day when we can all go to a bar in Paris without a wall of second-hand smoke burning our eyeballs might be on the horizon. Hooray! More »

6 Social Benefits Of Quitting Smoking From An (Almost) Ex-Smoker

Some of these will seem obvious, but they are significant nonetheless and have, at one point or another, affected a social part of my life in the last five years. In the event that pictures of black lungs and blood clots don’t deter you, perhaps these lifestyle benefits of quitting smoking might encourage you to stop at least a little bit. More »

The Effects Of Smoking On Your Body While Drinking Are Nasty

If you need another reason to put down the cigarettes, here you go: According to a new study, the effects of smoking while drinking can seriously increase a hangover. Yep, that pounding headache, upset stomach and general feeling of yuck the next morning could be caused not just by alcohol. More »

What We're Reading:

People Will Totally Quit Smoking If Text Messages Tell Them To

Good news for anyone who smokes, and wants to quit, and has a cell phone: According to a new study, certain types of text messages can help people quit smoking once and for all. More »

Looks Like Sin Taxes Are Working: 1 In 5 Still Smoke, But They’re Smoking Less

So this is interesting: While the percentage of Americans who smoke remained essentially unchanged between 2010 and 2011, the number of self-described “heavy smokers” has gone down quite a bit over the past six years. More »

One More Reason Exercise Rocks: It May Help Stop Cigarette Cravings

You already know that there are about a zillion reasons why working out is awesome. But according to a new review published in Addiction, there’s one more to add to the pile: It may help smokers ease or stop cigarette cravings. More »

Breakfast Eggs Are Going To Kill You…Just Like Cigarettes

Fried eggs, scrambled eggs, hard boiled eggs, Egg McMuffins, it doesn’t matter. According to a new study, you might as well be a smoker if you eat eggs. And here we thought they were so incredible and edible. More »

Ridiculous Medical Groups Want ‘R’ Rating For Smoking Scenes In Movies

As a health blogger, I’m probably supposed to say that the movement to ban smoking in movies by giving these films an “R” rating is a good idea…but it’s not. At first glance, it may seem like the right thing to do–especially because we want to shield kids and teens from being influenced by such unhealthy behaviors. But once you take a closer look at this idea, giving a movie an “R” rating simply because someone smokes is pretty ridiculous. More »

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