More New York Railways Prohibit Platform Smoking

There’s one less place to enjoy a cigar outdoors as the anti-smoking annexation of New York continues. Metro North and Long Island Railroad platforms will join the list of territories lost as the campaign against outdoor smoking presses forward. Current rules already prohibit smoking on trains and in any indoor area associated with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. But the new law now extends to include ticketing and boarding areas and platforms with open air, effectively banning outdoor smoking from all railways. In order to smoke, rail patrons will now have to light up in parking lots or other off-premises locations before enter- ing their station, making hearing—and catching—a train much more difficult. Similar restrictions were already in place in New York City and New Jersey stations.

County Plans to Push Smokers Away from Entrances

Chester County employees and visitors to the county’s various buildings will have to haul their ashes away from public entrances if a new smoking policy is adopted Wednesday by county commissioners. The policy would forbid smokers from lighting up within 25 feet of any entrance to a county building, including the privately owned West Market Street building in West Chester where the county has administrative offices. Smoking would be permitted only in designated areas out of the way of the public. The new policy was suggested by the county’s Wellness Committee, made up of employees in the county’s Health Department and its Human Resources Department, said Karen Florentine, county human resources director.

Smoking Costs Much More Than The Price of Cigarettes

Most people only consider the cost of cigarettes when they calculate how much smoking discount Esse cigarettes is costing them. It’s easy to calculate this cost as you know exactly how much you are handing over in cash for each pack of cigarettes you purchase. The truth, however, is that the cost of cigarettes is only a small portion of the overall cost of smoking. Most smokers forget to take into account the higher cost of insurance (auto, life, health) for being a smoker, the way that smoking devalues assets (car, home, furniture, etc) and other costs that one might skip over if they didn’t think too hard about all those little extras that add up when you smoke. The below infographic from Cost of Smoking clearly shows that the cost of smoking is a lot more than just the cost of the cigarettes:

The City’s War on Cheap Cigarettes

There's a magical place in Chinatown — for now — called Island Smokes, where the price of a pack of cigarettes hovers around $5. The trick is that you have to make them yourself — the shop sells "all natural" tobacco and papers, and has machines where customers can assemble the raw supplies. The city is suing the store: "By selling illegally low-priced cigarettes, defendants not only interfere with the collection of city cigarette taxes, they also impair the city’s smoking cessation programs and impair individual efforts at smoking reduction, thereby imposing higher health care costs on the city and injuring public health," says a lawsuit filed last week. The company's lawyer contends, "We are selling the contents that produce the cigarette and it’s up to the user to make them," comparing it to "making your own beer." "Just leave people alone,” one customer told the New York Times. "In this economy, no one can barely afford food, let alone a pack of $15 cigarettes."

Tobacco Companies Challenge Efforts in US, Australia

Tobacco companies are fighting efforts in the United States and Australia to make their products less appealing. In Washington, a federal judge last week blocked the Food and Drug Administration from requiring new warning labels on cigarette packs. Judge Richard Leon ruled in a case brought by five tobacco companies. The judge temporarily stopped a new federal rule to require large new warnings starting next September. These include color images such as a dead body or diseased lungs. Simple text warnings now appear. Congress called for color images showing the dangers of smoking, similar to what Canada does. But the tobacco companies say the new requirements violate their free speech rights guaranteed by the Constitution. Judge Leon said the FDA could not require the new labels before a lawsuit against the government is decided. Some experts say the process could take years. The judge said he believes the Marlboro cigarette makers are highly likely to win their case.

Tobacco-Flavoured Lies

'Safety" might not be the first word to describe a tobacco product that threatens to turn children as young as 11 into nicotine fiends. But as The National reported last week, Chaini Khaini smokeless tobacco pouches are no ordinary product. Logon to chainikhaini.com and the claims begin: "It is a medically proven fact that [Chaini Khaini] is much less harmful than smoking," the makers boast. "Safety, from the harm of smoking and chewing tobacco." Claims such as these are purely deceptive, as the company proceeds to admit that any use of tobacco is "injurious to health". A more truthful depiction is seen in recent requirements forcing tobacco companies' advertising in the UAE and elsewhere to show rotting teeth, diseased lungs and other gruesome photos. Chaini Khaini flavoured tobacco is an example of the underage tobacco use that is an obvious problem in society. Police say children are sucking down the tobacco "like sweets". And it is far too common to see teenagers smoking cigarettes as well.

Want a healthy smile? Quit Smoking

One major thing that has been associated with discolored teeth is cigarette smoking. While many people know that lighting up could lead to their pearly whites turning yellow, they may not realize all of the other serious dental problems that using tobacco may cause. The American Dental Association reports that people who use Glamour cigarettes online are at risk of developing periodontitis, a condition that is characterized by red, swollen gums, constant bad breath and pus between teeth and gums. "Talk with your dentist about products that are available to help wean you off nicotine. Adults can buy over-the-counter nicotine replacement products, including skin patches, lozenges and chewing gum," recommends the ADA. WebMD reports that smokers are twice as likely to lose teeth than people who don't have the habit. The website adds that this population also has an increased risk of developing gum disease and other serious dental health concerns, such as oral cancer. This risk is the same for people who use smokeless tobacco as those who smoke cigarettes.