In Canada, 1993
Only $99 Canadian. We'd have bought it but it would have terrified our cats.
I’ve finally gotten around to reading the latest issue of
the NCI Cancer Bulletin, only a few days before the next one comes out. It is chock full of goodies about using the
genome for various assaults on cancer, but they all require concentration and I
feel lazy, as well as distracted by all the sunshine I see out the window. So I’m going to write about a topic I could
address in my sleep – smoking.
Starting at age 19, I smoked like a fiend, until age 30. Quitting was the hardest thing I ever did,
after watching Linda die, of course. I
started at Caltech, largely because the guy next door in my dorm gave away free
samples. For some people, I hear,
tobacco smoking is not totally addictive – they can take it or leave it. I can hardly believe that, because for me it
was an all-consuming obsession. I tried
to quit many times, and after my final successful attempt I had a recurring
dream: I was standing somewhere, with a cigarette in my hand. A voice in my head said, “But, you don’t
smoke”, and then another voice – clearly related to the Devil, replied “Oh,
just one won’t hurt.” I had some version
of that dream for 30 years. Don’t tell
me it’s not addictive.
So, anyway: It
appears that American society is making progress against the scourge of
underage smoking. In 2000 the incidence
of cigarette use among Middle School students was 10.7”; among High School
students it was 27.9%. The same statistics for 2011 was 4.3% and
15.8%, respectively. Good.
However, the same NCI publication has an article about –
would you believe it? – flavored cigars.
It appears that the smoking of these little jewels actually is
increasing. Flavored cigarettes were
outlawed in 2009, but the law doesn’t apply to cigars. Apparently cigar smoking is considered less
dangerous than cigarette smoking, because you rarely inhale. It takes a real man, with hair on his chest,
to inhale a cigar. It also helps to be
stupid. I know, because I’ve done
it. It seems that adding a flavoring
”masks the natural harshness and taste of tobacco.” Oh, great.
An interesting sociological aside: Flavored cigars are favored by women, as well
as by poorer and less well educated people.
They are most popular in New Mexico and least popular in New
Hampshire. So, what does all that mean?
What does this all mean? Their targeted marketing is successful! The tobacco companies realize people that already smoke are more likely to smoke other type of products, especially if they 'improve' the taste with flavoring, etc. Not an expect, but I've heard smoking is the hardest addiction to overcome - God Bless those that can stop! My Dad smoked all his life except the last 15 years, quit 'cold turkey' when the MD said it was killing him. I'm glad he quit because we had him around that much longer - but not without the effects of all those years of smoking.
ReplyDeleteAt the wound care center, we had a middle-aged woman patient that was diabetic (already compromised wound healing), who also smoked. A surprising number of wound patients smoke. She stopped smoking using patches and her wound healed in short order. Even the MD was impressed at the progress. Smoking affects all systems - it is AWFUL, AWFUL, AWFUL on peripheral circulation.
On Linda's picture: I always thought Linda was so very photogenic - but this picture truely shows how attractive she was - perfect smile, twinkling eyes! May be my new favorite picture of Linda.
[oh for spell check in the Google account...!]
Yeah, about spell check. Best to write it in Word, then copy and paste.
ReplyDeleteYes, she was beautiful. It was as much from inside as outside. A loving personality make a lovely face