Say no to smoking and alcohol

A Dutch company has come up with a non-nicotine based soft drink which gives off a sensation akin to smoking cigarettes. The drink, 'Liquid Smoking,' comes in a 275ml can shaped like a cigarette packet and will cost ?1.50 when introduced in Britain shortly. It is an energy drink laced with South African herbs, which gives off "a slight energising effect, followed by a euphoric sense of calming and relaxation." It has been on sale in the Netherlands for nearly a year now, and the Dutch company, United Drinks and Beauty Corporation, plans to launch it in Britain close to Christmas, The Telegraph has reported. There is no lower age limit to buy it, but the manufacturer believes it should not be drunk by anyone under 15. Company chief executive Martin Hartman told The Telegraph: "The product we have developed has got similar properties to nicotine, so we are trying to help people out who are affected by the ban on nicotine." People might use this instead of a ci

Women who smoke are more likely than their ex-smoking and non-smoking peers to undergo surgery for an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) or to experience a ruptured aneurysm. An AAA occurs when the wall of the aorta, the body's largest artery that carries blood from the heart , is stretched or weakened as it passes through the abdomen. Blood pumping through the artery can cause the weakened wall to balloon out and possibly rupture. A ruptured AAA is an extremely dangerous event causing a massive amount of internal bleeding that is fatal without immediate surgery to repair the aorta. To assess the potential risk factors for abdominal aortic aneurysm events (repairs and ruptures) in women, researchers from America studied 1,61,808 postmenopausal women aged between 50 and 80 years. During the 8 years of follow-up, the researchers took lifestyle factors such as dietary habits and smoking status of the participants into consideration. Overall, 184 women experienced an AAA rupture or repai

After a ban on smoking in public places, Union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss is now eyeing the bottle. A National policy on alcohol control will soon be implemented in the country, Ramadoss said. He said consultation with experts have begun but refused to elaborate. "On weekends in cities like Bangalore and Chennai even women are going on smoking and drinking binge. It's a dangerous trend. We'll have to intervene and regulate the system," he said.  Ramadoss hoped the WHO would soon designate October 2 as the global prohibition day. "Alcohol consumption poses a grave threat to India, the nation with 600 million people less than 30 years of age," he said.  "The Constitution mandates all states to exercise prohibition but except J&K and Gujarat none of the states follow it. Prohibition is a state subject, I would urge all state governments to enforce to total prohibition."

Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss has said that a blanket ban on smoking in public places would be strictly enforced from October 2 on eve of Mahatma Gandhi's birthday. India is among the few countries to ban tobacco-related advertisements but apart from the ban in media, the ban on smoking in public places or sale to minors is blatantly flouted. "The Health Ministry can implement the law, the rule, the act wholeheartedly. From October 2, India is going to go smoke free in all public places," said Ramadoss.  Urging the people to self-impose the ban, the Health Minister said the need for restrain smoking had to come from within the individuals. "Please self-impose this act. That is my main appeal. Every public in India has to self-impose," said Ramadoss. India is the third largest tobacco producer and consumer in the world after China and United States of America. India, exports one fourth of its total annual tobacco output, which is nearly 545 million kilo

Forty percent of India's health problems are linked to smoking, Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss says, defending the stringent measures to ban smoking  in  public places from Oct 2.  "According to a WHO survey, the (size of the) tobacco industry is Rs 35,000 crore (Rs 350 billion/$8 billion). Government as well as individual expenditure on preventing and treating tobacco-related health ailments as well as loss of production due to these diseases is Rs.36,000 crore (Rs.360 billion)," Ramadoss said in an interview.  He also pointed out that of the five million people the world over who have health problems because of  tobacco use , one million are Indians.  Ramadoss denied suggestions that he was playing the moral policeman due to the health ministry's banning smoking in public places from Oct 2.  "I am not trying to play a moral policeman or guardian. I am just doing my job. As health minister it is my responsibility to create awareness in the general population

 Contrary to the popular notion, light cigarettes can deliver nearly as much nicotine to the brain as regular cigarettes, according to a new study. For decades, cigarette makers have been marketing the so-called light cigarettes - which contain less nicotine than regular smokes - with the implication that they are less harmful to smokers' health, however, the new study from University of California, Los Angeles challenges the notion. Light cigarettes have nicotine levels of 0.6 to 1 milligrams, while regular cigarettes contain between 1.2 and 1.4 milligrams. The research team led by UCLA psychiatry professor Dr. Arthur L. Brody have found that low-nicotine cigarettes act similarly to regular cigarettes, occupying a significant percentage of the brain's nicotine receptors. They also looked at de-nicotinized cigarettes, which contain only a trace amount of nicotine (0.05 milligrams) and are currently being tested as an adjunct to standard smoking-cessation treatments. They found

The four-city survey conducted, between August 9 and 24, by Healis Sekhsaria Institute for Public  Health  found that 92% of those surveyed were in favour of smoke-free India. In Mumbai, 96% of the respondents supported the legislation.  When the ban on smoking at work and public places comes into effect on October 2, there won't be any protests here. The city's residents, along with those in Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai, have voted in a survey to indicate that they are overwhelmingly in favour of the Centre's plan to introduce smoke-free zones.  "People have clearly stated that they are against smoking in all public places and workplaces, including restaurants and bars," said Dr P C Gupta at a press conference on Thursday. The survey also found that Indians viewed second-hand smoke as a health risk. "Nine out of ten surveyed knew that exposure to second-hand smoke is a serious (84%) or moderate (14%) health hazard for the non-smoker," he added.  Health ex

Bangalore, Sept 2 (PTI) In keeping with its sustained anti-tobacco campaign, the Centre will implement a "workplace smoke-free policy" from October 2."Smoking will not be permitted in private and public buildings. Those wishing to smoke will have to step out on the roads," Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr Anbumani Ramadoss told reporters here.The ban applies to all companies, including the IT sector, Ramadoss said. Companies could no longer have designated smoking rooms, he added.The rule would also apply to small cafes, restaurants, pubs or discotheques. Hotels having more than 30 seat arrangement would have to create a separate enclosure for smokers and a separate ventilation arrangement as per the act, he said.Currently the punitive action for those violating the ban is Rs 200 but the ministry is keen on increasing it to Rs 1,000 for individuals committing the offence and Rs 5,000 for organisations.The government would run a series of advertisements

Tobacco promotions and depictions of smoking in movies cause teenagers to start smoking, according to a sweeping report on tobacco in the media released on Thursday. The report by the National Cancer Institute found the tobacco industry spent more than $13 billion on smoking-related advertising and promotion in 2005. These efforts boosted overall tobacco use, contradicting industry claims that they are intended to build brand loyalty. "This is the first government report to present definitive conclusions that, number one, tobacco advertising and promotion are causally related to increased tobacco use in the population," said Ronald Davis, senior scientific editor of the report and past president of the American Medical Association. "And, number two, (it shows) that depictions of smoking in movies is causally related to youth smoking initiation," Davis told a news conference. Tobacco use remains the single-largest cause of preventable death in the US, accounting for

Alcohol use during teen years can lead to a host of problems like risky sexual behaviour and a greater risk of delayed reproduction. An examination of the link between a history of alcohol dependence (AD) and timing of first childbirth has found that AD is associated with delayed reproduction. 'Reproductive dysfunctions include a range of menstrual disorders, sexual dysfunctions, and pregnancy complications that include spontaneous abortion or miscarriage,' explained Mary Waldron, assistant professor at Washington University School of Medicine and co-author of the study. 'Teenagers who drink tend to have disruptions in their menstrual cycle as well as unplanned pregnancies,' she said. These complications may become more pronounced with time, added Sharon C. Wilsnack, a neuroscience professor at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences. 'Higher rates of reproductive dysfunction in adult women may reflect the cumulative effects of longer

i wonder why ? people are crazy for hard drinkz few days back i was moving down streets of small city in russia, i was broken up after seeing atleast 2 or 3 bottle caps of hard drinks at every footstep along the street it was around 6 in the morning suddenly i saw an old man rushing past me i was thinking in my mind what a responsible man he would be ! walking stead fast to work early morning. few steps down i saw him returning back this time he changed my view about him he was carrying a beer bottle actually he was rushing to beer shop to pick up some for him alas how could we change them.....

For many, the first fag is just for the sake of trying out smoking, but for some, this first puff turns out to be a life time of addiction. Scientists have now attributed this tendency to the brain's procession of 'rewarding' and addictive properties of nicotine. In their new study, researchers at The University of Western Ontario have said that the mechanism behind the brain's processing of the 'rewarding' and addictive properties of nicotine, may explain why some people seemingly become hooked with their first smoke. Led by Steven Laviolette of the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, the study could lead to new therapies to prevent nicotine dependence and to treat nicotine withdrawal when smokers try to quit. "Nicotine interacts with a variety of neurochemical pathways within the brain to produce its rewarding and addictive effects. However, during the early phase of tobacco exposure, many individuals

The world consumed 18.3 billion liters of spirits in 2007, with China, whose thirsty citizens drank 3.7 billion liters, leading the way, according to the global market intelligence firm Euromonitor International. But don't expect to have heard of any of these brands—a majority of this tipple is local hooch made and consumed in China. By far the most popular category of liquor in the world was vodka (3.7 billion liters), thanks to Russia's immense appetite for the stuff, followed by whiskey (2.1 billion liters). But fans of Dewar's or Jack Daniel's will be surprised to learn that most of this is not the familiar Western brands but rather Indian-made whiskeys, with some ersatz Scottish names like Bagpiper and McDowell's. Indians consume nearly 800 million liters of whiskey, both domestic and imported, a year. But local labels produced purely for local markets aside, which are the global brands that have established the greatest presence behind the bar? With the openin

Health Minister A Ramadoss may finally breathe a sigh of relief. Shah Rukh Khan has decided to give up smoking. "I am planning to quit smoking for the sake of my children, who hate to see me smoke," Shah Rukh Khan said, in an interview to the Malayalam daily, Malayalam Manorma. "It is a blessing in disguise and I will quit smoking in the next two months," he added. SRK's smoking had become a kind of war between him and the Health Minister. Ramadoss had often stated that Shah Rukh's habit of smoking publically set up a bad precedent for youngsters. But the actor did not stop. "I am sure Mr Ramadoss will be very happy to hear this news," Shah Rukh told the Malayalam newspaper. The interview was conducted at Pollachi in Tamil Nadu where SRK is shooting for Billo Barber, directed by Priyadarshan .The film's Tamil version, Kuselan and Telugu version Kathanayakudu -- both starring Rajnikanth -- released last week. "I started smoking when I was

so lets stop drinking, make others to stop drinking feel free to give ideas and tips to make people stop drinking.

friends you may wonder , why i have started this blog ? because i am future doctor , social worker , many thing may poke your brains. but reason behind it is a small incident happened to me two weeks ago i was coming back home from my practical class, i was alone, on the way two drunkards stopped me. they were fully boozed, one was still having beer bottle in his hand. they asked me to give some money. i nodded in negative, then they looked at my pocket ,started searching me, i was just frightened, i tried to run, they blocked me one was to beat me, then two people came back from car hit them hard , they asked me to run i just can't imagine situation how hard they were hit down , i felt pity for them i thought what made them to do this with me and got conclusion they wanted money to buy more alcohol. i decided to stop people from being loosing themselves, making hell for themselves so i started this blog you may add your experiences, say how to stop people from this social habit,

Public bans on smoking improve the overall health of people, a new study carried out in Scotland and published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed. The interesting thing is that researchers looked for signs that the person was a smoker, a non-smoker and started their research from there. Researchers found that after a ban smoking in enclosed public place was introduced in Scotland in March 2006, there was a 17 percent reduction in hospital admissions for acute coronary syndrome. There was a 14 percent reduction in admissions among smokers, a 19 percent reduction among former smokers, and a 21 percent reduction among people who’d never smoked, the US News and World Report noted. Nonsmokers saw a 20% reduction in their hospital admissions. Previous studies showed that banning smoking in public places reduced hospital admissions, but they didn’t take into considerations cathegories such as nonsmokers, smokers, or both. It looks like the home is now the most likely place to breat

HOW DOES SMOKING AFFECT A PERSON'S HEALTH? Smoking affects a person's health in many serious ways, having both immediate and long term ill effects on your quality of life. It is a very serious addiction, caused by the drug nicotine. Once inhaled, nicotine from smoking reaches the brain almost immediately (within seven seconds). Milligram for milligram, the nicotine contained in all cigarette smoke is more potent than heroin. Whenever you light a cigarette, the nicotine in its tobacco causes an increase in your heart rate and blood pressure, and the air passages in your lungs constrict, making it more difficult for you to breathe. This is dangerous to even the healthiest person, and can be disastrous to anyone with a medical illness. As small blood vessels constrict, your skin temperature may also decrease, causing your fingers, toes and skin to feel cold. Smoking dulls more than your social appeal, it decreases your senses, particularly your sense of smell and taste ( that'

There are over 62 million alcohol drinkers in India and the age of initiation is just 13.5 years, Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss said Tuesday. 'The age of initiation to alcohol has come down from 19 years in 1986 to 13.5 years in 2006,' Ramadoss said. 'In India alone, there are 62.5 million alcohol users and their numbers are increasing rapidly. It is documented that more than 50 percent of all drinkers in India come under the criterion for hazardous drinking,' he added, while speaking at the India-Brazil-South Africa health ministers' conference here. Reminding the delegates about the 58th World Health Assembly's warning on the harmful effects of drinking, the minister said: 'Drinking is among the foremost underlying causes of diseases, domestic violence against women and children, disability, social problems and pre-mature deaths'. To denounce drinking and create awareness about its ill effects, the minister proposed to observe World No Alcohol Day&

Apart from verification of credentials, just find out whether your potential life partner puffs or not, for a new study has revealed that being married to a smoker can significantly raise your risk of a stroke. Previous studies have indicated the dangers of stroke to smokers, but till now had not explored the high risk from passive smoking. Now a team at Harvard University has found that even if one does not smoke, tying the knot with a smoker increases the chance of suffering a heart stroke by upto 72 per cent, the report said. "These findings indicate that spousal smoking increases stroke risk among non-smokers and former smoker. "The health benefits of quitting smoking likely extend beyond individual smokers to affect their spouses, potentially multiplying the benefits of smoking," lead researcher Dr Maria Glymour wrote. The researchers came to the conclusion after analysing the records of more than 16,000 people in the US. They looked at people aged over 50, and thei

This young lady in Oprah and what a loving, forgiving young woman she is ! An amazing story of what she has suffered and will bear rest of her life. It was just due one of our largely spread social negligence. Jacqueline partying with his friends The car in which Jacquillene travelled,she was hit by another car,that was driven by 17 year old male student on his way home after drinking couple of hard packs with his friends.this was in december 1999. After accident Jacquillene has needed over 40 operations. Jacquillene was caught in burning car and her body was heavily burnt during 45 seconds. During treatment with his father in 2000. Without her left eyelid Jacquillene needs eye drops to keep her vision. Now boy in 2004, he cannot forgive himself for driving drunk on that night,he is aware of Jacquillene's life.this changed his mind towards alcohol. Not everyone who gets hit with car dies, this picture was taken 5 years after accident and doctors are still working on Jacquillene

A new study in mice has provided an insight into why viral infections have more severe consequences in individuals exposed to cigarette smoke than in those not exposed to it.The study, conducted by researchers at Yale School of Medicine, also identified the mechanism by which viruses and cigarette smoke interact to increase lung inflammation and damage. Their experiments showed that the immune systems of mice exposed to cigarette smoke from as little as two cigarettes a day for two weeks overreacted when they were also exposed to a mimic of the flu virus. The mice's immune systems cleared the virus normally but the exaggerated inflammation caused increased levels of tissue damage. "The anti-viral responses in the cigarette smoke exposed mice were not only not defective, but were hyperactive," said Jack A. Elias, M.D., the Waldermar Von Zedtwitz Professor of Medicine and chair of internal medicine at Yale School of Medicine."These findings suggest that smokers do not