Genetic Factors influence Addictiveness of Cigarettes

There might be a reason some people can quit smoking cold turkey, while others feel that the only place cold turkey belongs is on a sandwich. A recent study by the University of Colorado Boulder showed that genetic factors determine how difficult it can be to quit smoking. The study also said that these genetic factors are more influential now than in the past, but regardless, the genetics explain why some people just can’t quit. The study used adult identical twins who share an almost identical genetic structure, as compared with fraternal twins who do not. The study showed that adult identical twins are significantly more likely to quit smoking at the same time compared with fraternal twins.

Smoking Weed – Does Science Support Decriminalized Marijuana?

Few things are as controversial as the legalization of medical marijuana. Advocates claim it is safe and effective for treating a variety of health issues that may not respond well to conventional drugs. Opponents of decriminalized marijuana envision hordes of doped up druggies on the streets posing a danger to society and to themselves. Aside from individual opinions, what does the science say about medical marijuana? The Dangers of Marijuana There are quite a few studies warning of the dangers related to smoking marijuana. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), marijuana use can lead to anxiety, fear and panic. Because THC, the main active ingredient in marijuana, binds to receptors in the areas of the brain that regulate balance, coordination and reaction time.

Gov’t Plans to Take Control of Cigarette Online Sales

The cabinet may take control of the retail of cigarettes and similar products, restricting their sale to small family-run tobacconist stores in order to reduce smoking and create jobs, Fidesz caucus leader János Lázár told reporters on Monday. He said the issue is complex but is also urgent as more young people are taking up smoking. Minors are often able to buy cigarettes online, he said, adding that this is more common at multinational retail chains. Lázár said the government wants to follow the Austrian model whereby only tobacconist stores would be authorised to sell tobacco products. Retail tobacco trade could become a state monopoly from 2013, according to a copy of a Fidesz presentation obtained by Magyar Nemzet. The proposal has not yet been submitted to Parliament.

Resist Tobacco Firms' Suits

An official of the World Health Organization (WHO) has called on governments to be firm against efforts of big tobacco companies opposing new laws that may affect their sales. “Tobacco is the only industry that produces products to make huge profits and at the same time damage the health and kill their consumers,” said WHO director-general Margaret Chan during a public health meeting in Geneva earlier this week. “How can we as an international community allow big tobacco to harass countries?” Chan said. In her speech during a unity call in Geneva, Switzerland, Chan noted that big tobacco companies have been harassing countries like Australia, the United States, Uruguay and Norway for coming up with measures aimed at reducing smoking and fighting smoking-related diseases.

New York Cigarettes Business

New York City sued the city's first "roll-your-own" cigarette business on Monday in its latest attempt to reduce smoking rates and retain revenue from the highest combined city and state tobacco tax in the nation. City attorneys said that Island Smokes, which has storefronts in Manhattan and Staten Island with plans to expand to all five boroughs, was manufacturing cigarettes without paying city taxes. Patrons of the business make their own smokes one by one, paying a fraction of the price of store-bought city cigarettes. The loose tobacco used at the shops is taxed at significantly lower rates than manufactured tobacco. Customers of Island Smokes sit on bar stools and use individual machines that squirt the tobacco into a hollow paper-and-filter ensemble.