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Tag: Anti-Smoking

  • Quit Smoking Today: 8 Reasons To Stop Immediately

    As we approach the new year, a number of Americans will make it a resolution to quit smoking for good.

    It won’t be easy; the nicotine in tobacco products is highly addictive.

    That’s is why it’s highly recommended to seek out medical help and various treatment options to guide you. It’s much better than deciding to go it alone and quit “cold turkey”.

    If you’re considering quitting or aren’t sure if you should quit, here are ten good reasons why it’s worth the effort.

    You’ll save a ton of money.

    Cigarettes are getting more and more expensive. Much of the reason for this is an effort to discourage people from smoking.

    Should a person choose to stop smoking, they will find they’ll spend hundreds (even thousands) of dollars less each year.

    Your health will improve immediately.

    When you quit smoking, your health starts to improve within minutes.

    Your heart rate and blood pressure are both said to drop within a half hour; within half a day, the carbon monoxide levels in your blood return to normal.

    Within a year, you’ll cut your risk of developing heart disease in half.

    You may actually start to look attractive again.

    Smoking is something that’s always portrayed as cool or sexy, but after years of battering your body with toxic fumes, you won’t appear to be either of these things.

    Smoking yellows the skin and teeth and makes you look a good decade (or two) older than you really are.

    It could save the life of your child.

    Smoking mothers of young infants can unknowingly increase the risk that their offspring could die of sudden infant death syndrome or SIDS.

    It’s said to occur when a child is allowed to share a bed with a parent who smokes.

    You won’t be breathing in as many germs.

    When you quit smoking, you will find that you inhale fewer bacteria.

    Ultimately it’s the constant inhalation of germs that scientists believe leads to the development various infections and chronic diseases.

    Your sex life could improve drastically.

    Constant smoking is blamed for decreased libido, especially in men.

    “Smoking has a direct, negative effect on the sexuality of a man on every level,” according to Panayiotis M. Zavos, Ph.D., the director of the Andrology Institute of America.

    He and his team of researchers found that smoking greatly interfered with a couple’s ability to conceive.

    Your bones won’t be as weak.

    A major reason to quit smoking it weakens bones. Women who smoke lose anywhere from two to three percent of bone density for every ten years that they smoke.

    You’re less likely to experience a highly preventable demise.

    We’re all going to die one day. It’s a morbid fact that many of us like to ignore, but it’s true.

    However, smoking is considered the number one cause of all preventable deaths.

    It ranked higher than obesity or excessive salt intake.

    When you quit smoking, you giving yourself a chance at a longer, healthier, and happier life.

  • Quit Smoking To Eliminate “Third-Hand Smoke”

    In the ongoing campaign against smoking, the typical approach is to discourage individuals from smoking in one of two ways.

    The first option involves detailing how the habit affects the smoker’s body directly and the ways smoking may seriously harm or kill you.

    The second push to quit smoking generally involves passive smoking or second-hand smoke exposure and how dangerous it is to others. The fear of second-hand smoke is what largely led to smoking being banned from many indoor locations across the United States.

    Now a new concern is garnering increasing exposure: third-hand smoke.

    Unlike second-hand smoke which is often inhaled involuntarily, third-hand exposure is created when the smoke clings to walls and furniture, coating them with a substance that is believed to be highly toxic. Those most at risk of third hand smoke exposure are often very young children.

    Researchers find that certain chemicals in cigarette smoke linger in a room long after the last cigarette has been put out. These substances are said to react with indoor pollutants and create brand new and harmful compounds.

    Noxious residue or NNA is one residue created by this reaction. NNA is thought to coat all surfaces in the area. For smoking parents or relatives with young children around them, this means their toys are very likely covered with this residue.

    As toddlers and infants are very prone towards putting things into their mouths, there is concern this may mean NNA-coated toys and other objects. This means their own hands could be a risk factor due to the skin’s exposure to NNA-coated floors, walls, and other surfaces.

    Dr. Bo Hang of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that the substance sticks to human DNA. This has the potential to lead to the development of cancerous tumors.

    Even though smoking has been pushed out of many public places, not much can be done to protect toddlers from third-hand exposure that typically occurs in the homes of smokers.

    According to Hang, third smoke exposure is especially difficult to eliminate, but not impossible. Furniture would need to be replaced, carpets removed, and walls repainted. Vacuuming, washing clothes and bedding, and keeping curtains clean can also help.

    Hang hopes he and his team of researchers can eventually detect which persons have been exposed to third-hand smoke.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Quit Smoking For Kids: Exposure Damages Arteries

    “Think of the children,” has been an argument in many a morality campaign.

    While some dangers were imaginary and kids provided a convenient prop for concern trolls, smoking has been seen as one area containing legitimate reasons for health concerns. Particularly the potential negative impact on the health of children.

    Now researchers claim that there is one very strong and valid reason to keep cigarette smoke away from children.

    Seana Gall, a researcher in cardiovascular epidemiology warns, “Exposure to passive smoke in childhood causes direct and irreversible damage to the structure of the arteries”.

    Gall led a University of Tasmania-based study which determined that passive smoke inhalation by children increases their risk for heart attack and stroke as they grow older. The passive smoke exposure actually “ages” the child’s arteries over time and thickens the artery walls.

    For these reasons Gall strongly recommends that parents or persons considering becoming parents quit smoking.

    The World Health Organization has long deemed second hand smoke exposure to be a real danger. The organization has identified 250 harmful chemicals in cigarette smoke, with 50 of those chemicals known to cause cancer.

    Upwards of 6 million people die each year as a result of smoking-related illness. As many as 600,000 smoking-related deaths are said to come from continuous second-hand smoke exposure.

    A third of these deaths are thought to be children who lived in households where they were regularly exposed to second-hand cigarette smoke.

    The WHO emphasizes that the only way to prevent second-hand smoke related illness and death is to remove smoking from environments where others will be impacted.

    Thanks to many laws across the United States, passive or second-hand smoke exposure has been eliminated from school grounds and it is illegal to smoke in a car with a child.

    Despite these bold steps in recent years, legislation can only do so much.

    In order to protect children from the negative consequences of smoking, it is important that the smoking adults in their life not expose them to cigarette smoke in any way, shape, or form.

    The toughest, but most successful manner of accomplishing this is ultimately to quit smoking.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Quit Smoking For Better Mental Health?

    Quit Smoking For Better Mental Health?

    A number of studies have been done regarding how smoking impacts the body. With the various toxic chemicals that are found within cigarettes, it’s often treated as the main focus regarding anti-smoking campaigns.

    As smoking has fallen out of favor in the United States, we have seen campaigns telling people to not smoke or quit smoking for a variety of health related reasons. For instance, the possibility of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD.

    However, what about the mental benefits? A new study has emerged which suggests quitting smoking may actually improve mental health.

    Researchers reviewed information relating to 26 different studies that found individuals who had quit smoking saw a reduction in stress levels, depression levels, an improvement in their quality of life, and overall felt more positive.

    The idea that a smoker will feel better when they quit flies in the face of common smoking logic, which is that smoking alleviates all of these negative mental symptoms. Smoking was thought to at least make the smoker feel good even if the act of smoking was physically harmful.

    Researchers feel that the “feel good factor” associated with smoking is actually the treating of withdrawal symptoms associated with not having a cigarette: Irritability, anxiety, and even depression.

    If individuals who wanted to quit smoking were to allow themselves to experience the withdrawal, this study seems to suggest that the negative mental issues will improve on their own.

    If you are looking to quit for your physical health alone, consider the fact that smoking is more or less a short-term fix regarding your feelings. The problem with this short-term fix is that the long-term consequences can be especially harmful. A long-term solution is to quit smoking and allow yourself to benefit not just physically, but mentally and emotionally.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • CVS Corporation Plans To Stop Selling Tobacco Products

    The habit of smoking is becoming a big epidemic in America, where many teens are pushed into smoking by peer pressure, as well as adults who are pressured into smoking for stress relief. With this in mind, one corporation and its stores (CVS) have taken this into account and will soon cease selling tobacco products to the public.

    According to The New York Times, CVS/Cakemark, hailed as America’s “largest drug store chain in overall sales,” announced today that it will be stopping all cigarette (and other tobacco product) purchases by Wednesday, October 1st. The reason for this change is help promote the company’s image of health awareness, along with being more of a “health care provider” than a “largely retail business.”

    This decision by the CVS/Caremark company did not come lightly, and according to figures discussed in The New York Times‘ article, this decision to eliminate the purchasing of tobacco products will cost two-million dollars from the tobacco-smoking community.

    Larry J. Merlo, Chief Executive Officer of CVS, offered the following statement pertaining to the company’s decision to end tobacco sales:

    “We have about 26,000 pharmacists and nurse practitioners helping patients manage chronic problems like high cholesterol, high blood pressure and heart disease, all of which are linked to smoking. We came to the decision that cigarettes and providing health care just don’t go together in the same setting.”

    Earlier today, CVS announced on their Twitter account that they are taking a stand on smoking, and they also provided a statistical graphic showing how many deaths are linked to smoking each other.

    Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, released a statement today backing Merlo’s decision, stating “Today’s CVS/Caremark announcement helps bring our country closer to achieving a tobacco-free generation. I hope others will follow their lead in this important step to curtail tobacco use.”

    With this decision from CVS/Caremark, there has been some opposition to the company’s choice to go tobacco free. Nik Modi, an Investment Analyst for RBC Capital Markets who follows tobacco stocks said that he “doubted CVS’s move would have a major impact on tobacco sales, noting that roughly three-quarters of cigarette sales occur in convenience stores.”

    Will other pharmacy stores follow CVS/Caremark’s example and cease selling tobacco products? Only time will tell.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • FDA Reveals New Anti-Smoking Campaign For Teens

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today revealed a new anti-smoking ad campaign targeted at teens. The ads will be geared toward preventing teens aged 12 to 17 from ever smoking cigarettes. The agency estimates that 10 million teens in that age range have smoked a cigarette or would be open to doing so.

    The campaign is titled “The Real Cost” and uses what the FDA is calling a “comprehensive multimedia approach.” The campaign will use print ads, radio ads, online ads, and TV ads in conjunction with facts about smoking to discourage teens from picking up the habit.

    “The FDA has collaborated with some of the brightest and most creative minds to develop a multimedia initiative designed to make the target audience acutely aware of the risk from every cigarette by highlighting consequences that young people are really concerned about,” said Mitchell Zeller, director of the Center for Tobacco Products at the FDA.

    The new campaign will be evaluated over time by the FDA to measure its effectiveness. Some of the early ads will zero-in on menthol cigarettes, mentioning that they pose the same health risks as normal cigarettes. Future “The Real Cost” ads will highlight smoking risks for specific demographics such as “multicultural” teens, rural teens and LGBT teens.

    The centerpiece of the campaign is a series of 30-second “The Real Cost” TV ads. While some of the ads are purposefully disturbing about the health consequences of smoking, others highlight the control that addiction has over smokers’ lives using a bully metaphor:

  • Smoking, Drug Use Doubles Stillbirth Risks

    Smoking, Drug Use Doubles Stillbirth Risks

    Its been known for years now that pregnant women smoking and imbibing other harmful substances can put their fetus risk. A new study today shows just how serious that risk can be.

    The study, published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, shows that smoking and illegal drug use more than doubles the risk of a stillbirth. This applies not just to tobacco smoke, but to marijuana as well.

    “Smoking is a known risk factor for stillbirth, but this analysis gives us a much clearer picture of the risks than before,” said Dr. Uma Reddy, senior author of the study and a researcher at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). “Additionally, results from the latest findings also showed that likely exposure to secondhand smoke can elevate the risk of stillbirth.

    “With the legalization of marijuana in some states, it is especially important for pregnant women and health care providers to be aware that cannabis use can increase stillbirth risk.”

    The study found that tobacco use by pregnant women increases the risk of stillbirth anywhere from 1.8 to 2.8 times, depending on how heavy the smoking is. Twenty percent of the women in the study tested positive for nicotine late in their pregnancies – double the ten percent of women who did not experience stillbirth and tested positive for nicotine.

    Second hand tobacco smoke exposure meant a 2.1 ties greater risk of stillbirth, and Marijuana use correlated to 2.3 times greater risk of stillbirth. Women who had used marijuana, stimulants, or prescription painkillers were found to have a 2.1 times greater risk of stillbirth.

    The study looked at women who had experienced stillbirth at hospitals across the U.S. Stillbirth in the study was defined as when a a fetus dies at or after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Researchers tested blood samples and the umbilical cords of these women, looking for the chemical byproducts of nicotine and other drugs.

  • Quit Smoking With Cigarettes That Might Explode?

    It’s hard to be a smoker in 2013.

    Law after law and policy after policy has severely limited the range of locations where those pressed for a nicotine fix can puff away in peace. Cigarette prices are higher than ever, and the product is routinely maligned and protested.

    After decades of traditional smoking cigarettes coming under attack, there has been a rise in the fortune of the electronic “smokeless” cigarette industry. Unlike regular cigarettes, electronic versions boast being able to offer up the desired nicotine fix while inhibiting dangerous toxins and chemicals. Additionally, being smokeless is supposed to mean a reduction in second-hand smoke exposure. While the industry makes no direct guarantees, it has been implied that if you’re going to smoke, e-cigarettes are the safer and less addictive alternative.

     

     

    Anti-smoking advocates are not convinced. According to the New York Daily News, a move has been made in New York City to ban smoke-less cigarettes from the same public places as regular cigarettes. The reason is due to concern over a lack of proof that electronic cigarettes are actually safe. This concern moves beyond the state of New York as e-cigarettes are becoming a global phenomenon.

    Aside from the potentially addictive nature of e-cigarettes, there is another cause for concern. Some electronic cigarettes when faulty have the nasty habit of exploding. In the case of one unfortunate man, while in his mouth. Because of the electric nature of the cigarettes and how they’re charged, there are related issues that can cause an entirely different set of safety needs. As these products are not currently relegated by the FDA, there is no telling how and when faulty products might hurt users.

    Electronic cigarettes may in time prove to be free of toxins and safer than normal cigarettes, with or without the explosions. Still, the possibility makes one wonder why those looking to quit don’t opt for nicotine patches. After all, if one is going to get their nicotine fix, the arguably safer option is the one that has no chance of literally blowing up in your face.

    Image: Wikimedia Commons, 1 and 2

  • Smoking Could be Banned in UK Prisons

    A smoking ban has been proposed for prisons in the U.K., and several prisons in the U.K. will participate in a pilot program to see how inmates respond to such a ban. The U.K. Ministry of Justice announced the program on Friday that will ban smoking and all other tobacco products from selected jails. The proposal comes after non-smokers have complained about secondhand smoke.

    “We are considering banning smoking across the prison estate and as part of this are looking at possible sites as early adopters,” said a spokesperson at the Ministry of Justice. Approximately 80 percent of prisoners smoke, and there is a fear of legal action on the behalf of non-smokers if something isn’t done. If officials are pleased with how the smoking ban works at the selected prisons, all prisons in the U.K. could be under the smoking ban within the year.

    The smoking ban comes at a cost to the taxpayers, though. The prisons will provide nicotine patches for those who have to quit smoking, which will cost the taxpayers an estimated £11 million. According to Daily Mail, officials are afraid of a lawsuit if they don’t offer assistance in quitting smoking. Drug-addicted prisoners were awarded £11,400 each in 2008 after they were forced to go cold turkey without any help.

    Prison guards are concerned that a smoking ban will cause riots, which would make their jobs even more dangerous. Officials have acknowledged that the ban “could cause disturbances,” but haven’t yet mentioned how they plan to deal with that. Many Twitter users think that a smoking ban in prisons will only lead to trouble. What do you think about a prison smoking ban? Respond below.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • New Anti-Smoking Campaign Successful, Says CDC

    Anyone who watched TV, or even just YouTube last spring has seen the ads. Men and women giving “tips” from their personal experiences with smoking and second-hand smoke. The most infamous of the spots would undoubtedly be Terrie, the woman who advised smokers to record their voices for their grandchildren before their voice boxes are removed due to cancer.

    Today, the U.S. Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has claimed that the “Tips From Former Smokers” ad campaign has actually been successful. Since the start of the campaign in 2012, the CDC estimates that 1.6 million Americans attempted to quit smoking, overshooting the CDC’s goal of 500,000 quitting attempts. The agency is estimating that around 100,000 of those who attempted to quit will succeed, more than the CDC’s original goal of 50,000 total quitters.

    “This is exciting news. Quitting can be hard and I congratulate and celebrate with former smokers – this is the most important step you can take to a longer, healthier life,” said Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the CDC. “I encourage anyone who tried to quit to keep trying – it may take several attempts to succeed.’’

    The estimated results of the ad campaign come from a survey the CDC conducted, the results of which have been published this week in the journal The Lancet. Researchers surveyed both smokers and non-smokers before and after the ad campaign, which lasted from March to June 2012. 80% of smokers stated that they had seen one of the ads at least once, and calls to the CDC’s “1-800-QUIT-NOW” hotline more than doubled during the campaign.

    The “tips” ad campaign, according to the CDC, represents the first time a federal agency developed paid ads for tobacco eduction. The agency is claiming success, saying that the $54 million campaign was public health money well-spent. The CDC has continued the “tips” campaign with new ads earlier this year. There are also plans for even more “tips” ads, to air sometime in 2014.

    “Hard-hitting campaigns like ‘Tips From Former Smokers’ are great investments in public health,” said Dr. Tim McAfee, lead author of the survey and director of the Office on Smoking and Health at the CDC. “This study shows that we save a year of life for less than $200. That makes it one of the most cost-effective prevention efforts.”

  • Majority Supports Banning Smoking in Vehicles Kids are in

    In many places across the U.S., cigarette smokers are relegated to the outdoors and their own property. A new public health movement, however, is now looking to protect children from second hand smoke in cars.

    A new poll conducted by the University of Michigan Health System has shown that 82% of American adults support a ban on smoking in vehicles that contain children under the age of 13. Moreover, 87% of adults support a ban on smoking in any business place where children are allowed. 75% even support a ban on smoking in homes that contain children with asthma.

    “Smoke is a real health hazard for kids whose lungs are still developing, and especially for kids who have illnesses like asthma where the lungs are particularly fragile and flare up when exposed to secondhand smoke,” said Dr. Matthew Davis, director of the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health and a professor of pediatrics at Michigan’s medical school.

    Seven states (Louisiana, Arkansas, California, Illinois, Oregon, Utah, and Maine) currently have laws banning smoking in cars that contain children. The American Academy of Pediatrics began calling for legislation banning the practice in 2007.

    “Given the high level of public support for laws prohibiting smoking in vehicles with children in this poll, it may be that the bans enacted by a small number of states should be considered by many more states, and perhaps at the national level,” said Davis.

    “Forty of the 50 states currently ban smoking in public places in one form or another. At this time, we are not aware of laws at this time that prohibit smoking in homes where children have asthma or other lung conditions. However, the level of public support for ways to reduce children’s exposure to secondhand smoke is so high that now may be the time to for public health officials and legislators to move forward on ideas like these to protect children’s health,”

  • Asthma Cases in Children Fall in Wake of Smoke-Free Laws

    A new study has shown that hospital admissions for childhood asthma have fallen significantly following the introduction of a smoke-free law in the U.K. The study, published today in the journal Pediatrics, showed a 12.3% fall in admissions for childhood asthma in the first year after the law was put in place.

    A law banning smoking in enclosed public spaces and workplaces was implemented in the U.K in 2007. Before the law, hospital admissions were rising by 2.2% a year, and peaked at 26,969 in 2006/2007. After the law, the trend immediately reversed among all children, regardless of gender, socioeconomic status, or whether they lived in rural or urban areas.

    “There is already evidence that eliminating smoking from public places has resulted in substantial population health benefits in England, and this study shows that those benefits extend to reducing hospital admissions for childhood asthma,” said Dr. Christopher Millett, lead author of the study and a senior lecturer in the Imperial College London’s School of Public Health. “Previous studies have also suggested that the smoke-free law changed people’s attitudes about exposing others to second-hand smoke and led more people to abstain from smoking voluntarily at home and in cars. We think that exposing children to less second-hand smoke in these settings probably played in important role in reducing asthma attacks.

    Researchers analyzed NHS (National Health Service) data from the first year following the passage of the anti-smoking law, and observed that asthma admissions continued to fall in subsequent years. According to the study, this corresponds to 6,802 fewer admissions in the first three years of the legislation.

    “The findings are good news for England, and they should encourage countries where public smoking is permitted to consider introducing similar legislation,” said Millett.

  • Smoking Laws Cut Deaths, Hospitalizations Shows Analysis

    A new analysis conducted at the University of California San Francisco has shown that laws preventing smoking at work and other public places, such as restaurants and bars, result in fewer hospitalizations for heart attacks, strokes, asthma, and other respiratory conditions. The researchers found that the laws also reduce health care costs and raise quality of life.

    “The public, health professionals, and policy makers need to understand that including exemptions and loopholes in legislation – such as exempting casinos – condemns more people to end up in emergency rooms,” said Stanton Glantz, co-author of the analysis and director of the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at UCSF. “These unnecessary hospitalizations are the real cost of failing to enact comprehensive smoke-free legislation.”

    The research was a meta-analysis of 45 different studies published before November 30, 2011 covering 33 different smoke-free laws in the U.S., New Zealand, and Germany. Researchers looked at the relationship between smoking bans and hospital admissions or death from cardiac, cerebrovascular, and respiratory diseases. They found a 15% drop in heart attack hospitalizations, a 16% drop in stroke hospitalizations, and a 24% drop in respiratory hospitalizations, including hospitalizations for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

    The study authors also noted that more comprehensive anti-smoking laws were accompanied by larger drops in risk. Along with the drop in hospitalizations came a drop in related health care costs. Researchers stated that one German province saw $6.9 million in savings after its first year of smoke-free laws.

    “Smoke-free legislation…reduces exposure of nonsmokers to secondhand smoke and creates an environment that helps smokers cut down or quit smoking,” said the study’s authors. “The passage of these laws reflects changes in social norms that also affect smoking behavior; the laws both formalize and accelerate this social change and the associated health benefits.”

  • Federal Appeals Court Upholds Graphic Anti-Smoking Disclaimers, Other New Regulations

    If you’ve traveled much to other countries, especially in Europe, you’ve probably noticed cigarette packs with massive labels on them, warning of the dangers of smoking. It’s our Surgeon General’s Warning on steroids. “Smoking Kills,” says a British version, eloquent and succinct, across half the pack. Or there’s my favorite, the German “Rauchen kann zu einem langsamen und schmerzhaften Tod führen.” This means: Smoking can lead to a slow and painful death. But it loses a lot of umph in translation.

    Soon we might not have to look abroad for big warnings like these. That’s one of the consequences of a U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals decision handed down today, which upholds most provisions of a new law giving the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the power to regulate tobacco products, including the requirement for large, graphic warnings on cigarette packs. The ruling affirms the FDA’s authority to prevent the tobacco industry’s targeting of children and misleading of the American public. It marks the second time the FDA law has been broadly upheld.

    Plaintiffs in the case had challenged the law, especially the provision for requiring graphic warning labels on their products, largely on First Amendment grounds. But the court majority found that such labels “are reasonably related to the government’s interest in preventing consumer deception and are therefore constitutional,” and that they “do not impose any restriction on Plaintiff’s dissemination of speech, nor do they touch on Plaintiffs’ core speech. Instead, the labels serve as disclaimers to the public regarding the incontestable health consequences of using tobacco.”

    Other key provisions that were upheld in the ruling include those that:

    • Prohibit tobacco companies from making health claims about tobacco products without FDA review;
    • Ban several forms of tobacco marketing that appeal to children, including brand name sponsorships, tobacco-branded merchandise such as caps and t-shirts, and free samples of tobacco products; and
    • Prohibit tobacco companies from making statements implying that a tobacco product is safer because it is regulated by the FDA.

    The ruling today largely affirms an earlier decision by Judge Joseph H. McKinley in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, whose decision upheld the warning labels provision and other provisions of the law. It also serves as a powerful refutation of another, narrower case, in which Judge Richard Leon, of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, struck down the new cigarette pack warnings. That ruling is on appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, with oral arguments scheduled for April 10.

    Today’s decision marks a very clear victory for public health over the tobacco industry’s private interest and long history of deception regarding health hazards, and it strongly supports Congress’ findings in enacting the requirement and finds the warnings are supported by the scientific evidence. I don’t always stand behind Congressional decisions, but for once, at least, they seem to have gotten something right.

    While today’s decision largely upheld the new tobacco regulation law, two major provisions were struck down in the decision, including one banning the use of color and imagery in tobacco advertising in locations where lots of kids will see them, and a second prohibiting the use of free gifts to encourage tobacco purchases.

    If you want to read the ruling for yourself, the full text of today’s decision can be found here.