Tobacco additives found to be harmful despite previous reports

It’s getting surprisingly easy to light up in the Netherlands these days — cigarettes, that is.

Commonly known as ‘sheesha’ or ‘huqqah,’ water pipes and smokeless tobacco including both snuff as well as chewing tobacco, pose health dangers that are little understood by users. Contrary to popular belief, water pipes and smokeless tobacco are not a safe alternative to cigarettes, and there is no proof that any device or accessory can make water pipe smoking safer.

Research is discovering ways tobacco can be used to save lives rather than shorten them.

Big Tobacco has joined forces with the breast cancer industry in the launch of its newest product aimed at raising money for breast cancer research: “Pink ribbon” SlimSmokes cigarettes for women. For every pack of cigarettes sold, the manufacturer pledges to donate two cents to breast cancer research. “We aim to raise money to help find a cure for breast cancer,” said Yin Hailing, spokesperson for Phillip Porous, the maker of pink ribbon SlimSmokes cigarettes. “Because the longer our best customers live, the more they can smoke!”

Separate studies on two continents have concluded smoking is associated with decreased productivity on the job, both in the civilian and military sectors. The studies were published in the April 2007 issue of the journal Tobacco Control.

As state funding for enforcement of Ohio’s smoking ban approaches its end, unpaid fines in Lucas County and throughout the state are piling up.Less than one third of $2.3 million in fines assessed since the law took effect five years ago has been collected. In Lucas County, roughly $13,000 has been paid — not even a dent in the $245,500 that’s owed.

Even as a debate on the ideal legal age for drinking rages on, a few health organisations are demanding strong warnings on alcohol products.These include the Indian Dental Association (IDA), Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH) and World Health Organisation (WHO).Though WHO has declared alcohol as one of the largest-known cancer-causing products, it sells across the world without any warning signs.