A FLORIDA jury today ordered cigarette maker Philip Morris USA to pay $US300 million ($327m) in damages to a 61-year-old ex-smoker named Cindy Naugle who is wheelchair-bound by emphysema.

The Broward Circuit Court jury assessed $US56.6m ($61m) in past and future medical expenses against the company, part of Altria Group Inc, as well as $US244 ($266m) in punitive damages.

The verdict is the largest of the so-called Engle progeny cases that have been tried so far, both sides said.

Philip Morris will seek further review of the verdict because of “numerous erroneous rulings by the trial judge,” Philip Morris spokesman Murray Garnick.

“We believe that the punitive damages award is grossly excessive and a clear violation of constitutional and state law,” Mr Garnick said.

Ms Naugle’s lawsuit was among about 8000 cases filed in the wake of a 2006 Florida Supreme Court decision that tossed out a massive class action against the tobacco companies.

The Florida high court ruling, which decertified the class of about 700,000 smokers, allowed some to file individual complaints.

Can it make me become addicted to smoking? Like sometimes I smoke 3 times in one day, but the next day not smoke at all, then smoke 1, etc. Can you get hooked that way?

This sort of news always pisses me off. People know that second hand smoke is harmful and they still expose children to it! Everytime I see a small child in the vicinity of someone smoking a cigarette, I get mad!

I found an good article the other day on how smoking can harm your babies so I thought I would also publish it here for all. Yes I agree, a bit hypocritical seeing as I sprout the  new Cigapipe smoking products by Piparette but on the other side of that coin, at least they have invented something that make an effort to cut down and reduce the amount of secondhandsmoke that is produced with their new moking devices.

We are all aware of the dangers of second-hand smoke; only recently, a leading doctor said smoking should be banned in cars carrying children.

But could there be even greater worry? Could you suffer the effects of passive smoking from simply travelling in a smoker’s car – even if they haven’t lit up?

Is that nasty ash-tray tang that lingers on car-seat fabric, curtains in homes and the clothes of the nicotine addict strong enough to damage other people’s health?

According to some experts, third-hand smoke, as it is known, is as dangerous to health as the fumes billowing directly from a pipe or cigarette, particularly for babies and children.

dont smoke near babies ok

A recent report in America has warned that even if you don’t smoke in front of your family, you might be putting them at risk of cancer or delaying the development of their brain, thanks to polluting their environment with a lingering chemical cloud.

The warning came from a paper produced in the respected journal Paediatrics earlier this year. The study surveyed more than 1,500 households, learning that just 26.7 per cent of those that included a smoker had strict rules about not smoking in the home.

‘The dangers of third-hand smoke are very real,’ explained the leader of the study, Professor Jonathan Winickoff, of Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.

‘Toxic particles in cigarette smoke can remain on nearby surfaces long after the cigarette has been

Small children and babies are particularly susceptible because they crawl on the carpet and are likely to breathe in close proximity to smokers, or even lick and suck clothing or items that smokers have touched.

More to follow…

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

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Don’t pay so much for Tobacco and cigarettes when you can use the new smoking products from Piparette. The Cigapipe range of tobacco smoking products are now available for purchase online at their retail store.

Cigapipe smoking devices can save you money and use a state of the art Filter to deliver a cool satisfying smoke with your choice of tobacco.

The Filters are fully disposable and they are no fuss no mess and enviro friendly. Try the new way to smoke today and save money and the environment.

Dont get caught up in the tobacco product price rises – grab your Cigapipe today!

The Smuggling of illegal cigarettes has hit an all-time high as the Federal Government considers introducing heavier taxes on tobacco products.

International flight crews bringing illegal cigarettes through Sydney Airport account for part of a major spike in Australia’s tobacco black market.

Desperate attempts to avoid high tax rates are leading to unregulated tobacco products – often containing contaminates such as rat droppings and metal shavings – being sold under-the-counter at general stores.

Figures obtained by The Daily Telegraph revealed customs detected 11 shipments of illicit tobacco products comprising 65 tonnes of leaf and 22 million cigarettes during the first three months of this year – an attempted tax evasion of more than $27 million.

That was already more than half the $50 million worth of possible tax evasion from seizures in all of 2008.

Customs national investigations manager Richard Janeczko said tobacco smugglers were going to extreme lengths.

“Anything from airline crews bringing them in, people trying to order them in on the internet, or full container loads disguised as things like pretzels,” he said.

“But the big smuggling is done by full container load – you’re talking $4-$6 million dollars in revenue foregone in every one that’s gone through.”

In July, Customs arrested four men over an attempt to smuggle more than 4.8 tonnes of tobacco into Australia from Lebanon concealed within plastic tubs.

“Most of the illegal stuff is made in unregulated factories,” Mr Janeczko said.

“So you can’t be sure exactly what’s in them.”

Earlier this month a report by the National Preventative Health Taskforce called for higher taxes on tobacco products.

The price of a pack of 30 cigarettes would jump to $20 within three years if the Government adopts the plan

Ok now is the time to learn about the new way to smoke tobacco as the cost of cigarettes in Australia (at this stage) is going to be about $20 in about 2 to 3 years time.

If you are going to smoke you may as well use a smoking device that at least tries to offers some benefits to the average Smoker:

Cigapipe Products are a new standard in pipe design and innovation which:

* offer a cost effective product platform that can deliver multiple pipe configurations differentiated by colour, aesthetics and functionality
* provide a convenient, no mess, no fuss functional smoking system
* deliver state-of-the-art filter technology for a cleaner smoking experience

THE group charged with delivering a blueprint for a healthier Australia wants a 30-pack of cigarettes to cost more than $20.

The National Preventative Health Task Force has called for the price hikes along with phasing out junk food marketing aimed at children before 9pm on television.

Called on by the Rudd Government, the taskforce delivered its report to Health Minister Nicola Roxon in Melbourne today.

It recommended the Government boost the price of a packet of 30 cigarettes to at least $20 within three years.

“The price of cigarettes has not kept pace with the price of many other products and services,” the report says.

“If cigarettes in Australia were to cost as much as they do in Ireland, around $20 for a pack of 30, they would still be cheaper than the price of three hours in a city parking station, a quarter of a tank of petrol in a small car, an outing to a movie with a treat from the snack bar or one music CD download. ”

More news on this to follow ……

Read more at the source

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Tobacco use will kill approximately 6 million people next year from cancer, heart disease, emphysema and a range of other ills, the American Cancer Society said in a report issued on Tuesday.

The society’s new Tobacco Atlas estimates that tobacco use costs the global economy $500 billion a year in direct medical expenses, lost productivity and environmental harm.

“Tobacco’s total economic costs reduce national wealth in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) by as much as 3.6 percent,” the report reads.

Help prevent Smoking related diseases

“Tobacco accounts for one out of every 10 deaths worldwide and will claim 5.5 million lives this year alone,” the report said. If current trends hold, by 2020, the number will grown to an estimated 7 million and top 8 million by 2030.

Over the past four decades, smoking rates have declined in rich countries like the United States, Britain and Japan while rising in much of the developing world, according to the nonprofit research and advocacy organization.

Read the full article at the souce

 If you are a ‘roll your own cigarettes” Smoker, now is the best time to try the new cool way to smoke with the range of Cigapipe Products from Piparette.

The benefits are great:

Piparette Cigapipe multi-patented filter system
Fully disposable filter module with Extra large filter
Effective for 8 to 10 smokes (up to 90% less butts)
Delivers a cool and smooth smoking experience
Less fuss –less mess – more environmentally friendly 

Most importantly the Range of Cigapipe products deliver a filtered smoke path which wil at least go some way to preventing you from being one of the statistics in the article above. Give them a try today and take advantage of the special launch offer by choosing the banner at the top of this site.

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The Governement will soon be introducing a funadamental new blueprint to make Australians healthier and leaner buy increasing the price of alcohol and cigarettes.

New extravaganant marketing campaigns aimed at teenagers would be curbed and poor communities would receive cash incentives or vouchers to buy fresh food under the  new Federal Government plan.

Damaging levels of salt, sugar and fats in everyday foods would be cut as part of a “health compact” to tackle an obesity epidemic that costs $58 billion a year, the Herald Sun reports.

Tobacco and alcohol prices to rise

Kevin Rudd’s handpicked Preventative Health Taskforce wants to introduce a minimum “floor” tax for alcohol. This would force up the price of many cheap, popular drinks favoured by teenagers, but could see the cost of premium wines come down.

With Melbourne and other cities reeling from alcohol-fuelled street violence, the taskforce is pushing a series of tough reforms.

It wants far stricter controls over licensing hours and alcohol marketing, including a ban on “inappropriate” booze promotions – a move that could hit teen magazines such as Dolly.

The taskforce also wants Australians to stop smoking.

It says the average price for a packet of 30 cigarettes should rise by about $5 to $20.

Cigarette promotions would be pushed “under the counter”.

But the Government will face pressure to avoid tax changes on alcohol and tobacco that disproportionately hit the working poor.

The Herald Sun reports the expert group recommends a “health compact” between government and the $70 billion food sector aimed at improving the nutritional value of everyday supermarket items.

The new deal aims to reduce the levels of salt, sugar and fats in popular foods and build on work already being done to reduce the level of salt in bread and breakfast cereals.

This would affect everyday items ranging from corn flakes to potato chips, although the taskforce avoids precise targets and time frames. In a bid to improve the diet of poor and remote communities, the government is being urged to make fresh and healthy foods more accessible.

The taskforce is believed to push a range of options including fresh food “vouchers” and other cash incentives.

It is believed the report canvasses a so-called “fat tax” as a way of reducing girths and tackling the obesity epidemic.

The expert panel has outlined a raft of measures aimed at reducing the number of smokers from 2.9 million and cutting levels of alcohol abuse by 30 per cent within a decade.

The taskforce supports a ban on alcohol sponsorship of sport, which would cost footy and cricket up to $300 million a year in lost revenue. Easy-to-read labelling would help consumers choose food that is good for them.

But the taskforce stops short of supporting “traffic light” labelling, which is used overseas and involves a simple red, amber and green code to show the food’s health rating.

Now is a good time for cigarette smokers and roll your own smokers to take advantage of new smoking products which not only reduce harmful secondhand smoke but also save you money.

Full Story : http://www.news.com.au

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It is believed that the origin of the cigarette took place in America. The production of tobacco began in America, where people started consuming its leaves for smoking and chewing. The first users were considered to be of Maya civilization in Central America. The people of Aztecs in South America followed suite and crushed tobacco leaves, wrapped them in corn husks to smoke. This was more popular during religious ceremonies, which is attributed to the fact that priests and deities were shown smoking through pipes on the local pottery of the region.

The art of smoking gradually spread across the nations of South and North America. In the early 17th century in Spain, the corn husk was replaced by paper, spreading the custom of smoking the cigarette to a number of nations. During 1830s, cigarettes reached France, where its name was born. The present popular word ‘cigarette’ is actually the French adaptation of the Spanish word ’sigarito’. In 1850, Turkish leaves were introduced, which became very popular in Russia. The cigarette was brought to the English world after the Crimean War.

The art of Smoking

During the war, British soldiers learned the art of smoking and after returning to England, spread the custom throughout the country. Owing to its widespread demand, a London tobacconist, Philip Morris started manufacturing cigarettes in 1854, which is a popular name now. The cigarettes were hand rolled during this time and a good roller in a factory could roll about 40 cigarettes a minute. However, in US, the manufacturing did not begin until 1864. The first person was seen smoking in 1868.

The manufacturing leader of the country was F. S. Kenney Co. of New York. The growing demand of the product led to the invention of the first cigarette making machine in 1879. In effect, the sales of the product reached heights by the end of 1889. The cigarettes prepared during this time were primarily made of light tobacco to which slight Turkish brand was added for flavor and aroma. From 1900 to 1910, the Turkish tobacco dominated the market scene.

During this time, the market comprised of around 200 different cigarette brands, which enjoyed only regional popularity. There was no sole American brand in the market and the Turkish tobacco was quite expensive. The rise in the cigarette sales was once again achieved, when J Reynolds used Prince Albert smoking tobacco in cigarettes, containing high dose of Burley and named it Camel. The brand gained immense popularity and became the first all-American brand. Along with this, the other two contemporary brands Lucky Strike and Chesterfield also caught on.

In 1922, the Tobacco Tax Law fixed the weight of the tobacco at 1361 mg per cigarette, thereby also determining the modern day size. By 1930s and 40s, the other brands which became popular were Old Gold, Raleigh and Philip Morris. However, the success story experienced a twist in 1950s, when various studies conducted on smoking indicated that consumption of tobacco was harmful. As a result, many large companies started manufacturing ’safer’ cigarettes, which claimed to contain low-tar, low-nicotine content along with filters.

In 1954, R. J Reynolds manufactured the first filtered cigarette under the brand name Winston. In 1956, the first filtered cigarette with menthol, named Salem was introduced. In 1962, Kent brand was launched, which had ‘micronite filter’, containing asbestos. In 1980s and 90s, the cigarette manufacturing companies marketed their products extensively in other countries.

The developing countries of Asia were specifically aimed for. This period saw Marlboro being ranked as the top brand in the world, as its sales exceeded Coca Cola’s. On the contrary, during 1980s smoking was being considered socially as well as politically ‘incorrect’. Even cigarette ads were withdrawn from radio and television programs, surviving only in other concealed forms. However, in the 21st century, the society has become more acceptable and mature. It acts as a watchdog, informing people regarding the harmful effects of smoking and also aspires to protect teenagers from indulging in addiction.

Source: http://www.nj.com/

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