Another Marlboro Man Dies From Smoking Related Illness

Stop Smoking San Luis Obispo - Former Marlboro Man, Eric Lawson passed away from COPD on January 10th, 2014.  He started smoking when he was 14.  Eric Lawson isn't the only Marlboro Man to pass away from a smoking related illness.  Others would include David Millar, who died of emphysema in 1987, and David McLean, who died of lung cancer in 1995.

Esquire Magazine reported on a living Marlboro Man named Turk Robinson who is an actual cowboy.  Turk credits his survival as a Marlboro Man with NOT SMOKING!

“I just never did think it’d be too good for your health,” says Robinson. “And I didn't like the smell of it. Still don’t.”

And there you have it folks.  You can be the Marlboro Man, just don't use the product.  That's the Frank Lopez was right when he said, "Don't get high on your own supply."

dangerous part.  I guess

Let's take a moment to get acquainted with COPD:

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), is a type of obstructive lung disease characterized by chronically poor airflow. It typically worsens over time. The main symptoms include shortness of breath, cough, and sputum production. Most people with chronic bronchitis have COPD.  Tobacco smoking is the most common cause of COPD.

There are two main forms of COPD: Chronic bronchitis, which involves a long-term cough with mucus; Emphysema, which involves destruction of the lungs over time.

In 2011, it ranked as the fourth leading cause of death, killing over 3 million people. The number of deaths is projected to increase due to higher smoking rates and an aging population in many countries. It resulted in an estimated economic cost of $2.1 trillion in 2010.

Mr. Lawson, later appeared in an anti-smoking commercial that parodied the Marlboro man and an “Entertainment Tonight” segment to discuss the negative effects of smoking.

So RIP Eric Lawson.  I wish you and your family peace.  Thank you for doing your part to get the message out about the danger of smoking.

Nicotine Yield Up 15% Makes Cigarettes Now More Addictive Then Ever

Big Tobacco is doing everything possible to protect it's revenue and keep it's client base coming back for more.  Or at least until they die.  Which is why it's so important to hook people as fast as possible and as young as possible.

In a study done by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the University of Massachusetts Medical School, researchers found a significant increase in the amount of nicotine yielded per cigarette between 1998 and 2012.

There was a 15% increase, from 1.65 mg in 1999 to 1.89 mg in 2011. Though the amount of nicotine in each cigarette has remained unchanged,  the actual nicotine yield  has changed. This means that the amount of nicotine in the smoke, which is also inhaled, has gone up, making each cigarette more potent and habit forming than ever before.

Researchers also note that Big Tobacco has most likely altered the design of cigarettes to make them more efficient in delivering nicotine to a smoker's lungs, thus making them more addictive. (Nicotine, mind you, has been shown to be as addictive as cocaine and heroin.)

The tobacco industry would have us believe that the changes in nicotine yield is due to "agricultural fluctuations."  (What ever the #$%* that means!)  

Researchers consider these design tactics by the cigarette manufacturers especially concerning in light of major tobacco companies’ recent purchase of e-cigarette companies. E-cigarettes are unregulated and their nicotine content is untested and vulnerable to manipulation.

“Nicotine yield and yield-to-content ratio are factors controlled by the manufacturers,” said Wenjun Li, PhD, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine. “Therefore it is important for the government to keep its eye on the design features of cigarettes, to make sure that cigarettes and other products that contain nicotine are not being made more addictive.”

Cigarettes, traditional or electronic are delivery devices for nicotine.  Nicotine by itself is a lethal at 30-60 mg.  It is highly addictive, increases heart rate and blood pressure, has negative effects on memory and cognition, and can constrict coronary arteries, to name a few side effects.  While nicotine in and of itself is not as dangerous as cigarette smoke, it is still carcinogenic and carries it's own health risks and concerns.

You're better off without it in any form.  Especially when the main producers of it are constantly looking at more efficient ways to get and keep you hooked.  Pimps and drugs dealers is all they are.  Do not allow yourself to be Big Tobacco's little bitch.