Thursday, 19 November 2009

Smoking not only harmful, but disadvantageous

Unsubscribe from habit that kills the horse, either permanently or at least one day called today the World Health Organization. International Non-Smoking Day is held annually on the third Thursday of November, more than 90 countries worldwide, including in Russia.
Portrait of a smoker
The first Europeans who met with tobacco, were the Spanish sailors, who arrived in 1492 with the expedition of Christopher Columbus to the shores of the continent, later called America. By the way, after one of the companions of Columbus on behalf of Jerez Rodrigo paid for his fondness for snuff: returned to Spain, he horrified his neighbors, the smoke from his mouth and nose. Court of the Holy Inquisition had decided that the soul Jerez mastered the devil, and the sailor was sentenced to seven years in the galleys.
Now smokers are all over the world. In Russia smokes every second - of which 65% of men and 30% of women. This habit is more than three million adolescents: 2,5 million youths and 0.5 million girls. Smokers, even doctors, who more than anyone else knows about the dangers of addiction to tobacco, and pregnant women (39%).
By the way, the study found a year ago, held in Australia, people with mental disorders smoke more healthy people. Psychoanalysts explain this by saying that smoking is associated with stimulation of the oral (mouth) area from which the child receives the very first pleasures in life: while he was sucking milk saturates and gets a sense of security.
From these positions smoking - is a sign of anxiety, desire to hide, to avoid stress. That is why smoking is more common among the mentally ill than the mentally healthy.
Smoking for a smoke?
Answers to the question of why people smoke with a healthy psyche, different. Some believe that the past smoking was "cool", and now - "stylish". Someone believes that to blame the media. Others smoke because "all smoke" from "desire to imitate, or because it" helps to communicate. " And someone has just "extra time" for cigarettes.
As shown by one of the polls at RIA Novosti, often forcing smokers to pick up a cigarette just a habit. The second most popular response - getting pleasure from cigarettes. Also the Russians into the smoking relieve stress or just a "smoke" for the company. Some cigarette helps to concentrate.
It is noteworthy that some voters smokers smoke in order to eat less. Probably more so meet women who, by the way, including fear of gaining weight, quit smoking harder than men. By the way, in the early XX century, pregnant women, not to gain weight, the doctors advised to quit.
On the drop of nicotine
But now everything has changed and doctors, by contrast, encourage smokers as soon as possible to give up the habit. According to WHO, in the world every 6 seconds one person dies from diseases related to tobacco smoking. Every year, for this reason that kill nearly 5 million smokers. In Russia, from diseases related to tobacco, die each year 350 thousand people.
According to WHO, in the world 90% of deaths from lung cancer, 75% - from chronic bronchitis and 25% - from coronary heart disease attributable to smoking. Fans of tobacco are 13 times more likely to suffer angina, and 10 times more stomach ulcers than non-smokers.
No less dangerous and passive smoking, it adversely affects the respiratory system. In addition, tobacco smoke - the strongest allergen. A passive smoker inhales the same hazardous substances as a lover of cigarettes, despite their low concentration.
Own peril
Despite the fact that the world has up to 120 treatments for tobacco dependence and to help smokers to come all the new technologies (such as e-cigarettes) are practically used only about 40 ways.
But the most effective of them, in the opinion of site visitors RIA Novosti - is merely "pull themselves together and do not smoke." Those who might not have enough to do so by force of will, the Russians offered to go on a desert island, without taking with him any cigarettes.
Also the Russians consider effective methods to combat nicotine addiction daily reducing the number of smoked cigarettes, reading the book "The easiest way to quit smoking." Someone thinks that if "spaced all the way", the desire to smoke immediately disappear. Others offer professional assistance (encode) or special equipment (nicotine patches or special medication).
Among the many tips on how to get rid of the habit, there is this: every day to throw out the precise amount that is spent on tobacco. By the way, if a person smokes a pack of cigarettes a day costs 40 rubles, a year habit cost him 14 600 rubles. This amount can buy 145 kg of meat dumplings, chocolate or 490, or 1,460 rolls of toilet paper, or an LCD TV, or 2-3 winter stroller for children.
If the family smoked two men, then the resulting number is doubled. Accordingly, smokers spouse for the year could be without appreciable loss buy one coat, or 46 g of gold, or a good laptop, or a normal horse.
For 10 years the wife, did not deny himself addictions, denying themselves buying a new domestic vehicles, or second-hand foreign cars, or two square meters of housing in Moscow.

Wednesday, 28 October 2009

Lancaster, California: California ban on tobacco in prisons has ignited a thriving black market behind bars, where a pack of cigarettes can cost up to $ 125 (95).

Prison officials who already have their hands full line of drugs and weapons from prisoners now spend time tracking of tobacco smuggling, some of whom are guards and other prison staff. Fights broke out over tobacco: in one Northern California prison, the guards had to use pepper spray to break up a fight among 30 inmates.

The ban was enacted in July 2005 to improve working conditions and reduce the growth of spending on health among prisoners, but it also led to the explosive growth of trade in tobacco. The combination of potentially big profits and relatively light penalties are the cause of wavelets.

"I've never seen anything like it," said Lt. Kenny Calhoun Sierra Conservation Center, a prison northern California, where officials report cigarette prices of $ 125 Pack.

Darren Cloyd is nearing the end of his 15-year sentence in prison, the State of California, Los Angeles, for second-degree armed robbery. Before the ban he remembers paying about $ 10 (7.60) for a can with enough rolling tobacco for dozens of cigarettes. Now one contraband cigarette can cost that much.

"Black market", here, "said Cloyd, 37." Everyone and their mom smoke. "

California's largest prison population 172,000 adult inmates. While many states limit tobacco use in prisons in California, among the few that ban all tobacco products.

Nevertheless, tobacco finds its way in.

Sometimes, family and friends secret transfer of prisoners during his visits. Other times, inmates assigned to work crews from the prison grounds to organize cohorts outside the prison to leave stashes of tobacco at the sites of pre-fall, and then smuggle it behind bars.

A less risky method: culling small amounts of tobacco from cigarette butts found along roads and on other sites work.

In California Correctional Center in Lassen County, officials reported more than 60 tobacco offenses among inmate crews at the work of the institution's camp in December, Assistant Superintendent Mullin said Matt. In the same month, cigarettes caused a quarrel between 30 Hispanic and white inmates in a high degree of security in the yard. Follow-up interviews with inmates revealed the dispute over control of the sale of tobacco products.

In the fortress, like Pelican Bay State Prison, the offender made his way back to jail on the basis of hours after word of honor. He was found with a pillowcase of almost 50 ounces (1420 grams) of rolling tobacco thousands of dollars on the black market. The plan was to throw him over the fence of the Fund.

"It's almost better market than drugs," said Devan Hawkes, anti-gang officer in Pelican Bay. "Many people are trying to make money."

This includes prison staff.

In the past year, one of the guards was put on leave from California State Prison, Solano, for smuggling tobacco products. The guard made several hundred dollars a week selling tobacco, officials say.

At Folsom State Prison, a cook out last year after it was caught walking on the prison grounds with plastic bags from rolling tobacco in his jacket. He told authorities he was earning more smuggling tobacco to $ 1000 (760) in a week than he had in his day job.

"There's quite a lot of money to be," said Lt. Tim overturn, a spokesman for Solano prison. "In a department of this size you're going to have people who will succumb to the temptation."

Unlike illicit drugs, which bring harsh penalties when smuggled into prison, punishments for inmates caught with tobacco usually range from a written warning of additional job responsibilities. Prison employees can lose their jobs, but there is almost no chance of prosecution.

Chuck Alexander, executive vice president of the California Correctional Peace Association, said lawmakers should either return the prohibition or add stronger penalties.

"She did not do anything but make (tobacco) a lucrative business," he said.

Tuesday, 17 March 2009

Size, shape and color

The size of a cigar is measured by its length and ring gauge (the diameter of the cigar). One ring is equivalent to 1/64 of an inch. In general, the larger the ring size, the fuller and more complex a flavor the cigar will have, and the more smoke it will produce. This is because a larger ring size allows cigar makers to blend and combine different types of leaves to a greater extent.

The size of a cigar is written LXRG, where L is the length of the cigar in inches, and RG is the ring gauge. Havana cigars range from 9X64, which is 1 inch wide, to 4X30. Most of the time, cigar smokers tend to stick with the size they are accustomed to, as it can be difficult to compare the taste and aroma of a cigar in a size you are not used to smoking. It’s best to find a size you are comfortable with and stick to it.
It is often difficult to judge the way in which the shape of a cigar affects its taste. This is exacerbated by the fact that there are no set standards used between manufacturers when it comes to the shape, so it is difficult to compare the shapes of different brands of cigar. It is often easier for the cigar neophyte to make a note of the shape written on the box in order to remember what he has been smoking. A good tobacconist will be able to help you find a cigar that matches your preferences.

In terms of color, the darker the wrapper, the more full-bodied the cigar is likely to be. The longer the leaf stays on the plant, the more sunlight it gets and the darker it will end up being. There are dozens of possible shades of cigar wrappers. Some of the more common colors are:
Double Claro – has a light green wrapper and a very mild flavor.
Claro – has a light tan wrapper and a smooth, mild flavor.
Natural - light brown to brown. It has a fuller bodied flavor than the Claro.
Colorado - reddish dark brown, with a robust, rich flavor.
Colorado Maduro – a dark brown wrapper with a rich, aromatic flavor.
Maduro – is very dark brown, and usually has a strong, sweet flavor.
Oscuro - the darkest maduro wrapper, oscuro is almost black and is stronger than the lighter maduro wrappers.