There Are Better Ways to Label Cigarette Packs

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Jason

If you are a pack a day smoker the truth of the matter is that you are more than likely hooked. This comes with the territory when dealing nicotine, one of the most addictive drugs known to man. In 2009 The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act was passed. This was a law that gave the government the right to regulate tobacco package advertising. Several (9) written warnings talking about the dangers of smoking were to be placed all over the pack. Also rotating graphic images such as a diseased lung or a dead body were to be placed on individual packs as well. This law is currently being challenged and therefor has yet to take effect.

Marlboro was one of the first cigarettes (almost 50 years ago) to use ammonia. By doing this, the company was able to beef up the nicotine hit that its consumers received. As a result of this, they were almost able to put other cigarette companies out of business before they were able to catch on. Then in 1998, the health insurance company BlueCross/BlueShield sued Big Tobacco and won a $6.5 million settlement by proving that companies like Marlboro were using ammonia to basically help the smoker to “free base” nicotine. While ordered to not use ammonia, many believe big Tobacco still employs this tactic. If they had to list their product ingredients like many other consumer products do, then maybe they would not be able to get away with it. Today’s premium cigarettes are rumored to have 100mg of potency in them. If this is true, it would help explain why so many nicotine based quit smoking products until the electronic cigarette have had so much trouble over the years actually getting people to quit. Even with nicotine as a tool, these products could not come close to matching the nicotine potency of cigarettes.

While this is a giant step toward potentially getting people to wake up with regards to smoking, I also think it is a bit over the top, it did however get me thinking; Why don’t tobacco companies have to list their potency on a pack of cigarettes?. We all are aware that alcohol can be a dangerous product that causes long term health concerns and can also be addictive. That is why printed on each and every bottle of liquor that can be purchased in a store in the “alcohol by volume”. This is the percentage of alcohol that is in that certain liquor. This is also known as a “proof”. This tells the general consumer the level of potency in the liquor that they are buying. There are not pictures of diseased livers or smashed cars and dead bodies on alcohol bottles after all. It would also make it harder for cigarette companies to hide the true nicotine content of their product, which again many suspect they have been doing for years.

It is good enough for alcohol; it should be good enough for tobacco. I am willing to bet that people would be shocked if they got to see the nicotine potency of many brands posted on the front of the pack. That plus a simple list of some of the chemicals might just do more than a graphic image ever could.

 

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The Effects of Nicotine Withdraw

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Jason

 

We all want to quit smoking. The problem with that is nicotine is just so addicting and once it grabs ahold of you it does not let go without a fight. The effects of nicotine withdraw can be so stressful that most people do not make it through their first quit.

In order to defeat the best, you must first understand the beast. This is what happens when you go through nicotine withdraw:

 

SEVERE BOREDOM

Most smokers do not realize how much smoking is a part of their everyday regime until they are trying to go without it. This is why many say it is important to engage yourself in new activities when you are quitting smoking. Smoking is an action and like any action that a person has been doing a long time, it needs to be replaced initially once it is gone.

PROBLEMS SLEEPING

Once nicotine has stopped being transferred to the brain on a regular basis, many people’s sleep patterns will change. However mild or drastic the change is depends on the individual, but more often than not some type of change will occur. Some will experience tremors or awaken in cold sweats. Some will go through bouts of insomnia and being unable to get comfortable. Sleep apnea can even occur in some very extreme cases.

A SHORT FUSE

When a person goes through any type of withdraw, it puts a ton of stress on their mind as well as their body. Nicotine withdraw is no different. People who are initially waning themselves off nicotine have a tendency to be very short tempered and are often “not having a good day”. Nicotine withdraw can cause initial bouts with depression, which causes people to not feel good about anything. This all happens because nicotine attaches itself to neurons that release dopamine into the brain. This is the same chemical drugs like cocain and heroine tap into. Once the dependency subsides, the fits of anger will disappear.

DIGESTION CONCERNS

We have hit on this a little in the past, but nicotine is actually a very effective diet aid. It raises a person’s metabolism, making it harder for them to gain weight. It also quells the desire to snack. This is why people almost universally gain weight when they quit smoking. You could experience cramping or even constipation when you quit because when you smoke your brain is busy flushing toxins out it makes digestion easier. Once the brain is no longer doing that, it can gum up the works for a little while.

MUSCLE AND JOINT PAIN

When a body goes through nicotine withdraw, it can experience muscle and joint pain that was previously uncommon to it. Muscles have been to contract when they are suddenly robbed of the substance they think they need. This can cause soreness that was never present before.

 

Nicotine withdraw is no joke people, that is why I swear by the electronic cigarette. It is designed to combat some many specific aspects of nicotine withdraw while at the same time being 100 times more healthy at least. Anyone is  going to quit smoking is probably going to need all the help that they can get.

 

 

 

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How Much Does Smoking REALLY Cost?

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Dan Henry
Marlboro cigarettes pack

Marlboro cigarettes pack (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Many smokers think that smoking is simply a habit that costs them 5 bucks a couple times a week. What many don’t realize, or think about, is the trickle down economics of be a smoker. Let’s take a look at what cigarettes cost the average 1 Pack a day smoker, and all the accouterments that go with smoking.

Cost of the Pack: A smoker that smokes a pack a day will spend an average of $5 on a pack of cigarettes. That is $150 per month / $1,800 per year.

Tax: The national average on a pack is $1.45. So that is another $43.50 per month / $522 per year.

Teeth Cleaning and Whitening: Smokers have nasty teeth. Period. The only smokers that don’t have nasty teeth, are the ones that dish out the $$$ for whitening and cleaning regularly. Let’s say $30 per month on whitening products. So $360 a year.

Dry Cleaning: Business person? You know you spend money on dry cleaning ALOT if you are a smoker. You can’t get the cigarette smell out of a suit with normal cleaning. $40 per month / $480 per year.

Air Freshener: Many smokers own Febreeze and other plugin air fresheners so their apartments don’t smell like total ashtrays. 10 bucks a month / $120 a year.

Carpet Cleaning: When you move out, if you are a smoker, your are cleaning that carpet and MAYBE even repainting. That’s about $300 a year.

Life insurance: Smokers pay DOUBLE for their life insurance policies. Based on national averages, that’s running you $2,571 a year.

Total Cost of being a Smoker: $6,153.00 per year

What is the cost of being an E-Cigarette Smoker?

Electronic Cigarette Inhalation

Electronic Cigarette Inhalation (Photo credit: planetc1)

Cost of Pack: The avg cost of a pack equivalent of electronic cigarettes INCLUDING tax is $2. so $60 per month / $720 per year.

  • No dry cleaning needed, because there is no tar to stick to clothes
  • No Air freshener needed, because there is no smell
  • No teeth whitening needed, because there is no tar to stain teeth
  • No carpet cleaning or painting needed, because again, no tar or smell to stick to carpet or paint
  • No hike in Life Insurance cost, because you aren’t actually “smoking”. You are vaping :)

Total Cost of being a Electronic Cigarette Smoker: $720 per year

I didn’t even mention health benefits and less doctor visits. So what do you think? Would you like to save $5,433 per year and be healthier by switching to E-cigs? Sound off!

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The Top 5 Benefits of Smoking

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Jason

Smoking is the most horrible, dangerous, no good, disgusting product a person could ever use. Most people alive today have been lead to believe this with good reason. Smoking tobacco (particularly cigarettes) can have serious effects on a person health. Between the long tern effects (like lung cancer and heart disease) and short term effects (like high blood pressure and blood circulation problems), smoking in the end is just not worth it.

However, what people do not hear about often is that smoking has its benefits as well. I know, I know, crazy right?

5. Smoking Acts As a Diet Aid: Many smokers have long considered smoking a way to suppress their appetite. What is interesting about nicotine is that the drug itself acts as both an appetite stimulant and an appetite suppressant at the same time. The keys that help the suppressant side win out are twofold:

A) Smoking over a semi-long period of time will dull the taste of food and certain things will not taste as good. This makes them less desirable.

B) The act of smoking becomes imbedded in your routine and as your behavior changes to accommodate this your desire to snack or randomly eat goes away.

4. Clopidogrel Works Better With Smokers: I am sure many of you are wondering what the heck clopidogrel is so let’s start with that. Clopidogrel is a drug that works with your heart to help prevent blood clots. It is often administered to people with coronary disease or someone who has recently had a stroke. It is helped by smoking because when a person smokes they stimulate proteins in the body known as cytochromes. These proteins work well with clopidogrel.

3. Parkinson’s Risk Is Lowered: Anyone who knows about Michael J. Fox has at least a little bit of an idea about Parkinson ’s disease. It is a disease that affects the central nervous system. No study has been able to explain the exact relationship between smoking and the prevention of this horrible disease, but smokers have been all but immune to this point.

2. Knee Replacement Surgery Runs Smoother If You’re a Smoker: Better yet, if you are a smoker you are far more likely to never have knee replacement surgery in the first place. Most knee replacement surgeries take place after years of wear and tear on the joints. Smokers are far less likely to put that kind of wear and tear on by doing things like jogging for example.

1. The Risk of Death After a Heart Attack Goes Down: I bet you were not expecting to read that huh? Yup, smokers die far less than nonsmokers after a heart attack by the numbers. The reason for this is that a smoker’s body is more receptive to therapy after a heart attack. That makes it easier to remove plaque from the arteries.

 

Of course, it is entirely possible that Smoking caused your Heart Attack in the first place, so I guess I should be fair and mention that, but as you can see there are at least SOME benefits to smoking. Now, do they outweigh all of the negatives? Of course not, that’s why the electronic cigarette exists. However, it is a lie to claim that they have no benefit.

 

 

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Cigarettes vs Chewing Tobacco

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Jason

          For a long time there has been a myth that chewing tobacco (or smokeless tobacco) is a safer alternative to get your nicotine fix . We are going to dispel that myth right now.

A survey done in 2004 showed that 3% of Americans used skoal or some type of spit tobacco. This same survey also predicted that this number is likely to increase due to the many restrictions being placed on smoking in public. So if people are going to turn to smokeless tobacco, is it safer? The answer is a resounding NO!!! In fact, if you hold a plug ( a wad of tobacco wedged between your gums and lips or cheek) in place for 30 minutes or longer, you will have absorbed as much nicotine as having smoked 4 cigarettes.

It gets worse than that however because chewing tobacco has up to 28 more cancer producing carcinogens in it. Once such carcinogen that is chewing tobacco specific is nitrosamines. Nitrosamines itself can cause over 3,000 chemicals to react in the body. Smokeless tobacco brands are also offer full of sugar to help mask the foul taste. Constant use can lead to diabetes and tooth decay. Tooth decay can also occur because the chewing tobacco can sometimes have a gritty texture. It wears down your enamel and scratches the soft tissue located inside your mouth. This allows even more nicotine to enter the blood stream, thus leaving you more open to getting nicotine poisoning.

Another thing that you can develop while using chewing tobacco is oral lesions on yourtongue or gums. This happens because the chemicals in the tobacco are eating away at you and receding you gum line. This can allow salt to enter your blood stream and raise your blood pressure levels. This has been attributed as an early cause of kidney disease.

Ah yes, and of course your risk of getting cancer is not lowered in the slightest. It is just the kind of cancer that differs. While your chances of getting lung cancer might decrease, you are 50% more likely to develop some sort of mouth cancer. Your pharynx and esophagus are at a severe risk as well.

To top it all off, users of chewing tobacco are forced to spit. Spit on the ground, spit in public, spit spit spit everywhere. This spreads their germs around to everyone like second hand smoke, and quite frankly is repulsive.

So there you have it folks. This is not to judge, if you use chewing tobacco rather than cigarettes or electronic cigarettes I say more power to you. Just don’t try to tell me that it is a safer alternative to smoking, because it is not even close ;-)

 

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The Best E Cig/Quit Smoking/V2 Story Ever from a User

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Jason

A Quit Smoking Story

I love to smoke. Even though that is not the most popular thing to say in this day and age, I have to say it because it is the truth. You see, all of the bad things we as a society have learned about smoking over the years have not been nearly enough to scare me off.

Lung Cancer?  Eh, whatever, that won’t come until later if it comes at all.

Heart Disease? Eh, whatever, my heart feels fine.

High Blood Pressure? Eh, whatever, that has not affected me yet.

 

When something is as addicting as nicotine is, these potential problems are just not enough to deter someone such as myself, especially when you love it as much as I do. At this point I was doomed to a life of bad breath, smelly clothes, and potential serious health problems, and just to reiterate, I did not really care.

Then about 5 years ago it happened. I met her HER, and I discovered IT at the same exact time. Without HER and IT I would absolutely not be where I am today. Even with my love for smoking, I would not be nearly as happy.  Confused? Don’t worry; I’ll break it down for you;

 

HER: When I first saw her it was like a movie. A moment that when I look back on it feels as if though time was standing still. I was sitting in a sandwich shot at about 6:30pm having my dinner. It was a Friday night so there was bound to be something going on at some point later. I was by myself (I usually liked to eat by myself and drive myself to functions because I just did not want to hear it from my friends about smoking) in the corner when in walked the most beautiful woman I had ever laid eyes on. Blonde hair, hazel green eyes, sun kissed skin, and the most amazing smile I had ever seen. In an instant I was up and heading to the counter to greet her as if I had known her forever. She saw me coming and smiled and we began a conversation right at the counter. After talking for about 10 minutes we somehow ended up on the topic of smoking, and how she hated it. Having to think fast, I told her the biggest lie I could possibly tell, I told her that I had quit smoking. After getting her food she slipped me her number and we were set to hang out later. Upon saying our initial goodbyes in the parking lot and watching her drive away, fear began to set in. You see, I really liked this girl, but there was no way I was going to be able to hide the fact that I was still a smoker. I drove home distraught with nothing else on my mind. As I walked in I was trying to decide if I was going to try the gum or the patch when I went to the store. Neither one of them sounded appealing, but these were desperate times, and they called for desperate measures. I heard that someone was in the shower and I didn’t notice another car in the drive way, so that meant it must be my sister, who was usually dropped off when she came to see me. Then, as I heard the shower water stop running, like sign from the heaven above, I saw IT sitting on the counter. I could not believe my eyes and was in staring mode as my sister walked out. “I thought it was time for you to quit smoking, and I thought this would be cool” she says.

 

IT: A V2 electronic cigarette starter kit, with a flavor sampler cartridge pack. I had never even heard of an electronic cigarette at this point, but I was so stunned at the timing of this I was not concerned whether or not this was going to work, it simply had to work. Boy did it ever work. I screwed in the vanilla cartridge and gave it a pull. It was different, but the flavor exploded in my mouth and I got a good throat hit. I hugged my sister without saying word. I was set to win over the girl of dreams, and with my e cig, I was now prepared to sacrifice my other love to do it.

 

We were married 3 years ago and have a six month old daughter. My wife still to this day does not know about the biggest lie I ever told, and hopefully that will forever remain a skeleton in our closet, lol. I have used V2 ever since as well and have not touched a regular cigarette. My daughter will never be affected by my smoking, and since it does not smell up the house (or me) my wife dose not mind it. It sense you could say that V2 electronic cigarettes literally made my dreams come true. I know for certain that I would not be here with the two people I love the most without it. If I can quit, anyone can quit. All you need is the right motivation.

 

 We @Puffweb.com salute you Scott from Omaha. BEST EMAIL EVER!!!

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New V2 Ecig Just Around The Corner

Posted on April 13, 2012 by Jason

 

On April 16th V2 will be rolling out there super secret new electronic cigarette. There is a  big contest over on the V2 forum where people have been trying to guess what the new product is going to be. My entry:

“In response to the constant whining done by the FDA V2 shall introduce THE GUARANTEED QUIT!!!  No taper down necessary

 

 

 

 

 

After just one use…YOU ARE GUARANTEED TO QUIT!!!”

 

LMAO!!! Of course I’m just kidding, but a lot of other people are not. Some people have suggested that seasonal flavors and seasonal colors, while other believe a new “ladies line” of ecigs is on the way. Will it be a new kind of battery? New flavors? A whole new design? No one knows, but you can head over to V2 forum, sign in, and take a guess yourself (you can sign up for the puffweb.com forum while your at it ;-) ). All I know is that there is a lot of hype for this new…..something, lol.

I will say this though, this is V2 we are talking about here. After all, they are not our users number 1 brand for nothing. They continue to make fantastic ecig products over there and I expect nothing less from this new one. When whatever it is comes out, you can be sure we will be talking about it.

 

Posted in E-Cig Industry, Puffweb News | 1 Comment

Talk To Actual Electronic Cigarette Company CEO’s On Puffweb.com Forum

Posted on April 13, 2012 by Jason

The best electronic cigarette review site on the planet has opened it’s doors to all of you. Puffweb.com has started the Puffweb Forum and you sign up as soon as you are able.

Talk about anything ecig related or for that matter smoking related. There is a hooka, fine tobacco, cigar, and regular cigarette section. Dan and myself are on all the time to chit chat with you directly. Also, as a special treat we at Puffweb.com have gotten the president/CEO’s of 6 of our top brands to sign up and stop by regularly to answer question. Just go to the Ask the Ecig CEO’s section, select the company you want to know about, ask a question, and get it answered by the actual CEO of that company. No other ecig review site can come even close to offering that kind of interaction. A big thanks to all the president/CEO’s who are participating.

So everyone be sure to sign up to the forum www.puffweb.com/forum/forum.php here so you can have even more Puffweb knowledge flowing through that brain of yours. Me and Dan hope to hear from everyone there.

 

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Top 6 Long Term Health Benefits Of Quitting Smoking

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Jason

Yesterday we told you about the everyday benefits of quitting smoking. Today (as promised) we are going to dive into the long term health benefits that you reap when finally deciding to give up traditional smoking once and for all.

Here are the top 10 long term health benefits of quitting smoking:

6. Your Blood Circulation Improves – In as early as six months after quitting you blood circulation will improve as you get all the toxins out of your body.

5. Normal Blood Pressure – Each and every time you light up a cigarettes your blood pressure increases. About 20 minutes after you are done smoking your blood pressure returns to normal. This type of fluctuation is not good for the body and can weaken it in many areas. By quitting, your blood pressure will almost instantly stop doing this.

4. Lower Carbon Monoxide Levels – We all know carbon monoxide is poison to the human body. We now all know smoking cigarettes raises the levels of carbon monoxide in  in the blood. In just 24 hours after not smoking a cigarette these levels begin to lower.

3. More Energy – If you quit in as early as a few days you will notice your energy level begin to increase. This happens as it begins to be easier for you to breath because your lungs are able to take in more oxygen.

2. Heart Attack Risk Goes Way Down – When you smoke and your blood pressure is fluctuating constantly,, one of the things that can eventually happen is a heart attack. Once you decide to quit smoking and are successful for a year your chances of having a heart attack improve by over 50%

1. Risk of Lung Cancer Goes Way Down – Lung Cancer is the most generally referred disease when people discuss the dangers of smoking. It is also the scariest. People who have quit smoking for 10 years increase their chances of not getting this terrible disease by over 50% . Also after 10 years your risk of Heart Disease goes back to that of a non smoker.

Look, I like smoking as much (if not more) than anyone. I was that guy that thought it was cool back in the day. I’m the guy that thinks women who smoke (esp. when they do it the right way lol) are sexy as hell. I like waking up to a smoke and I love having a smoke after a big meal. But long term problems are only going to get worse the longer I smoke, and the same goes for anyone.

This is why I firmly believe that the electronic cigarette is going to eventually replace smoking. It healthier, safer, and IMO has the ability to reach even more people because of the cool gadgetry and endless flavors. The best part about ecigs is that they do not cause the kind of damage you just read about.

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Top 10 Everyday Benefits of Quitting Smoking

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Jason

In this day and age there are not many people who are under the impression that smoking is anything other than bad for you. We as a society seem to be constantly bombarded by anti-smoking advertisements and warnings from medical professionals. What a lot of these advertisements fail to do is accurately describe all of the benefits of quitting smoking  beyond “you could stop yourself from getting cancer and dying”. Here are the top 10 benefits to quitting smoking;

10. No More Smokers Cough – Most people that have smoked for a long time develop phlegm that is constantly in the back of your throat. This causes smokers cough and will begin to go back to normal once you stop smoking

9. Better Skin – Skin care professionals have been harping on this for a while now, but once you have quit smoking you will notice a change for the better in your complexion.

8. Better Sense of Smell and Taste – Smoking over time dulls both of these senses but once you have quit you will notice them returning to normal levels

7. Everything Smells Better – Between your home, car, clothes, and even YOU, everything will smell better once you have quit smoking

6. Improved Field of Vision – This is a new one but studies have shown that quitting will in fact improve your field of vision

5. You Save Money – When you are a smoker cigarettes become a constant item that you have to budget for, like food. Imagine how much money you would save if you did not have to eat.

4. Everyone Around You Feels Better – The dangers of second hand smoke are very real. Once you have quit smoking those that are closest to will not have to worry about themselves or you anymore.

3. Your Day Will Run Smoother – Smoking has become very unpopular and is no longer allowed by most work places. So smokers must take extra time while either on lunch breaks or doing any number of activities to figure out when, where, and how they are going to smoke.

2. Better Breath – Smoking is a major cause of bad breath. This means that a lot of smokers end up dating other smokers. By quitting and thus returning your breath to normal, you may give yourself the opportunity to get close to someone who you may not have been able to get close to before.

1. You Get To Try Electronic Cigarettes - I know it seems like I’m being a shill here, and maybe I am, but I really believe in this product. You get that smoking feeling you have come to love over the years, with absolutely none of the additives or side effects of traditional smoking.

As you can see, there are plenty of everyday benefits to quitting smoking once and for all. Tomorrow we will do a piece on the long lasting health benefits of quitting smoking, so be sure to stop by and check it out.

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