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The NYCDOH announced that there are nearly 200,000 fewer smokers in NYC since 2002 when the city launched a comprehensive tobacco control plan. They also stated that exposure to secondhand smoke in homes has dropped by more than one-third. Secondhand smoke has been associated with nearly all the bad things that happen to smokers (such as lung disease and heart disease), Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, and deaths from asthma exacerbations. They boldly claim that "at least 60,000 early deaths will be prevented." Unfortunately, the Free Nicotine Patch Program ended on June 9th but was quite successful handing out 45,000 courses in 40 days.
As you can see, the NYCDOH's tobacco control plan is an all encompassing initiative to eliminate smoking in this lovely nearly smoke-free culture here in NYC. And the DOH makes no bones about taxing the cancer sticks out of reach of even the wealthiest members of society -- taxation is the first of the City's five point tobacco control plan. So keep up the good work NYCDOH! Up next on the agenda...taxing Twinkie's, Magnolia's, and Mountain Dew.
But if you are still slowly killing yourself with the old tobaccy, please call 311 or visit the NYCDOHMH's website for more information about how to quit. Or you could just say I quit. The human mind is pretty powerful.
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Some people may complain about what they see as a government trying to control people's behavior, but I think the smoking ban has made NYC an even better place to live. It's also a question of public health. Because we all pay for smoking-related diseases through the burden it places on our health care system. Don't worry -- people will continue to find a way to smoke if they want to. In the meantime, I'm glad that the city has these policies.
Sure the article is anti smoking but the photo tells another story. That chick looks like she's come to climax smoking that cigarette.
Yeah Doc, I think you kind of cut yourself off at the knees here. :)
I welcome this kind of policy if only because of the worst kind of smokers out there: the rude, inconsiderate ones who won't take even one step away from building entrances because the law doesn't require it. It's like nicotine paralyzes the legs. If these people want to kill themselves so badly, more power to them. Heck, use a gun because it'd be faster and, in the long term, cheaper than cigs. At today's prices, a pack a week habit would cost more than a handgun in less than a year. But if they try to take me with them, I say to hell with their "rights."
To be fair, smokers don't cost the country more in health care. The fact that they may die early of lung cancer is outweighed by the cost of taking care of them for an extra decade or two had they chosen to quit and die slowly of general debilitation.
Phillip Morris did a study about this back in the first lawsuit in the mid-nineties, but didn't publicise it too much for obvious reasons.
Yes, and tobacco companies can always be trusted to sponsor and publish unbiased studies.
By that logic, we can just got and shoot everyone, as this will reduce future health care costs.
The problem with smoking and public health care costs has less to do with the overall amount, and more to do with health care costs inflicted on us by relatively voluntary actions (i.e., the full cost of smoking is not borne by the smoker).
still waiting for an actual secondhand smoke study to be published, though. not that this has ever stopped public health folk...etc etc and so on.
g:
No more so than a government currently suing them, i'd argue. In any case, Phillip Morris didn't advertise the study; it doesn't exactly promote smoking, now, does it?
Cheng:
Actually, from the point of view of social programs we would be better off just shooting retired people. But just try to suggest this at a council meeting. You'll be labeled a 'crackpot' and kicked out. Sheesh.
Know what stinks more than cigarette smoke? Pro-govermental-social-engineering propaganda.
big tobacco IS the gubmint duh
I'm about a week into my latest quit attempt...you know what's motivating me? Taking away the last argument of all of the pathetic people who believe that government's true role should be a nanny to protect us from hurting ourselves. Once I get up to about a month I'm going to start wearing "Free The Smokers" T-Shirts.
I hate cars, and I wish people wouldn't drive them. The exhaust makes my clothes smell, and the gas the cars need to run has sent my country into BS wars. I'd guess (yep, guess. until someone posts a link to a published study on second hand smoke we're all guessing) the pollution put out by combustion engines is harming my health. Where do I sign up for the automobile ban?
This country was founded on the idea of not trusting power...what's happened to us?
In my view we need to stress the WHO to lunched anti-smoking campaign every year in every country, for this we success to reduce the use of tobacco.
It's like nicotine paralyzes the legs. If these people want to kill themselves so badly, more power to them. Heck, use a gun because it'd be faster and, in the long term, cheaper than cigs.