dailystar.co.uk - 27 de mayo de 2014 – UK

Mum and two kids left homeless after exploding e-cig destroys flat

 

Zeeley Cooper, 22, was forced to grab her two young sons and flee when the fake fag burst into flames as it charged on her bedside table.

Two fire engines and 15 firefighters rushed to her third-floor apartment in Shard End, Birmingham, to tackle the blaze which broke out at 9pm last Wednesday.

The fire has now left single mum Keeley and her sons Ellis, five, and Riegan, two, homeless after it destroyed most rooms in their council flat.

Keeley was forced to throw out the majority of her clothes after the flames completely gutted her bedroom and all of the furniture inside.

She also had to get rid of most of the toys and clothes in her children's room because it was so badly damaged by thick black smoke which enveloped the flat.

Keeley said the charging e-cigarette sounded "like a firework" when it exploded into flames.

She added: "I'd put the e-cigarette on charge next to my bed. It had only been charging for 40 minutes when there was an almighty bang and flames started coming out of it. "It sounded like a firework, it was a kind of popping sound and then it went bang.

"It burst into flames and the carpet was on fire.

Publicación original:

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/380848/Mum-and-two-kids-left-homeless-after-exploding-e-cig-destroys-flat

news-medical.net - 25 de mayo de 2014 – Australia

World No Tobacco Day: Apunipima to hold educational events in Cape York

Apunipima is holding events across 10 Cape York communities this week to celebrate World No Tobacco Day which falls on May 31.

A range of communities will hold tobacco education displays, tobacco education sessions and morning teas over the next few days while the community of Mossman Gorge will hold an afternoon event on Wednesday featuring tobacco education displays and sessions, traditional games and sporting and cultural activities followed by a healthy BBQ. The Lockhart River and Mapoon Men’s Groups will hold a special men’s camp on the weekend, focusing on tobacco education, healthy living and cultural activities.

Frank’s Challenge, an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander anti-smoking comic developed by Apunipima and students from Djarragun College, will be launched by Tobacco and Healthy Lifestyles Team Leader Mario Assan at Apunipima’s Cairns office at 10 am on Thursday. Representatives from the Skytrans Cairns Taipans and Djarragun College students will attend the launch.

‘World No Tobacco Day allows us to shine a light on the high rates of smoking among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Cape York,’ Mr Assan said.

‘Australia - wide, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are more than twice as likely as the non-Indigenous population to be daily smokers. 2009 figures indicate that 27 out of every 100 adults in Cape York smoke, compared with 15 in Queensland and 18 in Australia. Even more worryingly, seven out of every 10 pregnant women on the Cape smoke compared to five in Queensland and two in Australia.’

‘Apunipima’s goal is to reduce the general smoking rate on Cape York by 15 percent and the antenatal smoking rate by 25 % by 2018. We are committed to educating Cape York people about the dangers of smoking and helping to Close the Gap by reducing the rates of smoking on the Cape.’

Source: http://apunipima.org.au/

Publicación original:

http://www.news-medical.net/news/20140527/World-No-Tobacco-Day-Apunipima-to-hold-educational-events-in-Cape-York.aspx

huffingtonpost.com - 25 de mayo de 2014 – EEUU

Politicians (and Lobbyists) Allowing Children to Work in America's Tobacco Fields

Well, it's finally happened. A situation is starting to bubble into the public consciousness that has brought me to the very limits of my ability to absorb one more jaw-dropping example of how government has truly abandoned any pretense of protecting or nurturing our children.

The New York Times, in a Sunday editorial, has, in its own venerable way, decried the practice of using kids as young as age seven to work the tobacco fields in Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee. If someone had told me this was a story in The Onion, I wouldn't have been surprised. Really, too absurdly off the wall to have been true. Sadly, this was the Times -- and the editorial writers were deadly serious.

Much of this horror story -- including reports of nicotine poisoning and pesticide exposure among these child tobacco workers -- has been brought to light in a report from Human Rights Watch.

At this point, other news outlets, including most of the broadcast networks and NPR, have also covered the story. According to an ABC story, Philip Morris International, Inc. CEO, André Calantzopoulos, did express concern recommending, apparently, that "More work needs to be done to eliminate child and other labor abuses in tobacco growing." Yeah, good point.

But not all agreed with André. In fact, spokesman for Altria Group -- owner of Philip Morris USA -- Jeff Caldwell, is reported to have said, in effect, that preventing young kids from working tobacco fields "is really contrary to a lot of the current practices that are in place in the U.S. and is at odds in these communities where family farming is really a way of life."

themoscowtimes.com - 25 de mayo de 2014 – Rusia

Russian Woman Kills Son by Forcing Him to Eat Tobacco

A woman in the republic of Buryatia faces manslaughter charges for inadvertently killing her 13-year-old son by forcing him to swallow chewing tobacco.

In an online statement published Tuesday, the Buryatia investigative committee said the boy's parents had wanted to punish him after repeatedly discovering chewing tobacco in his possession.

But after being forced to swallow the tobacco, instead of chewing it as is customary, the boy "almost immediately lost consciousness," the statement said.

The teenager, from the Targabataisky district, was immediately transported to a hospital for treatment when the incident occurred on May 9 but died weeks later.

Although the exact cause of death has yet to be determined by an autopsy, investigators said the boy's heart had likely stopped due to the toxic effect of nicotine released by the leaves.

The specific kind of chewing tobacco he had been using, Nasvai, is popular in Central Asia and known for its high concentration of nicotine. According to the investigators' statement, the teenager had gotten the substance from an older classmate.

Manslaughter is punishable by up to two years in prison.

Publicación original:

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/russian-woman-kills-son-by-forcing-him-to-eat-tobacco/500980.html

dailymail.co.uk – 25 de mayo de 2014 – UK

Woman's horror as e-cigarette explodes and sets fire to her bed while being recharged using her charger

     

Shocked Miss May woke up to find her bed was on fire and she later had to be treated in hospital after suffering burns to her legs.

Miss May fears she could have killed if she hadn’t woken up in time - and is now warning people not to use phone chargers for e-cigarettes.

Office manager Miss May said: 'I had my e-cigarette on charge and went to sleep - next thing I knew I woke up to a fire.

Publicación original:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2636131/Womans-e-cigarette-exploded-set-fire-bed-recharging-using-iPhone-charger.html#ixzz32pgOmAE9

reflector.com – 25 de mayo de 2014 – EEUU - North Carolina

N.C. Editorial: Tobacco hazard

Many North Carolina residents recall long, hot summer days working in tobacco fields as youngsters. Few remember the experience as easy or pleasant.

Children still work in North Carolina tobacco fields — and they might be risking their health, according to a new report by Human Rights Watch, a New York-based international organization that looks for human rights abuses.

Unlike in other workplaces, children as young as 12 can work long hours as farm laborers when school is out. On tobacco farms, that puts them at risk for Green Tobacco Sickness. The National Institutes of Health reported on this sickness in children and adolescents in 2005.

Studies show the exposure can produce a much greater nicotine effect than smoking — and it’s particularly strong in children. Whether there are long-term health risks is uncertain.

This isn’t regulated like exposure to pesticides, N.C. Department of Agriculture spokesman Brian Long said. But there are safe practices that can limit risk, including use of gloves and protective clothing. The Agriculture Department, N.C. Department of Labor and other organizations provide information to farmers.

A Department of Labor video notes that nicotine absorption is more likely in wet conditions, even morning dew. It’s safer to work when plants are dry. Advice for recovering from the sickness includes hydrating and taking a day or two off — hardly practical for low-wage workers who don’t get paid sick leave. The video doesn’t say anything about child workers.

Human Rights Watch calls for strong action. If state and federal governments won’t set stricter rules, tobacco companies should step up, the report’s co-author, Margaret Wurth, said. “Tobacco companies shouldn’t benefit from hazardous child labor. They have a responsibility to adopt clear, comprehensive policies that get children out of dangerous work on tobacco farms, and make sure the farms follow the rules.”

Generations of North Carolinians survived long days in the tobacco fields, but was the work really good for them? More study might answer that question. To be safe, growers should try to minimize nicotine exposure for their workers today.

Publicación original:

http://www.reflector.com/opinion/editorials/nc-editorial-tobacco-hazard-2488467

lanacion.com.py – 25 de mayo de 2014 – Paraguay

“Semana Libre de Humo de Tabaco” se lanza este lunes
En la oportunidad dictarán charlas educativas con entrega de materiales informativos y la socialización de los consultorios de rehabilitación del paciente fumador.

La actividad se enmarca dentro de las actividades de conmemoración del Día Mundial sin Tabaco que tiene como tema central: “Subir los impuestos al tabaco”. Consideran que este incremento puede incidir en un control más eficaz en función de los costos, principalmente para reducir el consumo de tabaco entre los grupos de menores ingresos e impedir que los jóvenes empiecen a fumar.

Bajo este contexto la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) y asociados a nivel global pretenden generar conciencia acerca de los riesgos que constituye el hábito tabáquico para la salud y al mismo tiempo promover políticas eficaces para reducir el consumo, principal objetivo.

Para mayor información contactar con el Programa Nacional de Control del Tabaquismo al (021) 214.166.

Publicación original:

http://www.lanacion.com.py/articulo/165806-semana-libre-de-humo-de-tabaco-se-lanza-este-lunes.html

am.com.mx – 25 de mayo de 2014 – México

Persisten muertes por tabaco.-Conadic

Dada la mortalidad y el daño que causa el tabaquismo a las familias, México no puede celebrar el Día Mundial sin Tabaco, consideró Fernando Cano Valle, Comisionado Nacional contra las Adicciones.

"No es lo mismo celebrar que conmemorar, nosotros vamos a conmemorar el Día Mundial sin Tabaco porque aún no podemos celebrar nada, aun cuando ha habido avance.

"Pero cuando tenemos este grado de mortalidad y este impacto brutal en la familia y carga de Estado (gasto), es necesario replantear y reformular cosas", dijo el titular de la Comisión Nacional Contra las Adicciones (Conadic).

Tomando en cuenta la EPOC (enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica), el cáncer, las infecciones respiratorias agudas, la fibrosis pulmonar y todas las patologías asociadas al tabaquismo, apuntó Cano, el consumo de tabaco es la tercera causa de muerte en el País.

En días pasados, el director de la Fundación Interamericana del Corazón, Erick Ochoa, denunció que en los últimos 7 años las muertes atribuibles al tabaquismo aumentaron 10 por ciento, es decir, pasaron de 60 mil a más de 66 mil decesos por año.

Al respecto, Cano Valle, reconoció que si se toman en cuenta todas las enfermedades causadas por el consumo de tabaco "es posible que esta cifra incluso sea conservadora".

En los últimos 8 o 10 años, señaló, ha habido desatención y trabajo insuficiente en el ámbito político en relación al tabaco y otras drogas.

"Mientras no se reforme la Ley General de Salud en relación al cumplimento de espacios 100 por ciento libres de humo de tabaco no vamos a avanzar y esta es una política específica, señalada por la Secretaria de Salud y turnada a la Conadic, Cenadic, a los Centros de Integración Juvenil y a toda la estructura de salud", destacó.

En referencia al impuesto al tabaco, que no ha aumentado, Cano consideró que "no hay suficiente sensibilidad" por parte de algunos miembros del Congreso en este tema.

"Hubo cierto retroceso, porque el tabaco que se elabora en forma manual, los puros, están exentos de impuesto, esto es un retroceso,

"Estamos convencidos que como una medida más, no la única, el incrementar los impuestos tiene un impacto favorable en la disminución del consumo de tabaco", dijo.

Sobre los pictogramas que buscan desincentivar el consumo, el titular de Conadic señaló que le gustaría que fueran más grandes en las cuatro caras de la cajetilla y que tuvieran características más descriptivas, no que horroricen sino que instruyan a la sociedad.

Finalmente destacó que los menores de edad siguen teniendo acceso a cigarros sueltos en las esquinas que además son de contrabando y poseen sustancias nocivas para la salud además del tabaco.

"Vienen de Asia, vienen de África, atraviesan todo ese espacio, entran por Sudamérica donde hay fronteras muy porosas por donde entra este tabaco y no necesariamente tiene características de cierto control de calidad, hay tabaco muy nocivo cuyo carácter psicoactivo es grave y hemos detectado que está mezclado de otras sustancias", señaló.

El Día Mundial sin Tabaco se organiza por la Organización Mundial de la Salud cada 31 de mayo.

Publicación original:

http://www.am.com.mx/notareforma/42089

commdiginews.com – 23 de mayo de 2014 – UK

The truth about e-cigarettes: Are they really safe?

WASHINGTON, May 23, 2014 — It started as a funny looking joke to smokers, but the electronic cigarette industry has grown to a $2 billion a year business.

As smoking bans have continued to spread to include most indoor and even some outdoor locations, electronic cigarettes have provided an acceptable alternative.

E-cigs, also known as Vape Pens, deliver nicotine to the user through a vaporized delivery system created by heating a liquid form of the drug.

Although there has not been much research on e-cigarettes yet, they do appear to have fewer health risks than traditional cigarettes because they have far fewer carcinogens than tobacco products, but experts warn that “safer” does not always mean “safe.”

E-cigarettes still contain the highly addictive drug nicotine, and the delivery method via e-cigs is the same as it is with tobacco cigarettes. A freebase form of the drug is created through the heat and is sent straight to the lungs where it is absorbed into the blood stream quickly.

Publicación original:

http://www.commdiginews.com/health-science/a-parents-guide-to-e-cigarettes-are-they-really-safe-18087/#7P3OPcD59v4w67Ur.99

west-info.eu – 25 de mayo de 2014 – Francia – Paris

E-cigs are attracting too many youths

E-cigarettes are attracting non-smokers and young people more and more. This is the warning of the EU, that reminds, for example, that the number of Parisian students experimenting with e-cig has doubled in one year reaching 18%. E-cigarettes simulate smoking behavior and are preceived by people as a remedy to substitute it. Moreover, people think they do not damage health, even though the long-term effects of e-cigs on public health are not yet known. That is why the fact that they are becoming so easily popular among youths is alerting public institutions.

Publicación original:

http://www.west-info.eu/e-cigs-are-attracting-too-many-youths/