Many people smoke Hookas believing they are safer than cigarettes, but research shows that they are just as harmful if not more harmful than cigarettes..The World Health Organization published an advisory note on the health effects of waterpipe smoking called: "Waterpipe Tobacco Smoking: Health Effects, Research Needs and Recommended Actions by Regulators".

The report describes how hooka smokers take more puffs and inhale more smoke in each puff than cigarette smokers exposing themselves to more of the carbon monoxide, nicotine, and other chemicals in the smoke. If you are interested in learning more about waterpipe tobacco smoke check out the advisory note (http://www.who.int/tobacco/global_interaction/tobreg/Waterpiperecommendation_Final.pdf), and if you are interested in learning more about tobacco control check out the global tobacco control website www.globaltobaccocontrol.org

In an attempt to gain more of the female market share Camel has come out with a new product Camel No. 9. The packaging, the name and the slogan “light and luscious” all seem to be targeted at young women. The two varieties of the product come in packaging that is black with hot pink or black with teal, and the name Camel No. 9 can evoke thoughts of the high fashion Chanel No. 5 or 19 products. Product giveaways such as jeweled lighters, wristbands, lip-gloss, “fashion emergency kits”, and cell phone accessories are used to promote the product. This marketing is a blatant attempt to lure young girls into smoking by making it appear glamorous.

In fact, public health organizations and women’s organizations have petitioned R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. to remove the Camel No. 9 cigarettes from the market, claiming the product is “nothing more than a veiled attempt to sell more cigarettes to girls and young women, putting them at grave risk for disease and a premature death.” (http://www.adrants.com/images/Camel_No_9_Sign_On_letter.pdf)

The tobacco industry is constantly transforming its product and attempting new tactics to gain market share. If you are interested in learning methods to counter the industry’s tactics check out the website Global Tobacco Control learning from the experts: www.globaltobaccocontrol.org. This website provides free online lectures on tobacco and tobacco control presented by subject experts from around the world

The tobacco industry spends billions of dollars on advertising and promotion to increase their customer base, and if that weren’t enough they are now developing and marketing new tobacco products such as ‘light’ cigarettes, ‘reduced risk’ cigarettes and smokeless tobacco (SNUs) to gain new customers. Through these products, the tobacco industry is trying to create the perception of a safer cigarette but they are really just putting lipstick on a pig. The industry is trying to fool the consumer into believing there is a safer cigarette to address the growing concern over the health effects of smoking.

The scary part of these marketing tactics is that many times they actually work; take the ‘light’ cigarette for example there is no scientific evidence that these cigarettes are safer but they are designed and marketed to address the health concerns of smokers. These tactics are dangerous and diminish prevention and cessation efforts of the tobacco control community because a cigarette that appears to be lower risk or safer may deter smokers from quitting, encourage non-smokers to start smoking, and entice ex-smokers to start smoking again.

As a public health professional I am concerned about the growing tobacco epidemic and want to work to dispel the myth of ‘safer’ cigarettes. Working in tobacco control we may not have the money the tobacco industry has but we have the truth. If you are looking for more information on the truth about these new tobacco products or on tobacco control you can find it at the website Global Tobacco Control: Learning from the Experts (www.globaltobaccocontrol.org). This website provides free online lectures on tobacco control presented by subject experts from around the world.

If you were asked to name some of the most addictive drugs in the world, what would you say? Cocaine? Heroin? Alcohol? Would you include tobacco in this list?
I doubt many individuals would because most are unaware that nicotine in tobacco is not only a drug but also one of the most addictive drugs on the planet. In fact nicotine is more addictive than alcohol, cocaine, and heroine. Nicotine causes biological changes in the brain leading smokers to become dependent on the drug and experience withdrawal symptoms if they attempt to quit.

Understanding the addictive nature of tobacco, I am troubled that we continue to allow the tobacco industry to use both conventional and non-conventional methods to market their drug to society. Cocaine dealers are not allowed to sponsor sports events or concerts or advertise in magazines, yet tobacco dealers are. Constant bombardment with tobacco images prompts cravings in the brain, making it difficult for smokers to break their addiction and triggers relapse in former smokers.

As a public health professional I am concerned about the growing tobacco epidemic and the estimated 10 million deaths each year tobacco use will cause in 2030. I realized that I needed to understand the nature of tobacco addiction to know what we are fighting and where to intervene. In my search for information I found the website Global Tobacco Control: Learning from the Experts (www.globaltobaccocontrol.org). This website provides free online lectures on tobacco control presented by subject experts from around the world. If you are interested in learning more about tobacco addiction, you should check out the Tobacco Addiction lecture by Jack Henningfield, PhD. This lecture helped me grasp tobacco addiction and understand what we are up against.