David Kessler’s new book, “The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite” offers an interesting premise: the food industry has purposely manipulated our food to make us eat more than we need and stimulate our brains in a way that creates an addictive behavior. The most blatant ingredients for manipulating? Salt, Sugar and Fat in varying arrangements. David Kessler was the long-time FDA director who highlighted the cigarette manipulation by the tobacco industry and specifically that they manipulated the nicotine yields through various techniques. One such technique involves adding ammonia to the products to make the nicotine absorb into the blood and brain more quickly -basically nicotine free-basing. What he found was that he was being triggered by certain foods (for him, usually sweet and fattening) much in the same way that it seemed tobacco users were triggered to use tobacco. So he set out to find out why.
The results of his studies are stunning. The more highly processed (palatable) a food item becomes, the closer it resembles a drug delivery device rather than a meal. He found that at Chili’s Restaurant, for example, that some appetizers contained more calories than most meals, but that the customers upon eating them were not only not filling up, but were more likely to eat more food (and calories) throughout the rest of the meal. This was due to the stimulation that the combination of fats, salts and sugars (and temperature) had on the brain. In laymen’s terms: it just felt too good to stop.
He also goes into other food industry dirty secrets such as their ingredient list (how many different ways can you list sugar?) and how they use certain bright colors (especially red) that stimulate hunger in the body. But overall, his book is a wake up call to be aware of what is going on and to take back the control of your own body and mind once the truth is known. He suggests we can use similar tactics as has been used in tobacco control to help change the norms of these tactics and perceptions of so-called “foods” that are little more than stimulants with little to sometimes no nutritional value to the body.
For a longer discussion with David Kessler, see below.
http://www.c-spanarchives.org/library/index.php?main_page=product_video_info&products_id=287080-1&showVid=true
Filed under: Industry Tactics, Laws, Youth and Prevention | Tags: No chew, Stampede
U.S. Smokeless Tobacco has had an immense and strong presence at the Greeley Independence Stampede for many years, but it is no longer that way. In December 2007, the Greeley City Council voted 4-3 in favor of passing an ordinance that prohibited the giving away of free tobacco in city limits. This included the Greeley Stampede. However that next summer at the Stampede, US Smokeless still had a booth and were giving away free items like bandanas. This year, there is no trace of them there at all. The reason is unknown, but the outcome is good all the same: children and adults alike will not associate the cancer-causing products with the fun events of the Stampede. Congratulations to the Stampede and Greeley!
BEFORE
AFTER
The Same Location as the First Picture a year later
Filed under: Tobacco Free Coalition of Weld County | Tags: Tobacco Free Coalition, Weld County
The Tobacco Free Coalition of Weld County celebrated another year of hard work on making our community a healthier place. On Tuesday, June 9th, approximately 40 coalition members came together at Coyotes Southwestern Grill in Greeley for an appreciation luncheon.
Handing out Awards and Silly Gifts
Enjoying the meal and socializing
Filed under: Uncategorized
I work in a dental office. Today I had a patient (41 year old male) come into the office. One of the first things he told me is that he quit chewing tobacco, a habit that he has had for at least 25 years. The main reason he quit is because of the price. He stopped cold turkey in April of this year, and although he has gained some weight-he feels great! He did mention that he wished he didn’t put on the extra pounds, but that has been the only drawback to quitting. We also talked about how the Stampede can no longer give out free samples, and he was very supportive of that. Even though he has been a tobacco user for many years and always enjoys the Stampede, he was concerned that the free samples were landing in the hands of kids. He has three boys, and he would never want them to start using tobacco. This story made my day!!!!
If you are a member of the Tobacco Free Coalition of Weld County (or want to be), please fill out this survey. Current members with a valid email address should have already received a link.
This helps in our ongoing efforts at strategic planning and assessment.
Thanks in advance.
While nicotine is what gets people addicted and gives them the buzz to keep using, it is not easily extracted from the plant form of tobacco. In order for it to release chemically, ammonia and other freebasing items are added to the products. American Spirit has often claimed to have no additives or preservatives, but recent research has shown it to have the highest level of free basing ability which indicates higher levels of ammonia. Maybe it’s just made from natural sources…like urine.
Adding ammonia to cigarettes increases the amount of easily absorbed “freebase” nicotine released by smoking, which may make some cigarettes more addictive than others depending on their formulas, the Independent reported July 28.
Researchers at the Oregon Health and Science University looked at 11 U.S. cigarette brands and found that some had up to 20 times more freebase nicotine — a form of the drug that is quickly absorbed and transmitted to the brain and central nervous system. Cigarettes with high levels of freebase nicotine probably are more addictive, researchers said.
American Spirit cigarettes, for example, had 36 percent freebase nicotine, compared to 1 percent in a benchmark cigarette, 2.7 percent in Camel, 5-6.2 percent in Winston, and 9.6 percent in Marlboro.
“During smoking, only the freebase form can [evaporate] from a particle into the air in the respiratory tract,” said study leader James Pankow. “Gaseous nicotine is known to deposit super-quickly in the lungs. From there, it’s transported rapidly to the brain. Since scientists have shown that a drug becomes more addictive when it is delivered to the brain more rapidly, freebase nicotine levels in cigarette smoke are thus at the heart of the controversy regarding the tobacco industry’s use of additives such as ammonia and urea.”
The study was published in the January 2003 issue of the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology.
Pankow, J., Barsanti, K., & Peyton, D. (2003) Fraction of Free-Base Nicotine in Fresh Smoke Particulate Matter from the Eclipse “Cigarette” by 1H NMR Spectroscopy. Chemical Research in Toxicology, 16(1): 23-27.
Filed under: Quitting and Cessation, Youth and Prevention | Tags: Cigarette is Dead Campaign, Greeley, Weld County
This week, students and youth across Weld County will be returning from spring break to a brand new campaign called The Cigarette is Dead. The Campaign is a state-wide effort to reach young people with the message that the cigarette is dead in all ways -politically, socially, and environmentally. The Cigarette is Dead Campaign in Greeley uses such media as billboards and bus benches, the cooperation of over 30 businesses to place posters and other gear, collaborations of schools like Aims and UNC and coalition member support. We hope to drive tobacco users to the QuitLine (1-800-QUIT-NOW) and everyone to the official website: www.quitdoingit.com . Here is a little slice of what we have been doing and pictures of the campaign in action:
Bulletin Board
Banner from UNC’s University Center
Billboard off 59th Ave and 10th Street in Greeley
Bathroom at Noodles
UNC common area at the UC
Cigarette is Dead Can
Filed under: Industry Tactics, Quitting and Cessation | Tags: Cigarette price increases
Cigarette companies to increase prices by about $0.75/pack (between 71 cents and 81 cents plus retailer costs) in addition to and at about the same time as CHP tax of $0.61/pack goes into effect bringing most cigarettes over $5/pack.
The Cigarette really is becoming DEAD.
This is surprising and good news. In our program, we have already talked with a man who said that the new $5 packs of cigarettes have helped him make up his mind to quit for good. Another person at the gas station said she wanted to quit and wanted the QuitLine number. Joe Seller’s quit class already has four people signed up, largely because of these increases.
High price -due to taxes and otherwise- is the biggest factor that deters children from starting tobacco in the first place. Due to the state of the economy, we may see even more adults say enough is enough when it comes to tobacco as well. The only problem may be that cigarette smokers may look to spit tobacco as an alternative. We need to help steer them toward the FDA approved NRT products like the patches and gum instead.
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Following yesterday’s announcement by Altria (see article link below), Reynolds and Lorillard announced nearly identical cigarette prices hikes. Unless Altria, Reynolds or Lorillard also announce cigarette price discounts (to offset these price hikes), the nationwide average retail price of Marlboro, Camel and Newport (the most advertised and best selling brands) will exceed $5/pack next week.
Altria’s new huge price differential between its cigarettes and smokeless products may encourage many cigarette smokers to try spit tobacco.
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Marlboro price raised, some smokeless prices cut
By Jessica Wohl
Reuters
Thu Mar 5, 2009 7:29pm
* Prices to rise 71-81 cts per cigarette pack
* Prices of high end smokeless tobacco to be cut
* Attributes price hikes to federal excise tax
Filed under: Industry Tactics, New Products | Tags: E-Cigars, Electric Cigars
Could E-Cigars become the new thing? Made with water and nicotine extract, the only smoke it produces is water vapor. With a pretty high price tag of $100-200 per unit, it may not attract the cigarette smoking demographic. It is also not FDA approved and the risks are unknown.
Read more in the NY Times article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/22/nyregion/thecity/22esmo.html?emc=tnt&tntemail1=y
