For World NO Tobacco Day, an Artistic Champion...

From Orissa, India, sand 
artist Sudarsan Pattnaik 
has created such striking 
antismoking sculptures to 
pay respect to World No 
Tobacco Day, his efforts 
are becoming legend...

World No Tobacco Day
was established in 1987
by the World Health 
Organization. 
It is observed every May 31.

DailyMail.co.uk: Bribing Pregnant Women to Quit Smoking

Another story from 
the Daily Mail...
This one by Jenny Hope 
looks at the use of bribery 
as incentive for Mothers-to-be.
Under similar smoking 
cessation programs, a study
jointly run by professors at
Glasgow and Stirling 
Universities found that if 
financial incentives were 
offered, it greatly
increased the likelihood
that an expectant mother 
would make more of an 
effort to quit.
DailyMail.co.uk: £400 bribes to help pregnant women stop smoking: Mothers-to-be twice as likely to quit if they have a financial incentive

DailyMail.co.uk: Chinese TV shows gruesome images of smokers' lungs

China doesn't pull punches 
when it comes to their 
antismoking programs.
Their scare tactics are
designed to drive the point 
home...deep into a smoker's 
lungs and mind. 

A television station showed 
how gruesome lung cancer 
really is. These videos 
reinforce the government's 
new stance that will forever 
change how smoking in 
China is viewed. It is 
expected that they will 
continue to be pretty blunt 
about it until the rate 
plummets. Article out of 
Australia by Sally Lee...
These videos aren't 
particulary pleasant.

DailyMail.co.uk: Chinese TV releases gruesome video of smoke damaged lungs

Taking the day off...

I'm taking the day 
off today...Here is 
a musical interlude 
from a fellow whose 
Birthday it is too...
Sara X Does Mozart

Independent.co.uk: McRib and Anti-Smoking Ad Juxtaposed in most unfortunate manner...

This is funny in 
a very sick way. 
Independent.co.uk: McRib and antismoking billboards juxtaposed in unfortunate manner

                               Article by Christopher Hooten

Times Leader: Lifetime Cost of Smoking Absolutely Staggering

Mark Guydish reports for 
the Times Leader that a 
lifetime of smoking costs 
the average heavy smoker 
around $1.4 million and 
the life expectancy of that 
person is about 69 
(if they're lucky...) this article 
breaks down the costs in health, 
work lost, product purchase 
and other intangibles that make 
these numbers a veritable creepfest.
Times Leader: Lifetime Cost of Smoking- about $1.4 mill

USA Today: E-cigs in Luggage Can Be Fire Hazard-FAA

Imagine tucked deep 
In the luggage
Buried in the hold 
Of the plane
An electronic cigarette,
Under pressure,
Decides to heat up 
Over a large, uncharted
Body of water
FAA doesn't think 
It's a good idea either...
-JA
Article by Bart Jansen
www.usatoday.com: E-Cigs in luggage may be fire hazard says FAA