06 novembre 2009
Treatment effectiveness is irrelevant if tobacco users
Treatment effectiveness is irrelevant if tobacco users are not aware of treatment options,
cannot access them, cannot afford them, or do not use them when they are available. Tobaccocessation
interventions can be delivered in many settings and formats. Health-care providers can
inform patients about the health effects of tobacco use and counsel them about treatment options
during routine appointments, patients can be referred to proactive or reactive telephone quitlines
for counseling and often medications, and patients can access computer-based programs that
offer counseling, support, and medications. Evidence-based systems-level interventions that are
particularly effective include tobacco-use identification systems, provider education, reminder
systems with feedback, and dedicated staff. For patients who are willing to quit, an evidencebased
algorithm known as the 5 A’s uses a decision tree to help health-care providers to
• Ask patients about tobacco use.
• Advise current users to quit.
• Assess smokers’ willingness to quit.
• Assist smokers who are willing to quit by providing appropriate tobacco-dependence
treatments.
• Arrange followup for smokers who want treatment.
That algorithm can be used by all health-care providers, including physicians, nurses,
psychologists, health educators, dentists, and pharmacists. For patients who are unwilling to quit,
health-care providers can use motivational interviewing to increase future cessation attempts.
Motivational interviewing can follow the 5 R’s: relevance (encourage patient to explain why
quitting is relevant to them), risks (ask patients to explain the adverse effects of tobacco use),
rewards (ask patients to identify the benefits of quitting), roadblocks (ask patients about the
barriers to their quitting), and repetition (use a motivational intervention each time a patient is
seen).
Many populations of tobacco users may be reluctant to quit, find it hard to quit, or be at
greater risk for adverse health outcomes from tobacco use; these special populations include
people who have psychiatric and medical comorbidities, deployed military personnel, and
hospitalized people. Tobacco addiction is much more prevalent in people who have mental
illness, including schizophrenia, major depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and
alcohol abuse. That is of concern given the increased numbers of veterans returning from the
conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan with PTSD and the number of Vietnam veterans who have
PTSD. The PHS clinical-practice guideline provides evidence-based treatment protocols for
many special populations.
The issue of relapse from tobacco abstinence is well known; as many as 75% or 80% of
smokers who quit tobacco use will relapse within 6 months. Relapse-prevention interventions
include social support, use of medications, and avoidance of smoking cues.
Comprehensive tobacco-control programs also require surveillance information to help
staff to modify the programs to meet changing needs or to address disparities. Surveillance can
indicate whether policies are being enforced, medications are being correctly prescribed,
quitlines are being used, public-education campaigns are reaching target audiences, interventions
are improving health outcomes, and funds are being spent appropriately. Established
performance measures should be used to monitor program improvements. Surveillance tools
should be designed and operated to provide the necessary foundation for program evaluation,
which should be periodic and thorough and whose results should be disseminated publicly.
12 août 2009
Freedom Starts with Admitting Addiction
It was not easy looking in the mirror and at last seeing a true drug addict looking back. I felt like I was surrendering, that after all those failed attempts I’d lost, that I was a total and complete failure. But as horrible as that moment felt, doing so was the most liberating event in my life. It was then and there I no longer needed the long list of lies I’d invented to try and explain my captivity, my need for that next fix. Yes, there were countless times during my 30 years of bondage where I’d told myself that I was hooked or addicted.
But not until early 1999 did it hit me that, like alcoholism, it was for real. It was then that it hit me that I was no different from the methamphetamine or heroin addict. Dr. M.A.H. Russell, a psychiatrist and addiction researcher at London’s Institute of Psychiatry had me pegged all along. “There is little doubt that if it were not for nicotine in tobacco smoke, people would be little more inclined to smoke than they are to blow bubbles or to light sparklers, ” he wrote. “Cigarette-smoking is probably the most addictive and dependence-producing form of object-specific self-administered gratification known to man.” These now famous quotes by Dr. Russell date back to 1974.
Over the years, millions of nicotine addicts have tried proving Dr. Russell wrong. In January 2003, a Miami based company, the Vector Group Ltd., began marketing a nicotine-free cigarette called Quest in seven northeastern U.S. states. A novelty item, thousands of smokers rushed out to purchase their first pack of nicotine-free cigarettes but locating any smoker who returned to purchase a second pack has proven near impossible.
We would no more smoke nicotine-free cigarettes than we’d smoke dried leaves from the backyard. Hello! My name is John and I’m a comfortably recovered nicotine addict. It is not normal for humans to light things they place between their lips on fire and then intentionally suck the fire’s smoke deep into their lungs. Nor is it normal to chew or suck a highly toxic non-edible plant, hour after hour, day after day, year after year. We rationalize such irrational behavior because of the neuro-chemical reward we can steal by performing the act; a nicotine induced dopamine explosion.
Cuddling up to the warm, cozy rationalization that, at worst, all we have is some “nasty little habit” serves the tobacco industry well. While habits can be manipulated, modified, toyed with and controlled, nicotine addiction is an all or nothing proposition. The industry knows that so long as its marketing continues to sell nicotine addicts on the idea that they’re in full control, that they will likely continue to hand the industry their money until the day they die. Regardless of the delivery device or method used to introduce nicotine into the bloodstream, fully accepting that nicotine dependency has permanently altered our brain not only simplifies the rules of recovery, it provides the key to staying free. Thousands of words but only one guiding principle for keeping our dependency permanently under arrest ... No nicotine today! 67
02 juin 2009
Tobacco marketing industry
In the area of indirect marketing bans, only 75 countries, covering less than half the world’s population, ban free distribution of tobacco products. One of the least used measures is a prohibition on the use of brand extensions – tobacco brands on other products such as clothing.
Only one third of countries ban brand extensions. Only 59 countries, about one third of those reporting on this policy and covering only a third of the world’s population, prohibit retail price discounts; these are designed to lure young people, who are most sensitive to price, into becoming addicted. Much more remains to be done, but some countries show the way. Norway is in the fourth decade of its tobacco-advertising ban.
The tobacco industry and its allies fought this ban for years, making many false claims along the way, such as that the ban would hurt the country’s economy – a prediction that did not come true. The advertising ban appears to have helped decrease tobacco consumption, particularly among young people.112 Although many countries have implemented some restrictions on tobacco industry promotion, the restrictions are still incomplete in most of the world and, where present, are often poorly enforced. Expanding existing measures into comprehensive bans that prohibit all direct and indirect tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship should be the goal for every country’s leadership.
04 mars 2009
Camel Cigarettes - more characteristic of the expensive brands
In introducing radical changes in design, JTI tried to kill two rabbits at once: to preserve the old fans and attract new ones. Designers changed the color purple letters on the Camel Cigarettes with golden, more characteristic of the expensive brands, added inscription Since 1913 in order to emphasize the history of stamps, replaced inscription Turkish & American Blend Cigarettes no longer carrying meaningful to the consumer information on Generous flavour. The inscription was Filters mark in the box to emphasize its attention. But the most significant change has undergone camels.
This impression that the company suddenly zastesnyalas this animal and decided his mask.
Ernst convinced that the camels - is a worthy animal to cigarette brand. "Camel is suitable for creating brand is not worse than any other animal - said Ernst. - After nearly a hundred years, consumers perceive as Camel Cigarettes is not a camel, but as a trademark, first simvolizirovavshuyu spirit of adventure, but now - refined pleasure. YA, for example, do not see a camel, when I look at the stack. " Indeed, the camel on the stack of Camel became less visible. If the case goes so far, the famous parable about the camel and caught abalone lose meaning. In any case, Camel camel through the abalone will be exactly.
18 février 2009
Glamorous Vogue Cigarettes
It seems that these cigarettes family glamorous Vogue Cigarettes became the pinnacle of chic, which is always appeal to the company. Vogue Arome moving through naruzhku ", as well as through advertisements in glossy magazines. "We tried to convey the aroma of coffee in advertising - tells Maria Bezhanova. - For this special flavour used lacquer."
Sales of new cigarette started about a week later, after their presentation. In the case of Vogue Arome BAT has used the same reception as when moving Kent updated: the company agreed to sell cigarettes to women's very limited number of outlets. Initially BAT chose the 100-seat sales, which included premium supermarkets, restaurants, cafes, gas complexes.
In many conventional shops in a number of cigarettes next to Vogue Cigarettes subbrendami Filter, Menthol, Ultra Lights, Vogue Slims BAT demonstratively left a blank space, hinting that it will soon be filled with novelty. The company claimed that, and will continue to adhere to the strategy of limited distribution of cigarettes.
Even in the price of BAT made it clear that Vogue Arome - "very exclusive product." If other family this brand cigarettes worth 40 - 45 rubles. (depending on the sale of seats), the aroma - slightly more expensive, about 47 rubles. While prove their exclusivity only at the expense of price - rather precarious path. For example, a competing brand Parliament super slims manufactured by Philip Morris is more expensive Vogue Arom e - about 55 rubles per pack of cigarettes.
However, a BAT has another advantage, which, it was hoped the company, Vogue Cigarettes will help strengthen its leadership position - as is the only flavored cigarettes this class. Maria Bezhanova confident that BAT would become a dictator of taste in this segment.
Competitors BAT has not taken such aggressive marketing steps, as Britons. For example, Philip Morris, and even changed the design of the stack of cigarettes Virginia, but only by the fact that last year introduced new rules preventing the dangers of smoking. The only thing that made Philip Morris, to be closer to Customers - eased their cigarettes. For example, Virginia Slims sooner had the parameters of the resin / nicotine 12 / 0.9 mg, and after re tutu became 10 / 0.8 mg (Vogue Cigarettes is still easier - in cigarette smoke contains tar and nicotine 7 / 0, 7 mg).
Another female producer of cigarettes, Korea Tobacco & Ginsen, is even greater threat to BAT, as its perennial competitor Philip Morris. The Korean company began selling in Russia, its women's brands Esse about four years ago. The breakthrough they had only last year, came out on top on the volume of imports of cigarettes in Russia. Of the 3 billion pieces of our market, the 700 million - Esse. Now they are approaching cigarette sales to Vogue Cigarettes in kind. According to the head of "Russian Tobacco Queen Maxima, this is because the company is working tightly with all channels of distribution, and the price of these cigarettes are about half the cost of Vogue.
11 février 2009
Achat cigarettes
