Cigarette Smoking

The 1982 United States Surgeon General's report stated that"Cigarette smoking is the major single cause of cancer mortality (death) in the United States." This statement is as true today as it was in 1982.

Smoking is responsible for nearly 1 in 5 deaths in the United States. Because cigarette smoking and tobacco use are acquired behaviors -- activities that people choose to do -- smoking is the most preventable cause of premature death in our society.

Here you will find a brief overview of cigarette smoking: who smokes, how smoking affects health, what makes it so hard to quit, and what some of the many rewards of quitting are.

Who smokes?

Adults

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 43.4 million US adults were current smokers in 2007 (the most recent year for which numbers are available). This is 19.8% of all adults (22.3% of men, 17.4% of women) -- about 1 out of 5 people.

When broken down by race/ethnicity, the numbers were as follows:

Whites	21.4%
African Americans	19.8%
Hispanics	13.3%
American Indians/Alaska Natives	36.4%
Asian Americans	9.6%

There were more cigarette smokers in the younger age groups. In 2007, the CDC reported almost 22.8% of those 25 to 44 years old were current smokers, compared to 8.3% in those aged 65 or older.

High school and middle school students

Nationwide, 20% of high school students were smoking cigarettes in 2007. The most recent survey of middle school students shows that 6% were smoking cigarettes. More White and Hispanic students smoked cigarettes.

Cigarette

A cigarette (French"small cigar", from cigar + -ette) is a product consumed through smoking and manufactured out of cured and finely cut tobacco leaves and reconstituted tobacco, often combined with other additives, then rolled or stuffed into a paper-wrapped cylinder (generally less than 120 mm in length and 10 mm in diameter). The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder for the purpose of inhalation of its smoke from the other end, which is inserted in the mouth. They are sometimes smoked with a cigarette holder. The term cigarette, as commonly used, refers to a tobacco cigarette but can apply to similar devices containing other herbs, such as cannabis.

Nicotine, the primary psychoactive chemical in tobacco, is addictive. Cigarette use by pregnant women has also been shown to cause birth defects(which include mental and physical disability). On average, each cigarette smoked shortens lifespan by 11 minutes and smokers who die of tobacco-related disease lose, on average, 14 years of life.

Rates of cigarette smoking vary widely. While rates of smoking have leveled off or declined in the developed world, they continue to rise in the undeveloped world.

A cigarette is distinguished from a cigar by its smaller size, use of processed leaf, and white paper wrapping. Cigars are typically composed entirely of whole-leaf tobacco.

Cigarettes are the most frequent source of fires in private homes and the European Union wishes to ban by 2011 cigarettes that are not fire-safe.

Big Tobacco firms found guilty of conspiracy, racketeering

Yesterday a federal judge found Big Tobacco firms guilty of civil fraud and racketeering, but failed to impose harsh sanctions against the companies in the suit, citing a restrictive appeals court ruling.

U.S. District Judge Gladys E. Kessler said the government's seven-year case against Big Tobacco proved cigarette makers had participated in a decades-long conspiracy to deceive the public about the dangers of smoking for the sake of turning a larger profit. Kessler had harsh words for the tobacco industry in her nearly 1,700 page ruling, but said a federal appeals court ruling on the damages sought by the government "unfortunately" did not allow her to impose multibillion-dollar sanctions against the industry.

Kessler forbade the companies from committing future fraudulent acts, ordering Philip Morris, Reynolds American, Lorillard Tobacco Co. and British American Tobacco to issue "corrective statements" by advertising in major newspapers and TV networks, as well as their own websites. The statements must reveal the dangers and addictiveness of smoking, the lack of health benefits from smoking low-tar cigarettes, the design of the companies' cigarettes for optimum delivery of nicotine and the negative health effects of secondhand smoke. Kessler also prohibited the companies from marketing cigarettes as "mild," "light" or "ultralight," saying that the words falsely implied that the cigarettes were less dangerous than regular cigarettes.

Kessler ruled that in over 50 years of doing business,Big Tobacco had "lied, misrepresented, and deceived the American public ... about the devastating health effects of smoking and environmental tobacco smoke," and that the companies had "suppressed research, they destroyed documents, they manipulated the use of nicotine so as to increase and perpetuate addiction, they distorted the truth about low-tar and light cigarettes so as to discourage smokers from quitting." Kessler also said the tobacco industry was "a profound burden on our national healthcare system."

"Exactly the same could be said about today's pharmaceutical industry," said Mike Adams, a consumer health advocate and author of several articles comparing Big Tobacco with Big Pharma. "Today's drug companies are guilty of virtually every crime committed by tobacco companies. And like Big Tobacco, Big Pharma will eventually be investigated, exposed and prosecuted for deceiving the public."

The Justice Department said it was "pleased" with the court's liability verdict, but "disappointed" that Kessler did not impose the punitive damages it had sought against the companies. Anti-smoking groups involved in the case expressed similar opinions.

Industry leader Philip Morris announced yesterday that it would appeal Kessler's decision, saying it was "not supported by the law or the evidence presented at the trial."

Should the FDA Regulate Tobacco?

The U.S. Congress has just voted to categorize tobacco as a drug, handing the FDA regulatory authority to control the advertising, marketing and sales of cigarettes. This hilarious move, if approved by the Senate and signed by the President, would put the FDA in the position of approving the sale of a "drug" that the entire medical community openly admits kills millions of people. According to the CDC, tobacco kills 438,000 people each year in the United States alone (1). Now, thanks to the U.S. Congress, the FDA could soon be the government office responsible for allowing these 438,000 deaths each year!

Think about it: Right now, FDA-approved drugs kill around 100,000 Americans a year, and that's if you believe the conservative figures from the American Medical Association (the real numbers are at least double that). Add tobacco deaths to that list, and you come to the startling realization that if tobacco is considered an FDA-approved "drug," then FDA-approved drugs will kill well over half a million Americans each year! (538,000 fatalities a year due to FDA-approved drugs, using government statistics.)

That's a level of fatalities that terrorists haven't even come close to approaching.

MAXX Ltd. Edition

Only the top 1% of tobacco is reserved for the Maxx Limited Editon. The blend is full bodied with a complex, yet balanced flavor.

Those already familiar with Maxx will tell you the brand is one of those hidden gems in the cigar industry. Rolled in Danli, Honduras, Maxx is all the craze for aficionados who enjoy big ring cigars that are equally big in flavor. The blend features a dark Nicaraguan maduro wrapper that is accentuated by a Costa Rican binder securing a complex, long leaf filler blend from 4 different countries.

Maxx Limited Edition is not your ordinary Maxx. Not only is it box pressed, it also utilizes only the best tobaccos, which are selected specially by blenders Ralph Montero and Alan Rubin. The combination of the best materials with a box pressed format gives Maxx Limited Edition different flavors and complexities when compared to the original Maxx line. While Maxx Limited Edition is typically only available in one size (The Vice), and packaged in boxes of 50, Cigar.com is the only venue to offer an exclusive size, “The Vice Curved,” a Vice with a torpedo tip. Both sizes come packaged in factory ...

Montecristo White

Creamy, mild and smooth, the Montecristo White is a favorite for aficionados who appreciate a complex smoke without an overwhelming amount of strength.

This cigar is one of the more recent additions to the Montecristo family. The Montecristo White was produced in response to the demand for a milder and creamier cigar, but one that like all Montecristos had a rich and definable flavor and character. With the success of the original Cuban Montecristo, which debuted in 1935, and the continued success of the non-Cuban version that was released in the 1990’s, the White has quickly become one of the most popular Montecristo line extensions.

The Montecristo White is mild to medium bodied with a creamy texture and earthy aroma that is soft on the palate with a moderate finish. The Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper and Dominican blend make this cigar complex yet not overbearing. This combination is what has attracted all types of cigar enthusiasts to the Montecristo White.

Ashton VSG Round

These particular VSG cigars, called "rounds," were among the first 50,000 sticks produced back in 1999. Ashton VSG was the first box-pressed brand the Fuentes attempted to create. In the process of rolling the first batch, they quickly realized that the cigars were over filled and were not smokable when pressed. This forced Ashton to release the first 50,000 cigars in the parejo (round) shape. These cigars are extremely rare and sought out as collectors items.

5 Vegas Classic

An old Cuban tradition, the 5 Vegas Classic is a medium bodied creamy smoke with a great everyday low price.

This cigar captures everything about a high end premium cigar, except for the price. 5 Vegas has answered the age old question “Can’t someone make a cigar that sells for $3.00 but tastes like a $10.00 cigar?” Well folks, clear room in your humidor. 5 Vegas has a creamy medium body that is accentuated by its Dominican and Nicaraguan long fillers and finished with a Sumatra wrapper. Each 5 Vegas is meticulously crafted by expert cigar rollers to ensure a top quality product.

You will find subtle complexities about this cigar that make it consistent box to box and deliver quality and value every time. Earthy and toasty with a medium finish, it won’t take long for this cigar to become one you can enjoy everyday.

Cigar

A cigar is a tightly rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco which is ignited so that its smoke may be drawn into the smoker's mouth. Cigar tobacco is grown in significant quantities in Brazil, Cameroon, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Sumatra, the Philippines, and the Eastern United States.