Illustration for a new pack of cigarettes Maxim

How Can smoking Affect the Pregnancy and the Baby?

Women who smoke while they are pregnant increase their risk for pregnancy-related complications. Pregnancy places a tremendous burden on a woman’s body. From the fluctuating hormones to the effects of weight gain, even the healthiest woman can develop complications during her pregnancy. Those that smoke are at a greater risk.
Smoking during pregnancy can cause a placental abruption. This occurs when the placenta, the baby’s lifeline during the pregnancy, separates from the uterine wall prior to delivery. The placenta will separate naturally during the labor and delivery process, but when it happens prematurely, the results can be disastrous. When placental separation occurs, it is a life-threatening emergency for both mother and baby.
Not necessarily life-threatening, but still very serious, Placenta Previa is another condition that occurs more frequently in women who smoke during pregnancy. The placenta normally attaches to the side of the uterine wall early in pregnancy. With Placenta Previa, the placenta instead attaches low in the uterus, either partially or completely covering the opening of the uterus. If the opening of the uterus is blocked by the placenta when it is time to deliver the baby, a cesarean section will have to be performed.
Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of having an ectopic pregnancy. When this occurs, the embryo does not implant in the uterus. Instead, it implants somewhere else, such as the fallopian tubes. When this occurs, the pregnancy must be terminated, as it cannot grow and thrive anywhere other than the uterus. If left untreated, ectopic pregnancy can be life-threatening.
Women who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to experience unexplained vaginal bleeding, and premature delivery. Smoking during pregnancy more than doubles the risk of having a stillbirth.

How Can it Harm the Baby?

Women who smoke during pregnancy are exposing their unborn baby to a myriad of potential health problems both during the pregnancy and after birth. One of the most serious complications is premature delivery. A normal pregnancy lasts for 40 weeks. A baby is considered premature if he is delivered any time before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Women who smoke during pregnancy are up to 4 times more likely to have a baby born before 37 weeks than women who do not smoke. Premature babies are susceptible to a host of health conditions, including difficulty breathing, inability to regulate body temperature and low birth weight.
Babies who are born full term are still at increased risk of having a low birth weight if their mothers smoked during pregnancy, even if they were not delivered prematurely. Premature babies and those that are born with a low birth weight have a much higher chance of developing serious medical conditions, including permanent disabilities, mental retardation, behavioral problems, developmental disabilities and even death.  Babies who are smaller at birth generally have smaller lungs and therefore babies. When this occurs, baby’s first days will likely be spent in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) hooked up to breathing tubes or a respirator rather than in his mother’s arms. Even after transitioning out of the NICU, these babies will remain at increased risk for developing asthma and other breathing difficulties later in life.
Babies of mothers who smoked during pregnancy are at increased risk for being born with birth defects such as a cleft palate or cleft lip.
Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of giving birth to a baby with a heart defect. These babies are up to 70% more likely to have heart defects than babies who were not exposed to smoke while in the womb.
Babies who are born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy are up to 3 times more likely to die from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Cigarette prices North Dakota

Cigarette prices North Dakota: here you will find a overview of all cigarette prices for North Dakota US. The cheapest cigarette can be found on the top of the cigarette brands list.

Cigarette Brands	Prices
American Legend	$              1.861
American Legend White	$              1.861
Benson & Hedges light gold	$              3.215
Benson & Hedges Filter King	$              3.808
BN	$              2.877
Camel Blue	$              2.708
Camel Filters	$              2.708
Camel King Size	$              2.708
Camel Orange	$              2.708
Camel Silver	$              2.708
Camel Light/ Blue	$              2.877
Captain black Dark Crema	$              2.961
Captain black Little cigars	$              2.961
Davidoff Light	$              2.792
Davidoff Menthol	$              2.792
Davidoff White	$              2.792
Davidoff Classic Slims	$              2.792
Davidoff Classic	$              2.792
Davidoff Light/ Gold	$              2.792
Davidoff Gold light Slims	$              2.792
Davidoff Superslims white	$              2.961
Davidoff Magnum Gold	$              4.062
Davidoff Magnum King Size	$              4.062
Ducados Filtro	$              2.623
Ducados Rubio	$              3.300
Dunhill Blue/ Light King Size	$              3.215
Dunhill Red King Size	$              3.215
Dunhill Fine Cut Blue	$              3.385
Dunhill Fine Cut Silver	$              3.385
Dunhill Fine Cut Menthols	$              3.385
Dunhill International	$              3.723
Fortuna Soft	$              1.692
Fortuna Red	$              2.030
Fortuna Blue	$              2.200
Fortuna Menthol	$              3.300
Gauloises Blondes Blue	$              2.284
Gauloises Blondes Ultra Yellow	$              2.284
Gauloises  Brunes Non Filter	$              2.284
Gauloises Blondes Red	$              2.538
GB Silver	$              2.030
Gitanes Blunes Filter	$              2.284
Gitanes Blunes Non Filter	$              2.284
Gitanes Legeres Blondes	$              2.623
Glamour Blossom Aroma	$              2.708
Golden State King Size	$              1.861
John Player Special King Size	$              3.215
Karelia White	$              2.030
Karelia King Size	$              2.030
Karelia Light/ Blue	$              2.030
Karelia Ome Superslims	$              2.200
Karelia Ome Superslims Yellow	$              2.200
Karelia Blue Slims	$              2.284
Karelia Slim Party	$              2.284
Karelia Cream Slims	$              2.284
Karelia Ome Menthol	$              2.369
Karelia Slims	$              2.369
George Karelia & Son S.Virginia	$              2.538
George Karelia & Son Smother	$              2.454
Kent Silver Neo King	$              2.961
Kent White Infina King Size	$              2.961
Kent King Size Rounded pack	$              3.215
Kent Nanotek	$              3.215
Kent Silver Neo 100's	$              3.215
Kent Blue Futura	$              3.215
Kent King Size	$              3.215
Kent Nanotek Neo	$              3.639
Kent Deluxe 100's	$              3.808
Lambert & Butler	$              2.454
Lambert & Butler Gold	$              2.454
Lambert & Butler Menthol	$              3.892
L&M Red	$              2.623
L&M Light/ Blue	$              2.708
Lucky Strike Red King Box	$              2.877
Lucky Strike Blue/ Silver	$              2.877
Marlboro Red King Size	$              2.792
Marlboro Light/ Gold	$              3.639
Marlboro menthol	$              3.639
Mayfair Blue	$              2.792
Mild Seven Blue	$              2.538
Monte Carlo Light King Size	$              1.946
Monte Carlo King Size	$              1.946
More International 120's	$              2.708
More International Menthol	$              2.708
Nat Sherman's MCD Luxury	$              2.369
Nat Sherman's Black & Gold	$              2.623
Newport King Size	$              3.385
Pall Mall Blue light	$              2.961
Pall Mall Blue light Smooth taste	$              2.961
Pall Mall classic	$              2.961
Parliament Silver King	$              3.723
Parliament Super Slims	$              3.723
Parliament Silver Full Flavor	$              3.723
Parliament Silver Light/ Blue	$              3.723
Parliament Silver 100's Soft	$              3.723
Parliament light/ Blue 100's	$              3.723
Peter Stuyvesant King Size	$              3.215
R1 Red King Size	$              2.369
R1 Blue Cigarettes	$              2.538
Raquel Slims Menthol	$              2.200
Raguel Slims Blue	$              2.284
Regal King Size	$              2.623
Richmond King Size	$              2.623
Rothmans King Size	$              3.215
Rothmans International	$              3.385
Rothmans Royal 120's	$              3.385
Royal Club Blue King Size	$              1.946
Royal Club Full Red King Size	$              1.946
Royal Club Red King Size	$              1.946
Salem Menthol King Size	$              3.808
Silk Cut Silver	$              3.215
Silk cut Purple	$              3.554
Sobranie Cocktail 100's	$              3.385
Viceroy King size Filter	$              2.538
Vogue Arome	$              3.469
Vogue Lilas Superslim	$              3.469
Vogue Blue Superslim	$              3.469
Vogue Menthol Superslim	$              3.469
Wallstreet Orginal	$              2.200
West Red King Size	$              2.284
West Silver/ Light	$              2.284
Winston Filter Soft	$              2.369
Winston Blue Superslim	$              2.454
Winston Blue King Size	$              2.538

Who Consumes The Most Tobacco and Alcohol

With spending habits waning amid soaring interestrates and rising gas prices, it is perhaps useful to note the trends in the stickiest of spending habits - tobacco, alcohol, and fast food...

Norway tops the heap in terms of alcohol and tobacco spend...

Happiness

“People always think that happiness is a faraway thing," thought Francie, "something complicated and hard to get. Yet, what little things can make it up; a place of shelter when it rains - a cup of strong hot coffee when you're blue; for a man, a cigarette for contentment; a book to read when you're alone - just to be with someone you love. Those things make happiness.”

― Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Ads that changed the way you think

The Marlboro Man certainly wasn't the first iconic advertising figure. The Marlboro Man transformed the brand into an ultra-masculine accessory In 1939, Coca-Cola helped create the modern image of a cheery, rotund, red-outfitted Santa Claus. Before that, representations of St Nick had ranged from skinny and creepy, to stern and downright scary

Ronald McDonald, like the Marlboro Man, is so recognisable that the product name need not be displayed.
But the Marlboro Man did something more. He transformed the Marlboro brand from a mild ladies' cigarette into a rugged, ultra-masculine accessory.

Unlike Ronald McDonald, men aspired to be the Marlboro Man. The campaign was wildly successful - Marlboro sales increased 300% in the two years after the ad debuted in 1955. "There is just a handful of ads ever created that have actually become more important than the product itself, that created wealth and built fortunes," Mr Garfield said

The Marlboro Man did that through the simple insight that a person's cigarette could speak to his or her self image. James Twitchell, author of 20 Ads that Shook the World, told the BBC that in addition, the Marlboro Man was an achievement because it found success at a time when Americans were learning that cigarettes were genuinely dangerous, addictive products that could kill you. "The Marlboro Man was strong, powerful. He never speaks. He's so tough," Mr Twitchell said. "The genius of the ad is that at the same time there was a rising realisation that this thing will kill you, it was identified with a character who was, on the face of it, indomitable." Sadly, the three actors who played the Marlboro Man died of lung cancer. One sued Phillip Morris and the cigarettes became known colloquially as "cowboy killers".

WEB SITE IDENTIFICATION PROCEDURES

There is currently no standardised method of sampling content featured on the world wide web. In the absence of standardised protocols, we employed a searching strategy similar to those utilised in studies of Ewings sarcoma and herbal remedy web sites. Both of these studies identified their study sample by entering multiple keywords into multiple search engines and by assessing either the first 100 or 250 hits from each search to determine web site eligibility for the study.

We used multiple keywords and search engines for several reasons: (1) approximately 85% of internet users rely on a search engine to locate information; (2) industry studies show that users employ approximately three keywords in a given search session; and (3) the best single search engine only covers about 16% of the web, but combining the results of multiple search engines raises coverage to nearly 42%.

To identify the best keywords we began by first locating approximately a dozen ICVs and examining the words featured on each site's main page and metatags. Metatags provide keywords to help search engines find the site. Most browsers have a feature that allows users to view the underlying source code, including metatags. These approaches yielded a pool of 11 potential search keywords (cheap cigarettes, cheap smokes, cheap tobacco, discount cigarettes, discount smokes, discount tobacco, low price cigarette, inexpensive cigarette, mail order cigarette, online cigarette, and tax free cigarette). All 11 potential keywords were then typed into six major search engines used in an earlier study of search engine coverage to determine which keywords were most efficient in identifying ICVs. “Discount cigarette”, “cheap cigarette”, “mail order cigarette”, and “tax free cigarette” were selected as the four best keywords because they were the most efficient in locating ICVs, and at least one of these four keywords appeared in nearly all of the metatags for sites that were found using the other seven potential keywords.

To identify the search engines, we relied on popularity rankings. Media Metrix (www.mediametrix.com) ratings for August 1999 (the most current ratings at the time of the data collection) were used to identify the top five most widely used internet search engines. The four keywords were entered into these search engines, except for Yahoo! (http://www.yahoo.com), which is a category based internet search catalogue that required a slightly different strategy. Web sites on Yahoo! are organised hierarchically within categories. To identify the Yahoo! categories for cigarette vendors, two keywords—“smoking” and “cigarette”—were searched. The keyword “smoking” yielded 36 category matches and the keyword “cigarette” yielded five category matches. Of these 41 total category matches, only one unique category listed cigarette vendor sites: business and economy> companies>hobbies>smoking.

Tovacco Gifts

Work as art

The Cultivation of Tobacco, the monumental artwork created in 1960 by the husband-and-wife Greek engravers, Tassos (Anastasios Alevizos), and Loukia Maggiorou, is returning to Stavroupouli in Thessaloniki, according to a story by Nicky Mariam Onti for the Greek Reporter
The masterpiece shows men and women engaged in the cultivation and processing of tobacco in all its stages.
Last April, the work was said to have been transferred to the National Gallery for ‘maintenance, storage and protection’.
With the maintenance completed, it will join the collection of the State Museum of Contemporary Art.

How Smoking Affects Your Body And Appearance

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, it is well-known that smoking cigarettes or inhaling secondhand smoke can lead to a myriad of health problems down the line. If you still need convincing, read on to learn about how smoking directly affects different parts of your body and your physical appearance.

Skin

Ironically, while smoking a cigarette may look “cool” when you’re relaxing, it is actually making you less physically attractive with every puff. Studies show that smoking causes premature sagging and wrinkling of the skin, so that smokers can look about 1.5 years older than nonsmokers. Since smoking also decreases the amount of oxygen in the blood, the skin also takes on a gray, ashen tone, replacing the natural glow or blush of healthy skin. It also slows down the wound healing process, so unsightly scars and stretch marks can become more prominent.

Body Weight & Fat

Contrary to popular belief, smoking can actually make you fatter. According to studies conducted by the American Society for Clinical Nutrition, heavy smokers tend to have greater body weight than nonsmokers. Smoking can cause insulin resistance, an important hormone that regulates body fat storage. The fact that smokers cannot breathe smoothly can also lead to a decrease in exercise and a sedentary lifestyle, hence making it difficult to shed pounds.

Lungs

When you inhale a mouthful of cigarette smoke, you are literally killing off the cilia in your airways. Cilia are the hair cells in your throat that helps the airway expel mucus or irritants, so without them, the smoker would be coughing away nonstop at all the mucus buildup in the throat due to the irritants from the smoke. Not only do the risks of esophageal, throat, mouth, and lung cancer increase dramatically, the lung’s ability of getting oxygen for the body also decreases. Lastly, cigarette smoke coats the walls of lungs with tar (yes, the stuff we pave roads with!), and it can take 10 years or for the body to neutralize the substance.

Heart & Blood

Since the lungs cannot get adequate oxygen to flow through the body, the heart works harder to get what little oxygen there is throughout the body. The blood pressure and rate also increases. Elevated CO2 levels in the blood also causes cholesterol deposits on the blood vessel walls, so clotting is more frequent, and the blood becomes stickier and less fluid. Hence, heart attack, stroke, and other life-threatening cardiovascular problems can easily become a reality with smoking.

Hormones

The amount of toxins and carcinogens in cigarette smoking causes the body to go into “alert mode,” which results in internal inflammation everywhere. Stress hormones are secreted from the adrenal glands above the kidneys, increasing the blood pressure (hence the usual jolt of energy smokers receives). Your blood also goes into overdrive to try and rid the body of such toxins. Smoking also messes with insulin, an important metabolic hormone, so it also increases the risk of metabolic syndrome and diabetes.
Sources:

• American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
• Women’s Health magazine
• Ohio State University Medical Center
• MSN – Healthy Living

Why Non Filtered Cigarettes

Menthol is a chemical compound which is made of natural extract, and when inhaled it gives a cool sensation to the lungs. The flavor of menthol cigarettes is very light, and slim body of the cigarette has made people long for it. There are manufacturers who make only menthol cigarettes, but most of them who create for the masses have both menthol and the regular ones. The most famous menthol brands are the Kool, Salem and Maverick. Marlboro has launched menthol cigarettes recently, too, which is becoming very popular.

Menthol cigarettes were first developed by Lloyd "Spud" Hughes in 1924, though the idea did not become popular until the Axton-Fisher Tobacco Company acquired the patent in 1927, marketing them nationwide as "Spud Menthol Cooled Cigarettes" R.J. Reynolds Company launched the first menthol filter-tip cigarettes in 1956 under the Salem brand^. Less heavily mentholated than Kools, Salems were positioned as an all-purpose cigarette, and captured 0.8% market share within their first year.

Menthol cigarettes are constructed similarly to non-mentholated cigarettes, with menthol added at any of several stages during the manufacturing process. Menthol may be derived from distilled corn mint oil, or produced synthetically. While trace amounts of menthol may be added to non-mentholated cigarettes for flavor or other reasons, a menthol cigarette typically has at least 0.3% menthol content by weight. Lower-tar menthol cigarettes may have menthol levels up to 2%, in order to keep menthol delivery constant despite the filtration and ventilation designs used to reduce tar.
Compared to tobacco blends for non-mentholated cigarettes, a menthol cigarette will tend to have more flue-cured than burley tobacco, and less oriental tobacco.

I heart smoke

Sexy smoking lady

Green Flavour

Let’s get the party started!

Sobranie Cigarettes were first within frames of Russian customs and first produced at the end if XIX century, and at present time it keeps manufacturing in London, and the same place – Old Bond Street. Sobranie cigarettes are designed for cocktail evenings, important persons and luxury. There are different styles like Sobranie Cocktail and Black Russian Cocktail, with filter designed with gold foil and a ring making it familiar with standard Sobranie cigarettes.

Shall we say it is a brand representing high class of society? Yes, Sobranie cigarettes are always accompanied with sumptuous atmosphere and talks about different concepts. Shall we say it is extremely expensive to enjoy it? Definitely not. This brand is not as costly as, for example, Dunhill cigarettes, but much more affordable, and the taste of Sobranie is very pleasant in comparison with other similar products. The main feature of Sobranie cigarettes is that it is made of not just good tobacco blend, but also contains particular components like mint, making the taste always fresh and new.

Russian-style cigarettes as Sobranie can be called so, are very popular on the territory of CIS, and considered to be very expensive brand in this area, and the prize variations are close to Dunhill cigarettes. The body of the pack is embodied with an eagle – Russian emblem – and blends used in these cigarettes suits Russian preferences and flavors.

Other view on Sobranie cigarettes is female positioning, but it doesn’t prevent males from trying it. Of course there is no strict separation, but the elegance of pack, smooth taste and feminine grace of these cigarettes proves feminine orientation. When you appear on the party with Sobranie cigarettes, you immediately become a part of the party and ready to club. The color palette of Sobranie cigarettes contains mostly white, pink or blue variations, and you are to choose what you lie most of all. Disregarding the type you prefer, you will surely get qualitative flavor and taste you paid for and expect to get.

We can speak a lot about numerous advantages of buying cigarettes online, but let’s better speak about ways of obtaining it. Surely you can purchase it through numerous stores and markets, but it is much more preferable to buy it through online stores, as here you may have significant discount on those cigarettes you like or wish to try. So you don’t have to make long journey to the Europe, Russia or Asia. Purchase them through online store without leaving your own place.

Are you a Marlboro fan?

The availability of leading cigarette brands at discounted prices has caused the authorities to take some strict and legal measures to discourage the increasing smoking rate. The government  of the United States of America has recently applied tax hikes to the taxes on cigarette manufacturers. This not only discouraged extra production but also discouraged the increased consumption. Another effort for government to restrict the usage of cigarettes is the cutoff on cigarette advertisements. Reduction of smoking can be induced by managing the demand and supply of the cigarettes.
 Regardless of what efforts the government uses, smoke lovers will always be smoke lovers. They will constantly try getting their favorite cigarettes at discounted prices just like Marlboro lovers who are always trying to find Marlboro cigarettes online at affordable prices.
 Even when the Marlboro cigarettes are unavailable at discounted prices, the buying rate grows steadily. The reason for that is the addiction that the customers have developed with the Marlboro brand. The ardent smokers usually select a brand of cigarettes and then stay loyal to it because in their perception it fulfills their needs like no other brand. Thus you will notice that if these customers are unable to find discounted prices for Marlboro cigarettes,  they will start looking for Marlboro cigarettes online at high prices.
 It is true that the availability of brands like Marlboro at cheaper prices has induced growth in the demand of cigarettes. However, this is not the only reason of non-stop trending of the cigarette market. Even if the cigarettes are highly prices there are always going to be customers who will buy their favorite brands despite the high prices. There can be two reasons for that, either the customer has uncontrollable addiction to that brand of cigarettes or he can afford to buy cigarettes at high price.
 No matter what price Marlboro charges for its cigarettes, Marlboro lovers will buy Marlboro cigarettes. A tip for all the Marlboro lovers, if you are looking for Marlboro cigarettes cheap, go to online stores as they will not only provide original Marlboro cigarettes but also provide them at cheaper prices.

Kentucky to Raise Cigarette Tax

A proposal to raise the cigarette tax 40 cents per package and raise taxes on all other smoking products acquired support a few days ago from Government representative. It was one of diverse changes to sakes tax code advised by the commission, which has a deadline till December 2012 to draft a proposal for lawmakers that would make Kentucky’s state tax more competitive.

The commission approved a proposal that would boost Kentucky’s tobacco tax from 60 cents to $1.00 per package and boost the taxes on all other tobacco products. The members of tax commission considered the tax increase as a way to discourage youngsters from smoking and lift revenue.

Several members lobbied for a $1.00 per pack boost. “In case you raised it by $1, you will drop smoking rate among youngsters by 15%. You will save thousands of dollars in health care costs,” stated Sheila Schuster, an executive director of the Advocacy Action Network.

Imperial’s Four Key Brands Account for 33% of Sales

Imperial Tobacco’s £1.2bn writing off of amounts of its Spanish business is a surprise. The manufacturer is the giant operator in the recession-hit country, where a half of the personnel is unemployed.
Volumes are declining and companies as Imperial have been raising prices in order to increase profitability. It has also been paying attention on its key brands such as Gauloises, Davidoff and West. These are higher margin products as well as Imperial’s rolling tobacco as Drum and Golden Virginia brands, which have been declining to. Whole sales of these fine cut tobaccos increased by 13%, with premium cigar sales up 10%.

The manufacturer has also been implementing innovation, as for instance its “Glide Tec” packages, which demonstrated positive results and great demand among many smokers. These packages have a little “window” on the front of the package which permits the smoker to slide up the inner package with their thumb, thus opening the pack with only one hand. In the year to September, net profit from tobacco increased 5% at constant currencies, with volumes of cigarettes sold dropped 2.5%. After the write-down, pre-tax revenues declined to £1.1bn from 2.2bn.

Female Smoking

Latest reports show female smokers make up nearly 20 percent of the world’s tobacco smokers, and that figure is likely to grow due to successful ad campaigns targeting women, with consumption growing fastest among younger women and girls.
As a result, the rate of deaths among this population is also likely to grow – adding to the 5 million who now die each year worldwide from tobacco use and passive smoking. The WHO says the number could reach 8 million deaths by 2030.
To combat the millions the tobacco industry spends each year on ads, health advocates are now trying to step up public awareness campaigns along with anti-smoking restrictions, taxes and bans, especially in low income, developing nations with few controls.

 What’s Behind the Surprise Global Spike in Female Smoking?

What is the most ethical tobacco company or cigarette brand?

• I believe American Spirit purport to be made from 100% organic tobacco with no chemical additives. The purpose of many of the additives in cigarettes is to affect the body in various ways so as to make it more susceptible to nicotine. Choosing not to put them in is either an ethical choice or a clever marketing ploy.
  Seth, Edinburgh, Scotland

• How can any tobacco company be ethical? They target children worldwide as the next generation of smokers, expand sales in developing countries with less stringent advertising regulations and lower public awareness) are desperate to induce even more women into smoking by associating cigarettes with "caring /feel-good" factors. And from an economic perspective (which seems to be the only thing that counts these days), our increasingly ageing populations simply cannot afford to lose their expensively educated young people so prematurely.
  Sheila Kirby, Esbjerg, Denmark

• I back what Vince says. People have many ideas of what "ethical" is, and it changes over time. The American Indian peace pipe has a different ethical tone to it than the much-maligned Marlboro co. To me, there's a good side and bad side to all things, and since all things are connected, we all have links to something "unethical". Eg: computers run off electricity, which is generally sourced from a mix of fossil fuels, nuclear and renewables, produced by various companies for mixed motives, operated by many different people, who have a much better chance of getting to know each other (and themselves) if they can access the internet and have these discussions. Peace (& yes, I smoke, but not 100% of my time is spent smoking!)
  René Thomas, Huddersfield, UK

• I am a Mohawk living on a reservation in NY, USA. People here do make cigarettes but we encourage young people not to smoke and leave that to a decision made by adults. I do not apologize for my people trying to survive by making a legal product. Also, a company here exports cigarettes to the UK called 1st-nation. These are made with ethically sourced tobacco from Malawi benfitting the underpaid farmers there, and employs Mohawk Natives living on our reservation. I believe these are the first ever Ethically Sourced cigarette. Thanks
  Andre, Akwesasne New York, USA

• 1st-nation have recently launched in the UK and are probably the closest thing to Fairtrade that we are going to get. They voluntarily pay the farmers a premium and also invest in agricultural diversity for these farmers. The various Fairtrade organisations have illogically refused to provide support to tobacco products, so 1st-nation is working with local Malawi farming authorities to set their own ethical standards. Additionally, the brand is priced similarly to other mainstream brands.
  Pritesh Mody, London UK

• Tobacco producers started adding a pesticide to their crops in the 1950's. Cancer was never linked to tobacco previous to this pesticide being added to the crop. Is organic tobacco the answer for those who choose to smoke?
  Andrew, South Shields England

Smoking Men, Style and Life

Cigar vs. Cigarette: Cultural Difference

Cigar smoking is often considered as a more refined as cigarette smoking. Cigars are mostly popular in the US than in other parts of the world, with about 2.2% of adult consuming them. They are in a greater demand among men than women. They are often used in caricatures of wealthy people and symbolize masculinity and strength.

20% of adults in the US smoke cigarettes, although this rate has been decreasing since the 1960s. Also cigarette smoking is considered less sophisticated that cigar smoking. Nowadays people pay attention mostly on the health risks of cigarettes use than cigar smoking as the first are considered more popular. At present it is prohibited to smoke both cigar and cigarettes at workplaces, restaurants, stores and many public places.

Biology Nicotiana

There are many species of tobacco, which are encompassed by the genus of herbs Nicotiana. It is part of the nightshade family (Solanaceae) indigenous to North and South America, Australia, south west Africa and the South Pacific. Many plants contain nicotine, a powerful neurotoxin, that is particularly harmful to insects. However, tobaccos contain a higher concentration of nicotine than most other plants. Unlike many other Solanaceae, they do not contain tropane alkaloids, which are often poisonous to humans and other animals.

Despite containing enough nicotine and other compounds such as germacrene and anabasine and other piperidine alkaloids (varying between species) to deter most herbivores, a number of such animals have evolved the ability to feed on Nicotiana species without being harmed. Nonetheless, tobacco is unpalatable to many species, and therefore some tobacco plants (chiefly tree tobacco, N. glauca) have become established as invasive weeds in some places.

Quick Facts about hookah smoking

• Compared to a single cigarette, hookah smoke is known to contain:
• Higher levels of arsenic, lead, and nickel1
• 36 times more tar
• 15 times more carbon monoxide
• Smoking a hookah requires taking longer and harder drags, increasing levels of inhaled
nicotine and carcinogens in the lungs.
• The longer the hookah session, the more nicotine and toxins one takes in.
• A 45 to 60 minute hookah session exposes the smoker to approximately the same amount
of tar and nicotine as one pack of cigarettes.
• Sharing mouthpieces without washing them can increase the risk of spreading colds, flu,
and infections—even oral herpes.
• Health risks of smoking hookahs include cancer, heart disease, lung damage, and dental
disease.5
• Do not think that if you are just visiting a hookah bar, that you are in the clear. There are still
high levels of damaging secondhand smoke to all who are present.

Becoming a smoker: Young women smoking

Generally, young people demonstrate their possession of cultural capital and secure their position within social hierarchies on the basis of what and how they consume.To this end, young women’s narratives of learning to smoke and their attempts to embody‘smoking cool’ can be read as the accrual of capital, or the acquisition of social skills and competencies that serve as markers of distinction. Some young women portrayed themselves as coming to smoking with an existing cultural knowledge or‘smoker’s capital’, a natural affinity for smoking thought to occur by virtue of one’s previous exposure to tobacco in their home or community environments. Likewise, through their experiences and interactions with other young tobacco users adolescents described building up their smoking identities and the capital which resulted from being recognized as skilled or ‘real’ smokers.

Smoking is not only a social practice but also a bodilyone, in that how the cigarette is held and smoked can demonstrate bodilycompetence . . . that must be acquired through practice’. The needto be seen as a ‘real’ smoker is particularly evident in the narratives of younger tobaccousers, some of whom are still struggling with their smoking technique and comportment,attempting to ‘get it right’ and pass as more relaxed, competent and experienced. InRenée’s case, age and gender differences contributed to her initial awkwardnesswith cigarettes, as a new smoker amongst a group of older males, friends of her then-newboyfriend.In considering the distinctions young women made between themselves and moreexperienced smokers, a Bourdieusian analysis further illustrates how adolescents signifycultural capital through mastering the largely unspoken knowledge around the correctway to smoke. Likewise, smoking can alsosymbolise one’s initiation of ‘grown up’ practice as ‘the subtle bodily schema incorporate-rated in the cultural practice of smoking are osmotic reflexes of the transition into adulthood. For Mackenzie, this consisted of moving from what she termed ‘fake’ smokingwhen first experimenting during pre-adolescence, to ‘real’ andregular smoking as a teenager. Although not everyone would admit to smoking incor-rectly or to faking it, this fake/real distinction points to the imperative of demonstratinga seemingly effortless skill with cigarettes as a key aspect of the cool adolescent’s socialrepertoire. Consequently, smoker’s capital is not only about doing it right, but is alsoabout doing it for real, as self-conscious smoking does not carry much weight amongadolescents.

Imperial Tobacco Group

Imperial Tobacco Group  is the fourth largest tobacco manufacturer and second largest UK-based tobacco company. Imperial was founded in 1901 when 13 British tobacco and cigarette companies joined together comprising a conglomerate named W.D & H.O Wills of Bristol.

In 1902 Imperial Tobacco and American Tobacco Company joined forces creating British American Tobacco (BAT). The parent companies agreed not to trade on each other's domestic territory, assigned trademarks and export businesses to the joint venture. In 1911, however, the American Tobacco Company sold its share in BAT while the Imperial Tobacco held on to its part till 1980.

Besides tobacco business, Imperial is a very diversified company owning chain of restaurants, brewery, People's drugstore, etc. But recently the company decided to focus on its core tobacco business so all other unrelated subsidiaries were divested. Now Imperial Tobacco is an independent tobacco manufacturer listed on the UK stock exchange.

In 2003 Imperial Tobacco purchased the Reemtsma Cigarettenfabriken GmbH of Germany (then the fourth largest tobacco company) adding such brands as Davidoff, Peter Sluyvesant and West to its list of products. In 2008 Imperial acquired Atladis (then the fifth largest tobacco company) with its brands Gauloises Blondes and Gitanes.

Inovative Product Development

Phillip Morris product development is about understanding — and responding to — adult smoker preferences. The process begins with focused market research that results in a rigorous assessment of the challenges faced by our brands and the most consumer-relevant solutions. This insight then drives the development of innovative product concepts.

One such concept addresses a growing adult smoker preference to personally adapt, adjust or change the product when desired. In turn, this has translated into the commercialization of a new hybrid product: a regular cigarette that converts into a menthol product when the capsule within its filter is crushed by the smoker.

The most innovative addition to our portfolio in recent years, the hybrid concept was successfully introduced for the first time in 2011 with the launch of Marlboro Beyond, highlighted later in this Report, in selected markets in our European Union Region, and L&M Forward in Finland and Poland. These brand variants now complement our existing menthol-to-menthol capsule brands, such as Marlboro Ice Blast, which are enjoying considerable success in Asia and Latin America.

Philip Morris International

PMI is a U.S. company with headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland. PMI is ranked second in the global tobacco market behind the China National Tobacco Company.
• PMI ranks second in the Russian cigarette market with 26% of the market in 2009.
• Russia is PMI’s largest market and is still considered an emerging market that PMI specifically targets to improve the growth of the company.
o “Russia [is] one of the key drivers of PMI’s strong overall results during the first half of 2008” according to Leo McLoughlin, Managing Director of PMI Affiliates in Russia.
• When Russia was part of the USSR, PMI signed an Agreement on Scientific and Technical Cooperation allowing production of PMI brands under its license in the USSR between 1977 and 1986. In 1992, PMI opened its first representative office in Moscow.
• PMI operates through three entities in Russia, but is generally known as Philip Morris International.
o Philip Morris Sales and Marketing Ltd. - Has about 100 offices throughout the country.
o OAO Philip Morris Kuban- A manufacturing facility acquired in 1993 and opened for production in 2000.
o ZAO Philip Morris Izhora- Construction of factory began in 1998 and production started in 2000.
• In 2009 PMI produced 390 billion cigarettes in its Russian factories.
• In 2008, PMI was the leader in the premium-priced cigarette segment, but as consumers down trade to cheaper brands, PMI continues to prosper because of its strong portfolio of brands in all cigarette segments.
• PMI continues to introduce new products and profit from the Russian market despite tough economic conditions.
o In a presentation to Morgan Stanley, PMI’s CEO Louis Camilleri stated that “Our business momentum [in Russia] continues unabated, the distribution network, which over the years has been consolidated, is working efficiently and effectively

A Chronological History Of Cigarette Smoking, By Brand

Parliament Lights, 1986: The First. Smoked on the train tracks on the way home from school, after we ran into a friend's older brother who had a pack. I am proud to say that I toughed it out and only coughed once, although this still does not diminish the embarrassment of having one's first cigarette be a Parliament Light.

Camels, 1986: Look How Bad I Am. When we speak of Camels here, we speak of filterless Camels, smoke of prison inmate and off-track betting habitue alike. Chosen both as an attempt to look harder and an obvious overcompensation for my guilt over the Parliament thing. The next year or so would find the brand interchangeable with Lucky Strikes and Chesterfields, also unfiltered. I seem to remember these as being the last packs I was able to buy in cigarette machines, which were already starting their slow march towards extinction.

English Ovals, 1987-1988: Family Tradition. When my father, who had given up smoking upon my birth, found out that I had picked up the habit, he evinced a combination of disappointment and resignation, but he was also enthusiastic about these sweet unfiltered American classics, which were his favorite brand during his lung-damaging years. For a while they were mine as well, although I do remember a brief flirtation with Player's Navy Cut.

Sher Bidis, 1988: A Shameful Summer Indulgence. I was young, what do you want from me? I still blush when I recall this era. It was only two months though. Best not to think about.

 Gauloises/Gitanes, 1988-1993: The Age Of Pretension. They were dark. They were strong. They were French. They spoke of exoticism, of cosmopolitan ways. They were absolutely brutal, "but so is life," said the impossibly precious teen. (Also known as the years of terrible breath.) I smoked more of these than I (or my eventual pulmonary specialist) care to consider, but wow were they great at the time. I think a few puffs off of one now would knock me on my ass, but, ah, youth. I generally preferred Gauloises, since the Gitanes packet looked like you were carrying around condoms with you, but either would do. The cigarettes I still dream about when I dream about cigarettes.

Basic, 1993: The Frugal Year. Ah, generic cigarettes. How many more drinks was I able to buy because of the money I saved on you? Notable for marking my entry into the filtered cigarette category.

Marlboro Reds, 1994-present: The Final Cut. And so, I gave in and became the typical American cigarette consumer. Sure, I've bummed the illicit menthol when desperate. There was that brief period when I quit and gained 30 pounds (resuming smoking managed to take five of those off, so, you know, yay, me). I've smoked the occasional Nat Sherman at fancy parties. I'm not bragging or anything, I'm just setting the record straight. But if the last fifteen-odd years of my life have had one constant, it has been that red-and-white pack sitting on my dresser, an old friend ready to console whatever, whenever, a soothing hit of nicotine is needed. Which is fairly frequent. In fact, right now would be a good time. Anyway, consider yourselves caught up.

BAT Converts Korea

In Seoul, shoppers at a 7-ll convenience store stare at packs of Kent Convertible cigarettes which have just been launched exclusively in the city. The packs are apparently equipped with different colored flashing lights that are signalling for attention.
In Busan, on the other side of the country, a Korean businessman places several packets of Kent Convertible that he purchased in Seoul that morning on the table in front of colleagues and associates, dispensing individual sticks or entire packets to his enthralled guests.
In an upstairs bar frequented by American expatriates, a visitor is handing out Kent Convertible sticks around the bar, demonstrating the technique required to release the menthol flavor and then increase its strength to a riveted crowd of smokers.
Within three weeks of its launch, BAT’s new Kent Convertibles cigarette had gained unprecedented market share, exceeding BAT’s expectations and attracting smokers to its new smoking concepts, and marking another significant – and unique - product launch in a country that has been described as a “must win” market for cigarette manufacturers.
The Korean market has become a sort of testing ground for new products and innovative smoke concepts, with brand variants researched, designed and manufactured specifically for the country’s smokers.
The patented flavor capsule technology incorporated in the unique charcoal filter system which lends the filter the ability to “convert” from a regular charcoal filtered light cigarette to a menthol stick, and then to increase the amount of menthol released into the smoke by rolling it between the fingers (“click and roll”) is claimed to represent the most significant innovation in filter technology since filters were invented.
The product has caught on rapidly, with Korean (and ex-pat) consumers buying in to the concept with gusto, proving once again that Korea is a market that embraces change and innovation.
“Korea was chosen as the market in which to launch Kent Convertibles because Koreans love innovation, they are open to new things that add value and functionality in a product,” confirmed Jeremy Flint, BAT Korea’s CORA executive director talking to Tobacco Asia recently. “Koreans love to see high-tech functionality in high-end products. BAT was looking for something to capture the imagination of Korean consumers. While flavor capsules are not new, - they’ve been around for two or three years in other markets – the charcoal filter and convertible technology incorporated in the filter – which should not be confused with boost products, which have also been around for a while,. offers something unique.”
Clearly, the Korean consumer thinks so as well. Initial sales reports indicate Kent Convertibles gained a market share of over 2.3% in Greater Seoul in key accounts within a month of its launch..
The brand was launched nationwide in mid-August, and is expected to continue to show the sort of performance experienced in Greater Seoul as its appeal is clearly in tune with the Korean consumer mindset.

Trends in Asian tobacco industry

Because in addition to the Chinese market, 42% of the market in Asia has not been occupied by multinational tobacco companies, tobacco companies around the active participation of local competition for market share.

Of local tobacco companies throughout Asia, they have a competitive advantage: implementation of ASEAN's internal policies and regulations on tobacco, and from Union countries to trade outside the tobacco companies will be punished, which means that they double-digit sales in the cigarette growth in the region by trade protection and benefit from. However, the multinational tobacco companies, the Asian market is still full of temptation. Vietnam tobacco in state ownership and local ownership on the relationship is unclear, leading to poor access to cigarette sales in the country, perhaps on the part of tobacco companies to privatize is an effective way to solve this problem. South Korea's KT & G Club will be the Asian region's most attractive acquisition targets, as Indonesia and Thailand Djarum tobacco company attractive. In addition to individual countries such as Singapore, most Asian countries, tobacco is still relatively moderate policy, and that in the short term there will be no significant change.

Also an issue of concern is: As cigarette taxes increase, the illegal cigarette trade has become increasingly rampant. Such as Malaysia, the domestic cigarette smuggling, cigarette smuggling in Asia accounted for 30% of total; and India, its domestic cigarette smuggling, cigarette smuggling in Asia accounted for 10% of the total to 15%. Asia, unlike Europe or Latin America, the overall situation as bad, but the local government should be noted that before the situation gets worse, "the smuggling of excise tax increase and the proportion of" problem.

In addition, Asia is still a good supply of leaf area. The development of tobacco production in India and Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and the expansion of tobacco farming in Bangladesh making Asia and Latin America, Africa is also important tobacco supply zones. All EU tobacco producers rely heavily on imported tobacco, especially cigarettes and opponents in the current consumer demand for home-made cigarette case. To meet the needs of the EU tobacco companies, tobacco suppliers in Asia need to use its tobacco processing methods. Meanwhile, Asia is growing different spices spices smoke to reduce smoke production uncertainty due to the Turkish adverse effects. Looking ahead, the major tobacco-growing countries in Africa as the uncertainty of production and leaf production in Brazil by the Brazilian domestic economy and the impact of currency appreciation in Asia have the opportunity to become the world's most important tobacco supply zones.

Cigarette consumption as an important tobacco market and supply areas, the next decade, Asia may become the world tobacco trade on the market the most active areas. Any company seeking to participate in the tobacco growing business in Asia to be necessary, of course, is difficult to enter the market early.

One of the most profitable industries in the world: Tobacco

The tobacco industry is one of the most profitable industries in the world. To market their deadly products, tobacco companies use their enormous wealth and influence both locally and globally. Even as advocacy groups and policy makers work to combat the tobacco industry’s influence, new and manipulative tactics are used by tobacco companies and their allies to circumvent tobacco control efforts. It is important for tobacco control advocates to know which companies are present, how and where they operate, the types and quantity of products sold, and marketing tactics used to sell tobacco products. By being informed about all aspects of the tobacco sale industry within a country, advocates are better equipped to fight the tobacco industry and its allies on multiple levels.
It is important to note that the tobacco companies typically report market data annually at least several months after the end of the fiscal year. By its nature, annual market data reported by analysts and tobacco companies are one or two years old. Therefore, general trends, forecast data, and tobacco industry positioning within the market contained here are the most recent we are able to obtain from tobacco analysts, Euromonitor International, and other sources.

Cohiba Cigars, The Cubans Step Brother

Cohiba cigars are painstakingly crafted in the Dominican Republic and took over six years to develop. The rich and dark wrapper is devised of a leaf that is grown in Cameroon. The Cohiba cigars smooth draw is due to special filler leaves grown right in the Dominican Republic itself.

Cohiba is a native word of the Caribbean which simply means cigar. The Dominican Cohiba cigar is the only type of Cohiba cigar and also cigarettes that can be purchased legally in the United States of America.

Due to the relevance the Cuban government gave to the Cohiba cigar, it rapidly became on of the most wanted cigars in the world. The only distributor of these Dominican made Cohiba's is General Cigars here in the United States.

The look of the cigars consists of two thick black stripes on the top and bottom of the band. The rest of the band is of white with the name Cohiba in black bold letters. One signature trait that General Cigars did, and consequently coined the term "Cohiba Red Dot" is they put a red dot inside the O of Cohiba. As you may know, this is where the "Cohiba Red Dot" name came from.