9993: Menthol Not Really Alive With Pleasure.

From USA TODAY…

Menthol cigarettes may increase stroke risk, study says

WASHINGTON, DC (WUSA) -- Menthol cigarette smokers are more likely to have a history of stroke than smokers who prefer other types of cigarettes, according to a new study published in the April 9 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

Researchers found that menthol cigarette smokers were more than twice as likely to have a stroke than non-menthol smokers. The risk was more than three times higher for women and non-blacks.

“One potential mechanism is that menthol stimulates upper-airway cold receptors, which can increase breath-holding time, which may in turn facilitate the entrance of cigarette particulate matter into the lungs,” said researcher Dr. Nicholas Vozoris of St. Michael’s Hospital, in Toronto. “Why smoking mentholated cigarettes would not result in an increase in forms of cardiopulmonary disease, other than stroke, is not clear.”

However the results of the study also indicated that mentholated smoking only increased the risk of stroke, and did not elevate the risk of developing other health conditions such as hypertension, heart attack, or lung disease.

Experts say that although the study highlights the potential health dangers for menthol smokers, other types of cigarettes are not much safer.

“There is no ‘good’ cigarette type,” Vozoris said. “Smoking any kind of cigarette is bad for one’s health, and serves to increase one’s risk for a variety of cancers, heart diseases and lung diseases. However, this study shows that smoking mentholated cigarettes may place one at even higher risk for stroke than smoking regular, non-mentholated cigarettes.”

Since the new study shows an association between menthol cigarettes and stroke risk but does not indicate a clear cause and effect, experts say additional research needs to be done before any specific conclusions can be made.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has more information on the dangers of smoking.

9674: Anti-Obesity Ads Are The Biggest Losers.

Advertising Age published the following piece regarding the advertisement depicted above:

Bloomberg to Critics of Anti-Obesity Ad: ‘Take Your Poison’

Some Call Campaign Featuring Amputee Too Graphic

By Ken Wheaton

According to NY1, Michael Bloomberg today defended the current crop of anti-obesity ads. It seems that some people find the ad featuring a person with an amputated leg too graphic. (It’s unclear who “some people” are, however.)

Bloomberg offered a supersized portion of smackdown: “What do you want to do? Do you want to have people lose their legs or do you want to show them what happens so that they won’t lose their legs? Take your poison. Which do you want? You can’t have it both ways.”

It’s important to realize that Bloomberg is a politician, which might explain his ignorant and uninformed rhetoric. And because the advertisement ran in New York City, perhaps the mayor is simply defending having approved a supersized waste of taxpayers’ dollars. Like the awful campaign from morons in Atlanta, this NYC effort is a misguided mess which will probably fail to persuade anyone to do anything.

As MultiCultClassics has repeatedly pointed out, the fast food industry operates remarkably similarly to Big Tobacco—including the deployment of lobbyists and PR hacks to push greedy agendas and sleazy tactics. Plus, just as Big Tobacco knows shock value and threats of death and dismemberment won’t dissuade smokers, the McIndustry is completely aware that scary ads won’t dramatically alter bad eating habits. Additionally, any PSA-style initiatives to combat obesity are greatly outweighed by the marketing firepower of fast feeders.

So does that mean battling unhealthy food creators is a hopeless endeavor? Au contraire, fellow citizens! To succeed, justice fighters must employ the maneuvers that have been proven effective versus Big Tobacco:

Stop attacking the victims. Start annoying the culprits. For example, the iconic Truth campaign gained traction by forgoing stereotypical images of diseased lungs, opting to focus attention directly on irresponsible tobacco executives and their companies. In other words, don’t show fatties and amputees. Expose the fat cats and corporate honchos behind the deadly menu items instead.

Restrict marketing and apply warning labels. Big Tobacco is not allowed to hawk its products to kids. Big Mac should be equally regulated and prohibited. Imagine placing Surgeon General’s warnings on Happy Meals too. Honestly, what’s the real difference between Ronald McDonald and Joe Camel?

Raise McTaxes. Big Tobacco doesn’t want to admit it, but smoking decreases when pricing increases. The same may hold true with fast food. When people realize they can’t afford—literally and figuratively—to eat the shit, they may turn to better alternatives.

Mayor Bloomberg ought to reconsider his statements. “You can’t have it both ways” is a feeble attempt to justify doing things the wrong way.