Wednesday, January 11, 2012

1909 Chicago: The 'L' smoking war

1909 Chicago: The 'L' smoking war | WBEZ:

There was no trouble at first. The smokers simply went on smoking. A few conductors tried to enforce the new rule, but gave up in the face of the mass civil disobedience.
On November 5 the excrement hit the fan. That day "L" security guards removed two smokers from a train at the 44th Avenue (Kostner) station. Other passengers tried to stop the guards, and a near-riot ensued.
Three days later a grass-roots gathering of smokers held a protest rally in Oak Park. A crowd of over 500 people jammed a local hall and spilled into the street. A citizens' committee was organized to carry on the fight. They declared their purpose in populist rhetoric--"Neither Knight nor any other monopoly can deny the workingman his morning smoke."
The "Smoking War" became front-page news. All through November, newspapers detailed the actions of the pro-tobacco-choice forces, and the options they were weighing.

Times have changed so much.

This is the first I ever read about this.

Not that their protest changed anything,but it still makes my heart glad to know people stood up for themselves about this.

Study: Nicotine Replacement Therapies May Not Be Effective in Helping People Quit Smoking

Study: Nicotine Replacement Therapies May Not Be Effective in Helping People Quit Smoking - University of Massachusetts Boston:

In the prospective cohort study the researchers, including lead author Hillel Alpert, research scientist at HSPH, and co-author Lois Biener of UMass Boston’s Center for Survey Research, followed 787 adult smokers in Massachusetts who had recently quit smoking. The participants were surveyed over three time periods: 2001-2002, 2003-2004, and 2005-2006. Participants were asked whether they had used a nicotine replacement therapy in the form of the nicotine patch (placed on the skin), nicotine gum, nicotine inhaler, or nasal spray to help them quit, and if so, what was the longest period of time they had used the product continuously. They also were asked if they had joined a quit-smoking program or received help from a doctor, counselor, or other professional.
The results showed that, for each time period, almost one-third of recent quitters reported to have relapsed. The researchers found no difference in relapse rate among those who used NRT for more than six weeks, with or without professional counseling. No difference in quitting success with use of NRT was found for either heavy or light smokers.

Why wait over 5 years to write and publish this study?

Oh right of course there's your larger demographic.

No need to worry if someone still buys the product,because it doesn't matter what you sell it for.

Am I the only one who finds it odd that these studies came out so close to each other?