E-Cigarette Accident
A Florida man suffered the loss of all of his teeth and part of his tongue when the electronic cigarette he was smoking on Monday blew up in his mouth, ABC News reports.
Tom Holloway, 57, of Niceville, Florida has been using e-cigarettes since he stopped smoking two years ago. According to his wife, the explosion occurred in the study of their home, and she said it sounded like a firecracker had gone off inside the house. The blast also started a fire in the room Mr. Holloway was in.
According to Chief Butch Parker of the North Bay Fire District who responded to the call, a faulty rechargeable lithium battery in the e-cigarette was probably the culprit. The brand of electronic cigarette was indiscernible, but there was a battery charger for lithium cells close by.
Electric Cigarette Explodes in Fla Man's Face - ABC News
This accident is unique, but points to a problem that exists within the electronic cigarette industry - a lack of regulation and quality control on production. Many brands of e-cigarettes are manufactured overseas with no checks and balances on ingredients in either the electronic cigarette solution or the materials they're made with.
In April of 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced plans to regulate this smoking alternative as a tobacco product rather than a drug delivery device.
FDA to Regulate Electronic Cigarettes
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Wings of Freedom - 5 Years Smoke-Free
Members of the support forum here at About.com Smoking Cessation use graphic symbols to signify smoke-free time. Dots represent weeks, stars, months, and keys are used when a year smoke-free has been reached. At five years smoke-free, wings illustrate the freedom from addiction we've achieved.
In her milestone account, forum member Pancake shares just how precious the journey to five years and rewards have been.
Wings of Freedom - 5 Years Smoke-Free
Congratulations Pancake, and thanks for sharing your account.
More Reading:
- Flying High at Five Years - Sally's Story
- Choose the Gift of Freedom - Dee's Story
- If I Can Quit Smoking....So Can You - Terry's Story
Image © Pancake
Tobacco in the News
Smoking May be Especially Tough on Men's Brains - Healthday
Smoking appears to speed declines in memory, thinking, learning and processing information in men, but not in women, new research suggests.
Fewer Teens Exposed to Tobacco Smoke in Cars: Report - Healthday
Although fewer kids are being exposed to smoking while riding in cars, more than 20 percent of nonsmoking teens still are, U.S. health officials report.
Judge Backs Tobacco Companies on FDA-Imposed Health Efforts - Medical Daily
Tobacco companies may be gainning an advantage in the legal battle against the federal government about a new law that requires graphic warning labels on cigarette packaging.
The Smoker in Our Heads
Regardless of how much we might want to stop smoking, early cessation brings on an internal battle with the smoker in our heads. We think about smoking seemingly nonstop, trying to rationalize why having just one cigarette or smoking just for tonight is okay.
At two years smoke-free, About.com Smoking Cessation support forum member Kevin has a lot to say on how to successfully navigate early cessation...and quiet that smoker in our heads.
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Photo © Kevin
Reader Tips and Hints for Smoking Cessation
Listening to the Voice of Experience....YOU
There is nothing more powerful than hearing from those who have been through the challenges we face during the process of recovery from nicotine addiction.
Here at About.com Smoking Cessation, readers can share tips and stories about how they've successfully navigated their quit programs.
Reader Tips and Hints for Smoking Cessation
From how we manage nicotine withdrawal to expressing the triumphs and milestones along the way, the advice offered is practical, inspirational, and always real.
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Image © Stockxpert
Don't Settle for Less in Your Life
Nicotine addiction taught me a lot of things...none of them good.
Smoking changes us, and those changes happen gradually, over a long period of time.
In fact, the personality shifts we experience due to nicotine addiction are so subtle; most of us don't realize our cigarettes are responsible for them.
Related:
Image © Stockxpert
10 Years - Full Circle
At 10 years smoke-free, Michelle has plenty to say about how she quit, and the benefits she's enjoyed since doing so.
A long-time member and moderator for the support forum here at About.com Smoking Cessation, Michelle understands that lasting recovery from nicotine addiction involves more than abstinence.
More from Michelle:
Photo © Michelle Boisvert
Smoking Relapse Prevention
When we're aware of the kinds of faulty thought patterns that can throw a quit program off track ahead of time, we have the advantage of being able to create a plan of action to deal with them.
Let's take a look at 5 of the most common reasons people relapse and consider how we can navigate them successfully should they arise.
Knowledge is Power
When we quit smoking, most of us go through a fair amount of junkie thinking - the internal battle between ourselves and our addiction. Early on in cessation, the dialog can seem relentless. It is temporary however, and will pass, as long as we don't smoke.
More Reading:
- Relapse Stories - Reader Feedback
Photo: Stockxpert
All About Emphysema
When you can't breathe, nothing else matters...
According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), emphysema affects over 2 million Americans, the majority of whom are 50 years old and over.
Emphysema is a slow killer, progressing gradually over a period of many years. The damage done to the lungs with emphysema is permanent and irreversible, but if a person stops smoking early on in the disease, it may be possible to arrest further development and improve one's quality of life.
More:
- Living with Emphysema - Christine's Story
Illustration courtesy of A.D.A.M.
NRTs Not Useful as a Quit Smoking Aid?
According to study results published January 9, 2012 in an advance online edition of Tobacco Control, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and UMass Boston have found that nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) appears to have a relapse rate of about one-third for ex-smokers who use them. Read More...