Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/274102325?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Tuesday, January 1, 2013
African Union head visits Central African Republic
BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) ? The leader of the African Union, Benin's President Thomas Boni Yayi, has proposed a government of national unity to resolve the rebel conflict in Central African Republic.
Boni Yayi arrived here Sunday to try to find a negotiated resolution to the country's crisis. The president of the African Union met with President Francois Bozize and then made an appeal to the rebels.
"I beg my rebellious brothers, I ask them to cease hostilities, to make peace with President (Francois) Bozize and the Central African people," said Boni Yayi at a press conference in Bangui, the capital. "If you stop fighting, you are helping to consolidate peace in Africa. African people do not deserve all this suffering. The African continent needs peace and not war."
Boni Yayi said that Bozize had pledged to have an open dialogue with the rebels with the goal of establishing a government of national unity, which would include representation from the rebels and the Bozize government.
Bozize also addressed the conference and said, although he plans to stay in power until his term ends in 2016, he is not against having the rebels enter a coalition government with him.
"We'll probably be able to set up a national unity government. I apologize to the suffering Central African people," said Bozize. "It is a message of peace to my brothers of Central African Republic, "said Bozize.
The African Union's leader arrived in Bangui when many feared there would be a fight over the capital, Bangui, a city of 600,000.
According to several families in Bangui, members of the Presidential Guard have kidnapped people suspected of supporting the rebels who have seized 10 cities in the country's north over the past three weeks.
A rebel spokesman, Col. Juma Narkoyo, warned Bozize: "We warn the head of state and his family to stop abducting our parents. They have nothing to do with it. If he wants to solve its problems, he comes to meet us on the ground. We expect firm feet. " H0e said that a dozen people have already been arrested in Bangui.
On his arrival in Bangui, Yayi Boni had a private meeting for more than two hours with Bozize in the VIP lounge of Mpoko airport, which is secured by French troops.
So far Boni Yayi has no meetings scheduled with rebels or with the democratic opposition.
Boni Yayi's diplomatic effort comes as France has deployed an additional 180 troops to protect its interests.
The French reinforcements arrived Sunday from nearby Gabon, bringing the total French military force in the capital, Bangui, to nearly 600, Col. Thierry Burkhard told The Associated Press Sunday. The troops are to protect French residents in the capital, which many fear will be attacked by the rebels.
As fears mounted that the rebels would attack Bangui, Bozize imposed a curfew from 7 p.m. until 5 a.m.
Bozize earlier appealed to France for help against the rebels, but French President Francois Hollande's government said it would only protect French interests and would not prop up the Bangui government.
As the rebels have made a rapid advance across the country's north, residents in the capital now fear the insurgents could attack at any time, despite assurances by rebel leaders that they are willing to engage in dialogue instead of attacking Bangui.
On Saturday the rebels seized the city of Sibut, 185 kilometers (114 miles) from Bangui.
Sibut, a key transportation hub, fell without a shot being fired because the Central African Republic army and forces from neighboring Chad had pulled back to Damara, 75 kilometers (46 miles) from Bangui on Friday, said Minister of Territorial Administration Josie Binoua.
Neighboring African countries have agreed to send more forces to support the Bozize government.
Representatives from the 10-nation Economic Community of Central African States, or ECCAS, agreed at a meeting in Gabon Friday to send forces to CAR, but did not did not specify how many troops would be sent or how quickly the military assistance would arrive.
The ECCAS states, with more than 500 soldiers via their regional peacekeeping force in Central Africa, over the weekend warned the rebels to halt their advances.
"ECCAS forces are on high alert, and the city of Damara is the limit not to cross," said Antonio Di Garcia, the ECCAS representative in Bangui. He urged the government forces and the rebels to hold to their current positions and to begin dialogue.????????????
?The ongoing instability prompted the United States to evacuate about 40 people, including the U.S. ambassador, from Bangui on an U.S. Air Force plane bound for Kenya, said U.S. officials who insisted on anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the operation.
The United States has special forces troops in the country who are assisting in the hunt for Joseph Kony, the fugitive rebel leader of another rebel group known as the Lord's Resistance Army. The U.S. special forces remain in the country, the U.S. military's Africa Command said from its headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany.
The evacuation of the U.S. diplomats came after criticism of how the U.S. handled diplomatic security before and during the attack on its consulate in Benghazi, Libya, on Sept. 11. The ambassador and three other Americans were killed in that attack.
French diplomats have remained in Bangui despite a violent demonstration outside its embassy last week. Dozens of protesters, angry at France's lack of help against rebel forces, threw rocks at the French Embassy in Bangui and stole a French flag.
This landlocked nation of 4.4 million people has suffered decades of army revolts, coups and rebellions since gaining independence in 1960 and remains one of the poorest countries in the world. The current president himself came to power nearly a decade ago in the wake of a rebellion in this resource-rich yet deeply poor country.
Bozize's government earlier reached out to longtime ally Chad, which pledged to send 2,000 troops to bolster Central African Republic's own forces.
The rebels behind the most recent instability signed a 2007 peace accord allowing them to join the regular army, but insurgent leaders say the deal wasn't fully implemented.
The rebels say they are fighting because of their "thirst for justice, for peace, for security and for economic development of the people of Central African Republic." The rebels also are demanding that the government make payments to ex-combatants.
Despite Central African Republic's wealth of gold, diamonds, timber and uranium, the government remains perpetually cash-strapped.
The United Nations Security Council condemned the violence and reiterated its demand that the armed groups "immediately cease hostilities, withdraw from captured cities and cease any further advance towards the city of Bangui."
___
Associated Press Writer Greg Keller contributed to this piece from Paris.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/african-union-head-visits-central-african-republic-182411241.html
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Broncos take top spot with 38-3 win over Chiefs
DENVER (AP) ? Peyton Manning figured one one-handed catch deserved another.
So, up the ladder he went ? throwing the ball high in the back of the end zone to Demaryius Thomas.
Thomas leaped and brought it down with his right hand, then got both feet down inside the line for a touchdown. With that, he joined Eric Decker in Denver's one-handed-touchdown club Sunday and gave the Broncos some otherworldly highlights to go with their home-field advantage throughout the playoffs after a 38-3 runaway over the Kansas City Chiefs.
"They claim they can do that all the time," said cornerback Champ Bailey, who got to watch the replays of both catches about a half-dozen times on the scoreboard. "They say they practice that. I don't see it. But as long as they do it on Sunday, I'm all for it. Those are some great, hard-working boys and I expect nothing less."
Manning, in search of his fifth MVP award and, yes, a second Super Bowl title, finished 23 for 29 for 304 yards, three scores and a 144.8 passer rating. One of his main competitors for the award, Adrian Peterson of the Vikings, ran for 199 yards in a 37-34 win over Green Bay that secured a playoff berth.
That one went down to the wire. Manning was out of his game by the fourth quarter.
This was the second straight Sunday he used a grey-and-orange glove to prepare for the cold, playoff weather he could face at home the next two games.
"I threw it OK today, I guess," said Manning, who finished the season with 4,659 yards, 37 touchdowns and a 105.8 passer rating, all second best in his 15-year career.
Thanks to Houston's 28-16 loss to Indianapolis before the Broncos kicked off, Denver (13-3) will be the top seed for the sixth time. The Broncos made the Super Bowl four of the previous five times.
Though the Chiefs (2-14) gave the Broncos as tough a tussle as anyone during their 11-game winning streak ? in a 17-9 loss last month ? this wasn't expected to be much of a game. It wasn't.
Leave it to Manning, ever the perfectionist, to ramp up the degree of difficulty.
On the touchdown to Decker, Manning slightly overthrew the pass but Decker brought the ball into his helmet with his left hand, had it pinball against his facemask twice, then cradled it with both hands as he was falling to the ground.
"Peyton throws the ball up, giving us a chance to make a play. It's our job to catch it," Decker said.
The touchdown to the 6-foot-3 Thomas mirrored a TD pass Manning threw to Decker last week against Cleveland: high in the back of the end zone where only his receiver could catch it.
"That was probably the limit right there," Manning said. "But I've seen him in practice. He can jump. He can really elevate. It's hard to throw it over his head, I'll say that."
The Thomas touchdown made it 28-3 and the celebration was on. The only trip the Broncos will have to make on their road to a championship would be to New Orleans for the Super Bowl. They'll open the playoffs at home the weekend of Jan. 12-13 against Baltimore, Cincinnati or Manning's old team, the Colts.
Coach John Fox, in search of his second trip to the Super Bowl, won his 100th career game. Thomas and linebacker Wesley Woodyard congratulated him with a big splash of orange Gatorade at the end.
"It's an accomplishment, but it's something that was a lot of people's work. It wasn't one guy," Fox said.
Nor would Manning take all the credit for all he's accomplished in this, a comeback season in which he admittedly had no expectations.
This marked his 73rd three-touchdown game, surpassing the record held by Brett Favre. Manning closed the regular season only 41 yards short of his career high.
"It's been a gratifying regular season," Manning said. "I will admit that. It is certainly more than I expected. I'm grateful and humble for it."
On the other end of the spectrum are the Chiefs, who finished with 119 yards of offense and wrapped up the first pick in next year's draft.
Coach Romeo Crennel watched the game from the sideline, leaning on a crutch, after having his knee drained of fluid earlier in the week. Many in Kansas City expect him to be unemployed soon.
"I told him it's been a long one," Chiefs defensive lineman Shaun Smith said about his postgame conversation with Crennel. "Sorry it didn't turn out the way (we wanted). I have faith in you and that's all that matters."
The Broncos swept six games in the division for the first time since 1998 ? the last time they won the Super Bowl.
John Elway retired after that one. Now, he's back, running Denver's front office, and he signed Manning with only one goal in mind: a third Lombardi Trophy.
For a brief glimmer, this could have been a game. The Broncos led 7-0 when Ronnie Hillman fumbled and Chiefs cornerback Brandon Flowers picked it up and was sprinting toward the end zone.
Manning cut off the Flowers return, allowing tight end Joel Dreessen to drag down Flowers at the 12. The Chiefs settled for a field goal and the Broncos scored the next 31 points.
Notes: Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles had 53 yards to finish the season with 1,509. ... Broncos FS Rahim Moore got his first career sack and Von Miller had one to bring his season total to 18?. ... Hillman wasn't seen against after his fumble. Lance Ball replaced him as Knowshon Moreno's backup and led the team with 66 yards on 15 carries.
___
Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/broncos-top-spot-38-3-win-over-chiefs-001542286--spt.html
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Real Housewives of Atlanta Star Celebrates Pregnancy Amid Family ...
? Justin Bieber?s Hamster Living It Up | Home | Jessica Simpson: Magic Sweater Makes Holiday Appearance ?
December 30, 2012 01:30 PM by Shayla Perry
Phaedra Parks of The Real Housewives of Atlanta recently announced that she and husband Apollo Nida are having their second child, but her pregnancy wasn?t the only reason Bravo?s ?southern belle? was keeping mum over the past several weeks?.
Phaedra Parks and Apollo Nida are thrilled to be welcoming their second child into the family (we can only imagine this baby shower!). Although the couple was sure to keep their baby news a secret from the press, the Atlanta-based entertainment lawyer reveals there was another reason that she was ?absent? from her Bravo blog as of late.
?In early November my grandmother became ill and I chose to direct all of my energy and focused on caring for her and supporting my mother,? Parks writes. ?Unfortunately, on November 25, my dear grandmother passed away.?
After planning her grandmother?s funeral ? which was no doubt a typical Phaedra Parks event ? the family was dealt another blow.
?As we were returning home from my grandmother?s obsequies, we learned that Apollo?s grandmother passed away,? Phaedra explains. ?So, we have been very busy caring for our families and managing the tender moments of loss and grief.?
?My grandmother was my inspiration and graced the Earth for 95 years ? what a blessing! She was vibrant, courageous, and very outspoken,? says Parks. ?I am proud to have known her. It was her example and life that gave me the courage to always strive for excellence.?
Phaedra?s Real Housewives of Atlanta co-stars have been a tremendous support to her throughout this time. The soon-to-be mother-of-two took time out to give a special thanks to ?Kandi, NeNe, Cynthia and her lovely mother and daughter Noelle for their kind deeds and comforting words during our time of bereavement.?
Want more? Follow our tweets on Twitter and ?like? us on Facebook! Click here for more information about The Real Housewives of Atlanta. For other great reality TV news, please feel free to check out SirLinksALot: The Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Photo Credit: Bravo
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Topics: Bravo Reality TV Shows, The Real Housewives Of Atlanta |
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Pakistan child measles deaths surge in 2012
KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) ? An international health body says measles cases surged in southern Pakistan in 2012, with hundreds of children dying of the disease.
The World Health Organization did not give a reason for the increase in deaths, but a provincial health official said that the disease hit areas where poor families do not vaccinate their children.
Maryam Yunus, a spokesperson for the World Health Organization, said Tuesday that 306 children died in Pakistan of measles in 2012, compared to 64 the year before.
She said the jump was most pronounced in southern Sindh province, where measles killed 210 children in 2012. She said only 28 children had died there in 2011.
Provincial health minister Saghir Ahmed said 100 children died in Sindh province in December alone, mostly areas where many go unvaccinated.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pakistan-child-measles-deaths-surge-2012-064050118.html
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'The Hobbit' stays atop box office for third week
FILE - This publicity file photo released by Warner Bros., shows the character Gollum voiced by Andy Serkis in a scene from the fantasy adventure "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." (AP Photo/Warner Bros., File)
FILE - This publicity file photo released by Warner Bros., shows the character Gollum voiced by Andy Serkis in a scene from the fantasy adventure "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." (AP Photo/Warner Bros., File)
FILE - This undated publicity file photo released by Twentieth Century Fox and Walden Media shows Billy Crystal, left, as Artie, holding on to his grandson, Kyle Harrison Breitkopf, as Barker, who doesn't like the idea of Marisa Tomei, center, as mother Alice and Tom Everett Scott as dad Phil leaving for a vacation in a scene from the film, "Parental Guidance." (AP Photo/Twentieth Century Fox/Walden Media, Phil Caruso, File)
FILE - This undated publicity file photo released by Twentieth Century Fox and Walden Media shows Billy Crystal as Artie and Bette Midler as Diane, who agree to babysit their three grandkids, from left, Joshua Rush as Turner, Bailee Madison as Harper and Kyle Harrison Breitkopf as Barker in a scene from the film, "Parental Guidance." (AP Photo/Twentieth Century Fox/Walden Media, Kerry Hayes, File)
FILE - In this undated publicity file photo released by The Weinstein Company, from left, Jamie Foxx and Leonardo DiCaprio star in the film, "Django Unchained," directed by Quentin Tarantino. (AP Photo/The Weinstein Company, Andrew Coope, File)
FILE - This publicity film image released by Universal Pictures shows actress Anne Hathaway portraying Fantine, a struggling, sickly mother forced into prostitution in 1800s Paris, in a scene from the screen adaptation of "Les Miserables." (AP Photo/Universal Pictures, Laurie Sparham, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) ? "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" continues to rule them all at the box office, staying on top for a third-straight week and capping a record-setting $10.8 billion year in moviegoing.
The Warner Bros. fantasy epic from director Peter Jackson, based on the beloved J.R.R. Tolkien novel, made nearly $33 million this weekend, according to Sunday studio estimates, despite serious competition from some much-anticipated newcomers. It's now made a whopping $686.7 million worldwide and $222.7 million domestically alone.
Two big holiday movies ? and potential Academy Awards contenders ? also had strong openings. Quentin Tarantino's spaghetti Western-blaxploitation mash-up "Django Unchained" came in second place for the weekend with $30.7 million. The Weinstein Co. revenge comedy, starring Jamie Foxx as a slave in the Civil War South and Christoph Waltz as the bounty hunter who frees him and then makes him his partner, has earned $64 million since its Christmas Day opening.
And in third place with $28 million was the sweeping, all-singing "Les Miserables," based on the international musical sensation and the Victor Hugo novel of strife and uprising in 19th century France. The Universal Pictures film, with a cast of A-list actors singing live on camera led by Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway and Russell Crowe has made $67.5 million domestically and $116.2 worldwide since debuting on Christmas.
Additionally, the smash-hit James Bond adventure "Skyfall" has now made $1 billion internationally to become the most successful film yet in the 50-year franchise, Sony Pictures announced Sunday. The film stars Daniel Craig for the third time as the iconic British superspy.
"This is a great final weekend of the year," said Paul Dergarabedian, an analyst for box-office tracker Hollywood.com. "How perfect to end this year on such a strong note with the top five films performing incredibly well."
The week's other new wide release, the Billy Crystal-Bette Midler comedy "Parental Guidance" from 20th Century Fox, made $14.8 million over the weekend for fourth place and $29.6 million total since opening on Christmas.
Dergarabedian described the holding power of "The Hobbit" in its third week as "just amazing." Jackson shot the film, the first of three prequels to his massively successful "Lord of the Rings" series, in 48 frames per second ? double the normal frame rate ? for a crisper, more detailed image. It's also available in the usual 24 frames per second and both 2-D and 3-D projections.
"I think people are catching up with the movie. Maybe they're seeing it in multiple formats," he said. "I think it's just a big epic that feels like a great way to end the moviegoing year. There's momentum there with this movie."
"Django Unchained" is just as much of an epic in its own stylishly violent way that's quintessentially Tarantino. Erik Lomis, The Weinstein Co.'s president of theatrical distribution, said the opening exceeded the studio's expectations.
"We're thrilled with it, clearly. We knew it was extremely competitive at Christmas, particularly when you look at the start 'Les Miz' got. We were sort of resigned to being behind them. The fact that we were able to overtake them over the weekend was just great," Lomis said. "Taking nothing away from their number, it's a tribute to the playability of 'Django.'"
"Les Miserables" went into its opening weekend with nearly $40 million in North American grosses, including $18.2 on Christmas Day. That's the second-best opening ever on the holiday following "Sherlock Holmes," which made $24.9 million on Christmas 2009. Tom Hooper, in a follow-up to his Oscar-winner "The King's Speech," directs an enormous, ambitious take on the beloved musical which has earned a CinemaScore of "A'' from audiences and "A-plus" from women.
Nikki Rocco, Universal's head of distribution, said the debut for "Les Miserables" also beat the studio's expectations.
"That $18.2 million Christmas Day opening ? people were shocked ... This is a musical!" she said. "Once people see it, they talk about how fabulous it is."
It all adds up to a record-setting year at the movies, beating the previous annual record of $10.6 billion set in 2009. Dergarabedian pointed out that the hits came scattered throughout the year, not just during the summer blockbuster season or prestige-picture time at the end. "Contraband," ''Safe House" and "The Vow" all performed well early on, but then when the big movies came, they were huge. "The Avengers" had the biggest opening ever with $207.4 million in May. The raunchy comedy "Ted" and comic-book behemoth "The Dark Knight Rises" both found enormous audiences. And Paul Thomas Anderson's challenging drama "The Master" shattered records in September when it opened on five screens in New York and Los Angeles with $736,311, for a staggering per-screen average of $147,262.
"We were able to get this record without scratching and clawing to a record," he said.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," $32.9 million ($106.5 million international).
2. "Django Unchained," $30.7 million.
3. "Les Miserables," $28 million ($38.3 million international).
4. "Parental Guidance," $14.8 million ($7 million international).
5. "Jack Reacher," $14 million ($18.1 million).
6. "This Is 40," $13.2 million.
7. "Lincoln," $7.5 million.
8. "The Guilt Trip," $6.7 million.
9. "Monsters, Inc. 3-D," $6.4 million.
10. "Rise of the Guardians," $4.9 million ($11.6 million).
___
Estimated weekend ticket sales at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak:
1. "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," $106.5 million.
2. "Life of Pi," $39.2 million.
3. "Les Miserables," $38.3 million.
4. "Wreck-It Ralph," $20.4 million.
5. "Jack Reacher," $18.1 million.
6. "Rise of the Guardians," $11.6 million.
7. "Parental Guidance," $7 million.
8. "The Tower," $6.6 million.
9. "Pitch Perfect," $6.2 million.
10. "De L'autre Cote Du Periph," $4 million.
___
Online:
http://www.hollywood.com
http://www.rentrak.com
___
Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.
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The Number 1 Lie for Smokers Who Want to Wean off or Quit Smoking
Recent national news sources tell us that an alleged report issued by the Italian Health Ministry warns the public that smoking e-cigarettes is not as safe as advertised; and furthermore, that e-cigarettes do not actually help smokers quit smoking. While multiple scientific studies have reported that smoking e-cigarettes may not be safe, it remains to be seen whether there is scientific evidence supporting the claim that e-cigarettes do not actually help smokers quit smoking.
Quitting smoking is a serious health concern for many who find that their smoking habit is truly an addiction that won?t dissipate as easily as the puffs of smoke from their lit cigarette. One of the fallacies of quitting smoking is that it can be treated like dieting by choosing ?lighter? cigarettes that offer less harmful tar and nicotine as well as other cancer-causing agents.
The rationale that quitting smoking can be aided by ?safer? low-tar/low-nicotine cigarettes is that like eating ?healthier? foods that are lower in fat will aid weight loss, weaning appears to be reasonable approach?if not at least a healthier alternative?to smoking regular cigarettes.
However, multiple sources outside of the tobacco industry say that filtered light cigarettes may be just as harmful to a smoker?s lungs as regular cigarettes and that weaning off of cigarettes in this way will not work.
Their justification of being against the development of filtered cigarettes is that the tobacco industry has not shown that filters developed thus far are efficacious or safe. Since the 1950?s the tobacco industry has been active in trying to develop a ?safe? cigarette by employ a number of filter designs including
? Cellulose acetate filters for trapping tar
? Highly porous cigarette paper to allow toxic chemicals to escape
? Ventilation holes in the filter tip to dilute inhaled smoke with air
? Various blends of tobacco with ?neutralizing compounds?
Their studies claiming successful design of safer cigarettes were based on measurements of tar and nicotine analyzed via a ?puffing? machine that reportedly is an accurate mimic of how an individual smokes.
Critics of these studies contested the accuracy of the puffing machines and tell us that the way people draw on a lit cigarette varies from one person to another and that the results of the puffing machine analysis significantly underreports the actual levels of tar, nicotine and other chemicals released from a lit cigarette.
One of the grievances the critics of the tobacco industry have is that even if the cigarette filters did work as advertised, studies have shown the added problem of smoker compensation. Smoker compensation is due to that cigarettes that are lower in tar also tend to be lower in nicotine, which then results in smokers addicted to nicotine unintentionally compensating when smoking filtered cigarettes by:
? Taking longer drags
? Smoking more frequently
? Blocking filters with their fingers to prevent air dilution
Furthermore, by sucking more heavily on the filtered cigarette they may also be exposing themselves to higher levels of cancer-causing chemicals in comparison to smoking a regular unfiltered cigarette in a normal fashion.
According to The New York State Smokers' Quitline, filters in cigarettes are harmful for a number of reasons:
? Filters do not block all the bad chemicals in smoke.
? Filtered smoke feels milder on the throat, making it easier to take bigger and deeper puffs.
? Filters help block only the biggest tar particles while letting through the smaller bits of tar that can travel deeper into your lungs.
? Most cigarette filters are made of the same material as camera film (cellulose acetate).
? Each individual filter is made of thousands of tiny fibers.
? The inside of the filter is painted white to make it appear clean.
? During smoking, these fibers can come off into your mouth and be inhaled into your lungs.
And, reports that the tobacco industry hides info that consumers should be aware of:
?Tobacco industry documents show that they have known about filter fiber fallout since at least the 1950s. ?Carbon particles were released from all cigarettes tested. In some studies, the particles released from cigarette filters were described as: ??too numerous to count.? Memo to Judy Nash from Nancy R. Ryan. Febuary 18, 1982. "Filter particle fallout." Bates No. 1000805035.
"He said when [a filter] plug is cut ...there always remains a few loose, hard particles of filament. These loose, hard pieces of material are then sucked down into the lungs of the smoker." Memo to Mr. O.P. McComas from Anne C. Stubing. May 1, 1957. (no title). Bates No. 2040015018-2040015020.?
The take-home message for those smokers who want to wean off or completely stop smoking is that the idea of switching to filtered cigarettes is not a safe or efficacious way to solve their smoking problem. For help on how to quit smoking, follow this link to a government sponsored health site on tobacco and quitting smoking.
For an informative article about tips on how to quit smoking, follow this link to an article titled ?Top 25 Tips of 2013 to Help Quitting Smokers Say No to Tobacco.?
Image Source: Courtesy of MorgueFile
References:
The New York State Smokers' Quitline
National Cancer Institute: Light Cigarettes and Cancer Risk
NOVA: Safer Cigarettes--A History
Source: http://www.emaxhealth.com/8782/number-1-lie-smokers-who-want-wean-or-quit-smoking
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