Government in UK is considering enforcing law to force tobacco firms to sell cigarettes in plain packaging. They believe banning colourful branding and fancy logos will make tobacco products less appealing, especially to youngsters.

In Australia, anti-tobacco groups are stepping up efforts campaigning to get tobacco firms there to sell their cigarettes in plain packaging in the form of cardboard brown colour too. This is after new research by The Cancer Council Victoria, Australia showed cigarettes in plain packaging made cigarette smoking appear less stylish, sociable, mature compared to branded cigarette smokers.

They also feel that cigarettes in plain packaging contain lower quality tobacco and would be less satisfying too.

Research from the tobacco industry itself shows packaging have a large part to play in cigarette marketing, serving as direct form of mobile advertising everything a smoker reach for the cigarette pack or when they place it on the table. The design of the pack also generates images about the type of person who might smoke the brand and expectation from the smoking experience. The cigarette packaging has taken on a role in communicating brand image and luring new smokers.

If this law gets passed, it would mean the only markings on the packs would be health warnings and the brand name in small letters. The tobacco industry has admitted that such tactic will slash profit and inflict heavy damage for cigarette manufactures. Analysts have warned such a ban on logo and branding would lead smokers to abandon well known brands and opt for cheaper options.

I have to agree that there is no reason for cigarettes to be seductively marketed but will cigarettes in plain packaging actually help in limiting the number of new smokers?

Will cigarettes in plain packaging open up an avenue for contraband cigarette manufacturers to introduce their ware easier into this market since the packaging are going to be plain and maybe easier to manufacture?

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Many people worry about the various causes of air pollution, especially when the sky is affected by haze from forest fires, smog spewing out from factories, smoke emitted by vehicles, etc.

Causes of air pollution are not limited to these. The combustion of fuels in automobiles, jet planes etc all cause the release of several primary pollutants into the air. Burning of fossil fuels in big cities seen at most factories, offices and even a large number of homes, all contribute to the increasing air pollution rate too.

However, there’s one source of air pollution that many of us are exposed to every day. It causes twice as many deaths as all other types of air pollution put together. Scientists call this type of air pollution environmental tobacco smoke (ETS for short). Layman term for this type of air pollution is smoke from other people’s cigarettes.

Whether you choose to breathe clean, smoke-free air today and the rest of your life or live with ETS, the choice is yours! This is one of the causes of air pollution that is totally in your control if you choose not to contribute to it. Good health, like the air that we breathe is something we take for granted until it’s gone.

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I spent the last weekend in Bangkok and ended calling up an old friend; an angling enthusiast and fishing guide that I would like to do some freshwater fishing in Bangkok at Bungsamran over the weekend. Some pictures to share with all and for those who happens to be in Bangkok and thinking of alternative activity, here’s something that you may like to consider. An activity to take your mind of smoking too.

Met up with my friend, Joseph and fishing guide, a.k.a K.Boy of www.fishsiam.com at Bungsamran. We rented some fishing equipment from Boy for the days’ trip because I didn’t bring any with me and Joseph’s stuff gave way before we even started.

Fishing a combination of sliding float tactics we caught numerous Striped Catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) weighing up to 15kg in addition to a large haul of Giant Mekong Catfish (Pangasianadon gigas) with weight over 30kg possibly the hardest fighting freshwater fish on the planet, from 9am till 5pm. Some pictures to share, click on the pictures to zoom in.

I know there are critics who have voiced out about the high price to pay for this over hyped, touristy Bungsamran lake. I have to disagree. It’s not everyday that you get to fight the Mekong catfish in such a deep pond. The depth of the lake makes a big difference. The place comes with chalets that you can rent by the day and night, restaurant, fishing tackle shop (also have tackles for rental), bait, all your basic needs are there.

First timer to Bungsamran, suggest that you get some fishing guide or friends who have fished there before to help you along. Anyone game for a round of freshwater fishing in Bangkok, why not give Bungsamran a shot.

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Are clove cigarettes as bad as regular cigarettes? Or are they safer than regular cigarettes? Seriously speaking though, there’s no such thing as safe cigarettes.

According to the American Cancer Society:

“All forms of tobacco are dangerous. Even if the health risks were smaller for some tobacco products as opposed to others, all tobacco products contain nicotine, which can lead to increased use and addiction. Tobacco cannot be considered safe in any amount or form.”

Clove cigarettes, Kretek as they are called are made in Indonesia, they are the most common kind of cigarette smoked there. Depending upon the brand, they contain approximately 60 percent tobacco and 40 percent ground cloves and have an average of 10-12 mg of tar and 1 mg of nicotine. They are just as addictive as other conventional cigarettes

A clove cigarette looks just like an ordinary cigarette. When smoked, it has the aroma of fresh cloves and leaves behind a sweet aftertaste on the lips. Clove cigarettes are generally rolled denser than ordinary cigarettes thus take longer to smoke than regular cigarettes. An unattended burning clove cigarette in an ashtray will go out rather than continue to burn like most other cigarettes.

Now if this question has been in your mind; are clove cigarettes as bad as regular cigarettes? The answer is here, you figure out yourself.

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There are claims that stress how much cigars are safer to smoke than cigarettes but how far or how close are we to the truth? Are cigars safer than cigarettes?

It just so happened that cigar smokers are only occasional smokers and majority of the smoking population are into cigarettes so the gauge of how cigars is not that obvious. But, it has been shown that cigars are not any safer.

The following reasons would tell you that the choice of smoking cigar is not any safer than smoking cigarettes.

• According to studies, a single cigar contains more tobacco than a whole pack of cigarettes and as much nicotine as a smoked pack of cigarettes.

• One large fat cigar, even unlit, if it’s just kept in the mouth, you’ll absorb nicotine from just the contact of the tobacco leaf end of the cigar sitting in the mouth.

• Smoking five cigars a day and inhaling moderately produces the same lung cancer risk as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day.

• Cigars produce even more environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) than cigarettes, due to their size, long aging and fermentation, and long burning time. The wrapper of a cigar (made of tobacco leaf) is not very porous and burns less completely than cigarettes, meaning the air surrounding a cigar smoker has higher concentrations of nitrogen oxides, ammonia, carbon monoxide, and tar than the air around a cigarette smoker.

• For men, cigar smoking is also associated with sterility and some problems like erectile dysfunction.

These are just some of the harmful effects of cigar smoking and how harmful it could be comparing to cigarettes. Although you can go on and on, comparing facts and figures, the point is, smoking is not beneficial at all, be it cigar or cigarette.

So are cigars safer than cigarettes, you decide.

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Currently in Bangkok and looking around at the shops selling cigarettes, I did not come across any clove cigarettes on sale or the smell of it, the smell of clove cigarette smoke is still fresh in my mind after my recent trip to Batam.

Anyway, my main purpose here is not in search of cigarettes but for business and of course with a bit of pleasure mix in too. Real tired from a day of fishing at Bungsamran lake. It’s a sport fishing park with a lot of species of fish in it. We were targeting the Mekong Catfish and managed to land quite a number of them. Will be posting some pictures and video of our catch here once I get them.

It happens to be the start of their vegetarian festival in Thailand too. Wondering if smoking is permitted during this festival? Good time for smokers to quit if they abstain from smoking for the next 9 days…

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