JAPAN - INCREASED DEMAND FOR ANTI-SMOKING AID CHANTIX (CHAMPIX).

Japan - with cigarette tax increase in place, fewer smokers buying cigarettes so far..

With an increased interest in quitting - Pfizer Japan Inc. can't keep up with soaring demand for its Champix anti-smoking aid as the cigarette price hike from the beginning of this month has caused an influx of patients at smoking cessation clinics.

Pfizer said it supplied the prescription drug for about 70,000 people a month until August, but the number jumped to about 170,000 in September and the company had already supplied about 80,000 people in the first six days of October. The demand has grown far bigger than the drugmaker expected and it has asked medical institutions to postpone prescribing the drug to new patients. The company said that while it is working to increase supply, new patients may not be able to try the drug until around early next year.

The orally administered tablets block the part of the brain that receives nicotine, making it difficult for recipients to crave cigarettes, according to Pfizer. When one begins the treatment, a small dose is taken once a day. The doses are gradually increased and the medication continues for three months.

"While it was beyond my expectation that (demand for the drug) has grown this much with only an increase of about ¥100 in cigarette prices, it is troubling that I can't prescribe it to new patients," said Yoji Hirayama, a doctor at Tokyo Medical University Hospital.

GOING SMOKELESS tobacco

60 MINUTES:

GOING SMOKELESS

As cigarette sales plunge, tobacco companies are marketing smokeless products to skirt smoking bans and keep customers.

Smokeless tobacco is not a safe alternative to smoking.

It contains many of the same poisonous chemicals found in cigarettes. Cigarette can be of different brands like Lady cigarettes or Kiss cigarettes.

Using spit tobacco may lead to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke and can cause cancer, tooth decay, face disfiguration...even death.

Chew, dip or snuff. No matter what you call it, use it and the result is the same.
According to the American Cancer Society, use of chewing tobacco contributes to the more than 30,000 cases of oral cancer diagnosed each year.

Spit Tobacco is a Killer

Spit tobacco is not a safe alternative to smoking – it causes oral, esophageal and stomach cancers, and tooth and gum disease.
One in three people diagnosed with oral cancer die from it.
Spit Tobacco is Dangerous

Spit tobacco contains carcinogenic chemicals, as well as arsenic and lead, both of which cause health problems.
According to the Mayo Clinic, some spit tobacco products contain additives that increase the rate at which nicotine is absorbed into the body.
Spit Tobacco is Addictive

Compared to cigarettes, spit tobacco delivers five times as much nicotine, a highly addictive chemical.
Spit tobacco products vary. Many have added sweeteners that are attractive to young users. Beginning users usually graduate to products containing more nicotine after becoming regular users.
New evidence proves that spit tobacco use leads to smoking.

Flight attendants face soaring tension in the unfriendly skies

On one 12-hour flight, Libby Rehm of Estes Park, Colo., had the bad luck to be in a seat with a broken armrest that set off the flight attendant call button if she leaned on it. Attendants "kept getting mad at me" instead of being sympathetic, she reports.

Dev Norwood of Stockbridge, Ga., watched a fellow flier try to work while a child dropped toys over the man's seatback. The mother refused to step in, and a flight attendant told the man "he should be more tolerant," Norwood reports.

Jean Rowley of Huntington Beach, Calif., recalls a crewmember who bashed a sleeping passenger's knee with a service cart. The flier screamed in pain, and "the flight attendant never apologized," Rowley says. The man asked for a complaint form.

Tensions between fliers and cabin crews are common in today's increasingly unfriendly skies. After reportedly clashing with a passenger over an unwieldy bag last month, JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater deployed the emergency slide and grabbed headlines (along with farewell beer).

At a time when planes are as packed as sardine tins, everything from unpopular airline fees, to lack of manners, to increased flight attendant responsibilities (such as helping clean plane cabins) is sending tempers and stress levels soaring.

A recent USA TODAY online survey asking "What flight attendant behavior bothers you most?" drew 5,152 responses. "Surly demeanor" was the top vote-getter (38%), followed by "gabbing together in the back" (21%), refusal to deal with unruly passengers (20%), a "schoolmarm attitude" (12%) and slowness in serving drinks or food (9%).

"Employees of the airline industry feel underpaid and overworked, complaining about doing the work of two to three people as a reason for their sometimes surly behavior," says frequent flier Ryan Yamamoto of New York City. "I can't accept this as a valid reason. In these tough economic times, everyone feels underpaid and overworked … but most of us are just happy to have a job."

Attendants often are "barking commands," while "hiding behind the guise that their attitude is such for our benefit and safety," adds Yamamoto, who appreciates the cheerfulness of crews on airlines such as Virgin Atlantic.

Electronic Cigarettes Frequently Asked Questions

For the smokers who require nicotine relief from time to time, there is a new device on the market known as the electronic cigarette. Interestingly, the electronic cigarette does not involve any burning and the production of actual \"smoke\" and it is starting to prove to be a great alternative for people to turn to in order to get around the inconvenient smoking bans and the constantly-increasing tobacco taxes. Here are 3 frequently asked questions about electronic cigarettes to help you understand better.

How to Quit Smoking Naturally

In the US today, cigarette smoking causes one-third of all cancer fatalities and one-fourth of all fatal heart attacks. In addition to this, there are many illnesses and diseases that are a direct result of cigarette smoking. This includes chronic bronchitis, emphysema, assorted respiratory ailments, angina, peptic ulcers, heartburn, and diarrhea. A recent estimate is that smoking is a factor in more than 15% of all of the deaths occurring annually in the US. Obviously, smoking is a high-risk behavior with deadly consequences. Smokers can expect to shorten their lives by approximately ten to fifteen years. Intellectually most people will agree that smoking is a very harmful activity. Overcoming the addictions associated with cigarette smoking can be an overwhelming prospect, however. It can be done, though, and it can be done naturally without substituting other harmful ingredients that can further jeopardize one's health.

For every cigarette smoked, over 4,000 toxic chemicals are inhaled into the body. Over forty of these chemicals have been directly linked to cancer. Nicotine is one such chemical and is considered extremely addictive because with ingestion it facilitates the natural release of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. In so doing, it also stimulates the production of adrenaline, which elevates blood pressure and heart rate.

Nicotine can be ingested by chewing, sniffing, or smoking. When ingested it creates a relaxed feeling. With continued use, the body develops not only a physical and psychological addiction to nicotine, but a drug tolerance as well. This means that more nicotine will be required to achieve the same feelings of relaxation. This also means that if nicotine ingestion is stopped, withdrawal symptoms will result.

Nicotine Withdrawal Symptoms

-Anger
-Anxiety
-Craving
-Difficulty Concentrating
-Frustration
-Irritability
-Elevated Appetite
-Elevated Blood Pressure
-Headache
-Reduced Heart Rate
-Feelings of Restlessness
-Stomach Irritability

Smoking cigarettes places nitrogen dioxide ozone in the body. This chemical damages DNA and reduces the amount of vitamin C available for use by the body. When DNA is compromised and vitamin C is reduced the body will not be able to fight off illness and aging will be accelerated.

Aside from the physical addiction to the chemicals in cigarettes, there is also an emotional addiction to smoking. Many smokers smoke in response to stress, boredom, and anxiety. For this reason, people who are in the process of quitting smoking may benefit from counseling or a support group for smokers. Subliminal or hypnosis recordings are effective tools to stop smoking as well.

Tips to Quit Smoking

-Acute cigarette cravings typically last no more than five minutes.
-Nicotine cravings will become more manageable with each passing success of not smoking.
-Try exercising or taking a walk when cravings occur.
-Avoid other people smoking.
-Completely eliminate alcoholic beverages while quitting smoking.
-Drink large amounts of water.
-Increase the amount of raw fruits, vegetables, and fiber in the diet.
-Eliminate saturated fats, processed foods, and refined sugars from the diet.
-Consider a colon and/or liver cleanse.
-Avoid stress during the quitting process.

After quitting smoking, the lungs must be given adequate time to heal and regenerate. During this time, it is important to be very careful about one's environment and the surrounding conditions.

Suggestions to Help Lungs Repair:

-Wear a mask if working with strong chemicals.
-Avoid air filters that emit ozone into the air. These may further damage the lungs.
-Do not attempt to dry up lung mucous. Mucous is the body's method for expelling toxins from the lungs.
-Avoid second-hand smoke at all costs, as well as other strong toxic chemical odors.
-Avoid dairy foods because they produce excess mucous. Mucous producing foods place added stress on the lungs.
-Aromatic herbs such as rosemary, thyme, ginger, horse radish, and cayenne may help one feel better.
-Get lots of fresh air and outdoor exercise every day.
-Yoga may also helpful.