Canada unveils larger, graphic anti-smoking labels

Canada unveils larger, graphic anti-smoking labels

Canada unveils larger, graphic anti-smoking labels,The new labels have to cover 75 percent of the front and back of each pack of cigarettes and small cigars, and will be mandatory by the middle of next year. Existing anti-smoking labels cover 50 percent of a pack.

The 16 labels include pictures of a woman dying of lung cancer in a hospital bed, a man with a hole in this throat after surgery for smoking-related larynx cancer, and a close-up shot of a diseased and cancerous tongue.
"We want to make the images larger and more noticeable and more understandable ... The images are pretty gross. They can be a little bit scary as well, but that is the reality of smoking," said federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq.
"Over time, people get used to seeing the old pictures so we want to grab people's attention once again," she said at an event to unveil the images.
Tobacco manufacturers and importers will have until March 21 2012 to switch over to the new labels and retailers must only carry packs with the bigger warnings by June 19.
"It's fantastic ... the evidence is that the larger the size (of the label), the larger the impact," said Rob Cunningham, a policy analyst at the Canadian Cancer Society.
Only Uruguay, which requires warning labels to cover 80 percent of a package, has tougher regulations, he said.
The adult smoking rate in Canada fell to a record low 17 percent in 2010 from 24 percent in 2000, a year before the first warning labels started to appear.
The Canadian Public Health Association welcomed the move, while noting that smoking was "the single most preventable cause of disease,

disability and premature death in Canada".
In the United States, several large tobacco companies are suing the federal Food and Drug Administration for requiring more graphic health warnings on packages no later than September 2012. The labels variously include pictures of bodies, diseased lungs and rotting teeth.
Major producers of tobacco sold in Canada include R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co, Japan Tobacco's JTI-Macdonald unit, Rothmans Benson & Hedges Inc, which is partly owned by Philip Morris and Imperial Tobacco Canada Ltd, a unit of British American Tobacco.
Imperial Tobacco said the new labels were "poor policy for political gain" and would not cut the number of smokers.

5 New Ways to Beat Bloat

Shrink your stomach and avoid bloating by making smart eating choices. These foods will keep your belly in check

Want to fit into your pants? Look at the carbs you're eating, says Jacqueline Wolf, MD, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and author of A Woman's Guide to a Healthy Stomach. Many are high in one of five hard-to-digest sugars: lactose, fructose, fructans, sugar alcohols, and galactans. To help relieve your symptoms, study your diet and follow these tips.

Stop Milking It

If dairy makes you bloated, you may have developed lactose intolerance. Try lower-lactose foods (like hard cheese or yogurt) or lactose-free dairy products, or take a lactase enzyme.

If dairy isn't your problem, you can satisfy cheese cravings and still lose weight with these 400 Calorie Meals

Pick Fruit Carefully

Berries, grapes, and citrus contain a near-equal ratio of the sugars fructose and glucose, making them easier to digest than fruits with more fructose, such as honeydew, apples, and pears.

Switch Your Starch

If fructan-rich wheat, rye, or barley is behind your bloat, choose stomach-friendly rice, corn, oats, or potatoes.

Not every food choice is going to dent your belly. Check out these 7 food safety mistakes you cant afford to make.

Skip Some (Fake) Sugars

Sorbitol, xylitol, and mannitol are sugar alcohols found in diet sodas and sugar-free gum. Avoid these if they bother you, or opt for products made with stevia or aspartame instead.

Be Smart About Beans

Limit galactan-rich legumes (soy nuts, chickpeas, lentils, and all beans), cabbage, and brussels sprouts if they're causing you trouble. Soaking dried beans overnight or taking the OTC enzyme Beano may help.

Johnson & Johnson recalling more Tylenol

Johnson & Johnson recalling more Tylenol

The makers of Tylenol are recalling nearly 34,000 bottles of Tylenol 8-hour extended relief caplets The latest recall comes a day after Johnson & Johnson recalled bottles of Tylenol and other medications  that came from a closed plant.