Sunday, April 08, 2007

All it takes is a defective filter


While this will not be an appealing read for non-smokers, it nevertheless proves to be an invaluable information about a product either you or your friend are fond to -- cigarettes. Shishas may not apply here.

The cigarette itself does not fall into the scope of a defective product in the eyes of law simple because the level of safety of the product is of that level the public would generally be entitled to expect. It's not a suicidal cigarette nor it is a toxic one. On one look, it is just a little harmless piece of cigarette.

What if you are not told that that is not the case because the information you need to know that will help your health decision has been kept away from you. Sure, everybody loves a good conspiracy theory, but this is not of such nature.

A research done by Pauly, Mepani, Lesses, et al., as well as many other independent studies, actively confirms that Philip Morris have been keeping away a vital piece of information pertaining cigarette filters, which is an integral component to more than 95% of cigarettes marketed worldwide today. A cigarette filter is made up of plastic-like cellulose acetate fibres. Cigarettes with filters that release cellulose acetate or carbon particles during normal smoking conditions are defective.

What does that mean? Allow me to draw you an analogy. If you have ever burn any plastics (i.e. a plastic spoon/fork) you'll almost invariably notice there are other substances or particles released to the air and carried away in its [black] smokes. The smell? Fouled and ammonia-like.

Then imagine the above analogy as the cigarette filter, as you draw breath through the filter, those particles are released in the fumes and into your lungs. They are microscopic in size, which explains why they are able to hover in the air. This is also why passive smoking is dangerous. These are the particles that also contributes to respiratory diseases (emphysema to name one), among other things.

But what if I just take it without filters??! Well, you should then know that you're taking in more tar than ever. If you ever burned plants (certain types, and especially tobacco leaves), a sticky substance is released as residue. This is tar. Once in your lungs, it stays in your lungs.

Proper and non-defective cigarette filters that does not releases the fallouts have been researched years ago. Nobody knows why they have not been implemented. The cigarette, therefore, is a defective product.

But why smoke when you have a smokeless option? People smoke for the nicotine, and since this is the case, you should really consider nicotine gums or other smokeless products that delivers the similar effects of a tobacco cigarette.

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Good luck in quitting.
Danny Teok
B.A (Economics) LL.B (Hons)
April 8, 2007