Monday 28 May 2007 8.45 AM Perry

Listening to – The Doors – When the Music’s Over

Emotion – Exhausted

Days until smoke down – 3

I’m sat on an almost deserted platform 4 of London Bridge Station waiting for a train to take me east. It’s a Bank Holiday and true to form it’s pissing it down with rain. For those of you unfortunate enough to be slaves to the wage, a Bank Holiday is something to look forward to even if it’s only to bitch about the stinking weather the next day at work.

I freelance so it doesn’t have the same magic for me. It’s another day to put towards the rent. If I don’t work, I don’t get paid. Still I’d rather live my unstable life than know I’ve only got two weeks in the sun every year. I’m not mocking anyone who works 9 to 5. I’ve tried it and it’s not for me. It’s all horses for courses as they say.

Anyway it’s cold, damp and grey and the platform is almost deserted. The metal seat freezes my arse and I turn up the collar of my winter jacket I thought I’d put away, well for the winter. I get a whiff of smoke as a fellow walks down the stairs fag hanging out his miserable mouth.

I cast an eye over the stranger in the dark crombie coat. The scene reminds me of Bogart or a scene from an old French black and white movie, it’s all goune Noir darling! The dark, brooding man in a long dark coat is sucking on a guiloise in a grey station. Is he a spy or is Bridgit Bardot about to ask him for a light, a cigarette perched on full lips.

My thoughts stray over the railway line and I notice an extraordinary amount of discarded cigarette butts between the tracks. There is the odd can of coke or paper coffee cup but as far as the eye can see in both directions cigarette butts litter the track. I find it astounding that people who would normally take their litter home or find somewhere to discard it never bat an eyelid when they toss their butts on the floor or out of car windows.

I for see this problem reaching epidemic proportions in the near future when more people find themselves outside hav

inge a fag. The entrance to every office will resemble a shooting gallery with all the addicts puffing away getting their fix and discarding their nicotine delivery system of choice.

The biggest addicts will be noticeable by their littered domains, rather like dogs fouling their turf and marking out their territory.

I must make sure I don’t litter as I undertake the experiment and find a way to safely deposit my cigarette ends.

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Here’s is an interesting pop quiz you can do to test your knowledge on smoking and the tobacco industry.

Scroll down to the end for the answers.

Q1. Marlboro cigarettes global annual sales exceed…

A. $15 Billion                                                 B. $5 Million

C. $ 10Million                                                 D. $10 Billion

Q2. How many cigarette related deaths are there in the UK per year?

A. 12,000                                                        B. 20,000

C. 100,000                                                      D. 120,000

Q3. How many compounds or additives are there in a cigarette?

A. 600                                                             B. 160

C. 60                                                               D. 600

Q4. When a cigarette is burnt, how many toxic and/or chemical compounds are made?

A. 1000                                                           B. 2000

C. 4000                                                           D. 10,000

Q5. Which country is the largest importer of American style tobacco?

A. UK                                                             B. USA

B. Brazil                                                         D. China

Q6. How many cigarette filters are estimated to be found as litter in the westernised world?

A. 4.5 Thousand                                             B. 4.5 Million

C. 4.5 Billion                                                   D. 4.5 Trillion 

Q7. Predicted deaths from smoking for the year 2030 are…

A. 4 Million                                                     B. 6 Million

C. 8 Million                                                     D. 10 Million

Q8. Brazilian tobacco farmers have a higher than average suicide rate from the rest of the country. Is the rate…

A. 3 x Higher                                                  B. 5 x Higher

B. 7 x Higher                                                  D. 10 x Higher 

Q9. The first country in the world to ban the sale of tobacco and smoking in public places is…

A. Australia                                                     B. Bhutan

C. Ireland                                                       D. Canada

Q10. Bidis are…

A. Old people                                                 B. A healthy cigarette

C. An unfiltered cigarette                                 D. A sweet 

Q11. Philip Morris’s Youth Smoking Prevention Program advertisement on MTV Europe was called…

A. You don’t have to smoke to be cool          B. Don’t do it!

C. Cool it… a smoke?                                   D. I’m cool, I just can’t help it.

Q12. Since the ban on tobacco advertising in the UK in 2003 how many new brands have Philip Morris launched?

A. 0                                                                 B. 1

C. 2                                                                 D. 3 

Answers

Q1 (A) Philip Morris manufactures, markets, sells and distributes in more than 160 countries.

Q2 (D) 120,000 deaths a year is equivalent to the population of a town the size of Norwich or Chester.

Q3 (A) Arsenic (Rat Poison), Formaldehyde (Body Preservative), Acetone (Nail Polish Remover), Hexamine ( BBQ Lighter), Cadmium ( Rechargeable Batteries), Lead (Petrol Fumes) Methanol (Rocket Fuel) and Ammonia (Household Cleaner) are all found in cigarettes.

Q4 (C) The additives used in the manufacture of cigarettes are government approved for food. However, they were not tested by burning them. It is the burning of the substances that changes their properties. Many of these chemicals are carcinogenic. i.e. cause cancer.

Q5 (B) Tobacco companies now grow and manufacture cigarettes in developing countries where overheads are less, markets are larger and anti tobacco legislation is almost non-existent.

Q6 (D) Cigarette filters are not biodegradable as cellulose acetate; a form of plastic, is one of the components that make up the butt and never breaks down.

Q7 (D) 70% of these deaths will be in developing countries.

Q8 (B) A link was found between organophosphate pesticides and skyrocketing suicides which coincided with the seeding and harvesting of tobacco crops in Venancio Aires.

Q9 (B) The Himalayan kingdom of 900,000 people banned tobacco use in early 2005 as part of its continuing tobacco-free initiative programme.

Q10 (C) Imported from India, these cigarettes contain tobacco but are wrapped in nonporous leaves and sold in a variety of flavours such as strawberry, mango and vanilla. Bidis are referred to as cigarettes with training wheels by health authorities.

Q11 (A) This initiative is dwarfed by corporate sponsorship, marketing and point of sale activity at rock concerts, formula 1 and sporting events.

Q12 (C) Basic and Marlboro Blend 28 have both been successfully launched in the dark market post advertising ban.

 Have you got what it takes to be a tobacco executive?

>> Take this cool interactive quiz  at www.thetruth.com Now <<

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SMOKE SWAP

Ob-Doc.

What happens to an individual physically and socially when, as a life long, healthy living non-smoker, he starts to smoke cigarettes?

What happens to an individual physically and physiologically when having smoked 10 cigarettes a day since her early teens she decides to give up unsupported?

Smoke Swap follows producer/director Perry (non-smoker) and presenter Katie (smoker) as they embark on this social experiment in the run up to the ban on smoking in public places on 1^st July 2007.

Under the watchful eye of Dr. Mace, Perry and Katie will be monitored for the positive and the negatives effects of their actions. He will chart the changes in the cotimine levels, carbon monoxide levels, skin, respiratory system – oxygen carrying capacity, sperm and general health over a two week period. (It would be great if we could find a computer wizz to age both people according to their smoking preference).

Not only will we see the crossroads of health changes of the two individuals over the outlined time but we will also see what happens to the couple during their social time. How they deal with their cravings and addictions. We observe how the new social surroundings effect their habits i.e. Smirting, cravings and irritability levels.

Katie will give up smoking unsupported (cold turkey) but we will look into alternative methods, NRT’s, hypnosis and will power. Will she put weight on? After the elapsed time frame will she revert back to smoking?

How will Perry approach the first cigarette? Will his body reject the poison? Katie will school him on how to light up, inhale and hold a cigarette. Will he become addicted? Will he be able to get off them when it’s finished and if so how? Perry will also buy a jar and keep all his smoked butts in.

What conflict between Perry and Katie will arise during the course of the experiment

Smoke Swap will have the answers and will; I’m sure, throw up many more questions.

**Hypnotherapy could be used on Perry to implant a trigger so at the end of the experiment his identity as a non-smoker will return.

The Smoking Man – Perry

The Abstainer – Katie

Professional – Dr. Peter Mace / Dr. Sunny Kaul / Dr. Ranak

Therapist – Lee Bannister IGPP ITEC Dhyp NLPprac

Respiratory Physiologist – ??????

Camera – Lorna-Jane Hamer / Sam Harvey

Editor – Stephen Wilson

© IMP Film Co. All rights reserved 2007

>> Quit Smoking Now! <<

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