Share and Voice: The Story of Bottled Water

This is from the "Story of Stuff" site that we watched in class awhile ago. I really thought this clip was interesting because it related to my Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change. I had no idea that water bottles really don't get recycled. My favorite clip from the movie though was that she said that having bottled water is now looked at as if you were smoking. Smoking seems to be frowned upon by most nonsmokers, using bottled beverages is frowned upon by those who know the effects on the environment. Watch the video, it really isn't that long and you have a lot to learn.

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 3: Weekly Update

My smart goal for this week was: I will drink 40 ounces of water out of my reusable stainless steel water bottle 7 days a week.    This week was not very good for me.  I did not reach my goal but I am optimistic that I can achieve it later on.  I changed it from my initial goal therefore it became more difficult, yet I intend to keep it.  Even though it will challenging, I will leave this as my goal.

This last week I definitely faced some challenges.  I did not have my typically schedule, thus I was out and about and not at work or school.  On Wednesday and Thursday I was at events at Fon du Lac Tribal Community College and the College of St. Scholastica.  I didn't even think about drinking water that day, I simply did not stay hydrated without realizing it because I was so busy.  I did bring my water bottle with (Step 1!) I just did not refill it.  So I met part of my goal.  Then comes Friday, in which I was at a four hour meeting where lunch was served.  I was so hungry that I just grabbed the set up and starting eating and drinking.  Uh oh! I started drinking out of a plastic water bottle.  I was half way through before I even realized it, I was so disappointed in myself.  Luckily, all the rest of my days were successful and I did meet my goals. 

It felt so good to actually meet my goal.  I was really proud that I was able to accomplish drinking 40 ounces these last few days.  I would much rather have a goal that is difficult then set the bar too low and make it to easy to achieve.  I also had feelings of disappointment this week when I was not able to reach my goal.  I am a perfectionist so I really intend to accomplish everything I set my mind to.

This week I learned that sometimes different things come up in your days and weeks.  You need to always be prepared for what lies ahead of you because you never really know.  I am a very structured and routine person, so when my weeks change it is a little stressful.  I should always have my water bottle with me, and make a conscious choice to find a water fountain and make sure I can refill my bottle.

As I have stated previously, I intend to keep the same goal for next week so I will drink 40 ounces of water out of my reusable stainless steel water bottle 7 days a week.  Hopefully I can achieve it next week.  It will be a bit challenging but I think I can do it.  I intend to bring my water bottle to Thanksgiving so hopefully that won't be an issue.

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Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 3 hosted by Amy@Amy in the Rain

Advocacy Project: Issue Overview

Introduction

• The current issue is the use of tobacco products by adults aged 18 and older.
• The current legislation identified to address this is H.R. 1850 Quit Smoking for Life Act

Who is affected by the issue?

• American men and women 18 and older are affected most by this issue. 
• As it stands, those 18 and older are losing the most because they are using tobacco products that are harmful to their health.  This is increasing their likelihood of disease and death.  If the legislation was passed, then the tobacco industry would lose because more people could get cessation resources and in return less would be buying their products.
• Currently, the tobacco industry is gaining a lot from this issue.  The main people targeted by the tobacco industry are those 18-24 years old.  Over 45 million are tobacco users.   If the legislation was passed, then these individuals would gain their life and health as they would be given resources to quit smoking or tobacco use.

What are the consequences of the issue?

• Approximately, 8.6 million people have some type of disease caused in relation to smoking cigarettes.  The list of diseases goes on and on for users of tobacco products, this includes but is not limited to COPD, coronary heart disease, stroke, and a variety of cancers.  This obviously shortens the life span and reduces the quality of life. 
• Secondhand smoke is a huge problem and can greatly affect the family.  According to the American Lung Association, "Secondhand smoke causes more than an estimated 202,000 asthma episodes, 790,000 physician visits for buildup of fluid in the middle ear, and 430 sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) cases each year."  This is simply from parents smoking around their children or family members.  Secondhand smoke is involuntary, meaning you are not choosing to inhale this toxins, but in many cases you do not have a choice.
• Society is affected in a multitude of ways from cigarette smoke and tobacco use.  First of all, it affects are environment.  Secondhand smoke affects the air we breathe and the water we drink.  Cigarette butts pollute the earth.  And the plants used to create these tobacco products take up valuable land and space that could better be put to use making fruits and vegetables or other products that are good for our health.  Second, society is affecting by the advertising that goes along with tobacco products.  Advertising and peer pressure can be huge enablers in the tobacco addiction.  The tobacco industry targets populations to increase their use of products.  Third, and an obvious cost to society is life expectancy.  Over 400,000 people die annually, equating to approximately 1200 a day.  Fourth,  it affects the economy in many ways, as we will discuss next. 

What is the economic impact of the issue?

• On advertising alone, nearly 10 billion dollars were spent on tobacco products.  On average though, tobacco use costs 50 billion dollars annually.  This results in nearly 97% of all health care costs and lost productivity.  If you include a variety of effects smoking has like smoking during pregnancy and the costs on her delivery or early retirement by smoking among other items, smoking can cost the economy up to 500 million dollars a year.  The citizens of the United States are bearing these costs. 
• The only economic benefits identified are the fact that we are able to tax tobacco products to cover a small portion of these costs.  One other item identified is that if all the smokers quit smoke and lived longer, that could potentially cost money as well because people would be living longer.  But the greatest economic benefit would come from smoking cessation. 

What is the social impact of the issue?

• Smoking can have a huge impact on the social aspect of life.  Often you choose friends and significant others based on their smoking preference.  People may not choose to socialize with smokers.  Smoking affects your day to day life, including your work.  Are you able to take smoke breaks? Where and how often?  Smokers are definitely classified as a minority population and may not receive some opportunities because they smoke.  Smokers tend to smell and smoking itself releases an unpleasant odor.  Thus, the ones who smoke are bearing these costs.
• The only ones that benefit from smoking or tobacco use is the tobacco industry. 

What are the barriers?

• A barrier that can be identified is that smoking and tobacco is addictive and it is difficult to quit.  Even though cessation resources may be available, if you do not want to quit, it is impossible to force it upon someone.
• Education is key in reducing these barriers.  If we can educate smokers and tobacco users on the effects as well as the costs, it may ease in the process of quitting.  By showing them it is beneficial for them to quit, they are more likely to continue with the cessation process. 

What are the resources?

• Resources that can be used for this issue include Healthy People 2010 information, Centers for Disease Control, QuitPlan, and the American Lung Association.  As well as recent and new legislation would serve as government resources. 
• They can be accessed online or by contacting their main site locations.

What is the history of this issue?

• Highlights from History of Tobacco Products:
• 1901: 43 out of 45 states created tough anti-cigarette laws
• 1909: 15 states passed laws banning sale of cigarettes
• 1910: Per capita Adults (18 years and older) consume 138 cigarettes a year
• 1912: First determination that smoking leads to lung cancer
• 1917: Tobacco bans and cigarette laws have fallen
• 1921: State taxation on tobacco products begins
• 1930: Per capita Adults consume 977 cigarettes a year
• 1934: Camel advertises "Smoke as many as you want.  They never get on your nerves."
• 1940: Per capita Adults consume 2558 cigarettes a year
• 1957: Law requires tobacco products to bear warning labels relating to causing lung cancer and diseases
• 1993: Prevalence of adult smokers is 25%
• 1994: 70% of those who smoke say they want to quit; 48% want to quit, but have failed
• 2000: Per capita Adult 1551 cigarettes a year
• What past efforts were made to address it?
• Recently, President Obama has signed to legislation into effect.  The first was largest tax increase on tobacco products.  The second was the strictest anti tobacco law: Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (FSPTCA). 
• What were the results?
• From the tax increase, there was approximately a 9% drop in users.  From the FSPTCA, tobacco products have much stricter regulations making purchasing more difficult thus reducing the numbers or users. 

Allies & Opponents

• Supporters of this issue would be those that have lost a family member due to tobacco use or had a family member dwindle funds because of their use.  Health educators would also support this issue.  Previous tobacco users would support because they understand how difficult it is to quit, also current users that are desperately trying to quit would support because they know they need help.
• Tobacco industries would oppose this issue.  Also hospitals and insurance companies would oppose.  All of these people reap the economic benefits at the expense of user's lives.
• Supporters and those who oppose can work together to better the lives of Americans.  Hospitals and insurance companies should want to enhance the lives of Americans and they would benefit because they would be needed throughout the entire cessation process including the use of medicines, resources, and therapy.  By showing that they can still profit would lead to a more successful transition.

Your Recommendation

• How do you want policy-makers to vote on this proposed policy?
• Vote yes!  Encourage those that are smokers to quit by giving them access to cessation materials and resources.

Share and Voice: Tobacco Addiction - The Unfiltered Truth

Mark your calendars my friends!  This documentary, both shocking and true, is coming to a theater near  you.  The Duluth Zinema 2 on Superior Street on Tuesday November 23rd from 5:00pm-6:30pm to be exact.  The film shows 4 different people and their journey with tobacco addiction.  It is a very powerful film and I hope you all are able to attend.  After the film, there will be a panel discussion.

But if you can't attend, here is a website where you can view the film http://www.weallpaytheprice.com/index.html

Sponsored by ClearWay Minnesota, tpt MN channel, and the American Lung Association

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 2: Weekly Update

My SMART goal was: I will drink 8 ounces of water out of my reusable stainless steel water bottle 6 days a week.  I was very successful with my goal, and even went above my 8 ounces required. 

A challenged I faced was simply old habits.  One day I did drink out of a plastic bottle, not even thinking about it because I leave one in the fridge at my work and always just refill it.  After I drank out of it, I threw it away!  No more temptation.  I have plastic bottles in random areas (my room, fridge, work) and I simply need to eliminate these and recycle them.  My successful strategies include always making sure I leave my apartment in the morning with my reusable stainless steel water bottle.  I am also conscious now of where water fountains are around me and making sure I save some time to refill my bottle. Also I feel my peers hold me accountable, because I don't want to use a plastic bottle around them either, so this is a good thing.

Every night when I got home from my day at school or work I felt proud that I had made it through the day without drinking out of a plastic container.  I honestly thought I would have a much more difficult time with this because before this week, I brought a plastic water bottle with me every day to school and only used a reusble one occaisionally.  I generally will stick to a goal that I set for myself though, I do not like failure.   I feel confident going into the next week and I am excited to continue on this journey.

I learned that lifestyle changes do not have to be as hard as you think they should be.  They can be challenging but able to be accomplished.  I also realized how easy it can be to do something better for the environment.  I always thought that to make a change in my life that would benefit the environment it would take a lot of time and a big effort.  This was something that I was able to incorporate and didn't take a lot of extra time. 

For next week, my goal will be modified.  I will stick with the same theme but my new SMART goal is:
I will drink 40 ounces of water out of my reusable stainless steel water bottle 7 days a week.

I decided to change it to 40 ounces of water instead of 8 and that is mostly for my lack of thinking when orignially creating the goal.  I did not realize how small of an amount 8 ounces was. Woops!  I also changed it from 6 days a week to 7 days a week, just to add that extra challenge.  I am excited for next week and hope I can continue to be successful.

Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 2 hosted by Amy@Amy in the Rain

Share and Voice: Great American Smoke Out

The 35th Annual Great American Smoke Out takes place this Thursday November 18th.  On this day all smokers are encouraged to quit smoking.  This can be the first step in reaching success at quitting smoking.  UMD is holding our own Great American Smoke Out on Thursday in the Rafters from 11:00am-2:00pm.  If you know anyone who smokes or if you do, I encourage you to attend.  There will be cessation information, free food, a Wii, movies, and lots of games.  It shall be a fun filled event.  Please tell everyone you know about it.  Any questions please ask me.

The event is sponsored by the American Lung Association, the Statewide Health Improvement Program, Student Health Advisory Committee and Health Services. 

Advocacy Project: Healthy People/THOMAS

1. Focus Area 27: Tobacco Use
• Goal: Reduce illness, disability, and death related to tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke
• Objective: 27-1: Reduce tobacco use by adults aged 18 and older
• Sub objectives:  Reduce tobacco use by adults aged 18 and older in a) Cigarette smoking b) spit tobacco c) cigar smoking d) other products. 
• According to the Progress Quotient Chart:
• Cigarette Smoking: 25% have moved toward target 
• Spit Tobacco: 10% have moved toward target
• Cigar smoking: 17% have moved toward target
• Tobacco use regarding cigarettes, spit tobacco, and cigars for those age 18 and older, has made progress toward the goal.  Cigarette smoking for this age group has declined from the 1998 baseline 24% to the 2003 level of 21%.  Although spit tobacco and cigar smoking are progressing towards their target, it is going at a slower rate than cigarette smoking.
2. Progress, disparities, opportunities & challenges, and emerging issues:
•  Hispanics/Latinos have the best group and are moving toward the target for reducing cigarette smoking.  The next best group are Asians.  White and black non-Hispanics follow.  Then would be those classified as two races.  And the group with the greatest distance from the best group is American Indian or Alaska native. 
• Changes in disparity were not available for this objective. 
• Females with some college are the best group at reducing cigarette smoking.  Leaving those with less than high school and high school graduates at the low end.  For spit tobacco, gender was not an issue, but those with some college are the best group at reducing their usage.  And for smoking cigars, the best group was high school graduates either male or female.
• There are four emerging issues identified:
• Use and risks of Potentially Reduced Exposure Products (PREPs)
• Smokeless tobacco
• Internet sale of tobacco products
• Access of tobacco products through other sources besides retail stores
• Focusing on youth smoking is significant in achieving the Healthy People 2010 Goals. 
• Tobacco advertisement sales have increased and state funding has decreased on this, these two things together will likely have a negative impact on this goal's result 

H.R. 1850 Quit Smoking for Life Act of 2009 (Introduced in House)

Title: Quit Smoking for Life Act of 2009: Amends titles XVIII, V, XIX of Social Security Act to cover services and materials to aid in the cessation of tobacco.

Sponsor: Red DeGette, Diana [CO-1] - 4/1/2009; Red Platts, Todd Russel [PA-19] - 4/1/2009; Rep Rothman, Steven R. [NJ-9] - 10/22/2009

Last major action:  4/1/2009 introduced to Committee on Energy and Commerce, Committee on Ways and Means, House Energy and Commerce, and House Ways and Means

Recommendation: Vote Yes for H.R. 1850 Quit Smoking for Life Act 2009

My Political Representative: Congressman Congressmen Chip Cravaack