Number of teens and young adults who smoke, use smokeless tobacco is on the rise

A "shocking" number of American teenagers smoke cigarettes and/or use smokeless tobacco, the first U.S. surgeon general's report on youth tobacco since 1994 has found. (Photo by Karen Bleier, AFP/Getty Images)

"The numbers are really shocking," Surgeon General Regina Benjamin said, noting the data show 1 in 4 high school seniors and 1 in 3 young adults under age 26 smoke. "It's a problem we have to solve."

Though there was dramatic progress in reducing youth smoking rates from 1997 to 2003, the 899-page report shows the decline has flattened. "Smokeless tobacco is up among white high school-age boys, and cigar smoking appears to be rising among black high school girls," reports David Brown for The Washington Post.

Data from the 2010 Kentucky Youth Tobacco Survey show that almost 25 percent of the state's high-school students are smokers. Although the prevalence of smoking among youth has declined in the past few years, the smoking prevalence among teenagers and young adults is higher than among other adult populations.

"Two people start smoking for every one who dies from the habit each year," Benjamin said. "Almost 90 percent of those 'replacement smokers' first try tobacco before they are 18."

The findings showed smoking can damage lung function at a very young age. One study of "nearly 700 children from East Boston found that those who started to smoke at age 15 exhaled 8 percent less air in one second — a key measure of lung function — than non-smoking teenagers. The growth of lung capacity stopped a year earlier in smokers — at 17 in girls and 19 in boys — than in non-smokers," Brown reports.

Another study showed how smoking affects the cardiovascular system. Researchers looked at autopsy results of white men ages 25 to 34 who were killed either by trauma or homicide. Smokers were two times as likely to have advanced damage of the abdominal aorta as non-smokers. "They also had somewhat greater damage to the blood vessel most often implicated in acute heart attacks," Brown reports.

Danny McGoldrick of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids told USA Today's Wendy Koch tobacco marketing "is a big cause of the problem." He pointed to his organization's report revealing the tobacco industry's relationship with convenience stores to blatantly advertise and display tobacco products.

The industry's success in fighting increases in tobacco-related taxes is considered to be another factor. But industry officials like Ken Garcia of Altria Group, parent company of Philip Morris USA, said "there's already quite a (tax) burden on adult smokers." (Read more)

Some Guiding Steps on How to Get Your Boyfriend Back

If you are one of the females who have lost her boyfriend for one reason or another, the odds are that you will be asking experts how to get your boyfriend back. In this article, we are going to give you several steps that will help you find out how to get your lover back. These next three steps will be the most important to help you get your boyfriend back. Although these steps are important, they should act as guide lines that you change according to the situation so that you can get your boy back.

The first step would be to reflect and figure out how you lost him in the first place. A clear understanding of this issue will help you be able to have a greater chance of success when you try to get your boyfriend back. The next step would be to be the person who he met in the first place. By doing this, you may increase you chances on getting your boy back. Most of the ladies who are asking how to get their boyfriends back have changed once they started dating; as a result, they ended up being dumped.

Another thing to consider when thinking of ways to get your lover back would be to be careful of the first thing you say when you meet him after the break up. The reaction you give will determine the chances you have to get your ex back. Getting your ex back is not as easy as you might think.

However, there are other steps that can also help you get your boy back. For example, you can use your shared past to your advantage so that you get your ex back. You can wear his favorite outfit and make sure you meet at one of his favorite spots, which can bring back memories that will help you in your endeavour. You can also use the words he uses as a way of trying to get your boyfriend back.

Ladies who are having problems with guidelines on how to get their boyfriends back do have other alternatives. The first alternative would be to consult relationship experts, who might have more ideas on how to get a boyfriend back. This prospect can be quite costly, however; so you would need to research how much this type of advice is going to cost.

If you are not in a financial position to use this method, you can ask your girl friends for ideas about how to get your boyfriend back. You will find that at least one of them will have lost a boyfriend and gotten him back, so her method may also work for you. A combination of these methods will help you to successfully get your . Be sure to keep in mind that, as much as these steps could help you, you will need to follow your instincts to know the right time to apply them.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3715314

Expect more hospital mergers across the country, some with unlikely partners, Moody's Investors Service report predicts

Reflecting several hospital mergers that have already taken place in Kentucky, a new report from Moody's Investors Service predicts hospitals will continue to band together across the country as they respond to changes in health care.

"The difficult business environment and the changes expected in how hospitals will be paid for delivering care are driving many smaller, stand-alone hospital groups into the arms of larger and better-financed organizations," reports Reed Abelson for The New York Times.

Hospitals have long looked for partners to become larger in order to have more negotiating power to ask for higher payments from insurers. But now they are looking at ways to become more efficient too as they expect lower reimbursements from Medicare because of federal health-care reform. That means more consolidation, Moody's says.

While there are traditional mergers in play, there are also more atypical alliances forming. One of the nation's largest nonprofit hospital groups, North Shore-LIJ Health System, will join with Hackensack University Health Network in New Jersey, for example. There are instances of for-profit hospital groups joining with private equity firms. Health insurance companies could even become buyers, and hospitals and doctors could join forces "so they can be more of a one-stop shop," Abelson reports.

As a result, patients will ultimately have fewer hospitals from which to choose, but some small, stand-alone hospitals, especially in rural areas, will still exist. "We're not going to predict the small independent hospitals will all shutter and close," said Lisa Goldstein, one of the authors of the report. (Read more)

How to Get Your Boyfriend Back - Follow These Simple Steps to Get Him Back

A break-up with your significant other can be difficult to get through, But by stepping back and following these simple steps I'm certain you will get your boyfriend back. I want to suggest these ideas in an easy to follow article because I don't want you to go through anymore difficult time than it already is.

In this article you'll discover how to get your boyfriend back by aiming your emotions in the right direction, being honest, realizing men show their emotions in different way than you, and by communicating your thoughts effectively.

1. Aim your anger in the right direction. This tip is about you, not about your boyfriend. Don't blast your boyfriend for things other people are doing in your life. Don't use him as a punching bag, to release your anger on. Remember, this is someone you are investing a great deal of time and effort to keep so your relationship can grow in a healthy way. Deal with others separately if you possibly can.

2. Be honest. White lies tend to snowball into big lies. That doesn't mean you have to tell your man everything all at once, but you should tell the absolute truth in small amounts. Also be aware at how difficult it can be for your boyfriend to hear some of these truths, you don't want to make him jealous, instead try and inform him and reassure that he is still very important in your life.

3. Put your emotions into motion. Deal with issues as soon as possible without becoming that person described with the five-letter word that rhymes with itch. Without getting angry, or hostile, simply tell your partner how something is affecting you. Just don't tell him every two minutes. Also don't tell him the same thing everyday, let him mature and grow, and hopefully he will realize the issues that are aggravating you.

4. Realize that there are many ways men show their feelings. Men may not have the vocabulary to tell you "how they feel." It is well documented that men talk half as much as women in a single day, so it can be very difficult for him to tell you exactly how they feel. It might not be in their dictionary. If your man walks the walk, let him learn how to talk the talk.

5. And, finally, don't be right. Be happy. Getting your boyfriend back isn't about who has been right or who has been wrong, and it's not about who is in charge. It's all about being happy in your relationship. And when you have your own self-esteem and your own boundaries and you are happy with your man, you will know it's been worth the effort to get your boyfriend back.

Hopefully you have discovered what steps to follow when you try to get boyfriend back. The thing you want to remember the most its that men are a completely different emotional being than you are, which means he thinks way differently than you do. But follow those steps and you will soon get on the right track with your boyfriend again.

I hope you enjoyed this Article and that it at least helped you with you current relationship situation. My name is Thomas M. Alexander and I have had more break-ups and relationship problems than I care to remember. That is until I got smart and started to use my "Secret Weapon"

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3288712

Storm victims need to be vigilant about avoiding tetanus and mold, and protecting food safety

As storm and and flood cleanup continues, Kentuckians need to be vigilant about tetanus, mold and food safety, the state Department for Public Health warns.

Regarding tetanus, the DPH recommends avoiding contact with flood waters, which can be a risk for contracting the disease for people who have open wounds.

Mold can develop in homes that have been flooded, but air conditioners or dehumidifiers can help prevent mold growth, the DPH advises. When cleaning affected areas, wear safety goggles, rubber boots and waterproof gloves. In areas of heavy mold growth, a respirator or suitable mask is advised.

The DPH recommends removing all items that have been wet for more than 48 hours and cannot be dried or cleaned. Mold can be removed from hard surfaces using cleaners, soap and water or a bleach solution of no more than 1 cup of bleach in 1 gallon of water. Severe cases should be cleaned by experts.

When it comes to food safety, a full freezer will keep its temperature for 48 hours. A freezer that is half full will maintain its temperature for 24 hours. Refrigerated foods are safe as long as the power is not out for more than four hours. Any perishable food that has been above 40 degree for more than two hours should be discarded.

Freezer and refrigerators should be cleaned with a solution of 2 tablespoons baking soda dissolved in 1 quart of warm water. (Read more)