Daily Archives: November 20, 2009

Lessons in Legislative Manipulation From the Tobacco Industry

The article in the November 14 issue of the New York Times about the extent to which the biotech firm Genetech was able to put their own words into legislators’ mouths raises the next logical question: To what extent are corporations in the U.S. actually drafting laws and getting them passed?

Despite reasons to quit, number of smokers rises

Dr. Tom Glynn of the American Cancer Society says if you’re trying to quit smoking, don’t move to Wichita Falls. A better choice of a new hometown would be Provo, Utah.

Smokers worse off in life evaluation, mood, depression, basic access

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Smokers trail nonsmokers in well-being, regardless of income bracket, according to Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index data collected in 2008 and 2009. In every income group, smokers are less likely than nonsmokers to be “thriving” by at least 12 percentage points.