America’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is required by law to create new, stronger graphical image and text warnings for all tobacco product packaging.

Check out this BridgeURL, which affords on-the-fly web page creation and lists URLs either on a single page or as a slideshow. Below is a Scribd-embedded PDF slideshow of the proposed graphical text and image warnings.

Click here to register your comment to the FDA: look on the page for Public Comment.

FDA Proposed Harshly Graphic Text and Image Warnings Tobacco

UPDATE, July 2011

In January of 2011, the FDA, acting as agent of the health of the American people, chose 10 harsh graphical warnings to motivate people to stop using tobacco, in one of the USA’s most extensive and rapid harm reduction public health campaigns.

Here are the nine images chosen for use on tobacco product packaging, beginning September 2011.

Discovery of these health news reports spurred this digest for the week of 15 March 2010. Three items are reviewed and followed by suggested action plans to enhance one’s health.
@DoctorJames

Touch and Interaction are Essential

Feelings of loneliness increases blood pressure over time in those who are 50 years or older

SUGGESTED ACTIONS

• Ensure personal knowledge of one’s baseline blood pressure (BP)
• Seek appropriate treatment from a licensed health care professional for BP problems AND STICK TO IT
• Actively participate in groups: community, religious, gym, recreational, or affinity social groups
• Actively cultivate and nurture friendships
• Positively engage relatives and those who are surrogate family members
• Practice the 10 Easy Steps to Happiness that Really Work from the Slough, England year-old social experiment THAT WORKED

Preventive behaviors reduced H1N1 household transmission in 2009

SUGGESTED ACTIONS

• WASH YOUR HANDS – handwashing saves lives, resources, and elevates your health and wellness: HERE’S HOW TO DO IT PROPERLY


Handwashing is Vital to Good Health

• Unless medically disadvised, get the annual seasonal or other influenza vaccination
• Talk with your housemates about how to prevent the transmission of influenza
• Teach and persistently reinforce good handwashing and basic hygiene to all children
• Cough or sneeze into your elbow – not your hands

Local carbon dioxide domes reduce air quality

SUGGESTED ACTIONS

• Pay attention to local air quality ratings and alter your outside behaviors as recommended
• Minimize or avoid outdoor grilling or trash-burning
• Change your commute practices to enhance environmental qualities: biking, carsharing, use of public transit, or walking
• Recycle and reuse, compost, and pre-cycle so that packaging trash is minimized
• Act to better air quality by pushing local and regional initiatives to negate carbon output at the source