More than 500 trillion molecules of strong carcinogens per cigarette: use in product labelling?

From Tobacco Control

Therefore, after appropriate message testing, the following wording could be used in cigarette package labelling: ‘the smoke of each cigarette contains more than 500 trillion strong carcinogen molecules’. This may provide a strong cautionary note and lead to abstinence, cessation and avoidance of secondhand smoke.

Stephen S Hecht

Tobacco Use among Mississippi Youth

Cigarette smoking has declined dramatically in Mississippi over the past 10 years, and a recent post illustrates these trends in current cigarette smoking and initiation of cigarette smoking. In the space below, we provide the trends of initiating use of cigarettes, cigars, or smokeless tobacco products and current use of at least one of these products.

Latest Map of Smoke-Free Mississippi Communities

We've updated our map to include the latest communities to pass smoke-free laws. There are now 39 Mississippi communities with comprehensive smoke-free laws.

Limited Progress

First, the good news. The Palace Casino in East Biloxi will become the first Mississippi casino voluntarily go smoke-free. On Tuesday General Manager Keith Crosby announced smoking won’t be permitted anywhere in the building except in the smoking lounge adjacent to the casino floor. Hopefully, other casinos in this state will follow suit.

Next, the limited good news. Olive Branch has passed an ordinance the restricts smoking inside of public indoor places. However, the exemptions in this ordinance continue to allow smoking in indoor public places. Restaurants with bars may allow smoking after 9 p.m. Also exempt from the ban are bars that only allow patrons more than 21 years old. These exemptions mean that employees and nonsmokers will continue to be exposed in Olive Branch. Moreover, children who dine at restaurants with bars will be exposed to the toxic remnants of post-9:00 smoking (thirdhand smoke).

New Studies Show an FDA Menthol Ban Would Benefit Public Health, Garner Broad Public Support

AJPH recently published three papers on menthol cigarettes, including our recent paper. Media coverage links are below.

• The Hill
• Essence
• GlobalGrind
• Boston Globe

YTS Posters

We are printing these posters for the Health Department and all of the schools that participated in the YTS. Contact us if you would like the pdf.

The Environmental Burden of Cigarette Butts

The current supplement of Tobacco Control addresses the environmental burden of cigarette butts. 


Check out our fact sheet on the burden in Mississippi.