1>ase6______________________________ Æ |!1' ^Jortlanb (Observer APril 28-2010 Portland Test Market for Candy-Like Dissolvable Cigerettes After decades of legislation and education campaigns aimed at keep­ ing kids from starting up tobacco habits, the industry may have found an under-handed way to get its hooks into a new generation. Portland has been chosen as one of three test markets for a new set of products that critics say are tar­ geted squarely at kids. At Plaid Pantry stores in Portland customers can pick up Camel Orbs, Camel Sticks, and Camel Strips. All are made from finely ground tobacco mixed with mint orcinnamon flavor­ ing that you can let hang from your mouth like a toothpick or slowly melt in your mouth. Jeff Merkely, Oregon’s junior Democratic Senator, is crying foul, that they come in colorful packag­ and wants the U.S. Food and Drug ing, look suspiciously like candy, Administration to use its recently and could be easily consumed in a acquired authority to ban the prod­ classroom- unbeknownst to an un­ ucts outright. suspecting teacher. Critics of the products point out “The flavoring, appearance and packaging o f tobacco candy are clearly designed to appeal to chil­ dren. The tobacco companies even shaped the containers to look like a ceH phone in a student’s pocket, making it hard for teachers to detect and intercept them,” said Merkley in a prepared statement. Last week, the medical journal “Pediatrics” concluded that the products were intended to appeal to a younger generation. Because they deliver a quick shock of nicotine, they have the potential to poison children. There is already one inci­ dent on record of an infant ingest­ ing an orb in Oregon, who did not need medical attention. This isn’t the first time tobacco companies have caused a stir in Oregon with products that don’t THE SPINACOLUMN Dr. Billy R. Flowers An ongoing series of questions and answers about Americas natural healing profession. Part 35. Different Benefits by Age Group : What age groups can a chi it can almost always be corrected being drugged into num bness ropractor help most? when chiropractic care is initiated in are fair rew ards for all the years time. o f hard work. : This is like asking which age groups benefit most from Needless to say, every teenage girl D ep en d in g on the d eg ree o f good health. And yet, each age should be checked regularly for subluxations degeneration, your group has specific problems for sc o lio sis and all teen ag ers and chiropractor can often provide which your chiropractor has spe­ young adults should see their chiro­ help. cific answers. practor regularly to make sure their newly active sports lives aren’t cre­ For senior citizens who’ve been Infant and Y oung Children ating spinal problems they’ll have to fortunate enough to suffered mini­ Other mothers are often amazed live with the rest of their lives. mal trauma in their lives, virtually to see a mother carrying her in­ complete spinal recovery should fant out of the adjusting room. Adults be almost as easy as it would be And yet, since the delivery pro­ The world today is experiencing a for younger people. cess itself causes a high percent­ terrible level of stress. Long work age of subluxations, infants to weeks, seemingly impossible dead­ For those w ho have suffered need chiropractic care. Obviously, lines and economic woes create in­ needlessly for years, your chiro­ children and infants are treated credible pressures. In addition, most practor can often slow or stop the differently than adults. There are adults breathe in polluted air, drink degeneration, making life more new, highly sophisticated meth­ chemically treated water and con­ comfortable. It is certainly worth ods of adjusting children and in­ sume an average of nine pounds of the effort so that our senior citi­ fants to insure the best possible food additives and chemical preser­ zens get the dignity of health care results with the least possible dis­ vatives in a year, putting even more they deserve. comfort. Though young children stress on their bodies. One sure way can’t tell you they’re in pain, heir to keep the stress level from causing Something for Everyone irritability is often a sign of the potentially dangerous subluxations As you can see, there are practi­ need to be checked. is with regular chiropractic check­ cally as many reasons to have ups. regular chiropractic checkups as Young Adults and Teenagers there are people. Make an appoint­ More and more young adults and Senior Citizens ment for yourself and your loved teenagers are getting involved in Retirem ent age for many people ones soon. active sports. As a result, more has becom e ju st plain tiresom e. and more of them are getting in- Aches and pins, often the result Flowers Chiropractic Office s u b lu x a tio n s , | 2124 NE Hancock ured, requiring prompt chiroprac­ o f u n tre a te d tic care. abound. Yet is hardly seems fair I Portland, Oregon 97212 that having to suffer with pain or , Phone: (503) 287-5504 Obviously half of he girls in our society develop scoliosis (curva­ ture of the spine) during puberty, 2124 N .E. Hancock Street, Portland O regon97212 ^eft untreated, scoliosis keeps getting worse over time. However, P h o n e : (5 0 3 ) 287*5504 resemble chew orcigarettes. In 2006, Camel began distributing Snus, small pouches o f minty ground tobacco. David Howard, spokesperson for RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company, the manufacturer of the products, denies that they are targeted at chil­ dren. “Certainly that’s not the case at all,” he said. Instead, he said that they are for adults, who are aware of the risks that come with tobacco use, and want to enjoy them without bother­ ing others with the smoke, spit, and litter associated with more traditional products. He also points out that they are child proof on the same shelf with other tobacco products, and have the same warning level as them. Cigarette Sales Down in Oregon Oregonians are buying fewer cigarettes, according to data re­ leased last week by the Oregon Department of Human Services. In 2009, Oregonians bought 183 million packs of cigarettes, down from 189 million the previous year. DHS is also using the numbers to tout the benefits of the Oregon Tobacco Prevention and Education Program. Since it was started in 1996, the per capita consumption of ciga­ rettes has declined 46 percent. But despite the positive trend, Oregon still has some work to do in reducing the use o f tobacco. A ccording to data from the C en­ ters for D isease Control and Pre­ vention, Oregon ranks 11 th in the state for tobacco use, with 16 p er­ cent o f adults still smoking. The state also ranks 16th nationally for people betw een 12 and 17 smoking. High Quality & Affordable Pediatric Primary Healthcare Children’s Community Clinic 27 NE Killingsworth St. Portland, OR 97211 Phone: (503)284-5239 Fax: (503)284-9162 No insurance? No problem. We may be able to help you. Oregon Health Plan application assistance onsite Tuesdays & Thursdays $59* Excellent Healthcare fo r Every Child • • • General Pediatric Care • Immunizations Physicals • Young Adult Health Diabetes & Asthma Diagnosis/Treatment d Management Services available fo r ages: Birth through 21 years Oregon Board Certified Pediatricians & Providers ♦Price for most visits; payment must be made at the time of service. . Lab test fees & prescriptions may be extra. COUPON Flowers' Chiropractic Office Valid 5/1/2010 - 8/31/2010 $20 CUNiC o ff Initial visit payment PDXO042820I0 Cash Value - SO 001 ititi « « itti » » • t, • /