More Reasons to Hate Smokers...

First off, let me just say that I've never even tried smoking in my life. Never have - never will. I grew up in a house where both of my parents smoked (thankfully, they have long since given it up), so naturally I hated it from the get-go. They never smoked in our house, but they did outside around us and whenever we were in the car.

We all know secondhand smoke is bad for us... and it is receiving more and more attention. Many places are passing laws that ban smoking in public areas such as restaurants and bars. However, we haven't seen that in our area (yet). This is a real shame. There isn't too awful much to do in Parkersburg and Marietta compared to bigger cities--so going to eat at restaurants and going to bars are popular pasttimes among people in this area.

Nothing annoys me more than someone who smokes around others. Its not only annoying and gross, but harmful. But just how harmful is it?

According to a review by Joaquin Barnoya, MD, and colleagues that was cited in the above article, the affects of second-hand smoke (even from brief exposure) on the heart are up to 90% as large as the affects of active, chronic smoking.

"The researchers say that the effects of passive smoke are numerous and interact with each other, increasing the risk of heart disease. Here are some of the heart hazards that the review linked to secondhand smoke:
— Increased blood clotting ability
— Increased blood vessel wall abnormalities
— Higher risk of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)
— Lower levels of HDL "good" cholesterol (even in children)
— More buildup of LDL "bad" cholesterol in artery walls
— Higher blood levels of markers of inflammation that are inked to heart disease and blood vessel wall plaque buildup
— Increased source of cell-damaging free radicals
— Lower levels of antioxidants, which fight free radicals

Evidence about secondhand smoke's heart dangers has been growing since the mid-1980s, say the researchers.

"Secondhand smoke increases the risk of heart disease by [about] 30 percent, accounting for at least 35,000 deaths annually in the United States," they write."

And thats just the heart.

I don't know about you all, but I can't wait to see the day when I can walk into the Townhouse and actually breathe without breathing in ash from someone else's cancer sticks. If it were up to me, I would outlaw that nasty habit and be done with it.

Comments from either side?

Airlines Look to Make Big Changes...

Three of America's largest airliners made huge headlines across the country todays.

Firstly, US Airways and America West announced today that a merger between the two (which are the 7th and 8th largest carriers in the nation, respectively) would be made in order to unite the two struggling airlines into a larger, stronger one. The new airline would operate under the title of "US Airways" still. The merger will be funded by $1.5 billion dollars in capital from a variety of new investors.

"The goal of the merger is to stitch together two geographically distinct carriers with a history of financial struggles into a stronger airline that would compete better with lower-cost rivals such as Southwest Airlines Inc. and JetBlue Airways Corp."

In the face of this news, Delta Airlines also made big news today with the announcement that it plans to cut costs by $1 billion dollars in order to achieve its goal of cutting costs by $5 billion dollars by 2006.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,157060,00.html

"There is no area that will be safe from scrutiny," CEO Gerald Grinstein told shareholders at the struggling carrier's annual meeting.

According to John Malone, chairman of the Delta pilots union's executive committee, the pilots have done their part in reaching the goal by agreeing to a 32.5% pay cut last fall.

Delta shareholders also agreed to double the number of shares of company common stock to 900 million and reduce the par value of common stock from $1.50 to $0.01 per stock in order to give the airline greater flexibility.

In both cases, airlines are making decisions in order to keep out of bankruptcy and start churning profits in the face of rising fuel prices and competition in the low-fares market.

Welcome to the Summer edition of MariettaEcon

If you're new to blogging, just browse down the posts (and comments) made by my students this past Spring semester to get an idea of what it's all about. You are also welcome to sample some of my favorite blogs listed along the right hand side of the page.

Blogging is an opportunity for you to share your thoughts on world events with the rest of us. While normative statements are quite welcome, I would rather have you contribute positive statements that involve a bit of economic analysis. As you make your contributions, remember that you must include a hyperlink to the background material on which your posts are made.