guevara | parts of lawsuit dismissed, 3a | The Beatles British Invasion strikes again, 1B
speed kills| Arizona too much for Central Michigan, 6A
Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009
Central Michigan Life
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
[cm-life.com]
smoking out an industry?
CLOVE CIGS GONE TOO
NO MOR FLAVOR E S
COMING SOON: GROSS IMAGES
cartoon by ross kittredge
Disturbing images coming to U.S. cigarette packages By Joe Borlik | Senior Reporter
S
mokers in the United States may soon be forced to view graphic and disturbing images illustrating the dangers of smoking every time they light up. Expected to take effect within the next three years, new federal regulations would force tobacco companies to cover at least half their packages of cigarettes with shocking warning labels including images such as black teeth and rotting lungs.
It is all part of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, a bill President Barack Obama signed into law June 22. Psychology professor Bryan Gibson, who has conducted various studies on smoking, said the concept is a good idea, but could backfire if the images are too disturbing. “By increasing fear about
something, you can change behavior, but if you make it too scary, people tend to tune it out,” he said. Modeled after Canada? The bill gave the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authority to regulate tobacco products. A smoking | 5a
[inside] NEWS w State Police see increase in Labor Day citations, 3A
celebrity on campus
w Get to know senior soccer midfielder Molly Gerst, 7A
Sean Astin inspires 750 in Plachta
campus vibe
By Brad Canze Senior Reporter
w Freshman begins RSO before classes start, 3A
Sports
w ‘Red Herring’ opens tonight in Bush Theatre, 3B w Sorority recruitment starts today, 3B
CM-LIFE.com w Check for a video interview with Sean Astin.
weather w Partly cloudy High 79/ Low 56
“Leadership is a quality not sipped from a chalice, but forged through deeds,” actor Sean Astin said during his speech in Warriner Hall’s Plachchris bacarella/staff photographer ta Auditorium Tuesday night. Macomb freshman Lindsay Churches gets an original script from the movie “Rudy” Astin, best known for his signed by Sean Astin, who played the title character. Along with the movie script, roles in the films “Rudy,” “The Churches brought a photo she took with Astin on the set of “Rudy” 17 years ago. Goonies” and “The Lord of the Rings,” spoke about the virtues Coordinator of Student Activ- said Farmington Hills junior of righteous leadership and the ities Damon Brown said there Nikki Burnstein, lecture chairlessons he’s learned through were about 750 in attendance. woman for Program Board, show business to an excited “I was hoping it would fill the Plachta crowd. lower level, and it basically did,” A astin | 2a
Bans on texting while driving picking up speed Eighteen states currently have anti-texting laws By Todd Betzold Staff Reporter
The United States recently saw increased support for a ban on texting while driving. In July, four U.S. senators pushed a bill that would ban texting and e-mailing while driving and cause states not approving text ban laws within two years to lose up to 25 percent of federal highway funds. Eighteen states and the District of Columbia approved anti-texting legislation, while others are considering it. Six states, including New York, banned cell phone use while driving altogether. A survey by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute released in July showed drivers who are texting while driving are 23 times more at risk of a crash or near-crash event than non-distracted drivers. “Texting is certainly far different. It involves someone taking one hand off the wheel and their eyes off the road,” said Anne Readett, communications manager of the Michigan Office of
Highway Safety Planning. The push for such a ban reached Michigan two years ago, without any results. But now it is back in the spotlight. In 2007 and again last March, State Sen. Buzz Thomas, D-Detroit, introduced Bill 402, a proposition to ban texting while driving. “There is no need to be sending a text while driving your car — it’s one of the most dangerous things a driver can do,” Thomas said in a prepared statement. “If it’s really that important, pull over and send your message or just wait until you get to where you are going.” The bill, which would making texting while driving a misdemeanor offense punishable with a $100 fine, has not received any attention the past few months, but Thomas said this is the second session in which he introduced the bill. He said he hopes the Michigan legislature will realize the urgency and approve the bill. Dennis Denno, Thomas’ chief of staff, said nothing significant has changed in the bill since 2007. “We definitely get a lot of e-mails of support,” he said.
A texting | 5a
Students more at risk for obesity, heart disease Unhealthy lifestyles due to schedules, peer influences By Sherri Keaton Senior Reporter
Bay City freshman Dylan Ratell is a little worried about gaining more weight. Yet he is becoming more involved in activities, including theatrical dancing, that allow him to move a little, shake a little and exercise more to combat the battle of adding pounds. “I have been obese before, because I was not getting up to exercise, but I actually I have been losing weight since I have been here,” he said. Obesity rates are rapidly increasing in the United States, causing more than one-third of U.S. adults– more than 72 million people–to be obese, according to the Center for Disease Control. Obesity also is hitting some college campuses hard. According to research from the University of New Hampshire in 2007, many 18- to 24-year-olds are headed toward obesity, which causes high blood pressure and an increased risk of coronary heart disease and other diseases re-
Ways to stay fit w Walk around campus between classes w Split your foods, such as desserts w Use the Student Activity Center or the Towers or East Area fitness centers
lated to plaque buildup in artery walls. Data was collected from 800 undergraduates enrolled in a nutrition course, and at least one-third of the UNH students were overweight or obese. Obesity crosses culture, gender, socioeconomic status, education and geographic region lines, according to the Center for Disease Control. Najat Yehia, a human environmental studies assistant professor, said many factors contribute to weight gain because of the society people live in with fast food restaurants at every street corner, unlimited junk food, television commercials and larger portion food sizes. “There is a trend toward a decrease in physical activity due to many forms of work and changing modes of transportation that keep people from eating healthy,” she said.
A obesity | 5a
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