text:
Why has adolescent smoking declined dramatically? Trend analysis using repeat cross-sectional data from New Zealand 2002–2015
Jude Ball1,
Dalice Sim2,
1 Public Health Department, University of Otago, Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
2 Dean's Department, University of Otago, Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
Correspondence to Jude Ball; jude.ball{at}otago.ac.nz
Objectives Adolescent smoking has declined in New Zealand and in many other countries since the late 1990s, yet the reasons for the decline are not well understood. We investigated the extent to which established risk factors for adolescent smoking (parental, sibling and peer smoking, and exposure to smoking in the home) explained the downward trend.
Design Trend analysis of repeat cross-sectional data from an annual nationally representative survey.
Setting New Zealand.
Participants Secondary school students aged 14–15 (n=398 221).
Outcome measure Regular (at least monthly) smoking.
Methods For each risk factor (parental smoking, best friend smoking, older sibling smoking and past week exposure to smoking in the home) we plotted prevalence of exposure, 2002–2015. Next, using multivariable logistic regression, we modelled the trend in regular smoking (expressed as an OR for year) adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity and socioeconomic position. The risk factors were added to the model—individually and collectively—to test whether they attenuated the OR for year.
Results Exposure to all risk factors except 'past week exposure to smoking in the home' decreased between 2002 and 2015. We observed a strong downward trend in regular smoking among adolescents (OR=0.88 per year, 95% CI 0.88 to 0.88, p<0.001). 'Best friend smoking' was the only risk factor that significantly attenuated the trend. However, due to circularity, this factor provides an unsatisfactory explanation for population level smoking decline.
Conclusions The established risk factors that we explored do not appear to have contributed to the remarkable decline in adolescent smoking in New Zealand between 2003 and 2015. Further research is needed to assess the possible contribution of factors outside our model, such as changes in the policy context, the social meaning of smoking and broader social and economic conditions.
The survey has a large sample size (n=20 443–31 833 per year), allowing precise population estimates based on individual-level data.
Due to data limitations, the study only includes a small number of risk factors, however the risk factors included have consistently been found to be among the strongest and most important predictors of adolescent smoking.
Our study design (using repeat cross sectional data) does not enable causal inferences to be drawn; rather our study draws on existing knowledge about the predictors of adolescent smoking initiation.
Smoking is a leading cause of preventable illness and premature death,1 and a key driver of health disparities between ethnic and socioeconomic groups.2 3 Long-term tobacco use typically begins with experimental smoking in adolescence,4 and, internationally, considerable research and policy attention has focused on understanding and preventing smoking uptake in this age group.
The dramatic decline in adolescent smoking observed since the late 1990s in many high-income countries is good news from a public health perspective. In New Zealand (NZ), for example, regular smoking (defined as at least monthly) among adolescents aged 14–15 years declined from a peak of 29% in 1999 to 5% in 2015, with decreases across all main ethnic groups, and a convergence between boys and girls over the period.5 Over the same period, the proportion who had never smoked (ie, not even a few puffs) rose from 32% to 79%.5 However, as in other countries,6 ethnic and socioeconomic disparities remain pronounced. For example, among Māori (indigenous) smoking prevalence in this age group was 11% in 2015 compared with 4% among non-Māori.7
Other countries including the USA, England and Australia have also experienced a decline in adolescent smoking from the late 1990s, following a sharp rise in the early 1990s.8 It is important to understand the causes of this decline in order to help ensure it is sustained, and to enable replication in other countries. Yet little research has focused on explaining this phenomenon. Public health interventions such as increases in tobacco tax or smoke-free environment legislation may have played a role,9–11 but they do not fully explain the observed trends, since declines in adolescent smoking have occurred almost simultaneously in countries with widely differing regulatory contexts. This, and the fact that other adolescent risk behaviours (eg, alcohol use, teen pregnancy) have also declined over a similar time period,8 suggests that broader social or cultural changes rather than specific tobacco control policies may have contributed to this international trend.
Such shifts could be generated by new technologies, for example. When the use of cell phones rose and smoking fell among adolescents in the late 1990s, a causal association was hypothesised.12 More recently, attention has turned to other new technologies—smartphones and social media—and their potential role in driving generational change in attitudes and behaviour.13 There is face validity to the idea that these new technologies may have changed the way young people socialise or project their identity, displacing the role of smoking or providing less opportunity for it. However, this hypothesis is challenged by a consistent body of evidence showing a positive association between smoking and cell phone/internet/social media use at the individual level.14–23
Other major changes since the mid-90s that could potentially impact on youth behaviour include changes in parenting24–26; changes in the school environment and ethos27–29 and broad economic and labour market conditions resulting in young people leaving school and achieving independence later than previous cohorts.30 31 But before exploring these macro-level explanations for smoking decline, an initial step is to determine the extent to which the observed trends can be explained by changing exposure to established individual-level predictors of smoking initiation.
Proximal risk factors for adolescent smoking have been studied extensively. Parental, sibling and peer smoking have consistently been identified as key risk factors,4 32 with the Surgeon General's 2012 evidence review concluding that the evidence is suggestive of a causal role for peer influences, and a potential causal role for parental smoking.4 The review found that smoking by older siblings influences smoking in adolescents more consistently than does smoking by parents.4 Exposure to smoking in the home, although a less studied factor, has also been shown to predict smoking in adolescents independent of parental smoking status in longitudinal and cross-sectional studies.33–37 Studies suggest secondhand smoke exposure may biologically predispose children to nicotine dependence38–42 in addition to providing pro-smoking socialisation.34 Could declining exposure to these proximal risk factors explain the dramatic decline in adolescent smoking since the turn of the century?
Despite extensive risk factor research, few studies have explored how exposure to risk factors has changed over time, or how such changes may be contributing to changes in adolescent smoking at the population level. The current study explores trends in exposure to known risk factors for adolescent smoking (parental, sibling and peer smoking and exposure to smoking in the home) and investigates the extent to which these risk factors could explain the declining trend in adolescent smoking in NZ from 2003 to 2015.
We used repeat cross-sectional data from the Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) NZ Year 10 Snapshot Survey series, an annual school-based survey of adolescents aged 14–15 years which is administered by ASH NZ and is part of the New Zealand Youth Tobacco Monitor. The questionnaire includes a set of 'core' questions that have remained consistent over time to enable trend monitoring, and additional questions which change from year to year. Years included in the current study were 2002–2015, since key variables of interest were unavailable prior to 2002. Furthermore, exposure to smoking in the home was not included in the questionnaire in 2002 or 2004–2005, and therefore multivariable trend analysis includes only data from 2003 and 2006–2015.
All public and private schools with year-10 students were invited to participate in the ASH NZ Year 10 Snapshot each year. Table 1 shows the sample size and student response rate (as a proportion of the total NZ year-10 population) by year. Non-response was almost entirely at the school level, with school response rates ranging from 44% to 67%.43 (The lower school response rate in 2015 was due to limited resources for liaising with schools that year.)
Sample size and student response rate by year
Following previously published ASH NZ analyses, our analysis was restricted to respondents aged 14 or 15 at the time of the survey. For consistency between descriptive and multivariable (ie, adjusted) analyses, only respondents with complete data for all variables (smoking status, parental smoking, sibling smoking, best friend smoking, age, gender, ethnicity, school decile and school ID, and for 2003 and 2006–2015 exposure to smoking in the home) were included in the analyses. In addition, only schools with at least 20 respondents were included so that results were based on stable estimates of smoking in each school. Table 1 shows the number of valid survey responses received based on the ASH NZ criteria for inclusion (ie, those with complete data for age (14/15 years), sex, ethnicity and smoking status), and the number included in our study (after exclusions above), by year. After application of our additional inclusion criteria 96% (398 221/414 254) of valid responses were included.
The final included sample (n=398, 221) comprised approximately half the year-10 population each year, and closely resembled the population in respect of demographic characteristics. A detailed comparison of the final included sample and population, by year, is provided in online supplementary table S1, showing that the sample is broadly representative although with modest but consistent under-representation of Māori and students from low decile schools. (School decile is a school-level measure of the socioeconomic position of a school's student community, explained further below.)44
Fieldwork was undertaken earlier in the year in 2011 and subsequently, meaning respondents were 2–3 months younger on average in 2011 and subsequent years, than in 2010 and prior years. Excluding the timing of fieldwork and changes to non-core questions, there has been consistency in survey instruments, administration and data management across included years.
In participating schools, the one-page survey is completed in class time under the supervision of teaching staff. Individual students may choose not to participate. To protect the confidentiality of students' responses, identifying information is not collected, and teachers are requested not to check the completed surveys. Completed surveys are returned to ASH NZ which oversees data entry, cleaning and coding.
Details on survey methodology are available elsewhere.43
The outcome variable, 'regular smoking' (Y/N) was defined as smoking at least monthly, based on the question 'How often do you smoke now?' The answer categories were: 'I have never smoked/I am not a smoker now', 'At least once a day', 'At least once a week', 'At least once a month' and 'Less often than once a month'.
Smoking status of mother, father, older sibling(s) and best friend were based on the question 'Which of the following people smoke?' with a dichotomous variable (current smoker, yes/no) created for each. Previous research shows that maternal smoking is more strongly associated with adolescent smoking initiation than paternal smoking,45 therefore we examined exposure to maternal and paternal smoking separately. For the purposes of multivariable analysis, parental smoking was grouped into one variable, coded 0=neither parent smokes, 1=only mother smokes, 2=only father smokes, 3=both parents smoke.
Past week exposure to smoking in the home was based on the question 'During the past 7 days, on how many days have people smoked around you in your home?' Response categories were 0 days, 1–2 days, 3–4 days, 5–6 days and 7 days. For descriptive analysis only, we recoded the responses into three categories: 'Daily exposure' (7 days) 'less than daily exposure' (1–6 days) and 'no exposure' (0 days).
In previous research, using the same data set, we confirmed that all the above risk factors were significantly associated with adolescent smoking, and that these associations remained significant throughout the study period.46
Demographic variables were age (14 or 15 years old), sex (male or female), ethnicity (prioritised Māori, Pacific, Asian, NZ European/other) and school decile. School decile is calculated by the Ministry of Education for purposes of funding allocation, and is a school-level measure of the socioeconomic position (SEP) of a school's student community. Details of how school decile is calculated are available from the Ministry of Education.44 For descriptive analysis only, we grouped school decile into low (deciles 1–3: most deprived), medium (4–7) and high (8–10: least deprived). Each school also had an identification number (school ID) which was assigned to all respondents from that school.
To describe trends we used SPSS (IBM Released 2016. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, V.24.0) to tabulate prevalence of regular smoking and prevalence of exposure to risk factors (overall and by sex, ethnicity and school decile) for each year. We then quantified the mean annual absolute change in proportion of respondents exposed to each risk factor using weighted linear regression (to adjust for differing variance by year by giving more weight to more accurate estimates of prevalence) with year as the independent variable. The weights were 1/SD2 of the proportions.
Next, for the years 2003 and 2005–2015, we conducted trend analyses based on individual-level data using multivariable logistic regression. We used SAS/STAT software (V.9.4 of the SAS system for Windows). To test the extent to which the risk factors of interest accounted for the change over time in adolescent smoking, we modelled regular smoking as a function of survey year, adjusting for demographic factors (age, sex, ethnicity and school decile), and including school ID as a random effect to account for clustering at the school level (model 1). We then added the risk factors of interest to model 1, first individually then collectively. Attenuation of the OR for year, which was tested using Z tests to compare log odds, would indicate that the risk factor (partially) accounted for the trend over time.
Initially, we modelled the trend using year as a continuous variable, which provided a single OR describing average annual change in the odds of regular smoking compared with the reference year, 2003. This approach assumes a linear trend over time which may not be valid, so we also modelled the trend using year as a categorical variable. This provided an OR for regular smoking for each survey year 2006–2016, compared with the reference year.
To test whether the results were the same for Māori adolescents as for the sample as a whole, we recoded ethnicity into Māori (yes/no) and repeated the trend analysis above for Māori only.
Patients were not involved in the design or conduct of this study, and nor were members of the general public.
Prevalence of regular smoking
There was a long-term decline in prevalence of regular smoking among adolescents aged 14–15 years from 22% in 2002 to 5% in 2015 (figure 1). Based on weighted linear regression, the overall regular smoking rate reduced by an average of 1.2% per year (in absolute terms) from 2002 to 2015.
Prevalence of regular smoking and risk factors in adolescents aged 14-15 years, 2002–2015. (A) Trends in adolescent and parental smoking prevalence (B) Trends in exposure to other risk factors.
Online supplementary figures S1–S3 show trends in prevalence of regular smoking stratified by ethnicity, school decile and gender, and indicate that smoking has declined in all demographic groups. Furthermore, ethnic, SEP and gender disparities have narrowed over time in absolute terms.
Changes in exposure to risk factors over time
Trends in exposure to risk factors are shown in figure 1. Parental smoking (figure 1A) declined only modestly over the study period with maternal and paternal smoking both declining by an average rate of 0.5% per annum. As shown in figure 1B, smoking among older siblings declined slightly more, at an average rate of 0.7% per annum, and 'best friend smokes' had the highest rate of decline at 1.5% per annum. Past week exposure to smoking in the home did not change significantly over the study period. Prevalence of daily exposure to smoking in the home fell from 22% to 13% overall (an average decrease of 0.6% per annum), however less than daily exposure increased over the study period.
Online supplementary figures S4–S10 show exposure to risk factors over time by ethnicity and school decile. They show that trends in exposure to risk factors followed a similar pattern in all ethnic and SEP subgroups, but disparities in levels of exposure were marked at all years.
Results of the trend analyses are shown in table 2. We observed a strong downward trend in regular smoking, with an OR of 0.88 per year (95% CI 0.88 to 0.88, p<0.001) based on the linear trend. When 'best friend smokes' was added to the model (model 1+best friend smokes) the size of the OR declined significantly (model 1), indicating that this risk factor partially (but not fully) accounted for the declining trend in adolescent smoking between 2003 and 2015. None of the other risk factors, when added to model 1, significantly attenuated the OR for year relative to the reference year, indicating that, individually, they did not contribute to the trend.
Results of multiple logistic regression analyses examining the impact of risk factors on the trend in regular smoking in adolescents
When all four risk factors were entered into the model together (model 1+all risk factors), the attenuation of the OR was significant (p<0.05) but the magnitude of the change was no greater than for 'model 1+best friend smokes'.
The pattern of results described above was observed regardless of whether year was used as a categorical variable (modelling change relative to 2003 for each year), or a continuous variable (modelling the linear trend, to give an annual average change over the study period, as shown in the final row of table 2). The same patterns were also seen in Māori respondents (see online supplementary table S2).
There was a residual effect of year (ie, unexplained change over time indicated by an OR for year that was significantly less than 1) in all the models, including the fully adjusted model. This suggests that there were factors outside our fully adjusted model that were influencing the change over time in smoking prevalence.
Exposure to best friend smoking declined strongly during the 2002–2015 period, while exposure to other established risk factors for smoking decreased more modestly, if at all. There was no change in past week exposure to smoking in the home overall (ie, 1–7 days), but daily exposure fell significantly, while less than daily exposure increased. The primary aim of this study was to determine whether these known risk factors explained (in statistical terms) the dramatic decline in adolescent smoking seen recently in NZ. Despite declining exposure to many of the included risk factors, modelling showed that most of the factors we explored (parental and sibling smoking, and exposure to smoking in the home) did not account for the trend in any measurable way, either individually or collectively.
Only 'best friend smokes' appeared to contribute to the declining trend in adolescent smoking. This was unsurprising, given that exposure to this risk factor declined markedly over the study period, and a previous study using the same data set has shown that the smoking status of respondents' best friend was by far the strongest risk factor for regular smoking in NZ adolescents aged 14–15 years of the factors we explored.46 However, research on peer influence suggests that causality is likely to be bidirectional, and the association is due, in part, to smokers seeking out other smokers as friends.4 Furthermore, at the population level, it would be a circular to suggest that declining best friend smoking explained the decline in adolescent smoking, since survey respondents and their best friends belong to the same cohort of adolescents in which smoking is declining. The question remains: if decreases in best friend smoking are resulting in reduced risk of adolescent smoking at the individual level, what is driving the decline in best friend smoking?
One possibility is that, since younger adolescents are strongly influenced by peers and adolescents slightly older than themselves, a virtuous cycle may have developed whereby a decline in adolescent smoking at time 1 has led to a subsequent decline in adolescent smoking at time 2 and so on. Further research, perhaps drawing on communicable disease methodology, could test this hypothesis and explore how the 'social transmission' of smoking (and other health risk behaviours) influences population prevalence over time. Should this hypothesis prove to be correct, the trigger for the sudden change from rapidly rising to rapidly falling adolescent tobacco use from the late 1990s to the early 2000s still remains to be identified.
Our findings suggest that there are other factors influencing the decline in adolescent smoking that this study did not address. For example, it is possible that changes in the social meaning of smoking47 48 and the policy context11 49—factors that were not included in our analyses—may have played a role in triggering adolescent smoking decline. For example, policy responses to rising adolescent smoking in the 1990s may have influenced teen smoking in NZ, as they appear to have done in Australia,10 11 the UK6 and the USA.9 In NZ, such policy responses included raising the legal age of tobacco purchase from 16 to 18 years of age in 1997, a tax increase which raised the price of a packet of 20 cigarettes by 13% in 199850 and the 'Why start?' mass media campaign which ran from 1996 to 1998. It is plausible that, collectively, these measures contributed to the denormalisation of smoking which, together with any specific intervention effects, may have been the trigger for adolescent smoking decline both in NZ and other jurisdictions. Mass media campaigns from 2000 focusing on secondhand smoke and a 2004 ban on smoking in pubs and all other indoor workplaces likely contributed to the ongoing denormalisation of smoking (in particular indoor smoking) in NZ,51 and may underpin the observed decline in daily exposure to smoking in the home. As Simon Chapman has pointed out, denormalisation involves an 'interplay of continuous, uncontrolled, unmeasured, and sometimes unmeasurable variables intended to influence [tobacco] consumption', and cannot be reduced to the sum of its parts.52
However, if tobacco denormalisation, along with the other factors discussed above, explains the decline in adolescent smoking, is it simply a coincidence that adolescent alcohol use, teen pregnancy and juvenile crime have also declined over the same period? Or does this suggest there are additional overarching influences that are impacting on a range of adolescent risk-taking behaviours?
As far as we are aware, this is the first study to explore trends in exposure to known risk factors with the purpose of better understanding the drivers of the decline in adolescent smoking prevalence. Definitively establishing the reason(s) for the decline in adolescent smoking is not possible using repeat cross-sectional data (or indeed via any single study). However, trend analysis using statistical modelling allowed us to explore the relationships between survey year, risk factors and outcomes, and thereby (potentially) account for changes over time in statistical terms. This approach has allowed us to rule out hypothesised explanations for population level change over time, and adds to the evidence base about the most likely explanations for the decline of smoking in young people.
Strengths of the study include the large sample size, and demographic similarity between the sample and the year-10 population, suggesting response bias was not a substantial issue. Systematic under-representation and over-representation were found to be relatively consistent over time and therefore unlikely to affect trend analysis which was the focus of our study. The methods for the ASH NZ survey were broadly consistent between years, with minor changes (eg, a change in fieldwork timing from 2011) unlikely to contribute significantly to the trends observed. Since there is a strong similarity between NZ and other countries at a late stage in the tobacco epidemic in terms of trends in adolescent smoking and known risk factors, it is likely that our conclusions may be generalisable to similar countries, but this remains to be confirmed through further research.
Given the complex array of factors at various levels that are known to influence smoking uptake, one of the limitations of our study was the limited number of risk factors for which consistent data were available. Clearly, there are other contributing factors, and our study was unable to explore these. The study was based on self-report questionnaire data, with its inherent limitations (eg, potential for social desirability bias, and misinterpretation of questions resulting in misclassification); however, recent biomarker testing of a subsample of ASH NZ year-10 participants indicated that the survey provides an accurate population estimate of smoking prevalence.53 We used school decile as a proxy for SEP, since more direct measures were unavailable. Because school communities are heterogeneous, it is an imperfect measure at the individual level, and residual confounding by SEP is possible in our adjusted analyses.
In summary, our findings suggest that the remarkable decline in adolescent smoking in NZ cannot be explained by declining exposure to parental smoking, sibling smoking or past week exposure to smoking in the home. These factors have not contributed measurably to the trend, either individually or collectively. Declining 'best friend smoking' partially accounts for declining adolescent smoking in our statistical model, but this finding contributes little to our understanding of the drivers of population-level decline since respondents and their best friends largely come from the same population. It is clear that factors other than those in our model are at play, with changes in the social meaning of smoking, the policy context and broader sociocultural changes all potential contributors. Further research is needed to identify other contributing factors and determine their relative importance.
The authors wish to acknowledge the data owners, ASH New Zealand, for access to the ASH NZ Year 10 Snapshot Survey data. The ASH Year 10 Snapshot Survey is part of the New Zealand Youth Tobacco Monitor, a national, school-based survey of young people's smoking behaviours, attitudes and associated risk factors. We also thank the advisory group who provided project oversight, feedback and/or technical advice. In particular we thank Rob McGee (University of Otago), Sicily Sunseri (Health Promotion Agency), and Andrew Waa (University of Otago) for feedback on earlier drafts.
Ministry of Health. Health loss in New Zealand 1990-2013: a report from the New Zealand burden of diseases, injuries and risk factors study. Wellington: Ministry of Health, 2016.
Blakely T ,
Fawcett J ,
Hunt D , et al
. What is the contribution of smoking and socioeconomic position to ethnic inequalities in mortality in New Zealand? Lancet 2006;368:44–52.doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(06)68813-2
B E ,
Sivasankara Kurup A
David A ,
Esson K ,
Perucic A-M , et al
. Tobacco use: equity and social determinants. In: B E , Sivasankara Kurup A , eds. Equity, social determinants and public health programmes. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2010.
Centers for Disease Control. Preventing tobacco use among youth and young adults: a report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, USA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012.
Action on Smoking and Health. ASH year 10 snapshot survey 2015: factsheet 1 topline results. Auckland: ASH New Zealand, 2018.
Green MJ ,
Leyland AH ,
Sweeting H , et al
. Socioeconomic position and early adolescent smoking development: evidence from the British Youth Panel Survey (1994-2008). Tob Control 2016;25:203–10.doi:10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2014-051630
Action on Smoking and Health. ASH year 10 snapshot survey 2015: factsheet 4 Maori smoking. Auckland, New Zealand: ASH New Zealand, 2018.
Ball J ,
Edwards R ,
Cook H
. Why are today's adolescents less likely to smoke, drink, take drugs or have sex than those in the 1990s? 15th World Congress on Public Health. Melbourne, Australia, 2017.
Pampel FC ,
Aguilar J
. Changes in youth smoking, 1976-2002: a time-series analysis. Youth Soc 2008;39:453–79.doi:10.1177/0044118X07308070
White VM ,
Durkin SJ ,
Coomber K , et al
. What is the role of tobacco control advertising intensity and duration in reducing adolescent smoking prevalence? Findings from 16 years of tobacco control mass media advertising in Australia. Tob Control 2015;24:198–204.doi:10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2012-050945
Warne CD ,
Spittal MJ , et al
. What impact have tobacco control policies, cigarette price and tobacco control programme funding had on Australian adolescents' smoking? Findings over a 15-year period. Addiction 2011;106:1493–502.doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2011.03429.x
Charlton A ,
Bates C
. Decline in teenage smoking with rise in mobile phone ownership: hypothesis. BMJ 2000;321:1155.doi:10.1136/bmj.321.7269.1155
Twenge JM
. IGen: Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy-and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2017.
Durkee T ,
Carli V ,
Floderus B , et al
. Pathological internet use and risk-behaviors among European Adolescents. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2016;13:294.doi:10.3390/ijerph13030294
Gommans R ,
Stevens GW ,
Finne E , et al
. Frequent electronic media communication with friends is associated with higher adolescent substance use. Int J Public Health 2015;60:167–77.doi:10.1007/s00038-014-0624-0
Huang GC ,
Okamoto J ,
Valente TW , et al
. Effects of media and social standing on smoking behaviors among adolescents in China. J Child Media 2012;6:100–18.doi:10.1080/17482798.2011.633411
Iannotti RJ ,
Kogan MD ,
Janssen I , et al
. Patterns of adolescent physical activity, screen-based media use, and positive and negative health indicators in the U.S. and Canada. J Adolesc Health 2009;44:493–9.doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2008.10.142
Koivusilta L ,
Lintonen T ,
Rimpelä A
. Mobile phone use has not replaced smoking in adolescence. BMJ 2003;326:161.doi:10.1136/bmj.326.7381.161
Leena K ,
Tomi L ,
Arja RR
. Intensity of mobile phone use and health compromising behaviours–how is information and communication technology connected to health-related lifestyle in adolescence? J Adolesc 2005;28:35–47.doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2004.05.004
Meldrum RC ,
Clark J
. Adolescent virtual time spent socializing with peers, substance use, and delinquency. Crime & Delinquency 2015;61:1104–26.doi:10.1177/0011128713492499
Morioka H ,
Itani O ,
Osaki Y , et al
. Association between smoking and problematic internet use among Japanese adolescents: large-scale nationwide epidemiological study. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw 2016;19:557–61.doi:10.1089/cyber.2016.0182
Osaki Y ,
Ohida T ,
Kanda H , et al
. Mobile phone use does not discourage adolescent smoking in Japan. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 2012;13:1011–4.doi:10.7314/APJCP.2012.13.3.1011
Steggles N ,
Jarvis MJ
. Do mobile phones replace cigarette smoking among teenagers? Tob Control 2003;12:339-a–40.doi:10.1136/tc.12.3.339-a
Gauthier AH ,
Smeeding TM ,
Furstenberg FF
. Are parents investing less time in children? Trends in selected industrialized countries. Popul Dev Rev 2004;30:647–72.doi:10.1111/j.1728-4457.2004.00036.x
Guryan J ,
Hurst E ,
Kearney M
. Parental education and parental time with children. Journal of Economic Perspectives 2008;22:23–46.doi:10.1257/jep.22.3.23
Morman MT ,
Floyd K
. A "changing culture of fatherhood": effects on affectionate communication, closeness, and satisfaction in men's relationships with their fathers and their sons. West J Commun 2002;66:395–411.doi:10.1080/10570310209374746
Thapa A ,
Cohen J ,
Guffey S , et al
. A review of school climate research. Rev Educ Res 2013;83:357–85.doi:10.3102/0034654313483907
Cornell D ,
Huang F
. Authoritative school climate and high school student risk behavior: a cross-sectional multi-level analysis of student self-reports. J Youth Adolesc 2016;45:2246–59.doi:10.1007/s10964-016-0424-3
Jamal F ,
Fletcher A ,
Harden A , et al
. The school environment and student health: a systematic review and meta-ethnography of qualitative research. BMC Public Health 2013;13:798.doi:10.1186/1471-2458-13-798
Settersten RA ,
Ray B
. What's going on with young people today? The long and twisting path to adulthood. Future Child 2010;20:19–41.doi:10.1353/foc.0.0044
Rea D ,
Callister P
. The changing nature of young people's transitions in New Zealand. Wellington: Institute of Policy Studies, Victoria University, 2009.
Tyas SL ,
Pederson LL
. Psychosocial factors related to adolescent smoking: a critical review of the literature. Tob Control 1998;7:409–20.doi:10.1136/tc.7.4.409
Darling H ,
Reeder A
. Is exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke in the home related to daily smoking among youth? Aust N Z J Public Health 2003;27:655–6.doi:10.1111/j.1467-842X.2003.tb00617.x
Waa A ,
Newcombe R , et al
. Parental behaviours, but not parental smoking, influence current smoking and smoking susceptibility among 14 and 15 year-old children. Aust N Z J Public Health 2011;35:530–6.doi:10.1111/j.1753-6405.2011.00772.x
Becklake MR ,
Ghezzo H ,
Ernst P
. Childhood predictors of smoking in adolescence: a follow-up study of Montreal schoolchildren. CMAJ 2005;173:377–9.doi:10.1503/cmaj.1041428
Wang MP ,
Ho SY ,
Lam TH
. Parental smoking, exposure to secondhand smoke at home, and smoking initiation among young children. Nicotine Tob Res 2011;13:827–32.doi:10.1093/ntr/ntr083
Voorhees CC ,
Ye C ,
Carter-Pokras O , et al
. Peers, tobacco advertising, and secondhand smoke exposure influences smoking initiation in diverse adolescents. Am J Health Promot 2011;25:e1–11.doi:10.4278/ajhp.090604-QUAN-180
Selya AS ,
Dierker LC ,
Rose JS , et al
. Risk factors for adolescent smoking: parental smoking and the mediating role of nicotine dependence. Drug Alcohol Depend 2012;124:311–8.doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2012.02.004
Bélanger M ,
O'Loughlin J ,
Okoli CT , et al
. Nicotine dependence symptoms among young never-smokers exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke. Addict Behav 2008;33:1557–63.doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2008.07.011
Schuck K ,
Kleinjan M ,
Otten R , et al
. Responses to environmental smoking in never-smoking children: can symptoms of nicotine addiction develop in response to environmental tobacco smoke exposure? J Psychopharmacol 2013;27:533–40.doi:10.1177/0269881112466184
Okoli CT ,
Kelly T ,
Hahn EJ
. Secondhand smoke and nicotine exposure: a brief review. Addict Behav 2007;32:1977–88.doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2006.12.024
Brody AL ,
Mandelkern MA ,
London ED , et al
. Effect of secondhand smoke on occupancy of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in brain. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2011;68:953–60.doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.51
Action on Smoking and Health. 2014 ASH year 10 snapshot survey: information and methodology. Auckland: Action on Smoking and Health, 2014.
Ministry of Education, 2017. School deciles: Ministry of Education https://education.govt.nz/school/running-a-school/resourcing/operational-funding/school-decile-ratings/ (accessed 29 Jun 2017).
Leonardi-Bee J ,
Jere ML ,
Britton J
. Exposure to parental and sibling smoking and the risk of smoking uptake in childhood and adolescence: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Thorax 2011;66:847–55.doi:10.1136/thx.2010.153379
Sim D ,
Edwards R
. Addressing ethnic disparities in adolescent smoking: Is reducing exposure to smoking in the home a key? Nicotine Tob Res 2018 [Epub ahead of print 15 Mar 2018].doi:10.1093/ntr/nty053
Plumridge EW ,
Fitzgerald LJ ,
Abel GM
. Performing coolness: smoking refusal and adolescent identities. Health Educ Res 2002;17:167–79.doi:10.1093/her/17.2.167
Nichter M
. Smoking: what does culture have to do with it? Addiction 2003;98(Suppl 1):139–45.doi:10.1046/j.1360-0443.98.s1.9.x
Dessaix A ,
Maag A ,
McKenzie J , et al
. Factors influencing reductions in smoking among Australian adolescents. Public Health Res Pract 2016;26:e2611605.doi:10.17061/phrp2611605
O'Dea D ,
Thomson G
. Report on tobacco taxation in New Zealand Volume I. Wellington, New Zealand, 2007.
Thomson G ,
Wilson N , et al
. After the smoke has cleared: evaluation of the impact of a new national smoke-free law in New Zealand. Tob Control 2008;17:e2.doi:10.1136/tc.2007.020347
Chapman S
. Unravelling gossamer with boxing gloves: problems in explaining the decline in smoking. BMJ 1993;307:429–32.doi:10.1136/bmj.307.6901.429
Sunseri S ,
White J
. Class, please spit: using a biochemical validation of self-reported smoking in a national sample of young people. 13th Behavioural Research in Cancer Control Conference. Melbourne, Australia: Cancer Council Victoria, 2017.
Contributors All authors contributed to the conception and design of the study. The analysis was executed by DS and JB, with oversight by RE. JB drafted the manuscript with input from all authors.
Funding This work was supported by a University of Otago Research Grant 507415.
Ethics approval The survey was approved, as a component of the NZ Youth Tobacco Monitor, by the Ministry of Health Multiregional Health and Disability Ethics Committee in 2007.
Data sharing statement The data are owned by ASH New Zealand, and cannot be shared by the authors.


Ingredients Concentrated apple juice 61.8%, concentrated orange juice 34%, carrot juice 4%, lemon juice 0.2%. For more information on product labels, please contact our Customer Service department. The information on the labels of the products may vary for reasons beyond our control, therefore, there may be discrepancies between the information on the site and that on the products delivered. Please always check the information on the product before consumption or use.


1. Gently cut the pomegranate in half and put both halves into a large bowl of cold water. Working under the water, remove seeds from the flesh using your hands. Drain water and reserve seeds. Lay out a nice handful on a paper towel to dry.
6. Refrigerate for at least 2 hrs and break off pieces when ready to eat. Store in fridge.


Okay, no more wedding pictures today (I think). If I were going to show you a wedding picture it would be of my wonderful and talented friend, Denise White, who sang The Lord's Prayer at our wedding and also had a wonderful time singing with the Jack Mitchell Big Band at the reception. I even joined her for our signature Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy rendition, that we always sing when we get together.
Okay, the last of the Anniversary pics for now!
Today, I'm going to show you some of the fabulous honeymoon pics. Remember, that I traveled (a lot) back in the day. We travelled from Fayetteville, Arkansas to New Orleans, where we spent a couple of days, and then on to Jamaica, for a glorious 10 days and then back to New Orleans for a final three days, first class, round trip for – $29.00 yes that is twenty-nine dollars. Thank God for frequent flier miles. I should have known all that travelling would pay off somewhere.
We stayed at Sandals – Negril. This was the view outside our door!
We had a sunset toast every evening.
We had a wonderful time in Jamaica. It was fun after New Orleans. We arrived in the late evening in Negril. We made our way to the nearest restaurant where we ordered some of the delicious local seafood. We requested a bottle of Chardonnay. The waiter asked us if we wanted red or white! We knew we were a long way from New Orleans, the home of some of the best food and wine in the world!
It's a three-for Tuesday! Join these great blogs for more recipes and great ideas.
This is a wonderful recipe from Brennen's New Orleans. It is a great soup to have in the cooler months of the year!
Loved your holiday pix, spookily enoughI have palm trees in my post today.
Beautiful pictures! Congratulations and best wishes for your marriage–hope the honeymoon lasts a long, long time!
You lucky girl. Such a fabulous place to honymoon! We honymoned in Majorca ( Spain) 36 years agoo. Was very nice too. Have a fab day.
Looks yummy! I love onion soup!
Beautful pictures and it looks like such a nice relaxing life! Glad you had a great time!
My husband and I honeymooned in New Orleans 28 years ago and fell in love with the city. Now that our children are grown we vacation there at least a couple of times a year (we are going next week, in fact) and might end up retiring there someday.
It's funny that you posted this onion soup recipe because my son just asked me yesterday if I could make onion soup for him sometime. I told him that I think I had made it years ago from a recipe in my Brennan's cookbook which I had purchased on our honeymoon. It will be on my menu soon.


As stated in my previous post, my girls have been 'over' having their picture taken by me for years. Each year I eagerly start shopping for their big shoot months in advance, knowing when shoot day actually comes it won't be easy. I have always had a friend or assistant come along to 'wrangle' the kids. I figured this year, they were old enough..and WISE enough… to handle the shoot on their own. This was not the case. Once they stepped foot out of the car, they immediately began laying down the law — they set the amount of time I would be shooting (10 mins) and the number of exposures I could take (20). I agreed. Frankly, they made me a little nervous!
Well, we did it under 30 min, 75 exposures. Not surprising, they then told me I needed to take them to Starbucks to make up for going over my allowed limit. So I dutifully chauffeured them to Starbucks, all the while thinking about how one day my girls will appreciate these yearly photoshoots and the keepsakes they have to cherish forever… despite the oh so daunting task of smiling for their mother.


AHHHH. Finally, here it is. Lishuoscho Kivinu. Time to write my review. As if I don't have anything better to do on a Friday afternoon 2 hours to Shabbos. But, I just finished listening to it, and the time to strike is while the iron is still hot, and I'm still overawed by the sound of this thing.
First of all, a few preliminaries. A couple of words on the voice on this album, Ari Shraga Chaim Goldwag (ASCG!!)… Many of us remember him from his choir days… the way he would stride up to the mike with no fear, no stage fright, no ego, do his piece, and walk right back…. The voice he used to have, even back then, the control over it…. The serious ones among us already felt that this kid had a definite future down the road, just by the unpretentious way that he presented himself. I won't embarrass Ari by extolling all of his virtues here, but suffice it to say that Ari Goldwag is a special person and a ben torah – one of those rare instances in which a singer is actually a Torah'dige and humble guy and not an ego boy in the industry who finds everyone else beneath him or lets his music get to his head. You all know what I mean. He's a special and warmhearted human being, a fact which I can personally attest to. :-) (Stop blushing.) Ari is a real Shwekey number 2. Except, that Shwekey can hide under a rock when it comes to Ari's musical capabilities. As he wrote in his Country Yossi article, this guy composed 10 out of the 11 songs, and he engineered, mixed and produced the entire thing! That is UNBELIEVABLE! For one person to do all of this alone – I can just imagine the crazy hours of sheer hard work he must've put into the album. His musical genius just shines through. The album is completely professional – no, don't mistaken it for Ruach Uneshama II, this is the REAL thing ! – and all done by Ari… wow. As for Ari's voice (see the irony in this? Lol) – there are mamish no words to describe it. A well known singer who is part of another musical group told me recently after hearing the album, "I really admire Goldwag's control." His voice is deep, rich, and as I just said, very controlled. (Kind of like Yehuda, minus the "hot-potatoes-in-his-mouth edge). I mentioned in my Ruach Uneshama review that Ari is really made for slow songs, more than for fast ones, and I see that he took my advice (just kidding). This tape contains a lot of slow, soulful, heartzige songs, as well as a few horas. It only has two or three really fast songs. (This seems to be a new trend.) As for his supposed lisp – I was very puzzled by Yossi's allegations (oy, I'm getting into hot water here using legal terms with Yossi, eh? ;-)), because on Aleinu, Ari does not have a lisp in his childhood voice, and I also did not notice it on R U either. I listened very closely and realized that perhaps Ari has a slight variation on the way he pronounces his SHHHH sound, but definitely not on the SSSSS. The clips on his site are not so clear. You gotta hear the real thing.
It's amazing, when I was listening, I realized that not a single song here is a "filler" song. It's not like on many other albums, where there are 4-5 hit songs and the other 6 songs are just abee to fill up the space, typical songs. Every single song was well thought out, every minute of the music, choir, and melody was accounted for. And every single song is a gem unto its own. You'll see that when you listen to it. Also, Ari provides a short explanation of every song on the album cover, which is a great thing.
1. Lishuoscho Kivinu… this song is very interesting. It's a cross between a heartzige song and a hora. Maybe that's exactly what it is – a heartzige hora. The music on this number is really full and rich, and you can't help but dance to the beat. (Please, no one check if I'm paraphrasing from Ari's article. Just kidding.) There is some excellent choir work on this one with great harmonies in them. It's amazing how Ari can take a hora and put his whole heart and soul into it. Well, then again, he didn't just take a passuk from anywhere and put any music to it; the words themselves belong to a heartzige piece. I'll assign this song a resounding 10. This track is probably what I'd dub the hit track of the album.
2. Shomer Yisroel. This slow moving, heartzig song was composed by Ari while he was learning in the Yeshiva of Far Rockaway. He was inspired to compose it right after they had said tehillim for a someone in yeshiva. It's very moving and sung full of heart. It falls more into the typical slow JM category; I'll rate it a 7.5 (probably much to Ari's chagrin, because this is probably his favorite slow song. Guess we all have different tastes).
3. Lo Amus. Ahhh. This is the song that made the rounds among half of this group last year, when Ari wanted our opinion on the song. He did change the first half of the song, and it's great! This is a rousing, lebedigeh number, but even here, Ari manages to infuse it with his pure feeling. I love the music on this song as well, it's very cute and refreshing. Ari says he composed this because of all of the bad news going on in Eretz Yisroel. In Ari's words (stolen from his article), "The feeling and emotion expressed in this upbeat song are punctualized by great brass and choir lines, all contributing to a sound that will move and uplift you." He's so right. It's a lebedig song yet very powerful and moving. I rate it another resounding 10.
4. Koh Ribon. This is essentially a "remake" of the Koh Ribon on Ruach Uneshama, but it's redone BEAUTIFULLY. I recall that when I heard this song on R U, I loved it immediately. Ari only had a small solo or two on the first draft of the song, and he put his whole ruach and neshama into it (pun intended), so I was thrilled to pieces that he redid the whole song himself here on this album. It's a pleasure to listen to. This is a gorgeous rendition of Koh Ribon, sung with a ton of heart and feeling. The choir work on this is just beautiful. I rate this song a 9.
5. Aleinu!!! AHHH! My absolute hands down favorite song on the album, which I was craving to hear for the longest time. There is something so special about this song. It's so simple, and so sweet and endearing that it just warms your heart. It's a real time warp, especially for those of us who were Ari's fans in the 90's. (Actually, I was not; I "discovered" Ari exactly 20 months ago! But it's a whole long story, not for this time or place). Ari composed this song at age 10, and this features him singing at age 13… what a voice and control even then!!! He superimposed his adult harmony onto it, creating an exquisite rich blend of nostalgia and longing. It starts off with Ari the Kid doing one segment of the song, then Ari the Kid with Ari the Adult doing harmony on top of it, with some great piano arrangements. Then Ari the adult sings on his own, with the kid in the background singing oooh, ooooh, oooh etc. It ends with some great saxophone, followed by the final rendition of the adult and kid, ending in a great high harmony. This song really tugs at your heartstrings… drives me nearly to tears! I rate this an 11!!!
Why do you act so small?
Playing hide and seek with your soul.
Throwing all the meaning of our lives away.
It's refreshing for a change to hear a different kind of English song, and the music is also pretty modern and contemporary. This the most "modern" song on the entire album. I'll rate this song an 8.5.
7. Oichila. After Aleinu, this is my favorite slow song. It's extremely moving, and it really brings out the warmth and gefeel that Ari has. The music on it is out of this world; all kinds of different instruments not typically assigned to regular pieces, exquisite piano work, and it really tugs at your heartstrings and transports you into a shul during Yom Kippur. It nearly drove me to tears, I gotta admit. Ari has a real chazzan's voice. I'll rate this a 9.
8. Ribon. The song starts off with lively fast music, and then confuses you when Ari suddenly starts singing a slooow chazzanus piece, with his full heart and feeling. Then it suddenly bursts into a loud freilach part, with the choir doing some great accompaniment. Ari composed this is in Far Rockaway as well. It's a nice, easy listening kind of song, maybe under the more typical category, but pleasant listening nevertheless. The chazzanus portion is amazing; Ari ends it on a really beautiful high note. I'll rate it an 8.
9. Boiee. Another nice slow relaxing Shabbos song. Not one of my favorites, still nice and uncomplicated listening with a lot of hartz and gefeel, Ari Goldwag Style. Rate another 7.5.
10. Baavoidas, another hora song. (It's from mussaf of rosh chodesh). Another heartzige hora, but then again, Ari can't sing anything without his whole heart being in it. Rate this an 8.
11. The album ends with a slow song, an English song speaking of the longing of the holiness of Eretz Yisroel. Very nice lyrics, great tune. (You can see that it's half an hour to Shabbos and I am rushing to end this review. Lol) The tune sounds somehow familiar, I don't know where I've heard this before. I think I hear Elana on flute in this song. Anyway, I'll rate this song a 7.
In summary, this album is for everyone, not just Ari Goldwag fans. It's the true musical genius of one person, combining his inner spirituatility with his musical capabilities. Ari really puts the JEWISH into Jewish Music. The songs are not just stam (I told you I'd put you in here, Saar) slapdash words matched to questionably appropriate tunes; the words all speak for themselves and are sung from Ari's true inner being with his entire soul. Finally, this talented young man is coming out in the public with his musical offerings, and I am proud to be supporting him fully in this venture. Go out and get your copy today!


I used to be so daunted by gardening and by my lack of instinct for it – then learnt that it's just a lifelong learning process, and now I can't get enough of it. Here's a bunch of learning resources for you to enjoy right now in Adelaide!! Get looking and booking.
1. Want to get serious about growing subtropical fruits and citrus? Ready to learn how to graft your own trees? Sally will teach you how, in the delicious spring surrounds of Glenelg North Community Garden, TOMORROW, 17 November at 12.30. TICKETS: $20 – includes a baby white sapote tree to graft and take home!
Email sally.osterstock@gmail.com or Ph 0438 512 389.
4. Finally, filmed at Wagtail Urban Farm, here's Steven's tips on prepping veg beds with complete organic fertiliser and compost.
This is how he grows the best veg in town. Enjoy!


Slow Cooker (or Oven) Tortellini Lasagna Casserole with Sausage—Simple to make but you wouldn't know it! This easy dinner recipe for tortellini lasagna with smoked sausage has all your favorite flavors but doesn't require browning meat or cooking noodles before putting it together. The added bonus is that you can cook it in the oven or the slow cooker–it's up to you!
Have spring sports started at your house? We are starting a new sport this week…baseball. My son has done football, soccer, wrestling and my daughter has done dance and drama and basketball but we haven't tried baseball yet. He's so extremely excited. He's constantly walking around with a mitt on his hand and a baseball in the other. If he had it his way he'd play sports all day every day.
With all the spring sports and activities going on at my house–and I'm sure at yours too–let's make dinner easy on ourselves. (Even when I don't have a lot going on I like to make dinner easy on myself–lol. That's why I write crockpot recipes). One way to do that is by hitting your local Kroger (we have Smith's here) and stocking up on Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage. From now until April 19th, Hillshire Farm sausages ares only 2 for $5 (while supplies last). You can easily find the sausage in the refrigerated section on the perimeter of the store. I picked up smoked sausage but there were other types too (like Chicken Basil Pesto and Kielbasa). If you'd like to check the sales before you head to the store you can easily go to Kroger's website and type in your zip code to find what's on sale at your local store.
For this recipe you'll start with a bag of frozen tortellini in the bottom of your slow cooker (or pan). Then you'll layer spaghetti sauce, a cream cheese/cottage cheese/sour cream mixture and sliced Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage. Finally you'll top with a bit of Parmesan cheese and fresh basil and then cook it. Told you it was easy!!
For more easy dinner ideas with sausage visit Hillshire Farm's recipe page. I'm most excited about making the smoked sausage fried rice and the cheesy potatoes with smoked sausage. And if you're interested here are all my slow cooker sausage recipes.
Simple to make but you wouldn't know it! This easy dinner recipe for tortellini lasagna with smoked sausage has all your favorite flavors but doesn't require browning meat or cooking noodles before putting it together. The added bonus is that you can cook it in the oven or the slow cooker–it's up to you!
Combine cream cheese, cottage cheese and sour cream in a blender. Blend until smooth.
In the bottom of your slow cooker or 9 x 13 inch pan (if you're baking in the oven), pour in half the package of tortellini.
Layer half the sausage, half the sauce, all the cream cheese mixture, the rest of the tortellini, the rest of the sausage and the rest of the sauce.
If baking in the oven, cover the pan with foil and bake for 45 minutes at 350° and then remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes. If cooking in the slow cooker* cover and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or on LOW for 5-6 hours.
*I used my 3 quart casserole crock but if you don't have a casserole crock you can use a 4-6 quart oval slow cooker.
I've never baked noodles without baking them first. If they're not oven ready tortellini noodles, will they still bake in the oven/crockpot?
Made this tonight and it was pretty yum. It pretty much tasted like a lasagna. I did it in a crock pot on low for about 6 hours and it was perfect. This makes plenty for 6 adults if not more. We had 2 big eaters and 2 avg eaters and we went through a little more than half of it.


Imagine your event headlined by Big K.R.I.T.
How much buzz would booking Big K.R.I.T bring to your event? GTB helps customers Book VIP Shows, Corporate Events, & Private Engagements with top talent for hire. GTB represents clients as they book talent like Big K.R.I.T for their event.
Click to start The Event Booking Process with Big K.R.I.T.
Spawning from Meridian, Mississippi, Big K.R.I.T is becoming one raps rising stars. Big K.R.I.T hascollaborated with such artists as Curren$y, Yelowolf, Mac Miller, and Diggy Simmtons just to name afew. His mixtapes such as Return of 4eva have received high praise, garnishing him articles in magazinessuch as Vibe, Source, and Complex. Booking Big K.R.I.T is the way to go if you want one of Hip-Hop`srising stars at your next event.
Click for Big K.R.I.T Event Booking.
Start booking Big K.R.I.T now!
GTB is a celebrity talent booking agency for paid events. We do not handle media requests, or interviews. GTB will not relay messages to Big K.R.I.T or solicit donations on your behalf. While celebrities do donate their time, they will always charge some kind of fee to do any event, project, venue or celebrity appearance.
Booking Big K.R.I.T Not Quite Right? We have the entertainer for your Event!
Putting together a memorable event isn't easy. Booking Big K.R.I.T certainly raises the profile of your show or event. GTB is ready to help you make the event flawless, so your attendees remember Big K.R.I.T instead of a mix-up. Private Parties, Concerts, Ceremonies, and any other big events require both planning and personnel; Global Talent Booking can help you every step of the way, from booking to advertising a public Big K.R.I.T event. Should you prefer a private Big K.R.I.T showing, Global Talent Booking has the tools, connections, and expertise to help you manage a velvet roped evening, elegantly!
Global Talent Booking has worked with exemplary talent for over 15 years. Booking Big K.R.I.T and other world class entertainers is our expertise. From private concerts featuring some of the most famous names in the music industry to corporate events DJed by the best in the industry, we excel at showcasing your image. GTB is ready to help you book your favorite musicians, djs, and celebrity talent; creating memorable entertainment experiences is what we do everyday.
Global Talent Booking Agency services help you with event talent booking. Our services include talent scheduling, contract negotiations, marketing/promotions, agent and/or agency interaction, and so much more. We can help you book Big K.R.I.T, advertise a public event or help you manage the guest list. Our event booking services can even include the press work after your Big K.R.I.T event. Global Talent Booking is here to help you mind the details so your event with Big K.R.I.T is `World Class` the first time, each time, and every time.
Our entertainment agency will work with you to put the right talent in the right situation world wide. Global Talent Booking is an International talent booking agency. If you are interested in an international Big K.R.I.T event booking, click here to get started. We know what it takes to organize events that exceed everyone's expectations, no matter where they are in the world. We look forward to helping book your`s.
Click to Start Booking Big K.R.I.T.
Celebrity Talent, like booking Big K.R.I.T, makes all the difference.
Contact our Expert Big K.R.I.T Booking Agents.
We are ready to help you start coordinating your Big K.R.I.T event immediately.


text:
Mastercard Foundation urges world leaders to invest in vaccine safety and Africa's independence »Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya September 29 – The Mastercard Foundation urged world leaders to invest in vaccine safety in Africa.
Mastercard Foundation CEO Reeta Roy said Africa already has the experience, expertise and solid plans to tackle the pandemic, but needs support.
Roy called on leaders to focus on building Africa's medical manufacturing capacity as part of a strategy to prepare for the next biological threat.
She spoke at the COVID-19 Global Summit hosted by US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the 76e United Nations General Assembly, bringing together leaders from government, business and philanthropy to commit to a just response to the pandemic and building a stronger global pandemic preparedness architecture.
Earlier this year, the Mastercard Foundation announced that it will deploy $ 1.3 billion in partnership with the Africa CDC to tackle immunization inequalities through a joint initiative called Saving Lives and Livelihoods. As part of the initiative, the Foundation is committed to enabling continental vaccine manufacturing by investing in the skills and knowledge needed to drive manufacturing.
The African Union and Africa CDC have set a goal of ensuring that Africa can meet 60% of its vaccine demand through domestic production by 2040. In July, the African Union organized an inaugural meeting of the Partnerships for Vaccine Manufacturing in Africa, a pan-African platform dedicated to driving this agenda.
The momentum for vaccine manufacturing in Africa is growing. Earlier this year, Senegal announced a $ 200 million program to build Africa's first COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing center, with the goal of producing 25 million doses per month by the end of 2022. Recently, BioNTech, the biotechnology giant behind the development of the Pfizer vaccine, announced that it is actively exploring the possibility of building mRNA manufacturing plants in Senegal and Rwanda. Presidents Kagame and Macky Sall hailed the stage, along with President Kagame greet him as a step towards "making end-to-end mRNA vaccine manufacturing in Africa a reality".
Currently, less than four percent of African citizens are fully immunized – the lowest rate of any region – and supply issues continue to constrain the global immunization effort. At the same time, the increase and spread of COVID-19 variants remain of concern to public health experts around the world. As President Biden acknowledged in his inaugural address to the United Nations General Assembly: "As a global community… our own success is tied to that of others. At present, the global success in combating COVID-19 and preparing for the next pandemic is linked to that of Africa.
Advertising. Scroll down to continue reading.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


↑ "Ward details". Rajkot Municipal Corporation. Archived from the original on 2007-10-17. Retrieved 2007-12-19.
↑ "India: largest cities and towns and statistics of their population". World Gazetteer. Archived from the original on 17 Nov 2006. Retrieved 13 Feb 2012.
↑ "List of Lok Sabha Members from Gujarat". Lok Sabha. Retrieved 2007-12-19.
↑ "List of MLAs from Rajkot District". Gujarat Vidhan Sabha. Retrieved 2007-12-19.


text:
Q: EasyAPNS not registering device to database for app thats now in production I'm using easyapns to handle the Push Notifications for my app. Devices registered fine to the database while in development mode. When the app was run on the iphone, the iphone's details like deviceid etc. would register without error. I recently got my app approved on the app store, and now any new device will no register!
I've tried updating the production certificate (which I've done several times now) and still the same situation.
Looked everywhere for an answer and I've spent hours now trying to find a solution. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

A: I just found out what the problem was... The server that did the registrations had a web publishing rule that was configured to block high-bit characters; so some devices successfully registered (the ones that did not have high-bit characters in their device name), while others didn't (the ones that HAD high-bit characters). So all I did was removed that rule and it now works fine.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Home	Diet and Nutrition	Phytic Acid: Good Guy or Bad Guy?
Diet and NutritionDiets
Phytic Acid: Good Guy or Bad Guy?
by Christina Gvaliant April 29, 2021
written by Christina Gvaliant April 29, 2021
Phytic acid has gotten a lot of bad press lately. It's true that this compound, which is found in legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, can bind to minerals and reduce their absorption. But there's a lot more to the phytic acid story.
What is phytic acid?
Phytic acid (or phytate) is a natural compound found in the seeds or kernels of plants. When seeds are planted in soil (or soaked in water), the phytic acid breaks down and releases phosphorus, which helps the sprouting plant develop healthy roots.
Phytic acid (or phytate) is a natural compound found in the seeds or kernels of plants.
But if we eat those seeds instead of planting them, we may absorb less calcium, iron, copper, and zinc from the foods that we eat at the same meal. That's because phytic acid has a tendency to bind to certain minerals and block their absorption from the small intestine. This is why phytic acid is sometimes referred to as an anti-nutrient; it reduces the amount of nutrients we absorb from foods.
What foods contain phytic acid?
Dried beans, nuts, seeds, and cereal grans like wheat, barley, oats, and rice all contain phytic acid. As a rule, beans and nuts are higher in phytic acid than cereal grains. The phytic acid is concentrated in the hull of the seed, and in the case of grains, the bran. If you remove the hull, you remove most of the phytic acid, too. White rice, for example, is much lower in phytic acid than brown rice.
Should you soak beans, nuts, and grains to remove phytates?
Soaking beans, nuts, and grains in water for 12 to 24 hours (or simply cooking them) breaks down most of the phytic acid. And mineral deficiencies due to phytic acid intake are generally not a concern in developed nations. Nonetheless, a lot of health conscious people soak or sprout all of their nuts and grains (or avoid them altogether!) in an effort to reduce their intake of phytic acid and increase their absorption of minerals.
Soaking is unnecessary and could cause you to miss out on important benefits.
Not only is this probably unnecessary, but these folks could actually be missing out on important benefits. It turns out that phytic acid is an important nutrient in its own right, and may help protect you from a number of serious diseases.
Concerns about phytic acid
I mentioned that phytic from foods can block the absorption of calcium from the digestive tract. So, you might expect that eating foods high in phytic acid would weaken your bones. But people who eat lots of beans and grains do not have a higher risk of osteoporosis. If anything, higher consumption of these phytate-rich foods is linked with stronger bones.
People who eat lots of beans and grains do not have a higher risk of osteoporosis. A phytate-rich diet may actually help protect against osteoporosis.
Women who have the most phytates circulating through their bodies actually have less bone loss and fewer fractures over time. So, far from increasing your risk, a phytate-rich diet may actually help protect against osteoporosis.
How is this possible? For one thing, it appears that when your diet is high in phytates, your body adjusts by decreasing the amount of calcium that gets excreted in the urine. In other words, your body conserves calcium to make up for reduced absorption from foods. Phytic acid also appears to block the formation of osteoclasts, which are cells that break down bone tissue. This, by the way, is exactly how osteoporosis drugs like Fosamax work.
Benefits of phytic acid
Phytic acid also appears to be important for cancer prevention. People who eat a lot of dried beans and whole grains are less likely to develop colon cancer, for example. For a long time, we assumed that this was due to the fiber in these foods. But then researchers noticed that some high-fiber diets seemed to be more protective than other high-fiber diets. Specifically, people who get a lot of their fiber from dried beans have lower rates of colon cancer than those who get the same amount of fiber from other sources. The additional benefit may be due to phytic acid.
People who eat a lot of dried beans and whole grains are less likely to develop colon cancer.
High-fiber diets have also been shown to help reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Once again, however, this may not be entirely due to fiber. The phytic acid in certain high-fiber foods may play a unique role here. Phytic from dietary sources reduces the digestion of starch and the absorption of sugars from food, which helps modulate blood sugar levels. Phytic acid also affects the digestion of fats and the formation of cholesterol, and has a beneficial effect on risk factors for cardiovascular disease
In addition to reducing your risk of getting cancer, phytic acid may also be useful in the treatment of cancer. A recent study of women being treated for breast cancer found that taking relatively large amounts of IP-6 (which is another name for phytic acid) reduced side effects of chemotherapy and improved their quality of life.
I want to be very clear: IP-6 is not a miracle cancer cure and I advise you to steer clear of anyone who tries to sell it to you as such. However, it's clear that phytic acid does a lot more than just get in the way of mineral absorption.
Moreover, there are times when phytic acids' propensity to bind to minerals works in our favor. By binding to calcium, for example, phytic acid reduces the risk of kidney stones and hardened arteries. Phytic acid can also attach to lead and other toxic minerals and escort them safely out of the body. Last but certainly not least, phytic acid acts as an antioxidant.
Should you get more phytic acid in your diet?
As long as you eat a balanced diet that includes a variety of foods, the phytic acid in beans, grains, nuts and seeds is unlikely to cause mineral deficiencies.
So, what does all of this mean for you? How do we balance the advantages and disadvantages of phytic acid in the diet? As long as you eat a balanced diet that includes a variety of foods, the phytic acid in beans, grains, nuts and seeds is unlikely to cause mineral deficiencies. What's more, phytic acid appears to have a lot of beneficial effects, so I wouldn't go overboard in your attempts to avoid it.
For most people, the potential benefits of consuming foods rich in phytic acid probably outweigh any potential harm.
Christina Gvaliant
What Are the Healthiest Colombian Foods?
What's the Point of Counting Calories?
Keto Ice Cream Bars – Delicious Frozen Treats
Keto Fudge – Delicious Keto Fudge Recipe To...
Keto Strips – Do They Work?
How Can I Make Keto Whipped Cream At...
Are Mushrooms Keto – Ways You Can Add...
Jicama Fries: Delicious Alternative to Potato...
How to Establish a Daily Practice...
Why Carbohydrates Are So Important for...


Q: What do I do with it?
A: Anything you want! Decorate tables, put it in a piñata, try some craft projects, stick some in the envelope of a secret love note, have an impromptu party, or just throw it in the air! Tons of possibilities. Just don't eat it.
Want some more specific info & inspiration for custom confetti? Check out our Custom Confetti ideas page.
Q: Doesn't it make a mess?? How do I clean it all up?!
Q: How do you make your confetti?
A: All of our loose confetti is completely unique and handmixed. Making confetti usually involves lots of paper and an array of paper punches, rotary cutters, lasers, and/or die cutting machines in various shapes & sizes. While some of our metallic confetti is purchased in bulk, each type of confetti offered on our site is still carefully designed and hand-mixed.
Q: Can your confetti be used in confetti cannons?
A: Believe it or not, we've never tried! That being said, we don't recommend it as most confetti cannons typically require a larger/lighter type of tissue/mylar confetti. Our confetti has smaller pieces that can be heavier so we don't think it would have the same effect. It really all depends on the specifications and type of cannon, so use at your own risk.
Q: Are your products safe for the environment?
A: While not all of our products are deemed eco-friendly or recommended for outdoor use, we do offer a line of biodegradable confetti that include a variety of natural & safe products for outside. Even so, we still ask that you respect the environment around you and use some common sense and courtesy.
Bonus: We also strive to recycle as much of our confetti as possible. We rarely have any waste!
Q: Are your products safe for children?
A: Kids & adults alike can both enjoy the magic of confetti, but small pieces can present a choking hazard, so please keep them away from small children. They might look like bits of candy, but we certainly don't want anybody eating them!
Q: Are the colors in the product photos accurate?
A: While we do try our very best to include product photos that accurately depict a product, because of the variances in computer monitors (and the human eye) there may be slight color differences. If it is imperative that you match a certain color, let us know and we'll try our very best to help!
Q: How much confetti comes in a jar?
A: Our standard size for confetti jars are 9 oz, which fits a little more than 1 cup of confetti.
Q: Do you offer custom confetti?
A: Of course! Go to this page for more info.
How much is a cup of confetti?
A: Let us show you with a video and pictures!
Q: I ordered X number of custom cups in a bulk bag, yet it looks like such a small amount — are you sure you gave me enough?
Q: Can I order just custom confetti pieces?
A: Sure can — order here!
Q: What size are the custom confetti pieces?
A: Each design is different so we don't like to guarantee a size for most custom confetti pieces — we make a judgement on how small to go based on the shape itself and what we think will work best for each project. That being said, our general rule of thumb is to try and keep the pieces somewhere around 1/4″-1″ tall and 1/2″-2 1/2″ long.
Q: When will my custom order ship?
A: All custom confetti could take up to two weeks to leave our studio. (That's 10 business days, plus transit time which will be determined by the shipping method you choose at checkout.) If an order is expected to exceed this standard time-frame for any reason (mainly for larger orders), we will reach out asap to let you know. As always, we will ship orders as early as we possibly can.
Q: Will I get to see a proof of my order before it ships?
Q: What/how should I use my custom confetti?
A: Yes! We currently offer a special selection of our products for resale – please contact us for details.
Q: Do you license your art & products?
A: Yes! We are def up for chatting about opportunities for licensing our confetti art & products. Feel free to contact us if you have an idea to discuss!
Q: If I prefer you charge shipping to my UPS or FedEx account, can you do that?
A: We sure can! Just enter the code "shipaccount" at checkout and put your account number / preferred shipping method in the order notes section.
Special Note: The only item that may pose a problem to ship internationally is our biodegradable Sproutfetti – we can ship freely throughout North America, but other countries may have additional requirements or fees to import shipments containing wildflower seeds.
Q: How will my order ship & how long will it take to get to me?
A: The majority of US orders are shipped via USPS First Class (3-5 days) or Priority Mail (1-3 days, includes up to $50.00 insurance). Most orders will be shipped within 10 business days. If you need a rush shipment, please contact us prior to purchasing and we will do all we can to make it happen and charge accordingly. If you choose an express mail option, please note it still may take normal time to process the order before it ships — only the tranist time will be expedited.
Confetti Jars include free priority shipping for U.S. orders.
To keep shipping costs as low as possible, most international orders are shipped via USPS First-Class Package International or First-Class Mail International. **Please note that tracking is not available for lower priced shipping options and shipping times will vary depending upon location. Any extra customs fees, tariffs, or taxes will be the responsibility of the buyer.
We are not responsible for any items lost or damaged during transit, but if you want to purchase additional shipping insurance or use a faster method, please contact us prior to placing your order.
*Please note that if you combine items in the same cart, the entire order will ship when all items are ready.
A: All orders are processed with a credit card through a secure processor on our site.


text:
By Book (1)
Bound into the Blood
Broken Devices
Cariad
Harmonious Companions, Vol. 1
Fragments of Lightning
King of the May
Mistress of Animals
Monsters, And More
Night Hunt
On a Crooked Track
Structures of Earth
Tales of Annwn
The Chained Adept
The Chained Adept Bundle (Books 1-2)
The Empty Hills
The Hounds of Annwn Bundle (Books 1-2)
The Visitor, And More
The Ways of Winter
To Carry the Horn
Under the Bough
The Affinities of Magic
Bundle (Books 1-2)
The Hounds of Annwn
Science Fiction – Standalone
Harmonious Companions
Booksellers & Retailers
About Perkunas Press
Behind the Ranges Press
Bent Twig Books
BlueRose Books
Long Lost Press
Sound the Trumpet Press
Finished – The Ways of Winter
October 13, 2013 December 11, 2012 by Karen Myers
(This post has been moved.)
Hurray! It went like a bottle rocket, two months from start to finish. It's not that I wrote it any faster than To Carry the Horn, it's just that I poured more hours into it in a shorter period of time. Book 3 will take a good deal longer, I expect.
I still need to do a few rounds of polish and proofread, but The Ways of Winter will definitely be out in January. If you're subscribed to my newsletter, you'll be the first to know.
While one of my trusty beta readers finishes his reading assignment ("How many inches of snow?" "Give them something stronger than tea to drink, for god's sake" "Not more Welsh names with double L's"), I thought I might spend a few minutes talking about the new work.
Though I work to a high-level plot overview and then semi-detailed outlines as I get to each act, I'm always surprised just how the characters pull the plot into new directions within the framework. Relationships and plot twists which now seem inevitable popped out of thin air on cue, bless their little hearts.
I found that the heavy snow which restricted the movement of the people also influenced me to build a more intimate and enclosed story than I had originally set out to do. I had intended additional plot lines, but something kept paring it down to just the essential core story involving George, and bits of the lutins' story to illustrate what Edgewood was like both before and after the awakening.
I knew that one of the motives for the story would be the rescue of the rock-wight child exploited by the villain, though I didn't know much about Seething Magma and Granite Cloud when I started. It somehow fell out naturally that The Ways of Winter is about a kidnapping, as To Carry the Horn is in some sense about a murder.
George is tested in very dark ways and learns some hard truths at the end about his desire to lead a simple private life. In the third book, he'll start to grow into his political responsibilities.
The next book in the series will take us to the old world and Gwyn's family. It will be a broader work, and longer. You'll get a taste of it when I include its first chapter at the end of The Ways of Winter.
Categories HL-Characters, HL-The Hounds of Annwn, HL-The Ways of Winter Leave a comment Post navigation
Cutting a Christmas Tree (among the fae)
The Ways of Winter (excerpt) – Chapter 1
...and receive updates about new releases.
Recently Published Books
Recently Published Stories
Announcing… Science fiction short story bundles from There's a Sword for That
Announcing… Second Sight (a science fiction short story)
Announcing… On a Crooked Track (Book 4 of The Chained Adept)
On a Crooked Track (excerpt) – Chapter 1
Announcing… Broken Devices (Book 3 of The Chained Adept)
© 2020 Perkunas Press


Improve overall physical strength and health.
Welcome to Louisville's best karate school!
Our goal is to help our students be more successful in life.
We do this by teaching our karate as a complete discipline that encompasses mind, body, and spirit. Our curriculum of developing physical defense encourages the formation of high personal standards and respect for our fellow men and women. Through our practice and teaching we strive to become individuals who are positive, respected, and contributing members of society.


text:
WEBSITE HEALTH CHECKER
Home » Content Marketing » Is your Phone Number Becoming the Only Username that Matters?
Is your Phone Number Becoming the Only Username that Matters?
Do you know the story behind the creation of the world's popular messaging app, the Whatsapp? Ok, let's begin today's article with that one since it's connected to our topic for today.
The founder of Whatsapp Jan Koum initially had no idea to create a messaging app. All he wanted to do was check the status messages of everyone in his phone contact book, right next to their names. He was also aware that not all users would be keen on creating yet another login id and password, for his app. People didn't just want to go through the process of signing up for yet another social network, just to check out the status of all their buddies.
So what did Koum do? He overcame this challenge by letting people sign into his app using their phone number. The brilliant maneuver, right? Well, it didn't end there. His masterstroke was using the iPhone address book API to scan contacts on your list to see who was already using Whatsapp and who weren't on it.
Koum says that he was extremely lazy when it came to remembering usernames and passwords. Over summer, he couldn't remember his Skype login details and ended up creating three different accounts. So, he wanted users on his app to forget dealing with a login id and password.
This was one of the reasons for the massive success of Whatsapp.
Today, Whatsapp is just one among the dozens of popular mobile apps, that no longer requires you to provide a login id. You can just use your phone number to create an account and start accessing your account.
Some of the other popular apps that identify your credentials with a phone number are:
And, several others
All you need is a phone number, and you can sign up on any of these platforms, without having to provide email id. Gone are the days, when you required an email id to chat and socialize with your buddies online. Today, a phone number is enough.
When you provide your phone number to sign in for the first time, the app sends a secret code to your mobile via SMS to verify your identity. Once you punch in the secret code, you are good to go. As you can see,
Phone numbers are killing the username.
A Mobile World
Today, the world no longer is going mobile. It has already gone mobile. Ever since Google announced that the search engine is shifting to a mobile-first index, the world has rapidly gone mobile. If your website or service isn't mobile-friendly, then you risk getting lost.
Today, people are no longer using smartphones as a second choice. Instead, more and more people are actively shifting from desktops and laptops to mobile devices like smartphones and tablets.
Way back in the late 80s and early 90s, when the internet began to make its appearance, what was the first thing you remember doing? Creating an electronic mail account, right? (Remember those days of dial-up connections and Netscape Navigator???)
The email presented us with a whole new revolutionary way of staying connected with our friends and family. Apart from that, the email also provided us with a way to stay in touch with our favorite brands by signing up for newsletters.
But, with the increase in smartphone usage and the era of social networks and instant messaging apps, more and more people don't sign in to their email accounts for personal use. And, many youngsters aka digital natives don't bother signing up for email id.
This brings us to an important question,
Our Email ID's still Needed?
There's no arguing the point that emails are still useful. For instance, most people prefer emails while connecting with their colleagues. (Even here, several other office and teamwork tools connect entire teams, without the need for an external email app).
And, when it comes to connecting with brands, today people make use of social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to connect with their preferred brands – be it for voicing complaints, queries, and feedback. This is because – most brands from big corporations to tiny startups are active on social media and use these platforms to interact with their customers.
Even here, email has taken a backseat.
Is Email Relevant Today?
This brings us to the crux of the matter. Just a few years ago, email was mandatory – whether communicating with friends and colleagues, sign up for brand news, or any other service, your email address was the preferred communication channel.
But today, times have vastly changed. With that said, email is still needed today, but what has changed is – why it's needed.
Phone Numbers are becoming the Only Username that Matters
As our phones get smarter and smarter, they are essentially doing the tasks of computers. The best part – your phone number works as an id for both business and personal use. You can use your smartphones to connect with clients and colleagues, and schedule meetings.
When it comes to personal use, the answer is a no-brainer. Most people don't want to deal with the hassles of switching between a personal computer and a Smartphone. And, since a Smartphone offers mobility, there's no doubt as to which one they prefer.
Smartphones are smarter, smaller, and cheaper and offer much more utility compared to laptops and desktops.
The Bottom Line – Is the Email Heading the Way of the Dinosaurs?
Well, no. Not yet. Though the email is being used lesser and lesser, it's still relevant. With that said, the phone number looks like it's all set to attain the coveted position occupied by email ids, just a few years back.
And, if you haven't yet embraced the mobile-first wagon, it's high time you do so. Get in touch with our team to find out what we can do for your business in mobile SEO. And, if you still believe that email marketing has potential (you're absolutely right), get in touch with us to up your email marketing game plan.
Hey, like this? Why not share it with a buddy?
WEBFRIES
About Webfries
Digital marketing agency driven by results. We deliver a Full Set Integrated Digital Marketing Services for Businesses.
About Gaurav
CEO @ Webfries🌠- Empowering Businesses to Grow with Digital Marketing, Blockchain, IIoT solutions. Let's Connect!
I WOULD LIKE TO READ ON
Robots.txt Generator
Online Ping Website Tool
www Redirect Checker
Server Status Checker
Blacklist Lookup
Website Screenshot Generator
Get Source Code of Webpage
Class C Ip Checker
Code to Text Ratio Checker
What is my Browser
Broken Links Finder
Search Engine Spider Simulator
HELPDESK CLIENT PORTAL
You've been here for more than 10 seconds. Sweet!
Now you might as well subscribe!
Don't worry, we hate spam as much as you do!
Awarded Company of the Year 2019
Spin now to get amazing tips & Cheat Sheet.
There's no cheating
Just enter email and spin
How would you like to contact us?
- select your country -
Guernsey (UK)
Isle of Man (UK)
Jersey (UK)
Mayotte (France)
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (UK)
Saint Pierre and Miquelon (France)
Tokelau (NZ)
please enter your number
Your monthly budget in INR*
50,000 - 1,00,000
1,00,000 - 2,50,000
5,00,000 - Above
Please select your marketing budget
What Would You Like To Speak with us about?*
Search Engine Optimization Social Media Marketing Pay Per Click Content Marketing Personal Branding YouTube Marketing Strategy Data and Analytics Design & Development
Please select your service type
Are you currently.....?*
Working with an agency Doing marketing internally Not doing marketing at all
Please choose your working type
<# print( 'Webfries' ) #>


text:
Archive for trauma
Does abortion impact future pregnancies what are the risks?
Posted in Abortion, Abortion and infertility, Abortion clinic, Abortion complication, Abortion Consent form, abortion facility, Abortion future pregnancies, abortion risks, Infant Mortality, infertility, Maternal Mortality, Pregnancy risks with tags Abortion, Abortion complication, abortion risks, abortion study, Cervix, consent form, ectopic pregnancy, endometritis, future pregnancies, future pregnancy, Gynemed, Infant Mortality, infections, infertility, Maternal Mortality, miscarriage, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, PID, Planned Parenthood, premature delivery, Pro-Life, Sterility, surgical abortion risks, trauma, woman's uterus on May 30, 2019 by saynsumthn
It's no myth: Studies, documents say abortion can cause infertility, miscarriage
Can abortion negatively affect future pregnancies or possibly even contribute to infertility? Conflicting claims abound. While some, like one author at Yahoo.com, believe any potential negative effects on future fertility caused by abortion are just a "prevailing myth," multiple studies say otherwise. And women deserve to know this.
Karen Fratti, the Yahoo! author, has tweeted her support of abortion, and chose to pepper her article with images of Planned Parenthood tweets. She also tipped her hand when she referred to pro-lifers as "anti-choice," and dismissed the abortion-breast cancer link (which even a pro-choice filmmaker found compelling) without citing an ounce of proof. Fratti concluded:
"[…T]here have been no studies that show having an abortion, whether it is a surgical or medical abortion, will negatively affect your chances of getting pregnant later on in life…. As long as abortion remains legal and safe going forward, a woman's future fertility will most likely not be affected whatsoever."
Karen Fratti tweet on abortion (Image: Twitter)
But this "health expert" must not be aware of studies which show that women who have abortions are at higher risk of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, which can cause infertility. Abortion has connections to endometritis, infections, and PID, all known to cause infertility.
In 2015, Live Action News contributor Calvin Freiburger detailed studies that showed abortion can affect future pregnancies:
British Journal of Gynecology, 2006: Post-abortive women have a 60% higher risk of future miscarriage.
International Journal of Epidemiology, 2003: "prior history of induced abortion was significantly associated with increased risk of miscarriage (<28 weeks of gestational age) and first-trimester miscarriage (<14 weeks of gestational age)."
British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 1991: Post-abortive women have a 1.5-1.7% higher risk of ectopic pregnancy compared to women who've previously carried a pregnancy to term.
Journal of the American Medical Association, 1980: "Women who had had two or more prior induced abortions had a twofold to threefold increase in risk of first-trimester spontaneous abortion, loss between 14 to 19 and 20 to 27 weeks," although "No increase in risk of pregnancy loss was detected among women with a single prior induced abortion."
"Why Can't We Love Them Both?" — by Dr. John and Barbara Willke — identifies nine additional studies from between 1971 and 1983, published in the above and other mainstream medical journals, linking abortion and miscarriage.
Fratti acknowledged that the "risk of damaging the cervix or uterus can go up if a woman gets multiple surgical abortions," but failed to point out that repeat abortions are becoming more common.
Yahoo's "expert" Dr. Jennifer Wider, actually admitted to Glamour:
There is some research that suggests that women who have had multiple surgical abortions may be more likely to have future pre-term births or infants with low birth weight…. More studies are needed to further delineate to get a clearer picture.
Women deserve to know about this research. "Myths" don't usually appear in multiple medical journals.
In the video below, former abortionist Anthony Levatino explains that future pregnancies are "at a greater risk for loss or premature delivery due to abortion-related trauma or injury to the cervix."
Live Action News previously discovered that what abortion facilities tell women in the fine print of consent forms are quite different than Fratti's conclusions.
1. Sterility is listed as a possible "complication" for surgical and medical abortion on this Planned Parenthood abortion consent form.
Planned Parenthood abortion consent form risks
Sterility means "failing to produce or incapable of producing offspring." Note that it is listed as a risk even for "medical/non-surgical abortion" — something Fratti denies in her article.
2. A second Planned Parenthood parental consent form shows sterility as a risk of surgical abortion.
Planned Parenthood abortion consent of minor form risks of surgical abortion Sterility
3. Under medication abortion, the form states, "Fertility can be diminished in very rare instances as a consequence of infection."
Planned Parenthood abortion consent of minor form — medication abortion fertility diminished
3). Maryland's Gynemed Surgical Center abortion facility consent form states that a surgical abortion can result in a lacerated uterus, infection, perforation, scar tissue and even death, and "inability to have children."
Scar tissue can occur in the cervix…and may require repeat dilation. Scar tissue in the uterus… may result in the inability to have children.
Gynemed consent form abortion affects ability to have children
4. If seeking a medication abortion, the patient is notified that "no guarantees about my future fertility can be offered to me…. I understand that there is evidence that women who have more than three induced abortions may be at increased risk for premature labor."
Gynemed consent form abortion future pregnancy premature labor
The abortion industry has one thing in mind, and it's not a woman's "fertility" or "future pregnancies." Its concern is to portray abortion as a safe or minimally risky procedure, close the deal, collect the money, and kill the developing baby. If a woman's future pregnancies are affected, or she experiences infertility, the industry will simply blame it on other causes, while they count their profit.


Gabrielle graduated in ceramics from the Cardiff School of Art and Design, in 2005. After graduating Gabrielle exhibited in a number of graduate showcases including Setting Out at Contemporary Ceramics in London and the National Museum in Cardiff. She currently works from her studio in Cardiff, producing individual sculptural ceramic pieces, which explore her wonder of nature and joy of ceramic processes.
Each form is made by hand by either pinching or coiling the clay. The work is lightly burnished and then several layers of white terra sigilatta are applied, which leaves the clay with a bright white surface.
After the initial bisque firing the work is wrapped and bound with various leaves and vegetation and fired for a second time with plenty of combustibles surrounding them.
It is this combination of vegetation, wood and sawdust, together with a little salt that creates the right environment to cause flashes of colour on the previously pure white surfaces.
I hope to convey my intrigue in the process, and the sense that it is the environment within in the kiln that ultimately causes the final outcome. With each firing, I try and gain more control, masking areas or introducing oxides, hoping they will leave a trace I desire, but every time I open the kiln I am always met with a surprise.