Education system essay Essay

From the articles I have read, it seems as though parents, teachers, and the education system continue to blame one another for poor student performance in school and on state tests. However, I believe that each of these groups plays a key role in student success or failure. School administration and board members seem to be completely oblivious to the real reasons students perform poorly and parents lack involvment in their children’s schooling and education at home. I do believe that income does play a key role in education, however, I don’t agree with it. Schools in low income neighborhoods don’t recieve the proper funding to provide students with the materials they need to be successful in school, but the students don’t score high enough on state tests to earn the school money for these materials; it’s a lose lose situation (Barbanel, 2002). For these issues, I believe the lack of government involvment and recognition is the cause of student failure. Despite all these factors, students should also be held accountable for being successful in school. Even if schools recieve proper funding, materials, and training, it is ultimately up to the student to stay motivated to succeed. From personal experience, I found that it was much easier to stay motivated in classes that I felt engaged in. The classes that teachers made a connection with me in and really knew their stuff were always the classes I had a higher success rate in. I think teacher involvement is a huge deal in school, it makes a student want to go to school, and feel like they belong rather than just going because they have to. Recently, Maine and fourty-four other states have adopted the new Common Core standards that will make academic standards even higher for kids in grades K-12 (Gallagher, 2013). The purpose of these standards is to increase critical thinking skills and teach students to solve problems on their own. Common Core is designed to allow teachers to be facilitators and students to take responsiblity for their own education. However, as positive and ecouraging as Common Core sounds, experts say that a drop as high as 40% will be seen in the new testing in 2015 (Gallagher, 2013). ____________________________________________________________ BARBANEL, J. (2002, March 31). Elementary and Middle School Report Cards. Retrieved from The New York Times: http://ethemes.pearsoncmg.com/0205405940/article_06/index.html Ghallagher, N. K. (2013, July 7). Back-to-school means facing tougher academic standards this fall | The Kennebec Journal, Augusta, ME. Retrieved from http://www.kjonline.com/news/test-scores-likely-to-drop-under-new-standards_2013-07-20.html

The Tattooed Soldier

October 29, 2012 The Tattooed Soldier This book showed us many injustices in the United States and in Guatemala. We see many things happening in each country that let us see how daily life is in these countries. In Guatemala we see the army killing innocent people. No one is safe in Guatemala especially in the capital. We see that those who are fighting against the army to gain justice are targeted. These people are fighting for the rights they deserve and instead of being heard they are getting killed.Most try to run away to be safe but they are soon found and killed. We see this happening to Antonio and Elena in the story. They move to San Cristobal to be safe but soon they are found and Elena is killed along with her son. In the United States we see different injustices happening in Los Angeles. We find out that the LA riots are about to begin. They inform us briefly the unfair beating of Rodney King. The police are no longer respected and many gangs are shooting random people inc luding children.These gangs are marking their territory by tagging and anyone who tries to take over is killed. We see how unfair life is to the homeless and more specifically with immigrants. The government does not protect homeless people and they are left alone to die. Since undocumented people can’t get welfare they are forced to find other ways to get money. Undocumented people cannot get help from the government either so when they get robbed, raped, or beat they cannot go to the authorities. Along with these injustices there many others that are unfair to people.

It Strategy

B19 – IT Strategy Syllabus Start January 31, 2013 Ends April 25, 2013 Day and Time: Thursday 12-14 & 14-16 Instructors:Stefan Henningsson (sh. [email  protected] dk) Jonas Hedman (jh. [email  protected] dk) + guests Course Description This course uses the IVK Case Series to examine important issues in IT management through the eyes of Jim Barton, a talented business (i. e. , non-technical) manager who is thrust into the Chief Information Officer (CIO) role at a troubled financial services firm. The course follows Barton through challenges, mistakes, travails, and triumphs.We take this journey with him, commenting on and debating his choices and decisions. During his first year as CIO, Barton confronts issues related to skill and talent management; IT costs, budgets, value, and chargeback systems; priority setting and financial justification of IT investments; project management; runaway projects and underperforming vendors; security risks and crises; Web 2. 0 policies; com munications with other senior executives; vendor management; infrastructure standardization; support for innovation; and risk management. As Barton encounters these issues, we address them too, through associated readings.As we examine and critique both research and conventional management wisdom on these topics, we’ll derive a framework for managing IT as a business leader. Course Book The main text for this course is the book â€Å"Adventures of an IT Leader†, also called IVK after the company in the book. Adventures of an IT Leader Robert D. Austin, Richard L. Nolan, Shannon O’Donnell | Apr 21, 2009 Publisher: Harvard Business School Press (1 Mar 2009) ISBN-10: 142214660X ISBN-13: 978-1422146606 Among other places, the book is available from http://amzn. com/142214660X Obtaining Harvard Business School Publishing MaterialsSome of the readings in this course must be acquired online from Harvard Business School Publishing. You can access the site to download th ese materials here: https://cb. hbsp. harvard. edu/cbmp/access/17620259 At this site you will need to use a credit card to purchase copyrighted materials, which you will then download in PDFs and be able to print as is convenient. Please be sure to use this link, not the main HBSP website, so that you get the discount associated with the course. Course blog The course blog is the official source of information, where updates, session presentations, etc. ill be posted. http://www. itu. dk/courses/EB19/F2013/ Session 1: Introduction to the Case Method and the Course (Thursday, January 31, 12:00 to 12:00, ScrollBar) Reading (please read before class): â€Å"A Note on Case Learning,† HBS 899-105 (download/purchase from HBSP website) IVK 1 – The New CIO â€Å"Understanding Financial Statements† HBS 5238BC (download/purchase from HBSP website) Assignment Questions (think about and discuss with others before class): Consider the exhibits at the end of IVK-1; what do th ey tell you about the IVK Corporation’s business situation? Why has this company replaced its CEO?If you were Jim Barton, would you accept the CIO job offered by the new CEO? If he accepts, what should be his plan of action? What should he do first? Second? What would be your best single piece of advice to Barton if he decides to take the job? What should he watch out for? Where should he be careful? Session 2: Challenges Facing the New CIO (Thursday, February 7, 12:00 to 16:00, ScrollBar) *** IBM Guest Presentation *** Reading: IVK 2 – CIO Challenges IVK 3 – CIO Leadership IVK 4 – The Cost of IT Assignment Questions: How do you interpret the kid’s advice to Barton: â€Å"You need to know what you don’t know? †Davies predicts that Barton will be gone in a year; why does he say this? Do Maggie’s notes (exhibit at end of IVK-2) shed any light on Davies’ assertion? What should be Barton’s plan for reaching out to oth er CIOs and industry experts to gain expertise quickly about running an IT department? Whom should he talk to first? Do you agree with Ruben that IT is a â€Å"unique† business function, that it is different from other departments in the organization? What did Barton learn from his trip to the bookstore and subsequent night of studying? Session 3: The Value of IT (Thursday, February 14, 12:00 to 16:00, ScrollBar)Reading: IVK 5 – The Value of IT â€Å"Zara: IT for Fast Fashion† HBS 604-081 (download/purchase from HBSP website) â€Å"IT Doesn’t Matter† HBS 0306B (download/purchase from HBSP website) â€Å"Dog Eat Dog† http://online. wsj. com/public/article_print/SB117735476945179344. html â€Å"The IT Productivity Gap† http://ebusiness. mit. edu/erik/Optimize/pr_roi. html â€Å"Zara: IT for Fast Fashion† Assignment Questions: How would you advise Salgado to proceed on the issue of upgrading the POS terminals? Should he upgrade to a modern operating system? Should the POS applications be rewritten to include any additional functionality?If so, what functionality? What benefits does Inditex/Zara get from its IT infrastructure? How difficult would it be for a competitor to acquire these same benefits? IVK Assignment Questions: What is the â€Å"right† amount for a company to invest in IT? How should Jim Barton respond to the CEO when he asks: â€Å"What is the ‘right’ amount for IVK to spend on IT? ’ What is the purpose of a â€Å"chargeback† system for returning IT costs to business units? Why implement such a system? As we learn in IVK-4, at IVK business units control all of the IT budget; what do you think of this arrangement?Should Barton try to â€Å"pull back† some of the budget that is allocated to business units, to create his own discretionary budget? How does IT create or enable the creation of value within a company? How should we value IT capabilities requi red to keep us in business, but that do not differentiate us from competitors (so-called â€Å"qualifiers† in the discussion in IVK-5)? Session 4: Managing Projects (Thursday, February 21, 12:00 to 16:00, ScrollBar) Reading: IVK 6 – Project Management IVK 7 – The Runaway Project â€Å"Cisco Systems, Inc. : Implementing ERP† HBS 699-022 (download/purchase from HBSP website) Managing Project Uncertainty: From Variation to Chaos† by Arnoud De Meyer, Christoph H. Loch, and Michael T. Pich, MIT Sloan Management Review 42, 2, (Winter 2002); CBS Library Database: http://search. ebscohost. com/login. aspx? direct=true&db=bth&AN=5982685& amp;site=ehost-live&scope=site Cisco Systems Assignment Questions: Cisco was highly successful with its enterprise resource planning (ERP) effort. What accounts for this success? What were the most important things that Cisco did correctly? Did Cisco do anything wrong on this project? If so, what? Was Cisco smart or lucky wi th its ERP implementation?IVK Assignment Questions: Which side would you take in the debate between Henderson and Calder? What do you think of the approach that Davies seems to have used (judging from documents found by Barton) to managing uncertainty in projects? What should Barton do to get the IR initiative back on track? Should he fire NetiFects? How do you manage project problems you cannot anticipate? Session 5: Prioritization, Governance (Thursday, February 28, 12:00 to 16:00, ScrollBar) Reading: IVK 8 – IT Priorities IVK 9 – Governance â€Å"Volkswagen of America: Managing IT Priorities† HBS 605-003 (download/purchase from HBSP website)Volkswagen of America Assignment Questions: What is your assessment of the new process for managing priorities at Volkswagen? Are the criticisms justified? Is it an improvement over the old process? Who controls the budgets from which IT projects are funded at Volkswagen of America? Who should control these budgets? How sh ould Matulovic respond to his fellow executives who are calling to ask him for special treatment outside the new priority management system? IVK Assignment Questions: Should Barton try to take control of the entire IT budget? Should he ask for a percentage of the overall budget to be placed under his control?Or should he try to fix the committee structure put in place by Davies? What should Barton do about â€Å"managing Beckworth? † Managing Williams? Session 6: Crisis and Damage control (Thursday, March 7, 12:00 to 16:00, ScrollBar) IVK 10 – Crisis IVK 11 – Damage http://www. nytimes. com/2011/01/16/world/middleeast/16stuxnet. html Symantec Internet Security Threat Report: Executive Summary April 2010 http://eval. symantec. com/mktginfo/enterprise/white_papers/b-whitepaper_exec_summary_internet_security_threat_report_xv_04-2010. en-us. pdf Viruses and threats Questions: What type of malware is the Stuxnet, and how did it work?How did the Hydraq Trojan operate? Could it be a potential threat to IVK? IVK Assignment Questions: What is your assessment of how IVK handled the crisis during the event itself? Did they do a good job of crisis management? How would you recommend that Barton handle the analyst meeting? If you were on the team coming up with the strategy for the meeting, what guidelines would you suggest to Barton? Session 7: Communication (Thursday, March 14, 12:00 to 16:00, ScrollBar) *** Danske Bank Guest Presentation *** Reading: IVK 12 – Communication â€Å"The Lessons of ValuJet 592,† by William Langewiesch (March 1998) The Atlantic. ttp://www. theatlantic. com/issues/98mar/valujet1. htm â€Å"Ready to Acquire: IT resources for a growth-by-acquisition strategy†. To be distributed. IVK Assignment Questions: Which option for securing IVK in the aftermath of the attack would you choose? Would you recommend shutting the company down? If so, when? Do you agree with the CEO’s decision about what to disclo se about this possible hacker attack? How should Barton handle the CEO’s new tendency to offer him helpful but misinformed advice? How should Barton communicate with people outside the IT department to rebuild his and his department’s credibility?How frequently should he communicate with the CEO? With his peers? Should he rely on â€Å"The Doctrine of Completed Staff Work† as he formulates a communication strategy? Session 8: Emerging technologies and Sustainable IT (Thursday, March 21, 12:00 to 16:00, ScrollBar) Reading: IVK 13 – Emerging Technology â€Å"Three strategies for Green IT† by Hedman & Henningsson http://www. computer. org/portal/web/csdl/doi/10. 1109/MITP. 2010. 141 (see also course blog) â€Å"Organizational self-renewal: The role of IS in developing organizational eco-effectiveness† by Hedman, Henningsson & Selander. 2012. To be distributed in class. Green IT TBDIVK Assignment Questions: How would you respond to Bernie Rubenà ¢â‚¬â„¢s three questions concerning possible action on the blog issue? What technology can IVK use to improve business? March 28: Easter Break Session 9: Outsourcing, Infrastructure, and Vendor Partners (Thursday, April 4, 12:00 to 16:00, ScrollBar) Reading: IVK 14 – Vendor Partnering IVK 16 – Standardization and Innovation IVK Assignment Questions: Which vendor should IVK choose for the IR project? Which approach to an SLA? Service delivery model? How much technical expertise does a company like IVK need to keep in house if it plans to outsource much of it’s IT work?How can it retain expertise when most of the interesting work is being done by vendors? What information should a company like IVK ask for in a â€Å"Request for Proposal† (RFP) document? What questions should they ask a vendor to answer? Should the IR project implementation be â€Å"fixed price† or another sort of contract? Which approach should IVK take to infrastructure standardizat ion? Are IT standardization and innovation (or flexibility) in conflict in an organization like IVK? How do you interpret the kid’s story about the great man who went missing? Session 10: Managing Talent (Thursday, April 11, 12:00 to 16:00, ScrollBar) Reading:IVK 15 – Managing Talent â€Å"Bridging the Gap Between Stewards and Creators† (download/purchase from HBSP website) Online Streaming Video: â€Å"Panel Discussion: The Organizational Dilemma of Stewards and Creators† http://www. uwtv. org/programs/displayevent. aspx? rid=4858 Assignment Questions: What should Carter and Barton do about the Ivan Korsky situation? Should Barton seek a technological way of monitoring what his employees are doing? Why or why not? Should IVK have a management system for identifying its top value people assets? If so, how might such a system work? How would it interact with training and skills development?Should Barton reorganize the IT function so that the best talent is in a central â€Å"shared services† organization available to the entire organization (rather than just a particular business unit)? What are the pluses and minuses of such an arrangement? What might Barton be able to learn from the way jazz ensembles work about how to manage top notch IT talent? Session 11: IT Risk Management (Thursday, April 18, 12:00 to 16:00, ScrollBar) IVK 17 – Risk IVK 18 – Looking Forward â€Å"The Evolution of Security† http://www. acmqueue. org/modules. php? name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=478 â€Å"CareGroup† HBS 303-097 (download/purchase from HBSP website) The Myth of Secure Computing† HBS 0306J (download/purchase from HBSP website) IVK Assignment Questions: What do you think of CEO Williams’s explanation of his actions in the aftermath of the crisis described in IVK-10? How should a company like IVK approach its cost and risk tradeoffs? CareGroup Assignment Questions: What caused the network outage at CareGr oup? Consider the lessons learned that Halamka enumerates at the end of this case—are these the right lessons? Has he missed any? Session 12: Mini-project presentations (Thursday, April 25, 12:00 to 14:00, ScrollBar) ***Mini-project presentations ***

The Greatest Nature Essays Ever Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

The Greatest Nature Essays Ever - Essay Example Sometimes, we also feel tired of the demands of our parents, the world and even our trusted friends, from us. Sometimes, with all the difficulties I go through and the expectations of my parents from me, I feel so all alone. Many times, I wanted to give up but many times, I am thankful that I have places like Repulse Bay where I can find comfort and strength. Repulse Bay is a beautiful place in Hong Kong which attracts many people every day. It is a busy area where merchants bring their goods from other places. Although many modern structures are built around the bay, it still looks magnificent so that many local and foreign tourists go to the place. Among the uncountable visitors, I have been one of those who went there, appreciating and loving its beauty. Repulse Bay for me is more than a tourist attraction. It also served as my teacher in so many ways. As a young child, I always wanted to go to Repulse Bay because my experiences there were always enjoyable. My parents bought me things and I get to eat all the food that I wanted. I loved the busyness of the place. All the people there seemed to be happy, with bright smiles and cheerful moods, enjoying everything that was happening. I especially loved the place because it feels like home. There are many big buildings around so I know that I am not very far away from the modern world that I have been accustomed to. As I grew up, I went out to the bay with my friends. We went there to celebrate special occasions such as birthdays and I can say; I always enjoyed the place and the friends who were just wonderful. I was able to enjoy many activities in the place, knowing that at the end of the day, I will be safe and comfortable again in my own bedroom. However, life is not always comfortable. Still, it is a good thing to have somewhere to go that one considers as a place of comfort. The greatest thing that really happened to my relationship with Repulse Bay was not when I was with my family who

International Product Life Cycle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International Product Life Cycle - Essay Example The firm with the innovative product serves the home market first and then exports the product to foreign markets. This point can be clearly supported by the following statement. Many of the products found in the world's markets were originally created in the United States before being introduced and refined in other countries. In most instances, regardless of whether a product is intended for later export or not, innovation is initially designed with an eye to capture the U.S. market, the largest consumer nation. In the second phase, production starts in foreign countries either through licensing or re-engineering of the product. Importing countries in the initial stages, generally, wealthy countries import innovative products gain product familiarity. As product familiarity increases, demand in the foreign markets expands. This attracts more players and results in manufacturing in foreign countries. (Hill W.L) This production in foreign countries slowly replaces exports of the innovative firm. In the third phase, firms manufacturing in foreign countries gain production experience and move down the cost curve. Sometimes they manage to produce the goods at a lower cost than is possible for the innovative firms. ... Of these, only three are U.S. firms, with the rest being from Western Europe, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Mexico, Brazil, and Malaysia. In the fourth phase, these foreign firms have adequate product experience and economies of scale to export their products to the innovator's home country. Black-and-white television sets, for example, are no longer manufactured in the United States because many Asian firms can produce them much less expensively than any U.S. firm. Consumers' price sensitivity exacerbates this problem for the initiating country. Some of the key characteristics and features of a product are its quality, styling, and performance. These characteristics are affected by consumer needs, conditions of product use, and ability to buy. The factors that affect product attributes change from country to country. For example, in the US, bicycling is a recreational activity. So buyers want their cycles to be lightweight and have the speed that is essential for rapid touring. However, in Nigeria, the bicycle is often a measure of transportation and customers prefer cycles that are heavy and durable. In Nigeria, speed and lightness are not the criteria for purchase decision-making. Looking at these four phases, one can deduce that in the first phase the product was new. In the second phase, the product was maturing. In the third and fourth phases, the product gets standardized. In phase four, the product becomes a commodity. In this phase, the product is manufactured in less-developed countries and exported to developed countries. Understanding this cycle helps international marketing managers to understand the patterns of international trade and production and helps them in preparing a logistics plan.

Authentic assessment prt 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Authentic assessment prt 1 - Essay Example The export plan will cover summary of the subject that will include details about the product, target country, social differences, customer types, export and import regulations, safety regulations, cost assumption, export price, terms of sales, landed cost, local pricing policy, format, question and citation. Therefore, these aspects will be covered under the plan. The product category, that is chosen, is a range of sunglasses (â€Å"Product description†). The product supplier will be China as it produces goods at cheapest possible price. The suppliers selected for this purpose are ready to manufacture the product and timely deliver them as per the contract. They have a good collection of designs, already prepared by their designers, which acts as an advantage. The aviators are given an absolutely new look and hues by these designers. There is also a new line of unique shades of mirrored aviators. The tea shades and shutter shades are shaped in a new form and design. The oversized glasses are designed to have a revivified look. In totality, the product range is quite refreshing and a welcomed change from the old formulated designs. They are impressive and notable. The concerned products will be exported to India, where there is a prodigious appeal for sunglasses, considering the hot and humid climate (â€Å"Make Up + Face†). Ever y other person in India, especially those residing in urban areas, are interested to purchase sunglasses and wear it whenever they move out of their home; so as to avoid excessive heat of the sun. Sunglasses are a source of relief for nearly all the people in India, regardless of age groups. Hence, exporting the products in India will be an assured way to success, as per the research made on the country. The target market is India as the product experiences a huge demand in this market. The population of India is 1.27 billion, which is a positive indication for high sales volume. Although most Indians claim

Budgeting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Budgeting - Essay Example Forecasting should not be mistaken with budgeting. Forecasting is a management tool used for planning and setting a goal. Forecasting makes use of past and present data, and trend analysis to estimate sales, or to estimate demands for a product. It uses statistical data in estimation and uses management expertise, knowledge and judgment (GeminiGeek, n.d. ) An operating budget is a projection of estimated income and expenses that is based on the forecasted sales which is usually done for a short term period, normally for one year while a cash budget is a way of monitoring the cash flow of a business. Cash budget makes it easy to see how much money comes in and out for the period, thus, it becomes a simple way to monitor the financial condition of the business or household. A cash budget can be done either on a weekly or monthly period for an accurate monitoring (Business Directory, n.d.) Zero budgeting departs from the traditional budgeting wherein all expenses must be justified for every new budgeting period and every function within the organization is analyzed. Zero budgeting starts from zero and does not take into account prior year’s budget (Cronin, Tom). For instance, if you have a budget of $20,000 for a campaign in 2011 and it did not produce good result, the manager must justify why he needs the same budget for 2012. The manager must develop a plan from zero-base and justify why, where and how he will spend the money of the company. In other words, if the manager proposes a campaign for a product, he would pinpoint the projected expenses and profit to show its feasibility so that the company could assign a particular budget for that. All budget proposals are then analyzed and ranked according to importance. The system lets the management identify priorities, allows management to compare and analyze the needs of every unit in the organization and make funding allocation. In zero based, budgets are built

Attachment and bullying Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Attachment and bullying - Essay Example Informed consent was taken into consideration at the start of any research project (Shank, 2002). Consent is about participants making a reasonable choice to take part in the study, and, as such, their aspirations need to â€Å"fit† with the goals of the research (Mason, 1997). The researcher made sure that the participants were fully informed. In addition the researcher discussed the potential consent form with their supervisor and colleagues. The researcher also had the form submitted to the university’s research ethics committee. This highlighted to the researcher potential ambiguities in meaning, confusing sentences and missing information that are likely to invalidate the measures (Patton, 2000). It was predicted that the present study would extend understandings about gaining informed consent from participants, and would add to the debate of this issue within the social science research community. Hence, this study’s final thesis was to provide clear and concise information to the procedures for gaining participant consent, and also set out to contribute discourse on this topic, and to inform readers. Additionally, it was expected that the potential for this research to be published would contribute to legal and ethical issues relating to research with humans, as well as public accountability and encouraging the practice of reporting consent procedures to stimulate ethical debate (Mason, 1997). Informed consent requires the awareness of the researcher that participation is dependent on an individual’s understanding of the goals of the study, and what is expected of the participant. Informed consent ensured respect for the dignity of the participant (Mack et al., 2005). Coercion into participation was avoided at all costs, as the study requires that participation be voluntary (Penslar, 1995). Thus, informed consent was to ensure the well being of participants as its priority. Additionally,

Women in the Struggle for Americas Independence Essay - 1

Women in the Struggle for Americas Independence - Essay Example Patriot women also engaged in their traditional weaving to make clothes for local consumption. Reduced market on imported products did not only interfere with local economic development but also forced local community to appreciate traditional values. Although women were not allowed to actively participate in the country’s economy, Africa America and housewives utilized their purchasing power to support patriot women by cause through refusing to purchase British manufactured products. Refusal to purchase and consume British manufactured products was used to communicate a very critical political message to the British government. In addition, to demonstrate their concern in the United States of America affairs, American women formed the first women political Movement Edenton Tea Party. The formation of this movement resulted in the signing by 51 women an agreement to officially boycott tea and other products that were produced in Britain. Even though, it was an America policy to use local products at the expense of international produced products; it was America women who enacted the initiative in their household. In 1778, a good number of women confronted a merchant who was holding and selling British coffee and confiscated the coffee.  Although women role in the war was concentrated in family economic, the revolution witnessed women participation in broader economic perspectives.  Ã‚   Women actively participated in the lively revolution by being recruited in legislative bodies and in the military.   

Alcoholism Feature Article Essay Example for Free

Alcoholism Feature Article Essay Introduction (Opening facts): Alcohol is the most dangerous drug in Australia, beating crack and heroin into second and third place in the ranking, according to recent studies. The current research used data from the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that almost 60% of 18-24 year old current drinkers, who failed to complete high school, began drinking before the age of 16. The survey also revealed that teens are more likely to try alcohol for the first time during the summer months, along with other harmful drugs or cigarettes. Teens are susceptible to alcohol mostly during this time due to more idle time, fewer responsibilities and less adult supervision. Effects and results: With more than 1 in five teens between the ages of 14 and 19 of age, consuming alcohol on a weekly basis, the risk of cancer, digestive diseases and addicted related medical issues are predicted to rise. Those who drink regularly have been proven to have a lower productivity rate than those of unaffected areas. Underage drinking plays a significant role in risky, sexual and often violent behaviour, which can lead to other health issues or injuries. As a result of this, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death in people ages 15 to 20. Deadly crashes involving alcohol are twice as common in teens compared with people 21 and older. Further more, mixing drinking with swimming or boating can be fatal. Four out of 10 teens that drown have consumed alcohol. Underage drinking has also been linked with deaths and injuries from burns, falls, alcohol poisoning and suicide. Consequently, the total cost attribute to underage drinking includes costs of traffic cras hes, violent crime and injuries and treatment, equates to over $15.2 billion per year. Signs and prevention: From the results of underage drinking proving deadly and most harmful, people in today’s modern society need to wake up to the signs towards alcoholism, especially towards younger victims. Mood changes, irritability and defensiveness are physical signs, which can be easily recognised. Another example is further school problems such as poor attendance, low grades and rebellion against family rules. Although many of the symptoms may seem typical towards an ordinary teenager, parents and carers should still be aware of these as they may reflect on how their child may be suffering from alcoholism. ‘It is critically important to take every opportunity we can, throughout the year to talk to our young people about the real risk of substance abuse and effective measures for avoiding it, so they will be informed and capable of making the right responsible decision.’ Common Experiences: A recent victim who has suffered from alcohol as a result to his death, is Liam Davies (16). As reported after New Years, Davies drank the tainted alcohol while celebrating New Year’s in Sydney with friends. He was rushed to a local hospital where he was in an unstable critical condition from alcohol poisoning. The Davies family released a statement asking for Australians to be careful when holidaying abroad or drinking in general. â€Å"We would like to make people aware of the risks associated with consuming alcohol, especially without appropriate supervision†.

Effectiveness of Direct Mail on Cigarette Vending Industry

Effectiveness of Direct Mail on Cigarette Vending Industry The Effectiveness of Direct Mail on the Cigarette Vending Industry in the United Kingdom Irrespective of the mode and methods adopted for marketing, including direct mail, the cigarette vending industry continues to prosper not only in the United Kingdom, but also across the world. At the same time there is a continuous rise in the spread of a number of diseases directly related with smoking including chronic respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases and various types of cancers in turn leading to increased death rates amongst the smoking populations. One of the major causes of premature deaths in developing countries, the figures for United Kingdom alone show that approximately 120,000 individuals die every year from diseases directly related to smoking, which is an alarming 20 present of all deaths in a given year. A similar study on smoking also revealed that cancer alone accounts for nearly a third of all deaths from smoking, and another one sixth die from other causes related to smoking. Figures for the younger generation entering the smoking populations of the United Kingdom showed that there was a gradual rise between the years 1988 and 1997,and a somewhat similar rise in the figures amongst adult smoking populations. Marketing departments of cigarette manufacturing companies around the world would least care that an individual smoking cigarette on a regular basis more than doubles the risk of dying before he or she reaches the age of 65. If there is any consolation for these companies adopting various lucrative direct mail strategies for vending and marketing cigarettes, smoking by pregnant women have been found to result in severe repercussions for the foetus as well as new born baby. These include an increased risk of miscarriage, reduced birth weight and potential for prenatal deaths. In similar context, parents who continue to smoke after pregnancy invite increased chances of sudden death syndrome in their infants. The following dissertation will however limit its discussions and studies, and present its findings on the effectiveness of direct mail in the cigarette vending industry of the United Kingdom. (DOH, 1998) Introduction One of the most widely accepted facts and one that has been proven beyond any doubt is that smoking poses a number of health risks. In addition smokers are more than likely to contract certain diseases in comparison to those who do not smoke at all. It is also a fact that smoking is largely accepted as an addictive habit, and with the passage of time, and advances in the study of and implications of smoking alto openly reveal that today it is not merely an addictive habit; on the contrary it is a collection of human behaviours which also includes smoking. It must also be borne in mind that since it is an addiction, and for some indeed a very strong habit, it is wrong to assume that this habit cannot be given up. In fact, there have been numerous cases where individuals have totally given up smoking. It is precisely this line of approach that has made major cigarette manufacturers to print health warning instructions on all their respective packs of cigarettes. Furthermore, majority of the cigarette manufacturing companies around the world, including those of the United Kingdom comply with requisite regulations and legislations with respect of marketing, advertisement and sales of cigarettes. There are also companies, which have their own pack labelling policies, which go beyond the requisite legislation of the respective host country. It is perhaps this lapse, if one may wish to call it, which has allowed majority of cigarette manufacturing companies to guise their marketing, promotion, advertising and selling policies into a philosophy which acknowledges the right of the adult populations to smoke, and consequently respect and protect that particular right. (Pierce et al,1998; Beemer and Siegel, 2000; Safer and Chaloupka, 1999; Anderson etal, 2002; Slade, 2001; Lewis and Littler, 1999) In pursuance of the rights of the smokers, cigarette manufacturing companies also stand against any excessive price regulations and tax measures which are presumably aimed at reducing demand for cigarettes. An independent view of a number of tax and price measures levied by various countries including the United Kingdom reveal that the smoking populations are unduly punished for the pleasure of smoking, and governments largely fail to take into account the huge sums generated from revenues on the various taxes levied on cigarettes. These high rates of taxes levied on cigarettes then results in the illegal and often illicit trade of smuggling cigarettes in turn undermining the legitimate market for cigarette companies running and operating under legal channels of business. A brief on the United Kingdoms cigarette industry reveals that 1 in every 5 cigarettes is smuggled into the country, which adds to a huge20 present of the entire cigarette industry of United Kingdom. In similar context is the call for a ban on the sale of duty free cigarettes, as the primary objective behind the promotion of duty free sale of cigarettes, or for that matter any other product is reduction in illicit trade of that particular item. A ban on the duty free sale of cigarettes would practically jeopardize the regulated duty free retail of that product, and at the same time have a minimal effect on the sale of cigarettes. On the contrary a ban on the duty free sale of cigarettes would simply bring about a shift in the market of cigarettes from a duty free environment to one that is largely controlled by domestic market. Another related aspect of the cigarette vending industry is that of various standards and policies which are aimed at raising awareness about the potential health risks associated with smoking. Trade zones such as those found in European Union for example are ample grounds for such standards and policies to be levied, which in turn allow for uniform results as well as derive common interests amongst the respective countries. The non-smoking segment of the populations is yet another vital area of focus for cigarette manufacturing companies. As also a public health issue, the non-smokers are prone to, and thus demand protective measures from passive smoking. In this respect, there exist two schools of thought; one that disregards any findings and conclusions, which present cigarette smoke as a potential health hazard for non-smokers. This group though acknowledges that cigarette smoke is indeed a source of annoyance as well as one of the causes of environmental pollution. Yet, they also call for an approach based on simple logic and common sense and co-operation. While the second school of thought, such as M/Gallaher, one of the major cigarette manufacturing and marketing companies in the UK, contend that government initiatives including the â€Å"Air Quality program are viable and productive programs to address vital public smoking issues. Literature Reviews There have a number of writings and case studies, which prove the effectiveness of direct mail on the cigarette vending industry,. These writings and studies have convincingly proven that direct mail has had positive affect and its influences have directly contributed to the rise in cigarette sales, in turn promoting the cigarette vending industry in general. Thus, it would not be wrong to state, as also proven from the following case studies, that the direct mail strategy in the cigarette vending industry has proven to affect smoking initiation as well as consumption. A brief historical perspective also reveals that cigarette manufacturing companies the world over have significantly changed their focus from the traditional advertising tithe use of techniques which emphasize on developing as well as maintaining a relationship with individual customers. Direct mail through direct communication thus offers cigarette-vending industry source of generating sales including obtaining measurable response in related areas of marketing. (Pierce et al, 1998; Beemer and Siegel,2000; Safer and Chaloupka, 1999; Anderson et al, 2002; Slade, 2001;Lewis and Littler, 1999) One of the most effective techniques, and perhaps one of the oldest as well, is that of utilizing mailing list of individuals maintained by major and minor cigarette vending companies alike. It is this list of individuals or customers, which serves as the potential for direct mail for cigarette vending industry. This list is also used for the distribution of coupons, sweepstakes offers, and brand-loyalty programme catalogues. Also included in the items distributed through direct mail are event announcements sponsored by the cigarette vending industry, and magazines published by major tobacco manufacturing companies. Practically all these items which are sent to individuals using the direct mail system contain activities and feature images which serve a two-fold purpose. First, these promotional items are designed in such a manner to make emotional appeals to customers. Second, they serve to strengthen, rather reinforce the existing images of the various brands of cigarettes in the market. There are different modes of collecting such list of individuals, which includes events that are sponsored by the cigarette industry, sweepstake forms, signed coupons as well as brand-loyalty program orders. These listings more often than not include some form of a response mechanism, which invites recipients to fill out surveys for example, or mention their lifestyle preferences. A statistic covering the US cigarette industry with particular reference to the role of direct mail reveals that there has been general rising trend in the use of direct mail in the United States. Brief on the 6 largest US cigarette manufacturers showed that they collectively spend a staggering amount of US 133.9 million dollars on direct mail in 2001. This was an increase of 131.8 present from the figures of 1998. One may note that these huge figures do not include sums spent on coupons or specialty items distributed through the mail system. (USFTC, 2002) A survey carried out by a team of doctors at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, in the United States provided for results which convincingly proved that direct mail in the cigarette vending industry not only enhanced initiation, but effectively raised the chances for potential smokers. This survey comprised of some 3900adults, and primarily focused on the answer to 3 questions. (University of Medicine and Dentistry NJ, 2002; SUDAAN, 2001) Questionnaire for the Survey Did any of the participant receive direct mail from a tobacco company within the last 6 months, including magazines, coupons, or catalogues. Did any of the participants use a coupon to buy cigarettes. Did any of the participants save any UPC codes, or tokens from any brand-loyalty programmes of a tobacco manufacturer. Results of the Survey The results of the above questionnaire from the selected adult participants showed that the current range of smoking populations were4 to 5 times more likely to have received direct mail within the past 6months as compared to those who had never smoked before or were belonged to the former smoking community. Second, the survey showed that smokers who had quit smoking in the last 12 months were 2 to 4 times more likely to receive direct mail as compared to those who had never smoked or those who belonged to the former smoking community. The survey also revealed that the white populations as compared to other groups of populations topped the list of individuals receiving direct mail offers for cigarettes or related material in aid of marketing for a given brand of cigarette. The use of coupons was found to be the highest amongst the female smoking community, white adults as well as those falling within the age group of 25 and 64 years. Similarly, saving for programs such as brand-reward programs was also found to be highest amongst current population of smokers, white segment of the population as well as the those falling within the age bracket of 18 and 24 years. Discussion on the Findings and Literature Review The above findings significantly provided evidence that direct mail served to increase the consumption of cigarettes, and subsequently ‘impede cessation. The said survey also found that coupons delivered through the direct mail to individuals were originally designed to bring about a reduction in prices of cigarettes, as well as simultaneously offset the impact of rise in taxes and other control measures levied by respective authorities. It was also found that programs offered through direct mail, such as brand-loyalty programs were intended to reward and encourage smokers through offer for additional purchases. The survey also revealed that direct mail marketing for cigarettes was originally designed to restrict switching of brands amongst customers. However, this strategy was only cover-up, and instead such direct mail offers allowed and in fact assisted smokers to continue smoking. The above literature review and survey on the role of direct mail on the cigarette vending industry shows numerous legislations, public campaigns against smoking, proven addictive behaviours resulting in serious health repercussions and rising awareness levels against thrill effects of smoking all have somewhat forced cigarette manufacturing companies the world over to adopt direct mail strategies. These direct mail strategies not only provide smokers with appealing and inviting messages; they move a step further and offer rewards for smoking. Direct mail also offers an excellent mode of communicating directly with customers, which is all too easily disguised and more than hidden from the piercing scrutiny of the public health community. It is also an effective strategy against rising restrictions on the different and traditional modes of advertising. In this respect a direct mail marketing plan of the world renowned Philip Morris also notes that direct mail is indeed one of the infl uencing factors in the use and consumption of cigarettes. (Slade, 2001; Strategic Plan, 1995) The above literature review and survey also reveals though direct mail is only one of the many marketing techniques adopted by cigarette vending industry, it is undoubtedly one which is witnessing continuous growth pattern, and one that is likely to grow in the future as well. The use of direct mail strategy is all the more worthy of concern as the cigarette vending industry is witnessed to continually change its marketing strategies in response to rising set of legislations and public opinion. It also a proven fact that practically all those involved in cigarette vending industry pursue a marketing strategy with a singular objective; one which aims to encourage initiation and consumption in smoking cigarettes. To curb such efforts, and to bring about a control for restricting such marketing strategies including direct mail, there is an ever-demanding need to fully comprehend marketing tactics utilized by cigarette vending industry. Included in these efforts is removal of the names of the individuals from the list maintained by cigarette vending industry by the smokers themselves as they decide to quit smoking. The exposure of probable intent on the part of cigarette vending industry and possible effects of such direct mail strategies along with measures, which serve as potential triggers, such as the presence of ashtrays, should also be taken into account. (Fiore et al, 2000; King, 2001) 2nd Literature Review In continuation with our dissertation on the effectiveness of direct mail on the cigarette vending industry, yet another research carried out by Lynn McFadden of the University of Strathclyde and published in the British Medical Journal issue of March 2001 is presented here. This research uncovers young peoples awareness about marketing strategies adopted by cigarette vending industry and their involvement and association with their smoking behaviours. One of the most successful methods of direct mail marketing is one, which is carried out at the point of sale. It is the venue of point of sale where a number of cigarette vending industrialists tend to focus, as also evident in the research findings of the University of Strathclyde. The research comprised of some 629 young people, aged between the ages of 15 and 16, and all of who had opted to be a part of the research through a postal consent procedure. The focus of the research, as also stated in the preceding lines waste examination of young peoples awareness of and involvement with cigarette marketing. The research also sought to determine the level of association, if any, amongst the group of young people between the level of awareness and the their smoking behaviours. The overall findings of the above research comprising of young people revealed an extra-ordinary high level of awareness and equally high levels of involvement of young people in the marketing strategies of cigarette vending industry. Out of the 629 participants involved in the research, some 95 present of them were more than aware of the various advertising techniques utilized by the cigarette vending industry, as also aware of the various methods utilized in the point of sale marketing. Thus, both the aspects, those of awareness and involvement with cigarette vending industry were strongly found to be related with being a smoker. This was more than proven from the statistics derived in the said research. For example out of the group of some 185 participants, 55 or a huge 30 present of the research participants admitted that they had received free gifts through coupons attached with the cigarette packs. A comparison with non-smoking community showed that only 11 present or 21 out of 199 participants had received fee gifts through coupons in the cigarette packs. Furthermore, it was also revealed in the same set of researches that aside from the awareness element about coupon schemes, participates were also equally aware about brand stretching and tobacco marketing, all of which were linked in some way or the other with their smoking habits. (DOH, 1992;Atiken et al, 1987; Led with, 1984; Charlton et al, 1997; Altman et al,1996; Aitken et al, 1991) The above research thus concluded the young populations aged 15 and16 were not only fully aware on the various aspects of cigarette marketing including direct mail and marketing at the point of sales; they were also more than associated with the different cigarette vending industries in the marketing of cigarettes and both the awareness and involvement in the marketing were linked with their smoking status and habits. These findings also called for a more stringent set of statutory legislations, as compared to the otherwise voluntary regulations which are primarily designed to protect these teenagers, and which have become somewhat ineffective. Other findings from the above carried out researches revealed and established the fact that the role of the mass media in advertising encouraged smoking amongst the younger populations. From a purely economics perspective, the same findings showed that expenditure on advertising pointed towards an increase in the prevalence, while a drop in the expenditures on advertising resulted in the subsequent drop in the prevalence of cigarette consumption, thereby proving a direct relationship between advertising and consumption of cigarettes. These studies focusing on the younger population showed that teenagers smoking cigarettes are more likely to appreciate as also be aware of the tobacco and cigarette advertising related sponsorships, merchandising and vending. In line with such studies, other cohort studies on the same segment of teenage smoking populations resulted in similar results and furthermore predicted a tendency of future smoking behaviours amongst the researched populations. (DOH, 1992; Aitken et al,1987; Led with, 1984; Charlton et al, 1997; Altman et al, 1996; Aitken al, 1991) A similar experiment involving some 2400 teenagers all aged a 15years, yet only differentiated by sex and postal addresses were taken for a research project from an area in the North of England. These teenagers were invited to participate in the research programme after due consent from their parents/guardians with the primary objective of deriving some 280 smokers from the total lot of participants. With response rate of more than 48 present, some 1062 responded to the call for invitation and studies carried out from the set of questionnaires mailed to each participant along with the consent form. The results obtained from the 1062 participant teenagers (all aged15 years) showed that one in every 5 teenager was involved in smoking,214 teenagers or 20 present of the respondents were regular smokers,825 or a huge 78 present not regular smokers, while 23 respondents or 2percent of the total respondents declined to divulge their smoking status. In continuation with the studies on the teenage smoking population, a random number of 373 respondents were gradually removed from the research list, as they were not regular smokers. The removal of these selected respondents further narrowed the research to those who were in the habit of, or were involved in smoking cigarettes. The number of respondents was now brought down from 1062, as also stated in the opening lines of these paragraphs, to 686 candidates only. These 686 teenage candidates were then interviewed through a team of professional interviewers, who were in turn instructed to make at least4 clear attempts to gain positive research results. The interviewers were not given any prior information as the status of smoking habits of the interviewed candidates so as to derive a transparent set of findings. Here too, the permission of the parents/guardians was sought prior to the interview, as well as a 5-Pound gift voucher was also handed to each candidate. In carrying out the above research 629 out of the total 686respondents were successfully interviewed. Those who were left out did so due to the passage of time, as by the time the research was concluded, the respondents had entered their 16th year, whereas the entire team of research candidates belonged to the 15 year old age bracket only. Each of the candidates was given two sets of questionnaires; one included a face to face interview with the teenage candidate, while the candidate in the presence of their guardians/parents filled out the second questionnaire. One may note that there was no influence of the parents presence on the part of the respondent teenagers. Each of the questionnaires resulted in the awareness, as well as the involvement of the candidates with the different techniques used in the marketing by the cigarette vending industry including direct mail marketing. The findings of the research revealed the smoking habits/status of the teenage candidates, their future intentions for smoking, education levels, and smoking by their peers, siblings, and whether their parents smoked or not. (DOH, 1992;Atiken et al, 1987; Led with, 1984; Charlton et al, 1997; Altman et al,1996; Aitken et al, 1991) A detailed analysis of the awareness element of the teenage group interviewed showed that in comparison to the non-smoking teenage population, those who smoked cigarettes were more than aware of practically all forms of marketing techniques including direct mail marketing. Information from the respondents showed that teenagers involved in smoking were also fully aware of the different types, but also knew about advertisements in magazines, newspapers, special price schemes, and offers for cigarettes. In addition, majority of the smoking teenage population had witnessed advertising on billboards, where more than fifty present of those interviewed had read about some form of cigarette marketing in the press. Also included were advertisements and marketing at point of sales, coupon schemes, and special price offers for cigarettes. Other findings from the research of the 15 year old teenagers revealed that 20 present of the said teenage population had witnessed some form of brand stretching, which included clothing or other items with logos of famous brands of cigarettes, new pack designs, the different and attractive nature and size of the cigarettes, free gifts offered through cigarettes, competitions, and watching famous personalities smoking in films and on television. Though at a lower level, there was awareness on the various promotional mails from cigarette vending industry, distribution of free cigarettes, and to some extent from the network, or the Internet. Thus, it was observed that young smokers were more than fully aware of practically all forms of cigarette marketing techniques including direct mail, in comparison to non-smokers or those who had tried to join the smoking populations. The awareness on the marketing aspect on the part of the teenage populations was more noticeable where free gifts, special price offers, promotional mail, and newer forms of cigarette packs and designs. Marketing of Cigarettes and Role of Teenagers As also stated in the above researched teenage smoking group, there was significant evidence to suggest the involvement and role of teenagers in the marketing of cigarettes including both direct mail and coupon schemes. It was also revealed there was little difference amongst male and female teenagers both of who participated somewhat equally in the marketing of cigarettes. A statistical break-up of the smoking teenager population and the non-smoking teenagers showed that more than fifty present of the smoking populations amongst the teenagers had willingly participated in one or other form of marketing for cigarette companies. In comparison, some 25 present of non-smokers and those who had tried smoking had also participated in some form of marketing for cigarettes. The above research on the teenage smoking population also showed that some 33 present of those interviewed had received free gifts through coupons schemes; another 25 present were in receipt of the special price offers for cigarettes, and a smaller 10 present of the teenage population had received free gifts through direct mail schemes at events organized by the cigarette vending company or received the same through promotional mail schemes. The above findings thus conclusively show that there is a more than strong relationship between awareness of each cigarette marketing technique and current smoking status while variable linked with teenage smoking are held constant. In particular, the awareness of coupon schemes and brand stretching are one way or the other linked to the enhanced probability of the individual being a current smoker, as also with having friends who smoke, siblings, or either parent being smoker. In this study, having friends as smokers was found to be a great influencing factor with the individual being a current smoker. The number of marketing techniques also varied and left a positive mark on the current smoking status and habit of the teenagers interviewed. Hereto, the presence of a close friend, either parent, or siblings was directly associated with an enhanced probability factor for a current smoker. A break up of the different marketing techniques to which the teenage populations are exposed show that package design or price promotion account for a larger exposure, as compared for example brand stretching and shop advertising, the latter of which had little or no effect on the teenage segment of the smoking population. In spite of the above findings, a common factor to emerge was that the young populations was observed to receive some form of benefit, reward, or reassurance from either of the cigarette vending industries; hence a reinforcement of smoking habits, or promotion of smoking amongst the teenage populations. These research more than confirms the need for a stronger set of legislation and laws. The research also calls for an equally tighter set of controls on the marketing techniques adopted by the cigarette vending industries across the United Kingdom. It also proves that the current voluntary form of regulations primarily designed to protect would be smokers, new smokers, and in particular teenage and younger populations are failing, and there is a greater and crucial need for revision of the same. The British Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill should be so designed to comprehensively ban some of the most famous forms of marketing such as coupon and brand stretching; the ban should move a step further and outlaw practically all forms and modes of marketing by the cigarette vending industry. Laws, Regulations and Loopholes Exploited by the Cigarette Vending Industry by Marketing/Promotion of Cigarettes This section of the dissertation will address some of the applicable laws and regulations presently levied in the United Kingdom as well as through the directives of the European Union for all member states respectively. It will also take into account the various loopholes and exploiting measures employed by the cigarette vending industry, as they bypass or practically ignore effective regulations to promote the sale of cigarettes, including various forms of direct mail, as also the subject of our above dissertation. One of the first sets of regulations is the European Union Directive98/43/EC, which was duly accepted as a law as of 30th July 1998. Theseus Directive specifically called for minimal tobacco advertising inside the shops. Though the directive contains a summary and overview of the measures and timetable for the implementation of the directive, the salient feature of this directive calls for member government of the European Union including United Kingdom to ban all forms of commercial communication as well as sponsorships, both of which primarily aim actor influence the promotion of tobacco products. An overview of the above said directive shows that though this covers vast area of advertising, and is largely utilized by the cigarette/tobacco vending industry to promote their respective products; the objective of the directive is to bring a halt to the transfer or changeover of promotion techniques used in the marketing of cigarettes. However, the same directive is all too easily exploited through loopholes and exemptions such as those enjoyed by the sellers of tobacco only, marketing at limited point of sales, imported publications, and use of vague language. Brand Stretching One of the areas which perhaps provide as one of the largest loopholes for the cigarette vending industry in their endeavours to market their brand of cigarettes is that of brand stretching. As also discussed in detail in the above present literature reviews and researches, brand stretching is the use of non-tobacco products and services to advertise tobacco and various cigarette brands. These include for example clothes with logos of famous cigarette brands, shoes, and other items, which though are one of the means for marketing; yet in reality they serve to attract the attention of current as well as would be smoker populations alike. This directive is one step short of a total ban on all forms of advertising including such direct mail advertising as utilized by Marlboro Classics, yet it allows governments to exempt advertising where the branding is visibly different from the brand of the cigarette and where advertising is done in good faith without clarifying the actual meaning of the phrase ‘good faith. Thus, we have a loophole duly utilized by the cigarette vending industry in the form of relaxation on such advertising, and use of such phrases as good faith. 3rd Literature Review An Insight into Advertising As One of the Strongest Forms of Direct mail Marketing Strategy Used by the Cigarette Vending Industry Studies carried out by British Governments health S Effectiveness of Direct Mail on Cigarette Vending Industry Effectiveness of Direct Mail on Cigarette Vending Industry The Effectiveness of Direct Mail on the Cigarette Vending Industry in the United Kingdom Irrespective of the mode and methods adopted for marketing, including direct mail, the cigarette vending industry continues to prosper not only in the United Kingdom, but also across the world. At the same time there is a continuous rise in the spread of a number of diseases directly related with smoking including chronic respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases and various types of cancers in turn leading to increased death rates amongst the smoking populations. One of the major causes of premature deaths in developing countries, the figures for United Kingdom alone show that approximately 120,000 individuals die every year from diseases directly related to smoking, which is an alarming 20 present of all deaths in a given year. A similar study on smoking also revealed that cancer alone accounts for nearly a third of all deaths from smoking, and another one sixth die from other causes related to smoking. Figures for the younger generation entering the smoking populations of the United Kingdom showed that there was a gradual rise between the years 1988 and 1997,and a somewhat similar rise in the figures amongst adult smoking populations. Marketing departments of cigarette manufacturing companies around the world would least care that an individual smoking cigarette on a regular basis more than doubles the risk of dying before he or she reaches the age of 65. If there is any consolation for these companies adopting various lucrative direct mail strategies for vending and marketing cigarettes, smoking by pregnant women have been found to result in severe repercussions for the foetus as well as new born baby. These include an increased risk of miscarriage, reduced birth weight and potential for prenatal deaths. In similar context, parents who continue to smoke after pregnancy invite increased chances of sudden death syndrome in their infants. The following dissertation will however limit its discussions and studies, and present its findings on the effectiveness of direct mail in the cigarette vending industry of the United Kingdom. (DOH, 1998) Introduction One of the most widely accepted facts and one that has been proven beyond any doubt is that smoking poses a number of health risks. In addition smokers are more than likely to contract certain diseases in comparison to those who do not smoke at all. It is also a fact that smoking is largely accepted as an addictive habit, and with the passage of time, and advances in the study of and implications of smoking alto openly reveal that today it is not merely an addictive habit; on the contrary it is a collection of human behaviours which also includes smoking. It must also be borne in mind that since it is an addiction, and for some indeed a very strong habit, it is wrong to assume that this habit cannot be given up. In fact, there have been numerous cases where individuals have totally given up smoking. It is precisely this line of approach that has made major cigarette manufacturers to print health warning instructions on all their respective packs of cigarettes. Furthermore, majority of the cigarette manufacturing companies around the world, including those of the United Kingdom comply with requisite regulations and legislations with respect of marketing, advertisement and sales of cigarettes. There are also companies, which have their own pack labelling policies, which go beyond the requisite legislation of the respective host country. It is perhaps this lapse, if one may wish to call it, which has allowed majority of cigarette manufacturing companies to guise their marketing, promotion, advertising and selling policies into a philosophy which acknowledges the right of the adult populations to smoke, and consequently respect and protect that particular right. (Pierce et al,1998; Beemer and Siegel, 2000; Safer and Chaloupka, 1999; Anderson etal, 2002; Slade, 2001; Lewis and Littler, 1999) In pursuance of the rights of the smokers, cigarette manufacturing companies also stand against any excessive price regulations and tax measures which are presumably aimed at reducing demand for cigarettes. An independent view of a number of tax and price measures levied by various countries including the United Kingdom reveal that the smoking populations are unduly punished for the pleasure of smoking, and governments largely fail to take into account the huge sums generated from revenues on the various taxes levied on cigarettes. These high rates of taxes levied on cigarettes then results in the illegal and often illicit trade of smuggling cigarettes in turn undermining the legitimate market for cigarette companies running and operating under legal channels of business. A brief on the United Kingdoms cigarette industry reveals that 1 in every 5 cigarettes is smuggled into the country, which adds to a huge20 present of the entire cigarette industry of United Kingdom. In similar context is the call for a ban on the sale of duty free cigarettes, as the primary objective behind the promotion of duty free sale of cigarettes, or for that matter any other product is reduction in illicit trade of that particular item. A ban on the duty free sale of cigarettes would practically jeopardize the regulated duty free retail of that product, and at the same time have a minimal effect on the sale of cigarettes. On the contrary a ban on the duty free sale of cigarettes would simply bring about a shift in the market of cigarettes from a duty free environment to one that is largely controlled by domestic market. Another related aspect of the cigarette vending industry is that of various standards and policies which are aimed at raising awareness about the potential health risks associated with smoking. Trade zones such as those found in European Union for example are ample grounds for such standards and policies to be levied, which in turn allow for uniform results as well as derive common interests amongst the respective countries. The non-smoking segment of the populations is yet another vital area of focus for cigarette manufacturing companies. As also a public health issue, the non-smokers are prone to, and thus demand protective measures from passive smoking. In this respect, there exist two schools of thought; one that disregards any findings and conclusions, which present cigarette smoke as a potential health hazard for non-smokers. This group though acknowledges that cigarette smoke is indeed a source of annoyance as well as one of the causes of environmental pollution. Yet, they also call for an approach based on simple logic and common sense and co-operation. While the second school of thought, such as M/Gallaher, one of the major cigarette manufacturing and marketing companies in the UK, contend that government initiatives including the â€Å"Air Quality program are viable and productive programs to address vital public smoking issues. Literature Reviews There have a number of writings and case studies, which prove the effectiveness of direct mail on the cigarette vending industry,. These writings and studies have convincingly proven that direct mail has had positive affect and its influences have directly contributed to the rise in cigarette sales, in turn promoting the cigarette vending industry in general. Thus, it would not be wrong to state, as also proven from the following case studies, that the direct mail strategy in the cigarette vending industry has proven to affect smoking initiation as well as consumption. A brief historical perspective also reveals that cigarette manufacturing companies the world over have significantly changed their focus from the traditional advertising tithe use of techniques which emphasize on developing as well as maintaining a relationship with individual customers. Direct mail through direct communication thus offers cigarette-vending industry source of generating sales including obtaining measurable response in related areas of marketing. (Pierce et al, 1998; Beemer and Siegel,2000; Safer and Chaloupka, 1999; Anderson et al, 2002; Slade, 2001;Lewis and Littler, 1999) One of the most effective techniques, and perhaps one of the oldest as well, is that of utilizing mailing list of individuals maintained by major and minor cigarette vending companies alike. It is this list of individuals or customers, which serves as the potential for direct mail for cigarette vending industry. This list is also used for the distribution of coupons, sweepstakes offers, and brand-loyalty programme catalogues. Also included in the items distributed through direct mail are event announcements sponsored by the cigarette vending industry, and magazines published by major tobacco manufacturing companies. Practically all these items which are sent to individuals using the direct mail system contain activities and feature images which serve a two-fold purpose. First, these promotional items are designed in such a manner to make emotional appeals to customers. Second, they serve to strengthen, rather reinforce the existing images of the various brands of cigarettes in the market. There are different modes of collecting such list of individuals, which includes events that are sponsored by the cigarette industry, sweepstake forms, signed coupons as well as brand-loyalty program orders. These listings more often than not include some form of a response mechanism, which invites recipients to fill out surveys for example, or mention their lifestyle preferences. A statistic covering the US cigarette industry with particular reference to the role of direct mail reveals that there has been general rising trend in the use of direct mail in the United States. Brief on the 6 largest US cigarette manufacturers showed that they collectively spend a staggering amount of US 133.9 million dollars on direct mail in 2001. This was an increase of 131.8 present from the figures of 1998. One may note that these huge figures do not include sums spent on coupons or specialty items distributed through the mail system. (USFTC, 2002) A survey carried out by a team of doctors at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, in the United States provided for results which convincingly proved that direct mail in the cigarette vending industry not only enhanced initiation, but effectively raised the chances for potential smokers. This survey comprised of some 3900adults, and primarily focused on the answer to 3 questions. (University of Medicine and Dentistry NJ, 2002; SUDAAN, 2001) Questionnaire for the Survey Did any of the participant receive direct mail from a tobacco company within the last 6 months, including magazines, coupons, or catalogues. Did any of the participants use a coupon to buy cigarettes. Did any of the participants save any UPC codes, or tokens from any brand-loyalty programmes of a tobacco manufacturer. Results of the Survey The results of the above questionnaire from the selected adult participants showed that the current range of smoking populations were4 to 5 times more likely to have received direct mail within the past 6months as compared to those who had never smoked before or were belonged to the former smoking community. Second, the survey showed that smokers who had quit smoking in the last 12 months were 2 to 4 times more likely to receive direct mail as compared to those who had never smoked or those who belonged to the former smoking community. The survey also revealed that the white populations as compared to other groups of populations topped the list of individuals receiving direct mail offers for cigarettes or related material in aid of marketing for a given brand of cigarette. The use of coupons was found to be the highest amongst the female smoking community, white adults as well as those falling within the age group of 25 and 64 years. Similarly, saving for programs such as brand-reward programs was also found to be highest amongst current population of smokers, white segment of the population as well as the those falling within the age bracket of 18 and 24 years. Discussion on the Findings and Literature Review The above findings significantly provided evidence that direct mail served to increase the consumption of cigarettes, and subsequently ‘impede cessation. The said survey also found that coupons delivered through the direct mail to individuals were originally designed to bring about a reduction in prices of cigarettes, as well as simultaneously offset the impact of rise in taxes and other control measures levied by respective authorities. It was also found that programs offered through direct mail, such as brand-loyalty programs were intended to reward and encourage smokers through offer for additional purchases. The survey also revealed that direct mail marketing for cigarettes was originally designed to restrict switching of brands amongst customers. However, this strategy was only cover-up, and instead such direct mail offers allowed and in fact assisted smokers to continue smoking. The above literature review and survey on the role of direct mail on the cigarette vending industry shows numerous legislations, public campaigns against smoking, proven addictive behaviours resulting in serious health repercussions and rising awareness levels against thrill effects of smoking all have somewhat forced cigarette manufacturing companies the world over to adopt direct mail strategies. These direct mail strategies not only provide smokers with appealing and inviting messages; they move a step further and offer rewards for smoking. Direct mail also offers an excellent mode of communicating directly with customers, which is all too easily disguised and more than hidden from the piercing scrutiny of the public health community. It is also an effective strategy against rising restrictions on the different and traditional modes of advertising. In this respect a direct mail marketing plan of the world renowned Philip Morris also notes that direct mail is indeed one of the infl uencing factors in the use and consumption of cigarettes. (Slade, 2001; Strategic Plan, 1995) The above literature review and survey also reveals though direct mail is only one of the many marketing techniques adopted by cigarette vending industry, it is undoubtedly one which is witnessing continuous growth pattern, and one that is likely to grow in the future as well. The use of direct mail strategy is all the more worthy of concern as the cigarette vending industry is witnessed to continually change its marketing strategies in response to rising set of legislations and public opinion. It also a proven fact that practically all those involved in cigarette vending industry pursue a marketing strategy with a singular objective; one which aims to encourage initiation and consumption in smoking cigarettes. To curb such efforts, and to bring about a control for restricting such marketing strategies including direct mail, there is an ever-demanding need to fully comprehend marketing tactics utilized by cigarette vending industry. Included in these efforts is removal of the names of the individuals from the list maintained by cigarette vending industry by the smokers themselves as they decide to quit smoking. The exposure of probable intent on the part of cigarette vending industry and possible effects of such direct mail strategies along with measures, which serve as potential triggers, such as the presence of ashtrays, should also be taken into account. (Fiore et al, 2000; King, 2001) 2nd Literature Review In continuation with our dissertation on the effectiveness of direct mail on the cigarette vending industry, yet another research carried out by Lynn McFadden of the University of Strathclyde and published in the British Medical Journal issue of March 2001 is presented here. This research uncovers young peoples awareness about marketing strategies adopted by cigarette vending industry and their involvement and association with their smoking behaviours. One of the most successful methods of direct mail marketing is one, which is carried out at the point of sale. It is the venue of point of sale where a number of cigarette vending industrialists tend to focus, as also evident in the research findings of the University of Strathclyde. The research comprised of some 629 young people, aged between the ages of 15 and 16, and all of who had opted to be a part of the research through a postal consent procedure. The focus of the research, as also stated in the preceding lines waste examination of young peoples awareness of and involvement with cigarette marketing. The research also sought to determine the level of association, if any, amongst the group of young people between the level of awareness and the their smoking behaviours. The overall findings of the above research comprising of young people revealed an extra-ordinary high level of awareness and equally high levels of involvement of young people in the marketing strategies of cigarette vending industry. Out of the 629 participants involved in the research, some 95 present of them were more than aware of the various advertising techniques utilized by the cigarette vending industry, as also aware of the various methods utilized in the point of sale marketing. Thus, both the aspects, those of awareness and involvement with cigarette vending industry were strongly found to be related with being a smoker. This was more than proven from the statistics derived in the said research. For example out of the group of some 185 participants, 55 or a huge 30 present of the research participants admitted that they had received free gifts through coupons attached with the cigarette packs. A comparison with non-smoking community showed that only 11 present or 21 out of 199 participants had received fee gifts through coupons in the cigarette packs. Furthermore, it was also revealed in the same set of researches that aside from the awareness element about coupon schemes, participates were also equally aware about brand stretching and tobacco marketing, all of which were linked in some way or the other with their smoking habits. (DOH, 1992;Atiken et al, 1987; Led with, 1984; Charlton et al, 1997; Altman et al,1996; Aitken et al, 1991) The above research thus concluded the young populations aged 15 and16 were not only fully aware on the various aspects of cigarette marketing including direct mail and marketing at the point of sales; they were also more than associated with the different cigarette vending industries in the marketing of cigarettes and both the awareness and involvement in the marketing were linked with their smoking status and habits. These findings also called for a more stringent set of statutory legislations, as compared to the otherwise voluntary regulations which are primarily designed to protect these teenagers, and which have become somewhat ineffective. Other findings from the above carried out researches revealed and established the fact that the role of the mass media in advertising encouraged smoking amongst the younger populations. From a purely economics perspective, the same findings showed that expenditure on advertising pointed towards an increase in the prevalence, while a drop in the expenditures on advertising resulted in the subsequent drop in the prevalence of cigarette consumption, thereby proving a direct relationship between advertising and consumption of cigarettes. These studies focusing on the younger population showed that teenagers smoking cigarettes are more likely to appreciate as also be aware of the tobacco and cigarette advertising related sponsorships, merchandising and vending. In line with such studies, other cohort studies on the same segment of teenage smoking populations resulted in similar results and furthermore predicted a tendency of future smoking behaviours amongst the researched populations. (DOH, 1992; Aitken et al,1987; Led with, 1984; Charlton et al, 1997; Altman et al, 1996; Aitken al, 1991) A similar experiment involving some 2400 teenagers all aged a 15years, yet only differentiated by sex and postal addresses were taken for a research project from an area in the North of England. These teenagers were invited to participate in the research programme after due consent from their parents/guardians with the primary objective of deriving some 280 smokers from the total lot of participants. With response rate of more than 48 present, some 1062 responded to the call for invitation and studies carried out from the set of questionnaires mailed to each participant along with the consent form. The results obtained from the 1062 participant teenagers (all aged15 years) showed that one in every 5 teenager was involved in smoking,214 teenagers or 20 present of the respondents were regular smokers,825 or a huge 78 present not regular smokers, while 23 respondents or 2percent of the total respondents declined to divulge their smoking status. In continuation with the studies on the teenage smoking population, a random number of 373 respondents were gradually removed from the research list, as they were not regular smokers. The removal of these selected respondents further narrowed the research to those who were in the habit of, or were involved in smoking cigarettes. The number of respondents was now brought down from 1062, as also stated in the opening lines of these paragraphs, to 686 candidates only. These 686 teenage candidates were then interviewed through a team of professional interviewers, who were in turn instructed to make at least4 clear attempts to gain positive research results. The interviewers were not given any prior information as the status of smoking habits of the interviewed candidates so as to derive a transparent set of findings. Here too, the permission of the parents/guardians was sought prior to the interview, as well as a 5-Pound gift voucher was also handed to each candidate. In carrying out the above research 629 out of the total 686respondents were successfully interviewed. Those who were left out did so due to the passage of time, as by the time the research was concluded, the respondents had entered their 16th year, whereas the entire team of research candidates belonged to the 15 year old age bracket only. Each of the candidates was given two sets of questionnaires; one included a face to face interview with the teenage candidate, while the candidate in the presence of their guardians/parents filled out the second questionnaire. One may note that there was no influence of the parents presence on the part of the respondent teenagers. Each of the questionnaires resulted in the awareness, as well as the involvement of the candidates with the different techniques used in the marketing by the cigarette vending industry including direct mail marketing. The findings of the research revealed the smoking habits/status of the teenage candidates, their future intentions for smoking, education levels, and smoking by their peers, siblings, and whether their parents smoked or not. (DOH, 1992;Atiken et al, 1987; Led with, 1984; Charlton et al, 1997; Altman et al,1996; Aitken et al, 1991) A detailed analysis of the awareness element of the teenage group interviewed showed that in comparison to the non-smoking teenage population, those who smoked cigarettes were more than aware of practically all forms of marketing techniques including direct mail marketing. Information from the respondents showed that teenagers involved in smoking were also fully aware of the different types, but also knew about advertisements in magazines, newspapers, special price schemes, and offers for cigarettes. In addition, majority of the smoking teenage population had witnessed advertising on billboards, where more than fifty present of those interviewed had read about some form of cigarette marketing in the press. Also included were advertisements and marketing at point of sales, coupon schemes, and special price offers for cigarettes. Other findings from the research of the 15 year old teenagers revealed that 20 present of the said teenage population had witnessed some form of brand stretching, which included clothing or other items with logos of famous brands of cigarettes, new pack designs, the different and attractive nature and size of the cigarettes, free gifts offered through cigarettes, competitions, and watching famous personalities smoking in films and on television. Though at a lower level, there was awareness on the various promotional mails from cigarette vending industry, distribution of free cigarettes, and to some extent from the network, or the Internet. Thus, it was observed that young smokers were more than fully aware of practically all forms of cigarette marketing techniques including direct mail, in comparison to non-smokers or those who had tried to join the smoking populations. The awareness on the marketing aspect on the part of the teenage populations was more noticeable where free gifts, special price offers, promotional mail, and newer forms of cigarette packs and designs. Marketing of Cigarettes and Role of Teenagers As also stated in the above researched teenage smoking group, there was significant evidence to suggest the involvement and role of teenagers in the marketing of cigarettes including both direct mail and coupon schemes. It was also revealed there was little difference amongst male and female teenagers both of who participated somewhat equally in the marketing of cigarettes. A statistical break-up of the smoking teenager population and the non-smoking teenagers showed that more than fifty present of the smoking populations amongst the teenagers had willingly participated in one or other form of marketing for cigarette companies. In comparison, some 25 present of non-smokers and those who had tried smoking had also participated in some form of marketing for cigarettes. The above research on the teenage smoking population also showed that some 33 present of those interviewed had received free gifts through coupons schemes; another 25 present were in receipt of the special price offers for cigarettes, and a smaller 10 present of the teenage population had received free gifts through direct mail schemes at events organized by the cigarette vending company or received the same through promotional mail schemes. The above findings thus conclusively show that there is a more than strong relationship between awareness of each cigarette marketing technique and current smoking status while variable linked with teenage smoking are held constant. In particular, the awareness of coupon schemes and brand stretching are one way or the other linked to the enhanced probability of the individual being a current smoker, as also with having friends who smoke, siblings, or either parent being smoker. In this study, having friends as smokers was found to be a great influencing factor with the individual being a current smoker. The number of marketing techniques also varied and left a positive mark on the current smoking status and habit of the teenagers interviewed. Hereto, the presence of a close friend, either parent, or siblings was directly associated with an enhanced probability factor for a current smoker. A break up of the different marketing techniques to which the teenage populations are exposed show that package design or price promotion account for a larger exposure, as compared for example brand stretching and shop advertising, the latter of which had little or no effect on the teenage segment of the smoking population. In spite of the above findings, a common factor to emerge was that the young populations was observed to receive some form of benefit, reward, or reassurance from either of the cigarette vending industries; hence a reinforcement of smoking habits, or promotion of smoking amongst the teenage populations. These research more than confirms the need for a stronger set of legislation and laws. The research also calls for an equally tighter set of controls on the marketing techniques adopted by the cigarette vending industries across the United Kingdom. It also proves that the current voluntary form of regulations primarily designed to protect would be smokers, new smokers, and in particular teenage and younger populations are failing, and there is a greater and crucial need for revision of the same. The British Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill should be so designed to comprehensively ban some of the most famous forms of marketing such as coupon and brand stretching; the ban should move a step further and outlaw practically all forms and modes of marketing by the cigarette vending industry. Laws, Regulations and Loopholes Exploited by the Cigarette Vending Industry by Marketing/Promotion of Cigarettes This section of the dissertation will address some of the applicable laws and regulations presently levied in the United Kingdom as well as through the directives of the European Union for all member states respectively. It will also take into account the various loopholes and exploiting measures employed by the cigarette vending industry, as they bypass or practically ignore effective regulations to promote the sale of cigarettes, including various forms of direct mail, as also the subject of our above dissertation. One of the first sets of regulations is the European Union Directive98/43/EC, which was duly accepted as a law as of 30th July 1998. Theseus Directive specifically called for minimal tobacco advertising inside the shops. Though the directive contains a summary and overview of the measures and timetable for the implementation of the directive, the salient feature of this directive calls for member government of the European Union including United Kingdom to ban all forms of commercial communication as well as sponsorships, both of which primarily aim actor influence the promotion of tobacco products. An overview of the above said directive shows that though this covers vast area of advertising, and is largely utilized by the cigarette/tobacco vending industry to promote their respective products; the objective of the directive is to bring a halt to the transfer or changeover of promotion techniques used in the marketing of cigarettes. However, the same directive is all too easily exploited through loopholes and exemptions such as those enjoyed by the sellers of tobacco only, marketing at limited point of sales, imported publications, and use of vague language. Brand Stretching One of the areas which perhaps provide as one of the largest loopholes for the cigarette vending industry in their endeavours to market their brand of cigarettes is that of brand stretching. As also discussed in detail in the above present literature reviews and researches, brand stretching is the use of non-tobacco products and services to advertise tobacco and various cigarette brands. These include for example clothes with logos of famous cigarette brands, shoes, and other items, which though are one of the means for marketing; yet in reality they serve to attract the attention of current as well as would be smoker populations alike. This directive is one step short of a total ban on all forms of advertising including such direct mail advertising as utilized by Marlboro Classics, yet it allows governments to exempt advertising where the branding is visibly different from the brand of the cigarette and where advertising is done in good faith without clarifying the actual meaning of the phrase ‘good faith. Thus, we have a loophole duly utilized by the cigarette vending industry in the form of relaxation on such advertising, and use of such phrases as good faith. 3rd Literature Review An Insight into Advertising As One of the Strongest Forms of Direct mail Marketing Strategy Used by the Cigarette Vending Industry Studies carried out by British Governments health S

What Constitutes a Healthy Person?

What Constitutes a Healthy Person? This chapter focuses on the features of a healthy physical constitution of a person, definitions of sleep, as well as key concepts associated with disease management such as etiopathogenesis, clinical presentation, prognosis, and management of atisthula. Some key etiological factors of atisthula include dietary lifestyle indicators (e.g., sedentary habit and high-calorie diet), and genetic and hereditary factors. This chapter also describes the pathogenesis of atisthula in detail, involving rasa (plasma) and meda (adipose tissue) as important dushyas (affected tissues). The significance of meda (adipose tissue) as the principal dushya has been recently confirmed in modern medicine where the central obesity and dyslipidemia are being considered as the main components of the basic matrix of this disease and its related disorders. [1,2,3] The recent concept of metabolic syndrome was already recognized in Ayurveda. Biomedical science points that overweight individuals experience greatly elevated morbidity and mortality from various ailments including cardiovascular diseases. 4,5 Obesity research is focused on preventive measures and management of complications like prediabetes, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, hypertension, stroke, coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure, cardiomyopathy, and arrhythmia/sudden death. [6] In the modern world, obesity has emerged as a serious health issue in both developed and developing nations and is recognized as one of the most serious public health problems of the 21st century. In 2008 the WHO estimated that globally, at least 500 million adults (or approximately 1 in 10 adults) are obese, with higher rates among women than men. Obesity is the reason for about 80% of type 2 diabetes, about 70% of cardiovascular diseases, and 42% of breast and colon cancers today. In the past two decades, the number of overweight children and adolescents has doubled. [7] The rate of obesity also increases with age at least up to 50 or 60 years old. Once considered a problem specific to only high-income countries, obesity has acquired pandemic proportions and is affecting people globally [8,9] Most researchers agree that once it is established in the body, obesity mostly takes an incurable course and continues to develop many progressive complications a fact that was already acknowledged in Ayurveda. [10] Any course of treatment for obesity suggested by modern medical practitioners primarily includes dietary changes and physical exercise followed by anti-obesity drugs that help reduce appetite or inhibit fat absorption. In severe cases, various invasive and non-invasive surgical procedures could be prescribed such as partial gastrectomy, gastric bypass, banding, gastric balloons, etc.[11]   However, Ayurvedas approach to weight management is very different in that it does not recommend pills or surgeries for inducing drastic weight-loss. Instead, Ayurveda advocates dietary restrictions according to the Prakriti (predisposition or temperament of the patient), moderate exercise, practice of yogÄ sanas and pranayama, besides certain ayurvedic medications and b io-purificatory measures for its management [12] The etiology, pathogenesis, clinical features and consequences of extreme leanness (atikrisha), as an outcome of rasakshaya (decrease of rasa), medokshaya (decrease of meda) and mamsakshaya (decrease of mamsa) have also been described in this chapter. The two basic approaches for management of atikrisha and atisthula are augmentation (brimhana) and depletion (karshana) of body tissues respectively. Various drug and non-drug modalities have been suggested for the replenishment of dhatus and their nourishment to attain good health.   In this regard, Rasayana drugs of Ayurveda help balance hormones, promote essential nutrition and enhance immunity to atisthula and atikrisha respectively. As mentioned earlier, this chapter also emphasizes the role of good Nidra (sleep) in maintaining a healthy life. In fact, as per Ayurveda, after Ahara (diet), Nidra is one of the three sub-pillars of life (trayopastambha) and has a significant place in preventive medicine because normal sleep hel ps prevent diseases and unwholesome sleep may lead to fatal diseases. In Ayurveda, Nidra is considered a brimhana (nourishing) agent that promotes physical mental health and enhances immunity.