Dangers Of Tongue Piercings

Cigarette warning labels too gory? Wait till you see other countries'

(CBS/AP) "What's the big deal?" That's a question someone from another country might ask about the new cigarette warning labels just unveiled in the U.S. Some Americans were shocked by the labels' graphic images, which show rotting teeth, diseased lungs, and even a smoker's corpse. But more than 40 nations require cigarette warning labels at least as graphic the nine new U.S. labels.

PICTURES: World's most gruesome tobacco warning labels

The U.S. warnings - the biggest change to the labels in a quarter-century - aim to use fear and disgust to deter smoking. The FDA estimates the labels will cut the number of smokers by 213,000 in 2013, with additional reductions through 2031. Though it's impossible to attribute reduced smoking rates to a single cause, in Canada, Brazil, Thailand and other countries, strong warnings have been linked with an increase in the number of smokers trying to quit.

"We are so far behind," says Michael Cummings, who chairs the department of health behavior at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. "We're a third-world nation when it comes to educating the public on the risks of smoking."

The new labels will fill the top half - front and back - of each pack of cigarettes sold in the U.S. They will also appear in ads. Cigarette makers must run all nine labels on a rotating basis. They have until the fall of 2012 to comply.

Before the new labels were introduced, the U.S. had some of the world's weakest cigarette warnings. The U.S. first U.S. cigarette warning labels, which said simply, "Cigarettes may be hazardous to your health," were mandated in 1965. The current warning labels - put on cigarette packs in the mid-1980s - say more explicitly that smoking causes lung cancer, heart disease, and other illnesses. But they are text-only blurbs found in a small box on the side of the pack.

Uruguay has some of the world's strongest warning labels. One shows a person smoking a battery like it's a cigarette to illustrate that both products contain the toxic metal cadmium. In Brazil, labels feature graphic images of dead fetuses, hemorrhaging brains, and gangrenous feet.

Many proponents of stronger warning labels point to Canada as evidence that pictures work. Under a first-of-its-kind law passed in Canada in 2000, tobacco companies had to affix warnings about the dangers of smoking - including photos of a diseased heart or oral cancer on the tongue - on cigarette packages. Following that change, nine out of 10 Canadians surveyed demonstrated a deeper knowledge of the health consequences of smoking. The smoking rate also fell to 20 percent from 26 percent.

The Dental Dangers of Tongue Piercings

It seems like everyone within a certain age group has his or her tongue pierced these days. Tongue piercings are no longer taboo and are common among both men and women. Lots has been said, in opposition, to these pieces of metal in a person’s tongue about future job prospects and appearance. What many people don’t realize are the dangers posed to one’s teeth by this piece of jewelry or fashion statement. One of the biggest dangers to the teeth from the tongue piercing is the possibility for chipped teeth. It is all but guaranteed that a person with a tongue piercing will chip his or her teeth. Even if the chip is not large, there will still be chips to the teeth. These chips, particularly along the leading edge of the teeth, will contribute to tooth decay and can also make a person look older. Another hazard to teeth from tongue piercings is the potential of gum damage. The metal of the tongue piercing will rub against the gums on the inside of the tooth. The gums are sensitive tissues and do not like being rubbed by metal. It just rubs them the wrong way. When they are rubbed the wrong way by the tongue piercing, they recede. Rather than confront the invader or stand up and fight, the gums recede. This can cause the roots of a tooth, which contain the nerves, to be exposed to everything in the mouth.

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