Addiction

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The e-cigarette, a new craze that is so strange it's almost comical, is sweeping the world and taking a lot of life-long smokers with it. It's essentially a vaporizer that "vapes" a nicotine-containing liquid called "juice". It gives the user the fix of nicotine without the harmful and carcinogenic side effects that burning brings.

For those wondering whether they could give up the real thing for an electronic alternative, the article linked above claims that many smokers have been able to make a total switch within days.… Continues …

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I remember reading in March about a South Korean couple, who were addicted to online gaming. Internet addiction is something that many people struggle with to some degree, but they were apparently so obsessed with the game Prius Online that they neglected their 3 month old baby daughter and she died of starvation.

The website for the game maker, Netmarble, has a banner at the top of their website for Prius Online which features a pretty fairy, and says "Now it's my turn to protect you." Isn't it one of the most basic human instincts to protect our own children? How could both parents be so wrapped up in this online world that they would abandon their basic parental responsibilities of feeding and caring for their own child?… Continues …

Ardi takes a drag from his favorite brand of cigaretteMeet Ardi Rizal, an overweight 2-year-old boy who lives in Sumatra. Ardi has caused an international uproar over the fact that he smokes two packs of cigarettes a day. His mother claims that he's addicted and that he throws a tantrum if he is denied his smokes, and according to The Jakarta Globe, he "refuses to smoke anything other than his favourite brand". The situation is compounded by the fact that Ardi's father doesn't appear to see anything wrong with his son's habit.

Anti-smoking advocates have seized upon the story as another example of multinational tobacco companies preying on the poor in the developing world. The Boston Herald quotes Matthew Myers of the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids:

"The tobacco companies are treating the developing world as the great new growth market and are taking maximum advantage of the lack of understanding among the poorest of the poor in these societies."