VOCs are chemicals that easily escape into the atmosphere through common use around the house. Check the front label of household products to determine if they contain VOCs.  Examples of common products include nail care products (acetone, ethyl alcohol), paint strippers or adhesive removers (methylene chloride), and aerosol spray products (butane). Check the National Institute of Health's Household Products Database for more information about specific products and their ingredients.  Shop for "green" products that don't contain VOCs. If you must use VOC products, buy in small quantities that can be used quickly instead of stored. If you must store the product, do so in a tightly sealed, original container, in a well-ventilated area. Gasoline emissions are one of the major causes of smog--whether from vehicles or lawn equipment. Try eco-friendly lawn mowers, hedgers, trimmers, or any other lawn equipment that can be powered electrically.  You can also avoid mowing altogether by changing the material in your yard. Opt for artificial grass, succulents, hard landscapes, or rock gardens to do away with mowing forever. This will also save you time and money spent on maintenance and watering. There are also "real grass alternatives" that look and act like traditional grass turf, but require less maintenance. When you buy products that are made locally, it cuts down on the cost of transport which reduces emissions. Local farmers' markets and grocery stores can help you determine where items were produced.  There are many sites online that link local buyers and sellers such as Direct Local Food, GrowBuyEat, and AgLocal.  Besides farmers' markets, try local farmers' stands, farms, and wineries. There are even many restaurants that are joining the movement towards supporting locally grown items.  Make a community garden. Grow vegetables and fruit for your community and local distribution. The less energy you consume at home, the less pollutants that are released into the atmosphere. There are many ways to decrease energy consumption including through lighting, heating and cooling, and appliance use.  Replace your old incandescent light bulbs with energy saving halogen incandescents, CFLs, and LEDs which can be found at your local hardware store.  For heating and cooling try energy-saving thermostats that automatically reset temperatures while you're away from home. Shop for energy-efficient appliances that use less energy such as washers, dryers, refrigerators, and dishwashers.

Summary: Avoid high VOC products. Avoid gas-powered yard equipment. Buy local. Be energy efficient in your home.


The best way to pick your snail up is to let it crawl onto your hand on its own accord. This is by far the safest way for the snail to be carried. Picking a snail up by its shell or body may damage the shell or hurt the snail.  Place your hand flat against the bottom of the snail’s cage near the snail. Move your hand very slowly in the general direction of the snail. Let the snail crawl onto your hand. Once the snail has crawled onto your hand, you can slowly lift your hand out of its enclosure. Make sure to lift your hand slowly, as you don’t want to scare the snail or potentially drop it.  After you’ve lifted your hand out of the tank, move it slowly toward the surface of a table. Place your hand flat against the surface of the table and allow your snail to move around. Avoid shaking the table or moving your hand suddenly. After you’ve got the snail on your hand and have moved it out of the enclosure or somewhere else in the enclosure, lower your hand down and allow the snail to hop off your hand. This is important, as you’ll want to give your snail the freedom to move as it pleases and to explore new areas.  Lower your hand slowly. You can lower your hand to a new place in the enclosure. This is probably the best and safest bet. Consider creating a “playground” tank with new rocks, obstacles, and even snail treats (lettuce, cucumbers, and apples). Avoid lowering the snail onto the floor. If you do so, there is a chance you or someone else could step on it.

Summary: Let the snail crawl onto your hand by itself. Lift your hand, slowly. Lower the snail to a new surface.


Maintaining a good oral care routine helps to reduce the risk of mouth cancer by preventing infections and other oral diseases. Brushing your teeth, flossing, and rinsing with mouthwash all contribute to an effective oral care routine.  Repeated and long-term gum disease, poor oral hygiene, and missing teeth can lead to infections that put your mouth under high risk of cancer. Make sure you don't have ill-fitting dentures or sharp, broken teeth that can cause repeated mouth irritation and increase your risk of mouth cancer.  If you feel like your dentures get dislodged every time you speak or chew, it means that they do not fit well and have to be relined or replaced. Denture adhesives containing zinc can be toxic to the cells lining the mouth, and should be avoided. Irritation of tissues inside your mouth caused by dental trauma is one of the factors possibly associated with mouth cancer. You can check inside your own mouth using a hand mirror to look for any abnormalities that could be indicators of pre-cancer or cancer. Catching cancer early is one of the best ways to ensure you can treat it before real damage occurs.  Check all the areas of your mouth, such as your gums, tongue (back and sides), lips, the insides of your cheeks, the roof of your mouth, and under your tongue. If you see any color changes, like white, red, or grey patches, you should visit your dentist for a check-up, as it may indicate a pre cancerous condition. Also, check for lumps, bumps, painful areas in your mouth. If you have an ulcer that is not healing, or if you have repeated ulcers in the same area, then visit your dentist immediately to get your mouth examined. Conducting a self-examination at least once a month for a few minutes is a good precaution to take against mouth cancer. Even better than giving yourself a self-examination, is allowing a dental professional to examine the state of your mouth. Dentists have been trained extensively in many varieties of mouth disease. Your dentist will be able to quickly and confidently assess the state of your oral health, and warn you if mouth cancer has developed or could develop.  It is important to visit your dentist every 6 months for a complete oral checkup. You can also ask for an oral-cancer screening test if you are under high risk for cancer (for example, due to regular tobacco use). Your dentist will check the entire mouth and he/she will identify the precancerous changes in your mouth at early stage. These dental check ups are really important to reduce cancer risks, especially in tobacco and alcohol users. If pre-cancerous growths (Leukoplakia or Erythroplakia) are identified, your dentist or oral surgeon will remove the abnormal growth areas. If you have Erythroplakia or Leukoplakia, your doctors will provide you with medication to lower the risk of cancer. This is called “chemoprevention”.  Some drugs tested for chemoprevention are (NSAIDs) – Sulindac and Celecoxib).  Extracts of black raspberries, a protein from soybean has also been tested for chemoprevention.
Summary: Maintain a good oral care regimen. Conduct oral self-examinations to check for any pre-cancer indicators. Visit your dentist regularly to get a professional opinion.