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Thursday, March 10, 2005
The Global Battle to Butt out -ON
Globe and Mail Update By LINDA WAVERLEY Monday, March 7, 2005 Updated at 11:11 PM EST
Tobacco is the second major cause of death in the world. Tobacco consumption is the cause of premature death for nearly five million people every year, one in 10 of all adult deaths worldwide. If current smoking patterns continue, tobacco use will cause some 10 million deaths each year by 2020. But now, a precedent-setting international treaty exists to fight this global tobacco epidemic.
The World Health Organization recently enacted its first global treaty to address a health issue. The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), designed to reduce the devastating health and economic impacts of tobacco use throughout the world, became part of international law on Feb. 27, a historic day for global public health. Its provisions are now legally binding for more than 40 countries, including Canada.
This treaty reflects the need for an integrated approach to tobacco control, with the ultimate aim of creating a global social environment that supports non-smoking as the norm. No one measure can create this shift; tobacco-control strategies must tackle the problem on many fronts.
Among other measures, the treaty sets international standards on tobacco price and tax increases, tobacco advertising and sponsorship, product labelling, illicit trade, and second-hand smoke. It also calls for mass communication of the health consequences of tobacco use and international co-operation to give governments greater access to research into socially and culturally appropriate tobacco-control programs.
In Canada, as in other developed countries, significant progress has been made in curbing tobacco use. But smoking continues to be more prevalent among the poor and the less-educated. Our youth continue to experiment with tobacco at rates that defy our best public-health efforts, and women's use of tobacco is still high in certain age groups. Smoking rates among indigenous people are similar to those in developing countries.
But the battle against tobacco is just beginning in other parts of the world, with multinational tobacco companies aggressively seeking new markets. In China, the smoking rate among adult men is already about 65 per cent. Smoking is almost a social necessity - offering a cigarette is a common part of any greeting between men.
While traditional prohibitions on smoking have kept women's rates low, in part a legacy of the Cultural Revolution when puffing tobacco was seen as the morally degenerate habit of Western women, smoking rates among Chinese women have risen from 1 per cent a decade ago to 5 per cent today.
Multinational tobacco companies, meanwhile, have returned to China in full force with the promise of new factories and aggressive marketing tactics that equate female emancipation with tobacco use. It's only a matter of time before smoking among women in China takes hold.
We have learned much about what works in tobacco control, and the treaty reflects this. We've seen that, when civil society, policy-makers and researchers work together, it's possible to move mountains.
Thailand, for example, has had uncommon success in resisting the plans of the multinational tobacco conglomerates, having won the right to impose some of the world's strictest tobacco controls at a 1990 hearing of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. In Canada, tobacco-control advocates have raised advocacy to an art form, effectively demanding and supporting precedent-setting tobacco-control legislation.
To be most effective, however, tobacco control must be global in its scope. Advertising bans in one country won't work if images are being broadcast by satellite across borders. Attempts to control tobacco smuggling will be limited without a regional approach. The treaty addresses issues that have cross-border implications in a co-ordinated and standardized way.
We must remember that, in Canada, we have seen dramatic shifts in the way tobacco is used and viewed. We have smoke-free workplaces; strong warnings on tobacco products; prohibitions on the sale of tobacco to minors. We still need to do more, but the extent to which tobacco is seen as a cultural norm in our society has fundamentally changed over the past 45 years.
Countries in the South are struggling to control communicable diseases such as AIDS and malaria. They are now facing an increasing burden of disease from non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, and cancer - diseases for which tobacco is a major risk factor.
The countries of the South should not be the next victims of the multinational tobacco companies. The WHO tobacco treaty represents an important way to move forward with a global approach to tobacco control.
Linda Waverley is executive director of Research for International Tobacco Control with Canada's International Development Research Centre.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050307.wweb-comment07/BNStory/National/
RE: Klein's latest comment response -AB
I just about died laughing at Ralph Klein's latest smoking ban comment about how an 80-year-old man shouldn't have to change his habit of enjoying a smoke and a beer. Considering that this "poor old guy" would have been poisoning the air of anyone around him for all these decades, I find it hard to sympathize. The feeble excuses and justifications of glassy-eyed smokers are a great way to get my morning going. Instead of a coffee and a smoke, I have a coffee and a great chuckle. Keep 'em coming.
Perry Gangur
(The smokers will fight to their very last gasp.)
http://www.canoe.ca/CalgarySun/editorial.html#letters
Press Release
The Puck & Beaver, a Canadian Pub, Gets "Smoked" by Durham Region Non-Smoking By-Law -ON
Ajax, Ontario - For Immediate Release
After almost four and a half years in business, the Puck & Beaver, a Canadian Pub,in Ajax is closing.
The Puck & Beaver joins over 20 bars, taverns and restaurants that have closed since the Durham Non-Smoking By-Law started on June 1st, 2004.
http://www.spectrum-entertainment.net/puckandbeaver/puckandbeaverpressrelease.pdf
The main site for business (many things in there) http://www.puckandbeaver.com/
Puck and Beaver closing -ON
Owner claims smoking bylaw reason for shutting doors
By Keith GilliganStaff Writer Feb 22, 2005
AJAX - The owner of the Puck and Beaver pub in Ajax is closing the establishment and blaming it on the Region's non-smoking bylaw.
"It wasn't RIDE programs. It wasn't hockey. It wasn't the economy. It was the smoking bylaw," Rob MacArthur says in a press release.
Mr. MacArthur, who's been a vocal critic of the bylaw since it came into effect June 1, 2004, says that between September 2004 and February 2005, the bar lost $300 to $1,000 most days.
He's closing Friday, Feb. 25.
The bylaw is the reason for the drop in business, he says in an interview.
"Oh yeah, positively. We never had to close early during the week. Since October, we've been closing at 9 or 10 during the week," he states.
Prior to the bylaw, Mr. MacArthur says he was making between $1,500 and $3,000 on Fridays and Saturdays. Since September, "we're rarely over $800.
"I don't see any relief in this. The days aren't bad. But nights, some nights we've had $50 in the till. We can't survive on that at all."
Mr. MacArthur has operated the bar for four years and says the business was "starting to break even or make money after three years of losses, which is normal for new businesses."
In his release, Mr. MacArthur says he's not against the bylaw, but was opposed to smoking being allowed at the Ajax branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, which is across the street from the Puck and Beaver. That leaves his business at a disadvantage, he says.
More than 20 bars, taverns and restaurants have closed since the bylaw started, he says. However, John Ingrao, manager of environmental health and legal activities with the Durham Region health department, said he would need more information to substantiate that claim.
"We have no idea how many bars have opened or closed," says Mr. Ingrao. "I don't have that sense."
He adds there's been a "98- or 99-per cent plus compliance ratio.
"What we've seen is a very high degree of compliance."
http://www.durhamregion.com/dr/regions/ajax/story/2588737p-3002151c.html
First smoke-free fines levied -NB
CBC News Mar 7 2005 03:28 PM AST
MONCTON — A Moncton woman has the distinction of being the first person fined under New Brunswick's Smoke-Free Places Act.
Mandy Babineau, who manages Blondie's Bar, was charged with permitting smoking in a public place, not having signs indicating smoking was not permitted, and having ashtrays in a public place.
She pleaded guilty to the charges during an appearance on Monday.
The Crown attorney dropped two other charges against Babineau.
She was fined a total of $900 on the charges.
The province's no smoking legislation went into effect last October.
http://nb.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=nb-smoke20050307
Move to ban youth smoking goes up in smoke -ON
Regional council votes down fining those 12 to 19
By Carly Foster Mar 8, 2005
DURHAM - Heath officials were swift to react to a now defeated regional council move to make it illegal for youth under 19 to smoke.
Shocked that 21 per cent of Durham youth aged 12 to 19 were smokers, Oshawa Councillor Robert Lutczyk brought forward a motion at a recent health and social services committee meeting that would make it illegal for young people to smoke.
"Why is it you're not allowed to sell to under 19-year-old youth... but they're allowed to have it?" he asked. "It's legal to do it, but it's only illegal for someone else to get it to you."
Coun. Lutczyk wanted the Province to make it illegal, under the Provincial Offences Act, for young people to smoke. This would have allowed municipal bylaw enforcement officers to ticket or fine youths caught smoking - the equivalent to getting caught speeding or illegally parking, he said.
"They (youth) are beyond the law, and they know it," Coun. Lutczyk said. "And that entices others to do it."
Several Durham health organizations said criminalizing smoking was the wrong way to go.
"We fundamentally disagree that youth should be considered criminals for this behaviour," said Vicky Olmstead, chairwoman of the Oshawa Community Health Centre, in a letter to regional council. "There is no evidence that youth possession legislation is effective in reducing use in this target population."
The Youth Centre in Ajax said in a letter that young people are the victims when it comes to smoking, and that focus should instead be on anti-tobacco education in schools and promoting smoke-free environments.
"To further victimize youth who are already at risk of becoming addicted to nicotine would add insult to injury," the letter said. "Please do not let this motion pass and, instead, choose to be an ally of our community's youth."
The move even reached Toronto, where a nursing student at the University of Toronto said lawmakers should look at alternatives to making youth smoking illegal, including banning retail cigarette displays.
While the motion was debated at a recent regional council meeting, Brock Coun. Larry O'Connor said making smoking illegal would just heighten the "bad boy image" of cigarettes and make them more appealing.
"Making them (young smokers) heroes in the eyes of their peers is not helping anyone in this situation," he said.
Tobacco companies should instead be the target, Coun. O'Connor said in an e-mail to fellow councillors.
The move was lost on the council floor in a 21 to 6 vote. Voting for the possible ban were Coun. Lutczyk, Oshawa councillors Joe Kolodzie and John Neal, Clarington Mayor John Mutton and Whitby councillors Pat Perkins and Joe Drumm.
http://www.durhamregion.com/dr/regions/durham/story/2622725p-3041455c.html
Do you think it's time for a smoking ban in parks and other public places? -BC
The Province March 9, 2005
There's little doubt that smoking remains a big health problem in British Columbia. Though we boast the lowest smoking rate in Canada, each day an average of 15 British Columbians die from tobacco-related illnesses. These illnesses include strokes, heart disease and emphysema, as well as cancers of the throat, lungs and mouth.
That's why, in last month's Throne Speech, the B.C. government announced it wants to cut tobacco use by 10 per cent over the next five years.
Of course, it's not just smokers whose health is harmed by tobacco fumes. So-called second-hand smoke endangers others who breathe it in.
And it's easy to see why smoking in public is increasingly frowned upon. There's little more annoying to a non-smoking visitor to a park or sports fields than to be overwhelmed by cigarette smoke -- or marijuana smoke -- from passersby.
Some would argue, in fact, that it makes much more sense to allow smoking in private restaurants, bars and clubs than to allow it in public spaces.
After all, patrons at private establishments are there by choice. And, if they don't like the fact that people smoke in a particular bar, they can always take their business elsewhere -- where they don't.
But in parks and other government-controlled outdoor spaces, they have every right to feel entitled to fresh air and a smoke-free environment. At least that's what some government officials in California think. As of July 1, outdoor smoking will be banned at most of San Francisco's parks, tennis courts or softball fields. Fines for offenders will range up to $500 US.
And, on Vancouver Island, the health authority says it wants to end smoking entirely on all hospital grounds by this fall.
In Vancouver, chief medical health officer Dr. John Blatherwick says he is sympathetic to a smoking ban in public areas -- though, for the moment, he doesn't see it as a priority.
However, Blatherwick adds that he is hoping to convince the organizers of the 2010 Olympics to ban smoking at all public venues -- both indoors and outdoors.
Given that the Olympics are all about fitness, such a ban is a commendable idea.
In fact, it's such a commendable one, we think it should be tried sooner rather than later.
http://www.canada.com/vancouver/theprovince/news/editorial/story.html?id=9c18cfdd-85cf-4478-be4a-a58d52b44ee8
Constitutional challenge threatened on smoke ban -SK
Saskatchewan News Network; with The StarPhoenix files Wednesday, March 09, 2005
REGINA -- Saskatchewan's hoteliers are threatening to launch a constitutional challenge of the provincial smoking ban, saying they aren't treated the same as First Nations bands and casinos.
"We have a charter of rights application we can take forward which is the unequal application of the law," Tom Mullin, Hotels Association of Saskatchewan executive vice-president, said Monday. "Once the First Nations announced they were not going to comply with the legislation, that just put a signal to us that the law doesn't apply to everyone."
However, Health Minister John Nilson said he is confident the law will withstand a charter challenge, as the existing law applies "to everybody."
"The concerns that arise (about unequal treatment) come from the way the Constitution is structured and the federal government delegating power under the Indian Act," Nilson told reporters in Saskatoon. "There may be some claim against the federal government, but possibly not against the provincial government."
Mullin said hoteliers feel they have been pushed to launch a charter challenge and can count on support from other members of the hospitality industry, such as brew pubs and licensed lounges. They will join the fight if a court challenge is launched, he said.
The association's lawyer, Alan McIntyre, said the challenge would relate to First Nations casinos and bingo halls, where smoking and alcohol consumption is still permitted.
"This is something not available in enclosed spaces for the members of the hotel association. So it is a huge concern. I'd say it has detrimentally affected their business," McIntyre said.
The Regina lawyer said those hotels near First Nations-owned casinos feel the biggest pinch. He said losses have ranged from five per cent to 30 per cent in bars.
Hotel and motel owners have complained about the government's unwavering stand against ventilated smoking rooms.
"They can keep bugs out of a service station garage using winds of 40 miles per hour with air currents," Mullin said. "To suggest there isn't equipment that will work in the hospitality industry is ludicrous."
Nilson said ventilated smoking rooms were considered, but dismissed, when the law was drafted. The government is not considering a policy change.
Hoteliers plan to rally at the legislature when the house resumes sitting on Monday.
http://www.canada.com/saskatoon/starphoenix/news/local/story.html?id=0f6f1614-59d8-4f31-936d-ce5b73411f9e
Student debt, tobacco among main issues as CMA invades Parliament Hill
By Patrick Sullivan
Who says doctors don't make house calls?
On Feb. 24, more than 30 CMA members, including physicians, residents and medical students, fanned out through the House of Commons to discuss the profession's political concerns with members of Parliament.
There was no shortage of issues to discuss:
- increasing debt loads facing medical students and residents;
- investment in tobacco stocks by the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Investment Board;
- concern about human resources issues within health care and the impact on access to treatment;
- the international threat posed by avian flu and other public health threats.
Those issues and many more were raised during the CMA's Fifth Doctors in the House lobby day on Parliament Hill, when the visiting MDs met in groups of two or three with 27 MPs from all four parties.
Dr. Carolyn Bennett, a family physician and Liberal MP from Toronto who serves as federal minister of state for public health, told the visitors that lobbying efforts play a crucial role in today's politics. "It's hugely important that we hear your voices," she said, and pointed out that because of their lobbying, physicians "have had a key voice in the rebirth of public health" in Canada.
The CMA representatives who delivered messages Feb. 24 ranged from President Albert Schumacher to Ashley Waddington, president of the Canadian Federation of Medical Students.
Waddington was teamed with Dr. Louise Cloutier, a Nova Scotia FP who chairs the CMA Board of Directors, and they made an efficient tag team during their meetings with Liberal MP Michael Savage and NDP MP David Christopherson as they deftly switched from issue to issue.
When Waddington complained that the budget tabled Feb. 23 contained no help for medical students and residents facing rising debt loads, she found a willing listener in Savage, who chairs the Liberals postsecondary education caucus. He promised to write a letter to Finance Minister Ralph Goodale about the possibility of deferring residents' interest payments until their training is finished.
Cloutier then pointed out that even though the 2005 budget contained funding to support the licensure of foreign graduates in areas such as medicine, Canada cannot continue poaching physicians from countries fighting to retain them: it must seek a made-in-Canada solution. In terms of issues, agreed Savage, "education is the next health."
Savage and Waddington then met NDP MP David Christopherson of Hamilton. "You have a mortgage before you start to practise," he said of the debt load facing Waddington and other medical students, and he said his party supported CMA efforts to end CPP investments in tobacco companies.
Cloutier also raised the access-to-care issue, and noted that it could get worse because of the approaching "perfect storm": an aging population combined with an aging physician population.
The impact of the meetings became apparent later in the day, when Savage told the Commons of the CMA's presence on Parliament Hill that day. He also noted that the association had issued its first public warning on the hazards of tobacco use more than 50 years ago and urged the government to "take the necessary decisions" to end investments in tobacco stocks by the CPP. Earlier that week, NDP health critic Judy Wayslycia-Leis had introduced a motion in the Commons calling for an end to such investments.
The CMA representatives were welcomed to the Hill during an early-morning breakfast by a cadre of Senators and MPs that included Senator Noel Kinsella, opposition leader in the Senate, Bennett, Wayslycia-Leis, Conservative foreign affairs critic Stockwell Day, Speaker Peter Milliken, and Liberal MP Bernard Patry, a family physician.
Dr. Marilyn Trenholme-Counsell, a senator from New Brunswick who helped Kinsella welcome the CMA members to the Senate, had the best line of the day. "This is the perfect time to ask if there's a doctor in the House," she said.
http://www.cma.ca/index.cfm/ci_id/10018232/la_id/1.htm
Cheap smokes hurt, Imperial says
Profit level threatened; Revenues, shipments and market share drop but cigarette maker's profits hit $424 million
The Gazette NICOLAS VAN PRAET March 4, 2005
Forget smoking bans or potential class-action lawsuit payouts, Canada's biggest tobacco company says the most measurable threat to its bottom line right now is simply cheaper cigs.
Not only are Canadians continuing to buy less expensive tax-free tobacco through illegal channels as its availability increases, they're also switching from their regular brands to lower-priced legal alternatives in greater numbers, says Imperial Tobacco Canada Ltd.
"The corporation expects to remain profitable in the future," Montreal-based Imperial disclosed in its yearend management discussion and analysis filing, made public yesterday.
"However, the level of profitability will depend on the extent to which adult consumers continue to buy tobacco products through legal channels and on the evolution of (so-called
value-for-money products)."
Over the past four years, weighted-average cigarette taxes across Canada have more than doubled, Imperial states in its regulatory filing.
It says that's had many consequences, including more thefts of its products last year, more cigarette smuggling and counterfeiting, and fewer sales for retailers.
"The situation has worsened."
Imperial, owned by British American Tobacco PLC, cut its workforce and closed certain facilities as part of a major corporate restructuring it began in 2003. It closed its Montreal production plant, transferring the manufacturing to existing Ontario factories.
Fewer charges related to the reorganization boosted the company's net profit in 2004, to $424 million from $242 million in 2003.
Overall however, net revenues fell 21 per cent to $1.5 billion and shipments fell 13 per cent during 2004. Imperial's share of the Canadian cigarette market also fell to 57.3 per cent, a 5.7-per-cent decline.
The historical decline in smoking is one reason for the drop, Imperial said. But increased sales of value-for-money cigarettes by Imperial's competitors is another reason.
More smokers are buying lower-priced legal alternatives to their regular brands.
In fact, growth in the value-for-money tobacco category has more than doubled. Last year, it represented an estimated 29.8 per cent of the overall Canadian industry, up from 12.7 per cent in 2003.
Imperial's share of the value-for-money market is lower than in the premium category, where its du Maurier and Player's brands boast higher volumes and profit margins.
But it has been forced to respond to demand. It repositioned its Peter Jackson, Matinee and Medallion brands as cheaper products recently, more than doubling its share of the value-for-money category as a result.
Canada's tobacco industry as a whole shipped an estimated 6.1-per-cent fewer cigarettes, roll-your-own products and tobacco sticks in 2004.
Two recent events in Quebec could have longer-term implications for Imperial.
In January, the Quebec government indicated it is heading toward a total ban on smoking in public places like restaurants and bars.
In February, a Quebec Superior Court judge cleared the way for two potentially crippling class-action lawsuits against Imperial and rivals JTI-Macdonald Corp. and Rothmans Benson & Hedges Inc. The judge stunned observers with his categorical comment that there is "no useful purpose" for cigarettes, thereby questioning the validity of the tobacco industry. Imperial has since vowed to mount "a vigorous and determined defense" in court.
http://www.canada.com/montreal/montrealgazette/news/business/story.html?id=d554bb68-13d8-4242-bee2-79503bf0bae9
Smoking ban taking toll on Legion, president says
CBC News Last Updated Feb 28 2005 10:17 AM CST
SASKATOON – Attendance at a Saskatoon branch of the Royal Canadian Legion has taken a nose-dive since the city banned smoking in public places.
The Nutana Legion is running a $17,000 deficit and officials with the branch say the red ink started last July when the city bylaw took effect.
Since then, the province's bylaw banning smoking in most enclosed public places has also taken effect.
According to Gerry Tait, president of the branch, there are some nights when the Legion doesn't get a single customer.
Tait, a Korean War veteran, said the branch has had to scale back hours. It has also had to stop donating to several charities, including an air cadet squadron which had been promised $4,000.
"We are abiding by the law, but surely to heavens they can give some people that have smoked all their lives a bit of freedom," he said.
Tait says allowing smoking on patios or in ventilated rooms is the only thing that will help.
City councilor Glen Penner said there's not much the city can do.
"The provincial legislation would supersede council's bylaw and very clearly the provincial law is that there's no smoking indoors, period," Penner said.
"I can't imagine a circumstance where that would be changed."
Penner said studies show business eventually comes back as more non-smokers pick up the slack at bars and restaurants.
But Tait doubts that will happen at the Legion. He says even the non-smokers have stopped coming because they can't hang out with their smoking buddies.
http://sask.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=legion-smoking050228
Council votes against inclusion of smoking rooms -AB
by Kevin Gill Wednesday March 09, 2005
Jasper Booster — After twice deferring the second reading of the smoking control bylaw for Jasper, last week municipal council approved that reading and it did not include an addition to allow for designated smoking rooms in bars.
At the last council meeting, on March 1, discussions on the issue began with Coun. Mike Day putting forward a motion to include smoking rooms in the bylaw.
He said he believed smoking rooms could do what the bylaw is intended to do - namely to mitigate second hand smoke exposure, as the bylaw’s preamble states.
“Smoking rooms can in fact achieve that by taking second hand smoke away from people who are not interested in inhaling it,” he said.
He added that he did not know exactly where other councillors stood on the issue and thought it was a good idea to vote on whether or not to include smoking rooms before council got into lengthy discussions on the standards for local smoking rooms.
But when his motion was put to vote he was the only one in favour of it, with councillors Joe Couture, Brian Nesbitt, Andy Walker and Gloria Kongsrud all voting against it.
“I’m not ready to support designated smoking rooms at this time,” said Nesbitt. “I have concerns that they may be needed if we experience problems with cluster smoking outside on the sidewalks. But I’m not sure that I want to allow them for reasons that have been brought up...we talked about a level playing field and we talked about fairness. I feel we should leave it out of our smoking bylaw and re-visit it at a time further down the road.”
Other councillors showed support for that point of view and it was reflected in the next vote council took. Kongsrud put forward a motion to read the bylaw, as written, for a second time and the motion was approved unanimously.
With second reading in the books, the bylaw now goes to Parks Canada for certification and will likely be back on council’s agenda for third and final reading at its next regular meeting on March 15.
http://www.jasperbooster.com/story.php?id=147350
Smoke-free bar gets mainly positive feedback -AB
by Kevin Gill Wednesday March 09, 2005
Jasper Booster — One local bar has been happy with its decision to go smoke-free a month and half before the town’s smoking bylaw is expected to come into effect.
Rico Damota, manager of the De’d Dog Bar and Grill, was at the most recent municipal council meeting and spoke to council about the establishment’s observations since officially going to a non-smoking environment on Feb. 25.
“The response has been positive, not only from our regular clientele, but from many other locals and especially our staff,” he said.
He said that about half of the bar’s regular smokers have gone to other establishments for the time being while the remainder do not seem to mind the change, with many commenting that as a result they are smoking less overall.
While some smokers have complained about the change, Damota said some of these people have also stated that “this is the way of the future and we’ll have to deal with it.”
One of the arguments in favour of smoking rooms in recent weeks was the potential for crowds of smokers to gather outside bars, congesting pedestrian traffic on the sidewalk or access to establishments by non-smokers. Damota said that has been less of a problem than the staff anticipated.
“On average, for 120 people in the bar, there were about three to six people outside at any given time,” he said. “At no time did the bar clientele obstruct pedestrians passing by.”
He added that while the bar supports the bylaw without a provision for smoking rooms, council should discuss making an addition to the bylaw to make proprietors responsible for cleanliness outside their establishments.
“The minor drawback to having people smoking outside the building is that not everyone uses ashtrays to butt out,” he said.
http://www.jasperbooster.com/story.php?id=147353
Movie Theatre Teams Up With Anti-Smoking Group -ON
Bob Perreault Wednesday, March 9, 2005
A local anti-smoking group is teaming up with a family movie house, The Rainbow Cinemas at the St. Laurent Centre, to stem the presence of smoking on the silver screen.
Anti-smoking activist Kiersten Fu is making a damning indictment of tobacco companies and Hollywood accusing them of collaborating in using movies to recruit smokers.
Fu and the student team against tobacco want all movies with smoking rated R saying the presence of smoking on film is too influential with youth.
When asked about restricting violence or sex, the group says that's different.
http://www.cfra.com/headlines/index.asp?cat=1&nid=25689
Fuzzy math (economic studies) -American Lung Association
*Notice they never mention that all their studies have fast food included in the stats
http://www.lungusa.org/site/apps/s/link.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=203674
NIH sees fight on ethics rules
Scientists seek to challenge regulations restricting stock ownership, academic consulting | By Ted Agres
Senior scientists and others at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are preparing legal challenges to recently announced ethics regulations barring them from owning stock in drug and biotech companies and from consulting with universities and academic institutions.
The tough ethics regulations, announced February 1 by director Elias A. Zerhouni, "substantially overreach and will severely and irreparably compromise the NIH's mission," wrote the Assembly of Scientists, an organization representing senior NIH intramural researchers.
"These new regulations will discourage talented, innovative scientists from staying at or being recruited to the NIH, and preclude scientists already at the NIH from participating as full members of the scientific community," 18 members of the Assembly of Scientists argued in the February 22 issue of The NIH Catalyst, a newsletter circulated on the Bethesda, Md., campus.
The new rules require most intramural scientists, all senior officials, and those having contracting and grant-making authority to divest of all stock in drug and biotech companies. Other NIH employees are limited to no more than $15,000 in stock in any one biotech or drug company. The rules bar all NIH employees from consulting with or accepting payments from pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device companies as well as from universities, hospitals, and research institutes that receive NIH funds.
The regulations, which go into effect in early April, are intended to address concerns raised after media reports and congressional investigations last year revealed that some NIH scientists and officials had received lucrative consulting contracts, fees, and stock options from pharmaceutical and biotech companies, many of which had dealings with the agency.
Some groups of NIH scientists have been meeting with lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union to see if that organization would be willing to challenge the regulations on First Amendment Freedom of Speech issues. The Assembly of Scientists plans to engage a lawyer next week to represent their issues with Health and Human Services officials and possibly to seek a court injunction to delay implementing the rules. The group also is also developing alternative proposals.
Most of the NIH scientists concerned about the issue "are totally in favor of rules to prevent conflicts of interest, but we don't want the rules to be so restrictive as to avoid academic interactions," said Abner L. Notkins, chief of experimental medicine at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. "We don't want to see the NIH deteriorate as a result of overly restrictive regulations," he told The Scientist yesterday. Notkins is not a member of the Assembly of Scientists executive committee.
The NIH Fellows Committee, a group representing more than 3000 fellows at the agency, recommended that trainees, fellows, and temporary researchers be exempted from the new regulations. This would allow them to receive money to attend conferences, workshops, and other professional development activities.
The Assembly of Scientists' executive committee discussed their concerns with Zerhouni and other officials yesterday (February 24). Zerhouni encouraged the scientists to report how the new regulations would personally affect them and to relay specific information about problems in recruitment and retention.
"There was almost no discussion about consulting," said Michael Gottesman, deputy director for intramural research who also attended the meeting. "Most people are aware that it's impossible to do that at NIH now," he told The Scientist.
The backlash from intramural scientists comes as the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post reported this week that 50 to 80% of some 100 suspected cases of improper consulting activities have been cleared by NIH investigators.
In a guest editorial in The NIH Catalyst, Zerhouni characterized the agency's year-long conflict-of-interest controversy as a "divisive issue," a "painful episode," and an "unfortunate chapter in our history."
"I want to encourage a wide, direct, and open dialogue with all of NIH's staff to carefully evaluate" the new rules "for any unintended consequences or undue hardships—which I will do my best to address," Zerhouni wrote.
Links for this article
T. Agres. "NIH bans all consulting," The Scientist, February 2, 2005.
http://www.biomedcentral.com/news/20050202/02/
"Supplemental Standards of Ethical Conduct and Financial Disclosure Requirements for Employees of the Department of Health and Human Services"
http://ethics.od.nih.gov/LawReg/FR-New-5501-5502.pdf
Assembly of Scientists: Conflict of Interest Statement
http://homepage.mac.com/assemblyofscientists/
T. Agres, "US lawmakers grill Zerhouni," The Scientist, May 13, 2004.
http://www.biomedcentral.com/news/20040513/04
National Institutes of Health Fellows Committee
http://felcom.nih.gov
http://www.biomedcentral.com/news/20050225/01/
Posted on Wed, Mar. 09, 2005
Haze of opinion hangs over the plan to ban
By Rory Sweene Inquirer Staff Writer
Jim McCarty says a citywide smoking ban will help him quit. Quit going to Philadelphia's bars and restaurants, that is.
"Instead of coming here, I'll go straight home after work," said McCarty, a 48-year-old construction foreman from Palmyra.
News of the impending City Council vote to ban smoking in almost all public places, including bars and restaurants, didn't sit well yesterday with McCarty and other smokers at Kelliann's, a neighborhood bar on the corner of Spring Garden and 16th Streets.
The vote on the ban, which is sponsored by nine of the city's 17 Council members, is scheduled for March 17.
The smell of cigarettes and ashtrays full of evidence warned of carcinogenic fumes at Kelliann's, but a palpable crosswind through the tunnel-like taproom and swirling ceiling fans belied a ban already in effect.
At the well-worn bar, McCarty and his fellow construction workers good-naturedly fired arguments at one another. The smokers' objections ranged from "taxation without representation" to a lack of "comfort time," while nonsmokers offered health-related defenses.
In the end, democracy ruled, as the patrons, smokers and nonsmokers alike, decided there should be choice.
"Why can't there be some bars that are deemed as smoking and some that are nonsmoking?" asked McCarty, who said he liked to kick back and smoke at a bar after being "beat to death at work all day."
Len Fernandez, a 27-year-old smoker from Northeast Philadelphia, agreed, saying the ban would eliminate that down-time.
"You won't be able to be comfortable," Fernandez said. "Every time you want to light up, you'll have to go outside. You might as well drink a beer at home."
Even the bartender, whom the ban is meant to protect from hours of second-hand smoke inhalation, took issue with it.
"If [the smoke] is that big of a problem, don't get into the business," said bartender Brenna McGinnis, 23, who lives in the Fairmount area and smokes.
Besides, she added, it's hypocritical to ban smoking at places where drinking is still legal.
"The two go hand in hand. They're both bad for you," she said.
Pat Ahern, 38, a nonsmoker from Gibbsboro, N.J., agreed that secondhand smoke came with that kind of workplace. Though he was drinking drafts with his coworkers rather than pouring them yesterday, he had been a bartender for more than three years and switched to full-time work in construction "not even a year ago."
"I like bartending. The only part I don't like is the smoke, but that's the business you're in," Ahern said. "It's kind of like if you're a celebrity. You don't like paparazzi following you around, but that's part of the job."
According to smokefreeworld.com, various bans on smoking in public places or workplaces exist in part or all of 30 states and most of Washington, except in Congress.
The potential ban is a sobering thought for Dennis and John O'Connor, owners of two Kelliann's bars. They are thinking about opening a third bar in Northern Liberties. If the ban passes, they will open it in Chester County, instead.
"I know my business and I know my customers. A lot of [them] come from the suburbs. I expect initially I'll lose 30 percent of my business" at the Kelliann's on Spring Garden Street, Dennis O'Connor said, adding that he would have to lay off some of the nine employees there.
One exception to the ban is for businesses that have sales of 15 percent or more related to tobacco products.
To avoid the ban, Dennis O'Connor said he might try to increase his sales of tobacco products, which now are about 8 percent of his business.
"I'd sell cartons at cost if I had to," he said.
As the wind blew and freezing rain and snow fell outside, McCarty puffed on his cigarette, gripped his glass and wondered what he would do if the ban went into effect. "I just hope they provide us a tent," he said.
Contact staff writer Rory Sweeney at 215-854-2972 or rsweeney@hphillynews.com. To read the Council ordinance and check states that ban smoking, along with other information, go to http://go.philly.com/smoking.
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/entertainment/dining/11085348.htm
Controversial Study Links Second-Hand Smoke, Breast Cancer
An NBC4 Health ReportMarch 9, 2005
LOS ANGELES -- A new report about second-hand smoke is causing a lot of controversy, but scientists are paying attention because the group behind the study has been right before.
The report, which is not final, is from the same group that first linked second-hand smoke to heart disease.
The 1,200-page report drafted by scientists at the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment draws on more than 1,000 other studies of the effects of second-hand smoke and details a range of health problems caused by exposure to it. These included respiratory complications, heart disease and several cancers, many of which have been extensively documented.
Scientists also found that women exposed to second-hand smoke have up to a 90-percent higher risk of breast cancer than women who are not exposed to second-hand smoke. The World Health Organization and other groups that looked at the same evidence found no link to breast cancer.
"As new studies come in, it's quite possible all these agencies will be persuaded this is rock solid," said Dr. Michael Thun of the American Cancer Society. "This is the first to come to that conclusion."
The Air Resources Board gave more weight to animal studies. Recent human studies better screened women for long-term exposure to tobacco smoke.
It's a tought case to sell. Scientists have yet to prove that active smoking causes breast cancer.
"Some in the scientific community are uncomfortable with the balance of evidence here, and not perhaps quite so convinced as the state of California that it's leaning strongly toward the positive," said Dr. Jonathan Samet, senior scientific editor for Surgeon General's Report.
Cigarette maker R.J. Reynolds claimed in a statement that the science is flawed. The company claimed researchers made errors, misinterpreted data and sometimes failed to explain how they analyzed information.
Tobacco company Philip Morris said officials are still deciding whether to comment on the study.
The study might have a broad impact on cancer research and antismoking regulations. The Surgeon General's report on second-hand smoke is scheduled for release later this year.
The report has been examined for several months and a scientific review panel could approve the findings as early as next Monday. The report would then be submitted to the Air Resources Board, which sets controls for air pollution in the state. If the board determines that second-hand smoke is a so-called toxic air contaminant, it can seek to regulate it.
Terry Pechacek, a spokesman for the Centers for Disease Control office on smoking and health, said in USA Today on Wednesday that the report will fuel a national debate on the link between smoking and breast cancer.
"I have to say without reservation it will stimulate continued and accelerated scientific evaluation of the smoking and breast cancer issue," Pechacek said.
In public comments to the board, Sanford Barsky, a UCLA researcher writing on behalf of the R.J. Reynolds tobacco company, said the report "either ignores mentioning or does not give the appropriate weight to studies which refute this association" between second-hand smoke and breast cancer.
http://www.nbc4.tv/health/4270434/detail.html
Some pushing for smoking ban at Atlantic City casinos
TRENTON, N.J.March 9, 2005, 05:14 PM
If New Jersey lawmakers plan to make restaurants and bars go smoke-free, they should also include Atlantic City casinos.
That's the opinion of restaurant industry officials and others whose businesses would be affected by the proposal.
The Senate Health Committee is poised to take up the legislation, the New Jersey Smoke-Free Air Act, on Monday.
It would ban smoking in all indoor public areas, including workplaces, restaurants and bars. But casinos, fraternal organizations, private clubs and tobacco shops would be exempt.
An Assembly version of the legislation would extend the ban to the casinos.
So the restaurant officials plan to attend the health committee's hearing to press for the Senate bill to do likewise.
http://www.krnv.com/Global/story.asp?S=3054521&nav=8faOXI7M
BAT fined over Italian smoker's death
Wed Mar 9, 2005 9:50 PM GMT
ROME (Reuters) - A Rome court has ruled that the Italian arm of British American Tobacco must pay 200,000 euros (139, 120 pounds) in damages to the family of a lung cancer victim, the first such ruling in Italy.
The appeals court ruled against BAT on Wednesday in a case arising from the death of Mario Stalteri in 1991.
The court overturned an earlier ruling which had acquitted Ente Italiano Tabacchi (ETI), accused by Stalteri's family of failing to provide adequate warnings about the risks of smoking.
BAT bought ETI in 2003 for 2.3 billion euros.
The sentence is likely to be seen as part of a growing anti-smoking drive in Italy, which in January introduced a law to ban smoking in indoor public places.
In Western Europe only Ireland and Norway have similarly strict bans, introduced last year.
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2005-03-09T215014Z_01_DEN978395_RTRUKOC_0_ITALY-SMOKING.xml
Pennsylvania Attorney General Corbett's budget remarks to the General Assembly
March 8, 2005 -- The following is the text of Attorney General Tom Corbett's budget remarks to members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly:
Introduction
Thank you for the opportunity to present our budget for the Office of Attorney General.
As you may know, the Attorney General is the chief law enforcement and the chief legal officer in Pennsylvania. The Attorney General's Office is responsible for the investigation and prosecution of organized crime, illegal drugs, public corruption, and a variety of other criminal investigations such as insurance fraud, environmental crimes and Medicaid fraud.
The Attorney General's Office is also responsible for consumer protection and civil actions on behalf of the Commonwealth. Our Bureau of Consumer Protection handles more than 45,000 consumer complaints a year.
The Commonwealth, and its agencies and officials are sued about 75 times per week. At least half of these lawsuit present challenges to state law or policy, major disputes over tax liability or substantial claims for monetary damages. These cases are handled by attorneys in the Attorney General's Civil Law Division.
The budget I am requesting is a bare bones maintenance budget with a request for a small increase for fighting crimes against children and also for enforcement of the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement.
Child Predator Unit
Let me take a moment to discuss with you a growing problem in our state - child sexual predators - who affect constituents in every one of your districts. When I served as Attorney General nine years ago, I created the Attorney General's Child Sexual Exploitation Task Force, a unit specifically designed to arrest child pornographers as well as investigate and capture child predators before they strike by using proactive, undercover operations. During the past eight years, the task force has been very successful under the leadership of Mike Fisher and Jerry Pappert. With only two agents assigned to the unit, in just the last three years they arrested nearly 60 predators and have a 100 percent conviction rate. However, because of the inadequate manpower, the unit has been limited to conducting undercover operations in the Harrisburg area. The growth of the Internet over the past nine years has been astronomical, regrettably these predators use the Internet as their primary means of contacting and communicating with their young victims. And, with the growth of the Internet over the past eight years, the problem of sexual predators has increased tremendously. Cases of sexual predators entering teen and preteen chat rooms on the Internet are common place and there is an explosion of child pornography on the Internet.
Let me share with you for a moment some startling statistics that will drive this point home:
# The Internet Filter Review, an online publication that is dedicated to protecting children from pornography on the Internet, has estimated that there are 100,000 web sites offering illegal child pornography. They also report that the average age of exposure to Internet pornography is 11-years-old.
# The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reports that one in five girls and one in ten boys are sexually exploited before they reach adulthood.
# One in five children, ages 10 to 17, received unwanted sexual solicitations online, according to the Youth Internet Safety Survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice.
In order for law enforcement to stay one step ahead of the Internet and sexual predators, we want to widen the scope of the Attorney General's task force into a larger, broader statewide "Child Predator Unit." With a larger Child Predator Unit, we can increase the pursuit of those in our state, or those who would come into Pennsylvania, who seek to sexually exploit or otherwise prey upon and steal the innocence of our children, effectively preventing children from becoming victims of crime.
The reconfigured unit would be staffed with a complement of 10 personnel. In addition to investigating and prosecuting the cases, the agents and attorneys will also create a training program and teach young people and their parents, how to avoid being a victim of a sexual predator. Educating parents and young people about the dangers of sexual predators is extremely important. When I previously served as Chairman of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, we worked with the Governor's Partnership for Safe Children to develop a training program for cyber safety using interactive CD's. Our training will be similar, but we will also have the agents who catch the predators in classrooms and churches teaching and warning parents and young people about these predators and the tactics they use.
Tobacco Enforcement
The next item I would like to address is the Tobacco Settlement Agreement Act. As you know, in 1999 Pennsylvania was scheduled to receive up to $11.3 billion over 25 years as part of the settlement of our lawsuit against Big Tobacco. This act gives tobacco companies the opportunity to join the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement, which would direct them to make annual payments to the Commonwealth and to abide by restrictions on advertising and promotional activities.
If a tobacco company decides not to join, the Act requires them to make escrow payments based on their sales in Pennsylvania. If either the participating or non-participating companies do not comply, the Tobacco Enforcement Section of the Attorney General's Office is responsible for taking legal action against them.
The Office of Attorney General, through our Tobacco Enforcement Section, is responsible for "diligent enforcement" of the Tobacco Settlement Agreement Act.
In addition, the Tobacco Product Manufacturer Directory Act, which became fully effective in April 2004, requires our office to maintain a directory of manufacturers and their brands of tobacco which are approved for sale.
The Tobacco Enforcement Section regularly monitors cigarette wholesalers and retailers for compliance with the law, and takes enforcement action when violations are found.
In order for our office to continue the diligent enforcement of these statutes, and to ensure that companies comply with the public health provisions of the Master Settlement Agreement, we need to increase the staffing in the Tobacco Law Enforcement Section to include an additional attorney and clerk at an annual cost of $150,000.
By the way, the Office of Attorney General Tobacco Enforcement Section does not receive any money from the Master Settlement Agreement.
Why is it critical that we continue to actively pursue those not complying with the law? Simply put, if Pennsylvania fails to diligently enforce the Tobacco Settlement Agreement Act, our tobacco payment will be reduced.
This is a case where we need additional manpower to do our job so that Pennsylvania continues to get its fair share of the money under the Master Settlement Agreement. You need to spend a little to ensure you continue to get billions.
Witness Relocation Program
Another request in our budget is for our Witness Relocation Program, which began in 2002 and received federal funding since its inception. This program was initiated by Mike Fisher in response to some brutal murders where we needed to relocate the witnesses or the charges would have been dropped.
Senator Arlen Specter helped secure a federal grant to initiate the program, but that grant has nearly run its course.
Our Witness Relocation Program is not just an Attorney General program, it is used by District Attorneys and municipal police to quickly move or permanently relocate a witness and their family. Their removal from harms way ensures that they can then testify in felony cases, the majority of which are homicides.
In the three years since the start of the Witness Relocation Program, two hundred and six witnesses have been relocated. Of the two hundred and six cases, nearly 60 percent have been homicides or attempted homicides. Without the program, in all likelihood, the perpetrators would have gone free and many of them would have literally gotten away with murder.
My budget request includes four hundred and thirty-seven thousand dollars to replace the lost funding for this program which is so valuable in convicting dangerous, violent felons.
General Government Operations
Let me take a few minutes to let you know that my number one priority as Attorney General will be fighting drugs in your neighborhood. As you know, when you created the Attorney General's Office with the Commonwealth Attorneys Act, you gave the greatest amount of jurisdiction to our Bureau of Narcotics Investigation and you provided more resources and manpower to investigate and prosecute drug dealers than any other function in the office.
Of particular concern to me, and I know to many of you, is the growing use of methamphetamine or meth cases. I know that you are considering legislation that would put restrictions on the precursors of meth, such as ephedrine. Posted at 11:17 am by looped_ca
General Government Operations
Let me take a few minutes to let you know that my number one priority as Attorney General will be fighting drugs in your neighborhood. As you know, when you created the Attorney General's Office with the Commonwealth Attorneys Act, you gave the greatest amount of jurisdiction to our Bureau of Narcotics Investigation and you provided more resources and manpower to investigate and prosecute drug dealers than any other function in the office.
Of particular concern to me, and I know to many of you, is the growing use of methamphetamine or meth cases. I know that you are considering legislation that would put restrictions on the precursors of meth, such as ephedrine.
Unlike cocaine, heroin, and most instances, marijuana, meth is not imported. Instead, meth is manufactured in clandestine labs right here in Pennsylvania -- particularly rural Pennsylvania.
How bad is the problem? In the last year, our Bureau of Narcotics Investigation regions in Northwest Pennsylvania, which covers from Butler to Erie, saw an increase from eight meth cases in 2003 to 75 meth cases in 2004.
Also, in 2004 63 meth labs were raided by our BNI agents DEA agents and Pennsylvania State Police.
So far this year, my agents tell me that it looks like 2005 will be worse than 2004.
Why do I bring this up? Well, I'm sure it is an unintended effect of the Governor's budget request, but with his suggested appropriation we would have to furlough 19 Bureau of Narcotic Investigation Agents, many of whom are investigating meth labs.
As you may know, our General Government Operations state funding has not increased over the last four years. In order to provide the same level of law enforcement and public protection over the last four years, the Attorney General's Office continuously operated on a stringent budget, found cost savings, deferred fixed asset costs and used attrition to eliminate nine percent of our personnel.
In addition, the Attorney General's Office has used available "restricted revenue accounts," which have now been depleted and can offer only minimal contributions for the budget year.
Over the past four budget cycles the Attorney General's budget has remained stagnant while the budget of another statewide law enforcement agency, the Pennsylvania State Police, has seen increases.
While the Governor has put the Attorney General's Office on the same playing field as the two statewide row offices, I hope you understand that the Attorney General's Office has a unique mission that includes law enforcement, consumer protection and defending the state in civil actions.
Conclusion
Simply put, the Attorney General's Office has gotten the short end of the stick for the past four budget cycles. Our budget has not increased, yet inflation and operational costs continue to rise.
Our requested budget continues to use our resources as efficiently as possible without any requested increase in operating expenses. However, after absorbing all labor and benefits increases in our budget for the past four years, we need our requested maintenance budget in each appropriation to avoid furloughs of 67 people and maintain our current complement and programs.
If we are to receive the budget that the Governor has proposed, I ask you, where would you cut public safety?
Thank you for your consideration of our budget. I will take any questions you may have at this time.
http://www.allamericanpatriots.com/m-news+article+storyid-7498-PHPSESSID-9a304292883f85e471066f7b448b5297.html
Philadelphia Mayor Street, City Council Members, Black Clergy of Philadelphia Join Faith & Health Leaders at Prayer Breakfast in Support of Smoke-Free Workplaces
3/9/2005 9:23:00 AM
To: City Desk
Contact: Katherine Gajewski of the Breathe Free Philadelphia Alliance, 215-988-0458 or kgajewski@breathefreephiladelphia.org, Web: http://www.breathefreephiladelphia.org
PHILADELPHIA, March 9 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Mayor John F. Street, Councilman Michael Nutter and dozens of faith leaders and health advocates today hosted a prayer breakfast in support of smoke-free workplaces in Philadelphia. The event, sponsored by the Mayor's Office of Health and Fitness, the Black Clergy of Philadelphia and the Breathe Free Philadelphia Alliance served as an open forum for public officials, faith leaders and health advocates to discuss the involvement of faith communities in efforts to make all Philadelphia workplaces 100 percent smoke-free to protect everyone's right to breathe clean air.
"As people of faith, we are committed to the health of body, mind and spirit," said Pastor Nick Taliaferro, director of Faith Based Initiatives for the City of Philadelphia. "Tobacco does not discriminate in the harm it causes and is a serious challenge to all major faiths, including Christians, Muslims and Jews. Community leaders have a moral obligation to protect the health of all citizens. We hope and pray that the Philadelphia City Council will do what is right and listen to our call to pass a smoke-free law that protects the health of all citizens in our community."
Around the country, faith community leaders are joining together to support proven solutions to reduce tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke. In Philadelphia, faith leaders have teamed up with the members of the Breathe Free Philadelphia Alliance to advocate for the legislation (Bill No. 050063) recently transmitted by Mayor John F. Street and introduced by Councilman Michael Nutter that would make all workplaces in Philadelphia 100 percent smoke-free. Enacting a local ordinance to make public places smoke-free- including restaurants and bars- will also help to reduce smoking in Philadelphia by discouraging kids from starting to smoke, reducing the number of cigarettes consumed by smokers, and helping smokers to quit.
Secondhand smoke isn't just annoying; it contains more than 4,000 chemicals and at least 69 carcinogens and is proven to cause lung cancer, heart disease and other serious respiratory illnesses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is responsible for thousands of deaths each year. Recently, experts at the CDC advised persons with heart disease to avoid settings where smoking is allowed because of the risk that even short-term exposure to secondhand smoke can trigger heart attacks. Children are especially vulnerable to other people's smoke, suffering more bronchitis, asthma and ear infections as a result. A January 2005 study also found that exposure to secondhand smoke has a negative impact on children's performance on tests measuring reading, math and reasoning skills.
"We must do more to reduce and prevent suffering from tobacco- related illness," said Gwen Foster, the Health and Fitness Czar for the City of Philadelphia. "It's high time that Philadelphia's citizens are granted their right to earn a living, dine in a restaurant or enjoy a night out without putting their health at risk because of secondhand smoke."
The evidence is also clear that smoke-free laws protect health without harming business. Dozens of studies and hard economic data have shown that smoke-free laws do not harm sales or employment in restaurants and bars and may even have a positive impact. Some of the strongest evidence comes from New York City, where a report found that in the year after the city's smoke-free law took effect March 30, 2003, business receipts for restaurants and bars increased, employment rose, the number of liquor licenses increased, virtually all establishments are complying with the law, and the vast majority of New Yorkers support the law. Even among bar and restaurant owners, support for New York's law has grown. James McBratney, president of the Staten Island Restaurant and Tavern Association, was quoted in the Feb. 6, 2005, issue of The New York Times saying "I have to admit, I've seen no falloff in business in either establishment (restaurant or bar)." According to The Times, "He went on to describe what he once considered unimaginable: Customers actually seem to like it, and so does he."
http://www.usnewswire.com/
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=44068
Posted at 11:14 am by looped_ca
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Biovail Shares Fall as SEC Widens Probe
Mar 4, 2005 — By Rachelle Younglai
TORONTO (Reuters) - Shares of Biovail Corp. <BVF.TO> fell as much as 12.4 percent on Friday as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission widened its probe into the financial activities of Canada's largest publicly traded drugmaker and made it a formal investigation.
Mississauga, Ontario-based Biovail fell as low as C$18.81 before recovering to C$19.37 by early afternoon on the Toronto Stock Exchange, for a loss of C$2.10, or 9.8 percent. On the New York Stock Exchange, Biovail fell $1.35, or 7.9 percent, to $15.75.
The SEC's informal inquiry, which was initiated in November 2003 and previously disclosed, sought information, including accounting and financial disclosures, for 2002 and up to November 2003.
The formal investigation continues to be primarily about accounting practices, Biovail said, but the scope is broader and the period under review reaches back to June 2001.
"Any time the SEC makes an investigation from informal to formal that's bad. Next they are widening the scope of the investigation. That's very bad," said Duncan Stewart, a partner and portfolio manager with Tera Capital Corp., who does not own any Biovail shares.
"It's complying with these things that are an enormous drain on management … things don't go into a deep freeze, but they definitely slow down."
The SEC zeroed in on Biovail in 2003 after the company said a traffic accident involving a truck carrying millions of dollars' worth of its antidepressant drug Wellbutrin XL would lower revenue and profit.
Around the same time, shareholders filed a class action suit alleging the company artificially inflated its share price and concealed the truth about its finances.
Later, Ontario securities regulators jumped in and said they were investigating Biovail for suspicious trading activity.
Stewart said the investigation, along with the lawsuits, and any fines incurred should the SEC find any wrongdoing, could knock C$4 to C$5 off Biovail's stock.
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=551707
I am polluted
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050305/TOXIC05/TPScience/
*3 pages of info.
http://www.smokersclubinc.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1179
executive summary What we found
In a study led by Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, in collaboration with the Environmental Working Group and Commonweal, researchers at two major laboratories found an average of 91 industrial compounds, pollutants, and other chemicals in the blood and urine of nine volunteers, with a total of 167 chemicals found in the group. Like most of us, the people tested do not work with chemicals on the job and do not live near an industrial facility.
Scientists refer to this contamination as a person’s body burden. Of the 167 chemicals found, 76 cause cancer in humans or animals, 94 are toxic to the brain and nervous system, and 79 cause birth defects or abnormal development. The dangers of exposure to these chemicals in combination has never been studied.
*to add context to polluted article
http://www.ewg.org/reports/bodyburden/
Am J Psychiatry 162:619-620, March 2005
Brief Report
Is Cigarette Smoking Associated With Suicidal Ideation Among Young People?
Rob McGee, Ph.D., Sheila Williams, D.Sc., and Shyamala Nada-Raja, Ph.D.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The authors examined the association between suicidal ideation in early adulthood and daily tobacco smoking in a community sample of adolescents. METHOD: Participants were enrolled in a longitudinal study of health and development. The factors of disadvantage, impulsiveness, stress, depressed mood, tobacco smoking, other substance use, and parental attachment were included in multivariate modelling of suicidal ideation. RESULTS: Data on tobacco use were available for 764 participants. Early tobacco smoking was significantly predictive of later suicidal ideation, but there was no longer a significant relationship when high levels of stress and depression and low levels of parental attachment in adolescence were included in the multivariate model. CONCLUSIONS: Tobacco smoking in adolescence does not appear to elevate the risk of later suicidal ideation.
http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/162/3/619
Barbour: Take Trust Fund Money For MedicaidMS
03/07/05
Gov. Haley Barbour said Monday that he wants legislators to solve Medicaid's budget problems before the program runs out of money at the end of this week.
"I cannot think of any worse public policy or any bigger dereliction of duties by elected officials than to let this program shut down,'' Barbour said during a news conference. "I cannot imagine what the people of Mississippi would think if that happened.''
Republican Barbour said he still opposes raising cigarette taxes to help fund the health care program for the needy and elderly. He says he thinks there's only one place legislators can find enough money - the state health care trust fund.
He wants them to take $200 million out of the fund's $500 million balance. The fund was created with Mississippi's massive lawsuit settlement against tobacco companies.
House and Senate negotiators continued meeting about Medicaid on Monday.
The program's executive director, Dr. Warren Jones, said there are no requirements for Medicaid to give notice to patients or providers if services stop after Friday. Medicaid has a $268 million shortfall for the budget year that ends June 30.
Barbour, a former tobacco lobbyist in Washington, said a proposed cigarette tax that has passed the House would bring in only about $20 million before June 30. He said he opposes any other kind of tax increase.
One of the House negotiators, Rep. George Flaggs, said during talks at the Capitol Monday that it's "unconscionable'' for Barbour and senators to oppose raising taxes on companies that make harmful products when doing so would help fund Medicaid.
Flaggs, D-Vicksburg, said he voted for the proposed cigarette tax increase because "I couldn't see myself standing up with a killer.''
That brought an angry response from Sen. Terry Burton, R-Newton, who said "not one, single tobacco company'' had contacted him to fight a tax increase.
"Don't say I'm standing up with killers,'' Burton said.
A health advocate said if Medicaid shuts down, she'll blame Barbour because she believes he's keeping the Senate from voting on a cigarette tax increase.
"The biggest Band-Aid initiative of all is to just look at taking money out of the health care trust fund,'' said Oleta Garrett Fitzgerald, regional director of the Children's Defense Fund.
Waurene Roberson of Oxford said she wants state officials to solve Medicaid's problems quickly. She said she received a letter last Friday from the nursing home where her mother lives, saying Roberson would have to start paying $145 a day if Medicaid runs out of money.
"Which is about what my salary is, or more than my salary,'' said Roberson, 58, a graphic designer. "So I would have to quit my job and go on welfare, and I don't know how we would pay for medicine then.
"There are people there (in the nursing home) who have no family,'' Roberson said. "What's going to happen to them?''
http://www.wlox.com/Global/story.asp?S=3043614
Push For Restaurant Smoking Ban Headed To South MS
by Danielle Thomas 03/07/05
One city at a time. That's the American Cancer Society's newest strategy to put more restrictions on where smokers can light up.
In the past few years, the state legislature has refused to ban smoking in Mississippi restaurants and bars. Meridian, Tupelo and Greenville are considering such laws. Soon, the smoke-free movement may be heading South.
Bob Haddick doesn't smoke, but he usually doesn't mind being in bars with people who do.
"The basic thing for an establishment to have excellent ventilation and I don't think after that it's a problem that much," said Haddick.
Irish Pub manager Ben Kaufman tries to make all his customers happy.
"I do offer an outdoor beer garden and currently a smoking and a non-smoking section, so I try to accommodate everyone."
The American Cancer society says with second hand smoke killing 35,000 to 40,000 people a year separating the non-smokers from the smokers isn't enough.
"It's been proven that ventilation systems within smoking and non-smoking areas do not work," said spokesperson Dana Luquire. "They do not get all of the toxins out of the air."
The push to snuff out tobacco in restaurant and bars is mostly in towns is other parts of the state but not for long.
"Coalitions are being built in South Mississippi," said Luquire. "Public opinion polls are being taken to see how the public feels about non-smoking in public places and things like that."
Many here believe South Mississippi bar patrons would prefer to sip their beers with a cigarette in hand.
"It's just the fact that some people have to smoke when they drink and some people don't," said Haddick.
Kaufman added that when it comes to his customer "over 50 percent smoke when they drink and a lot of them only smoke when they drink. I really think it would affect the way people look at my business as a whole. Granted, if it's the law, then we have to abide by it."
The American Cancer Society says no formal requests for bans have been made in Coast cities yet, but plans are underway.
http://www.wlox.com/Global/story.asp?S=3043101
Quit smoking with a pill? Researchers say new drugs show promise -CT
GROTON, Conn. The race is on to make a pill that helps people stop smoking.
Drug companies are competing to make treating nicotine addiction as lucrative as treating erectile disfunction, high colesterol and acid reflux disease.
Researchers are tailoring drugs to mimic or block nicotine's chemical reactions in the body.
Drug giant Pfizer has identified a brain receptor that nicotine binds to. The company has designed a new drug, called varenicline (vah-RENN'-ah-klyne), that latches onto the same receptor.
The drug is in Phase Three testing, which is normally the last step before a company applies for approval from the Food and Drug Administration.
Researchers hope that the pills will prevent overpowering cravings when people stop smoking. And if they do reach for a cigarette, the drug will be sitting in nicotine's favorite parking spot, lessening its effect on the brain.
http://www.wavy.com/Global/story.asp?S=3040253
Changing Conclusions on Secondhand Smoke in a Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Review Funded by the Tobacco Industry
Background. Prenatal and postnatal exposure to tobacco smoke adversely affects maternal and child health. Secondhand smoke (SHS) has been linked causally with sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in major health reports. In 1992, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) first noted an association between SHS and SIDS, and both prenatal exposure and postnatal SHS exposure were listed as independent risk factors for SIDS in a 1997 California EPA report (republished in 1999 by the National Cancer Institute) and a 2004 US Surgeon General report.
The tobacco industry has used scientific consultants to attack the evidence that SHS causes disease, most often lung cancer. Little is known about the industry’s strategies to contest the evidence on maternal and child health. In 2001, a review was published on SIDS that acknowledged funding from the Philip Morris (PM) tobacco company. Tobacco industry documents related to this review were examined to identify the company’s influence on the content and conclusions of this review.
Methods. Tobacco industry documents include 40 million pages of internal memos and reports made available to the public as a result of litigation settlements against the tobacco industry in the United States. Between November 2003 and January 2004, we searched tobacco industry document Internet sites from the University of California Legacy Tobacco Documents Library and the Tobacco Documents Online website. Key terms included "SIDS" and names of key persons. Two authors conducted independent searches with similar key terms, reviewed the documents, and agreed on relevancy through consensus. Thirty documents were identified as relevant. Two drafts (an early version and a final version) of an industry-funded review article on SIDS were identified, and 2 authors independently compared these drafts with the final publication. Formal comments by PM executives made in response to the first draft were also reviewed. We used Science Citation Index in July 2004 to determine citation patterns for the referenced SIDS reviews.
Results. PM executives feared that SHS and maternal and child health issues would create a powerful and emotional impetus for smoke-free areas in the home, public areas, and the workplace. In response to the 1992 US EPA report on SHS, the Science and Technology Department of PM’s Switzerland subsidiary, Fabriques de Tabac Reunies, searched for "independent" consultants to publish articles addressing SHS. The first industry-funded article was a literature review focusing on smoking and SIDS, conducted by consultant Peter Lee and co-author Allison Thornton, which stated that the association between parental smoking and SIDS could have been attributable to the failure to control fully for confounders. That first review has only been cited once, in the subsequent industry-funded review.
In 1997, PM commissioned a consultant, Frank Sullivan, to write a review, with coauthor Susan Barlow, of all possible risk factors for SIDS. The first draft concluded that prenatal and postnatal smoking exposures are both independent risk factors for SIDS. After receiving comments and meeting with PM scientific executives, Sullivan changed his original conclusions on smoking and SIDS. The final draft was changed to emphasize the effects of prenatal maternal smoking and to conclude that postnatal SHS effects were "less well established." Changes in the draft to support this new conclusion included descriptions of Peter Lee’s industry-funded review, a 1999 negative but underpowered study of SIDS risk and urinary cotinine levels, and criticisms of the conclusions of the National Cancer Institute report that SHS was causally associated with SIDS. In April 2001, the Sullivan review was published in the United Kingdom journal Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology, with a disclosure statement that acknowledged financial support from PM but did not acknowledge contributions from PM executives in the preparation of the review. By 2004, the Sullivan SIDS review had been cited at least 19 times in the medical literature.
Conclusions. PM executives responded to corporate concerns about the possible adverse effects of SHS on maternal and child health by commissioning consultants to write review articles for publication in the medical literature. PM executives successfully encouraged one author to change his original conclusion that SHS is an independent risk factor for SIDS to state that the role of SHS is "less well established." These statements are consistent with PM’s corporate position that active smoking causes disease but only public health officials conclude the same for SHS. The author’s disclosure of industry funding did not reveal the full extent of PM’s involvement in shaping the content of the article. This analysis suggests that accepting tobacco industry funds can disrupt the integrity of the scientific process.
The background of this SIDS review is relevant for institutions engaged in the debate about accepting or eschewing funding from the tobacco industry. Those who support acceptance of tobacco industry funds argue that academic authors retain the right to publish their work and maintain final approval of the written product, but this argument fails to recognize that the tobacco industry funds work to ensure that messages favorable to the industry are published and disseminated.
Clinicians, parents, and public health officials are most vulnerable to the changed conclusions of the SIDS review. The national SIDS "Back to Sleep" campaign has been very successful in reducing SIDS rates. However, estimates of SIDS risk from SHS (odds ratios range from 1.4 to 5.1) have considerable overlap with estimates of risk from prone sleep positioning (odds ratios range from 1.7 to 12.9). With the Back to Sleep campaign well underway, efforts to address parental smoking behavior in both the prenatal and postnatal periods should be intensified. The tobacco industry’s disinformation campaign on SHS and maternal and child health can be counteracted within clinicians’ offices.
Elisa K. Tong, MD*, Lucinda England, MD and Stanton A. Glantz, PhD ,||
* Division of General Internal Medicine Fellowship Program
Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education
|| Institute for Health Policy Studies, Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, California
Division of Reproductive Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, Georgia
Key Words: secondhand smoke • tobacco industry • sudden infant death syndrome
Abbreviations: SIDS, sudden infant death syndrome • EPA, Environmental Protection Agency • SHS, secondhand smoke • PM, Philip Morris • FTR, Fabriques de Tabac Reunies • NCI, National Cancer Institute • ETS, environmental tobacco smoke
accepted Oct 19, 2004.
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/115/3/e356
FULL TEXT http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/115/3/e356
Tobacco companies funded, altered studies:
[World News]: SAN FRANCISCO, March 7 : University of California researchers say studies that denied links between tobacco smoke and infant death were heavily influenced by tobacco companies.
Scientists at the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at University of California San Francisco and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta said the studies were paid for by cigarette manufacturers who also altered conclusions.Their findings appear in the March issue of the journal Pediatrics.
The researchers said one prominent article, commissioned by Philip Morris and published in a respected pediatric epidemiology journal in 2001, discounted the significance of research showing a link between exposure to secondhand cigarette smoke and sudden infant death syndrome.The article has been cited in at least 19 other scientific papers, misleading physicians, their patients and researchers about the risk of secondhand smoke exposure, the scientists said.Philip Morris documents revealed the company paid an author to write the article, guided his writing, and suggested changes in his conclusions, the researchers said.
"Undermining people's understanding of the link between secondhand smoke and SIDS places infants everywhere at increased risk," said lead author Stanton Glantz, director of the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education.
http://www.newkerala.com/news-daily/news/features.php?action=fullnews&id=81861
Tell Congress to make drugs safer NOW!
Listen to our new song, and send a message during this week's Congressional hearings!
https://secure2.convio.net/cu/site/Advocacy?JServSessionIdr001=mpeqf28ab3.app14b&page=UserAction&cmd=display&id=357
Group Challenges CDC's Obesity Claims
Fox news Tuesday, March 08, 2005
WASHINGTON — Several well-established, incontrovertible, scientific studies conclude that the United States has the fattest people on Earth, with two-thirds of the population overweight or obese.
Those same studies argue that obesity itself is a disease, a position so accepted that even Medicare pays for weight control plans.
But one group, the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Consumer Freedom argues those studies are not up to snuff.
"America is now suffering from an epidemic of obesity myths much more than an epidemic of obesity," said CCF senior analyst Dan Mindus.
Mindus authored a report that attempts to shatter "obesity myths" and takes direct aim at what Mindus says is the principal culprit for obesity hysteria in America — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Last year, the CDC publicized a study that said 400,000 deaths annually can be attributed to obesity and excess weight.
"The CDC has misled the American public, has compared obesity to the black death, has told us that obesity is going to kill more people than tobacco," Mindus said. "They're completely wrong. They know they're completely wrong and yet they're trying to sweep under the rug all the evidence to support that."
Texas Bill Would Add BMI to Report Cards
CDC officials admit they did make a mistake with the 400,000 figure and later revised the number down to 365,000 deaths, an error they themselves publicized
The CDC "did discover an unintentional computer error in the way that the computer program had been used that caused the intentional reporting of 400,000 deaths due to the combination of diet and physical activity," said Donna Stroup, acting director for the Coordinating Center for Health Promotion at the CDC.
"The fact that we did subject the analysis to independent analysis and peer review shows that we are making every effort to keep our messages correct and scientifically accurate," Stroup said. "The conclusion of the paper did not change."
But other problems exist with the CDC's work, critics say. They point to the agency's reliance on the body mass index chart, which computes only height and weight to determine if one is overweight. Based on the chart, even President Bush, who is a 6-foot, 194-pound fitness fanatic, is considered overweight, as are most world-class professional athletes.
The Center for Consumer Freedom also has its skeptics. The group gets most of its funding from some of the biggest names in food, including fast-food chain restaurants and food manufacturers.
One medical director who treats overweight people full-time as director of George Washington University's weight management program said quibbling about the numbers blurs the true story.
"Let's assume that it's not 65 percent, let's assume that it's 50 percent. Let's assume that it's 40 percent. It's still a lot of people," said Dr. Arthur Frank. "I think [the consumer group is] being petty and I think they're being silly."
Click in the box near the top of the story to watch a report by FOX News' Greg Kelly.
*other links to studies etc.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,149701,00.html
Researchers have found that some children who supposedly outgrew their asthma saw it re-appear by the time they reached their mid-20s.
Common allergies, such as a sensitivity to house dust mites, and those with poor lung function, seem likely to be the culprits.
It is not known why some individuals experience asthma relapse and others do not, but the persistence of asthma and asthma relapse are significantly increased in children with house dust mite sensitivity said Malcolm Sears of McMaster University in Canada; persistent inflammation and genetic factors could also be contributing factors.
Mr Sears and colleagues studied more than 1,000 children born in New Zealand between 1972 and 1973, testing them at ages nine, 11, 13, 15, 18, 21 and 26. Twenty per cent of them had asthma diagnosed by a doctor at some point in childhood. Thirty eight per cent were free of symptoms by the age of 18. By the age of 26, thirty five per cent said their symptoms came back. The patients who relapsed often had allergies to house dust mites, grass, cats, dogs, and mould.
"By not smoking and avoiding occupations that increase the likelihood of developing asthma, patients can help protect themselves from asthma relapse," Mr Sears said.
The study demonstrates the role that specific risk factors have on asthma remission, said Dr Paul Kvale, president of the American College of Chest Physicians.
http://www.news-medical.net/?id=8296
Posted at 3:13 pm by looped_ca
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Goose bingo halls go smoke-free
WebPosted Mar 1 2005 04:00 PM NST
CBC News
HAPPY VALLEY-GOOSE BAY — Bingo operators in Happy Valley-Goose Bay are getting a jump on the provincial government, by banning smoking in their halls.
The provincial government announced late last year it intends to ban smoking in pubs and bingo halls this spring.
It subsequently started a round of public hearings, where bar and club owners said extending a ban would wreck their businesses.
But in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, all three of the town's bingo halls have banned smoking.
Richard Sheppard, a volunteer at nightly bingo games at the Lions Club, says he has noticed a substantial improvement in air quality in a short time.
"It was like you were standing up here and you couldn't even see half the people," Sheppard says.
"It was hard on me and it was hard on my lungs."
Debbie Hutchings, who organizes all the club's bingo games, says a designated area for non-smokers was not working.
However, the ban has appeared to come with a cost.
Bingo caller Joe Tremblett says crowds at all three halls have dropped between 20 and 30 per cent.
"Friday night, I came down for bingo and ended up canceling it. We had 45 people here," Tremblett says.
Hutchings, though, says new customers are coming to the halls because of the ban.
http://stjohns.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=nf-goose-bingo-20050301
Not a matter of taste
By CLAIRE BERGSTROM GALLANT Monday, March 7, 2005 - Page A14
Halifax -- Leah McLaren's March 5 Style feature (No-Smoking-In-The-House Heads Out The Window) left a bad taste in my mouth . . . of second-hand smoke. We in favour of smoke-free homes are not aiming to be impolite, uncivilized or ridiculous.
The article misses the point, which is that if there are any non-smokers at your party, it is far more uncomfortable for them to inhale smoke than it is for smokers to be courteous enough to step outside. Have we suddenly travelled back 20 or 30 years?
Smoking has been banned in so many public places because second-hand smoke is, yes, life-threatening.
It is more than just "impolite" to smoke indoors (especially around non-smokers); it can be deadly. Smokers should respect their fellow guests enough to smoke outside; then they might get a little respect from non-smokers.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050307/LETTERS07-11/TPHealth/
Cigarette manufacturer defends retail displays -ON
MARCH 8/05
Recently you published an article which quoted indviduals calling for a total ban on tobacco displays("Tobacco products in plain sight, surveys find, "Mar. 2). In many cases the argument is that they somehow influence teens to start smoking. Health Canada's latest Youth Smoking Survey indicates that the most commonly stated "perceived reason that youth start smoking" is the behaviour of friends. That same survey has various categories of reasons of why youth start smoking--retail displays and impulse buying do not appear amongst them. It does however include: Peer pressure/friends; mother or father smokes; brothers or sisters smoke; popular kids smoke; curiosity; it's cool; something to do; it's not allowed; it's relaxing; weight control; and an unspecific "other" category.
The article also included the totally inaccurate claim that tobacco purchases are frequently impulsive. In actual fact, research conducted by the Meyers Research Centre in 2003 showed that 99 per cent of Canadians adults have already planned their purchase of tobacco products before they even enter the store.
Retail display bans ultimately penalize adult smokers and legitimate businesses. Displays of our products do not influence the decision to smoke, but rather the decision as to which brand to purchase. In some retail outlets adult smokers can choose amongst more than 400 tobacco products. These retail displays are currently the only legal means available to let adult smokers know about price and availability--including information about new brands.
For tobacco companies this is important because it allows us to compete to become the choice of adult smokers--something important in a constantly shrinking market. Banning these displays inevitably penalizes many convenience store owners who rely on the money these displays provide as a key part of their livelihood
Christina Dona Manager, Media relations Imperial Tobacco Canada Montreal
Smoking ban unfair -ON
Don Parker Monday February 28, 2005
Editor:
I disagree with St. Thomas’s implemented smoking ban which comes into effect March 1.
I believe our council should have waited for the government to pass Bill 164 and implement it in 2006.
The city did not go 100 per cent smoke free by exemption of St. Thomas Bingo Country.
I’m a smoker and have been for 30 years now and am in good health. I feel now that one of my civil liberties has been taken away from me by being told that I no longer can go out to my favourite bar and have a smoke and a beer but I have the right to play bingo and light up. This is not right.
The Royal Canadian Legion should have been exempt, after all if it weren’t for our veterans we might not have some of the liberties that we have today.
And is our council going to help some of our restaurant and bar owners when they start losing their customers because they can’t compete with the bigger bars that have patios?
Council should have looked at smoke hogs or smoke eaters which would have solved the smoking problems in bars.
Smoking areas were already in play in most work places and working fine.
I can’t help but wonder if the St. Thomas Health Unit hadn’t said they would take care of the policing of the ban, if council’s decision would have been different since the city would then would be responsible for the $1,000 to $2,000 cost of policing.
I feel this council is not acting on what our residents want. They should have held more public debates before making these decisions. This bylaw is not fair and is a serious issue. And I for one will look forward to my day in court, because this is not a fair playing field that we have been given in this City of St. Thomas
Don Parker
St. Thomas
http://www.stthomastimesjournal.com/story.php?id=145719
Policing costs clarified
Saturday March 05, 2005
Editor:
Re: My letter by Feb. 28 (City’s non-smoking bylaw unfair).
The second last paragraph should have read: “I can’t help but wonder if the St. Thomas Health Unit hadn’t said they would take care of the policing of the ban, if council’s decision would have been different since the city would then would be responsible for the $100,000 to $200,000 cost of policing.”
Don Parker
St. Thomas
Scofflaw bars will be smoked out, mayor vows -YK
CBC News WebPosted Mar 2 2005 08:11 AM MST
WHITEHORSE - The City of Whitehorse says bar owners flouting the anti-smoking bylaw will soon have their day in court.
The city says it will lay charges against them in the next few days.
For the past week, the bar owners have been thumbing their nose at the city by setting out ashtrays and looking the other way as patrons smoke.
Whitehorse bylaw officers ignored the lawbreakers over this past Rendezvous weekend.
But Mayor Ernie Bourassa says that's about to change.
"Bylaw at the moment is gathering evidence and preparing individual cases," he says.
"Charges will be laid hopefully later this week or next week sometime."
Some of the bar owners say they'd like to challenge the validity of the smoking bylaw in court.
Bourassa says bring it on.
"That's what some of the bars want – they want to go to court, and we're prepared to do that."
Bourassa says courts all across Canada have upheld provincial and municipal smoking laws.
He's confident the city will win any challenge to its bylaw.
http://north.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=smoking-bars-03022005
Hospitality industry proposes amendment to Ontario smoking legislation -ON
TORONTO, March 3 /CNW/ - Ontario's hospitality industry is calling for an amendment to the Government of Ontario's Bill 164, The Smoke-Free Ontario Act, saying it supports the intent behind the legislation but the industry needs a longer transition to smoke-free operations.
"We believe Bill 164, as currently drafted, will have severe economic consequences for many of our members," says Douglas Needham, President of the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA), "particularly the small and medium-sized businesses which dominate the pub, bar, tavern and nightclub sector. We're proposing an interim step during which smoking be permitted in designated smoking rooms (DSRs) which would be phased out in 2010."
"We understand the government's desire to ban smoking in all public places, but this shouldn't force small operators to cut jobs or go out of business," says Terry Mundell, President of the Ontario Restaurant Hotel & Motel Association (ORHMA). "We need a transition period so that our members can earn a payback on the capital investments they've made in DSRs, while adjusting their business models to accommodate smoke-free operations. During that transition, we support highly ventilated, designated smoking rooms and occupational exposure limits to protect employees who work in these areas."
More than 700 Ontario hospitality establishments have constructed DSRs to comply with municipal bylaws. Bill 164 places the owners of these businesses
in the untenable position of being penalized by the provincial government for complying with their municipal government. The bill would ban smoking in work
places and public places on May 31, 2006, giving these small businessesinsufficient time to properly amortize the cost of this capital investment.
The call for a longer transition period is accompanied by an industrypublication, The Facts About Designated Smoking Rooms, which explains ventilation and filtration systems used in DSRs and addresses issues such as occupational exposure limits for employees, compliance and enforcement considerations, and myths about designated smoking rooms. The document is available online at www.LastCallOntario.ca.
The industry website LastCallOntario.ca discusses the proposed 2010 phase-out and gives the industry and the public an opportunity to vote on smoking legislation alternatives. The site is sponsored by the ORHMA, CRFA and the Ontario Accommodation Association.
For further information: Jill Holroyd, CRFA, (416) 923-8416, ext. 4217; Michelle Saunders, ORHMA, (905) 361-0268
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2005/03/c0916.html
Patrons light up, but safety first
Only polite reminders
Times-Journal Staff By Michael Jiggins Monday March 07, 2005
St. Thomas bar owner Vince Pileggi knows people lit up cigarettes in his bar in violation of the city’s smoke-free bylaw on the weekend.
Citing safety concerns, however, he told his staff to do no more than politely make customers aware of the new rules.
“Some of my doormen said people were sparking up,” Pileggi, co-owner of St. Thomas Ale House told the Times-Journal.
“Letting them know, that’s as far as we go. I’m not going to put my employees in harm’s way over a cigarette. It doesn’t make sense.”
This past weekend was the first big test for the city’s controversial smoke-free bylaw, which came into effect Tuesday.
St. Thomas’s bylaw is being enforced by Iron Rail Security through the Elgin-St. Thomas Health Unit.
Bylaw officers were seen making their rounds, but reached Sunday Iron Rail official Jayson Chabot would not say if any tickets were issued.
He directed all questions to the city clerk’s office.
Reaction from customers, staff and bar owners, meanwhile, was mixed.
“Business-wise, it’s hurt us,” said Brian Aslani, owner of Ollee’s Sports Bar, saying 95 per cent of his customers smoke.
While conceding the smoke-free environment is better for employees and leaves his bar fresher, Aslani insisted the city should have waited for provincial smoke-free legislation expected in 2006.
“It’s unfair competition between the City of St. Thomas and the surrounding area,” he said.
A group told Aslani on Friday night after eating that they were going to spend the rest of the night in Port Stanley where they could smoke -- regardless of the cab fare.
Ollee’s bartender Cynthia Yates called on bar owners to take a militant stand.
“I personally think all the bar owners should just keep on smoking and sue the city,” she said.
Pileggi admitted business was brisk at the Ale House over the weekend, but cautioned, “One weekend isn’t going to tell the tale.”
Where all those displaced smokers are lighting up is also causing issues.
Stu McDonald, Woody’s and Upper Deck owner, said it looks “unprofessional” to have smokers standing out front of a business.
He said he discussed the issue with smoking patrons prior to Tuesday and asked them to use an area behind each bar.
Aslani said smokers in front of his bar after midnight led to complaints from neighbours -- something he hasn’t experienced even when bands have played.
“We’re surrounded by residential around here, so I might have that problem (to address),” Aslani said.
And Pileggi said with groups as large as 20 congregating for a smoke, “That means now I’m going to have to have more doormen.”
There were those for whom the new bylaw is a breath of fresh air.
Ollee’s regular Rosemary Holden hailed the smoke-free atmosphere, pointing out, “I can come in here and go home and my clothes don’t smell smoky. I just enjoy it more.”
Indeed, McDonald said with smoking no longer an issue, “We’ll be seeing more families in now.”
Sitting across from Holden, though, smoker Larry Ryckman said although he won’t stay home, he doesn’t like being dictated to.
“We’re supposed to be a democratic society,” he said. “And in a democracy you’re supposed to have a choice and we don’t have a choice.”
http://www.stthomastimesjournal.com/story.php?id=147112
Gerry Costello
Council gambling with our future
Editor: Tuesday March 08, 2005
I was pleasantly amused by the cartoon on page 6 “Comment” in the Times-Journal on Saturday, Feb. 26. It struck a humourous chord for me (which it was meant to do).
Imagine all of the local bars licenced to serve alcoholic beverages, being granted the right to run bingos.
The bar menu may look something like this: under the B - beer; under the I - ice wine; under the N - nite cap or natchos; under G - gin; under the O -oysters.
On a more serious note, I believe that our council is “gambling” with our future, by the following: 1) approval of the $12 million (plus, plus) community centre on land not yet owned by the city; 2) expecting to receive grants when they missed the deadline etc., to apply for same, and then tried to blame MPP Steve Peters; 3) approved re-construction of a portion of Wellington Street, then withdraw the project for lack of funding, and, again trying to blame the provincial government.
If this isn’t enough, they want to spend more tax dollars on a deputy mayor. Why not make the mayor’s job full time, and save some money?
When will it all end?
Gerry Costello
St. Thomas
http://www.stthomastimesjournal.com/index.php?id=850
Farm rally ‘too timid’ -ON
Mounting another push to Queen’s Park on Wednesday
By Michael Jiggins Times-Journal Staff Monday March 07, 2005
When 7,000 farmers descended on Queen’s Park last week to demand government pay attention to the crisis on Ontario farms, Tom Kurcz wasn’t among them.
Neither were many other members of the Lanark Landowners Association (LLA) who Kurcz said think last week’s Ontario Federation of Agriculture organized rally was “too timid” to be effective.
“It’s not going to make an impact,” Kurcz observed, noting that after making some speeches “at 2:30 everybody got back on the buses and goes home and it’s over with.”
So Kurcz, a Malahide tobacco and cash crop farmer, spent the week preparing to take part in another protest planned for Wednesday in front of the Ontario legislature.
While there were about 100 tractors involved in last week’s protest (most driven by LLA members), Kurcz said organizers this week expect more than 1,000.
And, he promised, they’re not leaving after a few hours.
Kurcz told the Times-Journal members of the group will remain at Queen’s Park -- and anywhere else Ontario government MPPs are -- until their concerns are addressed.
That includes bringing farm vehicles to Wednesday night’s gala Ontario Liberal Party fundraiser at Toronto’s Harbour Castle Hilton.
“This group are staying until the problem is solved.”
Although the protest is dubbed “The Rural Revolution,” Kurcz rejects suggestions members of the eastern Ontario based LLA are radicals.
He said bringing in so many farm implements isn’t designed to cause chaos on busy roadways, but to make more of an impact than he thinks last week’s busloads of people did.
“With the OFA, they didn’t like tractors at Queen’s Park. We’re not there to raise hell, we’re just there to let the public know what’s going on,” he stressed.
The LLA organized two earlier tractor convoys, including one that shut down Highway 401 near Ingersoll on Jan. 21. The other affected traffic near an international bridge at Prescott.
Lanark Landowners Association represents 17 diverse rural organizations from farm groups to sawmill operators and maple syrup producers.
An LLA press release said Wednesday’s protest is to convince the province to pass 11 resolutions it says will “enshrine and protect the heritage, culture and lifestyle of rural Ontario.
“Furthermore these resolutions will return the millions of dollars stolen from rural Ontario, and ensure that governments and monopolies never have the opportunity to steal farm/rural incomes again.”
Kurcz, who lives on a 130-acre tobacco farm on Glencolin Line with his wife and three children, said the protests are a last option.
“We have all gone the proper route … they’ve all contacted their MPPs and haven’t gotten a response,” a frustrated Kurcz said.
Of his own reasons for hopping on his Case IH tractor Tuesday to begin the nearly eight-hour trip to Toronto, the fourth generation farmer explained, “It makes me feel that I’ve done everything I possibly can without screaming.”
http://www.stthomastimesjournal.com/story.php?id=147111
Tobacco court cases grow -QC
CBC News Last Updated Mar 1 2005 10:32 AM EST
MONTREAL – The list of Quebec smokers signing onto a class action lawsuit against the country's three large tobacco companies is growing.
Last week, the Quebec Superior Court allowed two class action suits to proceed against the tobacco industry.
Most of the people who have since called the Quebec Council on Tobacco and Health have added their names to the suit.
The list is closing in on 300 people.
The council began proceedings for the class action about seven years ago, but had to wait until last week for the proper permission to pursue the case.
Mario Bujold, executive director of the group, said smokers, or their surviving family members, are allowed to sign up for the lawsuit.
"Our class action is for the victims of lung cancer, cancer of the larynx, the throat and emphysema."
That suit, filed by a smoker who lost a lung to cancer, asks for up to $100,000 for each Quebecer who suffered emphysema or cancer of the lungs, larynx or throat between 1995 and 1998.
Bujold said the phones have been busy over the last week, and the list of names grows everyday.
"We can touch something around 40,000 victims, so it's normal that we receive interest from the victims and also calls to person who want to register to that class action," Bujold says.
A second court action concerns people who are addicted to tobacco.
The council said that suit could end up representing up to 2 million smokers.
http://montreal.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=qc-tobacco20050301&ref=rss
FDA seizes batches of two Glaxo drugs
CBC News Last Updated Fri, 04 Mar 2005 19:07:59 EST
LONDON - Officials in the U.S. seized batches of a diabetes drug and an antidepressant medication on Friday because of concerns the drug company didn't meet manufacturing standards.
The drugs are Paxil CR, a control-released formula used to treat depression and panic disorder, and Avandamet, used to treat type 2 diabetes.
A spokesperson for Health Canada said the Paxil CR tablets from Puerto Rico did enter Canada, but the department doesn't consider it a serious health risk.
Likewise, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it does not believe the drugs posed a significant health risk to consumers.
Some Avandamet tablets contained an inaccurate dose of an active ingredient. Health Canada does not believe any of the batch came into the country.
Patients do not have to stop taking the drugs, but the U.S. regulator wanted to stop the product from being distributed until manufacturing problems are corrected.
FDA inspectors found the Paxil CR tablets could split apart, potentially reducing the active dose or controlled-release effect.
The manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline Plc, said it was working to fix the manufacturing problems as quickly as possible, although the U.S. supply would be reduced in the meantime.
Health Canada said it does not intend to issue a public advisory at this time.
The European Medicines Agency also said no recall of products was planned for the continent at present.
Glaxo shares closed down 2.2 per cent at 12.89 pounds in London on Friday. The company's stock also fell on the New York Stock Exchange, down four per cent in afternoon trading.
http://www.cbc.ca/story/science/national/2005/03/04/Glaxo-drugs050304.html
Letter to the Editor Calgary Mar.6/05
Rather than let government decide the smoking fate of private establishments, it would be better to let each individual business make its own decision. If the public wants to go somewhere that's non-smoking, it'll be evident in the types of businesses that prosper.
Thomas Laprade
(That's why they call it "free" enterprise.)
http://www.canoe.ca/CalgarySun/editorial.html#letters
Smoking bylaw with get a test on weekend -ON
By Ian McCallum Times-Journal Staff Wednesday March 02, 2005
On the day St. Thomas smokers were obliged to butt out in public places and work places, compliance at city bars and restaurants appeared not to be an issue. But the bylaw will be put to the acid test this weekend when business picks up substantially over the sparse crowds most premises experienced Tuesday. And several owners of licensed establishments told the Times-Journal they will not place their staff in a confrontational situation in attempts to enforce the bylaw. Meanwhile, on the same day the bylaw became a fact of life for city smokers,
Mayor Jeff Kohler petitioned Ontario’s health care minister George Smitherman to push forward the May 31, 2006, implementation date for provincial smoking legislation.
“Our government would like to applaud the ministry for moving forward with the smoking legislation,” wrote Kohler. “We are only requesting that you implement it sooner than later.”
Owners of two popular eateries at either end of Talbot Street suggested the majority of their lunch time customers are “upset” with the bylaw. “I think our customers are pretty upset,” observed Alex Petro, co-owner of The Ale House. “They’re not happy with the ruling but at this point on day one, they’re abiding by it.”
“My customers are very upset with this issue,” added George Wilson of The Manx Arms. “They’ve become polarized over rights where you have one group (non-smokers) asserting themselves over the other.”
Both agreed they will honour the smoke-free bylaw. But enforcement is another issue. “We will honour the bylaw to its fullest, with one exception,” noted Petro.
“And that will be the enforcement. We will make people aware, but we will not, and I stress not, put our people in a confrontational situation where someone may get hurt. We refuse to do that.”
“We are going to make customers aware of the things we are supposed to do as owners,” said Wilson. “Aside from that we are not going to physically assist or ask anyone to leave if there is going to be a question of liability that arises from it.That will be the duty of Iron Rail Security (which will assist the city with bylaw enforcement) and the City of St. Thomas.” Visitors to Lord Elgin Branch 41, Royal Canadian Legion, quietly sipped their drinks on a snowy afternoon, reminded of the bylaw by the absence of ashtrays on the tables.
EARLY
“It’s early yet,” said vice-president Wayne Donnelly. “We had a meeting on Sunday and the staff are all aware of the bylaw. We’re going to enforce. If anyone lights up they’re going to be asked to take it outside.”
The St. Thomas branch was unsuccessful in its bid to seek an exemption from the bylaw, and Donnelly feels it is only a matter of time before patrons drift away to branches in neighbouring municipalities where smoking is still permitted.
“It’s a very bitter pill to swallow. For a lot of vets this is their home
away from home. They feel very, very comfortable in here. We’re at a disadvantage now with branches in Aylmer and Port Stanley.”
But it was business as usual at St. Thomas Bingo Country where several dozen patrons puffed while dabbing their cards.
“Our regulars are quite happy,” said manager Brenda Burge. “It’s been proven that 70 per cent of our bingo players smoke.”
“I’m a smoker and that’s a big factor,” stressed city resident Robin Meloche who visits two or three times a week.“I would go elsewhere if smoking was not allowed. You have to smoke when you’re playing bingo. You can’t separate them. It’s hard.”
http://www.stthomastimesjournal.com/story.php?id=146478
Whistler workers denied right to speak at council meeting
WHISTLER, BC, March 8 /CNW/ - When Whistler municipal workers got up to speak during public question period at last night's council meeting, Chair Mayor O'Reilly did the unthinkable - he denied them an opportunity to speak.
"We knew our employer was anti-union, but we didn't want to accept that some members on council could also be anti-democratic," said CUPE 2010 President, Pete Davidson, who has been a water operator for Whistler for over 12 years, as well as a taxpayer, resident and volunteer firefighter.
The municipal workers, who are currently engaged in a work-to-rule campaign over employer demands to rollback their benefits and eliminate set hours and schedules of work, came to council to describe the negative impact the labour dispute has already had on residents of Whistler and to ask council to urge their staff to get back to the bargaining table.
"It's ironic that the home of the Olympics in 2010 lacks the democratic traditions established in ancient Greece over two thousand years ago," says Davidson. "It's a real embarrassment for Whistler."
"Mayor and council should remember who elects them," says Davidson. "If they don't remember it now, we'll have to remind them in November."
CUPE 2010 represents Whistler's water, wastewater, utilities workers and by-law officers.
For further information: Contact Pete Davidson, CUPE 2010 president, (604) 935-8603; or Diane Kalen, CUPE Communications, (778) 229-0258
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2005/08/c2450.html
CUPE asking Municipal Relations Minister to intervene in CBRM Council's handling of garbage vote -NS
SYDNEY, NS, March 7 /CNW/ - Provincial Municipal Relations Minister Barry Barnet has been asked to rule on the way in which CBRM Council decided to forego a second vote on the issue of trucking garbage.
CUPE Local 759 today wrote the minister responsible for municipal affairs, asking him to rule on whether council's decision was in violation of the Municipal Act.
CUPE National Rep. Jacquie Bramwell says, "We believe that when a member of a municipal council changes their position on a vote, and asks for a motion of reconsideration, then council has an obligation to do so.
"The original vote of 9-8 in favour of trucking garbage to Guysborough County would have gone the other way with the one changed vote. In this case, not allowing a second vote to take place effectively thwarts the democratic process," says Bramwell.
CUPE is citing the decision a couple of years ago by CBRM Council to reconsider a vote on holding a Gay Pride march, which was reversed by council because a single councilor changed his vote.
In her letter to Barnet, Bramwell states, "If someone who voted in the affirmative wanted to bring a motion to reconsider, they have the right to do so. I don't believe the Mayor handled the issue of reconsideration appropriately and I am therefore requesting an investigation be conducted by your office into what I see as irregularities in determining the issue of reconsideration.
"If there is a voting procedure contrary to this in the Municipal Act, please advise," states the letter.
For further information: Jacquie Bramwell, CUPE National Rep., (902) 539-4933 (o); John McCracken, CUPE Communications Rep., (902) 455-4180 (o)
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2005/07/c1979.html
*now the city has learned how to igbore groups, what's one more?
McGuinty Government Moves to Strengthen Democracy
Proposed Bill Would Promote Citizen Engagement, Preserve Northern Ridings, Introduce Real-time Disclosure of Party Donations
QUEEN'S PARK, March 7 /CNW/ - The McGuinty government today tabled democratic renewal legislation that, if passed, would mean moving ahead on electoral reform, preserving our 11 northern ridings, and real-time disclosure of party donations.
"The McGuinty government is continuing its efforts to strengthen Ontario's democracy," said Michael Bryant, Minister Responsible for Democratic Renewal. "Moving ahead on electoral reform, preserving our 11 northern ridings, and real-time disclosure of donations will mean a stronger democracy."
The proposed legislation, if passed, would:
1. Give Elections Ontario the ability to select volunteers for both the Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform and the Citizens' Jury on
Political Finance.
2. Preserve 11 northern ridings and increase the number of southern ridings from 92 to 96 to secure strong representation for all
Ontarians in the legislature.
3. Provide for real-time public disclosure of political donations, retroactive to January 1, 2004.
4. Re-introduce fixed election dates so they take place every four years. The next election would be four years from the last election,
on October 4, 2007.
The Citizens' Jury will make further recommendations about how provincial political parties and election campaigns are financed. The government will then introduce a comprehensive plan to reduce the influence of money in politics and provide better transparency for all Ontarians.
The Citizens' Assembly will examine Ontario's electoral system. If it recommends changing how Ontarians elect MPPs to the legislature, the government will hold a referendum on that alternative within its mandate.
Real-time disclosure of donations would apply to political parties and leadership candidates in election and non-election periods and will allow the public to track contributions on the Internet. Within five business days from the time a donation is deposited in the bank, registered political parties must report it to the Chief Election Officer at Elections Ontario. The Chief Election Officer then would post this information on the Elections Ontario web site within five business days. "This legislation would make Ontario a world leader in transparency for political party donations," said Minister Bryant.
"With these measures, we're taking the next step in the most ambitious democratic renewal initiative in this province's history," said Minister Bryant. "We're poised to give Ontarians a stronger voice than ever before by improving the quality of our democracy and modernizing our political institutions."
Disponible en français www.democraticrenewal.gov.on.ca
BACKGROUNDER
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE ELECTION STATUTE LAW AMENDMENT ACT, 2005
The Election Statute Law Amendment Act, 2005, includes provisions that would:
1. Allow Elections Ontario to select volunteers for a Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform and a Citizens' Jury on Political Finance
2. Preserve 11 northern ridings and increase the number of southern ridings from 92 to 96 to secure strong representation for all Ontarians in the legislature
3. Provide for the public disclosure of political donations in real time
4. Set fixed election dates to de-politicize the timing of provincial elections.
1. Citizens' Assembly and Citizens' Jury
----------------------------------------
The Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform will explore new ideas for electing Members of Provincial Parliament. If that assembly recommends an alternative, all Ontarians will have their say on the assembly's recommendations in a province-wide referendum.
A Citizens' Jury will consider changes to Ontario's political spending and contribution limits. Changes will aim to reduce the influence of money in politics.
Participants in the Jury and Assembly will be selected through a process that is non-partisan, open and transparent. If passed, the Election Statute Law Amendment Act, 2005, will allow Elections Ontario to select assembly and jury members using the Permanent Register of Electors. The Chief Election Officer will also ensure the diversity of Ontario is represented.
Individuals whose names are selected from the Register will be contacted by the Chief Election Officer. If they agree, they may be selected to sit on the Citizens' Assembly or the Citizens' Jury.
A similar process was used to set up the British Columbia Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform.
2. Eleven Northern Ridings
--------------------------
Currently, the Representation Act, 1996, makes Ontario's provincial ridings identical to those used in federal elections. As a result of redistribution for the 2004 federal election, the number of Ontario's federal ridings was increased from 103 to 106. However, the number of federal ridings in Northern Ontario was reduced from 11 to 10.
At present, there are 103 MPPs in the legislature; 11 represent ridings in Northern Ontario. Maintaining 11 northern representatives in the legislature will ensure a strong voice for Northern Ontario.
If passed, the Election Statute Law Amendment Act, 2005, would de-link Ontario's northern ridings from the recent federal redistribution and maintain the existing boundaries. The number of southern ridings would increase from 92 to 96, with new boundaries in the south matching those created under the 2004
federal redistribution.
As a result, Ontarians would send 107 MPPs to Queen's Park in the next provincial general election.
Electoral reform through the Citizens' Assembly process may result in changes to how MPPs are elected and how many are elected. If a new electoral system is adopted, Ontario's electoral boundaries and the redistribution process may change.
3. Real-time Disclosure of Political Donations
----------------------------------------------
If passed, the Election Statute Law Amendment Act, 2005, would require real-time disclosure of political donations. It will apply to political parties and leadership candidates in both election and non-election periods. It is the first system of its kind in Canada, and will allow the public to track contributions through the Internet.
The proposed system would apply to contributions over $100. A political party or leadership campaign would be required to report contributions over $100 to the Chief Election Officer within five business days of their being deposited into a bank account. Failure to file the report is an offence that, if prosecuted, may result in a fine of up to double the amount of the unreported contribution.
The Chief Election Officer will be required to post contribution reports on the Internet within five business days.
The proposed system would take effect on the later of the day of Royal Assent or April 1, 2005, and would require all such contributions, dating back to January 1, 2004, to be disclosed if they have not already been reported.
4. Fixed Election Dates
-----------------------
In June 2004, the government introduced Bill 86, the Election Statute Law Amendment Act, 2004, to provide for fixed election dates. The Election Statute Law Amendment Act, 2005, incorporates the provisions of that bill.
If passed, the bill would provide for elections on the first Thursday in October every four years, starting Thursday, October 4, 2007. Political considerations would no longer be a factor in the selection of election dates.
Disponible en français www.democraticrenewal.gov.on.ca
For further information: Greg Crone, Minister's Office, (416) 326-1785; Leon Mar, Communications Unit, (416) 314-7897
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2005/07/c1881.html
McMaster butts out
Mar, 07 2005 - 5:00 AM
HAMILTON (AM900 CHML) - McMaster University is holding a special smoke-free day today, encouraging staff and students not to light up on campus.
As part of the campaign, anti-smoking crusader Heather Crowe spoke to staff and students at the Student Centre Marketplace.
Crowe worked as a waitress for 40 years, and was awarded worker's compensation after being diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer related to her exposure to second-hand smoke.
She has visited with city councils across Canada, and has spoken with Health and Labour Ministers from coast to coast.
Crowe says her message has already led to smoke free workplaces in Ireland, Norway and Italy.
http://www.900chml.com/news/news_local.cfm?cat=7428327912&rem=4445&red=80132723aPBIny&wids=410&gi=1&gm=news_local.cfm
Posted at 8:04 pm by looped_ca
Saturday, March 05, 2005
Court date delayed for man charged in B.C. forest fire
CBC News Last Updated Mon, 21 Feb 2005 15:56:35 EST
KAMLOOPS, B.C. - A lawyer for a former firefighter appeared in provincial court in Kamloops Monday, after his client was charged with dropping a burning substance within a kilometre of a forest.
The accused man, Mike Barre, will be in court on March 7 for an arraignment hearing.
The charge against Barre stems from the McLure-Barriere fire that began in the summer of 2003 and burned thousands of hectares of forest.
The fire destroyed 65 homes and forced 8,500 people from McLure north to Barriere to flee.
It also flattened a local sawmill, which provided jobs for more than 200 people.
Investigators allege that a discarded cigarette started the blaze.
If found guilty, Barre could be fined $1 million and face jail time.
http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/02/21/bc-fire050221.html
'Rural revolution' takes to the road -ON
Lanark farmers joined counterparts from southwestern Ontario in a blockade of Highway 401 to bring attention to growing anger at a host of issues affecting rural life. Andy Lloyd reports.
Andy Lloyd The Ottawa Citizen Saturday, January 22, 2005
TILLSONBURG, Ont. - It was 5:30 a.m. when the bus came to an abrupt stop outside the darkened windows of the Putnam Community Centre, just east of Ingersoll, Ont.
A golden sliver of light was growing on the horizon, silhouetting the grain silos that dot the landscape. A regiment of 36 people, some farmers and some rural residents, disembarked from the bus they had boarded in Carleton Place exactly eight hours earlier. They had travelled through the night on a cramped coach to take part in the latest incarnation of the "rural revolution," a cause championed by the Lanark Land Owners' Association to which they belong.
Yesterday, more than 250 farm tractors blockaded Highway 401, shutting down both the eastbound and westbound lanes for hours at a time between Putnam and Ingersoll. The protest was initiated by area tobacco growers who feel the provincial government's anti-smoking legislation is hurting their business. Impressed with the Lanark association's previous demonstrations, Tillsonburg area tobacco farmers asked the organization for help. And the Lanark group answered the call. These self-appointed rural revolutionaries carried placards reading, "This land is our land. Governments back off."
Their message was clear: Governments and bureaucrats are killing rural Canada with excessive regulations and intrusive legislation.
According to the organizers, the protest was a sign of things to come.
"I think you're going to see a very strong, united rural movement throughout Ontario and across Canada," Randy Hillier, president of the Lanark association, said after the blockade. "People are recognizing they can make a difference if they just step up to the plate."
Mr. Hillier says the bureaucracy in this province is bullying farmers and rural people. "Bullies count on people to be fearful. We don't have fear."
Rural Ontario is a diverse expanse of pastoral landscapes, ancient stone farm houses, rusty wire fences that run along lonely roads, quiet villages where everyone knows everyone else, grazing cattle and sprawling fields. Coffee shops and corner stores. It may seem idyllic, but beneath it all tensions are simmering. There's a growing sense that rural Ontario, and indeed the rest of rural Canada, is under attack.
Increasingly stringent government regulations are provoking unrest among farmers and their neighbours. Some accuse politicians of pandering to big-city interests, leaving their rural counterparts in the dust.
The Lanark Landowners' Association says it's tired of waiting for action from governments and interest groups.
The association's emphatic president, Randy Hillier, is leading what he calls the "rural revolution." Ruthless in its accusations and emboldened by a large following, Mr. Hillier and his organization have launched a campaign of civil disobedience to bring attention to the plight of rural Ontario. It's not a strategy everyone favours, but it's one the Lanark group says is necessary. Despite critics who say inconveniencing the public won't garner support for the cause, the Rural Revolution is pushing forward
It started last March when 800 people blockaded a busy Ottawa intersection with farm equipment. Then in April, thousands of farmers and rural residents converged on Parliament Hill, with their livestock and tractors in tow, grinding traffic to a halt. In June, the association staged an illegal deer hunt to protest regulations that prevent farmers from killing nuisance animals on their property. In the fall, it held two food strikes in Pakenham, accompanied by more road blocks. The association even staged a mock trial in Perth, acquitting farmers who sell unregulated meat, produce and dairy products, and convicting government bureaucrats of impeding their freedom.It seems the protests have the attention of at least one high-profile politician. Ottawa Mayor Bob Chiarelli has called for a special summit this spring to address the discontent that has been festering in the city's rural sections since amalgamation in 2001.Yet yesterday's massive blockade of Highway 401 was the first in a series of threats, made directly to federal and provincial politicians, including Prime Minister Paul Martin and Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty.The Lanark farmers set Jan. 14 as a deadline for the politicians to respond to demands. Evidently those demands weren't addressed, and the protest went ahead. Along with yesterday's blockade, the association is threatening to block international border crossings and major highways every Friday, culminating with a demonstration at Queen's Park in Toronto on March 9.It's not exactly clear just what would pacify the rural revolution. The Lanark group has asked for an amendment that would enshrine rural lifestyle and property rights in the Canadian Constitution. But that's hardly a short-term goal.It also cites grievances with a variety of legislation, including the Nutrient Management Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Amalgamation Act, the Environmental Protection Act and the Fish and Wildlife Act. Certainly all of this legislation has a major impact on rural communities. In particular, after the Walkerton water tragedy, the Ontario government began developing a litany of stringent regulations to safeguard the province's water. Yet many farmers and rural businesses say they're paying for these regulations, suffering financially and emotionally. Calling bureaucrats and politicians incompetent, ignorant and cowardly, Mr. Hillier and the Lanark association say civil disobedience is the only option left.Yesterday, followers echoed that sentiment. Among them were Bert and Marion Timmins from Almonte. They run a small beef cattle operation. But when they talk about their life's work, they speak with an air of sadness, of resignation." I like to think of farmers as a visible minority," Mr. Timmins said. "We just don't get as much attention as the other ones." When the BSE crisis hit, their livelihood fell through the floor. The Timmins are still holding on to 45 cattle, unwilling to give in just yet. Even as he approaches age 70, Mr. Timmins dreams of better days ahead for the farm.
Like his friends, he's frustrated that governments aren't interested in addressing rural issues. "They think they can ignore it and it'll just go away. Well, it's not going to go away. "Mr. Timmins' cattle are virtually worthless as long as the American border remains closed to Canadian beef. It costs him more to feed them than he'd get for selling them. And he's hardly seen any of the much-anticipated government assistance packages for beef farmers. The Black family of Stittsville shared Mr. Timmins' concerns at yesterday's protest. Laura Black came home after four years of university to find things very changed. "The family farm was not the same as I left it," she said. Her family's steers that once sold for $1,200 a head were only worth $40 after the BSE crisis." You get a nice steak for that price in a restaurant. But you can buy the whole steer for the same price," she said, baffled by the absurdity of the situation. She thinks most urbanites don't have any understanding of the issues facing rural Ontario. And she hopes high-profile protests, like yesterday's, will change that, even if it inconveniences the public."We hope people can see we wouldn't be doing this if we didn't have to," Ms. Black said. "I think we need to have these rural strikes just to let people know we're completely up against a wall. Imagine being told you no longer make $50,000 a year. You now make $10,000 a year. Don't you think there'd be a strike the next day?" And beef farmers weren't the only ones with grievances yesterday. Sawmill owners complained of being shut down because the Ministry of Environment deemed large quantities of sawdust to be toxic. So they are angered when they see sawdust used in Ottawa's public gardens in the summer. A landfill employee from Lanark Highlands said he no longer recycles glass because the same ministry decreed his simple sorting system wasn't up to code. But without sufficient resources, he had to abandon glass recycling altogether. Others are upset about smoking bylaws. Some say they're treated rudely by Ottawa city officials. And the list goes on and on. Yesterday's protest was about rural Ontarians coming together to express their discontent. Decked out in jumpsuits and balaclavas to combat the frigid temperatures, they formed a convoy of tractors several kilometres long on Highway 401. The OPP diverted vehicles onto detour routes, out of sight from the protesters. But the rural revolution did command a heavy media presence.So, do these high profile protests work? The Ontario Federation of Agriculture decided not to participate in yesterday's protest, but rather to take a neutral position. Like most established organizations in the agriculture sector, the OFA advocates dialogue and negotiations with governments, not radical protests. "We appreciate some of their concerns, but this type of activity is against the law to begin with," Gary Struthers, a spokesman for the OFA, said.
"We're encouraging our members to contact their MPs and MPPs, the people responsible for the legislation that is causing us problems. ... If they don't listen to some of what's being said, they might not be re-elected." But Doug Clark, the editor of the Free Press Advocate newspaper, isn't so quick to question the Lanark association's methods." The fact that they keep getting people out speaks for itself. If they were totally without basis, you wouldn't get so many people going out on a cold day to make a statement like this," Mr. Clark said." If I was the government of Ontario, I'd be looking at this very carefully. I think anything that draws attention to the rural plight, that harms no one, is acceptable dissidence. We have the right to dissent, and they're exercising the right to dissent."
http://www.ruralrevolution.com/website/index.php?option=com_content&task=section&id=105&Itemid=158
Sarnia Area Facilities Rank High in Ontario's Top 10 List of Respiratory Polluters
List compiled by Pollution Watch released March 1/05
SARNIA, ON, March 1 /CNW/ - Three Sarnia area companies rank in the Top 10 facilities in Ontario for releasing air pollutants linked to respiratory illnesses, such as asthma and bronchitis. Ontario Power Generation's Lambton facility is at No. 3, Imperial Oil's Sarnia Refinery plant makes the list at No. 5, while Shell Canada Limited's Sarnia Manufacturing Centre ranks No. 8.
A Top 10 Ontario Respiratory Polluters list was released today by Environmental Defence and the Canadian Environmental Law Association. The groups developed the list from their web site, www.PollutionWatch.org, which uses the most recent finalized federal government data to rank facilities reporting releases and transfers of pollutants across Canada. The Top 10 list is based on 2002 data provided by industries to the federal government's National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI).
"This list shows that coal power plants, chemical manufacturing and petroleum refining are responsible for much of the poor air quality across this province, and industries in Sarnia are significant contributors," said Dr. Rick Smith, Executive Director, Environmental Defence.
The three Sarnia area facilities together contribute more than 16% of the over 605 million kilograms of suspected respiratory toxicants released by the Top 10 Ontario facilities.
Top 10 Ontario Facilities Reporting Air Releases of Respiratory Toxicants
2002 (NPRI)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rank Companies Facilities City Air
Releases of
Respiratory
Toxicants
(kg) (NPRI)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Inco Limited Copper Cliff Smelter Copper Cliff 243,097,522
Complex
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 Ontario Power Nanticoke Generating Haldimand 144,122,635
Generation Station
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
3 Ontario Power Lambton Generating Courtright 52,878,144
Generation Station
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
4 Falconbridge Smelter Complex Falconbridge 42,720,942
Limited
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 Imperial Oil Sarnia Refinery Plant Sarnia 30,732,325
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
6 Stelco Inc. Stelco Hamilton Hamilton 26,005,065
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
7 Ontario Power Lakeview GS Mississauga 22,078,858
Generation
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
8 Shell Canada Sarnia Manufacturing Corunna 15,737,839
Limited Centre
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
9 Imperial Oil Nanticoke Refinery Haldimand 15,277,175
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
10 St. Marys Cement Bowmanville Bowmanville 13,281,723
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
(*) These pollutants are suspected respiratory toxicants; the list is derived from www.scorecard.org
In addition to air pollution linked to smog and asthma, facilities in Sarnia are releasing other pollutants to the air that may affect children's health and the environment, including lead, mercury, benzene and nickel. Some, like lead and mercury, can be harmful to children's development. Others, like nickel and benzene, are associated with cancer.
"Many of these toxic substances polluting our air pose a serious threat, particularly to children, young people, pregnant women and the elderly," said Dr. James Brophy, Executive Director, Occupational Health Clinic for Ontario Workers/Sarnia. "The community will require the active involvement of the provincial and federal governments to force the reduction of pollutants and ensure the protection of public health."
2002 was the first year that facilities had to report their releases of air pollutants known to cause smog, acid rain and respiratory illnesses. The Sarnia facilities in the Top 10 Ontario Respiratory Polluters list reported releases of sulphur dioxide (associated with acid rain and a respiratory irritant), oxides of nitrogen and Particulate Matter (associated with smog, respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses), and carbon monoxide (harmful to children's development and linked to respiratory illnesses). Many of these chemicals are classified as toxic under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.
"The Aamjiwnaang First Nation is exposed on a daily basis from all sides to chemical emissions from surrounding industry. We are very concerned about the air pollution list released today which includes three area facilities near our community," said Darren Henry, chair of the Aamjiwnaang First Nation Environmental Committee.
The PollutionWatch partners are calling on the Sarnia-based industries and the Ontario and federal governments to focus more attention on measures to prevent pollution, in keeping with a key requirement of Canada's national Pollution Prevention Strategy and the national environmental law the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. "While industry has invested in improving technology to reduce emissions to the environment, more resources and commitment are needed to promote cleaner technology, including a shift from end of pipe controls to looking at the source of the pollution," said Smith.
The groups are also recommending that governments put strong environmental laws in place to address sources of pollution with an effective enforcement component to ensure accountability. One step in the right direction is the Ontario government's Bill 133, which aims to levy penalties against companies that allow spills into the environment.
"The data shows that there's still work to be done. By reducing pollution, facilities will help the environment, the community and the economic bottom line," said Paul Muldoon, Executive Director, Canadian Environmental Law Association. "Both federal and provincial governments will have to work harder to prevent pollution. The federal law, CEPA, needs more teeth to implement pollution prevention. And while Bill 133 is a great first step in Ontario, the province needs a clear strategy for pollution prevention."
About PollutionWatch (www.PollutionWatch.org) is a collaborative project of Environmental Defence and the Canadian Environmental Law Association. The web site tracks pollution across Canada based on data collected by Environment Canada through the National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI). NPRI does not include pollution data from all chemicals or sources. Visitors to the PollutionWatch web site can identify polluters in their home towns by searching by postal code, access "quick lists" of the largest polluters in the country, get pollution trends from 1995-2002, or create their own ranked lists of polluters by province, industrial sector, or corporation.
For further information: or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Jennifer Foulds, Environmental Defence, (416) 323-9521 ext. 232, (647) 280-9521 (cell); Fe de Leon, Canadian Environmental Law Association,
(416) 960-2284 ext. 223; Dr. James Brophy, Occupational Health Clinic for Ontario Workers/Sarnia, (519) 331-7558 (cell); Darren Henry, Aamjiwnaang First Nation, (519) 336-8410
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2005/01/c9817.html
Smoke clearing today -ON
But city's enforcement of new tabacco bylaw won't start right away
By Ian McCallum Tuesday March 01, 2005
Times-Journal Staff
While St. Thomas is not quite 100 per cent smoke-free today, proponents anticipate “a positive response” to the city’s bylaw to regulate smoking in public places and work places.
But as city businesses began adapting to a new smoke-free environment, one popular licensed establishment told the Times-Journal it is already counting its losses.
Yet in spite of the vanishing business, the president of Lord Elgin Branch 41, Royal Canadian Legion, assured “we’re not going to be defiant.”
Although the bylaw takes effect today, full enforcement is still several days away, advised Kathy Daniel, tobacco education and compliance officer for the Elgin-St. Thomas Health Unit.
Contracts between the health unit and Iron Rail Security, who will assist the city with enforcement of the bylaw until May 31, have not been finalized, explained Daniel.
“They likely will be completed in the next day or so and I’m not anticipating any difficulties. Probably 90 per cent or better of places will be compliant without any enforcement.”
At the expiration of the three-month term, city council has the option to review the enforcement process.
“You revisit it at the end of that time,” said Daniel. “Most other places with bylaws have found that after the first three months it’s generally not that much of an issue. In other places they find that it’s
maybe five or six per cent of the premises that won’t comply on their own. It’s very low.”
The enforcement process is driven through complaints, explained Daniel.
Those with complaints are encouraged to contact city hall at 631-1680 where they will be prompted through an automated message.
“There are some other site inspections that are going to be done as well,” added Daniel. “And there will be an educational component.”
In the meantime, Lord Elgin Branch 41 president Bill Adams said he has lost patrons to a branch outside the city.
“We’ve already lost Thursday night darts to Port Stanley,” advised Adams. “They’ve already told us they left because of the non-smoking. So it’s already started. They smoke, so they left. About 45 to 50 people who used to patronize our place are gone now.”
One week ago, Adams warned city council his members will have difficulty raising funds for charitable and youth organizations in the city if it is not exempted from the bylaw.
He estimated the St. Thomas branch contributes between $30,000 and $40,000 each year.
“It’s frustrating,” admitted Adams. “You feel like saying. ‘Why don’t you call city hall when you want money next time?’ If we’re not able to raise money, then we’re not able to give it away.”
But, Adams assured the branch will be in full compliance of the smoke-free bylaw.
“We’re not going to do anything silly. We’ll take the ashtrays away and tell people they can’t smoke. The (smoking bylaw) signs are up.”
http://www.stthomastimesjournal.com/story.php?id=146015
Smoking ban unfair
Monday February 28, 2005
Editor:
I disagree with St. Thomas’s implemented smoking ban which comes into effect March 1.
I believe our council should have waited for the government to pass Bill 164 and implement it in 2006.
The city did not go 100 per cent smoke free by exemption of St. Thomas Bingo Country.
I’m a smoker and have been for 30 years now and am in good health. I feel now that one of my civil liberties has been taken away from me by being told that I no longer can go out to my favourite bar and have a smoke and a beer but I have the right to play bingo and light up. This is not right.
The Royal Canadian Legion should have been exempt, after all if it weren’t for our veterans we might not have some of the liberties that we have today.
And is our council going to help some of our restaurant and bar owners when they start losing their customers because they can’t compete with the bigger bars that have patios?
Council should have looked at smoke hogs or smoke eaters which would have solved the smoking problems in bars.
Smoking areas were already in play in most work places and working fine.
I can’t help but wonder if the St. Thomas Health Unit hadn’t said they would take care of the policing of the ban, if council’s decision would have been different since the city would then would be responsible for the $1,000 to $2,000 cost of policing.
I feel this council is not acting on what our residents want. They should have held more public debates before making these decisions. This bylaw is not fair and is a serious issue. And I for one will look forward to my day in court, because this is not a fair playing field that we have been given in this City of St. Thomas
Don Parker St. Thomas
http://www.stthomastimesjournal.com/story.php?id=145719
Butt ban kills, hotelier warns -MB
Causes murder rate to rise
By FRANK LANDRY, LEGISLATURE REPORTER Wed, March 2, 2005
Apparently, there are a lot of people dying for a smoke. Gary Desrosiers, a rural hotel owner who's leading a charge against Manitoba's indoor smoking ban, said yesterday he has extensive research that proves there's a direct correlation between butt bans and higher murder rates.
But the province has called into question the reliability of the data, which was gathered by Desrosiers and his brother Guy.
"This is all carefully researched stuff," said Desrosiers, owner of the Brunkild Bar and Grill. "We've known this for a long time but we wanted to make sure we had all our ducks in a row before we said anything."
Desrosiers said murders have shot up in cities that have introduced indoor smoking bans. For example, there were no murders in Fredericton, N.B., between 2000 and 2002. A smoking ban was introduced in 2003, and there were two homicides that year, according to the Desrosiers brothers.
They have similar figures for several other North American cities. The data is posted on their website, which is dedicated to convincing the province to reverse its ban on smoking in indoor public and work places.
A STRETCH
Healthy Living Minister Theresa Oswald said Desrosiers' conclusion may be a bit of a stretch.
"Certainly, I can understand why people who are very anxious about the smoking ban ... might really wish to see a connection between such things," Oswald said. "I have some personal difficulty seeing the cause-and-effect relationship."
In their research, the brothers note there were 18 homicides in Winnipeg two years ago -- when the citywide smoking ban kicked in. The number of homicides jumped to 34 last year.
According to police statistics, there were 19 homicides in 2003, not the 18 claimed by the Desrosiers.
The Desrosiers also claim to have found a correlation between butt bans and incidents of rape.
"Is voluntary exposure to second-hand smoke worth an increased workload on police, longer response times for police in an emergency, more unregulated drinking and an increase in murder and rape?" reads a portion of the website.
Desrosiers said he believes smoke bans drive people to drink more at home and at house parties. Without the supervision of sober bar staff, violence is more likely to escalate, he said.
Oswald said scientists would probably conclude the research methodology isn't very sound.
"What do you want for scientific evidence?" Desrosiers said. "I don't know what more we can do."
- On the web: www.smokeouthypocrisy.com
I am at a state of incomprehension. In the last few weeks I have witnessed media control, beyond belief. I have tried to cover all sides of this issue. So that the public can be aware, of the methods used. I hope Canadians and people around the world will start to realize that the control of media is a very strong force in the enabling of an advocacy agenda. If you read the newspapers only, you would think there is only one view from scientists and legislatures.
I have witnessed how a government broadcaster (CBC) neglected to mention any support for a person who made one lapse in judgment. If you read the CBC article you will notice that they left out the fact that the public were behind Mike Barre. They don't mention a throng of supporters who turned out to the court date. It took an American newspaper to pick up the amount of support in the court. This is the control they want you to think they have. What I would like to see is people being being the news so that they are the news, not a reaction to the news.
In Ontario the press had one article about the Rural revolution. It has shut down two expressway's for hours. The news reported where you should avoid and who it was by, not the fact suffering that the tobacco and other farmers were enduring. This from the policies that government has pushed through! In Saskatchewan, there were over 500 protestors to the smoking ban, during a court hearing. They took the opportunity to let the judge know, by making noise, enough to distract the judge. In the National papers nothing. You would think there's a love fest for the Saskatchewan nonsmoking legislation.
I am asking all readers to make the editors bring balance to this issue. Instead of saying, "oh it's them again", be the news. Gather friends and ask for a reporter to come from your local paper. they can't ignore you for ever. We are making ground and editors are beginning to realize, they aren't serving the public, just a few anti smoking advocates. The editors are the innocents, according to Michael McFadden's book "dissecting Anti Smoking Brains" They don't think there is any opposition. Make them aware of the opposition!
http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/WinnipegSun/News/2005/03/02/947301-sun.html
New law closes cigarette 'loophole'-VA
Tobacco giants say it will end the unfair advantage for smaller rivals
BY JOHN REID BLACKWELL TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Feb 26, 2005
Virginia this week became the 38th state to pass legislation that Philip Morris USA and other cigarette companies say will end an unfair advantage for some of their competitors.
Gov. Mark R. Warner on Wednesday signed the bill supported by tobacco giants Philip Morris and Reynolds American Inc., ending a lengthy lobbying battle that had pitted those companies against some smaller, regional cigarette manufacturers -- notably Keysville-based S&M Brands Inc., the maker of Bailey's cigarettes.
The smaller companies say consumers could be hurt under the change, since their cigarette prices may rise. They also see the legislation as being aimed at quashing their sales.
However, the General Assembly also passed legislation intended to help smaller Virginia cigarette makers that buy a large amount of U.S.-grown tobacco.
The dispute between large and small cigarette companies arose from the impact on cigarette prices caused by the 1998 national tobacco settlement. Under that landmark legal agreement, the nation's top cigarette makers agreed to pay $206 billion to 46 states, including Virginia, over 25 years to cover smoking-related health-care costs. The settlement also imposed some marketing and advertising restrictions on the companies.
Philip Morris and other companies increased cigarette prices to pay for the settlement. That resulted in discount-cigarette companies grabbing market share from the major manufacturers.
After the settlement, Virginia and other states passed laws requiring so-called nonparticipating manufacturers -- mostly regional cigarette companies that didn't join the settlement, such as S&M Brands -- to put a portion of their annual cigarette sales into escrow accounts in the states where they do business.
The escrow requirement was meant to cover any future legal claims against those companies, but some nonparticipating companies say the law punishes them for wrongs they never committed.
The law also allowed those companies to obtain early refunds under certain circumstances. Philip Morris, Reynolds and the National Association of Attorneys General argued that a "loophole" in the law gave those cigarette makers such large refunds that they were able to cut prices and unfairly grab market share from the major companies, whose declining sales translated into smaller tobacco-settlement payments to the states. The National Association of Attorneys General said the declining sales cost Virginia about $13 million in settlement payments in 2003.
The bills closing the so-called loophole, sponsored by Del. David B. Albo, R-Fairfax, and Sen. Walter A. Stosch, R-Henrico, passed both houses of the assembly by wide margins, a major turnaround from the 2004 session when similar legislation stalled in committee after opponents fought it.
Jamie Drogin, a spokeswoman for Richmond-based Philip Morris USA, said the company is "extremely pleased" that the legislation passed this year.
"The enactment of this legislation will help ensure that the commonwealth continues to receive all of the financial and public-health benefits of the master settlement agreement," she said.
S&M Brands and other nonparticipating companies have argued that no loophole exists, and that attempts to change the law were merely an effort by the dominant cigarette companies to protect their market share by forcing competitors to raise prices.
A spokesman for S&M Brands could not be reached for comment. The family owned company proposed legislation that supporters said was more equitable. It would have placed an excise tax of $4 per carton on all cigarettes sold in Virginia, and companies would have received a credit on that tax for any settlement or escrow payments made to the state.
Instead, lawmakers passed legislation sponsored by Del. Clarke N. Hogan, R-Halifax, aimed at providing a soft landing for nonparticipating manufacturers that agree to give their escrowed money to the state and surrender rights to any refunds.
The legislation allows those companies to declare a tax deduction for the money, and it provides tax incentives for small manufacturers whose cigarettes contain at least 75 percent U.S.-grown tobacco.
The total amount of incentives is capped at $9 million the first year and decreases through 2012, when the incentives will end.
Any ideas? Staff writer John Reid Blackwell can be reached at (804) 775-8123 or jblackwell@timesdispatch.com
http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031781252
239&path=!business&s=1045855934855&tacodalogin=no
La. litterbug campaign has zero tolerance -LA
By AMY WOLD Advocate staff writer
Think twice before throwing that cigarette butt or fast food wrapper out the window next weekend. Law enforcement across the state will be watching for you.
Starting March 4 and running through March 6, the state will be running it's first "Zero Tolerance for Litter" campaign to raise awareness about the cost of littering and to educate people that not littering not only helps the environment, but it saves taxpayers' money.
Coordinated by Keep Louisiana Beautiful, the event involves local law enforcement as well as Louisiana State Police, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Transportation and Development and the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Law Enforcement Division.
"The program's main focus is to raise the awareness of people about littering," said Major Jeff Mayne, with Wildlife and Fisheries Law Enforcement Division. "We need to get to where people look down on people who litter. We need to get that kind of feeling in the public."
Mayne said litter can hurt fish breeding grounds and cause other problems in the environment. It's also costly.
According to a fact sheet from Keep Louisiana Beautiful, litter costs Louisiana taxpayers more than $15 million a year, discourages tourism, decreases property values and attracts more littering.
"The whole community has to be educated about the cost of litter," said Leigh Harris, executive director of Keep Louisiana Beautiful. "Neighborhood decline starts with one broken window or one piece of trash. It's an indication of a lack of respect and lack of pride."
Of course, there's also the possibility of legal action against someone who litters.
According to a news release from Wildlife and Fisheries, littering in Louisiana could result in fines from $50 to $5,000 and from four to 100 hours of community service, suspension of driver's license for one year, and possible jail time of up to 30 days.
Although part of the effort is public awareness through press conferences and events, another part requires help from residents in Louisiana.
"Law enforcement can't do all the work all the time," Mayne said. "We need the eyes and ears of the public to let law enforcement know what's going on."
Anyone seen littering can be reported through the Department of Environmental Quality's 24-hour litter hot-line at (888) LITRBUG -- (888) 548-7284.
Callers can remain anonymous, but should give as much information about what they saw, including the car's license plate and the date, time and location of the littering, said Karen Fisher-Brasher, environmental scientist supervisor with DEQ.
On Cingular phones, the call can be made by dialing *LITTER.
Fisher-Brasher said that people already use the hotline and they have calls on the answering machine every morning.
"Most frequently, people are throwing trash out the windows, and most frequently it's cigarette butts," Fisher-Brasher said. "Most people don't think of cigarette butts as trash."
License plate numbers are used to find the owner of the car, and DEQ then sends a letter to the registered address advising that someone in that car on a certain date was seen littering.
"People are increasingly aware that it's not the right thing to do," Fisher-Brasher said.
Public education is important because many people think that if they throw something into their pickup bed or in their boat, that they've taken care of the trash, without realizing that the trash eventually blows out onto the road or water.
"A lot of them are oblivious. They think that the trash fairy came and took it away," Fisher-Brasher said.
http://www.2theadvocate.com/stories/022605/new_litter001.shtml
Avoided cigarette taxes spur mailings
Increase of 45 cents aims to help budget, hinder smoking
by Nicole Bonomini
Staff Writer
In response to residents of Ohio attempting to avoid taxes on cigarettes by ordering them on the Internet, the government is sending out letters asking for more than $5,000 in tax money. Gov. Bob Taft has also recently proposed a 45-cent tax increase on each package of cigarettes.
"The state has sent 25 letters out to Ohioans asking for about $5,000 in tax dollars. Another 1,000 letters will be going out soon," said Gary Gudmundson, an Ohio Department of Taxation employee.
The Jenkins Act of 1949 requires that cigarette venders provide each state with customers' names and purchase amounts, Gudmundson said. The government then sends out letters to customers who have not paid their state taxes.
If there is no response from the letters, the department will then send out a bill and try to collect the taxes that are due.
"The Internet is not a tax-free zone. Whether it's cigarettes or other items purchased over the Internet, if the retailer that you're buying from does not collect tax, it doesn't mean you don't owe it," he said.
Gudmundson said collecting taxes is essential because it generates revenue and is a matter of fairness to other taxpayers.
"These people are trying to escape the tax and are dumping the burden back on the other tax payers who are following the law," he said.
The cigarette tax, currently at 55 cents per pack, would rise to $1 per pack if the proposal is accepted.
Ohio Rep. Jimmy Stewart, R-Athens, said he has mixed feelings about the cigarette tax, but has to keep in mind that the proposal is part of the larger budget, which includes things he agrees and disagrees with.
"On one hand, discouraging people to smoke cigarettes is certainly positive; the illnesses that are caused by long-term use of cigarettes ultimately costs the state millions of dollars in Medicaid expenses, which are paid for by taxpayers," Stewart said.
But he added that cigarette smokers tend to be people with lower incomes, so the tax would affect the poor disproportionately. He also does not agree with the Medicaid cuts the budget proposes.
Taft submitted the proposal in an effort to improve the economy, said spokesman Mark Rickel. "This is the governor's plan to unleash our economic potential and reinvent the base of which the state's revenues will be generated," he said.
The tax system is antiquated and leaves little incentive for businesses to remain in Ohio, he said. "It adds costs and makes Ohio unattractive to talented workers that would stay or work here because their income is taxed at a high rate."
Ohio House Minority Leader Chris Redfern, D-Port Clinton, said he opposes the tax.
"You have got to remember, two years this governor ran for re-election saying that he was not going to increase taxes. Then he did the exact thing he said he would not do. I'm opposed to the tax because the revenue from the tax goes into the state budget instead of health care and Medicaid," he said.
Though the Tax Reform Plan is in the House, the budget has to be in place by July 1. Rickel expects the proposal to be passed by early spring.
Ohio University freshman David Debol said he disagrees with the cigarette tax.
"It doesn't make sense to place the burden of the taxation on one group of people," he said.
OU sophomore Brittany Boyer said although she is a smoker, the tax might be a good idea because it could encourage people to stop smoking. Boyer said if the government is increasing the tax as a way to decrease smoking, people should be fairly accepting of it.
The governor's top priority is to reform Ohio's tax code, which includes an income tax reduction of 20 percent across the board by five years time; eliminate the physical personal property tax; and increases tobacco products taxation, Rickel said.
http://thepost.baker.ohiou.edu/show_news.php?article=N2&date=022805
Smokers Could Pay $1 More Per Pack -WI
Rep. Hines: 'It's Not About Money, It's About Getting People To Quit'
UPDATED: 2:39 pm CST February 28, 2005
MADISON, Wis. -- A controversial cigarette tax bill could bring in up to $340 million in state revenue. Supporters will circulate the proposed cigarette tax bill around the Capitol soon, but it's already drawing criticism.
Smokers now pay a 77-cent tax on every pack. If the proposed cigarette tax passes, the cost will jump to a $1.77 per pack.
State Rep. J.A. Hines, R-Oxford, is spearheading the tax increase as a way to get people to stop smoking. Opponents say the proposed tax is a political move against Gov. Jim Doyle's budget.
"It doesn't really matter if you're dealing with the property tax increase, cigarette increase or a beer increase or a fee to drive a car -- it's all the same," said state Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Middleton. "It's an increased revenue that the state's generating, bringing in, that's coming from someone's pocket."
Hines said it's not about the money.
"It isn't about how much money we can raise," Hines said. "We would just have people quit smoking. They wouldn't start smoking."
Hines said the money earned by the tax would go into a medical assistance budget for programs already funded by the state.
Doyle does not support the increase. Since 1997, the cigarette tax has increased 33 cents. Over the years, Wisconsin has steadily raised the cigarette tax.
Survey results
Smokers now pay a 77-cent tax on every pack. If the proposed cigarette tax passes, tax would jump $1 to $1.77 per pack. What do you think? 9:54 feb28/05
Choice Votes Percentage of 740 Votes Yes, increase it -- the state needs the money. 119  16% Yes, increase it -- it will encourage people to quit. 259 35% No, do not increase it. 322 44% I don't care. 28 4% Other. 12 2% Thanks for participating. Please check back for results. http://www.themilwaukeechannel.com/health/4239487/detail.html
Cigarette sales decline for some retailers -OK
TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- Oklahoma's new cigarette tax may be contributing to a decline in sales for some Oklahoma retailers and an increase for tribal smoke shops.
According to a story in Tulsa World, convenience store chain QuikTrip saw a 25 percent decline in cigarette sales and a 30 percent decline in overall profits in January. Other retailers such as Kum-and-Go and Albertson's also report decreases in their tobacco sales.
QuikTrip spokesman Mike Thornbrugh says the tax is killing the store's tobacco sales and may result in fewer stores opening this year.
The tobacco tax increase eliminated the sales tax on cigarettes but raised the state tobacco excise tax from 23 cents to one-dollar and three-cents per pack of cigarettes.
According to Oklahoma Tax Commission data, 62 percent of the tobacco tax stamps were sold to nontribal retailers and 38 percent to the tribes in January 2004. Last month, 51 percent were sold to nontribal retailers compared with 49 percent to the tribes.
Creek, Cherokee and Osage tribes officials said they aren't seeing growth in tobacco sales.
http://www.kokh25.com/uploads/local/oklahoma_ok/20229385.shtml
GOP: Budget built on fluffed numbers Lawmakers skeptical of Lynch's plan
By NORMA LOVE The Associated PressFebruary 27. 2005 8:00AM
Many in House and Senate say spending cuts are more realistic than governor's revenue projections.
During the campaign, Gov. John Lynch insisted he could produce a balanced budget without tax increases despite a projected $300 million revenue shortfall.
He criticized the Republican he unseated for using gimmicks that created the budget hole and vowed not to do the same.
Now, Lynch has filled the hole with optimistic revenue estimates from predictions of a robust economy and from a yet-to-be enacted cigarette tax hike.
Not surprisingly, Republicans are skeptical and say he's using gimmicks of his own.
"They fluffed the revenue numbers so they wouldn't have to do any cuts," Senate Majority Leader Bob Clegg said of Lynch and his budget team.
Not so, insists John Dolan, Lynch's budget adviser. Lynch's estimates are reasonable, prudent and draw on the experience of a much-respected retired state revenue commissioner who helped lawmakers forecast revenues for years, he says.
The dispute over the estimates is important because they determine how much the state can spend. As much an art as a science, the estimates aren't exact because they are predicting tax receipts two years into the future.
Last week, the House committee that sets the House spending limit settled on much more conservative estimates than Lynch. Soon after, House and Senate budget committee chairmen sent agency chiefs a letter telling them to prepare for a 10 percent spending cut to the budget Lynch released Feb. 15.
The gap between the House and Lynch is sizable - just under $300 million, including $87 million from Lynch's proposed 28-cent per pack cigarette tax hike.
Not just smokers should care about what happens next.
Everyone affected by state spending could feel the effect if programs are cut to close the revenue gap - from the mentally ill in peer support groups to children getting subsidized health insurance.
The House gets the first crack at modifying Lynch's budget. House Speaker Douglas Scamman believes his budget committee can find $100 million a year to cut once it begins its intense scrutiny of proposed spending next month.
The House will begin with its lower spending limit and only increase spending if it feels March's tax receipts reflect a rosier economic future. The House has until mid-April to pass a budget to the Senate.
The Senate will come up with its own estimates. The spending limit will be revised repeatedly as it gets closer to June, more tax receipts are analyzed and a final budget deal is negotiated with the House.
In the meantime, agency chiefs told budget writers this month that Lynch was not overly generous with them. If anything, the freshman governor's budget simply maintains existing programs and restores spending in some areas cut from the current budget, they said.
For example, this year's budget pays about 70 percent of what the state owed towns for catastrophic special-education cases. Lynch recommends adding $9 million to the account next year so the state pays its full share.
Scamman and other Republican leaders may prefer deep spending cuts to accepting Lynch's revenue predictions or a cigarette tax hike, but they may not get their way.
Two years ago, House budget writers defied a threatened veto from Republican Gov. Craig Benson and proposed a 39-cent cigarette tax hike to pay for spending.
House Republican leaders rejected the committee's budget proposal and muscled one through the House with cuts instead of the tax.
Scamman won his job in large part due to his pledge to support decisions made by his committees. A coalition of moderate Republicans and Democrats backed him -two groups that don't usually favor deep budget cuts.
Asked if he would back a budget committee decision to raise taxes, Scamman hedged:
"I think the committee will cut the budget as much as it needs to . . . I see no reason to think about a tax increase at this point."
If Lynch is right about the future health of New Hampshire's economy, the finished budget in June may be closer to the one he presented lawmakers this month than will leave the House in April.
Lynch spokeswoman Pam Walsh - a veteran of the last Democratic administration - knows a final budget won't be finished until June and not until after much more is said by both sides about spending and revenue estimates.
"When Governor Lynch presented his budget, he made it clear he didn't consider his work done," she said. "It's not an overnight process."
Dolan believes time will prove Lynch's revenue estimates are no gimmick.
"Right now, we're talking about everybody's guess. In the next few months we'll know," he said.
http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050227/REPOSITORY/502270388/1037/NEWS04
Cigarette smokers have an increased risk of experiencing rotator cuff tears
Medical Study News Published: Sunday, 27-Feb-2005
Cigarette smokers have an increased risk of experiencing rotator cuff tears in their shoulders than their tobacco-free counterparts, according to study results presented today at the 72nd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Previous studies analyzed the correlation between tobacco use and musculoskeletal injuries, but did not focus specifically on the impact smoking has on this unilateral shoulder injury.
A team of researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine - Barnes Jewish Hospital interviewed 586 patients ages 18 years and older who had a diagnostic shoulder ultrasound for shoulder pain with no prior history of shoulder surgery. Of this group, 375 patients had a rotator cuff tear and 211 patients did not.
Lead author of the study, Keith M. Baumgarten, MD, orthopaedic surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery, New York City, and his team from Washington University developed a standardized questionnaire that was administered to all 586 patients to determine the demographic, medical, pharmaceutical and lifestyle factors that may pose an increased risk for rotator cuff tears. Patients who did, indeed, have rotator cuff tears were compared to patients without this injury to determine if there was any correlation between rotator cuff tears and demographic risk factors.
"Our questionnaire data show that significantly more patients with rotator cuff tears had a history of daily tobacco smoking compared to patients without rotator cuff tears," said Dr. Baumgarten. "Patients with rotator cuff tears were also more likely to have smoked regularly within the ten years before arriving at our clinic for evaluation of their shoulder pain. This data clearly suggests that tobacco use increases the risk for rotator cuff tears."
The study demonstrated a dose-dependent relationship between tobacco use and rotator cuff tears, since patients with rotator cuff tears had a statistically significant increase in 1) the average number of packs of tobacco consumed per day; 2) the duration of smoking history; and 3) the average number of pack-years of tobacco use.
According to Dr. Baumgarten, the results of this study are biologically plausible because smoking has been shown to impair healing of other biologic tissues, specifically bone and skin. Nicotine has been shown in previous studies to decrease production of fibroblasts (the main cells responsible for tissue repair). In addition, the carbon monoxide found in tobacco smoke reduces cellular oxygen tension levels, which are vital for cellular metabolism and tissue healing.
Taking into consideration medical conditions, the study also found that there was a statistically significant increase in rotator cuff tears among patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Between the two groups, there were no significant differences found in frequency of exercise or weightlifting. While manual labor has been previously been associated with shoulder tendonitis, there was no difference between the two groups when comparing sedentary work environments to occupations requiring manual labor in regards to the impact on rotator cuff tears.
"Advanced age, tobacco use and rheumatoid arthritis are risk factors that increase a person's chances of experiencing a rotator cuff tear," said Dr. Baumgarten.
An orthopaedic surgeon is a physician with extensive training in the diagnosis and non-surgical as well as surgical treatment of the musculoskeletal system, including bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles and nerves.
http://www.aaos.org/
Doctor who spoke out on public health issue is sued -AU
Sydney Christopher Zinn
A doctor who claims he was doing his job according to the tenets of the Hippocratic oath when he spoke out about risks to health from the operations of a major logging company in Tasmania is being sued for causing alleged damage to the company’s business activities.
Dr Frank Nicklason, a staff specialist physician at the Royal Hobart Hospital, is one of 20 defendants, including prominent environmentalists and another doctor, named in the writ by Gunns Ltd, which is seeking almost $A6.3m (£2.6m; $5m; €3.8m) in damages.
Dr Nicklason said the case may stop doctors raising legitimate health concerns because of fear of being involved in prolonged and expensive legal action. He said that although the case would not silence him it had already affected the forestry deba Posted at 1:46 am by looped_ca
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