Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality

Approved by the ASHRAE Standards Committee June 26, 2002;

by the ASHRAE Board of Directors June 27, 2002; and by the American National Standards Institute April 2, 2003.

http://membership.ashrae.org/content/ASHRAE/ASHRAE/ArticleAltFormat/20048514546_347.pdf

CYP17 5'-UTR MspA1 polymorphism The and the risk of premenopausal breast cancer in a German population-based case–control study

Emaculate Verla-Tebit1 , Shan Wang-Gohrke2  and Jenny Chang-Claude1
1Division of Clinical Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum), Heidelberg, Germany
2Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany

One-year age stratification was used to optimize age adjustment. Assessment of the association between CYP17 genotype and breast cancer was adjusted for potential confounders, including age at menarche, having ever used an oral contraceptive, total months of breastfeeding, family history of breast cancer in first-degree relatives, parity (defined as the number of full-term pregnancies resulting in either a live or a stillbirth), age at first full-term pregnancy (for parous women only), current body mass index, alcohol consumption, and level of education. Other variables such as study region, marital status, and smoking did not materially affect the risk estimates and were therefore not included in the model.

http://breast-cancer-research.com/content/7/4/R455

smoke free Glantz study of 608 restaurants ( fast food included as restaurants)

* has all Glantz studies in one place in main directory http://www.tobaccoscam.ucsf.edu/resource/resource_eco.cfm

http://www.tobaccoscam.ucsf.edu/pdf/SmokefreePremiumFinal.pdf

Lung Cancer Pathogenesis Associated With Wood Smoke Exposure*

Javier Delgado, MSc; Luis M. Martinez, MD; Therasa T. Sánchez, RN; Alejandra Ramirez, MD; Cecilia Iturria, MD and Georgina González-Avila, MD, PhD

 http://www.chestjournal.org/cgi/content/abstract/128/1/124

 full version http://www.chestjournal.org/cgi/reprint/128/1/124

Unborn babies carry pollutants, study finds

Thu Jul 14, 2005 4:28 PM BST

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Unborn U.S. babies are soaking in a stew of chemicals, including mercury, gasoline byproducts and pesticides, according to a report released on Thursday.

Although the effects on the babies are not clear, the survey prompted several members of Congress to press for legislation that would strengthen controls on chemicals in the environment.

The report by the Environmental Working Group is based on tests of 10 samples of umbilical-cord blood taken by the American Red Cross. They found an average of 287 contaminants in the blood, including mercury, fire retardants, pesticides and the Teflon chemical PFOA.

"These 10 newborn babies ... were born polluted," said New York Rep. Louise Slaughter, who spoke a news conference about the findings on Thursday.

"If ever we had proof that our nation's pollution laws aren't working, it's reading the list of industrial chemicals in the bodies of babies who have not yet lived outside the womb," Slaughter, a Democrat, said.

Cord blood reflects what the mother passes to the baby through the placenta.

"Of the 287 chemicals we detected in umbilical-cord blood, we know that 180 cause cancer in humans or animals, 217 are toxic to the brain and nervous system, and 208 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests," the report said.

Blood tests did not show how the chemicals got into the mothers' bodies, or what their effects might be on the babies.

MERCURY AND PESTICIDES

Among the chemicals found in the cord blood were methylmercury, produced by coal-fired power plants and certain industrial processes. People can breathe it in or eat it in seafood and it causes brain and nerve damage.

Also found were polyaromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, which are produced by burning gasoline and garbage and which may cause cancer; flame-retardant chemicals called polybrominated dibenzodioxins and furans; and pesticides including DDT and chlordane.

The same group analyzed the breast milk of mothers across the United States in 2003 and found varying levels of chemicals, including flame retardants known as PBDEs. This latest analysis also found PBDEs in cord blood.

Slaughter had similar tests done on her own blood.

"The stunning results show chemicals daily pumping through my vital organs that include PCBs that were banned decades ago as well as chemicals like Teflon that are currently under federal investigation," she said in remarks prepared for the news conference.

"I have auto exhaust fumes, flame retardant chemicals, and in all, some 271 harmful substances pulsing through my veins. That's hardly the picture of health I had hoped for, but I've been living in an industrial society for over 70 years."

The Government Accountability Office issued a report on Wednesday saying the Environmental Protection Agency does not have the powers it needs to fully regulate toxic chemicals.

The GAO, the investigative arm of Congress, found that the EPA's Toxic Substances Control Act gives only "limited assurance" that new chemicals entering the market are safe and said the EPA only rarely assesses chemicals already on the market.

"Today, chemicals are being used to make baby bottles, food packaging and other products that have never been fully evaluated for their health effects on children -- and some of these chemicals are turning up in our blood," said New Jersey Democrat Sen. Frank Lautenberg, who plans to co-sponsor a bill to require chemical manufacturers to provide data to the EPA on the health affects of their products.

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=healthNews&storyID=2005-07-14T152835Z_01_N14715900_RTRIDST_0_HEALTH-CHEMICALS-DC.XML

U.S. group calls for warnings on soft drinks

CTV.ca News Staff

Soft drinks should come with warnings to alert consumers that too much of the beverages can make them fat and cause other health problems, says a U.S. consumer group.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest says in a petition to the Food and Drug Administration that the warnings should be similar to the ones that come on cigarette packages.

The group says that overindulging in soft drinks can lead to tooth decay, obesity and diabetes. The warnings are especially necessary to help counter the growing number of kids who drink soda, the group says.

"Parents and health officials need to recognize soft drinks for what they are -- liquid candy," CSPI officials wrote in a related report.

The group wants to see such warnings on the label as: "To help protect your waistline and your teeth, consider switching to diet sodas or water" and "Drinking too many (non-diet) soft drinks contributes to weight gain."

Soft drinks with more than 10 milligrams of caffeine per 12-ounce serving should also carry warnings that say it is "a mildly addictive stimulant drug" that is "not appropriate for children."

The group says that soft drinks should be consumed only as an "occasional treat." And yet, they say, studies show teenage boys drink about 1.5 cans of pop a day, and teenage girls drink one can a day.

The American Beverage Association says the idea of warning labels "patronizes consumers and lacks common sense."

They note that pop cans already contain Nutrition Facts panels that provide consumers "with key information they need to make the beverage choices that are right for them," including data on calories, sugar, caffeine, sodium, and other contents.

"Soft drinks are a refreshing and enjoyable beverage to be consumed in moderation as part of a balanced approach to life. Warning labels designed by CSPI will unnecessarily confuse consumers without providing helpful nutritional information," the industry group says.

A Harvard School of Public Health study last year found that women who drank at least one sugar-sweetened soda a day were 85 per cent more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than those who drank less.

Some soft drink makers have recently introduced smaller-sized bottles and cans

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1121269918584_31/?hub=CTVNewsAt11

WY

Anti-smoking coalition meets with Cheyenne council members

AP Slugline: w6633_BC_WY__CheyenneSmoking_Bj

msgche

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - A group pushing an indoor smoking ban has begun lobbying the City Council, and one councilman said he will propose a restaurant smoking ban next year.

Councilman Don Pierson said that after his restaurant ban is proposed, he would support amending it to ban smoking in all public places. But other council members say they are hearing from constituents who prefer the status quo - leaving the matter up to business owners.

Members of the Breathe Easy Cheyenne Coalition met with a City Council committee Tuesday.

Councilman Patrick Collins said he has been given information saying a smoking ban would harm the local economy. He also said he has received letters from opponents of any smoking ban, from both in the city and elsewhere.

''All I'm trying to tell you is that the other side is trying to educate us, and you need to do the same,'' he told coalition members. ''It's a warning to get your ducks in a row.''

Collins said the coalition should lobby each council member individually if it wants to be successful. He said there is no guarantee now that even a smoking ban in restaurants would pass.

Mayor Jack Spiker and council members Joe Bonds, Collins and Jimmy Valdez have said they would support a ban. Council members Brent Beeman, Judy Case, Pete Laybourn, Tom Segrave and Rich Wiederspahn have said they are opposed or undecided about a smoking ban.

Wiederspahn said he appreciated the information provided but hadn't made up his mind.

''I'm willing to listen,'' he said. ''My mind is not closed.''

One coalition member, Michelle Ammerman, said her 3-year-old daughter has reactive airway disease, which is similar to asthma but caused by a specific trigger. In her daughter's case, she said, the trigger is cigarette smoke.

''Sometimes it's minor - She gets a runny nose, a cough and watery eyes,'' she said.

But other times she has to be taken to the hospital because her nose is clogged and she's gasping for air.

''This is abuse at the hand of strangers,'' Ammerman said. ''I'm trying to protect her against something that I have no control over.''

Laramie became the first Wyoming city to enact a smoking ban last spring.

---

Information from: Wyoming Tribune-Eagle, http://www.wyomingnews.com

http://www.casperstartribune.net/news/wire/ap/?wire_num=225723

CA

Bust-up Britney

BANG July 13, 2005

(BANG) - Britney Spears and Kevin Federline had a massive bust-up at the US premiere of 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory', it has been claimed.

The pregnant singer and her husband arrived at the Hollywood premiere of the children's film, starring Johnny Depp, smiling and looking happy.

However, sources claim Britney - who wore a blue vest with the words "I have the golden ticket" and an arrow pointing to her swollen baby bump - was later seen blasting Kevin at the premiere party over his excessive drinking and smoking.

According to reports, the 23-year-old mother-to-be - who is rumoured to be expecting twins - was furious with her husband for smoking around her while she is pregnant.

A source said: "Britney told Kevin to avoid the alcohol at the party and to lay off the cigarettes.

"Kevin had a few glasses of champagne and a smoke and she just hit the roof calling him selfish."

Last week, Britney was warned she had to stop inhaling Kevin's second-hand cigarette smoke to ensure she had a healthy pregnancy.

New York medic Holly Phillips publicly advised the singer to avoid inhaling cigarette smoke, slow down in the bedroom and give up fast food to give herself the best chance of a 'normal' birth.

The Canadian Press BANG Media International

http://entertainment.sympatico.msn.ca/celebs/articles/1242403.armx

MN

Lawmakers Approve Cigarette Fee

Jul 13, 2005

(AP) St. Paul State lawmakers approved a 75-cent increase in the wholesale price of a pack of cigarettes on Wednesday, which helped conclude a long budget fight that forced a partial government shutdown.

The cigarette charge was a key feature of a social services spending bill that passed the Senate 60-6, shortly after it passed in the House by a margin of 88-40. It now heads to Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who was accused of skirting his no-new-tax campaign pledge for proposing the higher tobacco fee.

Attempts to strip it out of the bill on both floors failed. Pawlenty made personal pleas to his Republican colleagues to vote for it.

The fee increase was the linchpin in the deal to end the protracted session, which led to a partial government shutdown that lasted eight days. The fee is projected to raise $404 million in the next two years, the main new revenue stream for a state that also had to overcome a $466 million deficit.

To prevent a second shutdown, both chambers had to pass the health and human services bill and less controversial bills for K-12 education funding, taxes and transportation no later than Thursday. Then, they were expected to adjourn a special session that's already nearly two months old.

The tax package -- which didn't contain the cigarette charge -- sailed through both chambers Wednesday afternoon. An education bill also had wide support.

http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_194205101.html

MO

Appeals court rules against prisoner in second-hand smoke dispute

JIM SALTER Associated Press Posted on Fri, Jul. 15, 2005

ST. LOUIS - William Larson figured his hypertension and heart disease probably had something to do with the second-hand cigarette smoke he was forced to endure.

It wasn't like Larson could simply walk away - he's serving life in prison for a murder 23 years ago in St. Louis. Trapped inside prison walls and forced to breathe the dirty air, he filed suit against Corrections Department officials.

In a ruling Friday, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court ruling tossing aside Larson's claim for damages, affirming a district court ruling.

"The evidence is insufficient to establish Larson was subjected to an unreasonable risk of harm from ETS (environmental tobacco smoke)," the court ruled.

Larson will not appeal, attorney Arthur Benson II of Kansas City said. But it's just a matter of time before another inmate - one with a more serious ailment that can be directly tied to smoking - files another suit, Benson said.

"There are a lot of other prisoners concerned about this," Benson said. "It's likely sometime in the next eight to 12 months, the prisoner with the right medical condition - emphysema or asthma or maybe even lung cancer - will surface and there will be more litigation."

Scott Holste, a spokesman for Attorney General Jay Nixon, said six to eight additional lawsuits are pending from other prisoners concerned about second-hand smoke.

Larson has been behind bars since his conviction in the 1982 killing. He was transferred to Crossroads Correctional Center in Cameron, Mo., in 1997.

A year later, Larson filed a complaint, saying second-hand smoke from other inmates could damage his health. He filed similar complaints in 2000 and 2001 and asked to be moved to a one-person cell. When the Corrections Department refused, he filed suit.

Prison officials said they've made every effort to protect both Larson and the general prison population from the dangers of second-hand smoke. Larson, who was moved to a prison in Licking, Mo., in May, has been housed with a nonsmoking cellmate since 1999.

Meanwhile, as of January 2004, smoking is banned inside all Missouri prisons, Corrections Department spokesman John Fougere said. Before that, each institution decided on its own smoking regulations.

"We have instituted that policy because we recognize its importance," Fougere said. "Our staff as well as offenders are aware of the policy and we enforce it as we should."

Yet even the appeals court cited evidence indicating the prohibition on smoking is not strongly enforced and is often circumvented.

"It goes on all the time," Benson said. "Guards and others said, 'If we clamp down on smoking, it would raise the tension level and would be dangerous.'"

Benson noted that prison stores sell cigarettes to inmates, who are supposed to smoke outdoors only. Many, he said, smoke inside.

"It (cigarettes) is their biggest-selling item," Benson said.

Fougere said the prisons educate inmates about the dangers of second-hand smoke.

"Ultimately, what we're heading toward is just healthier people inside the institutions, both staff and offenders," he said. "We want to highlight healthy habits."

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/12143383.htm

If Philip Morris Doesn't Want Kids to Smoke, Why Is It Fighting A Cigarette Tax Increase In Texas?

7/15/2005 5:28:00 PM

To: State Desk

Contact: Jennifer Friedman of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, 202-296-5469

WASHINGTON, July 15 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following is a statement of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids Executive Director William V. Corr:

Philip Morris claims that it is a changed, responsible company that does not want kids to smoke and tries to help smokers quit. But Philip Morris' actions tell a different story and show that the company continues to oppose proven measures to reduce smoking and save lives. In the latest example, Philip Morris is aggressively fighting efforts in Texas, North Carolina and other states to increase cigarette taxes despite admitting in its own internal documents that increasing the cigarette tax is one of the most effective ways to keep kids from smoking and encourage smokers to quit. Philip Morris is launching a radio ad campaign to defeat a $1 cigarette tax increase pending before the Texas Legislature, and it has been organizing retailers in opposition to a 35-cent cigarette tax increase in North Carolina. Philip Morris has also fought cigarette tax proposals in other states.

Philip Morris' opposition to cigarette tax increases shows that the supposedly changed company is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Philip Morris continues to protect its profits at the expense of public health. Policy makers in Texas, North Carolina and other states should reject Philip Morris' misleading arguments and approve cigarette tax increases that will reduce smoking among both kids and adults and raise much-needed revenue. Only the tobacco industry's bottom line will suffer.

Philip Morris' opposition to cigarette tax increases exposes the company's hypocrisy when it says it doesn't want kids to smoke and wants to help smokers quit. Philip Morris has admitted repeatedly in its internal documents that increasing the cigarette tax is a highly effective way to reduce smoking. One Philip Morris document states, "When the tax goes up, industry loses volume and profits as many smokers cut back." Another states, "It is clear that price has a pronounced effect on the smoking prevalence of teenagers, and that the goals of reducing teenage smoking and balancing the budget would both be served" by a cigarette tax increase. Other industry quotes on the impact of cigarette tax increases can be found at http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/research/factsheets/pdf/0146.pdf.

Philip Morris and other tobacco companies have grown increasingly desperate in their efforts to defeat cigarette tax increases because a growing number of states have increased their cigarette taxes in order to reduce smoking and raise revenue. Since January 1, 2002, 40 states, along with the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, have increased cigarette taxes, thereby doubling the average state cigarette tax from 43.4 cents to 91.2 cents. These cigarette tax increases have contributed significantly to declines in both youth and adult smoking, while raising billions in new revenue for the states. States have acted because they know that studies show that every 10 percent increase in the price of cigarettes reduces youth smoking by seven percent and overall cigarette consumption by about four percent. They also know that every state that has significantly increased cigarette taxes in recent years has enjoyed substantial increases in revenue, even while reducing cigarette sales.

Texas and North Carolina are among the 10 states that have not increased cigarette taxes in recent years, but they are on the verge of doing so. Both the Texas House and Senate have passed cigarette taxes of at least $1 per pack. In North Carolina, which has the nation's lowest cigarette tax at just five cents a pack, the Senate has passed a 35-cents a pack increase, while the House has passed a 25-cents a pack increase. Legislators in Texas and North Carolina should act to protect the interests of their kids and taxpayers, not the interests of Philip Morris. Texas legislators should pass a $1 per pack cigarette tax increase. North Carolina legislators should pass a cigarette tax increase of at least 35 cents a pack.

Philip Morris' actions also show why it should not be taken credibly when it claims to be a changed, responsible company, as it has done in the federal government's lawsuit against the tobacco companies. It is imperative that the government continue to aggressively pursue this lawsuit and seek the strongest possible remedies, including properly funded tobacco cessation and public education programs, stiff fines if the tobacco companies continue to addict children, restrictions on tobacco marketing, greater disclosure of internal industry documents, and strict monitoring of future industry behavior to keep its wrongdoing from continuing.

http://www.usnewswire.com/

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=50432

KY

Council to re-examine smoking ban

Unanswered questions led to delay; next vote Aug. 1

By Sheldon S. Shafersshafer@courier-journal.com The Courier-Journal

July 16,2005

"If a bowling alley sells food, is that a restaurant?"

Questions like that -- posed yesterday by Louisville Metro Council member Doug Hawkins, R-25th -- derailed a proposed smoking ban that supporters thought would pass Thursday night.

"There was a lot of confusion," said council member Ron Weston, D-13th. "There were a lot of legitimate issues brought up. We didn't have time to look at the total picture or the ramifications."

So instead, the council tabled the proposal to ban smoking from restaurants and day-care centers -- along with an amendment that would extend the ban to almost all workplaces except bars.

The soonest either will be reconsidered is Aug. 11 -- when a new, less restrictive measure also may be on the table.

South Louisville resident Rochele Bradley-Moore is among those who say the time for a ban has come. Smoking in restaurants bothers her, she said, even if she's in a nonsmoking section.

She asked, "How can you enjoy your meal if you're coughing?"

Nearly a dozen council members reached yesterday said that despite Thursday's wrangling, they believe a smoking ban of some sort will be approved next month.

Tina Ward-Pugh, D-8th District, a leading advocate for a ban, said she is "confident, absolutely," that the prohibition in restaurants will pass, and she believes that it's possible to win approval for a broader measure.

"We are not back to square one," Ward-Pugh said, adding that she expects many closed-door meetings among council members in coming weeks to try to reach a consensus by Aug. 11.

Council proposals

The proposed ordinance planned for consideration Thursday night was sponsored by George Melton, D-15th, and it was narrowly drawn to prohibit smoking in restaurants that derive at least 75 percent of their revenue from the sale of food.

It had been widely expected to pass after a review by the council's community-affairs committee.

But instead of calling for a vote on that measure Thursday night, Melton called for a vote on an amended version he filed earlier in the week that would broaden the ban to most workplaces and public buildings.

After extensive debate on such questions as the definition of "workplace" and "public buildings," the broader version was tabled on a 13-11 vote. And no vote was taken on the original proposal.

Melton said yesterday that he called for a vote on the broader version at the request of smoking-ban supporters, including Ward-Pugh and Tom Owen, D-8th. "They said it had bipartisan support," he said.

But given the resulting debate, Melton said, he is ready to return to his original proposal and no longer thinks a broader ban will pass.

Ward-Pugh said yesterday that during a 20-minute recess around 8 p.m. Thursday, she took a head count and thought she had the votes for the broader ban.

Three Democrats who led the effort to table the broader version Thursday night said the problem was that the council became bogged down over uncertainties in what they described as an 11th-hour proposal -- Melton's amendment -- that had not been vetted through the committee process.

Democrats Weston, Jim King and George Unseld all said they favor the restaurant ban and might even be open to wider restrictions.

But, "If people want adjustments, they need to go through the process," said Weston, who also accused smoking-ban supporters of "shenanigans at the last minute."

Unseld, D-6th, said that if the council was unable to understand all the implications of the broader proposal, the public surely can't.

Questions were as basic as "What is a public building," he said. "We need to get the language right and … make it work."

King, D-10th, said the broader version simply wasn't "ripe for passage."

"I am opposed to having a completely new ordinance dropped on my desk two hours before the meeting that has not gone through the committee process and is still being tweaked during the meeting," he said.

King suggested that Melton's original proposal be approved and be broadened after it's in place for a year or two, if deemed successful.

More time for answers

Ellen Call, R-26th, another strong smoking-ban advocate, said any vote on Melton's amended version Thursday would have been close, and "now, we have an opportunity to get everyone's questions answered."

Call said she believes that, at a minimum, the council will vote Aug. 11 to ban smoking in restaurants and "I am hopeful we can pass a more meaningful ban."

Kelly Downard, R-16th, who voted to table the measure, agreed yesterday that there were simply too many unanswered questions on Thursday.

Among them, he said, are how the broader version would affect General Electric Appliance Park, the two Ford plants, facilities for recovering drug and alcohol abusers and bingo halls.

There were "even questions about what constitutes food," he said.

Downard said "there is no question in my mind" that the council will adopt some smoking ban Aug. 11.

"We have been researching and taking testimony for two years, but we have only been debating for four days," he said. "There are alternatives out there. … We just need to find something favorable for the entire community."

Council president Barbara Shanklin, D-2nd, said yesterday that she believes a ban is needed, and she believes it will be adopted.

Hawkins was less sure, noting, "There are so many nuances to this that the council hasn't thought through."

A new wrinkle arose Thursday night when council member Robin Engel, R-22nd, introduced a separate measure in which businesses could pay $200 a year for a city-issued sign that would allow them to have an enclosed smoking area, or bars to put up a sign saying they are "full smoking." If there was no sign, the building would be assumed to be smoke-free, he said.

Engel's measure, and perhaps Melton's original and amended versions, are likely to be discussed by the council's community affairs committee when it meets Wednesday.

Engel said he believes there is "mass confusion" over the two Melton proposals, and, "I think mine is the way out."

Dave Langdon, spokesman for the Louisville Metro Health Department, said health officials are disappointed that the council didn't adopt a smoking ban Thursday night but remain hopeful it will do so Aug. 11. "Secondhand smoke continues to endanger the health of the citizens of Louisville," Langdon said.

Metro Mayor Jerry Abramson, who had called council members this week urging them to support a smoking ban, will continue to lobby them to approve as strong a measure as possible as soon as possible, spokesman Matt Kamer said.

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050716/NEWS01/507160407&SearchID=73214342409673

KY

Morgan County restaurant defies ban on smoking

The Associated Press

MARTINSVILLE, Ind. -- The owners of a Morgan County restaurant are vowing not to ban smoking there despite the threat of a lawsuit for refusing to comply with the county's recently imposed restrictions.

The county's smoking ordinance, which took effect in January, requires restaurants that allow smoking to have separate rooms with separate heating and cooling systems.

Bob Williams and Linda Dunigan, owners of Charlie's Drive-In Restaurant, have been fined $200 for refusing to comply with the ordinance. A note posted on the restaurant's door spells out their position.

"This restaurant allows smoking. If this offends you, please feel free to visit one of our competitors," the sign reads. "If you choose to come in, then you enter at your own risk. Thank You."

The Morgan County Board of Health is poised to file a lawsuit against the restaurant's owners for noncompliance with the ordinance and refusing to pay the fine.

Williams' lawyer advised him not to talk to the media about the issue.

A jar on the restaurant's counter collects change for "attorney fees and fines for court to fight the smoking ban," according to a handwritten label.

Regular customers at the restaurant say the ordinance limits their personal freedom.

Butch Albertson, a 62-year-old retired factory worker, comes into Charlie's almost every morning and doesn't mind smokers, although he does not smoke.

"I have been eating with these people for years," he said. "I have a right to come in here, or to leave if I want to if the smoke bothers me. I don't think they have a right to tell people they can't sit in here and have a meal because they smoke."

Dr. John Reynolds, Morgan County's health officer, said the department has notified the owners at least twice about violations.

"He is in violation now, and we are intending to pursue it with a lawsuit to get a court injunction because he continues to allow smoking," Reynolds said.

If Charlie's does not abide by a court-imposed injunction, he said, its owners could be held in contempt of court, and a judge would determine the penalty.

"It comes down to them being defiant," Reynolds said.

Waitress Katie Fine said that if a day in court arrives, "we are closing down, and we are all going to court. Everyone that works here will be there."

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050711/NEWS02/507110377&SearchID=73214342409673

Imported Cigar Sales On the Rise: Another Cigar Boom Possible?

The cigar industry could be on the verge of seeing another Cigar Boom similar to the one in the 1990's. Will another boom be good for the industry? Will it be good for the cigar aficionado?

Distribution Source : PRWeb

Date : Friday, July 15, 2005

Las Vegas, NV (PRWEB) July 15, 2005 -- The cigar industry could be on the verge of seeing another Cigar Boom similar to the one in the 1990's. Will another boom be good for the industry? Will it be good for the cigar aficionado?

Stephen Malan, owner of Humidor Vault, LLC, feels that the premium hand rolled cigar industry just might be making a case for another cigar expansion.

The numbers below show the imports of handmade cigars, in thousands of cigars:*
2003: 257,700
2004: 282,100
Percentage Change in 2003-2004: 9.5%

*Information provided by Cigar Insider, April 12, 2005

Despite all the recent smoking bans and higher taxes, an amazing 9.5 percent increase occurred in 2004. The Cigar Association of America just released figures for the first four months of 2005, and the numbers appear to still be climbing at an unprecedented rate. Compared to 2004, the numbers for 2005 are at almost a 10 percent gain, and will surpass the 300 million mark for the first time since 1998 if the trend continues.

How does this affect the consumer? When the market was hitting over 400 million in hand rolled imports during the year 1997, manufacturers were pressed to meet the demands by hiring inexperienced rollers while also using young and rough tobacco. This led to what consumers felt was a decline in quality, even though the prices remained relatively high.

So, will history repeat itself? "Probably not," reports Malan. The industry has learned quite a bit from the 1990's boom days. Some cigar leaf growers have added to their land holdings for future planting needs, while manufacturers have also upgraded many of their plants.

"Quality is still superb, and pricing is still reasonable. It doesn't look like pricing will get out of hand soon, but you never know," states Malan.

The best strategy for consumers? Buy quality cigars from a reputable dealer and lay them away in your personal humidors. Buying high quality humidors with top-notch humidification systems will keep cigars fresh for an extended period of time. Malan warns, "Don't buy expensive cigars and throw them in a cut-rate humidor. Look at how a humidor closes; it should not clang shut when the lid is dropped from two to three inches. It should land on a cushion of air. If your humidor doesn't do that, it's just a box, and you will ruin your cigars."

"With the cigar industry enjoying a stable increase in sales, there's always the possibility that prices will rise if the industry suddenly catches fire again," states Malan.

Malan's website offers expert tips for cigar consumers. Cigar fans can learn how to properly store, light and smoke a cigar while enjoying maximum satisfaction. They can also browse through some of the finest brands of hand rolled cigars and humidors.

More information can be found at: http://www.humidorvault.com/

For an interview or more information, please contact Stephen Malan by phone at 702-642-2571 or by email at email protected from spam bots

Humidor Vault Stephen Malan 702-642-2571  E-mail Information

http://press.arrivenet.com/hea/article.php/669618.html

GA

Smoking Ban a Boon to Local Restaurant

07/15/05

Are you breathing a little easer over dinner these days? It's been two weeks since most of Georgia went smoke-free. But has it affected business?

For some, it's too early to tell, but so far it looks like the loyal customers are pretty much sticking around. And some places have actually picked up some new patrons.

The last time the MacPhersons went to Ronnie's off Dean Forest Road, they didn't think they would ever go back. "Just people smoking everywhere, all around you, flicking it in our kids' faces," said Laura MacPherson. "No respect for people with children at all."

But when the indoor smoking ban went into effect, the Macphersons gave Ronnie's a second chance. "It seems much cleaner in here. It was really smoky."

"I have three kids of my own and I don't want cigarette smoke around them," said Stephanie Ertzberger, who works at Ronnie's.

She says business hasn't been hurt at all by the smoking ban. "We've only had one person complain. Other than that it's been really great."

She says regulars still show up, and they even have some new customers who bring their kids. "You wouldn't want to eat with smoke in your face and stuff," she said. "It's been really good."

"The first two times, there was smoke everywhere," said Laura. "The food was good, but we decided to come back."

When the Smoke Free Air Act went into effect, Laura says for her family, it was a breath of fresh air. "It really means a lot to go to a restaurant that has good food and doesn't have smoke."

The act went into effect July 1 for almost all public places, with a few exceptions, including bars and restaurants that serve only 18-year-olds and up.

Reported by: Don Logana, dlogana@wtoc.com

http://www.wtoctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=3600815&nav=0qq6cCR3

KS

New tobacco intiative set up to prevent loss of federal funds

JOHN HANNA Associated Press

Wed, Jul. 13, 2005

TOPEKA, Kan. - A program designed to decrease tobacco sales to minors is the price the state had to pay to avoid losing federal funds for programs that combat substance abuse.

The Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services plans to spend $2.3 million over two years to help retailers keep their employees from selling cigarettes, cigars, snuff and chewing tobacco to customers under 18. That spending - $1.15 million annually - compares to $5 million in federal funds the state could lose each year.

Kansas was the only state to miss a federal target for compliance with laws against underage sales from October 2003 through September 2004. Thirty-eight percent of retailers inspected had sales to minors, when the national goal is only 20 percent.

But, ultimately to combat the problem, the state probably will have to hire more employees to inspect retailers, said Kelly Peak, SRS substance abuse prevention team leader. Inspections fall to the Department of Revenue.

"I think generally, over time, the state agencies have done everything they could do within the resources they were provided," Peak said Wednesday. "What we know is we're going to have to increase the amount of enforcement and monitoring of retailers to ensure better compliance."

The state and anti-tobacco groups launched the new program called "It's Everybody's Business" earlier this month.

SRS is paying for the initiative with funds raised from fees it charges some Kansans for the social services it provides. Normally, the money would be used for those services, said SRS spokesman Mike Deines.

Deines said SRS doesn't expect the diversion of money to affect social services because the agency had enough fees built up to cover the new expenses. But continued reliance on fee dollars could become an issue in future years, he said.

Peak said the state's noncompliance was measured by inspections of about 650 retailers out of the 3,100 that sell tobacco products. In 2002-03, noncompliance was about 22 percent before rising in the following 12 months.

If the state continues to miss the federal targets, it will have to continue its campaign or give up the federal funds for substance abuse programs, Peak said.

---_

On the Net:

SRS: http://www.srskansas.org/

Campaign Web site: http://www.itseverybodysbusiness.org

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/12124413.htm

TX

Faith Leaders Urge Rep. DeLay to Support FDA Regulation of Tobacco

7/13/2005 3:59:00 PM

Contact: Nicole Yazdanseta of Campaign For Tobacco Free Kids, 202-296-5469

HOUSTON, July 13 /U.S. Newswire/ -- A diverse coalition of faith leaders today called on U.S. House of Representatives Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) to support legislation that gives the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority over tobacco products and urged him to bring that legislation to a vote in the House as soon as possible. The event, at the Deer Park United Methodist Church, also included youth anti-tobacco advocates and featured a display of 1200 pairs of shoes, representing the number of Americans who die each day from tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke.

In a letter to DeLay, the faith leaders stated, "As Majority Leader, you have the influence and ability to bring about positive change on behalf of America's children, and all of our country. It is our hope that you will support this legislation."

Last year, the U.S. Senate twice voted overwhelmingly to pass the FDA legislation into law. Unfortunately, it did not come to a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives. According to press reports, DeLay was a leading opponent of the legislation last year. Every day Congress fails to act, another 1,200 Americans die from tobacco use and another 2,000 children become regular smokers.

"Reducing teen smoking and saving Americans from tobacco addiction is a priority for our nation's faith communities," said Rev. T. Randall Smith, Pastor, Deer Park United Methodist Church and President, Texas Conference of Churches. "We spend too much time burying mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers who died because of their tobacco addiction. Sadly, the tobacco companies continue to spend billions of dollars to addict young and old to this deadly product. We call on Representative DeLay to support legislation that will protect children from tobacco addiction and save lives by allowing the FDA to regulate tobacco products."

The legislation, sponsored by U.S. Senators Mike DeWine (R- Ohio) and U.S. Representative Tom Davis (R-Va.), would give the FDA authority over the manufacturing, marketing and sale of tobacco products. Among other things, the FDA would have the authority to crack down on tobacco marketing and sales to children; require changes in tobacco products to make them less harmful and less addictive; stop tobacco companies from making unsubstantiated claims that some tobacco products may be safer than others; require the disclosure of the contents of tobacco products; and mandate larger, more effective health warnings. The bills are S. 666 in the Senate and H.R. 1376 in the House.

"It is time for Congress to act," said Ashley Shultz, youth advocate of the Year, Campaign For Tobacco Free Kids, who also spoke at the event. "For years the tobacco companies have marketed to kids and their latest scheme is aggressive marketing of candy- flavored cigarettes. These are REAL cigarettes with candy and fruit flavors with names like Kauai Kolada and the citrus-flavored Twista Lime. Today we're asking Rep. DeLay to stand up to Big Tobacco and protect Texas' kids by insisting that Congress pass FDA authority over tobacco."

Unlike all other products we consume, tobacco products are virtually unregulated to protect consumers' health and safety. The FDA legislation would finally end the special protection enjoyed by the tobacco industry and protect our children and the nation's health instead.

Tobacco use is the nation's leading preventable cause of death, killing more than 400,000 people and costing our nation more than $89 billion in health care bills every year. Every day, another 2,000 kids become regular smokers, one-third of whom will die prematurely as a result.

In Texas, tobacco use kills 24,000 people and costs over $5.36 billion in health care costs each year. Over 24 percent of high school students smoke -- higher than the national average- and another 55,400 kids become regular smokers every year.

http://www.usnewswire.com/

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=50307

Anti-tobacco bills going up in smoke -OR

By BRAD CAIN The Associated Press 7/16/2005, 12:50 p.m. PT

7/16/2005, 12:50 p.m. PT

By BRAD CAIN The Associated Press

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Bills pushed by anti-smoking advocates to ban smoking in bars and taverns, reinstate a 10-cent-a-pack cigarette tax and allow only "fire-safe" cigarettes to be sold in the state have been all but snuffed out by Oregon lawmakers this year.

The measures drew opposition from tobacco and restaurant industry interests who contribute heavily to legislative campaigns as well as from lawmakers who are loathe to approve additional taxes or impose more regulation on business.

With the 2005 session moving into its final weeks, the Tobacco-Free Coalition of Oregon says it appears the Legislature isn't going to deal with "the state's No. 1 public health issue" — tobacco use that causes more than 7,000 premature deaths in Oregon each year and exposes thousands of others to second-hand smoke.

John Valley of the American Heart Association, one of the leading groups involved with the coalition, says anti-smoking and health care advocates might try to take one or more of the issues directly to Oregon voters next year.

"I would be surprised if there wasn't an effort to put a cigarette tax on the 2006 ballot if the Legislature does nothing," he said.

Valley and other advocates aren't giving up on the Legislature just yet, but they are facing some well-heeled opponents.

Tobacco companies, for example, contributed about $130,000 to legislative candidates last year, including $15,000 to Republican House Speaker Karen Minnis, according to figures compiled by the Money in Politics Research Action Project, a campaign finance watchdog group.

Minnis has been instrumental in blocking efforts by health care activists and anti-smoking groups to reinstate a 10-cent-a-pack cigarette tax that was snuffed out when voters rejected the Legislature's $800 million tax hike in February 2004.

The groups say raising the cigarette tax would discourage smoking among young people by making cigarettes more expensive and provide more money to cover thousands of low-income people who are being kicked off the Oregon Health Plan because of the state's money squeeze.

But the move is opposed by Minnis and other House Republicans who say Oregonians have made it clear they don't want higher taxes and by tobacco industry officials who say it's not fair to raise taxes just on smokers to pay for health care for all.

Minnis also opposes a Senate-passed "fire-safe" cigarettes bill requiring that cigarettes be made of paper that will extinguish if the cigarette is not being smoked, which supporters say would cut down on thousands of fires across the country caused by unattended cigarettes.

The Republican House speaker agrees with the tobacco industry's argument that the federal government should set uniform standards for fire-safe cigarettes to prevent 50 different state requirements.

Among the other top recipients of campaign dollars from tobacco companies is Senate Majority Leader Kate Brown, D-Portland, who got $10,500, according to the Money in Politics group.

As part of the Senate leadership team, Brown helped make the decision to not have the Senate vote on a bill to extend the state's workplace tobacco ban to the smokers' last indoor business refuge — bars and taverns.

In 2001, the Legislature passed a measure that outlawed smoking in businesses but exempted bars, taverns, bowling alleys and bingo halls in most places.

Now anti-smoking activists are seeking to extend the smoking ban to those remaining businesses, a move that's opposed by the tobacco industry as well as by the powerful Oregon Resturant Association, which contributed $228,000 to legislative candidates last year.

Brown said the campaign money didn't sway her decision and that she wanted to spare her Senate colleagues from having to vote on the bill when it would face certain defeat in the Republican-controlled House.

Valley, the Heart Association spokesman, said he thinks it's an open question about how much lawmakers were influenced by campaign contributions from groups who opposed the anti-smoking bills.

"I don't think it's mere coincidence" that all three bills are languishing, he said. "My feeling is that there is some connection between campaign contributions and how lawmakers look at issues."

http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-11/1121540139149140.xml&storylist=orlocal

OR

Ex-mayor guilty in tobacco case- submitted

Jury finds that former Mill City official sold the products illegally

BY TERESA WILLIAMS
Special to the Statesman Journal

July 16, 2005

Former Mill City Mayor William "Bill" Downer has been found guilty on 30 separate felony counts, including engaging in business as a cigarette wholesaler without a license, engaging in business as a tobacco products distributor without a license, unlawful distribution of tobacco products, money laundering and other related crimes.

Downer was found not guilty on five counts of forging tobacco-products invoices.

The jury verdict was returned Thursday in Marion County Circuit Court.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. July 27 at the Marion County Courthouse.

Downer could be sentenced to 30 days jail on each of the counts. The state also will seek restitution of about $300,000 for unpaid taxes, interest and penalties.

Downer, who owns Smoke 'N' Spirits tobacco shop in Mill City, was accused of buying tobacco products without paying Oregon taxes from Lil' Brown Smoke Shack on the Yakama Indian Reservation in Washington.

Prosecutor Donna Brecker Maddux said that he then sold the products to other retailers.

Teresa Williams, The Stayton Mail, (503) 769-6338 or tawill@salem.gannett.com

http://159.54.226.83/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050716/NEWS/507160331/1001

Smoking ban dampens business -SK

Canadian Press Tuesday, July 12, 2005

REGINA (CP) -- Almost two dozen hotels have closed and business is dropping in rural areas after the first six months of Saskatchewan's no-smoking law, says an industry official.

Tom Mullin, president of the Hotels Association of Saskatchewan, said his organization recently did a survey that showed overall revenues are down 26 per cent since the ban on smoking in public places came into effect Jan. 1.

Across the province, 103 full- and part-time positions in member hotels have been eliminated.

The survey results were based on responses from 25 per cent of the association's members.

"We anticipated the biggest hurt was going to be out in the rural areas, and that's pretty much panning out right now," said Mullin.

Meanwhile, the Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region is reporting almost 100 per cent compliance with the smoking ban in bars, restaurants, casinos, bingo halls, bowling alleys and pool halls.

Yvonne Graff, the region's manager of environmental health, said staff are busy working with seasonal businesses.

"There are some seasonal ones that open in May and there are a few places that are just open in July and August," said said. " When they open up their business and we do the inspection at that time, then we'll go over the new Tobacco Control Act and talk to them about how it applies to their business."

The ban also may be succeeding in lowering tobacco sales in the province.

Ed Bohn, owner of the two Brandee's Corner Stores in Regina, said tobacco sales at his stores have gone down roughly 25 per cent.

"We tried selling cigarettes for practically zero profit. It just seems like there is nothing you can do to get it back up," said Bohn.

The ban may not be the only reason tobacco sales have gone down, however.

http://www.canada.com/search/story.html?id=0bcc6c6e-f0f6-4a04-b838-0d2820a6d973

Under the B, belly-up: Smoking bylaw wipes out bingo hall -ON

By Stephanie MacLellan - The Chronicle-Journal July 12, 2005

There will be no more jackpots at Intercity Bingo Palace, and the owners blame the city’s smoking bylaw for closing their doors.

The bingo hall hosted its last game Saturday night after 15 years under the ownership of Brent Waruk and his wife Mavis.

“Every hall has a true, loyal customer base, and there were a lot of tears Saturday,” Waruk said Monday. “It was almost like a funeral.”

Nearly 300 people came to the bingo hall every night in its heyday, when it was set up in the Cochrane and Dunlop building at 11th Avenue and Fort William Road.

After the Thunder Bay Charity Casino opened in 2000, that number dropped to about 200 a night. Since last year’s smoking bylaw came into effect, attendance dropped by half again.

A survey taken before the bylaw was enacted showed that 92 per cent of the hall’s clientele were smokers, Waruk said.

“The problem is, with bingo players, the majority are 35, 40 to 70 years old,” he said. “They’re in the habit, they’re probably addicted to cigarettes, and it’s hard to get off.”

A lot of those players stopped coming to the hall, or went to the Mountain Bingo Centre at Fort William First Nation, which is exempt from the bylaw, Waruk said.

“We thought maybe they’d come back when it warmed up, so they could stand outside comfortably,” said Mavis Waruk. “But they didn’t.”

The Waruks moved the hall to the Thunder Bay Labour Centre, which is about two-thirds the size of the original location, to cut costs, Waruk said.

Even so, it became harder and harder for the owners to keep up with rising taxes, utilities costs, licensing fees and prize costs.

“With bingo, you have to bring in $3,000 to pay the prizes . . . and if you don’t have enough customers, you have to pay anyway,” she said.

“It was just a losing venture. It would not come back.”

The decline also meant less money for the charities that would benefit from the bingo proceeds.

“They used to make $1.2 million a year, and now they’re losing money,” Waruk said.

More than 50 charities had worked with the bingo hall over the years since it opened. Some of them, like the Red Cross, pulled out in the last year because they weren’t making money, he said.

Other bingo halls are struggling since the smoking bylaw kicked in. Attendance has dropped 30 to 35 per cent at Thunder Bay Community Bingo’s two locations, said president Joe Myslicki.

“The people who pushed for the non-smoking bylaw said it would entice non-smokers to come to bingo halls,” he said. “Unfortunately, they have not come.”

The hall is fighting slumping attendance numbers with new promotions and new technology, and so far, it’s still making money, Myslicki said.

Mavis Waruk doesn’t think the fight is over for Thunder Bay’s three remaining bingo halls.

“We were the first to pull the plug, but we know others are hurting,” she said.

http://www.chroniclejournal.com/story.shtml?id=28028

Revised guideline for trichloroethylene (TCE) in drinking water

    OTTAWA, July 12 /CNW Telbec/ - Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh today announced that Health Canada and the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Committee on Drinking Water has agreed to a more stringent guideline for the amount of trichloroethylene (TCE) in drinking water.
    The new guideline is 10 per cent of the previous limit, lowered from 0.05 mg/L to 0.005 mg/L.

    While studies suggest only very low rates of health effects even at high concentrations of TCE, a possible link between long-term exposure to high levels of TCE and cancer has been observed.

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/July2005/12/c0741.html

Inmates told to kick butts

By STEPHANIE RUBEC AND AJAY BHARDWAJ, SUN MEDIA Wed, July 13, 2005

Smokers have until the end of January to quit

OTTAWA -- Inmates in Canada's 54 federal prisons will have to quit smoking indoors by the end of January.

Correctional Services Canada announced yesterday the ban will take effect Jan. 31.

To encourage prisoners to quit smoking altogether, the federal government is providing free nicotine replacement products for up to three months to any inmate who requests them.

The decision to make all federal prisons smoke-free stems from a recommendation from a health-care advisory committee that consulted staff, unions, inmate advocacy groups and community organizations.

Correctional Commissioner Lucie McClung said in a statement that prison wardens and guards will have to change their routines in order to allow for more outdoor trips for inmates.
 

"In moving this way, CSC is carrying out its broader responsibility of setting conditions for healthy correctional environments," McClung said.

The indoor smoking ban will mean prisoners will no longer have the right to light up in their cells, the gym and administrative areas.

Correctional Services Canada spokesman Christa McGregor said the ban is meant to address complaints from non-smoking staff and inmates.

"For staff and inmates who don't smoke, there's a health issue," she said.

McGregor said that as the ban date approaches, inmates will be provided with educational material encouraging them to butt out completely and will also be offered products to help them quit.

"This gives time for institutional staff to prepare the inmates," McGregor said.

McGregor said it will be up to every warden to figure out how routines have to be adjusted in order to allow outdoor breaks for smokers.

Institutions are still consulting with aboriginal and religious leaders to ensure proper accommodation of cultural and spiritual ceremonies.

Some inmates at Edmonton Institution have said there could be blood spilled over a smoking ban.

But Doug Hayhurst, national vice-president of the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers, said guards have wanted a smoke-free workplace for years. He said predictions of bloodshed are overblown.

http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Canada/2005/07/13/1129160-sun.html

Corrections Canada Going Smoke-Free By 2006

By Corrections Canada Jul 13, 2005, 11:39

OTTAWA - Correctional Service Canada (CSC) Commissioner Lucie McClung today announced its goal to eliminate exposure to second-hand smoke in all federal penitentiaries, including Community Correctional Centres, by January 31, 2006.

The decision follows extensive consultations with staff, unions, Citizens' Advisory Committees, key community partners, inmate advocacy groups, and offenders during 2004 and early 2005.

There is increased evidence from health care professionals about the potential negative impact of exposure to second-hand smoke. "The Health Care Advisory Committee has recommended that CSC eliminate smoking within its institutions. The exposure to smoking and second-hand smoke is a public health hazard that must be addressed," said Ms. Yvette Thériault, Chair of the Health Care Advisory Committee. "On behalf of the Committee, I would like to say how pleased I am that CSC is taking this positive step to address this issue."

"In moving this way, CSC is carrying out its broader responsibility of setting conditions for healthy correctional environments. Over the next few months, we will continue to address the many implementation matters as we adjust our daily routines in a manner consistent with both safety and health requirements in correctional settings," said Commissioner McClung.

Currently, there are designated smoking and non-smoking areas inside all federal correctional facilities. With the support of stakeholders, some institutions have already reached this goal. Indoor smoking will no longer be allowed by January 31, 2006. Smoking will be permitted in designated areas outdoors, within institutional perimeters. CSC will be consulting with Aboriginal and religious leaders to ensure proper accommodation of cultural and spiritual ceremonies.

CSC staff has access to smoking cessation products through the Public Service Health Care Plan. CSC will provide smoking cessation support for inmates for up to three months.

http://www.halifaxlive.com/artman/publish/smoke_130705_7712.shtml

Group sues Ottawa claiming exposure to toxic chemicals  -NS

By The Canadian Press Wednesday, July 13, 2005

N.S. man among ex-soldiers and civilians who allege Agent Orange made them ill

FREDERICTON - A group of former soldiers and civilians who say they were exposed to Agent Orange and other defoliants at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown have launched a class-action suit against Ottawa.

The 41-page statement of claim filed before the Federal Court of Canada states illnesses ranging from birth defects in children to cancer in adults were caused by the chemicals sprayed on the woods near Oromocto, N.B.

While the Canadian military is downplaying the impact of Agent Orange tests at the New Brunswick base, the suit alleges they were dramatic.

"Dioxins pose an enormous risk to the health of those who come into exposure with it or areas that have been sprayed by it," the document states

http://www.herald.ns.ca/stories/2005/07/13/fCanada137.raw.html

Warning issued about Atlantic population at federal funding announcement

KEVIN BISSETT Mon Jul 11, 5:23 PM ET

SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. (CP) - The federal government issued a warning Monday about Atlantic Canada's dwindling population as it announced the renewal of a $700-million fund aimed at promoting economic development in the region.

Joe McGuire, the minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, said the second phase of the Atlantic Investment Partnership will include new money for attracting and retaining skilled workers over the next five years.

"We will not have in 10 years enough people to fill the jobs we have now, let alone develop the economy," McGuire told a crowd at an industrial park in Summerside, which is part of his federal riding.

"There literally has to be tens of thousands of people."

But Ottawa's new Atlantic Population Strategy remains largely a mystery because no details or dollar figures were released.

Still, the minister said he intends to work closely with the region's four provincial governments.

"You could argue they do not have a plan," said Greg Thompson, a New Brunswick Conservative MP who serves as critic for ACOA.

"The Rising Tide document, which is the blueprint for this development money, paid scant attention to that issue," he said. "The issue caught the Liberals flat-footed."

Figures from the most recent census, released in 2002, showed that Newfoundland's population declined by seven per cent - greater than any other province - between 1996 and 2001. The populations of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia also shrank.

While Prince Edward Island's population grew by 0.5 per cent, or about 250 people, the province's median age was rising faster that the national average.

John MacDougall, president of Atlantic Turbines International, said the key to keeping people is providing good, full-time jobs.

"Our turnover is virtually zero and that's what's great about these programs," he said. "It's keeping P.E.I. people in P.E.I. and Atlantic Canadians in Atlantic Canada."

Of the 272 employees at the Summerside-based company, which specializes in aircraft repair, 240 are from Prince Edward Island.

The first $700-million instalment for the investment fund was announced in June 2000 by then-Prime Minister Jean Chretien.

At the time, Chretien said the five-year fund was designed to help the region level the playing field with provinces that have a more developed high-tech sector.

However, critics said the ruling Liberals were trying to buy votes in advance of a federal election, which the Liberals won later that year.

McGuire acknowledged that another federal election is expected early next year, but said there was no political motive behind Monday's announcement, given the fact the original fund was up for renewal this month anyway.

The Opposition Conservatives have long condemned the federal regional development agency as a poorly managed, overtly political institution that has failed to deliver value for money.

Last June, during the most recent federal election campaign, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper said the federal auditor general should review such agencies.

Though he has said he favours tax cuts over federal loans and grants, Harper made it clear he would modify ACOA instead of scrapping it.

"The Liberals had 12 years in power to put in an economic structure that would not need this type of assistance, but if you look at the statistics and unemployment rate in Atlantic Canada, they really haven't made a dent in it," said Thompson.

Despite that, Thompson said, he is supportive of regional development.

On Monday, McGuire said the agency has many fans in Atlantic Canada.

"I don't think you'll find an MP from any party in Atlantic Canada who is against the kinds of things that we're doing here," he said. "They're all very supportive and on record as being supportive."

The minister insisted the agency has a record of success even though the Tories have produced studies saying the opposite is true.

McGuire said the companies that have participated in ACOA trade missions over the last five years have increased their sales volume by $35 million, while hiring more people and developing new products.

Wade McLaughlin, president of the University of Prince Edward Island, said the first phase of the program provided a big boost to the Charlottetown campus.

"We've seen a quadrupling in the last five years of our externally funded research at UPEI, which is a phenomenal thing, not just for the university but for the whole community," he said.

The largest component of the original program, the $300-million Atlantic Innovation Fund, was used to support about 100 research-development projects over the last five years.

http://p144.news.scd.yahoo.com/s/cpress/20050711/ca_pr_on_na/atl_investment;_ylt=ApSGLTOHyIeb7HoEIqxLPceFM1IB

;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

Yorkton to seek injunction on casino smoking -SK

Last Updated Jul 13 2005 09:14 AM CDT
CBC News Yorkton City Council is heading to court in an attempt to force Sakimay First Nation to butt out.

Yorkton banned smoking from enclosed public places in 2004. The city's Painted Hand Casino did too, even though it's on urban reserve land under Sakimay jurisdiction.

However, in April after other Indian controlled casinos in Saskatchewan said they'd allow smoking, ashtrays were put back in the Painted Hand and 40 per cent of the facility was opened up to smoking. Now, city council is taking legal action.

Mayor Phil DeVos says under the band's municipal service agreement with Yorkton, band bylaws on the casino are supposed to be complementary to City of Yorkton bylaws.

"You can't have a set of rules for businesses in a community and then plunk another jurisdiction in the middle of that community … and say 'Listen, they can do anything they want there,'" he said.

DeVos said the eyes of other communities will be on Yorkton to see how this issue is resolved.

It will be at least a couple of weeks before a decision will come from the courts.

No one from the band was available for comment Tuesday.

http://sask.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=yorkton-casino050713

Casinos Win Legal Battle Over Cigarette Rewards

Jul 14, 2005

Health Canada has lost a battle in its continuing war against cigarette smoking. Federal health officials have been in a legal tussle with two of Canada's largest casinos over a rewards program they use called Players Advantage Club. The program allows patrons to use points they've accumulated to buy a variety of goods, including cigarettes. Health officials said that amounted to giving away smokes, which is a violation of the Tobacco Act, which forbids retailers to furnish tobacco products "without monetary consideration."

Club members must be age 19 or older, and they earn points every time they play slot machines or other games. Every 100 points is worth $6. The company said only 5,000 members used points to buy cigarettes.

http://www.gamblingmagazine.com/managearticle.asp?C=420&A=14752

Lucky country?: Gambling in Canada is a $13-billion industry with profits similar to fuel, liquor taxes

CanWest News Service and Vancouver Sun June 22, 2005

Scott Stinson and Jennifer Miller

TORONTO -- Government-run gambling has become an almost $13-billion industry in Canada, with about 87,000 gambling machines, 60 permanent casinos and 33,000 lottery ticket centres pumping money into provincial coffers, according to a new study.

While the report from the Canada West Foundation shows that growth in the gaming industry has levelled off this decade after a dramatic rise in the 1990s, it notes provincial governments are still heavily reliant on revenues generated from things such as card tables, lottery tickets and slot machines. Gambling-related profits of $6.3 billion now approach what comes in from taxes on fuel and liquor.

Gambling in B.C. has experienced significant growth in the past four years, despite a levelling off and even a decline in some areas of the country. The expansion is due to more slot machines and new, bigger casinos in the province.

B.C. has 19 casinos, the most of any province.

And there are 161 per cent more slot machines in the province than there were in 2000 -- a total of 5,673 in 2004 -- according to the report.

Howard Blank, vice-president of Great Canadian Casinos, said the increase in the number of slot machines in the country can be attributed to the overall expansion of the casino industry from a games-based experience to something more focused on entertainment.

People aren't just coming to gamble at B.C. casinos, he said. They are coming for the concerts and other live entertainment, the restaurants, and the hotels. For example, the Coquitlam casino is currently expanding and adding a theatre.

"It's not just slots," Blank said. "The majority of people are coming for the whole experience."

This trend toward overall adult entertainment in B.C. casinos also means increased traffic from both tourists and locals -- which translates into more demand for slot machines, he said.

Before the Liberal government took power in B.C. in 2001, there was a cap of 300 slot machines per casino. Since then, the Liberals increased the provincial cap, then removed it entirely.

The River Rock casino in Richmond has 1,000 slot machines.

Isabel Minty, a spokeswoman with Citizens Against Gambling Expansion, said more slot machines in B.C. mean more vulnerable gamblers are being targeted.

"It is the most addictive form of gambling," she said. "It is also where the most vulnerable people gamble."

Slots appeal to the "unsophisticated" gamblers -- those with the least education and the least disposable income, Minty said. "They're targeting the ones they can clean their pockets."

B.C. and Ontario are the only two provinces that do not allow video lottery terminals (VLTs).

Critics are calling on governments to cap the expansion of gambling services until the social impact of the programs can be better assessed.

Jason Azmier, senior policy analyst with the Canada West Foundation and author of the report, said the rapid growth in government gambling profits -- which rose 275 per cent between 1992 and 2004 -- is cause for concern considering that new frontiers in gaming such as the Internet, cellphones and interactive television have yet to be tapped by the provinces

"The past expansion of gambling in this country has been driven by the fear of loss of revenues to other jurisdictions," he said from the offices of the Calgary-based think-tank, noting that if history repeats itself, governments might decide they want a slice of the Internet-gambling pie.

"If we are on the verge of future expansion, we need debate on the issue first," Azmier said.

Nina Littman-Sharp, director of the problem gambling program with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, agreed the prospect of governments moving into the Internet and other gaming arenas is daunting.

"There are lots of technological ways [to gamble] that are really quite scary," she said. "We're really concerned about anything that could increase availability, particularly for young people."

Rob Williams, a professor with the Alberta Gaming Research Institute at the University of Lethbridge, said Tuesday the Canada West Foundation report "certainly illustrates the pervasiveness of gambling ... and how the economic agenda of gambling seems to be outpacing the social considerations.

"What seems pretty clear is what's shaping the policy agenda is largely market economics. If revenues keep increasing, further opportunities [to gamble] keep becoming available," he said.

"Governments are starting to say the right things, but there's also a lot of doublespeak," Williams said, noting that Alberta, for example, often cites its hard cap on controversial video lottery terminals (VLTs) -- no more than 6,000 are allowed in the province -- but does not mention the lack of a cap on slot machines, which have grown by 50 per cent in the past several years.

"A lot of the so-called responsible gaming efforts are window-dressing," he said.

Representatives of the provincial gambling agencies disagree.

The Manitoba Gaming Control Commission, for example, publishes its research agenda, which includes studies to identify the number of adult and youth problem gamblers in the province and to "address the gaps in public knowledge about gambling."

Elizabeth Stephenson, the commission's director of communications, said provinces have begun to take action to better educate gamblers, in part because it took a few years of widespread legalized gambling to understand the problems it brings.

A NATIONAL HABIT:

Canadians spent $12.7 billion on gambling in 2003-04, with British Columbia in third place after Ontario and Quebec. In recent years, in B.C. as well as the nation, the greatest gambling industry growth has been in slot machines. Figures are for 2003-04.

47,876 Number of slot machines in Canada. A 52.2% rise since 1999-2000.

$1.68 Gambling losses per B.C. adult per day.

$1,080 Estimated annual spending of average Canadian household on gambling.

Education: $1,007. Alcohol and tobacco: $1,489.

$23 Money B.C. spent on treating each at-risk and problem gambler. At 0.55% of net revenues, it is second-lowest after Newfoundland.

10 Rank of B.C. among all provinces in terms of the profit margin (38%) it takes from gambling revenues. Alberta is highest at 71%.

Source: Canada West Foundation Vancouver Sun

Ran with fact box "A National Habit", which has beenappended to the end of the story.

http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/soundoff/story.html?id=68aa6415-c437-434b-abfd-8fa8b7ced825

Ban's here, so where's the do-gooders? -AB

Don Sinclair, July 8, 2005

I think that a week into the new smoking bylaw has shown that local bars are being hurt. The number of patrons is either down, or smokers are dropping by for a fast one and then leaving to grab a cigarette elsewhere, where choice is still a word.

One older patron looked around the pub, then told me, "I don't see Les Hagen or any of those other social do- gooders in here today now that they have gotten smoking banned."

Now that non-smoking zealots have imposed their choice on the public, they will sit in their homes, joyous over winning, and probably not bother to come out and patronize bars, or for that matter casinos or bingo halls. Was it perhaps only a power trip by anti-smoking groups, or a genuine desire to visit the bars? Time and numbers will tell.

Still with the smoking bylaw, some readers asked me why the city made our bylaw effective June 30 instead of July 1. I checked with Coun. Neil Korotash and he tells me city administration noted that July 1 is midnight June 30, so rather than have bars remove ashtrays at midnight on the 30th, they moved the effective date up.

You see folks, St. Albert city administration have to make things as complicated as they can, unlike Edmonton who simply ignored the night of June 30 and left the bylaw effective at opening on July 1. Was that just too easy for city hall types here?

http://saintcitynews.advancedpublishing.com/

Lucky to work at Grandin

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dear Editor,
I have been very fortunate to work at Grandin Bingo in a position that I have truly loved for the last 22 years. We have placed funds into St. Albert's charities, allowing three generations of residents a better quality of life. I have made friends with 50 fellow employees, hundreds of patrons and thousands of volunteers. This is coming to an end in a few short weeks, as all 51 employees have been given layoff notices, due to St. Albert's strict smoking bylaw.

The reason behind the closure is all about market space. When 70 per cent of the consumer base is inconvenienced at a place of business, they will choose to go to alternate businesses.  The smoking bylaw has not been adopted evenly throughout competing business markets adjacent to St. Albert.

Our business leadership at City Council chose the path of least resistance: adopt a smoking bylaw without first trying alternative methods that would have allowed business to continue, while reducing the threat of second- hand smoke on non-smokers.

I do not disagree with the fact that we need to protect non-smokers from second- hand smoke; however, it seems like common business sense to examine options that can achieve the same result without the loss of revenue to St. Albert's business community. It wasn't long ago that someone at City Hall suggested we need to increase our business-revenue base to reduce the tax burden on the residents.

Consider what others have done successfully and improve on it! Some Bingo Halls in B.C. have built enclosed smoking rooms with negative-gravity entrances and high-grade ventilation systems. This solution appeased smokers and non- smokers alike. When the air was tested in the non-smoking areas, it was proven to be purer than in a place where smoking was never allowed.

Before eliminating this option, the directors from two local bingo halls traveled to B.C. (no spouses, of course, as we do follow business etiquette) and found that this alternative to banning smoking really worked, thus preserving the charities' ability to continue raising funds through bingo.

The decision to close Grandin Bingo was not made lightly.

My first question for city council is: how can you eliminate this option when you didn't considered the alternative?

Beginning in May, the City of Edmonton launched an extensive campaign promoting bars, bingo halls and casinos going smoke-free on July 1. The campaign will run until the end of August. What has the City of St. Albert done to promote our businesses going smoke-free on July 1?

The decision to close Grandin Bingo was not made lightly. Our executive reviewed all options before concluding that market share with the new bylaw will make Grandin Bingo a money-losing proposition for the charities that it was built for in the first place.

In closing, I hope everyone I worked with who had to be laid-off will find employment soon. After all, property taxes are due soon, and we all have to be more fiscally responsible.

Sorry, present City council exempt, of course! For now, anyways...

Lesley Gierulski Operations Manager Grandin Bingo

http://saintcitynews.advancedpublishing.com/

I AM a non-smoker and used to have sympathy for smokers who were outside in -40 weather smoking. But now most of them bitch that they should be able to smoke when they want and wherever they want. These people are so inconsiderate - smoking while a person eats, blowing it in your face. I have no respect for them anymore and hope this winter gets even colder.

R. Corriveau

(Not all smokers are like that.)

http://www.edmontonsun.com/Comment/Letters/2005/07/14/1130587.html

Tarbox's hubby butts up against smoke ban-AB

It's hurting his bar business says man who was married to anti-smoking crusader

By STEVEN SANDOR, SPECIAL TO THE EDMONTON SUN Thu, July 14, 2005

The widower of late anti-smoking crusader Barb Tarbox claims the city's smoking ban is killing his business.

Pat Tarbox said the number of customers going through the doors of the Sherlock Holmes pub at West Edmonton Mall and the Rose & Crown Pub at 10235 101 St. has dropped dramatically since the city banned smoking in bars, restaurants, patios and bingo halls on July 1. Tarbox has managed both pubs for 3 1/2 years.

"We've still got to hear from the accountants, but I would estimate business is down 40% plus," said Tarbox. "In general, I have noticed less and less people in the rooms over the last 12 days."

Tarbox, a former smoker, said he backed his late wife's anti-smoking crusade. Diagnosed with terminal lung cancer due to smoking, Barb used her last days to plead with schoolkids to stay away from tobacco. She died in 2003 at age 42.

But, as a bar manager, Pat Tarbox said the smoking ban hurts.

"I can see the two sides," he said. "There was the one side in which Barb was involved, but on the other side I am a business person. And I have always believed that people have to be given a choice."

Tarbox said the bylaw makes it even more frustrating to be a bar manager.

"We are already maybe the most regulated industry in the province," he said.

Darlene Bartee, manager of the Elephant and Castle pub on Whyte Avenue, said her business has slowed since the bylaw went into effect.

"I really notice slow periods and slow happy hours," she said. "I think instead of coming out after work, people are now going home so they can have a cold beer and a smoke."

Tarbox accused City Hall of having a double standard in the way it treats venues across the city. He said it is "hypocritical" for the city to ban smoking in outdoor venues such as patios and Commonwealth Stadium, but allow people to puff away at Northlands Park.

"People are allowed to smoke on the tarmac," confirmed Dinah Gray, corporate communications manager for Northlands Park.

Tarbox said he also spotted smokers in the beer gardens at Churchill Square set up for the Works art festival. Witnesses who were at the beer garden after the smoking ban went into effect confirm there was smoking on the premises.

Krishna Tailor, the city's smoking bylaw officer, said the law specifies that "any enclosed area," including beer tents, must be non-smoking.

But he said city officials have held discussions in the past week about the status of Churchill Square's beer gardens.

http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Edmonton/2005/07/14/1130986-sun.html

Stony to go smoke-free soon But federal inmates will still be able to light up in prison yard

By DEAN PRITCHARD, STAFF REPORTER Fri, July 15, 2005

Stony Mountain inmates will have to combine a stroll around the prison yard with a smokey lung workout if they want to exercise their right to light up after Jan. 31.

That's when inmates at Canada's 54 federal prisons will have to butt out indoors.

At Stony Mountain Institution, inmates will be allowed to smoke outdoors -- essentially the exercise yard -- between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m., Monday to Friday and longer on weekends, said prison spokeswoman Linda Garwood-Filbert.

But implementing the new regulation will be more complicated than simply telling inmates they can't smoke indoors, Garwood-Filbert said.

"We will have to decide whether they are allowed to have tobacco in their cell or should it be allowed to be kept in a different area," she said. "Will they be allowed to have lighters and matches or will that be held in a different area? Will they be allowed to smoke on their way to work -- which is in an outside area -- or will they have to wait for strictly exercising time?

WILL ACCOMMODATE SMUDGES

"There are other inmates who don't have the same movement routines as other inmates if they aren't in general population, so we will have to be adoptive to that as well."

Since the mid-1990s, Stony Mountain inmates have been prohibited from smoking in work areas, the kitchen, gym and program areas but can light up in their cells and ranges and outside.

Garwood-Filbert said prison officials at Stony Mountain will be working closely with aboriginal elders to accommodate smudging and tobacco ceremonies with the new policy.

Garwood-Filbert could not say how many inmates at Stony Mountain smoke. The prison's general population of 520 inmates includes a non-smoking range which houses 54 inmates.

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/WinnipegSun/News/2005/07/15/1132497-sun.html

Barb Tarbox's husband wants smoking ban revisited -AB

CBC News Last updated Jul 15 2005 09:48 AM MDT

 The widower of Barb Tarbox, who became a vocal anti-smoking activist as she was dying of lung cancer, says the city of Edmonton should rescind its ban on smoking in bars.

Pat Tarbox, who manages the Rose and Crown and Sherlock Holmes pubs in the city, says he has mixed feelings about the ban that went into effect July 1, preventing anyone from lighting up in bars, restaurants and casinos.

His wife, who died in March 2003, spent her final months trying to prevent people from starting the habit.

The Edmonton woman spoke to schools across the country, sharing her cancer-ravaged body, her head made bald by radiation, the pain of saying goodbye to her 10-year-old daughter – all in hope that just one child wouldn't pick up a cigarette.

• FROM MAY 19, 2003: Anti-smoking crusader Tarbox dies

Pat Tarbox, a former smoker, says people shouldn't smoke – but if they do, bars should be allowed to provide a space for those who want to light up.

"I'm asking, basically, that people be allowed to make their own choices, OK? Barb made her choice too, years ago," he said. "And she campaigned to really get the kids to not start smoking and to get them to quit.

"I'd like to see what Mayor [Stephen] Mandel will do about the people who start getting laid off in a couple of months because of places going broke because their sales are declining. Who's going to take care of them?"

Tarbox said he believes in his wife's campaign, but he also believes it will take years and a lot of education to get most smokers to quit.

Fines for those who violate the new bylaw range from $250 to $10,000.

In April, the provincial government passed legislation that bans smoking in all workplaces, excluding bars, casinos and bingo halls.

The bill was weakened after opposition to a total ban from Premier Ralph Klein and a number of cabinet ministers and rural MLAs.

http://calgary.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=ca-tarbox-smoking20050715

Bars say smoking ban killing business -NL

CBC News Last updated Jul 15 2005 12:29 PM NDT

A spokesperson for the province's bar industry says the new smoking ban is already harming business revenues.

Marcel Etheridge of the Beverage Industry Association says alcohol sales are down since the ban came in two weeks ago.

"I haven't met any bar owner that has said business has not gone down," he said. "At the moment, it ranges from 30 per cent minimum to 60 per cent maximum."

• FROM Jun. 30, 2005: Bar owners brace for smoking ban

Etheridge is travelling the province speaking with owners about the affects of the ban and he wants the government to allow designated smoking in bars.

He says VLT usage is also down because of the smoking ban.

Earlier this year, the Beverage Industry Association asked the Supreme Court to delay the bill's passing until the association had a chance to study the business impact but the court turned it down.

• FROM Feb. 5, 2005: Smoking injunction dismissed for club owners

The provincial government unveiled its plan last December to pursue a ban on smoking in public places that include bars, lounges and bingo halls.

Bill 20, the Smoke-Free Environment Act, became law in May, despite the objections.

http://stjohns.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=nl-smoking-ban20050715

Big Tobacco wants love

By MINDELLE JACOBS Sat, June 25, 2005

Battered from all sides, Big Tobacco is trying to paint itself as a socially responsible industry at a time when people are increasingly wondering what happened to corporate integrity.

A 40-page booklet from Imperial Tobacco Canada arrived at the Sun the other day - the company's socio-economic contribution report.

It is the company's way of showing that even if it sells a product that kills people, it is a good corporate citizen.

Yes, indeed, Imperial Tobacco wants to be loved, or at least respected.

"Canadians want us to be a socially responsible company, particularly given the controversial nature of our product, and we recognize this responsibility," Imperial Tobacco president Luc Jobin writes in the introduction to the report.

In 2003 and 2004, the company donated $16.6 million and paid more than $672 million in income taxes, surtax and other taxes. And the sale of tobacco generated $10 billion in tax revenue for the federal and provincial governments, the report notes.

It doesn't mention the health and economic losses that result from tobacco sales - also in the billions of dollars. But I guess that doesn't really fit into a socio-economic contribution report, does it?

In keeping with its mission to "communicate more openly" in the spirit of corporate social responsibility, Imperial Tobacco does acknowledge that cigarettes are bad for you.

"Our position in this matter is clear: there is no such thing as a safe cigarette," it declares.

"Or, put differently, the only safe cigarette is the one that is never smoked."

Yet Big Tobacco persists in using the misleading "light" and "mild" labels on cigarette packages even though those cigarettes are just as harmful as the rest.

"We have never made any health claims in the marketing of our 'lighter' products," explains Imperial Tobacco in its report. Then why even use the terms?

The company is also feeling bullied over Ottawa's anti-tobacco strategy, which it thinks is inflammatory.

"Denormalization is an attempt to demonize and marginalize a legal industry," complains Imperial Tobacco.

What a crybaby. Big Tobacco isn't a normal business. What other industry makes a product that's designed to kill you when used as directed?

There's no evidence that second-hand smoke causes disease, the company says. I don't know whether Jobin has kids, but would he want his son or daughter working day after day in a smoke-filled environment?

The most disingenuous part of Imperial Tobacco's report is its claim that it is not going after kids or new smokers.

"We do not and will not target children," it says. "Our marketing is directed toward influencing adult smokers to choose our brands over competitor brands."

Other tobacco companies take the same position. If that's the case, Big Tobacco should not be opposed to banning cigarette displays from venues accessible to children.

"We believe that displays of our products do not influence the decision to smoke, but rather the decision as to which brand to purchase," says Imperial Tobacco.

Consumers aren't allowed to actually touch cigarette packages before purchase, it adds. Big deal.

If tobacco manufacturers were sincere about only trying to convince adult smokers to switch brands, they would restrict their displays to adults-only venues.

They should voluntarily pull their products from convenience stores, which are heavily frequented by kids.

But they won't. As Rob Cunningham, policy analyst for the Canadian Cancer Society, notes: "The industry needs new recruits to replace those smokers who quit or die."

And the vast majority of smokers begin in their teens.

Big Tobacco will have to try harder if it wants respect.

http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Columnists/Jacobs_Mindelle/2005/06/25/1103570.html

Capital Health to ban smoking

By Candace Brown Staff Writer Friday July 08, 2005

Fort Saskatchewan Record — Capital Health is phasing in a new policy to ban all smoking on its property, including the Fort Health Centre, by the end of the first week of October.
The Royal Alexandra Hospital will be first to undergo the change. This decision was made due to the construction being done at one of the entrances, increasing the volume of people using the other entrances.
Beginning July 13, all property at the Royal Alexandra will be smoke free.
“We have received tremendous support,” says Charlie Fleet, Capital Health public affairs.
“There is a lot of support for this move from the public.”
In 2003, Capital Health brought designated smoking areas into their policy. The new policy will eliminate these areas and ban all smoking on its property including in the parkades.
The purpose of the new policy is to promote better health.
Smoking is the leading cause of preventable health problems. It is responsible for at least 21 per cent of deaths in people 35 and older in Canada.
Patients who are smokers will be offered nicotine replacement methods like the patch and counselling.
“They are given those materials free of charge,” Fleet says.
The staff are trained to assist patients effected by the new policy.
“We are hopeful to influence people to kick the habit.”
Capital Health has run a public awareness campaign about the new policy.
The change is being phased in so it can be seen how it works in a large facility first. Capital Health will continue to phase in the change following the model used at the Royal Alexandra.
“When sites are ready to go (smoke-free) they will.”

http://www.fortsaskatchewanrecord.com/story.php?id=171526

Tobacco growers told more exit funds needed -ON

HANK DANISZEWSKI, Free Press Business Reporter 2005-07-08 02:16:38 

AYLMER -- After a tough year that saw hundreds of producers bail out, the head of Ontario's tobacco board says it's time to retrench.

At the annual meeting of the Ontario Flue-Cured Tobacco Growers' Marketing Board yesterday, chairperson Fred Neukamm said $100 million in federal and provincial money to compensate growers getting out of the industry was only a start and a long-term program is needed.

"Our message to government is that we have bought ourselves some time. Nothing else," said Neukamm, who farms near Aylmer.

Former federal agriculture minister Bob Speller and former provincial agriculture minister Steve Peters, who represented tobacco belt ridings, helped engineer the deal.

Speller was defeated in the last federal election and Peters was recently shuffled to the labour portfolio.

About 232 farmers took advantage of a government program to buy out their quota. That leaves less than 650 tobacco growers in the industry, down from about 3,700 at its peak. The crop target will shrink again next year to about 85 million pounds.

Neukamm and other board directors came under criticism in the last year for not negotiating a better bailout deal. In January, angry producers blocked the doors of the board office in Tillsonburg with tractors, forcing Neukamm to hear their demands in the parking lot.

The mood at yesterday's meeting was subdued, with only a few questions from producers.

"I think more people understand what it's like to negotiate with government," Neukamm said after the meeting. "We did the best we could with the card we were dealt."

But he said the industry still faces serious threats with Canadian processors buying more cheaper foreign tobacco. Imports reached 15 million pounds last year.

Neukamm said the board is asking Ottawa to launch a trade action to cut off or limit the flow of imports.

He said there is hope for Ontario producers in developing export markets in China, which bought 10 million pounds of Canadian tobacco last year. With a huge population, China is one of the few nations where tobacco consumption is growing.

"It is the target market for tobacco producing markets around the world," Neukamm said.

He said the tobacco board plans to meet with federal and provincial officials to discuss another long-term buyout program and high taxes they say encourage black-market activity.

Neukamm conceded the government's anti-smoking campaigns will continue.

"We recognize we are not going to win the health argument. We have no issue with that."

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/LondonFreePress/Business/2005/07/08/1122229-sun.html

Trustee law lashed -MB

By Tom Brodbeck Sat, July 9, 2005

Judge's 'wake-up call' to government

A prominent Manitoba judge criticized the law that allows the Office of the Public Trustee to arbitrarily take over people's lives in a precedent-setting case last year.

But it doesn't appear the ruling, which received no publicity at the time, has changed how the government can strip people -- usually elderly folks -- of their most basic civil liberties.

Queen's Bench Justice Murray Sinclair quashed an order in a Feb. 13, 2004, ruling in a case where the Public Trustee had taken over the life of Anne Kotello, then 86, against her will.

Kotello had two medical doctors' reports stating she was mentally competent and capable of handling her own affairs.

Despite that, the province's director of psychiatric services appointed the Public Trustee to take over her life, including seizing her bank account, confiscating the former school teacher's pension cheques and even opening her personal mail.

The family fought the order and, with the help of two good lawyers, argued successfully in court to have the "committeeship" overturned.

"One would think that, in order for a committeeship order to be put in place, there would be little question as to the person's inability to care for him or herself and manage his or her own affairs," Sinclair said in a written ruling July 20, 2004.

"Yet, in this case, I am satisfied that there was considerable room for argument as to the need for an order."

Sinclair also criticized the director of psychiatric services for refusing a request by Kotello's lawyer to wait for an assessment by her personal physician before proceeding with the order.

"I am concerned that the decision was made to grant an order of committeeship prior to the applicant's being able to provide further evidence of her capacity through the assessment of her family physician," he wrote.

But Sinclair went further, criticizing the legislation that allows for such an arbitrary takeover.

"There is clear reason to question the lack of guidelines contained in the legislation for the director (of psychiatric services) to follow and for the applicant to know how to deal with a situation such as this in the future," he wrote.

Sinclair blasted the entire process, saying the director's office doesn't even share information with the person whose life they're about to take over.

"The principles of natural justice certainly called for the director to give the applicant more opportunity to present her side of the situation than was afforded in this case," he wrote.

BASIC RIGHTS

Gene Zazelenchuk, Kotello's lawyer, said Sinclair's ruling should be a wake-up call for the provincial government, especially coming from such a well-respected judge.

"When he says this is a lousy statute he's not just blowing through his hat," said Zazelenchuk.

He said government, which is now reviewing the legislation following a series of articles on the Public Trustee in The Winnipeg Sun, has to change the law to ensure people's basic rights aren't trampled upon.

"You have a lot less rights than if you're charged with a criminal offence," said Zazelenchuk. "I'm not sure that this legislation would stand up to a Charter challenge."

Kotello's son, Robert Kotello, said the case has put his mother and family through hell.

"The whole situation just takes a life of its own," said Kotello. "You're totally unprepared for it and you're up against a huge bureaucracy."

Want your voice heard on this issue? Call Justice Minister Gord Mackintosh's office at 945-3728 and your MLA, listed in the back of the telephone book.

Let's get this thing changed.

I want to live in a free Canada, not Nazi Germany.

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/WinnipegSun/News/2005/07/09/1123852-sun.html

THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF SMOKE-FREE LEGISLATION ON THE HOSPITALITY ...

The Ocat and Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario study of Studies done March 7/05

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hecs-sesc/tobacco/legislation/hospitalit/hospitalit_e.pdf

Ban being followed

Veronica Rhodes Leader-Post July 9, 2005

While compliance rates with the smoking ban are soaring, many rural hotels' business is dropping after the first six months of butting out in public places.

Tom Mullin, president and CEO of the Hotels Association of Saskatchewan, said the organization recently did a survey of its members that found 22 hotels have closed since the province-wide ban on smoking in enclosed public places came into effect Jan. 1. Of those hotel closures, 21 have been in rural communities and one was in Regina.

The survey results, which are based on responses from 25 per cent of the association's members, found overall revenues are down 26 per cent. Across the province, 103 full and part-time positions in member establishments have been eliminated.

"We anticipated the biggest hurt was going to be out in the rural areas and that's pretty much panning out right now," said Mullin.

Meanwhile, the Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region is reporting nearly 100 per cent compliance rate with the smoking ban amongst bars, restaurants, casinos, bingo halls, bowling alleys and pool halls. Yvonne Graff, manager of environmental health with the region, said staff are busy working with the seasonal businesses that are just opening up.

"There are some seasonal ones that open in May and they're are a few places that are just open in July and August ... Now when they open up their business and we do the inspection at that time, then we'll go over the new Tobacco Control Act and talk to them about how it applies to their business," said Graff.

The ban may be succeeding in lowering tobacco sales in the province. Ed Bohn, owner of the two Brandee's Corner Stores in Regina, said tobacco sales at his stores have gone down roughly 25 per cent since the ban came into effect.

"We tried selling cigarettes for practically zero profit. It just seems like there is nothing you can do to get it back up," said Bohn.

The ban may not be the only reason tobacco sales have gone down. John McDonald, spokesperson for Rothmans, Benson and Hedges, said the company has found its product sales across Canada are down, but the decline in Saskatchewan is less than the national average.

McDonald said the smoking ban has not had a noticeable effect on cigarette sales. But the rise in the number of people getting their tobacco from illegal sources has affected the corporation's sales across the country.

"The biggest impact is the contraband market, the fact that the high taxation policies of government really drives people to these illegitimate sources," said McDonald, in a phone interview from Toronto.

The hotels association has filed a lawsuit against the province claiming the smoking ban violates its members' equality rights under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms because First Nations casinos have ended up exempt from the law. The case goes to court July 21.

For now, Mullin said the association is in on-going discussions with the province. The survey results have been passed on to the government and the association is waiting for a response.

http://www.canada.com/regina/leaderpost/news/story.html?id=85abbef6-c816-45fd-99b9-451c69b72f5d

RE: "BIG Tobacco wants love," by Mindelle Jacobs, June 25. Jacobs seems to believe it would be better if Imperial Tobacco Canada did not act in a responsible manner, was not open about its corporate activities and did not respond to the numerous requests we receive for unconditional, no-strings-attached donations. This is the impression left by her column about Imperial Tobacco Canada's socio-economic contribution report. The Canadian tobacco industry is one of the most regulated and restricted industries in the world and Imperial Tobacco operates entirely within all laws and regulations. Jacobs may not want our company and our legal competitors to act in a responsible manner in the pursuit of a legitimate business that everyone knows is a necessary one. Fortunately, the tens of thousands of Canadians who work in this industry - as growers, manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers - believe that we should, and seek to do so. They are the ones who bear the brunt of the "denormalization" message.

Yves-Thomas Dorval, Imperial Tobacco Canada

(We stand by her column.)

-----------------------------------------------------------

I AM a dinosaur who loved the tolerance and freedom of the 1960s. Who would have thought back then that we would be prohibited from using a legal product (cigarettes) in a restaurant? In a tolerant, free society, most of the restaurants would be smoke-free to serve the majority. The Dino Diner and Raptor's Retreat would cater to dinosaurs who smoke.

Diane Fleming

(There's a Far Side cartoon about this.)

http://www.edmontonsun.com/Comment/Letters/2005/07/10/1125061.html

Smoking issue still smoldering

While municipal governments in Edmonton and St. Albert banned smoking at all public establishments including bars, casinos, and bingo halls this past Friday, Lloydminster city council is going to continue sitting at the smoking table until someone tells them otherwise.

Larry Fisher Sunday July 10, 2005

Lloydminster Meridian Booster — While municipal governments in Edmonton and St. Albert banned smoking at all public establishments including bars, casinos, and bingo halls this past Friday, Lloydminster city council is going to continue sitting at the smoking table until someone tells them otherwise.
Mayor Ken Baker was adamant in saying council will not be forced into making premature decisions and ill-advised bylaws before the smoke clears on Alberta’s Bill 201 – the smoke-free places act.
“I have absolutely no idea what motivated (Edmonton and St. Albert), but our responsibility as municipal governments, and this is with whatever we do, is to do it once and do it right,” said Baker. “We want to do what’s right and certainly there’s arguments for and against and we are being pressured from both sides and that’s fine because we get paid to make decisions, but we get paid to make decisions based on all the information and it’s not there right now.”
Baker said as late as this past Thursday, the city’s senior director of protective services had yet to track down the regulations that accompany Bill 201. Until council has access to those regulations, or an ultimatum making it clear the province is leaving the responsibility up to municipal governments, they will not be taking a second look at the local situation.
“We know what Saskatchewan is doing and once we know for sure in detail what Alberta is doing, then council can revisit and make a final decision on what has to be fixed or if anything has to be fixed,” said Baker. “But we’re not going to start making bylaws, and that’s not me talking – that is council unanimously – until we’ve seen Alberta’s regulations.”
AADAC senior manager Lloyd Carr said Bill 201 received Royal Ascent on May 10 and a select group is currently drafting the regulations for proclamation. That could take place as early as September or as late as November of this year, with enforcement to follow shortly thereafter.
He said the regulations process is only determining the fine system for those who don’t comply with the new legislation – both patrons and business owners – and also organizing what signs have to be posted in business windows to alert Albertans whether the establishment allows smoking.
“Once this is a provincial law in the fall, establishments will have to choose between catering to kids and families or catering only to adults over the age of 18,” said Carr, adding municipalities are still being encouraged to go entirely smoke-free. “When this bill was introduced, our chair said this was setting a minimum standard for municipalities and right now we have team of people working with municipalities to enact 100 per cent smoke-free restrictions like Edmonton and St. Albert have done.”
He said it would make sense for Lloydminster to follow suit as Saskatchewan-side businesses are already abiding by 100 per cent smoke-free legislation.
“If any place should be doing it, Lloyd should be the one looking at doing it,” said Carr.

http://www.meridianbooster.com/story.php?id=171696

"whipping Boy" -AB

It's a waste of time to point fingers at what's ailing our health-care system. If the "whipping boy" of smokers was gone, we'd still have a struggling system. Why? Drunk driving, unsafe work conditions, not wearing bike helmets, too much drinking, skin cancer from over tanning, car exhaust/smog, loneliness, violent crimes, obesity and drug addiction. It'd be great to see creative suggestions to improve the system we have now, as society will never be without a "whipping boy," no matter what it is.

Steve Smith

(Like the saying goes, prevention is easier than a cure.)

http://www.canoe.ca/CalgarySun/editorial.html#letters

Stay out of smoke -SK

Editor, The Echo;
Good news that Saskatchewan's doctors are joining the Canadian Medical Association in calling for the Canada Pension Plan to stop investing in the tobacco industry. Let's hope Alberta doctors follow suit. The plan has sunk about $100 million of its $81-billion holdings into tobacco-related investments. Why would our government invest there when it spends tens of millions on anti-smoking programs, not to mention increased health care costs? Perhaps they hope more people die before they can collect a pension. Sincerely,
Larry MacKillop, Nanton

http://www.pinchercreekecho.com/

Tobacco growers facing increasing pressures -ON

By Doug Avram For the Times-Journal Monday July 11, 2005

AYLMER -- More than 150 people were in attendance at the annual Ontario Flue-Cured Tobacco Growers’ Marketing Boards 48th annual general meeting Thursday in Aylmer. After the 2005 annual report was presented to the members, the board chairman Fred Neukamm addressed his fellow growers and guest.
Neukamm indicated in his remarks that the board was actively engaged in looking to capitalize on export markets. He also outlined the tribulations of the tobacco market place in Canada as growers faced increasing pressures from various agencies outside their control that are taking its toll on the Canadian tobacco growers.
Neukamm praised the various mayors and other political figures who have stood up for the growers’ right to farm and market their legal product. Former Ontario agriculture minister Steve Peters was given accolades for keeping his promise to provide $35 million for the tobacco transition fund.
“The Tobacco Adjustment Assistance Program (TAAP) that was implemented this year will result in the cancellation of approximately 51 million pounds of Basic Production Quota. We welcomed the federal and provincial governments’ contribution to the TAAP. Clearly, the funds were not sufficient to eliminate our problems. We see the TAAP as an initial step towards a plan to secure a long-term industry solution for tobacco farmers -- a solution that includes government, tobacco manufacturers and farmers,” said Neukamm.
“We have bought ourselves some time, nothing else,” continued Neukamm, “It is time to find a permanent solution.”

http://www.stthomastimesjournal.com/story.php?id=171617

Imperial’s boss wants homegrown solution -ON

Record crowd of growers told ‘price competition is the new reality’

Chris Thomas - SUN MEDIA Monday July 11, 2005

INGERSOLL - Canada’s largest cigarette company is not turning its back on Ontario tobacco growers, says the new president of Imperial Tobacco Canada.
“There is a transition necessary, but our preference is for one that would result in a healthy and sustainable Ontario tobacco growing industry for the future, rather than one that is battered and hostile, ” said Benjamin Kemball, who assumed the top position at Imperial Tobacco in February.
Kemball told a record crowd at the annual meeting that Imperial Tobacco is committed to be a partner in a united industry “to find homegrown solutions that meet all of our needs.”
Fred Neukamm, chair of the tobacco board, acknowledged that the changing world has created an environment dictating “modifications in all segments of the tobacco industry.”
Neukamm said the key for growers is the maintenance of domestic tobacco production which has been severely eroded over the years as consumption declines. In the last four years, volumes of the Canadian tobacco industry have dropped 15 per cent, while Imperial’s has declined 31 per cent in the same period.
Kemball explained Imperial Tobacco has suffered more because its premium brands which are being shunned in favour of cheaper cigarettes. As a result, Kemball said Imperial Tobacco has restructured and cut 40 per cent of its workforce, as well as closing plants, including a leaf facility in Aylmer several years ago.
Robert Robitaille, division head of Imperial’s supply chain, said that with pricing pressures from other producing countries and lower cost competition, the price to producers “needs to be in the $2.20 a pound range.” The guaranteed minimum average price to be paid to growers for the 2005 crop is $2.73 per pound.
Imports are a concern for the tobacco board.
In an interview following the meeting, Kemball said Imperial has traditionally imported between five and 15 per cent of its requirements.
“We will buy on the auction what we can,” he said. (But) we expect imports to continue in the same range.”
Imperial Tobacco raised the ire of the tobacco board a couple of years ago when it floated the concept of direct-contract buying in place of the traditional anonymous auction system.
However, Kemball assured the board and growers that direct-contract buying is a “now, very dead issue.”
The “core” of the problem facing the tobacco industry is “excessive government taxation,” he said.
Since 2001, cigarette taxes across Canada have more than doubled and now represent about 70 per cent of the total price of a carton of premium cigarettes. Last year, governments collected $8.7 billion in revenues from the sale of tobacco products.
With taxation pushing up the price of cigarettes, Canada’s five million smokers are increasingly seeking out lower-cost alternatives, including what

is known as value-for-money (VFM) and budget smokes.
Kemball said the tax on a $52.56 carton of VFM product amounts to $42.74, leaving under $10 to be shared by growers, manufacturers, suppliers, wholesalers and retailers.
“Whether you like it or not,” he told growers “price competition is the new reality of the Canadian market and it is affecting all those involved with this industry.”
He added that the Canadian market is also impacted by smuggling and counterfeit cigarettes.

http://www.tillsonburgnews.com/story.php?id=171636

Several Contraband Cigarette Seizures Made in June by Regional Task Force -ON

Cornwall, June 28, 2005 – Since June 15, 2005, the members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Cornwall-Valleyfield Detachment, have seized more than 4,369 cartons of cigarettes, $45,060.00 in U.S. currency, 5 vehicles and arrested 8 subjects near the Canada/US border.

On June 24, 2005, the Akwesasne Mohawk Police observed a vehicle leaving Cornwall Island heading north to Cornwall. Akwesasne Mohawk Police intercepted a 1997 Dodge Caravan in Cornwall on Brookdale Avenue. As a result of a vehicle search, the vehicle and 25 cases of cigarettes in zip lock bags were seized.

A male (40) Cornwall resident is charged with unlawfully having a tobacco product in his possession that was not stamped in accordance with the provisions of the Excise Act. He is scheduled to appear in Cornwall Provincial Court on August 8, 2005.

On June 23, 2005, the Ontario Provincial Police conducted a traffic stop on the 401 westbound off ramp at Exit 750, when the officer observed cases of contraband cigarettes inside the vehicle. As a result of a vehicle search, a 1999 GMC Savana as well as 44 cases of cigarettes were seized. The Cornwall Valleyfield Regional Task force were called to assist.

A male (34) resident of Cornwall, Ontario is charged with unlawfully having a tobacco product in his possession that was not stamped in accordance with the provisions of the Excise Act. He is scheduled to appear in Morrisburg Provincial court on August 2, 2005.

A male (21) passenger, resident of Long Sault, Ontario is charged with unlawfully having a tobacco product in his possession that was not stamped in accordance with the provisions of the Excise Act. He is scheduled to appear in Morrisburg Provincial Court on August 2, 2005.

On June 21, 2005, Cornwall/Valleyfield Regional Task Force along with their law enforcement partners intercepted a vehicle on Highway 401 east of Lancaster, Ontario. As a result of a vehicle search, $45,060.00 in U.S. currency was seized. A male (20) resident of Saint-Eustache, Quebec was held for detention and later released.

On June 15, 2005, members of the Cornwall/Valleyfield Regional Task Force along with their law enforcement partners intercepted a 2003 Pontiac Van on Avonmore Road, north of Harrison’s Corners. As a result of a vehicle search, the vehicle, 300 cartons of white filtered cigarettes packaged in ziplock bags were seized.

A male (51) resident of Ottawa, Ontario is charged with unlawfully having a tobacco product in his possession that was not stamped in accordance with the provisions of the Excise Act. He is scheduled to appear in Cornwall Provincial Court on August 8, 2005.

The same day, while patrolling the St. Lawrence River west of Cornwall Island members of the Joint Investigative Team of Akwesasne Mohawk Police observed a vessel unloading boxes into a Van. As they approached the shore the vessel departed. As a result of a search, the vehicle and 3500 cartons of DK cigarettes were seized. The Cornwall/Valleyfield Regional Task Force was called in to assist.

A male (40) resident of Akwesasne, New York was charged with unlawfully having a tobacco product that was not stamped in accordance with the provisions of the Excise Act. He is scheduled to appear in Cornwall Provincial Court on July 9, 2005.

A male young offender (18) of Cornwall Island was also charged with unlawfully having a tobacco product that was not stamped in accordance with the provisions of the Excise Act. He is scheduled to appear in Cornwall Provincial Court on July 25, 2005.

Also on June 15, 2005, Akwesasne Mohawk Police intercepted a 1995 Chevrolet Lumina van after it turned into the parking lot at Peace Tree Trade Center. As a result of a search, the vehicle and 500 cartons of DK cigarettes were seized. The Cornwall/Valleyfield Regional Task Force was called in to assist

A male (39) resident of Akwesasne, Ontario is charged with unlawfully having a tobacco product in his possession that was not stamped in accordance with the provisions of the Excise Act. He is scheduled to appear in Cornwall Provincial Court on July 25, 2005.

http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/qc/comm/2005/juin05/050629_e.htm

Full house at new casino -MB

By Elizabeth Soto and Marc Zienkiewicz Friday July 01, 2005

South Beach Casino drawing in North Eastman residents

Beausejour Review — The South Beach Casino is betting on a full house, and residents of Lac du Bonnet are its fifth biggest asset.

The new Brokenhead First Nation casino officially opened its doors for gaming business on May 28 and staff say they are pleasantly surprised with the customer demand.

“We’re really overwhelmed with the turnout. It’s fantastic and we hope it continues,” said Barry Denesiuk, table games director for South Beach Casino.

The casino, which is owned by seven aboriginal communities in a consortium partnership, features 300 slot machines and 12 gaming tables offering up blackjack, poker and baccarat.

And as it turns out, folks from LdB are showing up in pretty significant numbers.

The casino’s marketing consultant, who goes by the name Fish, told the Leader June 28 that the latest stats just came in, and LdB residents make up approximately 3.5 per cent of the casino’s business, going by the scores of people who have been purchasing the casino’s Players’ Club membership cards.

LdB is ranked fifth on the list, behind Winnipeg (which sits at Number 1), and followed by Selkirk, Beausejour, and Powerview-Pine Falls.

Smoking permitted

One of the significant differences between this casino and most others in the province is the exemption from the smoking ban allowing gamblers to smoke while they play. The first nation is on federal land, meaning the provincial smoking ban doesn’t come into play. Critics of the exemption say it gives the casino an unfair business advantage.

Tina Leveque, Brokenhead Chief, doesn’t agree with the criticism.

“I’m making no apologies,” Leveque said. “We didn’t make the provincial laws and now that we’re in a position to benefit from them we’re being lambasted and criticized.”

Leveque added the casino has been 20 years in the making and is significant in the reserve’s plans for its future success.

“This casino means a big boost to our economy, it means long-term sustainability. It’s also going to be a part of our foundation on which to lay our economic future,” she said.

Reaction is mixed among LdB bar owners so far. Bill Juba, owner of Casey’s Inn, said he has noticed a sizeable drop-off in the amount of VLT revenue in his bar.

“Definitely it’s affecting us,” Juba said. “It’s something new for people. It’s affected us, yes. But it will wear out after awhile.”
On the other hand, Lakeview Motor Hotel owner John Enright said he hasn’t noticed much of a drop-off at all.

No vacant machines

As optimistic as Leveque is about the future of the casino, she is also realistic about the demands it will put on the reserve’s current infrastructure.

Some of these demands include excess traffic, shortage of space in daycares and schools for the children of casino workers moving to the area.

She’s also concerned about a shortage in housing to meet this expected influx as well as other issues such as gambling addiction.

“No matter what the project, there’s always going to be a negative impact especially for us as the hosting community for the casino. We just have to deal with it and in our negotiations we negotiated under that premise.”

One problem quickly identified through customer demand is there isn’t a single vacant slot machine in the entire building.

Kevin Boulet, a local paper mill employee stopped in on his work break to check out the new casino but left soon after arriving.

“There aren’t any machines available and I don’t have time to wait for one,” Boulet said.

The casino currently employs approximately 160 people.

Denesiuk says that the current staff was hired at a time when the casino was unsure of what kind of traffic to expect. The casino is now prepared to do more hiring for all departments and has job postings in local papers to meet the high customer demand.

This demand could lead to expansion efforts in the future, such as a hotel, lakefront housing developments and a boardwalk in the area’s wetlands.

Leveque says that all communities and municipalities should get ready to benefit from the new casino.

“We are currently sitting on the edge of an economic boom,” she said.

http://www.beausejourreview.com/story.php?id=170121

Burty Bob’s shutting down -ON

By Times-Journal Staff Wednesday July 06, 2005

It was a last hurrah, the Vote Aaron party last night at Burty Bob’s.
Last call for the once-popular downtown St. Thomas club is Saturday, manager Ray Daniels said last night.
Daniels blamed inequitable enforcement of the city’s smoking ban.
He named another bar which he says openly defies the ban, and which has attracted his business as a result.
“We’re the ones abiding by it, and we’re the ones closing down,” he said.
“I call that ironic.”
Daniels said the club has a staff of 23 employees, mostly part-time.
They were told of the closure last week.

http://www.stthomastimesjournal.com/story.php?id=171006

The Government of Canada reaffirms its commitment to combat Canada's rising obesity levels

    OTTAWA, July 6 /CNW Telbec/ - In response to Statistics Canada's release of the latest number of overweight and obese Canadians, Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh and Minister of State (Public Health) Dr. Carolyn Bennett recognized the need to take action to address the significant public health threat caused by obesity in Canada.

Data confirms that obesity rates in Canada have nearly doubled among adults and nearly tripled among children over the past 25 years. Serious health risks are associated with overweight and obesity including high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease.

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/July2005/06/c9108.html

Commercial Marijuana Research Gets Green Light

VANCOUVER ISLAND, BC, July 6 /CNW/"Health Canada recognizes the need for research into marihuana to determine the safety and efficacy of its use. The Government of Canada will continue to support this research."

PhytoCan is using exclusive patented technology to produce standardized organic cannabis medicines. After second phase of research, a product will be ready for clinical trials.

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/July2005/06/c8953.html

New Well Tests Being Considered by Grey-Bruce-Owen Sound Health Unit -ON

The Grey-Bruce-Owen Sound Health Unit could soon be peering into your well.
The health unit and Grey County are discussing a new initiative to monitor the quality of private wells in the county.
It's a follow-up on stringent new drinking-water regulations issued by the province.
Medical Officer of Health Dr. Hazel Lynn says she's interested in the idea.
However, she wants assurances as to whether the province or the county will pay for the checks before proceeding further.

The federal government is providing $71 million to tobacco farmers, while implementing funding cuts to Health Canada's tobacco control programme.

Part of the threatened cuts are due to the government's reducing and reorganizing of all its mass media advertising (including smoking) in light of the sponsorship scandal.

Contact MPPs in your province/riding to ask that funding be restored to Health Canada's tobacco control programme prior to funding being given to tobacco farmers. (* emphasis added)

http://www.ocat.org/whatsnew.html

Smoky haze moves outside pubs -AB

By AJAY BHARDWAJ, EDMONTON SUN Thu, July 7, 2005

Bar patrons are moving their butts outdoors, thanks to Edmonton's new smoking bylaw.

And some of them may have taken the last of the ashtrays at one city pub.

"Some people took a few as mementoes," said Ronnie Tallman, a waitress at Ceili's Irish Pub, 10338 109 St. She's not sure where the other ones have disappeared to.

Smokers are drifting out of the bar to take drags on their cancer sticks, she said. The bar has obliged them by putting out sand boxes that serve as ashtrays, Tallman said.

The bylaw, which took effect July 1, prohibits smoking in all Edmonton pubs, clubs and restaurants, including patios.

Critics said the bylaw would drive smokers away and hurt business. Proponents said the ban would create healthier atmospheres for patrons and workers.

At Overtime Broiler and Taproom, 10304 111 St., bartender John Miok said it's too early to say if patrons are staying away in droves because they can't smoke.

"Some regulars, they're smokers, I didn't see them around Saturday," said Miok.

Ashtrays at that bar have also disappeared, he said.

"The staff took some of them," he said. "Most were thrown away."

Most of the ashtrays were promotional items from a cigarette company, he said.

http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Edmonton/2005/07/07/1120869-sun.html

Royal Alex clearing the air-AB

By MAX MAUDIE, EDMONTON SUN Thu, July 7, 2005

The Royal Alexandra Hospital is going smoke-free next week, and that's sparking concern for how patients will cope, particularly psychiatric patients.

Stephen Jenuth, the president of the Alberta Civil Liberties Association, said he's not a big fan of smoking, but he doubts a hospital is the best place to quit.

"Usually you're in the hospital for things that are quite serious," he said.

It's hardly the time to compound medical hardships with nicotine withdrawal, Jenuth said.

Capital Health has announced plans for all of its facilities to go smoke-free, including all grounds and parkades, effective Oct. 3.
 

The Royal Alex is the first to go smoke-free because it worked in well with their current renovations, an official said.

"There still will be the option for (patients) to go outside, off the property to smoke," said Glenda Coleman-Miller, senior operating officer of patient care at the hospital.

Due to the special needs of psychiatric patients in some Capital Health hospitals, the region will phase in the elimination of smoking areas for the patients over the next year.

"They're people who are there because of a court order. Because of an illness which they have," Jenuth said.

Capital Health will keep the smoking room in the Royal Alex's mental-health ward when the rest of the hospital butts out on Wednesday, but it will eventually be phased out, too.

Psychiatrist Charl Els - who specializes in addiction - has been contracted by Capital Health to oversee the process of going smoke-free.

He said the driving force behind the move is employee safety - protecting staff from having to work in an environment with second-hand smoke in it.

"The science also tells us (the mentally ill) often want to quit smoking."

Patients will be monitored closely to ensure the process of going smoke-free is as smooth as possible.

And if they are desperate to smoke, they can always go outside, off the property, escorted by a guard or guardian.

http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2005/07/07/1120870-sun.html

Resistance is futile -MB

By TOM BRODBECK Thu, July 7, 2005

There's little you can do to fend off Public Trustee

One of the most frequent questions I've been asked after my series on how Manitoba's Public Trustee can so easily take over people's lives is how to protect yourself from them.

Unfortunately, I've talked to some lawyers and I'm sad to report there's not a hell of a lot you can do to protect yourself from this totalitarian regime.

Unless you've got some money and a good lawyer experienced in the field, that is -- something not everyone has. Even then it can be a difficult battle.

"It's one of those sad situations where, as the law stands, you are at the mercy of the bureaucracy," said Gary Burnside, a Swan River lawyer with experience fighting Public Trustee orders. "If they say 'Yea' or 'Nay,' there's not much one can do -- it's a very frustrating and difficult situation."

FIRESTORM

The story of Thomas Hanaway, the 80-year-old Winnipeg man whose life was taken over by the Public Trustee recently, has triggered a firestorm of controversy.

The Winnipeg Sun stories have resulted in a government audit of the Hanaway case and a review of the legislation that governs the office, Justice Minister Gord Mackintosh announced last week.

The series has raised serious questions about the arbitrary nature of the Public Trustee, including how easy it is for them to quash a person's enduring power of attorney.

"The act is clear that it supersedes the existing power of attorney," said Burnside. "It's up to the Public Trustee to decide if it's in the person's best interest or not (to continue the power of attorney), and that's it."

The only avenue of appeal is to fight the order in court, he said.

And most lawyers I've talked to say that can cost $3,000 to $4,000, with no guarantee of success.

"It smacks of the potential for Orwellian, paternalistic, governmental abuse," said Ian Restall, a Winnipeg lawyer who has also had clients fighting the Public Trustee.

One of the main problems with the process is that the province's director of psychiatric services can appoint the Public Trustee to take over someone's affairs -- including seizing his or her bank account and pension cheques -- without conducting a thorough investigation, said Restall.

The director has no obligation to consult with the family or the person's family doctor, he said.

"The director is really in some ways both prosecutor, judge and jury," said Restall.

And once the Public Trustee is called in, they take over immediately.

There are a few things you can do that may help protect you from the Public Trustee, said Restall.

Make sure someone in the family has enduring power of attorney over you. It does often help, he said. And get what's known as a "health-care directive" -- a living will that allows someone, usually a family member, to make medical decisions on your behalf, said Restall.

"Both are evidence that you've made individual choices and might be used in an argument against the Public Trustee if they go ahead and intrude," he said.

Also, maintain long-term relations with a family doctor and stay in close contact with family members, said Restall.

PUT MONEY ASIDE

And just in case you ever have to fight the Public Trustee, put a few thousand dollars aside, if you can, to pay the legal bills, he said.

"Ironically you'd want it in the hands of another family member because the public trustee would have control of your funds," said Restall.

Mind boggling, isn't it?

This isn't bulletproof by any means. But it may help, said Restall.

The real solution is to change the law to ensure there is due process before government can take away someone's freedom.

Want your voice heard on this issue?

Call Justice Minister Gord Mackintosh's office at 945-3728 and your MLA, listed in the back of telephone book.

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/WinnipegSun/News/2005/07/07/1120531-sun.html

First Nations children face grim health conditions

    Over one half of First Nations children on-reserve are overweight or obese, according to the First Nations Regional Longitudinal Health Survey  (RHS)

    OTTAWA, ON, July 7 /CNW Telbec/ - A clearer picture of the health and well-being of First Nations children (on-reserve) has been revealed in the preliminary results of the RHS Children's Survey, released nationally today.
    "The RHS will fill the information gap on the determinants of health that affect the health and well-being of our children. RHS is the most comprehensive study done on the health and living conditions of our First Nations children," said Jane Gray, RHS National Coordinator. "It's the only national research project under complete First Nations control."

    The preliminary RHS Children Survey results indicate that:

    - Over half (55.2%) of First Nations children on-reserve are either overweight (22.3%) or obese (36.2%). First Nations children between the ages of 3 to 5 are more likely to be obese at 48.7%.

    - First Nations children were 70% more likely than Canadian children to report one or more injuries in the previous year (17.2% vs. 10.2%). The most common causes were falls/trips (7.6%), bicycle and bicycle/motor- vehicle accidents (3.9%), and sports injuries (2.1%).

    - Chronic bronchitis, learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD) and fetal alcohol syndrome/fetal alcohol effects (FAS/FAE) are all more common among First Nations boys.

    - Nearly one in three (31.2%) of 9 to 11 year olds understood one or more First Nations languages "fluently" or "relatively well". 83.2% of First Nations children considered traditional cultural events to be "somewhat important" or "very important".

    - Over two-thirds of First Nations children are reported in 'very good' or 'excellent' health. The following factors are associated with those better ratings: living with parent(s), always or almost always eating a nutritious and balanced diet, having a mother with a university degree, and living in a non-crowded home.

    "The results from the Survey will support First Nations communities in their planning and addressing health care needs, and the creation of preventative programs for First Nations children. We need to use this data to plan for a better future for our children," added Gray.
    The Survey was conducted in 238 First Nations on-reserve and other communities between August 2002 and November 2003, with more than 22,000 participants across the country. The RHS includes three questionnaires designed for adults (18 years and over), adolescents (12 to 17 years), and children (0 to 11 years). The RHS preliminary report on the First Nations youth will be released in the Fall.
    The RHS final national and regional reports on First Nations children, youth and adults will be released at the upcoming First Nations research conference ,"Doing Research Our Way - Celebrating 10 Years of RHS" will be held on November 13, 14 & 15, 2005 in Ottawa.

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/July2005/07/c9803.html

Jobs Are In Decline - StatsCan Top-Lines Mask Reality

    TORONTO, July 8 /CNW/ - In stark contrast to the top-line employment numbers from StatsCan today, the tables reveal a troubling trend: private sector job growth is even lower than last year, the worst since 2001.
    "We've been fooling ourselves about this disturbing reality by focusing on the unemployment rate, not job creation," says Mark Swartz, a Canadian careers specialist, author and speaker. He adds that Canada is relying too heavily on government jobs, which are funded by our own taxes. There has also been an unexplained jump in self-employment that has increased the incidence of precarious labour.
    While the overall unemployment rate is 6.7%, year to date the economy has added just 104.2M new jobs, DOWN 8% from the same period in 2004. This year's statistics break out as follows:

    -  Public Sector Employees:   + 23.6M
    -  Private Sector Employees:  + 80.7M

    "The illusion of growth is most evident in the private sector, which misleadingly counts self-employment as full-time, private sector jobs," says Swartz. This grossly distorts the employment picture. Of this year's 80.7M new private sector positions, fully 51.2M, nearly 2/3rds, are self-employment, not real jobs. He notes "Historically self-employment has hovered around 15% of total employment. Recent statistics suggest a growing deficit in genuine jobs masked by inflated rates of self-employment."
    This trend should be cause for concern given that conditions for producing better jobs have been ideal for years: historically low interest rates and a cheaper Canadian dollar; peaks in corporate profits; record high spending by consumers; and depletion of the national savings rate to levels not seen since the Great Depression.
    Swartz concludes "We need to look beyond the summary provided by Statistics Canada and put increased effort into assisting our ailing economy immediately."

    About Mark Swartz, MBA, M.Ed.

    Mark is a Toronto-based career consultant, speaker and author. His best seller, "Get Wired, You're Hired" (Prentice Hall Canada) sold in the tens of thousands. From there he became Career Advisor on Canada's leading internet portal, Sympatico.ca. Today Mark is a regular contributor to a national newspaper. In addition, he consults with individuals and organizations on issues related to the world of work and careers.

For further information: Phone: (905) 886-1993, Fax: (905) 886-8151, E-Mail: mark@careeractivist.com, Web: www.careeractivist.com

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/July2005/08/c9719.html

http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/050708/d050708a.htm

Iqaluit racquet club serves up challenge to smoking bylaw

CBC NewsLast updated Jul 8 2005 11:36 AM MDT

 A private club in Iqaluit is going to court to fight efforts to shut down its smoking room.

Earlier this year, the Workers' Compensation Board ruled that the room at the Frobisher Racquet Club was illegal under its new regulations which ban smoking in all workplaces and prohibits smoke rooms, except in places such as elders' centres which are residences.

The racquet club is appealing the compensation board's decision.

"It's our view that it's a violation of the regulations in that it is a workplace and the employer is permitting smoking in the workplace which is contrary to the regulations," says Michael Triggs, with Yellowknife's WCB.

He says the law allows smoking rooms outside of a building such as an airport

But Triggs says that's not what the racquet club has built.

The racquet club has not yet commented on the case.

It will be heard in the Nunavut Court of Justice in September.

http://north.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=smoking-challenge08072005

Court upholds casinos' cigarette rewards plan

By PAUL WALDIE

Friday, July 8, 2005 Page A15

Health Canada has lost a battle in its continuing war against cigarette smoking.

Federal health officials have been in a legal tussle with two of Canada's largest casinos over a rewards program they use called Players Advantage Club.

The program allows patrons to use points they've accumulated to buy a variety of goods, including cigarettes. Health officials said that amounted to giving away smokes, which is a violation of the Tobacco Act, which forbids retailers to furnish tobacco products "without monetary consideration."

Last year, the department ordered the casinos -- Casino Niagara and Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort -- to change the points plan and exclude tobacco products.

The owner of the casinos, Falls Management Co., refused and argued that they are not giving away cigarettes. The company said club members paid for them with points, which served as "monetary consideration."

The case ended up at the Federal Court of Canada and in a decision released this week, the court sided with the casinos and threw out Health Canada's order.

"The evidence reveals that the Rewards Program does not promote the sale or use of tobacco products in any way and makes no direct or indirect representations that would influence and shape attitudes, beliefs or behaviour with respect to tobacco products," Mr. Justice Yves de Montigny said.

"The reward value that is removed from the member's account is akin to cash and has real monetary value with a direct relationship to the value of the tobacco products. The value debited from the account is a proxy for 'money.' "

Bruce Caughill, a lawyer at Falls Management, said the company was pleased with the decision. He declined further comment.

Paul Duchesne, a spokesman for Health Canada, said the department is reviewing the ruling and considering its options.

The club program has not attracted huge interest for the casinos, which are both in Niagara Falls, Ont. The company said of the six million people who visited Casino Niagara in 2002, about two million were club members.

Club members must be 19 years old or older and they earn points every time they play slot machines or other games. Every 100 points is worth $6. The company said only 5,000 members used points to buy cigarettes.

The two casinos boast more than 5,000 slot machines and 289 table games. Fallsview Casino opened a year ago at a cost of roughly $1-billion.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory

/LAC/20050708/SMOKES08/TPNational/Canada