Emotions flare on ‘front line’ of smoking war
By TOM TROY
Toledo (OH) Blade
September 28, 2003
 "All these claims of economic chaos, that’s just standard stuff out of the industry playbook," Dr. Glantz said. "What these restaurant and bar owners have had pounded into their heads for over a decade is, ‘If these laws pass, you’ll go broke.’"

Connie Heck, the owner of Connie’s, a bar and restaurant on Central Avenue near Ottawa Hills, said she does not have a playbook, and she doesn’t know any tobacco lobbyists. All she knows for certain about the city’s smoking ban is that her bar patrons have fled.

"The clientele we’re gaining in the dining room are the nonsmokers. But I’m not getting the drinkers who stay until midnight," Ms. Heck said.

As if on cue, a potential patron walked into Connie’s, stood for a moment, and then said, "This is a nonsmoking bar?" Sheepishly, he turned and walked out, saying he would look for another bar where he could enjoy a glass of wine and a cigarette.

Other bar and grill owners around Toledo tell similar stories.

Bar owners in Toledo say they hope city council will act to repeal the restriction on bars, while leaving it in place on restaurants. If not, they intend to put the issue before voters.

"People don’t seem to understand that we’re just concentrating on restaurants," said Bill Delaney, owner of Delaney’s Lounge on Alexis Road and treasurer of Citizens for Common Sense. "The people tell us they’re not concerned about bars, bingo halls, and bowling alleys."

Ms. Heck said one loyal customer named Larry was a regular at the bar, racking up $60 bar tabs a night.

She has heard he is now drinking at Arnie’s in Westgate, where smoking is still allowed during the 120-day exemption period.

Ms. Heck recalled that before he last left, Larry said to her: "My dear, I love you, but I have to say goodbye."

http://www.cmh.pitt.edu/tobacco/news/Newsemotions_092803.htm

The truth found, Glantz lies http://forces.org/infamy/files/humber1.htm

Stars oppose public smoking ban -UK

A group of celebrities has written to The Times newspaper opposing a smoking ban in public places.

Actor Stephen Fry, television presenter Chris Tarrant, artist David Hockney, Tory MP Boris Johnson and Bob Geldof were among those who signed the letter.

"Dangers of smoking and passive smoking are currently being exaggerated to the point of hysteria," the letter claims.

But the Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) campaign group said public smoking "limits other people's rights".

Other stars who signed the letter included pop music mogul Simon Cowell, singer Joe Jackson, chef Anthony Worrall Thompson, publisher Felix Dennis, inventor Trevor Baylis.

'Individual choice'

The letter, also signed by musicians Joe Jackson and Lisa Stansfield, argues that New York and the Irish Republic have both suffered since introducing a smoking ban.

The letter states: "The risks of passive smoke have never been proven beyond meaningless levels in a small minority of studies.

"To smoke, to associate with smokers, or to operate a venue in which smoking is allowed should all be matters for individual choice.

"Smoking is legal and in pubs and clubs it's fanatical smoke-haters who are the minority."

The letter concludes by asking politicians and the media to "de-escalate the tension" surrounding smoking and "let common sense and the free market decide the future of British social life".

'Wildly misrepresented'

Pro-smoking campaign group Forest welcomed the letter, saying it showed how strongly people feel about the issue.

Simon Clark, director of Forest, said: "We urge the government not to be bullied by the antics of the anti-smoking lobby."

He said anti-smokers have "wildly misrepresented the dangers of passive smoking" and claimed the silent majority "want choice, not a total ban".

Deborah Arnott, director of Ash, said: "Clearly smokers have the right to smoke, but this is about where they smoke.

"Other people smoking in public places means asthma sufferers, for example, are restricted in where they go because people smoking can bring on asthma attacks."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3689466.stm

 

Weekly laurels and laments -WI

From the Journal Sentinel

Posted: Sept. 24, 2004

As choked as city streets may be with auto fumes during rush hour, the pollutants are 50 times worse in smoky bars and casinos, reports a new study by biophysicist James Repace, a secondhand-smoke consultant. He tested air in a casino, a pool hall and six taverns in Delaware before and after a smoking ban took effect. He initially found high levels of cancer-causing pollutants, which ventilation systems failed to clear out fast enough. After the ban went into effect, the pollutants dropped by 90% indoors - to about the same level as outdoors. His study vindicates city leaders in Madison and Wauwatosa - both of which have passed smoking bans for indoor public places, though they have not yet taken effect - and gives powerful ammunition to advocates of such bans elsewhere.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/editorials/sep04/261470.asp

EVALUTION by FORCES http://www.forces.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=750

 

Now the fug of smoke has lifted, all eyes are on Dublin - Ireland
Health officials from Manchester visit the Irish capital to see the effects of the smoking ban
Helen Carter
Saturday September 25, 2004
The Guardian
Midnight in Dublin on the north side of the river Liffey. Busty Lycra, a drag queen at the Guru club, and her friend Miss Misdemeanour huddle together for warmth as they shift from foot to foot and inhale deeply on their cigarettes. Their elaborate wigs and the white tassels of Miss Misdemeanour's red cowboy jacket flap in the chill wind.

Later on stage, Busty asks clubbers for their opinion. "What do you think of the smoking ban?" As she turns her microphone in the direction of the audience, there is a loud roar - broadly of approval, but tinged with the occasional boo. "What do you think? Yes? No? Fuck off?". She laughs.

As the evening wears on, more people head outside for cigarette breaks. They are laughing and joking as they collectively light up and attempt to shield themselves from the cool September air.

"I think it is a lot better, I like the clean air," says Laura Eustace, 35, as she takes a drag of her cigarette. "I must admit when I first heard about it, I was absolutely horrified. But I have never spoken to so many people as I now have outside bars - it has a very sociable aspect to it."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1312383,00.html

 

 

Smoking ban revised - GA

By Jay Jones9/24/2004
jay.jones@rockdalecitizen.com

CONYERS — Revisions made to the proposed countywide no-smoking ordinance changed two contentious requirements leading up to a second reading next week by the Rockdale County Board of Commissioners (BOC).
The revised ordinance is expected to be discussed by the BOC during a work session this morning, with possible adoption of the new law set for Oct. 1.
*That’s it people change the rules! What a surprise, NOT.

http://www.rockdalecitizen.net/archive/2004/1634.htm

 

Budget pits prevention against treatment - GA

By Dave Williams
dave.williams@rockdalecitizen.com

ATLANTA — When health-care dollars are scarce, treatment gets the nod over prevention.
That was the message from the state Board of Human Resources, which voted this week to shift up to $4.4 million from disease-prevention programs operated by the Division of Public Health to save two programs for Georgians with developmental disabilities.
“Prevention is important,’’ said board member Dr. Lawrence Cooper of Atlanta. “It’s just a place where we’ve got more flexibility.’’
The proposed shift is just a small part of plans to cut up to $40.8 million next year from a $1.36 billion Department of Human Resources budget, the agency’s share of a new round of across-the-board spending reductions ordered by Gov. Sonny Perdue.
Under a proposal presented by the DHR’s staff, the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Addictive Diseases would take the largest hit, with $17.9 million in cuts.
But board members balked at eliminating a program that provides day care for developmentally disabled Georgians with the most severe disabilities and discontinuing state support for the Marcus Institute, an agency near Emory University that serves children with severe disabilities and chronic health-care needs.
Cook argued that none of the organizations involved in the prevention efforts the state funds, including anti-smoking ads, can prove statistically that their programs are working.
“They’re well-intentioned ideas,’’ he said. “(But) we do not have a single prevention program with measurable results.’’
Deen insisted that the smoking prevention program is working and that its results can be measured.
  The DHR budget recommendations now go to Perdue’s Office of Management and Budget. Eventually, it will be up to the governor and General Assembly to decide how to balance spending priorities.

http://www.rockdalecitizen.net/search/archiveSearch.html

 

Warning on flood of smoking claims -AU
By State Political Reporter GREG KELTON
September 25, 2004
PRESSURE continues to mount on the State Government to toughen its proposed smoking bans, with WorkCover warning of huge passive smoking claims.
WorkCover chairman Bruce Carter has warned of the consequences in evidence to a parliamentary committee into the insurance provider.

Mr Carter also is president of the National Heart Foundation of SA, one of four major anti-smoking groups which have withdrawn support for the Government's legislation.

Along with the Cancer Council, the Asthma Foundation and the Australian Medical Association, the Heart Foundation has been critical of the 2007 deadline for banning smoking in pubs and clubs and a Government decision to water down restrictions on point-of-sale outlets.

The groups are expected to mount an intensive lobbying campaign over the next month as the Legislative Council begins debating the Bill.

Tasmania announced this week it would ban indoor smoking in gaming and cabaret venues from January next year and in pubs and clubs from January, 2006.

Queensland is proposing a total smoking ban in hotels and clubs, even on public beaches, from 2006.

http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,10873227%255E910,00.html

 

I have a response to the scare mongering appearing in the news.  I suggest you get 3 cases that have proven (death certificate) that smoking caused them to get the disease.  The statements that so many people will die from cancer each year is based on a computer program called SEMMAC.  They use the EPA risk factors, and then calulate that.  I would suggest that the government do less fear mongering, and more investigative journalism.  I would also suggest that you get your information from more then one source (not the cancer society).  In Canada there is controversy going on because there are charges that societies are affecting elections.  Charities are suupose to be advocates, not legislators. 

 

How Prison Helped Me Kick My Smoking Habit- TN, USA

Pacific News Service, Commentary,
Dannie Martin, Sep 20, 2004

MASON, TENNESSEE - I thought stopping a 50-year smoking habit was impossible. A pack a day of non-filter Camel cigarettes for five decades is hard to quit. Even after a doctor told me that on a chest X-ray my lungs looked like two dried prunes.
I tried everything to stop: nicotine patches, Nicorette gum, hypnotism, monster willpower, you name it, I tried it, to no avail. The camel kept his nose in the tent.
Then I was charged with violating parole and found out that the first jail I went to was a no-smoking facility. I stayed there a week without a cigarette. I was going nuts, but by the sixth and seventh day I had calmed down some. By then I would pass two or three hours without thinking about a smoke.
 Despite the high price, the demand always outstrips the supply. Someone's always looking to buy a cigarette. There aren't any matches in here but there are transistor radio batteries. The spark is made by applying steel wool and toilet paper to the radio battery.
One convict told me he buys a pack of cigarettes for fifty dollars and smokes them all himself. He said it lasts him five or six days.
"Quite a few of us do that," he told me. "It cuts down the chance of getting told on, and most of the men who sell smokes do get told on eventually."
If a con is caught with tobacco, he goes straight to isolation. It's usually fifteen days for the first offense and thirty for the second. Ironically, sometimes a man is put in isolation for smoking by the guard who sold him the cigarettes.
There was some excitement in the cellblock here a few nights ago when the police ran in and grabbed a guy accused of selling tobacco. They also detained an officer who was accused of bringing in the contraband and escorted him off the premises. We know the inmate is in isolation. We don't know the fate of the guard.
I never thought jail would do anything positive for me, but there's a no-smoking program here that works. I wouldn't advise it, though, until you've tried everything else.
smoking banned, still smoking

 

Cigar gifts rolling in for 108-year-old aficionado -OH

By ERIC NEWHOUSE
Tribune Projects Editor

Cigar smokers around the world are responding to the plight of Walter Breuning, who reluctantly gave up smoking at age 99.

"Good cigars got so expensive I couldn't afford them," Breuning told the Tribune on his 108th birthday Tuesday.

"But I sure loved those cigars," he said.

Within a couple of days, Breuning received two Havana cigars from an online reader in London.

And, after nine years of good living, how did that first cigar taste?

"It was good," he said. "Oh man, it tasted good."

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/news/stories/20040925/localnews/1302607.html

 

Smoked _THE PROPOGANDA campaign *= MY COMMENTS

Greg Hartley / Franklin Park / The Writer Is A Board Member Of SmokeFree Pennsylvania Pittsburgh (PA) Tribune-Review.
Sunday, November 30, 2003

In Walter Williams' column ("Harm's two-way street," Nov. 20/21), he attempts to make a case against smoke-free workplace legislation by using outdated talking points from the tobacco industry.
For example, he claims that the only people harmed by secondhand smoke are those "allergic to tobacco or ... find its odor unpleasant." This is contrary to reports by the U.S. Surgeon General and others, which attribute approximately 50,000 annual deaths to secondhand smoke.  * using a a computer program, no death certificates. Not a program based on inflated risk assessment.

Williams contends that he is harmed by the "denial of pleasure" caused by the prohibition of smoking in someone else's presence. It's difficult to respond to such a trivial claim other than advising him that his right to smoke stops where my lungs start. * Free will and money talk volumes in a free market society.   Let your money talk not your views.

Concerning his argument that private property rights give restaurant and bar owners license to allow smoking in their establishments, we remind him that these establishments are, by definition, public places. *The business owner no longer has right to choose customer

Smokers are welcome in any public place, but they don't have the right to cause a harmful working environment or public health problem. Similarly, a duck hunter is welcome in a restaurant, but he can't bring along his golden retriever (even though he is denied the pleasure of the dog's company). *smoke in bars can’t be regulated by OSHA, how come?  Because there is no consistency, most bars pose no more danger.

We offer a list of completely smoke-free restaurants and bars at: www.NoSmokeDining.org.

http://www.cmh.pitt.edu/tobacco/news/Newssmoked_113003.htm

 

Homeless man helps nab purse snatcher -PA

The Associated Press

UPPER DARBY, Pa. — A homeless man is being hailed as a hero after chasing down an alleged purse snatcher, tackling him and holding him down until police arrived.
Loretta Ferraro, 68, was in the Chef’s Spot restaurant waiting for a friend when she said a man tried to grab the handbag out of her lap. The two engaged in a tug-of-war, but the man prevailed and bolted out the door.
 smoker stops purse nabber

---

 

Research shows there's more to women's health than female anatomy
LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer

Beyond the tired cliches and sperm-and-egg basics taught in grade school science class, researchers are discovering that men and women are even more different than anyone realized.

It turns out that major illnesses like heart disease and lung cancer are influenced by gender and that perhaps treatments for women ought to be slightly different from the approach used for men.

These discoveries are part of a quiet but revolutionary change infiltrating U.S. medicine as a growing number of scientists realize there's more to women's health than just the anatomy that makes them female, and that the same diseases often affect men and women in different ways.

"Women are different than men, not only psychologically (but) physiologically, and I think we need to understand those differences," says Dr. Catherine DeAngelis, editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

However, recent discoveries suggest that genes, hormones and lifestyle may be behind many of the differences. For example:

* Heart attacks in women frequently don't involve chest pain and may involve more vague, flu-like symptoms.

* Women who don't smoke appear to be more susceptible to lung cancer than nonsmoking men. Women also tend to get lung cancer at younger ages than men, and they appear to metabolize cancer-causing substances differently than men.

* Women are less likely than men to get oral cancer.

* Women are more prone to autoimmune diseases, including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, in which disease-fighting mechanisms mistakenly attack the body's own tissues.

* Some AIDS-fighting medicines appear to metabolize more quickly in men than in women, who may require gender-specific doses.

* Women's symptoms for ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease -- debilitating intestinal diseases that affect men and women -- vary considerably each month, requiring frequent medication adjustments.

Inflammatory bowel disease, which encompasses both Crohn's and colitis, is a specialty of Dr. Sunanda Kane, a University of Chicago researcher who is studying why the problem seems to be on the rise among young women.

Both diseases damage the digestive tract and in severe cases, doctors remove part of the colon and patients must wear colostomy bags.

women differnt then men in disease

 

Mediterranean Diet And Healthy Lifestyle Associated With Significant Reduction In Death Rate

Individuals 70 to 90 years old who adhered to a Mediterranean-type diet and several healthy lifestyle habits had a more than 50 percent lower death rate than those who did not, according to a study in the September 22/29 issue of JAMA.

Because of the cumulative effect of adverse factors throughout life, it is particularly important for older persons to adopt diet and lifestyle practices that minimize their risk of death from illness and maximize their prospects for healthful aging, according to background information in the article. Dietary patterns and lifestyle factors are associated with death from all causes, coronary heart disease, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer, but few studies have investigated these factors in combination.

Kim Knoops, M.Sc., of Wageningen University, the Netherlands and colleagues investigated the single and combined effect of a Mediterranean diet (rich in plant foods and fish, low in meat and dairy products, and with a high ratio of monounsaturated fatty acids to polyunsaturated fatty acids), being physically active (approximately 30 minutes of activity per day or more), moderate alcohol use, and nonsmoking on all-cause and cause-specific death in European elderly individuals.

*could this be why Greeks have the highest smoking rate, yet lowest cancer?

http://www.thematuremarket.com/SeniorStrategic/dossier.php?numtxt=3001&idrb=5

 

Teenage gang blackmailed girl smoker
24/09/2004 - 15:46:59
A Croatian girl who paid off three older teenagers so they would not tell her parents she smoked soon found herself in even worse trouble.
The teenagers threatened to kill her father if they didn’t receive more money, police said.
The three suspects, aged 15, 16 and 17 were arrested after the girl had told her parents she had paid them €23,500 in bribes since March, Zagreb police spokeswoman Gordana http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.asp?j=50747476&p=5x747778

 

Heart Attack Survivor Will Walk for Awareness

By Robin Williams Adams
The Ledger robin.adams@theledger.com
LAKELAND
Vicky Henry, a radiologic technologist turned auditor, didn't fit the stereotypical picture of someone at risk of a heart attack when she suffered one almost two years ago.
Besides being female, she was 46, a non-smoker, at an acceptable weight, busy with her job and active in keeping up with two children. Although her blood pressure was a little high and her cholesterol of 225 above the ideal, her doctors didn't consider either bad enough for medication.
 She realized the fatigue and run-down feeling she'd had for a couple of months may have stemmed from the increased blockage in her heart arteries.
She remembered that her father, who died of cancer, had a non-fatal heart attack at age 51. Her doctors think a genetic factor inherited from her father causes the lining of her heart arteries to overreact in building scar tissue, Henry said.
Her older brother and her two children, 15-year-old Breanna and 13-year-old Blake, now know they have a risk factor they hadn't realized.
But a deeper message, the one she wants to convey in her role as ambassador, is this:
Her experience isn't unique. Anyone is potentially at risk.
"Anybody who would listen, I would tell them," she said. "Not for them to be shocked and worried, but for them to be aware that (a heart attack) could happen."

nonsmoker, perfect health gets heart attack

 

Thieves ambush driver in smokes heist  -NS

By JOHN GILLIS / Staff Reporter- Sept 25, 2004

Three masked men smashed a window, pointed a gun at the driver, forced him to open the back and made off with an undisclosed quantity of cigarettes before dawn Friday in Dartmouth.

Police are investigating whether the robbery in Burnside Park is related to a series of similar heists in the last two months.

At Province House on Friday, Finance Minister Peter Christie said the province is concerned about the incidents of crimes involving tobacco.

But he defended his government's decision to hike tobacco taxes over the past few years, saying the higher prices deter young people from ever starting to smoke.

CRIME SPREE

July 30: A group of masked robbers with guns bound and gagged more than 30 Costco employees as they arrived for work at the Chain Lake Drive store in Halifax's Bayers Lake Business Park. The thieves loaded a large quantity of cigarettes into a long cube van and drove away.

Sept. 12: Three masked men armed with two handguns stole money from Chrissy's Trading Post on Hammonds Plains Road. As they fled, the robbers forced two people out of a GMC Tracker at gunpoint, forced them to the ground and tied their hands behind their backs.

Sept. 16: In Bridgewater, three armed men held the owner of Crouse & Choat Wholesale Ltd., his wife and another woman at gunpoint for nearly two hours in another attempt at cigarette theft. The robbers drove their captives to the company's warehouse but fled, leaving the hostages behind, when police arrived.

Sept. 22: Two masked men, one carrying a handgun, tied up three employees of the Braemar Drive Superstore in Dartmouth and assaulted two others in a robbery attempt. The thieves followed an employee through a staff entrance at about 6 a.m. The robbers were after cash and tried to get staff to open a safe. They fled without getting any money.

http://www.herald.ns.ca/stories/2004/09/25/f226.raw.html

---

Smoking Dopes -NY
Daniel Fisher, 09.22.04, 10:34 AM ET
NEW YORK - Say the U.S. government wins its $280 billion lawsuit against the tobacco industry. Then what?
Even a clean sweep in court wouldn't make much of a dent in the $7.4 trillion U.S. debt, however. The tobacco earnings of Philip Morris and Reynolds American, representing about three-quarters of the U.S. cigarette market, together equaled $10 billion last year, a little more than a day's worth of federal tax revenue.
With the government in charge of the tobacco industry, one thing is certain: Prices would go up and consumption would fall. There's plenty of practical experience backing this, from government control of liquor sales in Canadian provinces to the longtime monopoly certain European countries had over cigarettes.
"If you assume smoking is bad and you must deter smoking, that is great," says Pierre LeMieux, an economist at the University of Quebec at Outaouais and a vocal critic of smoking regulations. "If you believe in consumer sovereignty, that's bad, no better than a monopoly in hula hoops or wine."
The scenario isn't so troublesome to Richard Daynard, head of the Tobacco Products Liability Project at Northeastern University School of Law. Daynard says that "we saw some reasonably substantial drops" in smoking by teens and children after manufacturers raised prices to pay for the state settlements of tobacco litigation in 1998. Cigarette prices have climbed more than 90% since 1997, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, with the median state and federal taxes on a pack of smokes approaching $1, and some states, such as New Jersey, charging more than $2.
"If we're stuck with one major strategy" to reduce smoking, Daynard says, "a price increase would be it."  But there comes a point when price increases backfire and consumers either quit smoking or turn to smugglers and other alternatives to retail cigarettes. The U.K. learned this the hard way after doubling taxes on cigarettes in the 1990s. Smuggling increased, and a 1999 estimate by the admittedly biased Tobacco Manufacturers' Association pegged tax losses at £3 billion ($5.4 billion at current exchange rates) a year. In the U.S., meanwhile, rising prices helped trim sales to 371 billion cigarettes last year, down 5.1% from 2002 and 19% since 1998. Smuggling has increased, according to the Government Accountability Office, as the profit from a smuggled carton of cigarette can range as high as $13.
So the government would inherit a shrinking, albeit extremely profitable, business facing serious competition from illegal distribution channels. There is hope: Altria's Philip Morris unit reported domestic operating earnings of $6.1 billion last year on sales of $17 billion. As part of a government-controlled monopoly, Philip Morris presumably could trim the $12 billion it spends on marketing and administration, potentially doubling profit. How much does it cost to promote an addictive product?
The real jewel for the government would be Philip Morris' international business, however. Sales rose 17% to $33.4 billion, and earnings jumped 11% to $6.2 billion, as the Marlboro Man grabbed market share in Asia and Europe. Already the tobacco companies are subsidizing U.S. anti-smoking programs through contributions to funds established in the 1998 tobacco settlement. Perhaps Washington bureaucrats could turn this into a growth industry by exploiting the growing earnings of their overseas cigarette operations to wean every American off nicotine.

http://www.forbes.com/home/manufacturing/2004/09/22/cz_df_0922tobacco.html

 

Schwarzenegger smoking tent led to flooding in California Capitol

(09-22) 09:20 PDT SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) --

A tent constructed so Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger could smoke his cigars at the state Capitol contributed to some of the water damage suffered during a sudden rainstorm Sunday, state officials said Tuesday.

The artificial turf still remains in the Capitol courtyard, but has been moved away from the drains, Edelen said.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/a/2004/09/22/state1220EDT7381.DTL

 

 

Smoking bans milestone
By ELLEN WHINNETTSeptember 23, 2004
TASMANIA will become the first state in Australia to outlaw smoking in pubs and clubs.
Premier Paul Lennon yesterday introduced legislation to restrict smoking in hospitality venues by January 1 next year, and completely ban it by January 1, 2006.

Health groups were disappointed by the 15-month delay to the total ban, but praised the Government for making the commitment.

http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,10848684%255E3462,00.html

 

Reid hints of smoking ban -UK

Sep 23 2004The Government will take action to tackle smoking in public places, Health Secretary John Reid has indicated.

Reid hints of smoking ban

 

"I Think a Lot of Guys will Break Down in Iraq"

Destroying the National Guard

By WILLIAM S. LIND September 24, 2004

The unit knew it would soon be shipped to the front. Some soldiers responded by deserting. Others got drunk and fought. In response, officers locked the unit in its barracks, allowing the troops out only to drill, not even to smoke a cigarette, until it could be put on the transport that would take it into combat.

It sounds as if I am describing some third echelon Soviet infantry regiment in, say, 1942. In fact, I am talking about the 1st Battalion of the 178th Field Artillery Regiment, South Carolina National Guard, in September 2004. According to a front-page story in the September 19 Washington Post, the unit was disintegrating even before it was deployed to Iraq. One shudders to think what will happen once it gets there and finds itself under daily attack from skilled enemies it cannot identify.

http://www.counterpunch.org/lind09242004.html

 

Mugger broke cyclist's arms -AU
By REBECCA HEWETT
September 25, 2004
A cyclist walking his dogs was pushed off his bike and stabbed in the leg with a kitchen fork, Darwin Magistrates court heard yesterday.

Northern Territory News

http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,10870531%255E13569,00.html

 

I Propose A New Amendment To The Constitution -US

By Brooks A. Mick
Sept. 24, 2004
As Mel Gibson said as they disemboweled him in "Braveheart:" FREEEEEEDDOMMMMMMMMM!
One of Mick's Postulates, I forget exactly which number it is, says that "No matter what group you are in, it is usually trying to destroy someone's freedom somewhere, someway, somehow.
Please remember: THIS IS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!
Unfortunately, many people, including whatever your pet social or political group is, even if it claims to want freedom and individual liberty, seem to have forgotten this. We are not living in a totalitarian state where the government, no matter how well-meaning, should be able to tell citizens how to run their private lives. (Are we?)
This includes smoking, the constitutionally guaranteed right to keep and bear arms, the use of trampolines, and other activities which are none of your neighbor's business and none of the government's business.
It amazes me how many of the liberal apologists for President Clinton's tasteless and illegal activities nevertheless want to poke their long blue noses into the private cigarette packs, gun cabinets, and back yards of law-abiding Americans.
Pediatricians want to ban guns, emergency room doctors want to ban trampolines, and Playboy magazine thinks it is perfectly fine for Rep. Pete Stark, the national Medicare nanny, to formulate a law saying it is illegal to discuss fees with a naked patient. Isn't this getting a little silly? Isn't it? Aw, come on, admit it!
I propose a new Amendment to the Constitution:
"Congress shall pass no law any funnier than the average Polish joke." (Of course one would have to establish just how funny the average Polish joke is, but that shouldn't be too hard. Get an old laugh meter from a canceled TV game show, assemble a statistically representational crowd, get someone with no sense of humor to read a large sample of Polish jokes, and measure the average laugh decibel. Then read the new laws proposed by Congress to the same group, and see how big a laugh the law gets and compare it. Simple.)
This would stop much of this garbage. In the meantime, never cheer when somebody else's taxes are raised, because they will be into your pocket next. And never yell "right on" when someone else's freedoms are trashed, because you are tacitly agreeing that the government can trample your freedoms next.
Are you sure you want the government telling you you can't yell at your kid to turn down the volume on that rap music? That may be next. Watch out or your kid could file a complaint and you'll end up in jail.
Not only is the camel's nose in your tent, he's in up to his belly button ring! Let's all resolve to support each other's pet freedoms so our own won't be trashed. How about it, folks?
Where do we live anyway? Let's hear it! THIS IS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!
------------
About the author Brooks A. Mick: 63-yr-old physician, still practicing medicine but retired from the US Army. Write just for the fun of it, but working on novel in the vein of Tom Clancy's politico-military genre.
http://www.useless-knowledge.com/articles/apr/sept319.html

 

Breathing life into fight for lung operation By Jen Bishop -UK

A SHIRLEY couple are desperately trying to help raise £200,000 to send the best man at their wedding to America for a life-saving lung transplant.

"He's never had a cigarette past his lips in his entire life, yet he has a really rare lung disease like this.

"He was diagnosed with it when he was 40, but in the last two years things have really gone downhill for him.

"Apparently, some people can live quite normal lives with it under control, but David's got so bad he is now in a wheelchair and on oxygen 24 hours a day.

lung transplant needed by nonsmoker

 

Tobacco class action thrown out -AU
24sep04

AUSTRALIAN tobacco companies were breathing a "multi-billion dollar sigh of relief" after a New South Wales court today ruled out a class action by smokers seeking compensation.
NSW Supreme Court Justice Virginia Bell found smoker and cancer sufferer Myriam Cauvin could not bring an action on behalf of other smokers.

Ms Cauvin, from Blaxland in Sydney's west, had sued cigarette giants Philip Morris and British American Tobacco and retailers for the return of more than $200 million of invalidly-collected excise tax.

She had sought to have the taxes transferred to a fund to compensate smokers for the costs of quitting, and for associated health problems.

Justice Bell, in handing down her final judgment, found Ms Cauvin was able to lay an individual claim but ordered references to unidentified "other persons" be struck out.

Lawyer Neil Francey said the decision, which effectively spells the end of any class action by smokers, was hugely disappointing.

"We've put everything into this case, me personally for the last two-and-a-half-years," Mr Francey said outside the court.

"We've agitated with governments at a state and federal level from both sides of politics wanting support for the case (but) we've heard a deafening silence."

He said the decision would encourage a "log jam" of individual claims.

It also makes class actions in other areas, such as asbestos, mobile phone and yet to be discovered diseases, very difficult.

"The technique of suing on behalf of other people in this way is being denied," Mr Francey said.

"I imagine (tobacco companies) will be breathing a multi-billion dollar sigh of relief."

Mr Francey said a court appeal would be fruitless without more government support.

Ms Cauvin took up smoking at age 10, was addicted by the age of 15, developed breathlessness in her 20s and was diagnosed with emphysema at the age of 30.

She had a life-saving lung transplant on September 11, 2001, but suffered a stroke in May this year.

Mr Francey said the 40-year-old had wanted to help other victims of cigarettes and was deeply disappointed by the outcome.

However, she would proceed with an amended, individual claim in the Supreme Court on October 8.

Her landmark case on behalf of Australian smokers follows a High Court decision in August 1997 and subsequent government legislation which made invalid excise collected by the tobacco companies between July 1, 1997, and August 5, 1997.

Ms Cauvin had claimed that the invalid tax was included in the price of cigarettes sold to smokers and should be returned for the benefit of consumers.

http://www.thesundaymail.news.com.au/common/story_page

 

Spiked cigarette theory unconfirmed  -Wales

Sep 24 2004Tryst Williams, The Western Mail

SOUTH Wales Police last night stressed that the possible use of a spiked cigarette was just one line of inquiry being pursued in the investigation into the alleged rape of a 30-year-old woman in Swansea.

The incident is reported to have occurred at a city guest house during the early hours of last Saturday.

A 39-year-old man from Ebbw Vale was arrested on Sunday evening and has since been released on bail, pending further inquiries.

spiked cigarette one theory

 

Jail made me inhale says dope-test prisoner  -NZ
By LOUISA CLEAVE 25.09.2004

A prison inmate is suing the Government for compensation after returning a positive drug test he claims was the result of passive smoking.

huddle to keep warm gets man into trouble

 

Meningococcal case diagnosed in Lincoln City

Lincoln County Health and Human Services Public Health received a report on Sunday of a presumed positive case of meningococcal disease diagnosed in a 6-year-old child from Lincoln City, who has been hospitalized and is expected to make a full recovery.
Meningococcal disease is caused by a bacteria. This bacteria is not spread by casual contact like the flu, chicken pox, or measles - it is spread by close contact over a long period of time with the sick person's saliva or by the sick person coughing or sneezing. People exposed in this way are prescribed a special antibiotic to prevent them from becoming ill with the disease.
Cigarette smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke are associated with an increased risk of becoming ill with meningococcal disease - especially in children.
Symptoms of the disease include a rapid onset (over a few hours) of chills, high fever (102 degrees plus), severe headaches and stiff neck, and a rash or bluish-purple blotches. Nausea and vomiting may accompany these symptoms.
These symptoms require immediate medical attention, either by a doctor's office or hospital emergency room. Left untreated, meningococcal disease can be fatal.

http://www.newportnewstimes.com/articles/2004/09/24/news/news21.txt

*smoking is banned in varying degrees of province

Crack smoking room needed, says mayor - BC

WebPosted Sep 22 2004 06:43 PM PDT

VANCOUVER - Vancouver Mayor Larry Campbell says the city is ready to make an application to Health Canada for a "safe inhalation" facility for crack-cocaine smokers.

http://vancouver.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=bc_inhale20040922

 

No smoking rules confuse bar owners -NB
WebPosted Sep 24 2004 01:52 PM EDT
FREDERICTON  —  The New Brunswick Health Department is trying to clear the air about the province's new smoking ban as the countdown begins for public places to go smoke free.

Even the province's chief medical officer Wayne McDonald had a tough time explaining who is supposed to enforce the ban. "[Bar owners] are going to be a key part in applying the law. So it's up to each bar owner or the manager of the day, if they see somebody who's violating it, like anything else that would take place in a bar that they would not see as something that needs to take place or should take place, then they would have to apply the legislation in that way. They are not enforcing it. We are enforcing it through our inspectors. I just wanted to clarify that," he says.

The province will keep trying to clarify the smoking ban through a publicity campaign.

http://nb.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=nb_smokingban20040924

 

N.B. to ban smoking in all public places, despite calls -Canada
September 23, 2004

 FREDERICTON -- The New Brunswick government is going ahead with a ban on smoking in all public places, despite calls from bar and restaurant owners for a delay.

Health Minister Elvy Robichaud says the regulations are clear and will take effect October 1st.

But Kim Hunter of the New Brunswick Licensees Association says the final regulations were only issued today, and lack sufficient enforcement.

She says unless there is strict enforcement, bars and restaurants will lose customers to establishments who ignore the new law.

Federally regulated places, including CFB Gagetown, are exempt from the ban.

First Nations communities can also apply to the federal government for exemption.

Statistics Canada figures released in June showed New Brunswick had the highest rate of smokers in the country.

http://www.canada.com/maritimes/news/story.html?id=beac1f5a-059b-4645-8256-a59af6fde9a9

 

Family questions medical care –Calgary, AB

CFCN.ca POSTED AT 4:35 PM Friday, September 24

A Calgary family says two walk-in clinics didn't take their son's complaints seriously enough. Two weeks later, 36 year old Tim Stuart died. The 36-year-old Calgary man was a stand up comedian and a single father. He was young; his family says he was in good health. When he suddenly fell ill, Tim went to a walk-in clinic for help.

"He was given a prescription, and told to lose 100 pounds and quit smoking and our son was not overly obese, he was not a heavy smoker, he was an occasional smoker,” said his mother, Myrna Stuart.

A few days later Tim still wasn't getting any better. His dad took him to another walk-in Calgary man dies

 

Don't Get Burned By Heartburn
NEW YORK, Sept. 25, 2004 (CBS)

 Heartburn affects about 20 percent of all American adults at least once a month, advises The Early Show's Dr. Mallika Marshall.
Someone with heartburn will experience a feeling of burning warmth or heat or other discomfort that begins in the upper abdomen just below the lower breastbone. The pain often spreads up to the throat, and sufferers may have a sour taste in their mouths. Heartburn happens when the contents of the stomach backs up into the esophagus, which leads to irritation. Everyone has a valve called a lower esophageal sphincter. It is supposed to stop stomach contents from backing up. But this valve doesn't work properly if you experience heartburn. 
 http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/09/24/earlyshow/saturday/main645541.shtml

 
Ireland may tax chewing gum   Saturday 25th September, 2004

Big News Network.com     Saturday 25th September, 2004  The Irish government may impose a 10 percent tax on chewing gum to help pay for rising street-cleaning costs, Sky News reported.
A gum tax is among several proposed ways to improve the quality of life in Ireland, most notably banning smoking in pubs, restricting pub-opening times and outlawing drinking in the streets.

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?sid=2d03195ea60a4b61

 

---

Hospitality industry calls for more time –NB
Groups say they haven't been contacted by province about new law

BY MAC TRUEMAN
Telegraph-Journal

Health and Wellness officials have been overwhelmed with news media inquiries resulting from the hospitality industry's massive campaign to delay the province's public smoking ban.

Nearly three months after the anti-smoking law was passed, and only eight days before its scheduled Oct. 1 implementation, the province has yet to notify industry members what their role will be in enforcing the ban, or even that the ban exists, said Kim Hunter, spokeswoman for the New Brunswick Licensees' Association.
http://canadaeast.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040923/TPEBRIEF/309230040

 

Proposed no smoking bylaw sparks another debate-AB

by Kevin Gill

Jasper Booster — aWhile the decision to put the smoking bylaw as a question on the October ballot has been made (see story on Page 1), the debate on the issue expanded during the Sept. 14 special council meeting.
The argument strayed from the merit of the bylaw itself to whether or not it’s municipal council who should be the ones drafting local bylaws.
Some residents said that it should be council’s job to draft bylaws for the town, but the Smoke Free Jasper coalition that submitted the petition and attached bylaw said it was simply following the rules of the Municipal Governance Act.
Coun. Brenda Zinck said she was upset by the way the bylaw was presented.
http://www.jasperbooster.com/story.php?id=117929

 

No smoking bylaw put on ballot

by Kevin Gill

Jasper Booster — Jasper Municipal Council has decided to leave the decision about a local no smoking bylaw in the hands of voters.
Council held a special meeting on Sept. 14 to discuss the issue, which drew about 15 residents who wanted to voice their opinions on Bylaw 57 before a decision was made.
Council’s options were to put the bylaw as a question on the municipal ballot this October or to go ahead on its own and approve the bylaw with second and third readings.
 http://www.jasperbooster.com/story.php?id=117928

 

Guest Editorial
Freedom of choice is lost

Freedom of choice: can anyone tell me the real meaning of this? Is it just for the chosen few, if the city goes along with the no-smoking law?
The smokers should apply to the city for a tax break for their lost freedom. Of course, this will mean people will go out of town to shop and for entertainment if the law goes through. Let’s go whole hog and see how long it takes for the next law to come in regarding minors in any place where liquor is sold or served – e.g. by law, they would not be allowed in the same rooms, lounges, restaurants and private parties such as weddings and outdoor festivities unless they were in your private homes.
I wonder how long these people have lived in this town or have they just drifted in and want to run the show.
Since I have read the questions the city is asking, I think there should be only Question 1 and this should be a yes or no answer, but it seems as though the powers that be have already decided the outcome.
– George Hurst is a resident of Airdrie

http://www.airdrieecho.com/story.php?id=118280

 

Dear Editor:
I was very surprised and very disappointed in mankind last Friday. As I was waiting to see John Dockman come into our fine city, I was shocked to see only a handful of people waiting inside the entrance of Towerlane Mall. I would have thought that every school in Airdrie would have sent home a release form and every mother, father, brother, sister, principal, teacher and anyone else who teaches our children in the community should have been down at Nose Creek Park with $1 in their hand to give it to this young man who has run across this great country for such a good charity.
I am sure that out of every house in Airdrie, someone will know or has had a loved one affected by (cancer). Maybe someone can give me an answer why the community and the school system are not willing to step forward and really congratulate this young man and his family for a job well done
– Maureen Hutchison, Airdrie

http://www.airdrieecho.com/story.php?id=117119

 

Illegal smoke sales charges tossed out of court
WebPosted Sep 21 2004 08:22 AM CDT

WHITEHORSE - Two Whitehorse business operators have been acquitted of selling cigarettes to minors, even after clerks admitted they made the sale.

http://north.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=sep21cigcharg21092004

 

Bylaw burns me up!

KERRY DIOTTE, CITY HALL BUREAU

It's time to ratchet down the rhetoric on the Edmonton smoking bylaw debate and consider some cold hard facts. Smoking has been thrust into the news headlines as two Edmonton mayoral candidates sling barbs at one another.

Robert Noce and Mayor Bill Smith have been doing the slinging.

Smith is stridently anti-smoking, and does not believe anyone should even discuss the possibility of softening the local bylaw when the toughest provisions kick in next summer.

But most recently Noce said, "I don't intend to reopen the smoking bylaw."

So if he's not going to try to solve someone's problem, why waste their time by talking to them with a closed mind?

In the midst of this unfortunate flip-flop, Noce attempted to refute accusations he was taking campaign cash from people who want the smoking bylaw softened.

Why he did this is beyond me.

What is wrong with taking money from people in the bar industry, for instance, who have a contrary view of a civic law?

Besides, surveys have shown Edmontonians do not support a total smoking ban in bingo halls, bars and casinos.

So why should the majority have to live with a law they do not support?

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/EdmontonSun/News/2004/09/21/637311.html

 

Anti-smoking lobby breaking rules, says local

KATE DUBINSKI, STAFF WRITER

An Edmonton man has filed a complaint with Revenue Canada, alleging several anti-smoking charities are violating rules by wading into the city's smoking bylaw debate. Roy Harrold yesterday filed the complaint with the charities directorate division of Revenue Canada against supporters of the Vote for Health campaign, which is supported by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and the Canadian Cancer Society, both registered charities.

"These are people on the outside of the political process attempting to manipulate those with the guts to run," Harrold said yesterday.

A charity has time to argue their side, but could lose its status, he added.

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/EdmontonSun/News/2004/09/21/637320.html

 

Understanding the pathways to smoking

Sunday, Sep 19, 2004 Contrast these two phenomena. For several days the national news media focused attention on a coffee shop in Vancouver that was selling marijuana. Then, consider statistics showing that cigarette smoking is exponentially more costly and destructive to society than all the illicit drugs and alcohol put together. When was the last time you saw a news story about the latter?

http://www.mytelus.com/news/article.do?pageID=community/chilliwack&articleID=1715878

 

Simply smouldering with style- Movie review

Sharply observed characters make an erotic mystery very seductive
By STEPHEN COLE Saturday, September 18, 2004 - Page R10

Nathalie

Written and directed by Anne Fontaine

Starring Fanny Ardant, Emmanuelle Béart and Gérard Depardieu

Classification: 18A  Rating: ***

What would you do if you found out your husband of 25 years was having an affair?

Well, if you came from Mimico or Saskatoon, or anywhere in North America really, you'd probably fall apart on your friends, wear sweat pants around the house all day and throw a series of sharp, easily breakable objects at the rat-hole.

Ah, but if you lived in Paris and had a complacent understanding of the fragility of love, maybe you'd be interested in the clinical aspects of the affair. The whats and whys, maybe even the hows.

Nathalie is also remarkable for its startlingly fresh depiction of human sexuality.

The film is charged with eroticism. Yet there is but a single, quite incidental sex scene. The heat comes from unexpected conversations. The way Nathalie's confessions light a candle behind Catherine's eyes.

Speaking of lighting, the film should be avoided by anyone who has recently given up tobacco. Watching Emmanuelle Béart play-acting with a cigarette could drive any man or woman back to smoking.

Nathalie opens tomorrow.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20040918/NATHALIE18/TPEntertainment/Film

 

New Canadian Ads Try Scare Tactics to Get Young Smokers to Quit
9/17/2004

Manitoba, Canada's government is trying out its new anti-smoking television ads on students in grades 6-12. The ads are aimed at scaring young smokers into quitting, the Winnipeg Sun reported Sept. 14.
As part of Healthy Living Minister Jim Rondeau's "rate and review initiative," students were shown 12 anti-smoking ads that were selected by youth focus groups.
One of the ads shows a graphic image of a tar-covered lung, while another tells the story of a young girl who lost her mother to a smoking-related illness.
"These ads hold nothing back," said Rondeau.
Yet a number of teen smokers surveyed said the ads weren't enough to convince them to quit smoking. "Seeing pictures isn't going to kill off the addiction," said Derek Scherbain, 17, who smokes about eight cigarettes a day. "They say it only takes a year for your lungs to heal, no matter how long you smoke."
The commercial that receives the highest approval rating from students will air on TV this spring.

http://www.jointogether.org/sa/news/summaries/reader/0,1854,574641,00.html

 

 

Alleged 'Cigarette Bandi' attends hearing for gas station burglaries -PA

By: KATIE O'CONNOR , Times Herald Staff09/23/2004

PLYMOUTH - The man who reportedly dubbed himself the "Cigarette Bandit" rocked back and forth in his seat Wednesday morning during his preliminary hearing on charges of burglary, theft and related offenses.  He was arrested Sept. 13 after Plymouth Police Officer Mark Solorio saw him allegedly use a rock to break a window at a gas station and steal several packs of cigarettes. He waived his hearing on that burglary charge but went forward with the hearings on four additional gas-station burglaries.
cigarette bandit in court

 

Comparative Subchronic Inhalation Study of Smoke From the 1R4F and 2R4F Reference Cigarettes

Abstract:

A subchronic, nose-only inhalation study compared the effects of mainstream smoke from a 1R4F research cigarette to that of a 2R4F research cigarette. Male and female rats were exposed for 1 h/day, 5 days/wk, for 13 wk to mainstream smoke at 0, 0.06, 0.20, or 0.80 mg wet total particulate matter per liter of air. Clinical signs, body and organ weights, clinical chemistry, hematology, carboxyhemoglobin, serum nicotine, pulmonary plethysmography, gross pathology, and histopathology were determined. When histological changes resulting from exposure to smoke from the two types of cigarettes were compared, no biologically significant differences were observed. At the end of the exposure period, subsets of rats from each group were maintained without smoke exposures for an additional 13 wk (recovery period). At the end of the recovery period, there were no statistically significant differences in histopathological findings observed between the 1R4F and the 2R4F cigarettes. The complete toxicological assessment in this comparative inhalation study of 1R4F and 2R4F cigarettes suggests no overall biologically significant differences between the rats exposed to the two cigarettes.

two cigarettes don't harm   

 

Former FDA Chief Says Tobacco Industry Controlled Nicotine Levels in Cigarettes

The Associated PressWASHINGTON Sept. 23, 2004 —

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Business/ap20040923_1073.html

 

Double-digit percentage gain in Nevada sales for July

By BRENDAN RILEY
ASSOCIATED PRESS

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) - Nevada merchants sold $3.42 billion in goods during July for a 14.8 percent increase over the same month a year earlier - and taxes based on those start-of-fiscal-year sales are nearly $8 million ahead of last year's projections.

"The strong sales tax revenues are good news for our general fund after the most recent gaming figures took a slight dip," Gov. Kenny Guinn said. The Gaming Control Board reported Sept. 10 that Nevada casinos won $812.5 million in July for a 1.6 percent decrease compared with the same month in 2003.

The July increase in sales marked the 13th straight month of double-digit gains.

Bars and restaurants had a 7.8 percent gain in sales statewide. A breakdown shows that in the Las Vegas area, such sales, indicators of tourism traffic, were up 8 percent; and in the Reno area were up 9.3 percent.

The combined taxes based on the July sales, split among the state, schools, cities and counties, totaled $259.6 million. The state's share is $71 million, and that's $7.8 million higher than the estimate projected in May 2003 by the Economic Forum.

In looking at business and excise taxes that are separate from the sales levies, the Taxation Department said revenue from cigarette taxes, increased from 35 cents to 80 cents per package last year, are 0.5 percent below forecasts. Liquor taxes are 1.4 percent above forecasts. Excise taxes combined produced $17.2 million in July. http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nevada/2004/sep/23/092310255.html

 

Question from reader

I read in a Colorado newspaper that anyone witnessing another person flicking cigarette butts out of a car window can take down their license plate number and file a complaint with police. Is that something Oregon residents can do, as well? If so, where would one go to file a complaint, and how likely would it be that someone flicking cigarette butts out of a window would be spoken to or fined?

— Jenn R., Medford

Just like in Colorado, Oregonians can report a cigarette butt-tosser to police, as long as they obtain an accurate license plate number and can provide a description of the person who committed the offense.

"Just seeing the back of the car is not enough," Medford police Lt. Mike Moran said. "People need to be willing to make an effort to determine the identity of the (offender)."

With that information, motorists can go to the police agency responsible for patrolling the area where the offense occurred, and fill out a complaint form.

If a citation is issued, citizen accusers may be called upon to testify in court on behalf of police.

According to state law, anyone convicted of throwing away a cigarette or another type of lighted material faces a maximum $500 fine and six months in jail.

http://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2004/0923/local/stories/18local.htm

 

Three businesses fail the tobacco test  - Mass
By Carol Britton Meyer/ CMEYER@CNC.COM
Thursday, September 23, 2004

During a recent compliance check, three Hingham businesses were found in violation of laws prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to minors under the age of 18. The checks are conducted quarterly in conjunction with the South Shore Boards of Health Collaborative Tobacco Control Program.

     New federal guidelines established a few years ago require that anyone under age 27 be ID'd to avoid confusion. Laws concerning the sale of tobacco place the responsibility for educating employees on business owners' shoulders.

     Overall, the board has taken and continues to take a proactive stand. "It's been well worth the effort," said Capman. "We're winning the battle and at least trying to keep tobacco out of the kids' hands."

http://www2.townonline.com/hingham/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=90622

 

Judge dismisses fines against City Oasis for breaking smoking ban – Mass.
Friday, September 3, 2004

An Attleboro District Court judge recently dismissed four fines imposed against a Norton pub owner accused of not following the town's smoking ban more than two years ago.

          On July 5, a statewide smoking ban went into effect, stopping smokers from lighting up in the workplace except for private membership clubs or cigar bars.

http://www2.townonline.com/norton/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=79306

 

No smoking at Harvard Lanes, really -mass
By Kathy Bunnell
Friday, August 20, 2004

After receiving a citizen complaint at the end of July, Board of Health Chair Sue First told other board members at its August 10 meeting that customers are smoking at Harvard Bowling Lanes on Ayer Road, and that a ceiling exhaust fan is "actually circulating smoke through the entire building." Ira Grossman, Nashoba Associated Boards of Health sanitarian and consultant to the board, duly contacted owner Tony Graceffa to remind him of Department of Health regulations. The owner was unaware of the problem, but said that he would take care of it immediately, Grossman said.

     According to Graceffa, he banned smoking at his bowling alley long before the state-wide ban went into effect. The business advertises itself as smoke-free, and is a popular site for children's birthday parties. Graceffa said he would welcome the state-law stickers that Grossman offered him.

Effective July 1, state law prohibits smoking in public places, and fines can be imposed for noncompliance. The only exception, Grossman said, is private clubs. Smoking or cigar bars may also permit smoking. Massachusetts was the sixth state to go smoke-free, and more than 100 cities and towns have no-smoking regulations. Harvard does not

http://www2.townonline.com/harvard/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=71432

 

Letter: Smoke-Free Establishment
Friday, September 3, 2004

I read your article on Aug. 20, i.e. "Harvard Lanes" smoking. You probably should have taken a few minutes to come here and check out the complaint. The complaint person came out of the ladies' room to smell some residual smoke from our now negated "smoking area." She blew it out of proportion. People wishing to book birthday parties may infer from your article that the entire area smells of smoke, which is entirely not true.

     A. Graceffa, owner,Harvard Lanes

http://www2.townonline.com/harvard/opinion/view.bg?articleid=79665

 

• Should smokers continue to pay the truth® ?

All Former Secretaries Of Health, U.S. Surgeons General and CDC Directors Call On Tobacco Companies to Continue Funding Youth Anti-Smoking Campaign; Form Citizens' Commission to Gather One Million Petitions and Intervene in Tobacco Lawsuits
WASHINGTON - All former U.S. Secretaries of Health, Education and Welfare and Health and Human Services; all former U.S. Surgeons General; and all former Directors of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today launched The Citizens' Commission to Protect the Truth to convince tobacco companies to continue financing the Public Education Fund. This fund, established under the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement between the states and tobacco companies, provides the financial resources for The American Legacy Foundation to conduct, the most effective media campaign in reducing tobacco use by children and teenagers.
The commission will demonstrate the commitment of Americans to smoking prevention by gathering at least one million signatures to its petition urging tobacco companies to continue payments to the Public
Education Fund under the Master Settlement Agreement. For just one and one-half cents per pack of cigarettes sold in the United States, the tobacco companies can continue funding the truth® campaign at its current $300 million level.
Originally released March 16, 2004

http://www.jointogether.org/sa/news/alerts/reader/0,1854,569901,00.html 

---

 

Smoke and Mirrors: The EPA's Flawed Study of Environmental Tobacco Smoke and Lung Cancer

by Gary L. Huber, Robert E. Brockie, and Vijay K. Mahajan

http://www.cato.org/pubs/regulation/reg16n3c.html

 

Smoking bylaw ticket tossed out of court

By Eliza Barlow Monday, September 21 2004

A $200 ticket issued to a local hotelier under the city's public smoking bylaw has been thrown out of court due to discrepancies in both the wording of the charge and the time the ticket was issued.
A city bylaw officer issued a ticket to Doug "Percy" Sims, bar manager of the Crystal Hotel in downtown Brandon, on Feb. 20 after the officer observed two people smoking in the bar.
But the offence listed on the Crystal Hotel's ticket was "proprietor permit smoking," an offence which Brandon Police Service Sgt. Leon Flannigan said doesn't currently exist under the smoking bylaw, which bans smoking in all public places. "There's no such charge."
The time marked on the ticket was also wrong. Both factors led to the charges being dropped on Monday morning in Brandon bylaw court.
Flannigan said tickets can be issued to business owners if they fail to remove ashtrays, fail to put up no-smoking signs or fail to warn patrons about the bylaw.
The absence of the general offence of permitting smoking in an establishment is something Flannigan calls the major weakness in the city bylaw. He said he hopes sweeping new provincial anti-smoking legislation coming in next month will address that gap.
"The only way I can see absolute compliance is if the proprietors were in a position where they could be charged with permitting smoking," said Flannigan.
"If you're charging individuals and it's not affecting the pocketbook of the proprietor in those cases, you're going to see the proprietor turn a blind eye to people who are smoking."
But Sims said other than doing what he's doing now - telling patrons when they come in that they're not allowed to smoke - he doesn't know what else he could do to prevent people from smoking.
"We're doing the best we can," he said. "And we shouldn't have to babysit these people. The bylaw people should be coming out more often."
Flannigan called the erroneous ticket one "silly mistake" among the "two to three hundred" tickets issued since the smoking bylaw came into effect more than two years ago.
The latest ticket was the second ticket handed to the Crystal Hotel under the smoking bylaw. The hotel successfully appealed the first ticket last summer.
Sims said the two people who were caught smoking in the Crystal Hotel on his watch on Feb. 20 were each fined $100.

http://brandonsun.com/displayad.cgi?adnum=637

Williston bans smoking in taverns, restaurants

WILLISTON, Vt. Smoking has been officially banned in all taverns and restaurants in Williston.

The town select board's three-to-one vote in favor of a ban yesterday makes Williston the fourth community in Chittenden County to enact such a policy.

Burlington and South Burlington imposed smoking bans this year.

Winooski's City Council approved an anti-smoking ordinance in July, but that law is on hold while the city hears appeals.

Williston's smoking ban was enacted amid little fanfare.

No one in the audience at yesterday's meeting commented on the ordinance.

http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=2326980

 

California Court Cuts Philip Morris Smoker Award

Tue Sep 21, 2004 08:31 PM ET

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A California appeals court has ruled that a smoker's record-breaking $3 billion punitive damages award against Philip Morris was still "excessive" even after being reduced by a trial judge to $100 million and must be halved again.

The Second District Court of Appeal, a state court in Los Angeles, gave the estate of Richard Boeken the option of accepting the lowered amount of $50 million or going to trial again, according to an opinion published on Tuesday.

Philip Morris said in a statement that the company would appeal the decision to the California Supreme Court.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=6297736

 

Lawyers seek revival of suit over tobacco sales to Calif. teens

SAN DIEGO Attorneys trying to revive a class-action lawsuit argued in court that the once-popular "Joe Camel" campaign was strategically designed to recruit underage smokers.

Lawyers representing Californians who began smoking as teens say tobacco companies should NOT be allowed to use the First Amendment to illegally market cigarettes to children.

http://www.wavy.com/Global/story.asp?S=2328329

 

Infact Welcomes Long-Awaited Start of Trial

 

Department of Justice Lawsuit Signals Public Demand for Holding Tobacco Industry Accountable for Deadly Abuses

    WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 /PRNewswire/

    The trial begins as global momentum continues to build behind the

Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the world's first public

health and corporate accountability treaty. The global tobacco treaty becomes

international law after the 40th country ratifies; 31, including Norway and

India, have already done so. While the Department of Justice case will

potentially bring the tobacco industry to task in the United States, the FCTC

will change the way it does business in countries around the world.

    Infact spokespeople will be available for comment throughout the trial.

    Infact is a membership organization that protects people by waging and

winning campaigns challenging irresponsible and dangerous corporate actions

around the world. Through bold campaigns and a commitment to win,  for over 25

years Infact has forced corporations-like Nestle, GE and Philip Morris/Altria-

to stop irresponsible and dangerous actions. Infact is an NGO in Official

Relations with the World Health Organization (WHO). The Network for

Accountability of Tobacco Transnationals (NATT) includes 75 NGOs from more

than 50 countries working for a strong, enforceable Framework Convention on

Tobacco Control. For more information visit http://www.infact.org or

http://www.iwr2002.org.

 

    Contacts------

lobyists support spending money on lawsuit

 

Companies hid dangers of smoking, lawyers say

WASHINGTON

Tobacco companies, desperate to maintain their hold on tens of millions of American smokers, worked together for years to deceive the public about the dangers of cigarettes and to encourage young people to start smoking, government lawyers said yesterday at the start of a racketeering trial.

Justice Department lawyers referred to numerous statements by industry executives that created doubt among smokers about whether the habit was harmful and whether they really needed to kick it.

"Defendants' strategy of denial worked, and they knew it," Justice lawyer Sharon Eubanks told Judge Gladys Kessler of U.S. District Court.

nFor the Journal's in-depth series on RJR, Lost Empire, visit us online at www.journalnow.com

Lawyers say they hid the dangers

 

"Nicotine patch therapy in 101 adolescent smokers : efficacy, withdrawal symptom relief, and carbon monoxide and plasma cotinine levels"

Nicotine patches NOT effective –report done in 2001

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10632247&dopt=AbstractCurrent

 

How to help nicotine-dependent adolescents quit smoking

Current Psychiatry Online 

Practical Clinical Reviews  September 22/04 Vol. 3, No. 9 / September 2004

Effect on quit rates. Psychiatric comorbidity may reduce quit rates during smoking cessation treatment.6 When smokers are trying to quit, watch for remission, worsening, or emergence of psychiatric conditions.

Assessing adolescent smoking
 CO levels typically reflect smoking in the previous few hours, whereas the half-life of cotinine is longer (1 day or more). Also, factors such as environmental pollution or marijuana use can inflate CO levels. Thus, cotinine levels have greater accuracy and specificity, reflecting only the amount of nicotine consumed.

Unfortunately, most laboratories do not measure cotinine levels, and the expired-air CO test (CO Breathalyzer) is relatively expensive for most clinicians.

Until cotinine testing becomes widely available, we recommend a combination of self-report and expired-air CO level to monitor abstinence.

We have found daily smoking to be a good indicator of nicotine dependence, and anyone who smokes daily would receive significant health benefits from quitting. Hence, any daily smoker who wants to quit, regardless of DSM-IV nicotine dependence status, is a candidate for treatment.

Behavioral therapy
Unlike adults, adolescents usually lack smoking-related medical consequences, such as heart or lung disease.

For adults, first-line FDA-approved medications for smoking cessation include nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) in transdermal, gum, inhaler, and lozenge forms and sustained-release bupropion. Nortriptyline, doxapine, and clonidine have shown effectiveness for smoking cessation but are not FDA-approved for this indication.15 Selegiline and mecamylamine have shown initial efficacy and are being examined in larger clinical trials.

For adolescents, little is known about what medications might help them stop smoking. Nicotine replacement therapies and bupropion SR have been most explored in adolescent smokers. The effect of psychiatric comorbidity on the quit rate is not well-studied in adolescents.

The transdermal nicotine patch (TNP) has shown modest results in preliminary trials among adolescents. One study found 11% abstinence at 6 weeks,16 and another found a <5% quit rate.17 A third study reported an 18% abstinence rate with a combination of TNP and contingency management therapy.18 Discussion of contingency management and other behavioral therapies is beyond the scope of this article.

A recent study comparing TNP, nicotine gum, and placebo in adolescent smokers found the lowest drop-out rate and highest compliance among the TNP group. Three-month abstinence rates were 17.6% for TNP, 6.5% for nicotine gum, and 2.5% for placebo. The difference between the TNP and placebo groups’ abstinence rates was statistically significant.19

Bupropion SR. In an open-label pilot study, our group treated 16 adolescent smokers weighing >90 lbs with bupropion SR, 150 mg bid. Average age was 18, and two-thirds of patients had ADHD. The endpoint abstinence rate—as measured by self-report and CO levels—was 31%, which is similar to rates reported in adult smokers treated with this dosage of bupropion SR.20

The adolescents did not gain weight during the study, which may be important to this age group. Reported side effects were similar to those in adults, with one adolescent reporting an allergic reaction (urticaria). We are conducting a larger follow-up study using bupropion SR with and without behavioral therapy.

 We suggest:

• using behavioral therapy and patient education as first-line treatment for nonregular adolescent smokers
• using medication and behavioral therapy as first-line treatment for regular smokers and medication as second-line treatment for nonregular smokers who do not respond to behavior therapy/ patient education.

Offer a treatment for at least 6 to 8 weeks before considering a change in therapy. One definition of initial success is no tobacco use over 7 days by self-report and biological verification (such as CO levels).

Behavioral therapy is relatively low-risk and helps many adult smokers. Despite a lack of evidence, some sort of behavioral therapy in combination with pharmacologic therapy might also help adolescent smokers.

Medication. Based on the limited published evidence, we consider TNP and bupropion SR first-line medications for adolescent smokers who want to quit.

For adult smokers, clinicians often combine medication and NRT to increase success rates.15 No data suggest that combining TNP and bupropion SR may be more effective than monotherapy in adolescents, but the combination might help those who do not respond to either agent alone.

We recommend starting bupropion SR treatment at least 1 week before the patient’s quit date. Titrate the dosage based on the package insert and patient tolerance.

Start NRT according to package instructions, and titrate dosages based on response:

• increase if the patient reports substantial craving and withdrawal symptoms, such as irritability and anxiety.

• decrease in case of toxicity (such as nausea).
In our experience, adolescent smokers require slightly lower NRT dosages than adults, although this varies among individuals.

Drug brand names

Bupropion SR • Zyban *causes adolescents to commit suicide. 

Clonidine • Catapres
Doxapine • Sinequan
Mecamylamine • Inversine
Nortriptyline • Pamelor
Selegiline • Eldepryl

Disclosure
The authors report no financial relationship with any company whose products are mentioned in this article or with manufacturers of competing products.

http://www.currentpsychiatry.com/2004_09/0904_Upadhyaya.asp

 

A critique of NRT Regulation

*says no harm done by smokeless tobacco, no conclusive evidence of an increased risk of myocardial infarction, or oral cancer.  Long-term use of NRT could therefore be seen as an extension of the treatment period rather than the development of a new dependence. The limit of 18 years does seem to be arbitrary.  For most other medicines, 12 years or age of puberty are the cut-off limits.

http://www.ash.org.uk/html/regulation/html/nrtcritique.html#_Toc532097130

 

Casinos install equipment to remove cigarette smoke

DES MOINES, Iowa The Iowa health department and the state attorney general say high-tech air-handling systems the state's casinos are installing to remove clouds of cigarette smoke do not make the air safer to breathe.

http://www.wqad.com/Global/story.asp?S=2332419

 

Gas station cashier throws cigarette cartons at would-be robber

By The Associated Press
Wednesday, September 22, 2004

A gutsy 62-year-old gas station cashier chased off a would-be thief by pitching cartons of cigarettes at him, police said.

http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/trib/newssummary/s_253938.html

 

Lyle slams plans for ban on smoking - UK

By Helen Russell Sep 22 2004

SMOKERS also need consideration when the issue of banning smoking in pubic places comes up for debate.

That’s the view of Councillor Richard Lyle, who is leader of the SNP Group of North Lanarkshire Council.

Councillor Lyle admitted that he is a committed smoker and he believes that the wishes of smokers are being ignored in the smoking debate.

He made the impassioned plea as the council’s planning and environment committee considered the response to the Scottish Executive on the document “Smoking in Public Places”.

The report, which was prepared by officials, supported in broad terms the ban on smoking in enclosed public places.

However, the council made it clear that this is not a ban on an individual’s right to smoke, rather it is an attempt to stop smokers making others ill while doing so.

Lyle-slams-plans-for-ban-on-smoking

 

Ghost shuts New Delhi university 23.09.2004 6.20 am
 Students at a New Delhi university have been given an unexpected week off - thanks to a ghost on the campus. There have been no new classes at the Indian Statistical Institute's Delhi branch since Friday, and most of the students have gone home for a week.

The reason is that students have become convinced the institute is haunted. They say a ghost is roaming the corridors, knocking on doors, jostling the students on the stairs, and leaving strange and unexplained odours of after shave, deodorant and cigarette smoke lingering around the buildings.

The students believe they recognise the strong smell of after shave and deodorant as that worn by a student who died suddenly from a rare heart condition during a class at the institute just a month ago.

Knock, knock Casper here

 

Tobacco Companies Deny Conspiracy to Push Smoking
September 22, 2004 1:19:00 PM ET

By Peter Kaplan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A tobacco industry lawyer acknowledged on Wednesday that some executives may have acted wrongly, but said cigarette companies have never engaged in a conspiracy to mislead the public about the dangers of smoking.

No conspiracy here

 

San Francisco supervisor wants to extend smoking ban outdoors

SAN FRANCISCO A law proposed by a San Francisco supervisor would really crack down on smoking.

Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier has proposed legislation that would ban smoking in all outdoor recreations area regulated by the city. That would include parks, gardens, piers and playing fields.

Under the proposed ordinance, people who light up in those area would be slapped with a 250-dollar fine.

But Assemblyman Leland Yee, who represents San Francisco, says he plans to reintroduce a law that would ban smoking cigarettes on the state's beaches that died in committee last year.

http://www.kesq.com/Global/story.asp?S=2333556

 

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