Owners told to call police

Wed, June 2, 2004

SMOKERS WHO REFUSE TO GIVE ID CAN'T BE CHARGED

By KEVIN CONNOR, TORONTO SUN

THE CITY'S new smoking bylaw has no teeth and isn't being enforced, bar staff say. Bar and restaurant staff who phoned the city's new smoking inspectors' hotline to report the bylaw was being broken were told to call the police.

"I was told to treat someone smoking in my establishment like you would a drunk and call the police. This is par for the course. It's the city," Vic Salerno, owner of Upfront Bar and Grill, said yesterday after calling inspectors to say the bylaw was being broken in his pub.

The city has assigned eight bylaw inspectors to enforce the smoking prohibition, which went into effect at midnight on June 1.

Other inspectors are supposed to enforce the bylaw as part of their daily routine.

But they aren't responding to calls.

"If we find someone smoking, they don't have to give us any ID like they would for the police. We can't charge them if we don't know their name," said smoking bylaw inspector John Coleman.

REFUSAL TO DO THE JOB

"If people want something done to stop someone from smoking they will have to phone the police and, honestly, I don't know if they would come."

Cops will not be enforcing the municipal smoking bylaw, said Toronto Police spokesman Const. Kristine Bacharach.

"It's the bylaw officers' job to enforce this bylaw, which doesn't appear to be thought through," Bacharach said.

A person who illegally lights a smoke is liable to be fined $255 -- a $205 fine, plus a $50 victim surcharge for the first offence. Repeat offenders could face fines of up to $5,000.

"There already is a lot less smoking in bars. Some folks are thumbing their nose at us but we will get to them," said Joe Mihevc, chairman of the Toronto Board of Health.

"We need to find a balance without being heavy-handed and let people get their heads around this.

"The best bylaws happen with education. There is a curve here and we will meet the curve."

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/TorontoSun/News/2004/06/02/482650.html

BUSY YEAR FOR GEORGE

By ANTONELLA ARTUSO, QUEEN'S PARK BUREAU CHIEFSun, December 26, 2004

IN THE PROVINCIAL Liberal government's first year in office, no cabinet minister was under the media microscope more than "Furious" George Smitherman. The Ontario health minister was given the herculean task of taming a system where annual inflation runs upwards of 5%.

His enthusiastic efforts to transform the system eventually led to the NDP-imposed nickname "Furious" George for his rumoured tantrums with hospital execs.

"I see that people are characterizing me like a pit bull," Smitherman told reporters.

"I maintain that my bark is worse than my bite."

Smitherman suggested he was more "poodle" than pit bull. (A good thing since his government is ordering all pit bulls leashed and neutered.)

Smitherman's attempts to curb spending set off the province's hospital cleaners, who were not amused when he mused they could be paid less.

NOSE-TO-NOSE OVER DEAL

Hospital CEOs were told to balance their books, or else, and to stop building "Taj-ma hospitals."

The province's doctors went nose-to-nose with Smitherman over a derailed compensation deal.

He also suggested his coming provincewide smoking ban would take on private clubs and Legion halls, setting off smoker alarms across the province.

Finally, the health minister banned and then unbanned fresh sushi.

All in all, a busy year for the surprise standout in Premier Dalton McGuinty's cabinet.

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/TorontoSun/News/2004/12/26/797177-sun.html

Wednesday December 29, 2004

Seaforth Huron Expositor — One must wonder if the Christmas spirit is eluding those in power this year as the provincial government conspicuously punts its cash cows while it simultaneously boosts taxes for everyone who dares to dwell under the Ontario sun.
It is of interest to note the province -- that consistently points to the $5.6-billion deficit from the previous Progressive Conservative-led government as the rationale for a dizzying array of odd initiatives -- is nonetheless willing and ready to allow Ontarians to bring their own wine into restaurants meaning less revenue for restaurateurs.
The government -- soon to be famously -- is also taking the chance on losing kazillions in tobacco tax revenue by rolling out plans for a province-wide smoking ban in public places effective 2006.
Not only will the move give a huge boost to the black market, it will also spell the end to a steady stream of tobacco tax revenue.
The province is also anti snack food, to the point where elementary schools can no longer house vending machines that carry such risqué items as chocolate bars laced with nougat.
What does this mean? Students must purchase candy off school grounds and school associations have fewer opportunities to make money for programs no longer covered by tax dollars.
Amusingly enough, the province is going to be reviewing the possibility of cutting back on the hours posted by gambling establishments.
This manoeuvre would lead to fewer jobs and a weakened economy.
Meanwhile, Ontarians are now paying a health-care premium and some property owners, including horse ranch and condo owners, are seeing their property reclassified as commercial and, therefore, face spiraling property tax hikes.
All told, the past year of Liberal leadership has led those who once sought a kinder, gentler Ontario to ask whatever happened to their best of intentions.
One must also wonder why the Liberals continue to focus on balancing the budget when the former government showed it could not be done at the current level of services, depleted though they were.
Perhaps instead of echoing the words of Tiny Tim with the plea, “please sir, can I have s’more?” Ontarians should ask the provincial government to meddle less.
Indeed, perhaps it is time for Dalton McGuinty’s crew to focus on drawing more jobs into the province rather than wringing out the last possible penny from the pockets of every working Joe and Jane in the land.
The Clinton News Record

http://www.seaforthhuronexpositor.com/index.php?id=591

    OTTAWA, Jan. 1 /CNW Telbec/ - Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh marked New Year's Day 2005 by congratulating Saskatchewan on its new province-wide smoking ban, which takes effect today. The new law bans smoking in all enclosed public places, including bars and restaurants, and prohibits the use of designated smoking rooms. This legislation follows on the heels of similar bans in Manitoba and New Brunswick, which took effect in October 2004.
    "I'm very encouraged that provinces and municipalities are taking steps to protect Canadians from the dangers of second-hand smoke," said Minister Dosanjh. "I would like to congratulate Saskatchewan. This strong smoking ban sets a positive example for the rest of the country. Early this year Health Canada will launch a new round of anti-tobacco advertising which will target the effects of second hand smoke."
    Heather Crowe, a longtime advocate of smoke-free workplaces, also welcomes the new legislation. Heather never smoked a day in her life, but spent her career working in the hospitality sector. She now has lung cancer - a result of her exposure to second-hand smoke. Heather has been a vocal non-smoking activist, attending numerous engagements in municipalities working towards smoke-free by-laws. "I am delighted that smoking will now be banned in
all public places in Saskatchewan," said Ms. Crowe.
    Every year, more than 45,000 Canadians die from disease or illness caused by using tobacco and at least 1,000 are non-smokers. Cigarette smoke is the number one cause of visible indoor air pollution and second-hand smoke exposes people to cancer-causing pollutants. The financial costs associated with employee smoking are also significant. The most recent conservative estimates from 1995 show annual costs per smoking employee can be up to $2,565 per year due to increased absenteeism, decreased productivity, increased life insurance premiums, and smoking area costs. The most recent figures from 1991 estimate that smoking costs the Canadian health care system approximately $3.5 billion
every year.
    The primary goal of the Federal Tobacco Control Strategy (FTCS) is to reduce disease and death among Canadians. It recognizes that the key to success is comprehensive, integrated and sustained action, carried out in collaboration with all partners and directed at Canadians of all ages. Federal, provincial and territorial Ministers of Health are committed to working together to reduce tobacco consumption in Canada.
    Health Canada has resources available to help workplaces go smoke-free, including "Smoke-free Public Places: You Can Get There" and "Towards a Healthier Workplace: A Guidebook on Tobacco Control Policies". "Smoke-free Public Places" offers hands-on, easy-to-use resources to help municipalities and communities through the various stages of planning, implementing and evaluating non-smoking by-laws and policies in public places in their community. The "Guidebook" is designed to help employees and employers who are preparing to create or strengthen tobacco control policies in their workplace.
    These and other resources on second-hand smoke and help on how to quit smoking can be found at: www.GoSmokefree.ca or by calling 1 800 O-Canada     (1 800-622-6232).
Egalement disponible en français
 

For further information: Media Inquiries:  Paul Duchesne, Health Canada, (613) 954-4807; Adčle Blanchard, Office of the Minister of Health, (613) 957-0200; Tricia Geddes, Office of the Minister of State (Public Health), (613) 941-8081; Public Inquiries: (613) 957-2991; Health Canada news
releases are available on the Internet at http://media.health-canada.net
http://www.cnw.ca/fr/releases/archive/January2005/01/c9474.html

London Free Press

Broadcast News December 29, 2004

MELFORT -- A co-owner of a hotel in Melfort fears the upcoming province-wide smoking ban could cut her business by 60 per cent.

Waneta Goldstein at the Chances R Hotel says she's giving early notice to two employees so they can take full advantage of their employment insurance.

Starting Jan. 1, smoking will be banned in all indoor public places, including restaurants and bars.

Goldstein says if business is better than expected, she'll rehire the two workers.

Lilian Campbell -- one of those facing a layoff -- says she understands the move by her employer, but finding a new job won't be easy at this time of year

http://www.canada.com/search/story.html?id=58a8d9c9-3523-438e-a7d8-2ac79247e021

Man shot after feud in Bank St. building

By LAURA CZEKAJ, Ottawa SunWed, December 29, 2004

A convict out of jail on statutory release is being hunted by police after he allegedly shot a man in the leg following a dispute about smoking in an apartment building hallway. Ottawa police have released a photograph of Rabih Ahmed Hamade, 25, who is wanted on weapons-related charges.

WEAPON NOT FOUND

The firearm, which might have been a shotgun, was not recovered by police, said Staff Sgt. Anda Pember.

"(Hamade) is to be considered armed and dangerous," said Pember. "If the public sees him they are to call 911 immediately."

The shooting occurred at about 8:40 p.m. Monday after a 39-year-old man staying in a ninth-floor apartment at 1365 Bank St. asked his neighbour not to smoke in the hallway.

The suspect went into his apartment and a woman who was with him had words with the victim before also going inside. Soon after, the suspect opened his door and shot the victim in the leg below the knee. The victim fled inside his apartment for safety and the suspect escaped.

A tactical unit tried to flush the suspect out of the apartment before discovering he was long gone.

The victim was treated and released from hospital.

Hamade had been released on statutory release while serving a four-year sentence for attempted murder and weapons-related charges in connection with a nightclub shooting in 2001.

MAY BE WITH FEMALE

Hamade is described as 5-foot-10, about 200 lbs., and was last seen wearing a white top, blue jeans and a grey winter jacket. He might be with a white female who has blonde hair and blue eyes.

Anyone with information about Hamade's whereabouts is asked to call police at 236-1222, ext. 3212 or 3566.

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/OttawaSun/News/2004/12/29/800239-sun.html

http://www.simcoereformer.ca/story.php?id=133221

Ian Ross Wednesday December 29, 2004

Lloydminster Meridian Booster — Officials at the Prairie North Health Region say enforcing Saskatchewan’s new Tobacco Control Act could present enforcement challenges for public health inspectors as they monitor eateries and bars on the Saskatchewan side of Lloydminster.
The TCA comes into effect on Jan. 1, 2005 and prohibits smoking in all restaurants and bars in Saskatchewan.
“In the context of Lloydminster it presents an enforcement challenge for us and one may argue that it may become a public relations challenge for us at the regional health authority,” said Fan. “Within the confines of the city of Lloydminster, the Prairie North Regional Health Authority and the public health inspectors who we employ have the inherent responsibility to enforce the public health act, in this case the Tobacco Control Act, but only on the Saskatchewan side.”
On the Alberta side, there is no similar legislation. Fan said when it comes to enforcement, applying the law differently within the same city could be more challenging than anticipated.
“That is something we believe will be a very difficult task for us,” said Fan.
Glennys Uzelman, vice-president of primary care services at the health region, agrees with Fan. She said inspectors will be out in pairs, usually on evenings and weekends when they’ll be able to blend easier with the crowd at bars.
“The fines are meant to be a deterrent and the public health inspectors will have a solid presence in Saskatchewan,” said Uzelman. “They will be doing inspections and responding to complaints and if need be, they will be ticketing establishments that are not working within that law. It will create some dilemmas with some businesses who won’t be terribly happy because of the differences in the city.”
Within the scope of municipal politics, city officials have the ability to pass a bylaw that would make the whole city smoke-free.
“We have had some very preliminary discussions with city officials, but a bylaw is certainly up to the politicians and the municipal government for that community,” she said.

http://www.meridianbooster.com/story.php?id=134882

Chroniclejournal.com

JAMES MCCARTEN, Jan. 3, 2005.
CANADIAN PRESS
If the old adage about strength in numbers is true, then the countless ranks of Canada's estimated 4.7 million smokers who plan to kick the habit for good in 2005 should take heart.

  The province of Ontario is trying to quit, too. So are Newfoundland and Saskatchewan.

  Canada's most populous province is poised to join the growing ranks of provincial governments that are banning smoking virtually everywhere, from bars and restaurants to casinos and Legion halls. "There's been more progress this year than in any other single year at the provincial level," said Michael Purley, director of Ontario Campaign For Action on Tobacco, an organization founded by five health agencies, including the Ontario Medical Association, in 1992.

  "This has been a huge year for progress right across the country, but Ontario's been leading the way at the local level, and now is poised to pick up a leadership role at the provincial level as well."

  Manitoba and New Brunswick both went smoke-free in October, and Saskatchewan butts out for good in public places Jan. 1. Newfoundland announced just weeks ago that it would follow suit in the spring.

  Ontario's legislation, introduced Dec. 15, would force everyone to butt out almost everywhere other than at home or outdoors starting May 31, 2006. It was billed as the most comprehensive in North America. Quitting still has its side effects, though: exiled smokers, irritable pub owners, a dip in revenues at blackjack tables and video lottery terminals and the costs of heated patios.

  In Newfoundland, where smoking has long been banned in restaurants but permitted in pubs, bar owners are incensed.

  "These are small businesses in every sense of the word," said Luc Erjavec, the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association's vice-president for Atlantic Canada.

  "With average annual revenues of just $205,000 and razor-thin profit margins of just 4.4 per cent, a smoking ban will devastate the pub and bar sector in this province."

  In a survey of New Brunswick pubs, taverns and nightclubs, the association found that nearly three-quarters of establishments have seen business drop off with the smoking ban.

  "It has simply driven smokers out of pubs and bars, and into homes and cars," Erjavec said.

  Not even jail offers a safe haven any more. Prisons across Canada have been embracing the trend toward smoke-free.

  There were other victories in the anti-tobacco camp in 2004.

  Canada ratified the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, a global public-health treaty, and is moving forward on banning the words "light" and "mild" from tobacco product labels and introducing "fire-safe" cigarettes, which self-extinguish when left unattended.

  Not everyone is hailing 2004 as a banner year, however.

   "It's been more negative than positive, although there have been some positive things," said Garfield Mahood, executive director of the Non-Smoker's Rights Association.

  Mahood acknowledged the provincial bans and hailed Ontario's law as a major step forward, but said he won't celebrate until the law is passed.

  It was also the year smokers started standing up for themselves — even if it was with the help of the Canadian Tobacco Manufacturers Council, which pays for mychoice.ca, an Internet-based lobby for smokers. "It's not that you want to turn back the clock to pre-smoking ban days or force yourself on non-smokers," the website tells members, "but a little balance that allows for reasonable compromise would be nice."

  As well as the many tobacco lawsuits winding their way through the courts, next year's main event against Big Tobacco is expected to centre on so-called "power walls" — the massive cigarette displays that loom over virtually every convenience store counter in the free world.

  "In 2002, the industry paid $77 million to retailers across the country for retail promotional space, so it has a very, very vested interest in fighting these bans as far as it can," Purley said.

  Saskatchewan was the first province to try to ban the displays with a controversial 2002 law that is scheduled to be challenged in the Supreme Court in January. Manitoba is holding off on its proposed law until then.

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1103885176269&call_page=TS_Ontario&call_

pageid=968256289824&call_pagepath=News/Ontario&pubid=968163964505&StarSource=email&DPL=IvsNDS%2f7ChAX&tacodalogin=yes

 - US border crossings18.1% decreased since 2002 (before sars), decreased 1.3% in the first 3 quarters compared to Jan- Sept. of 2003

- travel to US increased 6.3% for Jan- Sept. of 2004  compared to Jan- Sept 2004.  When compared to Jan -Sept of 2002 increased 2.9%

http://www.tourism.gov.on.ca/english/tourdiv/research/tff-winter_2004_e.pdf

By Jean Lian Sunday December 26, 2004

By Jean Lian — While businesses across Saskatchewan butt out when the province-wide smoking ban kicks in on Jan. 1, the same cannot be said for casinos on Indian reserves.
The Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) does not intend to comply with the smoking ban, citing the Constitution Act of 1876 which puts Indian reserves under federal jurisdiction as a reason for exempting Indian-run casinos from the provincial smoking ban.
FSIN First Vice-Chief Morley Watson reiterated in its Dec. 20 press release that “the issue is jurisdiction, and within that, the ability of First Nations to create their own laws that are truly reflective of their communities.”
He cited the Lac La Ronge Indian band which enacted a complete smoking ban in public places and the Saskatoon Tribal Council which has been making its buildings smoke-free since 1993 as examples of communities around the province enacting their own rules.
“In any situation where federal legislation, including a First Nations bylaw, is inconsistent or at odds with provincial legislation, the federal legislation takes precedent in any cases where division of powers allow for this,” said Watson.
Nevertheless, Watson indicated FSIN’s willingness to engage in a dialogue with the provincial government as there are “often areas in which federal and provincial legislation ends up, often quite unintentionally, at cross purposes.”
FSIN’s position on the smoking ban has drawn rile from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) who criticized this as a “two-tier smoking ban”.
It stressed that if the provincial government is to be “perceived as fair and equitable”, provincial laws must apply equally to all and not “treat its citizens differently based on their ancestry”, said CTF director Tania Fiss.
CTF also cited Section 88 of the Indian Act that allows for all laws of general application in any province to be applicable to Indians in the province, a point that Canadian Cancer Society’s senior policy analyst and lawyer Rob Cunningham agrees with.
“It is clear legally that the provincial law of general application does apply to reserves,” Cunningham said.
He cited the Highway Traffic Act and laws regulating gambling as well as occupational health and safety as examples of provincial law of general application being implemented across the board.
“We’re very concerned about the high rate of cancer and smoking among the First Nations community in Saskatchewan,” said Cunningham. “Everyone should be protected from health effects of smoke regardless of where they work.”
The cancer society who sees the smoking ban as “a health issue” is adopting a wait-and-see attitude and hopes the matter can be resolved before Jan. 1.
“We’re disappointed,” said the cancer society’s Donna Pasiechnik on the FSIN’s position.Continued from front page
“One of the most important aspects of the smoking ban is to protect workers from second-hand smoke,” especially those working in the hospitality industry, added Pasiechnik.
The cancer society is partnering with regional health authorities across the province to launch a media campaign to support smoke-free businesses.
Drawing a moderate voice of concern with regards to FSIN’s position is the Hotels Association of Saskatchewan.
“I think FSIN realizes the smoking ban is going to be very damaging to their position,” said the hotel association’s executive vice-president Tom Mullin.
He is “not surprised” that FSIN decided not to comply with the smoking ban but is concerned about the issue of “level playing field” and the impact on other casinos and businesses if the smoking ban is not applied to Indian-run casinos such as those in Prince Albert, Yorkton and North Battleford.
“Right now, it’s in the government’s hands,” said Mullin who describes the smoking ban as “an economic issue”.

http://www.meadowlakeprogress.com/story.php?id=134475

WHITEHORSE - Whitehorse is now officially a smoke-free city.

The bylaw banning smoking in bars came into effect as revellers rang in the new year at midnight Friday.

 But not everyone was happy about butting out.

 "I think it's crap," said one bar patron. "I don't smoke but ... a bar is a smoking place with beer or liquor drinkers. Take it away – it's people's choice. You either go to a bar or you go to a non-smoking bar, but people should have the choice, not rules."

 A woman in a corner shook her head as she blew a grey cloud of smoke into the air. "I ain't gonna butt out for nobody."

 That attitude may change over the next few months as bar owners remove ash trays and post non-smoking signs.

 The smoking bylaw will be enforced on a complaint-driven basis. Bars and smokers who fail to comply could face a fine from the City of Whitehorse.

http://north.cbc.ca/regionalnews/caches/jan3smokers132005.html

KIM HUGHES Jan. 2, 2005. 01:00 AM 

Barb's Miracle:

How Barb Tarbox Transformed Her Deadly Cancer into a Lifesaving Crusade

by David Staples and Greg Southam

River Books, 155 pages, $19.95

Barb's Miracle, an up-close chronicle of the dying days of anti-smoking activist Barb Tarbox, demands a lot from the reader. In this instance, forewarned is forearmed.

The book asks us to witness, in unvarnished words and pictures, Tarbox's agony as she succumbs to lung and brain cancer. It asks us to sympathize with the less savoury aspects of her blunt anti-tobacco campaign, which she famously and heroically took to some 50,000 students in Canada between November 2002 and April 2003.

Most significantly, Barb's Miracle asks us to believe that Tarbox's firebrand speeches, her unflagging energy and single-mindedness were not simply the courageous legacy of a rueful chainsmoker but a real miracle; a palpable act of God played out on Earth for all to see.

If the first two demands are surmountable for most, the last stumped even author David Staples, an Edmonton Journal reporter and an admitted agnostic. "I'm a newspaper journalist," Staples states in his foreword, "and I work to be objective and skeptical, qualities essential to succeeding at my craft ... In the final months of Barb's life, I did witness something ... If a miracle is to be believed, it must withstand scrutiny. This one does."

With that, we embark shotgun style with Staples and Journal photographer Greg Southam as they shadow Tarbox and her best friend Tracy Mueller through the horrible yet strangely affirming passage of terminal illness. It's a bumpy ride.

By now Tarbox's story is familiar. A lifelong smoker, the Edmonton homemaker was diagnosed with terminal cancer in late 2002. Determined to use her suffering as a means of scaring others away from the demon tobacco, Tarbox began giving warts-and-all lectures to students in schools.

Her dramatic delivery resonated, and soon Tarbox was fielding speaking offers from across the country and making appearances on radio and TV. Tarbox was front page news in Canada, and Staples produces copious correspondence from the public suggesting her missives hit the intended targets. Smokers quit smoking and kids vowed never to begin.

But Tarbox, who died in May 2003 at age 42, was not without controversy. She smoked to the very end, refusing to add nicotine withdrawal to her list of ailments (stopping wouldn't have saved her anyway). She placed enormous demands on her friends and family, especially Mueller, who took an extended leave of absence from work to act as Tarbox's ad hoc road manager.

It was a Herculean job by anyone's measure, especially since Mueller was also was required to buy cigarettes for Tarbox, who feared the bad publicity such a purchase would inevitably bring.

Tarbox chose to accept speaking engagements rather than using her final months to, say, write a journal to her coming-of-age daughter or husband. Moreover, Tarbox plainly lacked the humility we've come to prefer in our homegrown heroes. When the media came calling, she was gussied up and ready with a sound bite.

Which brings us to Barb's Miracle and some pretty germane questions, namely: Can the author or photographer offer something we haven't already seen before? And who exactly is this book for?

The answer to the former is a decided draw. Southam and Staples had remarkable access not just to Tarbox but to her family, friends, physicians, clergy and the thousands of kids who attended (and were irrevocably moved by) her powerful lectures. Yet the presentation of stories and anecdotes is surprisingly dry.

"On the way home, we stopped at a restaurant," Staples writes. "I sat next to Barb. As she ate, I saw the white goo she had previously mentioned at the corner of her mouth. I also caught a whiff of medicine from her, a hospital smell, one I associated with disease. I lost my appetite."

While one applauds Staples' reluctance to court overt sentimentality, a story like this cries out for emotional ballast, especially when set against Southam's unusually intimate black and white portraits. Barb's Miracle gives us straight recitation of fact.

To his credit, Staples keeps the proselytizing in check, sparing us the ubiquitous statistics about tobacco use and death, instead focusing on Tarbox. He even suggests Tarbox's continued smoking actually bolstered her message, underscoring the nefarious power of cigarette addiction.

Just what kind of reader this book is for is more debatable. Certainly, anyone who witnessed one of Tarbox's lectures or those who found the strength to quit smoking based on her testimonials — used to full affect by the Alberta government in its anti-smoking campaigns — will cherish the behind-the-scenes glimpses of this most astonishing woman.

But even supporters might feel uneasy with the author's submission that Tarbox was somehow imbued with strength from the beyond. Maybe she was just an amazingly focused woman. Maybe Staples, despite his journalistic defences, was simply swept up by the power of Tarbox's performances. Certainly, the author makes clear that's exactly what her speeches were — polished, well-executed performances — despite the altruistic message at their core.

Or maybe, as Staples also ultimately suggests, we as a society need to revisit our notions of what miracles are. But, as stated, that is asking a lot of a reader, especially one at the end of a story about a woman who, good deeds notwithstanding, died an awful, premature death. One is reluctant to give credit for Tarbox's remarkable feat to anyone but the woman herself.

 Toronto freelance writer and editor Kim Hughes is a lead reviewer for amazon.ca.

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&call_pageid=971358637

177&c=Article&cid=1104580866656

By Darby Gilbertson, Tuesday January 04, 2005

Pincher Creek Echo — As of Jan. 1, patrons of the Husky restaurant at Pincher Station will have to leave their cigarette cravings at the door, as the establishment is implementing a no smoking policy.
“We’re going to try it out and see how it goes,” says Margaret Afdahl, Husky restaurant manager. “I have nothing against smokers or non smokers (but) it’s very hard on the staff to work in that environment.”
Afdahl says she has fielded several complaints about the smoky atmosphere from both customers and staff, noting the poor ventilation system in the building makes it difficult for the workers who are exposed to the smoke for eight hour days.
While as of Jan. 1, 2005 the Town of Pincher Creek is enforcing a bylaw, which bans smoking in any enclosed public premise where minors are allowed, Afdahl notes that, as part of the MD, she isn’t subject to the bylaw.
“Nobody’s forcing me to do this,” states Afdahl.
“I’m going to try it out, if I don’t lose too much business, I’m going to stay that way.”
However, Afdahl says response she’s received from some of the customers has been “terrible.”
“One guy went up to the waitress and told her to get a different job if the smoke bothers her,” says Afdahl.
While Afdahl says she can sympathize with the smokers, she says the smoking in the restaurant has become excessive.
“One day I counted 28 cigarettes in an ashtray,” says Afdahl.
“Even some of the smokers are complaining.”

http://www.pinchercreekecho.com/story.php?id=135443

http://www.particleandfibretoxicology.com/content/1/1/2

By KEN RITTER ASSOCIATED PRESS January 03, 2005

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Despite mounting pressure and the threat of a lawsuit, the Nevada attorney general's office will not change an opinion that led to the disqualification of initiative petitions to limit smoking in public places and legalize marijuana.

Attorney General Brian Sandoval "stands by the opinion," Tom Sargent, spokesman for Sandoval, said Monday. Sargent said reversing the decision would defy a precedent the Nevada Supreme Court set in a similar case in 1994.

A Washoe County District Court judge will review the issue Feb. 7 in Reno.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada said Monday it will represent the Marijuana Policy Project, a group that wants the Legislature to consider letting adults possess up to one ounce of marijuana for personal use.

"What we have is an utter mess," said Gary Peck, ACLU executive director. "It disenfranchises the thousands and thousands of people who signed onto these petitions with the expectations that the state was going to follow its own rules, respect voters their first amendment rights and have a fair process."

Peck said ACLU lawyers planned to file a federal lawsuit this week.

"Unfortunately, we seem to be headed inexorably into federal court and another costly lawsuit for the people of the State of Nevada," he said.

Nevada Secretary of State Dean Heller had asked Sandoval to reconsider after an appeal from Robert Crowell, attorney for the Nevada Clean Air initiative petition that seeks to limit smoking in public buildings.

Backers of the clean air petition submitted 64,871 valid signatures Nov. 9 - a week after the 2004 election. They maintain they needed 51,337 signatures, based on 10 percent of the voter turnout in the 2002 election.

Heller, acting on Sandoval's advice, said the petition needed 83,156 signatures - or a number equal to 10 percent of the turnout in the Nov. 2 election.

Advocates of the marijuana proposal had 69,261 valid signatures.

An initiative supported by the casinos to impose smoking limits gathered 74,348 valid signatures.

Crowell said Heller accepted an initiative petition to change medical malpractice laws after the 2002 November election, and determined the measure qualified for the ballot based on 10 percent of the voters in the 2000 election.

Heller said there were enough signatures to qualify the malpractice petition based on 10 percent of the voter turnout in 2000 and 2002.

Crowell said the health coalition relied on the advice of the secretary of state in its initiative petition guide that only 51,337 signatures were needed and then agreed to the request by county officials not to file the petition before the election because the officials had too much work facing them.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nevada/2005/jan/03/010310198.html

ASSOCIATED PRESS Today: January 04, 2005

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) - A judge was asked Tuesday to resolve a dispute over a petition to limit smoking in public places - a petition that was disqualified as a result of a controversial attorney general's opinion.

Carson City District Judge Bill Maddox was asked by lawyers for the American Cancer Society and Secretary of State Dean Heller to determine whether the petition should be presented to the 2005 Legislature.

The case also would affect a second smoking-restriction proposal and a petition to ease marijuana possession laws. All three proposals were derailed as a result of the attorney general's opinion.

Cancer Society attorney Bob Crowell called the request to Maddox the best way to get a quick ruling on the number of signatures required on initiative petitions.

Besides the case pending before Maddox, the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, representing the Marijuana Policy Project, plans to file a federal court lawsuit this week over the opinion by Attorney General Brian Sandoval.

Sandoval is standing by his opinion despite a request from Heller to reconsider. Relying on that opinion, Heller last month said the initiative petitions to limit smoking and to permit adults to have one ounce of marijuana failed because they did not have a required 83,156 valid signatures.

The Cancer Society, the American Heart Association and the American Lung Association had gathered 64,871 signatures for their proposal. Proponents of the second petition to limit smoking, supported by casinos and bars, turned in 74,348 signatures and the Regulation of Marijuana initiative had 69,261 signatures.

The petitioners believed they had to submit only 51,337 valid signatures, based on a requirement of 10 percent of the voter turnout in the preceding election. They felt that meant the 2002 election when about 512,000 voters turned out.

They submitted their petitions after the Nov. 2 election - and the attorney general's office then said the most recent election had to be used on calculating the 10 percent of the turnout. More than 830,000 voters went to the polls last month.

Crowell said petitioners delayed turning in their signatures until after the 2004 election at the request of some county officials who said they had too much work facing them.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nevada/2005/jan/04/010410424.html

A growing number of U.S. companies are barring new applicants and current employees from smoking in an effort to curb healthcare costs, the Wall Street Journal reported Dec. 21.

Some companies, like Weyco Inc., a small medical-benefits administration firm in Okemos, Mich., are only hiring nonsmokers for new openings and requiring current employees who smoke to quit or leave their positions.

As part of the job-application process, a number of companies are requiring applicants to submit to nicotine testing or blood tests, while other hiring managers ask applicants questions about their smoking behavior. To help current employees quit smoking, numerous companies are offering smoking-cessation programs.

Navistar International Corp., a Warrenville, Ill., truck manufacturer, plans to charge smokers an extra $50 per month for their healthcare coverage starting in July.

Jay Whitehead, publisher of HRO Today, a magazine for human-resources executives, said smokers are being pressured even at companies that don't have formal antismoking policies.

"There is discrimination at many companies -- and maybe even most companies -- against people who smoke," said Whitehead.

Privacy-rights advocates and smokers argue that the tough antismoking policies are too severe, considering that smoking is a legal activity.

"It's crazy, because if you smoke in one context you're fine and in another you're not," said Dave Pickrell, founder of Smokers Fighting Discrimination, a nonprofit group in Katy, Texas.

http://www.jointogether.org/sa/news/summaries/reader/0,1854,575497,00.html

     Littleton Hospital Practicing Physician Develops Comprehensive Diet, Nutrition and Exercise Plans to Help Patients, at Risk for the Metabolic     Syndrome, Improve Their Health and Achieve Optimal Weight Loss Goals

    LITTLETON, Colo., Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Metabolic Syndrome, a health condition characterized by obesity, high cholesterol levels, elevated blood pressure and pre-diabetes, presently affects nearly 47 million Americans.  The underlying causes for this syndrome include unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and genetic factors, which significantly increase the risk for coronary heart disease, stroke and type II diabetes.  Metabolic Syndrome is closely associated with a generalized metabolic disorder called insulin resistance, in which the body cannot use insulin efficiently resulting in unhealthy insulin levels and illness.

    In recent years, the link between an unhealthy carbohydrate-rich diet, high insulin levels, obesity and The Metabolic Syndrome has become clear.  Treatment for these conditions using a controlled carbohydrate diet, lowers insulin levels, and has proven successful. Littleton-based Family Physician, Dr. Jeffry Gerber, who has closely studied obesity and The Metabolic Syndrome, has been improving the lives and the health of his patients with prescribed lifestyle changes including a controlled carbohydrate diet, supplements and exercise.

    "When we eat a carbohydrate-rich meal, we produce higher levels of insulin, which signals the body to store fat and cholesterol," said Dr. Gerber.  "Eating a meal containing healthy controlled carbohydrates, proteins and fats allow our bodies to better regulate blood sugar levels, insulin and more importantly, prohibits the storage of fat and cholesterol and allows for healthy weight loss."

    While an extremely low-carbohydrate diet can produce rapid weight loss in most patients, Dr. Gerber advocates more of a gradual lifestyle change with his patients, the goal being disease prevention and longevity.  Unlike books that sell on the promise of rapid weight loss, Dr. Gerber's approach involves treating patients as a whole, including a comprehensive plan of care under the direction of a board certified physician.  Dr. Gerber carefully considers each patient's underlying medical conditions and risk factors during treatment. For patients with advanced disease such as type II diabetes or heart disease, Dr. Gerber develops an individualized sensible diet plan, with or without medication, and clinically monitors their health and weight loss progress carefully.

    "This isn't a fad diet, this is a lifestyle change," said Dr. Gerber.  "Weight loss on a extremely low-carbohydrate diet can produce rapid results, but it is important that my patients adopt a healthier lifestyle for the long-haul.  A precise program, including diet, exercise and nutritional supplements under the care of a physician, is more beneficial to the patient in the long run."

    The Metabolic Syndrome typically affects adults beginning in their late thirties and early forties and may pose a greater health risk than smoking for heart attack and stroke.  The condition is being seen in children as well.  While there are not well-accepted criteria for diagnosing this condition, The Metabolic Syndrome can be identified by the presence of three of four components including obesity, pre-diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.  A physical examination and blood work, including a two-hour glucose tolerance test, with your doctor will help to detect insulin resistance and The Metabolic Syndrome.

    Jeffry Gerber, M.D., is a board certified family practice physician.  He earned his medical degree at the Temple University School of Medicine in 1986
and was board certified in family medicine in 1991.  Dr. Gerber is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Colorado Academy of Family Physicians, the Colorado and the Arapahoe-Douglas-Elbert medical societies. Dr. Gerber's office, South Suburban Family Medicine, located in Littleton, offers a complete range of family and preventive medicine, including screening and treatment for The Metabolic Syndrome and weight loss. He has been serving the south metro Denver area since 1993.

    Littleton Adventist Hospital is part of Centura Health, a faith-based hospital system sponsored by Adventist Health System and Catholic Initiatives.
Littleton Adventist Hospital is an acute-care, 175-bed hospital and Level II Trauma Center.  Known for its women and newborn care including a Level III
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, surgical services and emergency care, Littleton Adventist Hospital has been south metro Denver's premier full-service medical
center since 1989.
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/01-04-2005/0002767284&EDATE=

"This partnership, which combines NIDA support and cutting-edge private-sector technology, will help us better understand the significance of genetic influences in smoking," said NIDA Director Dr. Nora D. Volkow. "As we learn more about genetic influences on nicotine addiction and treatment response, we will be able to individually tailor the treatments for people who are addicted to this powerful drug."

NIDA-supported scientists at Washington University in St. Louis will use Perlegen's technology to analyze more than 1.5 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across the genome in people who are highly addicted to nicotine, and compare these findings with those from people who are not addicted to the drug. SNPs (pronounced "snips") are DNA sequence variations that occur when a single nucleotide (A,T,C, or G) in the genome sequence is altered, such as when the genetic sequence AATTCCGGA is somehow altered to read ATTTCCGGA).

Most SNPs serve as biological markers for pinpointing a disease on the human genome map. This is because they are usually located near a gene associated with a certain disease. Occasionally, a SNP may actually contribute to a disease and, therefore, can be used to search for and isolate the disease-associated gene.

Perlegen, headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., was formed in 2000 to accelerate the development of high-resolution, whole-genome scanning.

http://www.usmedicine.com/dailyNews.cfm?dailyID=209

UPI - Tuesday, January 04, 2005 Date: Tuesday, January 04, 2005 9:17:47 PM EST

CINCINNATI, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- A chemical used in plastic encourages the growth of the cancer cells found in up to 25 percent of prostate cancer cases, Philadelphia researchers found.

Scientists discovered that a particular type of prostate cancer cells, those with mutated receptors for male hormones, proliferate in the presence of the chemical bisophenol A. Many types of prostate cancer depend on male hormones for tumor growth and cancer cell proliferation and bisophenol A is similar to the hormone estrogen. The type of cell with the mutated receptor is linked to between 8 percent and 25 percent of all prostate cancer cases.

Some 2.5 billion pounds of bisophenol A are produced each year. It is found in a wide variety of products including food cans, milk container linings, food storage containers and water supply pipes.

The discovery could have implications for the treatment of prostate cancer, the second most common type of cancer found in American men. Approximately 220,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year in the United States.

A report on the research can be found in the Jan. 1 issue of Cancer Research.

http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story.asp?StoryId=CqDOI0eidDxmTCgXHC3rPy2nHBMnLCG