News

21 Aug 2008
Board passes tobacco ban in pharmacies
San Francisco lawmakers voted Tuesday to make the city the first in the nation to ban the sale of tobacco products at most pharmacies, a move that backers hope will lead to similar laws across the country.
Full story at sfgate.com

19 Aug 2008
Cigarette taxes are up -- so is smuggling
When Maryland doubled the cigarette tax to $2 a pack, some residents may have found a reason to quit. Smugglers, on the other hand, seem to have found a motive to step up their activities.
Full story at baltimoresun.com

14 Aug 2008
Hundreds refuse church in Pamulang
Hundreds of residents rallied on Wednesday against the construction of the Bernades Church in Pondok Cabe Udik subdistrict, Tangerang regency. "There are a total of 130 churches in the subdistrict and a new church will be built. Of course, this figure is not fitting and conducive for a subdistrict like Pondok Cabe Udik," said Nana Suwardi, one of the protesters.
Full story at old.thejakartapost.com

12 Aug 2008
Tobacco shares may not go up in smoke
For a decade now, the Health ministry has been struggling to find ways of reducing the number of cigarette smokers and curtail the recruitment of the youth into this dangerous habit.
Full story at hamptonroads.com

7 Aug 2008
Tobacco shares may not go up in smoke
For a decade now, the Health ministry has been struggling to find ways of reducing the number of cigarette smokers and curtail the recruitment of the youth into this dangerous habit.
Full story at bdafrica.com

5 Aug 2008
Smokin' athletes! Who says cigarettes and sports don't mix?
ONE OF the biggest secrets of the fitness world has nothing to do with supplements, steroids or spandex. It is the almost implausible combination of exercise and smoking. There are people, it seems, who do both. We're not talking about mall walkers who light up once a week. These are men and women who compete in marathons and triathlons and go hiking and train at the gym -- who also have a pretty steady cigarette habit.
Full story at latimes.com

31 Jul 2008
Board passes tobacco ban in pharmacies
San Francisco lawmakers voted Tuesday to make the city the first in the nation to ban the sale of tobacco products at most pharmacies, a move that backers hope will lead to similar laws across the country.
Full story at sfgate.com

29 Jul 2008
N.C. public schools going tobacco-free
All of North Carolina's public schools will be tobacco-free by the end of this week, the culmination of a six-year effort by health advocates in the most tobacco-friendly of states. Each of the state's 115 school systems will have a policy banning smoking and all other tobacco use – by anyone, at any time, anywhere on campus or at off-campus school events such as field trips and football games.
Full story at charlotte.com

24 Jul 2008
Attorney General's Role in Tobacco Settlement Precludes Punitive Damages Suit, Panel Rules
A New York appellate court has held that a $248 billion nationwide settlement with tobacco companies in which New York state was a party bars the estate and husband of a New York woman who died of lung cancer from bringing a punitive damages claim against Philip Morris and other tobacco-industry giants.
Full story at biz.yahoo.com

22 Jul 2008
Navajo Council to consider commercial smoking ban
The Navajo Nation Council is to consider a measure this week during its summer session that would prohibit the use of commercial tobacco in public buildings and shared public air spaces, such as fairs and rodeos.
Full story at bismarcktribune.com

10 Jul 2008
Stubborn smokers costing the boss
British Car Auctions (BCA) is making the announcement one year on from the introduction of the smoking ban in public places, including company vehicles.
Full story at newcarnet.co.uk

8 Jul 2008
Still smoking
In a state with more than a quarter of its landmass dedicated to farming, Louisiana's 40-acre tobacco trade seems a speck on the agricultural map. Even at its height in 1922, farmers planted just 1,100 acres of Louisiana's only breed of tobacco, known as perique. Its home in Grand Point, a remote outpost in St. James Parish, is too small to merit its own ZIP code.
Full story at nola.com

3 Jul 2008
Council Bans Smoking in Jackson Restaurants
After three failed starts this morning, an amendment to change a 2003 city ordinance banning smoking in all businesses except standalone bars passed the Jackson City Council this morning. “We’re very excited,” said Jennifer Cofer, executive director of the American Lung Association of Mississippi and chairwoman of anti-tobacco group Communities for a Clean Bill of Health. “The council saw that they needed to revisit this issue and vote on something today for the city of Jackson. Although it is not 100 percent inclusive, it’s the best we can do given the current environment here in the city. This means we can protect the most Mississippians we can without that one exemption.
Full story at jacksonfreepress.com

1 Jul 2008
Black Lawmakers Seek Restrictions on Menthol Cigarettes
The Congressional Black Caucus is calling for changes to a House tobacco-regulation bill, demanding that the legislation place restrictions on menthol cigarettes, the type heavily favored by African-American smokers.
Full story at nytimes.com

26 Jun 2008
Lawmaker blasts delay on anti-smoking rules
Iowa’s health department has failed to finalize rules behind a statewide public smoking ban that begins in six days, raising criticisms from one legislative leader who says it’s time for the department “to get off its rear end.”
Full story at altoonaherald.com

24 Jun 2008
'Amy's covered in nicotine patches and eating like a horse,' reveals Winehouse's father
Amy Winehouse’s devoted father Mitch has revealed the singer is covered in nocotine patches in a bid to save her career. In an emotional interview the cab driver told how doctors have warned his daughter she must stay off drugs if she wants to sing again. The rake-thin singer is also "eating like a horse" in a new-found determination to kick the destructive habits that have plagued her career.
Full story at dailymail.co.uk

5 Jun 2008
The Legislature falls short of a model ban
Deal or no deal? The prospect for a statewide law restricting smoking mimicked the popular television game show yesterday, and there is one final offer before the state Senate.
Full story at post-gazette.com

30 May 2008
Increasing tobacco prices to discourage teen consumption
Tobacco prices in the UAE are set to double every two years under a new proposal by the Ministry of Health, as part of the effort to cut smoking rates.
Full story at gulfnews.com

6 May 2008
Crusader against smoking
"Caution – Cigarette Smoking May Be Hazardous to Your Health." By today's explicit and bloodcurdling standards the warning that appeared for the first time on cigarette packs in the United States in 1966 was quaint in its understatement. But with those words William Stewart helped turn smoking – in the West at least – from emblem of cool into, almost literally, a deadly social sin.
Full story at independent.co.uk

25 Apr. 2008
Tobacco company negotiating sponsorship role after pulling scoreboard
As Greeley Stampede officials search for a new scoreboard sponsor for this year’s Stampede, U.S. Smokeless Tobacco officials insisted Wednesday they will remain a partial sponsor of the events.
Full story at greeleytrib.com

23 Apr. 2008
Wholesalers And Tobacco Association Oppose Giving FDA Regulation Of Tobacco
The American Wholesale Marketers Association (AWMA) and the National Association of Tobacco Outlets (NATO) this week issued a joint letter to all 435 U.S. Representatives explaining serious concerns both national organizations have with the pending bill in Congress to grant the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to regulate tobacco products.
Full story at amonline.com

21 Apr. 2008
Iowa bar owners preparing for legal fight against Iowa smoking ban
Jon Van Roekel, a self-described history buff, says Iowa’s new smoking ban has similarities to the beginnings of Prohibition.Van Roekel, president of the Clinton Organized Bar and Restaurant Association, or COBRA, said his group is gathering support for a legal fight against the ban.
Full story at qctimes.com

18 Apr. 2008
Tobacco control group hits 7-11, cigarette firm
A group of tobacco control advocates Thursday threatened to file criminal charges against convenience store chain 7-Eleven and cigarette maker Fortune Tobacco Corp. for allegedly violating the ban on outdoor tobacco advertising.
Full story at business.inquirer.net

16 Apr. 2008
$5 more per cigarette
Cigarette smokers are now having to dig deeper into their pockets to light up. The island's leading importer of cigarettes, Carreras Limited, yesterday announced that the price of a cigarette will increase to $20, up from $15.
Full story at jamaica-gleaner.com

14 Apr. 2008
Smoking ban casts pall over tavern atmosphere
The law, approved by Nevada voters in the 2006 general election, banned smoking in most indoor public places except for casino floors and bars that did not serve food. The law hurt Bully's and many similar businesses, Sonner said. If bars or taverns served food, they could not allow smoking.
Full story at news.rgj.com

11 Apr. 2008
Anti-smoking ad budget faces cuts
Democratic legislators plan to cut $590,000 from the Iowa Department of Public Health's anti-smoking advertising budget in an attempt to calm Republican anger over ads favoring a public-smoking ban. The proposed cut equals the amount the agency spent on ads urging a smoking ban for bars and restaurants. Republicans complained that the ads were an improper use of taxpayer money to pressure lawmakers on a controversial issue.
Full story at desmoinesregister.com

09 Apr. 2008
Legislators agree on limited smoking ban
A House-Senate panel opted for what Rep. Tyler Olson called "progress over perfection" in agreeing to ban smoking in Iowa businesses other than casinos and on a limited basis there. "I would prefer a clean bill," the Cedar Rapids Democrat said after the 10-member conference committee voted along party lines to take the compromise to the full House and Senate, perhaps as soon as Monday.
Full story at gazetteonline.com

07 Apr. 2008
Japan Tobacco, Battling Poison Dumplings, Scraps Sale
Japan Tobacco Inc. and Nissin Food Products Co. scrapped a $500 million merger of their frozen food units after the cigarette company was accused of selling poisoned China-made dumplings that sickened at least 10 Japanese.
Full story at bloomberg.com

04 Apr. 2008
FDA Tobacco Regulation Heads to Full House
A key House panel on Wednesday voted to give the Food and Drug Administration the authority to regulate tobacco. The overwhelming approval by the House Energy and Commerce committee moved the landmark tobacco legislation one step closer to passage.
Full story at mgwashington.com

02 Apr. 2008
Forget Glastonbury, here's Smoke Fest
A Somerset pub is to hold Britain’s first tobacco festival. The Bell in Buckland Dinham, Somerset will hold the festival alongside its first cider festival on June 7. Licensee and festival organiser Jeremy Westcott said: “I’m an absolute anti-smoker. I couldn’t be more of an anti-smoker. I even became a quit smoking councilor with the NHS but I do believe in people’s freedoms.
Full story at thepublican.com

31 Mar. 2008
Yukon bans smoking in public places
The Yukon will catch up with the rest of Canada after a ban on smoking in public places takes effect on May 15. Premier Dennis Fentie says the new legislation is in the best interest of Yukon residents in a territory that lags behind the rest of the country. The ban on smoking in public places includes outdoor decks and patios attached to businesses such as bars and restaurants.
Full story at telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com

28 Mar. 2008
Berkeley restricts smoking in public
Berkeley smokers will have fewer places to puff now that the City Council has banned smoking on sidewalks in all commercial areas. The City Council unanimously passed the ordinance, which goes into effect in May, at its Tuesday night meeting.
Full story at insidebayarea.com

26 Mar. 2008
Liggett Group to Make All Cigarettes Fire Standards Compliant
Vector Group Ltd.’s (NYSE: VGR) subsidiary, Liggett Group LLC, announced today that, consistent with cigarette fire safety standards enacted by a growing number of states, it plans to voluntarily convert the production of all of its domestic cigarette brands to comply with state cigarette fire safety standards beginning January 2009. The Company will continue to meet all deadlines for fire safety standards that become effective prior to January 2009.
Full story at businesswire.com

24 Mar. 2008
Atlantic City Council to try again to enact full casino smoking ban
City Council will again attempt to outlaw smoking in city gaming halls at next week's meeting as last year's partial ban approaches its first anniversary. "It was somewhat self-executing in that the one-year anniversary is almost here and little has been done to comply with the partial ban," Councilman Bruce Ward said Friday.
Full story at pressofatlanticcity.com

21 Mar. 2008
Going for the smokeless kind
City officials are considering taking a proactive approach in promoting smoke-free apartment complexes in Woodland, possibly even requiring a minimal level of smoke-free units in developments that receive government funding. Following a presentation during Tuesday's meeting, the City Council directed City Manager Mark Deven to draft a resolution stating the city's support of smoke-free housing. Deven said the resolution would be ready for the council's review at the April 15 meeting.
Full story at dailydemocrat.com

21 Mar. 2008
Going for the smokeless kind
City officials are considering taking a proactive approach in promoting smoke-free apartment complexes in Woodland, possibly even requiring a minimal level of smoke-free units in developments that receive government funding. Following a presentation during Tuesday's meeting, the City Council directed City Manager Mark Deven to draft a resolution stating the city's support of smoke-free housing. Deven said the resolution would be ready for the council's review at the April 15 meeting.
Full story at dailydemocrat.com

19 Mar. 2008
Grim forecast for tobacco firm
Profits for the state-owned Thailand Tobacco Monopoly are expected to fall more than half to just two billion baht per year within five years due to competition from foreign producers and declines in cigarette smoking.
Full story at tmcnet.com

17 Mar. 2008
Smoker Friendly lighting up stores with new lounges
Although a statewide ban on most indoor smoking has left those who light up out in the cold, a local tobacco retailer is starting to retrofit many of its shops to live up to its name: Smoker Friendly. Smoker Friendly -- a Boulder-based tobacco retailer -- recently added a smoking lounge with free wireless Internet access, couches and large flat-screen TVs to one Denver-area location, and plans to repeat that in select stores.
Full story at bizjournals.com

14 Mar. 2008
Attorney General says state can ban smoking in Indian casinos
The Connecticut General Assembly can extend the state's smoking ban to the Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun casinos, state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said Thursday in a formal legal opinion.
Full story at newsday.com

12 Mar. 2008
755 cigarette packets seized at airport
Customs authorities at the airport seized 755 cigarette packets, containing 20 cigarettes each, sent by Speed Post to the United Kingdom last week.
Full story at hindu.com

10 Mar. 2008
Next president will want FDA to regulate tobacco
A House panel is in the middle of deliberations on legislation to give the federal Food and Drug Administration the power to regulate tobacco products
Full story at courier-journal.com

6 Mar. 2008
Where there's smoke ... not so much fire
Near the intersection of Division and Damen Avenues, where the sidewalks are wide and the nightspots are plentiful, a bank sign flashes the 27-degree temperature on a recent Saturday night.
Full story at chicagotribune.com

3 Mar. 2008
Bangladesh braces for tobacco war as Akij starts selling Marlboro by April
Bangladesh braces for the fiercest tobacco war in less than two months' time when volume leader Akij will launch Marlboro in the country, hoping to end the decades-long dominance by British American Tobacco.
Akij's young managing director Sheikh Bashiruddin would not say when exactly the world's biggest tobacco brand will be launched, but add success of Marlboro would be vital for making the sprawling Group a billion dollar company by 2012.
Full story at thefinancialexpress-bd.com

29 Feb. 2008
Rabbis to battle smoking in haredi public
Leading rabbis and the Jerusalem Municipality have joined forces in a battle against the widespread habit of smoking in the haredi public, in light of studies indicating that the sector has the highest rate of smokers in Israeli society. The Health Ministry and local haredi authorities will also take part in the effort.
Full story at ynetnews.com

27 Feb. 2008
Anti-smoking groups push lawmakers to increase cigarette tax
Anti-smoking advocates have started an advertising campaign aimed at convincing lawmakers in 1 of the nation's leading tobacco-producing states to increase taxes on cigarettes.
Full story at kfvs12.com

25 Feb. 2008
B Borooah College campus made tobacco-free
In what could set a new example in the academic history of the region, the authorities and the students’ union of the State’s premier B Borooah College has jointly declared the college campus a no-smoking zone and have prohibited the sale of tobacco products within 100 meter radius of the college campus.
Full story at assamtribune.com

22 Feb. 2008
Halifax man jailed for illicit cigarettes
A 47 year old unemployed man from Halifax was sentenced at Bradford Crown Court today to 12 months imprisonment for evading duty of more than £250,000 on the storage of illicit cigarettes and hand rolling tobacco over a 12 month period.
The court heard that on 31 July 2007, officers from West Yorkshire Police searched a house at Vicar Park Drive, Halifax. Terence Hartley was arrested at this house after officers discovered 117,040 cigarettes and 9.53kg of hand rolling tobacco. The duty evaded on this quantity is £19,009.36.
Full story at gnn.gov.uk

20 Feb. 2008
Milder 'warning' pics on cigarette packs?
The Health Ministry's plan to make gory pictorial warnings mandatory on all tobacco products is going up in smoke.
Dead against the ministry's originally shortlisted photographs that depict cancerous tumours, rotting teeth and diseased throats, the department of audio visual publicity under the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has now suggested three new photographs, all of them mild.
Full story at timesofindia.indiatimes.com

18 Feb. 2008
Cigarette makers targeted in plan to collect state tax
Although his administration has delayed efforts to collect taxes on the cigarettes sold by American Indian retailers, Gov. Eliot L. Spitzer quietly is targeting tobacco manufacturers who provide the smokes.
Full story at buffalonews.com

15 Feb. 2008
House panel rejects last batch of Va. anti-smoking bills
All the anti-smoking bills introduced in the 2008 legislative session are now dead.