South San Francisco students urged the city council Wednesday to support a resolution asking the Motion Picture Association to limit images of smoking and tobacco products in movies.
As part of the Smoke-Free Movie Campaign, students of the Youth Leadership Institute met with Mayor Richard Garbarino last week and gave a presentation concerning the negative affects of smoking and promoting tobacco products in the mass media. Ream more »
When it comes to New York’s groundbreaking efforts to cut the rates of smoking among adults and teenagers, recent days have brought good news and bad news.
The good news first. Smoking rates among New York City residents have dropped to just 14 percent, more than a third less than when the city passed the Smoke-Free Air Act in 2002. This represents over 450,000 people no longer smoking.
Among teenagers, who are targeted by Big Tobacco as new customers, the rate dropped to just seven percent, still too high but far below the national average of 20 percent. Ream more »
The Casper City Council agreed Thursday to continue on schedule with consideration of a smoking ban proposal.
Initial discussion of the proposal is scheduled for Feb. 13 and a detailed ordinance has yet to be constructed. Mayor Kenyne Schlager suggested during the work session that a separate public meeting be held at a later date to debate the issue. Councilman Paul Bertoglio agreed, adding that two meetings may be necessary. Ream more »
“Last night, between 4 and 5 P.M., we had an 18-year-old boy overdose on synthetic marijuana, so it’s getting to be more of a common occurrence in this area,” explains Laurel County Sheriff John Root.
That growing problem led Sheriff Root to back an ordinance banning the sale or possession of synthetic marijuana. Thursday night, the Laurel County Fiscal Court unanimously gave it final approval.
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Maryland Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown (D) joined a group of health advocates in Annapolis on Thursday to push for an increase in the tax on non-cigarette tobacco products, which were not affected when lawmakers voted to double the cigarette tax to $2 per pack in 2007.
The tax increase would generate an estimated $19 million for the state, according to the budget Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) proposed last week. Brown was quick to mention the anticipated revenue when he spoke to attendees, including the American Cancer Society, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids and MedChi, the state’s medical society.
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Pinar del Río, Cuba, Jan 25 (Prensa Latina) Far from expressing any vanity, Hector Luis Prieto, the world’s youngest Habano Man (the Cuban cigar is called an “Habano), says he feels optimistic about the results of the tobacco harvest in his legendary plantation in western Cuba.
After concluding the picking of covered tobacco, he announced that the volumes exceed those of previous harvests, in spite of delays caused by the inclemency of the weather.
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The Mendocino County board of supervisors changed their ground breaking medical marijuana regulation, the 9.31 Ordinance, to thwart off threats from federal officials. The changes roll back the amount a medical marijuana grower can cultivate, from 99 marijuana plants per parcel, down to 25 and it eliminates the Sheriff’s Office from issuing permits to growers.
“I feel comfortable that by eliminating the 99 plant exemption and the permitting process the county is in a better position,” Mendocino County Counsel, Jeanine Nadel told The Independent.
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Governor Andrew Cuomo’s new budget plan will cut $5 million from the New York State tobacco control program cutting the budget in half in just three years.
“Currently the CDC recommends we be funded a certain amount and we’re only being funded at %16 of what the CDC recommends for New York State so to cut us even further is putting us behind those CDC recommendations,” said Broome-Tioga Reality Check Program Coordinator, Diana Chandler.
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I had the opportunity to speak with the Mesquite Local News editor, Kent Harper. I so appreciated the time he gave me to discuss his background and credentials. While I respect all that he brings to the table, I do understand that he feels obligated to his advertisers, their fears and is making outlandish statements based on an agenda that has no base in reality. His comments that second hand smoke, which effect every person who enters our local establishments to dine and game are the same as restaurants/fast food that serve high-fat food is totally misguided. Ream more »
When it comes to Tobacco Control 101, Montana earns a barely passing grade.
Last week, the American Lung Society released its State of Tobacco Control 2012 report that gave letter grades to every state, evaluating performance in four categories: smoke-free air, cigarette tax, cessation and tobacco prevention. The group has released a similar report each of the past 10 years.
Overall, the nation is losing ground in the fight against tobacco. States are doing less to keep kids from smoking, and the tobacco industry is taking advantage of state apathy to fight back, according to the study. Ream more »