Tobacco News

The Lahore High Court has sought a report from the Punjab home secretary and inspector general police on a writ petition seeking implementation of an anti-smoking law.
Justice Umar Ata Bandial, who was hearing a petition saying that the Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-Smokers Health Ordinance 2002 was neither effective nor properly implemented, ordered on Thursday that respondents file their replies by March 13. Ream more »

Cuban cigars Vegas Robaina, ratify their worth after 15 years in the domestic and foreign market, said promoters of the hallmark made from leaves grown in this province.

This brand is recognize because of the quality of the crops in Cuchillas de Barbacoa, which provide the raw material for making that type of cigar brand, told Prensa Latina Hiroshi Robaina, grandson of the legendary tobacco grower Don Alejandro Robaina, who died in 2010 and had the honorary title of Ambassador of Habanos. Ream more »

The New York State Tobacco Control Program has been working for years with one hand tied behind its back because of inadequate funding and seen some success in spite of it. Now, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has included a $5 million cut to the program in his 2012-13 proposed state budget. There are many things that seem unfair about the ongoing cuts to this vital program.

It’s unfair that the governor proposes cutting anti-tobacco programs. After all, the state raises lots of money from tobacco revenues and Cuomo has proposed increasing the tax on loose tobacco (a good idea). Ream more »

There was applause and jubilation Monday night after the Orland City Council finally passed an outdoor smoking ban in public places.

The 3-2 vote ends months of discussion and changes to the ordinance that prohibits smoking within 20 feet of primary business entryways and bans it near playgrounds, picnic areas and outdoor cafes.

Vice Mayor Charles Gee and Councilman Dennis Hoffman voted against the ordinance, reiterating concerns about its enforcement and impacts on individual rights.
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Manchester and Somerset got 2012 off to a great start by going smoke free. Corbin approved a smoke-free law late last year.
As a result, 34 percent of Kentuckians now live in places that protect them from secondhand smoke, according to the Kentucky Center for Smoke-Free Policy at the University of Kentucky.

This is a remarkable milestone in a state whose history has been so closely intertwined with tobacco.
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A male regular smoker has a higher risk of rapid cognitive decline, compared to his counterparts who do not smoke, researchers from University College London, England, reported in Archives of General Psychiatry. The authors add that the evidence has been mounting regarding the link between smoking and dementia in elderly individuals – smoking has been found to push up the total number of patients with dementia around the world.
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The Charlevoix City Council appears poised to relax some of the restrictions it is considering on medical marijuana caregiver grow operations in the city.

At its regular monthly meeting Monday, the council was again considering a proposed zoning ordinance amendment that would require medical marijuana caregivers wishing to operate in the city to obtain a zoning permit and limit their operation to residential areas, outside of certain buffer zones.
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The City Council has passed an ordinance that regulates smoking in public places, work places and certain outdoor facilities in North Myrtle Beach.
The council took its final vote Monday night on the non-smoking ordinance titled “Smoking in Public Places.”
“I am pleased with how the ordinance evolved regardless of where each member of council stands on the issue,” said Councilman Greg Duckworth prior to Monday’s vote. “Each member of council contributed to make the ordinance work…” Ream more »

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster says the state legislature’s inaction on a tobacco payment loophole has placed the state in “terrible and unnecessary peril.”

For a third time, Koster is asking the legislature to repeal a flaw in the state’s tobacco escrow statute, writing to each member of the Legislature on Jan. 25. Koster says a state law related to the 1998 Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement allows companies that pay concentrate their sales in Missouri to recover almost the entire amount they put into an escrow fund designed to help with medical costs caused by smoking. Ream more »

Hoping to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, ear infections, colds, pneumonia, bronchitis, and other childhood illnesses linked to secondhand smoke exposure, Ohio lawmakers are considering a bill that would make it illegal to smoke in vehicles when young children are present.

Some local residents say the bill, recently introduced into the Ohio Senate, is too invasive, while others say it doesn’t go far enough because it would only protect children who are younger than 6.
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