Tobacco News

Next week, the N.H. House of Representatives will be voting on HB 1526, a bill that would make possession of less than a half ounce of marijuana a violation instead of a misdemeanor. In other words, marijuana possession would be treated like a speeding ticket versus a criminal arrest.

This is a bad idea for New Hampshire. Contrary to popular belief, marijuana is an addictive substance. The reality is that marijuana is now twice as potent as it was just 15 years ago. Marijuana is addictive. Kids are particularly at risk for addiction. Ream more »

Certain legislators are huffing and puffing about a bill, currently matriculating through the Legislature that would regulate and enforce taxes on roll-your-own cigarette retailers.

Rep. Ross Hunter (D – 48th District, Bellevue) proposed the second substitute to House Bill 2565 that was recommended out of the Ways and Means Committee on Feb. 27 with a 19-8 vote.

The measure that passed out of committee requires roll-your-own cigarette retailers to become certified and pay an annual certification fee of $100. Retailers must also purchase tax stamps to enforce the collection of taxes on tobacco products. Ream more »

A nationally recognized expert on tobacco-free campuses has been invited to speak to community leaders at a breakfast at Clarkson University March 6, hosted by the St. Lawrence County Tobacco Free Community Partnership.

The guest speaker, Ty Patterson, is the Director of the National Center for Tobacco Policy (NCTP) in Springfield, Missouri, where he promotes a tobacco policy based on respect for others and the environment.
Ream more »

SPECIAL cigarette smoke detectors and PM2.5 indoor monitoring devices are expected to be installed in public places covered by the city’s anti-smoking law, officials said yesterday.

The idea is to get more tech-nical support for the smoking-control campaign, said officials from the Shanghai Health Promotion Commission.

“We want to adopt indoor PM2.5 measurements to teach the public about the harm of smoking,” said Tang Qiong of the Shanghai Health Promotion Commission, which is in charge of smoking control in the city.
Ream more »

Administrators for the city of Conway are proposing a budget for FY 2013 that’s $5 million more than the current budget — all of it for a new public safety facility — but the longest and most spirited discussion in Thursday’s opening round of the City Council’s two-day budget retreat at the Wampee Conference Center was a consensus to move forward on a smoking ordinance.
Council members directed City Administrator Bill Graham to set up a public forum on the city banning smoking from workplaces, bars and restaurants, parks and other public places and emphasized that it will be necessary to move thoughtfully on each aspect of any smoking ordinance the city might adopt. Ream more »

When family law courts seek to make a determination regarding child custody, they often consider a wide variety of factors, all of which in the end speak to what situation may or may not be in the child’s best interest. These factors can range from the parents’ income to their mental health. But there’s one factor in particular that appears to be gaining momentum among family law courts, and it could impact a significant number of child custody hearings.
Ream more »

Smoking has a long and complicated history in society, and researchers still have not nailed down everything to know in order to help people quit this strong addiction. In her latest study, Dr. Christine Sheffer, professor at the City College of New York, found that quitting smoking is doubly hard for the poor and uneducated.
Much research has been done to reduce the prevalence of smoking on a population level, but these strategies do not appear to affect everyone equally. Lower socio-economic status (SES) groups are routinely overrepresented among smokers and suffer disproportionately from cancer as well as other tobacco-related diseases. Ream more »

Lawmakers are to hear today from a string of speakers with concerns about four bills to change Michigan’s law allowing medical pot.

At hearings of the House Judiciary Committee, lawmakers are to hear comments from key groups, including associations of patients, compassion clubs, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Michigan State Medical Society and Michigan State Police, according to a roster assembled Wednesday by the office of state Sen. John Walsh, R-Livonia, chairman of the committee.
Ream more »

A federal judge Wednesday blocked a U.S. government plan requiring large, graphic warning labels on cigarette packs.

Judge Richard Leon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia sided with tobacco companies that argued the government was violating their constitutional rights to free speech by requiring them to display the labels—including images of a body on an autopsy table and diseased lungs.

The summary judgment follows a preliminary ruling in November. At that time, Judge Leon issued a temporary injunction, adding that tobacco companies had demonstrated “a substantial likelihood” of winning the case on constitutional grounds. Ream more »

More and more, smokers are taking control over the cost of the habit by rolling their own cigarettes.

Of course, part of the cost of smoking is the tobacco tax, which as a rule is higher than a regular sales tax. The state tax on a pack of cigarettes in West Virginia is 55 cents.

The West Virginia Senate passed a bill Monday to apply the 55 cent tax to “roll your own” cigarettes rolled at retail shops. Currently smokers pay a 7 percent tax on the wholesale value of loose tobacco, which is less than the cigarette tax.
Ream more »