The South Dakota Legislature does have the authority to amend the new smoking ban that was approved by voters Nov. 2. That’s the view of Kea Warne, the elections supervisor in the South Dakota Secretary of State’s Office. While municipal governments have to wait a year to amend laws enacted by voters, Warne said, state laws created by the Legislature or the public can be altered by lawmakers at any time. Ream more »
Death by fire has declined significantly over the past 100 years, but there’s one surprising policy that may actually increase the prevalence of fires: smoking restrictions and bans. A new paper by Emory economist Sara Markowitz finds that “laws regulating indoor smoking are associated with increases in some types of fires. Ream more »
Anti-smoking groups are urging Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq to stick with her department’s plans to increase the size of warning labels on cigarette packages, rather than capitulate to the tobacco industry.
“The research commissioned by your department shows clearly that the larger the warning, the greater the positive impact it will have on its intended target audiences,” eight of the organizations said Wednesday in a letter to Ms. Aglukkaq. Ream more »
The ratio of Koreans’ spending on alcohol and cigarettes to their total spending fell to a record low in the third quarter as people grew concerned about their health, data showed Monday.
Koreans’ expenditures on alcohol and cigarettes reached 3.49 trillion won ($3.08 billion) on a seasonally adjusted basis in the July-September period, accounting for 2.35 percent of their total consumption spending, according to data by the Bank of Korea. In the cited period, total households’ expenditures stood at 148.6 trillion won. Ream more »
Eyewitness News investigated an east Bakersfield convenience store after a viewer called the tipline and claimed the store was selling cigarettes that are not supposed to be sold in the United States.
Eyewitness News sent an undercover crew to the Central Cali Market on East California Avenue to buy a banned pack of cigarettes, which happen to be Newports. It turns out, the market does have the real packs on display, but when the crew bought a pack the seller grabbed one from under the counter. Ream more »
Recently, the political world was run amuck with the reports of San Francisco’s ban on Happy Meal toys. Although Mayor Gavin Newsom shortly after vetoed the ban, it brought up important political questions about government involvement in parenting. As quoted on CNN, Mayor Newsom called the ban an “unprecedented governmental intrusion into parental responsibilities and private choices.” Although Newsom is a Democrat, this rings like a true conservative statement; and I, as a liberal, could not agree more. There are certain areas that the government should let be. Parenting is one of those areas. Ream more »
The number of complaints over Wisconsin’s statewide smoking ban law has steadily dropped since it went into effect in July.
The state Department of Health Services posted data on Wednesday shows there were 205 complaints in the first month of the law, but that dropped to just 78 for the period covering Oct. 5 through Nov. 4.
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We’ve all been around them. They’re the guy or gal with the horrible cough and clothes that smell like an ash tray.
They make things unbearable for everyone around them, not to mention, slowly killing themselves and anyone near them.
That’s right they are the constant smoker.
Up until a month ago, I was one of those smokers. I was the guy that couldn’t stop himself from smoking half a pack to a pack and a half a day, depending on my mood.
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In the first week of June 2010, I quit smoking after 30 years of practicing the habit to perfection. I did not do so voluntarily. It scares me even now to recall how much I enjoyed the ceremony of lighting a cigarette, and the flavor as I pulled the smoke deep into my lungs, even the careful pauses that the inhalations lent to my speech. I’d been smoking since I was a teenager. I wasn’t mimicking anyone specifically as much as I was adopting a symbol of adulthood. Both my parents smoked at the time, as did most of the adults I knew. It was grown up. Ream more »
Smart Herbs and Teas in Oakland, California recently announced that they have developed a new herbal stop smoking product that can help you to quit smoking now. The all-natural herbal tea blend reduces the craving for nicotine while it simultaneously stimulates the immune system and helps to clear congestion
Unlike other options such as patches and gums, the Smokers Herbal Tea Blend helps the body rid itself of nicotine and various other toxins. Ream more »