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"N.Y. bar patrons may someday agree
with smoking ban" (Jesse
J. Logan, Reuters Health, Mar 28, 2003) --
As New York City bars and
restaurants go smoke-free this weekend, bar patrons may
take comfort in a study that suggests -- given enough
time - those who disapprove now may actually end up
liking the change. In a California survey, most
bar-goers said they supported and complied with a
similar law two years after it went into effect. While
60% approved of the law three months after it went into
effect, that number increased to 66% at the eight-month
point and reached 73% about 2.5 years after the law was
in place. "As people grew accustomed to smoke-free
bars they absolutely realized that smoke-free bars are
so much more enjoyable," said study co-author
Colleen Stevens, of the California Department of Health
Services in Sacramento. ID#
6423
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"Youth Tobacco Sales Targeted" (The
Oceanside Magazine, Feb, 2003) --
A total of 19 local
businesses have been cited by police and fined for
selling tobacco to juveniles since October. More
citations may be coming during an ongoing anti-tobacco
effort that will last through June. Under California
law, it's illegal for anyone to sell or furnish tobacco
or tobacco products to anyone under age 18. It's also
illegal for juveniles to be in possession of tobacco or
tobacco products. ID#
6418
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"Tobacco crackdown yields 20 percent
citation rate" (Rebecca Wolf, The
Alpine Sun, Feb 28, 2003) --
The Alpine Sheriff's
Substation Community Oriented Policing and Problem
Solving Unit (COPPS) conducted a oneday decoy operation
targeting businesses that might sell tobacco to minors
on Friday, Feb. 21. Three of 15 establishments visited
sold cigarettes to a 17yearold minor. According to
Sheriff's Deputy Michael Bradbum, who spearheaded the
operation, deputies simply visited every open
establishment in the area. "I'm pleased with having
only three out of 15 citations but I hope that after
word gets out that we won't have any," Bradburn
said. ID# 6419
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"New York State Adopts Strict Ban on
Workplace Smoking" (Winnie
Hu, The New York Times, Mar 27, 2003) --
After two years of
legislative gridlock, New York today became only the
third state to pass a tough antismoking law that would
ban smoking in nearly every restaurant, bar and
workplace. The Legislature moved exceptionally quickly
to pass the measure, overcoming fierce opposition from
some Republican members and a heavy lobbying campaign by
the tobacco, liquor and restaurant industries, which
derailed a similar effort less than a year ago. ID#
6409
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"Ban on Workplace Smoking Nears Vote
in State Senate" (Winnie
Hu, The New York Times, Mar 24, 2003) --
Legislative leaders have
agreed on a tough new bill that would ban smoking in
nearly all workplaces throughout the state, including
restaurants and bars, but the fate of the bill remained
uncertain tonight after it ran into stiff opposition
from some Republican senators. The proposed state ban,
if approved, would be one of the most restrictive
antismoking measures in the country even more
stringent than the new smoking ban that is scheduled to
take effect in New York City on Sunday, because it does
not include several exemptions that were added to the
city's law by the City Council. ID#
6401
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"Legislature out to hike smoking age
to 19" (Christi
Parsons and Ray Long, The Chicago Tribune, Mar
21, 2003) --
Illinois lawmakers launched
an assault on youth smoking Thursday, with the House
voting to increase the legal smoking age from 18 to 19
and the Senate approving a bill that would limit sales
of tobacco products near schools. By making it harder
for teenagers to get cigarettes, sponsors said, they
hope to keep more Illinois residents from picking up the
habit when they're young. "We know that smoking
kills kids," said Rep. John Fritchey (D-Chicago),
sponsor of the House measure. "More than a third of
all children who ever try a cigarette will become
regular daily smokers. We're under a lot of pressure to
do more with less right now, and this is a way that,
without a price tag, we can help thousands of
kids." ID#
6395
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"No drifting, no wafting . . . no
smoking" (Mary
Umberger, The New York Times, Mar 16, 2003) --
The smoking wars continue
to smolder, this time flaring up in -- where else? --
California. The state legislature there is considering a
law to ban smoking in common areas -- the lobbies,
stairwells, hallways, swimming pools -- of apartment and
condo buildings. The goal is to declare that the
"drifting, wafting or blowing of tobacco
smoke" is a nuisance, and offending smokers would
be subject to a $100 fine. Now, I'm willing to bet that
the chances of passage for AB 210, as the bill is
officially called, are next to nil. (The bill is resting
comfortably in a committee these days.) ID#
6385
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"U.S.
abstains in the war on tobacco" (Derrick
Z. Jackson, The Chicago
Tribune, Mar 10, 2003) -- The
United Nations voted to go to war against the world's
worst weapon of mass destruction. The United States is
against the resolution. This news passed by almost
without notice almost two weeks ago. In Geneva, about
170 nations met in an effort to agree on a global treaty
on tobacco. Cigarettes, according to the UN World Health
Organization, kill 4 million people a year and will kill
10 million a year by 2030, according to current trends.
Without a war on tobacco, cigarettes will kill 500
million of the 6 billion people alive today on Earth.
Most of the nations that gathered in Geneva agreed to
final text that will be presented to the WHO in May for
adoption. ID#
6367
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"Breathing New Life
Into Smoke-Free Living" (Jacque
Petterson, The Los Angeles Times, Mar
6, 2003) -- Smoking at Home
Targeted (March 2) states that "people irritated by
secondhand smoke call [Assemblyman Joe] Nation's bill
long overdue." We wish it were as simple as an
"irritation." Those of
us who are making the call to action to which Nation, a
San Rafael Democrat, has responded have illnesses such
as migraines, lupus, heart disease, asthma and other
serious lung diseases that are seriously made worse by
tobacco smoke. As the American Lung Assn. states,
"When you can't breathe, nothing else
matters." To say we must live
with secondhand smoke in our homes to accommodate the
smokers is absurd. ID#
6363
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"International
tobacco accord advances over U.S. objections" (Clare
Nullis, The San Diego Union
Tribune, Mar 2, 2003) --
An international treaty
aimed at curbing the spread of tobacco use may lose U.S.
support over Bush administration concerns that the
agreement does not allow individual nations the right to
opt out of individual clauses. Over the U.S. objections,
more than 170 nations agreed yesterday on a text for a
tobacco treaty that would impose worldwide restrictions
on advertising and labeling while clamping down on
smuggling and second-hand smoke. The draft accord, four
years in the making, will go to the World Health
Assembly in May for adoption. Germany and China joined
the United States in expressing reservations. ID#
6335
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"Government
rejects higher cigarette tax" (Maggie
Fox, Reuters Health, Feb
27, 2003) --
The federal government has
rejected a plan that would raise the federal cigarette
tax by $2 a pack to fund programs that would help
smokers quit, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy
Thompson said on Wednesday. The plan, approved by the
Health and Human Services' Interagency Committee on
Smoking and Health, would have set aside half the money
raised for initiatives to help people stop smoking. But
Thompson said the idea of raising the tax from the
current 39 cents went against the basic philosophy of
the administration of President Bush, which is both
against raising taxes and pro-big business. ID#
6330
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"Sales
of Cigarettes Online Hit" (Bob
Tedeschi, The New York Times, Feb
24, 2003) --
ONLINE sellers of
cigarettes have been in an enviable position until
recently. As states steadily raised cigarette taxes in
an effort to balance budgets and curb teenage smoking,
more and more consumers turned to the Web, where cheap
cigarettes abound. But such bargains may not be so
easily found in the future, some analysts said, as
states like New York prepare to outlaw online tobacco
sales, while others crack down on cigarette buyers who
do not pay taxes. ID# 6317
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"With
Davis, it's politics as usual" (Dick
Wackeham, The North County Times, Feb 13, 2003) --
Our governor is right back
on track with his tax proposals. No increase in license
fees must affect too many voters. No tippler's tax
proposed on alcohol must affect too many voters. Of
course, we are looking at a tobacco tax being
politically correct. The governor said this will raise
revenue and aid in reducing smoking. It doesn't seem to
make much sense actually whether you smoke or not. If
people quit or reduce smoking there will be no tax
revenue.
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"Film
and fashion smoking assailed" (Reuters,
The Los Angeles Times, Feb 19, 2003) --The
movie and fashion industries should stop glamorizing
smoking, the World Health Organization said Tuesday. It
urged them to "stop being used as vehicles of death
and disease." The U.N. body, trying to realize a
global anti-tobacco treaty, called on the film industry
to avoid presenting smoking in a favorable light and on
the fashion industry not to use cigarettes as fashion
accessories. ID# 6309
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"W.H.O.
Plan on Tobacco Limit Ads, Raise Taxes" (Alison
Langley, The New York Times, Feb
15, 2003) --
It is nearly impossible to
find a no-smoking table in a restaurant in Switzerland,
a country where one in three people over age 15 lights
up. Despite Switzerland's high cost of living,
cigarettes are cheaper here than in any other Western
European country, and the number of cancer deaths is
rising. But Switzerland is also the home of the World
Health Organization, and delegates from 191 countries
are gathering in Geneva this weekend to work on the
final text of a treaty to control tobacco and its
devastating effects on public health. "I know that
both in France and Switzerland there is smoking in
restaurants I don't like it at all," said Gro
Harlem Brundtland, the health organization's general
director, said in an interview. ID#
6304
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"Smoke
'em out" (Esteban Alvarado, Star News, Jan.
31, 2003) --
The National City City
Council has recently passed a new ordinance, with the
advocacy of the National City ATOD Prevention Task Force
and Por la Vida. The new ordinance affects all incoming
stores that "dedicate 40 percent or more to the
display and sale of tobacco and/or paraphernalia".
The stores that do fall under the above description will
now be referred to as "tobacco specialty
shops." These tobacco specialty shops will have a
distance requirement and it will begin with 1,000 feet
from any school, playground, recreation center or
facility, childcare center, or library in the City of
National City. ID# 6298
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"$2
Federal Cigarette Tax Hike Sought" (Ceci
Connolly, The Washington
Post, Feb 13, 2003) --
A federal health commission
on smoking is recommending that the Bush administration
raise the federal tax on cigarettes from 39 cents to
$2.39 a pack, arguing that the huge increase could
prevent 3 million premature deaths and help 5 million
Americans quit smoking within a year. At least half of
the $28 billion expected to be generated by the tax
increase would be invested in anti-tobacco efforts such
as a national quit line, a major advertising campaign
and insurance coverage for federal workers seeking
treatment. The proposals, which the 28-member panel
endorsed unanimously Tuesday evening, reflect a dramatic
shift in political winds as the tobacco industry's clout
wanes and tobacco-related illnesses climb, several
health experts said. ID# 6296
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"City
smoking ban is lacking support" (Gary
Washburn, The Chicago
Tribune, Feb 10, 2003) --
Despite a push by
anti-tobacco advocates to ban smoking in Chicago
restaurants, more city voters oppose the proposed
prohibition than support it, according to a new Tribune/WGN-Ch.
9 poll. Almost half of those surveyed--49 percent--said
they do not favor pending legislation that would outlaw
cigarettes in eateries, while 42 percent said they agree
with it. About 10 percent expressed no opinion on
proposals that have been the subject of spirited City
Council hearings. "I am thrilled to see that the
public understands our issue," said Colleen McShane,
president of the Illinois Restaurant Association.
"This is about choice and there are plenty of
restaurants to choose from in the city of Chicago." ID#
6286
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"Re 'Super Bowl Edition Public
Eye,'" (Dr. Kimberly
Vanover, The San Diego Union Tribune, Feb.
1, 2003) -- I am
very disappointed in the Union-Tribune's family section
front page from Jan. 25. The top article pointed out the
mixed messages that kids receive from their families and
schools telling them not to drink alcohol and the
television media showing attractive beer commercials. I
think it is great that you've brought attention to this
matter so that the television media may become more
responsible in its messages that our kids and teens
receive, however, I think you ought to pay attention to
the mixed messages you are sending as well! ID#
6271
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"Ireland to Ban Smoking in Workplace
(That Means Pubs, Too)" (Brian
Lavery, The New York Times, Jan.
31, 2003) -- Ireland
will ban smoking in all workplaces, including pubs and
restaurants, starting in 2004, Health Minister Micheal
Martin said today, angering tobacco manufacturers and
publicans who called the ban unenforceable and an
infringement of personal liberties. The announcement
coincided with the Irish Office of Tobacco Control's
publication of a study on the effects of secondhand
smoke, which found that people who work in smoky
environments are up to 30 percent more likely to get
heart disease, among other illnesses. "The bottom
line is you don't have to be a smoker to get cancer from
cigarette smoking," Mr. Martin said in a statement,
adding, "It is only fair that we have a level
playing field in this important area of public health
and that the health of workers is protected on an
equitable basis for all." ID#
6269
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"Bill Would Ban Smoking In Car With
Kids" (The San Diego
Channel - KGTV 10, Jan. 31, 2003) --
Smoking in a
car carrying a child would be illegal under a bill
proposed Thursday in the Georgia House of
Representatives. Democrat Paul Smith proposed the bill
to make it a misdemeanor to smoke in a vehicle where a
child is restrained in a car seat. The misdemeanor would
carry a fine and include cigars, cigarettes and pipes. ID#
6268
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"'Sin tax' to aid
state deficit" (Anthony Lima, The Lantern, Jan.
30, 2003) --
Ohioans should expect to
pay more for alcohol and cigarettes if Gov. Bob Taft's
new proposal to balance the budget is passed through the
General Assembly in the next few weeks. To alleviate the
$720 million deficit facing the state, Taft will be
putting together a package that will include spending
cuts and revenue enhancements. The proposal will be
presented to the legislature Monday. Andrew Herf,
spokesman for the Wholesale Beer and Wine Association of
Ohio, said he believes the "sin tax" is just a
short-term bandage for the state's financial problem and
it will not be a long-term solution. ID# 6265
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"Testimony begins in Louisiana trial
seeking to make tobacco industry pay to help smokers
quit" (Alan Sayre,
The San Diego Union Tribune, Jan.
20, 2003) -- After
months of delays caused by appeals, a hurricane and the
lack of a courtroom, opening arguments are scheduled
Tuesday in a class-action lawsuit aimed at making the
tobacco industry help Louisiana smokers kick the habit.
The lawsuit, filed in 1996, seeks funding for smoking
cessation programs and medical monitoring for
still-healthy smokers. There has been no estimate of
what a loss would cost the tobacco industry. However, a
smaller class-action suit in West Virginia that sought
only medical monitoring carried a potential price tag of
hundreds of millions of dollars. The tobacco industry
won. Plaintiffs allege that cigarette-makers are liable
because the industry conspired to manipulate the
nicotine levels in their products to keep smokers hooked
a contention the industry denies. ID#
6249
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"Are Smoking Prevention Programs Working?" (MidCity
Neighbor, January, 2003) --
Apparently so, according to
the Child Health 2002 (and Monitoring the Future
Survey). The number of new smokers between the ages of
14 and 18 have significantly decreased over the past 5
years. As we try to identify (and debate) on what does
and doesn't work, we know one thing for sure
environmental prevention works. This is clearly evident
by the number (and nature) of policies and practices the
State of California and local communities have set into
place, such as smoking in public places, taxes on
tobacco products, restrictions on tobacco advertising.
etc. ID# 6248
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"U-M will go smoke free" (Marsha Low,
The Detroit Free Press, Jan.
15, 2003) --
Sitting outside the
University of Michigan's East Quadrangle hall Tuesday,
John Trummer III shook from the frigid cold as he
struggled to enjoy an afternoon smoke. Bundled in coat,
hat and gloves, the U-M sophomore took a few quick puffs
and headed for warmth. This unpleasant ritual is the
plight of most smokers. And come fall, Trummer will be
joined by hundreds of U-M students when smoking will be
banned from the dorms. "We have a policy that says
the rights of a nonsmoker to protect his or her health
will take precedence over those who want to smoke,"
said Alan Levy, U-M's director of housing public
affairs. ID# 6245
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"Compliance up on Yuba's smoking
ban, board is told" (Tom Nadeau,
The Sacramento Bee, Jan. 15, 2003) --Nearly
all of Yuba County's 35 bars are complying with the
ordinance banning smoking in their premises, officials
reported Tuesday. That is a dramatic improvement over
the near-total noncompliance when enforcement of the ban
on smoking began eight months ago, said Jeanne Mills,
county tobacco education program manager. But one bar --
which has been cited and fined twice for smoking
violations -- is still having trouble abiding by the
ordinance, Mills told the Board of Supervisors. ID#
6235
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"Smoking Bans in Subsidized Housing
Considered" (Patrick McGreevy, New York Times, Jan.
9, 2003) --
The Los Angeles City Council, which
pioneered smoking bans by prohibiting people from
lighting up in restaurants, theaters and workplaces, was
urged Wednesday by a group of health activists to ban
smoking in half of the new affordable apartment
buildings subsidized by the city. With the city
launching an effort to provide $100 million a year to
subsidize the construction of affordable housing,
council members assured representatives of the Task
Force for Smoke Free Housing that they would hold a
hearing on the proposal next month. ID# 2581
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"CDC: High Prices Crimp Teen Smoking Rate" (Associated
Press, Washington Post, Jan. 9, 2003) --
The smoking rate among New Hampshire
middle school students dropped by half in a single year
after cigarette makers raised prices to more than $3 per
pack, the government reported Thursday. Anti-smoking
advocates said the findings support their claim that
increasing the price of cigarettes can stop youngsters
from smoking. ID# 2582
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"US states getting 'F' for tobacco control efforts" (Charnicia
E. Huggins, Reuters Health, Jan. 7, 2003) --
Many US states and the District of Columbia
are not making the grade when it comes to creating laws
to discourage smoking and properly using funds that
should be targeted toward tobacco cessation and
education programs, according to a report released
Tuesday. . . . Unfortunately, much of these funds
are no longer being used for their original purpose, and
are instead being used as general funds in various
states "to plug holes in the budget," John L.
Kirkwood, president of the American Lung Association,
told Reuters Health. ID#
6225
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"Pennsylvania town considers snuffing out teen
smoking" (Martha Raffaele , San Diego Union Tribune, Jan.
4, 2003) -- At 17 years old, Ben Harris estimates he
smokes a pack of cigarettes every two or three days.
Harris, who began smoking when he was 9, doubts he'll
quit anytime soon not even if officials in this
borough of 2,000 near Reading enact a proposal to
prohibit anyone under 18 from smoking outdoors. . . .
The council was originally expected to vote Monday on
the proposed ordinance, which requires violators to pay
a $50 fine. But the council now has decided to hold off
on a decision while its attorney researches whether the
proposal conflicts with a state law that pre-empts local
anti-tobacco ordinances, Gartner said. ID# 6222
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"Navy smokers nervously eye tougher policies in
civilian world" (Joseph Giordono, The
European and Pacific Stars & Stripes, Jan.
3, 2003) -- CAMP
ZAMA, Japan The Army and Air Force also want to
extinguish their smokers desires to light up.
According to Army Regulation 600-63, issued in 1996,
from the moment a recruit enters boot camp, tobacco use
is "controlled." Commanders and supervisors
are instructed to "also encourage family members
and retirees to engage in appropriate anti-tobacco
activities." And the Air Force joined earlier
this month in a worldwide ban on smoking in all Morale,
Welfare and Recreation facilities on military
bases. ID# 6220
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"Radio Character 'Joe Chemo' Set to Inspire Teens
to Quit Smoking" (AP, Fox News, Jan.
3, 2003) -- PITTSBURGH
If Joe Camel encouraged some youngsters to start
smoking, a producer at a western Pennsylvania radio
station figures a sickly Joe Chemo will inspire
teenagers to stop. Joe Chemo -- a cancer-stricken,
disgruntled satire of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.'s
now-extinct Joe Camel advertising campaign -- is one of
radio station WLER-FM's weapons in its war against teen
tobacco use. The program also uses alternative music,
local bands and money from Pennsylvania's share of a
settlement between states and the tobacco industry. ID#
6218
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