College trustees hear smoking complaint

At its regular May meeting on Monday, the Flathead Valley Community College Board of Trustees raised the age for the senior tuition benefit to 65 and heard a student complaint about the campus smoking policy. During citizen comments, Jackson Hokanson advocated making the campus tobacco-free. The college now only allows smoking in designated areas.

He offered statistics during his presentation, including that tobacco is a public health crisis that killed more Americans than terrorism, World War II, cocaine, heroine, alcohol, vehicular accidents, homicide or suicide combined. “As an educational institute, we have the responsibility to not only educate our students, but also protect them as well as faculty, staff and visitors from health hazards on campus,” Hokanson said.

He said secondhand smoke kills 50,000 people each year, and that about four Montanans die every day of a tobacco-related disease with a related cost exceeding $305 million. “Our poorly placed designated smoking area is a commonly traveled route between the childhood center and the rest of campus,” he said. Hokanson pointed out that the new nursing/health building is adjacent to this site as well. He alleged that there have been no efforts to make sure people smoking on campus are of legal age. Trustees don’t act on items brought up under citizens’ comments.

However, trustee Tom Harding asked Hokanson to provide copies of his research to the board, and trustee Mark Holston said he would like so see the issue revisited as a future agenda item. The board has considered making the campus tobacco-free but decided that policy might prevent some displaced workers from taking retraining for new careers.

High court in Ohio upholds state smoking ban

Ohio's statewide smoking ban is constitutional, the state Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Wednesday. The court rejected claims by a Columbus tavern owner that argued the fines it was charged for violations were an illegal taking of property, violating the state's legitimate police powers. Ohio Justice Judith Ann Lanzinger, in authoring the opinion, wrote, "The goal of this legislation is to protect the health of the workers and other citizens of Ohio."

 She said, "It does so by regulating proprietors of public places and places of employment in a minimally invasive way." Zeno's Victorian Village had been cited 10 different times between July 2007 and September 2009 totaling $33,000. The tavern was also known as Bartec Inc., whose CEO and sole shareholder was Richard Allen. On behalf of Bartec and Allen, the 1851 Center for Constitutional Law argued that the smoking ban was supposed to be enforced against smokers, not businesses. Maurice Thompson, the bar's attorney, called the ruling discouraging.

He said it means "there's really no meaningful limit on the regulation of private property in Ohio by the government." Thompson said it is unlikely the center would appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court on a federal property-rights issue, even though Ohio's is the first state Supreme Court to rule on that issue with regard to a smoking ban. He said Ohio has some of the strongest property protection laws in the country. "So we felt that if there was anywhere we could win, it was with bars in Ohio," he said. Thompson said he expects the fight to move now to the state Legislature, where a bill is already in the works to exempt bars from the ban.

 Overwhelmingly approved by voters in 2006, Ohio's ban prohibits smoking in most indoor public places. Penalties for proprietors violating the ban range from a warning letter for a first violation to fines of $100 to $2,500 for subsequent violations. Fines can be doubled for intentional violations. Justices said there was evidence that the bar tacitly allowed smoking and had plastic cups partially filled with water that were placed around the bar as ash trays. They said the complaints were against the bar, not individual smokers. The opinion further noted the bar had access to an appeals process and did not take advantage of it eight of 10 times. Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, legal counsel to the Ohio Department of Health, noted that Zeno's currently owes more than $40,000 for its repeated smoking ban violations.

 "This is great news for the health of Ohioans and for the democratic process," DeWine said in a statement. "The Ohio Supreme Court has upheld a law passed by a statewide majority of Ohio voters, and patrons and employees of Ohio businesses will continue to enjoy surroundings that are safer because they are smoke-free." Lanzinger's opinion noted that the bar argued "that prohibiting smoking in an adults-only liquor-licensed establishment, such as Zeno's, is unduly oppressive and amounts to a taking." She said that was "an as-applied challenge" that suggested their unique circumstances made the law unconstitutional for them. The legal issue was disregarded because it had not been raised in earlier phases of the case.

 The 10th District Court of Appeals in Columbus had upheld enforcement of the law, saying there was overwhelming evidence that Zeno's owners had intentionally violated the ban. That decision reversed a lower court ruling that tossed the violations and said the state health department exceeded its authority by holding Zeno's responsible for the actions of its patrons. Public health and medical groups lined up Wednesday to praise the ruling. Groups opposed to the ban have included the Ohio Licensed Beverage Association and the Buckeye Liquor Permit Holders Association, where an official has said it is devastating small businesses in Ohio.

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Tobacco taxes make smokers gasp

New Zealand's government has squeezed smokers more than ever by announcing a 40% hike in tobacco taxes over the next four years. Prices there are already among the highest in the world, and by 2016 they will top 20 New Zealand dollars (£9.60) a pack on average. Officials hope higher taxes and new restrictions will bring the nation of 4.4 million closer to a recent pledge to snuff out the habit entirely by 2025.

Other countries have lauded the idea of trying to wean their populace off tobacco, but few, if any, have been willing to put a date on it. Health officials even considered raising the cost of a pack of cigarettes to 100 New Zealand dollars (£48). Although that idea was dismissed, another measure, which will force retailers to hide cigarettes below the counter rather than putting them on display, will come into effect in July. Smoking rates among New Zealand adults have fallen from about 30% in 1986 to about 20% today.

Cigarette sales have fallen more sharply, suggesting that even people who still smoke have cut back. Opponents say the hikes could drive some low-income people to commit crime to support their habit. They want the government to provide more support and alternatives to smokers if it is serious about making them quit. The New Zealand branch of cigarette company British American Tobacco said the tax increases will force consumers to turn to the black market. Susan Jones, head of corporate and regulatory affairs, said: "Consumer demand is far better served by legitimate companies than by the illegal operators that will surely grow as the government makes it increasingly difficult for people to buy their product of choice."

Smokers urged to quit smoking on World No Tobacco Day

The Thai Health Promotion Foundation is inviting smokers to quit smoking on the occasion of the World No Tobacco Day on 31 May. With the quick approach of the World No Tobacco Day, the foundation’s Director, Kritsada Rueng-areerach, has called on smokers to realize the dangers of tobacco. At the same time, he has encouraged them to take this opportunity of the World No Tobacco Day to quit their smoking habit with the objective of reducing cancer, which is one of the main causes of fatalities among the Thai people. Approximately 40,000 people die from smoking each year.

An academic report has indicated that the risk of cancer for smokers is 3.16 times greater than non-smokers. Smokers also risk contracting respiratory diseases, such as bronchitis, chronic cough, pulmonary Emphysema, all of which can lead to fatal outcomes. Moreover, smoking can cause chronic ulcers, hypertension, liver cirrhosis, periodontitis, sinusitis and heart disease. Additionally, the chance of miscarriage is 1.6 times higher in pregnant smokers, while smoking can be the root of a baby's under-development.
Another articles about tobacco danger read on www.freetobacco.info

‘No plan for fee on tobacco sale in Ajman‘

Ajman Municipality has denied the implementation of a fee to outlets such as shopping malls, petrol stations and supermarkets located at industrial areas that are selling tobacco products. Majid Al Suwaidi, director of the Monitoring and Commercial Protection Department at Ajman Municipality, said that there are no plans to implement a fee. The ban of selling tobacco(www.tobacco-news.net) products only applies to residential areas.

 “We have banned the selling of tobacco products at residential areas and areas located nearby schools and youth centres and we have stopped issuing for opening new cafes at residential areas. The decision of banning the selling of tobacco products at outlets nearby schools was taken after the civic body received complaints from parents of school children who said that their children buy cigarettes from supermarkets and groceries nearby their homes or schools,” he said.

Al Suwaidi confirmed that no tobacco products will be sold at residential areas and this has nothing to do with attaining a permission to sell as the main target is to ban selling of tobacco products and not collecting fees. “The law of banning the sale of tobacco products three month ago bore fruits as we are witnessing fewer complaints from parents of teenagers regarding the availability of tobacco products at supermarkets and other outlets. We are regularly conducting surprise inspections to all supermarkets and groceries located at residential and school areas to ensure their abidance to our set rule.”

CDC says states only spend 3% of tobacco settlement on prevention

States have spent only about 3 percent of the billions they've received in tobacco taxes and legal settlements over the last decade to fund tobacco prevention programs. A report released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says states have collected nearly $244 billion in taxes and settlement money since 1998. More about tobacco settlements read on this blog.

That compares with only $8 billion earmarked for state tobacco control efforts and is far less than the $29 billion minimum the CDC said should have been spent over that same period. States on average have never spent as much the CDC would like. But the total has declined dramatically in recent years as states grapple with budget deficits. Public health officials say prevention programs are vital to reducing the death and disease caused by tobacco use.

How colourful cigarette packets are snaring out children

Tobacco news: www.tobacco-news.net
WITH their pretty jewel coloured boxes, shiny labels and enticing names, you might think they were bottles of expensive perfume. The obligatory warning labels aside, these aspirational packets of cigarettes are designed to appeal to fashion-conscious women, but research suggests that children as young as nine or 10 are also attracted to them. Andrea Crossfield, director of Tobacco Free Futures, says: “Cigarette brands are no longer seen on billboards or in magazines, but the packet acts as the mobile salesman, especially when it is taken out of the pocket 20 times a day. “This is advertising by the back door and just as children aspire to wear certain clothes or trainers, certain brands will have appeal and play a part in taking up smoking.” It’s easy to see why teenage girls might be tempted to try these attractive products.

 “The brands on the market at the moment are incredibly appealing – many packs are brightly coloured pink or purple, and look stylish and slick, resembling a lipstick or perfume bottle or feeling like a mobile phone to hold because the edges are smooth,” says Andrea. “It's incredible the thought that goes into these packets, all designed to engage new customers, the vast majority of whom are under 18.” Worryingly, children identify them with their favourite celebrities. “I heard one of these packs described' as 'like something Victoria Beckham would smoke' in a recent survey we did,” says Andrea. “There's no doubt they appeal to children and we want to stop that and stop children starting to smoke – removing the brand from packets will definitely help.”

 Tobacco Free Futures is now lobbying for these packs to be banned, in a bid to cut the number of children who are tempted into taking up the habit with their Plain Packs Protect campaign. It’s a campaign that’s backed by Dr Paula Grey, director of Public Health for Liverpool. She says: “Research shows that four out of five children in the North West have tried smoking before they reach the age of 14. “As well as continuing to publicise the health risks, we need to find other ways to reduce the attractiveness of smoking. “Tobacco companies are using ever more sophisticated techniques to market cigarettes to young people, including brightly coloured and super slim cigarettes alongside eye-catching and novelty packaging. “The Plain Packs Protect campaign is lobbying for plain packets to combat this and reduce the impact of smoking. Overall smoking costs the NHS in Liverpool approximately £12.7m and kills around 1,000 people each year.”

 Figures published by the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation say that smoking just one cigarette as a child almost doubles the chance of a teenager becoming a smoker. Andrea says: “Plain, standardised cigarette packaging won’t stop everyone from smoking, but it will give children one less reason to start. “In Liverpool, and across Merseyside, we've seen a huge wave of support with hundreds of residents signing up to plain packs so we know it's an issue that local people feel strongly about. “We hope this momentum continues to grow as we believe that people in Liverpool and across Merseyside play a significant role in turning off the tap of new young smokers.” There is some resistance to the campaign though.