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Hi ho, hi ho, is it off to court we go?  

BLOWING smoke rings as she lies back in bed with seven semi-naked dwarves tucked alongside, it's Snow White like you've never seen before.

Now this risque version of the fairytale favourite, renamed "Ho White" to promote a local beer, has drawn the wrath of Disney.

The Jamieson's Raspberry Ale campaign, launched by brewers The Foundry online this week, features an adults-only take on the fairytale character, with dwarves named Filthy, Smarmy and Randy replacing Sleepy, Happy and Doc.

The cheeky ad's creators said it was designed to convince Australian drinkers the fruit-flavoured beer was "anything but sweet".

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Evan Matthews: Smoking bans DO have economic consequences 

There is a new rejuvenated push to ban smoking in private businesses in Indianapolis. Evan Matthews of the Libertarian Party of Indiana had a great op-ed on the topic.

Smoking bans are onerous, misguided and dangerous. As Indianapolis lawmakers debate whether the Circle City requires more stringent smoking legislation, they should stop to consider the economic and realistic implications.

The owner of a private establishment, be it bar, bowling alley or barber shop, should be able to determine . . .

Perhaps worst of all, prohibitive legislation has been shown to increase alcohol-related fatalities. Bans give patrons incentives to drive farther in order to find bars that allow smoking. . . .

Smoking bans are heavy-handed attempts to control individual preference and limit choice. As a by-product of this oppressive, one-size-fits-all legislation, local business owners will likely face revenue declines in the tens of millions. Stubborn smokers will travel to neighboring counties, driving business out of Indianapolis in order to drink and smoke in peace. Afterward, they'll drunkenly swerve their Buicks and Camrys through Circle City streets, recklessly endangering the Marion County populace.

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EP gives smoking ban more bite  

Puffing in East Peoria now may be subject to more regulations than anywhere else in the state.

With the recent adoption of an amended liquor code that specifically references a ban on smoking in public places, the city conceivably has three laws covering the prohibition.

First is the state's Smoke Free Illinois Act, which beginning Jan. 1, 2008, sought to end smoking in bars, restaurants and all other places open to the public or places of employment.

Second is the city's smoking ordinance, which closely mirrors the state act and was adopted after the state ban was approved. Cities that created individual ordinances to regulate smoking once the ban took effect were allowed, under the state law, to keep 100 percent of the fines for violations, rather than splitting the proceeds with the state.

But the state's law - and thus, ordinances around the state that were adopted verbatim to keep the revenue generated by citations local - initially contained peculiar language that resulted in confused enforcement efforts and legal challenges.

That atmosphere caused East Peoria and other municipalities to attempt a third approach: citing bar owners and bartenders under catch-all provisions in local liquor codes.

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Alcohol sales drop after smoking ban  

Corpus Christi's bars aren't selling as much booze as last year, but it's unclear whether a recent smoking ban, the recession or other factors are the primary cause.

Alcohol sales at Corpus Christi's bars and restaurants were, on average, down by about $3,000 per establishment this August compared with last August. The drop equates to about an 8 percent drop in alcohol sales overall.

When only considering alcohol sales at bars and pool halls, the average drop in sales is about $4,800 per bar for August.

Those numbers come from the alcohol tax receipts reported to the state comptroller's office. Statewide, tax receipts indicated a 1 percent dip in alcohol sales when comparing this August with last.

Although some bar owners say the smoking ban is to blame, spending in the city is down overall.

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• Los Angeles DUI Attorney: Smoking Raises Breathalyzer Results 

Los Angeles DUI attorney Lawrence Taylor, author of the legal textbook Drunk Driving Defense, claims that smokers arrested for DUI may have false high results from breathalyzer tests.

Breath machines don't actually measure alcohol, Taylor says. They are actually designed to detect any compound containing the methyl group in its molecular structure and to assume that it is alcohol. They cannot distinguish the difference between alcohol and, among many other compounds, acetaldehyde.

Acetaldehyde is produced in the liver in small amounts as a by-product in the metabolism of alcohol. Unfortunately, the DUI lawyer says, alcohol moving from the blood into the lungs has been found to metabolize there as well. And scientists have found that acetaldehyde concentrations in the lungs of smokers are greater than for non-smokers - far greater. Translated: smokers arrested for DUI are more likely to have falsely high readings on a breathalyzer. "Origin of Breath Acetaldehyde During Ethanol Oxidation: Effect of Long-Term Cigarette Smoking", 100 Journal of Laboratory Clinical Medicine 908.

The Los Angeles DUI lawyer points to another scientific study that found cigarette smoking can influence absorption by the body of alcohol -- and thus attempts to estimate earlier blood alcohol levels when driving based upon levels when tested. Johnson et al., "Cigarette Smoking and Rate of Gastric Emptying: Effect on Alcohol Absorption", 302 British Medical Journal 20. . . .

With a national reputation and the highest professional ratings, The Law Offices of Lawrence Taylor has specialized in DUI defense exclusively for 29 years.

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Obesity, Alcohol Consumption And Smoking Increase Risk Of Second Breast Cancer 

It is well known that survivors of breast cancer have a much higher risk of developing a second breast cancer than women in the general population have of developing a first breast cancer. However, little is known about what lifestyle factors may make survivors more vulnerable to a second cancer.

A new study by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, published online Sept. 8 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, has found that obesity, alcohol use and smoking all significantly increase the risk of second breast cancer among breast cancer survivors.

"We found that obese women had a 50 percent increased risk, women who consumed at least one alcoholic drink per day had a 90 percent increased risk, and women who were current smokers had a 120 percent increased risk of developing a second breast cancer," said lead author Christopher I. Li, M.D., Ph.D., an associate member of the Public Health Sciences Division at the Hutchinson Center. Li, an epidemiologist, primarily studies what causes breast cancer and how it can be prevented.

His study adds to a small but growing body of evidence that obesity (a body mass index of 30 kg/m2 or more), alcohol consumption (consuming at least seven drinks a week) and current smoking may be important risk factors for second breast tumors. The research also suggests that current smokers who imbibe at least seven drinks a week may be at particularly high risk of second breast cancer.

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• Second Breast Cancer: 3 Lifestyle Risks 

The study, published in the advance online edition of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, focused on women with estrogen receptor-positive (ER-positive) breast cancer. Most breast cancers are ER-positive, which means the tumors grow when exposed to the hormone estrogen.

Data came from more than 1,000 Seattle-area breast cancer patients, including 365 women who developed a second breast cancer in their opposite breast.

The women were interviewed about their smoking and drinking; their BMI (body mass index) was noted in their medical records.

The odds of developing a second breast cancer in the opposite breast were greater for obese women, for women who drank at least seven alcoholic beverages per week, and current smokers.

"We found that obese women had a 50% increased risk, women who consumed at least one alcoholic drink per day had a 90% increased risk, and women who were current smokers had a 120% increased risk of developing a second breast cancer," researcher Christopher Li, MD, PhD, says in a news release.

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Arrington Vineyards To Host Cigar Nights  

ARRINGTON, Tenn. -- Arrington Vineyards will begin next month hosting a wine and cigar night.

Visitors will be able to buy a variety of cigars from around the world that have been picked and paired with different wines.

Cigar nights will be held every third Wednesday of each month and also have live music.

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Teen Health Threatened By Binge Drinking And Smoking 

As teens head back to school, health teachers may want to revise their lesson plans. Temple researchers have found that kids who engage in heavy drinking will more than likely also engage in heavy smoking, and they say educators can help combat the trend by addressing both topics as one health risk.

"These are important findings because they emphasize the need for education and intervention programs that target the co-occurrence of these two health risks," said Brian Daly, assistant professor of public health in the College of Health Professions and Social Work.

Daly and colleagues in the department of public health and psychology determined rates of smoking and binge drinking through the collection of anonymous survey data from 2,450 African-American, Hispanic and Caucasian students in grades 9-12 at Philadelphia public high schools. Students' responses were compiled from the 2007 Philadelphia Youth Behavioral Risk Survey (YRBS).

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LETTERS: Dangerous Habits  

A double-threat to teen health 

As teens head back to school, health teachers may want to revise their lesson plans. Temple researchers have found that kids who engage in heavy drinking will more than likely also engage in heavy smoking, and they say educators can help combat the trend by addressing both topics as one health risk.

"These are important findings because they emphasize the need for education and intervention programs that target the co-occurrence of these two health risks," said Brian Daly, assistant professor of public health in the College of Health Professions and Social Work.

Daly and colleagues in the department of public health and psychology determined rates of smoking and binge drinking through the collection of anonymous survey data from 2,450 African-American, Hispanic and Caucasian students in grades 9-12 at Philadelphia public high schools. Students' responses were compiled from the 2007 Philadelphia Youth Behavioral Risk Survey (YRBS).

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• Address smoking, drinking as one health risk  

A new study conducted by Temple researchers has shown that children who engage in heavy drinking will more than likely also engage in heavy smoking, suggesting that health teachers can help combat the trend by addressing both topics as one health risk.

"These are important findings because they emphasize the need for education and intervention programs that target the co-occurrence of these two health risks," said Brian Daly, assistant professor of public health in the College of Health Professions and Social Work.

The researchers determined rates of smoking and binge drinking through the collection of anonymous survey data from 2,450 African-American, Hispanic and Caucasian students in grades 9-12 at Philadelphia public high schools.

They compiled the students’ responses from the 2007 Philadelphia Youth Behavioral Risk Survey (YRBS).

In their study report, they have revealed that the students were asked how many cigarettes they''d had per day over 30 days, and how many days over a 30 day period they''d had 5 or more drinks in a row. . . .

It was found that while Caucasian adolescents were more likely than African-Americans to engage in either binge drinking or smoking, both groups were equally likely to engage in both at the same time.

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Kanawha commissioners call for Legislature action  

How far will Kanawha County officials go to enforce the county's indoor smoking ban at Tri-State Racetrack & Gaming Center?

Late last month, Kanawha County health officials wrote a letter to the state Alcohol Beverage Control Administration, saying they might call on the administration to revoke Tri-State's liquor license if track owners flout the county's clean indoor air regulation.

Under state law, the Alcohol Beverage Control Administration can pull the liquor license of any establishment that violates county health regulations. Kanawha County's clean air regulation bans indoor smoking in restaurants, bars and gaming establishments.

But Dan Adkins, vice president of Tyner & Hartman Inc., which owns the Nitro racetrack and casino, said the smoking ban is costing the track money.

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EDITORIAL: Tri-State: Save the resort 

Elected Nitro leaders are passing a city ordinance designed to rescue the huge Tri-State Racetrack & Gaming Center at Cross Lanes, which has lost $9 million since it complied with Kanawha County's smoking ban. This setback cost Nitro $100,000 in tax revenue.

But unelected members of the Kanawha County health board implied that they'll revoke the resort's liquor license -- presumably putting it out of business and wiping out 800 good-paying jobs -- if the resort installs an isolated smoking section under the new Nitro law. . . .

It's unjust for the big Kanawha resort to suffer costly obstacles that aren't forced on other resorts or 300 bingo halls around the state. The principle of "equal justice under the law" has been subverted.

The Legislature needs to step in and set equal rules statewide. Under current law, 55 unelected county health boards can impose 55 different standards for smoking. That's chaotic. In his next legislative call, Gov. Manchin should ask lawmakers to devise a way to achieve equality. Maybe major resorts could be added to the bingo law.

Of course, people shouldn't smoke. Thousands of studies have proved that nicotine addition is unhealthy and deadly. The ratio of U.S. smokers keeps dropping. But remaining smokers are Americans too, and they deserve consideration. They can't be banished from society.

Meanwhile, six appointees on the health board mustn't be allowed to bankrupt the biggest employer in western Kanawha County.

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Tosa smoke shop wants to sell beer 

With a statewide smoking ban less than a year away, the proprietors of a smoke shop are seeking permission to sell beer.

The request from Tobacco Outlet Plus, 11712 West North Ave., will be considered Tuesday by the Common Council.

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