Tobacco.org

LETTER: Smoking: Cessation programs can work 

I'm writing in response to the editorial, "Secondhand smoke: New study, same message."

The Florida Academy of Family Physicians represents 4,000 family physicians, residents in training and medical students.

Family physicians are the first line of defense in helping their patients quit smoking.

We've known for years that smoking is harmful, not only to the smokers' health, but it also negatively affects the health of the public. Family members, coworkers, friends or anyone else who comes in contact with the tobacco smoke can be adversely affected.

Florida implemented a statewide smoking ban on indoor workplaces seven years ago.

It is an important step to protect the public's health, but it's not enough. We also need to do more to help smokers quit.

According to the Florida Adult Tobacco Survey, almost half of Florida smokers report they've tried to quit smoking in the past year, and nearly 60 percent say they plan to quit within the next six months. However, without smoking cessation counseling and treatment, only 5 percent will succeed at overcoming their addiction. . . .

Smokers should know that there is help available and that they don't have to quit on their own. The implications of not helping smokers quit not only affects smokers, but nonsmokers, too.

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LETTER: Protect anti-smoking funds  

The New York State Comprehensive Tobacco Control Program is a highly successful, world-class tobacco prevention effort that saves lives and prevents kids from smoking. As a result, youth smoking rates in the state were the lowest on record at 14.7 percent.

The Tobacco Control budget has been cut by 20 percent within the past year. Research and experience demonstrates that reducing funding to state tobacco-control programs can quickly slow or reverse gains. According to research, the 20 percent budget cut will result in a 1.3 percent increase in youth smoking rates, which means an estimated 16,000 more New York youth will grow up to become addicted adult smokers. Maintaining funding for tobacco control is a wise and effective instrument in the health of New York. Let's work to keep our next generation smoke-free.

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LETTER: Do your homework  

Regarding "Activists target smoking loopholes" (news story, Oct. 30): Oklahoma bar and restaurant owners act as if our state would be the first and only one to go smoke-free in public venues. Far from it. If Jim Hopper, president of the Oklahoma Restaurant Association, wants to eliminate his members' concerns about losing business if a smoking ban is enacted, he should contact any other restaurant association president in a state with a similar ban. He'd learn that profits at a majority of restaurants have actually increased.

The New York Times archives include articles printed before New York City's ban was enacted. Get the names of all the interviewed restaurant owners who were worried about their restaurant's potential profit losses. Call those same owners today and ask them how their profits are doing since the ban. Do your homework. And when your post-ban profits increase, remember to thank the groups that pushed for the ban.

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LETTER: Smoke out Gear  

Virginia voters were outraged that the legislature took four years to enact the widely popular ban on smoking in restaurants. I hope Peninsula residents have a long memory in the case of Del. Tom Gear.

Gear chaired the six-member subcommittee which peremptorily killed this measure for three straight years and kept it from a floor vote. When a compromise finally enabled the legislature to bypass Gear's subcommittee, he continued to oppose it vocally and even blasted House Speaker William Howell for relenting and allowing a fair vote on it.

When legislators openly and arrogantly defy the clear wishes of their constituents, it is time to show them the door. I urge all voters who value health above the interests of Big Tobacco to defeat Del. Gear.

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LETTER: First smokers’ rights, then yours 

In response to Jason Todtz' rebuttal to Harkins' letter "Smoke not welcome here" on Oct. 26, I support Todtz' right to freedom of speech, his right to work, or not to work, in any business or occupation, his right to frequent, or not, establishments open to the public. I even support a smoking ban in government buildings where the public must go.

However, I do not support the notion that he, nor anyone else, including our government, has a right to tell private business owners that they cannot allow legal activities within their premises. That is what the Iowa smoking ban has done. If I were Todtz, I would be very concerned about the repercussions of this type of legislation.

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LETTER: PAYNE: Clarification on tobacco 

Some points made in your recent article, "Agency warns of candy-like tobacco" (Oct. 26) need to be clarified and corrected. The dissolvable tobacco products made and marketed by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. -- Camel Orbs, Sticks and Strips -- are not "tobacco candy." In fact, these are tobacco products and are sold on the same store shelves as other tobacco products. They carry the same health warnings as other smokeless tobacco products. Their sale is age-restricted and their packaging is child-resistant.

Dissolvable tobacco products have been sold in the U.S. for a number of years.

R.J. Reynolds will work closely with the FDA's Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee and provide any information needed in its analysis of dissolvable tobacco products.

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LETTER: Tax and ban, people still will smoke  

So, the cigarette smokers are being ostracized and their habit is the only logical choice, the only viable choice, and the only rational choice to tax.

Many low income people smoke. . . .

Not all our money is spent on cigarettes, but I’ll be damned if I am going to take responsibility for someone’s children. If I wanted kids, I would have made sure I could provide for and take care of them, not ask other people to do it for me. So, the government can add taxes to one of my little vices, people can complain, and communities, businesses, bars and restaurants can tell us we cannot smoke. But that will just stop me from coming to your community, your restaurants, businesses, and bars and spending my money. I can stay home, not fight the traffic, pay for parking, wait for a table or use the restroom, have my friends over, watch the game on t.v., put something on the grill, and smoke. Just like the Great American Smoke Out, there should be one day across the country when cigarette smokers do not buy cigarettes.

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LETTER: Smokers ignore ban  

My husband, twin 5-year-old girls and I happened by the Renaissance Faire in Wilson Park and thought since the smoking ban went into effect we might actually get to enjoy some of the activities in the park this time. The last time we ventured out to an event in the park we had to leave with two crying children because of all the smokers mixing in with the crowd. We wrongly assumed that since the law had gone into effect that people might actually observe it and show some consideration for others who might not want to smoke their cigarettes with them. . . .

My children were excited to go and confused when they saw smokers ignoring the ban, and I think it is pretty sad when children comment about people breaking laws and being inconsiderate, and the adults breaking the law apparently don't care about the people around them.

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LETTER: Where's the smoking ban?  

The Editor, Sir:

The Ministry of Health promised us earlier this year that it would be moving during the first quarter of the current fiscal year for the enactment of comprehensive legislation respecting a ban on smoking in public spaces.

We are coming towards the end of the third quarter of this fiscal year and the silence from the ministry on this promise has been rather deafening. One wonders whether 'special interests' may be at work here in preventing this from becoming a reality. . . .

It is full time now, Minister, that you stop the pussyfooting and bring meaningful action to restrict severely this bad and unhealthy practice of smoking.

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LETTERS: Proposition N: Let business owners decide  

LETTERS: Proposition N:Save jobs, tax dollarsand freedom: Vote No  

The editorial "Their smoke, your health" (Oct. 25), in favor of the St. Louis County smoking ban, did not provide all the reasons why people are opposed to Proposition N, which will be on the Nov. 3 ballot. The ban is unfair, isn't needed and could cause a loss of jobs and tax dollars for St. Louis County.

Perhaps the most obvious reason to oppose the smoking ban is that it needlessly would infringe on the freedom of those who want to enjoy a cigarette in places where smoking is allowed. Any person bothered by such establishments has the freedom to not patronize them.

And modern filtration systems have all but eliminated the dangers of secondhand smoke. . . .

On Nov. 3, St. Louis County voters can save jobs, save tax dollars, save freedom and help many small businesses stay in business by voting "no" on Proposition N.

Bill Hannegan -- St. Louis

LETTER: Obama blowing smoke?  

Maybe I missed it, but is President Obama still smoking cigarettes?

He seems to be very involved with wanting to invoke change in the country’s health care system, but if he hasn’t yet invoked a change in personal nicotine addiction, I urge members of Congress and the citizens of the U.S. to take another look at his pleas.

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LETTER: Is a cigarette butt acceptable litter? 

Would an educated, considerate and articulate smoker please explain why flicking a cigarette butt out of a car window or otherwise tossing it on the road or sidewalk seems to be perceived by the cigarette-smoking population as an acceptable form of littering?

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LETTER: Rodeos likely to end tobacco sponsorships  

There is great news for families that enjoy the sport of Rodeo. We are one step closer to tobacco-free rodeo events.

The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) announced last week that U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company (and their new parent company ALTRIA - AKA Philip Morris) will be ending their sponsorship agreement with the PRCA at the end of this year.

Hopefully this signals the start of a tobacco-free era for professional rodeo. Rodeo has been around since the 1800's. Tobacco sponsorship of rodeo began in 1986.

A number of organizations including, Buck Tobacco, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Oklahoma Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT), Montana REACT, and many others have been instrumental in sending out the message - Rodeos Are For Families - Not Big Tobacco.

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LETTERS: Use snus, you lose