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Parents invited to pledge to make their cars smoke-free for kids 

The British Lung Foundation has launched an online pledge to encourage adults to commit to keeping their cars smoke-free when children are passengers.

Any adult, whether they are a smoker, ex-smoker or non smoker can make the pledge by visiting the BLF website and entering their details.

Clare Cox, Director of Communications at the British Lung Foundation, said:

"Children have sent a strong message to their parents that they no longer want to endure a smoky car ride. Parents can listen to their children's concerns and take this pledge to protect young lungs from the damage caused by cigarette fumes in the car."

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Starbucks patio completely smoke-free 

The patio outside Starbucks in the Learning Resource Center is now a non-smoking area.

Faculty and students made many complaints of cigarette smoke entering the building through the air intakes on the exterior walls of the building. Signs of the smoke-free zone are located on the patio and doors leading to the patio.

“Because the patio is down in a bowl, wind is primarily from the west,” said Mike Bath, director of Public Safety. “The smoke blew right into the air handlers and entered the building.”

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LETTER: Smokefree laws protect youth 

My grandfather died when I was 11 due to smoking-related lung cancer. I was devastated. Yet, just a little more than a year later, my desire to be accepted by my teenage peer group led me to begin my relationship with cigarettes. Over time I became addicted to nicotine and smoking three packs a day.

I became pregnant when I was 23 and my OBGYN advised me not to quit "cold turkey," as I would put the baby in shock, so I began a slow cessation. But because of my addiction, I couldn't entirely quit which I justified, rationalized, and threw in the face of people who gave me looks of sadness or disappointment. As soon as I gave birth, I was quickly back to two or more packs a day. . . .

Knowing that the majority of tobacco users smoke their first cigarette before the age of 18 and that Wyoming has one of the highest rate of youth smoking in the nation at 22 percent; I feel we owe it to the next generation to protect their health. . . .

To me, this is not an issue of business owner or patron's rights, it is a matter of protecting our most valuable resource; the next generation, from the pitfalls of tobacco. I support Smokefree Natrona County's efforts to protect the health of our community, me, and most importantly, my daughter.

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State senate considers limiting smoking in cars  

Ohio's prohibitions on smoking would extend to cars with children younger than 6 on board, under an Ohio Senate bill that backers say would safeguard youngsters from the dangers of secondhand smoke and is similar to bans elsewhere.

Washington C.H. city council considered such a ban, but the motion failed in July 2010.

Washington High School government teacher Jon Creamer's class brought the initial idea of the law before council in May 2010.

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Tobacco Store Opens on Agoura Road  

The only store in Calabasas that exclusively sells tobacco products is now open at Malibu Canyon Plaza on Agoura Road, and some fellow tenants in the shopping center said they didn't mind the line of work of their new neighbor.

Tobacco Royale, which opened up shop this week, deals primarly in cigarettes, cigars, hookahs and smoking pipes.

Owner Shubyre Humkar said he was well aware of Calabasas' second-hand smoke ordinance, which prohibits smoking in public places, but still saw potential for a strong clientele.

"There may be no smoking out in public, but I'm sure there's a lot of people that smoke; they just keep it in their households," he said. . . .

Bartlett said the city issued a warning to Humkar because there was a complaint that one of his customers was smoking outside his business.

Humkar said he apologized to the city and said he would put up signs in front of the store reminding patrons that they are not allowed to smoke on the property.

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Smoke-Free Rental Properties Now Possible Under New State Law 

“A no-smoking policy protects the health of all residents from secondhand smoke and also attracts tenants, minimizes maintenance costs, and reduces fire risks,” stated Sombra Chaney, Chair of the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Imperial County.

Feedback received from tenants in Imperial County shows that they prefer smoke-free housing.

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Idaho rep is Capitol's last cigarette smoker  

BOISE, Idaho -- Standing outside the Capitol on a brisk January afternoon, Rep. Bob Nonini cups his hand deftly to shelter a cigarette - not from the wind, but from a camera.

The Coeur d'Alene Republican and House Education Committee chairman has the distinction of being the lone legislator who still regularly, if bashfully, steps outside for a smoke.

"This is private," Nonini says, declining further comment this week.

His solo status in Idaho's Statehouse underscores a decadeslong transformation in American culture. But despite a near absence of smokers in the Republican-dominated Legislature, don't hold your breath in anticipation of new anti-cigarette laws, even with about a quarter of lawmakers belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which forbids tobacco use.

Most Idaho conservatives have a stronger aversion to government overreach and tax hikes than they have to cigarette smoke, even ex-smokers such as Challis Republican Rep. Lenore Barrett.

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Smoker Actually Got Ticket For Smoking In Washington Square Park 

a tipster tells us she got a $50 ticket for smoking a cigarette in Washington Square Park recently. "I really feel like this news should be out there because IT IS RIDICULOUS & people should know. I did some research into this and no one I know has heard of this happening," she writes. Read her whole account of the ticketing below:

I got a $50 ticket for smoking in Washington Square Park. I really feel like this news should be out there because IT IS RIDICULOUS & people should know. I did some research into this and no one I know has heard of this happening. I was sitting with a girlfriend on a bench on the north side edge of the park at lunch, not many people were around (So I know it was not reported by a passerby). A parks guard (i don't even know what they are called) approached me, told me I was not allowed to smoke and took out his ticket book thing right away. I was respectful, as I always am to working people who are doing their job, and asked him to please not ticket me. . . .

The worst part about is that when I pointed out to this asshole parks guy (nope even a cop!) that a large number of the chess touts in the NW corner of the park, who, incidentally, were looking on in amusement, were also smoking he ignored me. It was enraging. . . .

Those regular chess players of the park have been notoriously defiant when it comes to the smoking ban, as one man told The Villager last year: "You could ask me to put it out and if I like the way you ask me, I might put it out. I'm just out here enjoying myself. I'm not a criminal so I don't care what they do." We've contacted the Parks Department for comment on whether that has been an uptick in ticketing people for smoking in the parks.

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Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard won't take action on smoking ban this week 

A newly passed smoking-ban proposal that would cover most bars landed on Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard's desk Thursday, but his chief spokesman said he wouldn't act on it until after Sunday's Super Bowl.

"I can tell you it won't be this week," spokesman Marc Lotter said. Ballard's schedule has been dominated by Super Bowl-related activities.

The council-approved proposal would add most bars, bowling alleys and hotel rooms to Indianapolis' existing 2005 smoking ban.

However, Ballard has said he likely will veto

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Mt. SAC moving forward with stricter smoking policy  

WALNUT - As part of an effort to improve the health of its students, Mt. San Antonio College may soon outlaw smoking on campus except in certain designated areas.

The stricter smoking policy is being developed by a special task force and the President's Advisory Committee. It could come to the board of trustees for approval sometime this year. If the board approves the new policy, it could take effect as early as June, school president Bill Scroggins said.

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Armstrong commits to tobacco-free campus in 2012  

Armstrong Atlantic State University announced Friday that it become a tobacco-free campus in August.

The ban would include cigarettes, cigars, pipes, chewing tobacco and other tobacco products and electronic cigarettes. The policy will go into effect at the beginning of the fall 2012 semester. Armstrong has allowed smoking in designated areas on campus, according to the university.

The announcement makes AASU the 16th Georgia university to go 100 percent tobacco-free and American Lung Association's list of more than 250 schools that are already tobacco-free, according to news release.

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City backs off park smoking ban ($$) 

Key West will not consider a smoking ban in city parks with a heavy fine for violators, as the City Commission's agenda showed Wednesday.

Proposed new rules for the parks will, however, include a request that visitors not smoke tobacco products, in an effort to protect the health of others and the island's aquatic environment.

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Capital Pride wants smoking ban eased 

A proposed smoking ban on municipal properties such as City Hall could hurt attendance at the Capital Pride festival, say organizers who are calling for a grace period this summer if the new rules are approved.

Proposed bylaw amendments would see smoking prohibited on city properties such as parks, beaches, sports fields and areas outside municipal facilities, as well as bar and restaurant patios.

Events on city properties would also be smoke-free under the regulations, something that would affect the 2012 Capital Pride festival planned for Marion Dewar Plaza outside City Hall, organizers said.

This year's Capital Pride event is planned for August, while a recommended enforcement plan for the new rules would see bylaw officers issue tickets to offenders starting July 2.

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• Unpaid smoking fines could lead to visitor ban 

The government is executing a territory-wide campaign to ban indoors smoking and in public places, and non-residents who break the rules and fail to pay the fine will be barred from re-entering the city.

Authorities released figures on the first month of enforcing the smoking ban, with 260 fixed-fine penalty tickets (MOP 600 each) issued to smokers who violated the new law aimed at improving air-quality in the city.

But the official statistics also showed that only around 60 percent of the law-breakers had paid the fine, while the remaining 40 percent were yet to face the music.

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Springfield smoking ban targeted by group hoping for repeal 

Opponents of the expanded smoking ban that took effect in June say they've gathered more than enough signatures to put a repeal of the ordinance before Springfield voters.

The group Live Free Springfield, which campaigned against the smoking ban before it was passed in April, has been circulating petitions seeking a repeal since November.

"As of right now we have over 4,000 signatures," said spokesman Dave Myers. "That shows a lot of support from a lot of people that are really seeing the effects of this ban."

According to City Charter, signatures from 2,101 registered Springfield voters -- 10 percent of the vote total in the most recent mayoral election -- are needed to send the initiative petition to City Council.

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