Tobacco.org

Robert Moran: Smoking — legal and smoky environments  

Nov. 19 is the American Cancer Society's 32nd annual Great American Smokeout. In support, "Thinking about Salem" will address smoking in three columns highlighting significant developments and research findings published from September 2008 through August 2009.

Legal environment

It was a momentous year. On June 22, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act became law. It gave the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) extensive authorities to regulate tobacco for public health purposes. . . .

The industry took a knee to its pocketbook just before Christmas. The Supreme Court ruled smokers could sue manufactures who advertised cigarettes as “light” for fraud. At trial, plaintiffs successfully argued manufactures knew people smoking reduced tar and nicotine cigarettes would alter their smoking habits to extract as much tar and nicotine from “lights” as they got from full-strengths. This ruling bodes badly for tobacco in an ongoing racketeering case. In July, a three-judge panel from the Federal Court of Appeals unanimously upheld a 2006 conviction of tobacco companies for conspiring to suppress evidence smoking is harmful. Along with huge fines ($280 billion), the trial court prohibited advertising any cigarette as “light.” If tobacco appeals its racketeering conviction to the Supreme Court, as the financial press reports it will, court-watchers think it will fare badly.

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Ministry ban in place 

Bhubaneswar, Nov. 6: Visiting your daughter or son at school? Then better stub out that cigarette and throw away the gutkha packet.

State's school and college campuses will soon be tobacco free zones, according to a notification that has been sent to the state education department. The news of the notification was confirmed by health minister Prasanna Acharaya today.

The move came after Union health ministry imposed a guideline prohibiting sale and consumption of tobacco products within 100 yards of educational institutes.

"Teachers, parents or visitors on campuses will have to abide by the rule, along with students," said a visibly elated anti-tobacco activist Itishree Kanungo of Aparajita.

"An alarming proportion of school personnel use tobacco and students often imitate them. More alarmingly, there has been an increasing rise of tobacco use among girls. The ban should help prevent the birth of more addicts," she added.

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AUSIO: Roundtable for Nov. 5 - Smoking ban passes, open enrollemnt and how you can help military families 

Posted 5:50 p.m. Fri., Nov. 6 - In this week's Beacon Roundtable, Dick Weiss, Mary Delach Leonard, Elia Powers and Dale Singer sit down to talk about the passage of the smoking ban in St. Louis County

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• Hundreds fined for smoking in cars since new laws 

MORE than 400 people have been cautioned or fined for smoking in cars with children in South Australia since the controversial law was introduced.

The state led the nation by introducing a law prohibiting smoking in vehicles in the presence of people under 16 in May 2007, in a bid to protect children from passive smoking.

Since then, police have fined 317 people and cautioned 85.

Offenders can be issued with an on-the-spot fine of $75 and if it proceeds to court, the maximum penalty is $200.

A woman was recently convicted for the offence in NSW just three months after that state brought in the new laws.

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Hospital grounds go tobacco free Nov. 19 

Frankfort Regional Medical Center is going tobacco free - outdoors and in.

In conjunction with the American Cancer Society's 34th Great American Smokeout Challenge on Nov. 19, the local medical center is creating a tobacco free environment.

Administrators and medical staff believe the move is vital to promoting the health of patients, visitors, employees, volunteers, medical staff and others, according to a news release.

Tobacco use of any kind will not be permitted:

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Falmouth to vote on beach smoking ban 

Voters at Monday's annual town meeting could make all of Falmouth's 11 town beaches smoke-free if they approve a recommendation from Beach Supt. Donald Hoffer and the Falmouth Beach Committee. If it passes, Falmouth will become the third Cape town, in addition to Barnstable and Yarmouth, to ban tobacco products from all public beaches, Hoffer said.

"Cigarette butts and filters end up in the sand, thousands of them every year, and they're not biodegradable," Hoffer said. "We'd be ridding the beaches of noxious debris."

The warrant article -- one of 32 voters will decide on Monday -- stemmed from a unanimous 5-0 vote from the beach committee and simply states "the use of smoking materials on the public beaches of Falmouth is prohibited."

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Orissa Government bans smoking in schools, colleges 

Bhubaneswar: In a significant development Orissa government has decided to impose ban on smoking on campuses of schools and colleges. This was said by health minister Prasanna Acharya. Health minister Acharya says, apart from the law, a public awareness is also necessary to implement such thing. We are going to launch a campaign in this regard soon. According to Acharya, the law to ban smoking in educational institutions would be put into effect from this month and the enforcement squad would ensure its proper implementation.

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Hall of Shame-Zealots 

What we'll do here - as the news dictates and time allows - is call out and put up names and pictures of the no-smoke zealots in the USA and worldwide.

Should the people shown below come around and admit (in printed media or online) that they've been wrong via supporting un-American no-smoke laws, then we'll take down their names and their pictures. Everybody makes mistakes.

The purpose of this site is not to get even, or to seek out revenge. It's all about freedom and seeing personal liberties restored. And not backing down.

If you find our terms describing the individuals listed below too harsh, see our 'Good Govt-Bad Govt.' page.

Let's Get Started!

Un-American zealot, Mike Rounds

Governor, State of South Dakota

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Repeal Smoking Bans Home  

This site has been brought up in an effort to help organize individuals and groups to begin the process of seeing smoking bans repealed in the United States and worldwide.

Advocates of smoking bans are being met with determined and increased opposition. Smokers and non-smokers alike have begun to realize this is an issue of individual rights and individual ownership. Business owners are increasingly not obeying no-smoke ordinances.

We are all in need of camaraderie in these trying times. Citizens of countries are becoming more polarized in their beliefs. They're drawing metaphorical lines and refusing to budge. Smoking bans do nothing but further divide peoples.

And, believe it or not, that's OK with the no-smoke zealots. They've lost perspective. They're out of control. They're the new American nazi's.

Like the nazi's in 1930's Germany, the no-smoke slobs demand you give up self-governance. Whether you want to or not. They demand it.

And if you don't want to? They demand you be fined and/or jailed and/or put out of business - or even your home - until you submit.

For ooooooooo-smooooooking. That's how far and obscene the no-smoke fascists have taken the issue.

Smoking bans and clean air acts have nothing to do with protecting individuals and the collective health of a populace.

Like drug addicts who inject drugs into their veins to feel a false sense of drama and enlightenment, the no-smoke zealots are addicted to the false sense of drama injected into their lives via fighting for their "Cause," be the cause right or wrong. And they want you to feel the drama they feel. . . .

Miller and others - American Lung Association, American Cancer Society, TheTruth.com - have metaphorically spit on the graves of every Amercian who fought and gave all to preserve freedom.

Smoking ban advocates couldn't care less that people went to war so that theirs might live free

REPEAL SMOKING BANS. THEY'RE UN-AMERICAN sticker above: 2.75" x 15.00," no-fade vinyl. $4.00, postage included.

They go great in tandem with the PRACTICE RANDOM PATRIOTISM stickers.

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City wide smoking ban hot topic at council meeting 

The possibility of a smoking ban for the city of Middlesboro was discussed at Tuesday night’s city council meeting.

Council member Ronnie Carter said several citizens had asked him about the possibility of a smoking ban in the city. Carter said he wanted to bring the matter before the council to discuss and find out if it was something that they could vote on.

Carter expressed his opinion on the matter.

“I don’t have a big problem with [smoking],” said Carter, adding that he thought smokers were more courteous now to those who didn’t smoke.

Council members Rob Lincks and Gary Mills also voiced their opposition to a ban.

When asked by council, Safety Director James Pursifull said that no city building had a smoking ban. . . .

Middlesboro resident Angela Jackson addressed the council and urged them to consider non-smokers in the debate.

“You have to work out something where you’re fair to everybody,” said Jackson.

Council members agreed that in order for the matter to be voted on, concerned citizens would likely have to present a petition.

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2011年云南医疗卫生机构禁烟 试点暗访仍发现吸烟 

今年初，昆医附一院对戒烟的患者进行颁奖，志愿者们身上纷纷贴着禁烟标识 记者张悦/摄

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全国一半以上城市仍存控烟法规空白 

截至目前，全国有154个地级城市实施了本地区的公共场所禁止吸烟的规定，占全部337个地级及以上城市的45.7%，一半以上的城市还存在控烟法规的空白。这是记者从日前在京召开的中华环保联合会无烟环境培训会上获悉的。

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上海推出首批122家文明餐厅 设置无烟区是硬标准 

宾客文明、服务优质、节能环保、科学管理……符合这些考核标准的首批122家餐厅昨日在新凤城迎宾馆被授予“文明餐厅”称号。

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• Wear | Hospital smoking shelters U-turn 

Sunderland Royal Hospital is "reluctantly" reinstating shelters for smokers in its grounds.

Health bosses admit they are unable to stop people disobeying the no-smoking rule and lighting up just outside the hospital's main doors.

This had led to complaints by patients and staff about second-hand smoke drifting into the building.

Purpose-built shelters, which were dismantled two years ago, are to be set up again.

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Now ticket examiners, railway force can act against smokers 

Smokers beware! Ticket examiners and Railway Protection Force (RPF) assistant sub-inspectors have been authorised to take action against those found smoking in trains and on railway platforms.

The health ministry has issued a notification in this regard.

As per the Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places Rules 2008, the law imposes strict ban on smoking in public places. Those found smoking in public places can be charged up to Rs.200.

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