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• Council OKs Dallas smoking ordinance 

Dallas City Council voted 10-3 Wednesday afternoon to ban smoking in restaurants and many other public places.

Restaurant owners told the council that the ban would drive business to nearby suburbs, but council members were not swayed.

Mayor Laura Miller, who pushed hard for the ban, said opponents were unable to produce any credible studies showing restaurant business will suffer.

"The scientific evidence is all on the side of the bans," she said. "Studies show over and over there is no economic harm."

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Smoking policy in effect 

The University of Hawaii's new smoking policy will further restrict smoking areas on campus, make dorms smoke-free within two years, ban tobacco product sales and advertising on campus and prohibit tobacco company sponsorship for campus events effective immediately.

The smoking policy is in effect for all 10 UH campuses.

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perry takes oath of office (1 of 2) 

Some raise concerns as corporate donations total $1 million in costs for inaugural celebration . .

The gold and silver underwriters " companies that donated $50,000 or $25,000 respectively " also included the tobacco giant Philip Morris [This graph only]

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Report: Maine tops nation in youth anti-tobacco spending 

A new report says Maine ranks first in the nation in funding programs to keep children from smoking.

A coalition of health groups called the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids says Maine improved its rating from No. 3 a year ago to No. 1.

Maine's spending for tobacco prevention during the current fiscal year is $15.2 million, compared to $13.8 million in 2002.

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Tama warns against burley tobacco 

There is a low demand of burley tobacco on the international market and tobacco growers need to focus on flue-cured tobacco if they are to make profits, Tobacco Association of Malawi (Tama) President Albert Kamulaga said on Monday.

Kamulaga was briefing President Bakili Muluzi at the New State Lodge in Lilongwe on his election as President for International Tobacco Growers Association (ITGA), which was held in Portugal from October 30 to November 1 last year.

"We have to increase production of flue tobacco because Zimbabwe, which was producing it, can no longer do it now because of the problems with the white farmers there. We should expect good prices on flue tobacco because there is low demand for burley tobacco," said Kamulaga.

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• Anti-tobacco lobby assails McLellan as she announces $5 million for ads 

OTTAWA (CP) - The anti-tobacco lobby denounced Health Minister Anne McLellan on Weedless Wednesday, saying she lacks the leadership of her predecessor in the fight against smoking.

The complaint came as McLellan announced at a downtown health clinic that the federal government will spend $5 million on anti-smoking ads. Smoking "is a health issue and the champion has to be the health minister," Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada spokeswoman Cynthia Callard said.

"We know we had a champion with the last minister."

Callard noted that in the year since taking over the health portfolio from Allan Rock, McLellan cut $13 million from the anti-tobacco program.

Anti-smoking activists argue the government should spend much more on stop-smoking programs, given how much it profits from tobacco sales.

The minister acknowledged the cuts but denied backing down in the fight against smoking.

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Drinkers, Smokers Upset Over Higher Taxes 

Smokers and drinkers aren't toasting Gov. Bob Taft's plan for another hike in tobacco and liquor taxes.

Larry Johnson, of Cleveland, said he already buys the cheapest, off-brand cigarettes he can find.

The increases would double taxes to 28 cents for a 12-ounce beer and hike cigarette taxes by 45 cents to $1 per pack.

Taft supporter Barry Tulin said cigarettes are immoral and should be taxed out of sight.

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Tufts student killed in fire 

A Tufts student is dead and three others are without a home this week following a two-alarm fire on Harris Street early Saturday morning. City, police and fire officials are still investigating whether the loft where the four students lived was in violation of the city's building safety codes.

In a statement released by Fire Chief Frank Giliberti Tuesday, investigators have concluded the fire was accidental.

"While official cause of the fire will remain undetermined, investigators concluded that the fire was accidental, most likely caused by improper use of smoking materials," said the statement.

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Traveling hypnotist’s claims don’t add up, authorities say 

For the last week, full-page ads in the Daily News and the Glasgow Daily Times have announced that Dr. Mark Webb will offer a hypnosis seminar in Bowling Green tonight that is “110% guaranteed” to make smokers stop, for just $60 with a $10 discount for paying with cash. . . But the ads promise things that, according to Indiana authorities, Ohio courts and Webb’s own office, just aren’t true. . .

The ad states that the seminar is presented by the “National Institute of Hypnosis,” with a Charlestown, Ind., address. According to the secretary who answered at the phone number given for the institute, Webb won’t even be appearing in Bowling Green. He’s currently in Phoenix. . .

After the ad first ran, the Kentucky Board of Chiropractic Examiners sent Webb a cease-and-desist letter Jan. 14, noting that he holds a Kentucky Non-Resident Chiropractic License, but that license is not valid for active practice in Kentucky. It also says that his advertisement of “specializing in smoking cessation” is not a recognized chiropractic specialty in Kentucky.

In Ohio, however, Kahl turns up in court records. In 1991, he claimed in various newspaper ads that his hypnotism routine would help people stop smoking, with an extremely high success rate. (The rate cited in his local ad is “at least 95%.”) A Hamilton County court found that Kahl was unable to substantiate those claims with reasonable clinical evidence, and issued a consent judgment against him.

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Council takes step to make West Perth smoke free 

West Perth municipal council decided to begin the consultation process with the public in taking steps to become smoke free.

Now the actual process begins, and based on what other Perth County municipalities have gone through in getting to this point, it likely won't be without controversy.

Tracy Allan-Koester, director of chronic disease at the Perth District Health Unit, appeared before West Perth's administration committee Jan. 13th to ask that the entire municipality develop a no-smoking bylaw as soon as possible.

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Ungaro Sends Garbled Message with Surrealist Show 

Ruby lips, sequin eyes and crystal fingers were scattered through French designer Emanuel Ungaro's haute couture collection on Wednesday . . .

Russian model-of-the-moment Natalia Vodianova stepped out in a gray denim peplum jacket embroidered with dozens of scarlet mouths sprouting cigarettes and curlicued smoke motifs. A sequined eye peeped from the cream satin lapel of a black wool jacket with dozens of pouts running along the hem, while crimson lips at the hip blew out the word "GLAMOUR." [This graph only]

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Raw, rugged Mayorga ready for bout with Forrest 

Ricardo Mayorga, even more unknown than Forrest was at this time last year and a clear underdog, wants what Forrest has. . .

Before he blew away Andrew ''Six Heads'' Lewis in five rounds to win his belt last March, Mayorga stood on the scale at the weigh-in munching an apple, taunting Lewis, who was struggling to make weight. After the fight, the overjoyed Mayorga came to the news conference celebrating with a beer in one hand and a lit cigarette in the other.

''He's crazy,'' King says. [This graph only]

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Dutch candidates debate in front of unforgiving child audience 

It was an awkward moment for Balkenende, leader of the Christian Democrats, and for Labor Party leader Wouter Bos. After days of debating each other in front of voter audiences, the two rivals agreed this week to face off before a group of school children. . .

Bos was compelled to admit he smoked a cigarette at age 8.

"I completely kicked the habit by the time I was 10," Bos said, prompting cheers.

He didn't deny inhaling. [This graph only]

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Arise, Sir Clive, your time is up!' 

The news that Clive Bates, director of ASH [Action on Smoking and Health], is leaving the anti-smoking group in March [1] to join the Cabinet office on a two-year contract has amused his opponents, the smokers' pressure group FOREST [Freedom Organisation for the Right to Enjoy Smoking Tobacco].

'Spouting all that hot air has obviously puffed him out,' said Simon Clark, director of FOREST. 'Sadly, after a bright start, he was beginning to sound increasingly like his hapless predecessors, whingeing and moaning about passive smoking or the fact that James Bond smokes a cigar. It was time to move on - and he has.'

Clark nevertheless predicted that Bates' departure will be a huge blow to the anti-smoking lobby. Clive's PR skills were obvious to everyone and his dogged persistence must be acknowledged, even if he was a pain in the neck at times. I'm not surprised he's gone to the Cabinet office. He'd make a great New Labour spin doctor.'

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Crackdown on illicit Sri Lanka tobacco 

The Ceylon Tobacco Company which has a virtual monopoly on cigarette production in Sri Lanka, says its sales grew 6% last year after several years in decline.

But it is not that more Sri Lankans are smoking - rather that they have switched from cheap illegal cigarettes to factory-made brands.

For years, Ceylon Tobacco has been trying to combat the threat of illicit cigarettes made cheaply by small local producers who do not pay tax to the government.

Known locally as white cigarettes, the illegal produce costs only one rupee each compared to 2.50 rupees for a machine-made cigarette.

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