Tobacco.org

Smoking blamed for rare Arctic pneumonia 

NUUK, GREENLAND - Smoking and overcrowding are two of the contributing factors behind cases of severe respiratory illness among infants on Baffin Island, a physician says.

Dr. Anna Banerji of Toronto led a 14-month study of children admitted to Baffin Regional Hospital in Iqaluit. She presented her final results at the International Congress on Circumpolar Health in Greenland.

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Crew leader drank, smoked on aircraft 

A depressed flight attendant who admitted being dependent on alcohol was sacked after allegations of hazardous practices during an international flight.

Eric Leathley, an inflight service director for Air New Zealand, was dobbed in by his own cabin crew, who said he sneaked off to smoke in the toilets and drink red wine. . .

And when they told Mr Leathley someone had been smoking, he failed to report the matter and smelled of smoke "on his clothes and breath".

In evidence to an Employment Relations Authority hearing, Mr Leathley said he screwed up the letter and threw it away "in disgust".

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• School asks if kids can smoke 

A special needs school has come under fire for asking parents' permission for pupils to smoke – then offering nicotine patches for the youngsters to quit the habit.

Parents have blasted the policy at the Gatehouse School for boys as not only bizarre but downright dangerous for children as young as 12.

One father told how he received a letter, complete with a tear-off form, asking him to give his permission for his 13-year-old son to smoke. . . .

Gatehouse insisted it had a no smoking policy, for which it has won an award, and said the original letters were sent out to identify parents who consent to their sons smoking in order to target them for the anti-smoking programme.

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Judge Warns Man Accused Of Tractor Standoff 

An initial group of 75 potential jurors will be examined Wednesday in the trial of a North Carolina tobacco farmer, over a March standoff on the National Mall that caused days of traffic jams.

Dwight Watson is charged with making a false threat to use explosives and destruction of government property. . . .

That included several warnings against trying to use the trial as a platform for Watson's grievances. Watson claims federal tobacco policies ruined his family. . . . The judge also rejected Watson's list of potential witnesses to be subpoenaed, including former President Clinton and former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura.

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Welcome to British Columbia's Smoke-Free Dining, Drinking, Sleeping, and all around Hospitality site. 

Searching for a Smoke-free place to party?

Select a city from the scrolling list above to find the locations closest to you, or nearest your travel destination. . . .

Do you have a favorite smoke free venue or know of a smoke free business that should be included in our site? Go straight to the Recommend a Location page and fill out our simple form to let us know how to contact them.

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• News: Women smokers hit hard by lung disease 

A silent killer in Wisconsin is starting to stalk women more than men.

It goes by a relatively new name - chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - but has an old cause, cigarette smoking, in 85 percent of the cases.

Doctors and officials from the Wisconsin Public Health and Health Policy Institute and the American Lung Association of Wisconsin released a report on COPD on Monday at the State Capitol.

They said that in the past 20 years, deaths of Wisconsin women from COPD - an umbrella term for ailments that obstruct airflow to the lungs, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis - more than quadrupled. . . .

In the not-so-distant future, COPD may be a predominantly female disease, the study said.

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NoSmokingSite.com: FAQ 

s this an anti-smoking site?

No. It is financially supported by public health organizations, the hospitality industry, workplace health and safety organizations such as WCB, WSIB, and OSHA. Of course, a major part of its long-term viability will be from on-line revenues of those who wish to have a direct link to promote their establishment.

What were its origins?

The site was conceived after working for many years with hospitality groups that were heavily impacted by local smoking bans. There has always been choice of smoking and non-smoking venues, but they weren't always publicized as such

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Welcome to NoSmokingSite.com -- the Global Site for Smoke-free Hospitality 

How are we different from other sites? We work closely with hospitality partners to ensure that the broadest range of establishments are listed. We know the hospitality industry and have worked with all sectors for many years. They know and respect our ability to deliver the best possible product.

Does this site reflect a political agenda? No. We're a hospitality promotion site designed to provide you, the consumer, with the most comprehensive access to smoke-free establishments.

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How antioxidants protect passive smokers [Source: New Straits Times] 

WE all know the damaging effects cigarette smoking have on our health but research indicates that second-hand smoke poses more of a threat to non- smokers and children.

Second-hand smoke is exhaled smoke from a smoker's lung and smoke from a lighted cigarette, cigar or pipe. Being exposed to second- hand smoke is also referred to as passive smoking or involuntary smoking. . . .

A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute showed that these chemicals, which are linked to lung cancer, are five or six times higher in the urine of women who live with smokers than in women who live with non-smokers.

Infants and young children are susceptible to lower respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia and bronchitis from exposure to second-hand smoke as their lungs are still developing. . .

Antioxidants are free radical scavengers that stop free radical activity. Our body draws on our supply of antioxidant enzymes and the antioxidants from the foods we eat to protect us against free radical damage. The antioxidant enzyme systems in our body are glutathione peroxidase, catalase and superoxide dismutase which are produced in amounts related to our needs.

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Key jobs in tobacco campaign shelved [Source: Irish Times] 

Key positions due to be part of the Government's anti-smoking programme have been left unfilled for two years because of budget cutbacks.

The 10 positions, which would have overseen the policing of the proposed smoking ban, were shelved last year following a series of Government cutbacks.

This comes as the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, is set to meet the New York Mayor, Mr Michael Bloomberg, tomorrow to hear about the implementation of a comprehensive ban in that city. He will attend the United Nations today, where he will sign the World Health Organisation's framework convention on tobacco control.

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CRFA's Position on Smoking Regulations 

CRFA supports a market-driven position that accommodates operators, employees and customers, and that allows for establishing air quality standards as an option to smoking bans or designated smoking enclosures. . . .

To help foodservice operators accommodate both their smoking and non-smoking customers and employees, the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association recommends the following code of practice. . . .

Here's how to enhance the air quality in your restaurant:

Keep the Operation Well Ventilated

Operate your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system according to manufacturer's instructions. . . .

ACCOMMODATING YOUR EMPLOYEES

Employers should be aware that some people (such as asthmatics) are highly sensitive to smoke and their health should be a concern. . . .

Ensure that Employees Agree to Work in the Smoking Area

Work with your employees to develop a fair smoking policy that makes a reasonable effort to accommodate the preferences of employees and customers who chose to smoke or not to smoke in your operation. You may wish to begin this process with a survey of your employees to determine their feelings about the existing policy or practices and their preferences for improvements. (Employee answers to the survey should be confidential.)

In some jurisdictions, second-hand smoke has been identified as an occupational health hazard and employees may raise this issue as a reason to decline working in a smoking area. Work with them to identify how often, if ever, they are willing to be scheduled in the smoking section. Accommodating their needs will go a long way to ensuring a harmonious working environment.

When hiring new employees, provide them with a copy of your smoking policy to ensure that they understand and agree with your existing practices

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Smoking Regulations - Black Dog Paper Summary 

The use of heat recovery ventilation (HRV) in the hospitality industry to allow for separate smoking and non-smoking sections is increasingly popular. This study was designed to assess the effectiveness of HRV in a hospitality establishment with separate smoking and non-smoking sections . . .

The study was commissioned by the Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) and carried out by the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The principal investigator is Dr. Roger Jenkins, . . .

The study entitled, "Environmental tobacco smoke in the non-smoking section of a restaurant: A case study", shows us that a ventilation solution to ETS can provide comparable quality of air for non-smokers in hospitality establishments that allow smoking as in venues that did not allow smoking.

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Smoking Regulations - Restaurants caught in smoking crossfire 

Operators arguing for reasonable smoking regulations are frequently accused of defending smoking or being in the pockets of tobacco manufacturers when, in fact, they're just fighting to maintain a viable business.

And the deck is stacked increasingly against the restaurant industry as provincial and federal governments pour millions of dollars into anti-smoking advocacy groups who have full-time staffs dedicated to convincing city councils that smoking bans are the only solution.

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British American Tobacco Buys Back 1.0 Million Shares 

British American Tobacco announced that it has Tuesday purchased for cancellation 1,000,000 of its ordinary shares at 630.5438 pence per ordinary share.

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• US District Court Enters Order in Star Scientific Patent Infringement Suit, Setting Time Frame for Resolution of Summary Judgment Motions 

Star Scientific, Inc. (NASDAQ: STSI) announced today that an Order, relating to the August 28, 2003 hearing on pending motions in the company's patent infringement lawsuit against RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company, Inc., has been entered in the US District Court for the District of Maryland (Southern Division). The order confirms statements made by presiding Judge Alexander Williams, Jr. during the hearing, in which he suggested that he was considering the appointment of a Special Master.

Judge Williams states in his Order that the patent infringement case brought by Star "presents complicated issues of patent law necessitating significant technical knowledge and expertise. "

The Order refers all but one of the outstanding summary judgment motions and accompanying exhibits to a Special Master with expertise in patent litigation.

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