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Judge suspends fine in city's first smoking violation case  

The first violation of Greenville's no-smoking ordinance went to court on Wednesday, where a city judge gave a restaurant manager a suspended fine after a debate about whether bar patios count as a forbidden zone.

Greenville police Maj. Gary McLaughlin told the judge that the law is being enforced under the opinion that patios aren't exempt from the ban, in part because they are considered part of the restaurant and would exclude nonsmokers.

"This has not been tested," McLaughlin told Municipal Judge Matt Hawley after the general manager of Bailey's Sports Bar & Grille asked the judge why patrons couldn't smoke on an outside patio.

Trevor Timmons, general manager of Bailey's, told the judge that he assumed that patrons could legally smoke on the restaurant's covered patio because there was no one eating. Instead, Timmons said, customers carried their drinks outside and stayed beyond black tape put down to mark a 10-foot distance from the door.

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A year later, city busy with smoking complaints  

The city of Coshocton has seen more than its share of smoking complaints in the past year, since enforcement of Ohio's indoor smoking ban for bars, restaurants and other public places began May 3, 2007.

Under the law, the Ohio Department of Health receives complaints through e-mail and a toll-free number, and then are forwarded to local health departments to investigate.

Since that time, Coshocton County businesses have had 212 reported complaints come through, while Muskingum County logged 198 complaints. Guernsey County was at 157 total, with 41 thus far this year. Holmes has had 66 total and 19 this year and Tuscarawas has had 149 complaints, with 42 this year.

According to a database of reports filed with the ODH and compiled by the Cincinnati Enquirer, Coshocton County had 158 complaints last year

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A year later, city says smoking complaints slowing  

Ohio's indoor smoking ban for bars, restaurants and other public places has been law since Dec. 7, 2006 and subject to enforcement since May 3, 2007.

Under the law, the Ohio Department of Health receives complaints through e-mail and a toll-free number, and then are forwarded to local health departments to investigate.

Since that time, Muskingum County businesses have had 198 reported complaints come through, while Perry County logged 105 complaints and Morgan County just 20 - and only two thus far this year. Guernsey County was at 157 total, with 41 since Jan. 1.

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After one year, tough anti-smoking law has little or no impact on area restaurants 

BULLHEAD CITY - After a year on the books, most Bullhead City restaurants have not been affected by an anti-smoking law passed in 2006 by Arizona voters.

Proposition 201, approved by voters in November 2006, banned smoking from all enclosed public places and places of employment in Arizona. The law went into effect May 1, 2007.

Some restaurant owners said the slowdown in the economy and the high gas prices have played a bigger role in customer sales in Bullhead City restaurant and bars than the anti-smoking law.

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Clean-air groups slam proposed smoking ban 

The American Lung Association and Clean Air Wichita announced Friday that they will oppose the proposed smoking ban Wichita City Council members will consider next week.

In a statement, the association said Wichita's "flawed" proposal "creates an uneven playing field for businesses, makes enforcement difficult and does not protect the health of all people in Wichita."

Meanwhile, Clean Air Wichita, which has pressed for a "comprehensive" smoking ban, also criticized the proposed ban, saying in an e-mail to its members that the group "does not want to settle for this watered-down ordinance."

Under the proposed ordinance, which appears to have enough council support to pass, indoor smoking would be banned at any food service business that allows people under age 18 to enter.

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Fujairah bans smoking in public 

Director-General of the Fujairah Municipality Rashid Hamdan, issued a resolution banning smoking in enclosed public places -- commercial, vocational, professional and health firms, public transport vehicles and sports halls -- from yesterday.

The resolution said those who violate the ban for the first time will have to pay a fine of Dh500 which will be doubled for every repeated offence.

The municipality urged members of the public to file complaints if they find anyone violating the ban through the two hotlines -- 6000599900 and 800362222.

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Illinois smoking ban tamps down puffing at pipe convention 

A new Illinois law bans smoking in public places. That's extinguished some of the fun at this weekend's Chicagoland International Pipe & Tobacciana Show.

The event draws 4,000 pipe collectors from more than 60 countries. Organizers tried to get around the new law by arguing their gathering was a private club meeting.

But police and health officials said no.

Instead, a large smoking tent has been set up 15 feet away from the Pheasant Run convention center.

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• William Stewart: Crusader against smoking  

"Caution - Cigarette Smoking May Be Hazardous to Your Health." By today's explicit and bloodcurdling standards the warning that appeared for the first time on cigarette packs in the United States in 1966 was quaint in its understatement. But with those words William Stewart helped turn smoking - in the West at least - from emblem of cool into, almost literally, a deadly social sin.

Stewart was Surgeon General of the United States, the country's most senior public health official, between 1965 and 1969. In recent years, under the dominance of the conservative doctrine of "small government," the post has lost much of its former importance. But in that era, as President Lyndon Johnson pushed through his groundbreaking civil rights and public health legislation, the Surgeon General was a power in the land. . . .

Today the cigarette packet health warnings he helped pioneer in the US are positively tame by international standards. Across the EU, packets proclaim that "Smoking Kills", while many countries either have already, or are about to have, packets carry pictures of body organs damaged by smoking. In America, by contrast, there are merely rotating warnings printed on the side of the packet only, and in colours that do not clash with those of the product - with no updating since 1984.

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Senate vote on casino smoking ban could come today 

cratic leaders in the Senate moved a controversial bill to ban smoking in the state's Indian casinos off the foot of the calendar Wednesday night but took no further action late that evening.

A vote on the bill could come as soon as today, said Sen. Mary Ann Handley, D-Manchester, who supports extending the ban.

The bill would appoint a committee to negotiate an extension of Connecticut's 2003 ban on smoking in bars, restaurants and other workplaces to Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Resort Casino, the two tribal-owned casinos, which are currently exempt.

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CARAGLIO: Carlsbad needs smoke-free areas  

This is to all the citizens of Carlsbad who are wondering why Carlsbad has not passed a smoke-free ordinance like many other cities in San Diego County. I am really wondering, too.

I am the one who made a presentation more than a year ago to the Carlsbad parks and recreation commissioners to do so. They unanimously passed my proposal and promised me that they would work on an agenda bill, pass it to all the pertinent departments within the city, and then present it to the Carlsbad City Council for approval.

My sister and I have been working on encouraging the city to pass such an ordinance for almost three years. . . .

Call or write the Carlsbad mayor and the city council members to let them know that you want the city to step up and be really concerned about our health and environment by providing smoke-free parks and recreational areas.

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Smoke ban in cars low on Tory list 

But the Alberta private member's bill is a long way off -- government officials say it didn't make the top-10 list of Tory private member's bills this year, meaning the soonest the legislature can be debated would be the fall sitting, but possibly not until 2009.

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Tribes lobbying against proposed smoking ban 

The state Senate had taken no action by Thursday evening on a bill extending the ban on indoor smoking to Connecticut's two tribal casinos.

The bill, which had once seemed stalled, was revived from the foot of the Senate calendar Wednesday, to the displeasure of the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes, which own Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun, as well as many area legislators.

Both tribes have insisted that they will negotiate on the possible extension of the existing ban to the casinos only if legislative efforts are abandoned.

Also opposed to the legislation are most of the lawmakers from the southeastern Connecticut towns surrounding Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun, who have urged leadership and Gov. M. Jodi Rell to negotiate a settlement on smoking, rather than pass a law they fear would poison relations with the tribal governments.

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Possible Senate Vote Today on Smoking Ban 

Hartford - The Senate may take up the proposed ban on cigarette smoking in casinos this afternoon, over the objections of local lawmakers and the tribal owners of Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods.

Sources familiar with the Democratic majority’s plans said Friday morning they believed Senate leaders would run the smoking ban bill, which would appoint a committee to negotiate on extending the state’s smoking ban to the casinos, but would automatically extend the ban next February if no agreement has been reached.

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Amann, Rell Oppose Casino Smoking Ban 

The Senate debated into the night Friday whether to approve a proposal to ban smoking at the state's two tribal casinos. But all the talk about workers' health, potential legal challenges and tribal sovereignty is expected to have little effect on cigarettes and gambling.

Neither Gov. M. Jodi Rell nor House Speaker James Amann, D-Milford, appear to support the ban. When asked late Friday if the House would consider the casino smoking ban bill, Amann responded: "I would think the answer would be no."

The state is projecting a deficit next year of as much as $80 million and could stand to lose more revenue if smokers start avoiding the casinos. The state receives 25 percent of the casinos' take from their thousands of slot machines. That equaled $430 million in the last fiscal year, senators said.

According to Amann, Rell would veto any smoking ban bill because of the potential impact on the state budget. Rell has already called for the legislation to be rejected in favor of direct negotiations with the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes toward a smoking ban.

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Senate passes casino smoking ban bill  

Despite opposition from the state's two federally recognized tribes, the legislature is moving ahead with a bill that bans smoking in their casinos.

After a lengthy debate that included a two-hour Republican filibuster, the Senate voted 24-11 to create a committee to work with the Mashantucket Pequots and Mohegans to negotiate a smoking ban next year.

The bill moves to the House of Representatives. But House Speaker Jim Amann said he likely won't bring it up for a vote.

Proponents say the state has the responsibility to protect workers at the casino from exposure to second-hand smoke, even though the tribes are sovereign nations.

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