Email
Password
(Forgot Password?)
Smoking will be banned at all outdoor dining areas starting in September -- a move Gov. John Baldacci described as consistent with his efforts to make Maine a healthy state.
"It's been my goal to make Maine the healthiest state in the nation," Baldacci said. "To achieve this goal, we must continue making headway in reducing tobacco use."
Rep. Joan Cohen, D-Portland, and her husband, former Portland Mayor Jim Cohen, celebrated passage of the bill Monday at a signing ceremony in Baldacci's office in Augusta.
Jump to full article »
Although it still heard opposition from members of the community, the Upper Moreland Township Parks and Recreation Committee decided to move forward with a partial smoking ban at its meeting Monday.
Certain designated areas in Masons Mill, Pileggi, Woodlawn, Fern Village, Terwood, North Willow Grove, Veterans Memorial and Fair Oaks parks will have designated smoking areas, the proposed ordinance said.
The smoking areas would be decided by the director of parks and recreation and is limited to the aforementioned parks because they offer scheduled recreational activities.
More than 80 per cent of the country's psychiatric wards are failing to enforce the smoking ban, says a report to be published tomorrow.
Staff shortages, a lack of safe outdoor space and insufficient training in quitting techniques means staff have had little success in stopping patients smoking indoors, says research by the Mental Health Foundation.
Around 70 per cent of people with severe mental health problems smoke cigarettes, but those admitted to hospital under section are often unable to leave the confines of the ward without special permission and accompanied by a staff member.
The ban - in force since 1 July 2008, a year later than elsewhere to enable hospitals to make provision - has led to secret smoking among patients, according to the foundation, which is calling for a review of the ban's impact.
Two government agencies in Guyana are agreeing to ban smoking in the workplace as the South American country encourages smoke-free zones.
The Guyana Revenue Authority promises that all its employees on duty will comply. Commissioner General Khurshid Sattaur said Friday that he hopes visitors will do so as well.
The government operated Guyana Water Inc. adopted the same policy earlier this week.
Brunei has set up a National Committee on Tobacco Control to discuss plans and strategies to reduce the prevalence of smoking in the country and create a smoke-free generation in the long-term.
The committee, which held its first meeting yesterday, was formed to examine and provide direction, advice and guidance on the National Tobacco Control Programme, in line with the policies suggested by the World Health Organisation, including monitoring use of tobacco products and preventive policies, protecting nonsmokers from tobacco smoke, providing warnings on the dangers of tobacco consumption and enforcing warnings on advertising and promotion of tobacco products.
It is also tasked with the responsibility of implementing the 2005 Tobacco Order and the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, in addition to increasing coordination with various sectors involved in the implementation of the National Tobacco Control Programme.
The committee will also ensure and enforce the implementation of the programme aimed at preventing and controlling the use of tobacco and reduce smoking rate, by preventing initial usage of tobacco, particularly among youths and women while also motivating the public to stop their usage of tobacco products.
Smoking related deaths are a loss not only to the victim's family, but also the country, the Deputy Minister of Health said yesterday.
"From the workforce aspect, these deaths are really a loss to the country as half of them occur among those at the age where they are still productive in contributing to the economy of the country," said Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Laila Diraja Dato Paduka Hj Hazair Hj Abdullah.
During the first meeting of the National Committee on Tobacco Control at the Ministry of Health, he said that smoking-related diseases such as heart attacks, cancer, stroke, respiratory diseases and asthma are the main cause of deaths in the Sultanate.
A survey carried out in 2001 showed that there were about 40,000 smokers in Brunei, 80 per cent of which were aged between 20-34 while 17.5 per cent was made up of those between 15 to 20-year-olds.
Altria Group Inc.’s Philip Morris USA is introducing a new menthol version of its Marlboro cigarette this week that will compete with Lorillard Inc.’s Newport and Reynolds American Inc.’s Camel Crush.
The cigarette, called Marlboro Blend No. 54, has a “richer, bolder” flavor than Philip Morris USA’s regular Marlboro menthol and Marlboro Smooth menthol cigarettes, Greg Mathe, an Altria spokesman, said by telephone today.
Retailers and distributors began receiving shipments on June 17, according to an information sheet distributed to wholesalers and confirmed today by Bill Phelps, another spokesman for Richmond, Virginia-based Altria. It’s the first new Marlboro menthol cigarette since 2007.
China raised tax on cigarette cartons costing 70 yuan ($10.24) or more to 56 percent from 45 percent to increase revenue, China Tax News reported, citing the government.
The duty on lower-priced cigarettes will rise to 36 percent from 30 percent, according to the newspaper report, posted on the State Administration of Taxation’s Web site yesterday. The levy on cigars will rise to 36 percent from 25 percent, it said.
The smoke from cannabis, the plant from which marijuana is derived, contains compounds that can damage DNA and increase the risk of cancer just like tobacco smoke, says a new study from the United Kingdom.
In laboratory tests, Rajinder Singh from the University of Leicester and colleagues found certain carcinogens in cannabis smoke in amounts 50 percent greater than those found in tobacco smoke. They noted that light cannabis use could possibly prove to be even more damaging because cannabis smokers usually inhale more deeply than cigarette smokers.
"The smoking of three to four cannabis cigarettes a day is associated with the same degree of damage to bronchial mucus membranes as 20 or more tobacco cigarettes a day," the researchers noted in a news release from the university.
The research was based on tests using a new highly sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method to analyze the cannabis smoke. It looked specifically at acetaldehyde -- a suspected cancer-causing chemical known to affect human DNA that is found in both kinds of smoke.
Fires caused by cigarettes kill about 800 Americans each year. On July 1st, cigarettes sold in Indiana will have to be fire safe cigarettes, which are less likely to burn when left unattended. Lafayette fire inspector David Thomas is glad to see the change.
"We applaud any efforts to reduce home fires. Mattresses and home furnishings are less likely to ignite now with some fire retardancy properties and with smoking being the top causes of home fires it is certainly going to help that," said Thomas.
You may think that cigarette smoking isn’t that common in Asian Americans; however, the statistics don’t lie. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report that 21.6% of Asian American and Pacific Islander men and 12.4% of women smoke. Among Asian American and Pacific Islander high school seniors the numbers are similar (males 20.6%, females 13.8%) with about 4.5% of all students reporting that they smoke one-half pack a day or more. So while the rates of smoking in Asian Americans may be slightly lower than in other groups, this is still a significant health problem in the Asian American community. . . .
How can my doctor help?
Your family doctor can be a very valuable resource in your effort to quit smoking. They can help design a personal quit plan and can give information on telephone helplines such as 1-800-QUITNOW. There are also prescription medicines such as nicotine replacement patches and bupropion (Zyban)/varenicline (Chantix) that you may want to ask your doctor about.
Where can I go to find out more?
www.cdc.gov The Centers for Disease Control Website
The National Committee for the Control of Tobacco convened for the first time yesterday to assess the progress of its efforts to achieve the ultimate goal of a completely smoke-free environment.
The committee, chaired by Deputy Minister of Health Pehin Dato Paduka Hj Hazair Hj Abdullah, consists of prominent members from both the government and private sector, including deputy ministers and permanent secretaries from seven different ministries, as well as representatives from various non-government organisations.
In his opening remarks, the Deputy Minister of Health enumerated the committee's objectives, one of which is to produce a generation that not only doesn't smoke, but also detests smokers.
In 2008, the government spent $20.7 million treating chronic illnesses, revealed the deputy minister, describing it as a "burden to the government". . . .
we need to come up with comprehensive short-term and long-term strategies to ensure the effectiveness of tobacco control... including the proper enforcement of the 2005 Tobacco Act," he declared.
Last week, Indiana Sens. Lugar and Bayh courageously joined their colleagues in the U.S. Senate to pass landmark legislation giving the U.S. Food and Drug Administration the authority to regulate the manufacturing and marketing of tobacco products. They deserve credit and our sincere gratitude. Because of their efforts, we are now closer than ever to reining in a rogue industry that has been able to operate unregulated for far too long. . . .
The passage of this legislation is an historic moment in the effort to stop Big Tobacco's deceptive and manipulative marketing practices, which have preyed on children and misled the public about the harm of tobacco for decades. Fortunately, Sens. Lugar and Bayh took the appropriate action to protect all Americans from tobacco-related addiction, disease and premature death.
GUANGZHOU: This southern economic hub may snuff out smoking on official occasions once a new law takes effect.
"The proposal aims to accelerate the implementation of the new regulation and create the environment for a non-smoking Asian Games in 2010," said Su Jinzhong, deputy director of the standing committee of the municipal people's congress and one of the deputies who submitted the proposal.
The law bans smoking in kindergartens, cinemas, auditoriums and meeting rooms of government departments, State enterprises and public institutions, as well as places where there are pregnant women, while limiting smoking in bars, dance halls and game rooms.
No matter what you want to say about him, Jim Leyland is, most definitely, an impressive manager. He's authoritative, he isn't afraid to make serious demands and tough decisions and he has tons of character. Maybe it comes with all the tobacco he consumes or the black coffee that's stained his gear, but he comes across as a man's man. Of course, by this point, he also comes across as very old, a tale which is told pretty distinctly in this photo, taken during a blowout loss. Take note: Mommas, don't let your babies grow up to be nicotine fiend aging baseball managers.