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A NC City Council Considers Sidewalk Smoking Ban 

Charlotte, NC --�The city council in North Carolina's largest city is considering a smoking ban for some public sidewalks.

North Carolina will ban smoking in restaurants and bars next year. The Charlotte Observer reported Thursday that Central Piedmont Community College has asked Charlotte City Council to ban smoking on some sidewalks that intersect with the campus.

The new smoking law takes effect Jan. 2 and allows local governments to ban smoking in public parks but officials say it's not clear that sidewalks are included.

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• VIDEO: Electronic cigarettes bypass the smoking ban in Dallas bars  

Tobacco Town started carrying the products a few months ago. They come with nicotine and without. Distributors say they're becoming more popular.

"A lot of bars and restaurants are in favor of it actually," said Jim Jinright, an electronic cigarette supplier.

Not all bars are smoke-free, but the trend is heading that direction. The Dallas ban took effect in April.

"I've actually had to stop people a couple of times and say oh no, no, no. There's no smoking in here," said Nicole Strawbridge, a bartender at Al's Hideaway.

Now many smokers have to go outside or find an alternative.

'You're more than welcome to bring your electronic cigarettes in here, feel free to light up, or turn it on or whatever," Strawbridge said.

The assistant director for Dallas City Code Compliance says there's nothing about electronic cigarettes on the books, so they're not prohibited in bars. That could change, because he's asked the City Attorney whether the code should be updated. It's currently under advisement.

It's also important to note opposition from health organizations.

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• Smoking ban in Ayer covers the great outdoors  

It was a recent trip to the park that finally did it.

Jason Mayo watched as a father pushed his child on a swing, cigarette clenched between his teeth. On every upswing, the child got a face full of exhaled smoke.

"We can't tell people how to parent,'' said Mayo, a member of the Ayer parks and recreation committee, which has banned smoking in the town's recreation areas. "But all the other kids around him were inhaling that cigarette too.''

As antismoking sentiment sweeps across the country, nonsmokers are taking back bars, restaurants, and workplaces, snuffing smoking out of its indoor havens. And now some of them are turning their sights on the great outdoors.

Holliston and Upton have enacted similar outdoor smoking bans. And in another example of the widespread public crackdown on smoking, Needham has outlawed the sale of cigarettes in pharmacies and Newton and Framingham are trying to do the same.

Ayer's parks and recreation committee implemented its outdoor ban in August, and the panel may also pursue a bylaw at the spring Town Meeting. In a more sweeping stroke, the town's Board of Health is pursuing a regulation that would apply the prohibition to all town-owned property and land and impose a $100 fine on offenders. The board has set a public hearing on the subject for January.

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Guards await fallout of smoking ban reversal  

The union representing prison guards says it will keep a close eye on what develops in the wake of a Quebec court ruling that lifted the total ban on smoking in federal prisons.

Last week, the Federal Court lifted the 17-month-old ban outlawing smoking outside federal prison buildings after a group of 19 inmates imprisoned in Quebec challenged the ban.

The prisoners stated in their claim that they had experienced assorted physical and psychological problems -- including increases in stress, anxiety, aggressiveness and nervousness -- as a result of the butt ban.

Before the ban, three of every four prisoners were smokers, Correctional Service of Canada statistics show.

"Essentially, from what I've read of (the decision), it will bring us to a situation that prevailed before May 2008, when the total tobacco ban was implemented, where inmates were allowed to have tobacco on their person, although they were supposed to consume it outside," said Union of Canadian Correctional Officers spokesman Lyle Stewart.

"The reality is, they smoked it wherever they felt like it."

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• Bill to extend smoking ban 

Senators are ready to vote on a bill that would require smokers to move more than 20 feet from the entrance of an enclosed public place before they can enjoy a cigarette.

There was little debate or objection to Bill 101 during session yesterday. The Legislature will vote on the bill the next time it is discussed.

Vice Speaker Benjamin Cruz, one of the senators who introduced the bill, yesterday said he didn't want smokers standing by the door of a place if they can't smoke inside. Because lawmakers don't require a restaurant customer to tolerate cigarette smoke while eating, they shouldn't have to walk through a cloud of smoke to get to the door, either, Cruz said.

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Smoking ban back to drawing board 

Smokers got a reprieve to continue smoking in Roswell's city parks.

The Roswell City Council voted unanimously a couple of weeks ago to ban smoking in the city parks, but now they can't agree whether to let folks smoke in their cars, in the parking lot or just a total ban.

One difficulty arose over what is the definition of a vehicle - could that include a motorcycle or a bicycle? Councilwoman Becky Wynn wanted "to nail that down."

Mayor Jere Wood repeated his concern that without a designated place for smokers - either in their cars or in the parking lots - the city would be driving folks away.

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College may snuff out smokes 

Smokers on Southwestern Oregon Community College's campuses may have nowhere to light up come fall 2011, if the college's board of education agrees with student recommendations.

Following a smoke-free survey provided online from Sept. 24 through Oct. 5, Associated Student Government President Cody Carlson is suggesting the school ban tobacco use by the 2011 fall term and that right now Southwestern require smokers to stay 30 feet from doors, windows and vents by 2010. State law requires a 10-foot separation. He also recommended the college offer a program to help people quit smoking and that campus security fine rule breakers.

"The survey takers were very for that," Carlson said.

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One cig puts young at risk  

ONE cigarette can put young people at greater risk of a heart attack or stroke, a study has warned.

It increases the stiffness of the arteries in 18 to 30-year-olds by an alarming 25 per cent -- increasing resistance in the blood vessels and making the heart work faster.

Leading medic Dr Stella Daskalopoulou claimed smoking just a few sneaky cigarettes could have a significant impact on the heart.

The doctor, a vascular medicine specialist at McGill University Health Centre in Edmonton, Canada, said: "Our results are significant because they suggest smoking just a few cigarettes a day impacts the health of the arteries.

Stress

"This was revealed very clearly when these young people were placed under physical stress, such as exercise."

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British American Tobacco reports strong sales 

British American Tobacco, maker of Lucky Strike and Kent cigarettes, said Wednesday that sales strengthened in the first nine months of the year thanks to a string of acquisitions.

Sales volumes climbed two percent to 533 billion cigarettes in the nine months to the September, compared with the same period of 2008, BAT said in a trading update.

BAT became the market leader in Denmark and Norway after buying Skandinavisk Tobakskompagni's cigarette businesses for 2.06 billion pounds (3.1 billion dollars) in 2008. That was followed by the acquisition of Turkish group Tekel.

"Group revenue for the nine months grew strongly, driven by the continued good pricing momentum and volume growth from the acquisitions made in the middle of last year," BAT said in a statement.

It added that sales were also boosted by the more recent acquisition of an 85-percent stake in Indonesian group Bentoel in June.

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2nd UPDATE: BAT 9-Mos Sales Strong Despite Weak Volumes  

British American Tobacco PLC (BATS.LN) said Wednesday its revenue growth remained strong in the first nine months of the year, despite a further softening in volumes in the third quarter, as smokers struggle with a tough global economy and rising unemployment.

The tobacco group said revenue grew strongly in the nine months to Sept. 30, driven by good pricing momentum, the contribution from acquisitions in Denmark, Turkey and Indonesia as well as favorable exchange rate movements. No specific revenue figures were released.

While volume rose 2% to 533 billion cigarettes in the nine-month period, this was wholly a result of acquisitions. Stripping out these acquisitions, volumes fell 3% in the nine months, compared with a 2% decline in the fist six months of the year.

"Volumes are undoubtedly softening," said the group's director of corporate and regulatory affairs Michael Prideaux, "but it probably look worse than it is."

He said the volume fall was largely a result of BAT's decision not to support low-margin brands bought last year as part of its Tekel and ST acquisitions in Turkey and Denmark.

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BAT volumes dip 3 percent | Reuters 

British American Tobacco (BATS.L), the world's second-biggest cigarette maker, posted a 3 percent dip in underlying nine-month sales volumes on Wednesday but said price rises led to "strong revenue growth."

The maker of Kent, Dunhill, Lucky Strike and Pall Mall cigarettes said third-quarter volumes fell 4 percent, similar to larger rival Philip Morris (PM.N), slightly worse than analysts had forecast, as global unemployment headed higher and as it shed low-margin cheaper cigarette business.

London-based BAT said trading conditions had deteriorated especially in Japan, Russia, Brazil, Italy and South Africa.

"Our consumers are clearly finding the current economic conditions difficult, as unemployment continues to rise," said Chief Executive Paul Adams in a third-quarter statement.

"This has led to a softening of our volumes, although I am encouraged by the growth in our global drive brands and the strong growth in revenue," said Adams, adding volumes of its top four brands grew 4 percent in the nine-month period.

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Smoking's Damage Swift, Irreversible 

Cigarette smoking starts inflicting “very significant” damage on the arteries with the very first puffs taken by otherwise healthy young smokers, new research shows.

The damage worsens as time passes and is impossible to reverse, says researcher Stella Daskalopoulou, MD, of the McGill University Health Centre.

The study found that smoking just one cigarette increases the stiffness of the arteries in 18- to 30-year-old smokers by 25% after a treadmill exercise test. It was presented at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2009 in Edmonton, Alberta.

As arteries stiffen, she says, the heart must work harder, increasing the risk for heart disease or stroke.

“Our results are significant because they suggest that smoking just a few cigarettes a day impacts the health of the arteries,” Daskalopoulou says in a news release. “This was revealed very clearly when these young people were placed under physical stress, such as exercise.”

She tells WebMD that the study compared the arterial stiffness of 10 young smokers, who puffed five to six cigarettes a day, to 10 nonsmokers. The median age of the participants was 21 years. Researchers, who included R.J. Doonan and other medical students under her supervision, measured arterial stiffness at rest and after exercise.

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BAT Shipments Drop for First Time in Almost Two Years (Update1)  

British American Tobacco Plc, Europe’s largest cigarette maker, said shipments declined for the first time in almost two years during the third quarter as markets deteriorated from Brazil to Japan and South Africa.

The quantity of cigarettes sold in the three months ended Sept. 30 fell 2.6 percent to 185 billion, the London-based company said today on its Web site. Nine-month shipments rose 2 percent to 533 billion, weakening from 5 percent growth in the first half and 7 percent in the opening quarter of the year.

BAT Chief Executive Officer Paul Adams said consumers are finding economic conditions “difficult” as unemployment rises. Smokers are switching to cheaper brands and cigarette smuggling is increasing in places such as Germany and eastern Europe as the recession leads consumers to tighten their purse strings.

“This statement had a more bearish tone than previous ones,”

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Occasional smoking is increasing and shouldn't get a pass 

Smoking-cessation programs typically target frequent smokers with fairly hefty habits. But it may be time to also put some focus on occasional and social smokers, according to a commentary released today in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

This group of intermittent smokers may not be studied as much as more prolific puffers, but the fact that they do smoke should be cause for concern, the authors say. They note that while daily tobacco smoking has decreased, nondaily smoking increased between 1996 and 2001 in most states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Younger smokers ages 18 to 29 were particularly at risk. They add that a 2009 study in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research showed that smoking bans in workplaces and other areas may be associated with a rise in light smoking.

The fact that many occasional and social smokers consider themselves nonsmokers and, therefore, not at risk for health problems makes it difficult for healthcare providers to treat them. Some studies have linked nondaily smoking to health problems such as cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.

This intermittent smoking group differs from daily smokers in that they tend to be younger, better educated, better off financially, from minority backgrounds and are more often female. Intermittent smoking is also associated with drinking, particularly binge drinking, on college campuses. . . .

Once identified, clinicians must recognize that nondaily smokers, especially social smokers, may be more motivated to quit by messages stressing the harm of secondhand smoke and by encouragement to break associations between social activities and tobacco use rather than by an emphasis on personal health risks."

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EDITORIAL: More medical support for smoking ban 

Greenwood's ban on smoking in restaurants and bars is being vindicated by yet another scientific study.

A recent report from the Institute of Medicine found that in locales around the world where smoking bans have been enacted, the number of heart attacks has dropped by 6 percent to 47 percent.

The report underlines what the U.S. surgeon general warned of in 2006: There's really no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke.

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