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Noise worries over planned new East Oxford hubbly bubbly cafe  

PEOPLE in East Oxford fear they will suffer sleepless nights if a restaurateur goes ahead with plans to create a ‘shisha’ garden for up to 100 smokers.

Families living in Temple Street are worried revellers visiting a planned new restaurant, with an outdoor area to be used for smoking Arabic-style ‘hubbly bubbly’ pipes, will lead to the return of late night noise, which ceased in the street after the closure of the Temple Bar five months ago.

Alex Stonor, 44, of Temple Street, said drinkers at the former pub who smoked outside had kept her and her two sons awake until 2am.

She is fearful the problem could re-occur when the restaurant, to be known as Temple Lounge, opens in February.

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Chapter Excerpt From 'Elvis: My Best Man' 

On this particular night, when the group in the Graceland dining room had just about finished eating, Elvis pulled a small Hav-a-Tampa cigarillo from his shirt pocket. He'd become very fond of the thin, sweet, wooden-tipped cigars, though more often than not he'd just hold a cigar without lighting it up. The conversation slowly shifted from talk of the TV special to talk about the recent movies we'd seen and then toward some actual business. Felton mentioned that it was about time to start putting together Elvis's next recording session for an RCA album.

"Yeah, I know it," said Elvis, rolling the cigar through his fingers. "We'll get it worked out."

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Community colleges in N.J. are cutting back on lighting up 

MORRIS COUNTY -- A few cigarette butts littered the ground near an entrance to an academic building at the County College of Morris. Nearby, an employee was observed furtively puffing away in the cold outside the college administration building.

There are still signs of smoking at CCM three years after it became one of the first two colleges in the state to declare a totally smoke-free campus. But officials say smoking is now the exception and contend they have a healthier and cleaner campus -- now one of five state community colleges that do not allow tobacco use. Star-Ledger file photo.There are still signs of smoking at CCM three years after it became one of the first two colleges in the state to declare a totally smoke-free campus. But officials say smoking is now the exception and contend they have a healthier and cleaner campus -- now one of five state community colleges that do not allow tobacco use

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Majority of Spaniards in favor of extended smoking ban: survey 

Some 56 percent of Spaniards support a government plan to extend the current smoking ban to more public places, a survey of El Pais newspaper showed Sunday.

Having prohibited smoking in the workplace in 2006, the Spanish government now plans to extend the ban to bars and other enclosed public areas in 2010.

The proposed legislation, if approved, would bring Spain into line with other European nations such as Britain, France, Ireland and Italy.

The European Union, which Spain is presiding over for the next six months, wants all member states to ban smoking in bars and other enclosed public spaces by 2012.

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Cigarette tax snuffed out; now what?  

The idea of levying a local cigarette tax in Hamilton County is officially dead.

Hamilton County commissioners said Wednesday they won't pursue the tax because several of the state legislators, whose approval is needed, weren't on board.

So that leaves two options, to balance the county's fast-approaching stadium fund deficit -both of which would essentially result in higher taxes.

1) raise the county sales tax

2) eliminate or delay homeowners' property tax rebate starting in 2011.

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S.F.'s 20-cent cigarette fee headed to court? 

In what has become a familiar scenario, Philip Morris USA has filed a complaint in San Francisco Superior Court over the city's new 20-cent fee tacked onto packs of cigarettes.

The move probably foreshadows a lawsuit - the second time in 18 months the tobacco giant will have sued San Francisco over its cutting-edge cigarette policies. The company said the city's first-of-its-kind ban on cigarette sales in drug stores including Walgreens violated its constitutional rights to advertise its products, but its claim was rejected in court.

Now, Philip Morris and some local retailers say the city's 20-cent charge on cigarette packs, the brainchild of Mayor Gavin Newsom that was implemented Oct. 1, violates state law because voters didn't approve it. The city argues that because it's a fee, rather than a tax, voter approval isn't required.

Newsom said the city completed an extensive study showing that it costs San Francisco $7.5 million every year to clean up cigarette butts tossed onto city streets and that smokers should be the ones picking up the tab.

"Twenty cents a pack - that's what it costs us," Newsom said of the cleanup, adding he wasn't surprised by Philip Morris' complaint. "We anticipated this. I think they'll lose. They lose most of their lawsuits."

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S. 1147, The PACT Act  

Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act of 2009 or PACT Act - Amends the Jenkins Act to revise provisions governing the collection of taxes on, and trafficking in, cigarettes and smokeless tobacco.

(Sec. 2)

Revises the definition of "cigarette" to include roll-your-own tobacco and to exclude cigars. Defines "delivery sale" to mean any sale of cigarettes or smokeless tobacco to a consumer ordered by telephone, the mails, or the Internet or other online service . Redefines "person" to include state, local, and Indian tribal governments. Redefines "use" to include the consumption, storage, handling, or disposal of smokeless tobacco, in addition to cigarettes.

Applies state tobacco tax reporting requirements to: (1) the sale or advertising for sale of smokeless tobacco products; (2) persons who ship or transfer cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products; and (3) the shipment of cigarettes or smokeless tobacco into a locality or Indian country that taxes the sale or use of such products. Requires sellers of tobacco products to file with the Attorney General reports filed with state tobacco tax administrators. Imposes additional information reporting requirements on such sellers, including the disclosure of electronic mail addresses, website addresses, and authorized agents for service of process. Limits the use of information received from sellers of tobacco products solely for tax enforcement purposes.

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MORRIS/McGANN: The retirement flu 

Ex-Rep. Rob Simmons would be a strong challenger to Blumenthal -- and, with the tide as pronounced as it is becoming for the GOP, who's to say that he can't pull it off?

Ditto, by the way, for anyone who challenges New York's Sen. Kristen Gillibrand. Her record of flacking for the tobacco companies and her flip-flops on most major issues since her appointment make her very vulnerable to any GOP challenger who steps up to the plate.

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Senecas urge senators to fight cigarette trafficking act  

The Seneca Nation of Indians hopes to gain support from Congressional members in its effort to fight the Prevention of All Cigarette Trafficking (PACT) Act.

On Jan. 5, nation officials announced the tribe had purchased space on two electronic billboards along the eastbound Interstate 90 in Buffalo. The billboards implore senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Kristen Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) to vote against the legislation. Additionally, the billboards cite the impact of the potential law and ask citizens to oppose it as well.

Under the terms of the PACT Act, requirements in reporting cigarette sales from tobacco merchants will be strengthened, penalties for violations of falsely reporting cigarette sales will be increased, both federal and state governments will have more power to investigate violations and the United States Postal Service will be prohibited from delivering tobacco products.

Citing the effects of the pending legislation, Barry E. Snyder Sr., nation president, said in a press release the PACT Act would devastate the Seneca's economy.

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EDITORIAL: Teens getting the message that smoking isn't so cool 

It might have been hard to notice but there were fewer young smokers standing outside in the cold this week. The Oklahoma Youth Tobacco Survey says the percentage of teenagers lighting up has dropped.

That's good news since most smokers begin the habit when they are young, making it harder to give up. The survey said 20.2 percent of Oklahoma high school students smoked in 2009 compared to 23.4 percent a year earlier.

At the middle school level, the drop is not nearly as dramatic. In 2007, a reported 7.5 percent of all students smoked. That figure today is estimated at 6.5 percent.

About a quarter of all Oklahomans still use tobacco. We give credit to the drop to several factors: The tax on tobacco has risen in recent years, making the costs of lighting up not insignificant. The state has used millions in tobacco lawsuit settlement funds to educate the public on the hazards of smoking.

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The Association of Smoking and Alcohol Use With Age-related Macular Degeneration in the Oldest Old: The Study of Osteoporotic Fractures 

Conclusions

The magnitude of the greater-than-additive effect of smoking on the age-adjusted risk of AMD reinforces recommendations to quit smoking even for older individuals. . . .

Article Outline

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in persons 65 years of age and older in the developed world.1 Age is the strongest risk factor for AMD; however, most of the populations providing incidence and prevalence data have included relatively few subjects over the age of 75 years. For example, all of the population-based studies conducted in the United States, including the Beaver Dam Eye Study and the Baltimore Eye Survey, have included fewer than 1000 subjects aged 75 years or older.[2] and [3] Furthermore, although previous research suggests that AMD is less common in Blacks than people of European descent,[4] and [5] there remains a paucity of studies that provide data on incidence of AMD in Blacks.

Second to age, smoking is the most consistently identified risk factor for AMD.[6] and [7] Although multiple studies have examined the relationship of AMD to smoking and other factors,[8], [9] and [10] we are not aware of any previous study that has assessed interactions between smoking and age in relation to AMD.

Findings regarding the association of alcohol consumption with AMD have been inconsistent. Alcohol has been hypothesized to have both positive and negative effects on the development of AMD, with some studies showing increased AMD risk, particularly associated with heavy drinking11 or beer consumption,[12] and [13] whereas others showed a lower risk associated with wine consumption.14

Utilizing data from the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures, the goal of the present study was to estimate the incidence of early and late AMD in older White and Black subjects, as well as to determine the association of alcohol use and smoking status with the incidence of AMD. In addition, this study sought to determine whether the effects of alcohol use or smoking may be modified by age.

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The Cigarette Tax Increase to Finance SCHIP (PDF) 

The Senate Budget Resolution, S.Con.Res. 21, 110th Congress, permits an increase in the cigarette tax to pay for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Current federal taxes are 39 cents per pack, and taxes imposed at all levels of government account for about a third of the price of cigarettes. A 50 cent increase, for example, would raise nearly $7 billion a year, but would cost state and local governments about $1 billion. (An original proposal to raise the tax by 61 cents was not adopted, so the likelihood of a tax increase and its potential size is uncertain.) A justification for the tax is to discourage smoking, particularly by teenagers. Most evidence suggests there is likely to be a reduction, but that the response may be small. One reservation about the tax is that the burden falls heavily on low-income individuals.

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Smoke Free Places Act Will Now Include Your Personal Vehicle In New Brunswick 

Motorists are being reminded that a provincial ban on smoking in motor vehicles when children are present comes into effect Jan. 1, 2010.

"The prohibition of smoking in cars when children are present will ensure more protection for young people from the health risks associated with second-hand smoke," said Health Minister Mary Schryer. "This initiative is a step forward to protect the public from second-hand smoke and to reduce the use of tobacco products."

The Smoke-free Places Act prohibits smoking in a motor vehicle when a person younger than 16 is present. Similar legislation exists in Ontario, British Columbia, Nova Scotia and the Yukon, and is being put in force in Manitoba and Prince Edward Island.

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• Number of Fires Caused by Cigarettes Down in New Jersey 

A recent report on fire safety in the Garden State revealed the number of fires caused by cigarettes has been reduced and lawmakers attribute this to a 2007 law that requires all cigarettes sold in New Jersey be self extinguishing. But what do Fire Officials think?

Washington Township's Fire Chief John Hoffman had this reaction:

"In reviewing the state of New Jersey statistics that they published in 2008, there were only 6 fire fatalities. The cause being attributed to careless smoking and that says a lot because those numbers used to be much higher in the past. Clearly the legislation that was passed has had a positive effect."

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Report: Cigarette Causes 4-Alarm NJ House Fire 

Four people in New Jersey were injured after a four-alarm fire broke out in Linden.

Firefighters responded to reports of people trapped in a multi-family home at 517 East Prince Street. . . .

Investigators are now looking into reports of someone alleged to have been smoking a cigarette in bed.

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