http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/state/CA.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://www.kpbs.org/news/2009/nov/06/free-service-helps-smokers-quit-reaches-milestone/ http://tobacco.org/news/292279.html SAN DIEGO -- A free phone service designed to help Californians quit smoking has received its 500,000 call. The UCSD-based help line has been in operation since 1992. The California Smokers' Helpline offers self-help materials, and referrals to smoking cessation programs throughout the state. KPBS TV/FM Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://health.ucsd.edu/news/2009/11-2-smokers-hotline.htm http://tobacco.org/news/292251.html A free telephone service that helps Californians kick the smoking habit - funded by tobacco taxes approved by California voters and operated by the University of California, San Diego - reached a milestone today as the 500,000th person called for service. 1-800-NO-BUTTS, also known as the California Smokers' Helpline, has been helping callers since 1992, when it became the nation's first statewide "quit line." Today, all 50 states offer similar services as part of efforts to reduce tobacco's toll on the public health. "The fact that half a million Californians have called for help shows how badly people want to quit," said Christopher Anderson, program director for the Helpline. "When you see a person who's still smoking, despite all the information about negative health effects, you might think they don't want to quit. But, more often than not, they just don't know how to go about it or don't feel confident in their ability to quit. We help them come up with a good plan and stick to it." University of California, San Diego Medical Center spence@harbar.net Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/06/BAIS1AFR2O.DTL&type=health http://tobacco.org/news/292244.html Now San Francisco entrepreneur Stuart Skorman, founder of the now defunct holistic-oriented drugstore chain Elephant Pharmacy, wants to make pharmacies the only places that sell tobacco products. Skorman, who on Thursday launched a nonprofit organization called HealthyPharmacies.org to promote his idea, believes that restricting cigarette sales to pharmacies would not only control the distribution and visibility of the product, but also give pharmacists the opportunity to counsel customers about quitting. The idea would also prevent kids from going down to the corner store to buy cigarettes from a clerk who may not check identification, he said. "Keeping tobacco away from 12-year-olds saves lives and billions of dollars from the health care system," he said. Skorman advocates testing the concept in some cities and then comparing the impact on smoking with those that have banned the sale of tobacco products in drugstores. He said he's in discussions with city officials interested in the idea, but declined to name the cities. "If limiting distribution and limiting the visibility of this dangerous product reduces smoking in communities, we believe pharmacists would be more than happy to be part of the program," he said. The problem? Most pharmacists and health experts interviewed for this story found the idea downright unhealthy. San Francisco Chronicle vcolliver@sfchronicle.com ( Victoria Colliver, Chronicle Staff Writer) Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.metrosantacruz.com/metro-santa-cruz/11.04.09/coversmoking-0944.html http://tobacco.org/news/292210.html The Smoker's Tour begins just a few blocks from downtown, not far from a place where books get decapitated. "Absolutely no smoking" reads the sign above the parlor, but this has clearly been nothing more than a joke for several decades. With its crimson walls and year-round Halloween decorations tucked in a ceiling corner, this is a relaxing place to chat and an important stop on any smoker's bar crawl. Check for performances by local blues acts; the intimate concerts are a blast. When the clock tower chimes, the smoker will want to hurry in to check out this next stop, which is ranked by local experts as a quality dive. The jukebox, like the patrons, is caught between a few decades, but despite the melting pot of tastes there's always a warm atmosphere and a line for the lone pool table. The drinks are fairly priced, and they mix a mean White Russian. The night tour continues by ambling back toward the main drag, and close to 10:10pm the tourist will find a radical stimulus in the next stop, better known for its musical performances. If you ask for an ashtray at the bar upstairs, you'll be promptly told no and given one. Metro Santa Cruz Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.examiner.com/x-15870-Populist-Examiner~y2009m11d5-Cigarette-smoke-wafting-onto-neighbors-patio-brings-lawsuit http://tobacco.org/news/292181.html This is the story of two neighbors and a dispute over secondhand smoke in the Sacramento suburb of El Dorado Hills. It seems like a minor story, especially with everything that's wrong in California: . . . In short, the state is a disaster. You'd think with all those problems that a dispute between neighbors over cigarette smoke wouldn't generate much interest but it has garnered more response in the local newspaper than anything the paper has reported in recent memory --and frankly, the Sacramento Bee has been doing a bang-up job uncovering all sorts of graft, waste and corruption in state government. Does this story resonate at the national level? Here's the deal: A California couple has filed a lawsuit seeking relief from their next-door neighbor's second-hand cigarette smoke. Richard and Donna Ganguet were the first to move into a gated community for people age 55 and older. That was 2006. Today, they claim the cigar and cigarette smoke wafts into their yard from the property of neighbor has caused an intolerable situation. . . . The responses --over 600 on the newspaper's website-- are all over the board. . . . I had a problem a few years ago with heavy smoking neighbors. No amount of pleading would get them to take their smoke somewhere other than directly into my windows. I fixed the problem by putting an old piece of fish in a bowl, hooking up a small, quiet fan right behind it, and placing the rig right next to the fence. Worked like a charm - inside two days, the neighbors moved their smoking area away from my side and didn't come back to it. Don't get mad, get even. What do you think? How do you resolve this problem between two neighbors? Examiner.com Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/Push-to-limit-smoking-rekindled-69030792.html http://tobacco.org/news/292129.html The controversial legislation -- first introduced by Supervisor Chris Daly last year and now being pushed by Supervisor Eric Mar -- would forbid smoking in a slew of new settings, adding to existing bans in bars, restaurants, parks, transit stops and taxicabs. The bill would expand no-smoking zones to include farmers markets and the outdoor seating areas of restaurants, cafes and coffee shops. Smoking would also be prohibited while waiting in lines at ATMs, theaters, athletic events and concert venues. Apartment buildings and other multiunit residences would also have new areas with no-smoking signs. Smoking would be prohibited in common areas of apartment buildings, including hallways, elevators, parking lots, lobbies, waiting areas, bathrooms, laundry facilities and recreation areas. San Francisco Examiner maldax@sfexaminer.com (Mike Aldax Examiner Staff Writer ) Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_13696636?nclick_check=1 http://tobacco.org/news/292080.html In March, the council instituted a yearlong moratorium on new cigar and hookah lounges so that city staff could refine regulations for the businesses. City health officials and attorneys say they are expecting to have the new ordinance ready this month, but a local smoking opponent is concerned that Uranga's committee meeting may circumvent the health officials' considerations. Melinda Cotton, of the Coalition for a Smoke-Free Long Beach, said Monday that Uranga's request to have the Economic Development and Finance Committee, of which Uranga is a member, take on the issue appears to be "a total end run" around the Department of Health and Human Services. Uranga calls for the smoking lounge exemptions to go before the committee "for discussion and formulating a recommendation to the City Council," according to the meeting agenda. "What this appears to do is to put this totally in the hands of the Economic Development and Finance Committee," Cotton said. Uranga said Monday that isn't the case. Contra Costa Times paul.eakins@presstelegram.com (Paul Eakins, Staff Writer) Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.insidebayarea.com/sanmateocountytimes/localnews/ci_13696900?source=rss http://tobacco.org/news/292057.html The City Council may consider a new smoking ordinance as soon as January that could ban lighting up in apartment and condominium buildings. At a study session last week, council members agreed that the city's existing 16-year-old ordinance needs updating and should likely include more restrictions on smoking. However, most council members said they are not yet ready to go as far as Belmont, where a law banning smoking in multilevel residential buildings went into effect at the beginning of the year. "I would like to look at that more," Vice Mayor Richard Cline said at the Oct. 27 study session, referring to a total ban on smoking in such buildings. "I think it requires a heck of a lot more work." Councilwoman Kelly Fergusson, however, said she is ready to support such prohibitions after hearing researchers and community members speak about the dangers of secondhand smoke. Inside Bay Area Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.surfridersd.org/hotyb.php http://tobacco.org/news/292038.html Cigarette butts are the most littered item in The United States and the world. This type of litter is not just found in streets and urban settings; the number of cigarette butts found on beaches can be overwhelming--typically accounting for nearly one in every five items collected during a beach cleanup. To make matters worse, butts are often cast onto the sidewalk and streets, and then end up in drains, which flow to streams, rivers, bays, lagoons and ultimately the ocean. Hold Onto Your Butt Awareness Day will involve activists, volunteers, and friends of the environment gathering on San Diego's busiest traffic intersections as people arrive at the beach. There, Surfrider activists will hold signs, pass out personal ashtrays, stickers and graphically demonstrate to motorists the problem we're so concerned about. We will encourage motorists and beachgoers to dispose of cigarettes safely, and explain that cigarette butts thrown on the ground can eventually end up in the ocean and affect marine life, including surfers and swimmers. . . . Our Chapter, along with American Lung Association, the American Heart Association and other organizations fighting cigarette litter, held a press conference with the Californian Highway Patrol (CHP) and San Diego Fire Department to announce that the CHP is cracking down on smokers who throw their butts out the car window while driving. The CHP joined our coalition efforts by setting up a hotline number that people can call if they see cigarette butts being tossed onto our streets and highways. After the phone call is received, the CHP will send a warning letter to the alleged violator. The hotline number, 1-877-211-BUTT, has already been successful! Our Chapter has been working on our Hold On To Your Butt campaign for years and we are delighted to be part of such a broad-based coalition. . . . DID YOU KNOW? Cigarette butts are the most littered item in The United States and the world. . . . * 18% of all litter dropped to the ground is washed into streams, rivers, lakes and the ocean by storm water runoff. Cigarette butts, are little and lightweight and are the first to get carried away into our waterways.0 * Studies indicate that since we have enacted indoor smoking bans, more cigarette butts are being tossed directly into the environment. Unfortunately, this means that ecosystems have a higher chance of being affected by cigarette butts. Biologists have found butts in the stomachs of young birds, sea turtles and other marine creatures. * Cigarette butts can cause other environmental problems, such as fires. . . . Ultimately, the Surfrider Foundation is calling for better enforcement of laws against cigarette butt littering; additional taxes on tobacco products specifically earmarked for clean-up efforts; more effort on the part of tobacco companies to improve the biodegradability of filters, reduce packaging waste and educate consumers about the impacts of tobacco waste on the environment; and more local involvement from governments and businesses to reduce cigarette littering by supplying ashtrays and other "disposal mechanisms" at building entrances. Surfrider Foundation, San Diego Chapter Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.surfline.com/surf-news/environmental-news/hold-on-to-your-butt-awareness-day-is-saturday-november-14th_31894/ http://tobacco.org/news/292037.html In an effort to raise awareness of the cigarette butt litter problem and reduce the amount of cigarette butt litter in the region, the Surfrider Foundation San Diego County Chapter will be conducting Hold Onto Your Butt Awareness Day on Saturday, November 14 from 10 a.m. to noon at three locations in San Diego County. Cigarette butts are the most littered item in The United States and the world. This type of litter is not just found on streets and in urban settings; the number of cigarette butts found on beaches and nearby areas is overwhelming--typically accounting for nearly one in every three items collected during a beach cleanup. Cigarette waste discarded miles inland compounds the problem as it can end up in drains that flow to streams, rivers, bays, lagoons and ultimately the ocean. To make matters worse, lighted cigarette butts flicked into California's dry arid environment can spark deadly and costly wildfires. Hold Onto Your Butt Awareness Day will involve activists, volunteers and friends of the environment gathering on San Diego's busiest traffic intersections as people arrive at the beach. Surfline.com Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/2297196.html http://tobacco.org/news/291939.html "In a senior community, you think we'll all be compatible and have the same values," said Richard Ganguet, a retired El Dorado County sheriff's deputy. But three years after settling into their single-family home in El Dorado Hills' Four Seasons development, the Ganguets are suing their next-door neighbor over cigar and cigarette smoke they say wafts into their backyard and house. Because of the smoke, the couple say, they no longer sit on their patio. They also try to sandwich in swims in the side-yard lap pool between their neighbors' smoking sessions. Doug Smith, attorney for the neighboring homeowner, Florence Solone, said the issue is a trivial one that should be resolved by neighbors talking with each other, not with a lawsuit in El Dorado Superior Court. But disputes between neighbors over secondhand smoke are increasingly making their way into courtrooms and city council chambers. With smoking banned in workplaces, restaurants and bars, Californians are less willing to tolerate the smell of smoke in their houses or backyards, said Robin Salsburg, a staff attorney with the Oakland-based Public Health Institute's Public Health Law and Policy program. Sacramento Bee /personas?plckUserId=@Nyx.Key (Cathy Locke) Sun, 01 Nov 2009 04:00:00 GMT http://www.mercurynews.com/peninsula/ci_13684244 http://tobacco.org/news/291923.html The Menlo Park City Council may consider a new smoking ordinance as soon as January that could ban lighting up in apartment and condominium buildings. At a study session Tuesday night, council members agreed the city's existing 16-year-old ordinance needs updating and should likely include more restrictions on smoking. However, most council members said they aren't yet ready to go as far as Belmont, where a law banning smoking in multilevel residential buildings went into effect at the beginning of this year. San Jose Mercury-News jbernstein@dailynewsgroup.com (Jessica Bernstein-Wax Daily News Staff Writer) Sat, 31 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT http://www.mercurynews.com/peninsula/ci_13684251 http://tobacco.org/news/291903.html Menlo Park City Council Member Andrew Cohen obviously feels passionate about the city's plans to strengthen its existing smoking ordinance. At a meeting Tuesday, the council discussed deeming smoking in certain areas a public nuisance. Cohen asked City Attorney William McClure whether such a designation would allow private citizens to request DNA testing in legal proceedings against smokers. "If a citizen is entitled to pursue it as a nuisance, could they get cooperation from the police department to do DNA testing on cigarette butts?" Cohen asked. McClure was quick to dismiss that idea, saying police probably don't have the staffing for such an undertaking. San Jose Mercury-News Sat, 31 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT http://www.insidebayarea.com/argus/localnews/ci_13663059?source=rss http://tobacco.org/news/291818.html The closest thing to a smoking section for Fremont eateries soon will be the parking lot. The City Council unanimously backed a new law Tuesday prohibiting restaurants from allowing smoking at outdoor tables. The law, which is scheduled to go into effect in early December, puts Fremont on par with most East Bay cities, including Hayward, which already has banned outdoor smoking at restaurants, City Attorney Harvey Levine said. Smoking bans for bus stops and parks could be next, council members said. Fremont banned indoor smoking at restaurants more than a decade ago, but city officials had allowed restaurants to designate a contiguous half of their outdoor tables for smokers. That law contributed to Fremont being one of only three Alameda County Cities to receive an "F" from the American Lung Association earlier this year. Inside Bay Area martz@bayareanewsgroup.com ( Matthew Artz Oakland Tribune ) Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/story/899790.html http://tobacco.org/news/291790.html A San Luis Obispo doctor is continuing to speak out against Cal Poly for allowing students to accept scholarships from the smokeless tobacco industry as prize awards in collegiate rodeo events. University officials say Cal Poly has no basis to deny students scholarship funds from a legal source, and university officials note that no tobacco-related advertising is allowed at school events under a campus policy. Five years ago, Cal Poly officials supported creating a fund that could be an alternative to tobacco-industry scholarships, but that idea was rejected by tobacco opponents. Stephen L. Hansen, a physician and representative of the county Tobacco Control Coalition, said he's outraged that the chewing tobacco industry lures students to a cancer-causing product through scholarships San Luis Obispo Tribune nwilson@thetribunenews.com (Nick Wilson) Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT