Tobacco Articles: state DE

REHOBOTH BEACH: Town mulls beach smoking ban

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Rehoboth Beach commissioner Paul Kuhns says town council members will have more discussions later this year about a possible smoking ban on the beach. Kuhns says the discussion is being driven by complaints about litter on the beach and on the boardwalk and complaints about second-hand smoke.

LETTERS: Reader Views

Mon, 19 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

I am writing about the recently published front-page story ("Tennessee slights lung cancer") regarding the state's use of $1.4 billion in tobacco-settlement dollars and the lack of funding earmarked for tobacco issues, not the least of which is lung cancer research. . . . It's important that Tennesseans are aware that assistance is available when they choose to quit. In my job, I encourage people each day to stop using tobacco -- to recognize this unhealthy behavior as one that could have potentially fatal consequences. --Barbara Forbes, MSN, GNP coordinator of the Institute for Smoking Prevention and Cessation Vanderbilt Dayani Center

Money from tobacco settlements should not be used for items unrelated to tobacco. This money is blood money.

It ought to be as plain as the nose on your face that the reason we don't spend any of the $1.4 billion that Tennessee has received from the tobacco settlement on tobacco problems is because we don't really want to eradicate lung and related cancers. There's too much money being made from cancer.

Tennessee should honor the intent of the 1998 tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA).

The government has announced, that in their effort to reduce the number of smokers, they are mandating all flavored cigarettes, except menthol, be banned. The clove, cinnamon and other flavored cigarettes will not available. While it sounds like good legislation at first glance, the majority of all flavored cigarettes are menthol. Just like gas, cigarettes are taxed and Uncle Sam wants to make sure there's continued profits being made, while trying to appear as a public health protector.

Bethany Beach Votes to Regulate Smoking

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Bethany Beach town council members Friday night voted 6 to 1 to regulate smoking. The new rules outlaw smoking year-round in town parks and on the beach and boardwalk in the summer. Those caught breaking the new law face fines up to $500. On Friday afternoon, several visitors filled the popular town attractions where buzz of the proposed ban was the hot topic of discussion.

Bethany ends ambulance, beach smoking : Parks and playgrounds also off-limits and fire company to end service Jan. 1 2009

aostroski@dmg.gannett.com (Andrew Ostroski Staff Writer) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Smokers: Puff wisely on the beach this summer. The Bethany Beach Town Council passed a new chapter to the town code regulating smoking in areas of the town, most notably large portions of the beach and boardwalk. In a 6-1 vote Friday, the council approved an ordinance making it illegal to smoke in town parks, playgrounds and the Boardwalk Plaza at the east end of Garfield Parkway at all times of the year, and make smoking illegal on the vast majority of the boardwalk and beach between May 15 and Sept. 15. Designated smoking areas are planned for both the beach and the boardwalk, equipped with proper disposal receptacles for cigars and cigarettes. The passing of the ordinance was not without discussion.

Bodybags to be displayed on courthouse lawn Wednesday

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Kids across Ohio will rally against tobacco on Wednesday as they join thousands of young people nationwide for the 13th annual Kick Butts Day, sponsored by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Hundreds of events are planned across the nation. At noon at the Clinton County Court House lawn, youth from STAND will display 54 body bags which represent the number of Ohioans who die each day in the U.S. from tobacco and secondhand smoke. This year, Kick Butts Day is raising awareness about continued tobacco marketing and sales to kids and the need for Congress to crack down on these harmful practices by passing legislation granting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to regulate tobacco products.

Bad habits can cost you your job: Employers more often dictating off-work behavior

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT

nsurance costs and survive a wheezing economy, some are scrutinizing their employees' off-duty behavior, firing those who smoke, tacking surcharges onto overweight workers' health plans and even dismissing people for having an off-duty drink. Such practices are raising claims of unwarranted intrusion, a few cries of illegal discrimination and warnings of fraying liberties. "If it's your own business and you can't do what you want, that's communism," said Mill Creek resident Helen Muhlmichl, a nonsmoker and smoking opponent who has even lost a father to lung cancer. But without a change in the law, experts see little prospect of bringing a successful legal challenge in Delaware. Twenty-nine states have laws specifically protecting workers from being fired for off-duty smoking, but Delaware isn't among them. . . . employers mainly are targeting smokers. In part, society's crusade against smoking has made smokers politically "safe" to persecute, Siegel said. Governments and businesses routinely impose increasing restrictions on where they may light up -- even when second-hand smoke is not a risk. Cash-strapped states, including Delaware, have come to realize that raising smokers' taxes will cause the least squawking and minimal sympathy. "It's a voluntary act," Sean McDevitt, partner at Pepper Hamilton in Wilmington, said of smoking. "Let's face it, we push them outside to smoke on rainy days. ... I think there is little pity on smokers." Some companies offer smoking cessation programs and other assistance before taking more drastic measures. . . . Delaware's legal and legislative atmosphere does not seem conducive to creating more restrictions on employers

Stores that don't sell to minors recognized

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 05:00:00 GMT

The state Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement has begun a new initiative that recognizes Delaware liquor stores and other licensed establishments that refuse to sell alcoholic beverages to people younger than 21.

Bethany may ban smoking on beach

wt.test@yahoo.com (Timothy Warren) — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Bethany Beach, a popular Delaware vacation spot, is drafting legislation to ban smoking on its beach and boardwalk. The town council, with one member absent, deadlocked Friday in a 3-3 vote on a proposal to completely ban smoking on the boardwalk and restrict smoking on the beach to seven or eight areas to be determined by the town manager. The council then voted 5-1 to draft legislation that would ban smoking on the boardwalk and the beach from May 15 to Sept. 15. If passed, the law would take effect no later than June 1. More beach towns are considering outdoor smoking bans, mainly because of environmental concerns over discarded cigarette butts

Ifs, butts greet talk of ban: Word spreads to Ocean City after Del. beach limits smoking

john.fritze@baltsun.com ( John Fritze * Sun reporter ) — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Maryland residents are just getting used to a smoking ban imposed Feb. 1 in restaurants and bars, but the public debate over lighting up may not end with inside spaces. A small Delaware town is preparing to ban smoking on its beach and boardwalk, and other municipalities along the coast are taking notice. Cigarette butts add to beach clean-up efforts -- they usually have to be picked up by hand, rather than by a machine -- and the smoke can bother tourists sitting downwind, ban proponents say. Others counter that prohibiting smoking outdoors, even in crowded areas like boardwalks and beaches, is the height of government intrusion. . . . The town council of Bethany Beach, Del. -- about 15 miles north of Ocean City -- voted last week to draft smoking prohibitions for the beach and boardwalk during the summer and for the parks and bandstand all year. Eight designated smoking areas would be created along the back of the beach.

Bethany Council Expected to Approve Smoking Ban

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 05:00:00 GMT

The Bethany Beach Town Council is expected Friday to approve an ordinance that would ban smoking on the beach, the boardwalk and in municipal parks.

No smoking allowed : Air is already clear in Delaware -- and soon a smoking ban in Maryland bars, restaurants will go into effect

bshane@dmg.gannett.com (Brian Shane Staff Writer) — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Effective Friday, Feb. 1, smoking indoors is prohibited by law in the state of Maryland. That means bars, restaurants, clubs and hotels, as well as government-operated public transportation, are smoke-free areas where repeat offenders get stuck with hefty fines. "Secondhand smoke is a true health hazard," said Claire Mullins, spokesperson for the American Lung Association of Maryland. "Limiting it in public places like bars and restaurants is just another step to improve public health. "This is a public health issue, it's not a civil liberties issue," she added. The smoking ban also falls roughly at the same time as an increased cigarette tax, going from $1 to $2 per pack, which took effect Jan. 1. . . . However, Maryland also earned a "D" for tobacco prevention spending and an "F" for youth access. . . . Smoking bans are nothing new to the area, particularly in Delaware. In 2002, the state enacted the Clean Indoor Air Act . . . Restaurateurs now say that several years into the ban, indoor smoking is practically a non-issue. But, that's not to say there wasn't an initial impact.

Beach smoking ban fires up opinions: Proposal could help boost Bethany's family image

aostroski@dmg.gannett.com (Andrew Ostroski Staff Writer) — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 05:00:00 GMT

BETHANY BEACH -- The Town Council discussed at length the issue of smoking on the beach Monday. Vice Mayor Tony McClenny originally proposed banning smoking on the town's beach in July. "I'd like to thank everybody who's kept an open mind on this issue," he said. "Some people had opinions to begin with, and we'll all have opinions in the end, and someday we'll vote on this." New information supporting a ban was revealed by McClenny. The Delaware Dental Hygienists Association, along with a growing number of town residents, was supportive of an ordinance banning smoking in Bethany.

Report shows progress on tobacco in Delaware

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 05:00:00 GMT

The American Lung Association is giving Delaware high marks in the organization's sixth annual "State Of Tobacco Control" report card. Spokeswoman Laura Quinn says the First State scored well in several categories. Delaware received an "A'' for its "tobacco prevention and control spending" and "smoke-free air" policies. However, the state received a "C'' in the category of "youth access."

No Smoking at the Slot Machines: The Effects of Smoke-Free Laws on Gaming Revenues by Michael Pakko

Wed, 01 Jun 2005 04:00:00 GMT

Abstract: Revenues at three gaming facilities in Delaware declined significantly after the implementation of a smoke-free law. The relative magnitudes of losses at the three facilities correspond to the availability of alternative gaming venues in the region, suggesting consumer flight. Efforts to mitigate revenue losses engendered additional costs, further reducing operating profits.

LETTER: PAKKO: Smoke-free law _did_ affect revenue from gaming in Delaware: 2006;15:68-69; doi:10.1136/tc.2005.012443 / February 2006 (Volume 15, Number 1)

Wed, 01 Feb 2006 05:00:00 GMT

A paper by Mandel, Alamar, and Glantz, recently published in Tobacco Control, purports to show that the implementation of a smoking prohibition in Delaware had no statistically significant effect on the gaming revenue from slot machine-like video lottery terminals (VLTs) located at Delaware racetracks.1 A subsequently published correction by Glantz and Alamar corrects for a data coding error and for reported heteroskedasticity in the data, but reaches the same conclusion of no significant effect.2 I have carefully examined the data and methodologies used in those studies, and conclude that their finding is questionable.