http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/state/IL.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://www.officialwire.com/main.php?action=posted_news&rid=115358 http://tobacco.org/news/298793.html Illinois Senator Terry Link has introduced a bill that reads "Amends the Tobacco Accessories and Smoking Herbs Control Act. . . . But what is not stated or made known to the public is that Illinois Senator Terry Link has accepted thousands and thousands of dollars from a long list of major pharmaceutical companies, one of which had a an industry report titled "E-Cigarettes Will Revolutionize The Face Of Tobacco Smoking And Could Pose A Threat To the Smoking Cessation Market". With recent reports of 1 in 40 smokers making the switch to the electronic cigarette, it appears that pharmaceutical companies are calling in favors from their campaign contributions to stop the profit loses at smokers expense. Sources to all information contained in this release can be seen at the e cigarette news blog. OfficialWire gaultmarketing@gmail.com (Tiffany Ellis) Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT http://mywebtimes.com/archives/ottawa/display.php?id=399903 http://tobacco.org/news/298615.html Mohamed A. Aaid and Mohamed H. Galazi might consider their trip through La Salle County Sunday to have turned into a drag -- they were charged with possession of cigarette packs without tax stamps on them. Aaid, 31, 1089 57th St., Apt. 27, Oakland, Calif., and Galazi, 23, 1543 Lincoln Ave., Alameda, Calif., were arrested during a traffic stop by state police on Interstate 80 and taken to the La Salle County Jail Ottawa Daily Times newsroom@mywebtimes.com Wed, 17 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT http://www.chicagodefender.com/article-7335-hunter-wants-ban-on-e-cigarettes.html http://tobacco.org/news/298587.html Cigarettes containing no tobacco, but create a vapor similar to smoke, are on a state Sen. Mattie Hunter's, D-3rd Dist., ban list. She is sponsoring legislation that will ban electronic or E-Cigarettes throughout the state. . . . "Electronic cigarettes have not been approved by the (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) and we don't know what is in them or if they are safe. Until these types of products are deemed certified or legal to sell by the FDA, they should be banned throughout Illinois," said Hunter, vice-chair of the state's Senate Public Health Committee. Chicago Defender Mon, 15 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT http://www.suntimes.com/business/2101938,wellness-programs-corporations-031410.article http://tobacco.org/news/298539.html Workplace wellness programs aren't just for large corporations. Mechanical Devices Co. in Bloomington and the Town of Normal are among central Illinois medium-size businesses that have developed wellness programs suited to their employees and are reaping the dividends of healthier, happier workers. . . . In addition to the yearly screenings, Mechanical Devices offered smoking cessation classes in advance of the company going smoke-free throughout its property two years ago. "I got 10 to 15 (employees) to stop smoking and everyone else (other smokers) reduced smoking," Fillingham said. Jackie Felts, a quality control employee, joined the eight-week program in January 2007. The program included weekly meetings, counseling, tips and a nicotine patch to assist with quitting smoking. Felts quit smoking Feb. 13, 2007. AP Sun, 14 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.thesouthern.com/news/local/915b2498-2fe6-11df-9357-001cc4c002e0.html http://tobacco.org/news/298468.html Procedures to enforce the Smoke Free Illinois Act still remain unclear more than two years after the state's smoking ban became effective, and mixed results are being experienced across the state. Officials with two Southern Illinois health departments say experiences have been different since the implementation of the ban but the health benefits are definitely improving as business owners are mostly compliant with regulations. "We feel pretty good that most of the restaurants and businesses aren't allowing smoking," said Patricia Moehring, community health education director for the Southern Seven Health Department, which serves Alexander, Hardin, Johnson, Massac, Pope, Pulaski and Union counties. The department has issued two citations to business for non-compliance Southern Illinoisan adam.testa@thesouthern.com (Adam Testa, The Southern) Mon, 15 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/2100626,CST-NWS-smokechef14.article http://tobacco.org/news/298460.html There's no smoking inside Illinois restaurants. But what about outside, or around back? You're likely to find a number of the waitstaff and kitchen crew puffing away. Forty percent of the people employed in the food and beverage industry smoke -- nearly twice the national average, according to 2000 U.S. census numbers. And according to one estimate, hospitality workers have three times the average risk of lung cancer, which is 50 percent higher than any other industry. Workers in hectic restaurant kitchens often attribute the prevalence of smoking to the fast-paced, stressful environment and a culture that long has tolerated cigarette breaks -- but not taking a break for fresh air or mental health. Also, smoking traditionally has accompanied a certain image of the chef lifestyle. . . . But he says, the future is looking a little less hazy. "The young hipster cooks are the ones who smoke, but, honestly, there are a lot more who are more health-conscious these days and don't." Chicago Sun-Times jfuller@suntimes.com ( JANET RAUSA FULLER Food Editor ) Sun, 14 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/03/anti-blunt-marijuana-wrap-legislation-urged.html http://tobacco.org/news/298434.html Clergy and cops backed a ban being pushed in the General Assembly to classify blunt wraps -- a tobacco leaf often used to roll marijuana -- as drug paraphernalia. Blunt wraps come in flavors such as cherry, peach and purple thunder and are used to camouflage the potent smell of pot. The wraps can be found at gas stations, liquor and convenience stores. Because of their low cost, easy availability to urban youth, and "lack of legitimate uses," the flavored wraps have become targets for lawmakers and religious leaders. "Having this product in mainstream stores is like having drug pushers in our neighborhoods," Bishop Larry Trotter, the pastor at Sweet Holy Spirit Church, said today. "Blunt wraps are an indefensible product marketed to children and entirely identified with illegal drug use." WGN kmack@tribune.com Sun, 14 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wgntv.com/news/wgntv-blunt-wraps-ban-march14,0,299014.story http://tobacco.org/news/298433.html Blunt wraps, a kind of roll-your-own paper that's larger than a cigarette, are cheap and available in many stores. But opponents, including Bishop Trotter, say they're actually a make-shift rolling paper used to smoke marijuana, and want them banned. Sweet Holy Spirit Church on Chicago's south side was packed on Sunday. 1500 congregants strong came not only to pray, but to sign a meditation to ban a little cigar from being sold. Bishop Trotter wants to ban the blunt wrap and says it's drug paraphernalia. WGN Sun, 14 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=365774 http://tobacco.org/news/298401.html Four Chicago men have been charged in what Lake County officials say was a unique approach to stealing cigarettes from gas stations. Assistant State's Attorney Marc Bangser said Saturday the group devised a way to keep the gift cards they were using to buy the cigarettes from being charged and walked out of the stations with hundreds of free packs of smokes. . . . All of the men had purchased cigarettes with gift cards, Bangser said, and the sales appeared legitimate on the card reader inside the station. But police discovered the men had used a device that blocked the information from the card reader from being transmitted to the issuer of the card and the price of the cigarettes was not being charged to the card. Chicago Daily Herald Sat, 13 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.pjstar.com/news/tricounty/x662839921/Chillicothe-cracking-down-on-smoking-ban-violators http://tobacco.org/news/297524.html Bar owners in Chillicothe could face the loss of a liquor license for allowing smoking after the City Council amended its liquor code this week. The council specifically approved the addition of Smoke Free Illinois Act violations to its requirement for liquor license holders to alert police to criminal activity on the grounds of the establishment. That means anytime someone lights up in a Chillicothe bar, the establishment is subject to fine and possible forfeiture of the license if the smoker is not reported, said alderman Rich Underwood. Peoria Journal-Star mbuedel@pjstar.com (MATT BUEDEL OF THE JOURNAL STAR) Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.fox2now.com/news/ktvi-illinois-cigarette-smuggling-022410,0,7787544.story http://tobacco.org/news/297469.html Drivers coming into Illinois are being greeted with a warning. It's a sign is on the Illinois side of the McKinley bridge in Vencie. It warns that cigarette smugglers will be punished with jail time, fines and vehicle seizures. The problem is cigarettes are cheaper in Missouri, by more than a dollar a pack in some spots. So some smugglers are buying them in Missouri and then re-selling them in Illinois. That's against the law. The Illinois Department of Revenue fears the state is losing sales tax money because of the bootleggers. So the department hopes these warning signs will remind smugglers that bootlegging cigarettes is against the law, and there will be consequences. In fact anyone bringing more than 1000 cigarettes across the border is subject to the penalties. KTVI myfox St. Louis Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.whig.com/story/news/Griggsville-Fire-022410 http://tobacco.org/news/297460.html GRIGGSVILLE, Ill. -- A spokesman for the Illinois state fire marshal's office says a cigarette might have caused a fatal house fire early Tuesday morning. Pamela L. Cadwell, 58, was found near the door of a utility room on the north side of the house and was pronounced dead at the scene Quincy Herald-Whig Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.lincolncourier.com/news/x1498216207/Menard-Co-gets-serious-with-smoke-ban http://tobacco.org/news/297307.html PETERSBURG - Menard County health authorities say they're getting serious about enforcing Illinois' statewide smoking ban - two years after it took effect. The county health department recently sent letters to every licensed business in the county, notifying owners that smoking in their establishments is prohibited under state law and they face fines if they allow smokers to partake. The ban took effect in 2008, but the county, which has received five complaints since the ban became law, hasn't issued any citations Lincoln Courier dan.tackett@lincolncourier.com ( Bruce Rushton GateHouse News Service) Fri, 19 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.lincolncourier.com/news/x2077696356/Co-adopts-smoke-ban-measure http://tobacco.org/news/297177.html Lincoln, Ill. - The Logan County Board Tuesday adopted an ordinance that mimics the "no smoking" laws that are already on the state's books. The motion was introduced by Insurance and Legislative committee chairman Jan Schumacher. Schumacher read a section of the amendment. "All premises for the retail sale of alcoholic beverages shall be kept in clean and sanitary condition," said Schumacher. "And shall be kept in full compliance with the laws of the state of Illinois, including but not limited to … the Smoke Free Illinois Act." Another section of the new amendment read, "Smoking shall be prohibited within food service establishments … the Smoke Free Illinois Act. Food service establishments found to be in violation of this act will be subject to suspension of their certificate to operate." Lincoln Courier dan.tackett@lincolncourier.com Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wbbm780.com/Ex-Smoker-Talks-About-Chantix-Side-Effects/6340673 http://tobacco.org/news/296894.html All she wanted was to quit smoking, so she tried a widely advertised prescription drug that was supposed to help her. Instead, one suburban mom says something horrible happened. CBS 2's Anne State reports. Tina Hurst is a suburban mother and a manager at a Fortune 500 company. Her life was great, but she had one dark secret. "I was a closet smoker," Hurst said. Her doctor prescribed a drug called Chantix to help her quit. Seven million Americans have taken it. Hurst says she took Chantix for two months and it worked great. But when she stopped, "I totally went off the deep end," she said. . . . Carol Southard is a smoking cessation specialist. "I'm a huge advocate of Chantix and I've had a lot of success with it and very few problems," Southard said. Southard says she has had more than 700 patients on Chantix. WBBM Newsradio 780 Thu, 11 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT