http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/state/OK.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://oudaily.com/news/2010/mar/10/uosa-encourages-boren-pass-smoking-restrictions/ http://tobacco.org/news/298183.html UOSA passed a resolution encouraging OU President David Boren to restrict smoking on the OU-Norman campus. Citing health concerns, unsightly litter and campus opinion, Student Congress passed the resolution with 22 in favor, 13 against and 2 abstains. The resolution also asked that the current laws prohibiting smoking within 25 feet of entranceways be enforced. UOSA will work to provide programs to make quitting smoking easier for our university community, the resolution stated. Oklahoma Daily Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.chickashanews.com/local/local_story_064111322.html http://tobacco.org/news/297934.html The Oklahoma State Senate approved a bill Thursday that would allow state regents to ban smoking on any public college or university. The measure passed the Senate 29-11. Senate Bill 1674 was authored by Sen, James Halligan, R-Stillwater, who is also the former president of Oklahoma State University. Students at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, smokers and non-smokers alike, generally have a negative reactions to the legislation. Chickasha Express-Star Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=19&articleid=20100305_16_A3_Manneq544790 http://tobacco.org/news/297923.html OKLAHOMA CITY -- Consideration of a bill to enforce tobacco-free polices on college campuses led to a debate Thursday on the Senate floor about personal freedoms, health care and abortion. Sen. Jim Halligan, R-Stillwater, urged the Senate to pass Senate Bill 1674, which would allow colleges and universities to levy fines of up to $100 for those found in violation of tobacco-free policies. The measure ultimately was approved by a 29-11 vote and sent on to the House after discussions turned to curtailing personal liberties and casting consistent votes when it came to issues such as abortion regulations. Tulsa World barbara.hoberock@tulsaworld.com (BARBARA HOBEROCK World Capitol Bureau) Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.durantdemocrat.com/view/full_story/6582961/article-Durant-school-district-bans-tobacco-use?instance=secondary_news_left_column http://tobacco.org/news/297916.html Durant School Board members approved a policy, backed by Students Working Against Tobacco, banning the use of tobacco 24 hours a day, seven days a week. According to a document, “the Board of Education recognizes that tobacco use has been shown to be linked to illnesses and disability and that federal law prohibits smoking in any indoor facility or the grounds thereof, which is used to provide educational services to children.” All smoking, chewing or any other use of tobacco by staff, students and members of the public is prohibited on all school property by all persons at all times, including athletic events. Durant Democrat Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://newsok.com/proposal-may-let-state-schools-fine-campus-smokers/article/3444022 http://tobacco.org/news/297891.html Senate Bill 1674 by Sen. James Halligan, R-Stillwater, would allow all buildings in the state's higher education system to be tobacco free if administrators agreed to it. The ban would apply to smoking and smokeless tobacco under the measure that passed the Senate in a vote of 29-11 Thursday. A similar measure, House Bill 2758 by Rep. Lee Denney, R-Cushing, passed the House on Thursday in a vote of 81-11. The Senate bill would also make it a misdemeanor, punishable with a fine up to $100, to smoke or use tobacco on a campus that has been declared tobacco free. Halligan's bill in the Senate prompted several questions and debate from senators who worried that banning tobacco on a college campus would infringe on individual rights. NewsOK jduncan@newsok.com (JULIE BISBEE The Oklahoman ) Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=12&articleid=20100223_16_A5_OKLAHO677379 http://tobacco.org/news/297426.html Rep. Kris Steele on Monday said he is not amenable to changing one of his bills to crack down on smoking in public places but supports efforts to do so. Smoke-Free Oklahoma and Tulsa restaurant owner Ken Selby held a Capitol press conference Monday to call for abolishing smoke rooms in restaurants and ending smoking in bars. Selby, the owner and operator of Mazzio's and Oliveto restaurants, said his restaurants saw an increase in business when they went smoke-free a decade ago. Tulsa World barbara.hoberock@tulsaworld.com (BARBARA HOBEROCK World Capitol Bureau) Tue, 23 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://newsok.com/cigars-and-pipes-are-riskier-than-first-believed-study-warns/article/3441499 http://tobacco.org/news/297425.html Cigar smoking also increases risk for heart disease and cancers of the lung, mouth, voice box and esophagus. The study looked at 3,528 people who smoked pipes and cigars but not cigarettes. Results are published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. The researchers said that cigarettes are a well-documented cause of COPD, but less was known about the impact on lung function from pipe and cigar smoking. They say pipe and cigar smoking has increased in the United States in recent years because some view these behaviors as healthier than smoking. Craig Smith, 32, of Ardmore, said he smokes one or two cigars a week, and has consulted his doctor about it. "Cigar smoke is extremely hard to inhale, especially for someone who doesn't smoke cigarettes," Smith said. "Although he wouldn't suggest smoking of any sort, one or two cigars a week were not nearly as harmful as a pack a day." Nearly 6 percent of Oklahomans smoke cigars and a little more than 1 percent smoke pipes. NewsOK jduncan@newsok.com (SUSAN SIMPSON) Tue, 23 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=62&articleid=20100223_61_A13_hNotos171147 http://tobacco.org/news/297424.html Regarding the Jan. 13 article, "State receives an F for its use of anti-smoking money," the American Lung Association's State of Tobacco Control report highlights the failure of Oklahoma's elected officials to do right by its children and its smokers. More than 10 years ago, Oklahoma took an important step by setting aside most of the funds it received through the tobacco settlement. However, by failing to protect all Oklahomans from second-hand smoke and fully fund its prevention and cessation program, big tobacco feels very much at home here. . . . Despite having limited resources, Oklahoma's youth smoking rate has declined 13 percent. Imagine what might happen if Oklahoma's elected officials fully funded these prevention programs and passed a comprehensive smoke-free law? Tulsa World letters@tulsaworld.com (Gina Ferman, Bixby) Tue, 23 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.sequoyahcountytimes.com/view/full_story/6410866/article-Lawsuit-filed-against-City-of-Sallisaw?instance=home_news_bullets http://tobacco.org/news/297345.html A Sallisaw woman filed a civil lawsuit against the City of Sallisaw on behalf of her juvenile son who she says was falsely arrested and imprisoned by Sallisaw police officers. Attorney Matt Orendorff, representing Lavern O’Grady, said Sallisaw police officers falsely arrested her son, Hollis O’Grady, on Aug. 30. He said Sallisaw police officers confronted three juveniles who allegedly had cigarettes in their possession. . . . “My client never should have been arrested,” Orendorff said. “A minor in possession of tobacco is not an arrestable offense.” Sequoyah County Times Sat, 20 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.oudaily.com/news/2010/feb/18/smokeless-tobacco-users-urged-quit-today/ http://tobacco.org/news/297189.html This week is Through With Chew Week and today is the Great American Spit Out, encouraging snuff and chewing tobacco users to quit for at least a day. Through With Chew Week is a nationwide educational campaign designed to decrease smokeless tobacco use and increase the awareness of its negative effects on health, according a press release from MyLastDip.com. The Great American Spit Out was established by the American Academy of Otolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery Inc. in 1989. The MyLastDip.com is a free program focused at young smokeless tobacco users to quit for good. The online program uses proven methods that have helped thousands of smokeless tobacco users to quit. The program is supported by a research grant from the National Cancer Institute and hosted by Oregon Research Institute. Oklahoma Daily Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.kswo.com/global/story.asp?s=12001447 http://tobacco.org/news/297180.html Some Altus High School students are working to get smoking in public parks banned. Students Working Against Tobacco is a nationwide group with a chapter in Altus. The group gets grants in return for coming up with programs to help stamp out smoking, especially among minors. This year they plan to present their idea to the Altus City Council in hopes they will pass an ordinance banning smoking in parks. The students in the group say they noticed many kids use the park as a place to smoke and they say all the cigarette butts on the ground were just making the problem worse. KSWO-TV Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.newsok.com/through-with-chew-is-thursday-in-norman/article/3440027?custom_click=pod_headline_health http://tobacco.org/news/297165.html NORMAN -- The Tobacco Free Cleveland County coalition is highlighting the harmful effects of smokeless tobacco during Through With Chew Week throughout this week, and particularly for the annual Great American Spit Out on Thursday. NewsOK jduncan@newsok.com Wed, 17 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.ouhsc.edu/otrc/research/documents/PreliminaryIAQreport.pdf http://tobacco.org/news/297084.html Conclusions Smoking inside certain types of public places and workplaces, allowed under current state laws in Oklahoma, creates unhealthy to hazardous environments in those places. • Restaurants that are entirely nonsmoking have moderate levels of PM2.5 material in the air. • Nonsmoking dining areas of restaurants with smoking rooms have three times as much PM2.5 as entirely nonsmoking restaurants, averaging in the range considered “unhealthy” by the EPA based on particulate concentration. • Smoking rooms in restaurants averaged 1.5 times the “hazardous” level established by the EPA for particulate concentrations. • Bars averaged 2.6 times the “hazardous” level established by the EPA for particulate concentrations. Based on the particulate levels alone (PM2.5), the air inside smoking workplaces in Oklahoma is hazardous. Even air in neighboring spaces was found on average to be unhealthy, based on particulates. Adding in the class A human carcinogens‐‐‐for which there is no safe level of exposure‐‐‐and other toxic chemicals in tobacco smoke pollution harmful to the cardiovascular system and other aspects of health, these indoor public places and workplaces are very high risk environments. Oklahoma Tobacco Research Center Mon, 01 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.physorg.com/news185548291.html http://tobacco.org/news/297081.html New research by the Oklahoma Tobacco Research Center (OTRC) shows that concentrations of secondhand tobacco smoke inhaled in smoking rooms of restaurants and bars are exceptionally high and hazardous to health. According to the study, which appears in the center's new report "Tobacco Smoke Pollution in Oklahoma Workplaces," the average particulate level measured in restaurant smoking rooms was beyond the hazardous extreme based on levels established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The level found in bars was even worse. "These levels are exceptionally high and not healthy for the employees and patrons exposed to particles found in secondhand smoke," said Heather Basara, M.D., an industrial hygienist and lead investigator on the research. Tobacco smoke levels were evaluated based on measurements of very fine suspended particulates in the air, particles smaller than 2.5 microns, which come primarily from tobacco smoke. physorg.com Tue, 16 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://64.38.12.138/News/2010/018390.asp http://tobacco.org/news/297021.html The Oklahoma Tax Commission seized 77 cases of cigarettes that were on their way to smoke shops on the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. The commission says the retailers were selling the cigarettes without state tax stamps. The product was valued at $103,000, according to a search warrant. The state has been trying to force the tribe into signing a tobacco compact. The tribe has a lawsuit pending in federal court Indianz.com Mon, 15 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT