http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/state/VA.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/virginia/dp-va--philipmorris-rese1001oct01,0,7474838.story http://tobacco.org/news/272162.html A Virginia Commonwealth University panel formed in the wake of a controversy over a consulting contract the school entered with Philip Morris USA is recommending that the college overhaul its rules on research deals with corporate sponsors. A report released Wednesday by the task force of university administrators and professors said that VCU should form a review committee that develops such policies. The task force recommended that VCU no longer enter "work-for-hire" research agreements, such as the arrangement it had with Philip Morris. Instead, research sponsored by corporations should be limited to contracts, grants, clinical trial agreements, material transfer agreements and nondisclosure agreements. Newport News Daily Press Wed, 01 Oct 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.dailypress.com/business/dp-porttab_history_1005oct05,0,6444624.story http://tobacco.org/news/272026.html In 1614, seven years after the first settlers arrived in Virginia from England, the first wooden crates of tobacco left Hampton Roads aboard a small clipper and sailed out into the Atlantic. With that one small shipment, the Port of Virginia was born. . . . Now, nearly four centuries after the first shipments of tobacco pushed away into the Atlantic, the Port of Virginia handles more than 50 million tons of bulk and containerized cargo each year, supporting nearly 340,000 jobs throughout the state and pumping $41 billion into the state economy, according to a 2007 study commissioned by the Virginia Port Authority. And it's not just tobacco. While the commonwealth exported $1.35 billion of the crop in 2007 — good enough for fourth place on the state's top export list, it makes up just a small percentage of the total products imported and exported from marine terminals in Hampton Roads. . . . Top export commodities in 2007 from the Port of Virginia ranked by tonnage • Paper products • Grains and flour products • Logs and lumber • Wood pulp • Tobacco Newport News Daily Press Sun, 05 Oct 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.journalpress.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=73&twindow=Default&mad=No&sdetail=5501&wpage=&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=1139&hn=journalpress&he=.com http://tobacco.org/news/271959.html The Town of Colonial Beach is contemplating the addition of Ordinance #565, which would add a Cigarette Tax to Chapter 20, Taxation, of the Town of Colonial Beach Town Code. The Town needs money in its coffers and through implementation of this tax council is hoping it will find it. The proposed ordinance, as revealed at last week's work session, would establish a .25 tax on each 20 cigarettes sold. As explained by Councilman Sparkey Ridgely, the Town Treasurer would purchase stamps that indicate the tax. These stamps would then be sold to the cigarette distributor who would affix them to the cigarette package. The distributor then sells the cigarettes to the retailer who passes the cost along to the consumer when they make their purchase. King George Journal Press Wed, 01 Oct 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2008-10-02-0219.html http://tobacco.org/news/271946.html A Richmond man who was shot three times by a plainclothes Richmond police officer working undercover in Chesterfield County was convicted today of brandishing a cigarette lighter that resembled a pistol. After hearing testimony from the officer and the man he shot, Chesterfield General District Court Judge Keith Hurley found Mark A. Weaver, 43, guilty of brandishing a firearm in the Aug. 2 encounter in the 3100 block of Dulwich Drive, just outside the city line. Hurley sentenced Weaver, a convicted felon, to 12 months in jail but suspended the sentence. "I think he's been punished enough," defense attorney T. Noel Brooks told the judge, referring to the three gunshot wounds Richmond Times-Dispatch mbowes@timesdispatch.com (MARK BOWES TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER ) Thu, 02 Oct 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2008-10-02-0145.html http://tobacco.org/news/271933.html Virginia Commonwealth University should stop negotiating umbrella agreements such as those it has with Philip Morris USA and other companies when staff members want to sell their research services, a task force recommended yesterday. Instead, researchers should use standardized contracts, clinical trial agreements, grants or agreements covering data and material exchanges, the task force of professors and administrators recommended. It called for a committee to implement the recommendations and to review any requests for exceptions. The idea is to be sure university researchers' dealings with corporations meet updated guidelines the task force is also recommending, said Francis Macrina, the university's vice president for research. "We want to spell it out," he said, adding that in negotiations, "you can forget things. Even worse, corners can be cut." . . . VCU President Eugene P. Trani said the recommendations will be reviewed by university administration, faculty and the board of visitors Richmond Times-Dispatch dress@timesdispatch.com (DAVID RESS TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER ) Thu, 02 Oct 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.richmond.com/business/25620 http://tobacco.org/news/271929.html A report into the ethics of corporate contracts by an internal review committee at Virginia Commonwealth University is due today. VCU President Eugene P. Trani will receive the report which is intended to see if VCU jeopardized its academic freedom by entering into restrictive research contracts with Philip Morris USA which has a large presence in Richmond. Richmond.com Rbizeditor@richmond.com (Peter Galuszka) Wed, 01 Oct 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://hamptonroads.com/2008/09/norfolk-again-seeks-path-smokefree-dining-scene http://tobacco.org/news/271724.html When the City Council rescinded a ban on smoking in restaurants days before it was to go into effect, members pledged to pursue other ways to discourage smoking. One idea, proposed by Councilman Don Williams, called for requiring restaurants that allow smoking to buy a license and put up signs saying, "Smoking Allowed." Williams figured the signs would discourage people who don't like smoking from entering, and four other colleagues agreed. They vowed then to vote on the proposal as soon as possible. Six months later, there has been no council discussion on the issue. However, that won't last much longer. Councilwoman Theresa Whibley said she plans to bring up the issue today when the council begins a two-day retreat in Smithfield. Norfolk Virginian-Pilot harry.minium@pilotonline.com (Harry Minium The Virginian-Pilot ) Mon, 29 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/Script/DisplayPressRelease.php3?Display=1100 http://tobacco.org/news/271485.html A new survey of youth tobacco use in Virginia shows that the state has made great progress in keeping kids from smoking, underscoring once again that tobacco prevention is a smart investment for Virginia's physical and financial health. The Youth Tobacco Survey found a dramatic 28.6 percent decline in high school smoking over two years -- with 15.5 percent of Virginia high school students smoking in 2007, compared with 21.7 percent in 2005. By preventing kids from ever starting to smoke, Virginia can look forward to saving lives by preventing premature, smoking-caused deaths and to saving money by reducing smoking-caused health care costs, which total more than $2 billion a year in Virginia. This is remarkable progress in a short period of time. We applaud Governor Kaine, the Legislature and the Virginia Tobacco Settlement Foundation for their commitment to reducing the devastating toll of tobacco use by investing in youth tobacco prevention efforts. Virginia's challenge now is to build upon its progress by increasing funding for youth tobacco prevention while also investing in cessation programs to help adult smokers quit. While the survey results represent remarkable progress, there is still much to be done in Virginia to reduce tobacco use Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids Tue, 09 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.newsadvance.com/lna/news/local/article/78_percent_of_bedford_restaurants_listed_as_smoke_free/8540/ http://tobacco.org/news/271371.html With 78 percent of restaurants in the city of Bedford classified as non-smoking, the small community leads the Central Virginia Health District for smoke-free options in restaurant dining. Although that's far short of Craig County's 100 percent -- it has only three restaurants -- the city of Bedford is among localities at the top of the percentage list on Virginia Department of Health's new addition to it's Restaurant Inspection Web page. The VDH announced it's new "non-smoking" addition Monday. About 67 percent of the restaurants statewide don't allow smoking anywhere in the restaurant. Lynchburg News & Advance cpegram@newsadvance.com (Cynthia Pegram) Wed, 17 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/living.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2008-09-16-0126.html http://tobacco.org/news/271328.html Consumers looking for a smoke-free place to have a meal can find that information on the Virginia Department of Health's restaurant-inspections Web site. The state agency recently added information on fast-food and full-service restaurants' smoking policies. To check a restaurant's most recent health inspection or its smoking status, go to www.vdh.virginia.gov and click on restaurant inspections. Richmond Times-Dispatch TLsmith@timesdispatch.com (TAMMIE SMITH TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER) Tue, 16 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://hamptonroads.com/2008/09/state-web-site-shows-restaurant-smoking-status http://tobacco.org/news/271273.html The Virginia Department of Health is adding the smoking status of Virginia restaurants to its Web site on restaurant health inspections. The popular state Web site averages more than 90,000 visits a month. It displays health inspection information gathered from more than 60,000 unannounced restaurant inspections a year throughout Virginia. . . . Those looking for information can visit the restaurant inspection section of the department's Web site located at http://www.vdh.virginia.gov. AP Mon, 15 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://media.www.commonwealthtimes.com/media/storage/paper634/news/2008/09/15/News/Tobacco.Money.Debate.Continues.In.Vcu.Community-3431521.shtml http://tobacco.org/news/271191.html "The fact that VCU is a huge medical industry and the fact that the corporate sponsor is coming from a tobacco company is totally relevant and totally wrong for this reason," Howard said. "Why should a product that kills you sponsor health?" Howard was one of more than 100 interested members of the VCU community to attend the latest town-hall meeting in the University Student Commons this past Wednesday. The meeting was the second and final of its kind, a forum where interested students and staff could offer feedback to VCU President Eugene P. Trani's designated task force. The task force is charged with making recommendations to improve dealing with future corporate sponsors and was created after the deal sparked negative media attention. Howard's stance strongly resembled that of religious-studies professors David Bromley and Mark Wood, who together authored a statement and presented some disquieting facts to the task force. . . . "(The task force is) clearly not interested in the policies of the individual sponsors, but more interested in finding a protocol for the agreements," she said. Macrina said VCU has a climate where faculty has the academic freedom to pick the sponsors with whom they want to associate. "I think it's an individual decision and that if there were a department or a person who said 'we shouldn't be accepting it,' then the department chair should legitimately go to the dean and say 'I don't think we should accept tobacco money,' " Macrina said. "There's no reason why that can't happen now." Macrina said no American universities ban tobacco money entirely. While Macrina's statement is correct, some individual schools or departments in the country have banned tobacco money. The Commonwealth Times Mon, 15 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/V/VA_RESTAURANT_SMOKING_VAOL-?SITE=VASTR&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2008-09-15-12-00-10 http://tobacco.org/news/271190.html The Virginia Department of Health is adding the smoking status of Virginia restaurants to its Web site on restaurant health inspections. The popular state Web site averages more than 90,000 visits a month. . . . Those looking for information can visit the restaurant inspection section of the department's Web site located at http://www.vdh.virginia.gov . AP Mon, 15 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/10/AR2008091001001.html http://tobacco.org/news/271019.html The number of children in Virginia who smoke cigarettes has plummeted in this decade, according to a statewide survey released this week. The percentage of high school students in the state who smoke has declined from 29 in 2001 to 15.5 in 2007, according to the Virginia Tobacco Settlement Foundation. The state falls well below the national average of 19.2 percent. "For a state like Virginia, which has been a tobacco-growing state, that is very, very impressive," Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) said. Kaine and other officials credit the Virginia Tobacco Settlement Foundation for spending millions of dollars on education, marketing and other programs to curb youth smoking. The Washington Post Thu, 11 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.wtvr.com/Global/story.asp?S=8946964 http://tobacco.org/news/270955.html Faculty and students told a Virginia Commonwealth University panel that they're concerned about the moral and ethical implications of entering research agreements with tobacco giant Philip Morris USA and other corporations. Wednesday's meeting was the final one held by the task force, formed in the wake of a controversy over a consulting contract between VCU and Richmond-based Philip Morris USA. The group is expected to consider whether to refuse research funding from tobacco companies, as several other schools have, and will issue its recommendations to VCU President Eugene P. Trani by Oct. 1. A number of speakers told the task force that the university should rethink whether its researchers should sign "work-for-hire" agreements with Richmond-based Philip Morris . . . Religious studies professors David Bromley and Mark Wood presented a statement on behalf of several faculty that noted that the VCU Medical Center's mission to "improving the health of all people" is at odds with that of Philip Morris, whose revenue comes from "the sale of products that are deadly, toxic and addictive." They also argued that entering partnerships with tobacco companies implies "moral complicity," AP Wed, 03 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT