Smoking Awareness Site

MP supports stubbing out smoking

2007-03-15T03:14:00.000-07:00

HELPING smokers to quit was under discussion when Redditch MP Jacqui Smith met with the chief executive and chairman of Worcestershire Primary Care Trust (PCT). Ms Smith discussed the help available to smokers who want to give up smoking from No Smoking Day, which falls today, with Paul Bates and Dr Bryan Smith. In Worcestershire there is support available to help smokers break their dependence on nicotine. Quit Smoking Clinics offer weekly appointments with specialist nurses, nicotine replacement products and support and advice. "Most smokers say they would quit if they could - I want to do as much as I can to help them. That is why I am proud to support No Smoking Day and the ban on smoking in public places and the ban on smoking adverts," she said.

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Businesses adapting to upcoming smoking ban

2007-02-04T10:23:00.000-08:00

KINGMAN - Beginning May 1, anyone going into a restaurant, bar, government building, commercial store or place of employment will breathe a little easier.In the Nov. 7 election, Arizona residents approved the stricter of two smoking propositions that went before voters. Mohave County Environmental Health Manager Rachael Patterson said her office will investigate complaints of smoking in public areas. Details on whether the state or the county will enforce the new law are still being worked out.Patterson said her investigators must have proof of smoking at a public place, such as a restaurant, including ashtrays, cigarette butts or other evidence of smoking. Investigators will check on a complaint within days. .

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County should not follow towns' lead on smoking ban

2007-01-28T10:24:00.000-08:00

The issue: After three southwest suburbs backed away from their smoking bans in bars and restaurants, the area's county commissioner wants the county to follow suit. We say: County board members should keep health concerns a higher priority than the economic arguments and hold firm on the March 14 effective date. Elected officials in three southwest suburbs already have turned tail and run on the issue of smoking in bars and restaurants. Now Cook County Commissioner Liz Gorman (R-Orland Park) wants the county to do the same thing. Last week, Oak Forest, Orland Park and Tinley Park officials lifted their municipal bans on smoking in bars and restaurants after business owners complained their businesses were in jeopardy after two and a half weeks of the prohibition.

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Pugster Smoking Pig Animal Farm Pipe Pet Italian Charms

2007-01-23T03:11:00.000-08:00

Show off your personality, hobbies, or significant affiliations with this Pugster Smoking Pig Italian charm. The pig in this photo charm apparently fancies himself an English gentleman, puffing away on his pipe. Crafted of the finest stainless steel with soldered faces (as opposed to less durable glue), these charms are sure to be a hit as you build your Italian charm bracelet or anklet. You can build your bracelet all at once, or gradually over the years. Either way, these bracelets are a great way to express your enduring values and style. Also a great gift for the animal lover. Crafted and authenticated by Pugster (TM) Inc., these Smoking Pig Italian charms are available for both retail and wholesale purchase in our store.

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Kids organize campaign against beach smoking

2007-01-21T10:29:00.000-08:00

KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii (AP) _ A group of middle school students is celebrating a victory for marine life at one Kailua-Kona beach. After nearly a year of helping usher a new law through the Hawaii County Council, the West Hawaii Fisheries Council youth group had been waiting only for Mayor Harry Kim's signature on an ordinance that prohibits smoking or disposing of cigarette butts at Kahaluu Beach Park. Kim signed the ordinance Friday. Violators may face a fine of 25- to 50-dollars. Inspired by a science fair project, the students got a little more than they bargained for when they invited a county councilwoman to their meeting last year. They wanted former Kona Councilwoman Virginia Isbell to stop people from smoking at the popular surf and snorkel spot off Alii Drive.

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Pubs rush on outdoor areas to beat smoking ban

2007-01-14T10:30:00.000-08:00

Melbourne's hospitality and gaming industry is undergoing a dramatic transformation as a flood of pubs and gaming venues rush to build outdoor areas for smokers before strict smoking bans on July 1. At least 100 licensed venues across Melbourne have applied to councils in the past six months to create beer gardens, balconies and roof-top terraces. The flurry of applications comes as hospitality industry sources say that gaming giants Tabcorp and Tattersall's have launched an all-out assault to ensure that smokers are not discouraged from gaming venues. The poker machine operators have provided consultants to help hotels and clubs reconfigure their premises and have assisted with the purchase of outdoor furniture and heaters for venues with outdoor smoking areas.

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‘Freedom From Smoking’

2007-01-07T10:26:00.000-08:00

17, the clinic will host its third Freedom From Smoking Cessation Class sponsored by the American Lung Association. Rated the number one research-based smoking cessation class in the country, this six-week course will be held once a week from 6 to 7 p.m. for smokers seeking help to kick their habits."We've had a lot of people quit from this program and stay off cigarettes," said Labdik. "It's a good group where everybody has the same goal. Also, everybody is local, and it helps that way." Ideally, Labdik said the course will have five or six total participants and will charge an initial $35 upon signing up. However, if the attendees make every class and show genuine efforts to quit smoking, this fee will be refunded.At the start of the course, smokers are asked to think about things like why they smoke, the most common times of day they do it, and the issues that prevent them from not being able to quit.

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No smoking starting tomorrow at some La Crosse sites

2006-12-31T10:33:00.000-08:00

LA CROSSE, Wis. Starting tomorrow, some La Crosse area workers, patients and students won't be able to light up a cigarette anymore. No-smoking rules take effect on all Western Technical College campuses, all Franciscan Skemp clinics and hospitals, and many Gundersen Lutheran sites. The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, the city of La Crosse and La Crosse County officials are also considering smoke-free campuses. ___ Information from: La Crosse Tribune, http://www.lacrossetribune.com Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. .

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Careless Smoking Blamed For Apartment Fire

2006-12-24T10:25:00.000-08:00

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Fire fighters were called to an apartment fire shortly after 12:30 a.m. early Sunday morning at the Village View apartments in the 9300 block of 77th Terrace in Overland Park, Kan., officials said. When crews arrived, fire fighters were able to quickly extinguish the fire but not before it heavily damaged one ground floor unit, investigators said. .

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Smoking not allowed in Airport restaurant

2006-12-12T10:24:00.000-08:00

If you want to light up after the new year while at the Central Illinois Regional Airport, you can still do it, but you will have to do it from a different room. The Bloomington City Council last night voted to allow smoking in the airport within a ten-by-16-foot room. Airport Executive Director Carl Olson the ventilation system eliminate the smoke. .

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Smoking in public places

2006-12-05T10:30:00.000-08:00

Smoking in public places Q. Mecklenburg County commissioners want authority to ban smoking in some public areas. Who do you think should decide whether to ban smoking in public places? Do you even think smoking should be banned in public places? Drew Gaertner, 14, Holy Trinity Catholic Middle School, Charlotte: Smoking is a dirty and unhealthy habit. Not only is smoking harmful for you, but it is also harmful to those around you. It is discourteous and disrespectful to smoke in public places. County commissioners should have the right to ban the public use of tobacco. Smoking is not permitted in my school. Use of tobacco in my school is an automatic expulsion. The health benefits of a ban outweigh the people's right to smoke. Rochelle Siciliano, 17, South Mecklenburg High, Charlotte: While I don't think smoking is a good idea and don't like it, I don't agree with smoking bans.

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Reducing smoking does not lower risk

2006-11-28T10:27:00.000-08:00

SMOKERS who halve their cigarette consumption instead of simply quitting altogether are fooling themselves if they think it will do their health any good. A study that followed more than 50,000 men and women for over 20 years has found that people who smoke 15 or more cigarettes a day, and who cut that intake back by more than 50per cent, are no less likely to die prematurely than others who continue to smoke heavily. The conclusion of the Norwegian experts who conducted the research is that while cutting consumption may help smokers ditch the habit entirely, the study "proves quite clearly that the only safe way out of the risk caused by smoking is to quit". Quitting smoking altogether has been shown countless times to bring rapid health improvements. Within a year, a quitter's risk of having a heart attack is halved, compared with people who keep smoking.

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Have guts to stick with smoking ban

2006-11-21T10:25:00.000-08:00

It's time ya'll woke up - the time is here for being smoke free. Three huge cheers for Normal; three huge coal lumps for Bloomington - stop waffling. Never have I seen such wishy-washy decision makers.Many months past a very popular Main Street pizza restaurant went smoke free. Why? Because they were losing business - the smoking section was literally empty while people were standing in line for non-smoking.Recently, while meeting with friends for our monthly lunch, we commented that after Jan. 1 we would have more restaurants to choose from.The owners who think they will lose business have their heads in the sand. Maybe they will initially - and for a very short time, while the stagnant odor dissipates - but not for long. There is a whole cadre of folks who will begin coming to your places.As much as I disagreed with former Mayor Judy Markowitz over the arena, she always had my respect.

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Smoking regulations due before Parliament tomorrow

2006-11-14T10:26:00.000-08:00

Licensees are expected to have to wait until at least January 10 to discover the finer details of the smoking ban. It is understood the guidelines for the ban in England and Wales will be laid before Parliament tomorrow. MPs will then have 40 days to make any objections to the regulations before they become law. The guidelines for the ban, contained within the Health Bill, are expected to cover issues such as the definition of an enclosed area, signage required and enforcement. .

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Hattiesburg bars, restaurants could ring in '07 with "no smoking" ...

2006-11-07T10:26:00.000-08:00

Coming the turn of the year Hattiesburg may be a smoke free city. An ordinance banning smoking from all public places and places of employment will be on the agenda during Tuesday's city council meeting and it could be law come January 1st, 2007. The ordinance -- which includes banning smoking from all enclosed bars and restaurants -- is expected to be tabled with a public hearing scheduled for November 14th. Proponents of the ordinance have been working closely with the Hattiesburg Restaurant Association in hopes of receiving their support. .

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Cigarette giant began years ago to fight smoking bans

2006-10-24T11:28:00.000-07:00

As Nevadans vote on a pair of statewide smoking restrictions, tobacco companies that are actively fighting smoking bans and tobacco tax increases in other states are standing on the sidelines here. And that's how it might have looked in the mid-1990s, too, when anti-smoking advocates were attempting to lobby the Legislature to pass smoking restrictions in Nevada and the federal government was weighing a national ban on smoking in the workplace. At the time, it turns out, cigarette maker Philip Morris was quietly planting seeds that would help business owners such as casinos and bars fend off future smoking bans. The Las Vegas and Reno-Sparks chambers of commerce were listed as the sponsors of a 1996 study concluding that a smoking ban could cost Nevada's economy as much as $3.5 billion and that as many as 50,000 jobs could be lost.

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Grand Rapids bans smoking, but will health improve?

2006-10-19T02:23:00.001-07:00

Years ago, Belfry Development built smoking shelters for employees who work in their southeast side business park. The small, outdoor cubicles are designed to keep smoke away from their buildings. "A minimum of 30 foot from any one of the structures," says Maintenance Supervisor Gary Richardson. The Grand Rapids ordinance, set to go into effect October 1 of next year, not only bans smoking inside a building but within 20 feet of a door, window or air intake. The main goal is to reduce second-hand smoke. The American Heart Association says exposure to second-hand smoke kills 2,500 Michigan residents each year. But can a ban on smoking really improve a community's health? In Pueblo, Colorado, they think the answer is yes.

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Oxford joins list of towns in banning smoking in public areas

2006-10-19T02:23:00.000-07:00

OXFORD, Miss. Oxford has become the fourth northeast Mississippi city to ban smoking in public places. The Oxford Board of Aldermen approved the ordinance yesterday (Tuesday) that will end smoking in all indoor spaces except residences and tobacco stores. Starkville was the first city in the area to ban smoking in most public places, followed by Tupelo and Mantachie. Smokers in Oxford now have less than 30 days to indulge their taste for tobacco at bars, restaurants and other indoor venues where smoking has traditionally been allowed. The ban also includes such outdoor areas as stadiums, arenas and amphitheaters. Bars and restaurants with outdoor areas must reserve at least 50 percent of such areas for nonsmokers. Individuals violating the ordinance are subject to a first-time fine of 50 dollars and a 250-dollar fine on subsequent offenses.

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Study warns of smoking dangers

2006-10-19T02:22:00.000-07:00

CHARLOTTE -- The Mecklenburg County Health Department released a study on Wednesday that showed air quality is on average 12-times worse in restaurants and bars that allow smoking. Advocates for smoking bans, are trumpeting the finding as a giant success for their cause. Its a slam dunk in my view, said Dr. Michael Sloan of Smoke Free Mecklenburg. The findings come on the heels of Tuesdays unanimous decision by the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners to approve a resolution asking the North Carolina General Assembly to give local governments the authority to enact a ban on smoking in public places. .

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Smoking ban set for start

2006-10-19T02:21:00.001-07:00

Legislators have overwhelmingly passed the controversial anti-smoking bill banning smoking in all indoor workplaces and restaurants and selected outdoor areas such as parks and beaches after a marathon nine-hour debate. The vote on the Smoking (Public Health) (Amendment) Bill 2005 - with 52 in favor and two abstentions - paves the way for the ban to come into effect from the start of next year. The bill, which went through its first and second readings Wednesday, exempts certain places of entertainment such as mahjong parlors, massage houses and nightclubs until July 1, 2009. It will go through its third reading today. Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food York Chow Yat-ngok shocked lawmakers with a last-minute announcement that the government will, over the next year or two, study the feasibility of allowing smoking rooms at public parks and beaches.

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John Abraham to do a nude scene for No Smoking

2006-10-19T02:21:00.000-07:00

Anurag Kashyap may have had a rough career as a filmmaker with two of his films Paanch and Black Friday stuck in the middle of controversies and not been released till date. But the man has now decided to strike back with his next film titled No Smoking starring John Abraham. The film is story about a chain smoker who wants to quit smoking and therefore joins a rehab. John plays this character of a chain smoker whose marriage comes in trouble because of his smoking addiction. Currently, there is also a buzz that John will be doing a nude scene in the film but Kashyap says that he hasnt decided how that scene will be shot. The film is being produced by Kumar Mangat who also produced Omkara. Vishal Bhardwaj will be doing the music of the film and the lyrics will be written by Gulzar.

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Businesses weigh in on smoking propositions' impact

2006-10-19T02:20:00.001-07:00

'Two propositions on the ballot this year are aimed at cutting smoking in public. Proposition 201 is more restrictive and would prohibit smoking in nearly all public buildings and workplaces, while Proposition 206 would allow smoking to continue in some bars, not allowing cities to pass stricter measures. If passed, how would the propositions affect your business?" .

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Oxford bans smoking

2006-10-19T02:20:00.000-07:00

Oxford, Miss - Smokers fumed when Arkansas banned smoking in most workplaces a couple of months ago. Now the City of Oxford has joined several other cites in taking that a step further... They're banning smoking in almost all public places... work... or not. James Toles relaxes with a bud and a cigarette... but he's not so relaxed today. He's fuming that Tuesday night, Oxford Aldermen voted to ban smoking in public places... even his favorite bar. "People have a choice whether they want to come in or not. So why shouldn't we have a choice to smoke? it's a similar form of communism." said Toles. The ban applies to any indoor public place, and most outdoor places where people gather. "I think it's a little extreme and I'm just wondering how they're gonna be able to enforce it." said smoker Beth Riddell It has left smokers with lots of questions and very few answers.

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The school where smoking is allowed

2006-10-19T02:19:00.001-07:00

A school is allowing pupils as young as 14 to smoke between lessons as part of an anti-smoking drive. Students at Tinshill Learning Centre in Leeds can light up in a smoking room during breaks, as long as they have a note from their parents. The new policy is meant to help pupils stop smoking and reduce confrontations with teachers. Letters outlining the move were sent out to parents at the beginning of term. .

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Free choice vs. secondhand smoking

2006-10-19T02:19:00.000-07:00

Imagine this scene -- a mother sits in her car, waiting in line at a preschool, with two young children on board. While waiting, she lights a cigarette -- after all, it is her life, right? Someone sees her, and acting on impulse, rushes over, taps on the window and delivers an impassioned plea to consider her children and the effects of secondhand smoke. Now, what do you think the young mother would do? Do you picture her answering sweetly, "Well, thanks for your concern -- I am from another planet and had never heard that might harm them." Do you think she would put out her cigarette and quit right then, or do you see this as the worst way to get anyone to stop smoking? And what is the best way to encourage people to stop? .

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Germans smoking fewer cigarettes, more cigars

2006-10-19T02:18:00.000-07:00

Wiesbaden, Germany (dpa) - Germans are spending less on cigarettes but more on cigars as the country wrestles with the idea of introducing a ban on smoking in public places. Figures released by the Federal Statistics Office on Wednesday showed sales of tobacco products in the third quarter of 2006 declined 10.1 per cent from a year ago to 5.9 billion euros (7.4 billion dollars). The number of cigarettes sold dropped 3.6 per cent to 24.7 billion, while demand for cigars and cigarillos soared 43.4 per cent to 1.6 billion, the figures showed. Germany, long considered a smokers' paradise, is currently debating whether to ban lighting up in public buildings, theatres, cinemas and public transport. .

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Oldham County residents comment on smoking ban

2006-10-19T02:17:00.000-07:00

At the Skylight Country Store on U.S. 42, the regulars gather for a hamburger, some conversation, and often, a cigarette. And thats the way owner Donna Claggett wants it to remain. Claggett was among a handful of people who turned out at a public meeting this week to speak against proposed smoking restrictions in Oldham County. If me as the owner and my customers that are regulars dont care about the smoking, why should people that dont patronize my store care? she asked. Where do we draw the line on regulations? It was the second of three public meetings scheduled this month, and more than 20 people came to discuss the proposed ordinance. For Claggett, one concern is that the government would be taking control of the use of a legal product, she said.

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