Category Archives: smoke-free

MEPs debate proposal to make smoking unattractive

Draft rules on tobacco additives and labeling, and the likely effect of updating the EU Tobacco Products Directive on public health, business and tax revenues were examined in an Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee debate with Ireland’s Health Minister James Reilly and Health and Consumer Policy Commissioner Toni Borg on Monday.

Tobacco-free policy

The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute in Texas announced earlier this month, a new tobacco-free policy for all current and future grants, which includes Texas and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.

Doctors hawked cigarettes are healthy for consumers

Despite its stated mission, “To promote the art and science of medicine and the betterment of public health,” the American Medical Association (AMA) has taken many missteps in protecting the health of the American people. One of the most striking examples is the AMA’s long-term relationship with the tobacco industry.
Both the AMA and individual doctors sided with big tobacco for decades after the deleterious effects of smoking were proven. Medical historians have tracked this relationship in great detail, examining internal documents from tobacco companies and their legal counsel and public relations advisers. The overarching theme of big tobacco’s efforts was to keep alive the appearance of a “debate” or “controversy” of the health effects of cigarette smoking.

The “Million Hearts” Initiative – Preventing Heart Attacks and Strokes

Each year, more than 2 million Americans have a heart attack or stroke, and more than 800,000 of them die; cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and the largest cause of lower life expectancy among blacks. Related medical costs and productivity losses approach $450 billion annually, and inflation-adjusted direct medical costs are projected to triple over the next two decades if present trends continue.

University of Kentucky adopted tobacco-free policies

This summer, a group of University of Kentucky students and staff has been patrolling campus grounds – scouting out any student, employee or visitor lighting a cigarette.

WHO welcomes Sochi 2014′s decision to make next Winter Olympic Games smoke-free

The World Health Organization has welcomed Sochi 2014’s decision to support the non-smoking policy during the next Winter Olympic Games. It will make the Sochi Olympics the twelfth Olympic Games to be free from tobacco smoke, with a blanket ban that will protect over 155,000 athletes, sports delegation representatives and volunteers from the harmful effects of smoking. The best lessons learned from other international events were recently discussed at a working meeting in the city of Sochi, attended by representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO), international non smoking foundations, the Administration of Sochi and Krasnodar region, and the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee.

The FDA’s Cigarette Pack Anti-Smoking Billboards

The new FDA regulations for cigarette packaging raises additional First Amendment issues to the extent that it is a case of compelledFDA cigarettes packs speech, as opposed to being one of prohibited speech. The case precedents in this area go back to the 1940s in purely political contexts as opposed to commercial speech.

Snus Maker Sets Its Sights on U.S.

Smokeless-tobacco giant Swedish Match AB, the dominant maker of snus in Scandinavia, plans to begin a major push into the snuscategory in the U.S. in the coming months.

A Social Networking Device for Smokers

Companies have started adding the ability to communicate wirelessly to an increasing range of devices, like tablet computers, cars and refrigerators.

Asthma rates increasing in U.S., despite less smoking and decreased air pollution

About one in 12 people in the United States now has asthma, a total of 24.6 million people and an increase of 4.3 million since 2001, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday. The costs of medical care for these patients increased by about 6% between 2002 and 2007, totaling $56 billion in the latter year, according to information in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The increases come, surprisingly, despite improved air quality throughout most of the country and widespread decreases in smoking. “We don’t know exactly why the rate is going up,” Ileana Arias, principal deputy director of the CDC, said in a news conference. “But measures can be taken to control asthma symptoms, and exacerbations and many asthma attacks can be prevented,” she said.

State Smoke-Free Laws for Worksites, Restaurants, and Bars

Secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure causes lung cancer and cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in nonsmoking adults and children, resulting in an estimated 46,000 heart disease deaths and 3,400 lung cancer deaths among U.S. nonsmoking adults each year (1). Smoke-free laws that prohibit smoking in all indoor areas of a venue fully protect nonsmokers from involuntary exposure to SHS indoors (1). A Healthy People 2010 objective (27-13) called for enacting laws eliminating smoking in public places and worksites in all 50 states and the District of Columbia (DC); because this objective was not met by 2010, it was retained for Healthy People 2020 (renumbered as TU-13). To assess progress toward meeting this objective, CDC reviewed state laws restricting smoking in effect as of December 31, 2010. This report summarizes the changes in state smoking restrictions for private-sector worksites, restaurants, and bars that occurred from December 31, 2000 to December 31, 2010. The number of states (including DC) with laws that prohibit smoking in indoor areas of worksites, restaurants, and bars increased from zero in 2000 to 26 in 2010. However, regional disparities remain in policy adoption, with no southern state having adopted a smoke-free law that prohibits smoking in all three venues. The Healthy People 2020 target on this topic is achievable if current activity in smoke-free policy adoption is sustained nationally and intensified in certain regions, particularly the South.

British American to Market Tobacco-Free Nicotine Products

British American Tobacco BTI will develop tobacco-free nicotine products at its newly created Nicoventures unit in BATan attempt to retain revenue from smokers who wish to quit on health grounds. We regard the move as a hedge against declining rates of smoking in developed markets, and we expect the new unit to remain a very small piece of British American’s top line for several years. Although we think British American is a solid business, we think the stock’s recent rally has overshot the intrinsic value of the firm, and we recommend value investors look to Imperial Tobacco ITYBY for value in the tobacco industry.

Smoky ‘Rango’ leaves bad taste

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70 % of Texas Voters Back up Smoke-Free Law

A currently conducted poll demonstrates that 70% of Texas voters want to ban smoking in indoor work and public places.texas qiut
“It is very pleasant to hear that Texans want to breathe clean indoor air. That is why, now it is the most appropriate time for the Texas Legislature to implement this bill, which will protect our citizens from the well-known hazards of second-hand smoke,” stated Doug Ulman, LIVESTRONG president.

Smoking rate down in Minnesota, smokeless tobacco use up

St. Paul, Minn. — A new survey shows the adult smoking rate in Minnesota has dropped to 16 percent, nearly a full percentage point smokeless tobacco uselower than the smoking rate three years ago.