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.