Homeless people get cigarettes for Christmas

The charity, called Omsorgsjul - Hemlösa (Care Christmas - the Homeless) has organized traditional Christmas smorgasbords in Norrköping for the past 17 years.

At this year's Christmas party, the charity handed out gifts like hats, warm clothes and boxes of chocolate to the homeless and other vulnerable people who attended the festivities. The guests also received a pack of cigarettes each.

"There would be an outcry if they didn't receive their cigarettes," Lennart Cederberg, head of the charity, told the local Folkbladet newspaper.

"It has become a tradition and, moreover, many of them are sick and they must have this," Cederberg said, adding that the 150 packs handed out this year were light cigarettes.

Lena Sjöberg, president of Dentistry Against Tobacco said handing out cigarettes "sends the wrong signal", according to .

"I think it is in the human interest to try to inspire people to take up more healthy habits, and giving cigarettes as Christmas presents is not the right way forward," said Sjöberg.

"Only the tobacco industry needs tobacco. Besides, the government has decided that we should try and reduce tobacco use among those who smoke the most, including the homeless."
The Local.
Asked if he thinks handing out cigarettes sends "the wrong signal", Cederberg replied: "These people are our friends whom we care about and in this context the cigarettes aren't that dangerous. They smoke all the time anyway."

"They have smoked for a long time. We can't take that away from them. The most important thing is that we don't hand out alcohol and money."

He said the recipients keep calm by smoking and that those who complain about the unorthodox Christmas gift should instead focus on the real problem, which is homelessness.

"Come and help them and make sure they receive accommodation instead of whining," Cederberg urged.

"Some of these people have to go into communal garbage rooms to smoke. The cigarettes help them stay awake and keep them from freezing to death."

None of the charity's donors have complained about the cigarette gifts. If they do, said Cederberg, the charity would have to rethink its policy.

"Otherwise we will continue handing out cigarettes at the Christmas party," he stated.

Tobacco vendor goes back to court

An unusual case is unfolding in a small courtroom in rural Nova Scotia that could have serious implications for anti-smoking legislation in the province and possibly across the country.
The drama, which pits the owner of a small family business against government, has been quietly simmering for four years.
It was 2008 when Bob Gee, owner of Mader’s Tobacco Store in Kentville, was first charged with illegal storage and display of tobacco products.
After numerous delays, the 68-year-old Gee successfully argued in court in 2010 that the province’s legislation banning the point-of-sale display of tobacco products is an infringement of his constitutional right to freedom of expression.
Part 2 of his case began Tuesday in Kentville provincial court, where a Justice Department lawyer must prove that the infringement on Gee’s charter rights is reasonable and justified in a free and democratic society.
“I’m feeling positive about it,” Gee said in an interview before the court proceedings. “I think things look good for us.’’
Gee, whose family has owned and managed the small retail business on Aberdeen Street for the past 45 years, would like to retire and leave the store to his son, Jeff. But the court case has delayed his retirement.
He has always argued that tobacco is a legal product in Nova Scotia and that he wants the freedom to conduct business without government interference.
Gee was charged under the province’s Tobacco Access Act, which prohibits the display of tobacco products in a store. After several court appearances, the Crown stayed those charges to allow Gee to comply with amendments to the legislation permitting customers to shop using an in-store catalogue.
Gee refused to comply and was charged again in 2009. He has removed tobacco products from his store window but still prominently displays them behind the counter in what anti-smoking advocates refer to as a marketing power wall.
His charter battle is the only legal challenge in Canada against legislation banning the display of tobacco products, and it could set a precedent.
Curtis Palmer, Gee’s lawyer, is asking Judge Claudine MacDonald to rule that the legislation is invalid.
If he wins, it could throw the province’s anti-smoking strategy into disarray at a time when most provinces and many western countries have moved toward similar legislation banning tobacco displays, according to The Chronicle Herald.
Ed Gorse, a lawyer for the provincial Justice Department, said the case is important to the province.
“It’s important in terms of protecting people from point-of-sale display and advertising of tobacco products.”
In the absence of laws regulating them, retail displays are the most prevalent form of tobacco advertising that young people and former smokers are exposed to, said Rob Cunningham, a lawyer and policy analyst for the Canadian Cancer Society, in an interview outside court Tuesday.
“This legislation reduces smoking, especially among youth, and we strongly support it,” said Cunningham. “We believe it’s essential for the legislation to remain constitutional.”
Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer, testified that the ban on point-of-sale displays is one measure in a comprehensive attack on smoking.
“The ultimate goal is to have an ever-decreasing use of tobacco by Nova Scotians,” he said.
The court also heard that Gee is the only one of 1,243 tobacco retailers in the province refusing to comply with the legislation.

U.S. Quit-Smoking Policies Need Improving

U.S. federal and state policies are at a "tipping point" in terms of winning the war against smoking, according to an American Lung Association report.

"Over the next year, key decisions will be made by the federal government and the states about whether or not they will help save lives, prevent disease and reduce health costs," Paul Billings, senior vice president of advocacy and education at the American Lung Association, said in an association news release.

The association believes the federal government has missed important opportunities to improve Americans' access to medications and counseling to help them quit smoking. The record among states is mixed, but too few provide coverage to help people kick the habit, the report said.

"We know that the vast majority of smokers want to quit, but the complex web of state and federal coverage for effective quit-smoking programs and treatments prevents too many from getting the help they need," Billings said. "States and the federal government can reduce the enormous health burden of tobacco use by providing access to these proven interventions."

Here are some key findings from the association's 2012 annual report:
In terms of Medicaid coverage, only two states (Indiana and Massachusetts) provide comprehensive coverage to help people quit smoking, and two states (Alabama and Georgia) provide no coverage. Four states (Colorado, Kansas, North Dakota and South Dakota) provided new counseling benefits for pregnant women in 2012. Connecticut and Tennessee announced new benefits for everyone in 2012 that are close to comprehensive.

In terms of state-employee health plan coverage, only four states (Illinois, New Mexico, North Dakota and Rhode Island) provide comprehensive coverage. All other states provide some type of coverage. In 2012, Florida, Georgia, Nebraska and New Jersey added new smoking-cessation benefits for state employees, informs Health Day.

Va. official pitches mandatory anti-smoking classes

A Fairfax County supervisor wants to know whether county employees who smoke can be forced to take classes to help them quit, reports HamptonRoads.com.

The Washington Post reports that Gerald Hyland, a Democrat, first made the suggestion at a board meeting last month. A county spokeswoman says the county's attorneys are looking into the question.

Hyland's father smoked and died of lung cancer at age 50. He says it's "time to get serious" about reducing the number of smokers in the county workforce.

About 10 years ago, Hyland proposed cutting smokers from the county's payroll. In recent years, some employers have adopted policies against hiring smokers, who often have to pay higher health-insurance premiums.

Several supervisors say they don't agree with the idea of mandatory smoking-cessation classes.

Dominican Republic Requests WTO Panel Over Australia’s Plain Packaging Law

 Late last week, the Dominican Republic requested the establishment of a panel under the dispute settlement procedures of the World Trade Organization (WTO) challenging Australia’s plain packaging measures for tobacco products.

Starting Dec. 1, Australia will mandate that all tobacco products be sold in plain packaging. Packaging will be a standardized drab brown color, with the brand and variant name in a standardized font and place, banning all logos or other design features. This move will prevent tobacco products from using their well-known trademarks and geographical indications, the republic stated in a press release.

These unprecedented measures will undermine the Dominican Republic's tobacco industry, in particular its premium cigar sector. By prescribing standardized plain packaging, the tobacco market will be driven towards commoditization, with declining prices, and increasing — rather than falling — consumption and illicit trade.

In June, the Ukraine and Honduras diplomats filed trade disputes with the World Trade Organizations protesting the Australian plain packaging law, informs NACS Online.

Washington State Cigarettes Nearly 40% Contraband

A soon-to-be published study by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy in Michigan reveals 36% of all cigarettes consumed in Washington are contraband, KREM.com reports.

"The bottom line here is that many governments are making tobacco products as valuable as illicit narcotics," said Mackinac's Michael LaFaive.

Contraband cigarettes for Washingtonians are any that do not pay the state’s $3.02 per pack tax. In 2010, Washington State increased its cigarette tax by a dollar a pack to the fourth highest state tax in the nation.
The Washington Department of Revenue’s Mike Gowrylow said his department will soon release its own contraband cigarette data, and he expects the number of contraband cigarettes to be about one in three.
“(That’s) substantial, to go from one in four contraband cigarettes (the figure prior to the 2010 tax hike) to one in three,” Gowrylow said.

By Washington State’s last estimate in 2011, 94 million packs of cigarettes were consumed in the state, a tax loss of $284 million for the state.

Officials have said it’s difficult to quantify how much of the smuggling is from criminal organizations and how much is “casual smuggling” — from people who purchase their cigarettes out of the state, where the tax is cheaper, reports NACS Online.

Hooked on Hookah

A hookah is a water pipe that contains a smoke chamber, bowl, and a hose or hoses.

Sweetened tobacco is mixed with fresh fruit and heated. Its smoke passes through water and is drawn through the rubber hoses to mouthpieces, where it is inhaled.

"I like it. It's a lot smoother than cigarettes, and it tastes a lot better,'' said Chris Sedwick, 20, of Erie, an Edinboro University of Pennsylvania student who recently attended his first hookah session with friends.

Sedwick estimates he has smoked an average of one pack of cigarettes daily for the past year and a half. He wants to quit smoking cigarettes.

For more than an hour, he puffed on white-grape-flavored tobacco.

"It's smoother, and it tastes really good,'' he said. "I like putting my tongue where the smoke comes through and tasting it. It's a lot smoother and less harsh on your lungs.''

A quality hookah water pipe costs about $300, Mustafa said. Most of the 150 hookah pipes -- each about 2 feet to 3 feet in height -- in his stock range in price from $250 to $300, he said.

The sweetened tobacco comes in more than 40 flavors, including apple, blueberry, grape, strawberry kiwi, mint and lemon mint.

The smoking mixture is usually 40 percent tobacco and 60 percent fruit. The tobacco is mixed with fruit and is packaged that way.

MEPs demand ‘secret’ EU cooperation agreements with big tobacco

Members of the European Parliament in the budgetary control committee have written to the European Commission to provide the parliament with all documents and correspondence concerning cooperation agreements the Commission has with the tobacco industry. The request was made on Tuesday, two days before the same MEPs held a "damp squib hearing" with OLAF chief Giovanni Kessler, EUobserver.com reported on Thursday, on the investigation that was conducted on former European commissioner for health John Dalli.

MEPs from the budgetary control committee want access to all documents concerning cooperation agreements between the EC and Imperial Tobacco, Japan Tobacco International, British-American Tobacco, and Philip Morris International, all signed between 2004 and 2010. "All documents and correspondence concerning these agreements are of special importance to evaluate and analyse the possibility of conflicts of interest of the Commission emerging from those agreements," MEPs from all parliamentary groups said in the latter, "especially in the light of Article 12.3 of the JTI-Agreement, 12.4 of the BAT-Agreement, and Article 11 of the ITL Agreement."

"We demand comprehensive information on the relationship to the tobacco industry, in full disclosure," the MEPs write. The same MEPs met OLAF chief Giovanni Kessler on Thursday, who on his part said the resignation of former supervisory committee president Christiaan Timmermans was unrelated to the Dalli investigation. In comments to MaltaToday, German MEP Inge Graessle (EPP) said the allegations that had cost John Dalli his job - that he was aware of an attempt by a Maltese businessman to solicit a bribe to influence tobacco laws that Dalli was reviewing - are not yet clear enough.

"I wonder how the work was done and what the conclusions were that led to the resignation - this for me is relevant: what is the criminal act at the heart of the investigation? We still don't know, and I'm interested in the work that the police will do on the investigation." "I'm sure a commissioner from a bigger member state would not have been dealt with that way," Graessle said referring to the instant resignation of Dalli on the strength of the covering letter accompanying OLAF's report. "We should also care about small member states."

Cigarette Tax Hike Would Save Lives

County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said Tuesday that she’s not simply trying to raise revenue by seeking a $1-per-pack cigarette tax hike, she’s trying to save lives. WBBM Newsradio’s John Cody reports Preckwinkle proposed the cigarette tax hike as part of her plan to close a $268 million shortfall in the county’s nearly $3 billion budget for next year.

The move would raise the tax on a pack of cigarettes in Chicago to $6.67 –second only to the $6.86 tax on cigarettes in New York City. The per-pack Chicago cigarette tax would break down this way: $3 in county taxes, $1.98 in state taxes, $1.01 in federal taxes, and 68 cents in city taxes.

Reynolds' 3Q EPS In Line, Sales Lag

Leading cigarette maker, Reynolds American Inc. ( RAI ) delivered adjusted earnings of 79 cents (excluding a one-time charge of 5 cents) per share in the third quarter of fiscal year 2012, up 6.8% from the prior-year quarter earnings of 74 cents. Benefits from improved pricing and volume gains for moist snuff products offset decline in cigarette volumes and marketing expenses. The results were in-line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Revenues and Operating Margin Reynolds' net sales in the reported quarter declined 3.8% year over year to $2.12 billion due to declining cigarette volumes.

Quarterly net sales also missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.19 billion. Governmental actions that prohibit the use of tobacco products, along with diminishing social acceptance of smoking, are adversely impacting Reynolds' volume. Adjusted operating income increased 1.7% to $764 million while adjusted operating margin increased 2.0 percentage points to 36.1%. Segment Details RJR Tobacco : This is Reynolds' largest operating segment comprising operations of R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, a subsidiary of Reynolds American and the second-largest U.S. tobacco company.

It includes popular cigarette brands like Camel, Winston, Kool, Doral, Salem and Pall Mall. Segment revenue declined 6.1% to $1.77 billion in the third quarter. Volumes declined 6.9% in the segment compared to a 2.7% decline for the industry due to losses on shipments and increased promotional activity by competitors. RJR Tobacco's market share declined 1.0% year over year to 26.4% in the third quarter. The premium Camel brand held a market share of 8.5% in the third quarter, almost flat year over year.

However, it is pressurized by a weak economy and promotional activity by competitors. Value brand Pall Mall held a market share of 8.7%, up 0.1 percentage point. Compared with the year-ago quarter, the segment's adjusted operating income declined 3.9% to $606 million, with cigarette volume declines and increased promotional costs more than offsetting pricing gains and productivity benefits. Adjusted operating margin expanded 0.7 percentage points to 34.2%. American Snuff: This segment comprises operations of American Snuff Company, a wholly- owned subsidiary of Reynolds American and the nation's second-largest manufacturer of smokeless tobacco products. It sells some of the largest selling moist snuff brands like Grizzly and Kodiak.

Segment revenue increased 6.7% to $174 million in the third quarter. Volumes increased 6.6% in the segment compared to the 5% volume gain for the moist-snuff industry. The moist snuff market share increased 0.9 percentage points year over year to 32.2% in the quarter. Grizzly brand volumes grew 7.8% while market share expanded 1.2 percentage points to 28.8% benefiting from the company's investment in brand building programs. Grizzly is the best selling moist snuff brand in the U.S. Adjusted operating income increased 11.4% to $100 million, driven by volume and market share gains for the popular Grizzly brand.

Adjusted operating margin increased 2.4 percentage points year over year to 57.4%. Profit margins on moist snuff products are generally higher than on cigarette products. Santa Fe: This segment comprises operations of Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reynolds American and manufactures Natural American Spirit cigarettes and other additive-free tobacco products. Segment revenue increased 14.7% to $125 million in the third quarter. Volumes increased 13.9% in the segment. Natural American Spirit's market share expanded 0.2 percentage points to 1.2%. Read more: http://community.nasdaq.com/News/2012-10/reynolds-3q-eps-in-line-sales-lag-analyst-blog.aspx?storyid=183864#ixzz2AP8an9Hk

Sutton shopkeeper fined £300 after selling cigarettes to teenage boy

A Sutton shopkeeper has been fined £300 for selling cigarettes to a 15-year-old boy under in July. Nottinghamshire County Council’s Trading Standards carried out a test purchasing operation at the Ashfield Store on Stoney Street, which involved a young volunteer. Tak Kin Lai (49), of the same address, allowed the volunteer to buy a packet of cigarettes without identification. He pleaded guilty to the offence at Mansfield Magistrates Court on Wednesday (24th October). It is against the law for a shop to sell cigarettes and alcohol to anyone under the age of 18.

Shops are encouraged to refuse to sell to people who they believe to be under 18 and who cannot provide photo identification, such as a driving license, passport or Proof of Age Standards Scheme approved card. Retailers are urged to always ask for identification if there is even the slightest doubt about the age of a customer. Trading Standards promotes the use of Challenge 25 schemes for all retailers which allow them to easily check proof of age and they can help shops to set up systems designed to prevent underage sales.

Members of the public are being encouraged to report any retailers they know are selling cigarettes, alcohol or other age restricted products to under-18s. Coun Mick Murphy, chairman of Nottinghamshire County Council’s community safety committee, said, “There is an 18 years-of-age restriction that applies to the sale of tobacco so the shopkeeper should have flatly refused to serve the 15-year-old boy involved in this exercise. “We need to protect young people from the health risks associated with smoking so it was reckless of the shopkeeper to sell cigarettes to someone under 18.”

Government Urged To Pass Tobacco Control Bill

The Programme Director of Vision for Alternative Development, a non-government organisation has noted that the passage of the Tobacco Control Bill is the effective means of preventing the marketing and usage of the product. Mr Labram Musah Massawudu said to minimise the social cost of tobacco use, government must eliminate the activities of the tobacco industry through the passing of the Bill to reduce lung, oral and neck cancers, heart diseases and poverty among smokers.

Mr Massawudu made the observation in an address at a day’s journalists’ briefing and education on tobacco industry interferences, threats to public health and World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) last Monday in Accra. He commended the Ministry of Health for showing enthusiasm and commitment in the fight against the tobacco industry by taking steps in implementing the FCTC through the directives of the ministry while the Tobacco Control Bill passes through the due processes.

Mr Massawudu said Ghanaians stand to gain in poverty reduction and health improvement if government domesticates the FCTC through the Public Health Bill which was passed by Parliament on July 11, this year and awaiting presidential assent. In November 29, 2004 Ghana became the 39th country to ratify the FCTC to “adopt and implement effective legislative, executive, administrative and/or other measures and cooperate, as appropriate, with other parties in developing appropriate policies for preventing and reducing tobacco consumption, nicotine addiction and exposure to tobacco smoke”.

Mr Massawudu said the tobacco industry has filed lawsuits challenging various public health measures in a number of countries in a clear attempt to undermine the pursuit of effective policies. The Programme Director said the tobacco industry is expanding its war against public health, beyond national courts and into the international arena and therefore governments must understand these new threats, and stand together to defend their sovereignty.

“As tobacco control takes hold, the industry continues to adjust its bullying tactics so that it can advance its ultimate aim, to hook a future generation of smokers. “After attacking public health policies in national courts and via bilateral agreements, they are now enticing governments into doing their dirty work at the World Trade Organisation,” Mr Massawudu said.

He said the effective means of minimising tobacco use is to eliminate the activities of the tobacco industry by imposing tax increment on tobacco products, introduction of pictorial health warnings on packs and comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship. According to the WHO, tobacco smoking related deaths worldwide has increased from five million in 2005 to 8.5 million this year while the global cigarette market has also expanded by 23 per cent in 2012 reaching 464.4 billion dollars. Some of the topics discussed were tobacco industry efforts to undermine Public Health and industry combining revenues to infiltrate and undermine treaty’s success and intimidation through lawsuits by tobacco companies. Mr Massawudu asked the media to show interest and create awareness on key provisions of the Public Health Bill especially on the tobacco control measures.

Smoking ups death risk in stroke survivors

Those who quit smoking before their stroke also had less risk of poorer outcomes than current smokers, researchers found. Researchers in Melbourne, Australia, tracked 1,589 patients who experienced a first or recurrent stroke in 1996-99. They followed them for 10 years, using medical records and in-person and telephone interviews, and tracked demographics, deaths, recurrent strokes and heart attacks.

They found that compared to those who never smoked, those who smoked when they had a stroke were 30 per cent more likely to have a poor outcome. Among those who survived the first 28 days after stroke, current smokers had a 42 per cent higher risk of poorer outcomes. Ex-smokers had an 18 per cent higher risk of poorer outcomes.

"This research provides fresh incentive to quit smoking now or never start because it shows smokers fare far worse after strokes than non-smokers," said Amanda Thrift, Ph.D., the study's lead researcher and professor of epidemiology for the Department of Medicine in the Southern Clinical School at Monash University in Clayton, Victoria, Australia. In the study, those living in disadvantaged areas were much more likely to smoke, with 52 per cent of current smokers belonging to the most disadvantaged group, compared to 31 per cent of those who never smoked. The results were published in the American Heart Association's journal Stroke.

Voltaggio to Provide 'Small Plates' to Cigar Lounge

Fan's of celebrity chef Bryan Voltaggio's cooking soon will have two places to go in Chevy Chase to sample his creations: Range and Civil Lounge—scheduled to open later this fall or this winter at the Chevy Chase Pavilion, which is undergoing a $32-million renovation. Range is slated to open in mid-November in a 14,000-square-foot space in the upscale shopping center, Patch reported earlier this year.

Next to Range will be Civil Lounge, a "105-seat lounge [that] will offer beer, wine and a large selection of spirits," in addition to cigars. And, once Range has been "...open and into its first few months, Civil will be opening its dining options and Range will be included in providing small plates for the menu," a representative for Voltaggio confirmed with Washingtonian.

The menu "could include a Cuban sandwich, salads, soups and charcuterie made at Range," Civil Lounge co-owner John Anderson told Washingtonian. The cigar lounge, which plans to be open by the new year, will have "130 lockers that cigar fans can rent on an annual basis," as well as "a special smoke removal system to keep clean air flowing in and smoke out," Washingtonian added.

Russian govt OKs bills banning public smoking, tobacco ads

Russia’s government has OKed a bill that would ban smoking in public and tobacco ads. The government on Thursday approved a landmark deal that would crack down on smoking in a country where 44 million people, or 40 percent of adults, light up.

The approval of the bill, which has yet to be discussed in parliament and signed by the president, follows a plea by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who on Tuesday called for a crackdown on tobacco companies “making money on children.”

Smoking rates have shot up in the past two decades, fueled by extremely low prices for cigarettes and largely uncontrolled advertising. Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

British American Tobacco in anti -deforestation drive

The project was a partnership between BAT and the Tobacco Research Board. A rocket barn is an
affordable, easy-to-build or retrofit tobacco barn that reduces wood consumption while improving the quality and quantity of produce, helping both smallholder farmers and the environment. “Afforestation is a focus area BAT/NT roll-out was on in 2008 and has been very successful. (BAT forecasts) 100% self-sufficiency in wood curing fuel will be attained by 2014,” BAT said.

This, according to the company, would entail the use of timber off-cuts sourced from commercial forests for supply to farmers for tobacco curing and other domestic uses. “In addition to planted woodlots, timber off-cuts are being sourced from commercial timber forests as a contingency measure.Rocket barns, proven to deliver up to 50% curing efficiency against the traditional conventional barns, are being rolled out to our contracted small-scale farmers.”

Meanwhile, BAT shareholders are next week expected to vote for or against a proposed indigenisation and empowerment plan that could result in the firm relinquishing 10% stake to an employee share ownership trust. Under the proposed plan, 26% of the company’s issued share capital would be held by indigenous Zimbabweans by October 28 2012. Shareholders would be expected to approve or disprove proposals carried in the circular at an extraordinary general meeting to be held on October 26.

Billings favors tobacco rule repeal

When the Mississippi Department of Corrections announced last December that it would go tobacco free at all buildings, grounds and prisons operated by the agency; they did so knowing that the process would be daunting. The movement, which was not initiated by the state legislature, came about as a cooperative effort between the Mississippi State Department of Health and the MDOC. "Implementing this tobacco-free policy within the MDOC system will help minimize illness and chronic disease in inmates, thereby reducing the need for the inmate population to seek medical treatment," said State Health Officer Dr. Mary Currier.

"Additionally, MDOC staff will have the advantage of improved working conditions and ultimately improved health. Overall, the state of Mississippi will benefit from decreased healthcare cost as a result of this policy." On Monday, Bolivar County Supervisor Preston Billings questioned the program. "I am getting quite a few letters and phone calls from inmates and their families," he said after the board accepted Warden James Moore's report. "We were in a meeting in Tupelo recently and I spoke with MDCO Commission Christopher Epps pertaining to the smoking situation."

Billings said that during that conversation he asked the commissioner whether or not there was an appeals process to the tobacco free rule that could be taken by the people of this state on behalf of the inmates. "He told me that there was no way that it was going to be appealed," Billings continued. "I told him then that I objected to the rule and he told me that as of now it would take an act of the legislature to overturn it." Billings went on to say that in spite of the comments made by Epps that he was still in favor of the inmates of the state of Mississippi having access to tobacco products. "Now I understand that no one on the grounds is allowed to have tobacco," said Billings.

"But, for the record, I want it to be known that I am in favor of the tobacco free rule being repealed." Other states, like California, have led the way in making their correction facilities tobacco free and in doing so, tobacco products have continued to climb to the top of the list of contraband being introduced into the systems. Moore told the board that since the MDOC's policy change went into effect, that they have confiscated a large amount of contraband. "As many of you are aware, we have had a couple of shakedowns over the past couple of weeks," said Moore.

"During these shakedowns we have successfully confiscated about 16 pounds of tobacco products and eight cell phones." Moore explained that some of these items were found outside of the facility while others were found on inmates' persons and around the yard. He also said that people who are trying to get the contraband into the facility are getting more creative. "Just the other night, I think Friday, someone threw a basketball full of tobacco, cell phones and other contraband," he said. He then said that at some time in the future that he would approach the board of financial support in possibly building another perimeter fence to thwart future efforts of introducing contraband.

Moore said that while it was a learning process that he felt that the entire facility staff was doing a great job of enforcing the policy and keeping the contraband of the facility grounds. The Mississippi Department of Health said that cessations programs are being made available to facility employees and the inmates in custody. "MSDH and the Mississippi Tobacco Quitline are providing tobacco cessation information to MDOC staff on the effects of tobacco use and the benefits of being tobacco-free," said Currier.

"MSDH is also collaborating with the ACT Center for Tobacco Education, Treatment and Research to develop a treatment program tailored for the inmate population. This treatment program will enable healthcare providers at the MDOC to provide tobacco cessation treatment for inmates needing assistance with quitting." Read more: The Bolivar Commercial - Billings favors tobacco rule repeal

Big tobacco tricks with treats

Mint, cherry, melon, chocolate and grape are the candy flavors many Wisconsin youth will get while trick-or-treating this year. They are also the same flavors used by tobacco companies to fool teens like me into using tobacco. When I found out they were trying to manipulate me and my friends into using tobacco products with their “delicious” flavors, it sounded more “manipulicious” than delicious. Manipulicious is the name of our FACT (Fighting Against Corporate Tobacco) group’s latest activism campaign.

FACT was created for and by Wisconsin teens and allows us use our voices and fight back against the tobacco companies. Our Northwestern High School FACT group is doing all we can to spread the word that underneath the colorful wrapping of chewing tobacco, little cigars and other tobacco products you’ll find many of the same old poisonous, cancer causing chemicals as cigarettes. As teens, we are sick of being targets of the tobacco companies and are committed to take a stand and fight with FACT.

Lower crop, quality boost Karnataka tobacco prices

Tobacco prices for bright grade are holding around Rs 140 a kg at majority of the auction platforms in Karnataka. “As the auction enters the 15th day in the State, prices are steady and ruling high due to improvement in quality of the crop this year,” K.N. Vishakantaiah, Tobacco Board Regional Manager, told Business Line.

Prices are ruling 15 per cent higher than last year and about 30 buyers/platform are active. So far, the Tobacco Board has marketed 7,564 bales at an average price of 120.53 a kg. According to B.V. Javare Gowda, President, Karnataka Tobacco Growers Association, prices are better than last year due to lower crop. But growers’ expectation is not matching the current market price as all farm inputs have become dearer.

 The Tobacco Board is planning to conduct mock e-auction in few platforms in Karnataka on October 19. The Board Chairman is visiting the tobacco-growing region in the State during October 18-19 to interact with the growers and to participate in the mock drill.

RIVERSTONE HEALTH IS TOBACCO FREE

RiverStone Health went tobacco-free Monday, making it the 48th medical or healthcare organization in Montana to implement the policy. The new policy applies to anyone on its campus and prohibits the use of all tobacco products. Riverstone's health board adopted the plan from the organization's leadership training program that was asked to develop an idea that would make a difference in the community.

Linda Turner, who works in RiverStone Health's environmental services, is a member of the program. "We want everyone to be able to breathe fresh, clean air and not have anybody... especially because we have WIC here and the clinic, so there's children and stuff and everybody deserves to breathe clean air."

According to RiverStone Health, about 175 Montanans die from secondhand smoke each year. Turner says the new policy follows the mission of RiverStone Health: to improve life, health and safety. Employees say they will enforce the policy through education.

Two arrested in Kent for cigarette smuggling

Legal cigarettes you can buy from this site: camel, marlboro, pall mall, vogue. 

Agents for the Comptroller's Field Enforcement Division and deputies from the Kent County Sheriff's Office reportedly seized 7,000 packs of contraband cigarettes and arrested two alleged smugglers Sept. 21. According to a news release from the comptroller's office, Robert Wierzbinski, 36, and Angelica Wierzbinski, 37, both of Flushing, N.Y., were charged with one count each of transporting unstamped cigarettes and possession of contraband cigarettes.

The comptroller's office said the Wierzbinkis were arrested during a traffic stop on U.S. Route 301 in Kent County. The pair reportedly possessed $42,000 worth of contraband cigarettes. According to court documents on the Maryland Judiciary website, Robert and Angelica Wierzbinski were both released Sept. 22 after each posted $35,000 bail. “I'd like to thank Corporal Harry Kettner and Sheriff John F. Price of the Kent County Sheriff's Office for helping my agents continue the fight against cigarette smuggling in Maryland,” said Comptroller Peter Franchot in a statement.

“As soon as Corporal Kettner realized this wasn't a routine traffic stop, his office contacted my agency's Field Enforcement Division and agents were immediately dispatched to assist with the investigation.” The current laws make transportation of unstamped cigarettes in the state a felony carrying a maximum $50 per carton fine and up to two years imprisonment. Possession of contraband cigarettes is classified as a misdemeanor, with a maximum fine of $1,000 and no more than one year in jail.

“Every smuggler caught is one more opportunity to crack down on illegal activity and I applaud the agencies involved for helping to aggressively uphold and enforce Maryland's tax laws,” Franchot said. The comptroller is supporter of harsher penalties and stiffer fines for charges of transporting unstamped cigarettes and possession of contraband cigarettes. “The current penalties for cigarette smuggling aren't strong enough to deter people from continually trying to transport cigarettes illegally. Many times, my agency has found those who are arrested are repeat offenders, and that is unforgivable” Franchot said.

Marin County city considers tough smoking ban

Ardian Totolaku, an unemployed restaurant worker, believes in his God-given right to smoke cigarettes. He likes to smoke while he is hanging out on the streets of downtown San Rafael and in the comfort of his three-bedroom condo on a tree-lined street not far from Highway 101. Soon, however, the 44-year-old Albanian immigrant might be prohibited from smoking in either place. The San Rafael City Council will decide today whether to ban smoking in more than 40 percent of the city’s private residences or while sitting or standing on any sidewalk downtown.

“It's not right,” Totolaku said as he lingered outside the Fourth Street Starbucks on a recent afternoon. He took a last drag from his cigarette and added: “The government is going too far. Humans die because the Lord decides when it is time to go, not because of smoking.” But the City Council is not waiting for divine intervention. The proposed ordinance would prohibit smoking tobacco or marijuana in any multi-family residential unit, condominium or apartment – more than 10,000 of the city’s 24,000 dwellings.

 In addition to the downtown ban, the measure would restrict smoking near any business or multi-family residence. It also would prohibit smoking at public events, playgrounds and outdoor dining areas. The proposed ban, one of the toughest in the state, is similar to restrictions adopted by Sonoma County and the cities of Belmont and Richmond. Supporters of the San Rafael measure say it would protect bystanders from the health hazards associated with secondhand smoke, a known carcinogen that can seep through ventilation ducts, doorways and open windows in residential units with shared walls.

 “The person that is being subjected to the smokers’ behavior has rights as well,” said Mayor Gary Phillips, a supporter of the measure. “Particularly when you take into account the health factors, we feel it is best to weigh in on the side of the person who is being subjected to the smoke.” San Rafael, in eastern Marin County roughly 15 miles north of San Francisco, is one of California’s wealthier cities, with a median household income of $71,339, according to its website. San Rafael is a commuter city in the heart of Marin County that is home to more than 57,000 people. A statewide survey released in 2009 showed that only 7.5 percent of Marin County residents smoked, the lowest rate in the state.

 If passed, the ban would require a final vote Oct. 15 before going into effect in mid-November. The ordinance would apply to all tobacco, marijuana and hookah smokers – even users of medical marijuana who have a doctor’s prescription. Violators could face fines ranging from $100 to $500, depending on the number of times they have been cited. The proposal has set the stage for a fierce fight over how far the government should go in regulating people’s private lives. City officials say they have received roughly 30 emails and calls from residents who say the ban would leave smokers with few places to go.

 Smokers in downtown San Rafael last week said the government should butt out. Standing on a curb in San Rafael, Chris Gatty, a human resources manager from Fairfax, complained between puffs on his cigarette that the government is unfairly targeting smokers who stand still – walking while smoking still would be permitted. “While we're at it, cleaning up the streets, we should get rid of the homeless, too,” said Gatty, 42, gesturing toward a group of disheveled men on a busy corner. “Smokers are being unfairly targeted by the government.

If I lived here in a condo, I’d move.” But Jennifer Harper – Gatty’s friend and a nonsmoker – said she was “all for the police state.” Harper said she had tried unsuccessfully to persuade Gatty to quit smoking. And as a hairdresser working downtown, Harper said she had to close the door of the salon from time to time to keep secondhand smoke at bay. “I'm all for it,” Harper said of the ban. As he took a cigarette break on the sidewalk, Ben Arlington, a San Francisco resident who runs ticketing operations for concerts, wondered where he would smoke if the ban were approved. “I suppose I would stand in the street,” said Arlington, 34, gazing at the traffic. “I think that would be problematic for me, though. I value my limbs.”

Wednesday Sector Leaders: Cigarettes & Tobacco, Education & Training Services

www.freetobacco.info - free tobacco blog with fresh articles.

In trading on Wednesday, cigarettes & tobacco shares were relative leaders, up on the day by about 1.3%. Leading the group were shares of Star Scientific (STSI), up about 6.7% and shares of Alliance One International (AOI) up about 1.2% on the day.

Also showing relative strength are education & training services shares, up on the day by about 0.7% as a group, led by New Oriental Education & Technology (EDU), trading higher by about 4.4% and Career Education (CECO), trading higher by about 3.8% on Wednesday.

Marijuana now legal for medical use in Connecticut

Connecticut on Monday became the 17th state to legalize marijuana for medical use, but patients with any of the 11 conditions allowed to use it under the new law won't get state-sanctioned access to the drug for at least several more months. William Rubenstein, commissioner of the state Department of Consumer Protection, said Monday that a system for supply and distribution won't be set up until sometime next year. "It's an enormously complicated task," he said.

"The law was signed May 31, and we're still doing our due diligence to make sure we have a system to supply a safe product that's free from theft and diversion and abuse." In setting up the system for Connecticut, he said, the department is taking lessons from the other states with medical marijuana laws about what works and what doesn't. "No one wants us to be like California," he said, referring to what many consider a poorly regulated distribution system there that makes the drug too easily available and subject to abuse. A full set of regulations for Connecticut's supply and distribution system will be prepared for consideration by the state Legislature's Regulations Review Committee by July, Rubenstein said.

The public will have a chance to comment on proposed regulations at a public hearing before then. "Connecticut's law has been called the most restrictive in the country, but I prefer to call it the best designed," he said. Under the law, patients with AIDS, glaucoma, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and six other conditions will be able to access a one-month supply provided they meet a set of conditions designed to keep tight controls on the product. Their doctor must first register the patient with Consumer Protection, certifying that they have been diagnosed with one of the illnesses and that they would benefit from using medical marijuana, and then the patient must complete the registration with a photo, identification and other information. Use of medical marijuana is prohibited in vehicles, workplaces, schools, dormitories and all public places, and in the presence of anyone under age 18.

Rubenstein said a temporary registration system for doctors and patients has been set up on Consumer Protection's website. Anyone on the temporary list would be allowed to possess marijuana they obtain on their own while the department establishes the official supply and distribution system, he said. He advised anyone with one of the 11 conditions who believes they would benefit from using medical marijuana to see their doctor. "They should make an appointment with their physician to discuss the appropriateness of medical marijuana for their situation," he said. Under the law, all marijuana sold for medical purposes must be grown in Connecticut in indoor, secure facilities, and only 10 producers will licensed.

A network of standalone pharmacists will distribute the marijuana, which would be available in the commonly known smokable form, as well as in forms that many consider more suitable for medical uses. These can include products that can be inhaled in a vaporizer, edible products and tinctures that can be applied under the tongue or other ways, Rubenstein said. Department staff, he said, are talking to pharmacists and representatives of the medical marijuana industry about how best to create a supply and distribution system in Connecticut. Matt Simon, legislative analyst for the Marijuana Policy Project, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group, said it is unclear whether Connecticut's highly restrictive law will be workable.

"Connecticut is trying to make sure the dispensing operations are done in a professional manner, but it remains to be seen whether it will be too onerous," he said. The biggest challenge, he said, may be in attracting producers. Maine, he said, provides one example of a state that appears to have successfully set up a workable system of eight dispensaries that are run "like a health care facility," Simon said. Carol Jones, director of medical case management at the Alliance for Living, which serves those with AIDS and HIV in New London County, said the organization is hopeful that state officials will keep the needs of patients in mind as they write the regulations. "We at Alliance for Living certainly hope that all of our clients have access to any medication that is approved to treat their disease or side effects of the disease," she said. "Now that medical marijuana is legal, should our clients need that we certainly are in favor of them having access to whatever medication they may need."

Medical marijuana ordinance to get final Los Angeles City Council vote Tuesday

The Los Angeles City Council will decide Tuesday whether to repeal its ban on storefront medical marijuana dispensaries or to have voters decide whether to squash the law or let it survive. The City Council in July banned all storefront medical marijuana dispensaries, but allowed patients and licensed caregivers to grow their own cannabis. The so-called "gentle ban" ordinance also allowed three or fewer parties to collectively grow pot.

Estimates by the city put the number of dispensaries in the city at close to 1,000. Medical cannabis supporters bashed the law, saying high-quality marijuana is difficult to grow and the gentle ban would deny cancer, AIDS and other chronically ill patients one of the only medicines that provides relief from painful medical treatments. The Committee to Protect Patients and Neighborhoods, a coalition of medical marijuana advocacy groups -- Americans for Safe Access, the Greater Los Angeles Collective Alliance and the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 770 -- gathered 49,021 signatures to ask voters to overturn the law.

The tally was well over the 27,425 signatures needed to qualify the measure, and the referendum was certified by the City Clerk last month. "We have always been seeking a fair compromise to resolve this complicated issue," said Rick Icaza, president of UFCW Local 770, which represents about 500 workers at 50 marijuana dispensaries. "We would like to see a law that regulates and restricts medical cannabis dispensaries, but preserves safe access for patients, and good union jobs for dispensary employees." Councilman Jose Huizar said "storefront medical marijuana dispensaries are not contemplated under state law and are therefore illegal" and "nothing the City Council will do tomorrow or in the future will change that." "At this point, I'm more concerned with enforcement on illegal, for-profit dispensaries, which the federal government is currently engaged in," Huizar said. "While I support the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, the state needs to create a better way of providing access for seriously ill patients while removing the scores of profiteers and recreational users who currently dominate the market."

The clerk's verification of the signatures forced three options in front of the council. The panel must decide whether to repeal the ordinance, as favored by the petitioners, put the referendum on the March 5 citywide election ballot, or call for a special election. A special election would cost taxpayers an estimated $4 million, according to the city clerk, and is likely to be the unpopular option. Also Tuesday, the council will vote on a resolution sponsored by City Council President Herb Wesson that asks state lawmakers to fix state law to give municipalities clear guidelines on how to regulate the distribution of medical marijuana. The existing law "fails to respond to fundamental issues and ... has been inappropriately used as a legal shield to stymie local governments from solving many resulting problems," according to Wesson's measure. Council members are expected to discuss options to replace the gentle ban if they decide not to repeal the ordinance, but voters do.

Tobacco tax spending debated in Colorado

Colorado's health department is coming under scrutiny from a western Colorado lawmaker who says the agency is wrongly using tobacco tax money for lobbying efforts. Health officials reply that lobbying local governments to pass anti-tobacco policies not covered by the state's no-smoking ban is an appropriate use of the money.

Republican Sen. Steve King says he may propose a bill to ban tobacco taxes to be used on lobbying. The (Grand Junction) Sentinel reports that the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has been spending about $3.5 million a year promoting local anti-tobacco policies. The practice was reviewed by a legislative audit. Auditors concluded that the law wasn't clear on whether the tobacco tax could be used to lobby for policy initiatives.

The smoking ban that wasn't

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Although it really was not my issue, the St. Charles County Council decided it for me. For those not keeping up at home, this year’s perpetual attempt toward a countywide smoking ban in indoor public places was haphazardly written, causing a second opt-out question to also go on the ballot to exempt bars, casinos and some other establishments. Then it appears the council did not follow the correct procedures in putting the ban on the ballot, causing county Elections Director Rich Chrismer to remove the issue from the ballot altogether.

I have to say I don’t understand the continued push toward enacting a smoking ban on privately owned businesses, especially from a mostly Republican council that should favor less regulation. All businesses cater to a clientele, and they know their customers. For those people who go into businesses such as restaurants, bars and Ameristar Casino for lengthy periods and want to have the opportunity to have a smoke, I don’t begrudge the owner of the establishment for allowing them.

It should be the owner who has every right to determine whether to allow patrons to smoke in their business. Tobacco is a legal product, whether some like that fact or not. I have been in several restaurants in the St. Charles area that have become smoke-free, and they don’t seem to have a problem with their patrons who want to smoke. They just have to go outside. While this policy seems to work for those businesses, the important thing to remember is it was their choice, not something thrust upon them by the government.

If there must be a crackdown on smoking in public places, I believe there is a simpler solution than an outright ban. Just as with mercury, lead, carbon monoxide and other items that have been labeled as poisonous, there is a certain level of exposure that can be considered not to be threatening. Bars, restaurants, VFWs, casinos, etc., can, through the use of air filtration products, create an atmosphere in which their patrons are better protected from tobacco smoke.

The county could come up with what level is reasonably acceptable, and I think most businesses would make their best effort to provide that level, especially as opposed to banning smoking altogether. There could be answers in Jefferson City. State Rep. Mark Parkinson of Harvester has proposed that no community that bans smoking can benefit from the sales tax on tobacco products sold within their boundaries. There could also be an outright ban statewide. Or the state could pre-empt all local tobacco ordinances, thus throwing them all out in favor of state laws.

 Unfortunately, County Council members seems to think they have to continue trying to put together a smoking ban package that can appease everybody. They don’t seem to realize that won’t happen. What bothers me even more is that they seem to favor putting this up for a popular vote. The best public policy doesn’t always come from a popular vote, which is why we are a republic, not a democracy. The council should make a decision and vote to create the policy of St. Charles County rather than punting the issue to the voters while they duck and cover. I expect them to do their job when it comes to these issues.

Thank you for not smoking?

Puffing a cigarette on the Animas River Trail or at a restaurant and bar patio could soon be punishable by up to a $100 fine for a first-time offense and fines of $200 to $300 for additional violations within the same year. Durango City Council on Oct. 2 will schedule a public hearing for a proposed smoking ordinance that would prohibit smoking at most public outdoor areas such as bus stops, the river trail, ball fields, playgrounds, picnic pavilions and other city recreation areas. It also would restrict smoking at enclosed and open-air patios of businesses and any hookah bar where water pipes are smoked. 

The city manager would also be given additional authority to impose further smoking restrictions on any city-owned property. City Manager Ron LeBlanc promised not “to go crazy” under the proposed ordinance advocated by the anti-smoking group Lasso Tobacco Coalition, and the San Juan Basin Health Department, but Councilor Paul Broderick thought the proposal was “harsh,” especially for unaware tourists and out-of-towners. 

“Welcome to Durango, here’s a $100 fine,” Broderick said at a study session on Tuesday. Councilor Sweetie Marbury supported the proposal, arguing that it was good to have standards. “It speaks highly of our community,” she said. “Reasonable people will abide by the law. It’s an OK thing to have standards,” she said, noting that Texas imposes $1,000 fines for littering on the highway. Patricia Senecal, the health policy and systems director for the San Juan Basin Health Department, said young people have been very supportive of banning smoking at restaurant patios because they want to eat “without somebody blowing smoke” in their face. 

Senecal also argued that workers, such as servers and bartenders, need to be protected from secondhand smoke, too. Teal Stetson-Lee from the Lasso Tobacco Coalition said their objective was not to trample on the rights of smokers, but to go after the tobacco industry. Revenue generated by the fines would be earmarked for anti-smoking and cessation efforts because Senecal said the health departments gets many calls from smokers who want help quitting the habit.

LeBlanc clarified that enforcement will be on a complaint basis only. “We won’t have a smoking patrol,” he said. Officials also acknowledged that teenage smoking is prevalent on the section of the Animas River Trail behind the Durango High School. The ban will be supported with signs, including a playground sign that reads: “Young lungs at play.” 

Marbury said the public signs would be helpful in confronting a smoker in a public space. Without the sign, “I’m just a grouchy grandmother,” she said. Exceptions to the ban would be made for private homes, entranceways for treatment centers of nicotine addiction, retail tobacco businesses and city-owned open spaces and natural lands such as Horse Gulch.

Sales catch fire as pot shops go up in smoke

The medical marijuana dispensaries are gone, and there's a mixed reaction from nearby businesses on what changes they've seen. The dispensaries were forced to shut down in most areas of Kern County in early July. After hearing from one store owner who said it's been positive for her shop, Eyewitness News checked with other nearby businesses. "I've seen growth not only in merchandise, but growth in customers, as well," Juanita Bradshaw said Tuesday. She owns Fashion Plus Size on North Chester Avenue.

Two doors down there was a marijuana dispensary until voters passed Measure G. Bradshaw said since that happened, she's had to find more places to put additional merchandise. But can she be sure the uptick in business is because the medical marijuana shop is gone? "I don't know for a fact that that's it," Bradshaw said, "but I've certainly seen my business grow." The new county rule bans storefront medical marijuana dispensaries, except in certain industrial zones. In those areas, any dispensaries must be a mile apart, and a mile from any school, daycare center, park or church. At Apple Tree Health Foods on North Chester, owner Carl Neal is also pleased with changes he's seen after the ordinance went into effect.

 "There are fewer people milling around," Neal told Eyewitness News. "I've had people comment, tell me that they're glad they are gone." A few other store owners who didn't want to be identified said they see fewer groups of people loitering and fewer instances of obvious smoking of marijuana or what appeared to be people on the sidewalk or street selling or sharing marijuana. These store owners also said there are fewer parking and traffic problems, and less trash and litter. But, other stores say the absence of the medical marijuana facilities has made no difference on their business, and some say they never had any problems with the dispensaries or their customers. However at Apple Tree Health Foods, Neal said there were negative impacts.

 "I remember one day, we actually had somebody under the influence of drugs fell and hit his head on the front door," Neal said. He's sure his customers were uncomfortable with the presence of the dispensaries. "They didn't like it," Neal said. "I'm sure some of them, although they didn't say it, were intimidated." Bradshaw said the dispensary near her shop caused trouble for both herself and her customers. She had real problems with the first man who operated the facility. "He would sit out in his truck, the back of his truck, in front of my store and cuss me," Bradshaw said.

"Cuss my customers, and just cause havoc." But several other store-owners in the area said they had no problems with dispensaries near them, and wondered if there were big differences in the way some were operated. One store owner said the dispensary near his business was well-run, the the managers made a clear effort to clean up any trash and prevent problems like loitering.

 Eyewitness News tried to contact some of the operators who ran dispensaries in county areas before Measure G. Of the five we tried to reach, the two who responded said they think dispensaries actually brought in customers and business to nearby stores and shops. But Bradshaw is convinced she's getting more business, and more customers now that the marijuana facility is gone. "They feel more comfortable and confident in stopping here," Bradshaw said. "Now that (the dispensaries) are gone, it's very nice and it's very pleasant."

Pacific Islanders Have High Obesity and Smoking Rates

“Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are the second fastest growing minority population in the U.S.,” said Sela Panapasa, a researcher at the U-M Institute for Social Research and principal investigator of the Pacific Islander Health Study.

“But they are often underrepresented in national surveys. “This is the first scientific study to assess the health, well-being and health care use of two subgroups of this important population — Samoans and Tongans. Our hope is that this will lead to the development of evidence-based interventions and policies to improve the health of these groups, and also serve as a model for similar studies of other subgroups of this population.” For the study, the research team interviewed a random sample of 239 California households in 2011 and 2012.

Half were Tongans living in the San Mateo area and half were Samoans living in the Los Angeles area. Trained Samoan and Tongan interviewers collected information on a wide range of health conditions and health behaviors among adults and adolescents in the households. Among the key preliminary findings:

 • Smoking rates among Pacific Islanders were three to four times higher than for other Californians, and more than twice as high as in the U.S. overall. About 46 percent of Pacific Islander adults said they were current smokers, compared to 13 percent of all California adults and 20 percent of U.S. adults. Among Pacific Islander adolescents, 23 percent said they had tried smoking cigarettes, compared to just 3.5 percent of California teens.

 • More than half of Pacific Islander adolescents were overweight or obese based on their body mass index. More than 80 percent of Pacific Islander adults had a BMI that indicated they were overweight or obese.

 • Pacific Islander adults were much less likely than other adults to see a dentist (47 percent, compared to 86 percent of all Californians), and Pacific Islander women were less likely to have ever gotten a mammogram (53 percent, compared to 73 percent of Californians).

• Pacific Islander adults age 50 and older were much less likely to have ever had a colonoscopy (31 percent, compared to 78 percent of Californians). Only 24 percent of Pacific Islander women ever had a colonoscopy, compared to 79 percent of California women.

 • Pacific Islander teens were much more likely than other adolescents to engage in risky behaviors such as drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana. For example, nearly 47 percent of Tongan teens surveyed admitted to trying alcohol, compared to 36 percent of California teens overall. And 25 percent of Pacific Islander teens had tried any drug, compared to just 14 percent of California teens overall.

Regulate marijuana to improve public safety

Prohibition of marijuana doesn't benefit those prosecuted nor make the larger community any safer. It makes the community less safe by ensuring police and courts have less time to deal with real crimes like murder, rape and theft. We have seen that cuts to public safety budgets endanger both civilians and public safety professionals. Amendment 64, the measure to regulate marijuana like alcohol on November's ballot, would counteract these reductions, allow police to focus attention where it's most needed and stop ruining people's lives for consensual "crimes."

That is why we and many other law enforcement officers urge you to vote yes on Amendment 64. Essential public services are like air. You only notice when you need them and they're not there. In 2010, the budget situation in Colorado Springs got so bad that the city slashed bus services, stopped maintaining its parks and reduced its public safety budget by 8 percent. The 39 firefighters that got laid off were badly needed this June, when despite heroic efforts by their colleagues, the Waldo Canyon wildfire killed two, destroyed 350 homes and burned more than 18,000 acres of land.

There's no telling how much difference having the extra firefighters would have made, but to some of the families who lost their homes, their extra effort may have made all the difference in the world. The wildfire was a terrible tragedy that should not be underestimated. But it's a worst-case scenario version of tragedies that occur every day when governments are forced to make cuts to essential services. The police force was also reduced in Colorado Springs in 2010 — they now have 50 fewer employees.

That means more officers going into potentially dangerous situations alone, longer response times for calls and more violent criminals on the streets. People die because of all of these things, too, though they make for a less dramatic news story. But the news isn't all bad in Colorado Springs. Two years after those budget cuts, many services have been restored. The buses are running on Saturdays and the parks are being watered again — largely because of a new revenue source that brings the city $50,000 a month: taxes on medical marijuana.

Amendment 64, on the ballot this November, would do for the state of Colorado what medical marijuana has done for Colorado Springs on a much grander scale. In addition to saving money spent now on arresting people for marijuana, the Colorado Center for Law and Policy estimates the measure would generate new revenue to the tune of $32 million a year for the state and $14 million for local governments, including $24 million that would go directly to schools. That $24 million will help kids more than prohibiting marijuana ever did. Criminal markets aren't as choosy about their customers as those regulated by the government, and many studies suggest regulation would make it less likely that those under 21 could get access to marijuana.

But the measure helps communities in another way, too. One hundred million Americans have tried marijuana. Most of them got away with it. They went through an experimental phase, tried marijuana and then moved on with their lives. But for those convicted of marijuana crimes, many can't grow out of it. They have an arrest record that will follow them for the rest of their lives, affecting their ability to get jobs, pay for school and buy homes.

What about those people? Some of us may overlook them, because those who get caught up in the criminal justice system tend to be in groups that get overlooked — people of color, the poor. But we've seen it happen more times than we care to recall. Half of Americans between the ages of 18 and 50 have used marijuana and could have been among them. This November, think about them when you go into the voting booth. Think about your local fire department or the neighborhood park. There are lots of reasons to vote for Amendment 64. Take it from three law enforcers who have seen the harms and ineffectiveness of our current marijuana prohibition laws up close. It's time for change.

Change to marijuana law moves closer

It looks like B.C.'s municipal leaders will boldly go where most senior governments fear to tread, when it comes to getting real about marijuana. Delegates at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in Victoria are expected to vote today on a resolution endorsing the decriminalization of marijuana. It will be surprising if it doesn't pass fairly easily. The resolution is the latest move in a well-thought-out campaign that's been carefully executed over the last while. It's based on opening a second front for the decriminalization movement, which has been mostly in the hands of the zealots for years.

The true believers in pot, like former NDP leadership candidate Dana Larsen, are still hammering away. Just last week they unveiled plans to start an initiative drive to collect 400,000 signatures to force a referendum on setting a new provincial policy that would effectively legalize simple possession. But last fall a new and different campaign began. It's based on bringing in respected mainstream community leaders to validate two general themes. The first is that the status quo isn't working. The second is that decriminalization would be a common sense response to the absurdities that the current laws on marijuana continue to create.

The campaign is organized and directed by a group called Stop the Violence B.C., an organization with a long list of members with impeccable credentials in health policy, law enforcement and the political sphere. They opened with a poll establishing that British Columbians by a fairly wide margin don't support the status quo laws on marijuana, and most think it should be regulated and taxed. Working with a public-relations firm, the group has built momentum since then to bring policy in line with those findings and to cajole politicians into coming onside.

They organized the appearance last November of four former Vancouver mayors to endorse the movement. Sen. Larry Campbell, Mike Harcourt, Sam Sullivan and Philip Owen went public and signed an open letter stressing the gang-related violence that stems from marijuana prohibition. It also challenged current politicians to consider the alternative - to legalize and regulate the plant, to eliminate the illicit market, increase tax revenue and eliminate some of the costs associated with processing people through the criminal courts on marijuana charges.

A few months later, they staged another round of validation, where four former attorneys general said effectively the same thing. That was followed up in April by another open call for regulation and taxation, this time by a coalition of municipal leaders. Various mayors from all over B.C. endorsed Stop the Violence B.C.'s goal. There had been an earlier round of resolutions passed by municipal councils saying the same thing. So although delegates have never tackled the issue before, they are not being hit with it cold. A lot of groundwork has been done. The resolution - to decriminalize and study the regulation and taxation of pot - also has a prime spot on the agenda, and is favourably framed by the committee that checks the motions.

It was preceded by a panel discussion on the pros and cons of decriminalization. Even though it was staged early Monday, before many delegates had arrived, the room was jammed to capacity. It's a subjective call, but it seemed like the decriminalization side easily carried the day. The leading opponent - criminologist Darryl Plecas - made an unfocused argument that descended into slapstick at one point ("Smoking marijuana is stupid and you become stupider"). He cited the harms associated with marijuana - impaired driving, lost opportunity costs - but acknowledged they affect a small share of the population. And none of his arguments defended the status quo, which is getting pretty indefensible.

Plecas also assured people the black market and gang violence would continue even if it was decriminalized, something that is emphatically disputed by others. Decriminalization advocate Geoff Plant said he was paralyzed as attorney general on the issue by all the arguments that U.S. authorities would react strongly if moves were made in B.C. But with various marijuana-initiative votes on the ballots in neighbouring states, he said B.C. may soon be playing catch-up if the issue isn't addressed. What he called the "multi-generational obsession with 'reefer madness' " still has a way to run. But it feels like the end to prohibition is closer than it used to be.

Smokeless Vapor Cigarettes Provide A Viable Alternative

In September 2012, the American Journal of Public Health included an article titled “E-Cigarette Awareness, Use, and Harm Perception in US Adults”. The online study cited in the article shows that awareness and use of e-cigarettes among current and former smokers is on the rise. Over 40 percent of those taking the survey at least knew about e-cigarettes, with current smokers being the most aware. Over 11 percent or current smokers, 2 percent of former smokers, and less than 1 percent of people who have never been a smoker say they are using e-cigarettes.

Of the total population that responded, just 3.4 percent currently use e-cigarettes. Current smokers, non-Hispanic Whites, and people with at least a high school diploma are most likely to recognize e-cigarettes as less harmful than tobacco cigarettes. E-cigarette companies are not interested in attracting people who have never been smokers. Instead, they hope to get more existing smokers and former smokers to use their products. With such low percentages of e-cigarette users within those populations, they have a long way to go.

E-cigarettes offer another option for people who want to quit smoking, or who want to find a less harmful alternative to tobacco products. Some smokers find that they are just unable to break the addiction to nicotine. Others enjoy the oral stimulation, and still others are concerned about potential weight gain. Nicotine quells the appetite, and often when a person quits smoking, they replace the habit by eating more. So e-cigarettes provide two advantages for those trying to quit smoking. The first is the prevention of intake of deadly chemicals, and the second is the circumvention of weight gain.

Often, when a person wants to quit smoking, the withdrawal symptoms can be overwhelming, and they continually backslide into smoking again. According to WebMD, these symptoms can include, but are not limited to, tobacco cravings, headache, irritability, difficulty concentrating, drowsiness, fatigue, and insomnia, nausea, constipation or diarrhea, falling heart rate and blood pressure, anxiety, depression, increased hunger, increased desire for the taste of sweets, and increased caloric intake. It’s easy to see why quitting smoking is an extremely difficult trial for almost all who attempt it. The use of an e-cigarette can help a person cope with all of these symptoms.

The levels of nicotine being consumed can be reduced over time, and eventually eliminated all together. There are many, many stories of people who have had great success using e-cigarettes. SmokeStik is one of the leading brands in the market today, and has been a market leader longer than most e-cigarette brands in existence. SmokeStik Coupon Code website, the leading e-cigarette news and discounts site offering the absolute best deals on smokestik brand e-cigarettes, has launched an awareness campaign on their new website smokestikcouponcode.net.

They hope to assist people in making the switch from smoking cigarettes to using e-cigarettes, and potentially save some lives. SmokeStik is offering incentives to switch through product promotion codes, and provides some impressive starter kits. SmokeStik has been a superior brand in the e-cigarette market for many years, and carries the endorsement of celebrities such as Audrina Patridge, Dennis Quaid, and Charlie Sheen. SmokeStik even made an appearance on the David Letterman show when Katherine Heigl talked about and shared her e-cig with David himself while promoting a new film. Smokers who want to make the switch now can enjoy 10% off on all SmokeStik Products, with no minimum order size. Click on the link below for discount codes on a large variety of starter kits.