Why even 'wowsers' argue about smoke bans

The state government's proposed raft of smoking restrictions is generating debate, even among anti-smoking campaigners. The ethical basis for restricting others' smoking rests on the 19th century philosopher John Stuart Mill, who famously wrote: "The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilised community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others … Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign.''
There is now a large body of evidence dating from the early 1970s that being exposed to others' tobacco smoke can cause serious disease. But this evidence is nearly all about chronic exposure over many years, experienced by the families of smokers and by workers such as airline crew and bar staff who got concentrated lungfuls of it every day. Their occupational health rights to a safe workplace were shredded by neo-Dickensian assumptions that they should just have to put up with it.
Children are particularly vulnerable, with the earliest studies showing increased respiratory problems in infants living in smoky homes. Acute exposure to cigarette smoke produces measurable but temporary bodily changes, and in some people with diseases such as cystic fibrosis, even short exposures can be very distressing and dangerous.

Smoking ban advocates try to ignite support with councillors

The manager of the local Canadian Cancer Society office is “very surprised and disappointed” several Lambton County councillors don’t support restricting smoking at outdoor public spaces.

A standing committee of county council voted against adopting a bylaw recently to ban lighting up within nine metres of municipal building entrances, public playgrounds, pools and play fields.

The committee’s decision is not in line with public opinion, said Helen Cole, manager of the Canadian Cancer Society in Lambton County.

Public meetings and surveys held by the county’s community health services department showed a favourable response to the proposed bylaw.

Of 300 people the department heard from, 70% favoured restricting smoking around entrances to municipal buildings.

“It demonstrates the public feels it’s time (for the bylaw) and I was just totally surprised by the standing committee’s decision,” Cole said.

County council will make its decision March 7. At that time, city/county coun. David Boushy will speak in favour of passing the bylaw.

For Boushy, the issue is close to his heart. An ill friend of his suffered, walking past smokers outside, when he regularly went to a community hall. The friend asked the health unit for help, but was told there was no bylaw in place. Four months later, the friend died.

“I’d be lying to you if I tell you he died from that (second-hand smoke) because I don’t know, but I can tell you for sure that didn’t help,” Boushy said.

A thousand non-smoking Canadians die annually from second-hand smoke, according to the Canadian Cancer Society.

Officials said smoke levels within a half-metre of a lit cigarette outdoors are comparable to indoor smoking levels.

Cole said the bylaw would help motivate smokers to quit because it would make smoking less convenient.

It would also make tobacco use appear less normal to children.

“We know our young people model behaviour of adults,” Cole said. “If they’re seeing adults out in public, smoking, that means this is normal behaviour.”

Boushy said he knows it could be challenging securing support at council. He plans to propose an amendment to the bylaw that, he said, will appease both sides.

Boushy wants to focus on making only youth-friendly locations, like soccer fields and baseball diamonds, smoke-free because he thinks he can garner enough support.

“I’m sure they (councillors) have children and grandchildren who play baseball and soccer,” he said.

Cigarettes black market in Romania fell by 13 percent earlier this year

Cigarettes black market fell by 13 percent in January this year, registering a significant decrease over the same period of the last year, when smuggling of cigarettes reached a historic high of 36.2 percent (due to massive increases of excise duty on cigarettes), according to market research company Novel.

Representatives of the cigarettes manufacturers claim that reducing cigarette smuggling was a consequence of the efforts of the authorities, legislative changes and collaboration between governments and tobacco manufacturers. Cigarette market, estimated at EUR 2 billion, is the business of three world-class companies - British American Tobacco, Philip Morris and JTI - which controls the largest segment of consumer goods(FMCG).

Seminar focuses on medical marijuana act issues, holes

Local health care providers, law enforcement, social workers, members of the court and more learned about the “Michigan Medical Marihuana Act” (MMMA) as it pertains to the Michigan law.

The free event took place from 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday at the Ionia County ISD East Campus, hosted by the Ionia County Substance Abuse Initiative. Kenneth Stecker of the Prosecuting Attorney Association of Michigan was there to present the information and answer questions attendees had concerning individual cases.

Stecker said he travels statewide to give the information, and believes it is important for many to learn.

“I think there is still a lot of issues, and individuals are still seeking information about the law,” said Stecker.

He began with categorizing marijuana as a “Schedule 1” drug, which the federal government does not recognize or accept as using for medical purposes and deems the possession, distribution and manufacture of the substance a criminal offense.

Stecker said the writer of the act, Karen O’Keefe, wrote certain areas of the document in such a way that there are many broad and undefined areas that are now causing issues in the courts.

The act is comparable to a hornet’s nest, he added.

One of those issues discussed has to do with a patient being fired by his or her employer for using medical marijuana. Because the MMMA does not regulate private employment, cases are beginning to appear in court.

In the pending court case Casias vs. Wal-mart, former store employee Joseph Casias found himself fired from his Calhoun County job after he tested positive for marijuana, which he used while off-duty.

Section 7(c)2 of the MMMA states, “nothing in this act shall be construed to require: (2) an employer to accommodate the ingestion of marihuana in any workplace or any employee working while under the influence of marihuana.”

Now, Stecker said, it is being suggested employers adopt policies addressing how the medical use of marijuana will be treated.

Other issues include the difference between usable and unusable marijuana, the definition of a “bona fide” relationship with a physician giving an opinion that marijuana will help a patient, obtaining medical marijuana, the limitations of plant size, distinguishing between seedlings and mature plants that produce, primary caregiver compensation and more.

Additional concerns were also discussed, and Stecker pointed out other unspecified and unregulated aspects of the MMMA.

Stecker said, though a medical marijuana user’s state law trumps other state laws, the federal government trumps them all, giving them the final say.

Kevin Blohm, an employee with the Department of Human Services, said he felt the presentation was beneficial.

“I thought it was useful, it was interesting. It still sounds like there is a lot of uncertainty about how to prosecute (in different cases),” said Blohm.

He said he believes he will use the information when interacting with medical marijuana card holders, and said he now feels more confident about how to approach certain situations.

Srinagar shuts tobacco shops near schools

Authorities here Wednesday decided to shut all shops selling cigarettes and tobacco products near schools in the capital. Houseboat owners too volunteered to disallow smoking on their premises to help the anti-smoking campaign.

Srinagar District Magistrate Baseer Ahmed Khan directed the chief education officer to ensure that 'no-smoking' signs were put up at all schools, both government and private, and tobacco vendors within a 100-yard radius were removed, an official press release said here.

Meanwhile, local houseboat owners volunteered to disallow smoking on their premises during the ensuing tourist season in the Valley.

Houseboats host hundreds of tourists who come to enjoy the comfort and luxury of these exclusive floating dwellings on the Dal Lake and Nigeen Lake in Srinagar city.

Japan Tobacco Gains After Profit Forecast Increased: Tokyo Mover

Japan Tobacco Inc., the world’s second-largest listed cigarette maker, climbed the most in four months in Tokyo trading after raising its profit forecast and planned dividend.

Japan Tobacco gained 5.5 percent, the biggest advance since Sept. 20, to 406,500 yen at the close of trade in Tokyo.

A faster-than-expected sales recovery after the March 11 earthquake prompted the company to raise its full-year net income forecast by 17 percent to 189 billion yen ($2.5 billion), following a 34 percent gain in nine-month profit. Tokyo-based Japan Tobacco will also boost its annual dividend payout to a record, it said yesterday.

“Their results and dividends are good and their payout will improve, so I think this is a winner,” Mikihiko Yamato, an analyst at JI Asia in Tokyo, said by telephone. “There is a growing expectation that the company will increase dividends further next quarter.”

Japan Tobacco introduced seven redesigned Pianissimo thin cigarettes and two Mild Seven slim types last month, to help meet its goal to boost market share to 60 percent by March from 59 percent in December, it said in a statement.

Increased Sales

Sales for the year ending March 31 will probably climb to 2.54 trillion yen, compared with a previous estimate of 2.497 trillion yen. Operating profit, or sales minus the cost of goods sold and operating expenses, will rise to 365 billion yen, more than the earlier projected 329 billion yen, it said.

The company raised its planned second-half dividend to 5,000 yen a share. That will boost the full-year payout to 9,000 yen, from an earlier planned 8,000 yen, narrowing the gap with rivals including Philip Morris International Inc. and British American Tobacco Plc.

Japan Tobacco currently has the lowest 12-month dividend yield among the world’s five largest cigarette makers, based on data compiled by Bloomberg. The Children’s Investment Fund Management, a shareholder, has called for a dividend payout of 20,000 yen a share.

Advocates rally downtown to support raising tobacco tax

Downtown demonstrators rallied Wednesday in support of a proposition that would raise taxes on tobacco by $1.
Proposition 29 has the potential to generate $600 million per year for research, prevention, facilities, equipment, law enforcement and administration if passed by voters June 5, according to the Californians for a Cure website.
Maxine Bigler, a 15-year cancer survivor, is a beneficiary of cancer research that attended the rally and may not have lived to do so without previous funding, she said.
"To save lives," Bigler said. "That's what it's really about."
Bigler does motivational volunteer work in Chico and also travels across the world.
"I have issues," she said. "I have to walk with a walker, but so what? I go places."
Stephanie Schmidt, a senior communication studies major who interns with the American Cancer Society, educates people about cancer at health fairs, she said.
"Our last event was really sad," Schmidt said. "The children were already familiar with smoking, because they knew someone either in their family or home that smoked."
Elementary school children are familiar with tobacco, because nearly 90 percent of people who smoke start before the age of 18, according to an ACS pamphlet.
"Big tobacco only cares about one thing," Schmidt said. "Not the community or the health of its consumers - just profit."
The demonstrators, made up mostly of volunteers, yelled out "Say no to big tobacco." at passersby and passing cars.
The American Lung Association gave California an F for failing to adequately fund tobacco prevention and control programs, according to a report released by the ALA.
California contributes 87 cents per pack in taxes while the national average is $1.46.
Proposition 29 is exactly what California needs, volunteer Casey O'Neill said.
"There's a possibility for job growth," O'Neill said. "The impact could be ginormous."
Economic relief is one benefit of the proposition, which could contribute hundreds of millions of dollars to the industries of construction, medical research, health care and law enforcement, according to Californians for a Cure.
Other political organizations, like Californians Against Out-of-Control Taxes and Spending, are opposed.
The proposition is important, but "California can't afford to start a new billiondollar spending program when we have a $10 billion budget deficit and can't pay for critically needed existing programs," the organization's website reads.
Though activists rally for an increase in education to young adults and more funding for the cause, they admit their experiences with smoking are some of the worst decisions of their lives, O'Neill said.
"I smoked until I was 23," Bigler said. "It took me 30 years to get over. Now I can't stand the smell."

Boulder approves 9-month moratorium on marijuana businesses

No new medical marijuana businesses will be allowed to open in Boulder for at least nine months after the City Council unanimously approved extending a moratorium on the industry Tuesday night.

The city won't accept applications for medical marijuana business licenses until Nov. 9.

The council originally was considering a blanket six-month moratorium, but the leaders decided to extend the length of the ban to nine months and exempt existing businesses so they can make changes -- such as seek an expansion or relocation -- if needed. The exemption will kick in March 8.

"We have to be reasonable," Councilwoman Lisa Morzel said. "And I am not interested in destroying any businesses."

The council early last month approved a temporary moratorium to give officials time to review the city's laws and policies on the sale of the drug.

According to city records, Boulder now has 37 cultivation facilities, 32 dispensaries and six marijuana-infused product manufacturing sites. Twelve applications for new business licenses were submitted before the moratorium was enacted and will be reviewed.

City Attorney Tom Carr -- who said he wanted a yearlong moratorium -- told the council that his office has billed about $135,000 for nearly 2,000 hours of work on medical marijuana issues over the last few years. He suspects the fees being taken in from dispensaries don't cover all the city's expenses.

He said the moratorium is a "time-out" that will allow the city to possibly change the code to recuperate more of its costs. And he said his office is overworked in general.

"We are at a crisis point," he said. "We're working ridiculous hours."

He said all he wants is "a little time to be able to do this better."

Senior assistant city attorney Kathy Haddock added that workers in the office are "exhausted" and the city has "bent over backwards" to accommodate the marijuana industry so far.

Several dispensary owners and attorneys said a blanket moratorium would hurt businesses that have played by the city's rules.

"I'm not able to move, I'm not able to get investors, I'm not able to change any of my paperwork," said Mark Natichioni, owner of Good Humor Meds at 720 Pearl St. "It's basically put me out of business."

Timothy Rea, owner of Helping Hands Herbals, 2714 28th St., also urged the council not to impose the moratorium.

"We have done everything that was required of us," he said. "This is really an extraordinary burden to put on an industry that has been really good for the city."

Federal authorities recently ordered 23 dispensaries in Colorado to stop selling the drug within 1,000 feet of a school or face having their property seized and possible prosecution. The deadline for the shops to close is Feb. 27.

Thirteen Boulder businesses would be in violation of the federal law, but Carr, the city attorney, said he did not know of any Boulder dispensaries that received the letter.

Councilwoman KC Becker said she wants medical marijuana businesses that are close to schools to move, whether or not they received a letter from federal authorities.

"We should be encouraging them to move," she said.

The exemptions in the new moratorium will allow existing dispensaries to do just that.

Smoking cessation classes to begin at Waldo County General Hospital

To help people who believe this is the right time for them to quit smoking, the American Cancer Society’s quit-smoking program, Freshstart, is being offered at no charge on Thursdays, March 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29, from 5-6:30 p.m. at Waldo County General Hospital. The classes will be in the new green-roofed building, across the street from the hospital, in the second-floor conference room.

Three sessions will be devoted to learning self-hypnosis with Veronica Kupferman, certified consulting hypnotist. She will talk about what hypnosis is, the myths about hypnosis, and a simple, three-step method to induce self-hypnosis that can be used to immediately to assist with smoking cessation.

Participants will also learn how to create powerful affirmations that help people achieve their goals. Self-hypnosis may be used to relieve stress, overcome fears and unwanted habits, and increase self-esteem and self-confidence — and that is just the beginning.

This program is free and addresses the variety of reasons people smoke: physical addiction, habit and psychological dependency. Participants will be asked to fill out an evaluation and participate in follow-up calls after completing the program.

For more information or to register for these free classes, call 930-2650 and leave your name and telephone number. Space constraints limit the number of participants to 12.

The classes are sponsored by Healthy Waldo County and Waldo County General Hospital.