Huntington Park bans smoking inside apartment units

Smoking in public areas of apartment and condominium complexes will be banned as of July 1, smoking inside new units will be prohibited as of Jan. 1, 2013, and smoking in existing units will be outlawed as of July 1, 2013, under an ordinance approved 5-0 by the City Council Feb. 21.
No one spoke against the bans. In fact, Don Brabant of Brabant Realty and Property Management in Huntington Park, and Nancy Ahlswede of the Apartment Association of Southern California, spoke in favor of it, as did several residents who told the council their health has been affected by second-hand smoke from nearby units.
Brabant and Ahlswede were on the committee which worked out the ordinance with city staff and representatives of Project TRUST, part of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health’s tobacco control and prevention program, which provides education on the dangers of second-hand smoke.
Final action on the ordinance is expected at the March 5 council meeting. It would take effect 30 days later.
Senior Planner Albert Fontanez said the city’s code enforcement division will enforce the ban, with fines of $100 to $1,000 to violators. He noted that the fines would be levied on the smoker and there would be no liability to landlords as long as they make provisions of the ban known to tenants and insert them in rental lease agreements.
He said he will asks the City Council Monday to remove one provision, which would allow a condominium homeowners group to vote on whether smoking in 20 percent of a complex might be allowed if the ban limits tenants of the other 80 percent.
Fontanez and several speakers urged the council to require a 100 percent ban in all units.
In a written report to the council, Fontanez said the ordinance would affect all apartment and condominium complexes of two or more units except for hotels, motels and single-family homes with attached units for relatives.
A common area includes such places as hallways, laundry rooms, lobbies, play areas including swimming pools, patios, balconies, decks and walkways.
Ten percent of a common area may be designated for smoking as long as it is an open area and at least 25 feet from a building.
It is the first city law dealing with private property. Smoking in municipal buildings, parks, public rights-of-way and at city-sponsored events was banned last year.
“Landlords will benefit from the ban as they will not have to spend as much getting a unit ready for a new tenant if they don’t have to get the smoke odor out of draperies, stuffed furniture and carpets,” Ahlswede said, adding “it’s impossible to handle drifting smoke.”
David Reynoso of Project TRUST said drifting smoke is thought by many medical experts to affect the health of neighbors.
It can come in through cracks in the wall, vents, under doorways and through windows, he said.
He acknowledged that citing someone for smoking inside their apartment or condo would require neighbors and residents of the complex to complain to the city.
However, one resident said she was sure the neighbors would make such complaints.
Esther Schiller of Smoke-Free Air for Everyone said the ban is a good business decision for landlords as it would make it easier to fill vacancies. And some insurance companies may offer a discount if smoking is not allowed in a complex, she said.
“Many landlords have had fewer vacancies with no-smoking apartments,” she added.
Second-hand smoke is responsible for as many as 73,000 deaths among non-smokers each year, the ordinance states.
“Exposure to second-hand smoke increases the risk of coronary heart disease by about 30 percent. Second-hand smoke exposure causes lower respiratory tract infections, such as pneumonia and bronchitis in as many as 300,000 children in the United States under 18 months each year and exacerbates childhood asthma.”
Council members did not comment on the issue other then voting to approve the ban, which had also been approved by the Planning Commission.

Youth smokers fall to 8.2% low

Youth smoking has fallen to an 8.2 per cent low, with many saying they can't afford the habit, according to a survey.

Key findings from the annual survey by anti-smoking group Ash indicate youth smoking rates have fallen across all ethnic groups, especially among Maori students, whose percentage of regular smokers dropped from 20.9 to 18.1 between 2010 and last year.

Ash has sampled about half of New Zealand's Year 10 smokers each year since 1999.

The Ash survey also revealed a significant rise in students who had never smoked, up from 64.3 per cent in 2010 to 70.4 per cent last year.

Associate Health Minister and Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia expressed her delight at the results.

"It is an absolute success, one that I am proud to have worked towards."

Ash spokesman Michael Colhoun called the latest results "a major victory against smoking addiction for New Zealand".

He and Mrs Turia agree the results indicate a shift in the attitudes of young people towards smoking.
"It seems that smoking is no longer socially accepted as widely as it once was," Mr Colhoun said.

Despite the positive results, significant disparities remain between Maori and non-Maori, with the number of Maori students who smoke regularly more than three times that of non-Maori students.

Maori anti-smoking advocate Shane Bradbrook highlighted the need to continue increasing anti-tobacco initiatives, especially in light of the positive results revealed in the Ash survey.

"There is no doubt that the increase in tobacco taxes within the last 18 months contributed to the reduced usage amongst youths.

"Now, I would like to see a more Maori-specific approach to combating tobacco addiction amongst our youth," Mr Bradbrook said.

Ash director Ben Youdan put the drop in smoking levels across the board down to tax hikes.

"I think probably the biggest factor in terms of the reduction in youth smoking has been the recent tax increases," he said.

"The tax on cigarettes has increased by about 30 per cent over the last 18 months, and I think that's had a huge impact because young smokers are especially sensitive to how much cigarettes cost."

Society's perception around buying and smoking cigarettes was changing, with more communities and councils discussing smoke-free zones, Mr Youdan said.

"We're getting more and more quit attempts by adults as well.

"The environment in which these young people are growing up and the way in which they are being exposed to tobacco and the risk factors around smoking is also undergoing a change, and I think that's influence which is trickling down to their behaviour."

ABC launches no smoking policy in its malls

ABC Mall inaugurated its no smoking policy at its Ashrafieh branch Thursday as part of an awareness campaign combating the dangers of smoking.

The chain of malls, with the exception of its restaurants, are now smoke-free. Restaurants will be smoke-free every Monday.

The head of ABC’s administrative board, Tripoli MP Robert Fadel, launched the campaign “for a smoke free environment” during a news conference held in coordination with the environment, health and tourism ministers.

“This campaign contributes to raising the awareness of society and decision makers on the dangers of smoking,” Fadel said, adding that he insisted the malls be the first to implement the law.

Parliament passed a law in August 2011 to ban smoking in public places, due to take effect in September this year.

Carlisle to begin fining those who use tobacco in town parks

Carlisle is cracking down on tobacco use in parks, and the fine could be up to $1000.

Shortly after the beginning of the year, Carlisle Borough Council passed an ordinance with no debate and no public comment. Set to take effect in two weeks, the measure will ban the use of any tobacco products in all borough parks.

Carlisle has 18 public parks, from passive pasture-like areas to sporting fields and playground equipment. They range in size from less than an acre to 18 acres.

At popular Letort Park, two young children were feeding the ducks Thursday afternoon. Another family was playing in the wooden fort.

But Thursday, new signs were being installed. What the sign means is you can no longer display, distribute, use chew, discard, light or smoke any tobacco product.

The idea for the ban came from a resident.

Borough crews will continue installing the signs. The prohibition will begin as soon as that jobs done but no later than March 15.

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Dude, where's my medicine? Prescription marijuana without the memory loss on the horizon

Marijuana is commonly used for pain relief in many U.S states, but has regrettable side-effects such as making you forgetful.
Now scientists have pinpointed the part of the brain where the drug hinders working memory and discovered it is a separate area to where it has a medicinal effect.
They say the findings raise the possibility that they could design a cannabis drug that is able to treat pain and seizures without hurting the memory.

The team, led by Giovanni Marsciano from the French biomedical institution INSERM, found that marijuana eased pain via the neurons in the brain. However, the main psychoactive ingredient (THC) impaired memory via the astroglia - passive support cells that play second fiddle to active neurons.
In a study on mice, the researchers looked at how their brain cell receptors reacted to THC, found in marijuana.
They found animals engineered to have no receptors on the astroglial cells of the brain were protected from impairments to working memory and were able to complete a maze.
However, animals that lacked the same receptors - known as CB1Rs - on their neurons but did have them on the astroglial cells suffered memory lapses when exposed to THC.
Dr Marsciano said there could be a way to activate the receptors on neurons while leaving these secondary cells out.

Medical marijuana is currently legal in 18 U.S states including California. However, in the UK marijuana - also known as cannabis - is a Class B drug and so illegal to have or give away. It has been approved for use in some long-term medical trials.
A study from the the University of California San Francisco and University of Alabama at Birmingham, found smoking cannabis is less harmful to users’ lungs than exposure to tobacco.
However, frequent cannabis use has been associated with anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorders and depression. It has also been found to affect learning for weeks after exposure.

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.