Workers could be forced to clock off when they go for a cigarette under proposals made by a Norfolk council. Breckland Council said the move aimed to make it fairer for individuals who did not smoke. Staff will not be paid in future for the time they take to have a cigarette if the proposals are given the go-ahead at a meeting on Wednesday. Simon Clark, from Smokers’ lobby group Forest, said everyone was entitled to a break during work. He said: “Are they going to introduce clocking in and off for people who go on the internet, on Facebook, or people who want to have a cup of coffe ... Jump to full article >>

Smoking-related deaths in New York dropped 17 percent in the past eight years and the number of smokers has fallen by nearly a third, according to the city’s health department. It said the number of people dying from smoking-related illnesses has fallen to about 7,200 in 2009 from 8,700 in 2002, coinciding with a tough anti-smoking campaign by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Bloomberg banned smoking in bars and restaurants in 2003 and he recently proposed expanding that ban to parks, beaches, boardwalks, pedestrian plazas and other outdoor public spaces. “We have reduced the ... Jump to full article >>

The killer of a university student told a Manhattan court how he waited for his victim to take a last breath before brutally garroting him. Jeromie Cancel, 24, made the sickening confession to police in a video interview and said he carried out the murder while watching horror movie Saw ‘because he was bored’. The body of honour student Kevin Pravia, 19, was found in his Manhattan apartment with an electrical cord wrapped around his neck in August 2008. In the video confession, Cancel told officers: ‘He exhaled and then I tightened the wire. And then he couldn’t get no ... Jump to full article >>

Peter Tosh’s prophetic anthem “Legalize It” is sounding pretty good these days. Since the former Wailer penned the reggae tune in 1976, the legalization movement has come a long way. Still, others may say: What’s taking so long? America’s longest prohibition dates back to 1937 — the “Reefer Madness” era when the country’s earliest anti-drug zealots (led by former head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, Harry J. Anslinger) convinced a gullible public that marijuana caused people to commit unspeakable acts of depravity, such as when the hopp ... Jump to full article >>

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KTIV) – Besides candidates South Dakota voters will decide four different ballot issues when they go to the polls on November 2nd. One would ban smoking in restaurants, bars, and most casinos. It passed the legislature in 2009 and was signed by the governor. But, opponents want it decided by the people. For the past eight years, South Dakota has banned smoking in most public buildings and work places. But with Referred Law 12, it’ll expand to include all restaurants, bars, video lottery establishments and Deadwood Casinos. Mary Michaels, American Heart Associati ... Jump to full article >>

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — A man convicted of killing a woman and her two daughters during a night of terror in their suburban home told a psychiatrist his co-defendant proposed the crime and another expert said that he was so consumed with remorse he wanted the state to kill him. Attorneys for Steven Hayes are trying to persuade a jury to spare him a death sentence by portraying him as a clumsy, drug-addicted thief who had a history of “smash and grab” burglaries of cars and unoccupied houses but no violence until he met Joshua Komisarjevsky (koh-mih-sar-JEV’-skee). They call ... Jump to full article >>

British American Tobacco Plc, Europe’s largest cigarette maker, said shipments will decline in 2010 as Pakistan’s worst flooding snares distribution in that market. BAT expects full-year volume excluding acquisitions and divestments to drop about 3 percent, maintaining the rate of the first nine months, Michael Prideaux, director of corporate and regulatory affairs for the London-based company, said by telephone. BAT said in July it expected volumes to slow their decline in the second half. “There’s an area the size of Italy that’s still underwater,” Prideaux said. “That does hav ... Jump to full article >>

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone is 80 today, and vowing not to give up his globe-trotting for a quiet life in his London home. Age is nothing. One day you’re one age and a day later you’re another. It’s nonsense. I’m like Obama, I like to move forward.’ So as we wish Bernie a happy birthday, here are some highs and lows of his past 80 years… QUALIFYING 1930: Born near Bungay, Suffolk to a Lowestoft fisherman. 1946: Builds up a motorcycle spares business, which grows to become the Compton & Ecclestone motorcycle dealership. 1957: Buys the struggling ... Jump to full article >>

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg signed legislation on Wednesday to prohibit the sale of most forms of flavored tobacco products in New York City. The new law is more extensive than the federal Food and Drug Administration’s ban on candy- and fruit-flavored cigarettes, which took effect last month. The City Council approved the bill on Oct. 14. The legislation covers “chocolate, vanilla, honey, candy, cocoa, dessert, alcoholic beverage, herb or spice flavors,” but exempts “tobacco, menthol, mint or wintergreen flavors.” The city ban includes cigars and smokeless tobacco, while the federal ... Jump to full article >>

A big day for the Liberal Democrats yesterday. Nick Clegg was answering questions. A Labour MP, Ian Mearns, reminded him of his request on Desert Island Discs for cigarettes as his luxury. Did he regret promoting smoking? Mr Clegg’s reply was firm. He, for one, did not agree with Nick. “I was not seeking in any way to promote smoking. It’s a very bad habit, and I wouldn’t suggest it to anyone else,” he said. Whoop, whoop, metaphor alert! Lib Dems’ message: “You can trust us. We only kill ourselves!” A lot of Tories must have smiled happily at th ... Jump to full article >>

One in four cases of bowel cancer could be prevented if people drank less alcohol, cut down on red meat and took more exercise. Watching waist size and stopping smoking are also important ways of avoiding one of Britain’s biggest killers, claim researchers. They identified five lifestyle changes that could cut the risk of bowel cancer by 23 per cent, and some other cancers. A study published today in the British Medical Journal looked at alcohol intake, smoking, waist circumference, diet and exercise. The research shows that taking up just one of the healthy lifestyle recommendations could ... Jump to full article >>