Spaniards will wake up on Sunday to find that what many consider an inalienable right — puffing on a cigarette with a drink at their local bar — has overnight become illegal. On January 2, one of the laxest anti-smoking laws in Europe will have become one of the strictest, along with that of Ireland. Spanish smokers will no longer be able to light up in bars, restaurants and cafes as new legislation takes effect that bans smoking in all enclosed public spaces. It will also be illegal to smoke in children’s playgrounds and on school or hospital grounds, according to the law, w ... Jump to full article >>

He was diminutive and driven, and in 1895 J.C. Newman created a little cigar company in Cleveland, Ohio that he named after himself. His first order was modest—500 cigars that he rolled himself for the family grocer, an order secured by his mother. From that humble beginning came the J.C. Newman Cigar Co., which is still in business today, 115 years and four generations later. Newman’s grandchildren Eric and Bobby have released a cigar named for him, the Diamond Crown Julius Caeser. Yes, the spelling is Caeser, not Caesar, and it’s not a typo as some have erroneously claimed—it’s how ... Jump to full article >>

nSmokers can expect to see larger, more graphic warnings on their cigarette packages starting Thursday. Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq plans to unveil the new labels during a news conference on Thursday, as well as make an announcement about the Harper government’s commitment to protecting Canadians from the dangers of tobacco. The new labels are said to be much larger, covering approximately 75 per cent of the packaging as opposed to the current 50 per cent, and will have more explicit, up to date warnings. There is also word that the labels will include a toll free number for a nationa ... Jump to full article >>

Nevada is known for letting just about anything slide, whether it’s booze, bets or brothels. But even here there are limits. It has been OK to smoke pot to treat illness for ten years. But don’t think about selling it. Lately, federal agents and local police have taken notice, raiding several pot shops in and around Sin City. All of it has pot activists scratching their heads: How is a state that has long lured visitors with promises of unconstrained debauchery stricter with pot than its more wholesome neighbors of Colorado, Arizona and California? “I really thought they wou ... Jump to full article >>

Two robbers have held up a post office while armed with a crossbow. CCTV caught the two men, one armed with a knife and the other aiming the crossbow at point-blank range towards the sub-postmaster. The men targeted the shop shortly after it opened for business yesterday in Plymouth. The pair did not wear masks as they carried out the robbery at the Efford Road post office. One image shows the sub-postmaster’s hands raised over the counter in a clear signal that he is unarmed and no threat to them. He holds up a newspaper in confusion. Another shows the man with the crossbow leaning over ... Jump to full article >>

The state Board of Equalization said improved high-tech tax stamps with a new design will soon be affixed to packs of cigarettes sold in California. The stamp is designed to fight cigarette sales/excise tax evasion. The state has estimated that cigarette-related tax evasion costs California an estimated $182 million annually. The BOE-approved tax stamp is designed to make it more difficult to engage in the trafficking of counterfeit cigarettes. It includes special inks and a “tamper-resistant” design. BOE also says the stamp simplifies authentication. The new stamps are gold-yellow ... Jump to full article >>

R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. has launched a national campaign marketing Camel as a potential New Year’s resolution solution for smokers. The campaign is the company’s first aimed specifically at encouraging smokers to switch to Camel Snus, Reynolds spokesman David Howard said. Snus comes in a small pouch that is placed between the lip and gum. The tobacco is pasteurized, not fermented, and it contains less moisture and salt than moist snuff. It also does not require the consumer to spit. “A lot of adults make a decision to quit smoking this time of the year,” Howard said. ... Jump to full article >>

The era of a smoke break will soon be over at several area hospitals, including St. Joseph’s in Tampa and South Florida Baptist in Plant City. Most of the facilities that are part of BayCare Health System are going tobacco free on Saturday. Sister hospitals Morton Plant, Mease Countryside and Mease Dunedin follow suit two days later. This means that smoking and other tobacco use will not be allowed at any BayCare facility by employees, physicians, patients, volunteers, visitors or vendors. There were previously smoking areas on the campuses, but they will be removed, said Stephanie Samp ... Jump to full article >>

An appellate ruling has blocked the Food and Drug Administration from regulating electronic cigarettes as “medical devices,” a designation that would have required clinical trials before manufacturers could market the products. The Dec. 7 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit Court found that the FDA has jurisdiction over e-cigarettes as “tobacco products” but not under the more rigid Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act, which calls for mandatory testing for FDA approval. The court said the devices fall under the FD&C Act only w ... Jump to full article >>

The Minnesota Court of Appeals reinstated portions of a nearly 10-year-old, class action lawsuit against Philip Morris that claims the company fraudulently marketed Marlboro Lights as a safer cigarette. A U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2008 cleared the way for class action suits against cigarette companies that manufacture “light” cigarettes. The surprising 5-4 decision paved the way for the state actions. Since then, there have been numerous lawsuits filed around the country with mixed results. Class action suits have been certified in Massachusetts, Minnesota and Missouri. Judges ... Jump to full article >>

WAL Baranow has had his fingers burnt at his Hawthorn cigar bar for repeatedly igniting the interest of those who police breaches of Victoria’s Tobacco Act. In June, after a complaint about people smoking in Baranows Cigar Bar, in Burwood Road, a Boroondara Council environmental health officer read the law to Wal Baranow. Baranow, 62, didn’t blow smoke in the officer’s face, but declared instead that he knew the law – that an occupier cannot smoke in an enclosed workplace – and had decided to ignore it. A copy of the legislation was left with him, and later the co ... Jump to full article >>