Tobacco sales to Indiana minors have hit an all time low. But some Valley counties are leading the state with illegal sales. A new report from the Tobacco Retailer Inspection Program shows Sullivan County leads the state in tobacco sales to minors. Last year 20 percent of tobacco sales ended up in the hands of youth under the age of 18. Parke County was runner up with almost 17 percent and Clay County fourth at 15 percent. Experts say illegal sales are due to retailers’ reluctance to i.d. customers. A new survey found Indiana children said it’s easy to obtain tobacco from sto ... Jump to full article >>

A Butte man faces charges of driving drunk and crashing his vehicle into a local business. Brandon Womboldt, 18, was taken into custody Friday evening, Police Captain Doug Conway said. He also faces possible charges of criminal endangerment and reckless driving. Police and emergency crews responded to a report of an accident at Gilligan’s Tobacco Shop on East Front Street just before 10 p.m. Friday. On Monday the damage to the building was boarded up. Womboldt is accused of driving a Chevy pickup truck while under the influence of alcohol and slamming into the back of the building. Conw ... Jump to full article >>

Anti-smoking campaigners have begun a television advertising campaign in the south west of England to highlight the risks of smoking hand-rolled tobacco. Smokefree South West wants to “dispel the myths” which they say have built up around roll-up cigarettes. Findings from the organisation’s research showed that smokers of hand-rolled tobacco believed it was “more natural” and a “real art form”. Smokefree South West is funded by the Department of Health and 14 local PCTs. Regional director of public health Gabriel Scally, who is also the spokesman for S ... Jump to full article >>

SARASOTA COUNTY – A homeless man went to court and was arrested on Friday, but the notable part of the story is what he had hidden in his rectum as he stood before the judge. The judge sent Neil Lansing to jail, where corrections deputies conducting a routine search in a cellblock found part of a condom sticking out of his rectum, the sheriff’s office said. According to sheriff’s officials, the condom contained: 17 round blue pills, one cigarette, six matches, one flint, one empty syringe with an eraser over the needle, one lip balm container, one additional unused condom, a ... Jump to full article >>

Robinson Oil Co.’s Rotten Robbie convenience store chain based in Santa Clara, Calif., has signed a deal with Smoker Friendly International LLC to be an authorized dealer. Rotten Robbie will co-brand with Smoker Friendly in its tobacco category. Rotten Robbie will be the exclusive retailer for SF/Smoker Friendly private-label tobacco products in its 34-store chain in that region of northern California. “We believe this is a great opportunity for both companies to serve tobacco consumers around northern California with outstanding tobacco products and tobacco accessory offerings, ... Jump to full article >>

With smoking bans becoming more and more popular these days, cigar festivals are also rising in popularity. Events, such as the annual Big Smoke put on by Cigar Aficionado, are popular because they give cigar enthusiasts the chance to get cigars directly from the people that make them. It can be a thrill to rub discuss a cigar with Avo Uvezian, Pete Johnson, or Rocky Patel. At cigar festivals, you are given the opportunity to meet the top names in cigars under one roof. On Sunday, April 3, Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium will host the New Jersey Cigar Festival. Scheduled to appea ... Jump to full article >>

He might have won a £1million recording deal from being crowned X Factor champion last year, but Matt Cardle is not about to blow his fortune any time soon by the looks of his latest purchase. The 27-year-old heartthrob was spotted taking his new £9,000 Peugeot 107 out for a spin around London, which was hardly the car you’d expect a pop star to be driving. Instead of opting for a high priced sports car or four-wheel drive, Cardle decided to keep his ride modest for a low profile. But despite the silver two-door vehicle not turning many heads, the singer was still spotted in his favourite ... Jump to full article >>

Smokers now face another risk from their habit: It could cost them a shot at a job. More hospitals and medical businesses are adopting strict policies that make smoking a reason to turn away job applicants, saying they want to increase worker productivity, reduce health care costs and encourage healthier living. The new rules essentially treat cigarettes like an illegal narcotic. Applications now warn of “tobacco-free hiring,” job seekers must submit to urine tests for nicotine and new employees caught smoking face termination. This shift to smoker-free workplaces has prompted shar ... Jump to full article >>

Proceeds of a cigarette tax approved in 1988 must be spent on anti-smoking efforts. So $14.5 million dedicated to a TV campaign, including a Super Bowl ad in two markets, is off-limits for lawmakers trying to balance California’s budget. Reporting from Sacramento — Squeezed between the Doritos and Budweiser ads during last weekend’s Super Bowl was a spot paid for with California tax dollars. Airtime for the most expensive television event of the year is probably not the first item on which deficit-plagued California might be expected to spend money. The ad, exhorting people to qu ... Jump to full article >>

OLYMPIA — Some state lawmakers are looking to carve out an exception to the state smoking ban by allowing customers to smoke cigars or pipes at some cigar lounges and tobacco shops. Under bills proposed in the state House and Senate, cigar lounges and retail tobacco stores could apply for a state endorsement that would allow patrons to smoke cigars or pipe tobacco in their shops. Cigarettes, however, would be banned, and the designated smoking area would be physically separated from other areas that prohibit smoking. No more than 100 cigar lounges and 500 retail tobacco shops in the state co ... Jump to full article >>

Beijing – China has ordered that smoking scenes in films and television series be restricted, amid concern it is failing to deliver on pledges to help its 300 million smokers kick the habit. The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), China’s media watchdog, called for “strict control” of smoking scenes and banned minors from being present in shots involving anyone lighting up. Cigarette brands are banned from appearing in films and television series, and smoking scenes must be kept as short as possible, a circular posted on SARFT’s website said on Sat ... Jump to full article >>