The government has been accused of misleading parliament over the cost for retailers of implementing the controversial tobacco display ban. Internal documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show that officials at the Department of Health (DoH) were warned by manufacturers that they had dramatically underestimated how much it would cost retailers to modify their shops to comply with the ban. The display ban is part of the health bill, which is due to come before parliament in October. Under the proposals, cigarettes would still be available to buy but would be placed out of sigh ... Jump to full article >>

CIGARETTE sales should be banned from pubs and clubs, say anti-smoking campaigners, who point to the results of world-first research carried out in Sydney. The combination of being in the company of smokers at a venue where tobacco is also for sale softens the resolve of would-be quitters and can turn a one-off cigarette into a full-blown relapse, a study has found. Wendy Oakes, tobacco control manager for the Cancer Council NSW, which funded the research, said long-term smokers would not be disadvantaged if cigarettes were removed from sale in licensed premises. ”Smokers have very habit ... Jump to full article >>

Hampton legislator eyes ban at beaches, parks Charles Mahoney of Fitchburg, Mass., has been smoking for years and, while he calls it his disgusting habit, he doesn’t believe he should be discriminated against. “Enough is enough,” said Mahoney, who was taking a smoke break by the Seashell Stage at Hampton Beach on Friday. “Why don’t they file a bill and send all the smokers to a deserted island.” Mahoney was reacting to a possible legislative movement to ban smoking in all public places where people congregate, including state parks such as Hampton Beach. St ... Jump to full article >>

Wisconsin’s cigarette tax went up 75 cents a pack on Tuesday. It’s now the fifth highest in the nation and the most expensive among neighboring states. Let’s leave out the epithets and just say the new tax has people upset. Todd Ferch was purchasing a pouch of loose tobacco at Book World when he stopped to comment. “It must be time to quit. Smoking is just too expensive. I roll my own,”he said. Local retailers said they are hearing from customers peeved about the hike. “They’re going after all tobacco products. Cigarettes went up 75 cents a pack and ro ... Jump to full article >>

The soft tyranny of Mayor Bloomberg’s anti-smoking jihad becomes ever more apparent. Witness the plight of Barclay Rex cigar shop in the Financial District, one of the last remaining establishments where New Yorkers can light up legally. Even Mayor Mike can’t reasonably object to that: Owner Vince Nastri’s customers, one presumes, visit in part be cause of the second-hand smoke. But the mayor’s men can make their lives as difficult as possible. As The Post reported yesterday, Nastri was slapped with a Health Department citation merely for offering free coffee to his cus ... Jump to full article >>

The images that frightened and impressed smokers in Health Canada focus groups came out of a promise Journal photographer Greg Southam made to anti-smoking crusader Barb Tarbox, a promise that wasn’t easy for Southam to keep. On Oct. 29,2002, when Tarbox first spoke to Edmonton schoolchildren about the cigarette addiction that was about to end her life, Southam was assigned to photograph the talk. After the speech, Southam suggested to Tarbox that he continue to photograph her as she gave school speeches. His plan was to document the health impact of her addiction by taking pictures of h ... Jump to full article >>

As President Obama signs what is said to be the most powerful anti-smoking act, it seems time to question the fairness of the impact this has on smokers. It seemed at first that, although many didn’t particularly like the act that banned smoking in public places in Illinois, they understood it. We have a right to smoke; they have a right to breathe clean air. Fairly simple, right? However, the new laws that will be taking effect question moral boundaries in some opinions. The new law will ban the production of “flavored” tobacco products and the use of the word “light&# ... Jump to full article >>

A performer poses during a photo call for a body painting event, which is part of a government-sponsored anti-smoking campaign, in Seoul June 14, 2009. [Agencies] A performer poses during a photo call for a body painting event, which is part of a government-sponsored anti-smoking campaign, in Seoul June 14, 2009. [Agencies] A performer breaks off cigarettes as he poses for photographs during a photo call for a body painting event, part of a government-sponsored anti-smoking campaign in Seoul, June 14, 2009. [Agencies] ... Jump to full article >>

Students hoping to light up during the Blue-White game tomorrow will have to find new plans to accommodate their habit, as Penn State has pledged to enforce a smoking ban inside Beaver Stadium, complete with consequences for violators. Penn State spokesman Geoff Rushton said the university will begin enforcing the Clean Indoor Air Act (CIAA) this weekend. The act, put in place in 2008, prevents patrons from carrying or using any smoking device in bars, restaurants, taverns and now Beaver Stadium. Smoking was previously permitted in certain areas outside of buildings at Beaver Stadium but now w ... Jump to full article >>

The Fourth National Anti-Smoking Campaign was launched here on Monday. The campaign was formally inaugurated by Prince Mish’al Bin Majed, Governor of Jeddah, in Crown Plaza Hotel. The campaign will officially start its activities Tuesday by having an anti-smoking symposium wherein professors, consultants, experts and representatives from government’s anti-smoking programs will participate. According to Dr. Abdurraheem Qari, the symposium president, this year’s campaign will concentrate on the doctors’ role in encouraging the smokers to quit the deadly habit. The campaig ... Jump to full article >>