The House is also considering a bill that could drive tobacco prices up all over the state. The House Health and Human Resources Committee is the first stop for a proposed legislation that would raise the tax on a pack of cigarettes by one dollar. Right now, the cigarette tax here is one of the lowest in the country at 55 cents per pack. The national average cigarette tax is $1.45 per pack. When it comes to smokeless tobacco, the tax would go up from seven percent of the wholesale price to fifty percent. Health officials say the increase could lead to fewer smokers and tobacco users. Rig ... Jump to full article >>

For the cigarette industry, the menthol debate is about to flare up again. The new federal advisory board for tobacco regulation plans to meet for the first time Tuesday in Washington. Topping the agenda is one of the most contentious, and racially charged, health issues that Congress deferred last year when it empowered the Food and Drug Administration to regulate tobacco for the first time. The question: what to do about menthol flavorings in cigarettes, which account for almost a third of the nation’s $70 billion cigarette market? Opponents of smoking, seven former secretaries of health a ... Jump to full article >>

Three years ago, Massachusetts Department of Public Help introduced a groundbreaking legislation under which low-income residents began receiving literary free assistance in order to give up smoking. The authors of the legislation believed that some day the amended Medicaid program would bring public health benefits. However, they never thought their hope would come true so soon. The Latest statewide statistics demonstrates a significant reduction in the smoking rate among adult low-income Massachusetts residents. When the plan was launched in 2006, more than 35 percent of low-income populatio ... Jump to full article >>

A grocery chain and a pharmacy company say they’re looking at pulling cigarettes from their shelves in light of a new law to crack down on tobacco sales. Proposed anti-tobacco legislation received first reading in the Saskatchewan legislature on Wednesday. The law, which has yet to be passed but could take effect as early as next year, would make it illegal to smoke in a car if there are children present. It would also put new restrictions on tobacco sales. If pharmacies and stores that have pharmacies inside — such as supermarkets — want to continue selling tobacco, they are going t ... Jump to full article >>

In what appears to be an about face, we will get the opportunity to vote on HB 1240. This piece of legislation expanded South Dakota’s smoking ban statute and repealed exemptions for liquor retailers, video lottery establishments and Deadwood gaming establishments. Petitions were filed last June to refer the issue to a public vote, but Secretary of State Chris Nelson ultimately rejected them because of the many errors he found in a sampling of petitions filed. The way has been cleared for voters to decide the fate of South Dakota’s smoking ban in next year’s general election after S ... Jump to full article >>

Background Smoke-free legislation was introduced in Wales in April 2007. In response to concerns regarding potential displacement of smoking into the home following legislation, this study assessed changes in secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure amongst non-smoking children. Methods Approximately 1,750 year 6 (aged 10-11) children from 75 Welsh primary schools were included in cross-sectional surveys immediately pre-legislation and one year later. Participants completed self-report questionnaires and provided saliva samples for cotinine assay. Regression analyses assessed the impact of legislation ... Jump to full article >>

The smoking ban in Wales has not displaced secondhand smoke from public places into the home. A study of 3500 children from 75 primary schools in Wales, published in the open access journal BMC Public Health, found that they were exposed to similar amounts of secondhand smoke before and after legislation, which should reassure those worried that exposure to smoking at home could increase following the ban. Dr Jo Holliday and colleagues at Cardiff University’s School of Social Sciences carried out the study, funded by the Welsh Assembly Government. They measured the levels of cotinine, a ... Jump to full article >>

Representatives of law enforcement groups, public health organizations and trade associations today gathered on Capitol Hill to urge the Senate to pass S. 1147, the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act of 2009 (PACT Act). This legislation will help combat online cigarette sales that have robbed hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenues from the states and that undermine state laws that prevent youth access to tobacco products. This bill closes gaps in current federal laws regulating “remote” or “delivery” sales of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products. These ... Jump to full article >>

Extinguished: For smokers such as Maryanne Morris and Steve Longmire, lighting up in The City could become more difficult under a bill backed by Supervisor Eric Mar. SAN FRANCISCO — A San Francisco lawmaker is reigniting stalled legislation that would further limit where smokers can light up in The City, hoping amendments to the bill will convince businesses that it won’t be a drag. The controversial legislation — first introduced by Supervisor Chris Daly last year and now being pushed by Supervisor Eric Mar — would forbid smoking in a slew of new settings, adding to existing bans in ... Jump to full article >>

Health Minister Jerry Narace has called on locals to back legislation that will give Government new powers to curb the use of tobacco in Trinidad and Tobago. “I call on every medical professional, every doctor, every cancer (victim), every individual…to write a letter in support (of the Tobacco Control Bill 2009). Make a statement. Say something in terms of supporting the tobacco control legislation,” Narace appealed. He was delivering the opening remarks at the fourth annual local breast cancer conference, which was hosted last Friday by the Trinidad and Tobago Cancer Society at the ... Jump to full article >>

A proposal that would ban smoking on the outdoor patios of bars and restaurants is under fire from Saskatchewan’s hospitality industry. The Saskatchewan government is looking at updating its no-smoking law, and one of the changes would be a ban on patio smoking. While Saskatoon already has such a ban, Regina and other cities don’t. Health Minister Don McMorris told CBC News a proposal for a provincewide ban may be coming soon. Tom Mullin, president of the Hotels Association of Saskatchewan, calls the plan unfair. The industry is still reeling from anti-smoking legislation brought ... Jump to full article >>