Q: We own a fourplex apartment building with long-term tenants in every unit. The couple upstairs has asked us to implement a smoke-free policy for the building. They claim that the smoke from their downstairs neighbors enters their unit no matter what they do, through the staircase and even the adjacent windows. The downstairs people are perfectly fine tenants, have no intention of quitting, and tell us that we can’t do anything about it. What should we do? –Wes and Judy Z. A: What do you want to do? In this area, because the law is relatively unformed, you have some options. If y ... Jump to full article >>

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–NJOY is quickly becoming the most recognized and leading brand of electronic cigarettes, not only in the U.S., but globally, as it now has distribution agreements in place for its smoking alternative in more than 50 countries. “The U.S. represents just four percent of the 1.1 billion tobacco smokers in the world,” said Jack Leadbeater, CEO of Sottera, Inc., which owns and operates the NJOY brand. “We’ve learned that whether you are in the U.S. or on the other side of the planet, most people who smoke tobacco know the risks o ... Jump to full article >>

While living in the San Fernando Valley in early 2006, I remember thinking how ludicrous it was that the Calabasas City Council had adopted an ordinance that basically eliminated the ability for anyone to smoke in public. The secondhand smoke control ordinance specified that smoking was prohibited in all public places where other persons could be exposed to secondhand smoke, including indoor and outdoor businesses, hotels, parks, apartment common areas, restaurants and bars where people could reasonably be expected to congregate or meet. At the time, as a half-a-pack-a-day smoker, I felt perse ... Jump to full article >>

GREENSBORO — Our airport was once known informally as having one of the more smoker-friendly terminals in the country. It’s a title that would seem to make sense; Piedmont Triad International Airport is arguably in the epicenter of tobacco country. If you have business at two of the nation’s largest tobacco companies — Lorillard in Greensboro, Reynolds American in Winston-Salem — PTI is your destination airport. But beginning today, a nod to the wealth that helped build this area — the airport smokers lounge — could be at risk of closing when G ... Jump to full article >>

New smoking device promises the ability to light up anywhere without getting the heat Smokers, what if you could smoke a cigarette that didn’t contain any tobacco or carcinogens and didn’t stink? And nonsmokers, how would you feel about walking past a pack of smokers without coughing, or worrying your lungs were filling up with chemicals from secondhand smoke? A new product on the market, widely known as the electronic cigarette, is changing the rules of smoking for those wishing to puff wherever and whenever they want. Two businesses at Westfield Fox Valley mall in Aurora sell th ... Jump to full article >>

In an article that ran on April 18 titled “Unfairly Tarred,” columnist Sandra Zummo wondered if we are being too hard on smokers? She referenced the new sobering ads that refer to the impact smoking has on those around us. Although these commercials present jarring images, they are certainly truthful and an effective aid to help smokers understand that they hurt not only themselves when they light up, but those around them as well. Miss Zummo noted that past ad campaigns showing the effects of smoking on a person’s health were “scary, but effective.” These new ads ... Jump to full article >>

By getting the Wisconsin Tavern League “which had long lobbied against the ban” on board, lawmakers have removed a substantial obstacle to this much-needed health and safety issue. Tavern League opposition melted away when sponsors of the measure agreed to delay its start until July 2010. This gives all businesses time to prepare for it. The compromise also allows outdoor smoking areas that could not be banned by local ordinances. The only full exemption is for existing cigar bars and tobacco shops. We’ve long favored a statewide ban on smoking in the workplace to protect peo ... Jump to full article >>