Ban on smoking lighting the way

IN what's believed to be the first for a Queensland Surf Life Saving Club, Mooloolaba will ban smoking before the year's out. To them, I say "thank you" It's a bold move, but definitely the right one. In case you missed it, from December 1, the club's smoking area will become a designated tobacco-free zone.

This is fantastic. Finally, a real community, grassroots approach to dealing with a problem as big as smoking. It's a disgusting habit. I don't understand the thrill of it or why you'd want to put those toxins in your body. Then again, it's your body. I can only hope those who choose to light up are fully aware of what they're doing and most importantly, prepared to deal with the consequences of their actions.

I don't see anyone quitting just because they can't light up when they're having a beer at the club - but it's a start. The feedback from the ban has been overwhelming positive from what I can tell. We ran a poll on the Daily's website asking if all surf clubs should follow suit and the majority, 62%, said yes.

This was followed by 29% who believed the individual clubs should choose for themselves leaving the rest, 9%, who said they didn't care what they did. Sad. They should care. This is their health and the health of the general community we're talking about. Coincidentally, December 1 is also the date that the tax on smokes will rise by 12.5% each year for four years, raising $5.3 billion over the forward estimates.

Kevin Rudd raised tobacco prices by 25% back in 2010, a move attributed to an 11% drop in smoking rates. Of course back then, the money made off the increase was directed in to the health budget - to treat those who don't mind forking out a little bit extra to slowly kill themselves. Not all money raised will go towards treating tobacco-related diseases.

Honestly, I'd rather see a significant chunk of that money go to fund our firefighters who have to battle these life threatening blazes started by a cigarette butt flicked out the window. How about a bit more money for the environment? An estimated 4.5 trillion (Yes, with a t) cigarette butts are littered worldwide every year.

If you smoke you know the risk you're taking. Good on the Mooloolaba SLSC for banning the butt. I hope others follow in your footsteps.

These days perfect way to save money on cigarettes is to buy them online at http://cigarette-deals.com/

New York City to Ban Display of Cigarettes

New York plans to raise legal smoking age to 21 and besides this to ban dispay of cigarettes in the stores. These anti-tobacco measures to be adopted soon as Michael R. Bloomberg intends to make New York a smoke-free city. However, authorities of the New York city say that e-cigarettes escape display ban in their

Smoking Ban Rejected in Pleasant Hill

This week authorities of Pleasant Hill city rejected a suggestion to extend smoking ban to shopping centers and downtown. Michael Harris, the mayor of Pleasant Hill, has pushed rules that ban smoking in public places in the city. It is him who suggested the new restrictions. He got many complaints from citizens who were worried

Smoke-Free Homes Help Curb Habit

 Low-income smokers light up less often when cigarettes come with a high price tag and homes have a smoke-free policy, according to a new study. Tobacco use among low-income people remains high, the researchers said, but their findings could help shape public policies aimed at smoking cessation.

"What is important is that clinicians need to emphasize social norms concerning tobacco use and should encourage and discuss strategies for adopting smoke-free homes among all smokers," said the study's first author, Dr. Maya Vijayaraghavan, assistant clinical professor in the department of family and preventive medicine at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine.

"Additionally, there is a lot of interest in raising cigarette prices to reduce smoking," Vijayaraghavan said in a university news release. "While we have evidence that moderate increases reduce smoking behavior in all income groups, it is important to match such a policy with support to help lower-income smokers to quit successfully."

The study of U.S. Census Bureau data, which was published in the Oct. 17 issue of the American Journal of Public Health, suggested that people of all income levels smoke less when a pack of cigarettes costs $4.50 or more, said principal investigator John Pierce, professor and director of population sciences at the university.

"Living in a state where the average price paid for cigarettes is low ($3.20 or less per pack) means that all smokers, regardless of income, will smoke a lot more than those who live in a state with higher prices," Pierce said. The researchers also found that having a smoke-free home not only curbs tobacco use, but also helps prevent a relapse among those trying to quit.

"Price is a deterrent to smoking, but successful quitting -- 90 or more days -- was associated in this study only with a smoke-free home," Pierce said. The researchers said low-income smokers are less likely to have smoke-free policies at home since it's often the case that more than one person in the home smokes.

They noted, however, that anyone serious about quitting should consider a smoke-free rule in their home. Vijayaraghavan added that another way to deter smoking would be to boost regulation of secondhand smoke in public housing. "This may change norms around smoking among low-income populations living in public housing," she said.

For the study, the researchers examined information on 150,000 adults from a national survey on tobacco use conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau between 2006 and 2007. The participants provided information on their income and smoking habits.

Smoking Prohibited for Nursing Home Staff

In the near future Nursing Home workers from Franklin County will not be permitted to smoke cigarettes on facility grounds because a new state law comes into action in less than two weeks, on October 29. The law prohibits smoking on the grounds of hospitals and health-care facilities within 15 feet of the entrance. However,

Russia Introduces Fines for Smoking in Public Places

Lower house of parliament in Russia on Tuesday, October 15, approved the final reading of a bill which tightens anti-smoking legislation in the country by introducing fines for smoking in public places. The initiators of the bill say that it would help to prevent teens and kids from smoking. The bill is part of a

Alaska officials say smoking down among teens

Smoking among Alaska high school students has dramatically declined in recent years, health officials said Monday. A spring survey found 40 percent fewer students are smoking compared to six years ago — 10.6 percent this year compared with 17.8 percent in 2007. Officials said that means only one in 10 students in the state reported smoking at least one cigarette during the past 30 days at the time of the survey.

“These are great numbers. It’s wonderful news,” state chief medical officer Ward Hurlburt said during a briefing in Anchorage to announce the survey findings. “We also know that there remains much work to be done. The tobacco companies continue to aggressively target young Alaskans and we need to remain vigilant in our fight to combat that message.”The survey looked at nearly 1,250 students from 43 high schools that were randomly selected.

According to the survey, Alaska Native teens continue to have a rate of smoking more than twice as high as non-Natives — 18.5 percent among Alaska Native students compared with 8 percent among non-Natives in that age group. However, the figure shows improvement over the rate of 31 percent in 2007 and more than 50 percent in 1995, said Lincoln Bean, vice chair of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.

“Smoking tobacco is not a part of our traditional culture in Alaska,” said Bean, who is Tlingit. He said his ex-wife died this year of smoking-related cancer. More than half of young Alaska Natives still try smoking, but many decide before they are hooked that it’s not for them, Bean said. He noted how important tobacco prevention partnerships are for fighting the use of tobacco, including the smokeless kind.

“I’m tired of seeing our people wash their face with their tears because so many people die of cancer,” he said. Among all students, use of smokeless tobacco has not declined. The survey, however, showed a decrease in alcohol and marijuana use among all students. In this year’s survey, 22.5 percent of high school students said they had consumed alcohol within the past month, compared with 39.7 percent in 2007. Regarding marijuana, 19.7 percent reported using the drug within the past month in this year’s survey, compared with 23.9 percent in 2003.

The Youth Risk Behavior Survey is conducted in U.S. schools every two years, and it was conducted in Alaska by the state Department Of Health and Social Services. Comparable national data is not yet available, and officials say Alaska’s survey results cannot be compared with other states.

In other behaviors, the Alaska survey showed that suicide remains a serious concern. In the past 12 months, 8.4 percent attempted suicide, compared with 10.7 percent in 2007. Another area of concern is obesity, although there was a dip in the rates compared with six years ago. In this year’s survey, 26.2 of youths polled were overweight or obese, compared with 27.3 percent in 2007.

59% of American Indians in Minnesota Smoke

Latest data shows that a lifestyle practice among American Indians in Minnesota caused a public health crisis which means they consume a lot of cigars, cigarettes, chewing tobacco, snuff, pipes. In the Tribal Tobacco Use Project Survey started in 2009 and in it participated 3,000 American Indians aged 18 and older from 7 reservations in

Coronado to Consider No-Smoking Ordinance

The ordinance will ban smoking tobacco in public spaces, such as parks, beaches and sidewalks. Restaurants and cafes that uses city sidewalks as outdoor dining areas are also affected.

The Coronado City Council will consider an amendment to the municipal code to ban smoking on public properties, such as parks, beaches and sidewalks at the 4 p.m. public meeting Tuesday.

The city is considering the smoking ban after complaints from residents about smokers on sidewalks and outdoor dining areas, said Lorenzo Hitley, director of tobacco program at Communities Against Substance Abuse. The group has lobbying for the smoking ban.

Coronado is following steps that other cities in the county have taken. Del Mar and El Cajon both have passed no-smoking ordinances in recent years. So far there hasn’t been any opposition to the proposed law in Coronado, Hitley said.

“I haven’t seen any concerns,” he said. “No public testimony against it.”

According to Community Against Substance Abuse, 67 percent of residents who took the survey on the city’s website support the law.

Tuesday’s afternoon meeting is the first reading and public comment of the proposed ordinance. If everything goes well, then a second draft will be presented and voted on at the Oct. 15 city council meeting and the law would go into effect Jan. 1, Hitley said.

Students Should Lead the Way During Stoptober

Those who every morning do walk up the same stretch of pavement outside Farringdon station on their way to work in order to enjoy fresh air cannot enjoy it on the whole way as there is always a crowd of people puffing on cigarettes. You may wonder why? You see smokers everywhere; not only congregated

Kids Around World Recognize Logos of Cigarette Brands

The marketing of cigarette brands has successfully reached children most of all in low- and middle-income countries. Study made in 1991 revealed that 91 percent of 6-year-old children surveyed were able to precisely identify Old Joe, the cartoon character representing Camel cigarettes. The figure is equal to the number of children who precisely identified Mickey

Board of Health approves smoking ban on bar, restaurant patios

City council will soon debate whether to ban smoking on patios and other outdoor spaces across Toronto.

The city’s Board of Health approved a motion Monday that suggested the city ban smoking in:
-public building entrances and exits
-sports fields
-specific amenities in parks
-swimming beaches
-public squares
-bar and restaurant patios
-hospital grounds

Toronto Public Health said they spoke with bar and restaurant owners, property managers, the hospital sector, sports groups, health and community-based organizations, universities, colleges and students, members of the public and city staff.

The health agency said the goal of the motion was to “improve protection from second-hand smoke” and “decrease the visibility of smoking in public places.”

City council could debate the issue as early as October 8.

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford said Monday that he “hates the smell” of cigarette smoke but will not support a ban on smoking cigarettes in outdoor spaces.

“I don’t like it but I don’t like the government getting involved,” he said. “How far are they going to push this? Are they going to make the city like eventually one day smoke free? You can’t even smoke anywhere? That’s where it’s going.”

“No I’m not going to have a nanny state that the government’s going to come in and tell you, you can do this or do that, so no, you know, we have enough restrictions on smoking as is,” he added.

The Manitoba government became the first provincial government in Canada to ban smoking on all its public beaches and playgrounds in March 2013.