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By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR WASHINGTON (AP) — The House on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed legislation that for the first time would subject the tobacco industry to regulation by federal health authorities charged with promoting public well-being.Its backers call the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act "landmark" legislation. While the bill appears to have enough support to pass this year, it's unclear whether the Senate will have time to act, and the Bush administration issued a veto threat...  click here for full article>>>

Newswise — It has been years since tobacco companies vowed to stop targeting children with slick ads featuring cartoon characters, but new research suggests that children remain in the crosshairs of the industry’s advertising strategy.Tobacco advertisers use multiple posters, banners and fliers, often in close proximity, to get the message out, according to a study in the September issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. About a decade ago, the Outdoor Advertising Association of America...  click here for full article>>>

By STEPHANIE SAULDecades after the surgeon general first warned that cigarettes were a health hazard, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved legislation on Wednesday that would for the first time give the Food and Drug Administration the power to regulate tobacco products. The Vote in the HouseCiting the long history of warnings about the dangers of smoking, Representative John D. Dingell, chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, said that it was hard to believe that the federal...  click here for full article>>>

Matthew ThompsonDaily Mail staff   No video lottery parlors or bars have been fined in the first month of Kanawha County's new, tougher smoking ban. July marked the beginning of a smoking ban in all enclosed public spaces, including bars and gambling establishments. It replaced a 2004 clean indoor air ordinance that exempted gambling facilities and bars that receive 80 percent of sales from liquor. Anita Ray, director of environmental health for the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department, said...  click here for full article>>>

ScienceDaily (July 25, 2008) — Parents who have regular meals with their adolescent children might help lessen the chances they will start drinking or smoking later in their teen years, according to new researchPast studies have shown that family meals provide many benefits, including offering a venue for parents to communicate with their adolescents about their daily activities, as well as monitor their moods and whereabouts.In the new study, researchers noted benefits in families that ate five or more...  click here for full article>>>

Bill Gates and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced on Wednesday that they would spend $500 million to stop people around the world from smoking.The World Health Organization estimates that tobacco will kill up to a billion people in the 21st century, 10 times as many as it killed in the 20th.This time, most are expected to be in poor countries like Bangladesh and middle-income countries like Russia. In an effort to cut that number, Mr. Bloomberg’s foundation plans to commit $250 million over four years...  click here for full article>>>

By VALERIE BAUMANALBANY — Many drug addicts, problem gamblers, and alcoholics will find it harder to kick their habits in New York than anywhere else in the country now that smoking will be banned in all public and private recovery centers.For some, taking away the tobacco crutch could be just enough to keep them from getting clean and sober, or from trying at all.New York's 13 state-run addiction treatment centers have been tobacco free for more than 10 years. New regulations that take effect Thursday...  click here for full article>>>

MIDDLEBOURNE - While it may look like an Oscar, the Tyler RAZE Chapter's second trophy in as many years for best RAZE for RESA 5 actually has more meaning.The chapter was presented with a trophy at the state convention or state "RAZE ON." Robert Allen, chapter adviser, was also named as best "RAZE Adviser" for RESA 5 at the state scholarship dinner, marking the second time this honor has been bestowed him.RAZE is designed to attack "big tobacco" on the grassroots level and spread the gospel about the...  click here for full article>>>

By Eric EyreStaff writerCHARLESTON, W.Va. Angry bar owners railed against Kanawha County's two-week-old expanded smoking ban Thursday, saying it's devastating their businesses. Bar and gambling parlor owners threatened to file a class-action lawsuit if the Kanawha-Charleston Board of Health doesn't rescind the new regulations. About 40 bar owners and patrons attended the health department meeting in Charleston. "Everybody here is really hurting," said John Carney, owner of The Blue Parrot bar in...  click here for full article>>>

By STEPHANIE SAULA new Harvard study claims that the tobacco industry in recent years has manipulated menthol levels in cigarettes to hook youngsters and maintain loyalty among smoking adults. The report could further inflame a controversy over menthol in pending tobacco legislation.Skip to next paragraph The study by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, released Wednesday, concludes that manufacturers have marketed brands to what it called a “vulnerable population” of adolescents and...  click here for full article>>>

By Bruno Waterfield in AmsterdamNasty smells left by sweaty summer beer drinkers have left some Dutch bar owners pining for the aroma of cigarette and cigar smoke two weeks after a smoking ban came into force. Rain Showtechniek, a Dutch company that specialises in lighting, special stage effects and sound systems, has developed a machine that reproduces the traditional smell of bars and cafes. "There is a need for a scent to mask the sweat and other unpleasant smells like stale beer," said Erwin van den...  click here for full article>>>

By Karl Greenberg The American Legacy Foundation's "truth" campaign, aimed at preventing kids from lighting up, is taking a shot a viral marketing. The campaign "ReMix" involves DJs and bands grabbing the song-and-dance tunes from the Foundation's six-month old "Sunny Side" campaign and creating hip-hop, house and alt-rock music from them. The effort features bands like Cobra Starship, Diplo, Kaskade, Mix Master Mike and others re-mixing the songs that in the TV spots have a lot more in common with...  click here for full article>>>

 All new movies released on DVD that include smoking scenes and are rated G, PG or PG-13 will now include antismoking ads that will appear before the movie begins, Reuters reported July 11.The California Tobacco Control Program and a group of six major Hollywood studios announced an agreement to place the ads with movies that could be viewed by children. The participating studios are Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, Walt Disney Studios, and Twentieth Century Fox....  click here for full article>>>

By Jennifer WarnerDrugs and Nicotine-Replacement Therapies Better Than Placebo at Smoking CessationSmoking-cessation drugs and many nicotine-replacement therapies are more than twice as effective at helping smokers quit than going it alone.A new analysis of 69 studies comparing seven different smoking-cessation treatments shows six of the seven treatments were more effective than placebo in helping smokers quit the habit for at least six months to a year.But researchers say smoking-cessation therapies...  click here for full article>>>

All new movies released on DVD that include smoking scenes and are rated G, PG or PG-13 will now include antismoking ads that will appear before the movie begins, Reuters reported July 11.The California Tobacco Control Program and a group of six major Hollywood studios announced an agreement to place the ads with movies that could be viewed by children. The participating studios are Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, Walt Disney Studios, and Twentieth Century Fox. The...  click here for full article>>>

By Chris Reidy, Boston Globe staff The youth smoking prevention campaign "truth," created with input from the Boston ad agency Arnold, has launched a "ReMix" project on its website that features songs with anti-tobacco messages. "Songs from the current truth advertising campaign will be getting a new twist this summer when nine innovative and well-known DJs and bands put new spins on the songs by re-mixing them in styles from house and hip-hop to electro," the American Legacy Foundation said. The...  click here for full article>>>

Los Angeles, CA - By Claude Brodesser-akner Philip Morris, RJR Test Tobacco Pouches as Smokers Feel Pinch of Taxes, New LawsFaced with rising taxes for cigarettes in New York the price of a pack hit $9 and ever-tightening smoking bans in places such as Los Angeles, where a bill threatens to force smokers out of all outdoor eating areas, Big Tobacco is trying a new approach to keep America's dwindling 45 million smokers in the fold.The solution: snus (they are always curiously plural), a pinch of steam-cured tobacco...  click here for full article>>>

By Emily CorioAccording to Smoke-Free West Virginia, Monongalia County used to have the toughest smoking regulations in the state. That was back in 1993. Now the county is one of eight that still allows smoking in restaurants and bars.  Community members created a proposal that would change this, but it's not getting traction.The proposed smoking ban would prohibit smoking in any enclosed public place, including restaurants and bars. A group calling itself "Smoke Free Mon County" gave the...  click here for full article>>>

Harrisburg, PA - By Tom Barnes, Post-Gazette Harrisburg BureauGov. Rendell signs measure into lawWhen state Rep. Michael Gerber was elected to the Legislature four years ago, he was told that "nothing good comes out of Harrisburg without a fight.''The Montgomery County Democrat, a leader in the effort to enact a new anti-smoking law, said, "This was one hell of a fight.''Gov. Ed Rendell traveled yesterday to Ambler, a town in Mr. Gerber's district, to sign Senate Bill 246, the Clean Indoor Air Act, which will ban smoking...  click here for full article>>>

By: Karl GreenbergThe American Legacy Foundation's anti-smoking campaign for youth, called "truth," is hitting the road Friday for its ninth annual nationwide summer tour. The tour, which starts in Jackson, Miss., will seek to talk to kids about the insalubrious qualities of tobacco and the social consequences of using it. Two crews in orange "truth trucks" will make more than 60 stops at teen-oriented events in 30 states. One of the teams travels with the Vans Warped Tour, an annual summer rock...  click here for full article>>>

By Stephanie SaulForty years ago, the New York business magnates Laurence A. Tisch and Preston Robert Tisch capitalized on growing public health concerns over smoking by buying a cigarette company at a bargain price.It proved a good investment — even if the Tisch name has sometimes been linked to smoking’s health hazards, as when an airplane once trailed a banner over Long Island beaches reading “Larry Tisch sells cancer sticks.” The tobacco company’s flagship Newport brand flourished, becoming the...  click here for full article>>>

Clarksburg, WV - By Colleen WrightAs more counties in West Virginia pass 100 percent smoking bans, smoking researchers in the state are beginning to see a slight increase in the number of smokeless tobacco users.“Right now it is not a significant amount, but we do have indicators that over the past couple of years there has been a fairly sizable number of people reporting that they use smokeless tobacco because of the county Clean Indoor Air Regulations or workplace regulations,” said Bruce Adkins, director of the...  click here for full article>>>

Detroit, MI - By Steve Miller, BrandweekWHO chastises cigarette firms for youth appealsThe World Health Organization is urging governments to prohibit all tobacco advertising, including sponsorships and promotions.The group, based in Switzerland, claims that tobacco companies target marketing at young people by "falsely associating use of tobacco products with qualities such as glamor, energy and sex appeal.""In order to survive, the tobacco industry needs to replace those who quit or die with new young consumers,"...  click here for full article>>>

By Alice Park New genetic research helps explain why some smokers respond better to certain smoking-cessation programs than others, according to scientists at Duke University and the National Institute on Drug Abuse.Reporting this week in the Archives of General Psychiatry, scientists describe for the first time a set of genes, about 100 in all, that seem to predict how well a smoker will respond to two different types of quitting programs — nicotine replacement or bupropion (Zyban). Nicotine...  click here for full article>>>

Baltimore, MD - By Lynn Anderson, Sun reporterProposal targets sale of single small smokes popular with teensHoping to curb smoking among teenagers and prevent a lifetime of nicotine dependence, Baltimore officials are proposing a citywide ban on the sale of individual small cigars, sometimes called "blunts" or "loosies," in neighborhood shops.If the public health proposal becomes law, Baltimore could be the first municipality in the country to attempt to improve residents' overall health by limiting their access to the...  click here for full article>>>

Richmond, VA - The Associated Press Altria Group Inc. on Wednesday reiterated to shareholders its interest in growing its business in other tobacco categories as U.S. cigarette sales continue to decline because of concerns about health, smoking bans and price increases.Chief Executive Michael Szymanczyk told shareholders that while Altria will still be able to build market share in the declining cigarette business, success depends on finding alternative products that are satisfying to consumers and reduce health risks....  click here for full article>>>

By Lori Aratani and Susan Levine, Washington Post Staff WritersFood Reformers Look for LessonsCould strategies from the country's decades-long campaign against smoking serve as a blueprint for anti-obesity initiatives?Certainly, there are parallels between tobacco and food. Both are deeply entwined in popular culture and customs. Both have powerful interests behind them, industry forces with significant resources and political connections to fight government regulation.But solving the obesity epidemic...  click here for full article>>>

Perth, Australia - Australian researchers say they have found a strong link between childhood ear infections and exposure to tobacco smoke.A study, published in the Medical Journal of Australia, found that middle-ear infections were diagnosed at least once in 74 percent of Aboriginal children and 45 percent of non-Aboriginal children.Sixty-four percent of Aboriginal children and 40 percent of non-Aboriginal children were exposed to environmental tobacco smoke. The impact of passive smoking in the home on ear infections was...  click here for full article>>>

Concord, NH - The House of Representatives and state Senate have each approved legislation that would make "small cigars'' subject to the state tax on cigarettes.Cigars are exempt from the state's tobacco tax. Advocates for this bill (HB 1309) pointed out cigarillos are roughly the same size and quantity of tobacco and are wrapped in paper just as cigarettes are."This bill is about tax parity,'' said Sen. Robert Odell, R-Lempster, holding up packs of the two products.Some estimate closing this loophole could raise as...  click here for full article>>>

Salt Lake City, UT - By Dawn House The Salt Lake TribuneFifteen Dan's and Macey's grocery stores no longer will sell tobacco products starting June 1, joining three other Utah supermarkets that have stopped selling cigarettes, company officials said on Thursday. The stores, located from Logan to Utah County, join the two Dick's Markets in Centerville and Bountiful and a Ream's store in Provo that stopped tobacco sales in the mid-1990s. Dave Wirthlin, president of Dick's Market, Dan's and Macey's, said the decision...  click here for full article>>>

Onondaga County, NY - By Brad VivacquaThe Onondaga County Legislature is expected to vote on a bill this week which could soon raise the legal age to buy tobacco products in the county from 18 to 19. The resolution called Tobacco 19 is being proposed for a second time after it was vetoed by former county executive Nick Pirro two years ago. There are really two reasons why the Tobacco 19 Law was vetoed in December of 2006. Now at least some members of the legislature feel those issues have been resolved and say the bill can...  click here for full article>>>

San Francisco, CA - By Marisa LagosThe sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products at drug stores would be illegal in San Francisco if an ordinance introduced this week by Mayor Gavin Newsom wins approval.The proposed law is designed to curb tobacco sales at stores where pharmacists work, but would not apply to big box businesses such as Costco or to grocery stores. The ordinance is just one of a series of measures supported by the mayor intended to promote healthy living among San Francisco residents, said Newsom...  click here for full article>>>

ScienceDaily — As the westernization of India accelerates, tobacco advertising and marketing have been linked to increased tobacco use by urban Indian children as young as 11, according to a study released today by researchers at The University of Texas School of Public Health.The study, “Associations Between Tobacco Marketing and Use Among Urban Youth In India,” is published in the May/June issue of the American Journal of Health Behavior. Findings from an earlier published study by the researchers...  click here for full article>>>

Jefferson City, MO - The Associated Press Missouri's anti-tobacco efforts for young people could get a threefold increase in money under a deal struck Monday by legislative budget writers.Missouri has long ranked near the bottom nationally for the amount of money it spends on tobacco prevention programs. Meanwhile, its smoking rate generally has ranked among the highest in the nation.This year, the state is spending about $500,000 on programs intended to prevent youths from smoking. Part of that money comes from the...  click here for full article>>>

By David DoddsThe University of Minnesota-Crookston will become a smoke and tobacco-free campus in 2009, school officials said today.The new policy, which is effective Jan. 1, covers smoking, tobacco use and tobacco sales on properties owned, operated and leased by the school. It also continues to prohibit smoking and tobacco use in university vehicles.“After a yearlong conversation that has included forums, surveys and discussions with campus governance groups, we have determined that it is in the best...  click here for full article>>>

Fairmont, W.Va. - By Mary Wade BurnsideTimes West VirginianAdult men in the state of West Virginia have the second highest rate of using smokeless-tobacco products, at 16.6 percent, behind only Wyoming.Add in high school males and, according to some statistics, West Virginia then becomes the state with the highest usage rate, according to Bruce Adkins, director of the state Division of Tobacco Prevention (www.wvdtp.org).“All smokeless tobacco are highly addictive and can lead to lifelong nicotine addiction and dependence,...  click here for full article>>>

Wheeling, W.Va. - By Shelley HansonDr. William Mercer’s anti-smoking teaching tools include pigs’ lungs, straws and a 500-pound statue of Snoopy’s alter ego, Joe Cool.Each Wednesday, the items are used to educate children in a different Ohio County school about the dangers of smoking. The students slide on gloves before touching the lungs — one set is pink, the other damaged purposely by smoke to show the children what 20 years of using tobacco can do to them.The children breathe through the straws — one regular, the...  click here for full article>>>

BY Brandy RissmillerMore than one person a day in Schuylkill County will die each year from a tobacco use-related disease.Nationally, 400,000 deaths annually are attributed to tobacco use.Those statistics ignited members of “Busted! Teens Kickin’ Nicotine” with a desire to make people aware of the dangers.On Wednesday, during the 2008 Kick Butts Day DROP II, 370 students from 12 area schools simultaneously fell onto the Schuylkill County Courthouse lawn, representing the county residents who lose their...  click here for full article>>>

By: Jack LeBlancLouisiana would be first to pass billThe youngest member of the state Legislature proposed a bill to raise the age of legal tobacco use from 18 to 21 years old.If House Bill 240 passes in the 2008 Regular Session, it will be illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to buy or possess any tobacco products. Walker Hines, D-New Orleans, said he proposed House Bill 240 to reduce health care costs for the state and prolong the lives of Louisiana residents.Louisiana would be the first state to...  click here for full article>>>

Syracuse, NY - A law that would bar Onondaga County stores from selling tobacco to people under 19 cleared the legislative health committee today.The full Legislature will consider the law at its May 5 session. Under the proposed law, businesses caught selling tobacco, herbal cigarettes, rolling papers or pipes to those under 19 could be fined $300 to $1,000 for the first offense, $500 to $1,500 for subsequent violations. Merchants would need to see identification of anyone who looks younger than 25.State law already...  click here for full article>>>

By Karl GreenbergThis week The American Legacy (ALF) and the National Alliance for Tobacco Cessation (NATC)a group comprising state departments of health and private organizationsare launching a first-ever national advertising, PR, grassroots campaign aimed at getting people to quit smoking. The $25-30-million campaign, "EX," aims at getting smokers to break the link between cigarettes and the daily rituals, habits and triggers that make one want to light up. It also aims to educate...  click here for full article>>>

New Mexico Business Weekly An independent rodeo promoter pledged today to ban advertising, sponsorships and the distribution of free spit tobacco at all of his events. Casper Baca, owner of Casper Baca Rodeo Co., which produces 50 rodeos a year throughout the Southwest, signed the "Bucking Tobacco Sponsorship" policy during a ceremony with Lt. Gov. Diane Denish; State Sen. Dede Feldman, D-Albuquerque; Dr. Alfredo Vigil, secretary of the New Mexico Department of Health; and Chris Baca, president and CEO...  click here for full article>>>

Washington, D.C. - Senator steps back on oversight measureBy Michael Kranish, Globe StaffTen years ago, Senator John McCain took on the tobacco industry, saying he would never back down from legislation to regulate the industry. He also supported a $1.10-per-pack tax on cigarettes to fund programs to cut underage smoking. "I still regret we did not succeed," he said as recently as last October.Now, McCain's longtime effort to crack down on tobacco is being put to a new test. Within weeks, the Senate is expected to vote on...  click here for full article>>>

Raleigh, NC - Safer, not safe, products possibleBy Wade RawlinsKnocking out a specific gene in burley tobacco plants significantly reduces harmful carcinogens in cured tobacco leaves, scientists at N.C. State University have shown.The findings could lead to less- harmful tobacco products, in particular smokeless forms such as chewing tobacco. The research was sponsored by the tobacco company Philip Morris.In large-scale field trials involving hundreds of genetically altered plants in three states, Ralph Dewey and...  click here for full article>>>

Columbus, OH - Ohio State University has asked tobacco giant R.J. Reynolds to stop using the university's famous block "O" in an advertisement for a smokeless tobacco product.The ad for Camel "Snus" was brought to the attention of university officials recently by anti-tobacco advocates. The ad used in a newspaper features a man and woman in a nightclub setting with an "O" in the background.Ohio State says lawyers for R.J. Reynolds told the university the company will no longer use the "O" and is investigating how it...  click here for full article>>>

Louisville, KY - A House committee yesterday passed a bill that would scale back a tax incentive program used to jump-start the Museum Plaza skyscraper project in downtown Louisville. House Bill 611 now goes to the full House for consideration. Under the bill, projects already approved for incentives would not be affected. In addition to Museum Plaza, they include expansion of the University of Louisville's downtown medical research campus and the Center City retail and entertainment district in Louisville. The...  click here for full article>>>

New York, NY - Peer pressure, catchy advertising, popular culture. America's youth are inundated with visual appeals to drink and smoke, CBS News correspondent Randall Pinkston reports. While the alcohol and tobacco industries insist their products are aimed at adults, critics charge beverages like Sparks and colored tobacco products are tailor-made for teens. There are fruit-flavored cigars and energy drinks that are high-caffeine - and now, a new twist, up to 9 percent alcohol. "Alcohol and caffeine are really double...  click here for full article>>>

By Greg Stohr The tobacco industry lost a U.S. Supreme Court bid aimed at limiting damage awards in more than 700 West Virginia lawsuits filed by smokers who say cigarettes gave them cancer and other diseases. The justices, without comment, today left intact a trial plan that Altria Group Inc.'s Philip Morris USA unit and other cigarette makers said will lead to unconstitutional awards of punitive damages. The approach calls for a jury to consider common issues, including the availability of punitive...  click here for full article>>>

By Mike BeirneBrand redesigns packaging for the first time in 90 years. At a time when the cigarette industry is under greater scrutiny than ever, R.J. Reynolds is drawing on its limited arsenal to attempt to boost sales.Last week, RJR gave its iconic Camel brand its first major package redo in 90 years and is adding more premium tobacco to all base brand flavors except menthol. The move is a bold one in a category where such mainstay cigarette brands have changed little since their debuts.Separately,...  click here for full article>>>

Morgantown, WV - A West Virginia University researcher received a five-year, $1.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute for studies that could lead to more effective smoking cessation treatments. Thaddeus Herzog, of the WVU Department of Community Medicine and the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center, is investigating the various levels of motivation people have to quit smoking and how best to classify that motivation. Accurately measuring motivation to quit could lead to smoking...  click here for full article>>>

Atlantic City, NJ - A judge ruled in favor of a New Jersey casino dealer claiming 10 years of exposure to second-hand cigarette smoke contributed to her lung cancer.Judge Cosmo Giovinazzi, a New Jersey workers' compensation judge, issued a preliminary ruling Monday awarding Kam Wong roughly $150,000 for lost wages and medical expenses because second-hand smoke materially contributed to her lung cancer, The Press of Atlantic City (N.J.) reported Wednesday. Wong, her husband and none of her family members smoked, nor was she...  click here for full article>>>

Chicago, IL - By Julie Steenhuysen A woman in her late teens died from an acute asthma attack triggered by secondhand cigarette smoke shortly after arriving at her job as a waitress in a bar in Michigan, researchers reported on Friday.They said it was the first reported case of an immediate death caused by secondhand smoke."She didn't have any other possible known causes of death," said Dr. Kenneth Rosenman, a Michigan State University professor who oversees three state public health surveillance systems.Cigarette...  click here for full article>>>

New York, NY - By Edith M. LedererTobacco use killed 100 million people worldwide in the 20th century and could kill one billion people in the 21st unless governments act now to dramatically reduce it, the World Health Organization said in a report Thursday.Governments around the world collect more than $200 billion in tobacco taxes every year but spend less than one fifth of 1 percent of that revenue on tobacco control, it said."We hold in our hands the solution to the global tobacco epidemic that threatens the lives...  click here for full article>>>

By Alan FinderOfficials at the University of Texas business school in Austin became uneasy when they realized that a reliable donor to student activities — the parent company of the tobacco maker Philip Morris — wanted a more prominent role in sponsoring events, and more interaction with students. So the school decided two months ago to draw a line, and refuse all tobacco money for student groups, as well as for faculty research. “What it came down to for us was the ethical dimension,” said George W. Gau...  click here for full article>>>

Lausanne, Switzerland - Division Spinoff Enables Blitz of New Products; High-Tar Smokes in AsiaBy VANESSA O'CONNELL Sitting in his office overlooking Lake Geneva, Philip Morris International Chief Executive André Calantzopoulos takes a long drag from an unusually short cigarette. Called Marlboro Intense, the product has been shrunk down by about a half inch, and offers smokers seven potent puffs apiece, versus the average of eight or so milder draws.The idea behind Intense is to appeal to customers who, due to indoor smoking...  click here for full article>>>

Morgantown, WV - Risks of Smoking There’s no question that smoking is harmful to your health; however, now a new study shows smoking may also increase the risk of developing diabetes.  People most often associate cigarette smoking with an increased risk of getting cancer or heart disease. According to a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, type-two diabetes also makes the list. Geri Dino WVU School of Medicine says, “What’s also interesting is that if, not only do you have a greater...  click here for full article>>>

By Karl GreenbergTHE AMERICAN LEGACY FOUNDATION (ALF), an anti-smoking fund funded by tobacco companies following a late-1990s settlement agreement, is launching a new campaign in its eight-year-old "Truth" campaign aimed at keeping kids away from cigarettes. The effort, launching this week, comprises TV ads, an Interactive campaign and a summer tour. It is also the last "Truth" campaign in which both Arnold Worldwide and Crispin Porter + Bogusky (the latter is departing the campaign) participated....  click here for full article>>>

Washington, D.C. - By LINDA GREENHOUSEWASHINGTON — The Supreme Court’s already substantial investment in defining the boundary between federal regulation and state tort law grew even bigger on Friday. The justices added two new cases to their docket on drug and cigarette labeling requirements.In each case, as in four others the court has already agreed to decide in the current term, the question is one of federal pre-emption. The cases offer variations of a common question: if a product meets federal standards, can the...  click here for full article>>>

By Michael SchroederThe Journal GazetteWant to know whether smoking is bad for you? Just ask Big Tobacco.The “overwhelming medical consensus” shows that smoking causes lung cancer, heart disease and many other health conditions, said Bill Phelps of Richmond, Va.-based Philip Morris USA.“The risks of smoking are well-known,” echoed David Howard, a spokesman for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. in Winston-Salem, N.C., adding that there’s no safe cigarette.Since a landmark 1998 industry settlement involving 46...  click here for full article>>>

By Andrew Walker Nigeria analyst  Nigeria's government is suing three international tobacco firms for $44bn (£22bn) - the first such case in the developing world - due to start in the capital, Abuja. It says tobacco manufacturers are putting unacceptable pressure on the country's health services, and companies are targeting younger and younger people in an attempt to replace former smokers in Europe and America. British American Tobacco (BAT), Philip Morris and International Tobacco Ltd, deny the...  click here for full article>>>

Charleston, WV - Corrections bans prison smoking starting March 1By Tom Searls Staff writer  The state prison system has a 40 percent smoking rate, but that will soon change, lawmakers meeting in interim session learned Tuesday.“We are putting in — effective March 1 — non-smoking for all inmates,” Corrections Commissioner Jim Rubenstein told members of the Legislative Oversight Committee on Regional Jail and Correction Facility Authority.So far, Rubenstein said there have been no problems at the prisons, though...  click here for full article>>>

Tokyo, Japan - The Associated Press Tokyo's two largest taxi associations implemented a smoking ban Monday that made nearly all of the cabs operating in Japan's capital smoke-free amid rising health awareness and tighter regulations.The ban was implemented by the Tokyo Taxi Association, whose member companies operate 34,000 cabs, and the Tokyo Independent Taxi Association, which has some 17,500 owner-operated taxis, association officials said.The two associations account for around 95 percent of Tokyo's taxis,...  click here for full article>>>

Los Angeles, CA - California demonstration promotes the state's new ban on tobacco use in cars with minors.By Mary Engel, Los Angeles Times Staff WriterSmoking a cigarette in a car makes the air inside 10 to 30 times more toxic than the air outdoors on one of Southern California's most polluted days.On Thursday, state officials put on a live demonstration of that health hazard to promote a new law that bans smoking in cars carrying minors.Neil Klepeis, a Stanford University environmental health scientist, attached sensors...  click here for full article>>>

Rochester, N.Y. - Wegmans Food Markets Inc., an upscale supermarket chain with 71 stores in five states, said Friday it will stop selling cigarettes and other tobacco products next month. "We have come to this decision after thinking about the role smoking plays in people's health," the company's top executives, Danny Wegman and his daughter, Colleen, said in a letter to employees."We certainly respect a person's right to smoke, but we believe there are few of us who would introduce our children to smoking." The family...  click here for full article>>>

South Williamson, KY - By Pamela Scott Johnson Staff WriterDMD Nick England Jr. is a man with a window to Kentucky, a state with the highest proportion of adults under the age of 65 without teeth.The South Wiliamson dentist works in a state where about half the population does not have dental insurance. According to England we live in a culture that consumes food that is not necessarily good for our dental health."I can fairly predict if someone drinks Mountain Dew," he said. "Mountain Dew is one of the highest drinks in...  click here for full article>>>

Washington, D.C. - By The Associated PressWASHINGTON D.C.   West Virginia ranks 29th in the nation in funding programs to protect kids from tobacco, according to a national report released today by a coalition of public health organizations.West Virginia currently spends $5.7 million a year on tobacco prevention programs, which is 40 percent of the minimum amount of $14.2 million recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Last year, West Virginia ranked 22nd, spending $5.4 million on...  click here for full article>>>

Anti-smoking clean indoor air laws now apply to well more than half of the U.S. population, according to a new analysis that confirms the laws improve health and do not harm revenues of restaurants, bars, or tourism. Evidence is mixed about the impact on gaming establishments, according to "The Economic Impact of Clean Indoor Air Laws," written by Dr. Michael Eriksen, director and professor at the Institute of Public Health, Georgia State University in Atlanta, and Dr. Frank Chaloupka, distinguished...  click here for full article>>>

Wheeling, W.Va. - By Fred ConorsWHEELING — A decline in cigarette sales in the Wheeling area gives credence to a West Virginia Division of Tobacco Prevention report claiming there is a decline in the number of people lighting up.WVDTP Director Bruce W. Adkins said the report, released last week, shows the prevalence of Mountain State adult smokers is lower than it has been in decades and that the youth smoking rate has dropped 32 percent over the past five years. Adkins credits three factors for the decline in tobacco use...  click here for full article>>>

Washington, D.C. - WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ The following is a statement by Matthew L. Myers, President, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids: A new study published in the December 5, 2007, issue of the scientific journal The Lancet shows that tobacco control measures, including higher tobacco taxes, smoke-free workplace laws, advertising bans and large health warnings, are among the most effective and affordable strategies nations can adopt to reduce deaths from chronic diseases, such as cancer and heart...  click here for full article>>>

Posted by Jane AkreJoe Camel is a thing of the past but his country cousin has drawn the ire of lawyers around the country.Tobacco advertising to children was banned under a 1998 agreement between state governments and the tobacco industry.But the November 15th anniversary issue of Rolling Stone magazine features a nine-page ad for Camel cigarettes that targets young smokers in an ad placed by R.J. Reynolds.The attorneys general of eight states have filed suit against R.J. Reynolds  accusing it of...  click here for full article>>>

Asheville, NC - Nanci BompeyAsheville High School sophomore Ari Zitin said he thinks his efforts at educating students about the dangers of using tobacco are working. “Smoking and tobacco use is no longer accepted, even among youth, that it’s something cool to do,” said Zitin, who is a youths leader through Question Why and a member of Asheville High’s Teens Against To-bacco Use club.Through Question Why, Zitin and other youth leaders travel around the region teaching students how to start anti-tobacco groups and how to...  click here for full article>>>

Columbus, OH - Dann: RJR Violated No-Cartoon AgreementBy Jim Otte, ReporterCOLUMBUS, Ohio Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann filed suit Tuesday against R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company for use of what Dann claims are cartoons used in cigarette advertising.Cartoons in tobacco ads were prohibited under a Master Settlement Agreement signed with the tobacco industry in 1998.Dann filed suit in Franklin County Common Pleas Court seeking more than $5,000,000 for violating the agreement.The ads appeared in the Nov. 15, 2007,...  click here for full article>>>

Edmonton, Canada - By Isabela C. Varela, ExpressNews Staff Joe Camel may be long gone, but that doesn't mean tobacco companies have abandoned their efforts to get young people hooked on smoking.A new Canadian study reports that tobacco marketers have found a way around tobacco advertising restrictions, reaching teens by marketing in retail shops located near high schools. The findings, recently published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health, suggest the strategy is working. "At the time of the study, we found that...  click here for full article>>>

Morgantown, WV - Monongalia County might bar smokes from pubs County also considers a ban in businesses BY CASSIE SHANERThe Dominion Post THE MONONGALIA COUNTY Board of Health will meet in regular session at 9 a.m. Jan. 31, at the Monongalia County Health Department Training Center, 453 Van Voorhis Road. Bars and restaurants in Monongalia County may become smoke-free in 2008.Catherine Whitworth, tobacco policy coordinator for the Wellness Council of West Virginia, and Christina Mickey, project coordinator for Smoke...  click here for full article>>>

Reduced Exposure to Second Hand Smoke Reduces Heart Attacks in Non-SmokersBy C. Michelle A new study by Indiana University researchers shows that hospital admissions for heart attacks dropped by 59 percent for non smokers after a countywide smoking ban was implemented. This is the first study to look at the effects that public smoking bans have on the occurence of heart attacks in non-smokers. Previous studies did not distinguish between smokers and non-smokers or only looked at non-smokers with no...  click here for full article>>>

Washington, D.C. - WASHINGTON, Nov. 20 (AP) — Government scientists are investigating whether a drug from Pfizer used to help smokers quit cigarettes also increases suicidal thoughts and violent behavior.The Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday that it had received reports of mood disorders and erratic behavior among patients taking Chantix, Pfizer’s prescription drug used to help quit smoking.The F.D.A. said it was still gathering information about the drug, but advised doctors to closely monitor patients taking...  click here for full article>>>

Charleston, WV - Kanawha board votes for strict regulationsBy Eric EyreStaff writer You’ll still be able to drink a beer and place a bet, but forget about lighting up a cigarette. The Kanawha-Charleston Board of Health voted unanimously Thursday to expand the countywide indoor smoking ban to bars, gambling parlors and the Tri-State Racetrack & Gaming Center. The new regulations will take effect July 1. Thursday was Great American Smokeout Day, and health board members took the occasion to strengthen anti-smoking...  click here for full article>>>

Charleston, WV - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending that West Virginia increase spending on anti-tobacco programs to $27.8 million a year, four times what the state now distributes to reduce smoking and smokeless tobacco use, according to a new report. West Virginia leads the nation in the percentage of women who smoke during pregnancy. The state also has the highest proportion of younger adults who smoke. "There's no question we have to increase what we're putting into those programs," said...  click here for full article>>>

Charleston, WV - Since it was Halloween Day, after all, a number of pets owned by students and faculty at West Virginia State University put on the dog during Wednesday's Smoke Free Pet Day event, wearing costumes ranging from pumpkin pooch to police dog.Pet owners had their photos taken with their dogs or with a cuddly pair of adoption-seeking puppies from the Kanawha Charleston Humane Society Animal Shelter, or picked up free bandanas, dog food samples and squeeze toys.While the mood was festive and the fall weather...  click here for full article>>>

Charleston, WV - More West Virginia women are smoking while pregnant than at any time during the past decade, a new study has found.More than 27 percent of women smoked during their pregnancy last year — the highest rate in the nation. West Virginia’s maternal smoking rate was nearly triple the national average, according to a report from the state’s health statistics division. Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of low-birth weight and premature babies. Children born from mothers who smoke also are more likely...  click here for full article>>>

Chicago, IL - Pushed out of public buildings, smokers in Chicago may find themselves kicked off of beaches and out of playgrounds, the Chicago Park District announced Tuesday.As anti-smoking legislation takes hold across the state and nation, the Park District's plan is one of the more ambitious efforts to regulate the outdoors, and one of the most expensive for violators — if caught taking a puff within 15 feet of a playground or beach, smokers could be fined up to $500.Park District board members are expected to...  click here for full article>>>

Published May 16, 2007 It comes in a shiny black box with flowery hot pink or teal borders. Camel No. 9, the name says in lettering that looks suspiciously like that of a famous perfume. "Light and luscious" reads the enticing slogan."Loathsome and lethal" would be more accurate. Camel No. 9 cigarettes, introduced in January 2007 by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (RJR), are the latest entry in Big Tobacco's long history of marketing cigarettes to women and girls. The result has been devastating for...  click here for full article>>>

Los Angeles - The extent to which depictions of smoking actually spur the young to smoke remains a subject of debate. Widely cited research by Dr. James A. Sargent of the Dartmouth Medical School showed a connection between adolescent exposure to smoking in movies and addiction to tobacco. But Dr. Deborah Glik, director of the Health and Media Research Group at the University of California, Los Angeles, said the connection appeared strongest among those who were already predisposed by other factors to smoke. In any...  click here for full article>>>

The global footprint of a deadly crop The past decade has seen a remarkable shift in the way Americans view cigarette smoking. Since the massive tobacco litigation settlements began in 1997, the federal government has phased out support for tobacco farming, states and cities have enacted public smoking restrictions, and the number of smokers has steadily declined.Meanwhile, the tobacco industry’s manipulative advertising tactics have become part of the cultural lexicon. In the 2005 big screen satire...  click here for full article>>>

Wheeling, W.Va. - With one in three West Virginia high school students currently using tobacco products, Dr. William Mercer plans to use a new tool to teach children not to smoke.On Wednesday, Mercer, who serves as health officer at the Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department, announced the "Joe Too Cool To Smoke" Campaign" - a year-long effort to educate the youth of the county about cigarette smoking, smokeless tobacco and clean indoor air. The program incorporates two of Mercer's favorite things- Charles Schulz's ...  click here for full article>>>

Forbes.com View Article TUESDAY, Sept. 4 (HealthDay News) Teens imitate more than just the clothes and mannerisms of movie stars they are also more likely to begin smoking if they see smoking in the movies, a U.S. study finds. Publishing in the September issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, University of Dartmouth researchers argued that smoking in movies may contribute to occasional teen smokers becoming dependent smokers. The research team surveyed 6,522 U.S. youths between...  click here for full article>>>

Employees who smoke are fast becoming an endangered species as companies ban smoking on all corporate grounds, including parking and other outdoor areas where smokers were once allowed to gather.It's a radical change from just a decade ago, when smoking was tolerated even if frowned upon. But now being a smoker on the job can even risk your job as more companies pass policies banning the hiring of smokers. What some employers are doing:•On July 4, Rex Healthcare and several other hospitals in the Raleigh...  click here for full article>>>

Washington, DC - Cigarette additives behind addiction to smokingWashington, Aug 2: A new study by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has found that cigarette additives may be making it harder for smokers to kick the butt.    The study was conducted by a team of researchers led by Michel D. Rabinoff, assistant research psychiatrist at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. As a part of the study the...  click here for full article>>>

By Sean Myers, Calgary Herald Anti-smoking group says teens at risk Anti-smoking activists want the province to ban the sale of small fruit-flavoured cigarillos they say are "candy-coated tobacco" that target teen smokers. "The packaging looks like lip gloss and they come in flavours like peach, wild berry and vanilla, which masks the harshness of the tobacco," said Robyn Hauck, a spokeswoman for Action on Smoking. "There's a whole variety of flavours and they're cheap, too." The results of...  click here for full article>>>