Lawmakers in the City of Oneida are being asked to consider a proposal that would keep kids under the age of 18 from using or possessing tobacco. The effort was inspired by an infamous hangout near the City's High School.
Oneida's Mayor Leo Matzke says the ban would be a first in Central New York. "I think it could have a very positive influence on both our teenage community and our younger children," he said.
Under the proposed law, children wouldn't be arrested if caught with tobacco, but it would allow police to confiscate the products from anyone under the age of 18. One of the first places they Mayor says they might look would be a spot near the high school known as "Cancer Corner," where student smokers gather. "That's how it came about actually. Because of that spot," the Mayor said. "When they approached me a little over a month ago, the main issue was 'Cancer Corner.' And that is easily accomplished with our police doing a drive by."
"Cancer Corner" isn't actually on school property, which is why students can get away with smoking there now.
Matzke was approached by a non-profit called Bridges, which says the primary goal of the proposed law would be deterring children from smoking. "I know that a lot of parents don't want their little children who are coming in and leaving on school buses seeing older kids smoking. They don't want that example," said Bridges' Joseph Wicks. "I know people in the community that live near the school don't want teens on their property smoking."
If it passed, Matzke acknowledges the law would be difficult to enforce city-wide. So, he says, the enforcement would be focused on areas near schools, like "Cancer Corner."
Before the law can be enacted, it must also be passed approved by the State.
среда, 17 ноября 2010 г.
Aishwarya's smoking angers anti-tobacco lobby
Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who will be seen lighting up in her forthcoming release Guzaarish, has set the anti-tobacco lobby aflame with anger.
"The display of the posters showing Aishwarya smoking raises worries in our mind that they could be trand-setters," said a
statement released Tuesday by Dr. Shekhar Salkar, general secretary of the National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE).
He said the group has written to the actress as well, and asked her to withdraw posters of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's latest film Guzarish, showing the Bachchan bahu smoking a cigarette.
Salkar said many film stars, who confess about their aversion to smoking in private, routinely smoke on screen, taking refuge in phrases like 'freedom of expression'.
"There are innumerable posters of Guzaarish all over Mumbai. There would be many other scenes which could convey the storyline of the film, yet the producer has chosen this particular one, quite oblivious to its after-effects," Salkar said.
NOTE has in the past dragged Bollywood superstars Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan to court over promoting tobacco.
The group had also complained against Ajay Devgn, who was photographed smoking while shooting in Goa for Golmaal 3. The star was fined Rs.100 for his indiscretion.
"The display of the posters showing Aishwarya smoking raises worries in our mind that they could be trand-setters," said a
statement released Tuesday by Dr. Shekhar Salkar, general secretary of the National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE).
He said the group has written to the actress as well, and asked her to withdraw posters of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's latest film Guzarish, showing the Bachchan bahu smoking a cigarette.
Salkar said many film stars, who confess about their aversion to smoking in private, routinely smoke on screen, taking refuge in phrases like 'freedom of expression'.
"There are innumerable posters of Guzaarish all over Mumbai. There would be many other scenes which could convey the storyline of the film, yet the producer has chosen this particular one, quite oblivious to its after-effects," Salkar said.
NOTE has in the past dragged Bollywood superstars Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan to court over promoting tobacco.
The group had also complained against Ajay Devgn, who was photographed smoking while shooting in Goa for Golmaal 3. The star was fined Rs.100 for his indiscretion.
Katherine Heigl: She smokes electronic cigarettes.
Katherine Heigl smokes electronic cigarettes.
The ‘Life As We Know It’ actress has managed to not smoke a real tobacco-filled cigarette in six months thanks to the devices, which help ease nicotine craves, and now believes that smoking “sucks”. She said: “I use an electronic cigarette. I know it’s ridiculous, but it’s helping me not to actually smoke real cigarettes. You feel like you are smoking, and you get to exhale but it’s just water vapour and not nicotine. I’ve been doing it for six months. Smoking sucks!”
The 31-year-old beauty – who has 20-month-old adopted daughter Naleigh with husband Josh Kelley -wants to set a good example to her child by not smoking, as she believes it’s a “stupid thing”.
She said: “The one thing I would say to my kid is, ‘It’s not just that it’s bad for you. Do you want to spend the rest of your life fighting a stupid addiction to a stupid thing that doesn’t even really give you a good buzz?’ ”
Discussing her husband Josh – who she married in 2007 – she admits he finds it difficult to watch her undertake kissing scenes on films and would not come on the set of ‘Life As We Know It’ when she had to get passionate with her co-star Josh Duhamel.
She added to Parade magazine: “Actually, he and Josh Duhamel are good friends, but he would never come to the set when Josh and had to like kiss or make out. It does make him uncomfortable because he’s not an actor, he’s a musician.
“He always says to me, ‘How would you feel if I had to make out with some girl in a video?’ And I’m like, ‘If you have to do it, you have to do it. But I wouldn’t want you to come home and tell me what a great kisser she is and I should try her technique.’ “
вторник, 2 ноября 2010 г.
Time’s up for tobacco retailers
The smoke hasn't quite cleared on the controversy surrounding the tobacco law.
Today is the deadline for businesses that want to sell tobacco products to register with the government. As part of the 2008 Tobacco Law, the government now requires all tobacco dealers on island to register and pay fees ranging from $500 to $5,000.
Tobacco retailers also must adhere to new government guidelines about the size of their displays and warning labels on the tobacco products they sell.
The law is designed to help regulate the industry and to help curb tobacco abuse on island. However, some in the industry say it will only hurt businesses and create demand for a black market in the Cayman Islands.
States Drag on Medicaid Coverage for Quitting Tobacco
Smoking-related health costs account for 11 percent of all Medicaid costs, but states offer only patchy support for tobacco cessation therapies, MedPage Today reported Oct. 22.
Research conducted by the University of California at Berkeley for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in all 50 states and the District of Columbia showed that 47, or 92 percent, had at least some coverage for tobacco cessation for those enrolled in Medicaid.
Only five states – Indiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, and Pennsylvania -- covered counseling and all medications for all enrollees without restriction. All remaining states and the District of Columbia limited types of coverage for quitting tobacco or restricted coverage to certain populations. Connecticut, Georgia, Missouri, and Tennessee offered no coverage at all.
The authors of the report said that state coverage had improved since 2007, but noted that by excluding participants, most were missing out on big cost savings. Smoking rates are nearly twice as high among Medicaid enrollees as in the general population (37 percent vs. 21 percent), and tobacco cessation treatments have been shown to improve public health and reduce costs.
"In Massachusetts, for example," the authors wrote, "a mandate for Medicaid coverage of tobacco-dependence cessation treatments was associated with a 26% decline in smoking rates among Medicaid enrollees."
Medicaid programs from state to state paid for different combinations of cessation medications and individual or group counseling. Researchers found various eligibility factors, from pregnancy to whether plan participants were enrolled in a fee-for-service program or in a managed care program.
The variation was considerable. Oregon, for example, covered all medications and group and individual counseling, so long as participants were in its fee-for-service plan. Alabama, however, covered nothing except for individual counseling for pregnant women.
Researchers stated that changes are coming. Under the Affordable Care Act, all pregnant women enrolled in Medicaid must have access to tobacco-dependence treatment as of Oct. 1. Also, states that offer federally recommended tobacco cessation treatments without requiring a co-pay will qualify for higher reimbursements from Medicaid after Jan. 1, 2013. Finally, states will no longer be able to exclude tobacco-cessation drugs from Medicaid benefits after January 2014.
Authors of the study noted that it had methodological limitations. Contracts from managed care organizations and written documentation of state Medicaid policies were not obtained in all cases, allowing some room for error. Also, it is possible the number of tobacco cessation programs may have been underreported because some managed care organizations offered them even when their state Medicaid contract did not require it.
The study, "State Medicaid Coverage for Tobacco-Dependence Treatments --- United States, 2009," appeared online in the Oct. 22, 2010 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly.
Research conducted by the University of California at Berkeley for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in all 50 states and the District of Columbia showed that 47, or 92 percent, had at least some coverage for tobacco cessation for those enrolled in Medicaid.
Only five states – Indiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, and Pennsylvania -- covered counseling and all medications for all enrollees without restriction. All remaining states and the District of Columbia limited types of coverage for quitting tobacco or restricted coverage to certain populations. Connecticut, Georgia, Missouri, and Tennessee offered no coverage at all.
The authors of the report said that state coverage had improved since 2007, but noted that by excluding participants, most were missing out on big cost savings. Smoking rates are nearly twice as high among Medicaid enrollees as in the general population (37 percent vs. 21 percent), and tobacco cessation treatments have been shown to improve public health and reduce costs.
"In Massachusetts, for example," the authors wrote, "a mandate for Medicaid coverage of tobacco-dependence cessation treatments was associated with a 26% decline in smoking rates among Medicaid enrollees."
Medicaid programs from state to state paid for different combinations of cessation medications and individual or group counseling. Researchers found various eligibility factors, from pregnancy to whether plan participants were enrolled in a fee-for-service program or in a managed care program.
The variation was considerable. Oregon, for example, covered all medications and group and individual counseling, so long as participants were in its fee-for-service plan. Alabama, however, covered nothing except for individual counseling for pregnant women.
Researchers stated that changes are coming. Under the Affordable Care Act, all pregnant women enrolled in Medicaid must have access to tobacco-dependence treatment as of Oct. 1. Also, states that offer federally recommended tobacco cessation treatments without requiring a co-pay will qualify for higher reimbursements from Medicaid after Jan. 1, 2013. Finally, states will no longer be able to exclude tobacco-cessation drugs from Medicaid benefits after January 2014.
Authors of the study noted that it had methodological limitations. Contracts from managed care organizations and written documentation of state Medicaid policies were not obtained in all cases, allowing some room for error. Also, it is possible the number of tobacco cessation programs may have been underreported because some managed care organizations offered them even when their state Medicaid contract did not require it.
The study, "State Medicaid Coverage for Tobacco-Dependence Treatments --- United States, 2009," appeared online in the Oct. 22, 2010 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly.
Hailstorm destroys tobacco crop
A Beatrice tobacco farmer has lost his crop which had potential to earn him thousands of dollars after a hailstorm hit some parts of Beatrice.
Mr Mutami Zishiri of Albion Farm registered a loss of between 60 and 70 percent of his 12-hectare tobacco crop to the hailstorm that hit the area last week.
“My crop was destroyed at 10 leaf stage and usually it grows to 18 leaves. So all the 10 leaves are a write-off and I am now banking on the remaining eight leaves, which are yet to develop,” he said.
The farmer said he lost approximately US$48 000.
Mr Zishiri had insured his crop and was definite he was going to be compensated.
“I had insured my crop through Tobacco Hail Insurance and the officials have since visited to assess the damage levels. The company will only compensate after a second assessment at topping stage,” he said.
Mr Zishiri had planted early and had a healthy crop. Now that the crop has been affected by hailstorm, Mr Zishiri said it was more susceptible to diseases and required special attention, which may mean pumping more money.
Last year, he had his 30 hectares of tobacco affected by hailstorm again, but it was not as severe as this time.
The farmer advised fellow farmers to insure their crop in case of natural disasters.
“There is nothing a farmer can do to prevent hailstorms so insuring the crop is the only solution,” he said.
Hailstorms have been one of the many seasonal hazards encountered by tobacco growers.
Last year, scores of tobacco farmers lost millions of dollars to hailstorm and most of them had not insured the crop.
In some cases, farmers may also experience crop failure and if they take up insurance policies against such developments, they will be adequately covered against losses.
Agricultural experts have from time-to-time called on tobacco growers to insure their crop to cushion them from the effects of natural disasters such as floods, hailstorms and droughts.
Mr Mutami Zishiri of Albion Farm registered a loss of between 60 and 70 percent of his 12-hectare tobacco crop to the hailstorm that hit the area last week.
“My crop was destroyed at 10 leaf stage and usually it grows to 18 leaves. So all the 10 leaves are a write-off and I am now banking on the remaining eight leaves, which are yet to develop,” he said.
The farmer said he lost approximately US$48 000.
Mr Zishiri had insured his crop and was definite he was going to be compensated.
“I had insured my crop through Tobacco Hail Insurance and the officials have since visited to assess the damage levels. The company will only compensate after a second assessment at topping stage,” he said.
Mr Zishiri had planted early and had a healthy crop. Now that the crop has been affected by hailstorm, Mr Zishiri said it was more susceptible to diseases and required special attention, which may mean pumping more money.
Last year, he had his 30 hectares of tobacco affected by hailstorm again, but it was not as severe as this time.
The farmer advised fellow farmers to insure their crop in case of natural disasters.
“There is nothing a farmer can do to prevent hailstorms so insuring the crop is the only solution,” he said.
Hailstorms have been one of the many seasonal hazards encountered by tobacco growers.
Last year, scores of tobacco farmers lost millions of dollars to hailstorm and most of them had not insured the crop.
In some cases, farmers may also experience crop failure and if they take up insurance policies against such developments, they will be adequately covered against losses.
Agricultural experts have from time-to-time called on tobacco growers to insure their crop to cushion them from the effects of natural disasters such as floods, hailstorms and droughts.
Possible Stricter Tobacco Rules in Mpls
There are just a few spots in the state you can still smoke in public places indoors. Stores that sell just tobacco are about it. And if city leaders in Minneapolis get their way, you'd have to find those stores outside city limits.
The tobacco industry can't buy a break. Their products are taxed heavily, and those who enjoy puffing away have a hard time doing it publicly indoors without breaking state law.
In Minneapolis, there are only 16 businesses that hold exclusive tobacco licenses. That is all they sell -- no food or drinks. In return for selling tobacco only, people can light up indoors. It's called sampling but less than half dozen in the city allow you to do it. By next year that number could be zero.
The city is considering a change to its tobacco ordinance to make it stronger than state law which still allows people to smoke in some tobacco only stores.
The city's licensing manger Grant Wilson says the change was prompted in part by an increase in people applying for tobacco-only licenses but for different reasons than say a cigar shop.
Grant says the city feels that is violates the spirit of the states clean indoor air act.
Those few tobacco shops that do allow smoking don't have burning desire to see the changes pass and you guessed it. They're fire up ready to fight any changes. The city doesn't believe it will grandfather any shops if these changes pass.
The ordinance the city says will make it tougher for kids to buy tobacco smoking products like pipes, bongs, hookahs and rolling papers. The city has a hearing on the changes later this month and could go before city leaders for a vote in mid-December.
Holy cities to be tobacco-free
“We require the cooperation of pilgrims to make the two holy cities among those with the lowest tobacco consumption in the world,” said Dr. Sameer Al-Sabban, executive director of the Anti-Smoking Campaign in Makkah, adding that the program has been intensified this year.
The sale of tobacco is strictly banned in the five-km radiuses of the Grand Mosque and Holy Mosque in Makkah and Madinah. Billboards and posters with anti-smoking messages, information regarding anti-smoking clinics and fatwas on the subject are on display in the two cities. Buses carrying pilgrims have anti-smoking posters on them, and folders containing pamphlets, flyers, postcards and stickers will also be handed to pilgrims at the Jamrat during Haj.
“A team of scouts and health officials have taken positions at the Grand Mosque in Makkah to raise awareness about the health risks caused by this ugly habit,” said Al-Sabban.
“It’s a pity that smokers gather at the back side of the Grand Mosque to smoke which is hazardous to the entire environment of the holy city. These Saudi youths look for smokers within the holy city and politely give them Miswaks and booklets full of illustrations which can be understood by all people,” he said.
To assist pilgrims, the ministry has set up six anti-smoking clinics in the holy city as part of the campaign. The clinics are open to male and female smokers and services are offered free-of charge.
Makkah is the ideal place to quit smoking, said Al-Sabban, adding that one million of the five million people who die of smoking every year across the world are Muslim. “This is mainly because of their extravagant lifestyles and lack of knowledge of the hazards of smoking,” he said, adding that smokers not only harm themselves but also other people who come near them through passive smoking.
Haj is an ideal opportunity for smokers to quit and those who realize the ill effects of smoking will discontinue for their own sake, he said. A group of Saudi physicians and psychiatrists is helping the anti-smoking campaign, while a host of well-known websites are assisting with the campaign’s promotion.
It is estimated that in the Kingdom 35 to 40 percent of people above the age of 15 smoke. Around 24 percent of male students between the ages of 13 to 15 years smoke, while eight percent of female students smoke. The Kingdom joined the anti-tobacco agreement in May 2005. Saudi Arabia ranks fourth among world countries in tobacco imports and consumption. More than 15 billion cigarettes, worth $168 million, are smoked by Saudis each year, according to figures issued by the Gulf Cooperation Council’s Health Ministers Council.
Pendleton Hospital Tobacco Free
PENDLETON, OR -- St. Anthony Hospital in Pendleton will be tobacco-free next year, joining more than two-thirds of Oregon hospitals. Employees and patients will be prohibited from all tobacco use at the hospital and its clinic sites. A hospital spokesman said banning tobacco on all hospital properties will help make the local community healthier.
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