Smoking Ban Approved In Bulgaria

A smoking ban was approved by Parliament in Bulgaria and will go into affect in June 2012, the government announced. The ban will prevent people from smoking in all public places and forbid smoking cheap R1 Slim cigarettes outside of nurseries, kindergartens and schools. Bulgaria, the poorest member of the European Union, is also the country with the second highest rate of tobacco consumption. Over one third of adults in Bulgaria are smokers, as well as nearly one out of three teenagers between 13 and 15. Bulgaria has already banned smoking in offices and hospitals, in addition to public transportation. In restaurants and bars, smoking and non-smoking sections are required.

Health Department Won't Hire Smokers

If you smoke or use tobacco then do not expect to ever get hired by the Central District Health Department. On Friday, the CDHD Board of Health voted unanimously to check for nicotine use on pre-employment screenings. Job candidates who test positively for nicotine will not be offered positions. The policy takes effect immediately and applies to all job openings at CDHD. The pre-employment screening is done through urine testing. Three years ago, the department made all of its three campuses in Boise, Mountain Home and McCall tobacco-free. For CDHD, officials say choosing to not hire tobacco users is a logical step in its effort to reduce tobacco use in Idaho. CDHD believes a non-smoking workforce is more productive and healthier. "We know that they (smokers) use more sick time and because they get ill more often they are driving up health care costs for the majority of people who don't use tobacco products," said Dave Fotsch, public information officer with CDHD.

Bulgaria to Introduce Full Smoking Ban June 2012

Bulgaria will introduce a full smoking ban for closed public areas on June 1 2012, the country's Health Minister Stefan Konstantinov has reiterated. On Wednesday, Konstantinov will submit his proposal for a full smoking ban to the country's Council of Ministers. "The Ministry of healthcare is fighting to make Bulgaria's people healthier," Konstantinov told the Bulgarian National Television early on Tuesday, pointing out that the system's main aim is to prevent the population from getting sick rather than treat it when it already suffers from illnesses. Konstantinov stated that his proposal will be backed by the Council of Ministers, since the potential costs for medical treatment of tobacco smokers would otherwise greatly exceed what could be gathered by the state in terms of cigarette excise taxes.

Dangers of Water Pipe Smoking

Commonly known as ‘sheesha’ or ‘huqqah,’ water pipes and smokeless tobacco including both snuff as well as chewing tobacco, pose health dangers that are little understood by users. Contrary to popular belief, water pipes and smokeless tobacco are not a safe alternative to cigarettes, and there is no proof that any device or accessory can make water pipe smoking safer. It is often wrongly believed that the smoke is purified when passing through water in a water pipe. Using a water pipe to smoke tobacco may seriously damage the health of a smoker and of those exposed to the second-hand smoke emitted.

Cigarettes & Tobacco Market Report 2011

The UK cigarette and tobacco market comprises four main sectors cigarettes, hand-rolling tobacco (HRT [FREE Stock Trend Analysis]), cigars and pipe tobacco. The total value of the market is estimated to have reached 17.66bn in 2010, after rising by 8% from 2009, while, between 2006 and 2010, a 12.9% increase was witnessed overall. Key Note estimates that the cheap Ritm cigarettes sector continued to account for the largest proportion of the market, representing 86.6% of sales in 2010, followed by HRT, which represented 11.5%. Cigars and pipe tobacco are by the far the smallest sectors of the market, with a combined contribution of 1.9% in 2010. Despite the value the UK cigarette and tobacco market increasing in recent years, a long-term decline in volume sales has become more apparent.

New Electronic Cigarette Supplier Set to Grow

In 2003 Hon Lik developed the 1st electronic gasper as a clean alternate to normal smoking strategies. E-cigarettes emit an aerosol cover that is designed to match the personalty and feelings of smoking, and is promoted as a smoking replacement gadget. These devices, including electronic cigars cater a cleaner alternative option to filtered cigarettes by getting rid of the cancer agents, tar, and chemicals that are indrawn by smokers. An electronic ciggie functions by vaporizing a propylene glyco, or glycerine based liquid in order discharge the vapour that's breathed. They basically work in a fairly similar way a humidifier does, in the sense that there is no combustion needed to supply the mist that it emits. The most sensible use for an e-cigarette is as a smoking termination machine. They are designed to cut down a smoker's intake of filtered cigarettes by replacing them with a safer alternative. The experience of an electronic cig is supposed to mirror the feeling of smoking, and does so with less effects than are found in filtered cigarettes.

Tobacco Tax Windfall Should Help Smokers

The Opposition Liberals say revenue generated from the Alward government's hike in the tobacco tax should go towards the cost of a smoking cessation program for New Brunswickers addicted to nicotine. In its reply Friday to the Speech from the Throne, the Liberals also called on the government to immediately reverse its decision to delay a hike in the minimum wage, abandon any plans to introduce a two-tiered wage system, and publicly disclose what cuts it is considering in the upcoming budget. Interim Liberal Leader Victor Boudreau used his speech response in the Legislature to ask the Tories to support proposals the Liberals plan to present in the upcoming session. That includes spending the extra $25 million in new revenue the Alward government found earlier this year by increasing the tobacco tax by 45 per cent.

Essex MP Denies Tobacco Companies link in Smoking Vote

TORY MP Stephen Metcalfe has denied allegations he deliberately voted against a ban on smoking in cars after accepting hospitality from a tobacco company. The south Basildon and East Thurrock MP was one of seven MPs to accept tickets from Japan Tobacco International to the Chelsea Flower Show, in May. Mr Metcalfe attended the event with his wife and the tickets, paid for by the company, which produces Silk Cut and Camel cigarettes as well as other brands, cost £1,132 per couple. Weeks later, Mr Metcalfe voted against a Private Member’s Bill in Parliament, which called for smoking in cars to be outlawed. Now the MP behind the Bill – Labour’s Alex Cunningham – is demanding an investigation by John Lyon, the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner.

Online E-Cigarette Trade Regulation

Yet again the INTERNET has undermined the best intentions of legislators. While smokeless e-cigarettes are banned in Australia, they are increasingly available online. The question legislators are facing is not how to police the life-threatening habit of smoking, but how to write laws that effectively deal with online cigarettes trade that frustrates their attempts to regulate. It's not the first time, and presumably it's far from being the last occasion, when the internet has caught the establishment off guard. Already this year the Sunday Canberra Times has revealed that synthetic drugs sold over the Internet, while illegal in some places, were being consumed legally in the ACT because authorities were wrong-footed by the variety of drugs that could be bought online.

Delco Tobacco-Free Coalition Supports Great American Smokeout

The Delaware County Tobacco-Free Coalition invites you to Iron Hill Brewery in Media to support the 36th Great American Smokeout (GASO) on Wednesday, Nov. 16. GASO is an annual national event encouraging Americans to stop discount Avalon cigarette smoking. The coalition is hosting a fundraising event at Iron Hill; with a GIVE 20 percent coupon, Iron Hill will donate 20 percent of your food bill (excluding alcoholic beverages) to the coalition, to help make the environment tobacco and smoke-free. Iron Hill Brewery is joined by other local supporters of the Delaware County Tobacco-Free Coalition. Fellini's Cafe and Ariano's in Media have both donated $50 gift cards for their restaurants that the coalition is currently raffling off. You can enter the raffle by donating $1 for one raffle ticket or $5 for six raffle tickets.

Gov’t to Penalize Smokers

Starting January next year, smokers will be penalized once caught smoking within the Quezon City Hall compound. City Health Officer Dr. Antonieta Inumerable disclosed that violators of the city’s ban on smoking within the city hall compound will be issued citation tickets. “By 2012, there will be strict enforcement of the provisions of Republic Act 9211 otherwise known as Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003 and Civil Service Circular No. 17 and SP-1515 at the QC Hall complex,” said Inumerable. To date, Inumerable said, the QC smoke-free task force, is now in the process of completing the final draft of the violation citation tickets that will be issued. Mayor Herbert Bautista formed the group tasked to strictly enforce the city’s no-smoking policy.

Smoking Issue Resolved at Meeting

A handful of Carriage Drive residents met with Raleigh General Hospital CEO Alan Peters and Director of Marketing Kevin McGraw on Tuesday for a brainstorming session to address the public safety issue of Viceroy smokers loitering in the roadway. The situation has been a problem since the hospital campus went smoke-free two years ago, but RGH officials hope it is now a thing of the past as the meeting produced a solution that all parties can be happy with, McGraw explained. “We had a good meeting. The group came by, and we walked the property, and we feel we have found a workable solution to address the safety issue and keep people out of the streets,” he said. “The plan is to get a contractor in to look at a specific area that would allow us to cut out a pad and put a retaining wall in there that will remove the folks who choose to use tobacco off of the street.”

New Anti-Smoking Campaign Encourages Tobacco Use

A cancer center in Kentucky, the state that leads the nation in smoking, is promoting a quit-smoking campaign that encourages people to opt for a smokeless pinch between gum and cheek, the Associated Press reports. The campaign runs counter to the public health community position that there is no safe way to use tobacco. But the James Graham Brown Cancer Center and the University of Louisville say their "Switch and Quit" campaign makes sense because famous smokers who switch to smokeless tobacco are more likely to stay off cigarettes than those who use a nicotine patches or other methods. The effort targets Owensboro and the surrounding area, where about 3 million cigarettes are consumed a week, the AP says. That amounts to well over a pack for every man, woman and child.

Government Approves Smoking Ban

The governing body approved a smoking ban at municipal recreation facilities last week despite a plea from an advocate for electronic cigarettes. Smokers of cigars, cigarettes, pipes, electronic cigarettes and other similar devices will no longer be able to light up on municipal sites such as the ball fields, bleachers or any place labeled with "smoke-free zone" signs without the possibility of a $50 fine. Earlier this month, Councilwoman Elaine Vuoncino dissented from the council by questioning whether the ordinance was "too restrictive" on residents' rights, but voted with the rest of the council on Oct. 19 to approve the legislation. Councilman Ray Melone was absent from the meeting.

Youngsters Hospitalized After Smoking High Black Mamba

As per reports, about seven people were admitted to the hospital's emergency ward, after the doctors declared that they have consumed extra dosage of illegal high Black Mamba. The issue came to limelight after the group of these seven individuals, falling in the age group of 16 to 18, had smoldered excessive Mamba, which is supposed to be having the same taste of the most controversial cannabis. The reported information further accounted that immediately after the drug smoking all of them started complaining about having suffering from breathing and heart tribulations. Meanwhile, all of them were rushed to the Furness General Hospital located in Barrow and after getting the first aid, they were released. Giving some more details about the consumed drug, the reported information accounted that the Black Mamba entitled after Africa's chief venomous snake is said to offer users a lighter much elevated than marijuana.

The Future of Smoking Cigarettes at Football

Last week SKYCIG sent some starter kits to our office in order to try. And, with plans to go to watch the football at the weekend, I thought I'd give it a go at the game. Normally when I'm at the ground watching the match, I get a craving for a cigarette. It's hard to ever satisfy this craving - I can't smoke in the stand, and I don't want miss the action just to have a puff. But, last weekend, SKYCIG made me realise I don't have to. SKYCIG is a nice little gadget - an electronic cigarette with a flavoured nicotine cartridge that produces a 'smoke' like vapour. The cigarette looks and feels like your traditional discount Hilton cigarette, and has a light that glows when you inhale - it's hard to notice the difference! I'm so happy I made the choice to use it for the first time at a match. I was able to have a puff, while staying in the thick of the action and knowing I wasn't affecting myself or those around me with harmful smoke and chemicals. I was amazed - and I know I'll be doing it again.

Bullitt County Health Board To Discuss Smoking Ban

The Bullitt County Health Board will hold a public meeting Monday to discuss the cheap Dunhill cigarettes smoking ban it wants to enact. Last week, a Bullitt County judge sided with several cities, claiming the board of health's smoking ban in all public buildings was unconstitutional. The judge was critical of leaders and said they are elected by the people and are not simply administrators. The meeting begins at 7:45 p.m. at the Bullitt County Health Department annex and is open to the public.

Smoker's Littering Left Her Steamed

She looked right at me for a split second as she dropped her Kiss cigarette to the parking lot and ground it out with her foot. Then, the well-dressed, middle-aged woman walked into the grocery store. My daughter and I pulled up next to her car and got out. "We should pick up her cigarette and put in on her car for her," I said to my 8-year-old daughter. "I triple-dare you!" she said devilishly. I reached down, grabbed the still-smoldering cigarette the stranger had taken a few puffs from, and clipped it under the wiper of her Mini. We tore into the store for milk and butter. I confessed my butt vigilantism on Facebook.

Arguments for Smoking Ban Legislation

Both sides in the legal battle over Delaware County's new smoking Marengo cigarettes bans are ready to make their arguments when the case goes to court next week. The judge in the smoking ban lawsuit has set a Friday hearing, and attorneys for the county and the tavern owners and others who oppose the ban -- which went into effect Aug. 11 -- are preparing for it. Bruce Munson, representing the tavern owners, fraternal organizations and tobacco shops that want the ban overturned, said Friday he will "challenge some of the long-standing assumptions" about the dangers of second-hand smoke and argue that public health does not get a boost from a smoking ban. Donald Dunnuck, attorney for the local board of health and one of three county commissioners who voted on June 6 to approve the ban, said Munson's arguments aren't valid and plans to show that similar smoking bans have been legally upheld in other communities.

Reasons To Buy Altria In Current Turbulent Markets

Altria Group, Inc. (MO) is the parent company of Philip Morris USA, John Middleton and Philip Morris Capital Corp. Philip Morris International (PM) was spun off in 2008. PM sells cigarette products exclusively outside of U.S. borders. MO sells cigarettes exclusively in the U.S. There are compelling reasons for investors to consider Altria a core portfolio stock holding. This is especially true during times of turbulent stock markets. 5 Business Units MO's core brands include Marlboro, Benson & Hedges, Merit, and Virginia Slims cigarettes. MO's primary revenue driver is cigarettes within the U.S. Cigarettes provide in excess of 80% of Altria's operating profits.

Sexual Problems Because of Smoking

Eight in 10 men who smoke Avalon cigarette may end up having sexual problems, according to a doctor who performs clinical evaluation on male fertility.

Dr Ismail Tambi, a clinical andrologist, said this could even affect men who smoked a packet a day and preferred to be called social smokers.

He based his findings on patients who had come to see him for sex-related matters, including those suffering from erectile dysfunction (ED), low sperm count and fertility issues.


His patients include passive smokers exposed to second-hand smoke.

"This is an easier group to handle as they just need to avoid friends who smoke," he told the New Straits Times.

Cigarettes and Income Taxes Link

The City of Columbus, Ohio was greeted by a number of Ohio State University medical students and individuals from the Investing in Tobacco-Free Youth Coalition in March of this year. The group touted a poll which found that more than 60% of Ohio voters favored a tax increase of $0.75 per pack of Classic cigarettes and nearly the same percent favored a larger tax of $1.25/pack.

Possible Smoking Ban At Troy University

From the CBS 8 Troy Newsroom-- Troy University is considering making a big change on its campuses by possibly banning all tobacco. That's not just Astra cigarettes, but smokeless tobacco products too. The Board of Trustees could vote on the ban tomorrow that would affect students in Troy, Montgomery, Phoenix City and Dothan.

University officials tell CBS 8 they are proposing the no tobacco rule, because they care about their students and faculty's health.

Govt Against Beedi Smoking

Under flak for watering down pictorial warnings on tobacco products, and for coming under pressure from the tobacco lobby, for the first time the government is focusing on beedi smokers.

It has planned a new ad campaign to start from Monday and wants to set up 5 labs to test beedi content.

The Health Ministry's latest initiative to spread awareness on the ills of beedi smoking is a new ad campaign called Campaign Heartbreak that changes the focus from Sobranie cigarettes and gutka to beedis.

Don't Ban Cigarettes in Drug Stores

The progress made in the last 25 years in reducing tobacco use is a great public health success story. Education has played a major role in that success, and so have restrictions that have made smoking Chesterfield cigarettes socially unacceptable. Bans on smoking in the workplace, in restaurants, bars and other public places, justified by concerns about secondhand smoke, have helped convince millions of smokers to kick the habit.

The New Marlboro Man

Don’t misinterpret this, but the mobile wallet may be the new Marlboro man.

Marlboro cigarettes were marketed to women until the 1950s. It’s a famous story in advertising circles how the Marlboro man came to be. Back then, filtered cigarettes were viewed more as a woman’s choice. But, unhappy with sales, Philip Morris, the tobacco firm selling Marlboro Gold cigarettes, did a 180-degree spin and made Marlboro cigarettes super-masculine, as best exemplified by the cowboy image of the Marlboro man. It was a success.

West Virginia Cheapest State To Score Cigarettes

Esse Smokers everywhere complain about taxes tacked on to cigarettes, but those in some states have far more reason to complain than others. An unscientific but seemingly thorough spot check found that New Yorkers have to fork over $11.90 for a pack of Marlboro Reds, while West Virginians need only part with $4.74.

The Awl called up gas stations in the most populated cities in all 50 states, as well as Washington, D.C., and confirmed the cost of the product at one station in each state. While sales or special deals could have clouded the results, the research comes close to proving one thing about New York: If you can afford cigarettes there, you can afford them anywhere.

No-Smoking Drive Needs Political Will

An official from the Region 7 office of the Department of Health (DoH) believes the strong political will of local leaders is the key to achieving 100 percent enforcement of the government’s campaign against smoking.

Dr. Juditha Tawatao, DoH7 program coordinator for the Stop Smoking Program, said a number of local government units (LGU) in the region already have ordinances banning smoking, but only a handful are fully implemented.

Smoking Ban to be Resuscitated

She plans to file a bill during the Texas Legislature’s current special session after the ban was stripped from House Bill 1811 — a fiscal matters bill — last week in the final days of the regular session.

“As fate would have it, we have this special session, and it gives me an excellent opportunity to get it done,” Crownover, R-Denton, said.

She said several legislators have told her that they see why she is working on the ban and many have said they would now support the initiative if given another opportunity.

Main Facts about Tobacco Smoking

British American Tobacco is to buy the second largest Dunhill cigarette company in Colombia for $452m (£277.7m). Here are 10 key facts about the industry.

• There are more than 1bn smokers in the world. There are 10.3m smokers in Britain, around 21pc of the adult population.

• 5.5 trillion cigarettes are smoked worldwide each year. In the UK, £13.4bn was spent on tobacco in 2009, 90pc of it on cigarettes.

• The national average price of 20 Marlboro is £6.42 in the UK, $5.63 in the US, €4.95 in Germany and ¥440 in Japan. 90pc of the price of the cheapest UK packet of cigarettes is tax.

Kuwaitis Spend Million on Smoking

Some KD 72 million is spent annually on smoking Gauloises in Kuwait, a host of health officials said here Sunday. Their remarks to Kuwait's official news agency came on the occasion of the World No Tobacco Day, which falls on May 31, as they said smokers in Kuwait reached three percent of the country's population and that the Ministry of Health is well-aware of smoking hazards and is working hard to combat such bad habit and its consequences.

"The ministry's celebration of the event is not limited to pin point challenges, but also focusing on terminating the smoking phenomenon as a whole, " Health Ministry Assistant Undersecretary for Public Health Affairs Dr. Youssef Al-Nisf said.

Azerbaijani Schoolchildren Examined for Smoking Marlboro

Azerbaijan is examining the situation with students' smoking Marlboro, Tofig Musayev, the head of the ministry's center for public health and reform, told Trend.

Up to 3,000 13-15-year-old schoolchildren from 25 schools will be examined in Azerbaijan.

Olive Industry Mad About Cigarette Packets

The Australian Olive Association is upset that the new cigarette packets are being described as 'ugly olive green'. The Olive Association has written to the Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon to urge her to find a new colour for the plain Hilton packaging.

The industry is putting a lot of resources into promoting olives, highlighting their benefits for the environment and people's health.

Smokers Will Always Buy Mobile Phones, Marlboro Cigarettes and Food

The consumer is flagging. Pay freezes, higher prices on the high street and rising unemployment mean that people are keeping their hands firmly in their pockets. They have reined in their spending, worried about the state of Britain's finances and, more importantly, their own livelihoods.

Not surprisingly, companies are suffering as a result. During the first three months of the year, stock market listed companies issued 75 profit warnings – the most since the first quarter of 2009, a time when Britain was deep in recession.

Burglars Steal Marlboro Cigarettes

Burglars broke into a W. Broad Street store Friday night and stole $450 worth of Marlboro cigarettes and $125 worth of cigars, police said. It happened at the Sunoco service station sometime between 9 p.m. Friday and 5:50 a.m. Saturday, says a report by Cookeville Police Officer Luke Ward. The burglars tossed a large piece of concrete through a window to gain entry, causing $500 damage just getting in, the report says.

Teenagers Who Smoke Different Cigarette Brands, Marlboro Smokers

Next, responses to the following question were analyzed: "How much interest would you have in participating in a stop-smoking program that was designed for people your own age?" Response categories were great deal of interest, some interest, little interest, and no interest at all.

A comparison of the response rates of Marlboro and Newport smokers yielded a chi-square statistic of 5.019 with a p value of .170. Thus, at a 5% significance level, the two groups did not differ. With responses coded 1 for great interest, 2 for some interest, 3 for little interest, and 4 for no interest, the mean score for Marlboro smokers was 2.81, while the mean score for Newport smokers was 2.70. This indicates that, on average, Marlboro smokers were slightly (but not significantly) less interested in a peer stop-smoking program.