It's Illegal for Women to Smoke in Public..

January 22, 2008 - Profile America --- You may think the debate over smoking is fairly recent. But 100 years ago this week, the New York City council passed an ordinance that made it illegal for women to smoke in public. The ordinance was the result of a campaign by the National Anti-Cigarette League, the first to use the term "coffin nails" for cigarettes. At the time, a number of cities had banned smoking, along with the states of Arkansas, Iowa, Idaho, and Tennessee. All of these laws were revoked by 1917, since they were not only difficult to enforce, but added to the allure of smoking. Now, just under 21 percent of adults in the U.S. currently smoke. The highest proportion is in Kentucky, at 28 percent. The lowest is Utah at 11 percent. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau on the Web at www.census.gov. Recently, an excellent article on Women and Smoking by Cynthia Crossen appeared in Wall Street Journal we subscribe to. Click on image to enlarge..
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In 2008 will the politicians do what's right for the State of South Carolina??

January 21, 2008 - Tobacco Friendly South Carolina is considering a series of measures that would ban smoking in indoor, public places, increase the lowest cigarette tax in the nation (now 7 cents per pack) and prohibit adults from lighting up in cars when children are riding along. The proposals may be in for a bumpy ride with big tobacco spending big bucks in the state legislature over the past two years as the debate over cigarette taxes and statewide smoking bans kicked into high gear. "South Carolina considering cigarette tax hike, smoking bans"The Associated Press, 1/16/2008) Three industry groups spent a total of at least $785,000 between June 2005 and the end of the last with legislative session in June 2007. To please tobacco interests several lawmakers filed bills aimed at nullifying the bans by preempting local governments' right to enact the laws. Some lawmakers also tried to cut a break for smokers and create a smoking permit that would allow restaurants or bars to continue to allow smoking for as little as $100. ( "Tobacco groups have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on lobbying and contributions to lawmakers as the debate over taxes and bans has ignited" by Tim Donnelly, 1/21/2008) South Carolina did pass the The Youth Access to Tobacco Prevention Act of 2006 (Section 16-17-500, as amended, Code of Laws of SC, 1976), effective August 21, 2006 that states that youth under the age of 18 years must not purchase, attempt to purchase, possess, or attempt to possess a tobacco product, or present or offer proof of age that is false or fraudulent for the purpose of purchasing or possessing a tobacco product. A minor who violates this provision may be subject to penalties including a civil fine up to $25, to include all applicable court costs, assessments, and surcharges. (Tobacco Prevention and Control) Click on image to enlarge.. Read more...

Pfizer Changes Chantix Label..

January 21, 2008 - Pfizer Changes Chantix Label.. Pfizer today (Friday, 1/18/2008) updated the CHANTIX label in the U.S. to include a warning that patients who are attempting to quit smoking with CHANTIX should be observed for serious neuropsychiatric symptoms, including changes in behavior, agitation, depressed mood, suicidal ideation and suicidal behavior. The warning comes nearly five months after a CBS 11 (Dallas - Ft.Worth) investigation uncovered thousands of reports of adverse reactions to the drug. In November, the Food & Drug Administration announced it was reviewing the safety of Chantix, after receiving similar reports to the ones uncovered by CBS 11. Chantix is marketed as Champix in Europe and Australia. In December, CBS 11 reported a similar warning to the one announced today in the United States would accompany packages of Champix in Australia. In the United Kingdom, government medical officials continue to investigate the safety of Champix. In December, CBS 11 reported the number of people in the United Kingdom reporting suicidal thoughts while using the drug doubled in just 60 days. Related news brief: Chantix Reports of Suicidal Thoughts and Aggressive and Erratic Behavior.. Read more...

Finnish Ferry Goes Swedish Over Snus Ban..

January 20, 2008 - A Finnish ferry will in future sail under the Swedish flag so that it can continue to sell snus, Swedish moist tobacco. The move comes after the European Commission threatened to fine Finland if it did not stop snus sales onboard the ferry M/S Eckerö, which sails between Grisslehamn and Berghamn in Finland's Åland (“Ahvenanmaa” in Finnish)Archipelago. The sale of snus is banned throughout the EU, but Sweden is exempted from the ban. (The Local, 1/18/08) See related News Brief:Takes Finland to Court Again For NOT Banning the Use of Oral Tobacco

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EU officials said that Snus might appeal too much to young people..

January 20, 2008 - Snus could face the same kind of opposition in the U.S. and other markets as it has in Europe. In fact, it was U.S.-based UST's UST push to sell a Skoal-branded line of flavored tobacco pouches in Europe that led to the EU ban. According to a recent report in the Times of London, snus is especially popular among European youth, who can find the product on the black market. A Credit Suisse analysis found that Americans spend $82 billion a year on cigarettes. They spend about $3.2 billion on cigars. That leaves just $3.7 billion for smokeless tobacco products. See related news brief:Our Kids are still our number one priority.

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