Smoke-Free Legislation on Campus is Revolting

With a new school year underway, we have a new policy on campus affecting many students. The Oregon State University Smoke-Free Policy bans smoking on campus. I’ve never smoked a cigarette in my life, and don’t plan to, but this new policy is outrageous. First, OSU is a public university, and therefore should never enact a policy, rule, etc., restricting anyone’s freedom. By saying students can’t smoke on campus, our freedom to do as we wish has been taken away.

Haverhill Prohibits Smoking Cigar in Clubs

Local variety and convenience store representatives left City Hall smiling last night after the Board of Health decided not to ban the sale of inexpensive single cigars under the new smoking and tobacco sales rules it adopted. Representatives of local private clubs and veterans’ clubs left wondering what the new rules will mean for them. Under the new regulations, smoking will no longer be allowed in private clubs in Haverhill, and pharmacies in the city will no longer be allowed to sell tobacco products. But the clubs will have the option of creating what Board Chairman Dr. Carl Rosenbloom called “negative air pressure rooms,” where only club members will be allowed to smoke. Rosenbloom proposed the option after representatives of local veterans’ organizations voiced opposition to banning smoking in their clubs.

E-cigarettes Popular among Teenagers

Parents and experts are expressing concerns about the rising popularity of electronic cigarettes with teenagers since the product's health effects are still unknown. The electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, have been increasingly present in Quebec corner stores over the past year and are being seen as a possible gateway to smoking. The product makes steam similar to tobacco smoke. Health Canada forbids the sale of e-cigarettes that contain nicotine, but authorizes the sale of the nicotine-free version of the product.

Smoking Tobacco Restricts on Campus, Rice University News

Beginning Sept. 1, tobacco users at Rice University will have to limit their consumption to one of 13 locations on campus. There will be a zone within a five-minute walk from any building on campus, and each location will have a covered canopy, waste receptacles and seating areas, Vice President for Administration Kevin Kirby said. “We reached out and talked to the Student Association and Graduate Student Association about the policy, seeking input on the designated locations, which are flexible and may be adjusted after a few months as we receive feedback from people,” Kirby said. Violators will be held accountable by regular supervisory programs, with students reporting to Student Judicial Programs, Kirby said. “Generally, we’re going to rely on the goodwill and nature of people to want to create a good environment for us to live and work in and for community members to remind people to not smoke by doors,” Kirby said. “But if there are exceptions to that behavior, we will go through the normal enforcement processes.”

New Yorkers Accused for Illegal Tobacco Sales

Five men from New York City face charges in Shenandoah County linking them to an alleged scheme to sell thousands of packs of untaxed cigarettes, according to authorities. Maj. Scott Proctor of the Shenandoah County Sheriff's Office identified the five men arrested Aug. 5 as Jose Daniel Utate-Hidalgo, 38; Jose Edwin Guzman, 38; John Taveras, 40; Vidal Rodriquez, 39; and Jose Peralta, 44. Proctor said Shenandoah County sheriff's deputies seized at least three vehicles and more than 15,000 packs of cigarettes as evidence at the arrest scene.

Cigarette Makers Lose Challenge

General Nicola Roxon has urged tobacco companies to "accept the decision of the umpire" after the High Court rejected a challenge to the Federal Government's world-first plain packaging legislation. From December 1, cigarettes will be sold in drab, olive green packaging with graphic health warnings after the High Court ruled the legislation did not infringe on the property rights of tobacco companies. It means tobacco companies will be required to begin producing plain packaging from October 1, which Ms Roxon said would give businesses an adequate phase-in period before the laws kick in.

Quitting Smoking Does not Help Rheumatoid Arthritis

A new study suggests that quitting tobacco use (smoking) may not make any difference in the disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Tobacco use is a known environmental risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis, but it is unknown whether quitting tobacco use affects the Clinical Disease Activity Index in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The study involved rheumatoid arthritis patients. During the follow-up, ceased smokers did not have a better Clinical Disease Activity Index, compared to those who continued to use tobacco.

Cigarette Prices Hike, Quit Smoking

The recent increase in the Illinois cigarette tax is an example of how making smoking more expensive can convince some people it's time to quit. For example, being a smoker in Chicago can easily cost $300 a month, which is more than twice as expensive as a monthly prescription of medications to help a person quit smoking. But even when the cost of smoking convinces a person to quit, it can be hard to kick the habit, said Dr. Phillip McAndrew, an internal medicine physician and occupational health expert at Loyola University Health System. "Nicotine really is that addictive. It's a hard battle, but every one that we win, including increasing the cost of cigarettes through taxes, brings individual smokers to the tipping point where the pain of smoking overcomes the joys of nicotine and they quit," McAndrew noted. "The tipping point could be a life-altering health experience, but often it's the impact on the pocketbook that makes people really consider quitting," he explained in a Loyola news release.