Harsher smoking ban hits Ottawa Monday

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/harsher-smoking-ban-hits-ottawa-today-104942105.html

As of July 2, bylaw officers will have the authority to issue provincial offence notices that carry fines up to $300.

Greg Smith laughed about the changes.

"I'll take my car and go out in a field about 10 km out of town and have a smoke," he said, "because that's where we're heading."

Can you still buy cigarettes?

Of course the government needs the revenue........

But where the hell can you smoke the damn things now?

Texas hospital bans obese employees

http://www.wfaa.com/news/health/Texas-hospital-bans-obese-employees-146294695.html

VICTORIA, Texas -- A Texas hospital is banning the hire of job applicants that are too overweight.

Citizens Medical Center requires potential employees have a body mass index of less than 35. 

The hospital says it wants employees' appearances to be free from distraction for hospital patients. They believe patients have expectations that should not be ignored.

The ban is not illegal.

Weren't they supposed to wait a few years before trying this?

Bastards

Reporting tobacco use by ballplayers is now just an easy online form away

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/reporting-tobacco-ballplayers-now-just-easy-online-form-181244662.html

And lest you think that policing over 700 ballplayers a day in 15 different cities is an impossible challenge, Hardball Talk writes about a group that's planning to remain vigilant in pressuring Major League Baseball to enforce its own rules.

Yup, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kidshopes that fans clicking turnstiles and watching from home will report any violations they see during the season. They've even created a handy-dandy online form that includes fields for the player's name, the game they attended or watch and even a place to submit pictures or screenshots of the tobacco use.

Oh For God's sake.

Too upset to even waste my time with sarcasm.

The Philibuster: Culture of cigarette acceptance different

http://www.lsureveille.com/opinion/the-philibuster-culture-of-cigarette-acceptance-different-1.2723796#.T3uDjKum_E0

And to do so is, quite plainly, an affront to Americans’ freedom of choice.

Americans have been educated. Americans have been informed. Butt out, in other words. Let Americans choose for themselves.

Whereas the decades-long decline in American tobacco consumption has leveled since 2007, the percentage of University undergraduate smokers has actually increased, according to Sylvester.

Given Americans’ — and Louisianians’ — notorious aversion to arm-twisting and coercion, anti-smoking zealotry might thus be the problem, not the solution.

Stick that in your pipe and smoke it.

Hmm,tobacco control surely hasn't failed in their ever so far reaching goals have they?
Because every ban protects someone so surely people must be quitting smoking if it is banned.

Right?

Criminologist: Crime will flow from tobacco rules

http://www.euractiv.com/health/criminologist-crime-flow-tobacco-rules-interview-511919

"The crime proofing exercise we have conducted has shown that some of the policy options envisaged by the European Commission carry significant risks of creating unintended opportunities for the illicit trade in tobacco products.  In particular, there is a high risk that a measure such as generic packaging may increase the counterfeiting of tobacco products and make it difficult for consumers to distinguish legitimate products from illegitimate ones," said the report's author, Professor Ernesto Savona.

Available information on the currently on-going impact assessment for the revision of the TPD indicates that the Directorate General for Health and Consumer Protection (DG SANCO) paid almost no attention to the potential impacts on the illegal trade in tobacco products.

"Contrary to their own guidelines, European policymakers rarely consider the crime risk implications when drafting new legislation and the revision of the Tobacco Products Directive by DG SANCO seems to confirm this," continued Professor Savona.

Surely that's not possible,since every single thing they do is for our own good?

Makes me wonder if they truly have any sort of grasp on what could happen if they go ahead with their plan.

Wales on verge of relaxing smoking ban for actors to puff on set

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2012/03/29/wales-on-verge-of-relaxing-smoking-ban-for-actors-to-puff-on-set-91466-30654254/

“We feel an exemption for performers from Wales’ flagship smoke free regulations will do nothing to contribute to this already well established industry or to the positive image of Wales as a nation that prides itself on promoting positive public health measures.

“Furthermore, this proposal goes against the Welsh Governments long standing – and oft-quoted – objectives for protecting and promoting the long-term health and wellbeing of the people of Wales.”

Ash Wales has said an exemption is not necessary as smoking can be added using computer-generated imagery techniques.

Of course,can't even look at someone smoking.

I have never seen such stupidity thrown out by people who have no idea what they're talking about.

One would imagine using CGI to have people mime smoking would be much more expensive than just allowing characters to smoke.

Anti-tobacco campaigner Vivek caught smoking

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-interviews/Anti-tobacco-campaigner-Vivek-caught-smoking/articleshow/12466030.cms

Actor Vivek Oberoi, who was among those present, asked the ACP to let him go stating that he had not consumed tobacco. When the police refused, he told them that the incident would tarnish his image as he was part of an anti-smoking campaign. The police then warned him against interfering in their investigations. 

Well that's not as shocking as I would think I guess.

One rule for the elite another for the normal folks.