Bullitt County Waits For Smoking Ban Response

Bullitt County Waits For Smoking Ban Response

The Bullitt County Health Department passed a smoking ban that puts restrictions on where people may smoke, citing health reasons for the ban. But the county government says it can’t do that.

“They said the board of health is not a legislative body so therefore they cannot adopt new regulation unless there’s a law in the books,” said Swannie Jett, executive director of the Bullitt County Health Department.

Bullitt County officials and several city governments say it’s not in the health department’s jurisdiction to pass the regulation without writing it into law, and the county government says that’s something it can’t do.

I have always felt that the various health departments in America had the power to go too far.For some reason this article makes me happy as hell.

Nice seeing someone call them on it for once.

Drugged Out America » Counterpunch:

Drugged Out America » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names:

In the nearly half century since the U.S. Surgeon General issued a report linking smoking to cancer in 1964, there has had a dramatic decline is smoking.  Since 1998, tobacco sales in the U.S. have declined by 2 percent a year; since 2000, there has been an 18 percent decline in the number of cigarette packs sold: 17.4 billion packs were sold in 2007 compared to 21.1 billion packs in 2000.

However, this has taken place with a significant uptick in the number of “cigarette pack equivalents” (CPE’s), non-cigarette nicotine product, totaling 1.10 billion CPEs.  These include: 714 million moist snuff, 256 million roll-your-own tobacco and 130 million small cigars.

Mostly just put here because it's true.
Morality isn't really helpful as far as drug use goes,it's damaging economicly and to the fabric of society as a whole.
Just because something is frowned upon or even illegal doesn't mean that someone somewhere won't do it.

Smokers up in flames over graphic anti-smoking commercials paid with tax dollars

Smokers up in flames over graphic anti-smoking commercials paid with tax dollars:

"They are using our money for speech against us," said Audrey Silk, founder of the Brooklyn-based group Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment.

The city Health Department spends nearly $8 million a year on anti-tobacco campaigns, and its ads have been used in dozens of other states and countries, including Albania, China, India, Poland, Russia and Australia.

 Audrey Silk never really says anything about smoking and freedom that I disagree with.

Indonesia Lost Bulk of WTO Discrimination Case on U.S. Clove-Cigarette Ban

Indonesia Lost Bulk of WTO Discrimination Case on U.S. Clove-Cigarette Ban - Bloomberg:

A U.S. ban on clove cigarettes that’s designed to prevent teenagers from starting to smoke is discriminatory, though Indonesia failed to prove that it is unnecessary, World Trade Organization judges said.

Indonesia argued that U.S. tobacco legislation, signed by PresidentBarack Obama in June 2009, breaks global trade rules because it outlaws cloves and not the mint used to make menthol cigarettes. Indonesia, the world’s largest producer of clove cigarettes, or kreteks, made by companies such as PT Gudang Garam, has exports valued at $500 million a year, a fifth of which go to the U.S.

Interesting reading.
Not sure what if anything happens next,because it isn't clear to me what such a half victory really means.

Alberta enacts toughest distracted driving law in North America

Alberta enacts toughest distracted driving law in North America | Daily Brew - Yahoo! News:

The law also bans eating, teeth brushing, shaving, hair combing, writing, sketching or applying makeup - all activities one would consider a distraction. But reading email in parking lots or calling home while parked in a drive-through would still constitute distracted driving in Alberta, and would even apply to bike couriers.

National Post blogger Jesse Kline doesn't agree with Alberta's late ride to the distracted driver saloon, arguing science deflates the theory bans on cellphone use decrease crashes.

"It doesn't matter that the law won't actually make the roads safer. Governments don't need a problem to exist, in order to try and fix it."

I love it when someoene writes something so smart I don't feel like doing anything but linking the story.
This is one of those happy times.

Restaurants fear smoking ban

Restaurants fear smoking ban - Business - The Prague Post:

 In Hungary, which is poised to implement a smoking ban in 2012, the Tax and Excise Office released a report saying the ban would reduce state budget revenues 118.6 million euros the first year of implementation, as well as cause a loss in excise taxes revenues from cigarettes and alcohol of 2.2 million euros. The loss of VAT from cigarette sales was expected to be between 18 million and 31 million euros.

Cold,hard facts. Sometimes they're the best kind.
They sure do put things into perspective.

Godfrey Bloom: Hull no smoking scheme 'waste of money'

BBC News - Godfrey Bloom: Hull no smoking scheme 'waste of money':

An MEP has called for Hull's anti-smoking campaign to be dropped, claiming it is a "waste of money".

Godfrey Bloom, the UKIP member for Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire, said the initiative was not working and the money could be better spent.

A recent report showed levels of smoking in the city had risen over the last few years.

Once again a story too good not to share.

I have doubts that this will make much difference,but it is sort of heartwarming to know somewhere there is a politican exhibiting some common sense.

:) Reading it made me happy,that's rare enough.