National

Poll: Most Americans back FDA tobacco regulation
A recent survey conducted by Public Opinion Strategies and the Mellman Group suggests that 70 percent of registered voters believe that Congress should pass legislation granting the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory powers for tobacco products. The survey of 800 registered voters also demonstrates that 80 percent of participants support mandatory ID checks for young consumers, that 76 percent are in favor of restricting tobacco advertising and 68 percent would like tobacco companies to be barred from making non-substantiated claims about ‘light’ cigarettes. Click here to read more, or click here to read a summary and response by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

Fred Thompson: The Phillip Morris candidate
A candidate for the 2008 presidential bid, Fred Thompson, has considerable ties to the tobacco industry which are coming under the scrutiny of anti-tobacco groups. A number of his campaign staff members have been employed by Altria and Philip Morris and the campaign is expected to hire a polling company whose clients include Philip Morris and the National Smokers’ Alliance. To read more about Thompson, his campaign activities and his ties to the tobacco industry, click here.

Cigarette pack warning may get scarier
A Senate committee has approved an amendment that would require the government to expand the size and color of cigarette warning labels and mandates that the labels take up at least fifty percent of the package. It would also allow the government to use pictures of cancer and other diseases associated with smoking on these labels. This amendment strengthens the recently approved legislation that would grant the FDA regulatory powers over the tobacco industry. The introduction of the amendment by Senator Mike Enzi comes in the wake of a recent study that demonstrated that smokers in Canada, and other countries where larger and more graphic labels are required, were more likely to take notice of health warnings than smokers in the United States. Click here to read more.

Illinois: Blagojevich signs statewide indoor smoking ban
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich signed a comprehensive indoor smoking ban, making Illinois the 21st state to go smoke free. The ban applies to restaurants, bars, offices, and any other public indoor venue and outlaws smoking within 15 feet of building entrances. Violators will face a fine between $100 and $250.  Establishments will face similar fines, until a third violation in one year, which will cost them $2,500. The ban will preempt anti-smoking ordinances currently in place in the suburbs, and will be implemented on January 1, 2008. Click here to read more.

Michigan House committee approves smoking ban bill
A committee in the Michigan House of Representatives voted 12-4 to ban smoking in indoor establishments. The ban would apply to bars, restaurants and casinos, but would exempt cigar bars and smoke shops. The House is expected to pass the legislation easily, although the ban is likely to stall in the Republican-controlled Senate.  To read more, click here.

Pennsylvania: Statewide smoking ban snuffed out until fall
After rejecting a House of Representatives’ version of a statewide smoking ban by a vote of 36-13, the Pennsylvania Senate has delayed a vote on the ban until the fall. Both the House and the Senate spent much of mid-July debating a potential ban, and while each legislative body supports a ban on smoking, they differ on the ideal level of comprehensiveness. Both versions seek to ban smoking in most public venues, although the Senate would like to include more exemptions for casinos and bars, among other establishments. Governor Rendell has called for a smoking ban to be implemented as a part of his “Prescription for Pennsylvania,” which is intended to reduce healthcare costs. Click here to read more.

South Carolina state prisons to ban smoking on January 1
On January 1, 2008 a total smoking ban will be implemented in all of South Carolina’s state prisons. Five prisons are scheduled to implement the ban in August to facilitate the introduction of smoking cessation programs in these facilities. The decision comes in the wake of several lawsuits regarding the effects of secondhand smoke on the health of inmates and prison employees. As a consequence of the ban, the state will lose money on the sale of tobacco products to inmates, sales had been increasing steadily in the last few years.  The state ultimately decided that the health of prison employees and inmates was more important. Click here to read more.

North Carolina assembly bans smoking
The North Carolina House of Representatives voted 102-7 to ban the use of tobacco on all property owned by the school districts. The ban also applies to all school-sponsored events. This legislation is more restrictive than a similar policy approved just days before by the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school board.  This policy would have banned tobacco use in schools and at school events, but would not have regulated tobacco use in designated areas or administrative buildings where no students were present. The ban now moves to Governor Mike Easley, along with another piece of legislation that would outlaw smoking in all state government buildings. To read more, click here.

Massachusetts: Bill aims $35 million at smoking cessation
A group of Massachusetts lawmakers and activists is seeking to bolster tobacco prevention and cessation programs by funding them at the level recommended by the Centers for Disease Control: $35 million per year. The state was forced to divert money received from the Master Settlement Agreement away from tobacco control to general healthcare services several years ago due to a struggling economy. Now that Massachusetts will receive an extra $47 million a year for the next ten years, however, tobacco control advocates want to ensure that the money is earmarked solely for its original intended use. Click here to read more.

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International

It’s official: “smoke-free” means just that
Officials at the World Health Organization’s anti-tobacco meeting approved a restrictive definition of a smokefree environment that specifies that there is no safe level of secondhand smoke. They also ratified international laws against cigarette smuggling and have begun crafting international laws that would prohibit cross-border tobacco advertising.  Even though the guidelines are not legally binding, officials hope that they will serve as benchmarks for countries that have not signed on to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), including the Untied States and Russia. Click here to read more or click here to read the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids’ response, written by Vice President Damon Moglen.

European Union consumer chief wants “fire-safe” cigarettes
Consumer protection officials from the European Union (EU) are expected to introduce legislation later in the year that would make the production of self-extinguishing cigarettes mandatory in each EU country. Such legislation would likely prevent thousands of deaths attributable to cigarette fires. Support for mandatory fire-safe cigarettes is currently strong among a variety of stakeholders, including fire safety authorities, the tobacco industry, and consumer groups. Click here to read more.

German lawmakers approve no-smoking rules for federal buildings
The German Bundesrat, or upper house, approved a ban on smoking that will apply to federal buildings, railway stations and public transportation, and raises the minimum age to purchase tobacco products from 16 to 18. The legislation will not extend to restaurants and bars, which fall under the jurisdiction of the country’s 16 states. German drug commissioner Sabine Baetzing had encouraged the states to adopt uniform rules, which are likely to ban smoking in schools, hospitals, theaters and museums, yet permit smoking in restaurants in separate rooms.  Click here to read more.

Canada to ban smoking in prisons
Canadian prisons will implement a total smoking ban by April of 2008, according to the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC). The decision to implement a total ban is in response to complaints by employees that the indoor ban of 2006 was being ignored. To read more, click here.

Singapore extends smoking ban to pubs, nightclubs
Singapore has broadened its already restrictive smoking policies to include a ban on smoking in pubs, nightclubs and karaoke lounges.  The ban does, however, allow businesses to designate smoking rooms and outdoor areas for smokers. The new legislation will affect approximately 900 businesses. To read more about the ban, click here.

Smoking ban altered in Portugal
The ban on smoking in Portugal, which will be implemented on January 1, 2008, has been changed to be less restrictive and more smoker-friendly. The new law will permit the owners of bars, restaurants and clubs with fewer than 100 square meters to choose whether or not to allow smoking. A decision to allow smoking, however, must be accompanied by the installation of a ventilation system. Portugal’s confederation for the prevention of tobacco has denounced the change. Click here to read more.

Afghanistan begins campaign to cut smoking
The Council of Ministers in Afghanistan has ordered a ban on smoking in educational institutions, hospitals and government offices. The public will be informed of the ban through the media and mosques throughout the country. To date, there has been no word on how the ban will be enforced or regarding penalties for violators. To read more, click here.

Mexico City faces smoking ban
The Mexico City assembly’s health committee has unanimously approved a smoking ban for restaurants, schools, taxis and busses. Approximately one-fifth of the city’s 9 million residents are current smokers. Under the ban, restaurants could be charged as much as $2,200 if they allow smoking, taxi and bus drivers could be fined $150. The legislation will move on to the full assembly for consideration in August, where it is expected to pass. Click here to read more.

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