Policy

State

Senate passes smoking ban at beaches, parks (CA)
A bill to ban smoking at all state parks and beaches in California has passed the Senate. The proposal calls for a $100 fine for anyone caught smoking at state parks or beaches. Some city and municipal beaches have already banned smoking. Opponents believe the proposed legislation is redundant since it is already illegal to leave cigarette butts on the beach. Senator Oropeza had introduced similar legislation in 2006 that failed to make it through the state assembly, but this year the proposal is much more likely to pass. Click here to read more.

Casino smoking ban snuffed out (CT)
A controversial proposal to ban smoking in Connecticut’s two tribal casinos was dropped when legislators decided to simply not vote on the bill. Casino dealers expressed disappointment at the decision to drop the proposal, but they intend to lobby for a similar proposal next year. According to reports, dealers and employees who work on the casino floors have faced increased secondhand smoke exposure because of recent agreements between the tribes and the state legislature to ban smoking in tribal restaurants and entertainment venues. The tribes have agreed to create designated smoking areas and ventilation systems. Click here to read more.

Smoke free bill passes committee (LA)
A bill to expand Louisiana’s current smoke-free legislation to include more than just restaurants has passed out of a House committee to be sent for a vote on the House floor. The proposed bill would expand the current smoking restrictions to cover almost all indoor public places including bars, casinos and truck stops. Many restaurant owners support the proposal, saying that consistent anti-smoking rules for both bars and restaurants would level the playing field, since the current law has steered smokers away from restaurants and into bars that allow smoking. Click here to read more.

Smoking banned at parks and beaches (ME)
Maine Governor John Balducci has signed a bill that bans smoking at all state parks, beaches and historic sites. Each site will be permitted to create a designated space for smoking. The bill was passed as emergency legislation, and will go into effect immediately. There are currently no penalties for violators of the new legislation, and the law will be enforced by lifeguards and park rangers. Click here to read more.

Smoking ban signed by Perdue (NC)
In May, North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue signed a law that will prohibit smoking in bars and restaurants. Although the law contains some exemptions, including one for cigar bars, this legislation is considered a major step since North Carolina is the number one tobacco-producing state in the U.S. The law will take effect on January 2, 2010. Read more here. Click here to read a Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids press release that recognizes North Carolina for becoming the first major tobacco growing state to pass a law banning smoking in bars and restaurants.

House GOP blinks on Measure 3 (ND)
Lawmakers in North Dakota negotiated until the last minute of the legislative session to come to an agreement on funding allocation for tobacco cessation by Measure 3, a ballot initiative approved by state voters last fall. After a long partisan debate, lawmakers have agreed to allocate $12.9 million for two new committees to develop a plan to fight smoking in the state. Prior to reaching this agreement to carry out the plan that voters had approved, lawmakers had considered cutting the funding and eliminating one of the committees, instead tasking the state health department with the additional tobacco cessation work. Click here to read more.

Neb. site aims to clear confusion on smoking (NE)
The statewide indoor smoking ban in Nebraska goes into effect on June 1, and health officials are planning ahead to ensure a smooth transition. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services has developed a website to help businesses understand the new law. The site includes a summary of the law, guidance about what constitutes an indoor area, and resources to help businesses, employees, and the public adjust to the policy. The site also specifically outlines where smoking is restricted. Enforcement of the law will be triggered by public complaints that will lead to investigations conducted by local health departments. Click here to read more.

Bill that would loosen smoking restrictions dies (NV)
Nevada’s Assembly Judiciary Committee killed a proposal to weaken statewide smoking restrictions by simply not voting on the proposal. The bill would have amended the current smoking restrictions to allow bars that permit smoking to also serve food. Many of the committee members were uncomfortable with sections of the bill, and felt that there was little support for the bill. Although bar owners testified in a legislative hearing that their business had declined since smoking was banned, a researcher from UNLV provided a preliminary analysis of data that showed business had been declining prior to the implementation of the smoke-free law because of a declining economy. Click here to read more.

House bill curbs advertising, increases taxes on smokeless tobacco: the bill also bans the practice of handing out samples (OR)
In an effort to further protect youth from the harmful effects of tobacco, the Oregon House of Representatives has passed a bill that will add multiple restrictions on the marketing and sale of smokeless tobacco products. The proposal places smokeless tobacco products under strict marketing restrictions, prevents smokeless tobacco companies from handing out free samples of their products, and increases the taxes on smokeless tobacco products. If the bill passes in the Senate, it would make Oregon the first state to include all smokeless tobacco companies in the restrictions that were put into place by the federal smokeless tobacco master settlement agreement regarding youth advertising. Click here to read more.

Senate bill seeks money to help smokers quit (OR)
The Oregon Senate passed a bill that would require private health insurance companies to reimburse Oregon smokers at least $500 for their cessation efforts. Many insurance companies currently offer incentives to customers for quitting but the proposed bill would require insurance companies to include the reimbursement as one of the core benefits. The bill will be sent to the House of Representatives for their vote. Click here to read more.

Texas smoking ban won't survive legislative session, sponsors say (TX)
Sponsors of smoke-free legislation in Texas recently announced that the legislation will not pass by the end of this legislative session. Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, believes that the tobacco industry lobby weakened support for the bill. Tobacco retailers and bar owners had also questioned the impact of the proposal on their businesses. Despite these forces, half of the state legislators had publicly expressed their support for the bill, and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst was rallying support in the Senate. A similar smoke-free proposal is likely to be re-introduced in two years, during the next state legislative session. Click here to read more. Click here to view a press conference with Sen. Rodney Ellis with comments from Rep. Myra Crownover and James Gray of the American Cancer Society in the Senate video archives.

Rowlett voters approve smoking restrictions (TX)
In response to a petition from opponents of a recently enacted smoke-free ordinance in Rowlett, Texas, legislators agreed to have a special election to allow voters to decide if the law should be repealed. Voters overwhelmingly approved the smoke-free bill for a second time, proving that the petitioners were the vocal minority. The smoking ban prohibits smoking in or within 15 feet of any indoor or enclosed public space, but allows an exemption for any bars that derive 75% of their annual revenue from alcohol sales. Click here to read more.

Wisconsin lawmakers praise bipartisan effort in passing smoking ban (WI)
After years of advocacy, the Smoke Free Wisconsin Act was passed this month, making Wisconsin the 27th state to pass a statewide smoke-free law that includes restaurants and bars. The law will prohibit smoking in most workplaces as of July 5, 2010, including bars, restaurants, day care centers, sporting arenas, and state facilities. The law will pre-empt existing local smoke-free ordinances so that regulations will be consistent throughout the state. Click here for more information. Click here to read more from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Update: Doyle signs workplace smoking ban (WI) Click here to read more.

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National

US Senate panel approves FDA tobacco-regulation measure
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee approved the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act by a 15-8 vote, bringing FDA tobacco regulation one step closer. Although there is a strong bipartisan majority in favor of the bill, Sen. Richard Burr R-N.C. is leading opposition to the bill, including a proposal for the Department of Health and Human Services to regulate tobacco products that was defeated in a recent committee vote. According to a report on TheHill.com, a Senate vote on the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act is expected in June. Click here to read more.

Senate weighs study of tobacco candy
An amendment to the FDA tobacco legislation that the Senate is considering would also mandate research on new tobacco products that bear a striking resemblance to candy. The amendment would call for research on the public health effects of “tobacco candy,” particularly the effects on children. Tobacco company R.J. Reynolds is test-marketing its lozenge-like Camel Orbs in several U.S. cities. Orbs are believed to be a youth-oriented product, as they come in two flavors, are sold in containers designed to look like cell phones, and contain considerably more nicotine than a cigarette. Smokeless tobacco products have become more popular since smoking bans have been implemented across the country, and R.J. Reynolds plans to release two products similar to Orbs later this year. Click here to read more.

FDA pick answers lawmakers on tobacco regulation, flu
President Obama’s pick for commissioner of the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Dr. Margaret Hamburg, defended her support of the FDA receiving control over the tobacco industry to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. The FDA receiving oversight of the tobacco industry is expected to be one of the more controversial issues that the new commissioner would have to address. Hamburg said that she believed the FDA was the appropriate agency to regulate tobacco due to its scientific expertise. Dr. Hamburg also discussed her plan to address the H1N1 influenza outbreak. Click here to read more.

State Tobacco Cessation Coverage Database
This new resource from the American Lung Association (ALA) contains information on Medicaid coverage of tobacco cessation treatment, state employee health plan coverage, insurance mandates for cessation, quitlines, and ALA programs for each state. These data include details of coverage, such as barriers to accessing treatment, as well as the sources for each data point. A customizable search option allows users to search for states that cover any combination of treatments. The database is updated continuously with the most current information. Click here to access the database.

Policy coherence in US tobacco control: Beyond FDA regulation
An essay by researchers at San Diego State University makes a case for prioritizing tobacco control policy in the U.S. The writers note that legislators can dramatically reduce tobacco-related morbidity and mortality by coordinating tobacco control efforts across government agencies. The paper outlines three priorities for policy: ratifying the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), passing the bill for FDA regulation of tobacco, and settling a deceptive marketing lawsuit filed against the tobacco industry by the Department of Justice that is currently under appeal. Click here to read the full article in PLoS Medicine.

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International

New smoking bans pass through Parliament (Australia)
Tough new anti-smoking laws for Western Australia are expected to pass within the upcoming month. The new laws will ban smoking in vehicles carrying children under the age of 16, within ten meters of playgrounds, in outdoor areas of restaurants and cafes, designated beach areas, and in at least 50% of outdoor areas of hotels. Cigarette displays would be banned at stores, and tobacco products would be kept out of view. The laws would also carry heavy fines of to $1000 for repeat offenders. Similar laws will become effective in New South Wales as of July 1, 2009. Click here to read more.

Bulgaria to ban smoking in indoor public places (Bulgaria)
As of June 1, 2010, smoking will be banned in all indoor public places in Bulgaria. This will expand the current ban that already restricts smoking in public administration buildings and on public transportation. Restaurant and café owners have expressed opposition to the new ban, fearing it will hurt their business. Bulgaria has one of the highest smoking rates in Europe, with a recent poll by the National Centre for Public Health Protection showing that 52.4% of men and 38.1% of women in Bulgaria smoke regularly. Click here to read more.

Chinese civil servants left fuming by order to smoke more (China)
Officials in China’s Gongan County have faced public reproach for issuing an order for all civil servants in the county to increase their cigarette consumption. In March, out of concerns related to low revenues from local taxes, officials ordered that 230,000 packs of a locally-produced cigarette brand had to be smoked within the year or civil servants would face a fine. The order received public outrage, with local newspapers calling the policy harmful to public health and a waste of government money. The smoking order created enough public outrage that the Gongan government was forced to remove the order. Click here to read more.

Smoking ban angers cafes, smokers in Croatia (Croatia)
On May 6, a smoking ban in all public places is Croatia took effect, making the nation the first in the Balkans to implement such a law. The new ban has strict penalties of $180 for individual smokers and $2700 for businesses that violate the new law. Approximately one third of all Croatians are smokers. Health officials in the country are hoping the new legislation will reduce the morbidity and mortality that smoking-related illnesses cause in Croatia every year. Click here to read more.

Greece launches anti-smoking campaign ahead of July ban (Greece)
An anti-smoking campaign was launched in Greece in April, several months before the nation implements a smoke-free law on July 1. The partial smoking ban will prohibit smoking in public places, including schools, universities, state offices, hospitals and on public transportation. Private offices, restaurants, and bars will be required to designate non-smoking areas. The law is far from comprehensive, but is expected to have a considerable impact on the nearly 45% of Greeks who are smokers. Click here for more information.

Lords vote to ban shop tobacco displays and restrict vending machine use (UK)
A bill that would ban retail displays of tobacco products recently passed in the House of Lords, and will move on to the House of Commons. This measure is expected to prevent children from buying tobacco products. Another part of the bill that would have banned cigarette vending machines was scrapped. Instead, the machines will be required to be equipped with age verification technology. The House of Lords also debated but did not vote on amendments on plain cigarette packaging and tobacco industry lobbying. Click here to read more.

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