Gov. Andrew Cuomo signs law banning smoking on hospital grounds

Legislation that would prohibit smoking outdoors on the grounds of hospitals and residential healthcare facilities has been signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo

The legislation, sponsored by Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee, D-Suffern), prohibits smoking outdoors including within 15 feet of a building entrance or exit or within 15 feet of the entrance to or exit from the grounds.

At residential health care facilities, patients or guests of patients, will be allowed to smoke outdoors in a designated smoking area.

“We know that secondhand smoke is a killer,” Jaffee said.

Secondhand Smoke in Bars and Restaurants Means Higher Risk of Asthma and Cancer

In the first study to evaluate the health risks of exposure to secondhand smoke for patrons of restaurants and bars, researchers have found that the risks are well above the acceptable level. The study assessed the risk for lung cancer and heart disease deaths among both patrons and servers and also for asthma initiation—the first study to do so—among servers.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory scientists Lara Gundel and Michael Apte contributed to the study, which was led by Ruiling Liu and Katharine Hammond from UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health. The results were published in the journal Tobacco Control in a paper titled, “Assessment of risk for asthma initiation and cancer and heart disease deaths among patrons and servers due to secondhand smoke exposure in restaurants and bars.”

Petition for smoking ban circulating

An official petition to get a smoking ban on the ballot is now circulating among registered voters in St. Joseph.
The organizing group, Smoke-Free St. Joseph, must obtain 2,190 signatures of registered voters to be successful. If all signatures are certified, the issue will appear on an upcoming ballot.

Smoke-Free St. Joseph began drafting the proposed ordinance in May when the City Council voted 6-3 to drop all considerations of a smoking ban.

Its proposal would ban smoking in all indoor public places, with the exemption of 10 percent of hotel rooms or in membership clubs when no employees are present.

It also would allow smoking on the casino gaming floor, until casinos in Jackson, Platte or Clay counties go smoke-free.

Danish man arrested over airport tobacco seizure

Customs officers have arrested a man after they seized illegal tobacco products worth €30,000 at Dublin airport.
They arrested a Danish man (40), who had arrived off a flight from Baghdad, Iraq.
He is being held on charges relating to smuggling in almost 21,000 cigarettes (20,400) and nearly 58 kilos (57.50kgs) of tobacco, representing a potential loss to the Exchequer of €23,000.
Four different brands of cigarettes were found in his bags. The Marlboro, Gauloises, Aspen and Kent brand cigarettes were packed alongside an amount of perfumed tobacco.
The man was remanded in custody after a brief court appearance before Judge Michael Walsh yesterday - he's due before a judge at the Criminal Courts of Justice again tomorrow.
This is the thirteenth arrest at Dublin Airport this year in relation to cigarette and tobacco smuggling offences.

Celebs castigated for smoking in cover photos

Two popular celebrities drew flak last year for magazine covers showing them smoking.

 

Multi-awarded actress Nora Aunor was criticized last September by various sectors for posing on the cover of Yes! Magazine with a lit cigarette in her hand. 

 

The magazine’s editor-in-chief, Jo-Ann Maglipon, defended the cover photo, saying it "best captures the iconic star as she is today."

 

Maglipon also said that it is within the magazine staff’s right to freedom of expression to choose which cover photo it wants to release.

 

Days later, television host and actress Anne Curtis also received criticisms for depicting the act of smoking on the cover of the October issue of Rogue Magazine.