As unpleasant as a ban on smoking outside state office buildings will be for some Delawareans, the twofold benefit is irresistible. The rise in residents’ quitting a dangerous health habit directly linked to their tobacco addiction will continue. And the residual benefits of slowing the growth of a $1 billion health care tab — almost 40 percent of the state’s budget — created by smoking workers, retirees and Medicaid reci ... Jump to full article >>

The idea that businesses should not hire tobacco users may look good on paper, but it doesn’t provide a solution to the larger issue: ending addiction to a deadly substance. A Jan. 12 article in The Tennessean, “More employers refuse to hire tobacco users,” reported on the growing trend of companies, especially among hospitals, refusing to hire individuals who use tobacco. The story mentioned the Cookeville Regional Medical Center consider ... Jump to full article >>

Scotland has delayed implementation of a tobacco display ban in supermarkets because of a change to the regulations and a legal challenge, the Scottish government said on Sunday. Scotland proposes to make it an offence to display tobacco products in shops so as to dissuade young people from taking up smoking. The Scottish government said it would however increase the area of cigarette storage units that may be displayed after retailers raised co ... Jump to full article >>

The University of California is banning cigarettes and all other tobacco products from its campuses over the next two years, in a move designed to both protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke and prevent young people from developing the bad habit. Students and staff alike will be prohibited from smoking anywhere on a UC campus – including outdoor spaces, parking lots and private residences. There won’t be any designated smoking area ... Jump to full article >>

About one out of every four parents with small children responds to interventions to help them quit smoking, which is slightly better than the one in five parents who would quit without any special help, according to a new study. Researchers say the results should encourage pediatricians to take advantage of their frequent encounters with parents, and try to get them to start a smoking cessation program. “Because (pediatricians) can make u ... Jump to full article >>

Falling off the wagon when trying to quit smoking may not be bad after all. If you’re resolving to quit smoking, doctors say you’re more likely to succeed if you accept the fact that you are likely to fail. “It’s really important not to just quit on New Year’s. If you try it New Years, and by January 7th, you’re smoking again, just try again,” said Dr. Cheryl Healton, a former smoker who is the president ... Jump to full article >>

PEORIA — Tamerra Henderson-Hightower is almost Richard Pryor-esque when she talks about the painful pockets of her life. She pulls laughter out of the darkest spaces. It’s not necessarily when she talks about the years of child abuse by her father, the years of drug addiction after an uncle introduced her to cocaine, even more years – nine times in and out of treatment – trying to kick the habit. “Don’t get me wro ... Jump to full article >>

The Delta County Health Department has recognized MacKenzy Wells as the most recent graduate of the Baby and Me Tobacco Free program. Smoking increases the risk of low birth weights, and, because the habit can be kicked, pregnant women are referred to the program which includes cessation counseling, support and CO monitoring. If, after random saliva tests, a mother tests tobacco free, she receives a $25 a month voucher for diapers for up to 12 m ... Jump to full article >>

CONCORD, NC – Cigarette manufacturer Phillip Morris is gone and now smoking is on its way out, too, as Concord City Council bans smoking and the use of tobacco products from city parks. Concord City Council voted 4-3 Thursday to ban smoking and tobacco use from the city’s parks to encourage healthier choices for residents and to reduce the effect of secondhand smoke on the children and adults who use the parks. Council members Dr. Hector ... Jump to full article >>

BHUBANESWAR: The decision of the State Government to raise value added tax on cigarettes, bidis and every other form of tobacco products has got the thumbs up from the anti-tobacco campaigners and the medical fraternity. �The move would go a long way in not only saving a large number of lives but also effect reduction in Government spending on treating tobacco-related diseases, they have asserted. �The State Government has increased VAT on c ... Jump to full article >>