Democrats held an informational meeting on raising the cigarette tax in Idaho by $1.25 per pack, a move forced by the Republican Party’s refusal to schedule a hearing. About 60 people attended Monday’s session. Democrats want a tax hike from 57 cents per pack now to help reduce smoking – and raise money to fund programs being cut, including public schools and Medicaid. Republicans, even those who also favor a cigarette tax hike ... Jump to full article >>

Tobacco giant British American Tobacco PLC is creating a start-up company to develop nicotine-based products aimed at smokers seeking a safer alternative to cigarettes. The unit, called Nicoventures Ltd., intends to bring to market “innovative, regulatory-approved” products, according to a website for the start-up. The site says the products Nicoventures is looking at aren’t currently available on the market. The U.K. cigarette ... Jump to full article >>

Smokeless tobacco, whether it’s a plug in the cheek or a pinch under the lip, has long been associated with baseball. It’s also associated with oral cancer, pancreatic cancer, tooth decay, gum disease and mouth lesions. Nicotine is addictive, whether it’s smoked or chewed, so the step from smokeless tobacco to cigarettes is a small one. Nicotine addiction, scientists have found, is an illness acquired in childhood. Almost no one starts usi ... Jump to full article >>

A group of tobacco farmers has filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against True Blend Tobacco Inc. On Friday, lawyers Trung Nguyen and James Zibarras appeared in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Woodstock on behalf of 49 growers who have contracts with True Blend. The lawyers obtained a “Mareva” injunction, which freezes all of the assets of True Blend Tobacco Inc., as well as two of its directors, Victor Osztrovics and Bria ... Jump to full article >>

Democrats in Boise are trying to light a fire under state revenue. They say raising the tobacco tax in the state from 57 cents to a $1.25 is something the state drastically needs. “It would help on the $50 million in cuts to state education for the third year in a row,” Rep. Elaine Smith, D-Pocatello, said. Democrats are hosting a public information session at 4:30 p.m. Monday, and Smith said republican resistance to having a hearing ... Jump to full article >>

An informal survey conducted in the Ontario, Seneca, Wayne and Yates county area finds that adults significantly underestimate the extent of tobacco product advertising in stores that sell cigarettes. As part of the annual Kick Butts Day, the survey was conducted by the Tobacco Action Coalition of the Finger Lakes to see if local consumers are aware of the targeted marketing and its impressions on youth. The survey found: Some 90 percent of peop ... Jump to full article >>

REGINA – It’s no April Fool’s joke — the Saskatchewan government is banning the sale of tobacco and tobacco-related products in pharmacies. The ban is effective Thursday, April 1, and the fine for breaking the law is $500. Selling tobacco or tobacco-related products will also be prohibited in a retail store, if a pharmacy is located in that store or if customers of a pharmacy can directly access the area in which tobacco pro ... Jump to full article >>

Chewing tobacco — like the Yankees’ starting lineup — is a relic of the past. And while New York’s aging superstars might still be able to pull together a winning season, it’s past time for Major League Baseball to ban this dangerous habit from the diamond. About a third of major leaguers still chew. But with every passing season, baseball’s tolerance for tobacco use, and the disgusting spectacle of grown men spitting on the field l ... Jump to full article >>

Australia seems to have found ways to cut back on teen smoking, researchers from there report. Higher taxes on cigarettes, expanded no-smoking rules, and well-funded tobacco control programs all helped lower rates of smoking among teenagers during the study. “What this really shows is that we know ways to reduce smoking among youth,” Dr. Michael Siegel from the Boston University School of Public Health told Reuters Health. “We ... Jump to full article >>

At least 35 tonnes of tobacco has been seized from an unlicensed shop in Abu Dhabi, a top official said Thursday. Abu Dhabi municipality officials made the seizure at a tyre shop. A total of 700 sacks, each weighing 50 kg, were seized in addition to 20 barrels of raw tobacco. Tobacco processing, wrapping and grinding equipment were also confiscated. Khalifa Al Romaithi, director of public health, said the shop was engaged in an unlicensed busin ... Jump to full article >>