VIRGINIA BEACH–The state-wide smoking ban is just around the corner. On Dec. 1 most bars and restaurants will be required to have a non-smoking section, but some restaurant owners are finding creative ways around the restrictions. At Poppa’s Pub in Virginia Beach, owner Randy Estenson has spent months trying to construct a non-smoking section. He’s worked with the Virginia Beach Department of Health to design the new room. T ... Jump to full article >>

RONAN – Enforcement of Montana’s Clean Air Act appears to be a little hazy on Indian reservations. Tribally owned casinos are exempt from the indoor-smoking ban, while some enrolled tribal members who own reservation bars and casinos aren’t enforcing the ban. In the meantime, Rick and Vicki Wheeler, who are not members of the Confederate Salish and Kootenai Tribes, recently received their first letter of complaint from the Lake Cou ... Jump to full article >>

The first time I watched the older reruns of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, I was amazed. It wasn’t Carson’s famous turns as Carnac The Magnificent that caught my eye. Instead, it was the curling tendrils of smoke shrouding the host and his guests as they puffed away at cigarettes on live television. The reason I was so shocked is that this kind of free-wheeling tobacco use is unheard of today. From airplanes to restaurants to bars ... Jump to full article >>

When American investors think of tobacco greatness, Altria (NYSE: MO) and Philip Morris International (NYSE: PM) are the first companies to come to mind. But based on recent performance, British American Tobacco (NYSE: BTI) should definitely be moving into the mix, following the interim management report the company released on Wednesday. With British American reporting results on a nine-month basis, we’re somewhat comparing apples and ora ... Jump to full article >>

NEW DELHI: The hype surrounding ban on smoking at public places seems to have vanished into thin air. A recent survey shows that the ban has not been effectively implemented since it came into effect in October last year. The nationwide survey conducted by Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI) with 11 partner organisations found that over 60% of the bars and restaurants flouted anti-smoking rules. At least 211 public places were surveyed ... Jump to full article >>

A quarter of St. Louis County’s voters — maybe 175,000 — could be deciding on Tuesday whether the city and county, with a combined population of 1.35 million, go smoke-free. The city last week made its smoking ban contingent on the county enacting a ban. And with turnout Tuesday expected to be 25 percent of the county’s 705,000 registered voters, a lot will be riding on a relatively few voters. Kansas City, Springfield, Columbia ... Jump to full article >>

It’s a good time to be a St. Louis County resident who routinely votes. If you like attention and influence, that is. Both sides in the battle over Proposition N, the county’s smoking ban measure, are focusing their last-minute efforts on people who go to the polls — not just in high-profile election years but also in so-called off years like 2009. With low turnout expected, reaching these voters is crucial for the campaigns. T ... Jump to full article >>

NEWPORT NEWS – That was one costly nicotine hit. At about 11 p.m Monday, Jarry K. Ratliff, 27, took a break from his job at the McDonald’s on Jefferson Avenue in Denbigh to light up a cigarette inside the restaurant. Unfortunately for him, that happened to be when Newport News police officer Matthew Andreoli was going through the restaurant’s drive-through. Andreoli also knew about a new statewide ban on smoking in restaurants ... Jump to full article >>

NEW YORK – While the New York State Police are worried about a confrontation if the state tries to block the sale of tax-free cigarettes on New York’s Indian reservations, local Seneca Nation of Indian officials say the ongoing discussion could be an opening to establish a lasting peace. The state held a hearing Tuesday called by state Sen. Craig Johnson, D-Nassau, to discuss tax collections on sales made to non-Indians on reservatio ... Jump to full article >>

A San Luis Obispo doctor is continuing to speak out against Cal Poly for allowing students to accept scholarships from the smokeless tobacco industry as prize awards in collegiate rodeo events. University officials say Cal Poly has no basis to deny students scholarship funds from a legal source, and university officials note that no tobacco-related advertising is allowed at school events under a campus policy. Five years ago, Cal Poly officials ... Jump to full article >>