SANTA CRUZ – The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors this afternoon voted 4-1 to require retailers to obtain a license to sell tobacco, joining dozens of other communities statewide. The effort is aimed at keeping cigarettes out of the hands of minors. Supervisor Mark Stone was the lone dissenter. The county says a recent survey demonstrated county retailers’ poor compliance with laws prohibiting sales to those under 18 years of a ... Jump to full article >>

The American Cancer Society asks smokers to give up the habit for one day today as part of the Great American Smokeout. A $2 million federal grant could help St. Joseph fight an anti-smoking battle of its own with longer lasting results. The City Council gave the City of St. Joseph Health Department the green light Monday to apply for the Communities Putting Prevention to Work grant — part of the American Reinvestment & Recovery Act of 200 ... Jump to full article >>

Bar and restaurant owners have teamed up with a conservative policy group in an attempt to overturn the state’s smoking ban, approved by voters in 2006. Groups opposing the state smoking ban have taken the fight up a notch, citing evidence of ballot fraud — more than three years after voters approved the ban. Opponents of Ohio Bans said the petition that placed the smoking ban on the 2006 statewide ballot was tainted by numerous irre ... Jump to full article >>

LIBERTY, MO – It has only been one day after Liberty voters agreed to beef up the town’s existing smoking ban and already there are two big questions: will it drive smoking customers away, and how long will it be before smokers have no where to go? Tuesday’s vote is a very big deal for two Liberty establishments. One is a bar and the other is a bowling alley, but one of the business may be more hurt by the ban than the other. ... Jump to full article >>

Kirkwood voters will get to decide in November whether they want to ban smoking in public places within the city limits. City Council members voted unanimously at their meeting Thursday to reject smoking ban legislation proposed by an anti-smoking group and allow voters to decide whether they want the ban. Council members have until Aug. 25 to officially adopt legislation placing the smoking ban question on the November ballot. Residents on both ... Jump to full article >>

SACRAMENTO — Health care advocates are imploring Republican lawmakers and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to rethink their opposition to taxes, especially in light of recent poll findings that show Republican voters overwhelmingly in support of increasing tobacco taxes to help solve the state’s $26.3 billion deficit. Support for a tobacco tax increase of $1.50 per pack cuts across party lines, according to a survey done by a bipartisan pollin ... Jump to full article >>

Cayuga County District Attorney Jon Budelmann intends to file a notice of appeal regarding a mid-level appeals court ruling Friday that said the Cayuga Indian Nation of New York can legally sell untaxed cigarettes at its Union Springs and Seneca Falls stores. In a press release issued late Friday night, Budelmann said a notice of appeal would be filed to “preserve our rights as we analyze the decision further.” The 4-1 Appellate Divi ... Jump to full article >>

Customs officers have seized 8.5m smuggled cigarettes at Belfast docks. The find, said to be worth about £5m, had been smuggled from China and was hidden behind boxes lined with carbon paper to try to avoid X-ray detection. The cigarettes were seized by officers from the UK Border Agency. A man was arrested but released without charge. John Whiting of HMRC said: “Purchasing cheap cigarettes without the duty paid on them means trading wit ... Jump to full article >>

Smokers are holding their collective breath to find out what happens next in the saga over the statewide smoking ban. The petition drive calling for a statewide vote has given them extra time to light up past the July 1 deadline. But with thousands of suspect signatures soon to be reviewed by the Secretary of State, smokers are wondering just how much longer they’ll be able to legally puff away inside businesses. The fate of the statewid ... Jump to full article >>

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – State attorneys have asked a Lancaster County district court to reject an Omaha pool hall’s request to declare Nebraska’s new smoking ban unconstitutional. Big John’s Billiards is fighting the law that took effect June 1, saying the law’s exemptions are arbitrary. The law bans smoking inside public buildings and private businesses, but offers exemptions for some hotel rooms, tobacco-only retaile ... Jump to full article >>