Two years after the General Assembly passed a bill to ban smoking from most workplaces, including restaurants, supporters say the law is working and should be extended to include places such as over-21 venues that are now exempt. “There literally are hundreds of thousands of Tennesseans who are healthier, and tens of thousands who do not have lung cancer or heart disease because they now get to breathe clean air,” said state Sen. Roy ... Jump to full article >>

The editorial, “Start planning now to launch controversial smoking rules” (Nov. 12), properly advises proprietors of restaurants and bars to become familiar with how a new law that eliminates smoking in these venues starting on Jan. 2, 2010, will affect them. It is important to recognize Greensboro, Guilford County and North Carolina have a 20-year, unblemished record of successful implementation of incremental restrictions on smokin ... Jump to full article >>

THE NSW Court of Appeal has been asked by British American Tobacco to remove a Dust Diseases Tribunal judge from hearing a landmark claim that smoking and asbestos jointly caused lung cancer. The company argued yesterday that Judge Jim Curtis should be disqualified because of a pre-trial ruling he made in a similar case in 2006 about its destruction of documents. The ruling was in an asbestos-tobacco compensation claim brought by a Wollongong mo ... Jump to full article >>

Four years ago, a lopsided majority of Washington voters approved a ban on smoking in public places. While citizens may have the right to smoke, voters felt that right should not extend to subjecting others to their secondhand smoke. Many in the food and beverage industry, fearing the smoking ban would hurt business, mounted an unsuccessful attempt to defeat the 2005 initiative. A number of tavern and restaurant owners in this and other states w ... Jump to full article >>

The state’s high court said yesterday that cigarette maker Philip Morris USA may have to pay for diagnostic chest exams so smokers can get early warning they have developed lung cancer, possibly opening a new front in tobacco liability lawsuits. In a unanimous ruling, the Supreme Judicial Court said Massachusetts law has an antiquated definition of negligence. Historically, plaintiffs had to show explicit injury, such as a broken leg, before t ... Jump to full article >>

Massachusetts’ high court said today that cigarette maker Philip Morris USA may have to pay for diagnostic chest exams so smokers can get early warning they have developed lung cancer. In a unanimous ruling, the Supreme Judicial Court said that Massachusetts law has an antiquated definition of negligence that must be updated. Historically, plaintiffs had to show explicit injury — such as a broken leg — before the other party ca ... Jump to full article >>

A City-County Council committee tonight recommended 4-2 a proposal to ban smoking in almost all Marion County workplaces. The ordinance, which was introduced to the council earlier this month and has gotten support from leaders of the city’s hospitals, would strengthen an existing law prohibiting smoking in most restaurants and public spaces such as hotel lobbies. It would add to the prohibition currently exempted places such as bars, bowl ... Jump to full article >>

The smoking ban legal battle could be decided as early as next Tuesday. Smoking ban opponents filed a lawsuit calling for a judge to decide whether rejected petition signatures should have been thrown out. A hearing is set for Tuesday in Hughes County. That’s when a judge is expected to rule on several motions that were filed from both sides of the lawsuit. And because both sides are asking for a summary judgement, the judge could rule on ... Jump to full article >>

Most Americans, and I am sure the chief executive officers of the major tobacco manufacturing plants, knew that smoking was not good for your health more than 50 years ago. I can remember hearing the comment, “Here’s another nail in your coffin,” as someone handed you a cigarette, many years ago. In 1947, 62 years ago, Merle Travis wrote a song that was adopted by Tex Williams. Here are some of the lyrics: “Smoke, smoke, ... Jump to full article >>

They pioneered the ‘rockney’ genre with their pub singalong tunes, music-hall humour and boogie-woogie piano. But Chas and Dave have revealed they will be rabitting on stage together no more. The pair, Charles Hodges and David Peacock, are going their separate ways after a career spanning almost 40 years. The band’s agent, Barry Collings, said Dave, 64, had been very badly affected by the loss of his wife after 36 years of  ... Jump to full article >>