One of the most effective public health interventions is increasing tobacco taxes to reduce youth consumption. Studies show that every 10 percent increase in the price of cigarettes reduces youth smoking by 7 percent and overall cigarette consumption by about 4 percent. GRAND FORKS — Nov. 18 was the Great American Smoke Out, an event held each year to encourage smokers to quit for a day or quit for life. While this worthy event has been in ex ... Jump to full article >>

Kim Zolciak may be pregnant, but it’s unclear how many prenatal education classes she’s taken so far. According to TMZ.com, the “Real Housewives of Atlanta” cast member was photographed smoking just two weeks before announcing she was three-months pregnant – a big no-no for mommies-to-be. Zolciak, who is expecting a child with NFL star Kroy Biermann, was reportedly spotted puffing away on Nov. 7 outside the Georgia Dome ... Jump to full article >>

Putting tobacco out of sight in shops can change the attitude of young people to smoking, while not hitting retailers in the pocket, researchers at The University of Nottingham have discovered. Academics from the University’s UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies looked at the effect of the removal of tobacco displays in the Republic of Ireland, ahead of similar legislation which is due to come into force in the UK. The findings are publis ... Jump to full article >>

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Guzaarish has run into a controversy ahead of its release, with an NGO taking objection to posters displayed across Mumbai, showing actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan smoking. National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE) has threatened legal action against Aishwarya and the producer-director. “The innumerable posters and banners of film Guzaarish displayed all over Mumbai shows Bollywood icon Aishwarya Ra ... Jump to full article >>

Tobacco control officers in Grey-Bruce are being instructed not to enforce the province’s Smoke-Free Ontario Act in local First Nations communities, including the Saugeen and Chippewas of Nawash reserves, says the head of enforcement at the area’s public health unit. Linda Davies, tobacco control program manager, says provincial Ministry of Health Promotion staff has told the Grey Bruce Health Unit that aboriginal governments have th ... Jump to full article >>

Williamsburg’s hipsters have been smoking for decades — but Joe Camel wants them to start puffing their own neighborhood brand. R.J. Reynolds launched a “Williamsburg” version of Camel smokes last month — in perhaps the most blatant attempt to corner the hipster market since American Apparel opened on N. Sixth Street. But there’s nothing local about this promotional effort. As part of the 10-week “Camel Break Free” promotion, cig ... Jump to full article >>

As President Obama toured a Mumbai classroom exhibit on ecological challenges, he heard a lecture about the dangers of smoking. The teenaged boy who delivered the lecture probably did not know that Mr. Obama is a longtime smoker. Using an earnest delivery he told the president, “Today about 1.3 billion people all over the world smoke. And when a person smokes he exhales harmful pollutants into the air. These pollutants add to the gases and ... Jump to full article >>

An alliance of big tobacco groups and corner shop trade bodies is barraging ministers with claims that an upcoming ban on the display of cigarettes on store shelves will trigger an upsurge in illicit sales and organised crime, as well as pushing many legitimate small traders out of business. The desperate lobbying comes ahead of a ban on behind-the-counter displays of tobacco that is slated to come into force for supermarkets in October next yea ... Jump to full article >>

Recommendations made by the Maori Affairs Select Committee’s inquiry into tobacco are strongly endorsed by the New Zealand Medical Association (NZMA) which says that adopting the proposals would have a dramatic effect on improving public health and reducing health inequalities. “Tobacco is our greatest preventable cause of death and illness, killing 5000 every year. Smoking rates among Maori are double that of the general population and cont ... Jump to full article >>

It is no secret that the tobacco industry possesses strong influence in the nation’s corridors of power. For more than 40 years, the industry has had a cozy relationship with those in high places, allowing it to enjoy some of the lowest taxes in the world and near total freedom in advertising their deadly products. It is therefore no surprise that Indonesia remains one of only a handful of nations yet to sign the landmark World Health Organiza ... Jump to full article >>