A proposed Utah bill banning the sale of flavored tobacco products and novelty nicotine candies could lead to a lawsuit. A similar ban passed in New York City is being contested by several subsidiaries of Altria. Spokesman David Sutton says the lawsuit against the ban passed in the Big Apple argues regulating tobacco flavors is the purview of the federal government. “The Food and Drug Administration has overall authority for tobacco product reg ... Jump to full article >>

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A year after a new law put tobacco regulation in the hands of the Food and Drug Administration, one thing is clear: It will likely be years before any of the most aggressive steps to reduce deaths from smoking might happen. When President Barack Obama signed the bill into law last June, anti-tobacco advocates suggested it could lead to a reduction in nicotine levels, a ban on menthol cigarettes or other aggressive moves. Such moves are still a lo ... Jump to full article >>

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This is the VOA Special English Development Report. World No Tobacco Day is celebrated each thirty-first of May. The observance is meant to bring attention to the growing use of tobacco and its deadly effects. The World Health Assembly established the event in nineteen eighty-seven. This year, special attention is being given to the harmful effects of tobacco marketing to women and girls. The World Health Organization says tobacco kills nearly fi ... Jump to full article >>

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Beginning Friday (March 19), moviegoers eager for regional alternatives to standard Hollywood fare have several intriguing choices, as film festival favorites “That Evening Sun” — a wonderful movie that suggests a more convincing “Gran Torino” — and the local dystopian sci-fi mini-epics “Cigarette Girl” and “The Conversion” return to Memphis. Extra added attraction: Actor and Oscar-winn ... Jump to full article >>

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Rick Bender sat on a stage at the Ohio Statehouse fiddling with a chewing tobacco can as people stared at his disfigured face. Bender is used to it. He does this kind of thing on purpose. For the last 17 years, Bender has traveled the country, warning people of the dangers of tobacco use. Bender grew up in Kentucky and California and started using chewing tobacco at age 12. By age 26 in 1989, doctors diagnosed him with oral cancer, took out a thi ... Jump to full article >>

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Given the sad economy, increasing South Carolina’s cigarette tax offers lawmakers the best opportunity to get their hands on a pot of new money next fiscal year. The Legislature should hike the measly 7-cent tax — the nation’s lowest — and use it to support health care for needy South Carolinians. Already, new cigarette tax proposals are emerging. State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex, a Democratic gubernatorial candid ... Jump to full article >>

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