HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) – St. Mary’s Medical Center is planning to ban tobacco use starting this summer. WSAZ-TV reports that the Huntington hospital plans to go tobacco-free on June 27. Tobacco use already is prohibited inside hospital buildings. St. Mary’s says it will eliminate three outside designated smoking areas. St. Mary’s says the tobacco-free initiative is a way to show its commitment to healthy living. At least ... Jump to full article >>

WASECA — Tobacco companies appear to be getting a hold on students in Waseca County, as the number of students smoking cigarettes are holding steady, and in some cases, tobacco consumption by high school seniors is growing. Students in public schools across Waseca County reported a number of fluctuations in their tendencies toward tobacco use when they responded to the Minnesota Student Survey last year. In 2007, 40 percent of 12th grade male ... Jump to full article >>

Public health advocates have squared off against retail business owners over a Senate bill that would ban the sale of some flavored tobacco products. Advocates say flavored tobacco is a means of hooking young smokers. Washington tobacco retailers argue that they have enough regulations to cope with and that the state should focus on existing laws that prohibit anyone under the age of 18 from buying tobacco. They say a ban on flavored tobacco wi ... Jump to full article >>

Like any other high school kid, Stephen Strasburg wanted to emulate the major league baseball players he watched on television. He mimicked their actions down to the last detail. He rolled his pants up to reveal high socks, wore wristbands at the plate and, during downtime, opened tins of chewing tobacco and pinched some in his lower lip. Years later, having developed a powerful addiction, Strasburg regrets ever trying smokeless tobacco. Last fa ... Jump to full article >>

Jane Jones, Muskogee Against Tobacco program coordinator, says that when discussing the impact of tobacco use, the focus often turns to its tragic health effects and loss of life. However, every business and citizen in Muskogee County also bears a financial burden. Tobacco-Free Oklahoma Week, which runs through Sunday, highlights these burdens. The Oklahoma State Department of Health reports that the average Oklahoma business loses $3,734 each y ... Jump to full article >>

Three improvised bombs exploded last Easter outside a Baghdad government building, and Sgt. 1st Class Malcolm Russell, an Elk Grove Army reservist deployed in Iraq, was on high alert, his adrenaline pumping. When calm finally arrived, Russell reached for a pack of smokes, lit up and inhaled. “I’ll never forget that drag, with the hair-raising moments we had. It brought down the stress,” he said. Russell, 34, has lived the horr ... Jump to full article >>

We’re nearly a month into 2011, but smoking bans have already taken center stage. Although South Dakota’s statewide smoking ban went into effect late last year, the debate has now moved to college campuses. Two universities implemented smoking bans on January 1st, but it’s not that easy to put out the light. The air in Marshall, Minnesota is bitterly cold this time of year. But for some students at Southwest Minnesota State, ... Jump to full article >>

Efforts by local cities and counties to control tobacco use and protect residents from second-hand smoke got mixed grades in a new report released Thursday by the American Lung Association. Davis got a “B” grade, best in the region. The city of Sacramento was second, with a “C.” Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova, West Sacramento, Woodland and the unincorporated areas of Yolo and Sacramento counties got “D’s.” The main cities and unincorpor ... Jump to full article >>

Smokeless tobacco use is on the rise – according to national statistics, but also according to anecdotes from Ridgewood High School (RHS) Principal Jack Lorenz. At a presentation Tuesday night given by a prevention specialist with The Center for Alcohol and Drug Resources, a program of Children’s Aid and Family Services, a handful of Ridgewood parents listened and learned about the dangers of smokeless tobacco and why it is growing i ... Jump to full article >>

Health advocates won and health advocates lost Wednesday as the Ohio Supreme Court unanimously ruled that funds set aside a decade ago exclusively for smoking prevention efforts remained state money that could later be diverted to other purposes. “The question whether it is wise to enact legislation is not the same question as whether the legislation is constitutional,” wrote Justice Paul Pfeifer, noting that briefs had been filed from inter ... Jump to full article >>