Democrats in Boise are trying to light a fire under state revenue. They say raising the tobacco tax in the state from 57 cents to a $1.25 is something the state drastically needs. “It would help on the $50 million in cuts to state education for the third year in a row,” Rep. Elaine Smith, D-Pocatello, said. Democrats are hosting a public information session at 4:30 p.m. Monday, and Smith said republican resistance to having a hearing ... Jump to full article >>

REGINA – It’s no April Fool’s joke — the Saskatchewan government is banning the sale of tobacco and tobacco-related products in pharmacies. The ban is effective Thursday, April 1, and the fine for breaking the law is $500. Selling tobacco or tobacco-related products will also be prohibited in a retail store, if a pharmacy is located in that store or if customers of a pharmacy can directly access the area in which tobacco pro ... Jump to full article >>

JITRA: A magistrate’s court here fixed April 20 to mention the case of two Thais charged with smuggling RM900,000 worth of cigarettes into this country. Magistrate Ahzal Fariz Ahmad Khairuddin said this was to allow the defence to obtain documents related to the case from the prosecution. Ma-Ae Itae, 32, from Bangkok, and Wisut Mekarun, 51, from Sadao, were separately charged with smuggling several types of contraband cigarettes in 1,010 maste ... Jump to full article >>

Prosecutors have agreed to drop possession criminal charges against the owner of a chain of Polk County tobacco stores. Tammi Siegfried, 35, signed a “pretrial intervention contract” Tuesday to avoid prosecution. She has agreed to stop selling products that sheriff’s deputies said are sometimes purchased by drug users. Siegfried was arrested last month after deputies seized bongs, grinders, scales and other merchandise from Low ... Jump to full article >>

Changes to the duty applied to alcoholic drinks and tobacco were announced in the 2011 Budget. Alcohol Alcohol duty Alcohol duty rates will increase by 2 per cent above the Retail Price Index (RPI) on 28 March 2011. This will add 4 pence to the price of a pint of beer, 15 pence to the price of a bottle of wine, and 54 pence to the price of a bottle of spirits. Higher duty on stronger beers From 1 October 2011, the government will introduce a ne ... Jump to full article >>

VANCOUVER, Wash. — Although people younger than 18 can purchase electronic cigarettes, they are now prohibited from using them at some Washington schools. The Columbian newspaper reports school boards in Battle Ground, Camas and Ridgefield all recently revised their tobacco policies to ban the use of electronic cigarettes at school. Vancouver Public Schools has prohibited tobacco and “tobacco lookalikes” since at least 1998. B ... Jump to full article >>

Australia’s Greens will ask lawmakers today to vote to stop the government, which plans some of the world’s toughest anti-smoking laws, from investing in tobacco companies as part of a civil servants’ retirement fund. Greens senator Rachel Siewert will put a motion to the Senate to stop the government’s Future Fund – established in 2006 to cover pension costs of retiring lawmakers, judges and public servants – ... Jump to full article >>

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese health authorities are renewing a push to ban smoking in indoor public places, adding more venues like hotels and restaurants as of May 1, though still excluding many workplaces. The guidelines given on the Health Ministry’s website are the latest effort to curb tobacco use in the country with the world’s largest number of smokers and where experts say huge revenues from the state-owned tobacco monopoly hinde ... Jump to full article >>

FALL RIVER — The ban on selling tobacco products in stores with pharmacies will become city ordinance in 30 days after the City Council’s second 5-4 vote to approve the ban Tuesday night. Once the ordinance becomes law, 17 retail outlets like CVS, Rite Aid and Stop & Shop must remove cigarettes and related products from their shelves or face daily fines. “I’m very happy they passed it tonight. I think it’s one more step in making ... Jump to full article >>

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 >>