In a landmark move, the Kansas House passed a statewide public smoking ban Thursday and sent it to Gov. Mark Parkinson. If Parkinson signs the legislation as expected, Kansas will join nearly 40 states that have some statewide restrictions on where smokers can light up. The ban would go into effect July 1. Today’s vote was 68-54. Supporters said they were tired of waiting as ban proposals languished for years on the legislative agenda. R ... Jump to full article >>

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That’s the response from some Plymouth bar and restaurant managers to Michigan’s new workplace smoking law, which will ban smoking inside their establishments come next May. The long-debated bill was signed into law Friday by Gov. Jennifer Granholm. It prohibits smoking at most indoor workplaces, with exceptions for truck cabs, cigar bars and tobacco shops, as well as the gaming floors of Detroit’s three casinos. “I do not hav ... Jump to full article >>

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With his fingers curled around a Marlboro Light and a gin and tonic in the other hand, Randy Dawe mused on the unfairness of a state smoking ban approved Thursday by the state Legislature. Next spring, he won’t be able to inhale at his favorite tavern, Bob’s Sports Bar, 725 Michigan St. NE. Meanwhile, people who frequent casinos still will be able to light up. “I think it’s a bunch of crap. I don’t think it’s f ... Jump to full article >>

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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 >>

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Cabell County bars and video lottery parlors could become smoke-free in the near future. The Cabell-Huntington Health Department is drafting a proposal that would ban smoking from bars and gambling parlors, said Dr. Harry Tweel, the health department’s executive director. It likely will conduct a public hearing on it within the next month, he said. “Our board of health has been looking at this issue for some time and monitoring what’s happe ... Jump to full article >>

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Legislation proposed to prohibit the sale of electronic cigarettes to minors and include e-cigarettes in the state’s Smoke Free Air Act, which prohibits smoking in indoor public places and workplaces, was unanimously approved Monday by an Assembly panel. Assemblywoman Connie Wagner (D-Bergen), a co-sponsor, said she’s concerned e-cigarettes are being marketed to children because they offer flavors like chocolate, banana and strawberr ... Jump to full article >>

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