February 2012

It’s broad daylight at one of Europe’s busiest ports and a huge metal container packed full of cigarettes is loaded on to a ship destined for the other side of the world. In full view of the authorities it all looks perfectly legitimate but this is the modern smuggler at work – and cigarettes are now some of the most lucrative booty around.
<p>It&rsquo;s estimated that 600 billion cigarettes, or 11 per cent of the world&rsquo;s total consumption, are smuggled annually and many pressure groups are concerned at the way tobacco companies are dealing with this illegal trade though the companies themselves are adamant that they are doing all they can to fight the smugglers. <br />
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We don’t know if the tobacco companies are involved or not, however, it doesn’t matter.&nbsp; When you overtax a legal product to curb the behavior of mankind globally, you open up the black market.&nbsp; People who want to smoke will find the cheapest way to do so and they don’t care about the tax man.&nbsp; </p>

House Bill to Amend Hawaii’s Strict Smoking Ban was Killed in an Unscrupulous Manner.&nbsp; It has taken six long years to have a bill introduced to amend smoking in adults bars.&nbsp; It made it out of committee 10 to 1.&nbsp; There was major support in the House and the Senate to change the current law.&nbsp; What happened? &quot;The House Majority Leader took it upon himself to not allow our bill to be voted on by all House members, sending our bill to be recommitted back to the&nbsp;<em>House Economic</em>&nbsp;Revitalization &amp;&nbsp;<em>Business Committee</em>, essentially sinking our bill for good&quot;.<br />
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Although discouraging the Hawaii Smokers Alliance will be back next year – so look out &quot;Anti Smoking Fanatic lawmakers who suffer from the latest debilitating disorder, ASDS (anti smoking dysfunctional syndrome).&nbsp; You should be afraid, very afraid!
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Banning smoking in Indiana is closer to being passed that it has the past five years.&nbsp; It has been passed in the House and <br />
Senate Committe but they expect a huge battle on the Senate Floor.<br />
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If you haven’t contacted your <a href="http://www.in.gov/legislative/contact/index.html">legislator, now is really the time</a>. Once the law is implemented it is difficult to amend.<br type="_moz" />

Welcome to California. America’s &quot;nonsmoking section,&quot; stated an ad from the California Tobacco Control Program. Tobacco users have listened, and so many have quit the unhealthy habit that the state budget is getting sicker. <br />
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Many California smokers just buy them in Mexico or Nevada, we have serious doubts that only 11% of Californian’s smoke.&nbsp; However, what is interesting in this article is that Kalifornia is so dependent on cigarette taxes they want to increase them.&nbsp; They bet the bank on hundreds of million dollars that was to be paid by the MSA and that money has dwindled substantially. Now some are saying &quot;Time to let smokers alone&quot;.&nbsp; You can’t have it both ways:&nbsp; tax money and banning smoking everywhere.<br />

&quot;University administrators around the state are considering campuswide tobacco-free policies as a result of new rules established by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. In January, the institute&rsquo;s oversight committee adopted a policy that requires grant recipients to have policies prohibiting tobacco use in buildings and structures where financed research is occurring, as well as at the <b>outdoor areas</b> immediately adjacent to those buildings&quot;. <br />
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If the Universities in Texas do not ban smoking on campus, including outdoors or they won’t get any grants.&nbsp; It is extortion by bullies. Disgusting. <br />

In at least 18 states, courts have ruled that subjecting a child to tobacco smoke is a factor which should be considered in deciding custody. <br />
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Courts sometimes consider the smoking habits of others who may have contact with the child, such as grandparents, friends, and &ldquo;significant others&rdquo; when making custody decisions.<br />
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You can be an alcoholic, do illegal drugs but you can’t smoke.&nbsp; Are you angry enough now to become politically active?<br />

A bill that would gradually make Oklahoma the first state to raise its legal age to purchase tobacco to 21 has passed out of a House committee. The House Public Health Committee approved the bill with a 7-5 vote last week, and it is slated for review in the full House.<br />
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This is ridiculous, if they want to smoke, they will find a way.
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The American Heart Association is pushing a bill in Chicago to add an additional tax&nbsp; $1.00 per pack.&nbsp; Why?&nbsp; To plug up a hole in Medicaid.&nbsp; <br />
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Again, we have a 501(c)3 lobbying for legislation, which is in violation of IRS Regulations.&nbsp; <br type="_moz" />

An excellent piece by Michael McFadden on the creeping intrusion into Outdoor Recreational Smoking<br type="_moz" />

A recent study implied that smoking bans in bars and restaurants also influence a decrease in allowing smoking at home. <br />
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The<a href="http://boltonsmokersclub.wordpress.com/2012/02/15/a-survey-smoking-bans-do-not-cause-increase-in-smoking-at-home/"> Bolton Club</a> has debunked the study for us.&nbsp; <br type="_moz" />