News

The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit has upheld a Kentucky federal court ruling that the provisions of a law mandating graphic warning labels on cigarette packages are constitutional.<br />
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As we have said before this case will continue to the Supreme Court.<br />
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The true costs of treating smokers, the obese and the&nbsp;healthy. <br />
<p>&ldquo;Until age 56 &nbsp;annual health expenditure was highest for obese people. At older ages, smokers incurred higher costs. Because of differences in life expectancy, however, lifetime health expenditure was highest among healthy-living people and lowest for smokers. Obese individuals held an intermediate position. Alternative values of epidemiologic parameters and cost definitions did not alter these conclusions.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The lifetime costs were in Euros: Healthy: 281,000, Obese: 250,000, Smokers: 220,000<br />
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Smokers do not burden society with health care costs.</p>

On issues ranging from tax credits for private school tuition to a homeowner&rsquo;s right to kill an intruder, several bills before the 2012 General Assembly resembled model laws proposed by the American Legislative Exchange Council, a politically conservative think tank funded by major corporations.<br />
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If Legislators can’t write their own legislation then they should not be in office.<br />

<p class="first"><i>Higher taxes on cigarettes, limits on selling to kids and campaigns to educate people on the dangers of <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1331755965_5">smoking</span> have saved nearly 800,000 lives, according to a US study released Wednesday.</i></p>
<p><i>The research is based on scientific models that counted how many people smoked up until 1970 and projected how many would have died of <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1331755965_0">lung cancer</span> between 1975 and 2000 if not for a concerted US effort to cut back.</i><br />
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Most smoking bans came into effect after 2000, so this study is already flawed.&nbsp;&nbsp; They are just juggling numbers and making statements that are not true. What else is new?<br />
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<p><i>EDMONTON – Decent and well-meaning Edmonton city councillors believe they will be doing what is right and good when they vote on Wednesday to beef up our smoking bylaw. The change will prohibit smoking next to playgrounds, soccer fields and skateboard and spray parks.</i></p>
<p><i>But councillors need to reconsider their enthusiasm for this unnecessary, overly intrusive regulation of private individuals.</i></p>