Idaho Democrats Attempt To Stall Legislature

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho -- Democrats in Boise are sending a strong message to legislative Republicans. They are protesting the House's refusal to schedule a hearing for a proposed tobacco tax.

Democrats are asking that all legislation be read in full, something not typically done. They're hoping to get Republicans to give in and grant a hearing.

One person even said that it took more than three hours to read one bill. Democratic Rep. Brian Cronin said that they want to stall the legislature. All they want to do is simply have the discussion about a possible increased tobacco tax, and they see no reason Republicans won't grant their wish.

Smokeless tobacco may be on its way out of Major League Baseball parks

Major League Baseball begins the 2011 season in two days, and if public heath officials have their way it will be the last season during which players will be able to chew and spit smokeless tobacco on the field.

The leaders of 15 public health departments in cities with professional baseball teams sent a letter Monday to MLB Commissioner Bud Selig and Michael Weiner, executive director of the union representing major league players, urging them to forbid the use of smokeless tobacco products. Tobacco has been banned in baseball’s minor leagues since 1993.

Smoking Screen

Cinema's power to move and mould men is awesome. Actors play facilitators and propagators of this power, and when India's Federal Health Minister, Anbumani Ramadoss, carried out a long campaign some months ago to ban smoking on the screen and even succeeded in doing so, he certainly had a point. Film heroes and heroines who essayed smokers often set hard-to-resist examples for especially their younger fans. The act was what mattered, not its consequences. Neither the money spent on cigarettes nor the terribly ruinous effect they had on health appeared on the radar of all those who idolised the men and women puffing away on the screen.

Farmers file class-action suit against tobacco company

Several Kentucky farmers have filed a class-action lawsuit against a leading tobacco merchant they say failed to honor contracts to purchase burley tobacco from them at the end of the 2010 crop year.

Now some of the farmers say they would rather leave the business than gamble on tobacco.

The lawsuit, which was filed against Universal Leaf North America last week in Harrison Circuit Court, says hundreds of farmers have lost what amounts to millions.

Among the plaintiffs are Jerry Feagan of Berry, Steve Lang of Cynthiana and Thomas Leach and Larry O'Neill, both of Dry Ridge, who say agents of Universal Leaf North America refused to accept tobacco, the lawsuit says. They are seeking monetary damages to be determined at trial.

Whoopi Goldberg Talks About Smoking Weed Before Her 1991 Oscar Win

When Whoopi Goldberg took to the stage in 1991 to receive her Academy Award she appeared just like an other Oscar winner - excited and overwhelmed.

But the 55-year-old star was actually under the influence of drugs as she made her acceptance speech having smoked a 'wonderful joint' just minutes before the win.

She was accepting the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role alongside Patrick Swayze in the film Ghost.

In a 1992 video that has only just surface on celebrity blog TMZ, the actress is seen admitting she was stoned on the day of the ceremony.

Three states bucking trend by proposing cigarette tax cut

Bucking a national trend of raising cigarette taxes, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Rhode Island have considered reducing theirs, hoping to draw smokers from other states and increase revenue.

Supporters argue reducing the tax by a dime would make New Hampshire more competitive with Maine, Vermont and Massachusetts, while opponents say that even if the state experienced higher sales as a result it still would lose millions of dollars in revenue.

It’s very unusual for states to lower the tax, University of Illinois at Chicago economics professor Frank Chaloupka says. The increase in sales isn’t enough to offset the drop in state tax revenue, he says.

Instead of lowering the tax, states have enacted 100 increases over the past decade, he says.

Teens chewing tobacco in school

According to some local teenagers, it's cool to chew tobacco at school.
So now, administrators at the Greece Central School District are cracking down on it, saying it’s not happening on school grounds. If students are caught chewing tobacco, they face a five day suspension. The district says the rules also apply to staff members and visitors. They want it to be a tobacco free zone.

Within this school year, Greece Odyssey caught five different boys chewing tobacco on school grounds. The district says they started investigating, and found out that students and their families don't understand that chewing tobacco is bad for your health. But doctors say it's just as bad as lighting a cigarette. Administrators sent a letter home to all parents in the Greece Central School District, warning parents that if their child is caught using tobacco on school grounds, they'll be suspended for five days.

No reason to carve exceptions in state smoking ban

When Washington voters were asked to approve one of the nation’s strictest smoking bans in 2005, protecting workers’ health was one of the most prominent arguments initiative supporters used.

Voters agreed that the people who worked in restaurants, taverns, bowling alleys, nontribal casinos and clubs shouldn’t have to breathe smoke for hours on end and risk a host of illnesses associated with secondhand smoke – which kills thousands of Americans every year. And so Washingtonians voted yes, and for five years workers’ health has been protected.

Now some legislators – including state Reps. Chris Hurst, D-Enumclaw; Steve Kirby, D-Tacoma; and Hans Zeiger, R-Puyallup – want to take that protection away for some workers.

Heineman: No Increase On Cigarette Tax

If the Legislature passes a bill to slap a whopping tax increase on cigarettes Gov. Dave Heineman says he will veto it.

The pending measure would boost the tax on a pack of smokes from 64 cents to $1.99.

Proponent say it would generate $100 million in additional state revenue. Nebraska faces a budget gap of up to $1 billion.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Heineman indicated he might have been willing to look at a higher tobacco tax under different circumstances.

Tobacco industry report: Menthol cigarettes aren't riskier

Menthol cigarettes are marketed in a similar manner as regular cigarettes, although menthol products are "disproportionately" marketed to African-Americans, a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel said in a partial draft report released Thursday.

The federal agency is considering banning the minty cigarette flavoring that makes menthols different from other smokes. Many health experts, including an FDA advisory panel, say consumers seem to think menthol flavoring offers health protection or benefits, and menthol cigarettes are disproportionately marketed to African Americans.

The tobacco industry sees menthols as a key area for growth in the shrinking cigarette market. The industry's draft report acknowledges that "all cigarettes are hazardous to health" and says there's no scientific basis to regulate menthols differently. The report concludes that menthol cigarettes don't make it easier for people to start or harder for them to quit or raise their risk of disease.

Smuggled tobacco seized at port

UK Border Agency officers have seized five tonnes of hand-rolling tobacco that was hidden in a lorry as it entered the country at Dover's Eastern Docks.

The Czech-registered vehicle arrived on a ferry from Calais and was stopped by officers at the inward freight controls.

After questioning the 39-year-old Czech driver, officers searched the vehicle and trailer.

The haul of tobacco, with Luxembourg tax stamps, was found in 11 shrink wrapped pallets within a load of electrical materials.

The case was passed to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) for further investigation.

Katherine Heigl is still puffing on her electronic cigarette nine months after switching from real ones

Did somebody sleep through their alarm?

Katherine Heigl was caught in public in white pyjamas that featured her monogram on the pocket.

The 32-year-old actress hid behind a pair of sunglasses and was carrying a steaming cup of coffee as she made a dash from her car.

She teamed her look with a beige leather bag and flip flops as she arrived at her mother's Los Feliz home in California.

The Knocked Up star is clearly not a morning person.

One notable missing accessory was her 'smokestik' electric cigarette.

The Hollywood star, who has a two-year-old adopted daughter Naleigh with husband Josh Kelley, is often spotted with the contraption in hand.

In fact, she was seen smoking it earlier this week in upmarket Japanese restaurant Matsuhisa.

Lindsay Lohan Quits Smoking! No, Seriously!

Lindsay Lohan has quit smoking and is reportedly trying to lead a healthier lifestyle since being released from rehab in January.

Lindsay Lohan has quit smoking.

The troubled actress - who completed a three-month court-ordered programme at the Betty Ford rehabilitation clinic in January - is determined to follow a new healthier lifestyle since her release and has been working out with a personal trainer every morning after giving up the habit a week ago.

While Lindsay has until March 25 to decide whether to accept a plea bargain for six months jail time after being accused of grand theft felony regarding a $2,500 necklace from jewellers Kamofie & Company, Lynwood Correctional Facility - where has previously served time after breaching the terms of probation set for her 2007 driving under the influence (DUI) conviction - is a non-smoking facility.

Florida Department of Corrections facilities to be tobacco-free

Tallahassee – To reduce healthcare costs and to make our prisons safer, Florida Department of Corrections facilities will be tobacco-free in six months.

Smoking bans have long been in place in all of Florida's public buildings and offices, over half of the state prisons in the U.S. already have similar bans, and since 2004, all of the prisons in the Federal Prison system have banned smoking on prison grounds.

“Inmate smoking and second-hand smoking is costing millions in healthcare costs each year,” said Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Edwin Buss. “Eliminating smoking is a win for taxpayers, but it’s also a win for employees and inmates, making our facilities healthier places to work and live in, and making them a little safer too.”

George Michael turns to Twitter to stop smoking

The singer told Smooth Radio's Mark Goodier that he started smoking again after being sent to prison.

He said: "When they put you inside, they almost chuck nicotine at you and, having given up regular cigarettes many years ago, I found within a week I was hooked back on the nicotine.

"What I have found is that now I'm trying not to smoke cigarettes the tweeting stops me from doing it because I've got something to do. Instead of having to have one of those plastic things in your hand that you suck on, I'm just tweeting to stop myself from smoking cigarettes now."

Michael was released from prison in October after serving half of an eight-week sentence for drug-driving.

Marc Jacobs captures spirit of Paris fashion week with whiff of scandal

The best designers know that fashion is as much about capturing the zeitgeist as it is about dresses. Marc Jacobs, the designer of Louis Vuitton, presented an appropriately scandalous finale to a Paris fashion week riven by rumour and disgrace, with a collection inspired by fetish and a show themed around the "hookers, chambermaids, wives, mistresses and other exquisite creatures" whom Jacobs sees when he stays at Claridge's hotel in London.

The audience were seated around four ornate, gilded elevators, each manned by a uniformed bellboy. As the show began, the first lift opened and a model emerged dressed in a monogrammed chauffeur's cap and smartly buttoned jacket over a patent corset and a sheer skirt which revealed stockings beneath. The elevators descended out of sight and returned, each delivering a model in a fetishised, high-gloss fantasy of uniform: knee boots in sex-shop latex, tight trousers with the leather patches used on jodhpurs pulling the focus to the inner thigh and demure knee-length printed dresses embroidered with gloves, masks and high heels.

Shops to be banned from displaying tobacco products

Government announces rules to keep tobacco out of sight in shops and considers making plain packaging mandatory

Tobacco displays will have to be kept out of sight in shops in England from April 2012 for large stores and April 2015 for all other shops, the government has announced.

Ministers will also start a public consultation over whether England should become the first country in Europe to introduce plain packaging for cigarettes and other tobacco products while insisting they are keeping "an open mind" on the issue.

Andrew Lansley, the health secretary, has decided to go ahead with the display ban, albeit delayed, after reviewing the move made possible under Labour legislation. The measure was originally to come into force in October this year for large stores and in 2013 for others.

Lawmaker proposes tobacco sales ban around schools

A CHINESE lawmaker has said tobacco sales bans around the nation’s schools should be imposed, noting that cigarettes are currently too easy for youngsters to obtain.

Jin Changrong, councilor for the Shanghai Municipal Government and also a judge, said the current laws banning tobacco sales to youngsters were too general and hard to enforce, during the ongoing parliamentary session.

According to law, tobacco can not be sold to people under 18 years old but they can buy it even so, Jin said.

He said there should be a national regulation on a 500-meter radius ban of tobacco from schools, although some local governments have imposed the 50 or 100-meter radius ban from elementary and middle schools.

George Michael: Jail Time Was Karma and “Deserved”

Pop star speaks of shame of being jailed and support he has received over drug problems

George Michael has said he deserved to be jailed for crashing his Range Rover while high on cannabis, describing the punishment as karma.

The singer said he was ashamed to have broken the law repeatedly, adding that he was now in therapy for his drug abuse issues. He served a month of an eight-week prison sentence and was banned from driving for five years.

In a radio interview, he said: "By the time I went to court, I knew this wasn't going to happen again. I knew I was going to lose my licence.

"I was assured I wasn't going to prison but I thought I was and, like I said, it was much easier to take because I felt it was deserved.

"This was a hugely shameful thing to have done repeatedly so karmically I felt like I had a bill to pay. I went to prison, I paid my bill."

Tobacco cos. fire back on gov't-proposed ads

America's largest cigarette manufacturers have said the Justice Department's proposed corrective statements about smoking's dangers are inflammatory and inaccurate and violate guidelines set by the court overseeing the lawsuit.

The tobacco companies, including Philip Morris USA, maker of top-selling Marlboro cigarettes, also asked a US district judge to toss out the 12-year-old lawsuit, saying the Food and Drug Administration's authority over the industry makes the court's involvement unnecessary.

Last week, the Justice Department released 14 "corrective statements" that it says the companies should be required to make as part of the lawsuit. It wants the companies to admit that they lied to the public and would force the industry to pay for an advertising campaign of self-criticism.

Inside Scarlett & Sean's Mexican Getaway

They have previously denied any romantic involvement but Scarlett Johansson and Sean Penn certainly looked rather cosy during an outing this week.

The 26-year-old Iron Man 2 star and Oscar winner Sean, 50, were spotted having lunch together on Tuesday at Cuban restaurant Versailles in Los Angeles.

As the pair ate, Scarlett placed one of her feet on Sean's lap - a move which suggests the pair may be better acquainted than they have let on.


Dressed casually in jeans and a striped T-shirt, Scarlett looked relaxed and happy as she and Sean laughed and chatted throughout the meal.

And yesterday the pair jetted off to Mexico together for a whistle stop visit.

The scene when Charlie Sheen arrived for his "Piers Morgan Tonight" interview

With less than 10 minutes to go before "Piers Morgan Tonight" went live on the air, Charlie Sheen still had not arrived at the CNN LA bureau last night. His car pulled up, out came his friend Tony Todd and assistants Rick Calamaro and Stacey, and just a few minutes later he was on the air talking to Piers Morgan.

"Well the whole world's going to watch this," he said, to which Sheen responded, "I hope so."

Having just been cancelled by CBS executives for the rest of his “Two and a Half Men” season after a radio rant attacking the show’s executives, Charlie Sheen, 45, boosted Piers Morgan show ratings last night.

Menthol Not Shown to Raise Health Risks of Smoking, U.S. Draft Report Says

Smokers don’t face more risks of tobacco-related disease from menthol cigarettes than unflavored cigarettes, a U.S. advisory panel says in a preliminary report.

“The evidence is insufficient” to conclude that menthol smokers face a different disease risk than people who use regular cigarettes, said advisers to the Food and Drug Administration. Still, menthol may make smoking more addictive, the panelists said. The comments were posted yesterday on the FDA website in two draft chapters of a report the panel must submit by March 23.

The FDA advisers’ non-binding report is required by a 2009 law that restricts tobacco marketing and bars cigarette makers from adding flavors such as clove or strawberry. An FDA conclusion that menthol cigarettes are more dangerous than unflavored versions may lead to a ban.