Smoking


Smoking

New York governor signs fascist bill to ban smoking where child services are provided, including homes

Man smoking a cigarette
© Pixabay
On Monday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation designed to protect children from the dangers of secondhand smoke.

The bill prohibits smoking in facilities that provide child care services, including private homes that provide child services, such as a day care.

"The dangers of secondhand smoke are indisputable and we must do everything in our power to protect children from this public health hazard and the life-long misery that comes with it," Cuomo said. "This measure will bring us one step closer to a strong, healthier New York for all."

This adds to existing legislation that prohibits smoking near schools and where after-school programs are held, as well as a ban on electronic cigarettes on all public and private school grounds across the state.

Comment: The 'dangers of secondhand smoke' is a myth based on junk science. See:


Smoking

E-cig vapor disables key immune cells in the lung and increases inflammation

e cig
© CC0 Public Domain
E-cigarette vapour boosts the production of inflammatory chemicals and disables key protective cells in the lung that keep the air spaces clear of potentially harmful particles, reveals a small experimental study, published online in the journal Thorax.

The vapour impairs the activity of alveolar macrophages, which engulf and remove dust particles, bacteria, and allergens that have evaded the other mechanical defences of the respiratory tract.

The findings prompt the researchers to suggest that while further research is needed to better understand the long term health impact of vaping on people, e-cigarettes may be more harmful than we think, as some of the effects were similar to those seen in regular smokers and people with chronic lung disease.

Vaping is increasing in popularity, but most of the current body of research has focused on the chemical composition of e-cigarette liquid before it is vaped.

Comment: E-cigs have the opposite effect of natural tobacco, which has been shown to lower inflammation and boost immunity, along with many other benefits, see: Also check out SOTT radio's: The Health & Wellness Show: The Truth about Tobacco and the Benefits of Nicotine

And for more on the harms of e-cigs:


Smoking

Students in Copenhagen, Denmark banned from smoking during school hours

Finlands proposals to go smoke-free
© Pixabay
A majority of local politicians at Copenhagen Municipality are keen to ban students from smoking during school hours.

A total ban proposal will be discussed by the municipality's children and youth committee today, and the idea has the support of the leadership of several city schools, though they admit that enforcing the ban could prove challenging.

"It is impossible to enforce such a ban, but I still believe that it's a good idea," Henrik Wilhelmsen, the head of Nørrebro Park School, told DR Nyheder.

Students to lead way

A smoking ban would mean that students won't be permitted to smoke on or outside school property during school hours.

Take 2

Pakistan's Senate body passes bill for ban on smoking in cinemas

Smoking banned in Pakistani cinemas
© Ankommenapp
The Senate Standing Committee on Health on Friday passed a legislative bill calling for a ban on smoking in cinemas across the country.

The Senate committee, which met at Parliament Lodges with Senator Mian Mohammad Ateeq Sheikh in the chair, passed the bill titled The West Pakistan Prohibition of Smoking in Cinema Houses (repeal) Bill, 2018.

The meeting also discussed various issues related to the health ministry, including the nominations for an upcoming WHO conference on health in Geneva.

Retired Maj Gen Salman Ali, a representative of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) gave a briefing about the college.

Quenelle

No exceptions: Chain-smoking Italian manager of Chelsea Football Club comes to terms with UK's totalitarian anti-smoking culture

Maurizio Sarri
© Ciro De Luca/Reuters (file photo)
Maurizio Sarri, recently appointed as Antonio Conte's replacement at Stamford Bridge, was known for smoking on the sidelines while at Napoli but was forced to find a workaround because of the smoking ban at EPL stadiums.

Sarri, the 59-year-old Italian charged with resurrecting a Chelsea side which fell stagnant during the stewardship of former head coach Antonio Conte, started his Premiership career with a 3-0 win away to Huddersfield Town in the first round of games of the new English season this weekend.

The Italian, famous for indulging his tobacco habit on the touchlines of the grounds in Serie A, has been forced to abide by rules governing English stadiums which forbid smoking - and he apparently did so by chewing unlit cigarettes during his Premiership debut.


Comment: Maybe it's time to acknowledge that we live in a totalitarian hell?


Smoking

New bill banning smoking in public places draws ire in Gauteng, South Africa

No smoking sign
© Zest Magazine
The Gauteng Liquor Forum is calling for the scrapping of the Tobacco Bill which is currently open for public comment.

They are arguing that the current Bill is effective but needs a better enforcement plan.

The Bill, if passed, seeks to ban the display of all tobacco products. In addition, smokers could face a three months jail sentence if found smoking in public. Dedicated smoking areas in restaurants will also be removed.

Chairperson of the Gauteng Liquor Forum, Fanny Mokoena says the banning of smoking in public places will have a negative impact on their members.

Smoking

Plans in motion to ban smoking on the streets of Rotterdam, Netherlands

Man lighting a cigarette
© Wikimedia Commons/Senior Airman Anthony Sanchelli
There are plans in motion to ban smoking on multiple Rotterdam streets in the area around Erasmus MC, the Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences and the Erasmiaans Gymnasium, AD reports. According to non-smokers association Clean Air Nederland, if these plans succeed, Rotterdam will be the first municipality to implement a smoking ban for entire streets.

The smoking ban is the initiative of the hospital and two educational institutions. "We have trouble with dumped cigarette butts and are thinking about the health of the 30 thousand students, pupils, patients and employees who are here on a daily basis", a spokesperson for the Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences said to the newspaper. To prevent their smokers from just moving to the neighboring premises or the intervening streets, they want to ban smoking on Zimmermanweg, Wytemagweg and the corner of Museumpark.

Comment: For the truth about tobacco and why the PTB want to stamp out smoking, see:


Stop

The anti-smoking propaganda is working: Gallup poll shows 59% of Americans support total smoking ban in public places

HUD smoking ban
© WMC Action News
59% of Americans say that smoking tobacco should be banned in all public places while 1 in 4 say that smoking should be should be made totally illegal in the U.S. - the highest percentage to date, according to a recent Gallup poll.

This comes as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development prepares to enforce a smoking ban in all public housing across the country.

It may surprise some that Americans' support for bans on smoking in public places has not expanded since 2011.

But it's possible that the survey question's reference to "all public places" suggests a more expansive ban than many Americans are willing to endorse.

Comment: Anti-smoking hysteria has truly infected the masses. Not only are the 'negative effects' of smoking tobacco mostly junk science but, for some people, smoking has been proven to be beneficial.


Smoking

New York tenants file lawsuit saying federal ban on smoking in public housing unconstitutional

Brownsville house in NY
© New York City Housing Authority
A policy that is scheduled to take effect next Monday prohibits smoking in and near public housing throughout the country, affecting 1.2 million households in units managed by about 3,300 local agencies. According to a 2016 Observer editorial, "it may be the most far-reaching, intrusive and over-reaching executive order of the entire Obama administration." In a lawsuit filed today, six smokers who live in public housing argue that the ban violates their rights, exceeds the Department of Housing and Urban Development's statutory authority, cannot be justified as a regulation of interstate commerce, and unconstitutionally commandeers state and local officials by ordering them to carry out federal policy.

The smoking ban, which covers low-income housing that is federally subsidized but owned and operated by local public housing authorities (PHAs), applies to living units as well as common areas and extends to a zone 25 feet around each building. The policy is the result of a 2015 HUD rule that aimed to "improve indoor air quality in the housing, benefit the health of public housing tenants and PHA staff, reduce the risk of catastrophic fires, and lower overall maintenance costs." The lawsuit, which was organized by New York City Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment (NYC CLASH) and filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, argues that HUD has no business regulating indoor air quality or trying to dictate what people do in the privacy of their homes.

Comment: See also:


Smoking

New Jersey governor bans smoking at public beaches, parks; local communities can opt out

New Jersey smoking ban
© NBC10
Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill Friday banning smoking at New Jersey's public beaches and parks, yet local communities can explicitly opt out and set aside a small section for smoking.

The Democratic governor signed a measure that was passed by the state Legislature last month. While advertised as a ban, it still leaves room for towns to permit smoking in designated areas of their beaches and parks.

Like previous versions of the bill that have failed, the bill doesn't specify who would be responsible for enforcing it: lifeguards, police or someone else. Murphy said it shouldn't be lifeguards, but left it to towns to decide enforcement measures.

"A lifeguard is there to save lives, first and foremost, for people in the water" Murphy said. "I don't want to add an extra burden to the lifeguard and take him or her away from their primary mission."

Comment: See also: A comprehensive review of the many health benefits of smoking Tobacco