https://www.sott.net/topic/26-Smoking Signs of the Times: The World for People who Think. Featuring independent, unbiased, alternative news and commentary on world events. en-us Original content Copyright 2026 by Signs of the Times/Sott.net. For other content, see our Fair Use Policy at www.sott.net. Sun, 19 Apr 2026 11:25:19 +0000 https://www.sott.net/images/sottlogo_rss.jpg SOTT.net https://www.sott.net https://www.sott.net/article/502478-EU-could-ban-filtered-cigarettes-Bild Outlawing vapes is also being considered as an additional measure, the German tabloid has reported. The EU is considering a ban on filtered cigarettes and e-cigarettes as part of its push to reduce tobacco consumption within the bloc, German tabloid Bild has reported. Earlier this month, the World Health Organization said that Europe had surpassed Southeast Asia as the region with the highest number of smokers in the world. Some 173 million people on the continent used tobacco in 2024, according to the UN body's data. The EU is planning to follow the recommendations by the WHO on "banning filters to reduce the palatability and attractiveness of cigarettes," the paper said in an article on Wednesday. A bill by the European Council, which had been reviewed by the paper, suggested that outlawing the manufacture, import and distribution of filtered cigarettes "would make an important contribution to reducing tobacco consumption." https://www.sott.net/article/502478-EU-could-ban-filtered-cigarettes-Bild Mon, 20 Oct 2025 12:12:09 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/500430-Macron-regime-bans-smoking-in-most-public-places-in-France-to-protect-young-people Comment: Funny how quickly they went from sacrificing the young on the altar of 'protecting the elderly from Covid' to suddenly caring about young people's health again... The iconic image of a smoking Parisian is becoming a thing of the past as France has banned smoking in most public areas. France's new law dictates that tobacco must disappear where there are children, and parents, as well as the majority of the country, agree. Comment: The above is obviously a mistake on the part of the journalist who wrote it, but if what he was trying to say was that a majority of the country agrees with this draconian measure, he's making sh*t up. Not a single Western country has ever held a referendum on smoking - their regimes just ban it by decree! Those who choose to smoke in public in areas like the beach or the park could face a fine. The ban also applies to bus shelters, areas near libraries, swimming pools and schools. Violators could face a fine of 135 euros ($160) up to a maximum of... https://www.sott.net/article/500430-Macron-regime-bans-smoking-in-most-public-places-in-France-to-protect-young-people Wed, 02 Jul 2025 19:22:21 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/462381-EU-country-set-to-outlaw-smoking-on-beaches Spain is set to introduce a nationwide ban on smoking on the country's beaches, with offenders facing fines of up to €2,000 for breaches in what is believed to be the first nationwide restriction in Europe of its kind. The new measure is part of the national Law on Waste and Contaminated Soil, which was approved by the Spanish Senate on Thursday and is considered by the government to be "one of the main pieces of legislation to promote the circular and low-carbon economy in Spain." https://www.sott.net/article/462381-EU-country-set-to-outlaw-smoking-on-beaches Sat, 25 Dec 2021 08:05:26 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/453757-Britain-needs-a-cigarette The English want to ban smoking — I'll take my chances I will be 84 next month — even though I have smoked since I was sixteen. I started with five Woodbines and now I smoke Davidoff magnums which I have to get from Germany. I recently told my doctor I smoke twenty a day, then about ten in the evenings — and I try and keep it down to five during the night. I also told him that I have had three doctors in the last fifty years. Each of them recommended I give up. But each of them has now died; the last one only a year older than me. My new doctor laughed and said nothing. He has a good sense of humour. My father was a very keen anti-smoker, but he died at 75 because he ate too many chocolate biscuits. He was a diabetic who would walk up the street to buy a packet of chocolate biscuits and then eat them all in the park. This caused him to go into comas, which he did once too often and died of a heart attack in the hospital. He knew that going into a coma damages your heart, but he was... https://www.sott.net/article/453757-Britain-needs-a-cigarette Sun, 06 Jun 2021 00:24:17 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/452066-Indian-study-finds-smokers-and-people-in-blood-group-O-less-vulnerable-to-Covid-19 Comment: The 'Covid surge' in India - like the rest of this nonsense - is probably mostly media hype. In the meantime, here's some real 'Covid news' out of India... An Indian study has found that the SARS-CoV-2 virus nearly spares smokers and people with 'O' blood group. The serosurvey conducted by the Indian Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) also found that vegetarians also have less sero-positivity than the rest of the population. The pan-India serosurvey studied the presence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in people. One of the authors of the study said the paper was recently peer-reviewed. While smokers and vegetarians had lower sero-positivity, those with blood group 'O' were found to be less vulnerable to the disease, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported, citing the study. Comment: We're unsure what to make of this vegetarian signal in their data. India has the highest percentage of vegetarians in the world - by far - at up to 40%, while just 12% of... https://www.sott.net/article/452066-Indian-study-finds-smokers-and-people-in-blood-group-O-less-vulnerable-to-Covid-19 Wed, 28 Apr 2021 20:25:07 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/451686-Biden-regime-plans-to-mandate-slashing-amount-of-nicotine-in-cigarettes Comment: Again, we note that laws banning smoking, 'fighting' climate change, 'fighting' Covid, and 'providing' social justice all go hand-in-hand. There's a tight set of topics that a certain cohort of every population is obsessed with forcing all to conform with... The Biden administration may force tobacco companies to slash the amount of nicotine contained in cigarettes, a report says. The White House is considering implementing a measure that would force cigarette companies to adjust the levels of nicotine in their products to a non-addictive or minimally-addictive level, according to The Wall Street Journal. They are also reportedly considering a total ban on menthol products, which have long been considered a gateway product for younger smokers. Comment: This move was 'pioneered' by the Irish govt last year, during the first week of lockdown. The Food and Drug Administration, which has regulatory oversight of tobacco, must respond in court by 29 April to a citizens' petition... https://www.sott.net/article/451686-Biden-regime-plans-to-mandate-slashing-amount-of-nicotine-in-cigarettes Tue, 20 Apr 2021 18:38:22 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/451564-New-Zealand-govt-considering-outlawing-tobacco-altogether-by-2025 New Zealand is considering phasing out the legal sale of tobacco with a date-based ban on smoking products. Lawmakers are mulling plans to gradually increase the legal age at which people can buy tobacco products as New Zealand aims to become smoke-free by 2025. Comment: This makes a mockery of adults, freedom of choice, and law generally; if a person is legally old enough to vote, drive a car, have sex, drink alcohol, surely they can choose whether they wish to smoke? In a consultation document, the government said: "A smoke-free generation policy would prohibit the sale, and the supply in a public place, of smoked tobacco products to new cohorts from a specified date. Comment: That didn't work for prohibition in the US, nor has it worked for any country with marijuana. Moreover, it actually tends to make things worse by channeling those profits into organized crime. https://www.sott.net/article/451564-New-Zealand-govt-considering-outlawing-tobacco-altogether-by-2025 Sat, 17 Apr 2021 19:50:56 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/444757-The-Netherlands-to-ban-cigarette-sales-in-supermarkets-from-2024-vending-machines-from-2022 The Netherlands will ban the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products in supermarkets from 2024 in a drive to get more people to give up smoking, the government said on Friday. Together with a ban on cigarette vending machines from 2022, the supermarket ban will remove around 11,000 of the current 16,000 tobacco vending points in the country, the government said. Supermarkets currently make up 55% of all tobacco sales in the Netherlands. "This will prevent a lot of unnecessary deaths and medical suffering," deputy health minister Paul Blokhuis said of the supermarket move in a statement. https://www.sott.net/article/444757-The-Netherlands-to-ban-cigarette-sales-in-supermarkets-from-2024-vending-machines-from-2022 Tue, 24 Nov 2020 02:14:32 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/444703-Turkey-bans-smoking-in-public-areas-amid-surge-of-COVID-19-patients Turkey on Wednesday banned smoking in crowded public places to slow a recent surge in symptomatic coronavirus patients, the Interior Minister said, as the government warned citizens to abide by protective measures. Daily coronavirus cases in Turkey have recently spiked, with 2,693 patients identified on Wednesday. Ankara only reports the number of those who show symptoms, a decision which critics have said hides the true scale of the outbreak in the country. In a nationwide notice, the Interior Ministry said the smoking ban aimed to ensure citizens comply with rules to wear protective masks properly in public because people were seen to lower them while smoking. https://www.sott.net/article/444703-Turkey-bans-smoking-in-public-areas-amid-surge-of-COVID-19-patients Mon, 23 Nov 2020 01:57:25 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/443525-Wales-bans-smoking-in-playgrounds-school-grounds-and-hospitals A ban on smoking in playgrounds, school grounds and hospital sites in Wales will begin next March. Councils will have powers to issue fixed-penalty notices for breaches of the law, the Welsh Government said. It means smokers at hospital will need to leave the grounds to have a cigarette. Smoking rooms in hotels will also be banned in 2022. Senedd members backed the measure in a vote on Tuesday night, with 45 politicians voting for the regulations. The law makes Wales the first country in the UK to ban smoking in playgrounds and school grounds. https://www.sott.net/article/443525-Wales-bans-smoking-in-playgrounds-school-grounds-and-hospitals Wed, 28 Oct 2020 19:14:00 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/442802-The-fascist-antismoking-crusade-rides-on-Smokers-may-be-forced-to-get-prescription-for-cigarettes-as-part-of-plan-to-stop-Aussies-smoking-forever Smokers could be forced to get their cigarettes from pharmacies using a prescription under a new plan from anti smoking advocates. The hardline proposal is part of a university's plan to end smoking forever, and includes cutting off cigarette sales permanently to anyone born after a certain date. Associate Professor Coral Gartner, from the University of Queensland's Centre for Research Excellence on Achieving the Tobacco Endgame (CREATE), says smoking may never be outlawed but there must be an 'endgame' goal to permanently reduce the use of tobacco which causes nearly 'one in seven deaths' in Australia and is responsible for 'nine percent of the disease burden'. https://www.sott.net/article/442802-The-fascist-antismoking-crusade-rides-on-Smokers-may-be-forced-to-get-prescription-for-cigarettes-as-part-of-plan-to-stop-Aussies-smoking-forever Tue, 13 Oct 2020 18:57:34 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/442166-Wales-bans-smoking-on-sidelines-of-childrens-football Wales is to become the first country in the UK to see smoking banned on the sidelines of children's football games in a historic move by the Football Association of Wales (FAW) and FAW Trust. The decision by the FAW to introduce a no smoking policy on the side-lines of its small-sided, children's football games has been welcomed by Health Minister Vaughan Gething and follows a campaign by ASH Wales aimed at de-normalising smoking and preventing children from ever taking up the habit, particularly in light of the Covid-19 pandemic and increased risks faced by smokers. It launched the policy on Monday to mark World Heart Day which is run by the World Heart Federation and supported by UEFA and Healthy Stadia. In the first grass-roots country-wide initiative of its kind in the UK, FAW and FAW Trust will ask all small-sided football teams to apply the policy during games and training sessions for 522 junior clubs, 3,159 teams and 42,232 players across Wales. https://www.sott.net/article/442166-Wales-bans-smoking-on-sidelines-of-childrens-football Wed, 30 Sep 2020 18:41:17 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/442163-Now-they-want-to-ban-smoking-at-home-in-the-UK Some UK councils restrict smoking in your place of residence. How much further will this go? As people are once again told to work from home, our freedoms in this realm become more crucial than ever. One freedom that is being progressively eroded is the choice of whether or not to smoke in your home. The home - or place of residence - was until relatively recently considered immune from any public smoking regulations. The UK's 2006 ban on smoking in enclosed public places restrictions explicitly excluded places of residence. Yet now, with bans on smoking indoors and outdoors in mental-health institutions, prisons, and other state institutions, the mood is shifting. When I asked UK councils about their current policy on employees' smoking, Hammersmith and Fulham replied to my Freedom-of-Information request with a document (produced in alliance with Kensington and Chelsea council in 2015) that said council home workers were banned from smoking in their private offices. The document... https://www.sott.net/article/442163-Now-they-want-to-ban-smoking-at-home-in-the-UK Wed, 30 Sep 2020 17:55:12 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/441655-English-Councils-banned-staff-from-smoking-at-their-desks-at-HOME A leading Labour-run council banned staff from smoking at their desks if they were working from home in what campaigners say is an emerging "moral crusade" by local authorities against tobacco lovers. Hammersmith and Fulham council, which represents one of the country's richest areas in London, told its staff in guidance that "any part of a private dwelling used solely for work purposes will be required to be smoke-free". The guidance was issued in 2015 in a joint "bi-borough corporate health and safety "document setting out the council's no smoking policy with Royal Kensington and Chelsea. A spokesman for Kensington and Chelsea, which had told its staff that "home workers should not smoke at their workstation during office hours", dropped the smoking ban on home workers when it issued new guidance in February this year. https://www.sott.net/article/441655-English-Councils-banned-staff-from-smoking-at-their-desks-at-HOME Sun, 20 Sep 2020 17:51:07 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/441409-The-war-on-tobacco-is-just-making-criminals-rich Prohibition of any kind simply does not work. The original Prohibition on liquor didn't work. The War on Drugs was lost. The prohibition by pricing of tobacco has handed billions of dollars to organized crime. The tobacco black market is booming thanks to incredible retail prices. In Australia, you can pay $265 for an 8x25 pack of smokes. The rest of the world is pretty much the same. It doesn't take a genius, or a fence post, to see that the billions of dollars of sales in black market tobacco are the result. At nearly $50 per pack, anyone will be happy to pay $10. I've seen boxes of 100 cigarettes for $10. Guess who's making the money. Yep, organized crime. The instant solution whenever you want something cheaper. Apparently not content with making billions for criminal organizations with drugs, governments seem obsessed with finding new sources of income for them. https://www.sott.net/article/441409-The-war-on-tobacco-is-just-making-criminals-rich Tue, 15 Sep 2020 16:16:26 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/440738-Prohibition-by-another-name-Australia-hikes-cigarette-taxes-for-second-time-this-year-most-expensive-place-on-the-planet-for-smokers It costs AU$1.75 (US$1.29) per cigarette in Australia after the country slapped a second tax increase on tobacco in a bid to discourage the unhealthy (if lucrative) act, making them the most expensive anywhere in the world. Australian cigarette smokers were hit with a 12.5 percent tax increase on Tuesday, the second tobacco excise tax hike Canberra has leveled against consumers this year. A package of 20 cigarettes now costs AU$35 (US$25) and brand-name smokes are even more dear, at upwards of AU$40 per pack. Cigarette taxes are a bonanza for the Australian government, which makes about AU$17 billion annually from the levy. However, as taxes rise, so does the black market trade in tobacco. According to the Australian border force, the illegal business is worth more than AU$546 million. Comment: It's not like greedy governments to give up a cash cow like smoking taxes so easily, and yet they are intending to do so, which should give one pause for thought. https://www.sott.net/article/440738-Prohibition-by-another-name-Australia-hikes-cigarette-taxes-for-second-time-this-year-most-expensive-place-on-the-planet-for-smokers Wed, 02 Sep 2020 11:36:33 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/437908-WHO-partners-with-Johnson-Johnson-Amazon-Google-to-launch-new-AI-based-anti-tobacco-program The World Health Organisation has partnered with Johnson & Johnson, Amazon and Google in its new anti-tobacco program aimed at introducing new tools to quit smoking. The WHO has been warning that the globe's 1.3 billion tobacco users are at higher risk during the global COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative includes developing nicotine patches and artificial-intelligence-fuelled support to tackle both the physical and mental challenges to quitting tobacco at once. The Access Initiative for Quitting Tobacco program will begin with Jordan, which has the highest rates of tobacco users in the world and will eventually be rolled out to other countries. Dr Ruediger Krech of WHO said that the partnership with tech and pharmaceutical industries will improve people's health and save lives during the Coronavirus pandemic. https://www.sott.net/article/437908-WHO-partners-with-Johnson-Johnson-Amazon-Google-to-launch-new-AI-based-anti-tobacco-program Sat, 11 Jul 2020 17:06:53 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/437581-Several-casinos-ban-indoor-smoking-citing-COVID-19-concerns Multiple Pennsylvania gaming properties are now smoke-free after recent directives from state regulators to improve worker and player health. Among them is The Meadows Racetrack & Casino, located in Washington, which announced on social media that smoking was "phased out in the casino" and it reopened Saturday (July 4) morning "as a 100% smoke free facility." The decision was made after an order from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board and the Pennsylvania Department of Health, according to WPXI, a local TV station. Another Pennsylvania TV station, WGAL, reported that Hollywood Casino, located in Grantville, also banned smoking. It also follows a decision by the Department of Health and Gaming Control Board. https://www.sott.net/article/437581-Several-casinos-ban-indoor-smoking-citing-COVID-19-concerns Sun, 05 Jul 2020 18:07:32 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/437456-Jordanian-government-bans-smoking-vaping-in-indoor-public-spaces The Jordanian government has banned smoking and vaping in all indoor public spaces a week after a Guardian investigation revealed tobacco use in the country had become the highest in the world. The country's health ministry said on Wednesday all enclosed public areas would now be "100% smoke-free environments", building on an existing but widely flouted ban on smoking inside government buildings, and ending an exemption for hotels, cafes and restaurants provided they separated smokers from non-smokers. Public health campaigners cautiously welcomed the announcement as a major step forward in a country where more than 82% of men smoke or consume nicotine in some form, according to government and World Health Organization data published by the Guardian last week. "[It's] a first step to applying the public-health law to combat the scourge of smoking in our beloved Jordan," said Princess Dina Mired, the president of the Union for International Cancer Control and a member of the... https://www.sott.net/article/437456-Jordanian-government-bans-smoking-vaping-in-indoor-public-spaces Fri, 03 Jul 2020 00:50:14 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/231973-Smoke-Lies-And-The-Nanny-State For thousands of years in the Americas, and about 500 years pretty much everywhere else, tobacco has been a friend to mankind. It has been used to relax, to stimulate, and to treat various ailments. It has been a vital part of rituals both social and spiritual. It has been used as currency. Whole communities have been founded on it - including, arguably, the United States of America. Wait a minute. Scratch that! Smoking is a vile, filthy habit that will almost inevitably kill you. No one smokes willingly; they are simply pathetic addicts, duped by evil tobacco companies. Tobacco is a plague which must be wiped out. Like most people these days, I was more inclined, up until a few years ago, to believe the second paragraph than the first. I was a very moderate smoker and almost gave up. But something about the sheer hysteria of the anti smoking movement, and the various holes and contradictions in their arguments, made me suspicious. Some time in the late 1990s I arrived in Los... https://www.sott.net/article/231973-Smoke-Lies-And-The-Nanny-State Tue, 28 Apr 2020 09:39:20 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/433114-French-researchers-to-give-nicotine-patches-to-coronavirus-patients-frontline-workers-after-low-infection-rates-found-among-smokers Comment: They would save themselves trouble if they just gave them tobacco to smoke... French researchers are planning to trial whether nicotine patches will help prevent - or lessen the effects of - the deadly coronavirus. Evidence is beginning to show the proportion of smokers infected with coronavirus is much lower than the rates in the general population. Scientists are now questioning whether nicotine could stop the virus from infecting cells, or if it may prevent the immune system overreacting to the infection. Doctors at a major hospital in Paris - who also found low rates of smoking among the infected - are now planning to give nicotine patches to COVID-19 patients. They will also give them to frontline workers to see if the stimulant has any effect on preventing the spread of the virus, according to reports. https://www.sott.net/article/433114-French-researchers-to-give-nicotine-patches-to-coronavirus-patients-frontline-workers-after-low-infection-rates-found-among-smokers Thu, 23 Apr 2020 21:08:06 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/432837-Bombshell-COVID-19-discovery-Smokers-are-far-less-likely-to-contract-illness-Scientists-astonished Comment: Holy Geebus, we really are near The End! A British daily has published evidence that smoking tobacco protects people from COVID-19! When world-famous artist wrote a letter to the Daily Mail saying he believes smoking could protect people against the coronavirus many scoffed. Mr Hockney wrote: 'Could it not be that smokers have developed an immune system to this virus? With all these figures coming out, it's beginning to look like that to me.' Understandably the claim was brushed off as laughable and 'rubbish' by many. But is it? A leading infectious disease expert at University College London, Professor Francois Balloux, said there is 'bizarrely strong' evidence it could be true. https://www.sott.net/article/432837-Bombshell-COVID-19-discovery-Smokers-are-far-less-likely-to-contract-illness-Scientists-astonished Sun, 19 Apr 2020 18:27:11 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/432567-India-government-bans-sale-of-tobacco-and-liquor The central government has banned the sale of substances like liquor and tobacco during the extended lockdown in place to ensure social distancing, a key tool in the fight against the coronavirus. In a list of directives released Wednesday, enforceable under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the government banned the sale of liquor, tobacco and gutka. It also said people who spit in public would be fined. (For a summary of the national directives, click here.) The novel coronavirus, known as SARS-CoV-2, causes a potentially fatal respiratory illness -- Covid-19 -- and spreads primarily through respiratory droplets produced when a person talks, coughs or sneezes. https://www.sott.net/article/432567-India-government-bans-sale-of-tobacco-and-liquor Wed, 15 Apr 2020 15:21:52 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/431280-New-York-physicians-urge-Gov-Cuomo-to-issue-order-banning-sale-of-all-tobacco-products-to-battle-coronavirus A group of doctors and medical professionals think forcing New Yorkers to kick the habit will help battle coronavirus. The New York State Academy of Family Physicians is urging Gov. Cuomo to issue an executive order banning the sale of all tobacco products, citing a study that found smokers are at an increased risk of being impacted by the respiratory illness. "As our state and country struggle to respond to the rapidly evolving and escalating COVID-19 pandemic affecting our residents and straining our healthcare system, mounting evidence demonstrates the link between tobacco use and increased risk for progressive COVID-19," the group's president, Dr. Barbara Keber, said in a statement. Prior to the coronavirus crisis, Cuomo had already made curtailing the growing popularity of vaping a priority. https://www.sott.net/article/431280-New-York-physicians-urge-Gov-Cuomo-to-issue-order-banning-sale-of-all-tobacco-products-to-battle-coronavirus Tue, 24 Mar 2020 21:17:42 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/430783-Ireland-bans-menthol-cigarettes-rolling-tobacco-and-all-branding-as-part-of-EUs-dictatorial-anti-smoking-directive Comment: Just as the 'Corona Lockdown' commences too. Sneaky pathocrats! In Ireland, menthol cigarettes and rolling tobacco, along with irregularly shaped packs such as skinny cigarettes will be banned from May 20. Also included in the ban are click dual cigarettes that change from normal to menthol. It's all part of the four year phasing-out period of the EU Tobacco Product Directive which entered into force in May 2014 and became applicable in all EU countries on May 20th 2016. Branding outlawed too https://www.sott.net/article/430783-Ireland-bans-menthol-cigarettes-rolling-tobacco-and-all-branding-as-part-of-EUs-dictatorial-anti-smoking-directive Sun, 15 Mar 2020 22:29:56 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/428428-Smoking-to-be-banned-at-all-train-stations-platforms-in-the-Netherlands Smoking will soon be forbidden at all train stations across the Netherlands, according to national railway NS. The organization is working with railroad infrastructure firm ProRail to expand the existing smoking ban to include platforms and other station facilities. Smoking facilities on the platforms will be removed in October. ProRail previously said it would dismantle all areas where passengers may smoke by midway through 2021. Tobacco products will also no longer be sold at NS-owned shops, namely Kiosk and StationsHuiskamer, beginning April 1. The tobacco ban will be in place at these 136 sales points. The NS holds the rights to several AH to Go franchises located at the train stations. In total, the NS operates about 270 shops. "In addition, NS will no longer close new contracts with tenants who want to sell tobacco at the station," the NS said in a statement. https://www.sott.net/article/428428-Smoking-to-be-banned-at-all-train-stations-platforms-in-the-Netherlands Sat, 01 Feb 2020 20:42:05 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/424545-Nanny-State-Greece-PM-says-no-exemptions-in-smoking-ban Three days after Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis unveiled his government's plan to crack down on smoking in public places, inspections were in full swing Thursday as Deputy Health Minister Vassilis Kontozamanis vowed that the law would be enforced "to the letter." Kontozamanis' comments came amid calls for exceptions to be granted to large nightclubs and other venues. "We all know that governments in the past did not dare to fully enforce the law," Kontozamanis told Skai. "Things have changed." Asked whether any concessions could be granted for casinos, betting shops and nightclubs - where opposition to change has been most vehement - Kontozamanis said there would be no exceptions. "If we start with the loopholes, the law won't be enforced," he said. He added that the government's key aim was not to raise revenue but to protect public health. "It is the state's duty to protect, to inform, to warn people, and that's what we're doing with the full ban on smoking," he said. https://www.sott.net/article/424545-Nanny-State-Greece-PM-says-no-exemptions-in-smoking-ban Sun, 24 Nov 2019 16:05:50 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/424323-Fascist-German-Medical-Association-calls-for-complete-ban-on-smoking-advertising Germany is the only country in the EU that still allows tobacco companies to advertise their products on billboards and in cinemas. Now, doctors and some politicians pushing to change this. "The tedious and long-standing discussion about poster advertising [of smoking] is dismal," Klaus Reinhardt, president of the German Medical Association, told Spiegel Online. "You can't accommodate the industry here. Smoking is harmful, period," said Reinhardt, who said that all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, should fit under the ban. Germany was one of the last EU countries to adopt a smoking ban in 2007, although rules are still relatively lax, with many pubs, restaurants and public places still allowing it within their premises. Lighting up is still widespread throughout the country, with 18.6 percent of women, and 26.4 percent of men, over aged 15 stating that they are smokers, according to 2017 data from the Robert Koch Institute. https://www.sott.net/article/424323-Fascist-German-Medical-Association-calls-for-complete-ban-on-smoking-advertising Wed, 20 Nov 2019 22:28:05 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/421125-Russias-Emergency-Ministry-bans-smoking-on-apartment-balconies Russian smokers have been left gasping after the emergencies ministry announced that smoking on the balconies of apartment blocks would be banned under new fire regulations. Under the new rules, "open fire" is prohibited on apartment balconies, as well as in the living areas of dormitories and hotels. Lighting matches and smoking are both classed as open fire, officials say. Barbecuing kebabs and lighting candles will also be banned, reports say. There was initial confusion as to whether smoking was included in the ban, with one tobacco industry official insisting that the new rules were all about "alcoholics who grill shish kebabs on the balcony". https://www.sott.net/article/421125-Russias-Emergency-Ministry-bans-smoking-on-apartment-balconies Sat, 28 Sep 2019 15:00:11 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/420538-New-York-governor-Cuomo-announces-hysterical-emergency-ban-on-most-e-cigarette-flavors Amid growing reports of vaping-related illnesses and even deaths, Gov. Cuomo announced an emergency ban on all e-cigarette flavors other than tobacco and menthol. "Vaping is dangerous, period," Cuomo said Sunday. "This is a burgeoning health crisis," he added, vowing to "take action now." Cuomo called out flavors like bubble gum and cotton candy that are aimed at young smokers. "These are obviously targeted to young people and are highly effective," Cuomo said, pointing to federal stats from 2018 showing vaping among high schoolers had increased 160% over the past four years. https://www.sott.net/article/420538-New-York-governor-Cuomo-announces-hysterical-emergency-ban-on-most-e-cigarette-flavors Tue, 17 Sep 2019 17:02:16 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/420485-Theres-no-proof-that-the-vape-flavor-ban-will-help-kids While Michigan's flavor ban won't help kids, it will harm adults. "As governor, my number one priority is keeping our kids safe," Gov. Gretchen Whitmer told The Washington Post. Unfortunately, her executive order to ban flavored e-cigarettes will not accomplish that goal. Instead, this misguided attempt to limit youth vaping will undermine the harm reduction benefits of e-cigarettes for adult smokers and will increase police interaction among vulnerable populations — including kids themselves. Tobacco users who switch from combustible cigarettes to e-cigarettes experience various improvements in health. These include quick improvements in lung function and reduced exacerbation of COPD symptoms, research shows. Using e-cigarettes also helps people quit smoking altogether, with twice the success rate of other quit methods. Punishing people in possession of these safer products while leaving combustible products alone will do little to improve public health. Comment: The dangers of... https://www.sott.net/article/420485-Theres-no-proof-that-the-vape-flavor-ban-will-help-kids Mon, 16 Sep 2019 17:44:54 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/420197-Smoking-hysteria-50-year-smoking-study-overlooked If I were a smoker I think I'd be absolutely fuming if I was called a bludger on the front page of my local paper (Chronicle 08-05-15) but that is how it is now: Smokers are regarded as second class citizens and anyone can bully or abuse them. Still, there was some good news for smokers because we learned that two out of three smokers will die which I suppose means that one in three smokers won't die! You can't get such good odds on immortality any other way. And that shows how ridiculous the claims of the anti-smokers have become. They can make whatever ludicrous or outrageous threats of death and disease they like without the slightest question or criticism and that is extremely unhealthy in a democracy. No one else is allowed to go around threatening and frightening people like that. https://www.sott.net/article/420197-Smoking-hysteria-50-year-smoking-study-overlooked Wed, 11 Sep 2019 14:54:12 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/419183-Illinois-governor-signs-bill-banning-smoking-in-cars-with-minors Smoking will no longer be allowed in cars with anyone under 18 years old in a new Illinois law. Gov. JB Pritzker signed House Bill 2276 on Friday. Its sponsors include State Sen. Julie Morrison and State Rep. Jonathan Carroll. The American Lung Association sent a statement in response to the bill passing. It said the law, which takes effect on Jan. 1, 2020, will "make a significant impact" on the health of minors. "This new law will protect the health of our children. Breathing secondhand smoke causes several health issues in children, like sudden infant death syndrome, asthma, and ear infections, as well as wheezing, coughing, and getting sick more often," said Kathy Drea of the ALA. "It is essential to avoid smoking near children, especially in a small enclosed spaces like cars." https://www.sott.net/article/419183-Illinois-governor-signs-bill-banning-smoking-in-cars-with-minors Sun, 25 Aug 2019 15:13:03 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/418293-Nanny-state-Gov-pledges-to-end-smoking-in-England-by-2030 The government is pledging to end smoking in England by 2030 as part of a range of measures to tackle the causes of preventable ill health. Promoting physical activity, developing guidelines on sleep and targeting those at risk of diabetes are also set out as priorities in the green paper. The policy document aims to reduce the number of years spent in poor health. Currently men and women spend over a fifth of their lives in ill health - 19 years for women and 16 for men. Those in deprived areas experience the longest periods of poor health. https://www.sott.net/article/418293-Nanny-state-Gov-pledges-to-end-smoking-in-England-by-2030 Sat, 10 Aug 2019 11:16:25 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/416176-Atlanta-City-Council-approves-smoking-ban-at-Hartsfield-Jackson-Int-l-Airport Travelers who smoke might typically land at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and head to one of the airport's designated smoking rooms, but those days may soon be over. The Atlanta City Council approved an ordinance this week that would entirely ban smoking and vaping at the airport, as well as at several of the city's public areas, including restaurants, bars, and hotel rooms. The council voted 13-2 in favor of the smoking ban, which includes cigarettes, cigars, and electronic cigarettes. If the ordinance is approved and signed by Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, it will go into effect Jan. 2, 2020. (A Georgia law passed in 2005 already prohibits smoking in restaurants and bars where people under 18 are permitted and requires a smoking area to be enclosed and private or outdoors Atlanta's airport is one of the last major U.S. hubs to still offer travelers designated smoking areas. According to the American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation, all but five of the 35... https://www.sott.net/article/416176-Atlanta-City-Council-approves-smoking-ban-at-Hartsfield-Jackson-Int-l-Airport Thu, 04 Jul 2019 13:00:34 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/414750-US-Department-of-Veterans-Affairs-bans-smoking-at-all-healthcare-facilities All Department of Veterans Affairs health care facilities will be completely smoke-free by October, with all forms of tobacco use, including e-cigarettes and vaping, banned from facility grounds, officials announced in a news release Monday. The policy change, first published by the Veterans Health Administration in early March, ends the use of designated smoking areas or shelters at VA hospitals. "Although VA has historically permitted smoking in designated areas, there is growing evidence that smoking and exposure to secondhand and thirdhand smoke creates significant medical risks, and risks to safety and direct patient care, that are inconsistent with medical requirements and limitations," officials said in the release. "Accordingly, VA's Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has collaborated with key stakeholders to update and recertify the policy to be consistent with the department's commitment to Veterans and the community." Comment: Where's the evidence that second and... https://www.sott.net/article/414750-US-Department-of-Veterans-Affairs-bans-smoking-at-all-healthcare-facilities Tue, 11 Jun 2019 13:18:45 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/414203-City-of-Paris-extends-smoking-ban-to-52-parks-and-gardens The city of Paris will extend a ban on smoking to 52 parks and gardens in the French capital from June 8, the mayor's office announced Friday, marking World No Tobacco Day. Smokers in the French capital face further restrictions on their liberté to light up with a new measure to ban smoking in 52 parks and gardens across Paris. The announcement -- made on May 31, World No Tobacco Day - adds 46 additional parks and gardens to a list of six parks, which were designated no-smoking zones in July 2018. The measure is aimed at "reducing the number of smokers in these parks and cigarette butts thrown on the ground", explained the directive issued by city authorities. The French have long cherished their smokes, from Gauloises to Gitanes, and France ranks among the EU's heaviest smoking nations. The new move to increase public health standards will be phased in, with the first few weeks of "sensitisation" set to last until early July. https://www.sott.net/article/414203-City-of-Paris-extends-smoking-ban-to-52-parks-and-gardens Sun, 02 Jun 2019 17:48:35 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/414103-City-of-Beverly-Hills-votes-to-ban-ALL-tobacco-sales-but-exempts-cigar-clubs Beverly Hills has long been anything but a smoker's paradise. The city was the first in California to ban smoking inside restaurants and most public places, back in 1987, and added outdoor venues to the list in 2007. Now it is poised to enact what officials say is the most stringent tobacco ban in the country, eliminating the sale of virtually all recreational nicotine products - with one very Beverly Hills exception. Cigarettes are out. Vapes are dead. But for an elite group of aficionados, hundreds of whom swamped committee meetings and wrote the city in protest, cigars will be spared - as long as they're smoked inside one of three dedicated lounges. Entreaties have poured in to City Hall from top executives at real estate offices, security firms, talent agencies - and from former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Nearly all of them are acolytes of the Grand Havana Room on North Canon Drive, a club so exclusive its members need a special key to get in. "The Grand Havana Room, which I... https://www.sott.net/article/414103-City-of-Beverly-Hills-votes-to-ban-ALL-tobacco-sales-but-exempts-cigar-clubs Fri, 31 May 2019 20:24:24 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/413584-Fascist-Sweden-to-ban-smoking-outdoors A new law banning smoking in outdoor areas will come into effect this July, Swedish News SVT reported on Saturday. From July 1 2019, the new smoking ban will cover outdoor serving areas at cafes and restaurants, as well as public playgrounds, bus shelters and train platforms, sports arenas and entrances to civic buildings. The ban also applies to electronic cigarettes, known as e-cigarettes or "vapes". "The goal is to prevent people suffering from diseases associated with smoking and passive smoking, such as cancer," Minister for Health and Social Affairs Lena Hallengren told SVT. The new legislation is a step towards the so-called "Smoke-Free Sweden 2025" goal, which aims to see less than five percent of the population smoking by the year 2025. The Public Health Agency of Sweden has been tasked with implementing the change in law, and resourced with 8 million SEK (830,000 U.S. dollars) over 2019 to run a national awareness campaign and support municipalities to implement the law... https://www.sott.net/article/413584-Fascist-Sweden-to-ban-smoking-outdoors Thu, 23 May 2019 01:00:51 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/412132-Japans-Nagasaki-University-bans-smokers-from-all-teaching-positions Nagasaki University will not, in principle, hire professors or teachers who smoke, a move that apparently is a first by a state-run university. However, university officials said exemptions to the rule will be allowed if applicants promise to quit the habit after taking up the post. The new policy announced April 19 reflects a growing trend to ban smoking in all public spaces, including restaurants and bars, in the lead-up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. The policy also mirrors growing efforts by private-sector organizations to implement no-smoking rules. https://www.sott.net/article/412132-Japans-Nagasaki-University-bans-smokers-from-all-teaching-positions Tue, 30 Apr 2019 17:58:20 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/412040-Illinois-bans-those-under-21-from-buying-tobacco The state of Illinois will soon ban anyone under 21 from purchasing tobacco. Gov. JB Pritzker signed the "Tobacco 21" law on Sunday. Illinois is the first state in the Midwest to adopt this kind of law. It covers tobacco and vaping products, including cigarettes, chewing tobacco, e-cigarettes and vapes. The law had been vetoed by the previous governor, Republican Bruce Rauner. It takes effect on July 1. The city of Chicago already bans people under age 21 from purchasing tobacco. That change pushed smoking to a "record low" of six percent, the Mayor's office said in a statement, a 50 percent decrease in six years. https://www.sott.net/article/412040-Illinois-bans-those-under-21-from-buying-tobacco Mon, 29 Apr 2019 12:17:16 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/404160-Malaysian-waiter-slapped-for-enforcing-smoking-ban A mamak restaurant waiter who politely told a group of three men to stop smoking in the eatery got a rude shock when he was slapped and scolded. Mr M. Selvam, 25, from India, was merely doing his job in reminding customers of the newly imposed smoking ban when one of the customers slapped him. "It was around 12.30 pm on the first day of the ban on Jan 1. We had placed 'no smoking' signs but some customers were still smoking. "I went over to a group of three men who were smoking. I politely told them to stop smoking but one of them got up and suddenly slapped me. I was shocked. They then left," he said, speaking at the restaurant in Seksyen 25 in Shah Alam on Thursday (Jan 3). https://www.sott.net/article/404160-Malaysian-waiter-slapped-for-enforcing-smoking-ban Fri, 04 Jan 2019 20:59:20 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/402880-Totalitarian-hell-Sweden-votes-to-extend-smoking-ban-to-most-public-places Sweden is banning outdoor smoking in certain public places, including playgrounds and train station platforms. In a 142-120 vote on Wednesday, the Riksdagen extended the smoking ban as of July 1, 2019. Smoking in outdoor restaurants and entrances to booths for smokers will also be banned. In Sweden, smoking is currently allowed in designated smoking areas in most workplaces and public places. Official figures show only 11 per cent of the Swedish population of 10 million smoked daily in 2016, with about 10 percent smoking occasionally. https://www.sott.net/article/402880-Totalitarian-hell-Sweden-votes-to-extend-smoking-ban-to-most-public-places Fri, 14 Dec 2018 20:40:25 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/401962-The-UK-town-where-over-half-the-pubs-have-vanished Fifteen years ago, taxi driver Basharat Khan would drive past the Hyndburn Inn on Accrington's Blackburn Road and marvel at how packed it was. He never went inside - he doesn't drink - but he noted its reliably heaving beer garden. These days, Khan is inside the building most days: six years ago he converted it into a halal butcher's shop, which he runs with his son, Waqar. Instead of pints of bitter, the pair sell 3kg of keema (mince) for £10.50 and give out Indian sweets rather than peanuts to their customers. The Hyndburn Inn is one of 50 pubs in the east Lancashire district of Hyndburn to have closed since 2001, when the borough boasted 95 - a drop of 53%. Only Newham in east London has lost a higher percentage in that period, according to official figures released last week that show more than a quarter of the UK's pubs have closed since 2001. Khan thinks he knows why: "The smoking ban. I've been driving a taxi for 29 years and since the ban people don't go out nearly as much.... https://www.sott.net/article/401962-The-UK-town-where-over-half-the-pubs-have-vanished Sun, 02 Dec 2018 18:07:19 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/401464-Smoking-ban-hits-Switzerlands-train-stations Smoking openly inside Swiss train stations will be banned from 1 June 2019. From this date on, smokers will have to use designated smoking areas or smoke in front of the train station. This development comes following three different types of smoking trials, implemented by the Association of Public Transport (VöV), in six Swiss stations on 1 February 2018. These tests saw Basel, Nyon and Zurich Stadelhofen go completely smoke-free, while smoking areas and lounges were introduced in Bellinzona and in Neuchâtel respectively. Better air quality, less pollution and saving money on cleaning are being cited as the key reasons behind the smoking ban decision. https://www.sott.net/article/401464-Smoking-ban-hits-Switzerlands-train-stations Sun, 25 Nov 2018 21:06:19 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/400683-South-Korea-bans-smoking-within-10-meters-of-daycare-centers-kindergartens Smoking will be banned within 10 meters of child care facilities starting from the end of December. The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Wednesday that the latest amendment to the National Health Promotion Act banning smoking within 10 meters of kindergartens and day care centers will go into effect Dec. 31. The act aims to protect children from secondhand smoke, the ministry said. Cities and districts are required to place signs notifying the public of the smoking ban, and those caught violating the ban will be slapped with a fine of 100,000 won ($88). https://www.sott.net/article/400683-South-Korea-bans-smoking-within-10-meters-of-daycare-centers-kindergartens Thu, 15 Nov 2018 16:38:18 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/400640-University-of-Toronto-to-implement-total-smoking-ban-on-campuses The University of Toronto is banning smoking on campus starting next year. Beginning Jan. 1, 2019, smoking tobacco, cannabis and vaping will not be permitted on its three campuses, the university announced Nov. 9. "We wanted to extend and update our smoking policy to ensure that we have a healthy campus and part of that was to ensure that we didn't have any smoking on the campus," said Kelly Hannah-Moffat, the university's vice-president of human resources and equity. "The policy that we currently have is decades old." The ban does not apply to Indigenous ceremonies or medical accommodations. Comment: Just tell them it's part of your religion to smoke. In fact, this being the University of Toronto, tell them you identify as a smoker and are standing up for your right to be recognized as such... The university's smoking policy was last updated in 1995. https://www.sott.net/article/400640-University-of-Toronto-to-implement-total-smoking-ban-on-campuses Wed, 14 Nov 2018 21:07:09 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/400215-FDA-to-ban-sale-of-flavored-e-cigarettes The Food and Drug Administration is planning to ban flavored e-cigarette products, a drastic step in response to a dramatic increase in vaping among teenagers. According to The Washington Post, FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb is expected to announce a ban on the sale of flavored e-cigarettes, which represent the majority of vaping products sold, in convenience stores and gas stations across the country. The announcement could come as soon as next week. The agency will also impose new rules to curb illegal sales of e-cigarettes products to minors, including age-verification requirements on online sales, according to the Post. The FDA did not respond to a request for comment from The Hill. Gottlieb has threatened a ban on flavored e-liquids if five of the products' largest manufacturers can't come up with adequate plans to help keep e-cigarettes out of the hands of those under the age of 18. https://www.sott.net/article/400215-FDA-to-ban-sale-of-flavored-e-cigarettes Fri, 09 Nov 2018 14:12:14 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/399818-A-first-in-Britain-City-council-in-Scotland-bans-staff-from-smoking-and-vaping-ANYWHERE-during-work A council is to become the first in Britain to ban employees from smoking or vaping at all during working hours. Dundee City Council has said it wants to reduce the number of adult "role models" seen with cigarettes in public and does not distinguish from other tobacco products. The city has some of the highest rates of smoking in the UK, while men in the city have some of the lowest life expectancy rates. The local authority plans to "promote positive health messages" and "protect the health of employees". A stringent new policy told staff anyone not complying would be subject to disciplinary action - including if they smoked in the street, stepped off the premises to have a fag during a tea break, or were travelling to a different location. https://www.sott.net/article/399818-A-first-in-Britain-City-council-in-Scotland-bans-staff-from-smoking-and-vaping-ANYWHERE-during-work Sun, 04 Nov 2018 10:11:44 +0000 https://www.sott.net/article/399297-UK-hospital-asks-snitches-to-trigger-anti-smoking-alarm-if-people-smoke-outside Smokers puffing away near hospital buildings are being shamed into stubbing their cigarettes out by pre-recorded messages saying, 'Someone's mummy or daddy is having cancer treatment'. Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, is using the speakers to deter people from smoking directly under the windows of the maternity ward. Staff, visitors and patients can now push a blue button to activate one of nine pre-recorded messages, which are played via a loud speaker outside the hospital entrance where smoking is a prevalent problem. The messages include the voice of a child saying: 'Please don't smoke outside our hospital. Excuse me, do you think you can put out your cigarette. 'Someone's nanny, granddad, mummy or daddy is having cancer treatment today. Thank you.' Comment: The anti-smoking dictatorship stoops to new lows: How my 'dead body' photo-shoot ended up on millions of tobacco products across Europe - and I don't smoke https://www.sott.net/article/399297-UK-hospital-asks-snitches-to-trigger-anti-smoking-alarm-if-people-smoke-outside Sat, 27 Oct 2018 23:02:48 +0000