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Michigan's smoking ban necessary to protect health of employees and general public, several online readers say 

Survey finds secondhand smoke a problem in multi-family buildings  

Teen Drug Use: More Teenagers Smoking Marijuana 

More teens are smoking dope, with nearly 1 in 10 lighting up at least 20 or more times a month, according to a new survey of young people.

The report by The Partnership at Drugfree.org, being released Wednesday, also said abuse of prescription medicine may be easing a bit among young people in grades 9 through 12, but still remains high.

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• Majority supports expansion of anti-smoking law 

The vast majority of Israelis support the enforcement of smoking prohibitions both indoors and outdoors, according to a study by Dr. Leah Rosen, a Tel Aviv University researcher who studies smoking and its prevention.

On Wednesday morning, the Knesset Labor, Social Affairs and Health Committee will discuss government proposals to amend no-smoking laws so that using tobacco products will be illegal at outdoor performances, bus and train stations, swimming pools, stadiums, entrances to hospitals and clinics and other outdoor locations. Additionally, areas where smoking is still allowed will have to be designated as so.

Rosen, who works at the university’s School for Public Health in the Sackler Medical Faculty, studied the views of 505 Israeli men and women comprising a representative sample of the country.

The TAU research was published in the journal Health Policy. In addition, the university’s School for Public Health will hold a conference on June 13 on the medical and economic effects of smoking and public policy.

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Knowledge of lung cancer symptoms and risk factors in the UK: development of a measure and results from a population-based survey  

• Doctors back denial of treatment for smokers and the obese  

A majority of doctors support measures to deny treatment to smokers and the obese, according to a survey that has sparked a row over the NHS's growing use of "lifestyle rationing".

Some 54% of doctors who took part said the NHS should have the right to withhold non-emergency treatment from patients who do not lose weight or stop smoking. Some medics believe unhealthy behaviour can make procedures less likely to work, and that the service is not obliged to devote scarce resources to them.

However, senior doctors and patient groups have voiced alarm at what they call "blackmailing" of the sick, and denial of their human rights.

Doctors.net.uk, a professional networking site, found that 593 (54%) of the 1,096 doctors who took part in the self-selecting survey answered yes when asked: "Should the NHS be allowed to refuse non-emergency treatments to patients unless they lose weight or stop smoking?"

One doctor said that denying in-vitro fertilisation to childless women who smoked was justified because it was only half as successful for them. Another said the NHS was right to expect an obese patient or alcoholic to change their behaviour before they underwent liver transplant surgery.

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Dating: Is Smoking a Deal-breaker for You? 

• Secondhand Smoke Permeates Many Apartment Buildings: Study 

A new survey of American apartment dwellers reveals that upwards of a third of nonsmoking residents sniff the stench of secondhand smoke in their building's public spaces, while almost half smell it within their own homes.

"As a pediatrician, I have had a lot of feedback from parents who have been telling me that this is really a significant issue for them," said study author Dr. Karen Wilson. "But I do think for many people this is a relatively new concept to think about, in terms of looking at the situation and the potential impact, and then being able to do something about it."

Wilson is the section head of pediatric hospital medicine at Children's Hospital Colorado, and an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. The findings are set for Sunday presentation at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies, in Boston.

The survey focused on the experiences of 323 nationally representative respondents, and was conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics Julius B. Richmond Center of Excellence, an advocacy group aimed at safeguarding children from cigarettes and secondhand smoke.

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• Taking Nation's Pulse on Tobacco Rights 

"You don't need a pollster to tell you that public opinion of your industry is challenging."

So began Scott Rasmussen, the respected pollster best known for his nationally acclaimed Rasmussen Reports, which tracks presidential and Congressional elections, along with public sentiment on issues of the day.

Speaking before tobacco-outlet and convenience-store operators at the 2012 NATO Show in Las Vegas, Rasmussen confronted one of the country's most heavily regulated and reviled industries, one that is on virtually every state's agenda as a tax revenue source even as its right to operate is increasingly restricted.

So, Rasmussen said candidly, the news for tobacco rights is not very good. That said, there are glimmers of hope.

Only 22% of Americans support banning tobacco outright. And, he added, "Nine out of 10 Americans believe that those who smoke know the risk. That's a very good number for your industry."

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• Support for a tobacco endgame and increased regulation of the tobacco industry among New Zealand smokers: results from a National Survey  

Conclusions

The findings suggest that most smokers will support stronger government action to control the tobacco industry and that many support radical ‘endgame’ approaches. Greater support among Māori, more deprived and possibly Pacific smokers, is an important finding, which could inform the design and implementation of new policies given the very high smoking prevalence among these groups and hence high priority for targeted tobacco control interventions. Perceived difficulties in gaining public support should not impede the introduction of rigorous tobacco control measures needed to achieve a tobacco-free New Zealand.

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• Support for a tobacco endgame and increased regulation of the tobacco industry among New Zealand smokers: results from a National Survey  

Conclusions

The findings suggest that most smokers will support stronger government action to control the tobacco industry and that many support radical ‘endgame’ approaches. Greater support among Māori, more deprived and possibly Pacific smokers, is an important finding, which could inform the design and implementation of new policies given the very high smoking prevalence among these groups and hence high priority for targeted tobacco control interventions. Perceived difficulties in gaining public support should not impede the introduction of rigorous tobacco control measures needed to achieve a tobacco-free New Zealand.

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Poll shows support for increasing cigarette tax 

50% Indian smokers don’t know it can kill  

Prevalence and co-use of marijuana among young adult cigarette smokers: An anonymous online national survey 

Substance Abusers, Even Recovering Ones, May Face Stigma 

People are more likely to disapprove of and avoid substance abusers than those who smoke or are obese, according to a new study.

Participants were presented with six fictitious scenarios about a person who either abused substances such as alcohol or drugs, smoked, or was obese.

"Specifically, participants rated their willingness for the individual in the fictitious scenario to marry into their family, be friends, socialize, work on a job, be a neighbor, and have one's child date," study author Lindsay Phillips, an assistant professor of psychology at Albright College in Reading, Pa., said in a college news release.

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