Tobacco.org

Smoking ban extended to New York's state parks and beaches 

Banned: Whoopi Goldberg criticised the 2010 smoking ban - she has since quit the habit so presumably will not be objecting to the latest law against lighting up in NYC

'State parks and historic sites should be healthy and clean places for our visitors, especially our youngest guests,' said Rose Harvey, commissioner of the state Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation.

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• Latest research confirms genetic susceptibility to lung cancer 

Previous research has shown that Asian patients with lung cancer are more likely to harbor epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations. Furthermore, Asian patients with lung cancer are more likely to be non-smokers than Western patients with lung cancer. Research in the May 2012 issue of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer's (IASLC) Journal of Thoracic Oncology goes deeper, investigated genetic factors and smoking exposure in Japanese lung cancer patients.

Researchers looked at the genetics of 716 Japanese patients with lung cancer and 716 without. They found, "the variants rs12914385, rs1317286 and rs931794 localized to the CHRNA5-CHRNA3-CHRNB4 cluster on chromosome 15q25 modified the impact of cigarette smoking on lung cancer risk, but showed no statistically significant major effect on the risk of lung cancer." They conclude that there is a significant difference in the impact of smoking on lung cancer risk among former smokers between those with and without genetic risk.

The study also suggests that "a suggestive difference in the impact of rs16969968 and rs8034191 on the 15q25 loci by EGFR status on lung cancer risk."

The authors conclude that the 15q25 genetic region should be studied further.

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RYAN BAKKEN: Another one snuffs the butts  

Other towns are smoke-free, but through the wishes of the bar/restaurant owners, not by a public decree. It’s become fairly common for restaurants to ban smoking. And more bars are voluntarily going that route, one of the more notable lately being the Extra End in Grafton.

Chaput credits council member Pat Mahar, “who stepped forward as a champion and asked the rest of the council to consider it.” She said council members polled establishment owners and didn’t face major opposition to the idea.

“I think people realize the health benefits of smoke-free,” Chaput said of the attitude shift. “Everyone deserves to breathe clean air.”

Because non-smokers are so rarely exposed to smoke these days, contact with it is more onerous. Twenty-five states have smoking bans, including North Dakota neighbors Minnesota, South Dakota and Montana.

But, in 2011 as usual, a majority of North Dakota legislators answered a health department survey by saying the decision should be left to the locals. That’s because they’re cowards, unlike Chaput and Mahar.

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EDITORIAL: Tobacco fund: Kitty is being tweaked too many times 

Lynchburg leaders consider curbing tobacco use at public parks 

Editorial: Kick it - Health Department is right place for smoking ban 

SAROJA: Caveat Emptor - Watch your smoke 

45.405 Kg Gutka seized 

Halstead: Rise in cigarette sales at shops after ban on supermarket displays  

E-cigarette maker Vapor4Life lights up a growing market  

• Graphic images mandatory on cigarette packs from August 9  

Ali bin Masoud al Sunaidy, Minister of Commerce and Industry, issued a ministerial decision approving the Gulf Technical Regulation No 246/2012 requiring graphic images to be placed on cigarette and tobacco packages. The decision enshrines these images as obligatory under Omani standard specifications for items covered by health, safety and environment guidelines. Article 2 of the decision spells out penalties for defaulters, as set out under Royal Decree 1/78 and the Consumer Protection Law. Article 3 of the decision cancels all previous decisions that conflict with the provisions of the decision. Saleh bin Mohamed al Zedjali, Director of the Specifications Department at the Directorate-General of Specifications and Standards, said: “This decision will be applicable starting from August 9, 2012 in all the GCC countries.”

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Plain packaging may be way to counter appeal of tobacco  

King County to join several communities in controlling smoking in parks 

Witness: Fire at River Pointe Apts caused by man smoking while using oxygen 

Govt's smoking stats a smokescreen - Lees-Galloway