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Governor vetoes tobacco tax bills  

Alabama governor vetoes bills that would have used tobacco tax in 3 counties for grant program  

The bills' sponsors say the money will go to worthy charities, senior centers and local schools. However Randolph county political party officials from both sides of the aisle accuse Sen. Gerald Dial and Rep. Richard Laird of wanting to create a fund over which they would have unregulated control.

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HANSEN: Smoke-free air is a matter of social justice, equality 

On April 16, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. -- having been arrested for protesting injustice -- penned an open letter now known as the "Letter from Birmingham Jail." In it, King declared, "We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed." . . .

Blacks suffer from heart disease, lung cancer or strokes caused by secondhand smoke exposure at higher rates than whites, and smoke-free policies are the only proven way to make a dent in that disparity.

Alabama, in a tie with California, was recently given an honor by ANR for leading the nation in passing local smoke-free laws in 2011. The citizens and workers of Birmingham should be proud that the largest city in the state just joined an elite group of nearby municipalities which includes Clay, Fairfield, Fultondale, Midfield and, most recently, Warrior.

The bottom line is this: As we learn more about the damage tobacco smoke does, not only to the smoker, but also to innocent bystanders, we become obligated to protect those being burdened by others' destructive choices. . . .

Everyone must be included in these protections. As King professed in that stirring letter: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." That is why the Birmingham City Council's bold action on April 17 to strengthen the rules already in place will be remembered as a step toward health equality for all who live, work, learn and play in the Magic City.

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Proposals would add $1 fee to cigarettes  

Alabama Legislature 2012: Panel to review cigarette tax plans 

EDITORIAL: OUR VIEW: With new smoke-free law, Birmingham City Council takes giant step toward protecting workers' health 

DIAL: The History of Tobacco Tax 

Birmingham City Council makes Magic City smoke-free 

Birmingham council squeezes out most public smoking to the applause of most commenters 

• Alabama colleges take more steps to snuff out smoking  

The best way to get people to quit smoking is to prevent them from getting really hooked in the first place.

That's the theory behind a new wave of anti-tobacco policies targeting some of the youngest smokers: college students.

From banning tobacco companies from advertising to kicking cigarettes off school grounds altogether, colleges are making it harder or even impossible to smoke on campus. The American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation estimates there are about 700 smoke-free campuses around the country.

One of the pioneers in Alabama, Troy University, will go 100 percent smoke-free -- that means no smoking anywhere, indoors or out -- at its main campus starting in August.

Others are taking steps, if not quite going that far. Auburn University will enact a policy this August that restricts smoking within 25 feet of a building,

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Anti-smoking efforts lauded 

The state has been recognized, along with California, by Americans for Non-Smokers Rights for passing "the greatest number of strong local smoke-free laws each year," the award notification release states.

Melanie Dickens, tobacco prevention and control coordinator for the Alabama Department of Health, said the award recognizes the work done around the state to educate people on the harmful effects of smoking and second-hand smoke.

"We are excited about it because the award means we are doing a good job getting the word out about the risk factors that go along with second-hand smoke," Dickens said. "It is a landmark achievement for public health in the state."

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PARTRIDGE: VIEWPOINTS: Make Birmingham a smoke-free city 

• VIDEO: Health advocates encourage more anti-smoking initiatives  

Today the Medical Association of the State of Alabama held a conference at the Wynfrey Hotel to address anti-smoking initiatives. Also on display was a new exhibit from South Carolina detailing how smoking has impacted the nation's health, called "A Century of Cigarettes."

U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin attended a MASA news conference. Benjamin said 1,200 people die each day due to tobacco related illnesses. The Surgeon General says smoking was declining in the country until 2003.

"You can look at it leveling off as anti-smoking campaigns and policies left. Budgets started to takeover. We weren't putting as much energy into it," Benjamin said.

Dr. Alan Blum, a long time anti-smoking crusader who heads the University of Alabama Center for Study of Tobacco and Society was also present today. Blum says tobacco advertising remains a problem.

"This is this week's National Enquirer. This is the Birmingham News Parade Magazine. I think this is disgraceful," he said, holding up each magazine.

In the state legislature a bill to ban smoking in public places with some exemptions has yet to pass.

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Surgeon general to speak on smoking illnesses 

19 percent of boys in Alabama use smokeless tobacco as rates rise across nation among teens