South Dakota voters on Tuesday approved a law expanding the state’s indoor smoking ban to bars, video lottery establishments and Deadwood casinos.

Lawmakers in 2009 voted to extend the state’s current ban on smoking in most workplaces and public areas, but a coalition of bars and gambling businesses gathered enough signatures to force a statewide vote.

Supporters called Referred Law 12 a public safety issue, saying the measure will protect workers from secondhand smoke exposure which causes heart disease and lung cancer.

Opponents argued that it will take away the personal rights of business owners who choose to cater to customers who smoke.

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9J8C7780.htm

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Litto Gomez shares my point-of-view and has published his own thoughts on things.  Read below:

Every single one of the foods or substances you see here may end up killing you…if you abuse them.

But, if we take them with moderation, they are harmless and make our lives really enjoyable.

For some draconian reasons, our law makers have singled out cigars, why?

I remember the reason was second hand smoking.  But, in parks? In the open air? What is this?!

If we let them cut away with it, they will continue to take away our life.  As adults [sic] we have the right to choose [sic] our lifestyle [sic]. As I recall, it was called freedom, and that’s what makes America the best country in the world.

If you don’t smoke and think that this does not concern you…think again, because one day, after they are done with cigars, a fat congressman while munching on his french [sic] fries will write [sic] a bill that will tax your favorite food.

We should not let them legislate our lifestyle.
It’s time to stop them.

Ask your local retailer how you can get involved and please join Cigar Rights of America.

I am Litto Gomez.

This is my personal opinion.  I am a concerned citizen that believes in freedom of choice.  I teach this to my children.

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By J. Glynn Loope, Executive Director
Cigar Rights of America

The cause of liberty just took a step forward, as the City Council for Galveston, Texas voted 4-3 to roll back the city’s draconian smoking ban. Galveston joins a growing list of communities and states (and even countries…”thank you Netherlands!”) which are amending existing smoking laws, in response to voter backlash, economic demand, and political pressure.

The ordinance had only been on the books since January 1, 2010. Cigar Rights of America first noted the situation in Galveston during its seminar to the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association meeting in August of 2009. We highlighted through a video feed the absolute absurdity of the City Council’s deliberations over the proposed ordinance, and the lack of thought that went into the original policy. It banned smoking across the board in tobacco shops, bars, restaurants, and made outdoor smoking virtually impossible.

In February a coalition of bars and restaurants filed suit against the city and city council over the smoking ban, claiming that the ban adversely affected their property values, while also stating that the ban did not comply with state law by failing to conduct a ‘takings analysis’ before enacting such a rule. A truly outstanding action.

The new policy creates a category for smoking in “adult venues,” which in this context simply means no one under the age of 18 is allowed. The new ordinance also reverses the ban on smoking in private clubs, fraternal organizations, and outdoor seating areas, by allowing smoking within five feet of a building, instead of the original fifteen feet. The new policy also allows for on-premises alcohol consumption in retail tobacco shops. A truly great measure that is a victory for small business in Galveston, and a model ordinance for others across America.

Read the rest here…

This is evidence of the good that CRA does for the cigar smoking community. If you’re not a member, you should be.

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reissuing a final rule restricting the sale, distribution, and use of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. As required by the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (Tobacco Control Act), FDA is issuing a final rule that is identical to the provisions of the final rule on cigarettes and smokeless tobacco published by FDA in 1996, with certain required exceptions. The rule prohibits the sale of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco to individuals under the age of 18 and imposes specific marketing, labeling, and advertising requirements. Elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, FDA is issuing an advance notice of proposed rulemaking to obtain information related to the regulation of outdoor advertising of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco.

The rule is set to take effect on June 22, 2010.

You can read the text of the ruling here.
They were nice enough to put a press release out too.

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There will be cigars on Saint Patrick’s Day. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty has signed legislation allowing a one-time exemption to the District’s smoke-free laws for an annual March 17 gathering of Washington’s government and business elite. The mayor’s spokesperson Mafara Hobson was not immediately available for comment.

Time was of the essence for the bill by Council member Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), who is a member of the all-male Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, which hosts the 640-person celebration of Irish-American culture at the Capital Hilton.

Evans had succeeded in passing legislation last week to keep tradition alive for the Friendly Sons and another group, Fight for Children, that hosts an annual professional boxing fundraiser.

The bill was transmitted to Fenty on March 8. The mayor had 10 business days to decide whether to sign or veto the measure, taking him to March 22.

If the mayor had not acted before March 17, the Friendly Sons would not have been able to light up at their big event next Wednesday.

As a member of the council, Fenty was among those who introduced and championed the workplace smoking ban in 2006. While Evans is a close ally of the mayor, the measure was opposed by Fenty’s potential rival, Council Chairman Vincent Gray.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dc/2010/03/its_all_in_the_timing_for_sain.html

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I’m not sure where the local citizenry was or where the local cigar shops were to fight this proposal.  Maybe no one knew about it, but someone should have.  We Texans dropped the ball on this one…big time.  The word needs to get out, because while it’s just Galveston, TX now, if it’s not already your town, it could be next on the chopping block.  I’m going to go have a glass of wine and fondly remember the Texas that was proud to stand up for individual rights; it seems to be a memory.

Let’s contact the city council and let them know how disgusted we are:

District 1 – Tarris Woods: tarriswoods@cityofgalveston.org
District 2 – Linda Colbert: lindacolbert@cityofgalveston.org
District 3 – Elizabeth Beeton: elizabethbeeton@cityofgalveston.org
District 4 – Susan Fennewald: susanfennewald@cityofgalveston.org
District 5 – Danny Weber: (409) 744-7025
District 6 – Karen Mahoney: karenmahoney@cityofgalveston.org

Or you can email everyone at once by clicking here: EMAIL EVERYONE!!

Edit: Read this excellent post about this same topic here!!

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The Associated Press
Posted: 07/12/2009 03:09:58 PM PDT
Updated: 07/12/2009 03:09:59 PM PDT

RICHMOND, Calif.—City officials in Richmond are snuffing out smoking in apartments, condominiums and public places, making it the hardest place in the San Francisco Bay area to smoke.

The City Council approved an ordinance this month that will ban lighting up in all multiunit housing by Jan. 1, 2011. Officials say smoking in multiunit housing exposes people to secondhand smoke, which can travel between apartments.

The city has already banned smoking in parks, farmers markets and other public places. Fines start at $100 for violating the bans.

Richmond was given an “F” by the American Lung Association in January, which got city leaders to move quickly to enact tougher restrictions to discourage smoking and reduce secondhand smoke.

http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_12822126

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WASHINGTON — Pentagon health experts are urging Defense Secretary Robert Gates to ban the use of tobacco by troops and end its sale on military property, a change that could dramatically alter a culture intertwined with smoking.

Jack Smith, head of the Pentagon’s office of clinical and program policy, says he will recommend that Gates adopt proposals by a federal study that cites rising tobacco use and higher costs for the Pentagon and Department of Veterans Affairs as reasons for the ban.

The study by the Institute of Medicine, requested by the VA and Pentagon, calls for a phased-in ban over a period of years, perhaps up to 20. “We’ll certainly be taking that recommendation forward,” Smith says.

A tobacco ban would confront a military culture, the report says, in which “the image of the battle-weary soldier in fatigues and helmet, fighting for his country, has frequently included his lit cigarette.”

Also, the report said, troops worn out by repeated deployments often rely on cigarettes as a “stress reliever.” The study found that tobacco use in the military increased after the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan began.

Pentagon spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said the department supports a smoke-free military “and believes it is achievable.” She declined to elaborate on any possible ban.

One in three servicemembers use tobacco, the report says, compared with one in five adult Americans. The heaviest smokers are soldiers and Marines, who have done most of the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, the study says. About 37% of soldiers use tobacco and 36% of Marines. Combat veterans are 50% more likely to use tobacco than troops who haven’t seen combat.

Tobacco use costs the Pentagon $846 million a year in medical care and lost productivity, says the report, which used older data. The Department of Veterans Affairs spends up to $6 billion in treatments for tobacco-related illnesses, says the study, which was released late last month.

Along with a phased-in ban, the report recommends requiring new officers and enlisted personnel to be tobacco-free, eliminating tobacco use on military installations, ships and aircraft, expanding treatment programs and eliminating the sale of tobacco on military property. “Any tobacco use while in uniform should be prohibited,” the study says.

The military complicates attempts to curb tobacco use by subsidizing tobacco products for troops who buy them at base exchanges and commissaries, says Kenneth Kizer, a committee member and architect of California’s anti-tobacco program.

Seventy percent of profits from tobacco sales — $88 million in 2005 — pays for recreation and family support programs, the study stays.

Strong leadership could make the military tobacco-free in five to 10 years, Kizer says. President Obama, he says, could set an example for the military by ending his own smoking habit once and for all. Last month, Obama said he is “95% cured” but “there are times when I mess up” and smoke.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2009-07-09-smoking_N.htm

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NICOSIA (AFP) — The Cyprus parliament voted by a large majority on Thursday to make the Mediterranean holiday island the latest EU country to ban smoking in bars, restaurants, nightclubs and workplaces.

The bill, which tightens up existing legislation that has gone largely unenforced, was carried by 27 votes to three in the 56-seat parliament with one abstention.

The sweeping changes come into effect from January 1, 2010 so as to give establishments, and smokers, time to adjust, although amendments can be made to the law before it becomes active.

Smoking will be allowed only in outside open areas such as courtyards or street cafes, while employers will be required to provide a closed smoking area for employees dying for a puff.

Those who break the new law face a maximum 2,000 euro fine.

Bar and club owners say they will challenge the legislation in the courts as they expect business to suffer from the blanket ban.

The legislation tightens up a 2002 ban on smoking in public places which was not strictly enforced.

The new law also does away with having designated smoking and non-smoking areas in the same establishment.

Opinion polls indicate that a majority of Cypriots welcome the smoke free regime which falls in line with the European Union’s bid to ban smoking in enclosed public places across the 27-member bloc by 2012.

Cyprus has a lower rate of smoking than the European Union average. Some 29 percent of the population describe themselves as regular smokers, compared with an EU average of 31 percent. But Cyprus has one of the highest proportions of non-smokers subjected to passive smoke in public places.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hPKSgxzc_fTJFLkHOldmj9P082sQ

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Anyway, at least in Houston, if I were at a park, I could still light up. Residents of the Chicago area are finding that this isn’t the case for them. Here’s the story:

The steady march to rid parks and playgrounds of cigarette butts spread to Zion this summer after a group of students surveyed residents and then pushed the Park District to enact the ban that most supported.

The 752 acres of parkland went smoke-free in mid-June, although the ban ends at the fairways of the two golf courses and carries no penalties.

Park District officials are betting smokers will heed the signs and police themselves.

“We’re just going to take it real slow,” said Rich Walker, Zion’s director of parks and recreation. “We’re certainly not interested in disrupting family picnics.”

And Austin Sears, 18, of Healthy Youth, the student organization at Zion-Benton Township High School, also is hopeful about cooperation.

“It’s kind of a self-enforcement thing, kind of like signs not to feed the ducks or signs posting the speed limit,” Sears said. “People follow those.”

Zion joins the ranks of Deerfield, Lake Forest, Oak Park and a half-dozen other towns with smoke-free parks, taking a step further the statewide ban that snuffed out cigarettes in virtually all public places in January 2008.

Chicago was among the first to ban smoking along the beachfront and in parks with playgrounds and playlots two years ago. But smokers still can light up in green spaces without playgrounds, a Chicago Park District spokeswoman said.

Wilmette bans smoking at the beachfront, pool and outdoor amphitheater, but Park District officials are considering whether to prohibit cigarettes at any park event attended by more than 20 people, said Thomas Grisamore, executive director of the Wilmette Park District.

“This started as a health issue. The mess issue [with cigarette butts] was part of the problem too,” Grisamore said.

Evanston extends its no-smoking rule to all beaches, playgrounds and tot lots. But the city draws the line at a blanket ban in all parks. It would be “impossible to enforce,” said Doug Gaynor, director of the Parks, Forestry and Recreation Department.

“Somebody can be in the middle of a 10-acre plot and be smoking and not be an infringement,” Gaynor said.

In Zion, Healthy Youth campaigns against teen use of tobacco and alcohol. It decided to take on smoking in community parks and surveyed more than 800 local residents on the issue of smoke-free parks. A majority endorsed the idea, said Sears, of Beach Park.

The teens approached the Zion Park District with their findings this spring. The board enacted the no-smoking ordinance in May and erected signs in parks late last month.

On a recent afternoon in Shiloh Park, Brittany Piel and Steve Mapson played with their 9-month-old son, Steve Jr.

The Waukegan couple were split on the park’s new smoking ban. Piel praised it and its health benefits.

“Anywhere there are children or wildlife, there shouldn’t be smoking,” she said.

But Mapson, a smoker, did not think a sign would deter people from lighting up in the park.

“If someone really wants to do it bad enough, they will do it anyway,” he said.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-smoke-free-parks-north-zone-jul01,0,522366.story

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