Ban on smoking at community college follows a campus trend

"One of these days, they'll ban outdoor smoking." That was a rueful refrain heard a decade or so ago from smokers as they were banished from indoor public spaces and relegated to lawns and building stoops if they wanted to light up. That was prophetic, as it turns out. It has come to pass many places. And by and large, it's been greeted as a welcome trend. The Community College of Baltimore County is the latest higher education institution in the county to ban smoking anywhere on its three main campuses — Catonsville, Essex and Dundalk.

CCBC had previously banned smoking within 25 feet of buildings. It's not just a polite suggestion. Multiple violations could result in a $35 citation. Along with the crackdown, there's a helping hand. CCBC, which has about 70,000 students, will offer smoking cessation classes in the fall. CCBC officials said the college's faculty and staff will be able to attend these classes even during working hours. This wider smoking ban on college campuses is not groundbreaking in the county. Towson University has had a similar prohibition in place since August 2010.

Other campuses have less stringent rules — in 2008, theUniversity of Maryland, Baltimore County, banned smoking within 20 feet of building openings — but colleges are increasingly embracing the no-smoking policies. It's a trend that ought to be supported, and one that targets smokers at a time when they might be more able to kick the habit — and save themselves the expense and health risks of smoking. Attitudes toward smoking have changed dramatically in the space of a few generations, largely the result of research that show the consequences of not just sucking smoke into your lungs, but also for being in the vicinity of someone doing it.

For example, according to the American Cancer Society, of the 160,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the United States, 3,400 are the result of nonsmokers exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke. Adults are still free to smoke. More and more, however, those who choose to puff and the toxic cloud around them will have to find a place away from the rest of us.

Kingman Column: Smoking out city policy

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Have you figured out how you feel about smoking in Kingman parks, especially now that they are smoke-free? Voluntarily, that is. Perhaps you recall the June 11 story in the Miner, the follow-up to the KYCBUTT effort to have smoking outlawed in the parks. City Council didn't go along, but the meeting did serve as motivation to Parks and Recreation to set up places for smokers to dispose of cigarette biutts. The receptacles are long tubes.

There's no fire danger when used correctly, and no chance at all for scroungers who want to finish off an already-been-smoked cigarette that might have a puff or two of tobacco left. Parks and Rec plans to spend over $5,000 to buy and install these receptacles for all the parks, and that's a good idea. As a former smoker, I'm well aware that options were few when it comes to disposing of lit cigarettes in Kingman parks. I'd wiggle out the remaining tobacco, step on it to snuff live embers, then pocket the butt until I came across a trash can.

 Others were less concerned with the landscape. That's why it's a good idea to have permanent butt bins. I do have a problem with the signs that come with the receptacles, though. Council did not vote to ban smoking in parks, but you'd never know it when you read "Please help keep your parks clean and smoke-free" right next to the receptacle. As a matter of fact, I can see those signs leading to problems when militant non-smokers who think there is a ban speak up.

 A simpler message - "Park Your Butts Here" - gets my vote as the better choice. I also like, "Nanny state? Not here, buddy, so smoke 'em if you've got 'em." Or how about, "Remember cigarettes advertising they were 'doctor-recommended.' If you can and you're still alive, you might as well keep smoking." Anyway, a tip of the hat to Council for doing the right thing by not doing anything.

How Will the Cigarette Tax Hike Affect You?

The per-price pack increased Sunday when the state tax more than doubled on them, thanks to a measure recently signed by Gov. Pat Quinn. The tax boost, which goes from the long-standing 98 cents a pack to $1.98, is expected to create an estimated $350 million in revenue while hopefully forcing some state residents to quit the habit, the Chicago Tribune reports. Read the full Chicago Tribune for more details about the cigarette tax increase.

But this could force state residents to buy their smokes from neighboring states and drop overall cigarette sales by about 20 percent, the Tribune report stated. Because of the lower tobacco tax rate in Will County, outlets or gas stations along 183rd Street in Tinley that sell cigarettes could see more Cook County customers crossing the borders to save money. Signs posted Saturday at the Speedway near 183rd Street and Harlem read "Stock up on cigarettes! Tax increase goes into effect tonight!"

Itasca tobacco shop employees charged in synthetic drug sting

Two employees of an Itasca tobacco shop were arrested after an undercover investigation into the sale of synthetic marijuana, which has been banned in Illinois, police said Tuesday. Sureshbhai Patel, 53, of Des Plaines, and James Barker, 28, of Itasca, were charged after police searched Itasca Tobacco, 1215 W. Irving Park Road, according to a news release.

Narcotics investigators with the DuPage Metropolitan Enforcement Group said they informed Patel, the store manager, late last year of a state law change in January banning synthetic marijuana, and he signed a document stating he understood. In February, officers learned Itasca Tobacco was again selling the drug, police said. They said they subsequently conducted a series of undercover purchases before executing a search warrant Monday. DuMeg Director Matt Gainer said police seized about 75 grams of synthetic pot.

He said Patel stored the inventory off-site and did not display it inside the store but sold it to interested customers. Patel, of the 2000 block of Pine Street, was charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, a felony typically punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Barker, of the 6N400 block of Lloyd Street, was charged with felony cocaine possession and misdemeanor obstructing police for allegedly interfering with the search. DuPage County Judge Elizabeth Sexton set bail Tuesday at $30,000 for Patel and $40,000 for Barker, who has prior convictions for armed robbery and is facing an unrelated driving under the influence charge in DuPage. Patel posted $3,000 to bond out of the county jail. Barker remained in custody as of Tuesday afternoon.

Cigars may find exemption

A pair of bills in Congress may contain language that would allow manufacturers of premium cigars to claim they are exempt from FDA regulation. The bills, introduced by Rep. Bill Posey, R-Rockledge, and Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., would only exempt premium cigars from FDA regulation. In 2009 Congress gave the FDA the power to regulate all tobacco products. The FDA intends to exercise that power on not just cigarettes, but other products. The FDA is working on a proposed rule to regulate other tobacco categories, said FDA spokeswoman Jenny Haliski.

She declined to comment on the specifics of the regulations, when the rule would be released and whether premium tobacco would be included. If the FDA regulates cigars similarly to cigarettes, they could include higher taxes and more strict labeling requirements. Advocates of the bills say premium cigars aren’t like other tobacco products — they’re the heavier, higher-quality, more expensive brands that adults smoke occasionally, for pleasure or to celebrate a special occasion. The House version has more than 200 co-sponsors, while the Senate bill is backed by at least 10 senators.
 But opponents contend companies that make cheaper cigars and market to children could easily manipulate their products to qualify. The bills define a premium cigar as “any roll of tobacco that is wrapped in leaf tobacco, contains no filter, and weighs at least 6 pounds per 1,000 count.’’ Many cheaper cigars, like flavored Swisher cigarillos with colorful packaging that could appeal to teens, don’t have a filter and meet the weight requirement. Premium cigars are wrapped in a whole tobacco leaf., while the cheaper, Machine-made cigars are wrapped in paper that often is made from reconstituted tobacco leaf. Because the bill does not say “whole tobacco leaf,” Anti-tobacco activists argue that companies making cigars wrapped in a paper that is made from tobacco could claim exemption. Anyone familiar with cigars, though, knows that “leaf tobacco” means the same thing as whole tobacco leaf, said John Sullivan, manager of the JR Cigar store in Washington, D.C.

Outdoor smoking ban coming to Suffolk County

Smoking will be banned later this year at parks and beaches in Suffolk County. But a bill passed this week by the county legislature exempts parking lots, campgrounds and golf courses. Newsday (http://bit.ly/KmRfph ) says there also will be no finds for violators. The resolution was crafted by Legislator William Spencer.

The Centerport Democrat is also a doctor. Spencer — faced with making compromises in his legislation — decided on parks and beaches because a lot of children go there. The ban takes effect 90 days after the bill is signed by County Executive Steve Bellone and filed with the state.

Daytona urges stores to stop selling flavored tobacco

Daytona Beach commissioners voted on a resolution this month urging retailers to stop the sale and marketing of flavored tobacco products within city limits. Susan Cerbone, Daytona Beach public information officer, said one of the reasons the commissioners supported the resolution is because “tobacco use is the number one cause of preventable deaths in the United States and nearly 90 percent of users start before the age of 18.” “While the resolution is not an outright ban on sales, it sends a clear message that Daytona Beach cares about its youth,” Cerbone said. Young smokers According to information obtained by the Daytona Times, in Volusia County, 12.2 percent of middle school students and 26.3 percent of high school students reported using some form of tobacco one or more times in the past 30 days.

 Also in Volusia County, 7.4 percent of middle school students and 16 percent of high school students report having smoked cigarettes one or more times in the past 30 days. Health department pleased Dr. Bonnie J. Sorensen, director of the Volusia County Health Department, says the agency is pleased that the city has adopted a resolution urging tobacco retailers to stop selling and marketing candy-flavored tobacco products. All of the convenience stores surveyed sell the candy-flavored products stores in Volusia County. “Daytona Beach joins a growing list of municipalities taking a stand against candy-flavored tobacco products. There are 88 people dying daily in the state of Florida from tobacco-related illnesses. Tobacco use is the number one cause of preventable death in the United States,” said Sorensen, who also spoke before the city commissioners voted on the resolution.

 Impact on Blacks Stefany Strong, spokesperson for the Volusia County Health Department, said each year approximately 45,000 African-Americans die from a preventable smoking-related disease, which represents more than 10 percent of the estimated yearly smoking related deaths in the U.S. Strong also noted that smoking is responsible for 87 percent of lung cancers. African-American men are at least 50 percent more likely to develop lung cancer than White men. Blacks disproportionately suffer from chronic and preventable disease compared to White Americans. And of the three major causes of death in African-Americans – heart disease, cancer and stroke – smoking and other tobacco use are key contributors to these illnesses, Strong elaborated.

 Resolution includes flavored cigars Signed on June 6 by Mayor Glenn Ritchey, the resolution urges all local retailers who sell tobacco products to cease the sale and marketing of all flavored tobacco products, which are defined as loose tobacco, including snuff flour, plug and twist tobacco, fine cuts, chewing tobacco, snus, shisha tobacco, smoking or snuffing tobacco products. The resolution also limits “all other kinds and forms of tobacco, including but not limited to cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco products, and blunt wraps prepared in such a manner with the purpose of chewing, inhaling, smoking, or ingesting in any manner which have been flavored through the addition of natural or artificial flavorings, herbs, spices, or other means with flavors characterizing fruit, candy, alcohol, or other similar flavorings with the exception that menthol will not be included in this definition.’’ Other information provided by the health department to persuade commissioners to support the resolution include:

• Ninety percent of today’s smokers started before they were 18 years old.
• Candy and fruit flavors mask the bad taste of tobacco, making it easier for kids to start using tobacco products. 
• These products containing flavors like vanilla, orange, chocolate, cherry and coffee are especially attractive to youth. 
• Young people are much more likely to use candy and fruit flavored products than adults. Tobacco industry documents show that companies have designed these products with youth in mind. 
• Flavored cigars, cigarillos, bidis, shisha, snus, blunts and smokeless tobacco are just as harmful as flavored cigarettes and are heavily marketed to youth. 


 City commissioners in Port Orange, Holly Hill, Deltona and New Smyrna Beach also have voted to urge retailers to stop selling candy-flavored tobacco products. The Volusia County Health Department initially made a presentation to the Volusia Council of Governments earlier this year requesting that it asks local cities to adopt resolutions urging tobacco retailers to stop the sale and marketing of candy-flavored tobacco.

‘Ban surrogate advertisements of tobacco products’

An anti-tobacco organisation has approached the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India to ban advertisements promoting tobacco products. It alleged that tobacco products are being promoted indirectly in the country. “In the name of advertising for pan masala, tobacco companies promote products like gutkha,” said Amit Yadav, manager (legal cell) of Health Related Information Dissemination Amongst Youth.

 “If you look at the advertisements, you will find images of gutkha packet instead of pan masala. In fact, the pack of gutkha will be identical to the one advertised, while a pan masala pack will look different,” said Yadav in a letter to the authority. The letter, addressed to the standards authority chairperson K Chandramouli, stated that the tobacco industry has been using indirect and surrogate means, such as sponsoring TV shows, cricket tournaments and award functions, to promote tobacco products through identical brand extensions.

 “The use of identical or similar brand names creates confusion and incites consumers, particularly youth, to experiment with such products,” Yadav wrote. The authority had passed a regulation banning sale of tobacco products a few months ago. “Kerala and Maharashtra have banned tobacco products after a regulation,” said Yadav. Yadav’s organisation has written to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, asking it to remove all indirect or surrogate advertisements of tobacco products from Metro stations and feeder bus service.

 The DMRC responded that this issue should not be seen in isolation since such ads are found everywhere. This prompted the organisation to approached the authority to ban advertisement of pan masala products as well. “We are planning to write to state governments to follow the examples of Kerala and Maharashtra,” said Yadav.

State education board backs tobacco tax initiative

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The State Board of Education is backing a potential November ballot initiative asking Missouri voters to raise tobacco taxes to benefit schools. The board voted Tuesday to support a plan that would raise Missouri’s lowest-in-the-nation cigarette tax from 17 cents per pack to 90 cents beginning in January. The state auditor’s office estimates the initiative would generate between $283 million and $423 million annually.

Fifty percent of the money would go to public school districts, 30 percent to higher education and 20 percent to efforts intended to prevent people from using tobacco or help them quit doing so. The secretary of state’s office has not yet determined if supporters submitted enough petition signatures to qualify the measure for the ballot.

ITC gains on buzz that smaller cigarette will drive volumes

Shares in tobacco major ITC gained on reports that the company has test launched 64mm cigarettes in UP & Bihar.

The stock traded 0.85 per cent higher on the NSE in a weak market today. There is a 40 per cent tax differential between 64 mm and 69 mm cigarette categories, and the 64 mm range is priced at a significant discount.

The 64 mm cigarette is available at Rs 3.5 per unit, while the longer 69 mm cigarette is priced at Rs 4. ITC is looking to exploit this differential to push its smaller cigarettes. Analysts expect the step up from bidis to the 64 mm cigarettes will also drive growth for the tobacco major. ITC's competitor, VST Industries, is also testing the smaller category of cigarettes in Chhattisgarh & Andhra Pradesh.

Dolphy's disease COPD is caused by tobacco smoke, pollution

With Comedy King Dolphy in critical condition Thursday due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), many people are asking just what this disease is all about. COPD is a lung disease that is life threatening, said the World Health Organization (WHO). It happens when airflow from the lungs is persistently blocked. Aside from having a cough that won’t go away, one experiences breathlessness and “excessive sputum production.” In 2004, some 64 million people worldwide have been diagnosed with COPD, according to the WHO.

 A year later, in 2005, more than three million died of COPD, representing five percent of all the deaths in the world. A great majority–90 percent–of those deaths happened in low- and middle-income countries. What causes COPD? The main culprit, said WHO, is tobacco smoke, both through usage and secondhand smoke. And since women smokers are also on the rise, especially in high-income countries, both men and women are affected almost equally.

 Pollution (both indoor and outdoor), occupational dusts and chemicals (vapors, irritants, and fumes), and frequent lower respiratory infections during childhood are also risk factors. The sad part about COPD is that there is no cure yet for it. “But treatment can slow the progress of the disease,” said WHO. “Medicines that help dilate major air passages of the lungs can improve shortness of breath.”

 On World Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Day last Nov. 16, WHO called attention to the fact that the number of people dying of COPD is expected to rise by more than 30 percent in the next 10 years “unless urgent action is taken to reduce underlying risk factors, especially tobacco use.”

Lawsuits filed over tobacco tax bills

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Last week Ashland attorney Gregory M. Varner filed lawsuits in circuit court in both his home county of Clay and in Randolph County against the local legislative delegation's tobacco tax bills, The lawsuits are seeking judgments that Senate Bill 486 relating to Randolph County and Senate Bill 476 in Clay County are unconstitutional. Being sued in Randolph County are state Sen. Gerald Dial, Rep. Richard Laird, Rep. DuWayne Bridges, Dr. Marquita Davis, Alabama's director of finance, and Thomas L. Wright Jr., the state comptroller.

Varner filed the five-count lawsuit on behalf of the Randolph County Industrial Development Council, the Randolph County Water, Sewer, and Fire Protection Authority and as individuals: Hutch Hammond, Faye Sims Smith and Todd Freeman. He said there is some belief that only individuals have standing to sue. Freeman, Hammond and Smith are listed as Randolph County citizens and taxpayers. Davis and White are sued in their official capacities. Varner alleges SB 486 is unconstitutional, void and invalid and says plaintiffs want an injunction, both temporary and permanent, preventing the alteration and modification in distribution of Randolph County's tobacco tax receipts.

Ultimately Varner said the suits are designed to have each of the bills in each county set aside as unconstitutional. Additionally, with the redistricting of Clay there will be taxation without representation. Citizens will pay the tobacco tax to the District Community Service Grant Authority now controlled by Dial, Bridges and Laird but after redistricting takes effect the money will be controlled by people not representing Clay County. After 2014 parts of the county will be represented by another senator and two other representatives who are not members of the grant authority. Clay will no longer be in Laird's district and much of it will no longer be in Dial's district. "The reason we're bringing the suit is, number one, the bills were passed against the overwhelming objections of all the counties.

We're protecting the taxpayers' money and, in the words used by the governor, shutting down a slush fund that is unconstitutional," Varner said. The Randolph County Industrial Development Council is a plaintiff because when the bill becomes effective July 1 it restricts the council's authority to govern its own affairs and limits its use of funds, according to the complaint. It will cause imminent and irreparable damage to the two authorities (Water Authority and Industrial Development Council), terminating the expansion of planned water line extensions that would provide water to many rural communities and would include the likely termination of valuable and experienced staff at the RCIDC, the complaint alleges. The Water Authority says an average of $50,000 will be diverted annually from its operating budget due to this bill.

The complaint notes Gov. Robert Bentley vetoed SB 486, saying the bill does not appear to be adequately advertised as required by Alabama law. The Senate and House ultimately overrode the executive veto. Jeremy King, Deputy Communications Director in the governor's office, said, "Governor Bentley believes the bills are unconstitutional, and he has been very open about that view since the time of his veto. The fact that the Legislature overrode his veto would not change his opinion on the issue." Varner said during the governor's recent visit to Clay County a person in a group session thanked the governor for his veto and the governor referred to the the fund created by the bills as a slush fund and said they were unconstitutional. Varner asked the governor to join the lawsuit and he said he did not know if he could do that but he would look into it.

The industrial development council's funds from the tobacco tax can, as specified by the bill, only be expended for recruitment of new and existing industries and no more than 20 percent of the generated revenue can be spent on personnel and/or related to personnel. It restricts the discretion of the Industrial Development Council, forbidding the use of funds to work on broad-based economic development initiatives, such as workforce development and jobs training, the complaint says. The complaint states Dial altered the proposed legislation, which was not advertised as required after the changes. For example, the published notice created and funded a District Community Service Office with staff, equipment, etc. but that was deleted from the amended bill.

A District Community Service Grant Authority consisting of the three legislative delegation members was created to allocate funds. Also, the tobacco funds distribution was changed, as well as the effective date of SB 486. The complaint also alleges SB 486 is discriminatory because a tax levied in Randolph County can be used in other counties. David Meddick, chairman of the Randolph County Democratic Executive Committee, said the group is planning to meet and make a decision on whether to join this lawsuit or not. Chambers County discussed it in executive session Monday but has taken no action. Clay County Commissioner Roy Johnson and individuals Terry Meek, Mary Wood and Andrea Jackson filed suit in Clay County against the same people, but added Johnny McReynolds, chairman of the Alabama Forestry Commission, the Clay County Industrial Development Council and Citizens For The Welfare of Animals in Clay County as defendants. Their opposition is to Senate Bill 476.

The complaint also asks the defendants be enjoined from the allocation of funds as directed by SB 476. The legislation will divert about $117,000 from the Clay County Commission's operating budget. SB 476 will increase the percentage of Clay County Tobacco tax receipts from 32 percent to 35 percent going to the Forestry Commission. The Industrial Development Council amount is increasing under the new bill from 20 to 25 percent. Not a current recipient of funds, under this bill the Citizens for the Welfare of Animals in Clay County will receive 15 percent of the tobacco tax receipts. Complaints are similar except when SB 476 becomes effective $68,000 will be diverted annually from the Clay County Commission General Fund and $48,000 will be diverted from the commission's fund dedicated to water feeder lines. Services may be eliminated or reduced. Planned water line extensions may be terminated.

The complaint also noted the percentage set aside for the Community Service Grant Authority in all three counties: Clay County's SB 476 specifies 25 percent, or on average $60,000 annually; Randolph County's SB 486 specifies 10 percent, or $50,000 annually; and Chambers County's SB 487 specifies 18 percent, or approximately $90,000 annually. According to the census Clay County's population is 13,932; Randolph County's is 22,913 and Chambers County's is 34,215. Per capita, Clay County residents will pay $4.30, Randolph residents $2.18 and Chambers residents$2.63. The complaint alleges Clay County residents are paying more per capita to fund the grant authority. Dial and Laird did not immediately return telephone calls Tuesday requesting comments on the lawsuit. Previously, Dial had said if people want to waste their money filing suit it is their business. He said Attorney General Luther Strange will defend them.

On tobacco, warnings that seem to be working

The federal government hopes that forcing tobacco companies to sell their deadly product in packages with ever-larger and more horrifying warning labels will continue to push Canadians to stop smoking or, better still, never take it up. By Wednesday, all retailers were supposed to be carrying cigarette and small-cigar packs featuring warning labels that cover 75 per cent of the package.

Since Canada began requiring tobacco companies to put warning labels on cigarette packages in 2000, there has been a significant decline in the number of Canadians who smoke cigarettes. In 2011, one in five Canadians aged 12 and older smoked. That had dropped from more than one in four in 2001. By 2010-11, nearly three-quarters of Canadians in Grades 6 to 12 said they had never tried smoking a cigarette – an increase from the previous such survey, in 2008-09, when 67 per cent said they had never tried.

 Graphic package warnings are almost certainly not the only reason behind these declines in smoking, but surveys have found that smokers say they pay attention to the warnings – especially large, graphic ones – in a way that they didn’t to written warnings. Tobacco kills about 45,000 Canadians a year. According to the Canadian Lung Association, that’s more than the total number of deaths from AIDS, car accidents, suicide, murder, fires and accidental poisonings combined.

More Teens Smoking Pot Than Cigarettes

Seems like teens have gotten the memo that cigarettes are bad for you; however, the same isn’t true for marijuana, according to a study by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.Released late last week, the government study revealed that in a nationwide study of 15,000 high school students, pot is now more popular among teens than cigarettes, CBS reports. Eighteen percent of surveyed students in 2011 reported smoking a cigarette in the past month, while 23% reported smoking marijuana in the last 30 days.

 Perhaps thanks to the anti-smoking campaigns in ads and in schools, or to the personal experiences teens may have with family members or relatives with lung cancer, cigarette use has been on the decline over the past few years. But apparently, the association of marijuana with cancer and other health risks is not as prevalent among teens. “I just hear a lot of dangers of cancer and cigarettes and I think that’s why a lot of teens look to marijuana,” Tianda, a Philadelphia high school junior who wasn’t identified by her full name, told CBS Philly.

While plenty of research has been done on the health effects of the marijuana use, results are mixed. A study published in the journal Addiction last year found that marijuana had little long-term effect on learning and memory, and that any cognitive damage was reversible. However, while there may not be lasting cognitive effects, there could be other health effects. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, marijuana smoke contains 50-70% more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco smoke, and that pot smokers usually inhale more deeply and hold their breath, which can lead to an even larger increase in exposure to the smoke.

Cigarettes help lure man off of tower

The promise of cigarettes persuaded a man to come down from an electrical transmission tower, which he had climbed after stealing a golf cart and a car and leading a high-speed chase from Aberdeen to Westport on Sunday, authorities say. The 26-year-old man, who lives in Aberdeen, has been charged with aggravated assault, grand theft, burglary, obstructing law enforcement, eluding and a parole violation, said Capt. Neil Bittner of the Aberdeen Police Department. Law enforcement would not release his name.

Brown County Deputy Kyle Crawford knew the man before Sunday's events, said Brown County Chief Deputy Sheriff Tom Schmitt. Crawford, from the ground, was talking to the suspect while he was on the tower, and the man offered to climb down and turn himself in if he could have a pack of cheap cigarettes, Schmitt said. Law enforcement agreed because it was a reasonable way to resolve the situation, Schmitt said. Sunday's events started when police received a report of domestic violence at 11:13 a.m. at the Ramkota Hotel, Bittner said. The man fled on foot to the Rolling Hills Golf Course, where he stole a golf cart and drove back to the Ramkota to hop in his car, which was parked there, Bittner said.

Howard Dahme, owner of the golf cart, said he parked his cart on the ninth hole and was putting when a young man wearing blue jeans and no shirt jumped into the golf cart and drove off. "By the time I had started to putt, the guy was already gone," Dahme said. The police arrived soon after, so Dahme pointed them to where the man fled. Dahme said he found his cart parked by the Ramkota Hotel with about 25 people gathered around. Dahme said he waited until officers told him he could take his cart home. He said the cart was undamaged. Dennis Cranford, an employee at the Ramkota Hotel, said he saw the man drive away in a white car. Cranford said the police arrived moments later and he pointed out the direction the man drove.

Then, about 1 p.m., the suspect left his car, entered a home in the northwestern part of town, then stole a car parked in the driveway, Bittner said. Aberdeen police officers, the South Dakota Highway Patrol and the Brown County Sheriff's Department all became involved in the pursuit when the suspect started heading toward Westport at speeds exceeding 100 mph, Bittner said. The man abandoned the vehicle in Westport and climbed up the transmission tower at about 2 p.m., as several residents from Westport watched. Schmitt said a negotiator was called in, but the man surrendered before the negotiator's arrival.

The suspect surrendered at about 2:30 p.m., Bittner said. Bittner said he didn't have a chance to call and verify if the man was in custody, but he believes the man is still being held, because he was arrested while on parole. The power line is owned by Basin Electric Power Cooperative, based in Bismarck, N.D., and operated by the Western Area Power Administration. The transmission line carries 345,000 volts, which is 3,000 times higher than a household current.

Tobacco growers in Singida expect big harvest

Tobacco Growers Cooperative Union 1995 Limited (CETCU)in the central zone expects to increase crop production to 1,800 kg per ha after more areas for cultivation have been added to the producers. Speaking at the launch of a tobacco market at Mitundu village, CETCU chairperson Yasin Dagaki said the union plans to increase production along with reducing the use of firewood when drying tobacco.

“We expect to increase production from the current 1,500kg to 1,800kg per ha, and this would go along with our plan of using advanced technology in drying tobacco thus reducing the use of firewood from 222 cubic meters per 1,000kg to 90 cubic meters,” he said. Dagaki explained that between the 2008/2009 and 2010/2011 seasons; CETCU operations saw 8,700 tons worth 20bn/- produced.

For her part, Manyoni District Commissioner Fatma Toufiq surprised by the drop in the number of farmers called on the cooperative union to study the situation and come up with remedies. “According to Tanzania Tobacco Board statistics, the 2010/2011 season has seen the decreasing number of farmers engaged in the tobacco production. It therefore recommended CETCU to carefully study the situation and come up with solution,” he said.

HAWC helps quitters fortify defenses against tobacco

Quitters never win, but Staff Sgt. Justin Bernal is actually winning by giving up. The 50th Force Support Squadron customer support NCO in charge began his war against tobacco in March. What began as a curiosity in the middle of 2007 turned into an on-and-off-again relationship. While at a survival, evasion, resistance and escape training on Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., Bernal witnessed an NCO using dipping tobacco, a finely ground, moistened smokeless tobacco product. He used to smoke cigarettes, but had already quit.

He asked if he could try dipping, and thus began his tobacco dilemma again. He would use the product every day after a meal or while driving to work in the morning. "I tried it and I liked the buzz," Bernal said. "It's the same feeling as smoking. It's just a little more powerful than a cigarette; the feeling is a lot stronger. It's very addictive." Nicotine is the psychoactive drug in tobacco products that produces dependence. It is the most common form of chemical dependence in the country. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, quitting smoking is difficult and may require multiple attempts. Users often relapse because of stress, weight gain or withdrawal symptoms, such as irritability, anxiety, difficulty concentrating and increased appetite. To fortify his defenses against tobacco, Bernal enlisted the Schriever Health and Wellness Center in his campaign. Since then, hasn't touched any tobacco products.

 "The tobacco cessation program provides support and information for tobacco users, regardless of their quitting methods," said Staff Sgt. Vanessa Arthur, HAWC NCO in charge. "Tobacco users attend the one-hour class once a week for four weeks." Participants receive information on how tobacco use can lead to nicotine dependence and serious health problems. It may cause various types of cancer, such as oral, stomach and pancreas; heart diseases including aortic aneurysm, atherosclerosis; pneumonia, influenza, bronchitis, emphysema and more. Though tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, the adverse health effects from cigarette smoking still account for an estimated 443,000 deaths, or nearly one out of every five deaths each year. With the HAWC's tobacco cessation class, the quitters are empowered to take action on their way to live tobacco-free lifestyle.

The staff will sit down and talk to participants about various plans of quitting. They may refer people to one of the providers involved with the cessation program who are able to provide medications. "It provides the help and encouragement quitters need," Arthur said. "It also gives quitters many techniques to deal with stress, withdrawal, weight gain, slips, relapses, setting goals and ambivalence." The class also gives information about addiction, behavior and stress management, fitness, nutrition and other prevention. "They give all the tools you need to quit," Bernal said. "It's just on you if you really want to give up.

These tools will not mean anything unless you use them." Bernal did want to quit. While other people have various reasons to quit, he gave up dipping because it is unappealing, it costs money and he wanted to live a healthier lifestyle. "The tobacco cessation program has all the tools to assist you for quitting," Bernal said. "The staff gives you a lot of recommendation. They are very helpful and provide you with useful information." Being nicotine-free for two months, Bernal still feels the urge to use tobacco. It is a constant battle he has to combat every day. However, HAWC is always there to provide help.

State may nudge public colleges to ban tobacco

A possible campuswide ban on tobacco products at the state’s public colleges and universities could have a significant impact on students because more than a quarter of adults ages 18-to-24 are smokers. James Tuschman, the chairman of the Ohio Board of Regents, told The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer that he plans to introduce a resolution later this month asking the state’s public schools to ban tobacco, an effort driven in part by the chief executive of the Cleveland Clinic. The decision to ban tobacco would fall to each school’s Board of Trustees. Of the region’s schools, Cedarville and Miami universities already have campuswide bans.

Smoking is not allowed anywhere on Miami’s campus, while Cedarville doesn’t allow even possession of tobacco products. A Springfield News-Sun survey of regional colleges showed a variety of policies in place, although all ban smoking inside universities buildings. There are differences in the distance smokers must be from building entrances (usually 15 to 25 feet) and availability of specific smoking areas. Clark State Community College is considering a policy that also would ban smokeless tobacco in nonsmoking areas, which most schools do not have in place. “(Smoking) comes up occasionally, but it often has to do with an area looking badly because people are throwing cigarette butts,” said Mark DeVilbiss, Wittenberg University’s associate dean for residence life.

 “We don’t see a lot of violations, we mostly hear about it in terms of litter.” Studying health The Ohio Department of Health last year produced a packet of information and suggestions for schools considering stronger policies against tobacco use. The ODH cited statistics showing that tobacco companies spend $724 million per year to market tobacco products in Ohio. Officials said they hope stronger tobacco policies will curb smoking among students. Nationally, 27 percent of people ages 18-24 are smokers, and 40 percent of college-age smokers began or increased smoking after starting college, according to the ODH. Similar research helped influence Tuschman’s stance on tobacco, he told The Plain Dealer.

A Board of Regents recommendation on tobacco use would be unique because it would enter into the student experience realm of campuses, said Dan Abrahamowicz, vice president for student affairs at Wright State University. “Mostly, they act in areas like switching to semesters or other administrative issues,” he said. “But this is the health dimension, safety dimension, social dimension. They have a concern about the welfare of our campuses, and I think it’s fine to have those suggestions.” Regional schools said they would consider such a recommendation before taking any action. Student smokers said they would adjust if necessary. “It’s not always necessary to smoke,” said Hulays Alzuraya, a 24-year-old Wright State senior from Saudi Arabia. “It’s just that sometimes people are on campus for 12 or 14 hours at a time, so it can help to smoke once or twice.”

California tobacco tax backers hope uncounted ballots turn tide

Backers of a tobacco tax initiative said Wednesday they were prepared to wait days, if not weeks, to see if uncounted ballots turn the tide in their favor. Proposition 29, which would hike the state's cigarette tax by $1 per pack, trailed by 63,176 votes after election officials counted 3.8 million ballots from Tuesday's election – a 50.8 percent to 49.2 percent margin. County officials are left to count hundreds of thousands of votes, most cast by last-minute voters who permanently use mail ballots. It was not immediately certain how many ballots remained, but nine of the state's most populous counties reported nearly 800,000 combined to count.

 Neither side was ready to declare the race over Wednesday, though initiative opponents felt confident that last-minute voters landed in their corner. They relied on a nearly $47 million war chest, mostly from the tobacco industry, to knock down support from a 67 percent high in March. After a night of little sleep, both sides called county election offices throughout California to assess how many mail ballots were left to count – and where. The locations may be most relevant to whether the sides consider the race over or wait for more ballots to be counted, since some big counties overwhelmingly swung one way or the other Tuesday. "We're very encouraged with a 63,000-vote lead, but there are obviously ballots still outstanding to be counted," said No on 29 spokeswoman Beth Miller. "We are waiting to get a better assessment of how many ballots are still outstanding and evaluate whether that will have an impact."

 Chris Lehman, campaign manager for the Yes on 29 side, acknowledged that proponents have an uphill battle if they are to still win the contest. "This campaign has been about a coalition of cancer survivors and their family members, and they're no stranger to long odds. They're going to vigilantly watch these returns come in and hope for the best." A Public Policy Institute of California poll showed that 67 percent of voters backed Proposition 29 in March when they were read the ballot language. But that number steadily declined through election day. The sides combined to spend nearly $60 million in the race, with the tobacco industry-fueled opposition raising nearly $47 million of that. Lehman said, "$47 million of distortions of the truth tend to have an impact on people."

 But opponents said the initiative was flawed, striking a chord with voters and some editorial boards who were concerned with how the tax dollars would be spent. Proposition 29 would raise $735 million annually to pay mostly for cancer research, as well as smoking cessation programs. Backers also highlighted the fact that higher cigarette taxes result in lower smoking rates. Opponents compared the spending plan to two previous voter-approved programs for stem-cell research and high-speed rail and questioned why the measure would not raise money for the state budget.