New additions - August 2006

August 31
It's Hard Out Here For a Restaubar Entrepreneur - There's just no pleasing some people
Some would claim the legislation reeks of the Nanny State - Pro-ban
Petition launched to overturn Anchorage smoking ban
Smoke 'Em (Elsewhere) If You Got 'Em - Tips are down
Spain rejects anti-smoking law
Ten Reasons why you should not buy cigarettes - Fact or Propaganda????
Smoke-free or smoke less? - US Ohio
Altadis Second-Quarter Profit Drops 36% on Spanish Cigarettes - might this suggest that non.total bans are quite effective
State's smoking rate way down even before new ban took effect - could bans be overkill? - Education the answer
In our view: Cigarette issues - "In short, Missouri youngsters apparently aren't smoking because they don't want to smoke"
Smoking in Leeds hospitals now banned - Usual phrase "smoke-free environment will be better for everyone" -Is that true for smokers and the stress of not being able to satisfy their habit???
Complaints show puffs of resistance to smoking ban - Santa Fe

August 30
Issue is government control, not smoking - Good comment
Where there's smoke, there's people - Good Comment
£50 smoking fines doled out to cabbie and office worker - Edinburgh
'Drug Haven' at hospital - Burnley
Bars Benefit From Beaumont Smoking Ban - That's the ones outside the town
Clearing the air on smoking ban in restaurants - US with some mention of compromise
Business uses loophole in smoking ban - US - Hookah
Eight exemptions to smoking ban - US
Property rights attack continues - US
Towns urged to OK smoking bans by fall - US
Bar owners stubbed out of smoking conference - US
NK bars flare despite smoking ban - US Selective BUT admits "the gross income of bars and taverns has dropped 3.4 percent since the ban"
Austin smoking ban: A year later - US

August 29
Broker snap: Smoking ban fears loom at S&N
‘Four pubs and a club doomed by smoking ban’
Time to kick the habit - pathetic Canadian comment
Health Committee Report - evidence to MSPs from TMA - an interesting read
Hospitals fail to cut out smoking -(Staff training) Sessions at Burnley General Hospital even had to be cancelled because turn out was so low.
Does social engineering work? -It seems someone thinks it could be worthwhile!!!
Fagbusters issue first fine - from the Shetlands
Mental Health Units Should Not Be Exempt From Smoking Ban In UK
Shopping for change - about obesity but - "MPs voted for a smoking ban because the public now feels entitled to eat and drink in a smoke-free environment."
Van and taxi drivers fined in smoking ban crackdown -NEARLY 50 people have been fined for flouting the smoking ban by just one Scots council.
Lighting-up under fire - some fors and against from South Africa
Warning over 'smoke-easy' lock-ins - Scotland

August 28
Working Class Die Younger + Poverty affects health more than smoking, study suggests - both suggest that factors other than smoking lead to earlier death

August 27
Cigarette adverts at shop counters 'must be banned'
Smokers Prevalences, Lung Cancer Rates and Life Expectancies - Interesting statistics
Probe after Smoking Stone lights up at Hampden - with insulting our intelligence comment from ASH

August 26
American Cancer Society catches the Surgeon General in an outright lie... - interesting read
Rank mulls cash boost from Hard Rock sale - Ban has hurt Bingo

August 25
Smoking Ban Hurting Small Taverns? US
Where have all the smokers gone? + lots of comments
Health lobby dismisses Scottish smoking ban damage claim
Fired up on smoking ban - Australia
Bar Owners: Smoke Ban Has Slashed Income - US Denver
The real issue is rights, say both sides of smoking ban -US
Calif. city: Secondhand smoke a nuisance - US - stop your neighbour smoking!!
Shop-a-smoker hotline on way - UK - Oxford
Comments: Challenging Smoking Bans - very interesting comments

August 24
Licensees serving food could face huge tax hike - A hidden tax danger
Smoking ban leads to fall in drink sales -Scotsman with 'anti' comments
PUB BAN ON CIGS 'A DISASTER' - with 'comments'
Back to the ban - a trip back to Ireland
Smokers galled over ban - France
HEY BUDDY! YOU DROPPED YOUR CIGARETTE BY MISTAKE -Canada but they won't allow an ashtray outside!!!
Mentally ill 'need smoking ban too' - those 'experts' again
Information about the true risks would be better - Scotland -3 good letters questioning the 'facts'
Bingo profits plummet - Edmonton Canada
BANNED BECAUSE OF SMOKE BAN - MP
Health board reveals it has most diehard smokers - Glasgow

August 23
France May Ban Public Smoking in Jan; Too Early, Lobbies Say
SCOTLAND Smoke ban hits Scottish pub takings Morning Advertiser- 'Drop in trade' after smoking ban IC Network- Pub smoking ban has led to '11% fall in takings' 24dash.com - Smoking ban hits pubs The Sun- Smoke ban clearing pubs of punters Scotsman + Anti-smoking group attacks smoking ban survey The Publican + Anti-smoking group attacks trade's figures Morning Advertiser - Pubs idle as smoke ban hits Evening Telegraph - City stubs out smoke ban claims A prominent Aberdeen publican believes claims drinkers have been driven away by the smoking ban are flawed, because of the summer football and the heat. - Scottish smoking ban leaves landlords fuming Guardian - Scotland's smoking ban 'drives away regulars' Times Online - Kerr says 'no evidence' bars will fail Evening Times - 'Ban has led to drop in takings' BBC - Pub takings in Scotland plummet after smoking is banned The Independent
The Big Question: Have the bans on smoking in public places been a success? The Independent
New ruling on smoking in market - Wigan
Total smoking ban for hospital - Kings Lynn
The match of the day - 'Smirting' in Oldham
Health board reveals it has most diehard smokers - Glasgow
Smoking problem goes beyond Tom and Jerry + an anti-smoking letter
Full house as £3m bingo hall opens !!!! Evening Times

August 22
Social status proven to be direct link to the ageing process - could this be more important than smoking?
Sector Insight: Cigarettes - Sales down, duty up - interesting figures + smokers smoke fewer ciggies
Smoking out of doors banned by council - West Lindsey Council
Treat smokers with sympathy - similar to the above but has sense
Scottish politicians take aim at ritual of buying rounds of drinks -tradition has no place in 'New Scotland'
Publicans see profits going up in smoke -Norfolk publicans are waking up to the problems

August 21
Smoking bans and hypocrisy - 16 February 2006 -David Gauke MP
Smoking ban for 'Tom and Jerry' in Britain
Letters in Scotland - Scepticism about risks of passive smoking
Smoking ban is blamed as city bingo club closes - Glasgow -also shopping centre hurt by ban
STUBBED OUT BY SMOKING BAN New law blamed for the Forge's huge slump in business; from July 28
Smoking ban debate smolders - US Business owners report varied results
Three-month consultation launched before the public-places smoking ban comes in next year -Wales -with reasons for the ban!
Only five countries have taken the plunge -Wales
'Trainspotting' could never be made in Scotland now - Wales (Again??? Why so much today?)
Smoke ban will hit profits - claim - Norfolk

August 20
Smoke ban has some smoldering -Rule seen as ironic in tobacco state
Letters: Bars don't victimize employees as some say
Now shops may be forced to hide cigarettes - More ridiculous Scottish rant
The people will decide - heavily edited!
All smoke and mirrors - article on business page
The author of his own misfortune - Slamming Mc Connell
A nip in the air - Scotland - Midge capital of the non-smoking world ;>)
Prisoners awarded bargain buckets of fast food if they give up smoking
Link to http://www.smokingcafe.com
Another Increase In Tobacco Sales (30/07/06) from SadIreland

August 19
Ban, ban, ban, ban... - A tory view?
No Smoking -US Commentary
Anti-smoking groups support smokers over EU job ban - That's good of them!
Starving kids' TV of funds - and fun - interesting commentary - not about smoking but.....
Some nonsmokers huffy about ban, too - US - outdoor ban
Eatery says it lost business because of smoke ban

August 18
Should smoking be banned in public places? US place for comment
Commissioners turn down survey offered by smoking ban advocates US -“They don’t want it to be seen as an invitation to tobacco companies with their vast resources to come in and try to influence the outcome,” !!!!!!!! BUT they're happy to let anti-smokers influence it with their vast resources
Smoking out of doors banned by council - Lincolnshire
MANKATO, Minn. (AP) - City Councilor Joe Frederick has resigned, saying he needed to give more attention to his restaurants, which he said have suffered since the City Council approved a smoking ban.
Meet Our Smokers: A Dying Breed - Commentary from LA
Federal judge studies legality of smoking ban -US
The Irish Times also reports that while it would be rash to declare the death of the pub, a growing number appear to be closing their doors and cashing in their chips as valuable properties.
Smoking ban a drag on bar take? - US - (more go to restauants = obesity???)

August 17
Smoking Ban Crippling Local Casinos - Seattle, US
Bar sales down, but is smoking ban to blame? Depends who you ask - US
A non-smoking France? Non merci
Police bar smoking in cells (forcewide) - Avon & Somerset
Ban? What smoke ban? - Will Merseyside wake up to the ban?
Hospital finds smoking ban impossible to enforce

August 16
Letter to CO and all bar owners - Brilliant BUT it's not peer reviewed so it must be a lie!!!!!!!!!!
Business owners and reps take to City Hall -US - the City’s oppressive smoking ban is running them out of business.
Dublin introduces ordinance to curb second-hand smoke -US not Eire - "placing wafting cigarette smoke in the same category as abandoned cars, weeds and vicious dogs."

August 15
Man. judge overturns conviction of bar owner who broke smoking ban -Canada
Sedentary lifestyle causes more deaths than smoking, says study - from July 28, 2004
END SHOPS' CHEAP BEER SAY, ER.. PUBS "It fears the smoking ban, due in England and Wales next year, will make home-drinking even more common. "
Voices: Smoking ban - Joplin MO - Simple letter - "I have an elderly father who smokes. He said he would rather die at home...... "
Passport law could threaten border business - In Windsor, the hassles of border crossings -- coupled with Ontario's smoking ban -- have already hurt gambling at Casino Windsor and the city's once-popular bingo halls.

August 14
Enterprise pubs disposal fetches £318m - poorer quality, predominantly 'wet-led' pubs (those depending on beer rather than food) will almost inevitably suffer some permanent decline in trade,
Light up or leave Australia -NON-SMOKERS are being banned from drinking in outdoor smoking areas in pubs and clubs under draconian council rules.

August 13
Landlords weed out smokers - Canada -not letting flats to smokers
The Bacchus behind the bar -US -Bacchus, like many other area restaurants was hit hard by the ban on indoor smoking which went into effect in 2003.
Hospital smoking ban discriminates -US -Interesting commentary
Ex-bar owner blames Appleton smoking ban
No full house for builder - Here's the obvious -- Shut the clubs, shut the pubs and lets build flats

August 12
Focus: Kill or cure? an old one but this shows medical lurching from theory to theory
WHO LAUNCHES PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY TO HELP SMOKERS QUIT -from way back in 1999

August 11
DoH rapped for slashing smoking cessation work - Do some charities think they'll lose out on funding???
Portugal bosses can refuse jobs to smokers --This is still going round despite the withdrawal
Does Secondhand Smoke Really Cause Cancer? by Sam Barron - Well worth a read
S'thorne gives smokers a break they don't have to move 15 feet away from the building!!!
Neighbors in discord with 13th St. music club - What do you expect when you force them outside?
West Fargo mayor proposing smoking ban change - Make it less strict!!!!
Fringe play swaps smoke with coke -MSP Brian Monteith said the ban was making Scotland the "laughing stock" of the artistic community.
Smoking ban burns Ice House - US - BENTONVILLE — After three weekends of a statewide smoking ban and a continual loss in business, the Ice House restaurant is bringing back smoking and keeping out patrons under the age of 21.

August 10
Smoking ban is killing our trade - Fife -The Scottish Executive consulted widely on the legislation and public support was overwhelmingly in favour of banning smoking in enclosed public places.
Public warms to smoking ban
Money pushes referendums - moans about 'tobacco' money but never mentions charity's funding
WORKER SACKED FOR CIG BREAK - Fife- A 12 hour shift with no true break
Brewer Scottish & Newcastle rose 2 per cent, or 11p, to 530p, after losing 2.6 per cent on Tuesday on interim results. However, investment bank ING cut its target price on the brewer to 479p from 500p citing a weaker than average portfolio and worries that the smoking ban across the UK could necessitate more cost-cutting measures. http://business.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1159552006
Judge temporarily halts smoking ban enforcement US
Smoking ban a drag for some drama productions -US
Cheyenne bars brace for smoking ban - US - Bar closing & re-opening outside city limits

August 9
Revolution a-Brewing - Who'll police a smoking ban at this sort of event?
Smoked out - "But to not hire employees simply because they're smokers smacks of downright silliness"
DRINKING BAN IS BEING FLOUTED - So drinkers/smokers have been driven into the street - What did they expect!!
German Smoking Ban Would End a Vicarious Pleasure: Amity Shlaes -Jumbled comment
Parliamentary Ombudsman rules against discrimination of smokers in hiring - Finland
EC denies supporting discrimination against smokers
Buzz mailbag: -"He confirmed that some weddings haven't booked because of the smoking issue, and business has been down 45 percent overall since the ordinance went into effect July 1,"
Smoke ban wins huge support among night partiers - Edinburgh council praises itself ==75% say it's improved their going out ! = 25% say it hasn't?? study soon after start of ban in Edinburgh

August 8
Polly’s has new owner US
Meet Mr. Honesty - good comments- US
Hugging can expose infants to smoking health risk What next! - from the Scotsman
The last gasp - Watch out Germany -We've heard it all before
Smoking ban not responsibility of Assembly + Feedback from Neil E Dunn
Battle of the Fringe runs out of puff as Churchill surrenders his cigar Aug 8 -Key quote "They told us if we proceeded they would make an example of us. I would get fined personally and would never be able to hold a licence again. I do think it's crazy." - Mr Burdett-Coutts, Fringe producer --

August 7
Quebec health minister denies province targeting bars in anti-smoking effort - It's ok for him, he lives in dreamland on a salary and a good pension!!!!
Too many Mel Smith reports to mention but he certainly has shown the Scottish ban to be the ass it is - most amusing is an American report suggesting that this is what's coming for them!! -
what_i_learned_about_winston_churchill_and_freedom_from_the_edinburgh_fringe_festival -""He (Churchill) predicted that a Labour victory would necessitate "some sort of Gestapo, no doubt very humanely directed in the first instance.” He feared socialism could not function “without a political police” and gave warning that it would set out to mold people’s conduct as well as their standard of living." -How True.
No rest for the righteous - opinion from Calgary
Immigration, smoking - 55.3 percent want smoking banned while 44.7 choose to allow it. This is NO MANDATE by the people.
Smoke ban deters gamblers - drop in gambling means about $60 million a year less from pub charities for sports and community group
Actor fights them on the stage over smoking ban - MEL SMITH became the first performer at the Edinburgh Fringe to defy Scotland’s smoking ban yesterday. - Smith rethink on smoking gesture - venue could be closed!!

August 6
Choice should be the owner's
Hospital workers to catch smokers -"smoking all round the hospital site causes patients, visitors and staff to choke on the fumes"
Ind. mental-health advocate warns against smoking ban - Maine
Colorado Springs- Businesses, smokers adapt, with some difficulty, to ban + SPEAKUP: How has the smoking ban affected your business?
Smoke rings -Plans to set up a hotline to shop publicans and cafe owners who flout the smoking ban in Ulster have left a city councillor fuming.

August 5
EU employers free to refuse jobs to smokers
Smoking ban causes chaos among hotels -Australia -“Bar staff may have been suffering from the smoky atmosphere, but now some won’t have a job at all — which is worse?”
Restaurants want to keep patrons, allow smoking - US business
Smith battles council over smoking ban
Irish fork out for six-figure gardens - "The trend towards entertaining at home, particularly since the smoking ban, has convinced people that it’s worth spending large sums on their gardens.” -- It won't cause more drinking at home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

August4
Rise in smokers managing to kick the habit -Does this show the ban was not needed?
Some Charities Concerned about Smoking Ban`s Effects - do they care?
DoH & Treasury replies to ONS %age discrepancy -They believe what they say!!!!!!!
Alex's TV vision is just a real turn-off -Could this be next for Scotland
Final last call -Pat's Cafe owner blames beer bar closure on smoking ban another US closure
NURSES were today ordered to "stub it out" – even when going home.- It's geting sillier

August 3
Brewer Housing Authority Banning Smoking Inside Some Subsidized Housing - elderly housing in Maine
Dirty Dick and Co get sanitised -If you believe that pubs should be places for adults to make merry, think again
SMOKING BAN BLAMED AS DINER CLOSES DOWN
Scotland's smoke ban starts to hit pub sales
Image from Brad Warthen's Blog - <(o¿o)> ---------->>>
Scents: Chemical in Many Air Fresheners May Reduce Lung Function AND
Health: Flavoring agent destroys lungs AND
Health: Dr Kitty Little on diesel fumes All worth a separate section maybe

August 2
SMOKING BAN BLAMED AS DINER CLOSES DOWN
Staff happy after first month of ban But will they have a job?
LICENSEES WANT SMOKING BAN RELAXED - from FIFE
Tobacco users' job chances might go up in smoke
Smoking ban may extend to day care maybe can't look after Grandchild???

August 1
Smokescreen -Sanctimonious busybodies impose own agenda on city
Merchants look for smoking gun - the 'trade' is ignored as usual
Cigar Club Goes Corporate to Survive