KUSA: Boulder, Colorado Expands Its Smoking Ban

Boulder, Colorado, a town 
very near and dear to me
has just given me one more 
good reason to consider 
moving back there...the town
just expanded their smoking 
ban...it's not cool to smoke 
(cigarettes) in Boulder 
anymore! There's nothing 
like fresh air in the Rockies!
Article by Joshua Hubbard
KUSA 9 News: Boulder CO Expands its Smoking Ban

WebMD.com: Anti-Smoking Policies May Also Be Curtailing Drinking

Alan Mozes writes that 
the increased tobacco 
taxes and smoking bans 
appear to be having an 
impact on alcohol 
consumption...
WebMD.com: Anti-Smoking Policies May Also Be Curtailing Drinking

Leonard Cohen turns 80; celebrates by starting smoking again...

A favorite songwriter of 
mine, Leonard Cohen, 
turned 80 on Sept 21, the 
International Day of Peace; 
and celebrated his milestone 
by lighting up his first 
cigarette in 30 years.
While I love his music, 
I don't get it-this ain't 
role model stuff but he 
never cared about that in 
the first place. Even if you 
don't think you know his 
music, you've heard it...
I understand his voice a 
little better now...Oh, Leonard.....
Article by Polly Davis Doig
USAToday.com: Leonard Cohen turns 80; will start smoking again...

Teen Smoking in N. Carolina...first the good news, then...

This just in from AP....
WCNC.com: NC Teen Smoking Down, but E cig, Vaping & Hookah Use Up

Cigarette smoking is down...

Other use (vaping, hookahs) is up...

I have not had a cigarette in more than four years....

It's been a long time since 
I was a smoker...
This is how one of my 
students, Claire Z, thought 
I looked like back in 1994...
complete with cigarette...

Times-Picayune: Smoking in New Orleans Music Clubs Stinks...article by Keith Spera

From Nola.com, Keith 
Spera comments on his 
colleague James Varney's 
nostalgia for Hermann 
Leonard's photos of "jazz 
icons in smoke filled 
nightclubs" of the bygone 
era" and how jazz, blues 
and ragtime can't be as 
cool now because of the 
lack of cigarette smoke.
Think the band and the 
audience would disagree... 
not to say that the band 
wasn't smokin'...

Times-Picayune: Smoking in New Orleans Music Clubs Stinks, Despite the Myth...

NY Daily News: NYC Smoking Rates Heading Back Up...

As they say...Mayor 
Bloomberg must be 
fuming... 
NYDailyNews.com: NYC Smoking Rate Inching back up...now 16+%

photo: Susan Watts NY Daily News

StateJournal.com: Anti-tobacco efforts strapped for funds despite millions in revenues...

George Hohmann writes about 
the states' anti-tobacco efforts 
and how they appear to be 
strapped for funds even 
after massive settlements 
from the tobacco companies 
in 1998. In an report filed by 
The Campaign for Tobacco 
Free Kids called "Broken 
Promises to Our Children", 
it points out the minuscule 
amounts states have actually 
been using towards tobacco 
prevention...
this article focuses on Virginia...
StateJournal.com: Anti-tobacco efforts strapped for funds despite millions in revenues...

Washington Post: Doonesbury's Mr. Butts....new bizarre twist...

RTS has been blogging 
about the problems the 
FDA has encountered 
trying to unravel Big 
Tobacco's legal logic. 

Thank you to Tobacco 
Free Kids for pointing 
out this wonderfully 
bizarre logic brought to 
us by Doonesbury and 
Mister Butts....
Washington Post: Doonesbury- Mister Butts

Chicago Tribune: As Big Tobacco takes up e-cigarettes, investors look ahead- A Must Read Article.

Martinne Geller & 
Jilian Mincer of Reuters
report in depth for the 
Chicago Tribune about 
the current state of 
business of  e-cigarette 
& vaping products; & 
how investors now 
perceive the Industry 
as regulations at the 
municipal, state & country
levels seek to restrict the 
sale & use of these products.
A most important article...
Chicago Tribune: As Big Tobacco takes up e-cigarettes, investors look ahead

photo: Mario Anzuoni

TIME: Here's the BEST WAY to Get Someone to Quit Smoking...

Alexandra Sifferlin
writes for TIME that 
"a new study published 
in the journal Nicotine 
& Tobacco Research
shows that the graphic 
tactic might not work 
on all smokers. The 
effectiveness of anti-
smoking messaging 
depends on the attitude 
of the smoker..." 
TIME: Here’s the Best Way to Get Someone to Quit Smoking

A positive message from the CDC

BangorDailyNews.com: Hookah Smoking a Hot Trend, but...

Lizzie Johnson reports on 
an "alternative" to cigarette 
smoking, the Hookah. My 
generation used it for an 
entirely different reason.
From the POV of RTS, this 
is ALL about cool, the 
hipster thing- it isn't 
particularly healthy to 
smoke, as a single drag 
from a hookah doses the 
user with an unfiltered blast 
of smoke, tar and nicotine, 
albeit cooled down, that is 
many times the strength 
and volume of that of a 
puff from a cigarette...

I'm aware that young adults 
probably don't want to listen 
to what RTS has to say... 
but nightly hookah indulgence
is similar to smoking packs 
of unfiltered cigarettes...
or don't believe it... it's 
probably the worst way to 
take in tobacco, from the 
standpoint of your lungs...

btw...to the "ex-smoker" in 
the article who said "this is 
kind of cheating"- news for
you- if you're smoking a hookah- 
you are NOT an ex-smoker.
YOU ARE A SMOKER.
Tell us all about the safety 
of Shisha...

Good luck on this habit....

...of course, if you're the 
Caterpillar, none of this matters...
BangorDailyNews.com: Hookah smoking is a hot trend for young adults, but...

Sourcenewspapers.com: Michigan's Smoking Rate Declines

Nicole Seguin is an 
online editor for 
DigitalFirstMedia.com 
She reports on the State 
of Michigan's decline 
in its smoking rate. 
Michigan is where I 
learned to smoke and 
had my first cigarette.
Go Michigan...BREATHE!
The chart shows percentages 
of adult smokers...
Michigan Smoking Rates Decline

A Billboard in Yemen....

RJ Reynolds promotes their 
Gold Coast brand in San'aa, 
Yemen... 
don't see any warnings...

StarAfrica.com: Anti-Tobacco Campaign Launched in Francophone Africa

Africa's French speaking 
countries, which include 
Senegal, Benin, Cote d'Ivoire 
and Burkina Faso now have 
an anti-tobacco campaign
It is partially funded by the 
Bill and Melinda Gates 
Foundation and Bloomberg 
Philanthropies. The campaign 
begins with the cautionary tale
of Idrissa, a smoker who gets 
cancer at a relatively young age...
StarAfrica.com: Anti-tobacco Campaign Launched in Francophone Africa

Bloomberg: Magic Mushrooms may help smokers to quit....

Now wouldn't this change 
the landscape of smoking 
cessation? Literally and 
visually? This article by 
Michelle Fay Cortez, for 
Bloomberg, shows a 
stunningly high rate of 
success for a cognitive 
behavior therapy program 
at Johns Hopkins University
in Baltimore that included 
the administering two to 
three doses of the psychedelic 
ingredient in "Magic 
Mushrooms," Psilocybin. 
Journaling and behavior 
modification were also key 
elements of the study. More 
than 80% of participants 
remained smoke free after 
six months...wow... 
Bloomberg.com: Magic Mushrooms Help Smokers Kick Habit in small study

photo: Roger Cremers/Bloomberg

Ad Age: The Truth? Latest Anti-Smoking Effort a Hot Mess...

RTS is a big fan of 
TheTruth.com; but
as Ad Age says, coming 
after celebrities to blame 
them for everybody else's
smoking is a bit far 
fetched in this day and age.
While the cool factor in 
smoking has been promoted 
since the 30's...attacking
actors who smoke today by 
using them in these ads makes 
them out to be uncaring influences.
The suggestion that they lead 
youth to ruin somewhat violates 
these actors' right to privacy 
and free will.

RTS thinks the focus should 
be on the condescending attitude 
of Big Tobacco towards young folks...
now that's worth getting mad 

about...!!! TheTruth.com knows 
how to do that! 
Ad Age: The Truth? Latest Anti-Smoking Effort a Hot Mess...

Tom Toles, Washington Post

Ky3.com: Branson businesses fume against proposed no-smoking ordinance

Branson, Missouri, an 
entertainment destination 
since the 80's, is pressing 
for a no smoking ordinance,
which is being met with 
mixed reviews, especially 
by the pub owners. What a 
smoking ban means to this 
city economically remains 
to be seen...
Jehan Shiekh reports...
Ky3.com: Branson businesses fume against proposed no-smoking ordinance

Here the Smoking Ban Applies to All....

From my great nephew David...
to brighten your morning...
what a dog...!

MuskogeePhoenix.com: Youths Learn Anti-Tobacco Techniques...

Cathy Spaulding writes about 
the group Students Working 
Against Tobacco (SWAT) as 
students from Muskogee, 
Warner and Haskell schools 
attended a SWAT training 
session at the Muskogee, OK
Civic Center. Social media 
and speaking face to face 
communication are some of 
the ways young people are 
learning to spread the word 
about being smoke free. Love 
that part of the new advocacy 
is to spread the anti-smoking 
word in the same way that 
RTS NicNews has been doing 
with this blog since 2012.
Go get 'em, kids! Good on ya!

MuskogeePhoenix.com: Youths Learn Anti Tobacco Techniques

Washington Post: Watch the US Quit Smoking Over 40 Years

This article for the Post 
by Reid Wilson tracks 
the tax revenues and 
quantities of consumption
that tobacco has brought 
in and the amount of 
smoking going on per state 
since 1970. Note that Utah 
has always been a relatively 
smoke free state; and in '94,
California began to match 
Utah for packs per person...
Washington Post: Watch the US quit smoking over 40 years

This is one of the reasons why this addiction is so ingrained in us...all our heroes...

Here's to you, Mrs. Robinson...

ABC NEWS: E Cigarette Sellers Fuming at CVS Tobacco Ban

Now e cigarette sellers are 
claiming they're medicinal 
and should be considered a 
health product-much the 
same way that cigarettes used 
to be "good for your throat..."
Liz Neporent chronicles the 
righteous indignation of the 
electronic cigarette marketeers 
over the products' exclusion 
as a nicotine-based health aid 
in the CVS Tobacco policy 
change. The battle is now 
raging on a number of fronts...
ABC News: E cigarette manufacturers fuming at CVS tobacco ban 

This made every man want to light a lady's cigarette...

Nicotine Dream # 381...

Photo by Clavijo...

No Morer Smoking in Haavaad Yaad...

Harvard follows other schools 
in banning smoking; in this 
case, in historic Harvard Yard.
This would have ticked off my 
dad and his friends, no doubt.
article by Steve Annear...
Boston Magazine: Harvard Bans Smoking in Harvard Yard

Somethings are going really right in the Ukraine....

One of the top per capita 
tobacco consuming nations,
the Ukraine is experiencing 
a noticeable decrease in 
smokers as the cigarette 
excise tax hit 55% Sept 1. 
That said, the Ukraine still 
has some of cheapest smokes 
in Europe. Another thing 
to annoy Russia...
article by Ivan Verstyuk
kyivpost.com: Smoking popularity drops as government hikes taxes

Photo: Anastasia Vlasova

It sure was smokey right outside the airport doors....

Dropped someone off today 
at LAX; then walked outside 
a couple of terminals in the 
Departure and Arrival areas.
Haven't run into that much 
smoke since a pool hall I recall
back in '02... 

will breathe ocean air this 
afternoon to compensate...

E Cig Vapor May Be Less Toxic Than Cigarette Smoke...?

Something about this 
scientific reasoning 
reminds me of some 
of the logic Robin 
Williams would come 
up with...
"They say E Cigarette 
vapor may be less toxic 
than cigarette smoke... 

...that's like saying fat 
people are healthy because 
they might exercise..."
Article by Randy Dotinga

WebMD.com: E cigarette vapor may be less toxic than cigarette smoke...?

Mara, the God of Deception and Dissolution...

When I was first trying to 
quit smoking...this last time,
I ran into a guy like this in 
my nightmares fairly often...
have you seen him....? 
night sweats were no extra charge... 
Quitting was one scary cartoon-

But if CVS can do it, so can YOU!

They were so baaad in the 50's....

Actor Steve McQueen & 
unidentified vixen, 1957
from the LIFE photo gallery

Click on "green" Steve McQueen for Wikipedia page

USA Today: CVS Stops Selling Tobacco Today; Offers Quit Smoking Programs

ASTONISHING!
CVS Caremark promised that 
it would stop selling cigarettes; 
and TODAY'S the day!
USA Today's Jayne O'Donnell 
and Laura Ungar report on the 
decisions of this corporation 
that are putting people in 
front of profits. Thank you 
to #Tobaccofreekids 
for the heads up this morning...
USA Today: CVS Stops Selling Tobacco Today; Offers Quit Smoking Programs

CVS Quits For Good

So... are chromium and nickel the future culprits?

This article by Vishakha 
Sonawane about the new 
research from USC delves 
into the exact components 
in e cigarettes at issue here...
Story from HNGN.com
HNGN.com: Less 2nd hand stuff, but e cigs have lots of chromium & nickel...