The Guardian (December 11)
Under New Zealand’s ban on smoking, “those aged 14 and under in 2027 will never be able to buy tobacco products legally. The legal smoking age will increase with every year that passes–meaning that in 2073, someone who is 61 will be able to buy cigarettes whereas someone who is 60 will not. But, as the government ramps up anti-drug measures in the UK at the same time, you have to ask – when has criminalising a substance ever worked?”
Tags: Age, Anti-drug, Ban, Cigarettes, Criminalising, Government, Legal, New Zealand, Smoking, Tobacco, UK
New York Times (March 6)
“California is often at the vanguard of important policy changes. The state’s move toward raising the legal age to buy cigarettes should inspire other states to take similar steps to protect young people.”
Tags: California, Cigarettes, Legal age, Policy changes, Protect, Vanguard, Young people
The Los Angeles Times (January 21, 2014)
Half a century ago, the Surgeon General declared cigarette smoking causes lung cancer. Since the earth-shattering report, “the percentage of Americans who smoke has dropped by more than half,” with only 18% still lighting up. “Other developed countries have achieved similarly dramatic smoking reductions.” Staggering estimates are put on items such as lives saved and medical costs eliminated. “But this is not the end of the story, sadly.” Cigarette smoking has grown dramatically in developing countries, nearly tripling between 1970 and 2000 alone. “There are now 1 billion smokers globally, almost one-third of the world’s adult population, and smoking rates are increasing in some countries, such as Bangladesh and Indonesia.”
Tags: Bangladesh, Cigarettes, Developed countries, Developing countries, Estimates, Indonesia, Lives, Lung cancer, Medical costs, Smokers, Surgeon General, U.S.
New York Times (March 13)
New Yorkers will still be able to buy their supersized drinks. A court struck down Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s ban on large servings of sugary drinks, the day before it was to be enforced. “The big-drinks ban was ill conceived and poorly constructed from the start.” Instead, the Mayor should work to “impose a penny-per-ounce tax on sugary drinks. Just as taxes helped cut the use of cigarettes, taxes could help cut the public’s indulgence in high-calorie, giant drinks.”
Tags: Ban, Bloomberg, Calories, Cigarettes, New York, Supersized, Tax
CBS (April 19)
First New York banned cigarettes in workplaces, then parks and beaches. Now, Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants to make it easier for residents to find smoke-free housing. His proposal would require that potential renters and apartment buyers be informed of a building’s smoking policy. The Mayor explained his reasoning. “Because of air circulation in buildings, if you smoke in one apartment, other people in the building do get some of that smoke.”
First New York banned cigarettes in workplaces, then parks and beaches. Now, Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants to make it easier for residents to find smoke-free housing. His proposal would require that potential renters and apartment buyers be informed of a building’s smoking policy. The Mayor explained his reasoning. “Because of air circulation in buildings, if you smoke in one apartment, other people in the building do get some of that smoke.”
Tags: Beaches, Cigarettes, Housing, New York, Parks, Workplaces
