Secondhand Smoke, Asthma Link Remains

By Cole Petrochko, Staff Writer, MedPage Today Children with asthma were more likely to be exposed to secondhand smoke than those without the disease, researchers found. From 1999 to 2010, the overall rate of exposure to secondhand smoke among children without asthma declined from 57.3% to 44.2%, but the exposure rate remained nearly constant over the […]

Study Says Smoking Bans Don't Hurt Bars, Restaurants

A new study suggests a statewide law banning smoking in public places would not harm the restaurant and bar industry and the people who work in it. The study has been done in North Carolina, the nation’s leading state for tobacco production. It is the home of major tobacco companies including the nation’s largest one, […]

Cigarette Taxation Helps to Reduce Drinking Among Groups Considered Vulnerable

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death and disability in the U.S., while heavy drinking ranks as the third leading cause of preventable death. Cigarette taxation has been recognized as one of the most significant policy instruments to reduce smoking. Given that smoking and drinking often occur together, a first-of-its-kind study has examined […]

Cigarette Taxes Linked to Binge Drinking

By Elbert Chu, Associate Producer, MedPage Today Cigarette tax hikes were associated with a drop in the number of binge drinking bouts among male smokers and the amount of alcohol consumed when they did drink, investigators found. Compared with male smokers who were not hit with any cigarette tax increases, those who were binged seven fewer […]

New cigarette tax saves lives in Minnesota

By: Lindsay Aijala, Two Harbors, Lake County News Chronicle I’m writing in support of the $1.60 increase in the cigarette tax, which was included in the tax bill passed in the recently completed legislative session. The $1.60 per pack increase means that 47,000 Minnesota kids will never become addicted to cigarettes and have to face the […]