North Dakota No. 1 in protecting kids from tobacco

By: Helmut Schmidt, INFORUM WASHINGTON – North Dakota is ranked first in the nation in funding programs to prevent kids from smoking and to help smokers quit, according to a report released Monday by a coalition of public health organizations. The state will spend $9.5 million in fiscal year 2014 on tobacco prevention and cessation programs. […]

E-cigarettes cause alarming increase in calls to poison control center

Kentucky Regional Poison Control Center sees 333-percent increase LOUISVILLE, Ky. — As the debate about electronic cigarette regulation continues with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and device manufacturers, data from one state poses concerns that should be part of the conversation. E-cigarettes consist of a rechargeable lithium battery, a liquid cartridge and an […]

Bars one year into smoke-free

Tim Chapman – Tribune Editor , Pierce County Tribune Rugby bars have been smoke free for just over one year now. Three of the city’s bar owners said business hasn’t been hurt because the state ban made for an even playing field. Lee Ekren has owned Lee’s Bar for 47 years and said the ban […]

Keep E-Cigarettes Away From Teens

Chicago Sun Times Editorial Board Electronic cigarettes, those hip new cigarettes that blow a thick white vapor rather than smoke, are clearly less harmful than real cigarettes. But that doesn’t mean e-cigarettes are harmless. And until we know something different, that’s how we ought to treat them. Folks who are wary of e-cigarettes — battery-operated […]

E-cig boom leads to taxation, regulation questions

WOODBURY, Minn. (AP) — Stores that sell increasingly popular e-cigarettes are popping up around the Twin Cities, highlighting the lack of regulation or taxation of the tobacco alternative. E-cigarettes are battery powered and produce a nicotine vapor. Owners of stores that sell the devices told the St. Paul Pioneer Press that demand skyrocketed in July when […]