Read a little. Learn a lot. • Tightly-written news, views and stuff • Follow us on Twitter • Be a Facebook Fan • Tumble us!

22 Dec 2011 11:28

tags

Biz: Christmas miracle: Why Virginia farms plant lots of evergreens these days

  • cause Tobacco has long been a key crop for farmers in Virginia, and until the early 2000s, it was a heavily-regulated industry, with quotas and price supports for farmers. However, in 2004, the industry was largely deregulated.
  • reaction After the deregulation happened, farmers got money from the federal government allowing them to focus on new kinds of crops. One of the big ones? Christmas trees, which are hard to smoke but pretty easy to decorate. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Jun 2011 14:41

tags

U.S.: FDA issues graphic warnings to help smokers quit

  • Starting next year, cigarettes Will have to put warnings like this on all their packs. The graphic warnings will cover up about half of the pack — both front and back. (For a slideshow of the graphic images, check here.) They should hit around September of next year. While the FDA says that this will help people quit, others say smokers are already aware of the risk they take when they light up. It’s also worth noting that other countries have had much harsher warnings on their cigarettes for years, and studies have shown they’ve helped people quit smoking. Either way, tobacco companies aren’t happy with this, and neither are many smokers. What do you think? source
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 May 2011 17:23

tags

World: Smokers of the world, quit! Today is “World No Tobacco Day”

  • Never a bad time: The new, concerning report on cell phone use isn’t the only place you’ll hear the word “carcinogenic” being used today; May 31st is World No Tobacco Day, a cause that could probably benefit from a slightly less clunky title. The World Health Organization estimates that some 6 million people die each year from tobacco-related illness. Anti-smoking measures within the U.S. have blossomed over the last decade, with smoking bans in public places, restaurants, and bars becoming more and more prevalent across the states — check here for a list of smoking bans applicable in your area. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Mar 2011 20:57

tags

U.S.: Nanny state: People up in arms about the smoking in “Rango”

  • 100+ number of scenes where characters smoke in the just-released animated flick “Rango”
  • 60 number of smoking scenes in “101 Dalmations,” the only other animated film that comes close source
  • » Won’t someone please think of the CHILD-REN?! Some groups are coming out against the Johnny Depp film as a result, saying that there are so many scenes of characters smoking in “Rango,” they need a DVD to get a firm number. “A lot of kids are going to start smoking because of this movie,” said Stanton Glantz, an anti-tobacco activist and official at the University of California-San Francisco. While they have a point, is it really worth all this hand-wringing?
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

05 Mar 2011 15:07

tags

World: Protip to Monks in Bhutan: Don’t carry any tobacco whatsoever

  • one 23-year-old monk living in the Himalayan Kingdom of in Bhutan
  • $3 worth of tobacco (well, roughly) in Sonam Tshering’s possession
  • three years in jail for being caught with said tobacco … wow source
  • » Yes, it’s illegal: Bhutan banned the practice of smoking in the country way back in 2005, and last year tightened the grip further by working to prevent smuggling. For his part, Tshering, who was in tears after the ruling, says that he deserved punishment, “but the penalty could have been lighter. I wasn’t aware about the act.”
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Jul 2010 11:12

tags

Biz, World: At least Kate Gosselin’s kids aren’t working for Philip Morris

Apparently kids as young as ten are making painful livings harvesting tobacco for Philip Morris, says Human Rights Watch. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 May 2010 23:38

tags

Music: One-word album reviews: Scott Weiland’s off the heroin, guys

Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

13 Aug 2009 22:55

tags

U.S.: Just when you thought big tobacco judgments were dead …

  • $1.9 million for the husband of a lifelong smoker in Florida source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

12 Jul 2009 10:30

tags

U.S.: Should soldiers be allowed to smoke? The military’s debating it

  • When you’re tired and you’ve been going days on end with minimum sleep, and you are not getting the proper meals on time, that hit of tobacco can make a difference.
  • Retired Gen. Russel Honore • Arguing in favor of allowing soldiers to smoke. The military is discussing banning it, saying it has negative short-term and long-term effects. Honore, known for having a stogie wherever he went, says having tobacco is good for soldiers morale, especially in light of high suicide rates. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 3 Comments • Permalink

11 Jun 2009 20:48

tags

Biz, U.S.: Up in smoke: The tobacco industry is gonna get FDA-regulated

  • The vote In a historic Senate vote, with just 17 votes against it, Big Tobacco will see its cancer-causing product get treated just like a drug. The house already passed a bill We’re sure a bunch of cigarette industry lawyers are freaking out right now. source
  • The vote In a historic Senate vote, with just 17 votes against it, Big Tobacco will see its cancer-causing product get treated just like a drug. The house already passed a bill We’re sure a bunch of cigarette industry lawyers are freaking out right now.
  • The details On top of the longtime TV and radio advertising ban, flavored cigarettes (besides menthol) will be banned entirely, along with print ads in youth-oriented publications and cigarette vending machines in non-adult-oriented places. source
  • The vote In a historic Senate vote, with just 17 votes against it, Big Tobacco will see its cancer-causing product get treated just like a drug. The house already passed a bill We’re sure a bunch of cigarette industry lawyers are freaking out right now.
  • The details On top of the longtime TV and radio advertising ban, flavored cigarettes (besides menthol) will be banned entirely, along with print ads in youth-oriented publications and cigarette vending machines in non-adult-oriented places.
  • Public opinion Is this a good thing? Depends on who you ask. The tobacco companies of course hate it, and wellness groups love it. But some say the FDA isn’t up to the task, considering how nuts their last six months have been. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
top tags