Low-Tar Cigs and Secondhand Smoking Harmful

China's health authorities used a report published by the Ministry of Health on Wednesday to reiterate that low-tar cigarettes do not reduce harm caused by smoking and that more than 3 million Chinese will die annually from smoking by 2050 if no measures are taken. The majority of the public has the misconception that "low tar equals low harm," according to the report. It also said that cigarettes with added Chinese herbal medicine were equally harmful to health as ordinary cigarettes. According to the report, three-quarters of Chinese are not fully aware of the harm caused by smoking, and two-thirds do not know about the danger of being exposed to secondhand smoking. China is the largest tobacco producing and consuming country in the world, with more than 300 million smokers and another 740 million people suffering from secondhand smoking.

Ban on Tobacco Smoking in Jamaica

A proposed regulation, which will form part of the anticipated tobacco law, will see the banning of smoking at sporting venues, including Sabina Park and the National Stadium. The extent of the ban will depend on how public spaces are defined, according to Chief Medical Officer Dr Eva Lewis-Fuller, who took part in a Gleaner Editors’ Forum on tobacco, held at the newspaper’s central Kingston offices last week. “Some countries define an enclosed space, as any space that has two boundaries; it could be one wall and a roof or two walls,” Lewis-Fuller explained. “Therefore, the grandstand at the stadium would be defined as an enclosed space because it has a roof coming over and you have the back wall. The National Arena is definitely an enclosed space and grandstand at Sabina Park; they too can be defined as enclosed spaces because they have a roof covering and they have a back wall,” she added.

Cigarette Consumption Control, the University of Indonesia

Without a concerted effort to control cigarette consumption, Indonesia will likely fail to achieve the so-called “demographic dividend” which is expected to materialize between 2020 and 2030, an analyst said. Abdillah Ahsan, a researcher from the University of Indonesia (UI) School of Economics Demographic Institute, said that increased cigarette consumption could tamper with the Indonesian population’s quality of life.

Children Suffer Health Damage, Parents Smoking

Children whose parents smoke could suffer irreversible damage to their health well into adulthood, a new study has found. Researchers say those exposed to their parents' smoking have less elasticity in their arteries, an early indicator of poor cardiovascular health. The Menzies Research Institute Tasmania is involved in the international study, the first to look at the long-term effects of parental smoking on children's blood vessel health. "It seems to have a direct effect," research fellow Dr Seana Gall told reporters on Wednesday. "The chemicals in cigarette smoke interact with the lining of the blood vessels and that seems to be causing an inability of them to expand and contract properly.

Smoking Trend Among Pregnant Women

A new report shows that more than one in five pregnant white women smoke cigarettes. That's significantly higher than use among other races. Hispanic women were less likely than their peers to use alcohol or smoke while pregnant. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration conducted the 10-year study on the habits of pregnant women. The government agency says the use of alcohol, tobacco and drugs while pregnant is especially risky to unborn children. The agency is using the data to promote awareness.

Smoke-Free Places - Post Offices and Banks

After public places, government offices, the post offices and banks too have been declared tobacco free in the Kashmir Valley, where several hundred persons, including employees and doctors, were fined for violating the ban during the past few months. Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Amir Ali in the office of Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, said Chief Post Master General (CPMG) Jammu and Kashmir, John Samuel has declared all the Post Offices and Administrative Offices in the state as 'Tobacco-free'.

Stricter Laws on Cigarette Machines and Ads

Smoking is set to be banned at the Western Wall and other communal spots in Israel after the country's legislators approved new rules on lighting up in public. The legislation, which includes stricter rules on cigarette machines and advertising, as well as a ban on smoking at bus and train stations, was backed by the Knesset health committee. The new rules mean that after a 30 - day window Israelis will be unable to smoke in public places including concert venues, swimming pools and near hospital entrances, while smokers will be designated no more than 25 per cent of the room in bars and restaurants.

Public Smoking Laws, Secondhand Smoke

Drive by any downtown restaurant or bar on a busy night, and you'll see a group of customers near the entrance smoking. Stop into a pharmacy to pick up some cold medicine and you might see someone buying a pack of cigarettes. Go to an event in a private club and people sitting at the next table might be lighting up. Those scenarios would end if the city's Health Board adopts new public rules proposed for Haverhill. The board is considering regulations aimed at protecting the public from second-hand cigarette smoke by limiting where people can light up. Health Board member Peter Carbone said the new regulations are a work in progress and he expects changes once the board begins to gather public input and holds public hearings. He said the board announced its plans to stiffen smoking rules at its March meeting and will discuss a draft of the proposed new regulations May 8.