Smoking may be to blame for Bennett Valley house fire

Smoking could be the cause of a blaze that destroyed much of a Bennett Valley house over the weekend. Fire officials called the fire accidental. Smoking remained a possibility, but investigators still were attempting to rule out other options, said Gold Ridge Battalion Chief Darrin DeCarli. Sunday’s fire caused about $350,000 in damage to the Ponderosa Drive house in east Santa Rosa.

It burned much of the home and fire officials said what was left probably couldn’t be saved. No one was home at the rental when firefighters arrived. The fire was reported at 4:34 p.m. and the first engine arrived at 4:37 p.m. from Bennett Valley’s nearby fire station, said fire officials. Fire officials were concerned embers could ignite dry grasses and threaten nearby Annadel State Park. Several fire departments were called to the fire.

Ponderosa Drive is off of Bennett Valley Road, east of Sonoma Mountain Road. It backs up to open space that leads to the state park. The fire was held to the single-story home and was controlled in about 45 minutes. The investigation showed the fire started outside, possibly on a deck, said DeCarli. An indoor marijuana growing operation tenants had been setting up in the garage did not appear to be related, said fire officials.

Why is smoking allowed in Malacca Hospital?

When I was visiting my uncle at the Malacca Hospital on Sunday, I realised there was cigarette smoke moving across the ward he was in. That smell was in the ward for a good 30 minutes or more. And that basically meant, the patients in the ward and their visitors were subjected to this extremely obnoxious and offensive odour for that duration. Naturally I was appalled. To the best of my knowledge of the law in Malaysia smoking is banned in all hospitals/clinics, airports, public lifts and toilets, air-conditioned restaurants, public transport, government premises, educational institutions, petrol stations, Internet cafes, shopping complexes and private office spaces with central air-conditioning.

 Smokers flouting the ban may be fined up to RM10,000, or two years of imprisonment. That is how severe the law is for the people who blatantly and openly disregard this law. Which was why I was completely flabbergasted by the attitude and apathy shown in this regard by your nurses and trainee doctors. I proceeded to ask the nurses on duty (at about 2.15pm) why there was cigarette smoke in the ward (Block C, Third Floor), but they looked at me as if I had said something wrong or asked something stupid. None of the nurses bothered to investigate and reprimand the culprit. They just sat there. I suspected the culprit could be a hospital employee (a public servant!). When the nurses didn't do anything, I then asked a trainee doctor, who also looked indifferently at me as if asking "which planet did you come from?"

 Another more senior doctor, when I approached him, then said, "Please lodge a formal/official complaint to the hospital director and the Health Ministry. You are not the first one complaining about this cigarette smoke. Many before you have complained. But, to date, nothing has been done about it." That is what I am doing in this letter to you which is also copied to the Health Ministry. The doctor's remark also basically told me that the problem has existed for a while and nothing was done about it under your watch. The classic Malaysian apathy has just allowed the problem to continue! Is Malaysia good only at setting policies but constantly fails to implement them?

So, my question to you as the hospital director and the good helath minister is this: What is the point of setting rules if no one is going to monitor them as see that they are truly implemented? The prime minister talks about transformation, but the way I see it, no transformation will happen if we cannot first transform our mindset and attitudes. Many civil servants today continue to display that "tidak apa" attitude without realising that it is the taxpayers who are paying their salaries! As a taxpaying citizen of this country I am seeking an answer for what happened. I am further saddened by the fact that the Malacca General Hospital is a tertiary (teaching) and specialist hospital. What are we teaching our nurses and trainee doctors?

That people can smoke in the hospital and go unpunished? That the hospital can be filthy (the toilets, floors, lifts and corridors were filthy) and the patients and their visitors should just live with it? That nurses and doctors are not answerable to their patients? The uncle whom I visited yesterday had lung cancer (and he was not even a smoker). And the level of care provided by the hospital staff to my uncle is, at best, ridiculous. There was no care whatsoever. There were ants and cockroaches by his bedside. Do ants and cockroaches belong in the hospital? For a teacher who has faithfully served the nation for more than 30 years, I am sure you would agree with me that he deserves better than that.

In reversal, Los Angeles City Council votes to ban marijuana shops

The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday voted to ban marijuana shops outright until it has clearer guidance from the state's highest court, after being unable to rein in the hundreds of medical marijuana dispensaries that have cropped up across the nation's second largest city. The 13-1 vote drew an angry, profanity-laced response from some medical marijuana advocates who attended the council meeting. If approved by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the storefront ban would go into effect after 30 days.

The mayor's office did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the council vote. In the interim, letters will be sent to as many as 900 dispensaries advising them of the ban. The city has fumbled with its medical marijuana laws for years, trying to provide safe and affordable access to the drug for legitimate patients while addressing worries by neighborhood groups that streets were being overrun by dispensaries and marijuana users.

 "Relief is on the way," said Councilman Jose Huizar, who introduced the so-called "gentle ban." Many cities have struggled with medical marijuana ordinances, but none has had a bigger problem than Los Angeles, where pot shops have proliferated. At one point, the city ordered closure of the shops - a process that failed amid lawsuits and conflicting rulings by appellate courts. This time around the city has a stronger case if faced with lawsuits by pot shop owners, city officials said. A recent appellate court ruling seems to support the new ordinance that refers to a marijuana collective as three or fewer people. The ban also allows hospices and home health agencies to provide medical marijuana.

 The ban comes during a confusing time for Californians - despite voter approval in 1996 for medicinal use of marijuana with a doctor's recommendation. The state Supreme Court has decided to clarify marijuana's hazy legal status by addressing whether local governments can ban medical marijuana clinics. But a hearing has yet to be set by the high court. Meanwhile, U.S. authorities have cracked down on pot clinics around the state, saying such operations remain illegal under federal law. Los Angeles passed an ordinance two years ago that was supposed to shutter hundreds of pot dispensaries while capping the number in operation at 70. But a set of legal challenges against the city by collectives and last month's expiration of the ordinance thanks to a sundowner clause led to another surge of pot shops.

City officials said 762 collectives have registered with the city and as many as 200 more could exist. "We need to start with a clean slate," Councilman Mitchell Englander said before the vote. "Los Angeles has experimented with marijuana and has failed." However, the ban could be temporary for some dispensaries. A motion made by Councilman Paul Koretz called for city staff to draft an ordinance that would allow for about 180 pot shops to be reopened that were in business before a moratorium was enacted several years ago. That motion isn't expected to be considered for several months. After the vote Tuesday, some medical marijuana advocates shouted expletives, while others questioned where they were could get the drug in the future. At least 178 California cities from Calistoga to Camarillo and 20 counties already have banned retail marijuana shops, according to the medical marijuana advocacy group Americans for Safe Access.

 Reflecting the murky language of the state's medical marijuana laws, a handful of dispensaries have successfully challenged such local prohibitions in court along with laws that merely sought to regulate dispensaries. Most recently, an appeals court in Southern California struck down Los Angeles County's two-year-old ban on dispensaries, ruling that state law allows cooperatives and collectives to grow, store and distribute marijuana. But in a separate case, an appeals court said federal law pre-empts local municipalities from allowing pot clinics. The hearing came a day after a priest, drug counselors and others decried crime and other social problems they say surround neighborhood marijuana dispensaries. Among those who spoke at that gathering was a woman who complained about having to push her baby's stroller through clouds of marijuana smoke near dispensaries in her East Hollywood neighborhood.

Two men accused of illegal marijuana cultivation in Yuba County

Two men identified by law enforcement authorities as members of the Sureno gang have been arrested in Yuba County on suspicion of illegal cultivation of marijuana. Deputies developed information for a warrant after receiving a citizen complaint of individuals shooting on property in the 11000 block of Hill Road in Loma Rica, according to a Yuba County Sheriff's Office news release.

They served the warrant about 6:30 this morning. During the search, deputies seized 494 marijuana plants, about 1 pound of processed marijuana and three firearms, officials reported. Two men were found at the site and arrested. The Sheriff's Office identified them as David Navarro, 18, of Loma Rica and Jacob Villa, 18, of Wheatland, both validated gang members. Neither man had recommendations for medicinal marijuana, officials said. The men were booked into the Yuba County Jail on suspicion of illegal cultivation, conspiracy and gang enhancements.

Imps' improvement is fired by cigars

A surge in sales of Cuban cigars in China and other emerging markets has helped Imperial Tobacco report a 3 per cent rise in sales for the past nine months. Imperial Tobacco yesterday highlighted the strength of its Cohiba and Montecristo distribution division, where smokes cost about £30 each. Emerging markets sales volumes of premium cigars soared 10 per cent, a stark counterpoint to global cigarette sales volumes, which were down 3 per cent.

 Even in the developed world, luxury cigars seemed to retain their allure. Volume growth came in at 1 per cent globally. But Imps is focusing on its key cigarette brands – Davidoff, Gauloises Blondes, West and JPS – for most of its growth. Those saw revenues rise 13 per cent. the group continued recovering from a weak final quarter in 2011.

DED launches campaign on passive smoking

The Department of Economic Development (DED) in partnership with the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has launched a campaign to create awareness on the dangers of passive smoking targeting sheesha joints, restaurants and cafes with smoking areas. DED has already held meetings with the outlets targeted in the campaign and will ensure they are implementing the directive starting August 2012. Outlets failing to comply will be warned initially and later fined, and may face temporary shutdown as a next step.

Stickers with messages on the harmful effects of passive smoking on babies, pregnant women and young people below the age of 18 will be displayed in sheesha joints, restaurants and cafes as part of the campaign in order to discourage such outlets from opening their doors to these high risk groups. ‘The campaign aims to protect basic human rights, including the right to take informed decisions. A child has his right to healthy living like everyone, irrespective of whether he is in his mother’s womb or out in this world,’ said Walid Abdul Malik, Director, Commercial Control at the consumer Compliance and Consumer Protection Division of DED.

 Inhaling tobacco smoke is reported to cause respiratory problems and infections of the ear, nose and throat in newborns. Among pregnant women, passive smoking, also known as second-hand smoking, is said to add to the risk of low birth weight and premature birth of their babies. ‘Young people also need guidance till they are mature enough to make informed decisions. They should not be given a chance to be part of or involve in harmful practices like smoking,’ the official added. ‘Reports indicate nearly 600,000 people die of passive smoking around the world every year.

A study conducted by Dubai Health Authority in 2010 showed 46 people sought medical help in Dubai for complications related to passive smoking. We are thankful to the Department of Economic Development for supporting us in tackling this public health challenge,’ said Dr Ramadan Ibrahim Mohammed, Director of Health Regulation at DHA. ‘DED is keen to work in partnership with other government agencies and the private sector to ensure healthy living in Dubai. Public health is the responsibility of every resident and we expect everyone to support our joint initiative with the Dubai Health Authority,’ said Abdul Malik.

Northumberland's playgrounds move closer to becoming smoke-free

There will soon come a day when all of Northumberland's children can enjoy public playgrounds without their parents first picking out cigarette butts from the sand. Parents with young children must be applauding the new Trent Hills smoking prohibition, which beginning Sept. 1, bans smokers from lighting up within nine metres of any public skate park, playground, beach, wading pool or splash pad in the municipality.

That same ban will be extended to sports fields in May 2013, and municipal parks in May 2014, with the exception of specifically marked areas. Such a move is the right way to go for the future health and cleanliness of Northumberland. Anyone who doesn't smoke can attest to the unpleasantness of cigarette smoke wafting towards them, not to mention the many dangers of secondhand smoke. Imagine, sitting on the baseball bleachers or soccer sidelines only to be smoked out by someone nearby. Too often, playground sand areas are littered with cigarette butts. It's unfair to expect parents to pick up the dirty butts dropped by adults and teenagers in total disregard of the health and safety of toddlers and children who such parks are built for.

 There's also an influence factor. The less children are exposed to smoking and cigarettes, the less likely it is to appear normal to them and the less likely they'll pick up the habit -- at least that's the reasoning behind hiding tobacco displays in convenience stores, a move implemented more than four years ago. And Trent Hills isn't the only Northumberland municipality in this smoke-free mind set. Cobourg and Port Hope also have bylaws restricting smokers from lighting up near public playgrounds and parks. Trent Hills residents, like those throughout Northumberland County, have overwhelmingly expressed support for tobacco-free public outdoor spaces, according to a public opinion survey conducted by the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit in 2009.

Ninety-six per cent of the respondents supported banning smoking near children's playgrounds; 89 per cent were in favour of no smoking near sports fields, soccer pitches and baseball diamonds used by youth. Hopefully, Brighton will get on the bandwagon too, although for now, the only smoking bylaw it has in effect, beyond those provincially mandated, prohibits smoking within nine metres of any municipal building door, such as the arena. Brighton's manager of planning, Ken Hurford, said Brighton is not currently researching anything else.