No-smoking policies might help lower cancer rates

Cooter Brown's Rib Shack is a small restaurant outside of Jacksonville known for its barbeque and extensive beer selection.
Until about four weeks ago, it was also a place where a smoker could light up with abandon.

"Mainly we changed to smoke-free (because) pretty much everybody else was going to it . a lot more places are smoke-free now," said Cooter Brown's owner, Tim Johnson. "And customers would talk about how (the restaurant) got all smoky."

The restaurant is now part of a growing trend to establish anti-smoking policies — policies that might be contributing to decreases in lung cancer rates in the state and country in recent years.

A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that lung cancer rates across the country have decreased in the past decade and suggests that non-smoking rules, tobacco excise taxes and funding policies to assist smokers in quitting are what have led to the improvement. However, the study also shows Alabama's decreases in lung cancer pale in comparison to other states — a problem some health experts say arises from fewer smoking bans and less anti-smoking funding in Alabama than in other areas of the country.

"It's frustrating . we have not been able to get elected officials as into it as they need to be," said Ginny Campbell, government relations director in Montgomery for the American Cancer Society.

According to the CDC study, lung cancer incidence among men between 1999 and 2005 decreased nationwide by 1.4 percent and between 2005 and 2008 by 2.9 percent. The study also showed that from 1999 to 2008, lung cancer incidence among men decreased in 35 of the 44 states analyzed and remained stable in the other nine states, which includes Alabama.

Among women, lung cancer incidents among women between 2006 and 2008 decreased 2.2 percent after increasing .5 percent between 1999 and 2006. Between 1999 and 2008, however, smoking rates for women increased slightly in the Southeast, including about 1.9 percent in Alabama.

"Other states are reducing faster," said Diane Beeson, director of the statewide tobacco prevention program for the Alabama Department of Public Health. "Smoking is still the leading preventable cause of death in Alabama."

According to the CDC, lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Also, most deaths from lung cancer are caused by cigarette smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke. In addition, smoking can cause coronary heart disease and strokes.

A report compiled by the Institute for Social Science Research at the University of Alabama for the Alabama Department of Public Health shows that the life lost in Alabama due to smoking is significantly high. The report states that in 2009, 8,685 Alabama deaths were attributed to smoking-related diseases. It adds that 15.3 years of potential life were lost, on average, among Alabama adults who died from a smoking-related illness.

The report also lists the financial costs of smoking, indicating that in 2010, $1.66 billion in excess personal medical care expenditures in Alabama were attributed to smoking. It also estimated that $941 million in productivity losses in Alabama in 2010 were attributable to smoking-related illnesses.

"Our smoking rates have gone down, but not as fast as others in the country," said Dr. Donald Williamson, state health officer of Alabama.

Williamson agreed with the CDC that anti-smoking policies, taxes and funding of anti-smoking programs have led to decreases in smoking rates and therefore, fewer incidences of lung cancer.

"But it's never a single intervention, it's all of them combined," he said.

Williamson said one of the best things Alabama could do is create a strong indoor clean air act.

"That would have two effects: it protects non-smokers from second-hand smoke, which does contribute to some lung cancers, and it does serve to discourage smokers," Williamson said. "It will lead to a decrease in tobacco consumption."

Alabama is currently one of only three states without a statewide smoking ban on smoking in indoor public areas, Beeson said.

"We still allow smoking indoors in a lot of places, to say nothing of smoking outdoors," she said. However, the number of Alabama municipalities with anti-smoking ordinances has increased in recent years.

Alabama Department of Public Health data indicates there are about 129 municipalities in Alabama with some type of smoking ordinance. Anniston, Jacksonville, Oxford and Piedmont all have smoking ordinances that prevent smoking in certain public areas. In addition, Anniston's two hospitals, Regional Medical Center and Stringfellow Memorial Hospital, banned smoking from their campuses earlier this year.

"We've been really pleased with the reaction from the public about it," said Mike Sims, vice president of human resources for RMC. "Most people have been very cooperative."

RMC also enacted a program to help employees kick their smoking habits. Sims said 60 employees enrolled in the program in May and about 35 percent were able to completely kick their smoking habit.

"I think that was pretty good," Sims said.

Sims said the hospital planned to make another push to get more employees into the program in a few months.

Another powerful way to curb smoking in the state would be to increase taxes on cigarettes, Campbell said.

"We've been working for years to get the state . to increase tobacco taxes," she said. "Increasing the cost really prevents kids from starting smoking. We like to focus on prevention because once they get started, it's really hard for them to stop."

According to the Institute for Social Science Research at the University of Alabama report, at 42 cents a pack, Alabama has the fifth-lowest excise tax on cigarettes in the nation.

"Even if you added $1, we'd still have a tax that is less than the national average," Williamson said.

However, many local governments in Calhoun County also have various taxes on cigarettes, including Anniston, Hobson City, Calhoun County, Jacksonville, Ohatchee, Oxford, Piedmont and Weaver. The level of taxes varies though. For instance, Oxford has a 3-cent tax for every pack of 20 cigarettes purchased while Jacksonville has a 5-cent tax for every 20-cigarette pack purchased.

Senate president pro tem Del Marsh, R-Anniston, who holds the most powerful position in the state Senate, said he would be opposed to a statewide ban on smoking in public areas or businesses.

"I would not openly support that right now," Marsh said. "If individual companies choose to have smoking bans, that's fine. People have the choice to go in there or not."

Marsh said he was also opposed to raising taxes on cigarettes.

"I'm not going to try to increase taxes at this time," Marsh said.

Unlike Marsh, Jennifer Price, spokeswoman for the Alabama Restaurant Association, said her organization supports only a statewide ban on smoking in public places and not the scatter-shot approach of individual municipalities.

"We support a smoking ban if it's a statewide one with no exclusions . if everyone is on the same playing field," Price said. "If there is one area that has a ban and another nearby that doesn't, we've found that can hurt businesses."

Williamson said a complete statewide ban of the sale of tobacco products similar to bans on other drugs would not be possible. Williamson recently pushed for a statewide ban of the synthetic marijuana product known generally as spice, which has been legal in most of the state for the last couple of years.

"The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has jurisdiction on tobacco," Williamson said. "We wouldn't be able to just set tobacco as a controlled substance and criminalize it."

To Williamson, outside of taxes and bans, a good way to curb smoking is to continue funding education to youths on the dangers of tobacco. However, again Alabama falls behind many other states in this regard.

"We are grossly underfunded," Beeson said. "The state is funding less than 4 percent on education of what the CDC says we should fund."

Still, it will take increases in taxes and smoking bans, not just more education funding, to truly help Alabama catch up with the rest of the country.

"It's really the synergy among the different policies," she said.

"Bath Salts" and Synthetic Marijuana Banned in SC

South Carolina is now the 38th state in the nation to ban "bath salts."Not the kind you buy for your tub, the synthetic drug that mimics cocaine, and the fake marijuana known as "k-2"

The board of Health and Environmental Control, or DHEC, voted to ban the two drugs, commonly found at gas stations.

Over the past six months, hospitals across the states have seen a jump in patients, saying they've used one of the drugs.

And earlier this month, an Anderson University student died after smoking synthetic marijuana.

Beaufort County Sheriff PJ Tanner tells News 3 that sheriff's from across the state gathered last week and discussed this problem--expressing their concerns over the rise in cases where these drugs were involved.

"The discussion among the sheriffs is 'what are you seeing in your county, as far as the bath salts and the spice and those types of things?,' every sheriff said there is an absolute rise and the indicators are there tha this is becoming a severe and serious problem."

But Sheriff Tanner says that last night's vote will help law enforcement across the state especially locally.

"It's consistent throughout South Carolina, it's not ordanances created by municipalities or counties, it's a state law and which consistency will allow law enforcement to go in and enforce and do the things that they need to do."

As for businesses that claim they dont know the chemicals are illegal.....Beaufort County says that's not an excuse.

"You know if they are in the business and that is their business and their responsible for what they have in their business, then ignorance is no excuse, their responsible today as they were responsible yesterday but today is different than yesterday so there are some changes."

News 3 talked to and visited two businesses in Bluffton that reportedly sold the "Spice" drug but neither store had it on shelves today.

Officals say knowing what to look for is key for everyone.

"Not only does law enfocrement need to increase their knowledge of what we're doing as the law dictates us to enforce it, but I think that everyone as a whole including parents and the general public need to do the same thing, because its important that we are all on the same page," said Tanner.

Border Patrol agents seize marijuana, firearms, money

U.S. Border Patrol agents from Yuma Sector seized nearly 173 pounds of marijuana, as well as some firearms, currency and other paraphernalia, in three separate incidents on Monday.

In the first incident, Wellton Station agents patrolling west of Arizona 85 and Range Four Road discovered footprints traversing the desert. Agents followed the footprints and located four subjects attempting to hide under brush.

All of the subjects admitted to being in the country illegally and all were carrying backpacks of marijuana. The bundles weighed approximately 173 pounds and had an estimated value exceeding $86,500. The subjects and marijuana were turned over to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.

In unrelated incidents, Blythe Station agents conducting checkpoint operations on Interstate 10 near mile marker 4 referred a grey Dodge Caliber to secondary inspection.

As agents continued their inspection, they noticed a strong odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle. Agents ran records checks on both U.S. citizens in the vehicle and learned that one had a warrant for a probation violation out of Wisconsin.

After the driver of the vehicle consented to a vehicle search, agents found marijuana, marijuana brownies, an Interarms revolver, a Glock .40-caliber handgun, ammunition, drug pipes, and multiple other paraphernalia items.

All items and the subjects were turned over to the La Paz County Sheriff's Office.

Blythe agents at the same checkpoint also referred a vehicle to secondary inspection after a canine alerted to it. Once in secondary, agents searched both occupants of the vehicle, who were U.S. citizens, and found the driver was in possession of a stolen, loaded 9 mm Daewoo handgun.

Aided by the canine team, agents also found several grams of marijuana and $6,300 in cash. The contraband and subjects were turned over to the La Paz County Sheriff's Office.

Cook County cracks down on illegal cigarette sales

Cook County hopes to reclaim millions of dollars in lost revenue in cigarette taxes.

It is part of a crackdown on illegal cigarette sales that began in October.

Cook County Board President Tony Preckwinkle and Sheriff Tom Dart are behind the new offensive.

In the past three weeks, county revenue investigators teamed with sheriff's police officers to confiscate more than $353,000 in illegal cigarettes, slapping down 120 citations to business owners in nearly $400,000 in fines.

Cook County has a $2-per-pack tobacco tax.

The high cigarette prices has lead to scofflaws and below-board businesses, officials said.

Preckwinkle said the county will operate a tip hotline for residents to notify authorities of illegal cigarette sales: 312-603-6870, Extension 3.

Successful tips will lead to rewards of up to $1,000.

Dart said sheriff’s police also will begin making checks at stores as part of their patrols.

“It’s going to exponentially increase rather quickly,” he said.

A classroom of children try smoking every day

A classroom of children is experimenting with smoking in Wales every day, a charity today warned.

Figures published by ASH Wales, ahead of a major conference on alcohol and tobacco, said 38 children who had never smoked before, are trying cigarettes daily.

The worrying figures come as Wales’ chief medical officer Dr Tony Jewell’s annual report welcomed a drop in the overall number of 15 and 16-year-olds who smoke in Wales.

But he has again highlighted smoking as a major public health issue and has called for the NHS and Welsh Government to ban smoking for staff and visitors on its grounds.

The Health Behaviours in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey found about 14,000 children and teenagers, aged 11 to 15, who have never smoked before try smoking a year in Wales. This is equivalent to 269 a week or 38 a day.

The survey also shows an estimated 1,000 children aged 10 to 11 tried smoking for the first time, but the number had more than doubled for 12 and 13-year-olds and trebled for 13 and 14-year-olds.

Carole Morgan-Jones, acting chief executive of ASH Wales, said: “These figures are worrying. We know young people progress quite quickly from experimenting with tobacco to regular use and as they get older they develop nicotine addiction.

“This is backed up by research we carried out in the summer of 2011 – we surveyed more than 1,000 young people in Wales and found a fifth of current smokers began smoking at 13.

“This is particularly concerning because early uptake of smoking is associated with heavier smoking patterns and a higher probability of becoming ill from a smoking-related disease in later life.

“It illustrates why prevention programmes aimed at young people are so important. Breaking the cycle of childhood addiction to tobacco products is necessary to reduce the ongoing health, economic and social problems caused by tobacco in Wales.”

Election to determine future of Fort Collins medical marijuana businesses

The long-simmering debate about medical marijuana in Fort Collins is coming to a boil with the Nov. 1 election.

Voters will consider ballot Question 300, which would ban licensed medical marijuana businesses from the city, including dispensaries, grow operations and makers of marijuana-infused products.

If the measure passes, the city’s 20 medical marijuana businesses would have to shut down within 90 days of the city clerk certifying the election results.

Both sides of the debate say the issue isn’t the legitimacy of using marijuana to provide relief from severe pain and other debilitating conditions but rather how the medicine is delivered to patients.

Proponents of the measure say the presence of medical marijuana, or MMJ, businesses in the city has been harmful to the community by expanding the availability of marijuana for recreational users, including students high-school aged and younger.

“We all want the best thing for our city,” said Bob Powell of Concerned Fort Collins Citizens, which put the measure on the ballot through a petition drive. “But now we have this reputation for having a lot of marijuana.

“How can it be a good thing that we have people coming here to rob dispensaries and grow marijuana illegally because they believe this is a safe place to do that? How can that be good for our community?”

Local dispensary owners and others who oppose a ban on dispensaries say a ban would harm patients’ ability to access medicine.

Without licensed MMJ centers, patients would have to go to the black market for marijuana or seek out caregivers who grow in their homes, said Dave Schwaab, co-owner of Abundant Healing, 351 Linden St.

Centers are heavily regulated under state law and are required to track what happens to the marijuana they grow “from seed to sale.” Patients know what they are getting and don’t have to take chances with their medicine, Schwaab said.

“You can go through a licensed, secure, monitored and regulated dispensary or through unregulated and unsecured homes in neighborhoods,” he said. “I think it’s preferable to go through centers.”

Neb. high court to hear appeal in smoking ban case

The Nebraska Supreme Court will hear arguments Tuesday in the state's appeal of a court ruling declaring exceptions listed in the statewide smoking ban unconstitutional.

Lancaster County District Judge Jodi Nelson sided earlier this year with an Omaha pool hall that challenged the 2009 state law banning smoking in all public buildings and private businesses, including bars and restaurants. The law includes exceptions for cigar bars, some hotel rooms, tobacco-only retailers and facilities that research the health effects of smoking.

Nelson said only the exception for research facilities is enforceable. The other exceptions, she said, provide special treatment for certain businesses, which is unconstitutional.

The pool hall, Big John's Billiards, also has filed an appeal, saying Nelson made a mistake in not finding the entire smoking ban unconstitutional.

The state claims in its appeal that it is immune from lawsuits like the one brought by Big John's Billiards, and that for that reason, the lower court didn't have authority in the matter.

The Nebraska Attorney General's Office also argues Nelson was wrong in determining the three exceptions were special legislation and, therefore, unconstitutional.

The exception for tobacco retail outlets was based upon the idea that customers of those establishments needed to sample tobacco products before buying them, and the exception for cigar bars was based on evidence that the bars were being forced out of business by smoking bans, the attorney general's office said.

"Application of this analysis by the district court would mean that no exemptions to any legislative act could be created because an exemption by its nature will be in conflict with the purpose or intent of the act as a whole," Assistant Attorney General Lynn Melson wrote in court documents filed with the state's high court.

An attorney for Big John's Billiards defended the lower court's finding that the exceptions were unconstitutional.

"The state cannot adopt a law, which is for the purpose of protecting the health of employees, and then say, `but the health of employees in one type of business is less important than employees in another type of business,'" Omaha attorney Theodore Boecker Jr. wrote in his response.