Germans to Ex-Chancellor: Yes, We Mind

Policy goes into effect next year

(NEWSER) - A Louisiana hospital is really serious about its no-smoking policy: Starting next July, employees will no longer be allowed to work if their clothing even smells like smoke. Christus St. Frances Cabrini Hospital is expanding a policy originally put in place only in the women's and children's areas two years ago, the AP reports. Employees will also, obviously, not be allowed to use tobacco products while on shift, even during breaks. The hospital will provide resources and support for employees who decide to quit smoking entirely. More»

New law is quite unpopular

(NEWSER) - It’s not a good time to be a smoker in Bhutan: In an effort to become the world’s first smoke-free nation, the Buddhist country will now allow police to raid homes in an effort to smoke out illegal smokers. Bhutan banned sales of tobacco in 2005, but it's often smuggled in from India and sold illegally in small shops. Now, in addition to the new police powers, a tobacco-sniffing dog will also be brought in to assist with the crackdown. More»

(NEWSER) - Smoking is rampant across the Middle East, and in Iraq nicotine fuels everything from high-level government meetings to weddings and funerals. That's why a new anti-tobacco law making its way through parliament is causing huge public outcry, reports the Washington Post. "We all have to deal with anger issues here; that's the reason people smoke," said one man, while another said simply, "We want Saddam back." More»

Defense secretary rejects Pentagon study's recommendation

(NEWSER) - American troops in war zones won't have to battle the enemy while suffering nicotine withdrawal, CNN reports. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is willing to consider some of the recommendations in a Pentagon-commissioned report calling for a totally tobacco-free military, but he has no intention of ordering stressed-out troops in combat zones to go without their smokes. More»

Military smoking, especially common in combat, costly for VA

(NEWSER) - Pentagon health experts are pushing for the military to ban tobacco, a move that would upend a traditionally smoky culture, the USA Today reports. Tobacco use is rising among troops, many of whom turn to cigarettes to relieve combat zone stress, and that winds up costing the Pentagon and Veteran's Affairs a lot of money, finds one federal study. One in three servicemen smoke, compared to one in five Americans; combat vets are 50% more likely to smoke than those who haven't been deployed. More»