India Readies Smoking Ban; Unruly Public Shrugs

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»

Country will consider banning normal sales

(NEWSER) - In Iceland, you may soon need to head to the pharmacy to get your cigarettes. The country is considering a counter-intuitive measure that would make cigarettes a prescription-only product. The bill would ban the sale of cigarettes anywhere except pharmacies, and would initially require pharmacies to sell cigarettes only to those 20 or older as doctors helped addicts to quit. Eventually, those for whom treatment and educational programs don't work would be given a prescription, and only those people would be allowed to purchase cigarettes. 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»

US must get a handle on public health crisis

(NEWSER) - A widespread vice has a negative effect on Americans' health, and it's up to the government to do something about it. That approach worked for tobacco, David Lazarus writes for the LA Times , and it can work for obesity, too. "The answer seems obvious," he argues. "If we want to protect ourselves from a deadly epidemic of heart disease, diabetes and other ailments, just as we've taken steps to protect ourselves from an epidemic of lung cancer, we need to act." 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»