Smoking Ban Health Hype Going Up in Smoke

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»

But fewer than 2 in 10 want to ban smoking entirely

(NEWSER) - Odds are, if you smoke in public these days, you'll get some dirty looks. For the first time ever, the majority of Americans support a ban on smoking in all public places, according to a new Gallup poll. But while 59% support such a ban, only 19% think smoking should be entirely illegal. And how many Americans are smokers? Just 22% of adults reported smoking cigarettes during the week prior to the poll. 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) - It’s a good thing that smokers have been banished to huddle outside or in special smoking rooms at work, writes Michael Skapinker of the Financial Times. Not just because it keeps their second-hand smoke away from the rest of us, but because it brings them closer together. Sure, it's bad for their health, but where would office gossip be without smoke breaks? 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»