The United Pro Choice Smokers Rights Newsletter: Issue # 332

The United Pro Choice Smokers
Rights Newsletter

June 10, 2005 Issue #332

"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use." - Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)

Finally the truth comes out. There is no scientifically proven causality between active smoking and lung cancer. Rather, the preponderance of the scientific evidence seems to lean towards improbability. These are the conclusions of the historic decision of a Scottish court in a lung cancer lawsuit against cigarette manufacturers, made public May 31 – just in time for World No Smoking Day. The dream of £500,000 in compensation has gone up in smoke.

C.D.C. Team Investigates an Outbreak of Obesity. For the first time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has sent a team of specialists into a state, West Virginia, to study an outbreak of obesity in the same way it studies an outbreak of an infectious disease.
Agency Finally Embraces Lower Number. CDC Internal Investigation Shows Agency Knew Obesity Deaths Study Was Flawed Prior to Publication, Says Center for Consumer Freedom.
Obesity Health Costs. Treating obesity-related disorders costs as much or more than illnesses caused by aging, smoking and problem drinking.
McIdiocy: If you don't think Banzhaf is going to do to Fat what he did to Tobacco.... read his own page. Don't say we didn't warn you!
MN: Law suits against food sellers for causing obesity prohibited.

EPA’s physical–chemical data criticized. “The problem is that this seems to be nobody’s problem,” says Kovacs, who pledges to educate industry on the significance of data uncertainty and to push for legislative oversight hearings.

Genetics can't be ignored in lung cancer development. The dogma that smoking and smoking alone causes lung cancer has prevailed over the clinicians and lung cancer researchers for many years. This, in spite of the glaring fact that only 1 to 15 percent of smokers develop lung cancer and a good 10 percent of lung cancer patients have never been smokers.

Another Ban Failed: Louisiana Says NO To Ban. Casinos, restaurants opposed measure. The Louisiana Restaurant Association was against the measure because restaurant owners want to decide for themselves whether to allow smoking, said Jim Funk, the chief executive officer of the group.

Who Is Higgenbottom? What is he doing in Laramie WY? Why does the City Council think everyone with an opinion must be working for him? And who was that other guy with the sissy voice?

RICO Update: US seeks $10 billion for quit-smoking program. US judge questions remedies sought in tobacco case. US tobacco trial near end, sanctions in doubt.

Another Anti Lost Funding: BREATHE funding up in smoke. WA Clark County's much-honored teen program had its final event last week, ending its four-year campaign against tobacco and second-hand smoke.

Trucker Litter: ‘Urine trouble,’ some states warn lazy truckers. Tens of thousands of 'trucker bombs' litter roads.

We Are Everyday People:

Christopher Hitchens Speaks On Smoking. This is my last of five gigs, I've worked very hard for the festival. I'm going from here to Heathrow airport. If anyone doesn't like it they can kiss my as$.

Antis Target Schwarzenegger. "This is my negotiation tent, and no one is going to take that away. Just remember one thing: They can be passing all the bills they want. There's one person who has to sign it. That's me."

Norm Kjono sets the record straight with Up Yours Dude! And... the Outhouse Flatulence Mystery is solved.

Anti-smoking nightmare on Main Street. By Jim Waters. While we loathe smoking as much as these extremists, we dislike even more the force of government being used to ban a legal activity within the private property of business owners.

Hooked On Money. By Sue Jeffers. Fact: The gullible, ignorant and unsuspecting general public and our politicians have been had again.

Dangers of second hand smoke questioned. By Robert F. Pritchard. You can't see the difference between the well-funded desires of Big Tobacco and the well-funded desires of Big Anti-Tobacco. Neither speaks for the will of the people.

From The Mailbag:

AR: Pine Bluff Update. Local business owners oppose smoking ordinance.
CO: Lawmakers in the metro area's two largest cities are hoping to sidestep state legislators' refusal to pass a smoking ban by taking the issue on themselves.
DC: Update. Don't smoke out D.C. business.
IL: Jail To Go Smoke-Free. A Cook County sheriff's spokesman said about 10,000 inmates are smokers.
IN: Marion County Smoke ban rises from the ashes.
KY: Crackdown hits online cigarettes.
LA: Tax Update. Parents, not smokers, had the students.
NC: Bill to ban smoking in prison buildings gets Senate approval.
NH: No New Tax! Tobacco tax increase killed, for now Senate must fill $87 million hole.
NY: Westchester Bar owners still fuming.
MN: The Governor stated that he may have made a mistake in proposing a new "user fee" on cigarettes, and that he is seriously considering withdrawing the proposal.
MN: Hennepin County Update. The financial losses are real and we have the figures to prove it.
MN: Smoking or non? Um, both. -- despite smoking bans imposed locally this spring.
MO: Smoking ban supporters, officials ignore real issues.
OH: Proposed Cigarette Excise Tax Increase Could Cost 1,900 Ohio Jobs.
OK: Tulsa Lawmakers Call for Special Session on Tobacco Tax.
PA: Philly Update. Vote delay.
WI: Green Bay workplace smoking ban back on table.
WI: Tavern League of Wisconsin fights July 1 smoking ban.
WI: Appleton Smoking Ban Already Affecting Bowling Leagues.
Australia: MPs back call for smoking bans in cars.
India: Smoking scenes banned on screen as India steps up anti-tobacco war.
Hong Kong: Disneyland will allow smoking in designated areas.
NZ: Un-licensed Bars Smoke. This government has killed off smoking in licensed bars so smokers have opened their own”
UK: Bristol-based Imperial Tobacco is considering the recovery of "considerable" costs after winning a legal battle.
USA: McHugh proposes bill to ban shipping cigarettes by U.S. mail.
USA: GSK settles Nicodrops lawsuit. Requesting comment from company president and CEO Christopher Calpito did not receive a response.
The Canadian Smokers Rights Newsletter. All the Canada news.