Maybe Phillip Morris supports the fed tobacco tax increase

I know a lotta online nonsmokers refuse to believe smoking bans played a role in the downfall of the economy. One anti said I'm right about smoking bans affecting the LOCAL economy...the hole even said "There's no Q about that"

But he thinks it's a minor issue when we look at the national ecomony pic.

Last time I checked, if busineses throughout the nation are closing down cause of smoking bans (and I brought up that list of closed businesses due to smoking bans in the US AND Canada), that has an effect on the national economy. Not just the local economy.

And it's obvious this bad news on the increase of fed tobacco taxes and the SCHIP topic ain't gonna make the national economy betta. It will make it worse.

The govt is spending too much time focusing on one group of Americans (smokers), and I think SOLVING the nation's economy problems is a MUCH BIGGA issue than trying to put smokers in the poor house by making every tobacco product as expensive as he!!.

I agree with someone on smokinglobby who hinted PM is playing a role in encouraging politicians to vote YES on the fed tobacco tax incresse. PM doesn't want their Marlboro smokers to switch to smoking cheap RYOs/MYOs (or Native brands for that matta). PM wants to make loose tobacco VERY expensive so those smokers will have no choice but to smoke the sh!++y FSC Marlboros (and otha PM-made brands too).

If PM thinks a Marlboro smoker is gonna have second thoughts about switching to making his/her own cigs, that smoker might actually just quit or look into growing his/her own tobacco. Those PM mothas would STILL lose lots of money if their smokers decided to quit than switch.

I don't like the idea of people quitting smoking based on this bad news from DC. You shouldn't let the govt tell you how to live. But at least the idea of EVERY Big Tobacco smoker quitting or switching to alternatives to getting/making cigs would send a message to PM as well as the politicians.

Hey how about that? My first in-depth post without a sigle indirect reference to race for making my point. The way the govt focuses on smokers without focusing on the REAL issues in America is actually worse than the amount of negative attention "we" get day afta day.

All Big Tobacco brands will be FSCs by the start of 2010

QUOTE:

"That may not be an option for long, though, whether or not the 13 states without fire-safe cigarettes laws fall into line: With the tide firmly against them, the tobacco companies, which initially opposed the laws, now say it is too much trouble to make different cigarettes for different states. As a result, they predicted that by Jan. 1, 2010, all cigarettes sold in stores in the United States will be self-extinguishing."

SOURCE LINK:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28796322/page/2/

Fed tobacco tax increase passes

Well it's official. There WILL be an increase on the fed taxes for tobacco products, which will also raise the prices on cigars and MYO/RYO. Which means even if you make your own carton of cigs, it'll be almost as expensive as buying a Big Tobacco carton.

ARTICLE LINK

2006 Surgeon General Report: Lies and the Facts

If you would like to view the 2006 SG Report: Lies and the Facts, on a seperate webpage I created, you can:

CLICK THIS LINK.

The FSC newsletter article is interesting

That article on the FSC topic has a lot of interesting quotes that deserve thoughts from a smoker of my type.

"Common sense dictates that cigarette are less likely to cause fires if they snuff themselves out, advocates say, meaning fewer deaths, injuries and property loss."

Common sense? Not to me. How do advocates explain the cherries (the lit ends on cigs) falling off of FSCs, if these cigs are meant to prevent fires? It probably IS common sense to a fascist, but fascists are not the most intelligent people in this world. Maybe advocates oughta spend money on all of these car burns, and burns on clothing and furniture I hear of from online smokers. Maybe we need bullet-safe guns, where you gotta pull the trigga 10 times before an actual shot is fired. Hunters wouldn't like those type of guns and neitha would an urban bro/sis.

What's the point of using a gun if you gotta pull the trigga several times just to let out one shot? Even if I used a gun to hunt animals instead, a bullet-safe gun would defeat the purpose of enjoying hunting. Why would a smoker (likewise) smoke more in order to get the same enjoyment of smoking, and light up a cig several times that's FSC?


"....if you believe fire-safe cigarettes are safer than traditional cigarettes, “you might want to have your doctor check to see if you still have a brain.”

This is SO true. Nonsmokers and FSC advocates don't have brains at all.

The Smokers Rights Newsletter

The United Pro Choice Smokers Rights Newsletter January 30, 2009 - Issue #514 "All of us together -- in and out of government -- must bear the burden. The solutions we seek must be equitable with no one group singled out to pay a higher price." - Ronald Reagan, First Inaugural Address 20 January 1981

India Movie Smoking. Creative victory. "A film must reflect the realities of life. Smoking is a reality of life. It may be undesirable but it exists. It is not banned by any law," Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said. "To depict such an act (smoking) without glamorising it or promoting any particular product cannot be prohibited as it would bar a representation of how life is." Fire-Safe Cigarettes: Self-extinguishing smokes sweep the country, but many say they taste bad. By Alex Johnson. And they are venting on online forums like one run by the Smokers Club, which argues that "there is no end to the fictions nicotine ninnies will create to justify their venomous hatred of smokers." Importers' Attack on $25 Billion Tobacco Settlement Is Dismissed. A federal judge on Monday rejected an antitrust attack on the $25 billion settlement reached in 1998 between the nation's major cigarette manufacturers and 46 states as it has been implemented in New York. From The Mailbag AR: The AR Project. Nutty Anti-Smoking Zealot: The Uncut Version. CA: Belmont Update. Smoking Ban Hits Home. Truly. CO: New bill could allow smoking back in bars and more. KS: American Soldier jailed for smoking outside! KS: Hutchinson Huffing and puffing. By Dan Deming. KS: State health plan backfires, Agency isn't what envisioned. KS: State smoking ban a non-starter, let locals decide. NY: Court rules Cayugas not charged with cigarette tax crimes. PA: Possible Smoking Ban Violators Get Warning Letters. TX: Freedom vs. personal taste. By Shane Warner. TX: Killeen City Council update, Up in (no) smoke? WA: Refusal to hire smokers and smoking bans criticized. WV: Harrison County says NO and smoking ban is suspended. WY: Says NO and statewide smoke ban bill exempts bars. USA: Moran, Berry Introduce Health Care Bill, Patient Access. USA: Bringing It Up Again: Obama And Cigarettes. The Canadian Smokers Rights Newsletter, read all the news. Canada: Heading to court a fourth time for Manitoba's public places. Germany: Happy Birthday, Former Chancellor Helmut Schmidt! UK: (Comedy) Gordon Brown Interview with truth drug. UK: Leeds City Council: Husband deemed too fat to adopt children. UK: Scheme to make pubs pay for drunken disorder proves a flop.

The Rest of the Story: Tobacco News Analysis and Commentary By Michael Siegel

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A sport celeb wants a Texas smoking ban

Lance Armstrong supports a smoking ban in Texas, and this is the first time I saw a person from the world of sports supporting a smoking ban anywhere. He must be an antismoker.

I just hope he ain't using his fans to support him although I see he has a lot of supporters with him already.

I sure would like to see if he can beat a smoker in a race...with the smoker being on a Harley instead. LOL

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ARTICLE LINK

AUSTIN -- Cyclist Lance Armstrong joined forces with anti-smoking groups Thursday, urging Texas lawmakers to pass a statewide ban on smoking in bars, restaurants and other indoor work and public places. "This is an important idea, a bold idea for Texas," Armstrong said after a rally with more than 100 supporters outside the state Capitol. Armstrong, who battled back from testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain to win the Tour de France seven times, recently came out of retirement to race again. He also pledged that his comeback would take his cancer awareness campaign with him around the world.

That included the stop at the Texas Legislature, where a similar anti-smoking measure failed two years ago. "This is something that is very, very personal for me," Armstrong said. "Having lived this life as a cancer survivor for the last 12 years, I think I know it personally and deeply and I think I have a pretty understanding of how you go about defeating cancer."

According to the Smoke-Free Texas coalition, which includes the American Cancer Society and the Lance Armstrong Foundation, secondhand smoke kills 53,000 nonsmoking Americans every year and is a known cause of lung cancer, heart disease, low birth weight and chronic lung ailments. Two dozen states have already enacted some smoke-free laws with 14 others considering them, the group says. Last week, College Station became the 28th Texas city to pass a comprehensive smoke-free ordinance.

According to a poll conducted for the smoke-free group and released Thursday, 68 percent of Texans support banning smoking in all indoor and public places. Nonsmokers were much more likely to support the ban than smokers, the survey found. The bill has met resistance from civil libertarians and some restaurant and bar owners who worry their business will suffer. About 50 feet from where Armstrong stood at the podium addressing the crowd, a small group held a counter-demonstration. Arthur DiBianca of the Travis County Libertarian Party held up a sign that said "Go Back to France, Lance."

"Smoking bans in general and a statewide smoking ban are a further encroachment on the rights of business owners and property rights," DiBianca said. Rep. Myra Crownover, a Denton Republican who has authored the House version of the bill, acknowledged some lawmakers question whether the bill violates property rights and individual liberties. She said the ban would protect the rights of employees to not have to work in an atmosphere filled with toxic smoke and is not an attempt to ban smoking altogether.

In 2007, a weakened version of the ban passed the House and was never considered by the full Senate. Its prospects this year remain uncertain, although it has clearly gained some momentum. Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, sponsor of the bill in the Senate, said it still faces an "uphill battle" to be passed into law this year. He expects it to face fierce resistance from tobacco companies and bars. With nearly half the states already enacting some form of smoking ban and cities across the country adopting them, Armstrong predicted Texans 20 years from now will wonder why there was even a fight over the issue.

"As a parent and as a citizen, I don't think it's fair to subject other people to secondhand smoke," Armstrong said.

WI state ban would be fair to all businesses

Here's a WI based letta I found online on that state's smoking ban talk.

ARTICLE LINK

I dunno how a statewide smoking ban is fair to all WI businesses. WI smokers will MOVE OUTTA state and maybe move to Missouri since that's the only midwest state without a statewide smoking ban. Indiana is actually anotha smoker-friendly state in this region...although there are LOCAL smoking bans in Indiana.

WI smokers can't go to MN or my home state in order to enjoy smokes with their drinks....these two states have statewide smoking bans already. So my best advice is to encourage the politicians in WI to not go for a statewide smoking ban since you believe you have the right to enjoy your smokes in public places, and the owners have a right to make money with your (smokers') help as patrons of their businesses.

I wonder what a WI politician would say if 1000s of smokers up there threatened to move to Missouri if a WI smoking ban DOES pass.

(WI smokers might move to Missouri anyway since that state still has non-FSCs)

This is one reason why banning smoking on coll. campuses is bad

This article from Alabama reflects on anotha problem with smoking bans, at least when a college voluntarily bans smoking on their campus.

ARTICLE LINK

Here are two quotes from that article that caught my attention.

"Aside from smoking, neighbors say students park on the street for easy access to campus, loiter, litter, abuse drugs and participate in sexual activity on or near their property."

This sounds a LOT similar to how life is for me within the Chicago streets. And these bad activities happen in a lotta areas of my city including in downtown alleys. If Black smokers engaging in sex near a college campus happened near me, that would be on the newsreel I bet once they're arrested. hee hee

I wouldn't be surprised if most of the students at that college in Montgomery are bros and sistas, since "we" represent the majority of that city's population as well.

"In response to residents' complaints about litter, the college placed a trash can and smoking post-style ashtray on the neighborhood side of the fence. Residents said this did little or nothing to stem the problem."

I'm sure it won't do anythang to stem the problem. Not when you have smokers coming over from a college and do a lotta law-breaking that goes beyond smoking and littering with butts. Maybe if that college allowed smoking on the campus, then those smokers wouldn't be turning that street into a hood-like street to walk around in for those residents who actually live on the street.

I sure am sorry there are smokers in this nation who make the goodie smokers look bad nationwide. But in a town with mostly "us" living in it, I'm not surprised at hearing of those college smokers' behavior.

They should be smoking on the campus so those residents can live in peace, and take the weed, drugs and public sex somewhere else....I can say that in the residents' defense.

How you can keep up with smoking ban news

Here's how you can keep up with smoking bans around the clock. Wheneva new smoking ban-related news pops up anywhere in the world (not just in the US), you can read the news stories on this site I learned about from a smoking activist.

NewsNow site

I will include a link to this site on my blog's links list as well.

Did it ever occur to nonsmokers...

...that the smoking bans are anotha reason why the economy has fallen? Sure, that "boy" Bush played a major role in the economy falling down during his 8 years as Preaident. He wasted a lotta money in Iraq for sure.

But no news reporter or journalist is blaming the smokking bans throughout the nation as a reason for the bad USA economy, I'm sure when a hospitality owner is forced to close down, that affects the nation's economy. Especially since I heard in the past somethang like several small businesses end up closing by the WEEK when new smoking bans go into effect.

If this nation had no smoking bans at all including here in Illinois, would the economy recover? I think so, since smokers would be spending more money in the hospitality industry.

I guess the reason why you neva hear major news stations blame the smoking bans for the sh!t going on in the nation's economy cause they don't wanna give smokers a good light on TV. Sorta like I will neva hear positive news stories involving people in my community that are NOT actual celebs or sport playas. The media wants to keep smokers in the same bad light that "we've" already been under for years.

The economy is gonna get worse with fewer smokers buying FSCs as well, Get rid of the smoking bans and the FSCs, and this nation will see a huge improvement in the economy.

Online smokers wanna harp about Obama being a smoker. I oughta ask those smokers "How come he won't admit smoking bans are hurting the nation's economy?"

I'd be lying if I said living as a bro is like living in paradise. Especially in an urban area. That's why smoking is the only real pleasure I have in my life. I can feel for the smokers who hate smoking bans and FSCs. The govt oughta stop messing with the only real pleasure we smokers have at all!

IL smoking ban still ignored

Here's a recent article. I see the ban is not just still being ignored, but one smoker who goes outside to smoke still hates leaving the waterhole just to smoke.

*****************************************

ARTICLE LINK

Illinois smoking ban still disputed, and sometimes ignored

By Joe Crawford

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

Monday, Jan. 26 2009

More than a year after Illinois enacted its public smoking ban, the
controversial law and its enforcement are still the subjects of some dispute.

The aim of the legislation, to keep cigarette smoke out of public establishments, has been clear since it went into effect Jan. 1, 2008. But law enforcement, health departments and public officials have struggled with how to
use the ambiguously worded statute.

In some places, it has simply been ignored.

"A lot of bar owners and patrons were just out and out thwarting the law," said Mark Peysakhovich, senior director of advocacy for the Illinois chapter of the American Heart Association. Peysakhovich said the ban generally was accepted at Chicago-area bars and restaurants, but many businesses in the southern part of the state, where the law was less popular, ignored it.

The dissenters often went unpunished because local prosecutors refused to enforce a statute they said was unclear, he said.

"A lot of county health departments weren't enforcing it at all because they were told by their state's attorney that he wasn't going to prosecute any of the tickets that they wrote," he said, noting the statute did not specify
whether violators were committing a criminal offense or exactly how they should be punished.

Illinois lawmakers have taken steps toward eliminating the confusion in recent weeks, pushing forward legislation that allows health department officials and police to issue noncriminal citations to violators. The bill, which has been
passed in the Illinois House and Senate, would set the fine at $100 for a first offense, and repeat offenders would pay $250. The bill awaits the signature of the governor.

For now, though, some Illinois taverns continue to turn a blind eye to smoking.

At Mojac's, a bar in Belleville, a few patrons were smoking inside Saturday afternoon. A bartender referred comment to the owner, who could not be reached.

No one was smoking at Friday's South across town, but bartender Chris Lugge said customers sometimes light up despite the tavern's enforced no-smoking policy. Most smokers are aware of the law, he said, but they might forget if they frequent businesses that allow smoking anyway.

"Most people know you can't smoke," Lugge said.

John Welge, sitting at the bar at Friday's South, said he wasn't happy about the law, but it didn't keep him away from his favorite watering hole. It just forces him out into the cold every so often.

"I complain about it every day," he said.

Off-topic post...technically

I wasn't aware the first-ever blog I attempted to have back in 2004 was still up, the one that had the brown colors. I deleted it, since it was a dead blog anyway. I might consider the idea of adding a second blog in the future. It would be a smoking-related blog of course But I ain't gonna think about that right now.

Based on how busy I am online at different smoking sites, including being a regular visotor and "comment poster" at the Best Smoking Sites Blog, I might not botha creating a second blog. hee hee

In case any readers are wondering (at least those who know me from smoking fetish sites/forums), no, I am NOT the "smokefan" person who writes messages and posts images on the Best Smoking Sites blog. I HAVE, however, been in contact with that blog's author. Both of us know about the classy models at Smoking Rachel.

There's actually a pic from Rachel's site on here. That sista's name is Paris, and since that pic came from a free area of Rachel's site, it's perfectly ok for me to keep it on here.