Video interview on smoking bans kiling businesses, health, and freedom

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ME: If smoking bans was all about health, tobacco would be illegal by now.  It's always sad to hear about workers who get a taste of violence while smoking outside of bars during late night hours.  Smoking bans hardly protect smokers themselves.  Not when someone is forced to "Take it outside."

Property RIghts Newsletter

The Property Rights Newsletter February 3, 2012 - Issue #649 "Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves." - Abraham Lincoln

Bingo: As a result of the smoking ban and taxing legislation bingo clubs up and down the UK have been closing their doors as they struggle to operate profitably. "There will be regular players who will greatly miss being able to go to their regular club and interact with people." Michael J. McFadden adds, "The UK's Bingo interests are fighting the wrong fight: they need to join with the Free Choice groups to restore the option of some places to allow smoking if they and their workers and customers wish." MORE around the world: Bingo Halls close following bans everywhere, stopping all the charity money they used to earn. For the good of the children, bring back Bingo and let adults decide if they want a smoking hall or not. From The Mailbag IL: Loosen IL smoking ban restrictions? State Rep. Anthony DeLuca (D) out of Chicago has proposed new legislation that would allow casinos and bars to apply for smoking licenses. NC: Will smoking issue burn again? It will be interesting to see how much headway Liebes and his group, the N.C. Bar, Pub and Tavern Association, make in getting the law revised. The group has hired Dean Plunkett, a Raleigh-based lobbyist who is known for his work on behalf of the N.C. Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association. Plunkett may well snag the ears of some legislators who could push revisions to the law. OH: Smokers not eligible for jobs in some Ohio casinos. 3,200 applicants will be tested for nicotine usage, refused if found positive. Hollywood Casino Columbus General Manager Ameet Patel said applicants who test positive for nicotine will be disqualified and workers will be subject to random tests during employment. Penn National's policy will mean no tobacco use on or off the job for their 3,200 workers and Ohio's indoor smoking ban means customers will have to step outside before lighting up. New Zealand: Smokers Urge to Lift Smoking Bans. For them, it is just like robbing away the individual liberty and they feel that smoking has become a class like religion or sex, for which they are somewhat hated. It is not a problem for them to be classified as smokers, but they should not be hated for it. World: The Nicotine Advantage: Anti-Doping Agency Practically Endorses Smoking. The performance-enhancing effects of nicotine included increased "vigilance and cognitive function," and reduced stress and body weight. "Interestingly, nicotine also triggers a significant increase of pulse rate, blood pressure, blood sugar and epinephrine release owing to simultaneous stimulant and relaxant properties," the report said. World: Smokers Blogs. Watch instant postings to your favorite blogs.

Antis: What to expect: The Cold Sharp Slap Of Reality

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Ohio: Smokers not eligible for jobs in some casinos

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COLUMBUS — Job seekers who smoke, chew tobacco or even use nicotine patches won’t be considered for the 3,200 casino jobs in Toledo and Columbus when Penn National starts filling positions later this year.
Hollywood Casino Columbus General Manager Ameet Patel said applicants who test positive for nicotine will be disqualified and workers will be subject to random tests during employment.

Penn National’s policy will mean no tobacco use on or off the job for their 3,200 workers and Ohio’s indoor smoking ban means customers will have to step outside before lighting up.
Penn National is joining the ranks of thousands of companies and hospitals that refuse to hire smokers in the hopes of curbing medical costs and encouraging a healthier workforce.

Patel, a 22-year veteran of the casino world, called it an unusual if not unprecedented step in an industry where a vast majority of customers are smokers. “It is a very, very big change,” he said.

Citizens for Tobacco Rights

CITIZENS FOR TOBACCO RIGHTS: An informative blog on tobacco issues.

Property Rights Newsletter

The Property Rights Newsletter January 27, 2012 - Issue #648 "Anyway, no drug, not even alcohol, causes the fundamental ills of society. If we're looking for the source of our troubles, we shouldn't test people for drugs, we should test them for stupidity, ignorance, greed and love of power." - P.J.O'Rourke

USA: See the list of all smoking bans in the United States. Country overview and details for each state. As of November 2011, 11 states have not enacted any general statewide ban on smoking in any non-government-owned spaces: Alabama, Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Instead, laws in most of these states (see individual state listings below for further information) require proprietors of certain places to designate smoking and non-smoking areas and post warning signage. In Oklahoma, state law prohibits local governments from regulating smoking more strictly than the state, making it the only state without any kind of legislated smoking bans. In the other 10 states, cities and/or counties have enacted stricter smoking laws than the state, in some cases banning smoking in all enclosed workplaces. In Alabama, Indiana, and Mississippi, the state smoking law expressly allows all local governments to do so. In Kentucky, Missouri, South Carolina, and West Virginia, a court has ruled that certain local governments have the power to do so. See the individual state listings for details. CA: California landlords, who have long had the right to restrict pets, noise and even water beds in their units, can now prohibit smoking under a new law. The new law requires landlords to specify in their lease/rental agreements areas where smoking is prohibited on their properties. IN: House Committee Passes Smoking Ban With Few Exemptions. If the ban does pass the House, it will go to the Senate Public Policy Committee - the same panel which overwhelmingly killed the bill last year, when health advocates insisted on a bill with no exceptions. UK: Watch BBC - Timeshift The Smoking Years. Borja Cantera's film was a study of how quickly the universally acceptable can flip into the untolerated. Presented as the evolutionary history of the smoker, it began with the democratisation of the fag with the invention of the first cigarette-rolling machine in 1880 and closed with a hideous vista of extinguished stub-ends, smouldering gently like a post-apocalyptic landscape. World: Smokers Blogs. Watch instant postings to your favorite blogs. The Slippery Slope After Tobacco THE ANTI-TOBACCO RECIPE FOR SUCCESS 1. Choose an industry. 2. Regulate the industry. 3. Tax the industry. 4. Sue the industry. When one source of money dries up, return to Step 1 and repeat. By S. Phillipe NY After Big Alcohol: Bloomberg forced to reverse decision to close New York liquor stores after bitter criticism by small businesses. Mayor Michael Bloomberg's warning of last call on drinks was just a test his office said Wednesday, just hours after news of his health-motivated plan broke. While he claims his health drive has improved New Yorkers' quality of life, critics deride his approach as a "nanny state" doctrine which infringes personal liberty. These plans would have made it harder for people to buy alcohol, both legally and illicitly - but could also reduce people's desire to do so, if the crackdown on advertising is successful.

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