Free Republic

Everybody knows that smoking is a popular pastime in Missouri, but certain groups light up more than others. About 36 percent of the state’s gay, lesbian and transgendered community smoke, compared to nearly 25 percent of the general population. And the gay community has less desire to stop — 37 percent say they’ll quit in the next six months, compared to 64 percent of all smokers in Missouri. The stats come from a new report out of the nonprofit Missouri Foundation for Health. The foundation wanted to figure out who’s smoking, so prevention and cessation programs can be targeted at...

Abd al Rahim al-Nashiri, according to the 9-11 commission report, was the mastermind of the Oct. 12, 2000, attack on the U.S.S. Cole that killed 17 U.S. sailors. Nashiri was also the target of an "unauthorized" CIA interrogation technique (that had not been legally vetted by the Justice Department) that is described in a May 7, 2004, CIA inspector general's report that was partially declassified by the Obama administration this week. CIA officers blew smoke in Nashiri's face, according to the report, and they used cigars. The IG's office described this smoke-blowing as one of several "unauthorized or undocumented techniques"...

t happens all the time. Someone cooking on the stove or outdoor grill walks away to do something else, or falls asleep, or forgets about the food. And a fire starts. Cooking was the leading cause of residential fires in Virginia in 2008, according to a new state report that examines fires and responses to them. Cooking, which includes outdoor grilling, accounted for 31 percent of all residential structure fires, up from 28 percent in 2007, according to the 2009 annual report from the Virginia Department of Fire Programs. Heating-related fires were the next-most-common cause, at 16 percent. "Cooking is...

RALEIGH -- The state Senate voted Thursday to ban smoking in bars and restaurants in North Carolina, setting the stage for what would be a historic prohibition of a product that created thousands of jobs, built Duke and Wake Forest universities and has long been an integral part of the culture in the nation's top tobacco-producing state. House members passed a tougher version last month, meaning that lawmakers will still have to work out a compromise, assuming the Senate passes the measure in a second vote Monday. The bill passed Thursday by an eight-vote margin, 26-18. The state's tobacco interests...

WASHINGTON – It may be riskier on the lungs to smoke cigarettes today than it was a few decades ago — at least in the U.S., says new research that blames changes in cigarette design for fueling a certain type of lung cancer.

Local government officials in China have been ordered to smoke nearly a quarter of a million packs of cigarettes in a move to boost the local economy during the global financial crisis. The edict, issued by officials in Hubei province in central China, threatens to fine officials who "fail to meet their targets" or are caught smoking rival brands manufactured in neighbouring provinces. Even local schools have been issued with a smoking quota for teachers, while one village was ordered to purchase 400 cartons of cigarettes a year for its officials, according to the local government's website.

Smoking takes years off your life and adds dollars to the cost of health care. Yet nonsmokers cost society money, too — by living longer. It's an element of the debate over tobacco that some economists and officials find distasteful.

A new series on the daily press briefings of b. Hussein's rumbling, bumbling, fumbling, stumbling Press Secretary Robert "Ahhhhh" Gibbs.... Is this guy for real? Or did he toke up before this press conference about the issue of legalizing marijuana? I'm thinking he's talking about b. Hussein asking people to email him about whether or not he should legalize smoke, but, with Gibbs, it's always difficult to tell what the hell's going on....

Local News Outlets are reporting that the California State Certificates were sent out in the mail today...  ...Can the Federal ones be far behind...???   

The more things change, it seems, the more they stay the same. Barack Obama, the candidate, has changed to Barack Obama, the President, but his style remains the same. We now have Obama's government of smoke and mirrors.

A yellow school bus overflowing with more than 3 tons of marijuana was found parked on the shoulder of U.S. 59 on Saturday. "It's an uncommon occurrence," said Maria Guadalupe Garza, a Texas Department of Public Safety lieutenant. "We don't see that amount of marijuana very often." Garza said that at about 8:30 a.m., a DPS trooper spotted the school bus on highway's shoulder, about four miles outside Laredo city limits. The trooper pulled up behind the bus, which was headed toward Laredo, and exited his vehicle to see if everything was OK, said Garza, of DPS' narcotics division. As...

TOKYO — North Korea took a step on Thursday toward reintegration into the world community and rapprochement with the United States by submitting for outside inspection a long-delayed declaration of its nuclear program. The 60-page declaration from North Korea, one of the world’s most isolated and impoverished nations, was expected to describe in previously undisclosed detail its capabilities in nuclear power and nuclear weapons — meeting a major demand of the United States and other countries that consider the North a dangerous source of instability. “This can be a moment of opportunity for North Korea,” said President Bush, announcing the...

Smokers in deprived parts of the British city of Dundee are to be paid to kick the habit in an initiative between public health organisations, municipal authorities and the Scottish government. The pilot scheme to be tried in Dundee, north of Edinburgh, will see smokers offered 12.50 pounds (15.8 euros, $24.7) per week to quit. Health bosses hope that 900 smokers will give up as a result in the next two years. The money will be credited onto an electronic card, which they can redeem at their local supermarket for fresh food and other groceries, but not cigarettes and alcohol,...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois' statewide smoking ban is barely a month old and opponents already are trying to relight the debate. With the General Assembly scheduled to return to Springfield this week, various Illinois interests — casinos, bars, veterans' organizations — are preparing to push state lawmakers to carve out exceptions for various types of facilities from the sweeping ban that went into effect this year in all indoor public places. "I'm a dedicated nonsmoker, but the hair on the back of my neck stands up" at some of the freedom-of-choice issues created by the ban, said state Rep. Bill...

METROPOLIS, Ill. -- Officials of Harrah's Metropolis riverboat casino claim Illinois' new smoking ban has resulted in the layoff of about 30 jobs at the casino. Casino officials claim guests are spending less on entertainment and making fewer trips because of the ban and the casino suffered a drop in visitation compared to the previous six-month average.

After months of protesting Columbia’s smoking ordinance and spearheading a failed campaign to have it repealed, Joel Thiel, co-owner of Otto’s Corner Bar & Grill, said he decided this week to close doors for good. Julia Robinson photos Above, Brett Wisman, left, and Kristal Allen smoke cigarettes after dinner last night at Otto’s Corner Bar & Grill in downtown Columbia. Below, Otto’s co-owner Joel Thiel works yesterday in the restaurant. Otto’s will close next week, a move Thiel blamed on the city’s smoking ban. He said sales have been down 30 percent since the ban took effect in January. "Our...

(AP) - An 18-year-old River Rouge man has been charged with child abuse after authorities say he helped a 3-year-old boy smoke what appeared to be a marijuana-type cigarette and videotaped it. “Just when you think you’ve seen all kinds of child abuse, this comes along. This is why parents must be ever vigilant about their child care arrangements,” said Prosecutor Worthy.

Black smoke rising in west Los Angeles over Baldwin Hills area.

Sunrise over Naval Base San Diego, California, on 23 October 2007 -- the view from the sea. Photographer Cdr. Jane Campbell, United States Navy CourtesiesGallery of Sunrises and Sunsets, http://ChamorroBible.org/gpw/gpw-200702.htm (photo no. 81, medium, large) http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=51976

From a nondescript former storefront in the heart of South Tucson, John Lombardi has waged a campaign against toxic waste, first with a novel green-tea compound to eliminate the use of solvents in the hard-drive manufacturing industry. Now, the U.S. military has asked him to tackle toxins that threaten troops. Ventana Research Corp. is developing a nontoxic smoke signaling compound and an anti-contamination dye activated by light and air, under $3.5 million in military contracts, said Lombardi, Ventana's chief executive and principal investigator. Ventana Research, 2702 S. Fourth Ave., has six employees and is adding office space to accommodate three...

"There have been a number of scientific papers recently that have reported the significant health threat secondhand smoke poses to pets," said Dr. Carolynn MacAllister, an Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension Service veterinarian, in a news release. "Secondhand smoke has been associated with oral cancer and lymphoma in cats, lung and nasal cancer in dogs, as well as lung cancer in birds."

A MIRACLE material for the 21st century could protect your home against bomb blasts, mop up oil spillages and even help man to fly to Mars.

ROCK HILL, S.C. — Smoking just might have saved Brenda Comer's life. She said she had just finished washing dishes Monday and stepped outside to smoke a cigarette when an 80-foot oak tree crashed through her roof, landing across the sink where she had been standing just seconds before.

(CBS4) EPSOM, N.H. -- Police have uncovered a major marijuana operation in Epsom, New Hampshire. Members of the State Police Narcotis Unit found more than 1,300 plants, numerous growing lights, irrigation equipment and fertilizer inside a home on Woodcote Drive. Investigators said the entire basement of the home had been set up to support approximately four-thousand marijuana plants. The home had been completely converted to support this operation. Each closet on the first floor contained numerous boxes of new transformers and other electrical equipment. The street value of a fully grown marijuana plant is close to $3,000. Police estimate the...

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed two bills that tighten use and oversight of eminent domain in California. These bills make Proposition 90 unnecessary. They also should make clear to Californians the real agenda of the well-financed outside groups promoting Proposition 90: They want to redefine "takings" in the United States. --snip-- These people want California voters to believe that Proposition 90 is about "fixing" eminent domain abuses. But don't be fooled. The California Legislature held hearings in August, October and November of last year to assess the eminent domain situation in California after the Kelo v. City of New London...

TUESDAY, Oct. 17 (HealthDay News) -- A new study finds that at least 1 in every 4 smokers will develop progressive and incurable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a much higher risk than previously believed. COPD is a respiratory disease that results in blocked air flow to the lungs and grows progressively worse. For this study, published online in the journal Thorax, researchers at Hvidovre Hospital analyzed data on 8,000 men and women, ages 30 to 60. All were monitored for 25 years as part of the Copenhagen City Heart Study. At the start of the study, all the participants'...

ELON, N.C. - Almost 65 percent of North Carolina residents would support a statewide ban on smoking in public places, and more than half prefer restaurants that don't allow smoking, according to a survey released Tuesday by Elon University. The survey also found that 65 percent of residents support allowing city and town governments to pass local smoking bans, which is barred under state law. "It appears that the historical ties to tobacco in this state are now essentially severed as anti-smoking sentiments prevail among North Carolinians," said Hunter Bacot, who directed the poll. The survey of 649 people was...

HAPPY VALLEY-GOOSE BAY, Newfoundland (AP) — An Egypt Air passenger flight carrying more than 300 passengers was diverted to Newfoundland on Monday after smoke was detected in the cockpit, an airport official said. The Boeing 777 that departed from Cairo for New York City made a safe emergency landing in Goose Bay, said Kevin Aylward, CEO of Goose Bay Airport Corp. The passengers stayed on the plane while maintenance workers repaired the problem. "It's something they were able to fix very quickly," said Aylward. He said he didn't know what the exact cause of the smoke. No fire was found...

Incense and candles release substantial quantities of pollutants that may harm health, a detailed new study of air quality in a Roman Catholic church suggests. Even brief exposure to contaminated air during a religious service could be harmful to some people, says atmospheric scientist Stephan Weber of the University of Duisburg-Essen in Essen, Germany. A previous study in the Netherlands indicated that the pollutants in smoke from incense and candles may be more toxic than fine-particle pollution from sources such as vehicle engines. Numerous studies have examined the health effects of combustion by-products from major outdoor sources, such as automobiles...

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak warned against any military strike on Iran in an interview published on Saturday. The United Nations Security Council has demanded Iran suspend uranium enrichment by the end of the month after Tehran failed to persuade the international community its atomic scientists were working on power stations, not bombs. Washington has declined to rule out military strikes as a solution to the nuclear dispute. "The conflict between the United States and Iran must be resolved through diplomatic channels and direct dialogue, because any strike on Iran means the end of stability in the region...

The San Francisco Chronicle Blog "broke" the story and the Associated Press is now running with it: Mel Gibson wrote a fundraising letter for Tom McClintock. Gasp! And McClintock stopped using it earlier this year. Uh, gasp? No gasp? Nothing? Meaningless? Well, if Gibson writing a fundraising letter for McClintock carries any weight or significance, then surely it is significant to point out that John Garamendi, McClintock's opponent in the race for Lt. Governor, benefited from a fundraising letter written by Peter Yarrow, of Peter, Paul and Mary fame. Yarrow, you may or (probably) may not recall, was convicted of...

A Reuters photograph of smoke rising from buildings in Beirut has been withdrawn after coming under attack by American web logs. The blogs accused Reuters of distorting the photograph to include more smoke and damage.

More likely to smoke and eat junk food... Working long hours has a greater negative impact on women than men because it makes them more likely to smoke, drink coffee and eat unhealthy food. Both sexes consume less alcohol if they spend more time working, researchers said on Wednesday, but toiling extra hours makes women crave unhealthy snacks. “Women who work long hours eat more high-fat and high-sugar snacks, exercise less, drink more caffeine and, if smokers, smoke more than their male colleagues,” said Dr. Daryl O’Connor, a researcher at Britain’s Leeds University.

Sick of people ripping on Smoke

I've been smoking for many years and need to quit. I've been having some bad symptoms first thing in the morning. Bad coughing, shortness of breaths ect. I went for several hours today, but eventually broke down. I'm wondering if any of my fellow FReepes out there who were able to sucessfully kick the habit could offer any advice. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

BATON ROUGE -- Raymond "Smoke" Laval has resigned as head coach of the LSU baseball team, athletic director Skip Bertman announced on Sunday. Bertman will hold a press conference at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday to discuss the future of the LSU baseball program. “I have enjoyed serving as the coach of the Tigers for the last five years and will always remember the many players who came through this program during that time,” Laval said. “I feel like we accomplished a lot and achieved some great things in reaching the College World Series twice and competing in four NCAA Tournaments.”...

DANVERS — The brown SUV rolled to a stop in a Holten Street parking lot as two 17-year-old high school students in the back seat emptied their pockets of everything except their cell phones and a $20 bill. They wouldn't need much more to buy a pack of cigarettes in Danvers. The girl, wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and a pair of jeans, stepped into the pouring rain, approached a sales clerk at the Mobil gas station and returned moments later with a pack of Marlboro Reds. The two teens work undercover for the North Shore Tobacco Control Program, the...

Rep. Patrick Kennedy (news, bio, voting record) crashed his car near the Capitol early Thursday, and a police official said he appeared intoxicated. Kennedy said he had taken sleep medication and a prescription anti-nausea drug that can cause drowsiness. Kennedy, D-R.I., addressed the issue after a spate of news reports. His initial statement said: "I consumed no alcohol prior to the incident."'Later, however, he issued a longer statement saying the attending physician for Congress had prescribed Phenergan on Tuesday to treat Kennedy's gastroenteritis.Kennedy said he returned to his Capitol Hill home on Wednesday evening after a final series of votes...

The House gave final approval to a statewide smoking ban today and sent the bill to Gov. Bill Owens, who is expected to sign it.

Black smoke billowing from SF underground.

Bars wait for smoke ban ruling Law takes effect today;7 businesses will learn whether they're exempt By Kymberli Hagelberg Beacon Journal staff writer The smoking ban is now law for many Summit County businesses for at least the next five weeks, but a Common Pleas Court will decide today whether seven bars are temporarily off the hook. Attorney Chris Tipping has filed for a temporary restraining order on behalf of seven clients who own bars in Summit County townships that must comply with the Summit County Clean Indoor Air Ordinance. The law prohibits smoking in bars, restaurants and most other...

(Bar Owner Trying To Concede Land To Town Of Burke) MADISON, Wis. -- A Madison bar-owner is going to extreme measures to escape the city’s smoking ban. He’s trying to detach his property and neighboring land from Madison and become part of the town of Burke. He’s hoping re-drawing the city’s boundary lines will rekindle his business. "For my business, smoking is a critical thing," said Wiggie’s owner Dave Wiganowsky. "I’m down 40 some percent. If I was in the town of Burke, they permit smoking."Wiganowsky said he’s not sure if anyone has ever tried this tactic before, but he’s...

Baghdad, 3 Jan. (AKI) - The leader of the Iranian mujahadeen, Massoud Rajavi, who was thought to have been in hiding since the American occupation of Iraq, is under house arrest there, according to the Paris-based website, roozonline. Massoud Rajavi and another 27 leaders of the Iranian movement, who were confined in the Ashraf base, after the fall of Saddam Hussein, have reportedly been shifted to US military custody in the Mercury Camp. The Iranian mujahadeen is a militant guerrilla movement seeking to overthrow the government of Iran and was based first in France and then in Iraq. The Mujahadeen...

Court blocks Calif. video game sales restriction Thu Dec 22, 2005 5:40 PM ET By Lisa Baertlein LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A federal judge has blocked a California law that would have made it illegal to sell or rent violent video games to minors, saying he doubted whether such sales could be banned even if the games were proved to cause violent behavior among children. The preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of the law was based on a finding that the statute risked violating the right to free speech. The decision comes amid a political and cultural war over the content...

Congressman Peter King (R-NY), now Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, has reintroduced his National Language Act (H.R. 4408) in the 109th Congress. Congressman King's bill is a strong (???), self-executing ( got that right! ) official English bill in its own right. Look at Section 163: Sec. 163. Preserving and enhancing the role of the official language `The Government of the United States shall preserve and enhance the role of English as the official language of the United States of America. Unless specifically stated in applicable law, no person has a right, entitlement, or claim to have the Government...

Man Smokes, Urinates In Aisle; United Diverts Flight,POSTED: 11:24 am EST November 26, 2005 UPDATED: 11:35 am EST November 26, 2005 CHARLOTTE, N.C -- Pilots diverted a United Airlines flight traveling from Orlando, Fla., to Washington, D.C., after a passenger lit a cigarette and urinated in the aisle. The plane landed Friday night in Charlotte, N.C., where the man was taken into custody by federal authorities. A United Airlines spokeswoman said flight attendants noticed the man appeared drunk not long after the plane left Orlando. She said the man later lit a cigarette and began to argue with a flight...

China's rapid economic growth and industrialization is posing a major challenge to the environment with air pollution likely to rise five-fold in 15 years, officials warned Monday. "In the future 15 years, the population of China will reach 1.46 billion and the GDP will double, the pollution load will increase by four to five times according to the present resource consumption rate and pollution control level," said Zhang Lijun, vice minister of China's environmental agency SEPA. Zhang was speaking at an air pollution conference organized by the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA), the US Environmental Protection Agency, the environmental directorate...

One day my wife and I were leaving the Mountaineer Casino and Resort in Chester, W. Va. The casino has two installations connected by a shuttle bus. One is a hotel and casino, and the other is a racetrack and casino. As we departed the racetrack, a shuttle bus from the other installation pulled up to the door. A crowd filed off the bus, and almost everyone was holding an alcoholic drink. (You normally don't carry free soft drinks from one building to the other.) Also, many of the passengers were smoking cigarettes. In this day of political correctness run...

But a few weeks ago, the savings the 77-year-old Milwaukee resident found in recent years by buying cigarettes online vanished when the state Department of Revenue told her she owed hundreds of dollars in back taxes and interest for purchasing cigarettes online. She is one of about 2,000 people the state is contacting over the next few months.

Stockholm – Sweden is a few days from joining the select group of European countries that have banned smoking in restaurants and bars. But unlike Ireland, where the ban upset pub owners, or Italy, where cappuccino drinkers complained about having to smoke outdoors, no one here expects the June 1 event to be met with much protest. The main reason for this indifference is a four-letter word: snus. A moist, finely minced snuff tobacco inserted under the upper lip, snus is the Swedish alternative to cigarettes. The substance, which is prohibited in the rest of the European Union (Sweden got...