Life, Health, and ... Death

Fight Over Missouri's Cigarette Tax Heats Up; Lung Association Gives State Failing Grade

By Chad Garrison Tue., Jan. 24 2012 at 9:52 AM
Categories: Life, Health, and ... Death, Smoking Bans
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​Missouri received its annual report card last week from the American Lung Association. The result ain't pretty.

The state earned an "F" for tobacco prevention and control (spending just $58,693 last year to prevent tobacco use statewide); an "F" for smoke-free air (with legislators refusing to pass a statewide smoking ban and prohibitions in St. Louis and St. Louis County allowing people to continue to light up in bars and casinos); an "F" for its 17-cent per pack cigarette tax (the lowest in the nation) and an "F" for it cessation efforts with Missouri spending 53 cents per smoker when the CDC recommends at least $10.53 per smoker.

For those keeping score at home, that's an "F" in all four categories, earning Missouri the worst marks possible. Yet just like those New Year's resolutions to quit smoking, hope springs eternal in Jefferson City. And in the past six weeks, the Secretary of State's Office has approved wording for some 14 different ballot initiatives that -- if they get enough signatures by May -- could land on the November ballot.

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American Lung Association, Missouri, smoking
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Education

Would This Image Keep You From Smoking?

By Chad Garrison Mon., Oct. 24 2011 at 1:20 PM
Categories: Education, Smoking Bans
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Saint Louis County Department of Health
​No? Okay. But what if you saw it 26 times in one day? Then 52 the next? And 78 times by day three -- all the way up to 130 images by day five?

The Saint Louis County Department of Health's youth anti-tobacco initiative, Air-O-Dynamic, hopes the Grim Reaper images appearing this week in St. Louis area high-schools will encourage students to keep away from tobacco. Today through Friday at eleven high-schools (including Webster Groves, University City, Riverview Gardens and Nerinx Hall) 26 new posters (right) will go up in school hallways, representing the number of Missourians said to die of tobacco-related deaths each day.

But will the messages land their mark among among all the other Halloween hullabaloo this week?

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AirODynamic, smoking campaign, St. Louis County Department of Health
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Smoking Bans

Missouri Workers Exceed National Average for Secondhand Smoke Exposure

By Chad Garrison Wed., Oct. 19 2011 at 8:20 AM
Categories: Smoking Bans
Thumbnail image for cigarette_burning.jpg
​Nearly 12 percent of Missouri workers are exposed to secondhand smoke on their jobs, according a study published this week by the Center for Disease Control. That's nearly double the national average of around 7 percent.

The survey used data collected from all Missouri counties in 2007 and 2008. It found that rural white males and young African-American males were the most likely groups to be exposed to secondhand smoke in the workplace. Per the study:

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CDC, Missouri smoking laws, second-hand smoke
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Smoking Bans

Cigar Store Owners Fight Push to End Smoking Ban Exemptions in St. Louis County

By Chad Garrison Fri., Jul. 29 2011 at 1:24 PM
Categories: Smoking Bans
pipe smoker.jpg
Premium tobacco retailers pipe up against the smoking ban.
​Former councilwoman Barbara Fraser made a cameo at the St. Louis County Council meeting Tuesday to urge her former colleagues to do away with exemptions to the county's smoking ban.

Fraser, who now serves as chairwoman for Tobacco Free St. Louis, said that exemptions granted to 153 businesses since the ban went into effect in January do little to protect the health and welfare of the community as intended.

"I implore you to remove the exemptions," the Post-Dispatch quotes Fraser as saying. "Why? Because secondhand smoke causes cancer, heart disease and serious lung ailments."

Fraser's comments set off alarm bells with the area cigar and pipe retailers. Chris McCalla, legislative director for the Georgia-based International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association, tells Daily RFT he's addressed concerns from several of his St. Louis members since Tuesday.

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Barbara Fraser, Chris McCalla, county council, pipe shops, smoking ban, St. Louis
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Smoking Bans

72% of St. Louis County Voters Favor Stronger Smoking Ban, Says American Cancer Society

By Chad Garrison Wed., Jul. 13 2011 at 3:30 PM
Categories: News, Smoking Bans
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Except if you're a bar bar. Or a casino. Or...
​A new poll commissioned by the American Cancer Society suggests that an overwhelming number of St. Louis County voters favor a stronger smoking ban.

According to the poll, 72 percent of likely voters support making all bars, restaurants, casinos and other workplaces entirely smoke-free. Moreover, 64 percent of the 400 people polled said they strongly support a stronger ban on smoking.

In January, a county ban went into effect prohibiting smoking in any bar and restaurant that earns more than 25 percent of its revenue from food sales. Dozens of bars have managed to get an exemption to the ban under that formula. Casinos are also exempted from the ban.

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American Cancer Society, casinos, Charlie Dooley, exemptions, smoking ban, St. Louis County
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Smoking Bans

St. Charles County Executive Vetoes Bill Calling for Vote on Smoking Ban

By Chad Garrison Tue., Jun. 14 2011 at 2:32 PM
Categories: News, Politics, Smoking Bans
Thumbnail image for steve ehlmann.jpg
Ehlmann argues that smoking ban cannot play favorites.
​Steve Ehlmann, the executive of St. Charles County, today announced that he's vetoed a bill that would place a countywide smoking ban on the ballot in November 2012.

In a press release today, Ehlmann took objection to provisions in the bill passed last month that would allow Ameristar Casino and certain cigar bars in the county to continue to allow smoking under the ban. (St. Louis County and St. Louis have similar exceptions for casinos under their smoking bans.)

Said Ehlmann in his statement: "...I believe that when a regulation is passed to improve public health, exceptions to that regulation would be totally irrational. If the purpose of the smoking ban is to protect the health of employees, there is no rational reason to exclude casino floor workers. If tobacco smoke is harmful, there is no reason to exempt cigar bars, while regulating bars that allow cigarette smoking."

The county council, which approved the bill by a 4-2 vote, could override Ehlmann's veto if it secures a fifth vote in favor of the ban.

H/T: St. Charles Patch

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Ameristar Casino, smoking ban, St. Charles County, Steve Ehlmann
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Smoking Bans

St. Charles County Council Approves Public Vote for Smoking Ban

By Chad Garrison Wed., Jun. 1 2011 at 7:50 AM
Categories: Smoking Bans
steve ehlmann.jpg
The fate of the smoking ban now lies with St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann.
​By a vote of four to two, the St. Charles County Council passed legislation yesterday that would put a countywide smoking ban on the November 2012 ballot.

The issue isn't a done deal yet, as County Executive Steve Ehlmann could veto the proposal and keep it from the ballot. Ehlmann has been somewhat critical of smoking bans in the past -- and the council would need five votes to overturn an Ehlmann veto.

If the measure reaches the ballot and is approved by voters, the St. Charles County ban would apply to all businesses except the Ameristar Casino. Unlike smoking bans in St. Louis and St. Louis County, the St. Charles County ban would not exempt bars that earn most their revenue through alcohol sales.

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Ameristar Casino, November 2012, St. Charles County Council, Steve Ehlmann
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Smoking Bans

Let's Face It -- Youth Anti-Smoking Campaign Kicks Off in St. Louis County

By Sarah Fenske Fri., May 27 2011 at 11:35 AM
Categories: Life, Health, and ... Death, Smoking Bans
smoking quit.jpg
St. Louis County is nagging teens to give up the cancer sticks already.
​Since the beginning of the year, the county's been quietly working on an anti-tobacco campaign aimed at St. Louis teenagers.

On Tuesday -- which is, not coincidentally, "World No Tobacco Day," because these days they have a day for everything -- they'll be discussing those efforts for the first time publicly. They'll also be urging local youth to sign a treaty vowing never to smoke (and to urge their friends to do the same). Think of it as a purity ring for the anti-smoking set.

Barry Freedman, project manager for the county department of health's "Communities Putting Prevention to Work" grant, tells Daily RFT that the county's federally funded $7.6 million smoking cessation effort is a drop in the bucket compared to what tobacco companies are spending.

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Let's Face It, St. Louis County Department of Health, World No Tobacco Day
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Smoking Bans

St. Louis Smoking Summit a Dud

By Chad Garrison Wed., May 18 2011 at 9:31 AM
Categories: Smoking Bans
beer-summit.jpg
​We had imagined yesterday's "smoking summit" for St. Louis area officials would look something like this. Only instead of beer, the table would be full of ashtrays and mounds and mounds of those famously cheap Missouri cigarettes.

After a bit of frank discussion, the officials would sit back and relax (share the proverbial peace pipe, if you will) and agree to an area smoking ban with none of the hodgepodge of exemptions that currently exist.

That didn't happen.

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Lewis Reed, Steve Stenger
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Smoking Bans

Tobacco-Free St. Louis Faces IRS Complaint Over Lobbying, Campaign Contribution

By Sarah Fenske Fri., Apr. 8 2011 at 12:30 PM
Categories: Smoking Bans
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Jim Pepper is complaining to the IRS that an anti-smoking agency has crossed the line.
​O'Fallon Councilman Jim Pepper has followed through on his threat to complain to the IRS about the political work of Tobacco-Free St. Louis.

Pepper yesterday filed a complaint with the IRS, charging that the non-profit organization, organized as a 501(c)3, is both engaged in excessive lobbying and involved with a political campaign. 501(c)3 organizations are only permitted to do an insubstantial amount of lobbying -- a maximum of twenty percent of annual expenditures for small non-profits like Tobacco-Free St. Louis -- or risk losing their non-profit status.

As Daily RFT first reported March 8, Tobacco-Free St. Louis recently received a county contract (paid for by federal stimulus dollars, natch!) worth $545,000. The group was charged with "developing and implementing an education and advocacy plan to educate St. Louis County Council members about the need to remove exemptions from St. Louis County's current smoke-free ordinance." More »

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IRS, Jim Pepper, smoking bans, Tobacco-Free St. Louis
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