Washington — “Electronic cigarettes” that vaporize nicotine juice to inhale instead of smoke from burning tobacco do not deliver as promised, according to research at Virginia Commonwealth University.

“They are as effective at nicotine delivery as puffing on an unlit cigarette,” said Dr. Thomas Eissenberg, at the school’s Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies.

His study, funded by the federal National Cancer Institute, is the first by American doctors to check the function of so-called “no-smoke tobacco” devices, which are unregulated in the United States for sale or use.

The units are shaped like a cigarette and contain a battery that heats a filament to vaporize liquid nicotine in a refillable cartridge. Smokers buy the devices to get around no-smoking restrictions and to attempt to quit conventional cigarettes.

Some users nickname what they’re doing as “vaping” instead of smoking, to reflect the vapor produced by the heating element. The devices are marketed as an alternative to smoking, but retailers avoid making claims about health or safety.

Fans have established a Web site, www.e-cigarette-forum.com. Founder Oliver Kershaw said the site “is the largest e-smokers community online with some 26,000 members, most of whom are in the U.S.”

Jimi Jackson, a former tobacco smoker in Richmond, Virginia, who sells electronic cigarettes, is convinced there are immediate health advantages in avoiding the known cancer-causing substances in the smoke of a burning cigarette.

“I smoked 37 years, and when I found them, I was, like, ‘Thank, you Jesus,’ ” Jackson said with a laugh, as a reporter visited his shop, No Smoke Virginia, coincidentally just a few blocks from where the research was conducted at Virginia Commonwealth.

In March, the Food and Drug Administration imposed a ban on continued imports of the devices, pending regulatory review for any health risks.

The latest clinical evidence suggests users are not getting the addictive substance they get from smoking tobacco. “These e-cigs do not deliver nicotine,” Eissenberg said of the findings he expects to publish in an upcoming issue of the British Medical Journal.

This past summer, Eissenberg recruited smokers without prior experience using e-cigarettes to volunteer to use two popular brands of the devices for a set period. The 16 subjects were regularly measured in a clinical setting for the presence of nicotine in their bodies, their reported craving for conventional cigarettes, and certain physiological effects such as a change in heart rate.

“Ten puffs from either of these electronic cigarettes with a 16 mg nicotine cartridge delivered little to no nicotine,” the study found.

But the units may deliver hazardous chemicals, according to preliminary checks by federal regulators. In a notice to importers, the FDA blocked continued shipments after finding diethylene glycol, a chemical used in antifreeze that is toxic to humans.

The government’s statement noted there are no health warnings on the products, and that “the FDA analyses detected carcinogens, including nitrosamines.”

The notice of the import ban says “the product appears to be a combination drug-device,” that “requires pre-approval, registration and listing with the FDA” in order to be marketed in the United States.

A company challenging the import ban claims in federal court documents to have sold 600,000 of the devices in a year’s time through a network of 120 distributors in the United States.

“We are on the verge of going out of business, which is why we are suing the FDA in U.S. District Court,” said Washington, attorney Kip Schwartz, representing a company called “Smoking Everywhere,” a U.S. wholesaler that was importing the devices from China.

The lawsuit questions the FDA’s authority to block shipments of a non-tobacco product, and says the agency has violated its statutory process for product review. Liquid nicotine is available on the open market through pharmaceutical houses and vendors who sell e-cigarettes.

A judge has yet to rule on the company’s request for an injunction that would allow imports to resume. “There has been no change,” said FDA spokesman Siobhan DeLancey. She said “a decision in the case is still pending, with no timeline.”

President Obama, who has described himself as an occasional smoker, has been offered one of the devices by Florida Rep. Cliff Stearns. The Republican lawmaker’s office said the president did not respond.

An administration spokesman last year said the White House was not aware of the offer.

In a copy of a letter to the chief executive dated March 26, Stearns wrote, “I have recently given out e-cigarettes to a few members of Congress and they have become quite a hit.”

Sales of the devices continue at shopping mall kiosks and small storefront retailers, apparently drawing from stock imported before the FDA began to block shipments from overseas suppliers.

By Paul Courson, CNN

An Oregon Senate committee tomorrow will hear public testimony on a bill that would give local governments authority to tax tobacco and cigarettes.

Multnomah County officials are seeking that authority to raise money for county health and human services, discourage teenagers from smoking and reduce smoking-related health costs, said Deborah Kafoury, member of the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners.

The House narrowly passed a similar bill in the last session, but the Legislature adjourned before the bill reached the Senate floor.

The proposal, Senate Bill 1042, would lift a ban against local governments taxing cigarettes and tobacco. If the 2010 Legislature passes it, Multnomah County will begin having public hearings on a county tobacco tax, Kafoury said. County leaders want to settle on a tax that is high enough to have impact without being so high it sends smokers across county lines in search of cheaper cigarettes, she said.

One figure that’s come up has been a tax of 25 cents per pack of cigarettes, which would raise between $7 million and $9 million a year, she said. Commissioners are confident Multnomah County residents would support the tax, Kafoury said, because they voted in favor of a 2007 measure to increase the state’s cigarette tax by 85 cents a pack to pay for children’s health insurance.

That initiative, Measure 50, failed statewide by a 3-to-2 vote after cigarette companies spent $12 million on a campaign to defeat it. They will try to defeat efforts by Multnomah County to tax tobacco, too, Kafoury predicted.

“The only opposition to this bill is the tobacco companies,” said Kafoury, who plans to testify at the 1 p.m. hearing Friday before the Senate Finance and Revenue Committee.

By Bill Graves, The Oregonian
February 04, 2010

FARMINGTON — Rep. Paul Ray, R-Clearfield, is a bulldog when it comes to cracking down on tobacco or for that matter, any nicotine-laced product.

A bill he introduced in the house to restrict “e-cigarettes,” and flavored smokeless tobacco, moved through a House committee Tuesday.

And Davis health officials are rallying behind his efforts.

“We are happy the issue is on the radar of legislators,” said Isa Kaluhikaua, a health educator with the Davis Health Department, whose expertise is in tobacco education. “We are concerned about the promotion of these products.”

The products that Ray and health officials are most concerned about are alternatives to smoking, which health officials fear may encourage young people and even children to try them out.

There’s Snus, a no-spit tobacco pouch meant to be placed under the upper lip, and Orbs, dissolvable breath-mint sized tobacco, with a camel imprinted on each. Strips are dissolvable, like breath freshening strips, containing tobacco, and dissolvable Sticks.

They’re each packaged in bright, attractive colors, which often look like candy packages.

Kaluhikaua is concerned products like these “could fall under the radar” and into the hands of children, “and that even the (store) clerks may not know what they are.”

She did some checking, and found the products are age-restricted. and when they are rung up at the register, the clerk should receive a notice to check for ID proving the buyer is 19.

Kaluhikaua said that she hasn’t done a check of which products are available at local retailers; she has seen some of them.

At a board of health meeting last month, Kaluhikaua told board members that if a child were to ingest three of the Orbs, they would get ill, and 10 would result in serious illness. Yet, she compared them to Tic-Tacs in appearance, and said they come in a variety of flavors children could mistake for candy.

“Some are designed to fit into creative packaging, and are marketed as a safe alternative to smoking,” Kaluhikaua told board members. She warned that the tobacco industry is creating new products all the time to keep the products in the public’s mind.

However, she warned, “There’s no such thing as a safe tobacco product.”

On Tuesday, House committee members heard from the public, some of whom defended the new electronic cigarette, “e-cigarette” which they say has helped them quit smoking.

The e-cigarette is a battery-powered device that looks like a cigarette and allows smokers to stop inhaling tar and other compounds found in cigarette smoke.

All the products contain some level of nicotine, which is of special concern to Ray, who told committee members that if he had his way, he would ban tobacco altogether. Countries worldwide are calling for additional studies of the e-cigarette and possible effects to the user’s health, especially if used for an extended period.

Most of the products still don’t have Federal Drug Administration approval, Kaluhikaua said.

by Melinda Williams, Clippertoday
Feb 04, 2010

Multnomah County Commissioner Deborah Kafoury, once the top Democrat in the state House of Representatives, was buttonholing her buddies in Salem this week, trying to persuade lawmakers at February’s special session to end the ban on city and county tobacco taxes.

“One of the reasons I ran for office was to get Multnomah County on sound financial footing,” Kafoury says. “We are still in financial trouble despite the recent passage of the tax measures.”

Kafoury and other county commissioners say they lack the same money-raising avenues the city of Portland has, so they’re turning to the Legislature to allow more local taxes.

County commissioners figure they could raise $8 million a year by levying a local 25-cent tax on a pack of cigarettes, Kafoury says. That would dissuade more teens from buying cigarettes, she says, and help the county meet surging demand for health care and other social services during the recession.

A similar proposal passed the House in 2009, and she’s confident it could pass again this month. But the vote in the Senate “is going to be close,” Kafoury says.
By Steve Law
The Gresham Outlook, Feb 2, 2010

Sen. Laurie Monnes Anderson, D-Gresham, introduced the proposal, Senate Bill 1042, at Multnomah County’s behest. Rep. Nick Kahl, D-Gresham, also sponsored the bill.

Considering the poor economy and last week’s approval of two state-wide tax measures, “This may be difficult to pass,” Monnes Anderson said.

But her interest in preventing teens from smoking drove her to back the bill. “It has been proven that when you increase the cost of cigarettes, the young people are the ones that don’t buy them,” she said.

Kahl said the bill also gives governments a chance to create new ways to pay the “significant” price of social services and health care, all while preserving local control.

“In Rockwood, where I grew up, these dollars are desperately needed,” he said, adding that the bill would allow Gresham – in fact any city or county – to enact its own cigarette tax if the city wanted to. “Local governments should have local control to deal with their own issues. This gives them an opportunity to do that.”

Convenience stores, such as Plaid Pantry, oppose the bill, fearing it will cause customers to shop in another county for their cigarettes and other products.

“You’re penalizing retailers because they’re located in one jurisdiction,” says Richard Kosesan, a Salem lobbyist for the convenience-store trade group.

He also warns that state cigarette taxes, which help pay for health care for the poor, could drop as they did after the Legislature banned indoor smoking at bars.

Sen. Rick Metsger, D-Welches, concurs, and opposes the bill.

The cigarette tax is “maxed out” as a source of revenue, Metsger says, after Congress added a 62-cent tax on a pack of cigarettes last year to pay for children’s health coverage. That made the federal cigarette tax $1.01 per pack, on top of Oregon’s state tax of $1.18 a pack.

“You tax it more, you’re just going to get less,” Metsger says. “New Jersey is the prime example of that.”

Metsger also predicts money-raising measures are a non-starter during the February session, coming on the heels of two major tax increases ratified by voters.

“Anything that has three letters that start with a ‘t’ and end with an ‘x’ is not going to be on the table this February,” he says. “I think everybody’s ready for a hiatus on this topic.”

But Portland Democrats are fairly influential in the Legislature these days, and the party has a comfortable majority in both chambers. SB 1042 doesn’t raise a dime; it allows cities and counties to charge their own cigarette taxes. As a result, the bill only needs a simple majority, not the three-fifths majority required for tax increases.

Rep. Phil Barnhart, D-Eugene, who leads the House revenue committee, says there are disadvantages to having different cigarette taxes in different communities of the state because it distorts sales.

But he says schools and local governments have been short of funds since voters sharply reduced property taxes in 1990 and then capped the growth of property values for tax-assessment purposes in 1996.

Many Oregon counties also face a crippling loss of federal funds allocated to timber-dependent communities.

SB 1042 has the support of the Oregon League of Cities and the Association of Oregon Counties.

There are plenty of precedents around the country. Kafoury says about 450 other cities and counties outside Oregon have their own cigarette taxes.

Voters opposed to measures 66 and 67 are likely to fume if Multnomah County enacts a local cigarette tax on top of those sizable state tax increases.

Kafoury fears the opposite reaction if the county makes more cuts this year, right after more than 70 percent of county voters approved both tax increases.

“Multnomah County voters are going to be confused,” she says.

Smoking taxes

Oregon: $1.18 (22nd-highest among the states)

Washington: $2.025 (5th-highest)

California: 87 cents

Idaho: 57 cents

Those come on top of the federal tax of $1.01

New York City, at $5.26 a pack, has the nation’s highest cigarette taxes, combining city, state and national taxes.

Legislature will look at other bills during session

In addition to backing a bill that would end a ban on city and county tobacco taxes, Sen. Laurie Monnes Anderson and Rep. Nick Kahl, both Gresham-based Democrats, also are introducing other bills during the February special session.

• SB 1003 – Sponsored by Monnes Anderson, this bill would help small businesses maintain health insurance benefits for employees. In order to get better rates, some companies pool together to create association health plans. Such plans require that 95 percent of employees stay in the plan, but as more companies reduce positions to part-time, fewer employees can afford to take part. The bill would allow companies to apply for a waiver to the 95-percent retention rate.

• HB 3615 – Sponsored by Kahl, this bill would apply the Unfair Trade Practices Act to banks and insurance companies, which are now exempt in Oregon. The bill provides consumer protection against banks and insurance companies that misrepresent themselves, resulting in damages to consumers, and allows the state attorney general to sue banks and insurance companies that don’t adhere to the law.

Legislators are also expected to focus on extending unemployment benefits for thousands of out-of-work Oregonians, as well as creating a constitutional amendment that would change how often the Legislature meets.

It now meets in general session every other year but often meets in special sessions during the interim. Some legislators want to meet annually as most states do.

Oregon’s business energy tax credit, also known as BETC or Besty, also could be changed. Critics say the credits cost taxpayers too much.

This issue could have repercussion for Gresham, which is trying to woo solar companies and other green industries to the area, said Rep. Greg Matthews, D-Gresham.

By Mara Stine

CAIRO: Khaled Mounir laughs at the notion Egypt could ban smoking. It is absurd, he says, as he takes a long drag on his water-pipe, commonly known as shisha. The 74-year-old retired accountant has been coming to the same café in the posh Zamalek neighborhood of Cairo for decades.

“Since before the revolution, this has been my spot,” he tells in near perfect English, a sign of his decade living in San Francisco. “They talk about banning smoking every six months or so these days, but we know it won’t happen because it would cost the government too much.”

His friend, Amir, shakes his head in agreement.

“It is just another rash decision taken that will hurt the average person and the government is overreacting like they have done on many occasions,” says Amir. “I think they need to educate people and teach local cafes about hygiene and that stuff instead of just going in and shutting it down.”

This is exactly what has happened. In downtown Cairo last month, police came into the Borsa area – Stock Market – and shut down a number of cafes serving shisha. The health ministry cited concerns over the manner in which the pipes and hoses were cleaned. But, only days later, all the cafes that lined the streets – it is a popular hangout spot for the younger generation of Egyptians and foreigners – were back at work, serving shisha to its loyal patrons.

The closing of shisha cafes has not been limited to only Cairo. In Mansoura, reports of prohibitions on the Egyptian pastime have been flowing in telling of closures of the city’s cafes ability to serve shisha.

“People here in Mansoura say Shisha is completely prohibited,” Mohamed el-Gohary wrote on his IRCPresident Twitter account last month.

The government has been quick in their attempts to curtail the spread of the H1N1 influenza, commonly known as swine flu, although world health officials have repeatedly stated the virus does not pass from pigs to humans. Here in Egypt, after the initial report of the outbreak in Mexico and the United States, all pigs were culled, sparking massive criticism both domestically and globally over what World Health Organization officials called “rash.”

Then, in September, the government closed down all schools and universities, fearing that by allowing students to return would allow for a possible outbreak among students. Schools were reopened in early October after the delay.

The health ministry has repeatedly stated it is doing everything in its power to ensure that Egyptians remain safe and the H1N1 virus does spread across the country in large numbers like it has in other countries.

“The reason shisha is being cut back is because of the poor conditions that often come with the local cafes that people go to. Swine flu can spread quite easily in the pipes if they are not cleaned properly, so we decided that in order to keep people safe from getting sick that these places be shut down, but at this time we have no intention of closing the places where they clean the pipes and use the medical hoses,” the official added.

Other reasons the government has given for ending smoking is the easy manner tuberculosis can spread through the hoses from one puffer to another. In 2007, Parliament banned smoking in public places. But, a quick walk through any government building and the dozens of ashtrays with the spent butts of cigarettes reveal the ban didn’t stick.

The health ministry says they are determined to get onto the global calls for banning smoking, saying that in Egypt, at minimum, smoking indoors should be curtailed. But tell that to the millions of Egyptians who daily puff away at their flavored water-pipe.

For the elderly men in Zamalek, at one level they agree with the ministry’s decision to close down the ahwa, saying that they agree with the government’s assessment.

“These places are not clean and have not been for years, which is why we have been coming here,” adds Mounir. Their frustration is with how these things are carried out by the government.

“Just like when they all-of-a-sudden decided to kill all the pigs, there was no warning and people didn’t have a say. It will hurt Egyptians livelihoods greatly and I am certain that it will cause more pain than what the government knows or cares about,” believes Amin.

For now, at least, if Egyptians and foreigners want to puff away on their water-pipe, the place to do it is the upscale, clean cafes in the more affluent areas of Cairo and the rest of the country. Or just wait a few days, and all will be fine for those who enjoy the very Egyptian tradition.

Joseph Mayton
17 November 2009

A man from Cumbria has admitted selling counterfeit cigarettes to a child from his ice cream van.

Anthony Wharton, 61, of Marsden Street, Barrow was caught by trading standards officers who found him selling cigarettes to a 16-year-old.

He pleaded guilty at Furness and District Magistrates Court to three charges of selling counterfeit cigarettes.

He also admitted one count of selling cigarettes to a minor.

Wharton admitted he would often sell cigarettes to children whom he thought looked old enough, but he failed to ask for proof of age.

After a raid at his home on 14 October 1,360 counterfeit cigarettes were found.

Wharton must pay court costs of £350 and surrender all counterfeit cigarettes.

He was also ordered to complete 60 hours unpaid community work.

30 October 2009, Bbc

Cell phones are used by an estimated 275 million people in the United States and 4 billion worldwide.

A recent review of studies assessed whether there was epidemiologic evidence for an association between long-term cell phone usage and the risk of developing a brain tumor.

In order to be included in the analysis, studies were required to have been published in a peer-reviewed journal, included participants who had used cell phone for 10 or more years, and analyzed the side of the brain tumor relative to the side of the head preferred for cell phone usage. Eleven long-term epidemiologic studies fit the criteria.

The results indicated that using a cell phone for 10 or more years approximately doubles the risk of being diagnosed with a brain tumor on the same side of the head as that preferred for cell phone use.

Iowa senator Tom Harkin, newly empowered to investigate health matters as chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, has promised to probe deeply into any potential links between cell phone use and cancer.

Harkin, who took over the committee after the death of Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy, said he was concerned no one has been able to prove cell phones do not cause cancer. A staffer said the senator became concerned by a report from the Environmental Working Group showing that radio wave emissions vary from one cell phone brand and model to another, as well as some reports suggesting there might be a link.

September 29 2009

China Kangtai Cactus Biotech Inc announced plans to launch low nicotine and zero nicotine cigarettes based on cacti in the fourth quarter of 2009, following the successful completion of trial production.

The Nevada-based and China-focused group grows, develops, produces, and markets cactus-derived products including nutraceuticals, nutritious food, health and energy drinks, beer, wine and liquor, extracts and powders, and animal feed.

The new patented cactus cigarettes, under the registered trademark “Shengcao”, are expected to increase sales by approximately US$220,000 in the fourth quarter, the group said in a statement.

The low nicotine cigarette is made from cactus, honeysuckle, ginkgo biloba leaves and a small amount of tobacco leaves. This cactus-derived cigarette lowers tar and nicotine content by 70 percent. The zero nicotine cigarette is made without any tobacco leaves.

China Kangtai CEO Jinjiang Wang said: “The cactus cigarette market shows huge potential for growth in China. China has about 390 million smokers, accounting for 30 percent of global smokers.”

China Kangtai controls over 387 acres of plants and maintains an active R&D group that holds 18 product patents and is seeking another 12. China Kangtai’s products are sold throughout China via a distribution network that covers 12 of China’s 23 provinces and two of China’s four municipalities.

© Sept 02, 2009 Proactiveinvestors

Smoking pot can cause as much damage to cells and DNA as tobacco smoke, according to a group of Canadian researchers who are challenging the belief that marijuana is less harmful than cigarettes. Rebecca Maertens, a researcher from Health Canada and co-author of the study, says many Canadians believe marijuana smoke is less toxic, and causes less damage than tobacco because pot is “natural.”

Despite several experiments that show marijuana use to have adverse health effects, the prevalence of marijuana use in Canada has increased over the past decade, while the incidence of tobacco use has decreased.

Nearly one quarter of Canadians between the ages of 15 and 24 reported using marijuana in the previous 12 months according to 2006 Statistics Canada report — over 14 per cent of those said they used the drug on a daily basis. The team behind this new study suggested that a lack of understanding about the dangers of marijuana plays a part in why youth are so cavalier about smoking it. Neither marijuana nor the main psychoactive component of the plant, THC, has been shown to cause cancer. There are, however, substances in marijuana that can be very harmful to a person, according to previous studies on the drug.

Negative health effects induced by smoking marijuana, such as chronic bronchitis, have been well documented, as have other negative health effects. A 2007 study from New Zealand, for example, examined the effects of cannabis on lung capacity. The results suggested that marijuana smoke compromised lung efficiency between 2.5 and five times more than tobacco smoke. Despite some knowledge surrounding marijuana’s adverse effects on human lungs, researchers still have little knowledge about the plant’s potential to cause lung cancer, Maertens said.

This is due in part to the difficulty researchers have had in identifying and following subjects who have smoked only marijuana, she said. In this study, scientists exposed animal cells and bacteria separately to smoke from marijuana and tobacco plants. Although marijuana smoke caused significantly more damage to cells and DNA than tobacco, according to the researchers, only tobacco smoke caused chromosome damage. But marijuana advocate Marc Emery dismissed the study when contacted Wednesday night. “Where is the proof of this DNA damage to Canadians?

Are there mutations in the 15 million Canadians who have smoked marijuana in the last 45 years?” said publisher of Cannabis Culture Magazine in an e-mail to Canwest News Service. “Cannabis consumption completely prevents Alzheimer’s disease, cleans the lungs by shrinking tumours and breaks down necrotic cells and clears them out of the lungs. Millions of Canadians use cannabis for relief of symptoms of multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy, chemotherapy, opiate medications, and numerous other ailments . . . This study is false and is in fact blatant lies once again from the least trustworthy source of health information in Canada — the lackeys at Health Canada.” Emery is on a cross-Canada farewell tour before he surrenders to U.S. narcotics officials to face charges in that country.

© Ottawacitizen

The roll-your-own cigarettes made on the machines at Tobacco Haven are controversial and inexpensive, but are they any good? Three Telegraph staffers who smoke gave them a try.

I’ll stick with my Parliament Lights, thank you.

I took one for the team Wednesday afternoon and tested one of the 200 roll-your-own cigarettes I purchased – on the paper’s tab – at Tobacco Haven in Brookline on Tuesday. They were not my favorite, but I’m not convinced it’s entirely the cigarette’s fault.

Taking a drag is difficult. I don’t know if that’s because it was made with “all-natural” tobacco like American Spirits, or if it was packed too densely. The latter explanation is at least fixable since the RYO machines can adjust the amount of tobacco in each butt.

They also didn’t taste like much. It didn’t feel like anything was in my mouth or lungs. But again, it’s possible another combination of tobacco – robust, natural or mild – and filter – light or full-flavored – would make a difference. This wasn’t exactly a scientific survey.

But the price is right. At $25.99 the carton cost far less than a carton of my cancer-sticks of choice.

– JOSEPH G. COTE

One of the few things I like about cigarettes is it gives me a short period of time to clear my head. A quick three to four minutes and I am back at my desk feeling refreshed.

The cigarettes from Tobacco Haven gave me none of that. Anyone who has ever smoked an American Spirit will know what I am referring to when I say they take far too long to finish.

In the time that I would normally be done with my cigarette, I wasn’t even half way through the one from Tobacco Haven.

With “normal” cigarettes, you can cut the allotted 15-minute work breaks into three five-minute mini breaks, taking each time to smoke a cigarette. The cigarettes from Tobacco Haven? You will be struggling to finish one cigarette in your entire break.

They are more mild then Marlborough Ultra Lights. In fact, think of them as Marlborough Mega Ultra Lights with less flavor.

– DANA SMITH

I’m in the process of trying to quit, so just about any cigarette is a good cigarette.

Since the cigarette from Tobacco Haven was hand-rolled, I was expecting a harsh cigarette with no filter. I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was a filter.

However, the first puff, instead of being too harsh was too light. I normally smoke Marlboro Lights, so that caught me off guard.

I found myself puffing harder and struggling to get a good draw of smoke. I didn’t get the satisfying “ahhhh” that I normally get while smoking.

Oddly enough, despite the “lightness,” I got a throat burn and dry mouth about halfway through the cigarette, reminiscent of generic-brand cigarettes.

For the price they’ll definitely do in a pinch, but I doubt brand-loyal cigarette smokers will find them an adequate substitute for the long term.

– DONNA ROBERSON

© Nashuatelegraph

LINCOLN — The after-work regulars at Nickleby’s smoke shop soon could be returning to an old tradition.

If all goes as manager Tim Vanderpool hopes, customers will be able to start sipping scotch while smoking their cigars and discussing the world’s problems.

The Omaha shop is among a handful of businesses around Nebraska that plan to take advantage of a new state law.

The law, which takes effect Aug. 30, creates an exemption from the statewide public smoking ban for specially licensed cigar bars.
Advertising

But it might be a couple of months before the first match is lit in any cigar bar.

The Nebraska Liquor Control Commission will hold a hearing Thursday on rules and regulations to implement the new law. Hobert Rupe, the commission’s executive director, said he doesn’t expect to be ready to take applications before the end of September.

Under the new law, such bars cannot sell food or allow cigarette smoking.

They must have walk-in humidors — special rooms with temperature and humidity controls for storing and displaying cigars.

They also must get at least 10 percent of their gross revenue from selling tobacco products other than cigarettes and cannot boost tobacco revenue by offering drink specials with tobacco purchases.

The law will let Nickleby’s, once again, offer alcohol with its cigars.

Vanderpool said the business was a smoking lounge until last year. When the Omaha smoking ban was broadened, the business dropped its liquor license and stuck with tobacco sales.

Other businesses, such as Jake’s Cigars and Spirits in Omaha, chose to keep their liquor licenses and move smoking outdoors.

Jake’s owner John Larkin pushed hard to get the cigar bar exemption passed. He said his business took a big hit under the smoking ban.

“For us, it’s going to be awesome, but it’s definitely a niche thing,” he said of the new law.

Larkin plans to allow indoor smoking again at his Omaha location, at least for those smoking cigars or pipes. He is expanding his Lincoln smoke shop and opening a cigar bar there for the first time.

Nebraska’s smoking ban applies to all public buildings and workplaces. It exempts tobacco shops, some hotel rooms, laboratories used for research on smoking and home-based businesses.

The law faces a pending legal challenge. Big John’s Billiards, an Omaha pool hall, argued in Lancaster County District Court that exemptions to the smoking ban are arbitrary and amount to special legislation in violation of the state constitution.

Contact the writer:

402-473-9583, martha.stoddard@owh.com

PHOENIX–With the economy continuing to stall and Americans’ wallets being impacted by more and more taxes, Crown7.com, a leading electric cigarette manufacturer, announced on August 17 it is helping smokers making the switch to a smoking alternative by offering 35% off to those who trade in traditional cigarettes for a Crown7 HYDRO.

In response to global smoking bans and stricter tobacco laws, electric cigarettes have become increasingly popular in replicating the act of smoking, using a nicotine cartridge, a microchip and a water vapor mist. Instead of second-hand smoke, a water vapor mist is dispersed without the effects of second-hand smoke from traditional cigarettes, and it is permissible in all public places where smoking is now banned.

“The Cash for Cigarettes program is helping consumers get their hands on a more affordable option than traditional cigarettes,” said Ron MacDonald, founder and CEO of Crown7. “The best thing about electric cigarettes is a consumer can now smoke anywhere and anytime they wish, including indoors, with an electric cigarette at an affordable price.”

According to Matt Salmon, president of the Electronic Cigarette Association, a Washington, D.C.-based trade group, sales have been brisk, with many former cigarette smokers reporting they no longer need to buy several packs of traditional cigarettes each week, and the e-cigarette industry is on track to make $100 million this year.

“Crown7 is a privately owned company, and we know how hard this economic recession is hitting hard-working Americans across the country,” added MacDonald. “We have a responsibility to our customers, and every smoker impacted by these tough times, to offer an alternative that will add more money to Americans’ wallets with a high quality product.”

During the “Cash for Cigarettes” program the Crown7 HYDRO Kit is $54.95 and refill cartridges (pack of 5) are $9.95.

© Businesswire