It's Hard to be a Smoker

Day by day, it's getting harder to be a smoker, especially in Mississippi. First the federal taxes were raised by congress, with a pack of cigarettes costing 65 cents more. Then this spring, the state tax was raised by 50 cents. But smokers in Mississippi will not see it stop — here lawmakers are looking at giving a boost to the state budget by increasing the cost of cheap cigarettes. Those tobacco companies that...

The Winners and Losers of Tobacco Control

U.S. government is really cracking down on big tobacco, and we are soon going to see who has won the battle and who has lost it. A bill was passed by Senate last Thursday, giving the Food and Drug Administration the right to oversee the tobacco industry. This will probably mean that the FDA will introduce an approval process to the industry for new products and there will be limits on marketing. The industry as a whole is...

Anti-Smoking Bill not Passed in Louisiana

In Louisiana, the attempts to expand anti-smoking laws have failed. On Tuesday afternoon, house members voted with the result being 71-29 against Rep. Gary Smith's bill to add bars, casinos and off-track betting parlors to the state's ban on smoking in restaurants, public places, public buildings and most places of employment. Those who opposed the law felt that customers would have been driven away form Louisiana...