
A suspect in an Oakland homicide was arrested after he was found smoking outside a sports bar near Hayward in violation of a county law, authorities said Thursday.
Franklin Bean Jr., 30, was smoking just outside Mac’s Sports Bar on Meekland Avenue in an unincorporated area near Hayward when he was spotted by Alameda County sheriff’s deputies about 10:50 p.m. Friday, said sheriff’s Sgt. J.D. Nelson. read more…

Fresno’s Police Chief told the City Council outdoor marijuana grows were a magnet for crime and violence.
“The people that are protecting those groves have armed themselves with firearms.”
Chief Jerry Dyer asked the council to extend a temporary 45 day moratorium on outdoor growing. The council passed the ban on December 15th. The extension would last for more than ten months. The Chiefs request had support of the city’s neighborhood watch leader.
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The quantity of contraband cigarettes seized fell to a new low of 1.9 million packets of cigarettes in 2011, a decrease of 17.4 per cent from the 2.3 million packets seized in 2010.
Singapore Customs said in a statement that this is a fall for the third consecutive year.
Another indicator of the contraband cigarette situation was the increase in duty collected by Singapore Customs in 2011. read more…

A museum to the now defunct tobacco growing industry has opened at Mareeba on Queensland’s Atherton Tablelands.
It’s now illegal to grow tobacco in Australia, after the Government elected to buyout and shut down the declining industry in 2006.
For decades tobacco was the main produce grown on the tablelands, and at its peak was worth $50 million dollars a year. read more…
Restore tobacco tax to previous levels

After the sixth-straight month of reduced tobacco tax revenues, I am calling on the state Legislature to restore the tobacco tax to its former levels this legislative session.
We cannot and should not wait until next session, when we have lost even more money and more lives to the effects of smoking.
As an American Cancer Society volunteer, I know the society fought against the tobacco tax rollback to protect our youth and discourage people from smoking. read more…
Court to rule on tobacco reward scheme

THE HIGH Court has been asked to decide whether a prosecution under the Tobacco Acts was correctly dismissed against tobacco manufacturer PJ Carroll for giving vouchers to shop staff as a reward for promoting its tobacco products.
President of the High Court Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns has reserved judgment on legal issues which arose in the District Court prosecution.
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HCC students respond to smoking ban

The air will soon be a little clearer at Holyoke Community College. College President, William Messner announced the school will be a smoke free campus starting August 13. On that day, smoking will no longer be permitted in any building or outdoor area on the 135 acre campus.
HCC will also provide resources and education for students who want to quit smoking but students say the transition may be difficult. “I think most people will be upset with it but I’m excited to see how it goes about changing,” said Justin Mateos. read more…

The campuses of the University of California system will be entirely smoke-free by 2014 in an effort to protect students from secondhand smoke and prevent them from picking up the habit.
The ban, which UC President Mark G. Yudof announced on Jan. 9 via a letter to the university’s chancellors, will also include smoke-free products like chewing tobacco and the sale or promotion of any tobacco product on campus, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. read more…

“Our product line is a natural fit in Circle K and will cater to the increased demand for high quality, reliable electronic cigarettes from the Circle K customer base,” says Finiti Branding Group president.
Circle K Stores Inc. is now offering the new FIN Electronic Cigarette in each of the convenience store chain’s eight regions.
Circle K Stores plans to sell the disposable FIN Electronic Cigarettes, which are equivalent to more than two packs of traditional cigarettes. read more…
Legalizing marijuana would create jobs

Usually the line separating a drug from a resource is a bold one. But when the subject of marijuana is discussed, the line seems to fade. Over the past century, Cannabis has been widely considered a drug, but in recent years, legislation fueled by scientific findings has fought to reverse that.
There have been significant developments in studies concerning the effects of marijuana on users’ health and the projected wealth that would result from its legalization.
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