Cigarette Traffic in Chesterfield County

Chesterfield Police say four men drove around and bought cigarettes from gas stations in Virginia, hoping to turn them around for a profit out of state. It's a problem NBC12 has been investigating for some time. And Lawmakers are working hard to keep people from doing it. Mohamed Ahmed el Moijtaba, Mohamed Jiddou, Ely Amar,and Elhacen Ouldelhakem all face a charge for Selling, Purchasing or Possessing Tax-Paid Cigarettes.

Centennial Park Soon Smoke-Free

The Helena City Commission will consider a resolution to keep tobacco out of the newly reconstructed Centennial Park, but it may rely on social pressure and the goodwill of park users, not law enforcement, to achieve that goal. A draft resolution slated for a vote and public hearing Dec. 3 says the park “will be operated as a tobacco-free environment.” But the measure as written would not carry any enforcement mechanism or proscribe any penalties for people who chew or smoke.

Nottinghamshire Inhabitants Quit Smoking

243 Nottinghamshire residents have pledged to quit smoking, with the support of the NHS Stop Smoking Service New Leaf during October as part of the first ever national mass quit attempt called Stoptober. The campaign has been supported locally by NHS Nottinghamshire County and Nottinghamshire County Council. New Leaf is the specialist stop smoking service commissioned by NHS Nottinghamshire County to provide advice and support to people who want to kick the smoking habit.

No Smoking Zones in Albany, Smoking Areas

Public housing properties in Albany are about to become no smoking zones. Residents will no longer be allowed to light up in their own homes. The Albany Housing Authority approved a smoking ban Tuesday evening that will go into effect January 1st. Authority officials say the ban will promote healthier living and accommodate future tenants who may be sensitive to cigarette smoke. There will be designated smoking areas. Some residents don't like the plan, but others say it's not such a big deal. "I understand why they want to try to prohibit it, to try to stop people from smoking at all, but you make the ordinances against them and all people are going to do is violate them," said resident James Jackson.

Kids Smoking Marlboro Cigs, Tobacco Ads

I did not think I’d have to explain it. But I guess I do. For lots of people are calling and asking “why do we have this ad in the paper?” It could be mistaken for a Marlboro ad, which shows kids smoking. “So how come you are running such an ad, are you trying to lure kids to smoke?” people are asking. Of course, many people, probably the majority, realize it is, of course, not an ad. That there’s no way Marlboro would ever run such an ad, and, therefore, through the process of elimination, it must be an anti-smoking, anti -tobacco message; an editorial using images.

Tobacco Users in Midland County

Smoking not only causes complicated health problems but can also take a toll on your pocketbook and that of your employer. After a shocking study, Midland County officials are looking at ways to cut down their insurance costs by the help of its employees changing their unhealthy habits. According to Midland County officials, 80 percent of Texas medical claims stem from tobacco usage and obesity. Now county leaders are encouraging their employees to quit smoking, if they don't, they are going to have to pay up.

Tobacco Brands Packs, Smoking Control

The High Court backed the federal government's world-first plain-packaging legislation earlier this year because it involved regulating, not acquiring, big tobacco's brands and logos. The court on Friday published its reasons for ruling in mid-August that plain packaging was constitutionally valid. "Although the (Tobacco Plain Packaging) act regulated the plaintiffs' intellectual property rights and imposed controls on the packaging and presentation of tobacco products it did not confer a proprietary benefit or interest on the commonwealth," a summary of the judgment released by the court states.

Menthol Smokes Banned, African-American Smokers

For African-Americans it’s a particularly harder feat. It’s hard to stop smoking. A study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that while 59 percent of Black smokers tried to quit, only 3.3 percent actually succeeded — the lowest success rate among all races and ethnicities. Those low rates may be explained by the fact that more than 80 percent of African-Americans smokers smoke menthols [PDF] — a minty tasting form of cigarettes that are harder to quit. Also, Big Tobacco spends millions on advertising these types of cigarettes specifically to our community.