ANR in the News

Ban the butts
phillyBurbs.com - May 10, 2013

The Burlington County Board of Freeholders said this week that all county parks will be smoke- and tobacco-free beginning May 31. Secondhand smoke is a public health hazard, even outdoors. Concentrations of outdoor secondhand smoke can be as high as indoor concentrations, depending on where the smoking is taking place and the amount of secondhand smoke present, according to the nonprofit Americans for Nonsmokers Rights.


Our Opinion: UIS should go all in on smoking ban
The State Journal-Register May 10, 2013

Officials at the University of Illinois Springfield are dragging their feet on an opportunity to improve public health at a premiere educational institution. As of April, at least 1,100 college and university campuses across the country have adopted 100-percent smoke-free campus policies that ban all indoor and outdoor smoking, including in residences, according to Americans for Non-Smokers Rights, a California-based organization that lobbies for nonsmokers rights.


SMOKING BAN: butts into personal choice
The Signal - May 2, 2013

College students, faculty and staff should be provided freedom of choice. The proposed ban on smoking would allow the governing bodies of the California Community Colleges (CCC), the California State University (CSU) and the University of California (UC) to set enforcement standards for their local campuses [and] impose a fine for a first, second, and third offense and for each subsequent offence. In an argument made by the Americans for Nonsmokers Rights, under Why are campuses going smoke-free and/or tobacco-free? the association states as its first point, the majority of Americans do not smoke (no-smoke.org). The United States should not accustom laws only to accommodate majorities.


Student Government invites new officials
UAA Northern Light May 1, 2013

At the April 26 USUAA student government meeting, president Alejandra Buitrago swore in president elect Andrew Lessig. Lessig then swore in vice president elect Drew Lemish. Lessig and Lemish swore in two new senators, chemistry major John Paoletti and Jackie Odena. Bree Villar, UAA student and health education coordinator with the American Lung Association joined fellow student Valeria Delgado and Gabriel Garcia, assistant professor of public health, to speak to USUAA about the current smoking standards on campus and potential future amendments. According to Villar, students must smoke 20 feet from the doors at University of Alaska buildings and 50 feet from doors at medical buildings in the state of Alaska. The Smoke-Free Task Force and a group of students have gathered 514 student signatures petitioning for a smoke free campus. According to the group advocating a smoke-free campus, 1,159 campuses in the nation are now smoke-free and 783 are tobacco-free. They said three states have passed laws banning smoking on college campuses. The group plans to propose a letter and the signed petition to USUAA in the fall for a smoke-free resolution. Delgado said only 20 percent of UAA students smoke.


UO receives accolades for tobacco-free policy
AroundtheO - April 25, 2013

The UO has received the Fresh Air Gold Campus award for adopting a 100 percent tobacco-free policy, the highest level of achievement awarded by the Fresh Air Campus Challenge. According to the Americans Nonsmokers Rights Foundation, the United States has at least 1,159 smoke-free campuses. Of these, 783 have a tobacco-free policy.


Green River recognized for tobacco-free initiative
Auburn Reporter - April 24, 2013

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded Green River Community College the Fresh Air Gold Campus Award for its implementation of a tobacco-free policy. At least 1,159 college campuses in the United States had adopted a 100 percent smoke or tobacco-free policies as of April, according to Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights.


Glendale Community College campus goes smoke-free
Valley Sun April 20, 2013

When Glendale Community College students return from spring break on Monday, they will be greeted with a new warning: It's official, the campus is going smoke-free. "You'll be joining nearly 1,200 colleges nationwide and a growing number in the state of California," he told the trustees after they cast their vote. About 10 community colleges in California most of them in San Diego County have adopted no-smoking policies, according to the American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation. ...


Smokers back bill to ban lighting up at state-run colleges
Times-Picayune April 19, 2013

A bill to ban smoking at state-run colleges is gaining support, even from smokers. The proposal by state Sen. David Heitmeier, D-Algiers, which the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare passed unanimously on Wednesday, awaits final action by the full Senate. If the Legislature passes Heitmeier's bill and Gov. Bobby Jindal signs it, Louisiana will join Arkansas, Oklahoma and the Northern Mariana Islands, which have outlawed smoking on publicly run colleges, according to American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation, a lobbying organization. Iowa has gone one step further, forbidding people to light up on all of the state's 66 campuses, public and private, according to the organization's website. Legislators in Illinois, Maine, New Jersey, North Carolina and New Mexico are considering bills similar to Heitmeier's, said Bronson Frick, a foundation spokesman. In addition to these statewide bans on college smoking, about 1,150 campuses have forbidden smoking, according to the foundation, which updates such information quarterly. This trend toward smoke-free campuses is about 10 years old, Frick said. "It started with community colleges questioning the role of tobacco in an academic setting and trying to have a healthier workforce and deal with health-care costs. It spread through academic networks." ...


Clouds of smoke lead to community conversation on tobacco use
Macalester College The Mac Weekly April 19, 2013

... I think Macalester should do something to match [recent anti-smoking legislation], Meyerson said. Walking through a cloud of smoke on my way to breakfast is not what Im paying $50,000 for. Revamping the campus smoking policy is not a new debate at the college. In February 2010, Laurie Hamre, Vice President of Student Affairs, formed the Tobacco-Free Environment Task Force committee to look at the rights of non-smokers. This committee was chaired by Lisa Broek, the Associate Director of Health Promotion, and Denise Ward, Director of the Health and Wellness Center. A recent report by the American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation stated that there are now at least 1159 college campuses with a 100% smoke-free policy.


FREE SMOKES
Grand Valley Lanthorn – April 7, 2013

According to the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundations, there are currently 1,161 colleges and universities in the U.S. with smoke or tobacco-free policies, 33 of those are in the state of Michigan. …


Camden Yards' smoking ban in effect on Opening Day
Baltimore Sun – April 5, 2013

Camden Yards was one of 10 Major League Baseball ballparks that had designated smoking areas within the ballpark last season, according to the American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation. …


Study Suggests E-Cigs' Potential as Cessation Devices
CSPnet.com-April 3, 2013

LONDON -- Although most electronic cigarettes aren't being marketed as smoking cessation devices, an online study hosted by the University of East London .....


Let communities decide on smoking laws, instead of state
WyoFile - April 2, 2013

Twenty-eight states now ban smoking in all enclosed public places, including bars and restaurants. Despite widespread support in Wyoming for obvious health reasons, there’s enough dissent from residents who think businesses should decide their own smoking policies that I doubt our state will ever join the list. Several attempts to pass a statewide smoking ban have failed in the Legislature, though one bill managed to get through the House before stalling in a Senate committee. The preference in Wyoming seems to be to allow local governments to control smoking in public places, instead of a state law. According to Americans for Non-smokers’ Rights, 25 communities in the state have some restrictions on smoking. …


Students Look to Gauge UNH's Interest in Banning Smoking reports ...
OfficialWire - April 1, 2013

San Francisco, CA- A University of New Hampshire student group is now attempting to try and clear the air, so to speak. Substance Awareness through Functional Education is inviting students to sign an online petition that will ban smoking on the UNH campus. Since its inception on March 5, the petition currently carries 109 students signatures. … Since the start of 2013, over 1,100 colleges and universities have banned on-campus smoking for both indoor and outdoor use, according to no-smoke.org. No-smoke.org cites the rapid trend of the smoking bans as a growing victory for a health conscious college scene. New Hampshire currently has no 100% smoke-free college campuses. …


Smoking ban debate hazy
Vermont Cynic – March 27, 2013

For those who feel like they’re having déjà vu, the threat of a tobacco ban is not news. The difference between this year’s tobacco ban and last year’s tobacco ban is very real. According to Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights, as of January 2013, more than 1,129 schools have banned tobacco and/or marijuana use nationwide. With each email update it seems more likely that our own groovy UV is the next to follow in their footsteps. …


No E-Cigarettes Allowed
HuffPost Live - [March 27, 2013]

A California County has voted to regulate electronic cigarettes like regular cigarettes. Without medical proof they're bad for your health, does this move go too far? ... Cynthia Hallett,. Berkeley , CA. Executive Director of Americans for Non-Smokers' Rights ...


Smoking Will Be Banned on OU Campus This Fall
Rochester-Rochester Hills (MI) Patch.com - March 25, 2013

Starting this fall, Oakland University will join 21 other Michigan colleges and universities in becoming a smoke-free campus. … According to the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation, as of the beginning of 2013, at least 1,129 campuses across the country were entirely smoke free, including 22 colleges and universities in Michigan. Oakland Community College has a smoke-free policy; so does the University of Michigan. Michigan State University and Wayne State University do not. …


Glendale Community College ponders going smoke-free
Glendale News Press – March 23, 2013
Officials at Glendale Community College this week proposed that the college join a small handful of smoke-free campuses statewide. … According to the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation, about 10 California community colleges have adopted campus-wide non-smoking policies, most of them in San Diego County. ...


Student org tries to ‘clear the air’ with smoke-free petition
UNH New Hampshire – March 22, 2013

A student group at UNH is trying to clear the air. Substance Awareness through Functional Education is inviting students to sign an online petition to ban smoking on the UNH campus. Since its inception on March 5, the petition currently carries 109 student signatures. … As of Jan. 2, roughly 1,129 college and university campuses nationally have banned on-campus smoking, indoors and outdoors, according to no-smoke.org. No-smoke.org cites a rapid trend in on-campus smoking bans, whereas only 530 campuses were ‘smoke-free’ in July 2011. New Hampshire currently does not have any 100 percent smoke-free college campuses. Massachusetts has 14 smoke-free campuses, while Maine has five – all of which do not permit any tobacco substances at all, according to the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation. …


Daytona State board wants student survey on smoking issue
Daytona Beach (FL) News-Journal – March 21, 2013

DAYTONA BEACH ­ The Daytona State College board is moving toward making its campuses nearly tobacco free, but will survey students first. … About 1,100 colleges and universities nationally prohibit smoking, including 766 that do not allow any type of tobacco products, according to the American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation. …


A plan in cigarette ettiquette [sic]
Vermont Cynic - March 21, 2013

Banning tobacco products on campus is a growing trend among U.S. universities. The American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation reported in 2013 that over 1,000 colleges have banned smoking on campus. However, just because other universities are joining the anti-smoking movement does not mean that UVM should do so blindly. …


Lufkin City Council discusses smoking ordinance
Lufkin Daily News-March 20, 2013

Members of Smoke Free Lufkin then submitted a model ordinance for consideration from the Berkeley, Calif.-based American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation ..


The battle over secondhand smoke hits home
Orange County Register - March 15, 2013

The battle over secondhand smoke is intensifying in California, as the focus shifts from public spaces to the most private of places: Lighting up at home. … Liz Williams, project manager for the nonprofit Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights, applauds the trend toward quashing secondhand smoke. "People, especially in California, are very used to breathing smoke-free air," she said, "and people are very upset that their home environment is often the last place they are exposed to smoke." …


Completely smoke-free policies don't belong in UWGB
Fourth Estate Newspaper – March 13, 2013

According to The Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights, as of Jan. 2, at least 1,129 college and university campuses in the U.S. have adopted 100 percent smoke-free campus policies to eliminate smoking across the entire campus. According to the ANR, this number has increased by 110 campuses between July 2010 and July 2011. The number rapidly increased by 599 campuses between July 2011 and January 2013. The ANR expects this number to continue to climb quickly as a result of the growing social norm of supporting smoke free environments. Support also comes from within the academic community for such policies for campus health and well-being, but it’s not practical to bring the policies to UW-Green Bay. …


PSU joins effort to go smoke-free by 2016
OregonLive.com – March 8, 2013

…Nationally, 1130 campuses nationwide have smoke-free policies, up from 530 in 2011, according to the American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation. …


Rachel Maddow Show
NBCNews.com - March 7, 2013

This show re: Morton Downey, Jr., his talk show, and his smoking habit and changing attitudes toward smoking. The program discussed Downey's involvement in the National Smokers Alliance (NSA), a tobacco industry front group, and his disaffection with smoking after being diagnosed with lung cancer. The show described how the NSA was formed by Big Tobacco and how it was shown to be an astroturf group. The show used screen shots of materials provided by the American Nonsmokers Rights' Foundation.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy


Kaw Nation to open smoke-free casino
Journal Record - March 6, 2013

As discussions of smoking laws continue around the state, the Kaw Nation is taking a step forward in the casino industry by opening the state’s first nonsmoking facility. ... According to Cynthia Hallett, executive director of Americans for Nonsmokers Rights, smoke-free casinos are needed. "Casinos …


UMass enacting campus-wide smoking ban on July 1
WWLP.com - February 28, 2013

UMass Amherst will soon be a smoke-free campus. Starting July 1, the university joins 1,129 campuses across the country that have smoking bans.


E-Cigarette use is growing, study finds
Consumer Affairs – February 28, 2013

Everything else is electronic today, so why not cigarettes? That seems to be the thinking behind the growing use of electronic cigarettes, though whether this is a good thing is open to question. … One group that's already made up its mind is Americans for Non-Smokers Rights. It's gone on a crusade against the March keters of e-cigarettes, claiming they are using press releases and social media to tout the benefits of their product, despite a lack of independent peer-reviewed scientific evidence demonstrating the safety or effectiveness. E-cigarettes don't just produce harmless water vapor, the group claims. Instead, they say, they pollute indoor air with detectable levels of carcinogens and other toxic chemicals. "What I find most egregious are the direct advertisements with false and misleading claims, including that e-cigarettes are effective smoking cessation devices, that e-cigarette use is permissible in all indoor environments, including venues that are smoke-free, and targeting pregnant women claiming that e-cigarettes are safer and healthier than other tobacco products," said Cynthia Hallett, executive director of Americans for Non-Smokers Rights. …


TARGET 8: Lawmakers Still Smoke in Their Capitol Offices
KOMU.com – February 26, 2013

JEFFERSON CITY - Public places in Jefferson City went smoke free nearly two years ago, but some very special parts of the state capitol building have yet to follow suit. While the building as a whole requires state employees and visitors to smoke outdoors, elected officials in this building can still light up in their offices. … Missouri's capitol building is one of 11 capitol buildings in the country that are not smoke-free, according to the American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation. Seven of the eight states bordering Missouri have smoke-free capitol buildings, with the exception being Kentucky.


Penn Medicine decision not to hire smokers part of a controversial trend
Philly.com - February 21, 2013

Penn Medicine's decision to hire only nonsmokers starting July 1 is part of a slow-moving trend that goes back decades and that is still controversial even among public health workers, who often see tobacco as enemy No. 1. … Some see hiring as a different issue. "The tobacco companies made a highly addictive product, and it is difficult to quit," said Cynthia Hallett, executive director of Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights, a Berkeley, Calif., group that fights for smoke-free workplaces nationwide but that has not taken a position on hiring. "I don't know that we can penalize people who are addicted to cigarettes because that is exactly what the tobacco companies wanted to do." …


UT approves designated 'smoking zones'
Tampa Bay Wake Up Call, Tampa Bay Business Journal - February 14, 2013

... According to the American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation, the University of Tampa will be one of 1,000 higher learning institutions in the country, including 35 in Florida, to ban or create smoking zones on their campuses ...


Electronic cigarettes now part of ban debate
Marco Island Sun Times – February 10, 2013

They look like cigarettes and act like cigarettes. But does that mean electronic cigarettes should be treated like their tobacco-laden counterparts? … Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights, an organization seeking to implement smoke-free air across the country, has called for e-cigarettes to be included in all smoking bans. “E-cigarette companies are trying to say they are safer, they’re better,” said Cynthia Hallett, the group’s executive director. “We don’t have any evidence to support this.” Hallett said she wanted to know why the companies made their products with different flavors, including bubblegum. “Who are they marketing their products to when they have these little candy flavors?” … “It’s an enforcement nightmare,” Hallett said. “They’re designed to look like the real thing. “Enforcement is easier when they’re all banned.” …


CU-Boulder makes smoking ban official, will create designated smoking areas
Ban begins with educational phase, goes into effect Aug. 19
Daily Camera – February 6, 2013

Chancellor Phil DiStefano signed the University of Colorado's no-smoking policy Wednesday, making the school the second in the Pac-12 with such a ban. … There are now roughly 1,130 college campuses across the country that are smoke-free with no exemptions, according to the American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation, a California-based group. A majority are smaller or mid-sized campuses. But momentum is building, said Liz Williams, a project manager for the foundation. "I think the reason some larger schools may not have implemented smoke- or tobacco-free policies is because it takes longer to consider and adopt policy changes," she said. …


Chancellor signs CU-Boulder no-smoking policy
San Francisco Chronicle – February 6, 2013

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) ­ The chancellor of the University of Colorado, Boulder has signed a policy that would generally ban smoking on campus starting Aug. 19. … The American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation based in California says there are roughly 1130 college campuses around the country that are smoke-free. …


City Council bans smoking in Portland parks
Portland (ME) Press-Herald – February 5, 2013

The City Council on Monday voted to ban smoking in 36 city parks and open spaces, including Monument Square. … Nationally, more than 700 cities and towns have banned smoking in municipal parks, and the laws are "self-enforcing," Bronson Frick, associate director of Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights, told the Press Herald last month. …


Fort Collins considers outdoor smoking ban for bar and restaurant patios
The Denver Channel - February 5, 2013

The city of Fort Collins is considering an outdoor smoking ban for bar and restaurant patios, part of a larger statewide trend to restrict smoking in outdoor areas. ... "Colorado is seeing a great trend towards expanding their local indoor smoke-free laws and ordinances to include outdoor areas," said Char Day with Americans for NonSmokers' Rights. … Fort Collins isn't the first Colorado city to consider a smoking ban on bar and restaurant patios. At least eight cities, including Avon, Arvada and Edgewater already have similar bans in place, according to Americans for NonSmokers' Rights. …


Similar paths for tobacco, gun lobby?
USA Today – February 1, 2013

Scientists argue the gun lobby has thwarted attempts to explore factors behind misuse of guns, following a familiar and largely successful playbook: that of the tobacco companies. … The gun lobby has been even more successful than tobacco companies in limiting local action against guns, says Pertschuk, who previously led grass-roots campaigns at both Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights and Californians for Responsible Gun Laws. …


Alabama flunks smoking report
The Decatur Daily- January 24, 2013

FLORENCE — Alabama didn't passs a single course on its report card from the American Lung Association. The report card was released last ... Dickens pointed out that in 2011 Alabama was honored by the group, Americans for Non-Smokers Rights, for passing the greatest number of local smoke-free laws that year. Alabama tied with California in 2011 with four new municipal indoor smoking ordinances.


Bills Would Ban Smoking in Cars with Kids
Capital News Service, emporianews.com – January 21, 2013

A bill to forbid smoking in cars carrying children is dead in the House, but a similar proposal remains alive in the Senate … It’s not uncommon for states to ban smoking in cars carrying children. Arkansas, Louisiana, California, Maine and Puerto Rico all have such laws. The age of the minor varies from state to state. Anti-smoking advocates would like to see Virginia join that list. “Virginia is far behind what other states have,” said Bronson Frick, an assistant director of Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights, a national advocacy group. Virginia does ban smoking in restaurants, but the state law doesn’t cover other areas. “It’d help Virginia be a part of a trend with most of the United States,” Frick said. Most states that have outlawed smoking in the car with a child present, Frick said, usually take an educational approach, too: They have a campaign to inform the public about the health risks of second-hand smoke. …


Most major US airports that allow smoking won't kick the habit
NBCNews.com – January 18, 2013

Smoking is still allowed in specific areas at the five major U.S. airports detailed in a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that showed air pollution levels that are significantly higher than those at non-smoking airports. … "In general, smoking is limited to a handful of hub airports," said Bronson Frick, associate director of Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights. "The list is pretty small. Ten years ago, smoke-free airports were something of an anomaly." …


Only one smoking lounge remains open at Denver International Airport; 3 closed in 2012
The Denver Channel – January 14, 2013

DENVER - Three smoking lounges at Denver International Airport closed in 2012. … According to a news release from Denver International Airport, the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation says 27 of the top 35 U.S. airports are 100 percent smoke-free indoors.


In support of a tobacco-free campus
Cistern Yard - January 12, 2013

I support a tobacco-free campus for what it will provide long-term, which is make the College of Charleston a healthier, cleaner and all-around more productive place to live and learn. … MUSC is one of over 1,130 institutions of higher education in the United States that has adopted smoke or tobacco-free campus policies.


A review of Tri-State campus smoking policies
WCPO – January 10, 2013

... colleges and universities to adopt campus-wide smoking bans in the country, according to a list maintained by American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation.


Knowing the Enemy: Tobacco Industry Tactics
Public Health Law Center- January 10, 2013

Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco; Bronson Frick, Associate Director, Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights; ...


'Addiction Incorporated' To Screen at SLHS
Reston (VA) Patch.com - January 9, 2013

The South Lakes High School Parent Teacher Student Association and Student Government Association leadership class are sponsoring a screening of the movie Addiction Incorporated on Friday. … Among the panelists: Pat Hynes, Hunter Mill School Board Member; Sharon Arndt, Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services; Sharon Eubanks, US Justice Department and board member for Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights; Ritney Castine, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. …


County can't ban smoking, its attorney says
Herald-Tribune - January 8, 2013

Sarasota County does not have the authority to ban smoking at public beaches, outdoor sports facilities or parks, the county attorney told shocked county commissioners today. ... The problem is a 2003 Florida law that allowed smokefree restaurants and workplaces. But the law had an exemption that expressly declared that only the state could ban smoking in other locations. Americans for Nonsmoker's Rights said local governments cannot ban smoking in bars, beaches, parks, or any outdoor places because of the exemption passed in 2003. ...


Ky. known for its tobacco, but residents favor a ban
CincyBiz Blog, Business Courier – January 8, 2013

About 59 percent of Kentuckians favor a statewide law to ban smoking in all indoor public places, a survey suggests. The survey was jointly funded by the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati … According to the American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation, 36 states, along with the District of Columbia, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, have laws requiring nonhospitality workplaces, restaurants or bars to be smoke-free.


Where there's smoke, there may be a city ban
Portland (ME) Press Herald - January 7, 2013

... Nationally, more than 700 municipalities have banned smoking in municipal parks, and the laws are "self-enforcing," said Bronson Frick, associate director of Americans for Nonsmokers'Rights. "We rarely hear of a citation," he said. ...


In our opinion: A bill against smoking in the car unlikely to result in fewer incidents
Deseret News - January 6, 2013

… Parental rights aside, there are no persuasive data that making the practice illegal will stop people from doing it. A handful of other states and several municipalities have enacted such laws, but none have offered evidence that the rate of such incidents is thereby diminished. Even the advocacy group, Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights, admits on its website that a law, "by itself, is unlikely to eliminate second-hand smoke exposure in cars … " The organization says such laws should be accompanied by a "strong education effort." …


HCC Campuses Go Tobacco-Free
Brandon (FL) Patch.com - January 6, 2013

…Yes, according to the American Non-Smokers Rights Foundation, there are at least 704 colleges and universities that have gone 100% smoke-free, as of April 1, ...