Tobacco Articles: country canada

1. Police seize illegal cigarettes, charge Timberlea-area woman : Police seized approximately 135, 000 illegal cigarettes.
   Police have seized approximately 135,000 illegal cigarettes and charged a Timberlea woman as part of an ongoing investigation. On Jan. 31, a search was conducted of a 2011 Chevrolet Impala in Fairview, and approximately 135,000 contraband cigarettes was seized. The investigation revealed that a 35-year-old Timberlea woman was transporting illegal cigarettes from Quebec to Halifax Regional Municipality.
2. Capital Pride wants smoking ban eased
   A proposed smoking ban on municipal properties such as City Hall could hurt attendance at the Capital Pride festival, say organizers who are calling for a grace period this summer if the new rules are approved. Proposed bylaw amendments would see smoking prohibited on city properties such as parks, beaches, sports fields and areas outside municipal facilities, as well as bar and restaurant patios. Events on city properties would also be smoke-free under the regulations, something that would affect the 2012 Capital Pride festival planned for Marion Dewar Plaza outside City Hall, organizers said. This year's Capital Pride event is planned for August, while a recommended enforcement plan for the new rules would see bylaw officers issue tickets to offenders starting July 2.
3. Man arrested after contraband cigarettes seized
   A 65-year-old Torbay resident was arrested today after RCMP St. John's Custom's and Excise Section searched his home and seized 263 cartons of contraband cigarettes.
4. RCMP bust illegal-cigarette ring: Smokes sold door-to-door, police say
   The Mounties have seized more than half a million illegal cigarettes and arrested two men accused of going door-todoor hawking smokes at convenience stores and homes. Police said Wednesday they seized 580,000 contraband cigarettes, an illegal untaxed product often targeted at children and used to finance organized crime. Sgt. Steven Richardson, with Windsor RCMP, said they hadn't confirmed if the men in this case were part of a larger criminal network, but he added it's often the case. . . . Sati Al Shadood, 52, and Hussain Hassam Al Musawy, 41, both of Windsor, are facing multiple charges related to the possession and sale of unstamped tobacco. If convicted they could face fines of more than $400,000.
5. Town seeks comments on smoke-free bylaw
   EMC News - Are you fuming because of the proposed no-smoking bylaw or because of your exposure to second-hand smoke? Either way the Town of Smiths Falls wants to hear from you. An online public survey was launched by the Town of Smiths Falls on Jan. 20 that asks for the public's response to councillor Shawn Pankow's proposal to ban smoking in front of buildings, in parks and other public areas. Niki McKernan, assistant planner for the town, said the surveys are yielding some great comments from the public, but no clear consensus on the issue before Council. "In six days we've had almost 60 responses," McKernan reported. The online survey will be available until Feb. 24 at www.smithsfalls.ca. On the home page click on the 'Take Our Survey' button in the top left.
6. Capital Pride organizers want grace period on outdoor smoking ban
   A proposed smoking ban on municipal properties such as City Hall could hurt attendance at the Capital Pride festival, say organizers who are calling for a grace period this summer if the new rules are approved. Proposed bylaw amendments would see smoking prohibited on city properties such as parks, beaches, sports fields and areas outside municipal facilities, as well as bar and restaurant patios. Events on city properties would also be smoke-free under the regulations, something that would affect the 2012 Capital Pride festival planned for Marion Dewar Plaza outside City Hall, organizers said. This year’s Capital Pride event is planned for August, while a recommended enforcement plan for the new rules would see bylaw officers issue tickets to offenders starting July 2.
7. Anti-smoking advocate calls for shisha lounge ban : 'Smoke in the lungs is not a good thing. It's not good for health,' campaigner says
   With Ottawa Public Health officials calling for a ban on smoking in parks, beaches and outdoor patios, some health campaigners are pushing for shisha lounges to be added to the list. Ottawa boasts 19 shisha establishments where hookahs — the pipes used to smoke flavoured tobacco — are provided for public use. Pippa Beck is a policy analyst at the Non-Smokers' Rights Association and she cites a number of concerns with the flavoured tobacco, including unreliable packaging, a lack of public awareness about what is actually being inhaled and its growing popularity among young people. Beck said studies show water in a typical hookah pipe does not filter out carbon monoxide, small particles and other byproducts of combustion.
8. LETTER: SHATENSTEIN: Embrace smoking bylaws
   Re: Bylaw officers are busy enough, Jan. 31. The Citizen editorial's call for "voluntary compliance" and "common sense" doesn't make the grade when it comes to tobacco use - indoors or out. We wouldn't suggest that restaurateurs volunteer to keep vermin out of their kitchens, we can and must demand it. A number of studies have shown that levels of carcinogenic PPAHs (particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) increase significantly with the number of lit cigarettes per patio area, more than justifying the current initiative. While the density of smokers may not be as great in parks, the concentration is more than high enough to cause harm, and there is also the constant danger of toddlers ingesting cigarette butts thoughtlessly dropped by smokers. . . . In order to change behaviours and encourage smokers to understand they are doing harm to others, even outdoors, the new proposed bylaws should be welcome. Looking across the Quebec-Ontario border from Montreal, many of us are envious of the foresight being shown by Ottawa civic officials.