US Supreme Court takes up a tobacco case for third time. The case involves an ongoing tug of war between the high court and the highest court in Oregon. See story from Christian Science Monitor

One hundred sixty nations, many of them in the developing world, have vowed to stand up to the tobacco industry and its efforts to water down antitobacco laws.

Bolstered by a 2005 global treaty, sponsored by the World Health Organization – the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control – more than 100 nations have created new laws to ban public smoking, ban tobacco advertising, particularly those targeting youths, and ban partnerships between tobacco companies and government. This weekend, at a meeting in Durban, South Africa, countries took that treaty a step further by agreeing that tobacco lobbyists must be prevented from interfering with healthcare policy. See story from Christian Science Monitor

The Supreme Court will decide if Maine smokers can sue by alleging fraudulent ads about 'low tar' cigarettes. See story from Christian Science Monitor

The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged governments to protect the world's 1.8 billion young people by imposing a ban on all tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship. See story from All Africa.com

The US Supreme Court has agreed once again to take up the case of a smoker's widow in Oregon who was awarded $79.5 million in punitive damages against the tobacco firm Philip Morris. See story from Christian Science Monitor

The World Health Organization released new data showing that while progress has been made, not a single country fully implements all key tobacco control measures, and outlined an approach that governments can adopt to prevent tens of millions of premature deaths by the middle of this century. See story from Medical News Today

England has become the last part of the United Kingdom (UK) to bring in a smoking ban in public areas, following Scotland in 2006 and Wales and Northern Ireland in April this year.  Much of the rest of the world has already introduced similar legislation. Ireland became the first country to impose a comprehensive ban in 2004, followed by New Zealand, Italy, and Sweden. Now, most of Western Europe has antismoking legislation, but only Ireland and the other parts of the UK go as far as England in making no allowance for separate smoking areas.  See story from Christian Science Monitor  

The federal government and states should take aggressive steps -- including increasing cigarette taxes -- to reduce tobacco use, according to a new study from the Institute of Medicine. See story from InRich.com

More than a dozen states are considering higher tobacco taxes this year, most often to help millions of uninsured people get health coverage.  See story from USA Today

A new frontier in antismoking policies is emerging: private dwellings.  Not only are some condos and apartment houses banning smoking inside private units, but there is talk in Belmont, Calif., of a city law next month that would mandate that all complexes keep a portion of their units smoke-free.  See story from Christian Science Monitor

Smoking cessation accounts for about 40% of the decrease in cancer deaths seen among U.S. men since 1991, according to a report by American Cancer Society. See story from Med Page Today

Health groups are rejoicing this week after a federal judge in New York gave the go-ahead to the largest class action lawsuit in U.S. history. Smokers of "light" and "low tar" cigarettes are suing tobacco companies, accusing them of fraud, and are seeking up to $200 billion in damages. See story from One World Net

Tobacco advertising was banned from television in 1971, but smoking is still telecast on TV via movie advertisements or trailers, says a U.S. study.  "Trailers pair tobacco use with popular movie stars and edgy action shots," the study authors write in the journal Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.   "These images translate into positive images of tobacco that are conveyed to a broad audience, including a large population younger than 18 years."  See story from United Press International

Nicotine levels in cigarettes manufactured in the US have increased by 10 percent over the last six years, a report by the Massachusetts Department of Health said. Nicotine is the main component in cigarettes that is responsible for increasing addiction in smokers.  See story from Food Consumer.org

A federal judge issued a scathing opinion regarding a history of deception by big tobacco over the dangers of smoking.  The decisions orders the companies to make certain changes in the marketing of “light” and “low tar” products.  But ultimately, the long awaited decision puts cigarette makers in the clear financially, ordering them to pay only the Justice Dept.'s costs. Though that's estimated at more than $135 million, it's a far cry from Justice's original request that the industry turn over $280 billion in ill-gotten profits and its most recent demand for $10 billion to fund smoking cessation and education efforts. Kessler said an earlier appeals court ruling prevented her from levying financial penalties.  See story from Business Week 

Tobacco usage in whatever form is harmful to the heart and significantly increases the risk of heart attack, according to a large international study. The finding held true regardless of whether tobacco was smoked or chewed either firsthand or secondhand, the Canadian researchers confirmed.  See story from Food Consumer.org 

This fall, voters in a record eight states will be voting on tobacco-control initiatives that range from sharply higher taxes to smoking bans in most workplaces.   See story from Christian Science Monitor

Smokers were required to light up outside across much of eastern Canada, as one of North America's most restrictive bans went into effect. See story from Associated Press

Global annual deaths from smoking are expected to double to 10 million by 2020 and could be higher according to a new CDC/WHO study. The study also revealed a narrowing of the gap between the number of male and female smokers. See story from Reuters

The number of cigarettes sold in the United States in 2005 fell to the lowest level in 55 years largely due to enforcement of marketing restrictions imposed on the tobacco industry. See story from Reuters

Research by British scientists shows that smokers who decide to quit immediately, without making plans about how or when, are more likely to succeed. See story from Reuters

California has become the first US state to classify second-hand tobacco smoke as a toxic air pollutant. See story from BBC

Although Turkey has one of the world's highest smoking rates, a far-reaching bill working its way through the Turkish parliament is aiming to tackle the country's widespread smoking habit. The bill would expand an existing - though often poorly enforced - ban on smoking in certain public areas to the private sphere. It would mandate non-smoking areas in restaurants and coffeehouses, forbid drivers with passengers in their car from taking a puff, and even outlaw the appearance of cigarettes in films shown on television (smoking censors will have them blurred out). See story from Christian Science Monitor

The marketing space for selling tobacco has shrunk considerably around the world. Many countries now restrict advertising but few have gone as far as Thailand. The Thai government ordered vendors to remove all cigarettes from display or risk a $50,000 fine. Activists say cigarette packets are effectively advertisements that should be hidden from view. Stores now carry signs advising customers to request tobacco products from their staffs. Some retailers, notably 7-11, are challenging the rule. See story from Christian Science Monitor

Researchers found long-term cigarette smoking was associated with diminished thinking skills as well as lower IQ among a group of alcoholic and nonalcoholic men. See story from Fox News

Smoking bans are moving outdoors, challenging the rights of smokers who puff outside buildings and on sidewalks. See story from USA Today

A billion people will die from tobacco-related diseases such as cancer this century unless more are encouraged to quit, a UK expert warns. In the last century the death toll was about 100 million. Developing countries were likely to be hit hardest. Although many nations are cutting smoking, but rates are increasing in countries such as India and China. See story from BBC

The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that the provincial government can sue the tobacco industry to recover health care costs associated with smoking. See story from BBC

The effects of secondhand tobacco smoke cost the U.S. economy nearly $10 billion a year, ranging from medical bills to lost hours on the job, according to a study commissioned by insurance actuaries. While the study, to be released today, probably won't affect current litigation against tobacco companies, it could encourage insurers to consider separate pricing for nonsmokers exposed to tobacco smoke, attorneys say. See story from Wall Street Journal

After eight months of courtroom argument, Justice Department lawyers abruptly upset a landmark civil racketeering case against the tobacco industry yesterday by asking for less than 8 percent of the expected penalty. The Justice Department shocked tobacco company representatives and anti-tobacco activists by announcing that the government will not seek the $130 billion that a government expert had testified was necessary to fund smoking- cessation programs. Instead, Brody said, the Justice Department will ask tobacco companies to pay $10 billion over five years to help millions of Americans quit smoking. See story from Washington Post

New research indicates that higher taxes help smokers kick the habit and that tobacco-free workplaces assist too. See story from Health Day

Giving smokers easy access to free nicotine patches could substantially increase the likelihood of them quitting. See story from Consumer Affairs.com

Fewer Americans are smoking, but their numbers are not dropping as quickly as U.S. health officials would like. The survey finds that 21.6 percent of U.S. adults said they smoked in 2003, down from 22.5 percent in 2002 and 22.8 percent in 2001. See story from Reuters

Sweden has joined the list of European countries which ban smoking in restaurants and bars. See story from USA Today Sweden joins a growing list of countries which have recently introduced bans on public smoking. See list from BBC

A new international treaty, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), has become effective without U.S. ratification. The treaty requires ratifying nations to ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, although the treaty provides an exception for those nations, like the United States, with constitutional constraints. It also requires that large warning labels cover at least 30 percent of cigarette packs and prohibits false, misleading and deceptive language-- such as "low tar," "light," or "mild"--that imply that a tobacco product is less harmful. In addition, the treaty commits nations to protect nonsmokers from tobacco smoke in indoor workplaces; urges strict regulation of tobacco product contents; and urges governments to increase taxes on tobacco, enhance global efforts to prevent tobacco smuggling, and actively promote tobacco prevention and research programs. Although the U.S. signed the treaty in May 2004, the Bush Administration has not presented it to the Senate for ratification. During the negotiations, the U.S. adopted tobacco company-sponsored positions designed to weaken the treaty. See story from One World Net

The drive to make workplaces and public spaces across the United States smoke-free is experiencing a new surge. More cities are restricting smoking in public areas, even parks. The push comes at a time when businesses are already targeting smokers in an effort to bring down healthcare costs. Some corporations are refusing to hire smokers - or firing them. A larger number are putting increasing emphasis on counseling and stop-smoking programs, even as they ban smoking anywhere on their property. See story from Christian Science Monitor

Youth smoking and drug abuse declined again this year, according to a federal study that also found marked progress over the last decade in persuading teens to avoid cigarettes and illicit substances. The smoking rate among younger teens is half what it was in the mid-1990s, and drug use by that group is down by one-third. There were increases in the use of inhalants such as glue, aerosols and the pain-control narcotic OxyContin. Use of most other drugs declined or held steady. See story from Associated Press

Public-health organizations and activists are hailing the ratification by Peru of the worlds first public-health treaty, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). Its ratification means that the treaty will become international law in 90 days. Although the U.S. has signed the treaty, it has yet to ratify it. The treaty significantly regulates the marketing tactics of the tobacco industry. See story from One World Net

Federal legislation which ends subsidies and offers a buyout plan will aid big tobacco growers and cause smaller ones to give up their fields. See story from Christian Science Monitor

The passage of a major U.S. tax bill containing a buyout for tobacco farmers has left a bitter taste among public health groups that had hoped to link the funding to new federal laws regulating cigarettes. See story from Washington Post

The U.S. Department of Justice has sued the tobacco industry under civil RICO statutes, seeking the largest damages award ever for a US civil suit. The Justice Department will use racketeering charges - which are usually brought against organized crime - to allege that tobacco companies misled the public over the past 50 years. And it will ask a federal judge in Washington to order the industry to pay back $280 billion in past profits - an amount that the industry says would drive it into bankruptcy and that is slightly more than the industry agreed to pay states in their 1998 settlement with attorneys general. The case is one of the most expensive ever litigated. According to the Department of Justice, it has spent $135 million so far on the litigation. See story from Christian Science Monitor

People under 40 are five times more likely to have a heart attack if they smoke, a new study shows. See story from BBC

The Senate approved a plan to give the government broad new powers to regulate the cigarette industry, including the ability to eliminate harmful ingredients in tobacco products and forbid advertising that appeals to children. The measure empowering the Food and Drug Administration to oversee the sale, marketing and manufacturing of cigarettes was linked to a $12 billion buyout of tobacco farmers. See vote

Ireland's smoking ban has won strong support since the country became the first in the world to outlaw the habit in the workplace in March 2004. See story from BBC

Adding to the now overwhelming evidence that tobacco prevention measures work, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reporting that smoking rates among high school students declined by 23 percent from 2001 to 2003 and by 40 percent since rates peaked in 1997. See press release from Campaign for Tobacco- Free Kids

The Surgeon General has added acute myeloid leukemia, cancers of the cervix, kidney, pancreas and stomach, abdominal aortic aneurysms, cataracts, periodontitis and pneumonia to the list of diseases linked to smoking. See Press Release

In a nation long considered a smoker's haven, antismoking efforts - including lawsuits and new restrictions - are moving forward as people grow less tolerant of Japan's nicotine-friendly culture. See story from Christian Science Monitor

The fight over secondhand smoke is heating up anew based on two new studies. One study is expected to show a decrease in health problems when workplaces in one Montana town went smoke free. And a major new study, finds that more than half of US food-service workers have no protection from cigarette smoke. See story from Christian Science Monitor

Ten years after California set a national precedent by banning smoking in restaurants and bars - and months after prohibiting it within feet of government buildings and playgrounds - many of the state's coastal cities are now banning smoking at the beach. See story from Christian Science Monitor

Although bar and restaurant owners often claim that smoking bans hurt business, particularly at neighborhood pubs and other small establishments, some economic data and research indicate otherwise. Although some studies indicate that restaurants and bars are hurt financially by smoking bans, those surveys were funded largely by the tobacco industry or its associates and often used flawed data, according to an analysis by Andrew Hyland, a research scientist at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, who examined 97 studies from 30 states and eight countries. Independent studies have concluded that smoke-free laws are not bad for business, he said. Hyland's findings appear to be supported by data from governments that have implemented smoking bans. See story from Washington Post

Tobacco Links

Yahoo-Full Coverage-Smoking

Yahoo-Full Coverage-Tobacco Lawsuits

Tobacco Atlas - World Health Organization

National Tobacco Information Online System (NATIONS)

Tobacco Control Country Profiles

TobaccoPedia - The Online Tobacco Encyclopedia

American Cancer Society: Tobacco and Cancer 

American Lung Association: General Smoking Information 

Foundation for a Smokefree America