The Ontario Film Review Board says they will work with the group asking for an 18A (adult) rating for movies and video games that depict smoking.Dr. Hazel Lynn, Medical Officer of Health for Grey Bruce, was part of a delegation that met Friday, June 24, with the full membership of the Ontario Film Review Board to discuss rating films that show smoking or tobacco products.“We can no longer allow our youth to be deceived into believing that tobacco use is okay,” Lynn told the Ontario Film Review Board (OFRB). “Any sense of the normalcy of tobacco use is a fallacy. We need to show tobacco as the hazard it is; a killer of our children.”

I would like to congratulate Leonard J. Chabert Medical Center for instituting a tobacco-free policy on its campus. Use of all tobacco products is prohibited, including smoking, smokeless and electronic tobacco products.Guided by Project H.E.A.L., a program established by the Louisiana Tobacco Control Program to help ease the transition for hospitals as they go 100 percent tobacco-free, this policy will become effective Friday.

U.S. states and the District of Columbia showed a downward trend during the last 14 years in sales of tobacco products to minors, health officials say.However, the report by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, says there was one exception, when the average national retailer violation rate of tobacco sales to minors increased to 10.9 percent in fiscal year 2009 from 9.9 percent in FY2008.

The FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) hosted the third in a series of one-hour webinars this week on federal tobacco regulations.David Racine, CTP senior program manager, moderated the “Smokeless Tobacco Product Packaging & Advertising Requirements” webinar and explained that it would provide retailers with a general overview of advertising and packaging requirements for smokeless tobacco products.

It makes perfect sense in a place were people are being treated for illness and injury that tobacco products would be prohibited. Starting July 4, all Intermountain Healthcare hospitals, clinics and facilities in Iron, Garfield and Washington counties will be 100 percent tobacco-free – as they should be.

Ireland has the highest prices for alcohol and tobacco products in the EU, with prices last year 70% higher than the EU average. Eurostat, Europe’s official statistics agency, says alcohol and tobacco prices were highest in Ireland with Bulgaria and Romania the lowest at 64% of the average price. Most of the price variation between countries for alcohol and tobacco is due to different taxation. Food and non-alcoholic drinks in Ireland were the second dearest in Europe behind Denmark, which has prices 20% higher than average. Overall, Ireland had the fifth highest prices for consumer goods – 18% higher than the EU average.

Last month, elected officials in this city approximately 40 minutes west of Boston adopted an ordinance restricting advertising of tobacco products within its limits. Now, the top three tobacco companies are taking legal action on the grounds that the ban violates the First Amendment.The ban would prohibit any signs that are visible from the street letting consumers know that specific brands of cigarettes or tobacco products are available at a location. Instead, according to a report in the Boston Globe, retailers would only be able to advertise cigarettes in general.

A few days ago Comptroller Peter Franchot said he didn’t want to enforce the ban on online sales of premium cigars. He asked legislative leaders and the attorney general for their opinions. Now he has decided that he will refrain from enforcing the law until the legislature has an opportunity to fix it, probably in the fall’s special session. Here is the entire letter: Dear Concerned Citizen: Please be advised that effective immediately, the Office of the Comptroller will temporarily defer enforcement of the online sales ban on premium cigars, as defined in Business Regulation Article 16.5-101 (p), until the Maryland General Assembly has had an opportunity to consider legislation that would permanently repeal the ban.