Posted on 01/09/2003 5:14:01 PM PST by SheLion
ANTI-TOBACCO EFFORTS PRAISED.
7 January 2003
Maine program earns high grades.
by Michael O'D. Moore of the Bangor Daily News Staff
When it comes to regulating (controlling) tobacco consumption, Maine compares to a report released early today by the American Lung (Liar) Association.
On four key measures the state got two A grades, a B and a C. The four measures, respectively, are spending on anti-smoking programs; restrictions on youth access to tobacco; cigarette taxes; and smoke-free air rules for public and PRIVATE places.
Maine was among just four states - California, New York and Rhode Island were the others - that earned two A grades.
It certainly is a good reflection of how Maine is doing compared to other states," said ED MILLER, President of the American Lung (Liar) Association of Maine.
The association calculated that smoking costs Maine $876 million a year in health care costs and LOST WORK TIME. Nearly a quarter of Maine's adults and high school students smoke.
Although Maine's smoking rates dropped in the 1990's, anti-smoking advocates are EAGER to get the rates down further through education and cessation efforts. (FORCED CESSATION?)
Maine tied for seventh with nine other states for its $1-a-pack TOBACCO TAX.
Maine placed sixth best for its policies regulating smoking at work, school,BARS and other establishments. (Other?) In 1999 a law went into effect banning smoking in all restaurants.Maine was the only state that got a C, with most states getting a D or F.
MILLER said the ranking down-graded Maine because state statue allows smoking in designated areas (rooms that must meet special rooms statewide. He knows of no school that has one, he said.
Changing that law isn't on the association's agenda THIS year. Miller said his group's first smoking priority is to maintain the use of about $50 million Maine receives annually as its portion of a settlement to a lawsuit brought by 45 states (Attorney Generals) against tobacco companies for health care-related programs. (Golf Courses and Car Race Tracks? Balancing state budgets?? Growing gardens in ELLSWORTH???!!! Great spending!)In July 2001 the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids ranked Maine first among states in using the funds for health-related programs. (Yes! Crummy TV ads, T shirts, and field trips, among some).
Governor John Baldacci already has made a campaign pledge not to tap the money for other uses. (Too late. The pet programs are in place, Governor).
Miller said the association will support a bill to be sponsored THIS session by SEN. KARL TURNER; REPUBLICAN-Cumberland, to ELIMINATE the exemption that allows smoking in TAVERNS, LOUNGES and most POOL HALLS. (Most?) The issue is likely to be contentious: In 2000 a similar bill was DEFEATED after a three-hour long public hearing before the Health and Human Services committee. Almost all of the speakers were AGAINST IT.
Miller said predictions that eliminating smoking from restaurants and bars in CALIFORNIA would-be economically disastrous haven't come true. Now, he said, his association plans to argue that exceptions for bars and the like in Maine should be eliminated as a matter of FAIRNESS to their workers and to restaurants were smoking is prohibited. (LEVEL PLAYING FIELD AGAIN!)
State Sen. Karl Turner (REPUBLICAN - Cumberland)
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CALIFORNIA: 5-year-old ban in bars leaves owners, customers fuming
SMOKING BAN IMPACT ON CALIFORNIA RESTAURANTS
NURSHELL TAVERN RT 1, Biddeford, Maine closes its doors due to smoking ban.
Press Herald News, January 6, 2000 - MINGLES COFFEE SHOP, Kitchener, closes after non-smoking bylaw passed - 45% drop in business. Kitchener-Waterloo Record, July 31, 2000
TWELVE RESTAURANTS CLOSE in Brookline, MA, after smoking ban decimates business, Lowell Sun, March 28, 2001.
Hotelier Don Ritailer, Victoria, fired his entire staff of 12.
A survey of 300 alcoholic beverage serving operations in CALIFORNIA, selected at random from a list of 7,216 shows that 60% experienced a decrease in business averaging more than 30%; 7% showed increased business averaging 8%. Guest Choice Network + 50.4% of the respondents indicated increase in customer complaints/fights; and 65% indicated a loss of regular customers plus 59.0% indicated a loss of tips/gratuities for the bar and/or serving staff.
130 TOBACCONISTS IN CALIFORNIA have been forced to close since the 1998 smoking bans and punitive tax increases SF Gate, July 1, 2001.
TWO MORE RESTAURANTS have closed in Weymouth, MA. J.C. Grear's in South Weymouth and the Aloha in Hingham. A fourth restaurant said business is way off. Weymouth News.
Clergymen complain that 40 BINGO HALLS have closed because of the smoking bam. These halls supported local charities. Sun-News, February 7, 2001.
Susan Barnes of the WATERWORKS RESTAURANT in Rockland MAINE said she has lost more then $8,000 a month in liquor sales to other establishments since the restaurant smoking ban went into effect. Bangor Daily News, February 5, 2000.
Peter Martin, owner of John Martin's MANOR RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE in Waterville, MAINE said he proclaimed all Sundays in January to be no-smoking. Food and beverage sales DROPPED 25% and off-track betting revenue dropped 30 percent, he said. Bangor Daily News, February 5, 2000.
The list goes on. BUSINESS'S NEED NO GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION! LEAVE THIS DECISION UP TO THE BUSINESS OWNER, ED MILLER AND SEN. KARL TURNER!
This is why Maine is doomed.
I note his "Previous Occupation" is Investment Advisor. I imagine with his razor-sharp grasp of how capitalist economies work, he must have been hugely successful.
I don't know, Rose, but I think we all better let them know how we feel about this. Maine's economy is hurting bad enough with out more lay-offs and closings. They can't see that far ahead, and if they could, they could still care less about the "little people" out here.
And Miller has the audacity to use Kookifornia as an example. I almost lost my dinner.
I, too, can't take much cigar OR pipe smoke. But I could always move away from the area. But to have this Senator in Maine start to go after businesses again just goes against the grain of what I have been taught. And he's a RINO! Of the worst kind. There are RINO'S then there are CONTROLLING RINO'S!
I just pray that a lot of us start the letter writing. Do not let them get away with this as little sheep. They think we are all sheep out here. They need to know that we are NOT all sheep!
What? The Smoking Ban hurt the restaurant businesses? This idiot would fix it by more banning!
I LOVE PAY PAL!
I always try to be nice. But what ever put this idea into the man's head? And he's a Republican for heaven's sake. I can't understand how he got into the pocket of somebody.
All the restaurants in Maine were FORCED to go smoke free in 1999. Now they should leave well-enough along. But.....as you read, they want a "level playing field." heh!
So that tells me they KNOW the damage that was done to the smoke free restaurants, and now they want no smoking anywhere, "to make it fair to everybody." Fair???!!!
I pray for this country, what's left of it.
We have one here in my district in Washington. He's dangerous. You never know which way he'll vote on an issue. I guess it depends on if he remembered to take his meds.
The sad thing about it is, we can't get rid of his worthless a$$. All of the opponents are either worse or the guy wins due to name recognition, (been in the State Senate 12 years.) I spoke out at a forum last cycle encouraging my fellow Republican's to vote for the Green candidate, (yuk), or at least sit on their votes. Then we'd work hard the next cycle to get a real conservative elected. Didn't work, probably for the best. It's just frustrating. He's a niconazi too.
I'm having trouble reconciling "intelligent" and a Republican lawmaker who needs property rights explained to him.
That's generally the way these people operate.
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