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Two held after woman pushed on track in smoking row 

Two men have been arrested after a woman was pushed onto the tracks at a railway station in a row over smoking, British Transport Police said on Wednesday.

Linda Buchanan, 58, could have been electrocuted . . .

Police said they had spent many days trawling through CCTV images from stations between Farningham Road and London Victoria and had taken a number of statements from witnesses.

Officers arrested a 30 year-old man in Dartford, Kent, on Monday, later releasing him on police bail.

An 18-year-old man, also from Dartford, was arrested on Tuesday and remains in custody.

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Men arrested for pushing woman on rail tracks after smoking row 

British transport police said that a 30-year-old man was arrested at an address in Dartford on Monday night. He was interviewed by police yesterday and has been bailed until September 10.

An 18-year-old man from Dartford was arrested late last night and is still being interviewed by police.

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LEININGER: Smoking ban creates winners, losers 

In the first six months of this year, Allen County restaurants and bars collected more than $2.7 million in food and beverage taxes. That's about 1.7 percent more than last year, when Fort Wayne City Council outlawed smoking in most public places effective June 1, 2007.

But unless Fort Wayne business owners who claim to have been harmed by the smoking ban are lying - and their empty or renamed storefronts indicate that's not the case - the slight increase in taxes indicates the law has created not just losers, but winners.

And so meet the Anderson family, which is spending $1 million to quadruple the size of Rack & Helen's Bar at 525 Broadway.

That's Broadway not in Fort Wayne, but in supposedly backward New Haven, where the owners of bars and the adults who patronize them are still allowed to make their own decisions about tobacco - and are expected to accept the resulting benefits and consequences.

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• Smoking rule fires up residents 

"I don't think anybody has the right to tell me what to do in my own apartment unless it is against the law," said Cornell, 66, a smoker for 50 years.

Vicksburg Halls in April last year adopted rules prohibiting smoking in its apartments, a decision approved by the Marysville Housing Commission.

Wayne Pyden, the executive director of the complex, said as of Oct. 1, any resident caught smoking in his or her apartment will be evicted. . . .

Vicksburg Halls is home to about 20 smokers, of which 17 still are allowed to smoke in their apartments, since they were residents before the new rules.

Most of those smokers are outraged by the rule.

Outside the complex Tuesday, a group of residents -- almost all smokers -- complained about the situation.

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EDITORIAL: State must enact ban on smoking 

There is little point in crunching the numbers of St. Clair County restaurants that are smoke-free today. Those that banned smoking did so voluntarily. A year-old county ordinance against smoking in workplaces exempts bars and restaurants.

The county's limited law really is an indictment of Lansing. Only the state Legislature can ban smoking at bars and restaurants. So far, Michigan's lawmakers cannot summon the courage to adopt such a statute. . . .

Most of the county's bars and a significant number of its restaurant haven't embraced the smoking ban -- and they aren't likely to do so unless state lawmakers take the lead.

Secondhand smoke takes the lives of tens of thousands of nonsmokers each year, according to U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona. St. Clair County has done its best to win nonsmokers some relief. Now it's up to Lansing.

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Two arrested after Linda Buchanan thrown on to rail tracks  

A 30 year-old man was arrested in Dartford on Monday night before being questioned and then released on bail yesterday.

Last night a second man, 18, was also arrested in Dartford. He was in police custody being interviewed today. . . .

"Officers in this case have spent many days trawling through CCTV from stations between Farningham Rd and Victoria and have taken numerous witness statements from members of the public.

"I'd like to take this opportunity to thank those members of the public who came forward and provided us with invaluable information to assist us in this investigation."

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Physicians' Group Responds to Smear Tactics by American Meat Institute and Tobacco/Meat Industry Front Group 

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) responds to news releases published recently by the "Center for Consumer Freedom" (CCF), a group funded by the tobacco, meat, and junk food industries, and the American Meat Institute (AMI), a meat-industry organization that promotes consumption of processed meats and other unhealthful products. . . .

According to exposes in major media outlets, CCF was founded by tobacco lobbyist Rick Berman with more than $3 million from Philip Morris and continues to receive funding from industries that market unhealthful products. Through CCF and other front groups, Berman has fought against stricter limits on legal blood-alcohol levels, improvements in minimum wage, health information for consumers, and other progressive efforts that his commercial clients view as contrary to their interests.

Over the past few years, CCF has escalated its attacks against organizations that warn the public about the health risks associated with alcohol, meat, and other junk food products. Berman has admitted publicly that his MO is to "shoot the messenger" by trying to disparage the credibility of his opponents. His employees do not attempt reasoned discussion of the scientific issues about health. The long list of public health advocates in CCF's line of fire includes former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani for speaking out against drunk driving, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for tackling food safety, the World Health Organization for addressing obesity, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

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• More W.Va. kids live with smoking in home, study finds 

West Virginia's youngest and poorest children are twice as likely to be exposed to secondhand smoke in their homes as other low-income kids in the United States, according to a report released Tuesday.

More than 23 percent of West Virginia infants and toddlers enrolled in the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) supplemental nutrition program lived in homes where parents or caregivers smoked last year, the state's Office of Nutritional Services reported.

The national average for WIC children - ages 4 and under - was 10.6 percent.

Children exposed to tobacco smoke have higher rates of respiratory illness, ear infections and sudden infant death syndrome.

"Everybody knows secondhand smoke is bad, but they're still smoking around their kids," said Bruce Adkins, director of the state's Division of Tobacco Prevention. "People are so addicted. We have a lot of hard-core tobacco users in West Virginia, and they're tough to get at." . . .

West Virginia has the second-highest percentage of adult smokers in the nation, behind Kentucky.

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Pfizer, union launch anti-smoking campaign for firefighters  

Pfizer is teaming up with a firefighters' union for a smoking cessation campaign aimed at making the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) "the first smoke-free union."

The campaign features a website advising firefighters on the risks of smoking and how to quit and featuring video messages from Pfizer CEO Jeff Kindler and IAFF general president Harold Schaitberger. Additional resources are coming soon, including a DVD with stories from firefighters about quitting.

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• IAFF-Pfizer Smoking Cessation Program 

VIDEO: Message from IAFF General President Schaitberger Creating a Smoke-Free Union

VIDEO: Message from Pfizer CEO Jeff Kindler A Mission to Help People Quit Smoking

Quick Facts:

Smoking causes $167 billion dollars in health-related economic losses every year in the United States.

Fires caused by smoking cost approximately $27 billion annually around the world.

A smoker pays about $17,500 more in lifetime medical costs than a non-smoker. 1

In a very large study of smokers in the US, the average years of potential life lost from smoking for male smokers was 13 years, and for female smokers was 14 years, with heavy smokers losing more years of life. 2

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• IAFF Launches Smoking Cessation Campaign with Pfizer 

The International Association of Fire Fighters has announced the launch of a new initiative to help fire fighters, family members and friends to quit smoking cigarettes.

"Our goal is to help make the IAFF the first smoke-free union," IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger said in his address to delegates at the IAFF 49th Convention.

The IAFF is collaborating with pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc. to promote smoking cessation.

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Our goal is to help make the IAFF the first smoke-free union.
International Association of Fire Fighters General President Harold Schaitberger, who has announced the launch of a new initiative, in collaboration with Pfizer, to help fire fighters, family members and friends to quit smoking cigarettes.

CORRECTING and REPLACING Altria Group, Inc. (Altria) Reports 2008 Second-Quarter Results 

* Reported diluted earnings per share from continuing operations of $0.45 versus $0.34 in the second quarter of 2007

* Adjusted diluted earnings per share from continuing operations up 12.2% to $0.46 versus $0.41 in the second quarter of 2007

* Altria reaffirms its 2008 guidance for adjusted diluted earnings per share from continuing operations in the range of $1.63 to $1.67, representing a growth rate of approximately 9% to 11%, from a base of $1.50 per share in 2007

* Philip Morris USA's adjusted operating companies income up 3.8% versus the second quarter of 2007

* Marlboro achieves record retail share of 41.8%, up 0.8 share points versus the second quarter of 2007

* John Middleton Co. delivers strong cigar volume gains, up 11.0% versus the second quarter of 2007

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Big Changes in Public Attitudes Toward Different Industries Since Last Year 

Industries with Worst Reputations

Tobacco companies (-43) and oil companies (-32) come at the bottom of the list, far below the other 19 industries. The two other industries with negative scores are managed care companies (-14) and health insurance (-9), which are now more or less synonymous.

Three other industries have low score below 20: cable companies (14), pharmaceuticals (15) and airlines (18).

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Cigar Rights of America Gives Cigar Enthusiasts a United Voice Against Continuing Legislation, Tax Hikes and Bans 

Driven by increasing calls from cigar connoisseurs and enthusiasts, a consortium of cigar manufacturers and premium cigar retailers have formed Cigar Rights of America (CRA), a nonprofit organization formed to give cigar lovers across the United States a voice in the rising debate over cigar rights for those who enjoy cigars for pleasure.

CRA is a membership organization dedicated to maintaining the personal freedom of individuals to enjoy cigars. Its activities are focused on education about handmade premium cigars, opposing unfair legislation such as excessive state and federal cigar taxes, overly restrictive smoking bans, cigar sales restrictions, and FDA regulation of cigars.

Published estimates show that approximately three to four million Americans regularly smoke premium, hand-rolled cigars. For many, a good cigar is a form of relaxation, and many cigar enthusiasts consider themselves to be connoisseurs, similar to wine experts. CRA membership believes that the increasing number of anti-smoking measures - measures going as far as giving apartment property owners the right to tell renters they cannot smoke in their own homes - and proposed federal cigar tax increases of up to 6,000 percent are encroaching on a personal freedom and right to enjoy cigars.

On Tuesday, August 19, the CRA is launching a major membership drive "Freedom Tour 2008," which will include stops and rallies in five cites

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Star Scientific Reports on Second Quarter 

Star Scientific, Inc. (NASDAQ:STSI) announced that it has filed its second-quarter financial report on Form 10-Q today with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Gross sales for the quarter ended June 30, 2008 totaled $167,483 compared with gross sales of $219,242 during the same period in 2007. Net sales for the second quarter totaled $52,176 as compared with $196,168 for second quarter 2007. Net sales were impacted in part by a decrease in unit sales volume and an increase in product discounts (placement fees) during the second quarter.

The company reported an operating loss of $6.29 million compared with $3.85 million for second quarter 2007. . . .

The company awaits a ruling on its appeal to the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in its patent infringement lawsuit against RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company

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