Thursday, January 20, 2011
| The Property Rights Newsletter January 21, 2011 - Issue #599 "There is no week nor day nor hour when tyranny may not enter upon this country, if the people lose their roughness and spirit of defiance." - Walt Whitman | |
DEFIANCE BULGARIA: Smoking Ban Widely Ignored. Even though a smoking ban in public places came into force in Bulgaria five days ago, reporters' checks across the country have shown that it is being widely ignored. Bulgaria ranks second after Greece in the EU in terms of number of regular smokers as a percentage of the population, according to a Eurobarometer survey. CHINA: Not one smoker fined despite ban. For while there is plenty of public puffing in the city with a population of 8.3 million, local government lacks monitoring and enforcement resources, Hubei-based Chutian Metropolis Daily reported. There have also been cases of workers trying to prevent smoking in Wuhan hospitals being attacked. Observers found smoking taking place in smoking-free areas at 43 percent of Shanghai hospitals. GREECE: Tough stance on enforcing smoking ban. Officially in force since September 1, 2010, the anti-smoking law has proved unpopular and difficult to enforce in Greece, which had a strong smoking culture and perhaps the highest rates of smoking in Europe. INDONESIA: Smoking Ban in Jakarta Fizzles in 2 Months. "I always come and smoke here during breaks. Basically, it’s not possible to have coffee without smoking," Tono said while inhaling his third cigarette. "If a smoker wants to smoke, he or she can still do it anywhere." "Our income decreased significantly and other restaurants still allowed their customers to smoke. So we just followed what others were doing because our customers could go to other restaurants." NETHERLANDS: Parliamentary Committee Meeting. Never before heard a Minister of Health say that the EU needs to keep their hands off the national smoking bans and even communicate that in Brussels. Edith Schippers will probably also severely cut in government sponsoring of our local ASH-like anti-tobacco lobby organization. She said that it’s not ethical for a government to sponsor organizations that lobby in that same government. USA: KY Campbell County. Before their move to repeal the ban, commissioners listened to a crowd of people packed into the meeting chambers, that required the county’s police chief to block the door to prevent going over the fire code capacity limit for the room. Although four people spoke in favor of keeping the ban, the crowd was primarily comprised of an organized group of people wearing neon green circle stickers with the message “REPEAL SMOKING BAN NOW.” USA: MI Protest Statewide. More than 400 bars and restaurants across the state let customers light up indoors starting at 9 o'clock. The Protest Private Property Rights organization says they want lawmakers to give businesses a choice. We want them to be afraid, but we aren't going crusing for smokers tonight at midnight," said health officer Marcus Cheatham of the Ingham County Health Department. USA: NC Greenville, Smoking Ban Up in Smoke in Some Places. Smoking Allowed at Four Private Clubs in the East. Some private club owners in Greenville challenged the ban in court, and won. It may sound like a lot of "blowing smoke" but you can actually now smoke inside four private clubs. He challenged the law saying its a question of equal rights. Owens also says since the clubs are private and if you don't want to be around smokers, then don't go. USA: SC Dorchester County. "Are we going to tell the people in Dorchester County you can't go out in the sun because we have a fear of melanoma? Are we going to tell people you can't eat a candy bar, can't eat french fries because they're bad for your health? When are we going to stop telling people what they can and can't do with their lives?" Bailey said. | |
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