Associated Press: NO SMOKING at Starbucks, Starting June 1, 2013 - Nation-wide

NEW YORK (AP) — 

Starbucks customers will soon have to stamp out their cigarettes before approaching the cafes.

The Seattle-based chain says it will start banning smoking within 25 feet of its stores, beginning Saturday, where permitted by its leases.

Starbucks spokeswoman Jaime Lynn Riley says the intent is to expand the indoor no-smoking policy to the outdoor seating areas.

"If there were any concerns, we would hope to resolve it amicably." Riley said, referring to a customer who might be smoking within the restricted area.

The rule will apply to the 7,000 cafes owned and operated by Starbucks Corp., regardless of whether they have outdoor seating areas.

The policy shouldn't cause a big difference in many areas that already ban smoking within a certain distance of a business entrance.

Smoking Kills: Debbie Austin, Famous for "Voicebox" Anti-Smoking Ad Dies

Lets Hope we don't have to learn from Marijuana what we had to learn from Tobacco

When You Quit Smoking, Your Chances at Life get Better and Better

NADCP Releases Position Statement on Marijuana

Review of Research Leads to Stand Against Marijuana Legalization of the use of Smoked Marijuana as “Medicine”

 

Every dangerous and addictive drug was once believed to be safe and medicinal.  Cocaine, heroin and nicotine were once advertised as being good for you, or at least not harmful.  In every instance, we learned otherwise -- the hard way.  Marijuana is the newest “safe” and “medicinal” drug to reenact this tragic drama.  Just as scientific research is documenting the unequivocal public-health and public-safety dangers of marijuana, states are moving rapidly towards legalization or decriminalization.

 

Drug Courts serve seriously addicted individuals with long criminal records who have alienated nearly everyone they love.  In every case, they tell us it began with marijuana.  Convinced that marijuana was safe, they learned it is, in fact, addictive, causes serious cardiovascular and respiratory disease, triggers mental illness and addiction to more serious drugs, and alienates friends, family and coworkers.

 

NADCP has long been committed to guiding the Drug Court field and the broader criminal justice and treatment communities with science, not ideology.  After thoroughly reviewing the research regarding the safety of recreational marijuana use and the efficacy of “medical” marijuana, NADCP unequivocally stands against the legalization of marijuana and the use of smoked marijuana as “medicine.”  Our reasons for doing so are thoroughly explained and cited in the attached Position Statement.

 

Unfortunately, the public discourse concerning drug policy in the U.S. has degenerated into a false-choice between incarceration and legalization.  Both of these extreme positions are dangerous, costly and ineffective.  But research proves there is a middle ground.  It is possible to reduce the devastating consequences of addiction and treat those already affected without overreacting and wasting public tax dollars. 

 

Pick up any current issue of a scientific journal in the fields of psychology, psychiatry, counseling or criminology, and you will find studies documenting a new danger of marijuana.  But that same journal will also contain studies documenting the curative effects of Drug Courts and dozens of other treatment programs.  We can and must do better.  Science, not ideology, must be our guide to rational and informed public policy.

 

 

West Huddleston

CEO

National Association of Drug Court Professionals

- National Center for DWI Courts

- National Drug Court Institute

- Justice for Vets

Hey Madonna: It's Okay to Say "I'm an Idiot for having Promoted Smoking Cigarettes!" So, PLEASE DON'T SMOKE!!!

Madonna Threatens Fans Over Cigarettes -- If You Smoke, I'll CANCEL My Concert!!! - Watch More Celebrity Videos or Subscribe

Photo Source:  dailymail.co.uk

CBS News: UCLA To Go Tobacco-Free On Earth Day 2013

CONGRATULATIONS FOR KICKING THE HABIT PRESIDENT OBAMA! Quitting smoking is not easy!

CONGRATULATIONS FOR KICKING THE HABIT PRESIDENT OBAMA! Your smile will get brighter and brighter every day! Quitting smoking is not easy!

I learned how to smoke from Tatum O’Neal’s role in the movie “Paper Moon.” I was nine years old when I saw the movie and seeing a little girl smoke made me think it was okay for me too. Be careful what you wish for! I had my smoking habit for almost 20 years. When it was time for me to quit, I had to quit a lot of things. There were the bad things, like hard drugs and alcohol and there were the things that I deemed “bad but not as bad” like marijuana and tobacco. In recovery we have to make some serious choices, one is figuring our what our primary addiction is. Even though the hard drugs were destroying my life, my primary addiction was actually cigarettes, alcohol and pot but not always in that order when it came to alcohol and pot at least.

More than anything I figured out after a while, cigarettes were absolutely my primary addiction. They taught me a lot of “learned behavior” like how to look good smoking while drinking. How to make a joint look like a cigarette and tacky stuff like that. I didn’t realize the seriousness of my addiction to cigarettes until I read a book from “Smoke Enders.” From this book I leaned how entangled I really was in my addiction to cigarettes. I had all kinds of lifestyle habits like the car would not start unless I had a cigarette in my mouth or what was the point in making a phone call if I didn’t have a half full pack of smokes sitting next to the phone with an ashtray. I couldn’t stand people who didn’t smoke and preferred friends who did. After a while (like 15 years of smoking) I developed real anger and anxiety when people pointed out I should not smoke or if I ran out of cigarettes. But nothing made me more angry than quitting smoking cigarettes.

My habit was tangled into drinking coffee because cigarettes and coffee were much more compatible than cigarettes and orange juice. It was not a matter of what tasted good, but of what was compatible to smoking and this included perfumes and even laundry detergent as well as air freshener. I also supplemented smoking with meals to control my weight. I thought of food and smoked a cigarette instead of getting a healthy meal in my system.

Quitting was hell on wheels. The misery I felt the first two days quitting cold turkey is hard to describe. It was like wearing a tight belt around my waist day and night for 48 hours straight and no matter how much it bothered me I could not remove it (unless I smoked). I always say, if you can make it past the first two days, you can make it past the first two weeks and go from there.

Quitting smoking is not as hard as quitting hard drugs, but it is psychological crazy-making in the beginning. Getting away from nicotine is great but the one thing we have to realize is that we have a whole lot of time for filling in the blanks where we thought of smoking before. We have to make room for new thoughts and new things to do so we don’t run idle. No more offensive odors in the hair, on the clothes, in the car, on my breath. Running actually feels good, though I do have decreased lung capacity from smoking. For me it’s never again. I hope President Obama stays on the right track. If I can offer a little advice: Always keep in mind that there is no such thing as “a reason to smoke.” God speed Mr. President!