Tobacco-growing Kentucky’s largest university bans all smoking, tobacco use on campus

Tobacco state Ky.’s biggest university bans leaf

Judge in SD smoking ban case says issue is legally eligible to be referred to voters

Judge: SD smoking ban can be referred to voters

US adult smoking rate rises for the first time in 15 years, nearly 21 pct, CDC says

US adult smoking rate rises slightly

ATLANTA — Cigarette smoking rose slightly for the first time in almost 15 years, dashing health officials’ hopes that the U.S. smoking rate had moved permanently below 20 percent.

Decorated Marine, famously photographed by AP after Baghdad’s fall, runs for Congress

Decorated, cigar-smoking Marine runs for Congress

University of Montana proposes campus ban on smoking and chewing tobacco

University of Montana proposes campus tobacco ban

Missouri county voters OK smoking ban in most public places; measure also affects St. Louis

Mo. county OKs smoking ban in most public places

Judge refuses secondhand smoke testimony in South Dakota smoking ban lawsuit

SD judge refuses secondhand smoke testimony

Health officials, advocates to seek smoking ban in bars and restaurants in Oklahoma

Health officials to seek smoking ban in Oklahoma

Report finds workplace, restaurant smoking bans reduce nonsmokers’ risk of heart attacks

WASHINGTON — A major report confirms what health officials long have believed: Bans on smoking in restaurants, bars and other gathering spots reduce the risk of heart attacks among nonsmokers.

No ifs, ands or buts: Syria becomes latest in tobacco-loving Mideast to ban smoking in public

DAMASCUS, Syria — Syria’s president on Monday issued a decree banning smoking in public places, joining an anti-smoking trend already under way in other Arab countries.

Syrian president bans smoking in public places, first such sweeping decree in Syria

DAMASCUS, Syria — Syria’s president on Monday issued a decree banning smoking in public places, joining an anti-smoking trend already under way in other Arab countries.

Schwarzenegger calls special session to tackle California’s ‘crumbling water system’

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger late Sunday summoned lawmakers for a special session on the state’s water problems, even as legislative negotiators ended nearly 12 hours of talks without reaching an agreement.

Schwarzenegger calls special legislative session to continue talks on Calif. water deal

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is summoning lawmakers for a special session on the state’s water problems, even as legislative negotiators ended nearly 12 hours of talks without reaching an agreement.

Despite daylong negotiations, GOP leaders say more time needed for California water deal

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Republican legislative leaders said there was little hope they could craft a water deal Sunday, despite daylong negotiations that dragged into the night.

Butt out of Central Park _ NYC wants to make parks smoke-free

NEW YORK — New York City’s famous parks may be going smoke-free.

Ban smoking in the military? No way, say many troops

FORWARD OPERATING BASE FALCON, Iraq — Gen. Douglas MacArthur had his signature corncob pipe. Soldiers got cigarettes in their C-rations during World War II. Even today, America’s war on tobacco seems to have largely bypassed the military.

Specialty cigar shop owners, like the cigarette industry, fret over higher taxes, smoking bans

NEW ORLEANS —With the world becoming ever less welcoming for tobacco smoke of all kinds, the owners of specialty shops that sell premium cigars have converged on New Orleans with the same concerns as mass-market cigarette manufacturers — higher taxes and anti-smoking laws.

With bombings and shootings down, Iraq turns to more mundane things _ curbing smoking

BAGHDAD — After six years of war and terrorist bombings, Iraq is moving against a different killer in its midst — smoking.

Iraqi Cabinet approves legislation to ban smoking in public spaces

BAGHDAD — The Iraqi Cabinet has approved a draft bill to stamp out smoking in public places, the first such bill in a country where lighting up is virtually a rite of passage for most young men, a government spokesman said Thursday.

Iraqi Cabinet considers legislation to ban smoking in public spaces

BAGHDAD — The Iraqi Cabinet has approved a draft bill to ban smoking in public places, a government spokesman said Thursday. It’s the first such bill in a country where lighting up is virtually a rite of passage for most young men.

German beer sales hit lowest level since government began tracking them in 1991

BERLIN — Rainy weather, smoking bans, an aging population and a preference for more health-conscious fare have put a stout dent in the sale of beer in Germany, leaving the nation’s brewers ailing, a report said Thursday.

Altria Group 2Q earnings expected to reflect industry cigarette volumes rebounding

RICHMOND, Va. — Altria Group Inc. reports its second-quarter results on Wednesday. The following is a summary of key developments and analyst opinion related to the period.

Turkey extends smoking ban to bars and restaurants; business owners fear ban will hurt them

ANKARA, Turkey — Patrons of a usually smoke-filled hookah bar stepped outside to light up Sunday as Turkey extended a ban on indoor public smoking to bars, restaurants and coffeehouses.

Although study urges a tobacco-free military, Pentagon won’t ban smoking in a war zone

WASHINGTON — Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em. The Pentagon reassured troops Wednesday that it won’t ban tobacco products in war zones.

Pentagon won’t ban war zone smoking, despite study urging a tobacco-free military someday

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon says it won’t ban smoking by troops in war zones despite a recent study recommending a tobacco-free military.

New Greek law restricts public smoking _ but gamblers and mental patients exempt

ATHENS, Greece — Europe’s most nicotine-addicted nation adopted a new public smoking ban Wednesday in a bid to stub out the Greek habit of lighting up practically everywhere. Exceptions have been made for mental patients and gamblers.

Obama signs anti-smoking bill, citing his own difficulty in breaking the cigarette habit

WASHINGTON — Lamenting his first teenage cigarette, President Barack Obama ruefully admitted on Monday that he’s spent his adult life fighting the habit. Then he signed the nation’s toughest anti-smoking law, aiming to keep thousands of other teens from getting hooked.

Obama lauds historic anti-tobacco bill aimed at cutting teen smoking, pledging to sign it soon

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is lauding the passage of historic anti-smoking legislation that gives the government sweeping authority to regulate tobacco products, pledging to quickly sign the measure into law.

No smoking, kids: Big anti-tobacco bill heads for Obama signature, aiming to cut teen smoking

WASHINGTON — No more “light” cigarettes or candy-flavored smokes. Bigger, scarier warning labels. Fewer ads featuring sexy young smokers.

Historic anti-smoking vote would give regulators more say over nicotine content, cigarette ads

WASHINGTON — Congress struck the government’s strongest anti-smoking blow in decades Thursday with a Senate vote to give regulators new power to limit nicotine in cigarettes, drastically curtail ads and ban candied tobacco products aimed at young people.