Health News
- School Board In Henry County, Including Tobacco Farmers, Will Consider A Comprehensive Smoking Ban On Its Campuses
The Henry County school superintendent got a unanimous go-ahead from his board to present a draft policy to make the district 100 percent tobacco-free, but the board made no promises, Melissa Blankenship reports for the Henry County Local. Wikipedia...
- Western Kentucky University Will Gradually Become Tobacco Free; Last Public University In Kentucky To Do So
Western Kentucky University will slowly go tobacco-free by 2018 through a phased-in approach, becoming the last public university in the state to do so, Lisa Autry reports for WKU Public Radio. "Although I've never smoked, I know how addictive nicotine...
- State-property Smoking Ban Seems To Cut Share Of Smokers In Executive Branch, More Than Other Employees In State Health Plan
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News State-government moves against smoking have reduced it among Executive Branch employees at a greater rate than among state employees who were not affected by Gov. Steve Beshear's order that banned smoking on...
- Beshear Bans Use Of Tobacco Products And E-cigarettes On Or Near Buildings And Property The State Owns Or Leases
Gov. Steve Beshear issued an executive order Sept, 4 that soon ban all tobacco products and e-cigarettes from more than 26.4 million square feet of executive branch buildings and grounds on Nov. 20. All executive-branch buildings are smoke-free inside,...
- Leaders In Mayfield, A Town With A Rich Tobacco Heritage, Approve Smoking Ban
UPDATE, July 9: The ban passed 5-4 on second reading. It will take effect in 2014 and "excludes spaces used primarily for sleeping such as hotels, hospices or nursing homes, rooms designated for social functions and separate smoke-proof enclosures with...
Health News
Broad ban on use of tobacco on state property takes effect, except in Capitol and Annex, where law supersedes policy
"Despite a smoking ban and a tobacco-free campus policy starting Thursday for any of the more than 3,000 state buildings, legislative employees working at the Capitol Annex can still light up without a write-up," Brad Bowman reports for The State Journal in Frankfort.
Gov. Steve Beshear's new policy bans use of tobacco products in all executive branch properties, with a few specific exceptions. The ban took effect Thursday, to coincide with the American Cancer Society?s "Great American Smokeout Day," which encourages smokers to quit.
Beshear can set policy for all such properties except those in the Capitol and Capitol Annex, which are set by law. ?The statute prohibits smoking in public areas, such as hallways, offices shared by more than one person, stairwells, restrooms, the cafeteria and conference rooms,? Robert Weber, public information officer for Legislative Research Commission, told Bowman. The state House ?prohibits smoking in common areas and office suites,? House Speaker Greg Stumbo said.
The state Supreme Court recently voted to make its Capitol space smoke-free, and ?The use of tobacco products is prohibited in all areas of the AOC campus without exception,? Administrative Office of the Courts spokeswoman Jamie Neal told Bowman. ?This includes common work areas, conference and meeting rooms, private offices, hallways, break rooms, restrooms, outdoor grassy areas, picnic-table areas and parking lots.?
Beshear's office says about 5,000 executive branch state workers report using tobacco, "raising their health care costs an average of 20 percent higher than those that don?t," Bowman reports.
Exceptions to Beshear's order include state parks, the state fairgrounds, the Frankfort convention center, state-maintained rest areas, military training centers and armories.
Gov. Steve Beshear's new policy bans use of tobacco products in all executive branch properties, with a few specific exceptions. The ban took effect Thursday, to coincide with the American Cancer Society?s "Great American Smokeout Day," which encourages smokers to quit.
Beshear can set policy for all such properties except those in the Capitol and Capitol Annex, which are set by law. ?The statute prohibits smoking in public areas, such as hallways, offices shared by more than one person, stairwells, restrooms, the cafeteria and conference rooms,? Robert Weber, public information officer for Legislative Research Commission, told Bowman. The state House ?prohibits smoking in common areas and office suites,? House Speaker Greg Stumbo said.
The state Supreme Court recently voted to make its Capitol space smoke-free, and ?The use of tobacco products is prohibited in all areas of the AOC campus without exception,? Administrative Office of the Courts spokeswoman Jamie Neal told Bowman. ?This includes common work areas, conference and meeting rooms, private offices, hallways, break rooms, restrooms, outdoor grassy areas, picnic-table areas and parking lots.?
Beshear's office says about 5,000 executive branch state workers report using tobacco, "raising their health care costs an average of 20 percent higher than those that don?t," Bowman reports.
Exceptions to Beshear's order include state parks, the state fairgrounds, the Frankfort convention center, state-maintained rest areas, military training centers and armories.
- School Board In Henry County, Including Tobacco Farmers, Will Consider A Comprehensive Smoking Ban On Its Campuses
The Henry County school superintendent got a unanimous go-ahead from his board to present a draft policy to make the district 100 percent tobacco-free, but the board made no promises, Melissa Blankenship reports for the Henry County Local. Wikipedia...
- Western Kentucky University Will Gradually Become Tobacco Free; Last Public University In Kentucky To Do So
Western Kentucky University will slowly go tobacco-free by 2018 through a phased-in approach, becoming the last public university in the state to do so, Lisa Autry reports for WKU Public Radio. "Although I've never smoked, I know how addictive nicotine...
- State-property Smoking Ban Seems To Cut Share Of Smokers In Executive Branch, More Than Other Employees In State Health Plan
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News State-government moves against smoking have reduced it among Executive Branch employees at a greater rate than among state employees who were not affected by Gov. Steve Beshear's order that banned smoking on...
- Beshear Bans Use Of Tobacco Products And E-cigarettes On Or Near Buildings And Property The State Owns Or Leases
Gov. Steve Beshear issued an executive order Sept, 4 that soon ban all tobacco products and e-cigarettes from more than 26.4 million square feet of executive branch buildings and grounds on Nov. 20. All executive-branch buildings are smoke-free inside,...
- Leaders In Mayfield, A Town With A Rich Tobacco Heritage, Approve Smoking Ban
UPDATE, July 9: The ban passed 5-4 on second reading. It will take effect in 2014 and "excludes spaces used primarily for sleeping such as hotels, hospices or nursing homes, rooms designated for social functions and separate smoke-proof enclosures with...