As the Saints and Colts battle for the National Football League’s top spot, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco will be cracking down on underage drinking at Super Bowl events. ABT agents will patrol the Super Bowl to arrest underage drinkers and ensure a safe environment for fans.
Underage drinking prevention is one of the division’s top priorities. The division works to combat underage drinking through a three-tiered approach—education, prevention and enforcement. One prevention effort is Tailgaters Urging Responsibility & Fun, or TURF. TURF was launched by the Charmer Sunbelt Group, and former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason is the official spokesperson. Partners include Brown-Forman, and CBS Radio. This initiative aims to positively impact the game environment for everyone with tips for a successful celebration, responsible alcohol consumption reminders and actionable steps each and every fan can take to ensure that the game, and the tradition of tailgating, is preserved.
The mission of ABT is to keep alcohol and tobacco out of the hands of underage persons, to ensure that licensed establishments are in compliance with the laws and rules regulating the industry in Florida, and to collect taxes and fees related to these industries.
The department’s mission is to license efficiently and regulate fairly. The department licenses more than one million businesses and professionals ranging from real estate agents, veterinarians, and accountants to contractors and cosmetologists.
Feb 8, 2010
Feb 4, 2010
Cigarettes May Cause Infections
The tobacco in cigarettes hosts a bacterial bonanza — literally hundreds of different germs, including those responsible for many human illnesses, a new study finds.
“Nearly every paper that you pick up discussing the health effects of cigarettes starts out with something to the effect that smokers and people exposed to secondhand smoke experience high rates of respiratory infections,” notes Amy Sapkota of the University of Maryland, College Park. The presumption has been that smoking renders people vulnerable to disease by impairing lung function or immunity. And it may well do both.
“But nobody talks about cigarettes as a source of those infections,” she says. Her new data now suggest that’s distinctly possible.
If these germs are alive, something she has not yet confirmed, just handling cigarettes or putting an unlit one to the mouth could be enough to cause an infection.
The idea that tobacco might contain viable germs isn’t just idle conjecture. Several research teams have isolated bacteria from tobacco that they could grow out in petri dishes. Those earlier investigations tended to hunt for — and, when found, attempted to grow — only one or two species of interest, Sapkota says.
What’s novel in her study: She and her colleagues probed for genetic material from any and every bacterium in a cigarette’s tobacco. Under sterile conditions, the researchers opened up cigarettes and then performed a series of tests on the leafy bits. For instance, they isolated all of the ribosomal material and then homed in on its long, species-specific stretches known as 16S regions. These genetic segments were then compared to 16S patches characteristic of known bacterial species.
Sapkota’s team had 16S probes for close to 800 different bacteria and found matches to many hundreds in the four brands of cigarettes screened: Marlboro Red, Camel, Kool Filter Kings and Lucky Strike Original Red. These cigarettes are “among the most commonly smoked brands in Westernized countries and represent three major tobacco companies,” Sapkota notes. All were purchased in Lyon, France, where she was completing her postdoctoral studies.
Among the large number of germs whose DNA laced these cigarettes were: Campylobacter, which can cause food poisoning and Guillain-Barre Syndrome; Clostridium, which causes food poisoning and pneumonias; Corynebacterium, also associated with pneumonias and other diseases; E. coli; Klebsiella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, all of which are associated not only with pneumonia but also with urinary tract infections; and a number of Staphylococcus species that underlie the most common and serious hospital-associated infections.
Sapkota’s team lists many of these — including the most prevalent bacteria in the tobacco they studied — in a paper published early, online in Environmental Health Perspectives.
Some people have criticized the idea of infectious cigarettes, arguing that as tobacco burns, it would kill any germs present. But Sapkota is not so sure that’s true. The tobacco farthest from the burning tip might be a balmy temperature, from a bacterial point of view. And here’s “a really wild idea,” she says: What if the smoke particles traveling through the still-unburned part of a cigarette pick up some germs and then ferry them deeply into the lung, where they’re unlikely to be cleared? Wouldn’t that be the prescription for disease?
Of course, there’s also plenty of chances for a smoker to become exposed prior to lighting up. And, of course, the potential for highest oral exposure would come from chewing tobacco — and nasal exposures from snuff.
Sapkota, an environmental health scientist, plans to follow up her preliminary data to see which types of tobacco are most likely to host viable germs, and whether those bacteria are transported into the body, either during smoking or by the insertion of unburned tobacco products (including chewing tobacco) into the mouth.
Several thousand potentially toxic chemicals have been isolated from cigarettes. Sapkota says that it’s not hard to imagine that the number of germs hosted by tobacco products could rival that of the carcinogens and other poisons residing in or produced by burning tobacco.
How so, when she’s only found genetic material indicting hundreds of germs? Owing to the bacterial probes available when Sapkota began her tobacco work, she was only able to screen for 700-odd species. But newer probes on the market can now screen for the bacterial 16S genetic material of 5,000 or more germs. And if she used such huge batteries of probes now, she said she fully expects she could turn up at least 1,000 hitchhiking bacterial species in tobacco products.
“Nearly every paper that you pick up discussing the health effects of cigarettes starts out with something to the effect that smokers and people exposed to secondhand smoke experience high rates of respiratory infections,” notes Amy Sapkota of the University of Maryland, College Park. The presumption has been that smoking renders people vulnerable to disease by impairing lung function or immunity. And it may well do both.
“But nobody talks about cigarettes as a source of those infections,” she says. Her new data now suggest that’s distinctly possible.
If these germs are alive, something she has not yet confirmed, just handling cigarettes or putting an unlit one to the mouth could be enough to cause an infection.
The idea that tobacco might contain viable germs isn’t just idle conjecture. Several research teams have isolated bacteria from tobacco that they could grow out in petri dishes. Those earlier investigations tended to hunt for — and, when found, attempted to grow — only one or two species of interest, Sapkota says.
What’s novel in her study: She and her colleagues probed for genetic material from any and every bacterium in a cigarette’s tobacco. Under sterile conditions, the researchers opened up cigarettes and then performed a series of tests on the leafy bits. For instance, they isolated all of the ribosomal material and then homed in on its long, species-specific stretches known as 16S regions. These genetic segments were then compared to 16S patches characteristic of known bacterial species.
Sapkota’s team had 16S probes for close to 800 different bacteria and found matches to many hundreds in the four brands of cigarettes screened: Marlboro Red, Camel, Kool Filter Kings and Lucky Strike Original Red. These cigarettes are “among the most commonly smoked brands in Westernized countries and represent three major tobacco companies,” Sapkota notes. All were purchased in Lyon, France, where she was completing her postdoctoral studies.
Among the large number of germs whose DNA laced these cigarettes were: Campylobacter, which can cause food poisoning and Guillain-Barre Syndrome; Clostridium, which causes food poisoning and pneumonias; Corynebacterium, also associated with pneumonias and other diseases; E. coli; Klebsiella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, all of which are associated not only with pneumonia but also with urinary tract infections; and a number of Staphylococcus species that underlie the most common and serious hospital-associated infections.
Sapkota’s team lists many of these — including the most prevalent bacteria in the tobacco they studied — in a paper published early, online in Environmental Health Perspectives.
Some people have criticized the idea of infectious cigarettes, arguing that as tobacco burns, it would kill any germs present. But Sapkota is not so sure that’s true. The tobacco farthest from the burning tip might be a balmy temperature, from a bacterial point of view. And here’s “a really wild idea,” she says: What if the smoke particles traveling through the still-unburned part of a cigarette pick up some germs and then ferry them deeply into the lung, where they’re unlikely to be cleared? Wouldn’t that be the prescription for disease?
Of course, there’s also plenty of chances for a smoker to become exposed prior to lighting up. And, of course, the potential for highest oral exposure would come from chewing tobacco — and nasal exposures from snuff.
Sapkota, an environmental health scientist, plans to follow up her preliminary data to see which types of tobacco are most likely to host viable germs, and whether those bacteria are transported into the body, either during smoking or by the insertion of unburned tobacco products (including chewing tobacco) into the mouth.
Several thousand potentially toxic chemicals have been isolated from cigarettes. Sapkota says that it’s not hard to imagine that the number of germs hosted by tobacco products could rival that of the carcinogens and other poisons residing in or produced by burning tobacco.
How so, when she’s only found genetic material indicting hundreds of germs? Owing to the bacterial probes available when Sapkota began her tobacco work, she was only able to screen for 700-odd species. But newer probes on the market can now screen for the bacterial 16S genetic material of 5,000 or more germs. And if she used such huge batteries of probes now, she said she fully expects she could turn up at least 1,000 hitchhiking bacterial species in tobacco products.
Feb 1, 2010
Avatar Movie, Firelight E Cigarette - Which Is More Popular
Just about a year back almost nobody had heard of e cigarettes and it was rare to see anyone using this product, but this is not the case as of late. A short stroll down any city street or public gathering proves different. "We really feel the reason for the huge surge in our traffic is due to the recent ruling of electronic cigarettes. Consumers who have been on the fence about choosing this smoking alternative are probably a big portion of our increased traffic." states Jeff Smith, President.
The popularity is so amazing that special interest groups are injecting negative news to keep the masses scared of a product that has no known or published complaints or adverse affects for 3 years in the US market. Other public health officials and scientist are stating that the product has merit and should be available to the general smoking population based on scientific studies that support harm reduction products.
Jeff told us another reason for the tremendous spike in visitors and sales is their new brand e cigarette called "Firelight" which was just launched a month ago. "Consumers who have been on the fence about choosing this smoking alternative, I beleive, are taking their hesitation and turning it into action." Electronic Cigarettes USA carries the popular "Firelight" e cigarette with complete starter kits starting at just under $30. Since the introduction of these smoking alternatives common prices for these starter kits have been anywhere from $90 -$150.
"We are just so excited that we can offer a high quality, low priced smoking alternative like the Firelight e cigarette" At this very time and moment, are electronic cigarettes just as popular as the blockbuster movie Avatar? Jeff often ponders that question. "With several weeks gone by now and sales through the roof, I often wonder if the Firelight e cigarette is as popular as the Avatar movie."
The popularity is so amazing that special interest groups are injecting negative news to keep the masses scared of a product that has no known or published complaints or adverse affects for 3 years in the US market. Other public health officials and scientist are stating that the product has merit and should be available to the general smoking population based on scientific studies that support harm reduction products.
Jeff told us another reason for the tremendous spike in visitors and sales is their new brand e cigarette called "Firelight" which was just launched a month ago. "Consumers who have been on the fence about choosing this smoking alternative, I beleive, are taking their hesitation and turning it into action." Electronic Cigarettes USA carries the popular "Firelight" e cigarette with complete starter kits starting at just under $30. Since the introduction of these smoking alternatives common prices for these starter kits have been anywhere from $90 -$150.
"We are just so excited that we can offer a high quality, low priced smoking alternative like the Firelight e cigarette" At this very time and moment, are electronic cigarettes just as popular as the blockbuster movie Avatar? Jeff often ponders that question. "With several weeks gone by now and sales through the roof, I often wonder if the Firelight e cigarette is as popular as the Avatar movie."
Jan 29, 2010
Glendora store robbed at gunpoint
Gloucester Township police are searching for a gunman who robbed 7-Eleven convenience store on Evesham Road early Wednesday before fleeing on foot.
Police responded to a call from the store at 940 W. Evesham Road about 1:55 a.m. When they arrived, a clerk told them the suspect pulled a firearm in the store and demanded cash and cigarettes, according to the police news release.
The clerk gave him a large quantity of cash and several packs of cigarettes, after which the suspect ran on Station Avenue toward the Black Horse Pike.
The suspect was reported to be a black male, wearing a black coat, black jeans, black ski mask and black gloves. He was approximately 5-foot-11 to 6-foot-1 with a thin build.
Police responded to a call from the store at 940 W. Evesham Road about 1:55 a.m. When they arrived, a clerk told them the suspect pulled a firearm in the store and demanded cash and cigarettes, according to the police news release.
The clerk gave him a large quantity of cash and several packs of cigarettes, after which the suspect ran on Station Avenue toward the Black Horse Pike.
The suspect was reported to be a black male, wearing a black coat, black jeans, black ski mask and black gloves. He was approximately 5-foot-11 to 6-foot-1 with a thin build.
Jan 27, 2010
Governor to get tough on cigarette tax
The Paterson administration will soon advance new tax regulations to begin the collection of excise taxes on cigarette sales by Native American retailers, a top aide to Gov. David A. Paterson said Wednesday. The move was sharply condemned by a top Seneca Nation leader.
The release of the regulations will start a six-month clock for public comment, which means the state could begin collecting the taxes as early as July.
While advocates of collecting the tax expressed some skepticism about another governor promising to break the long dispute with Indian tribes, they also said Paterson’s move is the first major step on the issue in years.
“The governor will enforce the law, and we are taking steps necessary to do that. There shouldn’t be any doubt about that,” said Peter Kiernan, the governor’s counsel.
In the meantime, Kiernan said, the state will continue what he said are serious negotiations with a number of tribes, including the Seneca Nation, to try to reach “price equality” arrangements in which the price of a pack of cigarettes would be the same on and off reservations.
But J.C. Seneca, a tribal councilor and co-chairman of the Seneca Nation Foreign Relations Council, rejected the Paterson administration’s claims that there are talks with the Senecas to resolve the tobacco tax dispute.
“At no time, never, when I’ve been at the table have we been negotiating anything with the state,” said Seneca, who has meet with Paterson and his lawyers on at least two occasions.
“I don’t think we’d ever sell tobacco products at the same price as off-reservation. That would not be beneficial to our retailers or our economy, because we wouldn’t have any. If the governor and Legislature had their way, we’d be out of business. It would be devastating to our economy and the economy of Western New York,” he said.
“They need to leave us alone and let us do our business and create opportunities for our people,” Seneca added.
The governor Tuesday proposed a $1-per-pack tax increase — to $3.75, the nation’s highest — in order to help bring money to the cash-starved budget. But the budget plan also included a vow to end the state tax department’s “forbearance” policy of not enforcing laws already on the books to collect the cigarette taxes.
“The governor concluded he could not raise the tax by a dollar, which would further exacerbate the unfair competitive landscape that exists between sellers on non-Native and Native land, without taking the next logical step in pursuit of our policy, which is price equality,” Kiernan said.
The state has two tax-collection laws on the books that have been halted by a court order. The most recent, signed by Paterson in 2008, would put the legal burden on wholesalers to ensure that all cigarettes they sell to retailers have a state tax stamp affixed to the cigarette packs. Kiernan said there are only about four wholesalers who sell tax-free to the New York tribes. He said the intent of the governor’s plan is to ensure the provisions of that law are followed by the wholesalers.
The issuance of the regulations is, Kiernan said, a first step in the state’s plans to get the injunction against the tax collections lifted.
“Our fervent wish is that during the next six months, while the regulations are out there for comment, that we will conclude a lot of these negotiations” with Indian tribes, Kiernan said.
Russell Sciandra, director of the Center for a Tobacco Free New York, said the governor’s plan will put him in a better negotiating position with some tribes. “He clearly has strengthened his hand,” Sciandra said.
Sciandra questioned, though, what incentive the Seneca Nation, the top Indian sellers of tax-free cigarettes in the United States, might have in cutting any deals for price equality with the state.
Non-Indian retailers checked their enthusiasm.
“It’s a mix of hopefulness and skepticism,” said James Calvin, executive director of the New York State Association of Convenience Stores. “History has taught us to be skeptical of any new promises coming from the governor’s office on this issue. There’s a long trail of deliberate delay, deceit and broken promises, primarily by Gov. Paterson’s two predecessors.”
If lawmakers agree, the $1-per-pack tax hike takes effect June 2. That, though, would be before any collection effort, giving Indian retailers an even bigger pricing advantage, Calvin noted. He said Paterson should collect the Indian taxes before considering a tax hike.
Seneca said the Paterson move will harm relations with Native Americans. “We’re going to hunker down and dig in. If the state is going to take a position that they want conflict and controversy, then that’s what they are going to get,” he said.
Seneca said he is considering proposing his own six-month comment period about whether to give the state access to the Thruway that cuts through the tribe’s Cattaraugus reservation.
“He’s talking out of both sides of his mouth,” Seneca said of Paterson’s plan to move to collect the tax but negotiate with the tribes.
The release of the regulations will start a six-month clock for public comment, which means the state could begin collecting the taxes as early as July.
While advocates of collecting the tax expressed some skepticism about another governor promising to break the long dispute with Indian tribes, they also said Paterson’s move is the first major step on the issue in years.
“The governor will enforce the law, and we are taking steps necessary to do that. There shouldn’t be any doubt about that,” said Peter Kiernan, the governor’s counsel.
In the meantime, Kiernan said, the state will continue what he said are serious negotiations with a number of tribes, including the Seneca Nation, to try to reach “price equality” arrangements in which the price of a pack of cigarettes would be the same on and off reservations.
But J.C. Seneca, a tribal councilor and co-chairman of the Seneca Nation Foreign Relations Council, rejected the Paterson administration’s claims that there are talks with the Senecas to resolve the tobacco tax dispute.
“At no time, never, when I’ve been at the table have we been negotiating anything with the state,” said Seneca, who has meet with Paterson and his lawyers on at least two occasions.
“I don’t think we’d ever sell tobacco products at the same price as off-reservation. That would not be beneficial to our retailers or our economy, because we wouldn’t have any. If the governor and Legislature had their way, we’d be out of business. It would be devastating to our economy and the economy of Western New York,” he said.
“They need to leave us alone and let us do our business and create opportunities for our people,” Seneca added.
The governor Tuesday proposed a $1-per-pack tax increase — to $3.75, the nation’s highest — in order to help bring money to the cash-starved budget. But the budget plan also included a vow to end the state tax department’s “forbearance” policy of not enforcing laws already on the books to collect the cigarette taxes.
“The governor concluded he could not raise the tax by a dollar, which would further exacerbate the unfair competitive landscape that exists between sellers on non-Native and Native land, without taking the next logical step in pursuit of our policy, which is price equality,” Kiernan said.
The state has two tax-collection laws on the books that have been halted by a court order. The most recent, signed by Paterson in 2008, would put the legal burden on wholesalers to ensure that all cigarettes they sell to retailers have a state tax stamp affixed to the cigarette packs. Kiernan said there are only about four wholesalers who sell tax-free to the New York tribes. He said the intent of the governor’s plan is to ensure the provisions of that law are followed by the wholesalers.
The issuance of the regulations is, Kiernan said, a first step in the state’s plans to get the injunction against the tax collections lifted.
“Our fervent wish is that during the next six months, while the regulations are out there for comment, that we will conclude a lot of these negotiations” with Indian tribes, Kiernan said.
Russell Sciandra, director of the Center for a Tobacco Free New York, said the governor’s plan will put him in a better negotiating position with some tribes. “He clearly has strengthened his hand,” Sciandra said.
Sciandra questioned, though, what incentive the Seneca Nation, the top Indian sellers of tax-free cigarettes in the United States, might have in cutting any deals for price equality with the state.
Non-Indian retailers checked their enthusiasm.
“It’s a mix of hopefulness and skepticism,” said James Calvin, executive director of the New York State Association of Convenience Stores. “History has taught us to be skeptical of any new promises coming from the governor’s office on this issue. There’s a long trail of deliberate delay, deceit and broken promises, primarily by Gov. Paterson’s two predecessors.”
If lawmakers agree, the $1-per-pack tax hike takes effect June 2. That, though, would be before any collection effort, giving Indian retailers an even bigger pricing advantage, Calvin noted. He said Paterson should collect the Indian taxes before considering a tax hike.
Seneca said the Paterson move will harm relations with Native Americans. “We’re going to hunker down and dig in. If the state is going to take a position that they want conflict and controversy, then that’s what they are going to get,” he said.
Seneca said he is considering proposing his own six-month comment period about whether to give the state access to the Thruway that cuts through the tribe’s Cattaraugus reservation.
“He’s talking out of both sides of his mouth,” Seneca said of Paterson’s plan to move to collect the tax but negotiate with the tribes.
Jan 25, 2010
Paterson's new cigarette, sugared drink taxes could affect Elmira residents' spending habits
As part of his budget plan, Gov. David Paterson wants to increase the tax on a pack of cigarettes by $1 and add a penny tax per fluid ounce of sugared drinks.
Local residents spending part of Saturday afternoon in downtown Elmira expressed mixed reactions to the governor's plan.
Some, like Peter Recktenwald, admit that the increase could coax them to change their consumer habits.
Recktenwald, who recently moved to Elmira, said he has already experienced higher taxes at his new home, and he intends to buy less sugared beverages and quit smoking as a result of the plan.
The taxes will only hurt the poor, he said, explaining that those who can still afford the products will continue to buy just as much.
Among those who would be unaffected by the new taxes is Matt Bryant, who said any increase in cost won't change his buying habits for soft drinks.
Bryant quit smoking a few months ago, just in time to escape the proposed tax hike on cigarettes.
Non-smokers Mike and Sue Harris also said the taxes wouldn't affect their buying habits, but added that they don't purchase enough sugared drinks to notice the change.
Local residents spending part of Saturday afternoon in downtown Elmira expressed mixed reactions to the governor's plan.
Some, like Peter Recktenwald, admit that the increase could coax them to change their consumer habits.
Recktenwald, who recently moved to Elmira, said he has already experienced higher taxes at his new home, and he intends to buy less sugared beverages and quit smoking as a result of the plan.
The taxes will only hurt the poor, he said, explaining that those who can still afford the products will continue to buy just as much.
Among those who would be unaffected by the new taxes is Matt Bryant, who said any increase in cost won't change his buying habits for soft drinks.
Bryant quit smoking a few months ago, just in time to escape the proposed tax hike on cigarettes.
Non-smokers Mike and Sue Harris also said the taxes wouldn't affect their buying habits, but added that they don't purchase enough sugared drinks to notice the change.
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