“Addiction” on The Daily Caller

PRINCETON, NJ — When it comes to smokers lighting up in public, Americans are most accepting of smoking in bars and least accepting of it in restaurants. Fifty-nine percent this year say smoking should be banned in restaurants, up from 54% in 2007. (more)

One of the consistent hallmarks of the Obama administration is the effort to use regulatory agencies to go beyond what even the current Congress is willing to pass in the way of regulatory legislation.  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is only the latest example.  Americans are constantly facing the challenge of widespread and needless interventions into everyday life.  But where products are legal, and where there is a lack of clear-cut, unequivocal biological science indicating a negative impact on health, the federal government should not dictate behavior to the American people. (more)

As they push to have Massachusetts expand legal gambling, state lawmakers have produced hundreds of pages of economic studies estimating the new jobs and tax revenue that would be created by opening multiple casinos. (more)

ALBANY — New Yorkers who like to smoke will have to dig a little deeper to light up next month, after the Legislature passed a bill on Monday that will give the state the highest cigarette taxes in the country. (more)

Wisconsin is just a few weeks away from smoke-free workplaces, but you may see people with a different kind of cigarette in their mouths. While some like the alternative to traditional cigarettes, many agree they are not healthy. (more)

MORE than 100 people who allegedly became addicted to gambling and pornography after taking a prescription drug used to treat tremors associated with Parkinson’s disease are suing two drug companies. (more)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A South Korean couple were convicted Friday of abandoning their newborn daughter, who starved to death while they addictively played an online game raising a virtual child. (more)

At just the tender age of two, Ardi Rizal’s health has been so ruined by his 40-a-day habit that he now struggles to move by himself. (more)

Massachusetts thinks it has found a way to prevent its residents from smoking: scare them to health. (more)

To James Monsees and Adam Bowen, the biggest problem with the smoking industry is that it stopped innovating 50 years ago. And the two San Francisco entrepreneurs have set out to get that innovation engine moving again. (more)

By law, cigarette packages must contain written warnings regarding the health dangers of smoking. However, governments around the world are expressing discontent with that strategy and are proposing more stringent regulations. (more)

A few months ago, I met a gentleman at the National League of Cities conference in San Antonio named John McAlister. John is a fellow City Council member from Gahanna, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus. As we waited for a boat tour of the downtown San Antonio Riverwalk, John and I discussed politics in our hometowns, a common discussion at these conferences. Soon our discussion turned to national politics and the challenges facing our country. I learned of John’s steadfast commitment to the oath of office he took upon entering his role of City Councilman, that to uphold and defend the Constitution, an oath that City Councils, County Supervisors, state legislatures and Congressmen take all across this country. John strongly believes that we can regain limited federal government by holding local politicians accountable for their votes. I found his zeal refreshing and reassuring since I, too, am impassioned by such beliefs. (more)

The moves would reduce crime and stop dirty needles being left in school playgrounds, Dr Peter Carter, the General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said. (more)

About one-third of college students who tried indoor tanning facilities were addicted to the artificial rays, and the addicts drank more alcohol and smoked more marijuana than other students, researchers found. (more)

Scientists are taking a new look at hallucinogens, which became taboo among regulators after enthusiasts like Timothy Leary promoted them in the 1960s with the slogan “Turn on, tune in, drop out.” Now, using rigorous protocols and safeguards, scientists have won permission to study once again the drugs’ potential for treating mental problems and illuminating the nature of consciousness. (more)

Representatives from three major tobacco companies, speaking before a committee tasked with advising the federal government on tobacco regulation, defended menthol cigarettes against charges that they put smokers’ health at greater risk than regular cigarettes. (more)

Jesse James on Wednesday became the latest in a string of high-profile celebrities to enter rehab for a pathological inability to remain faithful to his wife. The Daily Caller engaged in some hard-hitting journalism to figure what the ado about sex addiction therapy is all about. (more)

Scientists have finally confirmed what the rest of us have suspected for years: Bacon, cheesecake, and other delicious yet fattening foods may be addictive. (more)

On Nov. 29, 2009, Parade Magazine ran a piece on outdoor smoking bans. It posed an opinion poll to their readership on whether outdoor bans should be enacted. In its traditionally biased fashion, Parade notes the growth in such bans, pending legislation on outdoor smoking, and the proverbial citation of the regurgitated 2006 Surgeon General’s Report. (more)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – California lawmakers on Thursday will consider what is believed to be the nation’s most far-reaching smoking ban in state parks as a way to get unsightly cigarette butts off the beach, eliminate second-hand smoke and reduce the threat of wildfires. (more)