Albany Herald 20071118e2.htm SCHIP funds logjam getting ugly With a Republican in the White House and Democrats controlling Congress, Washington has seen its share of gridlock in 2007, from last summers stalemate over illegal immigration to this falls battles over appropriations bills. Albany Herald 20071118e2.htm SCHIP funds logjam getting ugly With a Republican in the White House and Democrats controlling Congress, Washington has seen its share of gridlock in 2007, from last summers...

Singh and other FPL employees who complete programs to quit smoking are rewarded with $100 in their health reimbursement accounts, which they can use for doctor visits and prescriptions, plus an extra $75 in their paycheck that year. Free & Clear, which runs a smoking cessation program, puts the extra cost per smoker at closer to $5,300, including other costs such as lost productivity. FPL employees also can get cash rewards for completing Weight Watchers and exercise programs. Some charge...

But faced with growing awareness about the power of nicotine addiction and that smoking kills more people than all other addictive drugs combined, New York officials have decided the state can no longer afford to ignore smoking. In July, New York will become the first state in the nation to ban smoking at all its chemical dependence prevention and treatment programs, including those that treat gambling addiction. An 11-year study conducted by Hurt and colleagues found that 51 percent of...

Businesses already face criminal fines under a state law that prohibits the sale of cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco and other smoking products to anyone under age 18. The Baltimore County Council is considering legislation to impose civil fines of up to $500 against stores caught selling tobacco products to minors. Several health officials and anti-smoking advocates testified at the work session in support of the measure, which they said would help reduce underage smoking. Under a bill...

In addition to free coaching services, the QuitLine offers free nicotine replacement products or medication to those who enroll in the program and participate in coaching. Cigarette-related health costs are paid by all of us, so we don t mind asking smokers to pick up the anti-smoking tab, or to pay a bigger share of health care costs. Nobody ever said life or government tax policy for that matter was fair. Quitting smoking is one of the healthiest lifestyle changes a person can make, but...