Tobacco & Marijuana

Why Our Ancestors Said Yes to Drugs

Narcotic plants such as betel nut, coca and tobacco may have been used throughout the ages to ward off hunger and fatigue, such…    

Moderate alcohol use linked to fewer heart plaques

Drinking one or two alcoholic beverages per day seems to reduce plaque buildup in the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart, new…    

Smoking, drinking get respite in Irish budget

Irish smokers and drinkers fond of a local pint had some of the chill taken out of their winter after a national budget that…    

Marijuana use linked to psychosis

Young people who smoke marijuana are at increased risk for developing psychosis, new research shows. The risk is particularly high for people who are…    

US high court considers medical marijuana case

Several U.S. Supreme Court justices expressed reservations on Monday about allowing medical marijuana for sick patients whose doctors have recommended they smoke it for…    

Supreme Court to Weigh Medical Marijuana Law

The Supreme Court on Monday will hear arguments whether patients in California and 10 other states can continue to use medical marijuana prescribed by…    

EU cannabis use at new peak -report

More cannabis is being smoked in the European Union than ever before, with 3 million daily users in the 25-nation bloc, but consumption may…    

Five million smokers died worldwide in 2000

Smoking killed nearly 5 million people worldwide in 2000, with men more than three times as likely as women to go to an…    

Singapore may broaden smoking ban to pubs

Singapore may broaden a ban on smoking to include pubs, coffee shops and bus stops, the government said on Wednesday, as part of an…    

Who smokes the most dope in Europe?

Swiss teenagers smoke more cannabis than their peers in every other European country, a survey said Thursday, casting a pall over the country’s prim…    

Stub out public smoking, Portugal health minister

Portugal’s health minister proposed on Wednesday a ban on smoking in public places, including restaurants and bars, joining other European countries trying to introduce…    

Britain confirms plan for major smoking ban

The British government plans to impose a sweeping public smoking ban across England and Wales and will consider curbs on television advertising of “junk…    

Britain on public health warpath, targets smoking

The British government will launch a long-awaited policy paper on public health next week with plans to curb public smoking, tackle obesity and…    

Patch plus pill ups chances of quitting smoking

Smokers can double the likelihood of kicking the habit by using the antidepressant drug nortriptyline along with a nicotine patch, new research indicates.…    

States urged to spend more to cut smoking rate

The U.S. government’s effort to cut the adult smoking rate to 12 percent or less by 2010 will fail unless most states increase funding…    

Scotland to ban smoking in public places

The Scottish Executive has announced its intention to introduce comprehensive smoke-free legislation in public places.

Since announcing the news of the ban…    

Tobacco industry hid smoking dangers - report

The tobacco industry for many years claimed that it was unaware of biological evidence that smoking is harmful to health, but that was untrue…    

Message on a bottle - Heineken backs drink restraint

Heineken NV is introducing messages encouraging “responsible drinking” on its bottles and cans worldwide, the Dutch brewer said on Monday.

The world’s…    

Mutant mice help shed light on tobacco addiction

Genetically altered mice that are unusually sensitive to nicotine may help scientists nail down exactly how people become addicted to smoking, U.S. researchers said…    

Coffee, cigarette combo is extra hard on arteries

People who like to start the day with coffee and a cigarette may be doing particular damage to their arteries, new research suggests.

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More hospitals join smoking ban

Smoking will be banned at three more hospitals in northern New South Wales from today.

The new rules will apply at Ballina,…    

Alaskans to vote on legalizing marijuana

Voters in Alaska will decide on Tuesday whether to make their state the first in the country to legalize the sale, possession or use…    

WHO wants house smoke addressed

The World Health Organization, in Geneva, Switzerland, says smoke from home stoves and fires in developing countries is a major cause of death and…    

Tobacco lawyer denies deception on secondhand smoke

A tobacco industry lawyer sought to fend off accusations that cigarette makers waged a deceptive campaign to blunt concerns over secondhand smoke as he…    

Prof. says he was pressured to be tobacco advocate

A pharmacology professor testifying in the U.S. government’s $280 billion suit against the cigarette industry said on Monday he quit working as an expert…