Steven Shainberg, director of the speculative Diane Arbus bio, Fur, has a story:
“I was developing a project for a studio, and the character was this totally messed-up guy. He was in his mid- to late 20s; he frequented whores; he took an enormous amount of Ecstasy, and in many, many scenes he would smoke. [...]

An anti-smoking activist has lost his casino job at the Tropicana Casino and Resort after 26 years.
Vince Rennich, a table games supervisor, doesn’t buy the argument that his dismissal was part of a larger staff reduction as the new owners reorganize the property.
“They threw me under the bus,” the Somers Point man said Monday. “They [...]

Consumers are confused about details of the impending smoking ban in England and Wales.
Nearly six out of 10 people do not know when the restrictions come into force, according to trade magazine The Publican.

A survey of nearly 1,000 people found 41 per cent thought smoking would still be allowed in private members’ clubs. And 19 [...]

A proposed ban on smoking in all bars, restaurants and work sites across the state is igniting a big-money fight at the Texas Capitol.
Anti-smoking forces are lining up against the tobacco industry and some restaurant owners, with lobbyists from both sides seeking to win over lawmakers.
“We’ve got a lot of national resources that are focusing [...]

Thursday marks an important health and cultural shift for France when a new law comes into force banning smoking in public places. Offices and other public buildings come under the new legislation but cafes, bars, restaurants, hotels and casinos are exempt until 2008.
The state is to aid would-be quitters by handing out coupons for the [...]