It's hard to imagine Casablanca's Rick Blaine without smoke swirling around his face as he grows increasingly morose. But anti-smoking activists argue that 60-plus years after that classic movie was made—long before the Surgeon General issued a warning on the dangers of tobacco—it's time for movies to lose the smoke. Tomorrow, the issue of whether Hollywood glamorizes smoking, and thus encourages teens to adopt the habit, will be the subject of a Senate Commerce Committee hearing called by Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev. "Children are being influenced by the presence of smoking in movies," argued Ensign's rep, Jack Finn. ...

The World Health Organization (WHO) today urged Pacific island countries to sign and ratify the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Nearly 5 million deaths are related to tobacco use worldwide every year and this number is expected to double by 2020, when the deaths caused by tobacco-related diseases will represent 8.9% of the total death and disease burden. "Pacific Island countries clearly demonstrated their leadership and international influence during the Convention negotiations in Geneva," said Dr Chen Ken, WHO Representative for the South Pacific. "We want to encourage them to take these efforts to the next level.'' ...

In the wake of huge tobacco tax increases and a ban on smoking in bars, the number of adult smokers in New York City fell 11 percent from 2002 to 2003, one of the steepest short-term declines ever measured, according to surveys commissioned by the city. The surveys, to be released today, show that after holding steady for a decade, the number of regular smokers dropped more than 100,000 in a little more than a year, to 19.3 percent of adults from 21.6 percent. The decline occurred across all boroughs, ages and ethnic groups. ...

The United States has become the 108th country to sign the World Health Organization's global treaty on tobacco control, a decision hailed by some anti-tobacco advocates but viewed with skepticism by others who doubt the Bush administration will push for ratification. The treaty was signed Monday night by Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson, who called it an important step toward reducing tobacco use. ...

Effective June 30, all wholesalers, distributors and retailers must have a license to sell cigarettes and other tobacco products. Anyone selling cigarettes without a license will be violating California state law, according to the California State Board of Equalization (CSBA). Penalties for selling tobacco products without a license include fines of up to $5,000, restrictions on selling cigarette and tobacco products, or criminal prosecution and imprisonment. Failure to publicly display the retailer license is subject to a $500 penalty. ...

U.S. lawmakers are warning the American film industry to reduce the amount of smoking in movies. They are concerned about studies showing that children are more likely to smoke if they see it in the cinema, but Hollywood is resisting the pressure in the name of free speech. The U.S. government's disease tracking agency, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), says about two-thirds of today's films depict tobacco use, including those intended for young audiences. The agency also says 4400 American teenagers begin smoking each day. Dartmouth University pediatrician Madeline Dalton sees a link between these statistics. In a study last year of 2600 youths aged 10 to 14, she found that movie portrayals of tobacco use are a major reason why children smoke. ...

Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport should be smoke-free. Attempting to corral the massive amounts of cigarette smoke in the airport's 11 smoking lounges and bars is futile. The Atlanta City Council is expected to consider an indoor smoking ban next month. As it stands now, the airport, as well as the city's bars and adult entertainment facilities, will be exempt. But dozens of airports across the country are now smoke-free. Why should Atlanta, one of the world's busiest airports, be any different? ...

The smoking war may be heating up in Cincinnati. Separate surveys indicate that a majority of Cincinnatians would be willing to support a ban on smoking in the workplace, and a majority of bars and restaurants returning surveys are either smoke-free or plan to go that direction. The smoking war may be heating up in Cincinnati. ...

Second-hand tobacco smoke at work kills hundreds of Britons each year - including almost one hospitality industry worker a week, a study says. Thousands more are dying from passive smoking at home, according to researchers at Imperial College London. The figures were released ahead of a conference on smoking in London. ...