Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Christine Jordan SextonMarch 31, 2015

Smokers beware: There may be one less place you can light up in the Sunshine State. The Senate Health Policy Committee on Tuesday gave the nod to Sen. Jeff Clemens‘ bill that makes it illegal to smoke cigarettes in a car if there’s a child under 13 traveling in the vehicle. The bill — SB […]

Guest AuthorMarch 12, 2015

“I’m not old enough to have kids in high school.” My twin sons were graduating from the 8th grade, and this became my mantra, despite all evidence to the contrary. My reading glasses had become a permanent fixture on the end of my nose while Jacob and Zachary were concerned about their “online presence.” There […]

Guest AuthorNovember 19, 2014

Here’s an interesting debate that I would love to see played out in Florida. In their desire to save lives and improve health, some communities elsewhere have raised to 21 the minimum age for anyone to buy tobacco. It’s led to a reduction in teenage smoking, although some folks worry that it’s another case of […]

Guest AuthorFebruary 12, 2014

I have a confession to make. I’m a second-hand smoker. I’ve been a second-hand smoker since I started dating my beautiful bride in high school. We will celebrate our 27th anniversary in June 2014. E-cigarettes have changed my life and in all likelihood my life expectancy. The American Lung Association states that there are as […]

Martin DyckmanJanuary 26, 2014

Strictly speaking, we don’t save lives. We prolong them. Death is inevitable. The variables are the time and the reason. Will it be one of the disorders that are by far the leading causes of death? Or will it be some abrupt tragedy, such as accident, natural disaster or homicide? We admire the heroes who […]

Guest AuthorJanuary 1, 2014

These days you hardly ever see a balding man trying to hide under a comb-over, and we should consider this to be progress. It’s not on the scale of world peace, but still, it’s a step forward for society, certainly better than those hideous hair twists and turns so common among middle-aged men not so […]

Tag: smoking

Ban on smoking in car with youngsters moves through Senate

Catherine Durkin Robinson: Choosing the right high school

Mark O’Brien: Raise smoking age to 21, save lives and money

Jamie Miller: E-cigarettes: Next target for those who want to control your life

Martin Dyckman: Decline in smoking-related deaths shows government works

Mark O’Brien: A hair-raising metaphor for progress