Prevention Matters

The signing of a smokefree law in America's "tobacco capital" was named Partnership for Prevention's "Best Prevention Idea of the Week," while a New York bottle bill that would reward makers of noncarbonated beverages containing sugar was named the "Worst Prevention Idea of the week."

The Best/Worst Idea awards are a regular feature of Prevention Matters, the blog of Partnership for Prevention. Each week, Partnership for Prevention's staff will choose the designees based on nominations of items in the previous week's news submitted by members, staff and the public at large. To submit a nomination or for more information, contact Damon Thompson at dthompson@prevent.org.


BEST

Smoke-Free Law Signed in Tobacco Capital

http://tinyurl.com/n87tva

The governor of the nation's largest tobacco-producing state has signed into law a statewide ban on smoking in bars and restaurants. The North Carolina ban doesn’t take effect until Jan. 2, 2010. The bill's chief backer in the legislature left open the possibility that he would try in the future to broaden the new smoking ban in order to cover businesses beyond restaurants and bars. Fortunately, a federal judge has delayed implementation of the law until April 1, 2010.


WORST

NY Bottle Bill Bites

http://tinyurl.com/km56bc

Instead of requiring deposits for all new beverage categories, New York's new bottle law covers bottled water only, and exempts all noncarbonated beverages that contain added sugar. That means it will encourage millions of New Yorkers, and especially price-sensitive populations like the poor and children, to consume sugar-spiked beverages like teas and sports drinks instead of water.