Kentucky prison bans tobacco; others may follow

[The Straight Story]

Kentucky prison bans tobacco; others may follow

LA GRANGE, Ky. (AP) - After 50 years as a smoker, Jess Hensley is dealing with the jittery nerves of a man who gave up tobacco cold turkey.

Hensley was among more than 1,000 prisoners forced to give up all forms of tobacco when a ban on smoking and chewing went into effect at the Kentucky State Reformatory last week.

"This is a cruel thing to do," said the 60-year-old convicted murderer serving a 50-year sentence. "They're trying to create a riot. They want a riot for one reason or another."

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"In many studies, researchers have found that up to 60 to 80 percent of inmates smoke," Rodu said. "The anti-tobacco extremists would say that smoking and nicotine use are of no value, and they couldn't be more wrong. People smoke because nicotine does powerful things to our brains. It has powerful mood-modulating effects. It gives us a sense of well-being. People use it to help them through their daily lives."......and now they are scrounging for contraband tobacco. Calbough said a single roll-your-own cigarette can fetch as much as $10 in the prison in the wake of the ban. Some inmates, he said, are desperate.

http://www.wtvq.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WTVQ/MGArticle/TVQ_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137835931988&path=


Don't want them folks on death row a smoking, it might kill em! :)

[Ciggies and coffee]

1. Health is a euphemism for....

"In many studies, researchers have found that up to 60 to 80 percent of inmates smoke," Rodu said. "The anti-tobacco extremists would say that smoking and nicotine use are of no value, and they couldn't be more wrong. People smoke because nicotine does powerful things to our brains. It has powerful mood-modulating effects. It gives us a sense of well-being. People use it to help them through their daily lives."

Can't have that. The pharmaceutical industry has mood-pills to move. I hear that they do not take too kindly to competition from outside of their syndicate, and enlist the state instead of the free market to influence customer choice.



"Above all else, it's the right thing to do," Chandler said, standing next to a stack of nicotine gum, lozenges and patches, which are being made available at reduced prices to inmates struggling through withdrawal. "We can't in good conscience be the medical (prison) facility for the state of Kentucky and allow smoking.

Gum, lozenges, and patches? Those products are made by, well, take a guess.



It's not just a matter of personal health, Chandler said, but a matter of fiscal responsibility that could help to cut the $40 million a year the state pays for inmate medical care.

So, does smoking cause people to die early or not? Does a longer life, and the complications of death years later not incur higher costs due to several more years of treatment and additional price inflation? Certain beneficiaries of such expenditures may be ??

You are right that it is not about "health."
Following the money almost always leads to the truth.