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CT Smokers Have Highest Healthcare Costs In U.S., New Study Says CT Smokers Have Highest Healthcare Costs In U.S., New Study Says
CT Smokers Have Highest Healthcare Costs In U.S., New Study Says Northeast and mid-Atlantic states are among the most expensive in the U.S. for smoking tobacco, according to a new study. New York topped the 2025 list from WalletHub called "The Real Cost of Smoking by State", with residents losing an estimated $5.4 million over their lifetime. Washington, D.C., Maryland, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island were also ranked in the top five. The study calculated smoking-related costs by combining out-of-pocket expenses, lost income, increased insurance premiums, and missed financial opportunities, such as investing in the stock market instead of …

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by Chris Spiker
Business
No Coffee, No Bathroom: Starbucks Ends Open-Door Policy For Non-Customers No Coffee, No Bathroom: Starbucks Ends Open-Door Policy For Non-Customers
No Coffee, No Bathroom: Starbucks Ends Open-Door Policy For Non-Customers Starbucks is ending its open-door policy, prioritizing access for paying customers and employees. The coffeehouse chain will no longer allow just anyone to hang out in its cafes or use its bathrooms. Starbucks has created a new Coffeehouse Code of Conduct, requiring people to buy something to use the cafe, patio, or restrooms. Starbucks said it hopes the change will improve the overall coffeehouse experience. "We want everyone to feel welcome and comfortable in our stores," company spokesperson Sam Jefferies said in a statement to Daily Voice. "Implementing a Coffeehouse Code of Conduct i…

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by Chris Spiker
Business
Stop & Shop Will No Longer Sell Tobacco Products Stop & Shop Will No Longer Sell Tobacco Products
Stop & Shop Will No Longer Sell Tobacco Products Stop & Shop, the supermarket chain with 360 stores throughout the Northeast, said its locations will stop carrying tobacco products at the end of the month.  The chain announced the move on Monday, Aug. 26, after it partnered with the American  American Cancer Society to improve community health, Stop & Shop CEO Gordon Reid said in a statement.  Our responsibility as a grocer goes far beyond our aisles, and we are committed to taking bold steps to help our associates, customers, and communities work towards better health outcomes. From our team of registered diet…

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by Josh Lanier
Lifestyle
COVID-19: Link Shown Between Severity, Death From Virus And Smoking, New Study Reveals COVID-19: Link Shown Between Severity, Death From Virus And Smoking, New Study Reveals
Covid-19: Link Shown Between Severity, Death From Virus And Smoking, New Study Reveals A new study has found a strong link between smoking cigarettes and severe outcomes from COVID-19 infection. According to a report from News Medical, researchers for the UK Biobank study looked at "primary care records, COVID-19 test results, hospital admissions data and death certificates" to search for associations between smoking and hospitalizations and death from COVID-19.  The news site reported that 59 percent of participants have never smoked, 37 percent were former smokers and 4 percent were smokers.  The study found that current smokers were 80 percent more likely to be …

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by Nicole Valinote
News
COVID-19: Overweight People At Risk For Serious Illness Along With Those With Obesity, CDC Says COVID-19: Overweight People At Risk For Serious Illness Along With Those With Obesity, CDC Says
Covid-19: Overweight People At Risk For Serious Illness Along With Those With Obesity, CDC Says People who are merely overweight, not just those who are obese, may be at high risk of serious disease from COVID-19, according to new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since nearly 40 percent of Americans are characterized as being obese and another 32 percent as being overweight, this means about two-thirds of Americans could face higher risks. For CDC data on obesity/overweight percentages, click here. The CDC added the new advisory on Tuesday, Oct. 6 "to reflect recent data supporting increased risk of severe illness from the virus that causes COVID…

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
Two Women Injured In Stratford House Fire Two Women Injured In Stratford House Fire
Two Women Injured In Stratford House Fire Two women were injured during an early-morning house fire in Stratford that was likely started by careless smoking. Firefighters were dispatched to a fire call around 4:49 a.m., Thursday, Feb. 13, on Karen Avenue in Stratford, said Stratford Fire Chief Brain Lampart. When firefighters arrived on the scene smoke was visible from the front door of the home and an active fire on a living room couch, Lampart said. Firefighters extinguished the fire and removed two occupants from the home, one who was unresponsive, the chief said. The injured women were treated at the scene before being transp…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
CT Getting Closer To Raising Age To Buy Tobacco CT Getting Closer To Raising Age To Buy Tobacco
CT Getting Closer To Raising Age To Buy Tobacco A proposal to ban the sale of tobacco and vaping products to anyone under the age of 21 in Connecticut is picking up steam statewide. Last month, elected officials proposed raising the age from 18 to 21 as lawmakers seek to limit the number of teenagers using e-cigarette and vaping delivery systems. Other proposals include increasing penalties to stores that sell to minors and increasing taxes on vaping products. The proposal to raise the legal purchasing age to 21 would also place a ban on flavored liquid, which health officials say will help drive teenagers away from potentially harmful …

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by Zak Failla
News
CT Residents Under 21 May Be Banned From Buying Tobacco CT Residents Under 21 May Be Banned From Buying Tobacco
CT Residents Under 21 May Be Banned From Buying Tobacco State residents younger than 21 may be banned from buying tobacco, e-cigarettes or vapor products under a law being considered by the Connecticut General Assembly. The state has a near national average rate of high school smoking despite a well-below national average rate of adult smoking.  The state imposes one of the highest taxes in the country, at $3.90 per pack. Given the average rate of high school smoking and the low rate of adult smoking, however, it appears Connecticut is not making progress in tobacco prevention. Currently, 1,500 children become daily smokers each year, and an es…

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by Jon Craig