A new report from the American Lung Association urges New Jersey lawmakers to focus on expanding the smokefree law to include all casinos, prohibit the sale of flavored tobacco products and increase cigarette and tobacco product taxes by a significant amount to reduce the burden of tobacco use. The 2024 “State of Tobacco Control” report evaluates state and federal policies on actions taken to eliminate tobacco use and recommends proven-effective tobacco control laws and policies to save lives. New Jersey received two F grades, one B, one C and a D grade for polici ..read more

American Lung Association examines toll of lung cancer in New Jersey, underscores urgent need for more high-risk people to be screened to increase survivorship TRENTON (SBN) – The 2023 “State of Lung Cancer” report ranks New Jersey fourth in the nation for lung cancer surgery out of 42 states surveyed. This means that New Jersey is among the best in the nation for surgery as part of their first course of treatment, though more work is needed to reduce the burden of lung cancer. The American Lung Association’s sixth annual report, released today, highlights the toll of lung cancer in New Jersey ..read more

EATONTOWN, NJ (SBN) — The Eatontown Lions Club will begin its sixth year of free vision screening on September 14, 2023, partnering with the Eatontown and Ocean Township School Districts. Working with school nurses, the eight-member Eye Squad performs vision screenings annually in September and October for students in Pre-K through 8th grade. The Lions club is looking forward to its 10,000th free vision screening on an Eatontown Student at the Memorial School. “We only need to screen 140 more students to reach 10,000,” said Lion Carl Lillvik, the Club’s Eye Squad Leader. Lillvik described the ..read more

GLASSBORO, NJ (SBN) — Offshore wind farm construction will provide job opportunities for New Jersey residents, and teh universities and county colleges can help in the training process to prepare workers for these jobs, more than 200 South Jersey business leaders heard at a conference on the topic last week. The Steve Sweeney Center for Public Policy at Rowan University sponsored the half-day conference to focus on the economic opportunities created by offshore wind development in New Jersey, as well as the climate and sustainable power benefits from the actual operation of offshore wind farms ..read more

HOLMDEL, NJ (SBN) — Surrounded by the historic Bell Works complex, once the home of Bell Labs, a panel of three successful women technology entrepreneurs discussed career strategies in the tech industry during the first “NJ Women in Tech” panel hosted by TechUnited:NJ, a trade association that provides business development, education, networking, and recognition opportunities as well as advocacy for the state and region’s technology businesses.  As Apple TV film crews wrapped up a day of filming for the streaming service’s tech thriller series, “Severance,” the panel and about 60 attend ..read more

TRENTON, NJ (SBN) – All of New Jersey’s 21 counties improved to their best-ever results for ozone smog, one of the most harmful and widespread types of air pollution, according to The American Lung Association’s 2023 “State of the Air” report. But the nonprofit group’s report showed that most New Jersey counties posted fine particle pollution levels worse than in last year’s report, for both daily and year-round levels. Nationally, the report found that nearly 120 million people, or more than one in three, in the U.S. live in counties that had unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution. H ..read more

CHERRY HILL, NJ (SBN) — Hundreds of members of the South Jersey community gathered last night in Cherry Hill for Yom Hashoah, the Holocaust commemoration ceremony that honors survivors of the Nazi effort to exterminate the Jews of Europe during World War II. As a cello played, dozens of Holocaust survivors and their descendants entered the sanctuary at Congregation Kol Ami. The survivors, and second, third, and even fourth generation descendants were honored as participants pledged to keep the memory alive as a way to combat hatred and bigotry. Hear from descendants of Holocaust survivors and ..read more

Civil and divorce trials have been suspended indefinitely in 6 New Jersey counties – Hunterdon, Somerset, Warren, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem – due to a lack of judges. Attorney Ed Rebenack at NJ-based RAM Law has filed a hallmark motion to move the venue of one of his cases in response to this suspension, so their cases can move forward. The motion will be heard by Assignment Judge Kevin Shanahan on Friday, April 14. Rebenack explained the reasons for seeking the change of venue in this interview with SBN News Director Steve Lubetkin.   The post Facing Court Moratorium on Civil Mat ..read more

EDISON, NJ (SBN) — Companies can preserve a “corporate culture” even if most of their workforce is working virtually, rather than in a dedicated office space, says Rashaad Bajwa, CEO of Integris, a business-to-business technology supplier. Bajwa was a featured speaker at the recent “Insights and Outlooks” conference held by the New Jersey Business & Industry Association here. Bajwa observed that young people like his high school-age daughter have a different conception of what work life looks like. Having spent most of the last three years in on-and-off virtual learning environments a ..read more

EDISON, NJ (SBN) — Employers have to be more willing to listen to employees to ensure they are dealing with mental health challenges due to stress from the pandemic and other societal and cultural events that can affect their moods, says Stephanie Marcello, Ph.D., assistant vice president of Academics, Integration and Innovation at Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care. Dr. Marcello was one of six presenters at the New Jersey Business & Industry Association’s “Insights and Outlooks” conference held here March 10. State Broadcast News exclusively covered the conference and will be publi ..read more