The Duluth City Council is mulling a new ban on all tobacco products and the smoking of products like synthetic marijuana on Duluth’s Lakewalk and adjacent parks, which are breezy, popular spots with locals and tourists alike. The city has fielded complaints about people gathering in Lake Place Park to smoke synthetic products they purchase at the Last Place on Earth, the Superior Street shop under scrutiny from Duluth Police and the city under nuisance rules.

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic say heart attacks in Olmsted County dropped by one-third after Minnesota adopted a law banning smoking in all workplaces, including bars and restaurants. The leader of Mayo's study tells Reuters other risk factors -- cholesterol, blood pressure, obesity -- stayed the same, leaving the reduction in second hand smoke as the apparent explanation for the decline.

The Justice Department is throwing its support behind bills from Sen. Amy Klobuchar that would ban synthetic drugs such as "bath salts," which the senator says are dangerous but still available over store counters.