Asides …

Westminster, Mass., has dropped its bid to ban all tobacco sales after vociferous public protest (Nov. 17, p. 48). The Associated Press reported that the town’s Board of Health voted 2-1 to drop the proposal. … And in case you were wondering: Taking a selfie with a bear could be hazardous to your health.

The U.S. Forest Service felt compelled to issue a warning that, “Bears are unpredictable, wild animals and may attack if threatened,” after visitors to Taylor Creek Visitor Center in South Lake Tahoe, Calif., began venturing too close to hungry bears for photo ops during the annual salmon run.