Jail Smoking Ban Leads to Increase in Pastry Sales

OWENSBORO, Ky. — After smoking was banned in Daviess County Jail in February, jail officials increased the stock of nicotine patches at the facility’s commissary. But instead of using the alternate method of nicotine intake, inmates have found their fix in sugar.


The number of Honey Buns, a sweet pastry, sold at the facility has increased since tobacco was completely banned at the jail in February, according to reports.


Before the facility-wide ban about 150 trusties and inmates in substance abuse or community service programs were allowed to smoke in outdoor areas. However, the partial ban created problems when contraband was thrown over fences to smokers in the outdoor areas and cigarettes were smuggled into the general population.


In the general population, cigarettes were sold among inmates for $35 a pack. Inmates were able to light the cigarettes with a paperclips heated by inserting them in electric outlets in cells. The practice sometimes led to fires and electrical problems with jail control systems.