June 15, 2007 - Swedish Match says buys Bogaert Cigars in Belgium.. Swedish Match said on Friday (6/15/07)it had signed a deal to buy Belgian-based cigar and cigarillo maker Bogaert Cigars. Swedish Match said in a statement that privately held Bogaert has annual sales of around 20 million euros ($26.63 million) and produces around 270 million cigars a year. It said Bogaert's primary markets are France, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. It has production in Belgium and Indonesia. (stockholm.newsroom@reuters.com)
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Banning smoking a public health issue not property rights..


June 11, 2007 - Banning tobacco smoking in public places is a public health issue and not a property rights or business rights issue. Take for example Wyatt Clark from Ferndale, MI.. When 6-year old Wyatt is exposed to secondhand cigarettes smoke, his asthma can get triggered so badly that he is rushed to the emergency room. He cannot go bowling because of the smoke. Restaurants that serve his favorite food, Coney Island hot dogs, often are off limits, too. "If he's exposed to any cigarette smoke, he literally will turn blue and start gasping and is unable to breathe," says his mother, Teresa Clark. Why should others suffer if a tobacco smoker chooses to continue to abuse his body.. (Lawmakers to debate smoking ban in bars, restaurants, David Eggert, The Associated Press, 6/11/2007.) Study confirms smoke-free laws reduce heart attacks. (TobaccoWatch.org
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R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co has cancelled plans to open a Marshall McGearty smoking lounge in downtown Winston-Salem


June 11, 2007 - R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co has cancelled plans to open a Marshall McGearty smoking lounge in downtown Winston-Salem, according to a report by Richard Craver for the Winston-Salem Journal. Craver quoted company spokesman, David Howard, as saying that the expansion of smoking restrictions, nationally and regionally, had prompted Reynolds to change its marketing strategy for its Marshall McGearty premium brand. Howard said that Reynolds would continue to evaluate how to market and brand its super-premium products. (Tobacco Reporter) Click on Image for Information on Susan Ivey.
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It seems like R.J. Reynold's Tobacco is relentless in introducing new menthol cigarettes to attempt grab market share from the menthol leader ...


June 10, 2007 - It seems like R.J. Reynold's Tobacco is relentless in introducing new menthol cigarettes to attempt grab market share from the menthol leader - Lorillards's Newport. Kool Flow for the smooth laid back smoker and Kool Groove for the bold and upbeat type. See Newsbrief from May 12, 2007 below regarding the new Camel Signature Blends - Frost, Infused,Robust and Mellow. The tag for this series is "Severely Interesting" - maybe it should READ "Severely Deadly." (The word on the street is that Kool will be increased in price and the Camel Signature Series will soon be "Buy One Get ONE Free" - June 14, 2007, TobaccoWatch.org) Also Philip Morris' Marlboro Smooth (its tag - "A Menthol Like No Other") that arrived on store shelves in February 2007. Let's not forget the Philip Morris promotion coming up on July 7, 2007.While fewer people are smoking, menthols' share of the overall cigarette market has grown steadily for several years. In 2000 about 26.5% of smokers were menthol smokers, in 2006 you're looking at 28.5% and (at least according to R.J.Reynolds) they expect the mentho
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