Utah - governor does not prevent tobacco tax increase from becoming law..

April 3, 2010 - Governor Gary R. Herbert allowed a cigarette tax increase of one dollar ($1) to float across his desk and become law without giving it a yea or nay. Yesterday, March 31st, was the Governor's last opportunity to veto the cigarette tax increase, but instead of doing so he took the passive approach and let the tax increase become law without his action. Herbert has repeatedly said he opposes increasing taxes, but the tobacco tax was built into the budget agreed to by him and legislative leaders.

The Legislature had built the $44 million in anticipated tobacco tax revenue into the budget, and Herbert said a veto would undo that balance. Herbert said in a statement that it would be fiscally irresponsible for him to veto the tobacco tax. He said a veto would create an imbalance in the state budget, particularly in the areas of public and higher education.

State lawmakers incorporated the tax into a budget bill that contains many programs that Herbert -- who has pledged not to support any new taxes -- favors. "Politics is the art of compromise," Herbert said. "Public education is my No. 1 priority. Am I going to come down on the side of education or am I going to veto the tobacco tax? I can't do both." Maybe this same approach should be used in South Carolina where Governor Sanford is poised to veto a tobacco tax increase - once again.

A pack of cigarettes will cost $1 more. The tax on cigars will increase from 35 percent to 86 percent of the manufacturer's sale price. And the tax on moist snuff, or dipping tobacco, will rise from 75 cents to $1.83 per ounce.

The tax takes effect July 1.

References: Utah Governor Gary Herbert Allows a Tax Increase: Not an April Fool's Joke, Nathan Pick, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), 4/1/2010; Despite no-tax stance, Herbert OK with $1 per pack hike on cigarettes by Robert Gehrke, Salt Lake Tribune, 3/12/2010; , Utah gov lets tobacco tax pass without signature, Associated Press, 3/31/2010.

Other Utah news briefs:
Provo, Utah - county warns about dangers of dissolvable tobacco products..;
Utah - lawmakers approve one dollar increase in tax on a pack of cigarettes - now measure goes to governor..;
Utah - increase tobacco excise tax by $1.00 - we doubt it will happen..;
Proposal to increase Utah cigarette tax falters..;
Utah - philanthropist Jon Huntsman Sr., supports big boost in tobacco tax..;
Utah Bars Go Smokefree January 1, 2009..;
Utah moves from a tax based on the percentage of sales price to one based on the weight - independent of price of smokeless tobacco product..
Read more...

U.S. e-cigarette imports banned indefinitely - ASH..

April 3, 2010 - The importation of e-cigarettes will be banned indefinitely as the result of a unanimous ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals which provides strong support for the FDA's position. (U.S. - federal appeals court, import of e-cigarettes on hold again..)


The court agreed to permit their continued import ban while it considered an appeal from a lower court ruling which had prohibited the Food and Drug Administration [FDA] from stopping the imports of this new product, reports public interest law professor John Banzhaf of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), who participated in the legal proceeding.


The court went out of its way in its brief ruling to suggest that the FDA was correct in declaring the product illegal, noting that "appellants [FDA] have satisfied the stringent standards required for a stay pending appeal." These standards require that the party seeking the stay show that it has made a "strong showing that it is likely to prevail on the merits of its appeal" -- in other words, that it is likely correct on the law, and will be the victor when a final decision is announced.

The FDA had warned that e-cig use poses "acute health risks," that "the dangers posed by their toxic chemicals . . . cannot seriously be questioned," and that they have caused a wide variety of potentially serious symptoms "including racing pulse, dizziness, slurred speech, mouth ulcers, heartburn, coughing, diarrhea, and sore throat." (E-cigarettes - scientists want more safety studies before use..FDA had found that samples it tested contained detectable levels of known carcinogens and toxic chemicals to which users could be exposed. The FDA said the toxic chemicals included diethylene glycol, “an ingredient used in antifreeze, [which] is toxic to humans”; “certain tobacco-specific nitrosamines which are human carcinogens”; and that “tobacco-specific impurities suspected of being harmful to humans -- anabasine, myosmine, and B-nicotyrine -- were detected in a majority of the samples tested.” The FDA does not currently monitor or license e-cigs, and indeed considers them "illegal."

E-cigarette use is banned in no-smoking areas in New Jersey, Virginia, and Suffolk County, NY, and several states -- as well as a few attorneys general -- are pushing to ban their sale to children or otherwise restrict them. E-cigarettes have already been banned in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Israel, Mexico, Panama, and Singapore, and restricted in Denmark, Finland, Malaysia, Netherlands, and New Zealand, and the UK is poised to begin regulating them as drugs.

At least two attorneys general have filed law suits to stop the sale of e-cigarettes until they are approved by the FDA, they are being challenged in a class action law suit, and a number of states are also considering restrictions on the sale or use of the novel and unregulated products. (e-cigarettes - FDA approval needed prior to marketing..)

Reference: E-Cigarette Imports Banned Indefinitely, Says Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), PROFESSOR JOHN F. BANZHAF III, Executive Director and Chief Counsel, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), 4/1/2010.

FDA - e-cigarette news briefs:
THIS MUST STOP - e-cigarette company asking active duty soldiers to buy their product..;
Electronic cigarettes - study finds not an effective nicotine delivery system..;
U.S. - federal appeals court, import of e-cigarettes on hold again..;
U.S. FDA appealing a federal judge's ruling on e-cigarettes..;
U.S. FDA - judges ruling regarding e-cigarettes must be appealed - ASAP..;
California - attorney general thinks e-cigarette distributor is targeting minors..;
E-cigarettes - scientists want more safety studies before use..;
In Process: US. Federal District court judge makes serious error regarding the import of e-cigarettes..;
New Jersey assemblywoman wants to limit electronic (e) cigarettes..;
"Smoking Everywhere", an electronic cigarettes retailer sued..;
Dubai, UAE customs blocks e-cigarette shipment..;
Connecticut AG Blumnethal wants to ban e-cigarettes..;
Orgeon - files lawsuit against e-cigarette company..;
Saudi Arabia - banning sales of electronic (e) cigarettes..;
Smoking Everywhere - e-cigarette distributor..;
Oregon - electronic (e) cigarettes sales prohibited until approved by FDA..;
Israel bans electronic (e) cigarettes..;
New Zealand - 1st trial ever of e-cigarettes..;
FDA: Electronic cigarettes contain toxic chemicals..;
e-cigarettes - Company sues FDA for blocking imports of product..;
e-cigarettes - FDA approval needed prior to marketing..;
E-cigarettes need to establish efficacy and safety - FIRST..;
Read more...

U.S. - CBS News 60 minutes story on smokeless tobacco..

April 2, 2010 - CBS News 60 Minutes will broadcast a story on smokeless tobacco this Sunday, April 4th at 7pm.


It is available on your local CBS Channel or on the internet at www.60Minutes.com.

Click to enlarge..


Read more...

New Zealand - biggest drop in smoking rates seen in a decade..

April 2, 2010 - The number of New Zealanders lighting up has dropped in the past year, according to new figures. The results of 2009 Tobacco Use Survey, released by the Ministry of Health today, showed the smoking rate for New Zealanders aged between 15 and 64 years was 21.8 per cent, down from 23.9 per cent in 2008. The 2009 youth smoking rate was also lower, at 18 per cent compared to 2008's figure of 20.8 per cent.

The New Zealand Tobacco Use Survey is a national tobacco use survey, which was run in 2006, 2008 and 2009.




Health Ministry acting deputy director-general Ashley Bloomfield said the drop confirmed a downward trend in smoking. "Each one percentage point drop in smoking represents about 30,000 fewer smokers. That's significant because on average half the people who smoke will die from a smoking-related illness," Dr Bloomfield said.




Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) director
Ben Youdan welcomed the decline in numbers, but said pressure needed to be maintained to reduce smoking. "This is the biggest drop in smoking rates for a decade. We are seeing that the impact of recent policies such as picture warnings on cigarettes and hard-hitting TV ads have been the kick start we needed to drive down the smoking rates in New Zealand," Mr Youdan said.

Youdan: "A smokefree New Zealand by 2020 is in our sights and this could be the start of a landslide of New Zealanders rejecting tobacco. We hope Government seize this as an opportunity to build momentum with strong polices including tax increases on tobacco and banning retail displays."

Reference: Smoking numbers drop, New Zealand Press Association (NZPA), nzherald.co.nz, 4/1/2010.

New Zealand related news briefs:
New Zealand - Maori affairs committee continues to gather information..;
New Zealand - study quit-smoking products that are acceptabe and effective..;
New Zealand - smoking ban results in decrease in heart attacks..;
New Zealand - BAT attends Maori Affairs select committee meeting on tobacco..;
New Zealanders want cigarettes banned by 2020..;
New Zealand - Maori women - almost 50% smoke..;
New Zealand - more and more teenagers turned off by smoking..;
New Zealand - loophole in the law banning tobacco sponsorship..;
New Zealand - University of Auckland to go smokefree - 1st university in country..;
New Zealand - smoking ban in bars results in less smoking at home..;
New Zealand - study, tobacco displays leads to increase in youth smoking..;
New Zealand - graphic warnings cigarette maker selects less offensive images..;
New Zealand - Maori committee to investigate smoking..;
New Zealand - Tairawhiti Board wants tobacco sold only on prescription..;
New Zealand - health researchers calling on government to ban importation of tobacco..;
New Zealand - 1st trial ever of e-cigarettes..;
New Zealand - BAT reducing prices discouraging people from quitting..;
New Zealand - stop smoking campaigns NOT working..;
BAT awarded worst corporation in New Zealand..;
New Zealand - government may NOT support tobacco display bans..;
New Zealand More Evidence Needed to Ban Tobacco and Cigarette Displays..;
More evidence - tobacco displays increase the risk of teens smoking..;
Horror photos go on New Zealand cigarette packs..;
Country to Eliminate Smoking - The South Pacific nation of Niue;
Ireland to ban tobacco displays..;
Smokefree NZ within 10 years..;
By law, oral snuff cannot (but nasal snuff is allowed) be sold in New Zealand and can be imported only for personal use..
Read more...

FDA Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee - 1st meeting..

April 2, 2010 - *** We find these webcasts only work with the Internet Explorer browser.. *** - we run Firefox..

archive of the FDA March 30-31, 2010 webcasts..

Next meeting Summer of 2010..

Read more...

PMI - CEO Camilleri made $24.5 million in 2009..

April 1, 2010 - The Associated Press has found that Philip Morris International (PMI) CEO Louis Camilleri made $24.5 million last year, about 34 percent less than the previous year as the world's second-largest cigarette seller dealt with shrinking sales and profits.



Camilleri's salary fell about 4 percent to $1.5 million, and his performance-based bonus fell 25 percent to $7.6 million. The value of his stock options and stock awards fell about 41 percent to $14.9 million.

Last year the company saw its profit fall 8 percent. It sells Marlboro and other brands overseas.

The AP calculation is based on a regulatory filing. It aims to isolate the value company board place on CEOs' total compensation package. It includes salary, bonus, incentives, perks and the estimated value of stock options and awards.

Camilleri's famous statement: when asked do you advice people not to smoke, he responded: "If they're adults it's up to them." (Financial Times, January 31, 2003)

Reference: Philip Morris Intl. CEO made $24.5 million last year, ASSOCIATED PRESS - Richmond Times-Dispatch, 4/1/2010.
Read more...

India - captions with pictorial warnings should use local languages..

April 1, 2010 - The Tamil Nadu Voluntary Health Association, a non-governmental organisation, wants new pictorial warnings on cigarette packs to have captions printed in local languages, according to a story on The Hindu Online.

Directly related news brief: India - pictorial warning will appear on every tobacco pack sold from June 1 , 2010...

The pictorial warnings were proposed in July 2006 under the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003. The new warnings have been pretested for their effectiveness by the Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI) and the Healis-Sekhsaria Institute for Public Health. (Tobacco warnings go explicit, Savita Verma, New Delhi, India Today, 3/11/2010.)

India makes critical decision on education that will help convince children not to use tobacco. The government on Thursday, April 1st brought into force a new law that makes education free and compulsory for every child from age 6 to 14—the latest government initiative aimed at harnessing the economic potential of its young population. About a third of India's 1.2 billion people are under the age of 14, one of the highest ratios in the world. (Joining hands in the interest of children, Kapil Sibal, The Hindu, 1/31/2010)

Reference: Stress on need for displaying warning on tobacco packs in regional languages, thehindu.com, 4/2/2010.

India - some related news briefs:
^*ndia - pictorial warning will appear on every tobacco pack sold from June 1 , 2010..;
^*India - government set to ban foreign direct investment in tobacco..;
^*India - despite tobacco control measure in place - tobacco sales increase..;
^*India - still confusion pictorial warnings on cigarette packs..;
^*Mumbai, India - NGO activists want closure of hookah bars..;
^*India - gutkha and bidi companies NOT pictorial warnings..;
^*India - cigarette packs with pictorial warnings are here..; ^*ndia - NO graphic pictorial warnings yet..;
^*India - Still no pictorial warnings on cigarette packs..;
^*India - pictorial warning on cigarettes and tobacco products effective May 31, 2009..;
^*India - pictorial warning on cigarettes and tobacco products will be implemented from May 31 - no doubts about it..;
^*India - will pictorial or graphic health warnings be implemented from May 30, 2009..;
^*India - placing pictorial warnings on tobacco products delayed again..

Read more...

Peru - new law bans smoking in indoor public spaces..

April 1, 2010 - Peru's Congress passed today, March 30th the bill that bans smoking at workplaces, entertainment areas and other indoor public spaces. The new law aims to protect citizens against the dangers that cigarette smoke (second hand smoke, SHS, involuntary smoking, sidestream smoke, environmental tobacco smoke, ETS) pose on their health.

The law states that these public places must place in visible spots signs with the warning “Smoking at public places is banned because it is dangerous to health,” and “Place 100% tobacco smoke free.”

The law also obligates companies to include warning phrases and photos regarding the dangers of tobacco smoke on the cigar boxes, specifying also that it is not allowed to sell tobacco to any person under age 18.

Producers, importers and distributors will have 180 days to adapt their products to the specifications stated by this new law, while public places will have 360 days.

Realted tobacco control: Peru's Health Minister, Óscar Ugarte, aims to rise the selective consumption tax (ISC) on tobacco and cigarettes from 30% to 200%.

References: Peru bans smoking in indoor public spaces, Isabel Guerra, LivinginPeru.com, 3/30/2010.
Read more...

Indonesia - Muhammadiyah-owned university students demonstrate against edict against smoking..

April 1, 2010 - A group of youths representing Muhammadiyah-owned university students demonstrated here Wednesday to demand the reviewing of Muhammadiyah`s edict against smoking.

WHO - Indonesia is crying out for your help..

The edict declaring smoking "haram" (forbidden to Muslims) was issued recently by the legislative council of the second largest Muslim mass oragnization in the country. (Indonesia - second largest Muslim organization launched a fatwa against smoking..)

In their protest held at Malang city`s town square, one of the students` spokesmen, Ruly, said the anti-smoking edict must be reviewed because it would affect the livelihoods of thousands of people working in the tobacco industry which consisted of small, medium and big enterprises.

He said the rally was also held to show to the public that the All-Indonesia Student Executive Board of Muhammadiyah Institutes of Higher Learning (BEM-PTM) opposed the anti-smoking edict, and was asking that it be reconsidered.

The group of tens of BEM-PTM activists rallied at Malang`s city square after a one-km march from the outer compound of the Gajayana Sports Stadium.

On their way to the Merdeka town square, the students carried banners and gave out flyers expressing three aspirations: dismantling of the "neo-liberal" regime, reform of the bureaucracy and the reviewing of the edict against smoking.

In their orations, the demonstrators also demanded firm government action against judicial mafias and the speedy and conclusive settlement of the Bank Century case.
"If these issues cannot be settled conclusively soon, the people will surely lose all their trust in the government and law enforcement agencies," they said.

Reference: Student rally against Muhammadiyah`s anti-smoking edict, Antara.co.id, 3/25/2010.

Indonesia related news briefs:
Indonesia - kretek cigarette maker Gudang Garam's 2009 net profit jumps 84 percent..;
Indonesia - persons accused of eliminating clause designating tobacco as addictive..;
Indonesia - second largest Muslim organization launched a fatwa against smoking..;
Indonesia - RATIFICATION OF FCTC MAY RAISE INDONESIA'S BARGAINING POWER.. ;
Indonesia - 18 tons of illegal cigarettes destroyed..;
Indonesia - Government to limit cigarette production..;
Indonesia - BAT, Bentoel shareholders approve planned merger..;
Indonesia - another protest rejecting the new cigarette excise tax..;
Indonesia - workers from small cigarette producers protest excise tax increase..;
Indonesia - cigarette industry has pledged to stage a demonstration to protest a government plan to increase excise tax.;
Indonesia - the last paradise for a puff in Southeast Asia..;
Indonesia - trade minister officials want to meet with US counterparts to discuss ban on clove cigarettes..;
Indonesia - PT BAT Indonesia to merge with PT Bentoel International Investama Terbuka..;
Indonesia - missing tobacco regulation in approved Health Law..;
Indonesia - section on tobacco in health bill disappears..;
Indonesia - Constitutional Court by close vote rules that tobacco ads can continue..;
Indonesia - parent smoking can negatively affect the nutrition of children..;
Indonesia - new council member suspect in cigarette fraud case..;
Indonesia - an NGO commission assists cigarettes must be banned in films..
Indonesia - a paradise for tobacco companies..
Indonesia - after buying cigarettes very little left for food..;
Indonesia - will they ratify the first world public health treaty..;
Indonesia - last paradise to smoke in public places in Southeast Asia..;
Indonesia - Industry minister to close tobacco to new foreign investment..;
Indonesia Finance Ministry to cap tax deductions for tobacco companies..;
Indonesia - Smoking hits poor families the hardest, making the poor even poorer..;
Indonesia - Cigarette makers defy crisis, grows stronger..;
Indonesia - government may raise cigarette excise tax next year..;
WHO - Indonesia is crying out for your help..;
Indonesia - dispute with U.S. over banning the use of clove in cigarettes..;
Indonesia 'cash cow' for Philip Morris International..;
Tobacco industry has long targeted young people as "replacement smokers";
Indonesia - district court dismisses request to ratify FCTC..;
Asean Countries - Tobacco Industry Blocking Global Treaty On Tobacco..; Indonesia - farmers hold rally protest tobacco controls..;
Indonesia - tobacco farmers reject Islamic council's edict..;
Indonesia - Ulema Council - debate results is split on smoking..;
Indonesia - Withdraw Sponsorhip of Another Rock Concert..;
Indonesia to increase tax on tobacco products..;
Semarang, Indonesia - Cigarette Smoking Areas to be Prepared..;
Jakarta, Indonesia - Malls help enforce non-smoking ban..;
Indonesia - federal anti-smoking laws in one year - MAYBE..;
Indonesia - NGO's (non-government organizations) Demand the Government Ratify WHO's FCTC.;
Indonesia to raise cigarette tax by 6 to 7% in 2009..;
Surabaya, Indonesia - anti-smoking bylaw 10/2009 - FOR REAL??
Indonesians smoking more than ever before..;
Indonesia further rise in the excise tax would hurt the cigarette industry..;
Alicia Keys - Jakarta Concert (July 31st) tobacco companies forced to withdraw sponsorship.. and
Most Indonesians support moves to ban tobacco advertisements...
Read more...

President Obama Signs PACT Act Into Law..

April 1, 2010 - President Obama on Wednesday, March 31st signed legislation that bans the U.S. Postal Service from shipping tobacco. The signing successfully ending years of intense lobbying by supporters this important legislation. With the stroke of a pen, President Obama put into law this bill that will go a long way towards combating illegal, online cigarette sales that have robbed states of hundreds of millions of dollars and undermined state laws preventing our youth from gaining access to tobacco products. White House press secretary Robert L. Gibbs announced the signing in a brief statement that included no comment on the new law.


On March 11th the U.S. Senate unanimously passed S. 147 PACT bill proving that when it comes to protecting our children total bipartisan support can be expected.

The main goal for passage of the PACT Act: to Protect Our Children - Make it illegal to use the U.S. Postal Service to deliver any form of tobacco product.. FedEx, UPS and DSL — have bowed to state pressure and have refused to ship tobacco products. Former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer pressured UPS and DHL Worldwide Express to stop delivering cigarettes to individuals anywhere in the United States in 2005. FedEx agreed to do the same a year later. (Ban tobacco from the mail, Star Bulletin, posted 3/17/2010)

"Enactment of this legislation is a milestone in the fight to keep kids from smoking and prevent tax evasion that costs taxpayers billions each year," said Matthew L. Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

The Act, which takes effect 90 days after the president's signature, will:
• Strengthen the Jenkins Act by making it a federal offense for any seller making a tobacco sale via telephone, the mail or the Internet to fail to comply with all state tax laws. State attorneys general can now seek injunctive relief and civil penalties against out-of-state sellers who distribute product to end users in their states.
• Require Internet and other remote sellers to verify the purchaser's age and identity through easily accessible databases and the person accepting delivery must verify their age.
• Prohibit cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products from being eligible for shipment via the United States Postal Service (USPS).

Effective immediately, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has the authority to inspect distributors of cigarettes and levy a penalty against those who refuse inspection.

The original congressional legislation was sponsored by Rep. John McHugh, R-N.Y. now United States Secretary of the Army, entitled the "Do Not Mail Tobacco Bill" (H.R. 2932) would amend Title 39 of the United States Code, restricting the USPS from delivering certain tobacco products. (Protect Our Children - Make it illegal to use the U.S. Postal Service to deliver any form of tobacco product..)

References: President Obama Signs PACT Act Into Law, American Wholesale Marketers Association (AWMA), 4/1/2010; Coalition to Stop Contraband Tobacco Applauds President Obama for Signing the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act of 2009,Coalition to Stop Contraband Tobacco, 3/31/2010; President Signs PACT Act to Stem Illegal Tobacco Sales Over Internet, Convenience Store News, 4/1/2010.

Some PACT related news briefs:
U.S. House passed PACT Act again now awaits presidential signature and it's law..;
U.S. Senate - unanimously passes the PACT Act..;
Disappointment - U.S. legislators from New York State are delaying passage of PACT Act..;
NATO - urging retailers to call their U.S.Senators to get the PACT Act passed..;
U.S. let's get the PACT bill passed by congress and then signed into law..;
NY State - Seneca Indians - lobbying against the PACT act.;
U.S. - Senate Judiciary Committee Approves PACT ACT..;
U.S. - Senate Committee scheduled to vote on PACT..;
Web-Based Companies must stop selling flavored cigarettes..;
Internet, Flavors everywhere - snuff being marketed to kids as hip, cool and healthy..;
U.S. customs officials bar imports bearing the Philip Morris USA trademark..;
Let's Get It Passed - Prevent All Tobacco Trafficking Act of 2009..;
U.S - PACT legislation passed by House..;
U.S. - PACT Legislation to be considered by House this month..;
We must get the United States Postal Service (USPS) out of the tobacco delivery business..;
PACT Legislation now in the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee..;
U.S. House Passes Bill to Prevent Tobacco Delivery By Mail..;
We must get the United States Postal Service (USPS) out of the tobacco delivery business..
Protect Our Children - Make it illegal to use the U.S. Postal Service to deliver any form of tobacco product...
mailing, postal service, tobacco
Read more...

South Carolina - increase in cigarette tax still NOT likely..

April 1, 2010 - The Senate passed a bill raising the state's lowest-in-the-nation 7-cent cigarette tax by 50 cents late Wednesday, March 31st.

South Carolina, a tobacco-raising state, has not raised its cigarette tax since 1977 (when a pack of cigarettes cost an average of 49 cents), and is one of only four states that have not raised the tax since 1999, joining California, Missouri and North Dakota. The average cigarette tax rate in the nation, however, is $1.34 per pack, and the average cigarette tax in the nation's six tobacco-producing states is 40.2 cents per pack.

The bill faces long odds in becoming law and sparing state Medicaid programs from deep cuts. The 26-16 second reading vote came after more than five hours of debate as tax pledge signers repeatedly tried to kill the bill and supporters added an amendment that likely will kill it if Gov. Mark Sanford follows through on a veto threat.

The measure requires a final vote in the Senate and then approval in the House.
The Senate voted before heading off for an extended Easter break and won't take up the measure for a third and final reading until April 13, just two days before a big tea party and tax protest rally at the Statehouse.

South Carolina House on Wednesday night, March 17th continued their battle over the budget before wrapping up Thursday morning. House members voted 106-12 to keep a 30-cent cigarette tax increase in the budget. (South Carolina -cigarette tax, State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex speaks up..)

The proposal would generate $123 million for Medicaid programs, $5 million for efforts to curb smoking and $1.5 million for cancer research. It also sets aside cash for rural infrastructure along the I-95 corridor and money for agriculture marketing.

Sanford has vowed to veto any cigarette tax proposal that doesn't come with a matching tax decrease. His allies repeatedly tried to use the tax to offset a variety of taxes: income, homes, business, capital gains and even personal property like boats. All those measures failed -- but they consistently yielded enough votes to sustain a veto. (South Carolina - with Gov. Sanford still in office most likely no tobacco tax increase in 2010..)

“For nine years we've been trying to pass a cigarette tax increase,” said Carol Reeves, president of Greenville Family Partnership (GFP). “This year, we've got to do it.” - Does NOT Seem Likely..

References: Senate OKs 50-cent cigarette tax hike Prolonged debate ends with passage, but a Sanford veto is anticipated by RODDIE BURRIS (burris@thestate.com), The State, 4/1/2010; , SC Senate OKs 50-Cent Cigarette Tax Increase by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, The New York Times, 4/1/2010.

Related news briefs:
South Carolina - cigarette tax, State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex speaks up..;
South Carolina - among the worst states in the nation in smoking prevention efforts..;
South Carolina - among the worst states in the nation in smoking prevention efforts..;
South Carolina - most residents support raising the tobacco tax..;
South Carolina - with Gov. Sanford still in office most likely no tobacco tax increase in 2010..;
South Carolina - low cigarette pricing, smuggling, higher insurance premiums, etc..;
Lexington County, South Carolina has a workplace smoking ban..;
South Carolina - governor disappears, maybe its time to slip through a cigarette tax..;
South Carolina - next legislative session starts June 16th..;
South Carolina - lawmakers may disappoint again on cigarette tax increase..;
SC tobacco tax increase - doubt exists maybe NOT this year..;
South Carolina - can we expect a tobacco tax increase this year??;
South Carolina a magnet for cigarette black market..;
South Carolina - legislators eager to pass cigarette tax increase - the odds are against them??;
South Carolina to spend NO money on tobacco prevention..;
South Carolina (SC) will NOT devote any resources to anti-smoking programs..;
In 2008 will the politicians do what's right for the State of South Carolina??;
South Carolina - Tobacco Tax Increase Killed - State House Fails to Override Governor's Veto..
Tobacco Tax Increase – What’s Wrong with South Carolina??
Read more...

Bulgaria - every increase in excise duty on cigarettes consumption goes down..

April 1, 2010 - The aim of the excise duty increase on cigarettes in Bulgaria is mainly to limit smoking, Vanyo Tanov, Director General of Bulgaria’s National Customs Agency has revealed.

Tanov, speaking on Bulgarian National Television (BNT), said that with every increase in excise duty on cigarettes consumption goes down. He continued that as in most European Union (EU) countries the aim of the increase is to reduce consumption, limit smoking and only to some extent to push up budget revenues.

Tanov added that there should not be a shock increase in excise duties on cigarettes and gave the example of Hungary, where last year a shock rise led to the government finally having to remove the increase altogether. He also stated that no one can judge what the proportion of smuggled cigarettes is in Bulgaria.

Under a decision that the Bulgarian Parliament took at the end of November 2009, a BGN 101 (69.71 USD) excise duty for 1000 cigarettes was introduced instead of the previous BGN 41 (28.30 USD), while the proportional tax is 23% of the sales price instead of 40,5%. The latter has mostly affected expensive cigarette brands.

Tanov concluded that the Customs Agency has made more money at the start of 2010 than for the same period last year despite the crisis. He however stated that the BGN 72 M (49,696,196.34 USD) decline in VAT in February was due to a drop in fuel imports as the Lukoil refinery was under repair.

Reference: Bulgaria Customs Head: Excise Duty Increase Limits Smoking, Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency), 3/30/2010.

Bulgaria related news briefs:
Bulgaria - grace period over, increase in tobacco tax starts Thursday, April 1, 2010..;
Bulgaria - Italian authorities arrest 2-Bulgarians smuggling cigarettes..;
Bulgaria - tractor trailer loaded with contraband cigarettes seized in Ancona, Italy..;
Bulgaria - cigarette consumption down, cigarette tax collection up, seeking funds for technology to intercept contraband goods..;
Bulgaria - justifying why smoking ban won't go into effect on June 1, 2010..;
Bulgaria - Citigroup chosen as consultant for sale of Bulgartabac..;
Bulgaria - ruling party may delay smoking ban until 2011..;
Bulgaria - Finance Minister Djankov, "Less Smoking Is Good for Economy..";
Bulgaria - govt to weaken full smoking ban to be effective June 1, 2010..;
Bulgaria - do producers support contraband cigarettes??;
Bulgaria - sale of Bulgartabac coming - selection of a consultant..;
Greek Farmers Renew Bulgaria Border Blockade..;
Bulgaria - leadership of tobacco fund to be replaced..;
Bulgaria - illegal trade in cigarettes will reach 40% of total trade in 2010..;
Bulgaria - limits on personal imports of tobacco products from outside the EU..;
Bulgaria - European Commission authorizes payment to tobacco producers for 2009 crop..;
Bulgaria -two cigarette smuggling attempts busted on Serbian border..;
Bulgaria - price of cigarettes increases..;
Bulgaria - Bulgartabac stays in the economy ministry, sold by middle of 2010, starting price 100,000,000 euro..;
Bulgaria - tobacco producers propose Bulgartabac transfer..;
Bulgaria - government, tobacco growers reach subsidy agreement..;
Bulgaria - start of steps leading to the privatization of the state-owned cigarette monopoly Bulgartabac..;
Bulgaria - police hold smoking protest over lack of bonuses..;
Bulgaria - police busts major cigarette contraband ring..;
Bulgaria - Bulgartabac Holding” will be privatized in 2010..;
Bulgaria - MPs Impose Hefty Fines on Cigarette Sales Violators..;
Bulgartabac Chief - cigarette tax increase as of January 1, 2010..;
Bulgaria Bulgartabac Holding Sells 23% of Shares to Mutual Funds..;
Bulgaria - more than 70% of smokers want to quit..;
Bulgaria - cigarette taxes going up each year except 2011..;
Bulgaria - chair of the economic committee in parliament disapproves of planned raise in excise duties on cigarettes..;
Bulgaria and others - smoking ban, increased cigarette taxes, smuggling..;
Bulgaria - Cigarette excise duties will be increased next year..;
Bulgaria - cigarette contraband, government loses BGN 920M yearly..;
Bulgaria - one third of the tobacco products sold are illicit..;
Bulgaria - new government to speed-up Bulgartabac sale..;
Bulgaria - Fake Victory Light cigarettes..;
Bulgaria's tobacco monopoly may be up for sale..;
Bulgarian lawmakers vote to ban smoking in all publc places from June 2010..; Bulgarian tobacco company Sofia-BT exports increase by 541 percent..;
Does Russia own Bulgaria's tobacco monopoly, Bulgartabac..;
EU percent of adults smokers -highest Greece 1 , Bulgaria 2.. - lowest Slovenia..;
Bulgaria - 1 in 3 youths smoke / half of pregnant women smoke..;
PMI training Bulgarian custom officers to stop cigarette smuggling..;
Philip Morris International (PMI) was truly happy they had been back in the Bulgarian cigarette market for a year and had already had 6.8% of market..;
WHO FCTC Protocol to Prevent Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products Won't Be Completed Until End of 2010..;
WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic 2008..;
Bulgaria Enters 2009 with Cigarette Prices Hike...
Bulgaria is marking Tuesday, November 10, 2009, the 20th year since the internal coup at the Bulgarian Communist Party which led to the crumbling of the communist regime..
Read more...

Bulgaria - grace period over, increase in tobacco tax starts Thursday, April 1, 2010..

March 31, 2010 - Bulgarian smokers will have to swallow a raise in excise duties on cigarettes and their prices as of April 1, as the government struggles to curb smoking and relieve the health care system. The new prices were introduced at the beginning of the year, but the grace period for cigarettes with old excise labels expires on April 1.



Directly related news briefs:
Bulgaria - cigarette taxes going up each year except 2011..;
Bulgaria - Cigarette excise duties will be increased next year..

Under a decision that the parliament took at the end of November, a BGN 101
(69.78 USD) excise duty for 1000 cigarettes is introduced instead of the previous BGN 41 (28.33 USD), while the proportional tax is 23% of the sales price instead of 40,5%. The latter will affect mostly expensive cigarette brands.

The tax for tobacco for pipes and cigarettes is set at BGN 100 (69.09 USD) per kg.

The new duties increase the price of a pack of cigarettes anywhere between BGN 1,10 (0.76 USD) and 1,40 (0.97 USD) making the price of the best-selling “Victory” brand BGN 4,60 (3.18 USD) instead of the current BGN 3,60 (3.18).

Opponents to the tax hike claim that it will boost cigarette smuggling and may lead to the bankruptcy of the dominant state cigarette maker Bulgartabak.

Bulgaria has the second highest percentage of smokers in Europe, but has recently abandoned plans to ban smoking in all public spaces.

Reference: Bulgaria Smokers Face Staggering Cigarette Tax Hike, Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency), 3/31/2010.

Bulgaria related news briefs:
Bulgaria - Italian authorities arrest 2-Bulgarians smuggling cigarettes..;
Bulgaria - tractor trailer loaded with contraband cigarettes seized in Ancona, Italy..;
Bulgaria - cigarette consumption down, cigarette tax collection up, seeking funds for technology to intercept contraband goods..;
Bulgaria - justifying why smoking ban won't go into effect on June 1, 2010..;
Bulgaria - Citigroup chosen as consultant for sale of Bulgartabac..;
Bulgaria - ruling party may delay smoking ban until 2011..;
Bulgaria - Finance Minister Djankov, "Less Smoking Is Good for Economy..";
Bulgaria - govt to weaken full smoking ban to be effective June 1, 2010..;
Bulgaria - do producers support contraband cigarettes??;
Bulgaria - sale of Bulgartabac coming - selection of a consultant..;
Greek Farmers Renew Bulgaria Border Blockade..;
Bulgaria - leadership of tobacco fund to be replaced..;
Bulgaria - illegal trade in cigarettes will reach 40% of total trade in 2010..;
Bulgaria - limits on personal imports of tobacco products from outside the EU..;
Bulgaria - European Commission authorizes payment to tobacco producers for 2009 crop..;
Bulgaria -two cigarette smuggling attempts busted on Serbian border..;
Bulgaria - price of cigarettes increases..;
Bulgaria - Bulgartabac stays in the economy ministry, sold by middle of 2010, starting price 100,000,000 euro..;
Bulgaria - tobacco producers propose Bulgartabac transfer..;
Bulgaria - government, tobacco growers reach subsidy agreement..;
Bulgaria - start of steps leading to the privatization of the state-owned cigarette monopoly Bulgartabac..;
Bulgaria - police hold smoking protest over lack of bonuses..;
Bulgaria - police busts major cigarette contraband ring..;
Bulgaria - Bulgartabac Holding” will be privatized in 2010..;
Bulgaria - MPs Impose Hefty Fines on Cigarette Sales Violators..;
Bulgartabac Chief - cigarette tax increase as of January 1, 2010..;
Bulgaria Bulgartabac Holding Sells 23% of Shares to Mutual Funds..;
Bulgaria - more than 70% of smokers want to quit..;
Bulgaria - cigarette taxes going up each year except 2011..;
Bulgaria - chair of the economic committee in parliament disapproves of planned raise in excise duties on cigarettes..;
Bulgaria and others - smoking ban, increased cigarette taxes, smuggling..;
Bulgaria - Cigarette excise duties will be increased next year..;
Bulgaria - cigarette contraband, government loses BGN 920M yearly..;
Bulgaria - one third of the tobacco products sold are illicit..;
Bulgaria - new government to speed-up Bulgartabac sale..;
Bulgaria - Fake Victory Light cigarettes..;
Bulgaria's tobacco monopoly may be up for sale..;
Bulgarian lawmakers vote to ban smoking in all publc places from June 2010..; Bulgarian tobacco company Sofia-BT exports increase by 541 percent..;
Does Russia own Bulgaria's tobacco monopoly, Bulgartabac..;
EU percent of adults smokers -highest Greece 1 , Bulgaria 2.. - lowest Slovenia..;
Bulgaria - 1 in 3 youths smoke / half of pregnant women smoke..;
PMI training Bulgarian custom officers to stop cigarette smuggling..;
Philip Morris International (PMI) was truly happy they had been back in the Bulgarian cigarette market for a year and had already had 6.8% of market..;
WHO FCTC Protocol to Prevent Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products Won't Be Completed Until End of 2010..;
WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic 2008..;
Bulgaria Enters 2009 with Cigarette Prices Hike...
Bulgaria is marking Tuesday, November 10, 2009, the 20th year since the internal coup at the Bulgarian Communist Party which led to the crumbling of the communist regime..
Read more...

Hawaii - kids exposed to prenatal substances (alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use)..

March 31, 2010 - Data for pregnant women on the Big Island [Hawaii] suggest about half of the island's 37,892 children under age 18 were exposed before birth to alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use, researchers report. The findings also indicate that of about 2,200 deliveries on the island each year, almost 1,100 infants are born exposed.

VIDEO - Impact of Drugs on a Fetus..

Directly related news brief: Smoking while pregnant linked to behavioral problems in children..

Dr. Ira Chasnoff is a professor of clinical pediatrics at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, and president of the Children's Research Triangle in Chicago.
A fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Chasnoff is renowned for many years of research on the potential effects of maternal drug use on long-term child development. Dr. Chasnoff is conducting a federally funded project in Hawaii that involves a comprehensive system of screening, assessment and brief intervention for pregnant women from some physicians and public health clinics, including private pay and Medicaid patients. The nonprofit organization is concerned with healthy development of children and families.

Dr. Chasnoff: "Research shows 60 percent of prenatally [before birth] exposed children end up in jail," adding that programs he developed for children in Chicago have significantly reduced that rate.

Their findings are reported in "The First 1,000 Women; Perinatal Substance Use on the Hawaii Island." The rate of cigarette smoking among native Hawaiian women was 43.1 percent, and 64.6 percent continued smoking after learning they were pregnant.
Native Hawaiian women had the highest rates of smoking and Caucasian women the highest rates of alcohol and marijuana use in the month before they knew they were pregnant. All groups tended to stop substance use after learning they were pregnant, but 64.6 percent of Hawaiian women continued to smoke and 45 percent of Caucasian women continued to drink alcohol. Substances also were used by 48 percent of the pregnant Asian women, 30 percent of Filipino women and 53 percent of women of mixed race.

Loretta Fuddy, chief of the state Health Department's Family Health Services Division, said Chasnoff's figures are a little higher than the department has seen through its perinatal risk assessment survey. She said the important thing about Chasnoff's work is that he provides a model for intervention by physicians to try to prevent adverse effects. The Health Department has a perinatal network and provides funding to community health centers to screen high risk women for alcohol, smoking, illicit drug use and domestic violence, she said. The agency also is working with the child welfare system to provide early intervention services for children under age 3, Fuddy said.

Jackie Berry, executive director of Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies, said Chasnoff's report shows screening works. "A significant percentage of women who are told about the effects of substance abuse on the fetus stop using whatever they're using. Unfortunately, 50 percent don't."

Reference: Many Big Isle kids had prenatal substance exposure by Helen Altonn, Star Bulletin, 3/31/2010.
Read more...

Lorillard - CEO Orlowsky opinion regarding menthol cigarette use and kids..

March 31, 2010 - With the first meeting of the US Food and Drug Administration’s Tobacco Product Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC) under way, Lorillard has been making its case for menthol cigarettes, the main focus of the meeting.

Martin Orlowsky, chairman, president and CEO of Lorillard, writing in the Wall Street Journal’s Opinion Journal, said that menthol cigarettes were clearly not associated with higher youth smoking rates, one of the arguments put forward for a ban that was brought in last year on other ‘characterizing’ cigarette flavors.

To read Marty's opinion: Are Kids More Likely To Smoke Menthol Cigarettes? The FDA gets into the business of regulating tobacco today., by MARTIN L. ORLOWSKY, The Wall Street Opinion Journal, 3/30/2010.

Directly related news brief: Orlowsky Defends Lorillard's Marketing of Menthol Cigarettes..

Marty will be retiring from Lorillard after December 31, 2010.

Lorillard - statement from Dr. Bill True, Senior Vice President reading menthol, 3/30/2010..

From our collection of Art Deco Spud ads - the 1st menthol cigarette.
Read more...

Lorillard - statement from Dr. Bill True, Senior Vice President..

March 31, 2010 - Lorillard Tobacco Company today issued the following statement regarding the Food and Drug Administration's Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC) which is holding its first public meeting this week. This statement can be attributed to Dr. Bill True, Senior Vice President.

The first meeting (March 30 and 31, 2010) is focusing on the impact on public health of the use of menthol in cigarettes.

"The FDA's scientific advisory committee will be looking at many aspects of regulation but one major challenge will be for committee members to remain focused on an objective analysis of the science surrounding menthol.

"Menthol, obviously, has been used for decades in food, drink, cosmetics and other products. And the science is clear and compelling that there is no differing health risk between menthol and non-menthol products.

"With respect to public health, using the best methods available to science, it is clear a menthol cigarette is just another cigarette and should be treated no differently."

Martin Orlowsky, chairman, president and CEO of Lorillard, writing in the Wall Street Journal’s Opinion Journal..

Reference: Lorillard Tobacco Company Statement Regarding FDA Panel Public Meeting, Lorillard News Release, 3/30/2010.
Read more...

Indonesia - kretek cigarette maker Gudang Garam's 2009 net profit jumps 84 percent...

March 31, 2010 - Gudang Garam reported 2009 net profit jumped 84 percent to 3.46 trillion rupiah ($380.8 million), from 1.88 trillion rupiah in 2008 ($1 = 9,085 rupiah). Gudang Garam (Indonesian for "salt warehouse") is a major Indonesian kretek (clove cigarette) manufacturer. It was founded on 26 June 1958 by Tjoa Ing Hwie, who changed his name to Surya Wonowidjojo. In 1984, control of the company was passed to Wonowidjojo's son, Rachman Halim, who subsequently became the richest man in Indonesia. Halim headed the company until his death in 2008.

The market for tobacco in Indonesia increased at a compound annual growth rate of 6.2% between 2003 and 2008. The cigarette industry has faced dropping revenues in many counties BUT NOT INDONESIA due to numerous strict anti-smoking policies, constantly growing prices and public health concerns. PT HM Sampoerna, which has a 29 percent market share, dethroned Gudang Garam to become Indonesia’s largest cigarette-maker in 2006, a year after Philip Morris acquired the company. Gudang Garam controls 26.5 percent of the market, down from 36 percent in 1999. Tobacco in Indonesia to 2013, Datamonitor, 8/2009.

In countries including Indonesia, Bangladesh, Mexico and Egypt, very poor households spend up to 15% of their incomes on tobacco products, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). That exacerbates social and health inequalities and can push families even deeper into poverty, because they are more likely to develop smoking-related illnesses and die than wealthier compatriots. About 1.2 million of the five million tobacco-related deaths annually are in south-east Asia, where almost half the world's poor live. Some of them spend more on tobacco than on food, shelter, healthcare and education. (Developing world faces black market cigarette plague, Denis Campbell, health correspondent, 6/28/2009)

Reference: TABLE-Indonesia Gudang Garam's 2009 net profit jumps 84 pct, reporting by Telly Nathalia; editing by Sara Webb. 3/30/2010.

Indonesia related news briefs:
Indonesia - persons accused of eliminating clause designating tobacco as addictive..;
Indonesia - second largest Muslim organization launched a fatwa against smoking..;
Indonesia - RATIFICATION OF FCTC MAY RAISE INDONESIA'S BARGAINING POWER.. ;
Indonesia - 18 tons of illegal cigarettes destroyed..;
Indonesia - Government to limit cigarette production..;
Indonesia - BAT, Bentoel shareholders approve planned merger..;
Indonesia - another protest rejecting the new cigarette excise tax..;
Indonesia - workers from small cigarette producers protest excise tax increase..;
Indonesia - cigarette industry has pledged to stage a demonstration to protest a government plan to increase excise tax.;
Indonesia - the last paradise for a puff in Southeast Asia..;
Indonesia - trade minister officials want to meet with US counterparts to discuss ban on clove cigarettes..;
Indonesia - PT BAT Indonesia to merge with PT Bentoel International Investama Terbuka..;
Indonesia - missing tobacco regulation in approved Health Law..;
Indonesia - section on tobacco in health bill disappears..;
Indonesia - Constitutional Court by close vote rules that tobacco ads can continue..;
Indonesia - parent smoking can negatively affect the nutrition of children..;
Indonesia - new council member suspect in cigarette fraud case..;
Indonesia - an NGO commission assists cigarettes must be banned in films..
Indonesia - a paradise for tobacco companies..
Indonesia - after buying cigarettes very little left for food..;
Indonesia - will they ratify the first world public health treaty..;
Indonesia - last paradise to smoke in public places in Southeast Asia..;
Indonesia - Industry minister to close tobacco to new foreign investment..;
Indonesia Finance Ministry to cap tax deductions for tobacco companies..;
Indonesia - Smoking hits poor families the hardest, making the poor even poorer..;
Indonesia - Cigarette makers defy crisis, grows stronger..;
Indonesia - government may raise cigarette excise tax next year..;
WHO - Indonesia is crying out for your help..;
Indonesia - dispute with U.S. over banning the use of clove in cigarettes..;
Indonesia 'cash cow' for Philip Morris International..;
Tobacco industry has long targeted young people as "replacement smokers";
Indonesia - district court dismisses request to ratify FCTC..;
Asean Countries - Tobacco Industry Blocking Global Treaty On Tobacco..; Indonesia - farmers hold rally protest tobacco controls..;
Indonesia - tobacco farmers reject Islamic council's edict..;
Indonesia - Ulema Council - debate results is split on smoking..;
Indonesia - Withdraw Sponsorhip of Another Rock Concert..;
Indonesia to increase tax on tobacco products..;
Semarang, Indonesia - Cigarette Smoking Areas to be Prepared..;
Jakarta, Indonesia - Malls help enforce non-smoking ban..;
Indonesia - federal anti-smoking laws in one year - MAYBE..;
Indonesia - NGO's (non-government organizations) Demand the Government Ratify WHO's FCTC.;
Indonesia to raise cigarette tax by 6 to 7% in 2009..;
Surabaya, Indonesia - anti-smoking bylaw 10/2009 - FOR REAL??
Indonesians smoking more than ever before..;
Indonesia further rise in the excise tax would hurt the cigarette industry..;
Alicia Keys - Jakarta Concert (July 31st) tobacco companies forced to withdraw sponsorship.. and
Most Indonesians support moves to ban tobacco advertisements...

Read more...

Pig hemoglobin used in cigarette filter to trap harmful chemicals..

March 30, 2010 - A study by a Dutch research firm has found popular cigarette using pig's blood to filter the harmful chemicals normally ingested by humans when smoking.

WHY HEMOGLOBIN? Because of its natural ability for bonding and neutralizing a variety of compounds.

It was found that pig hemoglobin - a blood protein - was being used to make cigarette filters more effective at trapping harmful chemicals before they could enter a smoker's lungs.

The basic structure of this new CHOICE FILTER is similar to that of any carbon based cigarette filter, but contains hemoglobin absorbed in the activated carbon (the hemoglobin used in the new CHOICE FILTER is certified for food and pharmaceutical use). These two substances in combination work as a highly efficient scavenger of the harmful gas compounds present in cigarette smoke. (smoking and the choice filter.)

The Jewish and Muslim community refrain from pork consumption due to religious beliefs, and the same can be said about a large majority of vegetarians too who practice the diet because of strict religious beliefs.

Effects of Smoking of Conventional Cigarettes and of Hemoglobin Filter Cigarettes on Autonomic Cardiac Control GEORGE K. ANDRIKOPOULOS, DIMITRIOS J. RICHTER, POLYCHRONIS E. DILAVERIS2, ELIAS E. GIALAFOS2, ELENA A. LAZAKI, NIKOLAOS I. EXADAKTYLOS, JOHN E. GIALAFOS2, PAVLOS K. TOUTOUZAS, First Cardiology Department of Evaggelismos Hospital, Athens, Greece, and Cardiology Department of Athens University, Hippokration Hospital, Athens, Greece, Hellenic J Cardiol 44: 108-115, 200.3

Reference: Cigarettes Found To Contain Pig's Blood: Muslims, Jews & Vegetarians Warned,Tobi Raikkonen, OzcarGuide, 3/30/2010.
Read more...

Navy CNO - change in policy coming regarding smoking on submarines.

Click to enlarge..
March 30, 2010 - The smoking lamp will soon be out aboard all subs, according to the Navy’s top officer. “We’re going to stop smoking on submarines,” Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Gary Roughead told Navy Times on March 23.

The move is not yet official, so Lt. Cmdr. Mark Jones, a spokesman for Submarine Force, would say only that Vice Adm. John Donnelly “is examining the options of changing the policy of smoking in a submarine to improve the overall health of the entire crew.” Jones would not speculate on when a decision will be made, but a final order likely will come soon. The catalyst for change is the effect of second-hand smoke (shs, passive smoking, sidestream, involuntary, environmental tobacco smoke, ETS), on crew members who remain submerged for months at a time.

“That atmosphere moves around the submarine,” Roughead said. “You don’t smell it, but the damaging things from the smoke are still present.”

Reference: CNO: Smoking ban for subs in the works by Lance M. Bacon - Staff writer, Navy Times, 3/29/2010.

Military - news briefs:
Old Military Cigarette Ads - SouthFlorida.Sun-Sentinel.com..;
U.S soldiers. - video game-based educational program to battle rising tobacco use.;
U.S. Military - phased in ban on smoking..;
U.S. Department of Defense is endorsing the observance of World No Tobacco Day..;
Read more...

Connecticut - settlement with R.J. Reynolds cartoon cigarette ads..

Click to enlarge..
March 30, 2010 - Attorney General Richard Blumenthal announced today that the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (RJR) will pay the state $150,000 to settle his lawsuit alleging a 2007 Camel advertising spread in Rolling Stone magazine used cartoons in violation of the master tobacco settlement.

Directly related news briefs:
Washington State - R.J. Reynolds found guilty of violating ban on cartoons..;
Pennsylvania - Judge rules Camel Ads Violated Ban On Cartoons..;

The company also agreed to end its “The Farm: Free Range Music” campaign, which Blumenthal alleged in his December 2007 lawsuit violated the tobacco agreement’s ban on cartoons in cigarette advertising. The agreement prohibits cartoons and because they entice children and teenagers to smoke.

“This settlement plows under R. J. Reynolds’ (RJR) ‘The Farm’ campaign, which we charged flagrantly violated the ban on marketing cigarettes with cartoons,” Blumenthal said. “This campaign improperly employed cartoons to sell cigarettes, enticing kids into addiction, illness and early death. These ads hark back to the insidious and disingenuous ‘Joe Camel,’ the cute and cool cartoon character designed to appeal to kids. Like ‘Joe Camel,’ this campaign used cartoons to make smoking appear ‘cool’ and desirable. The truth: cigarettes are uncool and deadly.

“Big Tobacco must absolutely adhere to the settlement, especially the vital ban on marketing to children. I will continue to vigorously and vigilantly enforce the tobacco settlement to safeguard the public -- especially children -- from the deadly ravages of smoking.”

The ad spread, which included a four-page fold out poster, appeared in the 40th anniversary edition of Rolling Stone dated November 15, 2007. RJR denied that the ad campaign violated the agreement and made the payment to cover the state’s legal costs.

Reference: Attorney General Announces $150,000 Settlement With R.J. Reynolds Regarding Cartoon Cigarette Ads, Office of the Attorney General, 3/26/2010.

Read more...