Snus News & Other Tobacco Products: 8/22/10

Quitting smoking helps after serious heart attack damage..

August 28, 2010 - It's never too late for smokers to do their hearts good by kicking the habit -- even after a heart attack has left them with significant damage to the organ's main pumping chamber, a new study suggests. Past studies have found that smokers who kick the habit after suffering a heart attack have a lower rate of repeat heart attacks and live longer than their counterparts who continue to smoke.

But little has been known about the benefits of quitting among heart attack patients left with a complication called left ventricular (LV) dysfunction -- where damage to the heart's main pumping chamber significantly reduces its blood-pumping efficiency.

So it has been unclear whether that dysfunction might "drown out" the heart benefits of smoking cessation, said Dr. Amil M. Shah, the lead researcher on the new study and a staff cardiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

PAPER: Risk of All-Cause Mortality, Recurrent Myocardial Infarction, and Heart Failure Hospitalization Associated With Smoking Status Following Myocardial Infarction With Left Ventricular Dysfunction, Amil M. Shah, MD et al., American Journal of Cardiology published online 13 August 2010, ABSTRACT..

Shah and his colleagues found that heart attack survivors with LV dysfunction may stand to benefit as much from smoking cessation as other heart attack patients do.
The researchers found that among 2,231 patients with LV dysfunction, those who quit smoking within six months of their heart attack were less likely to die within five years or suffer a repeat attack than smokers who continued the habit.

Of all patients, 463 were smokers at the time of the heart attack but had quit six months later; 268 were still smoking at the six-month mark. Among quitters, 15 percent died or suffered another heart attack by the end of the study, which followed the patients for up to five years. That compared with a rate of 23 percent among patients who were still smoking six months after their initial heart attack.

When Shah's team accounted for a number of other factors -- including age, medical history and body weight -- smoking cessation itself was linked to a 40 percent reduction in the risk of death compared with persistent smoking.

Quitters were about 30 percent less likely to die, suffer a repeat heart attack or be hospitalized for heart failure during the study period.

"The findings aren't completely surprising," Shah told Reuters Health. But, he said, they offer reassurance to patients with LV dysfunction that they can benefit from smoking cessation -- and the magnitude of that benefit is similar to what has been seen among heart attack survivors without LV dysfunction. "I've had patients who say, 'What's the point of quitting now?'" Shah noted. "But it's never too late to benefit from smoking cessation."

Some studies have found that smoking-cessation counseling begun in the hospital, and continued after discharge, may be particularly effective for heart attack patients.

Patients at hospitals that do not offer such counseling should speak with their cardiologist or primary care doctor about smoking cessation, Shah advised.

Why Quit Smoking?:

* After one year off cigarettes, the excess risk of coronary heart disease caused by smoking is reduced by half. After 15 years of abstinence, the risk is similar to that for people who've never smoked.†
* In 5 to 15 years, the risk of stroke for ex-smokers returns to the level of those who've never smoked.†
* Male smokers who quit between ages 35 to 39 add an average of 5 years to their lives. Female quitters in this age group add 3 years. Men and women who quit at ages 65 to 69 increase their life expectancy by 1 year.‡

Smoking Cessation, American Heart Association (AHA)..

Reference: Quitting smoking helps after serious heart attack damage by Amy Norton, Reuters, 8/26/2010.
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Bismarck, North Dakota - lighting up in bars illegal after November 1, 2010..

August 28, 2010 - City commissioners on Tuesday, August 24th banned smoking in all pubs, smoke houses and truck stops with a 4-1 vote. Commissioner Mike Seminary opposed the new law on the grounds it impacted people’s right to choose.

The controversy drew 225 spectators to the Civic Center Exhibit Hall. Two very polarized sides of the audience were each given 30 minutes to testify. The medical community came out in full force in favor of the smoking ban as did several spokespeople of the Bismarck Tobacco Free Coalition.

Dr. Steven Hamar, a Mid Dakota Clinic physician and surgeon, said some 100 studies have been done about secondhand smoke. “They all show that secondhand smoke causes heart disease, lung cancer, other cancers, heart attacks and respiratory illnesses ... pulmonary diseases and asthma,” he said.

He quoted U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona’s findings from 2006 saying, “Secondhand smoke is not a mere annoyance anymore, but a serious health threat that causes premature death and diseases in children and non-smoking adults. ... There is no risk-free level of secondhand smoke.”

K.C. Chatwood of Health PRO presented 3,500 signatures from residents who favor the smoking ban. The group consists of respiratory care students and others from the University of Mary.

Ami Heuer, president of the Bismarck Tobacco Free Coalition, said the group has been doing a heavy education campaign against second-hand smoke in bars since the city banned smoking in restaurants five years ago. She said the commission introduced the proposal.

References: Bismarck City Commission OKs smoking ordinance by LEANN ECKROTH, Bismarck Tribune, 8/24/2010; Bismarck proposes smoking ban for bars by LEANN ECKRO, BismarckTribune.com, 8/11/2010. Read more...

Virginia - most restaurants in compliance with smoking ban..

August 29, 2010 - Tuesday, December 1, 2009 Virginia's no smoking ban in most bars and restaurants will take effect (unless they have a separate room with a separate ventilation system for smokers). Ten things to know about Virginia’s smoking ban in restaurants no smoking symbol, VA Dept of Health (VDH), Breath Easy Virginia, Va.

It took four years of pushing by the administration of then-Democratic Gov. Timothy M. Kaine in a state that is home not only to numerous tobacco farms in Southside Virginia but also the world's largest cigarette factory.

However, it wasn't enforced until earlier this month (August), when the Falls Church, Va. Police Department issued 13 citations at Eden Center businesses - nine to customers for smoking inside a restaurant and four to business owners for allowing people to light up. The penalty is not severe - a $25 fine. But Dylan Nguyen, manager of the Tay Do restaurant at Eden Center, said aggressive enforcement is cutting business by more than 20 percent.

Falls Church police said they issued tickets only after multiple complaints and warnings. And most agencies have higher priorities than writing out citations that carry a small fine, said Dana Schrad, executive director for the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police.

Since the law took effect, health department inspectors have checked more than 24,000 bars and restaurants as part of the normal inspection process, said Gary Hagy, director of food and environmental services at the Virginia Department of Health. More than 97 percent of establishments are in compliance with the law, Hagy said. Hagy calls that a success, but more than 600 restaurants and bars across the state have not complied with the law. Hagy said that while many of those 600-plus restaurants are working to get legal - perhaps by establishing a separately ventilated smoking section - others have said they don't plan to follow the law.

And Hagy's office can't do much about it. While officials can shut down a restaurant if it violates the health codes for, say, storing foods at improper temperatures, they cannot enforce the smoking ordinance. Health officials can only refer cases to police for possible enforcement.

Virginia is among 39 states that have passed laws barring smoking in certain indoor workplaces, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, though the laws vary greatly in terms of their exemptions. But the $25 fine imposed by Virginia is among the weakest penalties. (Some restaurants have told us a $25 fine is not worth losing their smoking customers. So state Senator Ralph Northam, (D) - Virginia Beach, who sponsored the law, tell us he plans to try to increase the fine and clarify how law officers can enforce it. (Some restaurants snubbing the smoking ban, nbc12.com, 3/4/2010)

References: Tobacco-friendly clubs at heart of Va. smoking ban by MATTHEW BARAKAT, Bloomberg Busines Week, 8/27/2010; Virginia's smoking ban sparks ire at shopping center, Associated Press, 8/29, 2010.

Virginia - related news briefs:
Virginia - 1 of 3 teenagers identified smokeless tobacco products as candy or gum..;
Virginia - state Senate votes to tax smokeless tobacco by weight instead of by price..;
Virginia - tax on smokeless tobacco Altria clashes with Swedish Match..
;
Virginia - December 1, 2009 smoking ban goes into effect in most bars and restaurants..;
Virginia smoking ban - FAQS (effective December 1, 2009)..;
Virginia smoking ban law - takes effect December 1, 2009..;
Virginia - smoking ban passes for most bars and restaurants..;
Possible Smoking Ban Law in Virginia..;
Shame on Virginia..;
Read more...

HIgher level of education the lower the smoking rates; also rich or poor non-smokers are happier..

August 28, 2010 - States whose populations have higher levels of educational attainment have lower smoking rates, and residents of states with high cigarette taxes are also less likely to smoke than their counterparts in states with low cigarette taxes.

Click on U.S. map in the reference below to see smoking rates for each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. From the map you can see, the 10 states with the highest smoking rates — where a quarter or more of the population smokes — are in the South or Midwest.

Reference: United States of Smokers by CATHERINE RAMPELL, The New York Times, 8/27/2010.

Also. Rich or Poor, Nonsmokers Are Happier..

Lest there be any doubt about the wisdom of smoking, new survey data has found that smokers are less happy than nonsmokers across all income levels.

The chart in the reference below shows the difference between the emotional health of smokers versus nonsmokers in four income groups, according to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. It is based on 10 different self-reported factors, like smiling or laughing a lot, learning or doing something interesting, and experiencing sadness or worry.

Reference: Rich or Poor, Nonsmokers Are Happier by CATHERINE RAMPELL, The New York Times, November 19, 2009.

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U.S. Medicare will pay for seniors to stop smoking..

August 28, 2010 - The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced August 27, 2010 that Medicare will now cover smoking cessation counseling as a preventative measure against a wide range of diseases. (About one in 10 seniors smoke, compared with one in five people amongst the U.S. population as a whole.)

Smoking cessation is covered under Medicare, but not as extensively as it soon will be. Patients in the past could receive benefits only after their physicians recommend smoking cessation to help treat their smoke-associated diseases.

The new coverage is mandated by the Affordable Care Act, which contains a number of provisions that focus on preventing diseases including smoke cessation, vaccination, regular physical checkups and cancer screening, among others.

Under the new coverage, all smokers covered by Medicare, regardless of whether or not they suffer a smoke-induced disease, can receive tobacco cessation counseling from a qualified physician or other Medicare-recognized clinician indicated to help the patients to quit smoking.

All Medicare beneficiaries will continue to have access to smoking-cessation prescription drugs through the Medicare Prescription Drug Program (Part D).

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a statement: "For too long, many tobacco users with Medicare coverage were denied access to evidence-based tobacco cessation counseling. Most Medicare beneficiaries want to quit their tobacco use. Now, older adults and other Medicare beneficiaries can get the help they need to successfully overcome tobacco dependence."

There are about 46 million smokers in the United States, about 10 percent of them or 4.5 million are Medicare beneficiaries over age 65, and another million receive Medicare benefits due to a disability, according to HHS. Older smokers who receive counseling are significantly more likely to quit than those who only get standard medical care.

For a further comparison of the old and new smoking cessation Medicare programs see the first reference below.

References: Medicare now covers smoking cessation as a preventative measure, Jimmy Downs (editing by Rachel Stockton), FoodConsumer.org, 8/28/2010;
Good news for older smokers Medicare expands coverage to offer free counseling sessions on how to kick the habit by Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Associated Press - CharlotteObserver.com, 8/29/2010.
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New South Wales, Australia - budget for anti-smoking advertising cut.

August 28, 2010 - Spending on anti-tobacco advertising, described by New South Wales's (NSW) chief cancer officer Professor David Currow as "pivotal" to reducing smoking rates, has been slashed by more than $5 million because of a budget requirement that government advertising expenses be cut by 25 percent.

The cuts have led to a 37 per cent fall in the frequency and number of anti-smoking ads placed by the Cancer Institute NSW, official figures show.

But state-owned corporations including NSW Lotteries, Sydney Water and EnergyAustralia were exempt because their advertising brings in customers and money for the state.

Greens MP John Kaye said the advertising cuts would see smoking rates increase, and made no economic sense. More young people would take up smoking, while fewer would quit, he said. "In May this year, the state's chief health officer released a study showing that the most recent estimate of the social costs attributable to tobacco in NSW is $6.6 billion annually," Dr Kaye said. "The 5.1 per cent cut to smoking rates achieved so far have cut the total social costs by more than $300 million each year.
"In economic terms alone, the advertising campaign pays for itself many hundreds of times over within a year."

But Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Cancer) Frank Sartor said the effectiveness of the Government's anti-smoking campaign could not be measured in spending. "The best measure of any control program is its effectiveness and results, rather than a focus on campaign spending," Mr Sartor said in a statement. "In NSW, adult smoking rates are now at a record low of 17.2 percent, down from 18.4 percent a year earlier. Female smoking rates fell by 3 percent last year to 14.2 percent."

Anne Jones, Chief Executive Officer, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Australia and recipient of the Medal of the Order of Australia, called for the Cancer Institute to be added to the list of government agencies exempt from the advertising cuts.

References: Anger as state cuts anti-smoking ad budget by $5m, Sean Nicholls STATE POLITICAL EDITOR, The Sydney Morning Herald, 8/27/2010; Cuts to anti-smoking spending slammed, AAP (Australian Associated Press), Daily Telegraph, 8/27/2010.

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Minnesota - 3rd Annual QuitCash Challenge Encourages Minnesotans to Kick Butt..

August 28, 2010 - Smokers around the state looking for an incentive to quit smoking are encouraged to enter QUITPLAN Services' third annual QuitCash Challenge for a chance to win $5,000 in cash or other prizes. The Challenge kicks off today at the Minnesota State Fair, and Minnesotans who are daily tobacco users and 18 years of age or older can enter from August 26 through September 30, 2010, online at quitcash.com.

In order to be eligible for prizes, participants must successfully quit smoking by October 1 and remain smoke-free for at least the month of October. Contest participants are encouraged, but not required, to use QUITPLAN Services' free quit-smoking services, including personalized plans, phone counseling services, online resources and free nicotine patches, gum or lozenges for qualifying individuals.

The winning successful quitters will be announced around the Great American Smokeout on November 18, 2010.

Indiana - also has a statewide program that offers money to smokers that quit..

Reference: QuitCash Challenge™ Encourages Minnesotans to Kick Butt
QUITPLAN® Services' third annual quit-and-win contest will award one lucky quitter $5,000

Indiana - statewide program offers money to smokers that quit..
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Tobacco manufacturers deny YouTube links..

August 28, 2010 - Leading tobacco companies have rejected claims they have been bypassing advertising bans by using YouTube. Two tobacco manufacturers, British American Tobacco (BAT) and Philip Morris USA (PM USA) have rejected claims that they might have been using YouTube to advertise their products.

The tobacco industry may be using websites such as YouTube to get around a ban on advertising cigarettes, a study finds. Researchers in New Zealand studied the video-sharing site and found a number of pro-tobacco videos "consistent with indirect marketing activity by tobacco companies or their proxies".

PAPER: Pro-tobacco videos have a significant presence on YouTube..

A spokesman for British American Tobacco (BAT), one of the companies behind Benson and Hedges, said: "It is absolutely not our policy to use social networking sites such as Facebook or YouTube to promote our tobacco product brands, and not even the authors of this report claim we have done so.

"Using social media could breach local advertising laws and our own International Marketing Standards, which apply to our companies worldwide. "Our employees, agencies and service providers should never use social media to promote our tobacco brands."

Philip Morris USA, who market Marlboro and L&M, said: "Philip Morris USA does not post cigarette brand marketing videos on YouTube. "In fact, PM USA has communicated with YouTube in the past asking them to remove YouTube video content that it believed infringed on PM USA's intellectual property rights."

The industry has always strongly denied advertising on the internet and a number of companies signed a voluntary agreement made in 2002 that restricted direct advertising on websites.

Reference: With VIDEO - Tobacco Firms Deny YouTube Adverts Link, Lulu Sinclair, Sky News Online, 8/26/2010.

Other related news briefs:
PAPER: Pro-tobacco videos have a significant presence on YouTube..;
Tobacco companies - sophisticated marketing techniques: music concerts, social networking..;
Australian Health Minister - orders facebook probe..;
Social networking sites marketing tobacco products to youngsters..;
FACEBOOK - Tobacco products being promoted..;
BAT Marketing Tobacco Products Using Text Messaging..;

Read more...

Cuba - elderly will no longer get cigarettes in their rations..

ex-smoker..
August 28, 2010 - All Cubans 55 or older are allocated four packs of cigarettes a month for about 25% the normal price, but this privilege is being ended in September.

The measure is President Raul Castro's latest attempt to cut the communist state's spending. The island has been hit hard by the global economic downturn and the long-term US trade embargo.

A statement in the government-run Granma newspaper said the move was "part of the steps gradually being applied to eliminate subsidies". The health benefits were not mentioned.

Cigarettes "are not a primary necessity," it said. Some elderly non-smokers were taking their cut-price cigarettes and re-selling them to boost their meagre (deficient in quantity, fullness, or extent; scanty) pensions, says the BBC's Michael Voss in Havana.

"I'm insulted because it's another thing they are taking away from us," said Angela Jimenez, a 64-year-old who receives a monthly pension of about $10 (£6.50). She said she will now have to quit smoking because she won't be able to afford the normal price of about $0.33 a pack.

Cigarettes are the latest item to be removed from ration books. Subsidised peas and potatoes were eliminated in November.

Earlier in August Mr Castro said the role of the state would be reduced in some areas, to cut the "overloaded" state budget. He said more workers would be allowed to be self-employed or to set up small businesses.

Reference: Cuba to withdraw cheap cigarettes for elderly, BBC News, 8/25/2010.

Cuba related news briefs - mainly regarding cigars:
Cuban cigars - increased sales after a decline in 2009..;
Cuba - premium cigar sales down look to women to increase sales..;
Cuba - slashes tobacco land, demand for cigars down..;
Cuba Seeks World Heritage Designation for Cigar-Factory Readers..;
Tampa, FL - Hav-A-Tampa Cigar plant will close at the end of August..;
Habanos - after hurricanes can survive using tobacco reserves..;
Imperial Tobacco Group to Enhance Joint Venture Altadis Had With Habanos Cigars..;
Cuban cigar sales rose 7 percent to $402 million in 2007..;
Altadis (Alliance Tobacco Distributors) born from the merger of Spain's Tabacalera and France's Seita SA (F.STA) state tobacco monopolies...
Read more...

New York City - smoking ban enforced, club fined and closed for letting patrons smoke inside..

India - govt keen to help tobacco farmers grow alternative crops..

August 28, 2010 - As part of its commitment to discourage use of tobacco, the Government is keen to see that tobacco growers in the country take to alternative farming, Commerce Minister Anand Sharma said in Rajya Sabha today.

At the same time, he maintained that the government is taking all measures to protect their interests and has started special welfare schemes for them. He said during Question Hour that a fund has been created to provide subsidies to tobacco growers and loans for education of their children.

News brief on same subject from October 23, 2009..

India is the third largest producer and eighth largest exporter of tobacco and tobacco product in the world.. India is the fourth largest consumer of tobacco in the world.

The Indian government will impose a penalty of 15 per cent on the money earned by growers from the sale of flue-cured tobacco in excess of the quota allotted to them by the Tobacco Board, according to a PTI (Press Trust of India) story.

Indian government tries to rein in tobacco growers with new penalty..

Sharma said there was a provision to impose penalties for excess production but noted it will take time to shift the tobacco growers into alternative farming.

"Those growing tobacco on irrigated lands are being helped to take to alternative crop cultivation. ...it is our international commitment to decrease the use of tobacco," he said.

Tobacco Business in India..

Reference: Tobacco growers should take to alternative farming: Govt, Staff Writer, Press Trust of India (PTI), 8/25/2010.

India - some news briefs:
^*Mumba, India - tobacco companies not following the law when advertizing..;
^*PAPER: India community based study - why youth smoke..;
^*India - high court rules in favor of tobacco companies that violated cigarettes with pictorial warnings rule..;
^*India - study emphasizes the need to integrate tobacco control in medical curriculum..;
^*India - more on govt ban on foreign direct investment..;
^*India - Barakat Food will import and distribute Imperial's Davidoff Cigarettes..;
^*India - more on ban on foreign direct investment - more insight on tobacco market..;
^*India - increasing taxes on cigarettes and bidis to save lives..;
^*India - cabinet decided to bar foreign direct investment in cigarette manufacturing..;
^*India - captions with pictorial warnings should use local languages..;
^*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...

MMWR - Tobacco Use Among Middle and High School Students --- United States, 2000--2009..

August 27, 2010 - Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) - August 27, 2010 / 59(33);1063-1068

To monitor trends in tobacco use among middle and high school students, CDC analyzed 2000--2009 data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS), a school-based survey that collects information on tobacco use and related behaviors and attitudes from middle school (grades 6--8) and high school (grades 9--12) students.

The findings in this report indicate that, from 2000 to 2009, prevalences of current tobacco and cigarette use and experimentation with smoking cigarettes declined for middle school and high school students, but no overall declines were noted for the 2006--2009 period.

Read Report: Tobacco Use Among Middle and High School Students --- United States, 2000--2009..
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New York State - Governor Patterson will not tax cigarettes sold among Native Americans..

August 27, 2010 - At the New York State Fair, Governor David Paterson told NewsChannel 9 Syracuse the State would not try to tax cigarettes sold among Native Americans as long as those cigarettes never leave the reservation. Earlier in the day, he had promised to begin collecting taxes on cigarettes sold by reservation businesses, or sold by retailers to those businesses.

The Oneida Nation recently announced plans to move its cigarette-manufacturing facility from Western New York to the reservation in Central New York. The maneuver would hamper the state's ability to tax cigarettes manufactured on sovereign lands. Paterson told NewsChannel 9 that the state would decline to tax those cigarettes as long as they remain on sovereign lands.

"As you know, the Indian Nations have sovereign territory and as long as they manufacture those cigarettes and sell them on their own land, they'll be fine," Paterson said. "If their cigarettes start turning up in New York markets, we're going to tax them and we're going to find out who is smuggling them if they're not taxed."

The Onondaga Nation will likely stop selling national-brand cigarettes next month and rely solely on Indian-made brands at its smoke shop south of Syracuse, a nation attorney said Thursday. “Unless something changes, as of September 1 we won’t be able to sell major brands that are untaxed,” said lawyer Joe Heath. “It doesn’t make that much sense to sell them at the same price as people can get them at the convenience store across the street.” The Onondagas sold 1.2 million cartons of cigarettes last year tax-free. On Wednesday, September 1st the state will require wholesalers who supply Indian reservation stores to pay the $4.35 per-pack tax upfront and then collect it from the tribes. Tribes say they won’t pay any New York taxes and will sell their own brands instead. (Onondagas say they will stop selling national-brand cigarettes, Glenn Coin, The Post-Standard, 8/27/2010.)

Prior to NewsChannel 9's interview with the Governor at the State Fairgrounds, he said on a radio show that taxes would be collected from wholesalers sending cigarettes to the tribes. He also said State Troopers will be kept off the reservations to avoid trouble.

The State also plans to collect $4.35 per pack sales tax on cigarettes sold by Native American retailers to non-Indian customers beginning September 1. The tax is expected to generate about $200 million a year in revenues for the state.

The Seneca and Mohawk tribes are seeking federal court orders to stop the collection, claiming it would violate their rights.

Paterson says officials will enforce taxes when anyone brings unstamped cigarettes off the reservations.

Reference: VIDEOS - Paterson at the Fair: Clarifies plan to tax Indian cigarettes, 9WSYR-TV-SYRACUSE-DT17, 8/26/2010.

A few related news briefs:
New York - Senecas asking for Bloomberg to resign over remarks he made..;
New York State - Seneca Indian Nation fi
New York - smokers crossing the border in search of cheaper cigarettes..;
New York State - after tax increase cigarette sales plummet in c-stores..;
Cigarettes seized from truck carrying cigarettes between reservations.. Cigarettes will now to be returned..;
New York State - as of August 1st OTPs tax goes up such as little cigars will be taxed at same rate as cigarettes..;
Read more...

Reynolds American cuts 45 jobs at American Snuff in Memphis, TN..

August 27, 2010 - Memphis-based American Snuff Co. is laying off 45 of the 83 people who work in its home office, but no manufacturing employees, a spokesman confirmed Thursday, August 26th. (Effective January 1, 2010 Conwood maker of Grizzly to change name to American Snuff Company..)

The company, acquired four years ago by Reynolds American, still plans to invest $133 million in a new manufacturing facility at 5106 Tradeport in Southeast Memphis, spokesman David Howard said.

American Snuff makes moist smokeless tobacco products, or chewing tobacco, including the flagship brand Grizzly and premium brand Kodiak.

In the first half of this year, American Snuff generated adjusted operating income of $169 million. Shipment volume rose 7.1 percent in the first six months of the year. American Snuff's share of shipments for the second quarter 2010 was in line with the prior year quarter at 29.4%. Grizzly's second quarter shipment volume increased by 4.2%. For the first half, the brand continued to outpace industry consumption with a 7.6% increase. And Grizzly's share of shipments increased slightly to 25.5% in the quarter. (Highlights RAI q2 2010 Earnings Report..)

The move from the current plant at 46 Keel should be made by 2012, Howard said, adding, "We will have a little over 200 employees." The layoffs were reported Thursday by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

The affected positions at the home office, 813 Ridgelake, include jobs in human resources, finance and trade marketing. "Because certain services like that are now being provided by affiliated companies" within Reynolds American, Howard said.
"What is important here is our plans for the new plant on Tradeport Drive have not changed," he said. "That is all moving forward."

But the layoffs are causing American Snuff to forgo an already-approved tax break that would have saved the company more than $6.7 million over nine years. The Memphis and Shelby County Industrial Development Board approved the payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) in September. The tax break was to have taken effect once the company closed on its real and personal property. "They did not plan on pursuing at this time the closing of their PILOT," said Joann Massey, compliance officer for the industrial board. Under terms of the tax break, American Snuff committed to 25 new jobs for a total of 319 jobs.

The employees laid off will receive severance packages, including two weeks' pay for each year of service, and job-search support. Employees were told of the layoffs earlier this summer. Some will remain on the job through December 2011, Howard said.

The company bought the 787,500-square-foot Tradeport site last fall for $19.3 million.

Reference: Reynolds American cuts 45 jobs at American Snuff in Memphis by Tom Bailey Jr. (901-529-2388), The Commercial Appeal, 8/26/2010.

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Soliders in Iraq and Afghanistan can now receive tobacco products..

August 27, 2010 - Effective today, August 27, 2010 military families will be allowed to ship via the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) tobacco products using Priority Mail boxes to soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

U.S. Postal Service to allow tobacco shipments to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan...

Reference: Overseas Military, Tobacco and the PACT Act (Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking), Marine Parents, 8/25/2010.
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Philippines - injunction regarding picture health warnings on cigarette packs nationwide..

August 26, 2010 - MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Tobacco Institute (PTI) said yesterday, August 24th that the injunction secured by several cigarette manufacturers against the Department of Health’s administrative order requiring cigarette manufacturers to put picture-based health warnings on cigarette packs is effective nationwide.

Background: The tobacco industry has obtained temporary relief from the implementation of a Department of Health (DoH) order imposing graphic warning on cigarette packs. Jose Antonio Blanco of the Office of the Solicitor General said that the decision issued last July 1 barred the Health department from implementing Administrative Order 13, which required the printing of pictures showing diseases acquired from smoking in addition to the existing health risk information.

The order, issued last May 24, also prohibited the use of descriptors in cigarette products such as "light" and "mild."

Philippines - tobacco industry has obtained temporary relief from placing graphic warnings on cigarette packs...

Philippines - tobacco companies don't want warnings on cigarette packs...

“Three cigarette manufacturers — Fortune Tobacco Corp. (FTC), PMFTC Inc. (PMFTC), and Mighty Corp. (Mighty) — were actually able to secure injunctions and a status quo order against the DOH Administrative Order (AO) from different Regional Trial Courts (RTCs),” said PTI president Rodolfo Salanga.

Earlier, the Regional Trial Courts (RTC) of Marikina and Bulacan, on petitions filed by FTC and Mighty, respectively, granted temporary restraining orders (TRO) and subsequently, writs of preliminary injunction against the implementation of the AO requiring the printing of graphic health warnings on cigarette packs and banning the use of descriptors.

Meanwhile, the RTC in Tanauan City, Batangas confirmed last July 15, 2010 the DOH’s undertaking through a status quo order to stay the implementation of the AO until the question on its authority to issue the same has been resolved.

The injunctions and status quo order were issued in favor of the petitioner-cigarette companies and thus, enforceable nationwide and not only in the areas where the regional trial courts issuing the orders have jurisdiction,” clarified Salanga.

Salanga was reacting to news reports that the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance Philippines (FCAP) is urging the DOH to implement the AO in parts of the country where the tobacco companies were not able to secure any injunction.

"FCAP is again willfully misinforming the public. The DOH should obey the court orders and maintain the status quo (which means only textual warnings are required to be placed on cigarette packaging),” urged Salanga.

The PTI is a group of cigarette manufacturers and importers in the Philippines which counts among its members FTC, PMFTC, Mighty, Philip Morris Philippines Manufacturing Inc., Japan Tobacco Inc., La Suerte Cigar and Cigarette Factory, and the Associated Anglo-American Tobacco Corp.

In June 2010, five of its members separately asked the courts in their principal place of business to determine whether or not the DOH has the authority to issue such an order.

The DOH has subsequently filed motions to dismiss these cases in the respective courts.

Legal experts say that unless the injunction orders are lifted, the DOH cannot enforce the AO requiring picture-based health warnings on cigarette packs.

The Philippine government signed the FCTC on September 23, 2003 and on April 25, 2005 by a unanimous vote of all 19 senators present, the FCTC was ratified by the Philippine Senate. (Landmark Health Treaty on Tobacco Ratified by Philippine Senate FCAP hails unanimous approval, urges vigilance, FCTC Alliance, Press Release, 4/26/2005)

Reference: Tobacco group says injunction vs DOH order is nationwide, The Philippine Star, 8/25/2010.

Philippines - some related news briefs:
Philippines - more and more women dying of lung cancer..;
Philippines - tobacco companies don't want warnings on cigarette packs..;
Philippines - President Aquino has stated he will prioritize increase in the tax on cigarettes..;
Philippines - DOH pushing for hefty tax increase on cigarettes..;
Philippines - Muslim council says smoking is forbidden..;
Philippines - PMFTC has 90% of the tobacco market..;
Philippines - Philip Morris report sales higher than annual 2-3% growth..;
Philippines - National Tobacco Assoc. will oppose any move to reduce demand for tobacco unless govt..;
Philippines - tobacco industry has obtained temporary relief from placing graphic warnings on cigarette packs..;
Philippines - govt agencies and employees barred from unnessary interaction with tobacco industry..;
Philippines - Filipino Muslims forbidden to smoke, trade cigarettes..;
Philippine congress proclaims Aquino 15th president..;
Philippines - tobacco firms claim graphic warnings on cigarette packs are illegal..;
Philippines - new president smokes but this should not slow tobacco prevention activities..:
Philippines - Department of Health wants health warnings on cigarette packs within 90 days..;
Philippines - health groups want more protection from the dangers of tobacco..;
Philippines - DOH warns government agencies to avoid partnerships or accepting donations from tobacco manufacturers..;
Philip Morris Philippines..;
Philippines - DoH pushes for picture warnings on cigarette packs..;
Philippines - PMI - FTC merger may lead smokers continuing to smoke and lure children into a life of nicotine addiction..;
Philippines - PMI and Fortune Tobacco Corp. form new company called PMFTC..;
Philippines - Tanauan City names street Philip Morris..;
Philippines - DOH campaign for 100% smoke-free workplaces..;
Philippines - total tobacco industry could be down 10% to 15% this year..;
Philippines - 2003 ban on advertising and skirting the ban..;
Philippines - June is annually observed as 'No Smoking' Month..;
Philippines may be losing the war against smoking..;
http://snus-news.blogspot.com/2008/11/philippines-thai-cigarette-import-rules.html;
Philip Morris won't postpone Philippines Eraserheads Concert..;
Philip Morris could be criminally liable for its sponsorship of the event .in the Philippines..;
STOP PMI Sponsoring Concert in Philippines..;
Philippines - Smoker to be deported...
Filipino

Read more...

Israel - Health Ministry to target web smoking ads..

August 26, 2010 - Since 1983, there has been a ban in Israel on advertising tobacco on conventional electronic media, TV and radio, but there are no restrictions on Web sites – and youth spend hours a day online.

Health Ministry director-general Dr. Ronni Gamzu will ask the special ministry tobacco control committee to examine ideas to fight tobacco advertising in Israel, including that on Web sites. Among the popular Israeli news sites that have presented tobacco advertising are Ynet and Walla.

Deputy director-general Dr. Boaz Lev, who supervises the ministry’s 2020 Israel Plan to promote better health in another decade, told the Post that fighting tobacco advertising on the Web was a “worthy target, and we will consider ways of doing it.”

Meanwhile, the journal Tobacco Control (one of more than 30 specialist titles published by British Medical Journal Group), on Thursday, August 26th published an article saying that the world tobacco industry is “apparently using the YouTube” video Web site to advertise cigarettes subliminally, with a target audience of young people, who regularly visit the site.”

See the following news brief:
PAPER: Pro-tobacco videos have a significant presence on YouTube...

Amos Hausner, chairman of the Israel Council for the Prevention of Smoking, said youths are clearly being targeted by the tobacco industry via films and the Internet through subliminal and direct advertising. “These media have a strong influence on children and youth, and they are wanted by the tobacco companies as new customers.”

Hausner added that his council had received complaints from the public about tobacco ads on Israeli Web sites.

Reference: Health Ministry to target web smoking ads by JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH, Jerusalem Post. 26/08/2010

Israel - related news briefs:
Israel - owners of business where people congregate ignore laws banning smoking..;
Israel - number of smokers revised downward..;
Israel - slight decline in the number of Israelis who smoke..;
Israel - Knesset member bill eliminate nicotine from cigarettes..;
Israeli study - are non-smokers smarter than smokers?;
Israel - Professor Connolly advises completely bar smoking in public places..;
Israel - 10,000 die each year from smoking (8,664 smokers and approximately 1500 from secondhand smoke..;
Israel - may initiate a bill to bar smoking in vehicles with kids.. Do it for YURI..;
Israel bans electronic (e) cigarettes..;
Israel - first menthol-cigarette lawsuit in the world filed in Israel..;
Israel - sucking tobacco' illegally imported under ministries' noses..;

Read more...

Israel - owners of business where people congregate ignore laws banning smoking..

August 26, 2010 - It is, sadly, very clear nowadays that Israelis blatantly ignore, deny and trample on the anti-smoking legislation, and the authorities simply ignore it – to the future cost of their citizens’ health. In a study by public health expert Dr. Leah Rosen of Tel Aviv University showed that owners of Tel Aviv pubs consistently fail to enforce laws, and inform one another that municipal inspectors are on the prowl for violators. Similar attitudes were prevalent in Britain until, in the 1990s, the government realized the real costs of treating smokers and non-smoking adults and children.

In the 1990s, the estimated cost to American society of smoking was $52 billion in health expenses or time lost from work – about $221 per person each year, according to federal officials. The current cost of passive smoking in the UK to children’s health alone was estimated at £23.3 million per year.

The British government in 2002 estimated that the net benefits (after calculating loss of revenue and other costs as well as benefits) of just making all workplaces smoke free would be between £2.3 and £2.7 billion per year. This is equivalent to treating 1.3-1.5 million hospital waiting list patients. In Scotland, the net benefit of making all public places smoke free was calculated at around £124 million per year. Other, similar, figures worldwide convinced politicians that preventing passive smoking would be of significant benefit to society.

Health promotion then kicked in successfully, reinforced by bans on tobacco advertising, an increase in tax on cigarettes, presentation of the nonsmoking message on popular television, and various social marketing strategies. In addition, free stop-smoking clinics were provided along with subsidized nicotine treatments such as anti-craving drugs, nicotine patches, gum and inhalers. Not only the health of smokers was considered, but also the risks of passive smoking.

According to a May study by the Health Ministry, 22.8 percent of the adult population smokes. The study found 31.3% of men smoke, while for women the figure is 14.8%. A study of eighth-grade students found that 5% smoke occasionally. Jewish children whose parents smoke were 2.8 times more likely to smoke themselves. Arab children whose parents smoke were 5.8 times more likely to do so. According to a 2009 report in the European Journal of Public Health, 8,664 deaths in Israel were attributable to smoking in 2003. The number attributed to passive smoking is unclear.

GREATEST challenge to tackling smoking is in attitudes. Smokers often have a “live now, pay later” approach. I have heard a smoker say things like: “So what? I could be run over by a bus tomorrow, so I might as well enjoy my cigarette today.” This lasts until they or a relative’s health becomes severely impaired. I remember being put off smoking for life when my grandmother, then 61, had to have the iliac arteries in her legs replaced due to secondary damage from smoking.

The other common argument presented by smokers is “it’s my right to smoke if I want.”
They conveniently forget the effect of their smoke on others and the reality of smoking being a purely selfish act.

The calculation of the personal cost of smoking and the benefits of stopping helped many give up.

A key approach to tackling smoking and passive smoking in Israel will be social marketing. This involves systematically applying the principles of marketing alongside other concepts and techniques to achieve changes in behavior. Commercial marketing is different in that its aims are primarily financial, measured in terms of profits or shareholder value. Social marketing aims specifically to achieve improvement in the lives of people. It works by focusing on specific groups in context and delivering messages to help create lasting change.

Reference: Passive smoking: Israel’s ticking time bomb Removing the risks of passive smoking from dance bars and clubs would be a significant milestone. by JOHN CHACKSFIELD, Jerusalem Post, 8/25/2010.

Israel - related news briefs:
Israel - number of smokers revised downward..;
Israel - slight decline in the number of Israelis who smoke..;
Israel - Knesset member bill eliminate nicotine from cigarettes..;
Israeli study - are non-smokers smarter than smokers?;
Israel - Professor Connolly advises completely bar smoking in public places..;
Israel - 10,000 die each year from smoking (8,664 smokers and approximately 1500 from secondhand smoke..;
Israel - may initiate a bill to bar smoking in vehicles with kids.. Do it for YURI..;
Israel bans electronic (e) cigarettes..;
Israel - first menthol-cigarette lawsuit in the world filed in Israel..;
Israel - sucking tobacco' illegally imported under ministries' noses..;

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Malaysia - one out of three packets of cigarettes was smuggled.

August 26, 2010 - ALOR GAJAH (a town and district in Malacca): Smuggled cigarettes in Malaysia has increased 150% in the past six years. The upward trend was from 14.4% in 2004 to the current 37.1%.

Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency’s director-general Admiral Datuk Mohd Amdan Kurish said one out of three packets of cigarettes in Malaysia was smuggled.

He said this to reporters on Thursday, August 26th after attending a ceremony where a total of 52,783 cartons of smuggled cigarettes seized between 2008 and August 2010 worth some RM3.5mil (1,114,294.80 USD) were destroyed using a crush machine at its Kuala Linggi district office ground earlier.

We reported early in July 2010 that Malaysia - doing a better job of seizing smuggled cigarettes..

We all await the World Health Organization's (WHO) solution to the problem of tobacco product smuggling faced by countries throughout the world..

Reference: Cigarette smuggled into Malaysia up by 150% by ALLISON LAI, the Star Online, 8/26/2010.

Malaysia - some related news briefs:
Malaysia - doing a better job of seizing smuggled cigarettes..;
Malaysia - best way to get teenage girls to stop smoking is through education..;
Malaysia - ban on 14-stick cigarette packs delayed worry about increase in illicit cigarettes..;
Malaysia - slight decrease in illicit cigarettes; JTI Malaysia q1 2010 market share increases..;
Malaysia - Health Ministry's proposal to ban the sale of 14-stick cigarette packs beginning June 1, 2010..;
Malaysia - increase in number of women smoking..;
Malaysia - new strategy to penalize retailers who sell contraband cigarettes..;
Malaysia - youth and student smokers may not receive aid from government..;
Malaysia - two tobacco control regulations starting January 1, 2010..
Malaysia - about 368,000 teenager smokers in the country, 50-60 added per day..;
Malaysia - sale of cigarettes in packets of less than 20 prohibited as of June 1, 2010..;
Malaysia - stepping up efforts to curb the trade in illicit cigarettes..;
Malaysia - BAT plans to dispose of a parcel of industrial land..;
Malaysia - ban on cigarette sponsorship for sports will not be withdrawn..;
Malaysia - cigarette-shaped sweets packaged like cigarettes;
Malaysia - Penang consumer group ban cheap cigarettes and increase price on premium..;
Malaysia - Kelantin State Government may not promote staff who smoke..;
Malaysia - excise duty increased on tobacco - another increase could be coming this month..;
Malaysia - smoking limits your quality of life..;
Malaysia - smoking civil servants in Penang to receive free nicotine treatment..;
Malaysia - illicit cigarettes, BAT wants government to slow excise duty increases..;
Peninsular Malaysia - one of three cigarette packs is either contraband or fake..;
Komtar, Penang, Malaysia smoking ban strictly enforced..;
Malaysia student forced to smoke 40 cigarettes in two hours..
Malaysia - PSD and Cuepacs are at odds over the no-smoking rule at government departments and agencies..;
Malaysia: Are tobacco control measures working? - WHO thinks so...;
Malaysia - slowdown in cigarette consumption..;
Malaysia - January 1, 2009 pictorial cigarette warnings..;
Malaysia to hike cigarette prices..;
Malaysia - 25% of all cigarettes sales are illegal...Peninsular Malaysia - one of three cigarette packs is either contraband or fake..;
Komtar, Penang, Malaysia smoking ban strictly enforced..;
Malaysia student forced to smoke 40 cigarettes in two hours..
Malaysia - PSD and Cuepacs are at odds over the no-smoking rule at government departments and agencies..;
Malaysia: Are tobacco control measures working? - WHO thinks so...;
Malaysia - slowdown in cigarette consumption..;
Malaysia - January 1, 2009 pictorial cigarette warnings..;
Malaysia to hike cigarette prices..;
Malaysia - 25% of all cigarettes sales are illegal...
Read more...

Altria to Host Webcast From the Barclays Capital Back-To-School Consumer Conference..

August 26, 2010 - Aug 25, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Altria Group, Inc. (Altria) ) will host a webcast of its business presentation at the Barclays Capital Back-To-School Consumer Conference in Boston, Massachusetts on Wednesday, September 8, 2010 at approximately 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

The webcast will feature a presentation by Mr. David R. Beran, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Altria Group, Inc. The webcast will be in a listen-only mode. Pre-event registration is necessary; directions are posted at http://www.altria.com. An archived copy of the webcast will be available until 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, October 7, 2010, at http://www.altria.com.

Reference: Press Release, SOURCE: Altria Group, Inc., Altria Client Services, Investor Relations, 804-484-8222.
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PAPER: Pro-tobacco videos have a significant presence on YouTube..

August 26, 2010 - The tobacco industry may be using websites such as YouTube to get around a ban on advertising cigarettes, a study finds. Researchers in New Zealand studied the video-sharing site and found a number of pro-tobacco videos "consistent with indirect marketing activity by tobacco companies or their proxies".

PAPER: Connecting world youth with tobacco brands: YouTube and the internet policy vacuum on Web 2.0, Lucy Elkin, George Thomson (george.thomson@otago.ac.nz), Nick Wilson, Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand, Tob Control doi:10.1136/tc.2010.035949, ABSTRACT..

The researchers searched for five tobacco brands and analysed the first 20 pages of video clips containing any reference to the firms. The content studied had been uploaded by users.

The authors analysed 163 clips. Almost three-quarters of the content studied was classified as "pro-tobacco" with less than 4% classified as "anti-tobacco". The dominant brand on YouTube was Marlboro, they said. Ken Garcia, spokesman for Marlboro-makers Philip Morris USA, said the firm did not "post cigarette brand marketing on YouTube".

Dr George Thomson, one of the authors of the study told BBC News, "We can see no functional difference between exposure to tobacco in movies outside the internet, and exposure to video and film material on the internet. Generally, the more tobacco is normalised, the more kids will take it up."

Amanda Sandford, research manager at the UK anti-smoking group Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) said the study's findings were "disturbing but fairly typical of tobacco industry activity". "As soon as one avenue of promotion is closed, companies will seek out alternative means of promoting their product and will do anything to get round advertising restrictions," she told BBC News. "It indicates that their key audience is young people. There is a need for much stronger control over what appears on the internet."

References: YouTube clips push tobacco: study,Agence France-Presse (AFP), StraitsTimes.com, 8/26/2010; , Tobacco firms' use of YouTube probed, International Union Against Cancer, UICC.org, 8/26/2010.

Other related news briefs:
Tobacco companies - sophisticated marketing techniques: music concerts, social networking..;
Australian Health Minister - orders facebook probe..;
Social networking sites marketing tobacco products to youngsters..;
FACEBOOK - Tobacco products being promoted..;
BAT Marketing Tobacco Products Using Text Messaging..;

Read more...

Port Clinton, OHIO - may have highest incidence of cancer in nation..

August 25, 2010 - In 2008 the Ohio Department of Health reported that Ottawa County had the highest incidence of cancer in the nation. Midway through 2010, cancer cases are popping up in the county, including Port Clinton (the only city in the county and is the county seat, population in July 2009: 6127, population change since 2000: -4.1%).

Residents have been trying to find out why cancer is striking so many county residents.

Port Clinton's rate of pancreatic cancer is 90 percent higher than what the Ohio Department of Health believes it should be for a city its size. And its rate of lung and bronchus cancers is 50 percent higher too, according to a new state report that was issued Monday, August 23rd.

But state health officials said that is more likely the result of excessive smoking, not exposure to industrial chemicals or environmental pollutants.

The state agency issued its findings after crunching data of 503 Port Clinton cancer cases diagnosed between 1996 and 2007, the most comprehensive and latest years on record. The study was done at the request of the Ottawa County Department of Health, following concerns by area residents who believed a cancer cluster with an environmental trigger existed.

A city of Port Clinton's size would be expected to have 11 pancreatic cancer and 61 lung/bronchus cases within the 11-year study period. Port Clinton had 21 pancreatic cancer cases and 91 lung/bronchus cases, Holly Sobotka, chief of the state health department's chronic disease and behavioral epidemiology section said.

References: Port Clinton, touched by cancer, Sharia Davis. FoxToledo.com, 7/21/2010.; Smoking blamed for cancers in Port Clinton Environment issues unlikely, state says by TOM HENRY BLADE STAFF WRITER, ToledoBlade.com, 8/24/2010.

Some Ohio related news briefs:
OHIO - smoking ban should be strengthened NOT weakened..:
Ohio - Supreme Court rules in favor of R.J. Reynolds in Rolling Stones magazine multi-page ad..;
OHIO - Supreme Court to hear the appeal in its case seeking to preserve tobacco funds..;
OHIO - smoking complaints have dropped each year since the start of smoking ban..;
OHIO - judge stops collection of fines against a bar accused of allowing customers to smoke..;
OHIO - Legacy Foundation asks Supreme Court to hear appeal..;
OHIO - American Legacy Foundation will appeal decision to allow state to use tobacco funds..;
Ohio - enforcement of existing smoking ban a must..;
OHIO - appeals court rules state can use money set aside for tobacco prevention..;
OHIO - judge rules money can not be diverted from anti-tobacco fund..;
Ohio - state will provide NO funding for tobacco prevention and cessation programs..;
Ohio - don't cut spending on anti-tobacco programs it will cost the state much more in the long run..;
Ohio youth are using cigars and smokeless tobacco products and it is a continuously growing problem...
Read more...

Mumba, India - tobacco companies not following the law when advertizing..

August 25, 2010 - MUMBAI: Even as the Smoke-Free Mumbai Campaign shifts gear by targeting taxis and BEST buses, a survey has found that tobacco companies have found a glitzy way of advertising their wares. (The smoke-free Mumbai campaign is set to enter its second phase, and the plan this time is to make the city transport smoke-free. In phase I, the drive was aimed at making city hotels and restaurants smoke-free. (Smoke-free drive targets taxis, autos in Mumbai by Jyoti Shelar, India - Daily News & Analysis, 8/21/2010)

Display boards-commissioned and maintained by tobacco companies-have multiplied across the city. Worse, they either blatantly or subtly violate the stringent regulations laid down in the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition) Act of 2003, reveals a survey by the Cancer Patient Aid Association (CPAA) conducted between May and July.

There are 125 displays in five South Mumbai wards. "About 65% of these boards were bigger than the size set by the law," said Dr Shital Raval of CPAA. The Act says these boards can only be put up outside outlets selling cigarettes and that they should not be more than 60 cmX45 cm.

"But we found non-tobacco selling shops such as restaurants, juice centres and, shockingly, even toy stores, putting up tobacco display boards. Moreover, in 64% of the boards, the background colours of the ads match with that of the tobacco brands," said Raval.

The CPAA, an voluntary organisation that helps cancer patients, has found that ever since the tobacco law came into effect in 2005, there has been a dramatic increase in the display boards at points of sale. "Most of these boards follow the same colour code as the cigarette pack, suggesting surrogate advertising," she added.

Incidentally, the survey found that a fourth of the boards was backlit which is not permissible under the law.

"The Act permits advertisements of cigarettes only at outlets that sell the product. Once the outlet is closed for the day, the advertisement should not be visible. But we find that the ads on backlit boards are visible at all times of the day and night," said Dr Surendra Shastri, who heads the cancer prevention department of Tata Memorial Hospital and is a part of the Smoke-Free Mumbai Campaign.

The CPAA survey showed that the companies were targeted shops along main roads or near teaching institutes. "In one instance, we found a toy shop with a display board of a tobacco company, the reason being its proximity to a college," said a CPAA official.

Vendors whose shops sported the display boards said they were paid by the companies to put up the boards. "Even the electricity bills are paid by the company," said an official.

The anti-tobacco Act was introduced after intense campaign and the growing realisation that tobacco causes 56.4% of cancers in men and 44.9% of cancers in women in India.

Reference: Tobacco firms stub out ad woes: Survey, The Times of India, 8/24/2010.

India - some news briefs:
^*PAPER: India community based study - why youth smoke..;
^*India - high court rules in favor of tobacco companies that violated cigarettes with pictorial warnings rule..;
^*India - study emphasizes the need to integrate tobacco control in medical curriculum..;
^*India - more on govt ban on foreign direct investment..;
^*India - Barakat Food will import and distribute Imperial's Davidoff Cigarettes..;
^*India - more on ban on foreign direct investment - more insight on tobacco market..;
^*India - increasing taxes on cigarettes and bidis to save lives..;
^*India - cabinet decided to bar foreign direct investment in cigarette manufacturing..;
^*India - captions with pictorial warnings should use local languages..;
^*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..

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