September 18, 2010 - In Vermont the annual direct costs to the economy attributable to smoking were in excess of $652 million, including workplace productivity losses of $138 million, premature death losses of approximately $221 million, and direct medical expenditures of $293 million, according to a new study by the American Lung Association.
While the retail price of a pack of cigarettes in Vermont is on average $6.54 ($5.60 New Hampshire; $7.89 New York; $7.23 Massachusetts), the combined medical costs and productivity losses attributable to each pack of cigarettes sold are approximately $24.52 per pack of cigarettes. The ratio of benefits to cost varies from $0.90 to $2.62 saved per dollar spent on smoking cessation programs, depending upon the type of intervention. Nicotine replacement therapies, generic bupropion and varenicline showed substantial benefits to costs from the societal perspective across the sensitivity ranges used for treatment effectiveness. Only brand name bupropion did not have a positive benefits to cost ratio at the low end of the range.
The American Lung Association concludes that for most smoking cessation treatments, the benefits of smoking cessation programs statewide greatly outweigh the cost to implement them.
The report from researchers at Penn State University Potential Costs and Benefits of Smoking Cessation for Vermont, Jill S. Rumberger, PhD, Christopher S. Hollenbeak, PhD and David Kline, April 30, 2010.
Reference: Cigarettes cost Vermont $652 million a year, VERMONTbiz.com, 9/17/2010.
Vermont - related news briefs:
Vermont - Green Up Day - 40th Anniversary - major culprit cigarette butts..;
Vermont - judge rules against R.J. Reynolds Tobacco..;
U.S. - Cash-strapped states cut smoking-prevention funds..;
Vermont - will tighten current smoking ban..;
Vermont's Cigarette Tax Increase To $1.99 a pack...
Read more...
Vermont - cigarette smoking cost Vermont $652 million a year..
Pregnant - as recommended by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco don't use any tobacco product..
September 18, 2010 - We first reported on this Swedish study back on September 6, 2010: Pregnant - it's best to be tobacco free to avoid a miscarriage..
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco, maker of Camel Snus, did not comment directly on the study findings. But spokesman David Howard said in an e-mail that the company "agrees that women should not use snus or any tobacco product during pregnancy."
PAPER: Maternal Use of Swedish Snuff (Snus) and Risk of Stillbirth, Wikström, Anna-Karin; Cnattingius, Sven; Stephansson, Olof, Epidemiology online August 27, 2010, ABSTRACT..
The Swedish team (from Karolinska Institute and Uppsala University) used a national birth register with information on nearly 611,000 women who were pregnant between 1999 and 2006. Of these, 58,502 were tobacco smokers and 7,629 used snus. Overall, 1,926 of the women in the register -- or about 0.3 percent -- had a stillbirth. (Stillbirth generally refers to a pregnancy loss after the 20th week; but in this database, it was defined as a pregnancy loss after at the 28th week or later.)
The study found that women who reported using snus during pregnancy had a 60 percent higher risk of suffering a stillbirth than women who used no tobacco products. The risk was 40 percent higher for light smokers, and for heavy smokers it was more than double that of non-users of tobacco. Among the women who reported using snus, 0.5 percent (40 women) suffered a stillbirth; that compared with just under 0.3 percent (1,386 women out of more than 500,000) of those who used no tobacco products during pregnancy.
Of the 41,488 women considered light smokers -- nine or fewer cigarettes per day -- 0.4 percent (172) had a stillbirth. And among the 17,000 women who smoked more heavily, the stillbirth rate was 0.7 percent (120).
We agree with by Dr. Gregory N. Connolly, director of the Tobacco Control Research Program at the Harvard School of Public Health, that nicotine may be at least partly responsible for the increased stillbirth risk. Why do you think patients are warned NOT to smoke before surgery?? The nicotine in tobacco can interfere with healing process. Smoking interferes with healing because it reduces the blood flow to the cell the ability of hemoglobin to move oxygen and finally it reduces the amount of oxygen released to the cells. Nicotine is, among other unkind things, is a strong vasoconstrictor decreasing blood flow. (Smoking and surgery..)
Recently there has been found a direct between nicotine and breast cancer..
Reference: 'Snus' tobacco linked to stillbirth risk by Amy Norton, Reuters, 9/17/2010.
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Norway - WHO wants govt to ban smoking in private home/gardens how about starting with cars when kids are present??
September 18, 2010 - Norway is being urged by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to ban smoking even in private homes and gardens. The state Ministry of Health has said it will evaluate such a ban, but not even the country’s own medical association supports it.
Norway banned smoking in most all public places several years ago, and heavily taxes all tobacco products, but newspaper Aftenposten reported this week that the WHO remains concerned about the public’s exposure to passive smoking in the country.Background:
The WHO criticized Norway’s anti-tobacco efforts and recommended that Norwegian authorities intensify them by launching a new new anti-smoking campaign in the media, offering stop-smoking courses and even evaluating a ban on smoking in private homes and gardens.
On 29 March 2004, the Republic of Ireland became the first country to ban smoking in all indoor workplaces, including in restaurants and bars. Norway was the
second nation in the world after Ireland to ban smoking in bars and restaurants. In Norway, smoking has been banned in public buildings, workplaces and public transportation since 1988. Since 1 June 2004, smoking is also banned in restaurants, bars, cafes etc. The Norwegian government says the ban is needed to protect people who work in bars and restaurants from the effects of second-hand smoke. (The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General June 27, 2006)
From January 1st 2010, tobacco, snuff and other tobacco goods may no longer be displayed near the The new ban will also affect tax free stores at Norwegian airports and on international ferries and ships registered in Norway.
Norway - starting January 1, 2010 - tobacco no longer on display..
Kids are twice as likely to be influenced by advertising as they are from peer pressure. They are three times more sensitive to advertising than adults. Norway banned advertising and reduced by half the number of children who started smoking. (Smoking - Exploiting Children
Here's what the Canadian Lung Association has to say:, Canadian Lung Association)
Smoking is decreasing among adolescents, but an increasing number use moist snuff. The number of children exposed to passive smoking is decreasing as the number of adult non-smokers increases. (Norway - the state of public health 2010 – new report published..)
Health Minister Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen said she will evaluate a ban on smoking at home and in private cars, for example, as a means of ensuring children’s rights to a smoke-free environment.
Recently Professor Steve Field, chairman of the UK's Royal College of General Practitioners (GPs), has condemned society's attitudes to food, alcohol and cigarettes. Dr. Fields has stated, parents that smoke in front of their children at home or in cars are "committing a form of child abuse". United Kingdom - head GP physician calls smoking in front of children "child abuse". - please see related news briefs at the end of this brief. The health minister should know for the developing child - with an increased heart and respiratory rates - the heavy concentration smoke can readily impair a child's health. Yes - the ban can be enforced.
That’s set off protests in several sectors and now even the local medical association (Legeforeningen) says it won’t support any ban on smoking in private homes and gardens.
Dr Hege Gjessing of the association said the group shares the WHO’s concerns of children’s exposure to passive smoke,, but she thinks it’s too “dramatic” to impose a prohibition on smoking at home. “We know far too little on what type of consequences such a ban would have, and it would lead to too much interference in peoples’ private lives,” Gjessing told Aftenposten.
Nor could she understand how such a ban would be carried out or monitored. “Shall there be a system of surprise visits by the authorities, or would fines be based on neighbours’ reports?” Gjessing mused. “The fight against passive smoking must continue, but in other ways.”
Reference: Doctors against smoking ban at home, Nina Berglund, Views and News from Norway, 9/10/2010.
Norway - some related news briefs:
Norway - the state of public health 2010 – new report published..;
Norway - health secretary no graphic warnings on snus boxes for now..;
Norway - Philip Morris announces lawsuit challenging tobacco product display ban..;
Norway - drops top cigarette makers from wealth fund..;
Norway - starting January 1, 2010 - tobacco no longer on display..;
Norway strict tobacco display ban by October 2009..
Read more...
New York City - Poospatuck Reservation stores (2) caught selling cigarettes to bootleggers..
September 17, 2010 - Poospatuck reservation dealers sold more than four million cartons of untaxed cigarettes this year; video of the undercover investigation catches dealers making illegal sales.
New York City Mayor Bloomberg announced yesterday the results of an undercover investigation into illegal cigarette sales at the Poospatuck reservation on Long Island. (Tucked away along a waterway in Mastic, Long Island is Poospatuck, the smallest Indian reservation in New York State. It means “Where the water meets” and is home to 400 enrolled members of the Unkechaug tribe of Native Americans.
Two cigarette dealers were caught on tape illegally selling large quantities of cigarettes on which state and city taxes had not been paid. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 296 people living on the Poospatuck reservation last year, yet the reservation's smokeshops have so far sold more than four million cartons of un-taxed cigarettes in 2010. That works out to more than 523 packs a day for every man, woman and child living on the reservation.
Background:Mayor Bloomberg: "A law intended to protect the sovereignty of Native Americans has been exploited to fill the pockets of bootleggers and crooked cigarette dealers. Although New York City has won some significant victories in the courts, smokeshops on the Poospatuck reservation continue to violate the law and sell un-taxed cigarettes to bootleggers who openly state that they are buying them for resale in New York City."
October 1, 2008 - NYC sues reservation smoke shops over bootlegging..
March 23, 2009 - NYC can move forward with reservation cigarette lawsuit..
August 27, 2000 - NYC - wins round in fight against Indian Tobacco Vendors..
August 29, 2009 - NYC Area - more counterfeit Marlboro cigarettes seized
October 24, 2009 - Mastic NY man arrested illegally trafficking in untaxed cigarettes..
July 28, 2010 -PM USA filed lawsuits in NYC against eight more retailers...
John Feinblatt, the mayor's chief policy advisor, noted that in 2009, sales of un-taxed cigarettes on reservations accounted for one third of all brand-name cigarette sales in New York. "That adds up to nearly a billion dollars in lost tax revenue the state and city could have used during these tough times."
Last week, working with the Mayor's Financial Crime Task Force, the City's Department of Finance sent undercover investigators to two of the approximately 49 cigarette sellers on the Poospatuck reservation. The investigators stated that they were buying cigarettes for re-sale in the city and were able to purchase 60 cartons of un-stamped, un-taxed cigarettes.
Native Americans are permitted by law to purchase and possess unstamped cigarettes on which taxes have not been pre-paid, but only for personal use or re-sale on the reservation to other tribe members. Stores on the Poospatuck Reservation illegally sell cigarettes to bootleggers in sales that are subject to taxation.
The Federal Contraband Cigarette Trafficking Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2341, makes it a felony — and also gives rise to civil liability — to sell cigarettes without tax stamps in states where the cigarettes are subject to tax. The New York Cigarette Marketing Standards Act also includes civil liability for selling cigarettes without including amounts for all taxes required by law. Cigarettes sold by Native Americans to the public are taxable and by law must bear tax stamps in New York.
VIDEO - Bloomy burns cheats Vid nails illegal sales of Indian cigs by SALLY GOLDENBERG, New York Post, 9/17.2010.
New York State is also having problems collecting taxes on cigarettes sold on Indian reservations to non-Indians.
Reference: NYC Undercover Probe Reveals Illegal Cigarette Sales, NACS (National Association of Convenience Stores) Online, 9/17/2010.
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Scotland - mainly shopkeepers oppose tobacco display ban..
September 16, 2010 - Figures seen by The Scotsman [national newspaper] show almost 90 percent of respondents who replied to a Scottish Government consultation request oppose the measure [tobacco display ban]. The most anger appears to have been generated among shopkeepers who believe their businesses are going to be hindered by the proposal.
Background: January 29, 2010 - In late January 2010 an end to the display of cigarettes and tobacco products in shops was approved by the Scottish parliament, along with a ban on cigarette sales from vending machines.April 26, 2010 - There will be a three-month consultation (will begin on 28 April and run until the end of July) on the proposals, which include:
Limiting displays during a sale to an area approximately the size of a cigarette packet.
Temporary, incidental, displays to be allowed while stocktaking, staff training, pricing and refurbishment are taking place – for no longer than necessary to undertake the activities.
Fixed penalty of £50 (76.34 USD) for people who buy, or attempt to buy, tobacco products for under-18s.
Fixed penalty of £200 (305.35 USD) for retailers, rising by £200 for every offence committed within a one-year period.
Displays will be allowed in cash and carry and duty-free premises, as long as the displays are in an area where only tobacco products for sale and which is not visible from other parts of the store.
The costs for refitting shops to comply with the display ban are estimated to start at £160 (244.287 USD) for a corner shop, rising to £320 (488.56 USD) for a medium-sized shop and £640 (977.04 USD) for a large store.
The display ban comes into force next year for large retailers and in 2013 for small shops.
Scotland - retailers can provide input on future to ban the display of tobaccoThey [shopkeepers] argue that people coming for cigarettes generates other business, while the costs of redesigning their shops will be on average £1,400 (2,192.78 USD) each.
Out of the 305 respondents to the Scottish Government consultation, 269 - 88.2 percent - opposed the measure with support mostly coming from NHS trusts and anti-smoking charities.
The opposition compares to 84 percent support for the same measure in England, although 75 percent of respondents to that consultation came from Department of Health funded bodies. (England, Wales to ban tobacco displays in shops..)
The measure, which has been passed with cross-party support at Holyrood [Scottish government], is meant to be the next stage in tackling smoking in Scotland following from the high-profile smoking ban in public buildings and offices. The ban is set to be introduced in supermarkets next year and small shops in 2013.
The medical lobby has argued strongly that displays in shops act as a form of advertising which entices children into smoking.
Critics of the proposed ban have argued that more needs to be done to stop rogue traders from selling cigarettes to underage smokers. The tobacco industry has raised concerns about the likelihood of smuggling increasing as a result of the ban.
John Drummond, chief executive of the Scottish Grocers' Federation, which represents many of Scotland's small shops said: "We have tried to engage constructively. But at times it appears the Scottish Government has not listened to our concerns. They have under-estimated the costs involved and the impact it will have on businesses." He added grocers are particularly angry that Holyrood proposes a new maximum size for a display area of 120sq cm, much smaller than the 7,500sq cm imposed in England and Wales.Reference: Ash backlash after nine out of 10 reject tobacco display ban by David Maddox, NEWS.scotsman.com, 9/11/2010.
Scotland - related news briefs:
Scotland - smoking ban produced benefits for people (i.e., children) who are not exposed to occupational tobacco smoke..;
Scotland - 90% of Scots back law that prosecutes adults for buying cigarettes for children..;
Scotland, Grampian Region - latest word, NHS Grampian hospital smoking clampdown delayed..;
Scotland - bribing people to live a healthy lifestyle..;
Scotland - Imperial Tobacco in legal action to stop ban on cigarette displays and vending machine removal..;
Scotland - tobacco industry says massive increase in illegal cigarettes..;
PAPER: Scotland Unhealthy risk factors those with lack of education/ low income..;
Scotland - renewing efforts to stop pregnant women from smoking..;
Scotland - cigarette smoking quit attempts increase by 35%..;
Scotland - retailers can provide input on future to ban the display of tobacco..;
Scotland - campaigners want more to be done to protect young people from passive smoking..;
Scotland - government no plans to ban smoking in cars and public places used by children..;
Scotland - smokers will be banned from fostering or adopting children, comments from Professor Banzhaf..;
Scotland - parliament votes to ban retail cigarette displays and vending machines..;
Scotland - health minister urges smokers to quit..;
Scotland - some men beginning to lead a healthier lifestyle and therefore living longer..;
Scotland - self-reporting of smoking by pregnant women underestimates true number of pregnant smokers..;
Scotland - tobacco firms claim proposed display ban is unnecessary..;
"Glasgow effect" - prevalence of cigarette smoking impact on poor health..;
Scotland - tobacco industry will try to stop attempts to curb sales to young people..;
Scotland - cigarette vending machines removal..;
Scottish politicans most have the courage to protect the health of their constituents..;
Scotland - small businesses given extra 2-years to remove tobacco displays..;
Northern Ireland - assembly approves ban on display of tobacco items..;
Scotland to ban cigarette displays and outlaw cigarette vending machines..;
Bar workers who smoke also benefit from smoking ban..;
17 countries in the world ban indoor smoking - ENFORCEMENT..;
England, Wales to ban tobacco displays in shops..;
Definite Health Benefits of Smoking Bans..;
Northern Ireland raising age for sale of tobacco from 16 to 18 joining the other three United Kingdom (UK) countries..;
Scotland proposes to implement more measures to discourage tobacco use including the banning of tobacco displays..;
Raise Age to 21 to Purchase Tobacco Products...
Read more...
Cuyahoga County, OHIO (where Cleveland is) cigarette use lowest in state at 15%..
September 16, 2010 - Adult cigarette use in Cuyahoga County (where Cleveland is located) is at a historic low, significantly undercutting both state and national rates, according to the Ohio Department of Health. The county's 15-percent usage rate, the lowest in the state, rivals Ohio's 20.3 percent and the nation's 20.6 percent rate for 2009, according to the state.
It's interesting to note Ottawa County directly to the west of Cuyahoga County
Port Clinton, OHIO - may have highest incidence of cancer in nation..
Shelly Kiser, director of advocacy for the American Lung Association Midland States, said cigarette taxes and public smoking bans, along with cessation treatment, helped drive down the number of smokers.
The Lung Association on Wednesday, September 15th released two studies: one showing the economic benefits of state funding cessation programs and the other showing that tobacco tax revenues are a reliable source of income for all states and could help pay for treatment.
Based on the study results, The Lung Association is calling for a $1.24 per pack increase in Ohio's cigarette tax to generate $347 million annually. Currently in Cuyahoga County, federal, state and local taxes add up to $2.88 per pack.
"By itself, raising taxes is one of the best ways to reduce the rate of smokers," Kiser said, especially discouraging low-income residents and teenagers from buying cigarettes.
According to the first study, "Smoking Cessation: the Economic Benefits," smoking costs Ohio $13.8 billion each year in health care expenditures, losses in workplace productivity and premature deaths. For each dollar spent on helping smokers quit, says the study, Ohio would get a $1.41 return.
Local and state officials did not know why the number of smokers in Cuyahoga was so much lower than the rest of state, but cessation programs were sure to be a factor, they said. In Cuyahoga County, the smoking rate went from 20.7 percent in 2005 to 15 percent in 2009, according to the state's Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance Survey. The overall state rate went from 22.4 to 20.3 percent in the same time period.
Ohio saves money when people quit smoking, said economics professor Frank Chaloupka of the University of Illinios, who conducted the tax-benefit study. A decline in 1 percentage point in the adult smoking rate can save Ohio $837.1 million in healthcare costs each year, including $148.5 million in Medicaid expenses.
Cuyahoga Health Commissioner Terry Allen said smoking bans are critical and should be combined with taxes to drive down the number of cigarette smokers. But the tide could turn. Cuyahoga, along with the rest of the state, lost funding in June for prevention programs due to a pending law suit linked to tobacco settlement funds. (OHIO - Supreme Court to hear the appeal in its case seeking to preserve tobacco funds..)"When programs end, due to lack of funding, smoking rates tend to creep up," Allen said. This occurred in other states, including California.
Dr. Derek Raghavan, chairman of the Taussig Cancer Institute at the Cleveland Clinic said cessation programs generally work as long as you sustain them.
With about 1.9 million Ohioans puffing away at 742 million packs of cigarettes each year, Kiser said generating money for stop-smoking programs is vital. "Most people smoke because they are addicted and they need the services," she said.
Reference: Cuyahoga County smoking rate is lowest in Ohio, Ellen Kleinerman, The Plain Dealer, 9/16/2010.
Some Ohio related news briefs:
Port Clinton, OHIO - may have highest incidence of cancer in nation..;
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...
Thailand - EU free-trade agreement (FTA) stuck over alcohol and tobacco..
September 16, 2010 - Negotiations for a bilateral free-trade agreement between Thailand and the European Union could be difficult to start in the near future as the EU insists on covering all areas of trade, while Thailand wants alcohol and tobacco excluded from the talks.
The Thai commerce ministry yesterday announced that it would conduct a public hearing whether to include alcohol and tobacco in the Thai-EU FTA talks.
Sanya Sathiraboot, adviser to the deputy commerce minister said the government does not aim to protect any particular local alcohol or tobacco producer. However, since the inclusion of alcohol and tobacco involved Thai people's health, the government must carefully weigh the impact of the liberalisation. If alcohol and tobacco are excluded under the FTA, the government may have to find other measures to fairly treat local producers and import alcohol and tobacco. The finance ministry may have to consider increasing excise tax so that it will be fair to all traders, he said.
Ambassador David Lipman, head of the European Commission's delegation to Thailand, "the EU looks forward to launching the process with Thailand in the near future to establish an ambitious free-trade agreement." I also wish to stress that the European Union believes in the importance and necessity of consulting all stakeholders in the process of free-trade agreement negotiations.
Lipman: "EU would like to emphasise that no trade agreement between Thailand and the European Union will limit the right of the Thai government to look after public-health concerns."
Thailand will soon be able to start free-trade talks with Chile after Parliament's nod yesterday for the draft negotiation.
EU approves free trade pact with South Korea, September 17, 2010.
Refefrence: Thai-EU FTA talks stuck over alcohol, tobacco by PETCHANET PRATRUANGKRAI, THE NATION, 9/16/2010.
Some other Thailand news briefs:
Thailand govt - wants to ban the growing of Burley and Oriental tobacco..;
Thailand - more measures put in place to protect non-smokers..;
Thailand - number of no-smoking zones expanded..;
Thailand - PMI likely breached the Foreign Business Act..;
Thai Tobacco Monopoly withdraws products from Tabinfo Asia 2009..;
Thailand - organizer of international tobacco exhibition fined..;
Thailand - hand-rolled cigarettes more popular and other matters..;
WTO - "DS 371" Philippines versus Thailand on cigarette customs valuation..;
Thailand - Tobacco Expo organizers and guests must obey all tobacco control laws..;
Thailand unit of Philip Morris International faces charges that it violated custom tax rules..;
Thailand - hosting major tobacco promotion event in November 2009..;
Thailand Tobacco Monoploly - union concerned about privatization..;
Thailand - monks sickly from tobacco smoking and/or smoke exposure..;
Philippines - Thai cigarette import rules..;
Thailand - cigarette and liquor prices are expected to rise once new measures for calculating excise taxes take effect..;
Congratulations.. Thailand Joins Developed World With Total Ban On Smoking..;
Discouraging Tobacco Use - Horrific Images on the Packaging..
- Thailand is a member of Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA)..
Read more...
Botswana - want to repeal the smoking act of 1992 and develop a new one aligned with FCTC..
September 16, 2010 - Back in May 2010 we reported that the lenient tobacco control and regulation in Botswana has prompted the University of Botswana to enter into an agreement with the Africa Tobacco Control Regional Initiative (ATCRI) in the Africa Tobacco Situational Analysis (ATCSA) Project.
(Botswana - university taking charge of tobacco control..)
Now the Ministry of Health (MoH) together with University of Botswana(UB) Department of Environmental Health and other non-governmental institutions have proposed that the Government should repeal the control of smoking Act of 1992 and develop the Tobacco Products Bill.
Speaking at a workshop for Tobacco Control Awareness held at Cresta President Hotel, Gaesi Mophuting from the Department of Public Health said “The new law is being developed so that it is aligned to the principles of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).”
The proposed Bill intends to introduce a complete ban of smoking in public places and also completely ban advertising, marketing and promotion of tobacco and related products.
More to read see reference number one.
Reference: MoH to repeal the Control of Smoking Act 1992 by TEFO PHEAGE, The Botswana Gazette, 9/15/2010.
Directly related news brief:
Botswana - university taking charge of tobacco control..;
Tobacco companies frustrate Africa's fight against smoking..
Internatinal Development Research Center (IDRC): Projects in Botswana..
Botswana has ratified (July 2005) the
WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Treaty.
Read more...
New York State - state court clears way for state to collect cigarette tax - on to federal court..
September 16, 2010 - On Tuesday, September 14th a state appeals court in Rochester lifted a temporary order that blocked New York State from collecting taxes on reservation cigarettes sold to non-native customers.
The five judge panel ruled the state can begin collecting a four dollar and 35 cent tax on every pack of cigarettes sold by Indian nations across the state with the exception of the Cayugas and the Senecas.
Collection on sales on the reservations of those two nations cannot start until at least September 28th, when a temporary restraining order on the tax imposed by a federal judge expires.
A federal judge in Buffalo has already temporarily blocked tax collections. (New York State - U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara extends order blocking state from collecting taxes, hearing Sept 14th..) The Seneca Indian nation and the state were in federal court in Buffalo Tuesday, September 14th for a hearing on the case.
The issue of state tax collection proved to be one of the central points during more than two hours of testimony given Tuesday morning, September 14th by Robert Porter, Seneca Nation senior policy advisor before U.S. Federal Court Judge Richard Arcara.
Porter is the first of seven witnesses the Seneca Nation and New York state are expected to call during the next few days.
References: VIDEO - Court clears way for Indian cigarette tax on all but Seneca, Cayuga sales by: YNN (Your News Now) Staff, 9/14/2010; Senecas, NYS resume smoke tax fight (in federal court) by James Fink, Business First of Buffalo, 9/14/2010.
Some related news briefs:
New York State - U.S. District Judge extends order blocking state from collecting taxes, hearing Sept 14th..;
New York State - cigarette tax collection from Native American sales pushed off until 5-judge panel decides..;
New York State - Seneca Nation and other Indian Tribes get injunction from federal judge delaying tax collection on cigarettes..;
New York State - Governor Patterson will not tax cigarettes sold among Native Americans..;
New York - Senecas asking for Bloomberg to resign over remarks he made..;
New York State - Seneca Indian Nation files sued to block enforcement of a plan to collect cigarette taxes..;
Read more...
ALA - helping smokers quit saves lives and offers favorable economic benefits to states..
September 16, 2010 - A new study released by the American Lung Association (ALA), and conducted by researchers at Penn State University, finds that helping smokers quit not only saves lives but also offers favorable economic benefits to states. For every $1 spent on helping smokers quit, states would see $1.26 return
Researchers at Penn State University conducted this nationwide cost-benefit analysis. The American Lung Association is pleased to share the study’s important results. Funding for the Penn State research was provided through an unrestricted research grant from Pfizer, Inc. and funding for this project was made possible through collaboration with Pfizer, Inc. Pfizer maker of the smoking cessation drug Chantix (Champix), a drug that has been linked to many serious and even fatal side effects. (Champix (Chantix) - the risks are greater then the benefits..)
The Penn State researchers set out to determine if overall there were financial advantages to states offering smoking cessation treatments that outweighed the cost of the treatments plus any losses to state tax revenues and to retailers from fewer people smoking.
About the Study – Frequently Asked Questions..
American Medical Association (AMA) supports the new American Lung Association Report Showing Economic Benefits of Smoking Cessation Programs. (AMA Supports New American Lung Association Report Showing Economic Benefits of Smoking Cessation Programs Encourages states to implement evidence-based smoking cessation, Barbara McAneny, MD Board Member, AMA, 9/14/2010.
ALA’s receives support from pharmaceutical companies. In the second quarter of 2009 alone, the American Lung Association (ALA) received more than $1.5 million from Pfizer, manufacturer of Chantix and Nicotrol. Moreover, Pfizer is a sponsor of the Lung Association’s Freedom from Smoking program. The financial connection is so strong that the American Lung Association goes so far as to promote Pfizer on its web site. (American Lung Association Wants You To Smoke!, Prochroma)
Reference: Helping Smokers Quit: State Cessation Coverage, American Lung Association, 9/2010.
Read more...
NATO - opposes 2-FDA tobacco retail training program requirements..
September 16, 2010 - The National Association of Tobacco Outlets (NATO) opposes two new tobacco retail training program requirements proposed by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), the group said in has comments submitted to the agency, according to its most recent NATO E-News report.
Draft Guidance for FDA and Tobacco Retailers: Civil Money Penalties and No-Tobacco-Sale Orders For Tobacco Retailers
Throughout September 2010, FDA Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) is holding the remaining four of five live training sessions for retailers on federal tobacco regulations.
National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) will host a workshop with officials from the FDA Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) to answer retailer questions on October 7, 2010.
(1) Under the FDA law, retailers are not required to train employees on how to prevent the sale of regulated tobacco products to minors; however, in the event tobacco products are sold to a minor, the retailer will be subject to a lower fine if it has an approved training program with elements required by the FDA.
The FDA believes that retailers should teach store employees about the health effects and economic costs of tobacco use including the number of approximate deaths due to tobacco use and the dollar amount of health care costs and lost productivity attributable to tobacco. As noted in NATO's comments, the FDA law does not require such elements in a training program nor do these specific claims have any relevance to training store personnel in methods to prevent the sale of tobacco products to minors.
(2) And the FDA proposes that retailers conduct internal compliance checks, reward employees who pass an internal compliance check with a "cash bonus or time off" and include an employee's pass or fail history from compliance checks in making decisions about annual compensation, job promotion or job termination.
NATO has objected to these proposed requirements as well since smaller, independent retailers may not have the financial resources to establish an internal sting program and the idea of a cash bonus or time off is outside the scope of the FDA's jurisdiction and the scope of the FDA law itself.
The FDA has also issued a draft guidance entitled Civil Money Penalties & No-Tobacco-Sale Orders for Tobacco Retailers, NATO said. This guidance is a proposed set of rules the FDA would follow if a retailer violates the FDA law and includes the level of fines for the sale of tobacco to a minor. The FDA law sets a lower level of fines if a retailer has an approved employee training program that includes the elements the FDA will finalize in the near future.
The fines for a retailer who has an approved training program and sells tobacco products to a minor are:
* First violation a warning letter.
* Second violation in 12 months, a $250 fine.
* Third violation in 24 months, a $500 fine.
* Fourth violation in 24 months, a $2,000 fine.
* Fifth violation in 36 months, a $5,000 fine.
* Sixth or subsequent violation in 48 months, a $10,000 fine.
If there are repeated violations at any particular tobacco retailer, a "no-tobacco-sales" order prohibiting the sale of tobacco products at that location may be issued. The FDA's draft guidance provides explanations of the factors involved in assessing fines and no-tobacco-sales orders. To enforce the prohibition of sales to minors, the FDA will be conducting retail compliance checks and contracting with states to carry out the sting operations.
Full text of NATO's comments..
Reference: NATO Comments on FDA Tobacco Retail Requirements Opposes health, economic training, employee incentives, CSP (Convenience Store/Petroleum) Daily News, 9/15/2010.
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Scotland - smoking ban produced benefits for people (i.e., children) who are not exposed to occupational tobacco smoke..
September 16, 2010 - Children and Secondhand Smoke Exposure.. Scotland became the first part of the UK to ban smoking in enclosed public places when legislation came into force at 6am on Sunday, March 26, 2006.
The number of children being hospitalised by asthma in Scotland has fallen by hundreds since the smoking ban in public places was introduced. The study found a reduction in asthma admissions among both preschool and school-age children.
Glasgow University experts analysed data in the nine years from 2000 in an attempt to discover whether the rate of respiratory disease had been reduced among groups not affected by the ban. It found that seven children under the age of 15 were on average admitted to hospitals every day for the condition before the ban, but it fell to about four-and-a-half after the laws were introduced on March 26, 2006.
During the study period there were 21,415 admissions for asthma; 11,796 in pre-school children and 9619 in school-age children. There were no significant differences in the impact of the ban according to factors such as age, sex, urban or rural residence, region or socioeconomic status.
In the 12 months up to January 1, 2005, there were 2621 admissions, but in the year to January 1, 2009, there were just 2235. Prior to the ban, fears were raised that smokers would light up more in the home, leading to greater exposure to tobacco smoke among young children. Before implementation of the smoking ban, there was concern that it might result in the transfer of smoking activity to homes, leading paradoxically to an increase in exposure to environmental smoke among children.
Other studies have shown that this is not the case, rather the smoking legislation has resulted in an increase in voluntary bans within homes.
But Professor Jill Pell of the university’s Centre for Population Health Studies, who led the study, found that while hospital admissions rose at a mean rate of 5.2% a year before the ban, the figure fell by 18.2% each year compared to the rate on March 26, 2006.
The research published in The New England Journal of Medicine (N Engl J Med), follows previous work by Ms Pell in 2007 that showed a reduction in respiratory problems among bar workers following the introduction of the ban on smoking, as well as a 17% year-on-year drop in hospital admissions for heart attacks. She found there were 551 fewer heart attacks in the post-ban period and 324 fewer among non-smokers.
(Scotland - Definite Health Benefits of Smoking Bans..)
PAPER: Smoke-free Legislation and Hospitalizations for Childhood Asthma, Daniel Mackay, Ph.D., Sally Haw, B.Sc., Jon G. Ayres, M.D., Colin Fischbacher, M.B., Ch.B., and Jill P. Pell, M.D.(Jill.Pell@glasgow.ac.uk) , N Engl J Med 2010; 363:1139-1145, ABSTRACT.. GRAPH..
However, the study accepts that other factors may have contributed to the lower rates. The researchers said that they did not have access to the patients’ exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and could not determine to what extent the observed reduction was due to secondary smoking in the home, public places or reduced levels of smoking among school- children.
It concluded that the study showed that there was a reduction in the rate of hospitalisation for childhood asthma after the introduction of legislation to make public places smoke-free, suggesting that the benefits of such legislation can extend to populations other than those with occupational exposure to environmental tobacco smoke.
It is clear that smoke-free legislation has resulted in a reduction in the rate of respiratory disease in populations other than those with occupational exposure to environmental tobacco smoke.
United Kingdom - Head GP physician calls parents that smoke in front of their children at home at in cars are "committing a form of child abuse".
References: Cases of asthma in children are down since smoking ban, John Bynorth, 9/16/2010.
Scotland - related news briefs:
Scotland - 90% of Scots back law that prosecutes adults for buying cigarettes for children..;
Scotland, Grampian Region - latest word, NHS Grampian hospital smoking clampdown delayed..;
Scotland - bribing people to live a healthy lifestyle..;
Scotland - Imperial Tobacco in legal action to stop ban on cigarette displays and vending machine removal..;
Scotland - tobacco industry says massive increase in illegal cigarettes..;
PAPER: Scotland Unhealthy risk factors those with lack of education/ low income..;
Scotland - renewing efforts to stop pregnant women from smoking..;
Scotland - cigarette smoking quit attempts increase by 35%..;
Scotland - retailers can provide input on future to ban the display of tobacco..;
Scotland - campaigners want more to be done to protect young people from passive smoking..;
Scotland - government no plans to ban smoking in cars and public places used by children..;
Scotland - smokers will be banned from fostering or adopting children, comments from Professor Banzhaf..;
Scotland - parliament votes to ban retail cigarette displays and vending machines..;
Scotland - health minister urges smokers to quit..;
Scotland - some men beginning to lead a healthier lifestyle and therefore living longer..;
Scotland - self-reporting of smoking by pregnant women underestimates true number of pregnant smokers..;
Scotland - tobacco firms claim proposed display ban is unnecessary..;
"Glasgow effect" - prevalence of cigarette smoking impact on poor health..;
Scotland - tobacco industry will try to stop attempts to curb sales to young people..;
Scotland - cigarette vending machines removal..;
Scottish politicans most have the courage to protect the health of their constituents..;
Scotland - small businesses given extra 2-years to remove tobacco displays..;
Northern Ireland - assembly approves ban on display of tobacco items..;
Scotland to ban cigarette displays and outlaw cigarette vending machines..;
Bar workers who smoke also benefit from smoking ban..;
17 countries in the world ban indoor smoking - ENFORCEMENT..;
England, Wales to ban tobacco displays in shops..;
Definite Health Benefits of Smoking Bans..;
Northern Ireland raising age for sale of tobacco from 16 to 18 joining the other three United Kingdom (UK) countries..;
Scotland proposes to implement more measures to discourage tobacco use including the banning of tobacco displays..;
Raise Age to 21 to Purchase Tobacco Products...
Read more...
Cambodia - govt will soon ban tobacco advertising..
September 15, 2010 - We reported that health experts on Thursday, April 1, 2010 warned that the government is in danger of missing an internationally mandated deadline to ban tobacco advertising. The deadline is mandated by Article 13 of the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, to which Cambodia is party, and must come into effect by February 2011, officials from the WHO and the NGO Cambodian Movement for Health said at a joint press conference. (Cambodia - may miss deadline to ban tobacco advertising..) Then on September 2, 2010 Health Minister Mam Bun Heng said a proposed sub-decree banning advertising and promotion of tobacco products was discussed during a meeting of the inter-ministerial committee for tobacco control yesterday, September 1st and would be sent to the Council of Ministers “soon”. (Cambodia - proposed ban on all tobacco advertising and promotion..)
Now we find that the Cambodia's government will soon ban tobacco advertising. That follows a law introduced in July requiring health warning labels on cigarette packs.
Anti-smoking activists say Cambodia's plan to ban tobacco advertising and promotion is a key milestone in efforts to cut the nation's smoking rate.
Dr. Yel Daravuth is the tobacco control expert at the World Health Organization's office in Phnom Penh says that developing countries can expect to cut their smoking prevalence by 8 percentage points over a decade if they implement an advertising ban.
In contrast, those that do not implement a ban see only a 1 percentage point drop.
British American Tobacco (BAT), is one of the biggest tobacco companies in the world, and dominates Cambodia's market with a 35 percent share. BAT says it backs advertising restrictions and that the new law broadly matches BAT's own policies. The company says it does not market to youth or use celebrities in ads, for instance. The company also does not sponsor events unless those taking part and watching are adults. But BAT's restrictions are not followed by all players in the Cambodian market.
Dr. Mom Kong heads the Cambodian Movement for Health, which wants restrictions on tobacco and alcohol use. He says some tobacco companies openly market to young people - something the new law will prevent. Mom Kong says that an advertising ban is one thing but enforcing the law could be trickier since it requires the coordination of local authorities, the police and the courts.
In July a law came into effect requiring every cigarette pack to carry a printed warning on the dangers of tobacco use, printed across 30 percent of the pack. BAT complied, but two months on a casual scan of the cigarette shelf shows that most of its competitors have not. But the government seems serious about this fight. Earlier this month the minister of health sent a letter to those companies warning them they risk losing their business licenses should they fail to comply. The WHO's Yel says that is encouraging. It gives him hope that the country's 2015 goal to cut smoking rates by 5 percentage points will be met.
For more information on tobacco use and control in Cambodia read the reference this news brief is based on.
Reference: New Cambodia Law Aims to Raise Awareness About Tobacco Dangers, Robert Carmichael Phnom Penh, VOAnews.com, 9/15/2010.
Cambodia - some related News Briefs:
Cambodia - proposed ban on all tobacco advertising and promotion..;
Cambodia - may miss deadline to ban tobacco advertising..;
Cambodia - agreement greater tobacco control measures needed..;
Cambodia - 2-day seminar, strategies for controlling tobacco use..;
SEATCA - Gates funding for research on improving tobacco control tax systems..;
Cambodia - text only cigarette warnings starting July 2010..;
Cambodia - now favors text only warnings on cigarette packs..;
Cambodia - graphic warnings soon to be on cigarette packs..;
Asean Countries - Tobacco Industry Blocking Global Treaty On Tobacco..; - Cambodia is a member of Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA)..
Read more...
New York City officials have announced a plan to ban smoking outdoors..
September 15, 2010 - New York City would expand its ban on smoking in indoor workplaces to outdoor venues including public parks and beaches (14 miles of public beaches and 29,000 acres of parkland) in a proposed law backed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Council leaders. The mayor, joined by Council Speaker Christine Quinn and representatives from the American Cancer Society, said the bill would extend the Smoke Free Air Act, a 2002 law that banned smoking from offices, bars, restaurants and playgrounds in an effort to protect people from the harmful effects of secondhand exposure. 14 miles of public beaches and 29,000 acres of parkland.
Background:“Cigarettes kill some 7,500 New Yorkers every year, and thousands more suffer smoking-related strokes, heart attacks, lung diseases and cancers,” city Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said at the news conference. “By expanding the act to cover parks and beaches, we can reduce the toll even further.”
August 24, 2010 - Mayor Bloomberg’s anti-smoking crusade could be coming to a city park or public beach near you, a plan plenty of people say crosses the line, reports CBS 2′s Dave Carlin. CBS 2 has learned that Mayor Bloomberg is looking at a possible smoking ban for all city parks and public beaches. The new measure would widen the current smoking ban – in bars, subways, buildings, playgrounds and other public places – to include some 29,000 acres of park land and 14 miles of beaches. (New York City - Mayor Bloomberg still mulling over smoking ban at NYC parks, beaches..)
July 7, 2010 - Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said on Tuesday, July 6th that he was leaning toward seeking a ban on smoking at city parks and beaches. See Background below on October 1, 2009 the mayor indicated he was pushing ahead to get this done.
Mr. Bloomberg said the ban made sense because it would cut the health risks of secondhand smoke and reduce littering. (New York City - Mayor Bloomberg still considering smoking ban in parks and beaches.. - Get It Done Already!!)
October 1, 2009 - The mayor initially hedged when Health Commissioner Thomas Farley proposed the ban last month, saying enforcement would be difficult. But now Mayor Bloomberg says he's pushing ahead with a controversial plan to ban smoking at city parks and beaches, after earlier saying it needed more study. (New York City - Mayor Bloomberg pushing ahead to ban smoking in city parks and beaches..)
September 14, 2009 - The city’s health commissioner, Dr. Thomas A. Farley, announced on Monday, September 14, 2009 that the Bloomberg administration would seek to ban smoking in city parks and beaches. (New York City - may ban smoking in parks and beaches...
Violators of the proposed law, which would also cover boardwalks, marinas and pedestrian plazas such as that found near Times Square, would face a quality-of-life violation carrying a fine of about $50, said Jessica Scaperotti, a spokeswoman for the mayor. The Parks Department will enforce the law, she said. Smokers may continue to light up on public sidewalks and in parking lots, she said.
The proposal must be approved by the City Council.
References: New York City Law Would Extend Smoking Ban to Public Parks and Beaches by Henry Goldman (hgoldman@bloomberg.net), Bloomberg.com, 9/15/2010; Another kick in the ash: Mayor Bloomberg to ban smoking in Times Square, city beaches by CLEMENTE LISI, New York Post, 9/15.2010.
NYC directly related:
New York City - smoking ban enforced, club fined and closed for letting patrons smoke inside..:
New York City - Mayor Bloomberg still mulling over smoking ban at NYC parks, beaches..;
New York City - Department of Health cracking down on smoking at outside areas at bars and other places....;
New York City - more on the anti-smoking signs lawsuit against Department of Health..;
New York City - Mayor Bloomberg still considering smoking ban in parks and beaches.. - Get It Done Already!!;
Big tobacco companies file lawsuit contesting NY City's anti-smoking signs..;
New York City - federal judge rejects plaintiffs attempt to stop the law that blocks the sale of flavored tobacco products..;
New York City - moving closer to closing a nighclub that flouted smoking ban..;
New York City - VIDEO: starting March 1, 2010 stores, anti-smoking signs..;
NYC Lawsuit against Online Cigarette Vendor Dismissed..;
NY City - smokers kicking the addiction and living longer than ever..;
NY City Council not backing down as US Smokeless Tobacco files lawsuit against city..;
New York City - ban on flavored tobacco products becomes law..;
New York City bans the sale of flavored tobacco products..;
New York City - Mayor Bloomberg pushing ahead to ban smoking in city parks and beaches..;
New York City - all retailers selling tobacco will be required to post warning signs..;
New York City - to ask public opinion - smoking graphic warning signs; New York City - proposed pictorial warning signs to show the sickness and suffering caused by tobacco use.;
New York City - may ban smoking in parks and beaches..;
New York City - can't sue Internet cigarette retailers for lost taxes..;
New CDC Chief Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH..;
New York City Council ban candy-flavored tobacco, smoking outside of hospitals..;
New York - city and state officials back off plans to crack down on cigarette black market..;
New York City - nonsmokers exposed to cigarette smoke..;
New York City - cigarettes more than $10- a- pack..;
NYC can move forward with reservation cigarette lawsuit..;
Michael Rubens Bloomberg - ELF Award winner 2008;
NYC sues reservation smoke shops over bootlegging..;
NYC Fights Smoking With Reality Images in Matchbooks..;
NY City Can Proceed With Lawsuits Against 10 Online Cigarette Vendors..;
NYC Warns Parents of Smoking Lawsuits...
Read more...
Louisiana - THE NATIONLeaf firms win delay of Louisiana judgment..
September 15, 2010 - Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has temporarily blocked a state court order requiring tobacco companies to pay $270 million for a smoking cessation program in Louisiana.
Scalia granted a request from the companies yesterday but said he would reconsider his order this month after hearing from Louisiana plaintiffs who won a class-action lawsuit against the cigarette-makers.
The companies lost their bid in state court to throw out the award or at least delay the payment. They want the high court to throw out the judgment against them and relieve them of having to pay out the money while the case is being appealed.
Reference: Business Briefs: THE NATIONLeaf firms win delay of Louisiana judgment, Richmond Times-Dispatch, 9/15/2010.
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Malaysia - BAT wants gradual, moderate increases in the cigarette tax..
Tak nak = Don'tr Want..
September 15, 2010 - British American Tobacco (M) Bhd (BAT) hopes the government will continue to reflect a balanced, moderate and gradual excise increase regime in the upcoming Budget 2011. BAT with a 60 per cent market share has nine billion cigarettes consumption volume per annum with 60 percent to 70 percent utilised production capacity, currently. (Malaysia - illicit cigarettes, BAT wants government to slow excise duty increases..)
In August, the National Kenaf and Tobacco Board announced that cigarette manufacturers will be taxed half-a-sen for every stick sold as cess tax, beginning Sept 1.
Illicit (illegal, contraband, black market, smuggling) cigarettes in Malaysia have increased to 37.5 percent from 14.4 percent in 2004, and very likely would continue to increase due to further tax-led wide price gap increased between legal and illegal cigarettes, he said. The government is said to incur a loss of RM2 billion each year from unpaid duties on illicit cigarettes.
(Malaysia - one out of three packets of cigarettes was smuggled.)
"And increase in prices does not reduce cigarette consumption, but provides more room for illicit activities to take place," BAT Managing Director, William Toh said.
We all await the World Health Organization's (WHO) solution to the problem of tobacco product smuggling faced by countries throughout the world.. You can not have an effective tobacco control program until the flow of illicit cigarettes can be controlled.
Citing Singapore, he said due to high level of illicit trade the Singapore government did not increase excise rate for the last five years. This resulted into revenue growth by an average of eight percent per annum between 2006 and 2008, due to reduction in illicit trade.
"Hong Kong government is another example. It did not increase excise for seven years until last year when excise was increased by 50 per cent and illicit trade grew by 127 per cent. "So, basically, price increase provides more avenue for higher illicit trading which damages the industry," he reiterated.
Reference: BAT Hopes For Moderate Tax Regime In Budget 2011, Bernama.com, 9/8/2010.
Malaysia - some related news briefs:
Malaysia - horrific graphic warnings on cigarette packs, cartons..;
Malaysia - one out of three packets of cigarettes was smuggled;
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...
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U.S. Affordable Health Care for America Act - prevention and health promotion components stay..
September 14, 2010 - Senate Rejects Johanns Amendment..
Johanns amendment, would have repealed the small business tax reporting provision from the health care bill and offset that cost by cutting a fund for preventive care and weakening the health care bill’s individual mandate.
Directly related news brief: An essential part of the Affordable Health Care Act is Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion..
You're in Charge of Your Own Health - Preventive Medicine instead of Inadequate Curative Medicine..
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Wisconsin and Oregon can keep money held in escrow from tobacco company..
September 14, 2010 - A federal judge in Virginia has ruled the U.S. government can't seize about $20,000 that a defunct tobacco maker held in trust for Wisconsin and Oregon.
Under a settlement states reached with major tobacco companies over health care expenses in the 1990s, states adopted statutes requiring companies that didn't participate in the settlement to pay into holding accounts. The accounts would cover the states' claims if they sued the companies within 25 years. (Tobacco manufacturers not part of the 1998 master settlement are still required to pay into escrow accounts held for the benefit of the states that they market their tobacco products in. The escrow money may be used to satisfy future judgments against tobacco firms that weren’t part of the original agreement.)
According to court documents, C.L.P. Inc. (of Ayden, NC) was convicted of conspiring to evade the federal cigarette excise tax and mail fraud. Last year U.S. District Judge James P. Jones allowed the government to seize $722,000 in C.L.P.'s holding accounts for the states. (NORTH CAROLINA MAN SENT TO PRISON AND BARRED FROM TOBACCO INDUSTRY, TTB Tobacco News, 10/2009)
Wisconsin and Oregon objected, and Jones ruled on Sept. 9 the federal government has no claim on those states' shares until the 25-year window closes.
Reference: Judge: Feds can't seize Wis., Ore. tobacco funds, Associated Press - Bloomberg Business Week, 9/13/2010.
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Saudi Arabia - smokers give up smoking prior to entering smoke-free holy cities of Mecca and Medina..
September 14, 2010 - The holy cities of Makkah (Mecca) and Madinah (Medina) have been declared smoking-free zones by the Saudi Health Ministry. No cigarettes are sold in those cities.
Over 600 smokers of various nationalities pledged to quit the habit while standing at the gates of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, according to Abdullah Sirouji, the head of Kafa Welfare Society, which spearheads a campaign to spread awareness about the hazards of smoking and drugs.
The society has a mobile clinic that helps smokers to abandon smoking. The clinic is a large truck which is equipped with eight beds and six chairs in addition to the X-ray and other medical equipment.
Sirouji added that more than 400,000 people visited the clinic, which started its work near the Haram from the first day of Ramadan. He explained that the society was given its location through coordination with the Makkah municipality, the traffic police and the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques Affairs.
Reference: 600 smokers take vow to kick habit at Haram gates, A1SaudiArabia.com, 9/11/2010.
Saudi Arabia - some related news briefs:
Saudi Arabia - to launch a natioinwide anti-smoking campaign..;
Saudi Arabia - campaign underway to educate the public especially targeting young people..;
Saudi Arabia - ban smoking at all airports..;
Saudi Arabia - Shoura Council to provide advice on Anti-Smoking Law..;
Saudi Arabia - number of smokers has increased..;
Hajj (Pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina) - possible healthier environment this year..;
Saudi Arabia - anti-smoking regulations approved in August 2003 not yet implemented..;
Saudi Arabia - rid country of public smoking zones..;
Saudi Arabia - bans use of cessation drugs Champix and Zyban..;
Saudi Arabia - banning sales of electronic (e) cigarettes..;
Saudi Arabia - smokers to pay higher health insurance premium..;
50 lashes for smoker on Saudia Arabian Airlines..;
Saudi court set to hear tobacco compensation case..;
Saudis to sue tobacco firms for more than $2.7 billion Ryadh, Saudi Arabia..
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