November 27, 2010 - Rep. Teodorico T. Haresco Jr., of Ang Kasangga Partylist lawmaker has called for depicting picture-based warnings on cigarette packets so as to induce people to quit the habit of smoking.
(A Short Overview of the Party-List System in the Philippines)
Haresco has proposed House Bill 3693, in which, he has pressed upon to use pictures, which depict the harsh consequences of smoking on cigarette packages. This lawmaker
stated that smokers by smoking did not harm themselves, but others as well, who inhale second-hand smoke. "Smoking causes mouth, throat and respiratory diseases, including lung cancer, the most prevalent cause of cancer-related deaths among males", said Haresco.Background: Five tobacco companies challenged the order in five different Philippine courts. Two judges issued injunction orders temporarily preventing its implementation, while a third, Judge Brigido Luna of the Parañaque Regional Trial Court, issued a final decision last September 8 in favor of the owners of La Suerte Cigar and Cigarette Factory by declaring Cabral’s (former Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral of the Department of Health (DOH)) order "null and void." The Department of Health has elevated the issue to the Supreme Court. The Department of Health has elevated the issue to the Supreme Court. (Philippines - remarks at the Asia Pacific Conference on Tobacco or Health ..)
April 7, 2010 - Philippines - DoH pushes for picture warnings on cigarette packs..
May 25, 2010 - Philippines - Department of Health wants health warnings on cigarette packs within 90 days..
June 4, 2010 - Philippines - tobacco firms claim graphic warnings on cigarette packs are illegal..
July 7, 2010 - Philippines - tobacco industry has obtained temporary relief from placing graphic warnings on cigarette packs..
August 23, 2010 - Philippines - tobacco companies don't want warnings on cigarette packs..
August 26, 2010 - Philippines - injunction regarding picture health warnings on cigarette packs nationwide..;
September 8, 2010 - Philippines - anti-smoking group files case to push for graphic warnings on cigarette packs...
October 24, 2010 - Philippines - DOH 1st victory graphic health warnings..
His recommendation is based on a new study by the Philippine Cancer Society. The study has revealed that tobacco use, has not only increased the number of cases related to lung cancer, but has also affected the health of other people in the form of passive smoking. (Philippine Cancer Society: more and more women dying of lung cancer..)
Haresco is of the view, that the approach of conveying harmful effects of smoking through textual or written warnings is not enough to curb the menace. He felt that picture-based warnings had a greater impact on the mind of smokers and non-smokers.
The proposed bill includes, conveying an anti-smoking message both through a picture-based warning and a textual warning on cigarette packs.
Fines will be imposed on manufactures for not adhering to the regulations contained in the bill. For the first offense, there will be a fine of P1 million, P5 million fine for a second violation and a fine of P20 million or imprisonment of not more than one year or both, along with cancelling business permit and license for third breach. [1 USD = 44.0500 PHP]
Reefrences: Haresco Calls for Using Pictorial Warnings on Cigarette Packages, Submitted by Jayden Roberts, TopNews.us, 11/26/2010; Solon (a lawmaker or legislator) pushes for picture-based warnings on cigarette packs, AMITA LEGASPI, GMANews.TV, 11/26/2010.
Philippines - some related news briefs:
Philippines - cigarette butts disposal is a major problem in the Philippines..;
Philippines - PMFTC Inc. urges govt to extend existing tobacco tax on products..;
Philippines - remarks at the Asia Pacific Conference on Tobacco or Health..;
Philippines - Commission on Human Rights (CHR) support placing graphic warnings on cigarette packs...;
Philippines - physicians told not to smoke and encourage their patients to quit..;
Philippines - Coloocan City smoking strictly prohibited in all public area..:
Philippines - anti-smoking group files case to push for graphic warnings on cigarette packs..;
Philippines - bill would require 75% of locally-grown tobacco in cigarettes..;
Philippines - lawmaker files bill to make cigarette-makers share in the health costs of smoking..;
Philippines - House of Representatives turns down proposal to hke tax on cigarettes by 400%..;
Philippines - PMI warehouse opens - former smokers that no longer have a voice are upset..;
Philippines - injunction regarding picture health warnings on cigarette packs nationwide..;
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...
Philippines - lawmaker proposes bill to use graphic warnings on cigarette packs..
Mekong Delta, Vietnam - the flow of smuggled cigarette from Cambodia continues..
November 27, 2010 - Though there has been a sharp decline in the flow of contraband goods from Cambodia into the Mekong Delta, cigarette smuggling remains rampant. Customs officials in An Giang and Long An provinces said smuggling of beer, wine, sugar, petrol and electronic products was sharply down because the disparity in prices is small but cigarette smuggling has worsened.
Dong Thap Province on the border is considered the smuggling hub in the delta. Recently customs officials there discovered 12 cases of smuggled goods worth VND234 million ($11,700), made up mostly of about 5,000 packs of cigarettes.
Deputy head of the Customs Department Le Van Chien said smuggling was hard to prevent because cigarettes were easily divided into small portions for many people to carry over the border. Kien Giang, the province that has been the most successful in fighting smuggling in the region, reported that this year customs officers discovered 38 cases, mostly cigarettes. Every year hundreds of thousands of packs were destroyed, it said.
Directly related news brief: Vietnam - cigarette smuggling increases from year-to-year..
The smuggling goes on with impunity because the penalties are not deterrent enough, with only small fines slapped on anyone caught smuggling.
Tran Minh Tien, deputy head of the Kien Giang Customs Department, said smugglers' tricks were becoming more and more sophisticated.
Tien said smuggled cigarette accounted for 80 percent of supply in the Mekong Delta and HCM City.
According to the Viet Nam Tobacco Association, smuggled cigarettes accounts for 20 percent of the amount consumed in Viet Nam. In some places it is much higher—70
percent in Can Tho, 46 percent in HCM City, and 41 percent in the southern provinces.
Cigarettes have been smuggled into the country since the 1980s, with volumes reaching 300 – 400 million packs a year initially. But the situation has worsened since. By 2007 it had risen to 630 million, and to 800 million last year. Officials seized and destroyed 7.3 million packs last year, or less than 1 per cent of the amount smuggled into the country, according to the association.
It is estimated that the country loses at least VND3 trillion (US$150 million) in taxes while the foreign currency drain is $200 million.
Recently the Government said it would take criminal action against anyone caught smuggling more than 1,500 packs. Those caught with less than 1,500 packs will be fined VND100 million ($5,100). —VNS
References: Smugglers find cigarettes too profitable to give up, Viet Nam News., 11/25.2010; Officials fail to stub cigarette smuggling, Viet Nam News, 9/10/2010.
Some Vietnam related news briefs:
Viet Nam - foreign tobacco firms feel the squeeze, lose business certificates..;
VietNam - number of smokers falls slightly but tobacco still kills 40,000 each year..;
Viet Nam - over million signatures obtained during an anti-smoking campaign..;
Vietnam - cigarette smuggling increases from year-to-year..;
Viet Nam - smokers, vendors think tobacco control measures are a joke..;
Viet Nam - WHO increase cigarette tax to lower smoking rate..;
Vietnam - who will enforce smoking ban to start January 1, 2010??;
Vietnam - national campaign launched calling for smoking ban..;
Third Asian Indoor Games in Vietnam smokefree..;
Viet Nam - to ban smoking and increase tax..;
PMI's Future: From Remarks by Louis C. Camilleri, Chairman and CEO-elect and Andre Calantzopoulos, Chief Operating Officer-elect after the spin-off of..; (VietNam)
Viet Nam is a member of the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (Seatca).
Read more...
Pakistan - govt revenue loss on account of tax evasion, smuggling and counterfeiting in cigarette industry..
November 27, 2010 - Government has faced a revenue loss of Rs 45 billion (524,781,341.11 USD) during the last six years on account of tax evasion, smuggling and counterfeiting in cigarette industry due to failure of government’s authorities in taking concrete steps. According to industrial data, government had to face a revenue loss of Rs 7.5 billion in the current year, Rs 6.5 billion in 2009, Rs 6 billion in 2008, Rs 5.59 billion in 2007, Rs 5.48 billion in 2006 and Rs 4.1 billion in 2005 on account of tax evasion. [1 USD = 85.7500 PKR]
On the other hand, due to counterfeiting in cigarette industry, the government had to bear a revenue loss of Rs 0.5 billion in the current fiscal year, Rs 1 billion in 2009, Rs 0.25 billion in 2008, Rs 0.24 billion in 2007, Rs 0.10 billion in 2006 and Rs 0.48 billion in 2005.
Due to smuggling, government had to swallow a bitter pill of revenue loss amounting to Rs 1.5 Billion in the current year, Rs 1.5 billion in 2009, Rs 1.22 billion in 2008, Rs 1.34 billion in 2007, Rs 1.22 billion in 2006 and Rs 1.4 billion in 2005.
Industry sources said that government has failed to take practical measures to halt tax evasion, counterfeiting and smuggling in cigarette industry, which is resulting in loss of billion of rupees to exchequer.
Reference: Tax evasion in cigarette industry reaches shocking levels, Pak Tribune, 11/25/2010.
Pakistan - related news brief:
Pakistan - will soon increase size of graphic warnings on cigarette packs..;
Pakistan - as of October 1, 2010 - cigarette packs must have 20 cigarettes or more..;
Pakistan beats India introducing - pictorial warnings on cigarette packs.. - REALLY..;
Pakistan - pictorial health warnings on cigarette packs will be enforced from June 1, 2010..;
Pakistan - govt misses deadline to implement pictorial tobacco warnings..
Pakistan - over 273 people die daily of smoking related disease..;
Pakistan - implementation of tobacco control laws difficult..;
Pakistan - February, 2010 - graphic warnings on cigarette packs..;
Pakistan National Conference Tobacco Control, October 28th..;
Pakistan - pictorial health warnings on cigarette packs and cartons soon..;
Pakistan - More, on rollback of the Statutory Regulatory Order on Designated Smoking Areas..;
Smuggled Cigarettes Give Boost To Pakistani Militants..;
Pakistan - strong tobacco control measures..;
Pakistan - Government must withdraw Statutory Regulatory Order..;
Bloomberg Grant: Tobacco Reforms in Pakistan...
Read more...
Passive smoking kills over 600,000 a year worldwide—WHO report..
November 26, 2010 - In what can be termed as a rude wake-up call to all those who consider secondhand smoke (passive smoking, shs, environmental tobacco smoke, ets, involuntary smoking. sidestream smoke) merely an annoyance, a new study claims that it is a serious health threat that claims thousands of lives every year worldwide.
An international study by the World Health Organization (WHO), which analyzed data from 192 countries, estimates that in 2004 passive smoking was responsible for the demise of over 600,000 people, including 165,000 children.
PAPER: Worldwide burden of disease from exposure to second-hand smoke: a retrospective analysis of data from 192 countries, Mattias Öberg PhD, Prof Maritta S Jaakkola PhD , Prof Alistair Woodward PhD , Armando Peruga DrPH , Dr Annette Prüss-Ustün PhD, The Lancet, Early Online Publication, 11/26/2010, Summary..
Co-author of the study, Professor Alistair Woodward from the University of Auckland stated, "The 1.2 billion smokers around the world are not only putting themselves at risk; they are harming the health of billions of non-smokers, and it is children who suffer most.”
The report found that exposure to secondhand smoke led to nearly 379,000 deaths from ischaemic heart disease, 165,000 from lower respiratory infections, 36,900 from asthma, and 21,400 from lung cancer.
The kids are hit the hardest because they are more exposed to passive smoking than any other age group. Nearly 43,375 child deaths were attributed to passive smoking across African countries, as opposed to 9,514 deaths in adults. 
Children & second–hand smoke..
June 24, 2010 - Woman exposed to secondhand smoke as a child dying of COPD..
However, in developed countries such as Europe, only 71 children died because of secondhand smoke, while 35,388 deaths occurred in adults.
Lead author of the study, Dr Annette Pruss-Ustun from the WHO in Geneva, Switzerland stated, "Exposure to second-hand smoke is still one of the most common indoor pollutants worldwide. "On the basis of the proportions of second-hand smoke exposure, as many as 40% of children, 35% of women and 33% of men are regularly exposed to second-hand smoke indoors. "We have estimated that second-hand smoke caused 603,000 deaths worldwide in 2004, corresponding to 1% of all deaths. "These deaths should be added to the estimated 5.1 million deaths attributable to active smoking to obtain the full effect of both passive and active smoking. "Smoking, therefore, was responsible for more than 5.7 million deaths every year in 2004."
Experts theorize that prohibition of smoking in public places could dramatically reduce health care costs and cut passive smoking mortality. However, presently only 7.4 percent of the world's population lives in countries where lighting up is banned in public spaces. Even in such countries, where measures to convey the harmful impact of smoking are adopted, the laws are not always rigid. Research has indicated that enforcement of anti-smoking laws reduces the exposure to secondhand smoke in places such as bars and restaurants by 90 percent. In addition, such regulations can lower tobacco consumption and also help people quit smoking.
Pruss-Ustun stated, "Policy-makers should bear in mind that enforcing complete smoke-free laws will probably substantially reduce the number of deaths attributable to exposure to second-hand smoke within the first year of its implementation, with accompanying reduction in costs of illness in social and health systems.”
The study was sponsored by the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare and Bloomberg Philanthropies.
December 10, 2009 - WHO - 600,000 non-smokers die each year as a result of secondhand smoke..
Reference: Passive smoking kills over 600,000 a year worldwide—WHO report by Neka Sehgal, 11/26/2010.
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Fellow quit smoking cold turkey to win a turkey..
November 26, 2010 - City of Rome Georgia – Floyd County GA.. If all goes as planned, Steve Hulsey and his family will be giving thanks today for his eighth day in a row without a cigarette. The Floyd County utilities administrator quit smoking Nov. 18, spurred by the free turkey the county was offering employees who participated in the 
American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout.
“I went cold turkey to win a turkey,” Hulsey said Wednesday, chewing rhythmically on a slim plastic stir-straw. Of the 11 employees who won turkeys by going without a cigarette for 24 hours,
Hulsey and his water department clerk Ellen Harrison are among the six who opted to continue their battles against the lure of nicotine, according to county wellness coordinator Sandy McCollum. “I was really encouraged,” McCollum said. “They have turkeys for Thanksgiving and, hopefully, a Thanksgiving without all that smoke.”
County employees who smoke will pay a $20 surcharge every two-week pay period for their medical benefits beginning July 1. The fee offsets what would have been an even higher hike in premiums than the nearly 30 percent that kicked in Oct. 1 — but officials wanted to give workers a chance to quit before imposing it. Employees also get a $400 discount for participating in the wellness program.
McCollum said the wide-ranging program offers periodic four-week smoking cessation classes and will pay for the first month of withdrawal aids such as Nicorette nicotine lozenges. “We’re doing several things to help our smokers quit, to help them get healthy,” she said. “Not only are we concerned about employees’ health in general, but smoking drives up insurance claims.”
A U.S. Surgeon General report says the carbon monoxide level in a smoker’s blood drops to normal 12 hours after quitting, and the excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker’s within a year. What happens after you quit smoking? The benefits of quitting smoking timeline:
TobaccoWatch.org - Maybe it's time to re-examine the various approaches in the treatment of nicotine addiction. It has been known for a while that nicotine may be a cancer promoter. Nicotine inhibits the bodies defense mechanism for destroying abnormal cells such as cancer cells thus contributing to the growth of an existing cancer. (Nicotine-mediated inhibition of apoptosis may contribute to the pathogenesis of tobacco-related cancer as well as decrease the efficacy of cancer therapies, Wright, S. C. et al., FASEB J. 7: 1045-1051; 1993.) Recently a study has found that nicotine itself maybe one of the chemicals in cigarettes that can trigger the development of breast cancer. (PAPER: Nicotine in cigarettes linked to breast cancer..) Why introduce another foreign substance into your body like nicotine (e.g., like found in nicotine replacement therapies) when it is not absolutely necessary??
Reference: Incentive program led some employees to give up smoking for Thanksgiving by Diane Wagner, Rome News Tribune, 11/24/2010.
Read more...
Poland - smoking habits revealed - GATS..
November 25, 2010 - Every third adult man and every fifth woman smokes in Poland, according to findings from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey Poland (GATS) published by the Ministry of Health and conducted under the auspices of the World Health Organization.
On September 23, 2010 the Government of Poland released the results of the first-ever Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) to be carried out in that country.
Altogether, 27 percent of the population over 18 years of age (8.7 million people) smoke on a daily basis, according to daily Puls Biznesu which quotes the results. When occasional smokers are included the figure is bigger by a million. Smokers spend an average of zł.208.5 a month on factory-produced cigarettes, generating zł.20 billion in tax revenues for the Treasury.
The authors of the report also show, however, that the medical treatment of chronic lung diseases, asthma, heart conditions and lung cancer which result from smoking may cost Poland up to zł.200 billion in the next 20 years, while the costs of medical care provided to passive smokers may reach zł.22 billion in the same period.
(1.00 Poland Zlotych = 0.335473 USD)
On top of that, the economy loses billions of złoty owing to workers' premature deaths resulting from smoking.
PMI - Poland - Country Overview.
Reference: Poles' smoking habits revealed, Warsaw Business Journal (WBJ), 11/23/2010.
Poland - related news briefs:
Poland - on November 15, 2010 will implement smoking ban in public places..;
Poland - even non-smokers oppose smoking ban in eateries..;
Poland - proposed cigarette tax higher than tobacco companies expected..;
VIDEO - Poland is frontline in EU battle with tobacco smugglers..;
Poland - attempt to introduce smoking ban in public places fails..;
Poland - lower house weakens smoking ban..;
Poland - disappointment , full parliament sends smoking ban bill back to committee to weaken bill..;
Poland - pubs and restaurants fear bankruptcy if smoking ban becomes law..;
Poland - lower house of parliament (Sejm) will vote Friday, February 12th on smoking ban..;
Poland - son suing Philip Morris Polska and Zakłady Przemysłu Tytoniowego over death of his mother..;
Poland to ban smoking in indoor public places, in passenger cars if children present and prohibit display of cigarettes..;
Read more...
Uruguay - Supreme Court dismissed a constitutional challenge by PMI..
Uruguay was first South American
country to ban closed public smoking..
November 25, 2010 - Uruguay's Supreme Court on Friday, November 19th dismissed a constitutional challenge brought by tobacco giant Philip Morris International (PMI) that disputes the tiny South American country's anti-tobacco laws. "The complaint of unconstitutionality is unanimously rejected," the court said in its decision on Uruguay's restrictions on smoking and tobacco products, the first of their kind in Latin America, introduced in March 2006.
It is ‘an essential duty of the state… to adopt all measures it considers necessary to maintain the collective health [of its citizens],’ said the court.
According to official data, the smoking population in Uruguay has dropped from 32 percent in 2006 to 25 percent this year. One study showed the number of heart attacks has fallen by 17 percent in the same period.Background:
References: PMI fails in Uruguay challenge, Tobacco Reporter, 11/25/2010; Uruguay court dismisses Philip Morris tobacco challenge, AFP, 11/20/2010.
Uruguay - PMI believes reports on cases misleading and omit important facts...
November 17, 2010 - Mayor Bloomberg made the donation to help Uruguay's anti-smoking groups fend off lawsuits brought on by the massive tobacco corporations. He said his money "will assist Uruguayan government officials by providing legal research and expertise, launching public education mass media campaigns, and galvanizing world support and public opinion." New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg gives $500,000 to defend anti-smoking laws in Uruguay..;
November 15-20, 2010 - The fourth session of the Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) is being held at the conference centre of the Conrad Hotel in Punta del Este, Uruguay. The President Jose Mujica spoke at the opening of a summit and described described Uruguay as a "laboratory of confrontation" with Big Tobacco. Philip Morris International Inc. is pursuing a claim before World Bank arbitrators alleging that Uruguay is violating its trade agreement with Switzerland by requiring that anti-smoking warnings cover 80 percent of cigarette packages. (Uruguay - WHO FCTC meeting of the parties, Nov. 15th - Nov. 20th..)
Earlier this year PMI filed for arbitration at the World Bank's international centre for settlement of investment disputes (ICSID), claiming the restrictions hurt its business and violated Uruguay's trade deal with Switzerland. (Uruguay - has promised to water down anti-smoking laws after pressure from the tobacco giant Philip Morris International)
Independent summary of PMI's claims: Uruguay: Philip Morris files first-known investment treaty claim against tobacco regulations by Luke Eric Peterson, 3/3/2010.
More: Part Three: Uruguay vs. Philip Morris Tobacco Giant Wages Legal Fight over South America’s Toughest Smoking Controls..
Euromonitor: Tobacco in Uruguay..
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Massachusetts Hospital Association - as of January 1, 2011 will no longer hire users of tobacco products..
Massachusetts Hospital Association (MHA), a not-for-profit organization, that announced this month (November 2010) that it will no longer hire individuals who use tobacco products.
"MHA and its members hospitals have long been committed to initiatives that promote the health and welfare of our patients and communities. The negative impact of tobacco use on health is well documented. In Massachusetts alone, smoking is the leading cause of preventable death and disease," they said in a statement on their website.
The move could set a precedent for hospitals -- an other organizations -- nationwide. And Lynn Nicholas, the CEO of the Association, which consists of more than 100 of hospitals in the state, wanted it that way. She decided to take the ban public as a way to raise awareness about the tobacco use, the number one cause of preventable death in the United States.
The hiring ban makes sense for a hospital, whose employees are meant to care for sick and serve, at least in some capacity, as role models for healthy living. In addition, not hiring tobacco users is a savvy way to reduce healthcare costs.
Smokers are not a protected class of workers, so the ban doesn't violate federal law. Police and fire departments in the state stopped hiring smokers in 1997 as part of a change in their pension system. But while MA state law permits the ban, 29 states do have laws discriminating against hiring smokers.
The ban will go into effect on January 1, 2011, and will not effect current employees. It builds on their existing policy of having a completely tobacco-free workplace, and is part of a broader movement to curb tobacco use throughout Massachusetts hospitals.
Going beyond a simple "no smoking" policy in the workplace, the hiring ban is not meant to dictate what employees do with their free time, but rather, what type of workplace they foster. According to MHA's website, "it is important for MHA to walk the walk and talk the talk in terms of a healthy work environment, given that our members are healthcare providers and leaders."
Other hospitals around the country have also decided against hiring tobacco users. Memorial Hospital in Tennessee recently decided not to hire smokers to set an example in the community. In Ohio, the Cleveland Clinic and Summa Health Systems have a tobacco-free hiring policies. In 2005, the World Health Organization decided to stop hiring smokers.
Reference: Massachusetts Hospital Association: Tobacco Users Need Not Apply by Brie Cadman, health.change.org, 11/09/2010.
Massachusetts - some related news briefs:
Cambridge, MA city counsel studying proposal to ban smoking in public parks..;
Boston Area - tobacco signs more plentiful in city's poorer areas..
Lorillard claims not liable in a 2004 lawsuit by a former black Newport smoker..;
Boston, Massachusetts - next, ban smoking in all public housing..;
Boston, MA. - gets federal stimulus funding for obesity and tobacco prevention projects..;
Massachusetts - senate votes to license 3-totally no-smoking casinos..;
Massachusetts - City of Everett to ban tobacco sales in pharmacies..;
Massachusetts - may force retailers to display graphic warning signs of perils of tobacco..;
Massachusetts - jury rejects condo owner's lawsuit that realtor did not inform that neighbor smoked..;
Massachusetts - YOUTH - cigars and smokeless tobacco use surpasses cigarettes..;
Successful Massachusetts tobacco cessation program gets national attention..;
Massachusettes - lower income smokers giving up their nicotine addiction..;
Massachusettes - smoker loses job and then loses in federal court..;
Massachusetts - smokeless tobacco purchasers settle class action suit..;
Boston's ban on blunt wraps stands..;
Boston - NO Tobacco Products Sold - Pharmacies/College Campuses..;
Massachusetts cigarette tax jumps $1 per pack..;
Massachusetts (MA) Likely to Increase Tobacco tax..;
Massachusettes - Smoking ban drop in fatal heart attacks..;
Read more...
Star Scientific - date for oral arguments in patent infringement lawsuit set..
November 24, 2010 - In October 2010 Star Scientific Inc. said the U.S. government would consider reopening an examination of two of the company's patents. (US Patent & Trademark Office revoked/ “vacated” its prior notice to terminate Star Scientific's patent, pertinent in their dispute with RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company.)
(Star Scientific - U.S. patent Patent and Trademark Office To Consider Reopening Patent Examination..)
Star Scientific announced today, November 23rd that oral argument of its appeal has been docketed for January 11, 2011 by the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Star has appealed the June, 2009 verdict that resulted from the jury trial of its patent infringement lawsuit against RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company in the US District Court for Maryland, and is being represented by Carter Phillips, Esquire, of the law firm Sidley Austin LLP.
A three-judge panel will review the parties' written briefs and hear oral arguments, and will issue its ruling on the appeal thereafter. The company looks forward to this opportunity and continues to believe that it ultimately will be successful in the judicial process.
Reference: Date for Oral Argument Docketed in US Federal Circuit Court of Appeals in Star Scientific Patent Infringement Lawsuit Against RJ Reynolds, SOURCE Star Scientific, phx.corporate-ir.net, 11/23/2010.
Some related Star Scientific news briefs:
Star Scientific - U.S. patent Patent and Trademark Office To Consider Reopening Patent Examination..;
Star Scientific asks FDA to certify Ariva-BDL lozenges as less harmful than traditional forms of tobacco..;
Star Scientific - Star Scientific q1 2010 financial report..;
Star Scientific - continue incurring losses on its smokeless-tobacco products..;
Star Scientific asks FDA to certify lozenge less harmful..;
Star Scientific denied new trial in patent infringement - files appeal..;
Star Scientific - NASDAQ trading symbol changed to CIGX..;
Star Scientific - new product (in 2010) to help adult smokers maintain a nicotine-free metabolism..;
Star Scientific - will use its low-nitrosamine tobacco curing process to formulate smokeless tobacco dissolvable smokeless products..
Star Scientific - q2 2009 report..;
Star Scientific - Filing patent for zero-nitrosamine tobacco curing process..;
Star Scientific - 2008 annual report/Stonewall vs other OTC NRTs..;
Star Scientific Corporate Study Stonewall Lozenge in NRT..;
Star Scientific Files Third Quarter Financial Report..;
Star Scientific wants to augment sales of their tobacco lozenges..;
Star Scientific , second quarter 2008, sales down 23.6%..;
Star Scientific Applauds Recent State Legislation - Banning Smoking in Cars with Children..
Read more...
Smokers reacting violently when asked not to smoke..
November 24, 2010 - Philadelphia police arrested a man for allegedly assaulting a Philadelphia cab driver Saturday morning. The 53-year-old driver picked up 21-year-old Justin Niezporowicz of Port Richmond on the 200 block of Brown Street around 1:50 a.m.
As he was driving, he noticed that Niezporowicz was smoking and told him to put it out. That’s when Niezporowicz allegedly extinguished his cigarette on the cab driver’s face. Police then say that the suspect got out of the vehicle and punched the cab driver. When the driver tried to run away, he fell and struck his head on a fire hydrant. Niezporowicz then continued to hit the driver as he was on the ground, according to authorities.
The unidentified cab driver was taken to Hahnemann Hospital. There is currently no word on his condition. Niezporowicz is charged with aggravated assault, simple assault and other related charges, police said.
Reference: Man Attacks Cab Driver With Cigarette: Police by DAVID CHANG, NBCPhiladelphia.com, 11/22/2010.
OMAHA, NEBRASKA - Police jailed a Nebraska man Monday, November 22 after he turned fighting mad at a restaurant, after employees asked him to put out his cigarette. Omaha police say Earl Davis, 31, was so beaten down by the request, he broke tables, chairs and big-screen TVs. Officers say he was still damaging property when they arrived, and they had to Taser him to calm him down. Davis was taken to a hospital to be checked out, and was then arrested on charges of felony destruction, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. (Copyright 2010 by VERTEXNews/Newsroom Solutions)
Reference: Man Goes Crazy After Asked to Stop Smoking, WeAreCentralPA.com, 11/22/2010.
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GCC States - maybe total ban on e-cigarettes..
November 24, 2010 - Back on August 21, 2009 the Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) Municipality said that it will recommend a ban on electronic cigarettes, as tests carried out by the municipality have found the electronic device to be a health hazard which contains carcinogens and toxic materials. 'There is general agreement in the GCC Tobacco Control Committee that e-cigarettes should not be circulated in the [Gulf] market as therapy,' Dr Wedad Al Maidoor, head of Tobacco Control Team at the MoH has said. (Dubai to push e-cigarette ban, AMEInfo.com, 8/19/2009) (Dubai, UAE customs blocks e-cigarette shipment..)
GCC states (Gulf Cooperation Council includes: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and the Sultanate of Oman) and other Middle Eastern and African countries.
Now following the UAE example, a number of GCC countries are considering a ban on the electronic cigarette citing health concerns. Health officials have warned that the smokeless stick that burns up to provide a kick to smokers is as harmful to health as the tobacco-filled cigarette.
E-cigarettes - scientists want more safety studies before use..;
Electronic cigarettes - study finds not an effective nicotine delivery system..;
Health Canada warns against 'e-cigarettes'..;
E-cigarettes - a device for delivery of variable amounts of vaporized nicotine...
Click to enlarge..
The e-cigarette is a battery-powered device that provides inhaled doses of nicotine or non-nicotine vaporised solution as an alternative to smoked tobacco products. The e-cigarette was banned in the UAE two years ago though in some GCC countries, it is available on prescription, said Dr Wedad Maidoor, Head of the Tobacco Control Committee at the health ministry.
The US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) laboratory analysis of electronic cigarette samples had found that they contain carcinogens and toxic chemicals such as diethylene glycol, an ingredient used in antifreeze. (FDA: Electronic cigarettes contain toxic chemicals..)
“There is no scientific paper to prove that the e-cigarette is any less harmful to health,” she said after the decision was taken during a recently held meeting of the Gulf Committee for Tobacco Control in Riyadh. She also said that a sample test of the e-cigarettes by Dubai Municipality had found them to contain ingredients harmful to health.
“In Bahrain, the e-cigarette is available on prescription but we are trying to push for total ban,” she added.
A unified tobacco control law across the GCC countries is also being drafted. The first draft of the Model Law on Tobacco Control, which is prepared by the regional office of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Kuwait was also presented at the at the meeting.
Reference: More GCC countries plan ban on smokeless puff, Asma Ali Zain (asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com), KhaleejTimes.com, 11/21/2010.
(electronic)
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Uruguay - PMI believes reports on cases misleading and omit important facts..
November 23, 2010 - Philip Morris International (PMI) responded today, November 20th to comments reported in the media concerning a Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) claim filed by PMI's affiliates against the government of Uruguay. Many of these reports are misleading and omit important facts about tobacco regulations in Uruguay and our lawsuit.
Background: November 17, 2010 - Mayor Bloomberg made the donation to help Uruguay's anti-smoking groups fend off lawsuits brought on by the massive tobacco corporations. He said his money "will assist Uruguayan government officials by providing legal research and expertise, launching public education mass media campaigns, and galvanizing world support and public opinion." New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg gives $500,000 to defend anti-smoking laws in Uruguay..;PMI is not seeking to prevent the government from protecting the health of its citizens. The regulations we are challenging are extreme and ineffective measures that have created an environment conducive to the black market in cigarettes. According to the Tobacco Atlas 2009, Uruguay already has the fourth highest incidence of contraband cigarettes in the world. Recent studies confirm that consumption of contraband cigarettes is equivalent to over 25% of all cigarettes sold in Uruguay.
November 15-20, 2010 - The fourth session of the Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) is being held at the conference centre of the Conrad Hotel in Punta del Este, Uruguay. The President Jose Mujica spoke at the opening of a summit and described described Uruguay as a "laboratory of confrontation" with Big Tobacco. Philip Morris International Inc. is pursuing a claim before World Bank arbitrators alleging that Uruguay is violating its trade agreement with Switzerland by requiring that anti-smoking warnings cover 80 percent of cigarette packages. (Uruguay - WHO FCTC meeting of the parties, Nov. 15th - Nov. 20th..)
Earlier this year PMI filed for arbitration at the World Bank's international centre for settlement of investment disputes (ICSID), claiming the restrictions hurt its business and violated Uruguay's trade deal with Switzerland. (Uruguay - has promised to water down anti-smoking laws after pressure from the tobacco giant Philip Morris International)
Independent summary of PMI's claims: Uruguay: Philip Morris files first-known investment treaty claim against tobacco regulations by Luke Eric Peterson, 3/3/2010.
More: Part Three: Uruguay vs. Philip Morris Tobacco Giant Wages Legal Fight over South America’s Toughest Smoking Controls..
Euromonitor: Tobacco in Uruguay..
One example of these extreme and ineffective regulations is the 2009 ordinance that forced companies to withdraw all but one pack variation per cigarette brand. PMI complied pulling 7 out of 12 brand varieties from the market, including Marlboro variants representing 40% of Marlboro sales. On the other hand, the local Uruguayan tobacco company with 77% market share merely renamed its existing brand variants, keeping all of its packs on the market. The government has done nothing to enforce the law against the local company which has evaded it, while PMI, which has complied fully, has suffered substantial damages resulting from the removal of many of our well known international brands.
Commenting on the case, Even Hurwitz, Senior Vice President Corporate Affairs, PMI said, "Our lawsuit is not a question of public health versus business. We are challenging regulations which are not fairly applied to all companies, add further fuel to Uruguay's huge black market in cigarettes and have not even been shown to reduce smoking prevalence."
Contrary to some media reports PMI is not seeking and did not file lawsuits to overturn public place smoking restrictions, lift advertising restrictions, prevent all graphic warnings on cigarette packs or reverse bans on descriptors such as "milds" or "lights".
Reference: Philip Morris International Responds to Blatant Mischaracterization of Uruguayan Lawsuit, SOURCE: Philip Morris International, 11/20/2010.
(Uruguayan) Read more...
Saudi Arabia - More than 500 pilgrims quit smoking during the current Haj season..
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November 23, 2010 - Makkah (Mecca) and Madinah (Medina have both been declared no-smoking zones by the Ministry of Health and shops there are prohibited from selling cigarettes. During the current Haj season, the ministry intensified its campaign on making the holy cities completely tobacco-free. The ministry has set up six anti-smoking clinics in Makkah as part of the campaign. The clinics are open to male and female smokers and services are offered free of charge.November 4, 2010 - Saudi Arabia - Haj pilgrims flock to the Kingdom, anti-smoking effort intensified this year..; September 11, 2010 - Saudi Arabia - smokers give up smoking prior to entering smoke-free holy cities of Mecca and Medina..;
More than 500 pilgrims quit smoking during the current Haj season thanks to the efforts of a voluntary anti-smoking society called, Kafa (Enough).
November 5, 2009 - Hajj (Pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina) - possible healthier environment this year..
Hundreds of pilgrims of various nationalities visited Kafa’s mobile clinic, the largest of its kind, stationed closed to the Grand Mosque, said Ibrahim Al-Hamda, the society’s director.
“The clinic cost an estimated SR1 million. It is located in a large bus, equipped with all the required medical instruments and facilities needed for smokers to quit. There are two sections in the clinic. The first is for receiving pilgrims who want treatment to quit,” he said.
He added that the clinic can provide treatment to four people at a time while another four people wait in the waiting area.
“The clinic has been implementing a special program for Haj targeting pilgrims who smoke. We started implementing the program in two phases from the beginning of Dul Hijjah. The first phase is focused on implementing field awareness programs around the courtyards of the Grand Mosque,” he said.
Reference: Enough! No more smoking by BADEA ABU AL-NAJA, ARAB NEWS, 11/20/2010.
Saudi Arabia - some related news briefs:
Saudi Arabia - starting to enforce smoking ban..;
Saudi Arabia - to launch a nationwide 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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United Kingdom - govt wants cigarette packaging in plain brown wrappers..
Our Children Our Future
November 23, 2010 - Early this month we learned that the United Kingdom govt will weaken the cigarette point-of-sale display ban. The reason given was that Conservative/Liberal Democrat ministers accepted that it could harm small businesses and encourage black-market sales of cigarettes. United Kingdom - Disappointment - cigarette point-of-sale display ban will be weakened..
Now we find that the government is considering forcing tobacco companies to package their cigarettes in plain brown wrappers in a bid to de-glamorise smoking and stop young people taking up the habit. The health secretary, Andrew Lansley, is investigating the viability of introducing what would be one of the most radical public health measures ever implemented in the UK. Senior doctors welcomed the potential ban on colours and logos on packets and said it could prove as effective as the 2007 public smoking ban. However, ministers are likely to face a legal challenge if they go ahead.
"We have to try new approaches and take decisions to benefit the population. That's why I want to look at the idea of plain packaging," said Lansley. "The evidence is clear that packaging helps to recruit smokers, so it makes sense to consider having less attractive packaging. It's wrong that children are being attracted to smoke by glitzy designs on packets."
Lansley stressed that the need to prevent children from starting to smoke in the first place was his main motivation for taking seriously a policy which the tobacco industry fears would be hugely damaging. "We would prefer it if people did not smoke, and adults will still be able to buy cigarettes [even if plain packs come in], but children should be protected from the start," he said.
The health secretary indicated that some further restrictions on smoking are likely. They could be unveiled in his white paper on public health, which is due within days. "The levels of poor health and deaths from smoking are still far too high, and the cost to the NHS and the economy is vast. That money could be used to educate our children and treat cancer," said Lansley.
His readiness to countenance such draconian action against cigarette manufacturers drew praise and delight from leading medical organisations. "We are very pleased that the health secretary supports the plain packaging of cigarettes. There is clear evidence that young people find packaging appealing," said a spokesman for the British Medical Association. "And we know that the tobacco industry spends huge amounts on this clever marketing to enhance their brands and increase sales."
Australia is set to become the first country in the world to introduce plain packs in 2012, although tobacco manufacturers have mounted legal action to try to stop the measure. The European Union is considering a ban. (Australia - world set to follow Australian tobacco policy..)
Lansley's move is a surprise. The Conservatives opposed plain packets when Gordon Brown's Labour administration undertook a consultation on the idea. But this fresh examination may help to allay fears among medical chiefs at the direction of the coalition's public health policies after, for example, Lansley criticised Jamie Oliver's campaign to improve school lunches in England.
Reference: Cigarettes 'to be sold in plain brown packs' Tobacco companies may be forced to use unglamorous packaging in bid to stop children being attracted to smoking, Denis Campbell, health correspondent, Guardian.co.uk, 11/20/2010.
Related news briefs:
Scotland - plain cigarette packaging - may take the lead in tobacco control..;
United Kingdom - cigarette makers oppose plain packaging..;
United Kingdom - halve the number of smokers by end of decade..;
United Kingdom - govt cabinet business secretary has reservations about new anti-smoking strategy..;
United Kingdom - aggressive anti-smoking campaign to protect children..;
In Process: UK - Plain tobacco packaging still on agenda..;
UK - Richard Branson makes high-profile plea for tobacco control measures to protect children..;
UK - House of Lords -debate on tobacco plain packaging..;
a href="http://snus-news.blogspot.com/2009/08/england-house-of-lords-votes-to-ban.html">England, House of Lords votes to ban shop tobacco displays and restrict vending machine use..;
United Kingdom to consider plain tobacco product packaging..;
UK Planned Curbs On Smoking to be Axed..;
WHO FCTC Durbin Meeting (Nov 17-22, 2008) - Generic Cigarette Packaging Proposal..;
British considering banning logos on cigarette packs, other measures..;
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Australians - most still quit smoking unassisted..
November 22, 2010 - Going ‘cold turkey’ – stopping smoking immediately and without product assistance – is still the most popular way of quitting among Australians, especially younger Australians.
A new survey from the Cancer Institute NSW of more than 1000 recent quitters will be presented today (Oct 8) to an international conference (Asia Pacific Conference on Tobacco or Health) in Sydney. The survey shows:
* Most Australians quit ‘cold turkey’ or by cutting down then quitting, reporting that these methods were helpful.
* ‘Cold turkey’ is by far the most popular method, 69% using it alone or with other methods.
* Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), and ‘cutting down then quitting’, are the next most popular, with 29% each.
* Younger quitters are more likely to stop smoking unassisted than older quitters.
* Older or less educated quitters are more likely to use assisted methods such as prescribed medication or general practitioner advice.
Lead author of the study, Dr Wai Tak (Arthur) Hung, said: “Our survey suggests that efforts to reduce the overall smoking rate in the Australian community can be best served by continuing to motivate smokers to quit through anti-tobacco mass media campaigns and to support smokers choosing ‘cold turkey’ and ‘cut down then quit’ approaches.
“We should also continue to assess the effectiveness and accessibility of other methods, to ensure a diversity of needs are met, such as smokers of disadvantaged backgrounds or those that prefer assisted methods.”
The Australian government is aiming to reduce the smoking rate by continuing to motivating smokers to quit smoking through mass multi-media campaigns. They also plan to put in place strategies to help smokers quitting ‘cold-turkey’ and who cut down before quitting, helping people to successfully kick the habit for good.
The findings from the research were presented at the Asia Pacific Conference on Tobacco or Health 2010, which was held in Sydney.
TobaccoWatch.org - Maybe it's time to re-examine the various approaches in the treatment of nicotine addiction. It has been known for a while that nicotine may be a cancer promoter. Nicotine inhibits the bodies defense mechanism for destroying abnormal cells such as cancer cells thus contributing to the growth of an existing cancer. (Nicotine-mediated inhibition of apoptosis may contribute to the pathogenesis of tobacco-related cancer as well as decrease the efficacy of cancer therapies, Wright, S. C. et al., FASEB J. 7: 1045-1051; 1993.) Recently, a study has found that nicotine itself maybe one of the chemicals in cigarettes that can trigger the development of breast cancer. (PAPER: Nicotine in cigarettes linked to breast cancer..) Why introduce another foreign substance into your body like nicotine (e.g., like found in nicotine replacement therapies (NRT)) when it is not absolutely necessary??
References: Cold Turkey is Most Popular Way to Quit Smoking, EuroClinix.net, 10/18.2010; Most Australians still quit smoking unassisted - Study confirms preference for ‘cold turkey’, Cancer Council Australia, 10/8/2010 (This page was last updated on : Friday, 26 November 2010).
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Turks spend 94.2 billion liras on cigarettes in 5 years..
November 22, 2010 - Turkish citizens have spent 94.2 billion (64.8 billion USD) Turkish Liras on cigarettes since 2006, according to the Ministry of Finance and the Tobacco and Alcohol Market Regulatory Agency, or TAPDK. [1 Turkish Lira = 0.687446 USD]
October 8, 2010 - Turkey - Cigarette consumption drops by 16 percent but increase in youth smoking..
The central budget and the country’s Social Security Institution, or SGK, spent 156.3 billion liras (107.5 billion USD) public over the same period, Anatolia news agency reported.
Turks smoked more that 3.05 billion packages of cigarettes in the first eight months of this year, spending 15.69 billion liras purchasing them, the official data said.
Annual cigarette smoking will exceed 4.58 billion packs in 2010 if consumption continues in a linear fashion in the final four months of the year, the agency said.
The money spent on cigarettes this year is projected to hit 23.53 billion liras, it said.
Reference: Turks spend 94.2 billion liras on cigarettes in 5 years, ANKARA - Anatolia News Agency, HurriyetDailyNews, 11/22/2010.
(TurkeY)
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Bulgaria - changes to tobacco taxes..
November 22, 2010 - from the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria - changes in the tobacco taxes..
Cigarettes longer than eight centimeters, without the filter, will be subject to double excise duty. This is stipulated with the amendments passed on second reading to the Excise Duty and Tax Warehouse Act. The excise duty for each cigarette longer than eight centimeters, without the filter and mouthpiece, but less than 11 cm will equal the one for two cigarettes. Currently this has applied to cigarettes longer than 9 cm up to 18 cm.
The amendments increase also the price of plain tobacco, which will be taxed the same as fine cut tobacco. This will be done by expanding the definition of fine-cut tobacco - for such will now be considered tobacco, in which the tobacco particles have a cut width of less than 1.5 mm, currently being - less than 1 millimeter.
In brief, the adopted change to the tobacco excise duty ups the price of tobacco from the present BGN 100 (69.57 USD) to BGN 130 (90.45 USD) per kilogram. The law prescribes the price to rise to BGN 152 (105.69 USD) per kilogram as of January 1, 2012.
The government's motive for the increase is that it would equalize the tax burden for this product with the excise duty for manufactured cigarettes. Following its last year's increase, cut tobacco turned out to be much cheaper than manufactured cigarettes and its consumption increased over 200 times, according to data from the Finance Ministry.
References: Tax changes, National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria, 11/17/2010; Bulgarian Parliament to Vote Changes in Tax Laws, Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency), 11/17/2010.
Bulgaria - related news briefs:
Greece/Bulgaria - governments opposed to WHO's attempt to ban blended tobacco..;
Bulgaria - tobacco companies back effort to reduce illicit cigarette trade.;
Bulgaria - Mayor of Town of Kyustendil - non-smokers should pay less for health insurance..;
Bulgaria - smoking ban beginning January 1, 2011 - do they know which smoking ban applies??;
Bulgaria - Director of the Customs Agency announced Bulgaria ranks 1st in Europe in seizure of contraband cigarettes..;
Bulgaria - smoking rate down, knowledge of dangers of tobacco use gaining..;
Bulgaria - another tobacco tax increase in the draft 2011 budget..;
Bulgaria - confusion over which public smoking ban is in force..;
Bulgaria - WHO upset with Bulgaria's weakened smoking ban..;
Bulgaria - weakened smoking ban, just added minors can't be in disco clubs after 10pm..;
Bulgaria - final vote delayed on weakened smoking ban..;
Bulgaria - weakened smoking ban, second reading..;
Bulgaria - commission tightens smoking ban a little..;
Bulgaria - Bulgartabac buyer may be chosen by end of year..;
Bulgaria - prime minister not happy with giving tobacco growers subsidies..;
Bulgaria - to loosen smoking ban to start June 1, 2010..;
Bulgaria - finance minister comments may be good news for tobacco farmers..;
Bulgaria - parliament debates proposal to water down smoking ban..;
Bulgaria - majority of all Bulgarians - 78% are against the smoking ban delay..;
Bulgaria - every increase in excise duty on cigarettes consumption goes down..;
Bulgaria - grace period over, increase in tobacco tax starts Thursday, April 1, 2010..;
Bulgaria - Italian authorities arrest 2-Bulgarians smuggling cigarettes..;
Bulgaria - tractor trailer loaded with contraband cigarettes seized in Ancona, Italy..;
Bulgaria - cigarette consumption down, cigarette tax collection up, seeking funds for technology to intercept contraband goods..;
Bulgaria - justifying why smoking ban won't go into effect on June 1, 2010..;
Bulgaria - Citigroup chosen as consultant for sale of Bulgartabac..;
Bulgaria - ruling party may delay smoking ban until 2011..;
Bulgaria - Finance Minister Djankov, "Less Smoking Is Good for Economy..";
Bulgaria - govt to weaken full smoking ban to be effective June 1, 2010..;
Bulgaria - do producers support contraband cigarettes??;
Bulgaria - sale of Bulgartabac coming - selection of a consultant..;
Greek Farmers Renew Bulgaria Border Blockade..;
Bulgaria - leadership of tobacco fund to be replaced..;
Bulgaria - illegal trade in cigarettes will reach 40% of total trade in 2010..;
Bulgaria - limits on personal imports of tobacco products from outside the EU..;
Bulgaria - European Commission authorizes payment to tobacco producers for 2009 crop..;
Bulgaria -two cigarette smuggling attempts busted on Serbian border..;
Bulgaria - price of cigarettes increases..;
Bulgaria - Bulgartabac stays in the economy ministry, sold by middle of 2010, starting price 100,000,000 euro..;
Bulgaria - tobacco producers propose Bulgartabac transfer..;
Bulgaria - government, tobacco growers reach subsidy agreement..;
Bulgaria - start of steps leading to the privatization of the state-owned cigarette monopoly Bulgartabac..;
Bulgaria - police hold smoking protest over lack of bonuses..;
Bulgaria - police busts major cigarette contraband ring..;
Bulgaria - Bulgartabac Holding” will be privatized in 2010..;
Bulgaria - MPs Impose Hefty Fines on Cigarette Sales Violators..;
Bulgartabac Chief - cigarette tax increase as of January 1, 2010..;
Bulgaria Bulgartabac Holding Sells 23% of Shares to Mutual Funds..;
Bulgaria - more than 70% of smokers want to quit..;
Bulgaria - cigarette taxes going up each year except 2011..;
Bulgaria - chair of the economic committee in parliament disapproves of planned raise in excise duties on cigarettes..;
Bulgaria and others - smoking ban, increased cigarette taxes, smuggling..;
Bulgaria - Cigarette excise duties will be increased next year..;
Bulgaria - cigarette contraband, government loses BGN 920M yearly..;
Bulgaria - one third of the tobacco products sold are illicit..;
Bulgaria - new government to speed-up Bulgartabac sale..;
Bulgaria - Fake Victory Light cigarettes..;
Bulgaria's tobacco monopoly may be up for sale..;
Bulgarian lawmakers vote to ban smoking in all publc places from June 2010..; Bulgarian tobacco company Sofia-BT exports increase by 541 percent..;
Does Russia own Bulgaria's tobacco monopoly, Bulgartabac..;
EU percent of adults smokers -highest Greece 1 , Bulgaria 2.. - lowest Slovenia..;
Bulgaria - 1 in 3 youths smoke / half of pregnant women smoke..;
PMI training Bulgarian custom officers to stop cigarette smuggling..;
Philip Morris International (PMI) was truly happy they had been back in the Bulgarian cigarette market for a year and had already had 6.8% of market..;
WHO FCTC Protocol to Prevent Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products Won't Be Completed Until End of 2010..;
WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic 2008..;
Bulgaria Enters 2009 with Cigarette Prices Hike...
Bulgaria is marking Tuesday, November 10, 2009, the 20th year since the internal coup at the Bulgaria;
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Greece - may lighten smoking ban in bars and cafes..
November 22, 2010 - The Health Ministry is reportedly planning to significantly soften a blanket smoking ban introduced in September following “tremendous pressure” from bar and restaurant owners who claim the changes, together with the impact of the economic crisis, are ruining them.Some Background: On September 1, 2010 Greece tried again to ban lighting up in cafes, restaurants and workplaces. This time Greece has the help of Harvard School of Public Health. (More - Greece- September 1st embarks on 4th attempt in eight-years to ban smoking in public places..) A little over a month later we find that the Greeks are largely ignoring a new smoking ban, lighting up in restaurants and bars despite threats of fines on Europe’s heaviest smokers. (Greece - smoking ban - 4th attempt in 8-years failing..)
"This is the worst thing that could happen to a lawmaker and the government which has to enforce the law -- the refusal of society to comply with the rules," Health Minister Andreas Loverdos told Skai radio.
Greece - bar and restaurant owners openly defying smoking ban..
According to sources, the ministry is considering permitting smoking in cafes and bars after 9 p.m. while keeping the blanket ban in place for restaurants. Cafes and bars that decide to permit smoking would not be allowed to serve patrons aged under 18, according to the amendments reportedly under consideration.
The ministry’s general secretary, Antonis Dimopoulos, said authorities have been besieged by complaints from bar and cafe owners claiming to have seen their business plummet. “We cannot ignore reality,” Dimopoulos said. “We did not expect such tremendous pressure from business owners.” Dimopoulos said many bar and cafe owners claimed to have lost customers to rivals defying the ban.
It remained unclear which, if any, of the aforementioned measures the government would adopt and whether these changes would be acceptable to the European Commission, whose regulations Greece must adhere to as a member state. If the changes are made, they will probably be announced in the first week of December after a conference on smoking being organized by the ministry in Athens in cooperation with Harvard University. (Harvard SPH to help Greece with smoking ban..)
Reference: Ministry to lighten smoking ban, eKathimerini.com, 11/19/2010.
Some Greece related news briefs:
Greece/Bulgaria - governments opposed to WHO's attempt to ban blended tobacco..;
Greece - bar and restaurant owners openly defying smoking ban..;
Greece - smoking ban - 4th attempt in 8-years failing..;
More - Greece- September 1st embarks on 4th attempt in eight-years to ban smoking in public places..;
Greece to go smoke free startng September 1, 2010 this time with the help of Harvard School of Public Health..;
Harvard SPH to help Greece with smoking ban..;
Greece - to try again to ban smoking in all indoor public places..;
Greece - another increase in tobacco taxes can be expected..;
Greece - trusty kiosks to shut in tobacco tax protest..;
Greeks smoke in defiance of ban..;
Greece - latest attempt at a smoking ban failing..;
Greek Farmers Renew Bulgaria Border Blockade..;
E-cigarettes - scientists want more safety studies before use..;
Greece - to increase tax on tobacco and alcohol..;
Greece - smoking ban, re-examining the legal framework supporting it..;
Pregnant women exposed to passive smoke greater chance of child will have respiratory distress..;
Greek betting firm - July 1st smoking ban has resulted in a further fall in sales..;
Greece - will the July 1st smoking ban work??;
Greece - ban on smoking in workplace starts July 1, 2009..;
Greece starts anti-smoking campaign..;
Greece May Have the Highest Cigarette Consumption Per Person in the World...
(Hellenic Republic, Greek)
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