Snus News & Other Tobacco Products: 3/6/11

Bulgaria - Culture Minister protests against ban on smoking scenes in cinema..

March 12, 2011 - Bulgaria’s Minister of Culture Vezhdi Rashidov is definitely against the text in the National programme for restriction of smoking in the Republic of Bulgaria 2011-2015, which envisages ‘restriction of the scenes with cigarette smoking in Bulgarian movies and TV series’, the press office of the ministry announced.
“Such interference in art is absurd. Both as minister and as an artist, I will never accept this. I will not allow such an aggressive interference in the art,” the minister remarked.

Reference: Bulgaria’s culture ministry protests against ban on smoking scenes in cinema, FOCUS News Agency, 3/11/2011.

Bulgaria - some related news briefs:
Bulgaria - National Program for Limiting Smoking in 2011-2015..;
Bulgaria - Bulgartabac 2010 profit 16.5 times larger than it was in 2009..;
Bulgaria - about a dozen investors declared interest in the privatization of Bulgartabac Holding..;
Bulgaria - according to CEO of Bulgartabac cigarette prices may not change in 2011..;
Bulgaria - advisory board for tobacco will be established..;
Bulgaria - Bulgartabac - sale should be completed by middle of 2011..;
Bulgaria - rightist SDS party - each EU state should set own excise duties..;
Bulgaria - tobacco contraband..;
Bulgaria - cigarette excise revenue down this year..;
Bulgaria - smoking restriction checks begin after January 3, 2011..;
Bulgaria - PMI to introduce their own Marlboro 10-pack cigarettes..;
Bulgaria - health minister will work for implementing full smoking ban in public places..;
Bulgaria - tobacco growers seeking more subsidies..;
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; Read more...

NY City - launching a new anti-smoking campaign..

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia - 2.5 million illegally importer cigarettes seized..

Hefty fines - lengthy imprisonments..

March 11, 2011 - Customs and border protection staff in Brisbane have seized more than 2.5 million illegally imported cigarettes. They were found in a shipping container from Hong Kong earmarked to contain bubble wrap and lunch boxes.

Under the Customs Act the penalty for smuggling and evading duty is five times the amount of tax evaded and a possible 10-year jail sentence.

Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor says the seizure of that many counterfeit cigarettes represents an attempt to evade government revenue of almost $1.2 million.

"While cigarettes and tobacco are not illegal items in Australia, it is against the law to fail to declare what is being brought into Australia, and duty evasion is also illegal," Mr O'Connor said.

"Counterfeit products can also be subject to civil action from the registered trademark owners."

Last month, Customs officers at the Brisbane Container Examination Facility were suspicious of a shipping container from Hong Kong marked by the importer as holding bubble wrap and lunch boxes. Officers conducted an initial container X-ray, and when that raised their suspicions, the goods were unpacked and a physical examination uncovered the cigarettes.

Over the past four years Customs and Border Protection has seized 977 tonnes of tobacco and 286 million cigarettes in sea cargo, preventing potential revenue evasion of about $397 million.

Reference: Profits from seized cigarettes up in smoke, ABC/AAP, (Australian Broadcasting Corporation/Australian Associated Press), abc.gov.au, 3/10/2011.

Related news briefs:
Australia - Smuggling of illegal cigarettes has hit an all-time high..;
Australia - illicit tobacco, do what's right increase the tobacco tax..;
Australia - illegal cigarettes readily available... Read more...

Australia - no increase in tobacco excise tax in the May budget..

March 11, 2011 - Health Minister Nicola Roxon has moved to extinguish any suggestion Labor could increase the tobacco excise in the May budget. Ms Roxon was forced to stub out the speculation after the government's indigenous smoking coordinator, Tom Calma, said another tax hike had been "mooted".

Labor increased the excise by 25 per cent in April 2010, adding $2.16 to the price of a pack of 30 smokes. Australia - tobacco tax increase now in force, next comes plain tobacco packaging.. The government's preventative health taskforce had recommended a 68 per cent increase in the excise.

But in responding to the taskforce's findings in May the government argued that while hiking prices could cause some smokers to quit "it can also induce financial stress among people who continue to smoke". "The government has therefore not decided to pursue the full 68 per cent increase in excise advocated by the taskforce at this time." On Thursday, March 10th Ms Roxon said the government hadn't changed its mind.

"The government was clear in the Taking Preventative Action (response) paper in May 2010 that we will not pursue the full 68 per cent increase in excise advocated by the national preventative health taskforce," a spokesman for the minister said in a statement.

Earlier, Mr Calma was asked at the National Press Club in Canberra whether he would like to see the government increase the tobacco tax in the budget. "I believe that's mooted," he said, adding "that's something for government to determine". Mr Calma, who noted he was only a consultant to the commonwealth, believes making cigarettes more expensive is effective in reducing smoking rates.

"We did see a big spike on access to Quitline ... following the announcement." (Australia - tobacco tax increase results in more people quitting..)

Many Aboriginal people who didn't quit still reduced the number of cigarettes they smoked so the packet would last longer, Mr Calma said. "That's an important start because the three key goals are prevention, reduction and then cessation."

Reference: Tobacco tax hike talk stubbed out, Source: AAP (Australian Associated Press), World News _ Australia, 3/10/2011. Read more...

UK - Tobacco Plan A Victory For Public Health..

March 10, 2011 - The Coalition Government has announced details of its new Tobacco Control Plan and the British Heart Foundation is pleased to see the plan includes a range of measures which will help protect people from the dangers of smoking.

Britain's Department of Health announced a ban on displaying cigarettes in stores around the country on Thursday, the nation's annual "no smoking day." The action relegates cigarettes to a product kept below the counter. (United Kingdom - Health Secretary to announce businesses to stop displaying tobacco tomorrow..)

We're pleased to see the Government will defend the ban on cigarette vending machines due in October because we've been fighting hard to make sure this ban goes ahead. (United Kingdom - High Court upheld govt's plan to ban cigarette vending machines starting October 1, 2011..

Betty McBride, Director of Policy and Communications at the British Heart Foundation, said:

"The Coalition Government has been under enormous pressure from a tobacco industry hell-bent on derailing important legislation banning tobacco displays in shops. Today is a victory for health campaigners and show of strength from Health Secretary Andrew Lansley.

"Though we're slightly disappointed the display ban is being delayed, it will help prevent the industry from marketing their products to children and will go a long way to helping young people avoid a lifetime of addiction and health problems. The introduction of plain packaging would complement the ban and signal the end of slick, colourful designs used as 'silent salesmen'.

"Before today's announcement, tobacco bosses have been keeping busy scaremongering retailers with claims that the display ban will see them facing an insurmountable financial burden. The evidence from the ban in Ireland disproves those claims and the changes the Government has made to the legislation, including giving shopkeepers more time to comply, should provide further reassurance."

"Nearly all adult smokers started smoking before they turned 18 and every year, over 300,000 children under 16 try smoking," said Chief Medical Officer Sally Davies.

"Smoking is undeniably one of the biggest and most stubborn challenges in public health. Over eight million people in England still smoke and it causes more than 80,000 deaths each year," said Health Secretary Andrew Lansley in his statement on the new law.

The government aims to reduce the adult smoking population from 21.2% to 18.5% or less and 15% to 12% or less among 15-year-olds by the end of 2015.

References: Comprehensive Tobacco Plan A Victory For Public Health, Says Heart Charity, UK, Source:
British Heart Foundation, Medical News Today, 3/10/2011; Global Health Watch: UK bans displaying cigarettes, tobacco products by Janet Stobart, Los Angeles Times, 3/9/2011; Healthy lives, healthy people: a tobacco control plan for England, HM Government, published 3/9/2011. Read more...

Altadis U.S.A. Establishes Premium Cigar Division..

March 10, 2011 - FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- To align U.S. cigar operations with the overall organizational structure of parent company Imperial Tobacco Group PLC, Altadis U.S.A. has announced an organizational restructuring.

Altadis (Alliance Tobacco Distributors) born from the merger of Spain's Tabacalera and France's Seita SA (F.STA) state tobacco monopolies.. Imperial Tobacco successfully concludes acquisition of Altadis..)

Habanos, a joint venture between the Cuban government and Altadis, a unit of British-based Imperial Tobacco, produces and sells some of the world's best-known cigars, including Monte Cristo, Cohiba, Romeo y Julieta and Partagas. (Habanos - after hurricanes can survive using tobacco reserves..)

In order to strengthen U.S. business opportunities and to maximize market capabilities and its worldwide brand portfolio, the company has established a new Premium Cigar Division within the United States. Javier Estades, formerly sales and marketing director for Europe and international markets, has been appointed to the new position of general manager for premium cigars U.S.A., reporting to Fernando Dominguez, premium cigar director worldwide for Bristol, K.K.-based Imperial Tobacco.

Jim Colucci, executive vice president sales and marketing, who recently announced his retirement effective July 31, 2011, will work closely with Javier and Fernando to ensure a smooth transition until his retirement.

Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Altadis U.S.A. is a leader in the U.S. premium cigar market. The company manufactures and markets brands such as Montecristo, H. Upmann, Romeo y Julieta, Trinidad, Vega Fina, Onyx Reserve, Don Diego, Saint Luis Rey, Gispert and many others. Phillies cigars are manufactured by Altadis U.S.A., Inc., which is the American subsidiary of Spanish-based Altadis S.A. Dutch Masters cigars are currently manufactured and sold by Altadis U.S.A., Inc., in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. They are machine rolled cigars, and come in two main varieties: full size cigars, and smaller cigarillos colloquially known as "mini-dutches.

Reference: Altadis U.S.A. Establishes Premium Cigar Division Restructuring better aligns U.S. operations with parent, Imperial Tobacco, CSP Daily News, 2/23/2011. Read more...

Hungary - smoking ban may be delayed..

March 10, 2011 - A proposed ban on smoking in indoor public spaces in Hungary may be introduced in January 2012 instead of June of this year, Világgazdaság learned.

Hungary shows the poorest cancer-related mortality rate within Europe, World Health Organisation (WHO) data released in Geneva on Friday, on World Cancer Day, by: MTI, caboodle.hu, 2/7/2011)

A proposal by governing party Fidesz to ban smoking in all closed public spaces from the middle of the year - including entertainment venues, restaurants and offices - was submitted at the end of last month. Over a dozen amendment motions have since been submitted.

According to Világgazdaság, one of the few amendment motions which have a chance is the one which would delay the introduction of the ban by half a year.

Fidesz MP Tamás Heintz is to submit an amendment to an anti-smoking bill that would also ban smoking in cars in which children younger than 18 are riding. Fidesz caucus press chief Ákos Krakkó confirmed the report, adding that Heintz considers the amendment important, as the children of parents who smoke in a car have no protection against harm caused by second-hand smoke. (Hungary mulls ban on smoking in cars with kids by: Hungary Around the Clock, caboodle.hu, 3/4/2011)

Hungary - Smoking has been banned for several years on public transport, hospitals, airports and in public and federal buildings, including the Parliament. From 2010, a smoking ban is effective on playgrounds and underpasses.[47] Several cities are already banning smoking in public transport stops – Szeged from June 2007, Pécs from early 2009,[48] Budapest in early 2011.[49] A complete ban (all public spaces) is effective from mid 2011.[50] [51][52] (List of smoking bans)

Reference: Hungary's smoking ban may be delayed by: All Hungary News, caboodle.hu, 3/10/2011

Related news brief:
Hungarians must adjust to new anti-smoking ban or pay.. Read more...

U.S. - New State Tobacco Tax Bills.. - proposed/introduced..

March 10, 2011 -

New State Tobacco Tax Bills
New bills have either been proposed or introduced at the state level.
- By Thomas Briant, NATO Executive Director

In the past 10 days, bills have been introduced in additional states to raise cigarette and/or OTP tax rates.

Below is a brief summary of the recently proposed and introduced bills:

Connecticut: Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy has proposed raising the state's cigarette tax rate from $3.00 per pack to $3.40 per pack, increasing the tax on moist snuff to $1.00 per ounce, and hiking the OTP tax from 20 percent to 50 percent of the wholesale price.

Kentucky: Bill Number H.318 would increase the cigarette tax from the current $.60 per pack to $1.66 per pack, and raise the tax on other tobacco products from 15 percent to 27.5 percent.

Maine: House Bill 419 would raise the cigarette tax by $1.50 per pack, from $2.00 per pack to $3.50 per pack.

Maryland: Senate Bill Number 654 proposes to raise the state tax on cigarettes by $1.00 per pack for a new rate of $3.00 per pack, and also increase the OTP tax from 15 percent to 95 percent.

New York: Bill Number S.2981 would add $1.65 per pack to the state's current $4.35 per pack cigarette tax, for a new rate of $6.00 per pack.

North Dakota: House Bill 1353, which would have raised the cigarette tax by $.41/pack, failed to pass the legislature.

California: Senate Bill Number 330 would increase the cigarette tax by $1.50 per pack from the current $.87 per pack to a new rate of $2.37 per pack.

Connecticut: Senate Bill Number 1007 would increase the cigarette tax from the current $3.00 per pack to $3.40 per pack, raise the tax on other tobacco products from 27.5% to 50% and increase the excise tax on moist snuff by 45 cents per ounce for a new rate of $1.00 per ounce.

References: New State Tobacco Tax Bills
New bills have either been proposed or introduced at the state level., - By Thomas Briant, NATO Executive Director, CSP Tobacco E-News, 3/8/3011; Update on State Tobacco Tax Bills
New bills have been introduced at the state level, - By Thomas Briant, NATO Executive Director, CSP Tobacco E-News, 3/8/3011 Read more...

Massachusetts has launched its second campaign in three years to try to curb smoking among veterans..

March 9, 2011 - Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray, chairman of the Governor’s Advisory Council on Veterans’ Services said: "We value the brave men and women who have proudly served our country and we want to provide them with the opportunity to live long, healthy lives."

In 2008, the Department of Veterans’ Services and Department of Public Health launched its first smoking cessation program for veterans. Nearly 4,000 veterans and family members called the hotline to obtain free support and nicotine patches over the seven-month program.

“This smoking-cessation program for veterans is a demonstration of our state’s commitment to helping serve those who have served us,’’ said state Representative James E. Vallee, House chairman of the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs.

Smoking is a major problem among veterans even as it is generally on the decline across the state. Overall, 23.5 percent of veterans smoke, according to Governor Deval Patrick’s office. But only 16.1 percent of all adults in Massachusetts smoke, which is below the national average of 18.4 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

A recent study from the Institute of Medicine showed that 32 percent of active-duty military personnel smoke, and that the prevalence of smoking may be over 50 percent higher in military personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan than for those who were not deployed there.

“It’s a very serious problem, and we think it’s not only a public health issue but a veterans’ services issue, as well,’’ said Coleman Nee, secretary of the Department of Veterans’ Services, in a phone interview yesterday. “Soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines put themselves in very dangerous situations, and it’s a real shame for them to make it back here and put themselves into a bad situation because of an addition to cigarettes.’’

Reference: Veterans get help to quit smoking State renews campaign with a free program by John M. Guilfoil, Boston.com, 3/8/2011.

Massachusetts - some related news briefs:
Massachusetts - Anna Jaques Hospital jobs - if nicotine test is positive do not apply;
Massachusetts - Lorillard has to pay punitive damages of $81 million..;
Massachusetts - Lorillard loses lawsuit - did they pass out cigarettes to kids??;
Massachusetts South Coast - smoking among pregnant women far surpasses state average..;
Massachusetts - if states cover tobacco cessation treatment cost will smokers quit??;
Massachusetts Hospital Association - as of January 1, 2011 will no longer hire users of tobacco products..;
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...

New York State ready to quickly end tax-free cigarette sales by Indian retailers to non-Indian customers...

March 9, 2011 - The state's top tax collector said the state is ready to quickly end tax-free cigarette sales by Indian retailers to non-Indian customers.

New York State is awaiting a ruling from a federal appeals court on the long-simmering tobacco tax issue, said Thomas Mattox, who was confirmed Tuesday by the State Senate to the tax commissioner's post. The federal appeals court in Manhattan considering the challenge to the state’s Indian tax collection law could issue its ruling in the coming weeks. (While the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ponders its next ruling — perhaps pivotal, perhaps not — millions of cigarettes are still being sold on reservations to non-Indian individuals who want to avoid $5 a pack in state and local taxes.) (New York State - federal judge rules in favor of the state but still can't start collecting sales tax; no mediation..)

"We're prepared to enforce immediately," Mattox said after being unanimously backed by the Senate Finance Committee for the tax post.

Mattox said the agency is prepared to issue tax-free coupons to members of Indian tribes and collect the tax on non-Indian customers "as soon as we are [allowed] to do so by the courts."

Is he concerned about possible confrontations as occurred the last time the state tried to collect the tax in 1997? "I don't have the expertise on that. I think that's really a question for law enforcement," he said. "Our focus has been on the tax laws and our requirements under them, and we are prepared to enforce them."

Seneca Nation President Robert Odawi Porter issued a statement following Mattox's comments.
"There's nothing new here," Porter said. "The Nation prefers dialogue to confrontation. When the state wants to discuss this issue, we'll be open to those discussions. As always, we will defend our treaty rights vigorously."

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo is counting on $130 million in revenue by ending the tax-free Indian tobacco sales. The state wants to collect the tax "upstream" at the tobacco wholesale level so that the taxes already would have been paid to Albany by the time cigarettes reach Indian retailers. (New York State - in budget governor includes $130 million in revenues from taxes on cigarettes sold by Indian merchants..)

The state wants to collect its $4.35-per-pack excise tax, which is not being charged to smokers who buy from Indian retailers.

The Senate Nation, whose private tobacco retailers are considered the biggest Native American cigarette suppliers, is fighting the Cuomo effort in court and before the Legislature. They argue that the tax-free sales are protected by treaty rights and that they will not be party to a tax collection effort by Albany.

Mattox is a former executive at Goldman Sachs & Co. and Chase Manhattan Bank. In the Senate Finance hearing, Mattox said his department is also considering a system used in other states that employs a special encryption system on cigarettes to reduce counterfeit cigarettes flowing into the high tobacco state.

References: Tax man eyes Indian tobacco sales by Tom Precious (tprecious@buffnews.com), NEWS ALBANY BUREAU, BuffaloNews.com, 3/8/2011; Tax official ready to halt cigarette sales by Indians to non-Indians, a12iggymom's Blog, 3/5/2011. Read more...

Canada - Parliament member introduced bill to close loophole to amend the Tobacco Act (C-32)..

March 9, 2011 -- Ottawa – Megan Leslie, Member of the Canadian Parliament for Halifax and New Democrat Critic for Health, announced the introduction of legislation, An Act to amend the Tobacco Act (smokeless tobacco and little cigars). Leslie was joined at the launch of her bill (Bill C-631) by members of Flavour… GONE! a youth-driven advocacy group that was instrumental in the passage of bill C-32 that banned flavoured cigarillos and received royal assent in October 2009.

Megan Leslie ----> Mr. Speaker, health experts agree that flavoured tobacco products are consumed by young Canadians as a stepping stone to consuming non-flavoured tobacco products. By banning flavoured tobaccos, we will help reduce smoking rates in Canada.

Bill C-32, which amended the Tobacco Act and came into force in October 2009, was supposed to ban flavoured cigarillos. However, we learned last year that tobacco manufacturers found a loophole in the definitions that allowed them to continue selling flavoured cigarillos.

The bill I am tabling today would close that loophole. The bill would also ban all forms of flavoured smokeless tobacco, something that government officials promised to do by June 2010. They did not fulfill that promise and this bill would fill that legislative gap.

I would like to thank my New Democrat health critic predecessor, Judy Wasylycia-Leis, for her significant efforts to have flavoured tobacco banned in Canada and the work that led to the passage of Bill C-32. While she is no longer a member of Parliament, her legacy of good work remains a testament to her time in office.

“Bill C-32 was supposed to have banned the sale flavoured cigarillos but we learned last year that tobacco manufacturers had found a loop hole in the bill’s definitions that allowed them to continue to sell flavoured cigarillos,” said Leslie. “Candy-flavoured cigarillos continue to be a means for the tobacco industry to make profits at any cost, without regard for the fact that flavoured tobaccos have been linked to increased tobacco use by youth.”

Media outlets reported in August 2010 that flavoured cigarillos were still being sold in Canada, because the definitions in C-32 did not apply to larger cigarillos that do not have filters. Leslie’s PMB closes that loop hole and extends the ban to flavoured smokeless tobacco products, something that government officials told the Standing Committee on Health in June 2009 would be done by June 2010.

“This bill (C-631) offers Parliamentarians the opportunity to finish the job of protecting youth from candy-flavoured tobacco products,” Dr. Dr. Atul Kapur, President of Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada. “We call on parliamentarians to follow the cooperative spirit that facilitated the passage of C-32 and to support this bill’s quick passage.”

C-32 was based on a PMB tabled in 2008 by New Democrat Judy Wasylycia-Leis that banned flavoured tobacco products. However, the government version of the bill did not ban flavoured smokeless tobacco products, and did not use the tighter definition of cigarillo that was contained within Wasylycia-Leis’ bill.

“Cancer shouldn't come in candy flavours,” said James McInerney, a youth advocate for the FlavourGONE movement. “Youth across Ontario are standing up with a united voice saying enough is enough when it comes to tobacco industry marketing tactics. We need MP's from all parties to stand up and support legislation removing flavours from all tobacco products.”

Leslie is calling for the government to take immediate action to close the flavoured cigarillo loophole, and to extend the ban to flavoured smokeless tobacco products.

Reference: New Democrats introduce bill to improve and extend ban on flavoured tobacco products NDP Health Critic calls on government to correct loophole in the Tobacco Act, New Democratic Party, 3/8/2011.

Some C-32 related news briefs: (Bill C-32 is an amendment to the Health Canada Tobacco Products Control Act (effective January 1989) proposes to ban the sale of all small little cigars and flavored tobacco.)
Canada - tobacco companies accused of skirting the law that bans the sale and distribution of flavored cigarillos..;
Canada - Bill C-32 besides banning flavored tobacco will also further limit advertising..;
Canada - tobacco products readily available on Native reservations.;
Canada - loophole flavored cigarettes, cigarillos banned, manufactures may start making larger flavored cigars..;
Canada - ban on flavored tobacco products comes into effect July 2010..;
Canada - youth survey finds levels of cigarillo use persist, but users don't consider themselves 'smokers'..;
Canada: a bill introduced to snuff out drive to recruit young smokers.;
Canada - Bill C-32 to amend Tobacco Products Control Act.. Read more...

Montana - lawmaker will introduce a bill to raise tobacco tax..

March 9, 2011 - A Democratic lawmaker, backed by anti-tobacco forces, said Tuesday, March 8th she will introduce a bill to raise cigarette taxes by $1.50 a pack, with commensurate increases for other tobacco products. “I like to call it a tobacco-user fee,” said Rep. Trudi Schmidt, D-Great Falls, who said money raised by the higher tax will fund tobacco-cessation programs and other health-related programs.

Schmidt and members of the Alliance for a Healthy Montana and the American Cancer Society-Cancer Action Network pointed to a poll they commissioned that said 70 percent of Montanans support the higher tobacco tax. The higher tax will discourage people from smoking as well as fund anti-tobacco and health programs, they said. “This is an addiction that continues to cost us for generations, and it needs to be stopped,” said Richard Sargent, a family physician in Helena and outspoken critic of tobacco.

When asked whether her bill would be supported by a Republican legislative majority that has stated its opposition to any tax increases, Schmidt said the proposal is a “creative solution” to provide revenue for anti-tobacco programs that have been cut from the state’s proposed budget the next two years.

If the bill fails to pass the Legislature, a voter initiative is “always an option,” she said, in response to a question.

Montana taxes cigarettes at $1.70 per pack, the 17th-highest state tobacco tax in the nation. Most of Montana’s tax on cigarettes and tobacco has been approved by voter initiatives. The highest state tobacco tax in the country is New York, at $4.35 per pack.

Money from the increased tax on tobacco would pay for tobacco-prevention programs, aging services programs, scholarships for primary-care physicians in the state, obesity-prevention programs and maternal and child health programs.

Supporters of the tax said the increased tax would not only fund health and anti-tobacco programs, but also increase the price of cigarettes and other products to the point that some people would quit or not start in the first place because of the cost.

“What this tax is, is it gives tobacco addicts another reason to break that addiction,” Sargent said.

Reference: Democratic legislator, anti-tobacco advocates propose tobacco-tax increase by MIKE DENNISON Gazette State Bureau, Billings Gazette, 3/8/2011.

Montana - related news brief:
Montanans buying fewer cigarettes..;
Montana will require fire-safe cigarettes.. Read more...

Utah - legislature on the way to passing a bill that would make it illegal for adults to smoke in cars carrying children age 15 and under..

March 9, 2011 - SALT LAKE CITY - The Utah House of Representatives passed Substitute HB89 late Monday, March 7th a bill that would make it illegal for adults to smoke in cars carrying children age 15 and under. In a close 39-35 vote, the bill was sent to the Senate for their consideration.

The bill was originally sent to the House Transportation committee, but did not make it to the House floor. It passed through the House Health and Human Services committee with a 7-2 vote and then moved to the floor.

Sponsored by Representative Patrice Arent-D, Salt Lake City, the bill allows up to a $45 fine that would be waived if the driver enrolls in a course to stop smoking. Arent pointed out that children’s lungs, sinuses and ears are damaged by second-hand smoke, and the purpose of the bill is to protect “those who cannot protect themselves.”

Arguments against the bill include an infringement of personal freedom, and concerns that legislation of this nature could lead to a “slippery slope.” A suggestion by Representative Brad Daw-R, Orem to have law enforcement provide an offender with a brochure about the dangers of smoking instead of a ticket was voted down.

Representative Lee Perry-R, Perry, is a lieutenant with the Utah Highway Patrol. He remarked about the irony of the Utah Legislature’s fight against abortion and how it seems to conflict with their objections to HB89. According to Perry, lawmakers spend a lot of time protecting the unborn, but “the second they come out we can start poisoning them and killing them.” Representative Carl Wimmer-R, Herriman had his three anti-abortion bills pass the House yesterday as well. He voted against HB89.

Reference: Utah house says no smoking in cars with kids, Alison Peek - Salt Lake City Political Buzz Examiner,Examiner.com, 3/8/2010.

Utah - some related news briefs:
Utah - bill banning nicotine candy sales voted down..;
Some US cities that prohibit smoking in parks and other public spaces..;
Utah - after state tax increase demand for cigarettes goes down..;
Utah - more on bill to ban flavored tobacco products..;
Utah - bill introduced that makes it a misdemeanor to buy or sell flavored tobacco products..;
Utah - governor does not prevent tobacco tax increase from becoming law..;
Provo, Utah - county warns about dangers of dissolvable tobacco products..;
Utah - lawmakers approve one dollar increase in tax on a pack of cigarettes - now measure goes to governor..;
Utah - increase tobacco excise tax by $1.00 - we doubt it will happen..;
Proposal to increase Utah cigarette tax falters..;
Utah - philanthropist Jon Huntsman Sr., supports big boost in tobacco tax..;
Utah Bars Go Smokefree January 1, 2009..;
Utah moves from a tax based on the percentage of sales price to one based on the weight - independent of price of smokeless tobacco product...
Read more...

Bulgaria - National Program for Limiting Smoking in 2011-2015..

March 9, 2011 - Bulgaria has one of the highest smokers' rates in the EU at some 39% of people declaring themselves daily smokers, topped only by Greece at 42%.

A large majority of Bulgarians – 72.3% are in favor of a full smoking ban in public spaces, according to a Health Ministry poll. These respondents say the ban must be implemented immediately.

Advertisement of tobacco products in Bulgaria will be strongly restricted, according to the new National Program for Limiting Smoking in 2011-2015, prepared by the Health Ministry.

Effective 2011, there will be a ban on the production of any items such as toys or food resembling cigarettes and other tobacco products.

In 2013, there will be a ban on all forms of direct and indirect tobacco advertisement, such as displaying cigarettes and images of them in stores while the sale of tobacco products will be limited to specialized stores only. The same year, measures will be applied to restrict the showing of people smoking in Bulgarian movies, TV series and various broadcasts.

Cigarette manufacturers will be mandated to account for the exact amount of funds used for advertisement, and will not be allowed to sponsor social events. The program will also ban the use of additives aiming at improving the aroma and the taste of cigarettes.

The full ban on smoking in indoor public spaces legislation will be ready by 2012 with the goal to reduce passive smoking as well. Other measures include keeping high cigarette prices and campaigns to teach about the harmful effects of smoking.

The new rules on smoking entered in effect on December 19, 2010. According to these rules, indoor smoking in restaurants, clubs, bars, hotels, railroad stations, airports, malls, offices and schools is allowed only in separate spaces with closing doors.

Reference: Bulgaria to Restrict Tobacco Products Advertising, Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency), 3/8/2011.

Bulgaria - some related news briefs:
Bulgaria - Bulgartabac 2010 profit 16.5 times larger than it was in 2009..;
Bulgaria - about a dozen investors declared interest in the privatization of Bulgartabac Holding..;
Bulgaria - according to CEO of Bulgartabac cigarette prices may not change in 2011..;
Bulgaria - advisory board for tobacco will be established..;
Bulgaria - Bulgartabac - sale should be completed by middle of 2011..;
Bulgaria - rightist SDS party - each EU state should set own excise duties..;
Bulgaria - tobacco contraband..;
Bulgaria - cigarette excise revenue down this year..;
Bulgaria - smoking restriction checks begin after January 3, 2011..;
Bulgaria - PMI to introduce their own Marlboro 10-pack cigarettes..;
Bulgaria - health minister will work for implementing full smoking ban in public places..;
Bulgaria - tobacco growers seeking more subsidies..;
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; Read more...

Saint Louis, Missouri - 37 hospitals suing tobacco companies..

March 9, 2011 - Thirty seven Missouri hospitals suing tobacco companies are trying to get reimbursed for treating dog bites, car accidents and broken bones – ailments that have nothing to do with smoking, according to a Missouri Lawyers Weekly story quoting a defense attorney on the first day of a long-awaited trial.

The suit was first filed in 1998, at the same time as the multi-state tobacco settlement was signed. Tobacco company critics say it is an achievement for the Missouri hospitals to have got their case before a jury. The trial is expected to last a record six months.

The hospitals are suing 11 defendants – six cigarette-makers and their parent companies – to recoup health care costs incurred while treating smoking-related illnesses or complications of patients who could not pay.

The defendants say the injuries the hospitals allege are too indirect or remote to support a recovery of expenditures.

Earlier news briefs: St. Louis, Missouri - lawsuit by hospitals after 12 years to go to trial January 2011..

Missouri - Smoking & Tobacco Use

Reference: Dog bites tobacco companies finally makes the news, Tobacco Reporter 3/9/2011. Read more...

PAPER: danger pregnant women exposed to passive smoking ..

March 9, 2011 - To determine the risk of adverse fetal outcomes of secondhand smoke exposure in nonsmoking pregnant women. The analysis of 19 observational studies found a 23% increased risk of stillbirth with tobacco smoke exposure during pregnancy. And seven of the studies found that pregnant women exposed to second hand smoke were also 13% more likely give birth to a child with congenital malformations.

"Because the timing and mechanism of this effect is not clear, it is important to prevent secondhand smoke (shs, environmental tobacco smoke, ets, passive smoking, sidestream smoke, involuntary smoking) exposure in women before and during pregnancy," the group urged in their paper. Moreover it wasn't clear whether exposure to tobacco smoke toxins via the mother was the culprit, since active smoking by the father could damage genes in his sperm and impact the child as well, Leonardi-Bee's team noted. "These results highlight the importance of smoking prevention and cessation to focus on the father in addition to the mother during the preconception period and during pregnancy," they concluded in the paper.

PAPER: Secondhand Smoke and Adverse Fetal Outcomes in Nonsmoking Pregnant Women: A Meta-analysis, Jo Leonardi-Bee, PhD, MSc, John Britton, MD, MSc, FRCP, FFPH, Andrea Venn, PhD, MSc, Pediatrics published online 3/7/2011, ABSTRACT..

Previous data have shown that smoking during pregnancy boosts the risk of birth defects by 10% to 34% and stillbirth risk by 20% to 34%, so a modest impact of environmental exposure involving lower levels of the same tobacco smoke toxins wasn't surprising, the group noted.

Reference: Secondhand Smoke Risk Penetrates Womb by Crystal Phend, Senior Staff Writer, MedPage Today, 3/7/2011. Read more...

Philippines - Philip Morris expects weaker demand this year..

March 9, 2011 - PHILIP Morris Fortune Tobacco Co. Inc. (PMFTC) said it saw a decrease in the demand for cigarettes in the early part of the year following the increase in the excise tax in January. )Philippines - PMFTC has 90% of the tobacco market..)

Chris Nelson, president of PMFTC, said the industry may have difficulties in exceeding last year’s record sales amid the increase in the excise tax slapped on cigarette products. Nelson said the escalating political crisis in the Middle East, which is a major destination for Filipino workers, could also be a factor in the slowdown in the demand for cigarettes. “Last year, it was a matter of higher volumes and strong demand. But this year, what’s happening in the Middle East might also have an impact on sales,” the executive said, without disclosing figures.

“Let’s not forget that there was an increase in the excise tax on cigarettes in January and higher prices would understandably affect demand,” Nelson said.

But the market would continue to grow because of favorable demographics like the country’s increasing adult population, he said. He said the industry’s growth has always been linked to the country’s population, which has been growing by 1.7 percent to 1.8 percent every year. Since 2005, the industry has grown by an average of 2 percent to 3 percent a year.

“The market is very price sensitive since it is a factor of the consumer’s disposable income. Any sharp, unpredictable tax increase would depress the market,” Nelson said. “It would be reasonable to assume that demand would be affected but overall, the industry outlook, not specific to 2011, is favorable. The only caveat is that the right excise tax system must be in place,” he added.

The cigarette maker has been pushing for the extension of the current excise tax system, which is expiring in 2013. (Philippines - PMFTC appealed for govt to keep present tax system for cigarettes..)

“Excise tax collection on cigarettes have increased substantially to P31.6 billion last year, exceeding the government’s target of P25 billion. This proves the system works, so there is no reason for it to be changed,” Nelson said.

Republic Act 9334, or An Act Increasing the Excise Tax Rates Imposed on Alcohol and Tobacco Products, provides for increases every two years from 2005 to 2011. The scheme provides that alcohol and tobacco products are placed in four categories with varying tax rates. “There are not many laws in many countries which have worked as well as RA 9334 that allowed government to collect more taxes and at the same time, enabled the industry to plan. It is a resounding success. It is working very well so why fix it,” Nelson said.

Since January 1, cigarettes packed by machine with net retail prices of below P5 (0.11 USD) per pack would be taxed P2.72 (0.06 USD). Those priced P5 but not exceeding P6.50 per pack shall be taxed P7.56 (0.17 USD), while those priced P6.50 without exceeding P10 would be taxed P12 per pack. Those priced above P10 per pack would be taxed P28.30 (0.65 USD) per pack.

Reference: Philip Morris expects weaker demand this year by Katrina Mennen A. Valdez, The Manila Times.net, 3/9/2011.

Philippines - some related news briefs:
Philippines - PMFTC appealed for govt to keep present tax system for cigarettes..;
Philippines - Navotas City clamps down on violators of smoking ban..;
Philippines - former health ministers petition Supreme Court - cigarette packs graphic warnings..;
Quezon City, Philippines - will strictly enforce anti-smoking measures..;
Baguio City, Philippines - “Hundred Percent Smoke-Free City” campaign..;
Philippines - lawmaker proposes bill to use graphic warnings on cigarette packs..;
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... Read more...

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