Health Canada warns against 'e-cigarettes'..

March 30, 2009 - Health Canada is warning Canadians not to buy or use electronic smoking products, dubbed e-cigarettes. The agency says the products have not been fully evaluated for safety, quality and efficacy and could pose a health risk.

Health Canada says that anyone selling, importing, or advertising electronic cigarette products in Canada "must stop doing so immediately." It's advising those Canadians who have used e-cigarette products and are concerned about their health to consult with a health care practitioner.

In the U.S. New Jersey Senator Frank R. Lautenberg is asking the government to prevent the sale of so-called "electronic cigarettes" until more is known about them.

E-cigarette manufacturers say their products deliver nicotine without the tobacco and chemical additives that are linked to cancer and other health problems. But Health Canada says they may do nothing to help a smoker quit the nicotine habit.
"Although these electronic smoking products may be marketed as a safer alternative to conventional tobacco products and, in some cases, as an aid to quitting smoking, electronic smoking products may pose risks such as nicotine poisoning and addiction," the agency says in an alert.

"Nicotine is hazardous to the health and safety of certain segments of the population such as children, youth, pregnant women, nursing mothers, people with heart conditions, and the elderly," the agency adds.

E-Cigarettes Lack Evidence of Health Benefits..

Health Canada reminds that it has authorized the sale of a number of legal smoking cessation aids, including nicotine gum, nicotine patches, nicotine inhaler, and nicotine lozenges.

Reference: Health Canada warns against 'e-cigarettes', CTV.ca News Staff, 3/27/2009.

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Finland banning shops from displaying cigarettes..

March 29, 2009 - The Finnish government said on Wednesday it planned to tighten the country's tobacco laws, banning shops from displaying cigarettes in an attempt to prevent youths from starting smoking. Meanwhile, the proposal for the new tobacco law allows bringing 30 cartons of the chewing tobacco “snus” into the country for personal use. However it would be forbidden to sell it or pass it to others. (Finland is a member of the European Union where snus is banned except in Sweden where snus has been used for over 200 years.)

Health and Social Services Minister Paula Risikko: "A visible display of tobacco products in stores would be banned," told reporters. We want to pay special attention to youths. The aim is to cut down the number of smokers and get smokers to quit."

If the bill passes parliament, cigarette vending machines would also be prohibited, she said, adding that customers interested in buying tobacco could ask a store clerk to see a list of available products and prices. The government is scheduled to present its tobacco bill to parliament by the end of June and aims for the new law to come into effect at the beginning of 2010.

In 2007 around one million of Finland's some 5.3 million inhabitants smoked, according to statistics from the National Institute for Health and Welfare. Tightening the tobacco law was needed, Risikko insisted, pointing out that smoking causes illnesses that cost Finland around €2-billion each year. Taxes on tobacco products meanwhile only generate about €600-million in state income annually.

Advertising of tobacco products is already illegal in Finland and the new law proposal also aims to ban all sponsorship by tobacco companies, including donations to charities.

Showing smoking or cigarettes in films or television programmes would however not be prohibited. "Freedom of expression will not be limited," Risikko said.

Related news briefs: Finland - proposal to ban tobacco display, total ban on SNUS.., European Health Commissioner reprimands Astrid Thors for snus liberation campaign..; Aland Islands Dispute Over Sale of SNUS On Board Ships Threatens Finland's Ratification of the EU's Treaty of Lisbon (The Reform Treaty)..; Finnish Ferry Goes Swedish Over Snus Ban.. and EU Takes Finland to Court Again For NOT Banning the Use of Oral Tobacco..

Reference: Display of tobacco products banned in Finland, iol.com, 3/25/2007, Cigarette displays banned Finland to ban stores from displaying cigarettes, Straits Times, 3/25/2009, More on restricting tobacco sales in Finland
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C-Store- - $1-off promotion for Copenhagen and Skoal ends..

March 29, 2009 - March 29, 2009 - From February 1, 2009 to March 28, 2009 Philip Morris ran a $1.00-off promotion for either Copenhagen and Skoal.


After the end of March 2009 the price of these moist snuff products will be going back to its previous price (from $3.69 ---> $4.69 in NC), then the new price will be reduced 68 cents and so the new retail price per can is $3.99. Daniel Butler, president of U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company has said they cut the wholesale prices of its premium products about 20 percent this week to grab more market share and bring its prices closer to those of competitors.

Sales of both Copenhagen and Skoal did improve during the $1.00 off promotion period.

C-stores are running a special buy two cans of Skoal get each can for $3.49.

As we know Rooster is being discontinued so they are running a special to get rid of remaining cans before they expire. Rooster.

Blunt Wraps - the wholesale price was $7 for a box of 25 - the price will be increased to $21 for a box of 25. Black&Mild cigars for a single cigar retail $.89 from $.69 and a 5-pack from $3.49 to $4.19.

Marlboro will have special on 2-packs for $5.29.. 72s and Virginia Slims will be approximately 50 cents more. Philip Morris Tobacco is trying hard to keep their customers as prices go higher and higher.

Kroger grocery stores are discounting tobacco - 20 cents of each pack when you buy two and we've be told they'll give a $1.00 of Skoal or Copenhagen if you show your Kroger card.



We complained about the tobacco promotions and when we came back to take additional pictures all the signs were gone.
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Pregnant women who quit smoking before the 15th week reduce risk of premature birth and small babies..

March 29, 2009 - In women who stopped smoking before 15 weeks’ gestation, rates of spontaneous preterm birth and small for gestational age infants did not differ from those in non-smokers, indicating that these severe adverse effects of smoking may be reversible if smoking is stopped early in pregnancy.

It's known that smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, premature birth, small babies, stillbirth and neonatal death, but no study until now has determined whether stopping smoking in early pregnancy reduces the risks of small babies and premature births, the study authors said.

"Pregnant women who smoke should be encouraged and assisted to become smoke-free early in pregnancy," said lead researcher Dr. Lesley McCowan, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Auckland in New Zealand.

The study also found that women who stopped smoking WERE NOT more stressed than women who continued to smoke, McCowan noted.

"Health professionals who care for pregnant women need to ask about smoking, advise about the importance of stopping, and, where possible, refer for extra support early in pregnancy to assist women to become smoke-free," she advised.

PAPER: Spontaneous preterm birth and small for gestational age infants in women who stop smoking early in pregnancy: prospective cohort study,
Lesley M E McCowan, Gustaaf A Dekker, Eliza Chan, Alistair Stewart, Lucy C Chappell, Misty Hunter, Rona Moss-Morris, Robyn A North, BMJ 2009;338:b1081, ABSTRACT..

Dr. Richard Frieder, an associate clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine, said the study authors didn't explain whether this difference in low birth weight and gestational age at delivery actually translates into a measurable difference in newborn health.

"We assume this to be true, but there was only about a half pound difference in birth weight and six days difference in gestational age. These numbers are not very impressive that one would think a big difference in neonatal health would be achieved. Still, we should assume that a half pound and six days more of gestation is better and that we should strive to help women stop smoking," he said.

There are other big issues at play when it comes to babies, women and cigarette smoke, Frieder added. "Babies that live in 'smoking homes' have a much higher risk of respiratory ailments, such as asthma and pneumonia and SIDS. In addition, women are more susceptible to the cancer-causing effects of cigarette smoke than men. The tobacco industry specifically targets women, despite this well-known fact," he said.

Reference: Newly Pregnant Smokers Have a 15-Week Window to Quit by Steven Reinberg, Health Day, 3/27/2009.
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Boston's ban on blunt wraps stands..

March 29, 2009 - A Massachusetts judge has upheld the authority of the Boston Public Health Commission to ban the sale of "blunt wraps," tobacco-leaf papers often used to roll marijuana cigarettes.

Three major blunt wrap manufacturers - as well as their trade organization, the RYO (as in, roll your own) Cigar Association - sued the city in Suffolk Superior Court last month, hoping to stop the city's enforcement of the blunt ban, which started Monday, February 9, 2009). A judge denied a request for an emergency halt, but allowed the case to proceed for a full hearing. (Blunt lawsuit pits rolling paper makers v. city, by Stephen Smith, Boston.com, 2/7/2009)

The makers of wraps, which are tobacco-based rolling papers, are suing the city over the Boston Public Health Commission's decision in December to ban their product from store shelves across the city.

Producers of blunt wraps contend that city regulators are unconstitutionally picking on them. It is estimated that $1.5 million worth of blunt wraps are sold annually in Boston.

Dr. Barbara Ferrer, executive director of the Boston Public Health Commission, said Thursday that a judge agreed that the board has the authority to enact regulations in the interests of public health.

The commission argued that the blunt wraps were being marketed to youth because of their bright packaging and exotic flavors.

Related news brief: Boston - NO Tobacco Products Sold - Pharmacies/College Campuses.., Boston bans cigarette sales in drug stores..; Boston To Ban Drugstore Tobacco Sales..

More Blunt Wraps: C-store Highlighting Tobacco Blunt Wraps Available in Lots of Different Flavors..

Reference: Boston's ban on blunt wraps stands, posted by Gideon Gil, Boston.com, 3/26/2009.

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