November 1, 2008 - In June 2008, the Principality of Monaco enacted laws regarding smoking and tobacco usage.
As of 1 July 2008, smoking is banned in all government offices and buildings.
As of 1 November 2008, smoking is not allowed in enclosed or covered public spaces and places where food or flammable goods are stored. Designated smoking areas are allowed except in educational institutions and places open to athletes and minors. These designated smoking areas may not offer any service, in an effort to prevent exposure to smoke by workers.
No persons under the age of 16 may buy tobacco products and photo identity may be requested of anyone purchasing tobacco products.
The sale of candy or toys for children with images of tobacco is also prohibited.
Any person who smokes in prohibited spaces is subject to fines, as is the person responsible for the establishment where the infraction occurred.
More information on smoking ban.
Reference: Monaco Smoking Ban Anglo Info Riviera.
As of 21 August 2008 Monaco was neither signatory nor party to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
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Monoco 2008 smoking ban in public places..
NSW Premier Rees Directly Involved Staged Smoking Bans..
The purpose of the Smoke Free Environment Amendment Act 2004 (NSW) was to amend the Smoke Free Environment Act 2000 to phase in a prohibition on smoking in enclosed public spaces in licensed premises. The ban will be phased in from the commencement of the legislation, with increasing restrictions to come into force in January 2005, July 2005 and July 2006 culminating in a complete ban by 2 July 2007.
Click here: For more information on the restrictions to occur at each phase.
Reference: Rees put brake on smoke bans, Andrew Clennell, The Sydney Morning Herald, 10/30/2008.
Related news brief - Nathan Rees: NSW - Clerical Error 2008 Tobacco Bill Corrected..
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U.S. - Tops Markets will proof all purchasing alcohol and tobacco products..
The no-exceptions policy takes effect Sunday, 11/2/2008 in all 76 Tops stores (mainly in New York State, some in Pennsylvania) and comes after successful trials at two Ithaca, NY locations chosen for their high population of college students — a group more likely to attempt an underage purchase.
One of Tops Friendly Markets competitors Wegmans, Rochester, NY, based Supermarket Chain Will NO Longer Sell Tobacco Products Starting February 10, 2008. Thank God for Danny Wegman...
Reference: Tops to proof all for beer, tobacco - even grandmas by Samantha Maziarz Christmann, The Buffalo News, 10/30/2008.
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General Tobacco Sues 52 U.S Attorneys General and 19 Tobacco Companies..
"The structure for the MSA created an impossible business environment for future competitors, especially small players such as GT," J. Ronald Denman, executive vice president of GT, said in a statement. "All we are asking for is a level playing field for everyone."
The action follows an Oct. 27, 2008, notice from 42 attorneys general stating they had ended negotiations to reduce GT’s MSA payment obligations, which included a notice of intent to sue. The suit filed by GT asks for a preliminary injunction preventing the MSA from enforcing penalties on GT including de-listing of or failing to certify its brands, or attempting to take the funds in escrow, the suit states.
Reference: General Tobacco Sues 52 Attorneys General, Convenience Store News, 10/30/2008.
Related news briefs - General Tobacco: N.C.'s General Tobacco Appoints New Sales Head..; General Tobacco completes move to Mayodan, N.C.. and General Tobacco (GT) could “potentially” come out with a snus product in the future..
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In Process - Swedish Match - 2008 3rd Quarter Results..
October 30, 2008 - In Scandinavia, sales volumes measured in number of cans, were down by 2 percent during the third quarter compared to the previous year, as strong Norwegian and Duty Free volumes substantially offset Swedish volume declines.
In the US, sales volumes during the third quarter were up by 5 percent compared to the same period in the previous year. Volumes for Longhorn and Timber Wolf
also included the initial pipeline shipments of Red Man. The Red Man brand is now in national distribution, and continues to be supported by marketing programs. At the beginning of the year, the Triumph brand of Swedish style snus was launched in a test market in Ohio as part of the joint venture with Lorillard. This test has now been expanded to Georgia.
Sweden is the world's largest snuff market measured by per capita consumption. A
substantially larger proportion of the male population uses the Swedish type of
moist snuff called snus compared to cigarettes. The Norwegian market is
significantly smaller than the Swedish market but in recent years has experienced solid volume growth. The U.S. is the largest snuff market measured in the number of cans and is approximately six times larger than the Swedish market. In
Sweden and Norway, Swedish Match has a leading position. In the US, the Group
is well positioned as the third largest player. Some of the best known brands
include General, Ettan, and Grov in Sweden, Timber Wolf and Longhorn in the US.
In 2007, the Company launched a snuff line extension under its well known Red
Man brand in the US market.
SWEDISH MATCH AB AGREES TO ACQUIRE CIGARS INTERNATIONAL (CI) INC...
**Swedish snus is moist snuff which is produced using a special heat treated process, much like pasteurization, as opposed to other snuff products for which a fermentation process is used.
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Nigerian Lawsuit Against Tobacco Firms Adjourned Until January 2009..
The Nigerian government has accused the firms of targeting young smokers by promoting the sale of individual cigarettes and has asked the court to ban cigarette sales to under-18s and curb advertising aimed at young people. It is seeking 4.8 trillion naira as preventive damages for future expenses for cigarette-related diseases, 136 billion naira as compensation to sick youths, 250 billion naira in restitution and 130 billion naira as punitive damages.
PMI had rejected court papers sent on three occasions by courier. Efforts to publish the summons in a Swiss newspaper had also failed. Next they'll try to serve PMI through diplomatic channels through the Swiss Embassy in Nigeria.
It is the second time that the court has had to adjourn the case so that lawyers could serve PMI.
The case is inspired by U.S. lawsuits in the 1990s that led to multibillion dollar settlements (1998 Master Settlement Agreement) by the tobacco industry. But health campaigners say the Nigerian government does not spend anywhere near the huge amounts it says in the lawsuit on delivering healthcare.
Nigeria adjourns $45 bln tobacco lawsuit to January by Camillus Eboh, Reuters, 10/29/2008.
Related news brief: Nigeria House Passes Anti-smoking Bill..; BAT using illegal tactics to get African youths to start smoking.. and British American Tobacco (BAT) - 100 years in Africa..
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Pennsylvania - Cigarette Vending Machines NO Longer Wanted..
There are about 5,700 licensed cigarette vending machines in Pennsylvania, according to the state Department of Revenue. W.S. Vending, had 50 to 60 cigarette vending machines in bars and restaurants throughout Pittsburgh before the ban went into effect six weeks ago. Now, they have three. Cigarette sales account for about 25 percent of W.S. Vending's business.
"The smoking ban improves air quality, exposes fewer people to second-hand smoke. It also leads to a lot more current smokers quitting and fewer kids start smoking," said Thomas, executive director of Tobacco Free Allegheny. "All these things tie together, so, for us, it's good news."
Reference: Cigarette vendors are hurting from statewide smoking ban by Adam Brandolph, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 10/28/2008.
Related news briefs: Finally Pennsylvania's Smoking Ban Takes Effect Today..; Ed Rendell, governor of Pennsylvania wants to pay for providing health insurance; Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell is proposing an excise tax on tobacco..
Click on image to enlarge..
Ghana to ban smoking in public places in November 2008..
He acknowledged that although there were likely to be challenges in the implementation of the ban, the Ministry hoped to strengthen and formalise its links with relevant institutions and organisations to facilitate the implementation of the ban. "We believe the power of in-country coordinating networks of employers, unionised groups, directors and managers of public places cannot be underestimated in helping to build a collaborated strategy in protecting the citizenry from the hazards of smoking and second-hand smoke," Mr Dwumah-Odoom added. Mr Oscar Bruce, Vice President for the Coalition of NGOs in Tobacco Control, said passive smoking was a major public health threat and the only way to protect the public was through comprehensive smoke free air laws.
A Ghana Health Service survey conducted in 2005 also revealed that one-third of Junior High School pupils were exposed to the smoke.
Reference: Ghana to ban tobacco smoking in public, Ghana News, 10/28/2008.
Related news briefs: FCTC Member Ghana - NO Law Banning Sales of Tobacco to Minors.. and British American Tobacco (BAT) - 100 years in Africa..
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Lorillard's Quarterly Net Income Slips 3%; Sales Rise Slightly..
Total Lorillard wholesale shipment volume for the third quarter of 2008 of 10.093 billion units was up 4.5 percent compared with the third quarter of 2007. Domestic wholesale shipments were up 4.5 percent for the same period. Total industry shipments are estimated to be down 3.4% for the third quarter of 2008 compared with the third quarter of 2007.
Newport's domestic wholesale shipments increased 2.5% in the third quarter of 2008 compared to the third quarter of 2007. According to Lorillard's proprietary retail shipment database, Newport continued to increase its retail market share during the third quarter of 2008 by .43 share points over the third quarter of 2007.
Reference: Lorillard, Inc. Reports Third Quarter 2008 Result, insurancenews.net, 10/27/2008.
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Malta - April 2004 Smoking Ban A Success..
The smoking ban has been in place for 4 years and it seems as though the effects are finally being seen. A study conducted by the anti-smoking campaign "HELP: For a life without tobacco" has set about measuring the differences in carbon monoxide levels since the ban was put in place. Since the introduction of the smoking ban in 2004, tobacco pollution in non-smokers has halved. Owing to the lack of cigarette smoke in public areas since the beginning of the ban, the presence of carbon monoxide in the lungs of non-smokers has been shown to have dropped significantly. (Smoking ban success by Maxine Calleja Urry, di-ve.com, 10/27/2008)
Speaking at a news conference on the various anti-tobacco services offered by the Malta's Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Department, Dr. Ray Busuttil, Director General on behalf of the Ministry of Health said the latest Eurobarometer survey on smoking showed that 25 per cent of the Maltese are smokers. However, what is most worrying is that while the 2002 Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) survey showed that 38.8 per cent of 15-year-olds admitted to having some time smoked a cigarette, this rate increased to 42.8 per cent four years later. The 2006 HBSC survey also shows that the rate of 15-year-old girls who admitted to having tried smoking was 45 per cent, compared to the rate of 40 per cent in boys of the same age,” said Dr Busuttil. Moreover, the HBSC survey (carried out every four years) also shows that 10 per cent of 11-year-old boys admitted to having tried smoking. (Smoking among young people on the increase, Francesca Vella, Independnet.com, 10/7/2008)
Márkos Kyprianoú former European Commissioner for Health tendered his resignation as Commissioner on 29 February 2008 has recommended a total in European Union ban on smoking would be the most effective approach. (Commission wants EU-wide smoking ban in public places, EurActiv.com, Published: Tuesday 30 January 2007 - Updated: Wednesday 21 February 2007) Support for smoking bans in 25 EU countries.
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Croatia - A ban on smoking went into effect on October 27, 2008..
The tobacco industry in the country has six months to comply with a requirement to have health warnings on the backs of cigarette packets, covering 40 per cent of the area. Packets must also display graphic images of the consequences of smoking to discourage people from the habit.
Croatian website Javno reported Andrija Hebrang, of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) member, as saying during debate in parliament that limiting the use of tobacco products could save 3000 lives of non-smokers a year in Croatia. "The protection of non-smokers is the fundamental purpose of the proposed law," Hebrang said. She said that the law would counteract the rise in smoking among children. Statistics say that in Croatia in recent years, the number of boy first-graders who smoke has gone up five per cent and girl first-graders by three per cent. - Very SAD..
Related news brief: Croatia Aims at More Stringent Anti-smoking Laws..
Reference: Ban on smoking in public places in Croatia comes into effect by Clive Leviev-Sawyer, sofiaecho.com, 10/27/2008.
More on Tobacco in Croatia..
WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Treaty on July 14, 2008.
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NSW - Clerical Error 2008 Tobacco Bill Corrected..
The clerical error if not removed would have bypassed existing ad bans and allowed tobacco companies to sponsor high-profile sports such as motor racing and horse racing. Under existing laws, tobacco companies can still sponsor a sport but are prohibited from promoting their involvement. Experts said that had the NSW bill gone through, tobacco brands would have been able to bag the naming rights to headline horse or car races.
The new Premier, Nathan Rees, made the embarrassing admission after his Health Department came under fire for inserting the clause into a bill drawn up to curb sale of cigarettes to minors.
On September 5, 2008 the New South Wales (NSW) Premier Morris Iemma resigned and was replaced by Nathan Rees. Premier Iemma has been a strong promoter of tobacco control and recently announced the toughest and most sweeping reforms to tobacco laws in the nation and as he stated,"it's all about protecting the health of our children and our grandchildren."
Reference: Tobacco bill glitch goes up in smoke, Julian Lee Marketing Reporter, The Sydney Morning Herald, 10/25/2008.
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Kenya - discrepancies between local smoke-free regulations and Tobacco Control Act..
October 27, 2008 - The Kenyean Tobacco Control Act 2007, which came into force on 8th July 2008, regulates public smoking and the marketing and sale of tobacco products in Kenya. Since last year, several local councils including Nairobi and Mombasa have drafted by-laws that bars smoking in public places. Driven by a similar urge to curb smoking, the Government in its part made into law the Tobacco Control Act 2007. This parallel sets of legislation however pose an instant problem with local authorities sticking to the provisions of their by-laws to push for the campaign while other law enforcement agencies turned to the Act for guidance.
An example of an inconsistency: According to the Local Government Act, a public place may include any road, street, thoroughfare, foot - path, pavement, side-walk, lane, square, open space garden, park or enclosed space vested in a local authority. The Tobacco Act on the other hand defines a public place as any indoor, enclosed area which is open to the public or any part of the public, or to which members of the public ordinarily have access, and includes a work place and public conveyance. Hotels, restaurants, bars, schools, hospitals, court buildings, ferries, trains and any other form of public transport are covered under this Act.
Some key provisions of the 2007 Tobacco Control Act:
1. In public places, smoking is allowed only in designated smoking areas
2. Advertising of tobacco products is prohibited in Kenya
3. Retailers are allowed to sell cigarettes only in packets of 10 (ten) and 20 (twenty) cigarettes
4. Cigarettes may not be sold to persons under the age of 18 years
5. On 8th January 2009, the packaging of cigarettes sold in Kenya will change to incorporate larger Health Warnings and other specific markings
References: Kenya: State law or local law to control smoking?, Allan Odhiambo, Business Daily Africa, 10/27/2008.
Related news briefs: Smoking ban starts in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.. and British American Tobacco (BAT) - 100 years in Africa...
WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Treaty.
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Liquid Smoking a fruit-flavored herbal drink containing no nicotine..
October 27, 2008 - Liquid smoking, a fruit-flavored herbal drink that promises an instant high for smokers trying to beat the ban - has a relaxing rather than stimulating effect. It has similar properties to nicotine, so they are trying to help people out who are affected by the ban on nicotine. People might use this instead of a cigarette or tobacco to help the cravings.
The Dutch supplier, United Drinks and Beauty Corporation, hopes the drink will go on sale in the United Kingdom in the week before Christmas. This company hopes to follow Red Bull and have the product sold in pubs and bars as a mixer with spirits such as vodka. It has less than 21 calories per 275ml can and would cost £1.50 ($2.35USD)in shops and £2 ($3.13USD) in bars and pubs. There will be no lower age limit to buy it, although the makers said they did not think it should be drunk by anyone under 15. The company is waiting for clearance from health authorities in Holland to be able to sell the product there.
Anti-smoking groups fear it could promote addiction at a time when the Government is trying to discourage smoking.
Reference: Pour yourself a cigarette: The new 'Liquid Smoking' drink that promises an instant high for smokers trying to beat the ban by Lucy Ballinger,
Mail Online, 10/27/2008.
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N.C.'s General Tobacco Appoints New Sales Head..
Reference: Joining the GeneralEbert to lead tobacco company’s sales department, CSP Daily News, 10/27/2008.
Related news briefs: General Tobacco (GT) could “potentially” come out with a snus product in the future and General Tobacco completes move to Mayodan, N.C...
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Nicotine has a negative impact on the developing adolescent brain..
The Commission asked CASA to assemble the scientific evidence of the impact of nicotine on the adolescent brain, conduct original analyses of data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) on the relationship between teen smoking, alcohol and illegal drug abuse and addiction and mental health, and issue a report on its findings.CASA’s original analysis of data from the NSDUH finds that teens who smoke are nine times likelier to meet the medical criteria for past year alcohol abuse or dependence and 13 times likelier to meet the medical criteria for abuse and dependence on an illegal drug than teens who don’t smoke.The CASA analysis also found that among teens ages 12 to 17, twice as many smokers as nonsmokers suffered from symptoms of depression in the past year. Teens who reported early initiation of smoking were more likely to experience serious feelings of hopelessness, depression and worthlessness in the past year.The report also notes that smoking at a young age is related to panic attacks, general anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Reference: Tobacco: The Smoking Gun, Lauren Duran, 212-841-5260, Tobacco: The Smoking Gun, lduran@casacolumbia.org Sulaiman Beg, 212-841-5213,sbeg@casacolumbia.org , The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University.10/23/2007.
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Tobacco Smoking - Shortens Life Expectancy, Reduces Quality of Life..
Researchers from the University of Bergen followed nearly 50,000 residents of rural Norway for 25 years. They found that 41 percent of men who continued to smoke heavily (at least one pack a day) died between 40 to 70 years of age as compared to just 14 percent of men who never smoked. Twenty-six percent of women who were heavy smokers died between 40 and 70 years of age compared with only 9 percent of women who did not smoke. Smoking and Deaths between 40 and 70 Years of Age in Women and Men,DoctorNDTV, Annals Internal Medicine, March 2006, ABSTRACT..
Survival decreases with increasing number of cigarettes smoked per day. The benefits of quitting smoking are greatest for those who quit before their 40th or 50th birthday. For smokers a deceased quality of life was obvious when considering physical functioning and role limitations caused by health issues.
Recently, it has been reported that 3000 smokers in the Australian State of Victoria under the age of 50 are killed as a result of a smoking related illness leaving behind nearly 10,500 sons and daughters. (Fiona Sharkie is the Executive Director of Quit Victoria.)
Secondhand smoke is associated with reduced quality of life, more significantly so in women.
The biggest losers when a parent smokes are the CHILDREN.
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