The tax that would have been lost for the State budget from the cigarettes is estimated at BGN 650 000 while the value of the 225 000 packs of cigarettes exceeds BGN 1 M. (1 BGN = 0.75 USD = 0.51 Eur)
Bulgaria - one third of the tobacco products sold are illicit..
The cigarettes of the brands “Marlboro,” “Victory - most popular cigarette brand,” “Prestige,” and the Chinese "Chunghwa" have been discovered Thursday in Sofia’s “Slatina” district.
The cigarettes were found in a storage, rented by a man with a criminal record, and in a “Volvo” truck parked nearby.
The Interior says the cigarettes were destined for Bulgaria’s black market, not for import. Three men without criminal records have been arrested during the raid.
Reference: Bulgaria Police Busts Major Cigarette Contraband Ring, Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency), 12/5/2009.
Bulgaria related news briefs:
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 Bulgarian Communist Party which led to the crumbling of the communist regime.
illicit illegal black market smuggling
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Bulgaria - police busts major cigarette contraband ring..
New Jersey 38-0 senate approves bill that restricts the sale and use of electronic cigarettes...
December 11, 2009 - TRENTON, N.J. - The bill expands the definition of "smoking" to include e-cigarettes and extends the ban on smoking by minors to include them.
Click to enlarge:
The Senate bill, approved Thursday, December 10th by a 38-0 vote, prohibits their use in public places and workplaces. It was approved Monday, December 7th by the state Assembly and now goes to Governor Jon Corzine.
U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg has called on the federal Food and Drug Administration to remove e-cigarettes from the market.
Reference: New Jersey Senate passes bill to restrict electronic cigarettes like the real thing, Associated Press, 12/11/2009.
Related news briefs:
N.J. Assembly committee approves e-cigarette ban..;
New Jersey - legislation proposed to prohibit sale of e-cigarettes..;
New Jersey assemblywoman wants to limit electronic (e) cigarettes..;
E-cigarettes need to establish efficacy and safety - FIRST...
Read more...
U..S. - states spending less and less of tobacco money on anti-smoking programs..
For 2009 Report and Related Materials..
State governments are collecting record revenues from tobacco companies but spending less and less of it on anti-smoking programs, especially in New York. In the report, titled “A Broken Promise to Our Children,” the CTFK state governments had reduced spending by 15 percent, to $567 million, for smoking prevention and cessation programs in the fiscal year that ended in September 2009.
New York State made some of the largest cuts to anti-smoking programs, reducing them by $25.2 million, or 31 percent, the report said, adding that it did so “despite having a successful program that has reduced smoking to well below national rates.”
Other states that made large cuts last year were Colorado, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Washington.
Only one state, North Dakota, has smoking prevention and cessation programs at the level recommended by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the report said. Only nine other states fund tobacco prevention at even half the CDC-recommended level, while 31 states and DC provide less than a quarter of the recommended funding.
The report says tobacco companies spend $20 on marketing for every $1 that states spend on antismoking efforts. The five largest tobacco companies spent $12.5 billion on advertising and promotion in 2006, the latest year figures were available, a Federal Trade Commission spokeswoman, Betsy Lordan, said.
Adult smoking in the United States has leveled off at about 21 percent, virtually unchanged since 2004, the report said, while smoking among high school students declined to 20 percent in 2008, from 36 percent in 1997.
The other groups involved in the report, including the American Cancer Society, American Lung Association and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, said it was shortsighted to cut smoking programs. They called on Congress to ensure that more disease prevention initiatives were part of health care changes.
References: States Spending Less to Fight Smoking by DUFF WILSON, The New York Times, 12/9/2009; A Broken Promise to our Children, The 1998 State Tobacco Settlement, 11-years later, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, 12/9/2009.
Read more...
Topeka, Kansas - some petitions to overthrow smoking ban missing..
The petition drive, initiated in October by Topekans Against the Ban, seeks to overturn the Topeka City Council's September 29 passage of a clean air ordinance banning smoking in most public places. Petition drive organizers must acquire 5,744 valid signatures of registered Topeka voters within 180 days of the date of the first signature on the petition to force the council to either overturn the ordinance or give the public a vote on whether to overturn it.
Topeka police Capt. Jerry Stanley said Thursday, December 10th that Gail Trembley, an organizer of the drive, filed a police report Wednesday indicating petitions were missing from several businesses. Stanley said it wasn't clear how many petitions were gone. Trembley said Thursday petition organizers wouldn't pursue theft charges if whoever took the signed petitions returns them.
Reference: Smoking ban petitions missingcjonline.com - The Topeka Capital Journal, 12/11/2009.
Related news briefs: Topeka, Kansas - smoking ban takes effect Friday, December 4, 2010..;
Topeka, Kansas to ban public smoking indoors and at places of employment December 4, 2010..
Read more...
United Kingdom - proposed legislation to ban smoking on ships..
At present, the bans on smoking in public places in Great Britain (Wales, England, Scotland) and Northern Ireland do not cover ships. This is because ships fall under the regulation of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995. The Department of Transport are proposing some new legislation “Merchant Shipping (Prohibition of Smoking on Ships) Regulations” which aims to ban smoking in all areas on-board ships operating in the United Kingdom (UK).
People will only be allowed to smoke in specific zones approved by the ship’s Captain.
Smoking is the most common preventable cause of ill health and premature death in Wales. A quarter of Welsh adults currently smoke, and two-thirds of non-smokers in Wales are exposed to other people’s tobacco smoke. Environmental tobacco smoke (also known as second hand smoke or passive smoking) can cause heart disease, lung cancer, asthma and stroke in adult non-smokers. It can also be responsible for sudden infant death syndrome, middle ear infections and asthma attacks in children.
Smoking bans encourage people to reduce their smoking and quit altogether, decreasing the amount of tobacco smoke in the environment, therefore helping to improve the health of current smokers and non-smokers.
Reference: Smoking ban extended to ships, NewsWales.co.uk, 12/11/2009.
United Kingdom Royal Coat-of_Arms
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Azerbaijan - meeting on December 14th to discuss how to combat smoking..
Azerbaijan Coat-of-Arms..
The association says that in Azerbaijan 49% of men aged between 15 and 49 are smokers. According to the World Health Organization, 5.4 million people die of tobacco dependence every year in the world.
A national anti-smoking conference will be organized in Azerbaijan as part of the anti-smoking project. The project was launched in October.
Azerbaijan: Survey of Public Opinion toward Tobacco Control and the FCTC..
Euromonitor - More on Tobacco in Azerbaijan..
Reference: Azerbaijan to hold national anti-smoking conference, NEWS.AZ, 12/10/2009.
Azerbaijan has ratified (November 2005) the
WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Treaty.
Read more...
Effectiveness of cigarette pack death-related graphic warnings..
December 11, 2009 - A study from the United States, Switzerland and Germany, led by Jochim Hansen of New York University and the University of Basel, asked 39 psychology students who said they were smokers, aged between 17 -41. Participants filled in a questionnaire determining how much their smoking was based on self-esteem, before being shown cigarette packets with different warnings on them. Half of them read warnings such as "Smoking leads to deadly lung cancer", while the other half had warnings about attractiveness.
After a 15-minute delay the students were asked more questions about their smoking behaviour and if they intended to quit.
The study, published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology - see abstract below, found that cigarette packets with death-related warnings were not effective and even caused more positive smoking attitudes.
"On the other hand, warning messages that were unrelated to death effectively reduced smoking attitudes the more recipients based their self-esteem on smoking.
"This finding can be explained by the fact that warnings such as 'Smoking brings you and the people around you severe damage' and 'Smoking makes you unattractive' may be particularly threatening to people who believe the opposite, namely that smoking allows them to feel valued by others or to boost their positive self-image."
A Department of Health spokesman said: “Health warnings on tobacco packaging have played an important role in helping smokers understand the risks of tobacco use and where to get help to quit. Research from around the world has shown that different people react to different types of messages to motivate them to attempt to quit."
“In October 2008, the UK was the first nation in the European Union to introduce graphic picture warnings to cigarette packets that showed smokers the grim reality of the effects smoking can have on their health. We are now currently working with the European Commission to develop new pictorial warnings for tobacco packaging, including testing different types of messages with smokers.”
PAPER: When the death makes you smoke: A terror management perspective on the effectiveness of cigarette on-pack warnings, Jochim Hansena, Susanne Winzeler and Sascha Topolinski, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology Volume 46, Issue 1, January 2010, Pages 226-228, ABSTRACT..
Reference:
Cigarette pack health warnings 'could encourage people to keep smoking' Cigarette packets with serious health warnings could actually encourage people to continue smoking, research suggests., by Chris Irvine, Telegrapgh.com.uk, 12/9/2009.
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Reynolds American Inc. completes acquisition of Niconovum AB..
December 11, 2009 - Reynolds American Inc. has completed the acquisition of Niconovum AB, a Swedish-based nicotine replacement therapy company, purchasing all outstanding shares of the company for 310 million Swedish kronor,or approximately $44 million.
Niconovum markets innovative nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products under the Zonnic brand name in Sweden and Denmark. Its nicotine gum, mouth spray and pouches use proprietary technology for nicotine delivery. Niconovum will be a separate operating company of Reynolds American.
Starting January 1, 2010, RAI’s Web site, www.ReynoldsAmerican.com, will be the primary source of publicly disclosed news about RAI and its operating companies. We will use the Web site as our primary means of distributing quarterly earnings and other company news. We encourage investors and others to register at www.ReynoldsAmerican.com, to receive alerts when news about the company has been posted.
Reference: Reynolds American Inc. completes acquisition of Niconovum AB, REynolds Amewrican Inc., 12/9/2009.
Related news briefs:
Reynolds American Inc. plans to buy Niconovum AB..;
Reynolds American in Talks to Buy Maker of Smoking-Cessation Products..;
Read more...
WHO - 600,000 non-smokers die each year as a result of secondhand smoke..
Some 154 million more people lived in areas covered by smoke free laws in 2008, a WHO report showed. That brought the total proportion of the world's population covered by smoke-free laws to only 5.4 percent, three years after international tobacco control measures introduced the requirement.
The WHO estimates that some 600,000 non-smokers die prematurely every year as a result of passive smoking (environmental tobacco smoke, ETS, sidestream smoke, involuntary smoking), or exposure to secondhand smoke SHS).
Bans on smoking in public places were enforced in 17 countries, with Colombia, Djibouti, Guatemala, Mauritius, Panama, Turkey, and Zambia joining the list in 2008.
"Although this represents progress, the fact that more than 94 percent of people remain unprotected by comprehensive smoke-free laws shows that much more work needs to be done," said WHO Assistant Director General for non-communicable diseases Ala Alwan.
"There is no safe level of of exposure to secondhand smoke. Therefore action is needed by governments to protect their people," he added. (2006 Surgeon General's Report—The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke)
Of the world's 100 most populous cities, just over a fifth, or 22 are smoke free according to the WHO. The report also revealed that 93 countries so far insist on smoke free hospitals.
"This is very worrisome data in that only half of the world's population is living in cities where health care facilities are smoke free," said Armando Peruga, manager of the WHO's Tobacco Free Initiative.
Overall tobacco use kills more than five million people a year largely due to cancers and heart trouble, a death toll that could rise to eight million by 2030 at the current rate, according to the report.
Some six trillion cigarettes were produced in 2007, according to the WHO.
"The tendency today is that the proportion of people smoking is going down but the absolute number is increasing," due to population growth, Peruga told journalists.
Smoking also appears to be more popular among young women, according to the UN health agency. "In half the world girls are smoking at the same rate as boys, which is very different from what you see in adults," said Peruga.
The 2005 WHO Framework on Convention on Tobacco Control advocates bans on tobacco advertising and sponsorship, tax increases on tobacco, explicit warnings on cigarette packs as well as laws on smoking in public places and help for those who want to quit smoking.
Reference: WHO warns of slow take up in public smoking bans, Agence France-Presse (AFP) - The Independent.co.uk, 12/10/2009.
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South Korea - Stressed-out Koreans smoking more..
The health ministry survey found that 47.7 per cent of male adults and 7.4 per cent of female adults smoked last year, up from 45.0 and 5.3 per cent respectively a year earlier.
At the same time, 74.6 per cent of males and 44.9 per cent of females drank twice or more a month last year, up from 73.5 and 41.5 per cent a year earlier.
The ministry survey did not speculate on the causes of the increases.
Reference: Stressed-out Koreans smoking more, Tobacco Reporter, 12/10/2009,
South Korea - some related news briefs:
South Korea - to ban smoking in public places from 2011..;
Korea - BAT - winning the hearts and minds of customers based on tactics tailored to local tastes..;
Korea - sets target to reduce smoking 10% in 5-years..;
Korea - stricter regulation of the tobacco industry coming..;
South Korea - tobacco imports surge 396-fold over 10-years..;
Korea - slight increase in men smoking.. ;
South Korea - anti-tobacco campaign - body painting..;
Korea - smoking ban just about everywhere by end of 2009..;
Tobacco marketing in South Korea has been deliberately aimed at girls and young women..;
Korea - smoking rates fall for men and women...
Read more...
South Korea - to ban smoking in public places from 2011..
South Korea will ban all indoor and outdoor smoking in public places starting in 2011, to substantially reduce the country's smoking rate, the government said Wednesday, reports Yonhap news agency.
The Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs said the move aims to bring down the smoking rate among men in the country from 47 percent at present to 20 percent in the target year. The ministry added it will take measures to allow regional governments to implement anti-smoking policies to make it more difficult for people to smoke in public places, and push forward a concerted campaign at schools and military installations across the country to get people to stop buying cigarettes. Despite some reduction in the number of smokers among the general population, the number of students and soldiers who smoke has not gone down.
Seoul has prohibited smoking in large buildings for several years but has not taken similar steps for outdoor smoking even in areas where large numbers of people gather.
Smoking has been cited for causing various forms of cancer and other life-threatening diseases, and could put a strain on the economy by causing a rise in medical outlays down the line. Secondhand smoke is also a problem as it endangers the health of non-smokers.
It said posters and pictures highlighting the health risks associated with smoking will be placed on cigarette cases, with support to be offered to companies that implement programs to get workers to quit smoking.
Reference: S. Korea to ban smoking in public places from 2011, YonhapNews.co.kr, 12/9/2009; South Korea to ban smoking in public places from 2011, New Straits Times, 12/9/2009.
South Korea - some related news briefs:
Korea - BAT - winning the hearts and minds of customers based on tactics tailored to local tastes..;
Korea - sets target to reduce smoking 10% in 5-years..;
Korea - stricter regulation of the tobacco industry coming..;
South Korea - tobacco imports surge 396-fold over 10-years..;
Korea - slight increase in men smoking.. ;
South Korea - anti-tobacco campaign - body painting..;
Korea - smoking ban just about everywhere by end of 2009..;
Tobacco marketing in South Korea has been deliberately aimed at girls and young women..;
Korea - smoking rates fall for men and women...
Read more...
Michigan - state smoking ban will be approved soon..
Cigar bars and tobacco specialty shops also would be exempt. But smoking would be prohibited in the casino restaurants and bars.
The vote is expected to finally clear the way for final approval of a statewide smoking ban that anti-smoking advocates have sought for a dozen years.
The bill goes to the House, which earlier this year passed a similar measure and could vote today on the Senate version.
Back on December 19, 2008 Michigan state lawmakers failed to reach agreement on a smoking ban leaving anti-smoking advocates bitterly disappointed and a new Legislature to grapple in 2009 with an issue that has wide public support.
The Senate rejected an attempt to pass a total smoking ban that would include the casinos. The casinos have lobbied strongly against a smoking ban in their establishments, saying they would lose many smoking customers to Indian-run casinos that are not subject to a state prohibition.
Sen. Ron Jelinek, R-Three Oaks, who drafted the Senate compromise, saying it has the best chance of passing the House.
Michigan is one of 13 states with no general smoking ban, although the state forbids smoking in state workplaces.
Last month, anti-smoking advocates stepped up lobbying for a total ban. They say smoking is a health hazard to employees -- like waiters and waitresses -- in workplaces who are exposed to secondhand smoke.
The Senate rejected a proposal for an outright ban on smoking. It did approve exemptions for smoking in home offices and vehicles, which would allow truck drivers to smoke in their cabs. But efforts to exempt race tracks, bingo halls, millionaire parties and several smoking bars at Metro Airport failed.
Reference: Senate OKs smoking ban for restaurants, bars by CHRIS CHRISTOFF, FREE PRESS LANSING BUREAU,12/10/2009.
Michigan - Related news briefs:
Michigan - possible increase in tax on tobacco products coming..;
Michigan - counties can pass smoking rules..;
More evidence - Casino workers face greater chance of disease..;
Detroit Area Hiller's Markets to STOP Selling Tobacco Products..;
Michigan public smoking ban fizzles..;
Will Michigan Pass Smoking Ban Before the End of Year..;
Michigan Falls Short Again on Ban in Public Places..;
Michigan Senate Deals Blow To Smoking Ban...
Read more...
Canada - Tobacco companies win partial legal victory..
A divided British Columbia Court of Appeals panel overturned part of a lower court's ruling that the federal government could not be drawn in by the industry as a third party defendant in cases over the health costs associated with smoking and the promotion of "light" cigarettes. The appeals panel, ruling on two related cases, said the government may have to share in any possible liability related to Agriculture Canada's role in the development of strains of tobacco used to make "light" and "mild" cigarettes.
The first case brought by the province of British Columbia seeks to collect damages from several cigarette makers and their international parents for the cost of treating smoking-related diseases. The second case is a class-action by smokers against Imperial Tobacco, who allege they were mislead into believing that cigarettes labeled "mild" or "light" were safer to smoke than regular cigarettes.
The tobacco industry has long argued that government should share in any responsibility for damages because they were "partners" in the sale of tobacco by keeping it legal and collecting tax revenue from it.
Imperial Tobacco's vice-president, Donald McCarty: "The B.C. decision will demonstrate that the government of Canada has known about the risks associated with smoking for decades and that it instigated and promoted the development and sale of lower-tar tobacco products."
By adding the federal government as third party defendant to the cases, the industry can argue that Ottawa should share in responsibility for a portion of any damages awarded when the cases eventually go to trial.
The rulings, which divided the panel 3 to 2 in both cases, allowed portions of the industry's appeal. The appeals panel let stand a portion of the lower court ruling that the federal government should not be considered liable for a failure as a regulator to adequately warn about the dangers of smoking.
An anti-smoking group said the industry did not get much of what it wanted, and the debate over tobacco strains was a "side show" to the main issue that the industry knowingly covered up the dangers of tobacco smoke.
"The industry's strategy has always been to blame someone else," said Rob Cunningham of the Canadian Cancer Society.
Several of Canada provinces have sued the industry for billions in damages, but the British Columbia (B.C.) case was the filed first and is being used as the lead case in the courts. The British Columbia case, which is modeled on legal action by U.S. states against the industry in the United States.
In addition to British American Tobacco's (BAT) Imperial Tobacco Canada Ltd, the cases involve Rothmans Benson & Hedges Inc, Philip Morris International and Rothmans Inc, and JTI-Macdonald Corp, owned by Japan Tobacco Inc. Japan Tobacco is not named as a defendant.
Reference: UPDATE 1-Tobacco companies win partial legal victory in Canada, reporting by Allan Dowd; editing by Carol Bishopric, CFDsPROS.com - Reuters, 12/9/2009.
Related news briefs:
Canada - tobacco companies may face C$200 billion in claims..;
Read more...
WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2009..
December 9, 2009 - WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2009: Implementing smoke-free environments..
Click on the first page of report..
Read more...
C-Store Update - Black & Mild Cigarillos, RJR returns, wraps, Camel SNUS, etc..
December 9, 2009 -
Black & Mild Cigarillos - John Middleton Inc. begins selling Black & Mild Cigarillos.. Altria is the parent of John Middleton, Inc. the maker of Black and Mild (BM) cigars and now cigarillos.
In 2004, BM (launched in 1980) filled with pipe tobacco were the top selling cigar according to ACNielsen. These cigars come with a plastic or wood tip, a filter tip, untipped, and one version is actually about half the size of a regular BM called the “Fast Break.” Varieties include: Original, Mild, Apple, Wine, FT Filter Tip, Gold and Mild, Cherry, Cherry-Vanilla, Cream.
Black and Mild Cigars and Cigarillos..
-Click to enlarge..-
Federal health officials banned the sale of flavored cigarettes on Tuesday, September 22nd in its first major action since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was given authority to regulate tobacco. The FDA Commissioner, Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg, was quick to point out that these flavored cigarettes are a gateway for many children and young adults to become regular smokers.
At least one company, Kretek International (KI), the nation's top distributor of clove cigarettes (97 percent of U.S. market) is offering about the same cigarette as a cigarillo. So far the Black & Mild Cigarillos only come in a regular flavor but most likely more flavors will be introduced to compete with Dutch Masters, White Owls and others. (The ban on flavored cigarettes doesn't include cigars.)
R.J. Reynolds is allowing c-store owners to return cartons of Camel Signature Series and Camel 99s cigarettes for a credit of $15 per carton. Usually cigarettes cannot be returned for credit.
Click to enlarge images:
Here's an image of a cart filled with packs of cigarettes selling for $1 a pack in a grocery store.
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In NC it seems like flavored tobacco wraps are disappearing. C-store owners are being told by distributors they don't have them.. Is this the end of wraps or will they be back with labeling that specifies a color instead of identifying the flavor.
The City of Boston. Massachusetts has banned the sale of flavored tobacco wraps.
Comments on how Camel SNUS is doing (more in next c-store update):
Click to enlarge:
Camel SNUS q3 2009 earnings report
Susan Ivey, Chairman, President and CEO of Reynolds American: "Camel Snus, which was expanded nationally in the first quarter of this year, continues to gain awareness and trial. Its third-quarter market share was 0.3 percentage points on a cigarette equivalent basis, which assumes that a tin of Camel Snus is equal to a pack of cigarettes. I think the 3/10th incremental in terms of Camel Snus is significant for the brand. Now this year of course we have high-launch expenses. But over time the margins on Snus are significantly higher than those on cigarettes and therefore we believe that we are expanding the Camel franchise and over time enhancing its margins."Click to enlarge:
A few other images:
R.J. Reynolds smokeless tobacco.. products..
R.J. Reynolds tobacco products..
Conwood products..(Conwood Company, LLC, is changing its name back to American Snuff Company, LLC effective January 1, 2010.) Conwood, the nation's second largest manufacturer of smokeless tobacco products, is an operating company of Reynolds American Inc.
Conwoods Products..
White Owl grape flavored cigars B1G1F - 75 cents each..
Clck to enlarge:
Previous c-store news brief..
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Australia - ACT - outdoor smoking ban passed but start delayed..
ACT Coat-of_Arms:
Prior news brief: Australia ACT - smokers may be banned outdoors where food/drinks are served.., October 18, 2009.
The Legislative Assembly yesterday passed legislation prohibiting smoking in outdoor dining and drinking areas. It also bans smoking at children's events. But the new laws will not apply for another 12 months.
Dr Alan Shroot from Action on Smoking and Health says there is no reason for the delay. Shroot: "It should've happened a long time ago and it's very disappointing it's going to take 12 months." "But nevertheless the Government are to be congratulated for actually getting this legislation through."
Dr Shroot says hospitality workers should not have to put up with passive smoking for another year. "Passive smoking is the cause of considerable amount of ill health in the community and indeed premature death," he said.
Tobacco smoking is already banned in enclosed areas, but the new law, passed by the ACT Legislative Assembly, will extend that to outside areas of restaurants and cafés.
Pubs and clubs will be able to designate an outdoor smoking area of not more than 50 per cent of their outdoor space, though food and drink will not be permitted in the designated smoking areas, and people under the age of 18 will not be allowed into those areas.
Reference: Outdoor smoking ban delay 'disappointing', Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 12/9/2009.
Some related news briefs - ACT:
Australia ACT - smokers may be banned outdoors where food/drinks are served..;
Australian Capital Territory (ACT) smoking in cars when kids are present..;
Tobacco retail display ban proposed for Canberra - The Australian Capital Territory (ACT)..;
Tobacco displays are on their way out in an increasing number of countries...
Read more...
Indonesia - RATIFICATION OF FCTC MAY RAISE INDONESIA'S BARGAINING POWER..
December 9, 2009 - The government has been asked for an early ratification of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) to raise Indonesia's bargaining power in the health sector.
"Indonesia has no reason to ratifiy the FCTC, because tobacco is already covered by the Law on Health," former Health Minister Farid Anfasa Moeloek said in Jakarta Monday.
Reference: RATIFICATION OF FCTC MAY RAISE INDONESIA'S BARGAINING POWER, Individual.com (Asia Pulse Data Source via COMTEX), 12/7/2009.
Indonesia related news briefs:
Indonesia - 18 tons of illegal cigarettes destroyed..;
Indonesia - Government to limit cigarette production..;
Indonesia - BAT, Bentoel shareholders approve planned merger..;
Indonesia - another protest rejecting the new cigarette excise tax..;
Indonesia - workers from small cigarette producers protest excise tax increase..;
Indonesia - cigarette industry has pledged to stage a demonstration to protest a government plan to increase excise tax.;
Indonesia - the last paradise for a puff in Southeast Asia..;
Indonesia - trade minister officials want to meet with US counterparts to discuss ban on clove cigarettes..;
Indonesia - PT BAT Indonesia to merge with PT Bentoel International Investama Terbuka..;
Indonesia - missing tobacco regulation in approved Health Law..;
Indonesia - section on tobacco in health bill disappears..;
Indonesia - Constitutional Court by close vote rules that tobacco ads can continue..;
Indonesia - parent smoking can negatively affect the nutrition of children..;
Indonesia - new council member suspect in cigarette fraud case..;
Indonesia - an NGO commission assists cigarettes must be banned in films..
Indonesia - a paradise for tobacco companies..
Indonesia - after buying cigarettes very little left for food..;
Indonesia - will they ratify the first world public health treaty..;
Indonesia - last paradise to smoke in public places in Southeast Asia..;
Indonesia - Industry minister to close tobacco to new foreign investment..;
Indonesia Finance Ministry to cap tax deductions for tobacco companies..;
Indonesia - Smoking hits poor families the hardest, making the poor even poorer..;
Indonesia - Cigarette makers defy crisis, grows stronger..;
Indonesia - government may raise cigarette excise tax next year..;
WHO - Indonesia is crying out for your help..;
Indonesia - dispute with U.S. over banning the use of clove in cigarettes..;
Indonesia 'cash cow' for Philip Morris International..;
Tobacco industry has long targeted young people as "replacement smokers";
Indonesia - district court dismisses request to ratify FCTC..;
Asean Countries - Tobacco Industry Blocking Global Treaty On Tobacco..; Indonesia - farmers hold rally protest tobacco controls..;
Indonesia - tobacco farmers reject Islamic council's edict..;
Indonesia - Ulema Council - debate results is split on smoking..;
Indonesia - Withdraw Sponsorhip of Another Rock Concert..;
Indonesia to increase tax on tobacco products..;
Semarang, Indonesia - Cigarette Smoking Areas to be Prepared..;
Jakarta, Indonesia - Malls help enforce non-smoking ban..;
Indonesia - federal anti-smoking laws in one year - MAYBE..;
Indonesia - NGO's (non-government organizations) Demand the Government Ratify WHO's FCTC.;
Indonesia to raise cigarette tax by 6 to 7% in 2009..;
Surabaya, Indonesia - anti-smoking bylaw 10/2009 - FOR REAL??
Indonesians smoking more than ever before..;
Indonesia further rise in the excise tax would hurt the cigarette industry..;
Alicia Keys - Jakarta Concert (July 31st) tobacco companies forced to withdraw sponsorship.. and
Most Indonesians support moves to ban tobacco advertisements...
Read more...
Indonesia - 18 tons of illegal cigarettes destroyed..
Customs and Excise Director General Anwar Supriyadi witnessed the burning, which could only be called redundant.
"These illegal cigarettes were from Pati and surrounding cities," said Ismartono, an official from the Central Java and Yogyakarta customs office. He added not all of the contraband cigarettes went up in smoke as the incinerator was over capacity.
"We're destroy the evidence now that all those involved in the related criminal cases have been convicted," said Kudus customs intelligence official Agung Saptono.
Reference: 18 tons of illegal cigarettes destroyed in Kudus, Jakarta Post, 12/9/2009.
Indonesia related news briefs:
Indonesia - Government to limit cigarette production..;
Indonesia - BAT, Bentoel shareholders approve planned merger..;
Indonesia - another protest rejecting the new cigarette excise tax..;
Indonesia - workers from small cigarette producers protest excise tax increase..;
Indonesia - cigarette industry has pledged to stage a demonstration to protest a government plan to increase excise tax.;
Indonesia - the last paradise for a puff in Southeast Asia..;
Indonesia - trade minister officials want to meet with US counterparts to discuss ban on clove cigarettes..;
Indonesia - PT BAT Indonesia to merge with PT Bentoel International Investama Terbuka..;
Indonesia - missing tobacco regulation in approved Health Law..;
Indonesia - section on tobacco in health bill disappears..;
Indonesia - Constitutional Court by close vote rules that tobacco ads can continue..;
Indonesia - parent smoking can negatively affect the nutrition of children..;
Indonesia - new council member suspect in cigarette fraud case..;
Indonesia - an NGO commission assists cigarettes must be banned in films..
Indonesia - a paradise for tobacco companies..
Indonesia - after buying cigarettes very little left for food..;
Indonesia - will they ratify the first world public health treaty..;
Indonesia - last paradise to smoke in public places in Southeast Asia..;
Indonesia - Industry minister to close tobacco to new foreign investment..;
Indonesia Finance Ministry to cap tax deductions for tobacco companies..;
Indonesia - Smoking hits poor families the hardest, making the poor even poorer..;
Indonesia - Cigarette makers defy crisis, grows stronger..;
Indonesia - government may raise cigarette excise tax next year..;
WHO - Indonesia is crying out for your help..;
Indonesia - dispute with U.S. over banning the use of clove in cigarettes..;
Indonesia 'cash cow' for Philip Morris International..;
Tobacco industry has long targeted young people as "replacement smokers";
Indonesia - district court dismisses request to ratify FCTC..;
Asean Countries - Tobacco Industry Blocking Global Treaty On Tobacco..; Indonesia - farmers hold rally protest tobacco controls..;
Indonesia - tobacco farmers reject Islamic council's edict..;
Indonesia - Ulema Council - debate results is split on smoking..;
Indonesia - Withdraw Sponsorhip of Another Rock Concert..;
Indonesia to increase tax on tobacco products..;
Semarang, Indonesia - Cigarette Smoking Areas to be Prepared..;
Jakarta, Indonesia - Malls help enforce non-smoking ban..;
Indonesia - federal anti-smoking laws in one year - MAYBE..;
Indonesia - NGO's (non-government organizations) Demand the Government Ratify WHO's FCTC.;
Indonesia to raise cigarette tax by 6 to 7% in 2009..;
Surabaya, Indonesia - anti-smoking bylaw 10/2009 - FOR REAL??
Indonesians smoking more than ever before..;
Indonesia further rise in the excise tax would hurt the cigarette industry..;
Alicia Keys - Jakarta Concert (July 31st) tobacco companies forced to withdraw sponsorship.. and
Most Indonesians support moves to ban tobacco advertisements...
Read more...
Indonesia - Government to limit cigarette production..
Director of tobacco and beverage industries of the industry ministry, Warsono (on Monday, December 7th): "The growth of cigarette production will be flat or up a bit at around three to five billion cigarettes a year." He said cigarette production in 2008 reached 240 billion and is expected to total 245 billion cigarettes in 2009.
Based on the roadmap, he said, the industry would focus on the aspect of manpower supply and income balance the short-term (2007-2010) period.
The excise system meanwhile will be made simpler through grouping of factory categories, specific imposition of excise duty and the handling of illegal cigarettes, he said. He said in the mid-term (2010-2015) priority will be put on income and health aspects while in the long-term more priority will be given to the health aspect than manpower and income.
"In every period the health aspect will always be included in line with the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC)," he said. He said the FCTC was aimed at protecting the future generation from the health threat from tobacco/cigarette consumption through the reduction of tobacco/cigarette consumption and production. (Indonesia - will they ratify the first world public health treaty..
The head of the finance ministry`s customs and excise II policies, Djaka Kusmartata, meanwhile said that in 2010 the target of income from cigarette excise in the national budget was set at Rp55.9 trillion, up from Rp54.4 trillion in 2009 and Rp49 trillion in 2008. "The foreign exchange income from cigarette exports in the past five years rose an average of 24 percent," he said.
The government has set the excise duties for tobacco products at an average of 15 percent which will be effective as of January 1, 2010 while import tariff of tobacco products will be set at 40 percent with an excise duty of Rp325 per cigarette, he said.
According to records up to 6.1 million people including two million farmers are involved directly or indirectly in the tobacco/cigarette product industry. In addition to it, there are also 1.5 million clove farmers relating to the industry and 600,00 workers in cigarette making industry, one million cigerette retailers and one million workers in cigarette-related industries such as printing, advertisement, distribution and transportation services. Based on the industry ministry`s data the number of cigarette makers in the country now reaches 3,250 units and 95 percent of them categorized under small-and medium-sized industries.
The director of seasonal crops of the directorate of plantations of the ministry of agriculture, Agus Hasanuddin, said that his office continued striving to diversify the country`s tobacco plantations. "The government will limit the land used for tobacco plantations. While the land reaches 298.78 hectares in 2009 it will be reduced to 290.6 hectares in 2010," he said. (1 hectare = 2.471 acres)
The ministry of agriculture will conduct counseling on the importance of diversifying tobacco farms into farms of other crops such as coffee or corn. In general the tobacco product industry roadmap is about how the government accomodates differences in the interests of stakeholders and certainty in doing business.
Agus said what was important was supervision of the allocation of cigarette excise duty for tobacco producers and cigarette makers.
The value of cigarette excise duty in 2009 reached Rp860 billion and in 2010 is expected to increase to around Rp1.1 trillion or around two percent from the target of cigarette excise revenue for 2010 set at Rp55.9 trillion.
Starting next year, the number of cigarette makers and tobacco plantation companies to receive the cigarette excise duty involves 19 regions up from five regions before.
Agus said the funds were meant for increasing campaign on awareness of tobacco farmers on health issue, diversification commodities and improvement of institutions.
Reference: Govt to limit cigarette production, Antara News, 12/7/2009.
Indonesia related news briefs:
Indonesia - BAT, Bentoel shareholders approve planned merger..;
Indonesia - another protest rejecting the new cigarette excise tax..;
Indonesia - workers from small cigarette producers protest excise tax increase..;
Indonesia - cigarette industry has pledged to stage a demonstration to protest a government plan to increase excise tax.;
Indonesia - the last paradise for a puff in Southeast Asia..;
Indonesia - trade minister officials want to meet with US counterparts to discuss ban on clove cigarettes..;
Indonesia - PT BAT Indonesia to merge with PT Bentoel International Investama Terbuka..;
Indonesia - missing tobacco regulation in approved Health Law..;
Indonesia - section on tobacco in health bill disappears..;
Indonesia - Constitutional Court by close vote rules that tobacco ads can continue..;
Indonesia - parent smoking can negatively affect the nutrition of children..;
Indonesia - new council member suspect in cigarette fraud case..;
Indonesia - an NGO commission assists cigarettes must be banned in films..
Indonesia - a paradise for tobacco companies..
Indonesia - after buying cigarettes very little left for food..;
Indonesia - will they ratify the first world public health treaty..;
Indonesia - last paradise to smoke in public places in Southeast Asia..;
Indonesia - Industry minister to close tobacco to new foreign investment..;
Indonesia Finance Ministry to cap tax deductions for tobacco companies..;
Indonesia - Smoking hits poor families the hardest, making the poor even poorer..;
Indonesia - Cigarette makers defy crisis, grows stronger..;
Indonesia - government may raise cigarette excise tax next year..;
WHO - Indonesia is crying out for your help..;
Indonesia - dispute with U.S. over banning the use of clove in cigarettes..;
Indonesia 'cash cow' for Philip Morris International..;
Tobacco industry has long targeted young people as "replacement smokers";
Indonesia - district court dismisses request to ratify FCTC..;
Asean Countries - Tobacco Industry Blocking Global Treaty On Tobacco..; Indonesia - farmers hold rally protest tobacco controls..;
Indonesia - tobacco farmers reject Islamic council's edict..;
Indonesia - Ulema Council - debate results is split on smoking..;
Indonesia - Withdraw Sponsorhip of Another Rock Concert..;
Indonesia to increase tax on tobacco products..;
Semarang, Indonesia - Cigarette Smoking Areas to be Prepared..;
Jakarta, Indonesia - Malls help enforce non-smoking ban..;
Indonesia - federal anti-smoking laws in one year - MAYBE..;
Indonesia - NGO's (non-government organizations) Demand the Government Ratify WHO's FCTC.;
Indonesia to raise cigarette tax by 6 to 7% in 2009..;
Surabaya, Indonesia - anti-smoking bylaw 10/2009 - FOR REAL??
Indonesians smoking more than ever before..;
Indonesia further rise in the excise tax would hurt the cigarette industry..;
Alicia Keys - Jakarta Concert (July 31st) tobacco companies forced to withdraw sponsorship.. and
Most Indonesians support moves to ban tobacco advertisements...
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Indonesia - BAT, Bentoel shareholders approve planned merger..
We reported cigarette maker PT BAT Indonesia (BATI.JK) said in October 2009 it plans to merge with sister company PT Bentoel Internasional Investama (RMBA.JK) in order to create a stronger entity. At this time BAT said the merger is subject to approval from both shareholders of the companies and legal consent from the Indonesian Regulatory Authority for Indonesian Capital Market (Bapepam), the country's market watchdog. The two companies will hold shareholder meetings December 4, 2009 for the approval of the merger plan. (Indonesia - PT BAT Indonesia to merge with PT Bentoel International Investama Terbuka..)
A statement issued Friday, December 4th said 99.99 percent of shareholders in Bentoel, the country's fourth-largest tobacco company, and 86.62 percent of shareholders in BAT Indonesia, the local unit of Europe's biggest tobacco company, had approved the merger in separate extraordinary meetings.
The merger plan follows the acquisition in June of Bentoel shares by BAT Indonesia in a deal worth US$494 million. Under the deal, BAT bought 85 percent of Bentoel at a price of Rp 873 (9 US cents) a share.
The statement said that under the proposed merger, all BAT Indonesia shares would be exchanged for Bentoel shares at a ratio of 7.68 percent Bentoel shares per BAT Indonesia share.
BAT Indonesia assets and liabilities will be transferred to Bentoel on Jan. 1 next year as the surviving entity. Bentoel will remain listed on the Indonesian bourse.
The merger is expected to help BAT Indonesia diversify into kretek (clove-flavored) cigarettes and strengthen its presence in the Indonesian market, the world's fifth-largest with 250 billion cigarettes produced annually.
Kretek cigarettes account for more than 90 percent of the Indonesian market, with regular cigarettes making up the rest.
Bentoel sells both types, and its brands include Bentoel, Star Mild, X Mild and Country.
The new company will also look to challenge the three big firms that together dominate 70 percent of the market: Philip Morris International's H.M. Sampoerna (27 percent market share), Gudang Garam (22 percent) and Djarum (21 percent).
Djoko Moeljono will become president commissioner of the merged entity, while Jeremy Pike, previously BAT's director for Africa, will become president director.
The merger is still subject to approval by the market regulator, and is expected to go through in January.
Following the merger, BAT will own a 98.26 percent stake in the new company, assuming all shareholders take up the merged group's shares.
BAT Indonesia is 79 percent owned by BAT.
Reference: BAT, Bentoel shareholders approve planned merger, The Jakarta Post, 12/5/2009.
Indonesia related news briefs:
Indonesia - another protest rejecting the new cigarette excise tax..;
Indonesia - workers from small cigarette producers protest excise tax increase..;
Indonesia - cigarette industry has pledged to stage a demonstration to protest a government plan to increase excise tax.;
Indonesia - the last paradise for a puff in Southeast Asia..;
Indonesia - trade minister officials want to meet with US counterparts to discuss ban on clove cigarettes..;
Indonesia - PT BAT Indonesia to merge with PT Bentoel International Investama Terbuka..;
Indonesia - missing tobacco regulation in approved Health Law..;
Indonesia - section on tobacco in health bill disappears..;
Indonesia - Constitutional Court by close vote rules that tobacco ads can continue..;
Indonesia - parent smoking can negatively affect the nutrition of children..;
Indonesia - new council member suspect in cigarette fraud case..;
Indonesia - an NGO commission assists cigarettes must be banned in films..
Indonesia - a paradise for tobacco companies..
Indonesia - after buying cigarettes very little left for food..;
Indonesia - will they ratify the first world public health treaty..;
Indonesia - last paradise to smoke in public places in Southeast Asia..;
Indonesia - Industry minister to close tobacco to new foreign investment..;
Indonesia Finance Ministry to cap tax deductions for tobacco companies..;
Indonesia - Smoking hits poor families the hardest, making the poor even poorer..;
Indonesia - Cigarette makers defy crisis, grows stronger..;
Indonesia - government may raise cigarette excise tax next year..;
WHO - Indonesia is crying out for your help..;
Indonesia - dispute with U.S. over banning the use of clove in cigarettes..;
Indonesia 'cash cow' for Philip Morris International..;
Tobacco industry has long targeted young people as "replacement smokers";
Indonesia - district court dismisses request to ratify FCTC..;
Asean Countries - Tobacco Industry Blocking Global Treaty On Tobacco..; Indonesia - farmers hold rally protest tobacco controls..;
Indonesia - tobacco farmers reject Islamic council's edict..;
Indonesia - Ulema Council - debate results is split on smoking..;
Indonesia - Withdraw Sponsorhip of Another Rock Concert..;
Indonesia to increase tax on tobacco products..;
Semarang, Indonesia - Cigarette Smoking Areas to be Prepared..;
Jakarta, Indonesia - Malls help enforce non-smoking ban..;
Indonesia - federal anti-smoking laws in one year - MAYBE..;
Indonesia - NGO's (non-government organizations) Demand the Government Ratify WHO's FCTC.;
Indonesia to raise cigarette tax by 6 to 7% in 2009..;
Surabaya, Indonesia - anti-smoking bylaw 10/2009 - FOR REAL??
Indonesians smoking more than ever before..;
Indonesia further rise in the excise tax would hurt the cigarette industry..;
Alicia Keys - Jakarta Concert (July 31st) tobacco companies forced to withdraw sponsorship.. and
Most Indonesians support moves to ban tobacco advertisements...
Read more...
New Jersey - Assembly committee approves e-cigarette ban..
December 8, 2009 - TRENTON -- Electronic cigarettes look like the real thing. And in New Jersey, lawmakers want to treat them the same way. That's why the Assembly voted unanimously today to ban the sale of e-cigarettes to people under 19, and prohibit adults from smoking them at work and in public places. New Jersey - legislation proposed to prohibit sale of e-cigarettes..
The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee also gave unanimous backing to the legislation.
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Assemblywoman Connie Wagner (D-Bergen), a sponsor, said she's concerned e-cigarettes are being marketed to children because they offer flavors like chocolate, banana and strawberry and could serve as a gateway to real cigarette use. “These are dangerous devices and I want to make sure our children are protected,” Wagner said. “I’m very concerned that young people who use these things will get hooked on the nicotine and eventually move onto the real thing, opening the door to a lifetime of expensive and debilitating health problems.”
The Senate version of the bills (S3053 and S3054) now heads to the full Senate for a floor vote.
Reference: N.J. Assembly committee approves e-cigarette ban by Susan K. Livio, nj.com, 12/7/2009.
Read more...
WHO - 2009 Global Tobacco Epidemic Report to be released December 9, 2009..
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The WHO report presents information from 179 member countries every year regarding the tobacco epidemic and tobacco control policies. The organization releases its annual report every year in a different country or a city which has made significant progress in the fight against smoking or has become a role model in combating smoking.
Last year’s meeting was held in New York, where a smoking ban in restaurants and bars was launched. London, Dublin, Mexico City, Montevideo and İstanbul were candidates to host this year’s meeting. The WHO selected İstanbul because of the “100 percent smoke-free air in Turkey” campaign which was successfully implemented in July 2009 after the smoking ban in enclosed areas. The meeting is to take place on December 9 and will be attended by Turkish Health Minister Recep Akdağ as well as a group of WHO officials, including those from the WHO’s European zone and its office in Turkey, led by WHO Assistant Director General Ala Alwan -- Iraq’s former health minister, and the director of the WHO Tobacco Free Initiative, Douglas Bettcher.
To view theWHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2008 - The MPOWER package..
Here are a few of the excellent images in the 2008 report that we can all make use of.
Click on image to enlarge:
Click on image to enlarge:
Click on image to enlarge:
Click on image to enlarge:
Reference: WHO tobacco report to be announced in Turkey, Today's Zaman, 12/1/2009.
Read more...
Newfoundland and Labrador, beginning Jan. 1, 2010 no large cigarette displays in stores..
Stores owners say they're getting ready for the new provincial law that will mean they can no longer display, promote or advertise cigarettes. It's all part of the province's plan to cut down the number of people lighting up. "We're going to do the simplest thing and put up a curtain," said Todd Seward, who owns two stores in Labrador City, western Labrador.
Seward doesn't expect the new law will affect tobacco sales. "Its not like buying a candy bar. Most people are loyal to a brand and they come in and ask for that without even looking," he said.
Some consumers are pleased with the change. "You walk into any convenience store and you go up to the cash and it's right in your face. So I think it's a great idea to just cover it up," said Zonya Crew, of Labrador City.
Closely related news brief: Canada - cigarettes have disappeared from stores, just about..
"Power Wall.."
Reference: N.L. tobacco 'power walls' coming down, CBC News, 12/4/2009.
The Flag of Newfoundland and Labrador
Read more...
Bhutan - tobacco control bill endorsed..
The endorsing of the bill, with amendments, assumed a special significance at the hall, considering that Zhabdrung endorsed the first tobacco control in the 17th century. Even before that, Guru Rinpoche, in his teachings, said that tobacco grew from the blood of a demoness, personified as a menstruating woman, who had wished for an intoxicant that would obstruct spiritual practice.
Friday, the 21st century democratic Bhutan’s members of parliament, respecting individual rights, didn’t completely ban smoking or chewing tobacco, but ensured that tobacco is scarce, non-users are protected and violators penalised accordingly.
No Bhutanese can sell or even buy tobacco, says the bill. Any Bhutanese “selling or buying tobacco” in any form will be fined as specified by the yet to be established tobacco control board from time to time and serve imprisonment term equivalent to the fine imposed if unable to pay it.
Non-smokers will be protected by law from inhaling second hand smoke. This will be done by strictly banning smoking in public places, like commercial and recreation centres, institutions, public gatherings/spaces and public transportation. A smoker violating the rule will be fined from time to time or, failing to pay the fine, detained. A person responsible for letting someone smoke in a public place will also be penalised.
However, respecting individual rights, the tobacco board will draft rules and regulations and specify a permissible limit of tobacco to be imported. The word ‘quota’ will be removed from the bill after members debated that, by providing quota, every smoker will import, which was as good as lifting the ban.
Bhutanese found smuggling tobacco shall be guilty of smuggling and shall be penalised as per the penal code. Film makers, who use scenes depicting tobacco use, including smoking, for domestic production of video, movies and cultural shows would be booked for petty misdemeanour and penalised as per the penal code, says the bill.
The Bill, however, will be sent to the National Council, which earlier amended it and lifted the ban on the sale of tobacco and tobacco products. If the council does not agree with the Assembly’s amendments, the bill will be put to the joint legislative committee of the two houses. A joint sitting would be needed to pass the bill, if the joint committee fails to resolve differences.
The health minister, Lyonpo Zanglay Dukpa, said that the bill was drafted after consultation with many relevant agencies. “The tobacco legislation should be made practical, user-friendly. It should be strict to deter people from getting into the illegal business, while not being too harsh to infringe on rights,” said the minister. He said that tobacco-related diseases are fast picking up and are a pressure on the health system.
Reference: Tobacco control bill endorsed, SanaNnews.com.pk, 12/6/2009.
Related news brief: Kingdom of Bhutan - assembly debating penalties for people that violate tobacco control bill..
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