July 31, 2010 - from the Coalition for Fire-Safe Cigarettes..
North Dakota - Signed into law May 1, 2009. Will become effective August 1, 2010.
States that are left: Missouri as of January 1, 2011, South Dakota as of January 1, 2011 and Wyoming as of July 1, 2011.
United States Map - Legislation got Fire-Safe Cigarettes..
Reference: from the web site of the Coalition for Fire-Safe Cigarettes..
A couple related news briefs:
July 10, 2008 - http://snus-news.blogspot.com/2008/07/fire-safe-cigarettes-for-all-50-states.html;
July 20, 2007 - Let's have fire-safe cigarettes mandatory for all 50 States - it's a NO - Brainer....
Read more...
North Dakota - fire-safe cigarette law becomes effective on August 1st..
JT and JTI - overview q2 2010..
Its market share, at 64.5 per cent, was down from 64.9 per cent, though the market share of its key brands ‒ Mild Seven, Pianissimo and Seven Stars ‒ was said to have held steady at 45.1 per cent.
The company blamed the volume decline on the continuing reduction in overall consumption and the announcement of forthcoming price increases largely made up of an unprecedented excise hike due in October.
Meanwhile, Japan Tobacco International’s (JT's international tobacco business) volume cigarette sales during the three months to the end of March, at 94.1 billion, were down by 6.8 per cent on those of the three months to the end of March last year, while sales of its Global Flagship Brands (GFB) were down by 4.4 per cent to 54.6 billion.
However, JT said that because of JTI’s well-balanced brand portfolio its market shares were continuing to grow in most key markets, including Russia, Italy, France and Turkey.
JT blamed its international business’ volume declines on the contraction of industry volumes in many markets and mentioned specifically the continuing unstable operating environment in Iran.
For more see reference below.
Reference: 2010 q2 - Volume declines at JT and JTI, Tobacco Reporter, 7/29/2010.
Read more...
New York State - as of August 1st OTPs tax goes up such as little cigars will be taxed at same rate as cigarettes..
Reference: New York State Department of Health - Tobacco, 7/31/2010
Read more...
Hong Kong - from August 1, incoming passengers allowed to import a maximum of 19 cigarettes, one cigar or 25 g of cut tobacco..
The department hopes that citizens and incoming passengers will cooperate with customs officers in implementing the measure.
A spokesperson for the Customs and Excise Department said on July 27 in order to step up tobacco control, encourage smoking cessation and to protect public health, the Dutiable Commodities (Exempted Quantities) (Amendment) Notice 2010 stipulates that an incoming passenger 18 years-old and above is entitled to bring only 19 cigarettes, one cigar, or no more than 25 grams of cigar or other manufactured tobacco into Hong Kong. The new regulations will take effect on Aug. 1, 2010.
Reference: New law: Visitors to Hong Kong can only bring 19 smokes, People's Daily Online, 7/29/2010.
Hong Kong related news briefs:
;
Hong Kong - smokers defy smoking ban, no penalty for owners of venues..
;
China - can they learn tobacco control from Hong Kong??;
Hong Kong - 50% increase in tax on tobacco products approved..;
Hong Kong - cigarettes too cheap, tax only 61 and 66 percent of retail price..;
Hong Kong study - further proof, women have a harder time quitting cigarettes..;
Hong Kong - as of November 1st no tobacco advertising at newsstands - now display boxes..;
Member states of WHO's Western Pacific region agree to new tobacco control action plan..;
Hong Kong - Is the fixed-penalty fine for smoking offenses effective?;
Hong Kong - more unions are starting to enforce extended smoking ban..
Hong Kong - unions refuse to hand out penalty tickets for smoking..
Hong Kong - tobacco smokers may be prone to developing life-threatening complications from swine flu..;
Hong Kong - total smoking ban in full force no exceptions..
Hong Kong - total smoking ban in effect - Wednesday, July 1, 2009..;
Hong Kong - smoking statistics..;
Hong Kong - movie poster woman smoking - NOT ALLOWED..;
Hong Kong - bar owners an employees march to protest smoking ban starting July 1, 2009..;
Hong Kong - attempt to delay July 1, 2009 smoking ban fails..;
Hong Kong - cigarette smuggling soars after tax increase..;
Hong Kong - Tax on cigarettes pushed up by 50 percent..;
Honk Kong - smoking increase raise tobacco duties??;
Hong Kong - temporary smoking ban exemption ends July 1, 2009..;
Hong Kong - after smoking ban cigarette consumption up 14 percent..;
Hong Kong - public smoking ban - smoking rooms??;
Shanghai Tobacco's Golden Deer Cigarettes - Hong Kong..;
More on Philip Morris International of the Future...
Read more...
Minnesota - as of August 1st, new state law that protects kids from the harmful effects of tobacco..
July 30, 2010 - The Tobacco Modernization and Compliance Act takes effect August 1, 2010.
Directly related news brief:
Minnesota - governor signs act to protect youth from new tobacco products..;
Minnesota - anti-tobacco advocates going after dissolvables, e-cigarettes...
The new law applies existing state tobacco taxes and regulations to new smokeless tobacco products, which have attracted young customers because they were low-cost.
Specifically, the law:
. Expands the definition of tobacco products to include any product that contains tobacco and is intended for human consumption.
. Requires all tobacco products and tobacco-related devices to be sold behind the counter so they are not easily accessible to youth.
. Prevents the sale of new tobacco products and e-cigarettes to youth.
Minnesota Assistant Commissioner of Health Patricia Adams: “Tobacco use continues to be the leading preventable cause of death in this country,” said Minnesota Assistant Commissioner of Health Patricia Adams.
While cigarette smoking among Minnesota youth has declined since 2000, there has been no change in the percentage of students smoking cigars or little cigars or using smokeless tobacco.
This new law will help young people avoid the harmful effects of tobacco by decreasing their access to today’s new generation of tobacco products.”
The best way to stamp out tobacco use is to protect kids from getting started in the first place.
Reference: Tobacco Modernization and Compliance Act takes effect today (Aug. 1), DL-Online, 7/30/2010.
Read more...
Directly related news brief:
Minnesota - governor signs act to protect youth from new tobacco products..;
Minnesota - anti-tobacco advocates going after dissolvables, e-cigarettes...
The new law applies existing state tobacco taxes and regulations to new smokeless tobacco products, which have attracted young customers because they were low-cost.
Specifically, the law:
. Expands the definition of tobacco products to include any product that contains tobacco and is intended for human consumption.
. Requires all tobacco products and tobacco-related devices to be sold behind the counter so they are not easily accessible to youth.
. Prevents the sale of new tobacco products and e-cigarettes to youth.
Minnesota Assistant Commissioner of Health Patricia Adams: “Tobacco use continues to be the leading preventable cause of death in this country,” said Minnesota Assistant Commissioner of Health Patricia Adams.While cigarette smoking among Minnesota youth has declined since 2000, there has been no change in the percentage of students smoking cigars or little cigars or using smokeless tobacco.
This new law will help young people avoid the harmful effects of tobacco by decreasing their access to today’s new generation of tobacco products.”
The best way to stamp out tobacco use is to protect kids from getting started in the first place.
Reference: Tobacco Modernization and Compliance Act takes effect today (Aug. 1), DL-Online, 7/30/2010.
Seneca Indians - split ruling from NY judge on cigarette regulation..
In a mixed decision, Judge Richard Arcara upheld the mail-order ban contained in the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act (PACT) but temporarily exempted more than 140 Seneca-owned businesses from a provision requiring them to comply with all taxing laws in the places they sell cigarettes.
The order will remain in place while a lawsuit claiming the PACT Act is unconstitutional works its way through the court.
The ruling disappointed Seneca Nation President Barry Snyder, who said it would not protect tobacco employees from losing their jobs.
Some Seneca businesses shut down even before the law took effect June 29, saying without the post office they had no way to ship the thousands of cartons of discount cigarettes ordered by phone and Internet each day by smokers around the country. UPS and FedEx voluntarily stopped shipping cigarettes several years ago.
“The nation urges Seneca business people to continue their court battle — all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, if necessary — to allow mailing of legal tobacco products,” Snyder said.
Seneca-owned businesses are estimated to control 80 percent of the country’s mail-order cigarette market. Relying on tribal sovereignty, sellers do not collect state sales taxes, allowing them to sell cigarettes at prices far lower than nonnative competitors.
Native American sellers were offering cartons of Marlboros for $50.99 on Friday, compared with the $100 price tag in off-reservation convenience stores in New York, where the sales tax is $4.35 per pack.
Nonnative retailers are among PACT’s biggest supporters.
In his ruling, Arcara disagreed with claims by Seneca lawyers that the law violated the Constitution’s equal protection rights because it has a disproportionate effect on Native Americans. Congress knew leveling the playing field for nonnative retailers would hurt American Indian businesses, he wrote, “but took that action in spite of that fact, and not because of it.”
He also shot down challenges to the mail ban, saying Congress has the authority to prohibit tobacco shipments if it wants.
“It was Congress’s judgment that use of the mails …. facilitates illegal cigarette trafficking and enhances the accessibility of cigarettes for minors,” Arcara said.
But the judge said the law’s unprecedented requirement that sellers follow the taxing schemes of the cities and states into which they ship could have far-reaching effects and deserved a closer look.
“If Congress possesses the authority to subject out-of-state retailers to every state and local taxing jurisdiction into which their products are delivered, then it has the authority to do so for all commercial products, not just cigarettes,” Arcara said.
Plaintiff Aaron Pierce, whose 10-year-old Seneca Smokeshop does business in 46 states from the Cattaraugus reservation, planned to find an alternate delivery method, his lawyer said without elaborating.
“We’re pleased to be remaining in business and we intend to do so,” attorney Michael Feeley said.
Arcara’s ruling came hours before an earlier temporary order blocking enforcement of the entire law was set to expire.
Reference: NY judge temporarily exempts Seneca cigarette sellers from some new regulations, not mail ban, Business News, blog.taragana.com, 7/30/2010.
Related news briefs:
Seneca Nation - judge extends temporary reprieve from law to block mail delivery off cigarettes until July 30th..;
Seneca cigarette sellers get temporary reprieve from law to block mail delivery of cigarettes..
Authority to regulate Internet cigarette sales made from an American Indian reservation in another state was upheld in a ruling by the Oregon Court of Appeals.;
NY State - Seneca Indians - lobbying against the PACT act..;
Collect Tax on Phone and Online Tobacco Sales, More Money for State Health Care Programs..
(New YorK)
Read more...
Funding dollars - anti-tobacco efffort taking a hit in favor of fighting obesity..
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the US' largest private grant maker for anti-smoking efforts, was said to have trimmed tobacco-related grants to $4 million last year while committing $58 million to the weight issue.
With Michelle Obama leading a campaign against childhood obesity, the White House steered $1.15 billion from the economic-stimulus and health-care overhaul bills toward the fight against fat, compared to $200 million for preventing tobacco use. States are also said to be cutting back on funds for anti-smoking programs, raising concerns among tobacco-control organizations.
The decline in state funding to prevent smoking has distressed advocates. The 1998 Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement between 46 states and cigarette companies provided more than $200 billion through 2025.
“The tobacco industry outspends us in a day what we spend in a year,” said David Dobbins, chief operating officer of American Legacy Foundation.
And even as states were raising taxes on cigarettes to record levels — a proven way to deter smoking — they were shifting that revenue to general funds. Both tobacco industry analysts and anti-smoking groups say that states have become addicted to tobacco money but are using less of it for prevention efforts.
“Overall funding on tobacco control is down because of dramatic cuts in state spending in recent years,” Matthew L. Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said in an interview. “In the last several years we’ve seen the rapid progress in both adult and youth smoking rates slow to a crawl largely because of a decline in overall spending at the state level on tobacco prevention and cessation.”
State funding for anti-tobacco programs dropped to $567 million last year, from $717 million two years earlier, a 21 percent cut, according to an advocacy groups’ report titled "A Broken Promise to Our Children.”
But Dr. Howard K. Koh, assistant secretary for health, focused on what he said was unprecedented funding from the federal government for both issues. “Rather than pitting one disease against another, we want to uphold comprehensive prevention policies,” he said in a phone interview. Dr. Koh said the administration was directing $722 million to tobacco control and research this year and $821 million to obesity control and research.
To learn more read reference cited below.
Reference: Tobacco Funds Shrink as Obesity Fight Intensifies by DUFF WILSON
Published: The New York Times, 7/27/2010..
Read more...
Tompkins County, New York - cares about the health of their residents..
The City of Ithaca in Tompkins County, New York, as of August 1, 2010 no longer will smokers decide for themselves if they would honor a sign requesting them NOT to smoke. The new ordinance states that someone smoking in a smoke-free area can be asked by a police officer to move or put out the tobacco product. If the smoker refuses, a first-offense ticket is $75. A second offense is $150 and a third offense is $250.
The change actually won't help deter the motivated smoker outside the human services building -- it only applies 25 feet around city buildings and schools. But it will prevent smoking in a host of other locations, including bus shelters, playgrounds, small city parks, all natural areas and around mobile vending carts.
The City's Common Council first began considering a law forbidding smoking in certain areas outdoors in 2007. That year, a peer-reviewed study by Stanford University demonstrated that "under certain conditions, and these were not uncommon, you can be exposed to the same level of second-hand smoke particles outside as you can inside. (Study confirms the risk of exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke at sidewalk cafes and other outdoor settings by Mark Shwartz, Stanford News Release, 5/2/2007)
For particulars on the smoking regulations see the reference below.
Including Ithaca there are four communities in Tompkins County that have passed resolutions banning tobacco use at parks and municipal grounds. The other three communities are the Village of Trumansburg, Town of Newfield and Town of Lansing. Trumansburg and Newfield both passed resolutions last year discouraging smoking in areas such as municipal headquarters and parks. Lansing passed its law forbidding smoking in the town hall campus, including around the library and community center and in the ball fields, in December 2009.
Surveys of Tompkins County residents, paid for by Tobacco-Free Tompkins, show strong support for restrictions on smoking. A 2008 survey found that 97.2 percent of county adults believe second-hand smoke is either "very harmful" or "somewhat harmful."
According to the survey, provided by Ted Schiele, the coordinator of Tobacco-Free Tompkins, 93.3 percent believe smoking should be banned or restricted to certain areas at public playgrounds, 85.4 percent believe the same about public parks, and 81.7 percent support smoking restrictions at public outdoor events.
Reference: New City of Ithaca outdoor smoking rules start Aug. 1 by Krisy Gashler (kgashler@gannett.com), theithacajournal.com, 7/23/2010.
Read more...
Ireland - tobacco smuggling has reached record levels..
Ireland has the highest tobacco prices in the European Union (EU) – it costs more than twice the average.A few directly related news briefs concerned with tobacco smuggling:
The Office of the Revenue Commissioners yesterday, July 28th announced the results of a two-week crackdown on cigarette smuggling carried out this month. A confidential freephone number, 1800 295295, has also been introduced for members of the public to provide information about smuggling or the sale of illegal cigarettes.
Ireland retailers claim since display ban smuggling up - denied by health campaigners..;
Ireland - Illicit tobacco trade booms..;
Ireland - increase fine for cigarettes imported illegally.. ;
Ireland - modest penalty for cigarette smuggling..;
Ireland - cigarette tax abandoned over smuggling fears..;
Revenue Commissioner Liam Irwin warned people who bought cigarettes on the black market that they were putting money into the hands of criminals.
“Anyone tempted to buy cheap cigarettes from an irregular source of supply must realise that there is a high possibility that they are buying counterfeit goods, which provide an unknown additional set of health risks, as the product is not the subject of quality control,” he added. “These actions are not just robbing the exchequer of much needed funds, they are also hurting local businesses.”
Airports, freight terminals, markets, postal services and white van operators were all targeted during the blitz, which resulted in the seizure of cigarettes and tobacco worth almost €6 (7.8 USD) million. The action resulted in four arrests, and 73 prosecutions are pending, Revenue said in a briefing yesterday.
Some 1.3 million of the cigarettes were seized from passengers alighting from aircraft; most of these were smuggled from the Canary Islands, Poland and China, according to Tom Talbot, head of the Customs criminal investigation branch. More than half the 343,000 cigarettes seized in the post were imported from China. The largest seizure in the blitz was made near Ratoath, Co Meath, where over 10 million cigarettes were found in a trailer that came through Dublin Port, having arrived from Malaysia. The brand involved, Bolton, had never been seen before in Ireland.
Mr Irwin said there was no evidence that drug gangs or subversives had targeted tobacco smuggling, but individual criminals had switched to the trade because it was high-value and the consequences were less serious than for drug smuggling. Penalties for cigarette smuggling increased last year and Mr Irwin said he was satisfied the courts were taking the crime more seriously than before.
We are all counting on World Health Organization (WHO) to provide solution to control the booming worldwide cigarette smuggling (illicit, illegal, contraband) problem.., March 20, 2010.
Reference: Revenue opens phone line seeking information on tobacco smuggling, PAUL CULLEN, IrishTimes.com, 7/29/2010.
Some Ireland related news briefs:
Ireland - Office of Tobacco Control 2009 Annual Report..;
Ireland retailers claim since display ban smuggling up - denied by health campaigners..;
Ireland - highest tobacco prices in the EU..;
Ireland - smoking on the increase with young women in lower-income groups..;
Ireland - Illicit tobacco trade booms..;
Ireland - no increase in excise duty on tobacco products worry about smuggling..;
reland - ASH will never give up - get smoking out of cars (and homes) when kids are present..;
Ireland - harder to quit when switching to low tar cigarettes..;
Ireland - after 2004 smoking ban decline in maternal smoking rates as well as lower risk for preterm births..;
Ireland - cancer society urges government to increase cigarette tax..;
Ireland - increase fine for cigarettes imported illegally..;
Ireland - roll your own cigarettes making a comeback..;
Ireland - lots of smokers - lots of sickness - resulting in premature death - THIS HAS TO STOP..;
Ireland - people responding well to the ban on cigarette displays..;
Ireland - Prof Clancy not enough spent on prevention..;
Ireland - tobacco vendors must register by October 1, 2009..;
Children - exposed to cigarette smoke in cars have greater chance of respiratory distress..;
Ireland - tobacco companies not helping small retailers - display ban..;
Tobacco control initiatives starting Wednesday, July 1, 2009..;
Ireland - Office of Tobacco Control 2008 annual report - Positive..;
Ireland - modest penalty for cigarette smuggling..;
Ireland - to amend tobacco legislation to to include pictoral warnings..;
Ireland - as of July 1, 2009 no advertising or display of tobacco products will be permitted in retail outlets..;
Ireland - cigarette tax abandoned over smuggling fears..;
Ireland - may raise tax on cigarettes as part of emergency budget..;
Ireland - ban smoking in cars when kids are present..;
Ireland - further provisions of the Public Health (Tobacco) Acts 2002 and 2004 are to be commenced on 1 July 2009.;
Ireland - 80% of smokers want a ban on tobacco advertising in shops to stop youngsters starting the habit..;
Ireland to ban tobacco displays..;
Ireland - reduction in admissions for acute coronary syndrome...
Read more...
South Korea - next month enforcement of ban on smoking by taxi drivers..
When caught smoking while driving, taxi drivers, together with taxi companies, are to pay the maximum fine of 1.2 million won ($1,000). The city may go as far as suspending the license of those who refuse to pay the fine or delay the payment, said officials.
In November last year, Seoul City designated all taxis operating in the city a “smoking free zone.” But it turned out to be a vain attempt because drivers and passengers continue to smoke as there are no punitive measures against it.
Also, the revised health law is to take effect on August 28 to impose a maximum fine of 100,000 won (84.45 USD) for those caught smoking in nonsmoking areas.
In a survey conducted last month by Seoul City on 1,113 citizens, 90.1 percent of the respondents answered that nonsmoking zones should be expanded. Also, 87 percent said that a fine of 50,000 won or more should be imposed on those who break the nonsmoking rule in such zones. (Outdoor smoking ban likely to be extended by Bae Ji-sook
Staff reporter, The Korea Times, 7/18/2010)
References: Smoking taxi drivers face fines by Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldm.com), Korea Herald, 7/28/2010; Smoking taxi drivers face W1.2 million fine by Lee Hyo-sik, staff reporter, The Korea Times, 7/28/2010.
South Korea - some related news briefs:
South Korea - fines collected for dumping cigarette butts are down.. ;
South Korea - BAT launches new cigarette seems similar to Camel Crush..;
South Korea - rate of male smokers probably higher than any other OECD country..;
South Korea - BAT to further invest in Sacheon factory..;
South Korea - a look at KT&G Corporation with 63% of the market..;
South Korea - streets and parks of Seoul City could be designated as non-smoking areas..;
PMI - slide presentation South Korean Cigarette Market..;
South Korea - KT&G forms alliance with Imperial Tobacco Group..;
South Korea - more smokers in 2009 than in 2008..;
South Korea - remote island going smoke-free, car-free and night lights-free..;
South Korea - Stressed-out Koreans smoking more..;
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...
Harvard SPH to help Greece with smoking ban..
The Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) will also help Greece conduct research, organize conferences and train all the officials who will be involved in imposing the ban as well as developing strategies to foster an anti-smoking culture, particularly among children. The smoking ban, which will prevent Greeks from lighting up in bars, cafes and restaurants, will come into effect on September 1.
Julio Frenk, the dean of the HSPH, which has some 300 teaching staff and 950 students, signed the memorandum of cooperation along with the Health Ministry’s general secretary, Antonis Dimopoulos, and the president of the Hellenic Cancer Society, Stavros Besbeas.
Reference: Harvard to help in smoking ban, Ekathimerini.com, 7/27/2010.
Some Greece related news briefs:
Greece - to try again to ban smoking in all indoor public places..;
Greece - another increase in tobacco taxes can be expected..;
Greece - trusty kiosks to shut in tobacco tax protest..;
Greeks smoke in defiance of ban..;
Greece - latest attempt at a smoking ban failing..;
Greek Farmers Renew Bulgaria Border Blockade..;
E-cigarettes - scientists want more safety studies before use..;
Greece - to increase tax on tobacco and alcohol..;
Greece - smoking ban, re-examining the legal framework supporting it..;
Pregnant women exposed to passive smoke greater chance of child will have respiratory distress..;
Greek betting firm - July 1st smoking ban has resulted in a further fall in sales..;
Greece - will the July 1st smoking ban work??;
Greece - ban on smoking in workplace starts July 1, 2009..;
Greece starts anti-smoking campaign..;
Greece May Have the Highest Cigarette Consumption Per Person in the World...
(Hellenic Republic, Greek)
Read more...
PM USA filed lawsuits in NYC against eight more retailers..
These lawsuits are the latest in a series of filings by PM USA aimed at combating the sale of counterfeit cigarettes in New York. Since May 2009, the company has filed lawsuits against 47 retailers in New York for selling counterfeit Marlboro cigarettes.
Some related news briefs:"The New York metropolitan area is the most lucrative market in the US for counterfeit and contraband cigarette smugglers," said Joe Murillo, vice president and associate general counsel, Altria Client Services, speaking on behalf of PM USA. "The highest cigarette excise taxes in the nation – $6.86 per pack in federal, state and city taxes – fuel this illicit trade, making New York the largest market for counterfeit and contraband cigarettes in the country.
Philip Morris USA (PM USA) filed additional lawsuits in March 2010 against eight retailers for selling counterfeit versions of the company’s Marlboro® brand cigarettes in New York and New Jersey.
On Friday, January 22nd PM USA sued another New York retailer, accusing G.J. Smokes in Mastic (a town on New York's Long Island) of selling counterfeit Marlboro cigarettes.
Back in November 2009 PM USA filed lawsuits against ten retailers selling counterfeit versions of the company’s Marlboro® brand cigarettes in New York and New Jersey.
These lawsuits are part of the company’s on-going efforts to stop the sale of counterfeit cigarettes and the unauthorized use of PM USA’s trademarks.
“New York State's lack of effective enforcement on cigarettes sold to Native American retailers makes the already significant problems in the New York area worse," added Murillo.
In a related case, PM USA said it had sued Tammy's Smoke Shop, a smoke shop on the Poospatuck Indian Reservation on Long Island, in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York. And on July 19, it said, the judge in that case had determined that PM USA was entitled to $100,000 statutory damages for trademark infringement based on the sale of counterfeit Marlboro cigarettes.
The judge noted in the decision that “the record indicates there are numerous other cigarette sellers in defendants’ vicinity on the Poospatuck Indian Reservation (PM USA has filed actions against other smoke shops on the reservation for alleged sale of counterfeit Marlboro® brand cigarettes), [and] there appears to be a real need to deter others from such insidious conduct.”
“New York is slated to begin collecting excise taxes September 1st on cigarette sales by New York wholesalers to Native American retailers for sales to non-tribal consumers,” Murillo explained. “Effective tax collection could help stabilize the legitimate cigarette distribution channel in New York, which is increasingly under attack from counterfeit and contraband cigarette smuggling,” said Murillo.
In addition to violating trademark laws, counterfeit cigarettes are almost always sold without the appropriate federal and state excise tax. The counterfeit cigarettes purchased from the retailers named in today’s suits bore no tax stamp or a counterfeit tax stamp. As a result, the applicable excise taxes were not paid.
See reference for list of retailers in which lawsuits were were filed against in federal court.
Reference: a href="http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20100727007079&newsLang=en">Philip Morris USA Sues Retailers Across New York City to Combat Counterfeit Cigarette Sales, Philip Morris USA, 7/27/2010.
PM USA - NYC area, counterfeit Marlboro cigarettes related news briefs:
Philip Morris USA - filed lawsuits against 8-retailers in New York and New Jersey..;
Philip Morris USA sued another New York retailer..;
Mastic NY man arrested illegally trafficking in untaxed cigarettes..;
NYC Area - more counterfeit Marlboro cigarettes seized..;
NYC - wins round in fight against Indian Tobacco Vendors..;
PM USA found more counterfeit Marlboro cigarettes in the NYC area..;
Philip Morris USA sues over counterfeit Marlboros..;
NYC can move forward with reservation cigarette lawsuit..;
Read more...
Uruguay - weaken anti-smoking laws after pressure from the tobacco giant Philip Morris International..
The government said it would amend legislation which slaps large health warnings on cigarette packets and bans the sale of those branded as "light". The government has said that any changes would be minor. Possible reforms might include reducing the size of health warnings from the current 80 percent of the packet's size to 65 percent, and giving permission to sell "light" cigarettes.Uruguay was the first country in South America to ban smoking in enclosed public places. Exposure to secondhand smoke decreased greatly in indoor public places and workplaces in Montevideo, largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay, after the implementation of a national smoking ban in 2006. The overall nicotine reduction between 2002 and 2007 was 91%, and the greatest reductions were observed in schools (97%), the airport (94%), and the hospital (89%). (Reduction of secondhand tobacco smoke in public places following national smoke-free legislation in Uruguay, Adriana Blanco-Marquizo et al., Tob Control 2010;19:231-234, abstract..)
Earlier this year Philip Morris, which sells Marlboro and other brands in more than 160 countries, filed for arbitration at the World Bank's international centre for settlement of investment disputes (ICSID), claiming the restrictions hurt its business and violated Uruguay's trade deal with Switzerland. The corporation is based in Lausanne, Switzerland. (FTR Holding S.A. (Switzerland), Philip Morris Products S.A. (Switzerland) and Abal Hermanos S.A. (Uruguay) v. Oriental Republic of Uruguay (ICSID Case No. ARB/10/7, Date Registered 3/26/2010)
The anti-tobacco laws, among the toughest in the world, were introduced four years ago by the then president, Tabaré Vázquez, who as an oncologist had seen the ravages of smoking-related cancer. Tobacco advertising and smoking in public buildings were also banned. Vázquez received an award from the World Health Organisation in 2006 for making the South American country, which has a population of 3.5 million, a leader in the fight against tobacco.
Uruguay: Philip Morris files first-known investment treaty claim against tobacco regulations by Luke Eric Peterson, 3/3/2010)
Uruguay's government yesterday said it would tweak the legislation, or possibly draft a new law, to fend off the complaint and comply with international trade obligations. "On some arguments, Uruguay is very strong from a legal point of view and changes aren't necessary. On other points, we need to make changes to the law or come up with a new law," the foreign affairs minister, Luis Almagro, said.
However, Vázquez, a leftist who completed his five-year term in March, accused the tobacco giant of "blackmailing" pressure. "The only thing that Philip Morris is trying to do is show its power over a small country that has set an international example on this issue," he said.
Eduardo Bianco, head of anti-smoking group the Centre for Investigation of the Tobacco Epidemic, said: "If the country gives way to this pressure, maybe this or some other multinational will try to use another [international] accord to challenge our ban on smoking in enclosed spaces or the advertising ban."
Philip Morris, which also makes L&M, Chesterfield and Virginia Slims, holds an estimated 15% of the international cigarette market outside of the US.
References: Uruguay bows to pressure over anti-smoking law amendments
Tobacco giant Philip Morris accused of corporate bullying following government's decision to water down legislation, Rory Carroll, Guardian.co.uk, 7/27/2010; Uruguay may change anti-smoking law due to complaint by Conrado Hornos, Reuters, 7/27/2010.
Read more...
Tobacco Free Florida selects Alma DDB as advertising agency..
Reference: Alma DDB Selected as Agency for Tobacco Free Florida, SOURCE: Alma DDB (contact: Olimpia Del Boccio - Olimpia.delboccio@almaddb.com), 7/26/2010.
Florida - related to tobacco tax increase:
Florida - tobacco sales down in wake of new tax..;
Florida - consequences of the $1.00 increase in the cigarette tax..; Florida - non-Indian customers pay tax on tobacco at reservation shops..;
Florida's New Tobacco Law - non-Indian tribe members on Indian reservations may no longer dodge the tax..;
Florida Governor Charlie Crist stated he will allow a $1-a-pack tax to become law..;
Florida legislature pass budget with tobacco tax hike..;
http://snus-news.blogspot.com/2009/04/april-26-2009.html;
Florida - House may accept Senate's $1-per-pack increase in a cigarette tax..;
Florida senate votes 39-0 to raise tobacco tax..;
Florida cigar makers fuming over possible tax increase..;
Florida - besides tobacco tax increase Senate wants to restrict tax-free sales..; Florida Senate panel backs tobacco tax hike..; Florida tobacco tax hike gets 1st critical vote today..;
Tobacco Free Florida Week - 2/27/2009 - 3/7/2009..,
Florida's $2.3 billion deficit - increase tax on cigarettes???;
States Need Quick Influx of Revenue – Think Tobacco Tax..;
Times are Tough Save Money Quit Smoking...
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South Korea - fines collected for dumping cigarette butts are down..
The total amount of fines imposed was 3.29 billion won ($2.7 million), the lowest since the city started the fine system back in 2007. Under the present law, illicit cigarette dumping is subject to a fine of 30,000 (25.39 USD) - 50,000 won (42.30 USD).
The half-yearly figures reached the highest in the second half of 2007 ― 201,247 cases and 8.5 billion won.
Since then, illicit cigarette disposal has remained in the 100,000-150,000 range ― 106,573 in the first half of 2008 and 117,788 in the same period of 2009. The sum total of the imposed fines was around 5 billion won.
Gangnam-gu (gu=district), which first started the fine system back in 2007, detected the most cigarette littering, with 19,426 cases and 1.02 billion won in fines (30.4 percent of the total amount), said officials. Jongno-gu and Jung-gu followed with 420 million won and 355 million won, respectively.
Drivers also tend to throw fewer cigarettes out of their windows while driving.
The number of cigarettes dumped by drivers in 13 major districts fell from 6,547 in the second half of 2008 to 2,696 in the first half of this year, said officials.
The city plans to increase by the end of the year the number of disposable ashtrays in the streets from the present 50,000 to 75,000, they said.
Starting in September 2010, those who spit chewing gum onto the Seoul streets will face a fine of between 30,000 won ($24) and 50,000 won - varies according to district. (Gum spitters face fines, Korean Herald, 6/14/2010.)
Reference: Drop in cigarette butts on Seoul streets by Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldm.com), The Korea Herald, 7/26/2010.
South Korea - some related news briefs:
South Korea - BAT launches new cigarette seems similar to Camel Crush..;
South Korea - rate of male smokers probably higher than any other OECD country..;
South Korea - BAT to further invest in Sacheon factory..;
South Korea - a look at KT&G Corporation with 63% of the market..;
South Korea - streets and parks of Seoul City could be designated as non-smoking areas..;
PMI - slide presentation South Korean Cigarette Market..;
South Korea - KT&G forms alliance with Imperial Tobacco Group..;
South Korea - more smokers in 2009 than in 2008..;
South Korea - remote island going smoke-free, car-free and night lights-free..;
South Korea - Stressed-out Koreans smoking more..;
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...
Indonesia - agrees to ratify the WHO FCTC public health treaty..
Indonesia - CNN Video on 2-year old nicotine addict..
Prior to Indonesia agreeing, the United States and Indonesia, which are both large manufacturers and consumers of tobacco products, remained the two most populous nations that have not ratified the treaty. (Time for USA to be part of the world community..)
Now pictures of similar smoking babies in other countries are also appearing on the Internet, and activists in these nations may use their similar shock value to pressure their own countries to likewise ratify the treaty or to take other effective action to protect children, says public interest law professor John Banzhaf, Executive Director of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), who is trying to kick start the movement.
The Chairman of Indonesia's National Commission For Child Protection said that inaction in permitting such abuses to occur would not only be a violation of the children's human rights, but also tantamount to genocide.
Indonesia - paradise for smokers and paradise for tobacco companies..
Reference: Addicted Toddler Forces Indonesia to Ratify World Tobacco Treaty, Reports ASH, PRLog (Press Release), 7/26/2010.
Indonesia some related news briefs:
WTO - US rejected call by Indonesia to rule on dispute on ban of clove cigarettes in the US..;
Indonesia - on June 22nd will ask WTO to rule on US ban on clove cigarettes..;
Indonesia - PT Djarum Tobacco to sponsor badminton events..;
Indonesia - CNN Video on 2-year old nicotine addict..;
Indonesia - more on the 2-year old addicted to nicotine..;
Indonesia - paradise for smokers and paradise for tobacco companies..;
Indonesia - House Finance and Banking Commission opposes govt plan to lower cigarette production..;
Jakarta, Indonesia - more on the Kelly Clarkson tobacco sponsored concert April 29th..;
Jakarta, Indonesia - Singer Kelly Clarkson will she perfom concert sponsored by major tobacco company..;
Indonesia - launches formal dispute with WTO over U.S, ban on clove cigarettes..;
Indonesia - parents encourage 4-year old boy to continue smoking habit..;
Hemoglobin obtained from pigs may be used in cigarette filters..;
Indonesia - government may raise cigarette tax and cut cigarette output..;
Indonesia - Muhammadiyah-owned university students demonstrate against edict against smoking..;
Indonesia - kretek cigarette maker Gudang Garam's 2009 net profit jumps 84 percent..;
Indonesia - persons accused of eliminating clause designating tobacco as addictive..;
Indonesia - second largest Muslim organization launched a fatwa against smoking..;
Indonesia - RATIFICATION OF FCTC MAY RAISE INDONESIA'S BARGAINING POWER.. ;
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...
Jordan - Pfizer gives anti-smoking awareness lecture for Zain Employees,,
The lecture, which was given by pulmonary specialist Dr. Yousef Nawas and attended by a number of Zain employees, covered substantial background on the issue, including the history of tobacco, in addition to the benefits and methods of quitting smoking. The lecture was followed by a question and answer session which revealed the direct and indirect correlation between cigarette smoking and many of the ailments plaguing our society today.
"Working people are perhaps the prime target of our awareness and anti-smoking campaigns," commented Dr. Sleiman Edeili, Sales Manager at Pfizer Jordan. "The fast-paced, stressful lifestyles mandated by today's work environments make them more prone to addiction, particularly in our culture where the practice is main stream. We are here to inform them that science is continually providing advanced solutions to help them overcome their tobacco addiction."
Pfizer has a longstanding track record in delivering advanced solutions to help smokers overcome their addiction, such as Champix® – the first nicotine-free smoking cessation aid that works to minimize tobacco cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
Health Canada and drug maker Pfizer Canada have issued stronger warnings about the smoking cessation medication Champix (sold in the U.S. under the name Chantix) concerned over mounting reports of mood changes, hostility, suicidal behaviour and serious, sometimes fatal, skin reactions. (Champix (Chantix) - Health Canada issues stronger warnings..)
Pfizer has given other anti-smoking lectures in the Middle East. Pfizer Holds an Anti-Smoking Workshop for Al-Kawn, 7/5/2009; Pfizer Holds an Anti-Smoking Workshop for Al-Kawn and Al-Faridah Staff Members, 6/23/2009.
Reference: Pfizer gives anti-smoking awareness lecture for Zain EmployeesAl-Bawaba (www.albawaba.com), 7/26/2010.
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FDA CTP SAC - 2nd Meeting - July 15, 16, 2010 plus....
TPSAC held meetings on July 15 and July 16. It heard industry presentations on how menthol is used in cigarettes, health effects, marketing efforts and impacts on specific groups of people.
View the full meeting agenda..
NOTE: The original agenda had been changed. On July 15th the committee was suppose to hear and discuss a presentation on dissolvable tobacco products. (FDA CTP - July 15-16, 2010 - next meeting of scientific advisory committee..)
View the webcast for meetings on July 15th and July 15th..
View TPSAC materials, including a committee roster and statements submitted by Richmond, Va.-based Altria Client Services (Phillip Morris USA), Greensboro, N.C.-based Lorillard and Winston-Salem, N.C.-based R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.
FDA CTP Scientific Advisory Committee Meeting outcome - committee wants more industry data on menthol..
Lorillard representatives keep on stating that, "TPSAC should ground its principles and analysis in sound science...An objective analysis of the science surrounding menthol shows that menthol does not increase the health risks of cigarette smoking and that menthol cigarettes do not play a unique role in starting smoking, stopping smoking or in smoking dependence. The evidence is pretty strong that menthol cigarettes do play a role in starting smoking and trying to stop smoking. Menthols are now as high as 35 percent of cigarette sales in the U.S.A. and growing.
Following the FDA advisory meeting, Credit Suisse said last week that Lorillard is not as weak as it thought. "It appears that the FDA will create a report sub-committee to draft the final recommendation before a full committee vote on it but we do not know yet, if the draft will be developed publicly. Independent of the recommendation we still do not believe that the FDA would ultimately ban menthol," the brokerage said. The final menthol recommendation is expected in March 2011.
Legislation signed into law last year authorized the FDA to regulate cigarettes and other tobacco products. One provision of the law mandated the creation of TPSAC, which will submit a report and recommendation on the use of menthol in cigarettes to the FDA.
References: FDA Menthol Replay Watch the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee meeting, Convenience Store/Petroleum (CSP) Daily News, 7/20/2010; Lorillard To Report Q2 Results: Earnings Preview, RTT News, 7/26/2010.
Read more...
Viet Nam - over million signatures obtained during an anti-smoking campaign..
Nguyen Tuan Lam, National Professional Officer of WHO Vietnam’s Tobacco Free Initiative: “Nearly half of Vietnamese men smoke and the rate is even higher, at 65 percent, among men between 25-45 years old. Around 40,000 people in Vietnam die every year to tobacco-related diseases and the low price of cigarettes and water-pipe was among the causes of the high smoking rate among men."
Tax increase an optimum tobacco control measure, ThanhNienNews.com, 3/13/2010.
The 1.2 million figure was released by the Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) Central Committee and the Office of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Vietnam at a meeting to sum up the campaign in Hanoi on July 22.
The “Non-smoke house” campaign, which was launched on May 31, was part of activities in response to the World No Tobacco Day themed “Tobacco and Gender”, focusing on the harmful effects of smoking on women and children.
Together with signature collection, the VWU Central Committee trained its staff and officers in 30 provinces and cities on the harmful effects of smoking, the smoking situation in Vietnam and the benefits of a non-smoking environment.
Over 820,000 women were provided with information on the damaging effects of cigarette smoke and passive smoking through activities of the grassroots women associations.
The women associations of all levels delivered 200,000 WHO-issued postcards on tobacco’s bad effects.
Speaking at the meeting, a WHO representative emphasised the important role of the VWU in accessing and disseminating information to families about the dangers of tobacco.
Reference: One million signatures for no-smoking campaign, En.VietnamPlus.vn, 7/22/2010.
Some Vietnam related news briefs:
Vietnam - cigarette smuggling increases from year-to-year..;
Viet Nam - smokers, vendors think tobacco control measures are a joke..;
Viet Nam - WHO increase cigarette tax to lower smoking rate..;
Vietnam - who will enforce smoking ban to start January 1, 2010??;
Vietnam - national campaign launched calling for smoking ban..;
Third Asian Indoor Games in Vietnam smokefree..;
Viet Nam - to ban smoking and increase tax..;
PMI's Future: From Remarks by Louis C. Camilleri, Chairman and CEO-elect and Andre Calantzopoulos, Chief Operating Officer-elect after the spin-off of..; (Viet Nam)
Read more...
Highlights - Lorillard q2 2010 earnings report...
July 26, 2010 - U.S. Newport, Lorillard's flagship menthol-flavored premium cigarette brand, is the top selling menthol and second largest selling cigarette in the U.S. In addition to Newport, the Lorillard product line has five additional brand families marketed under the Kent, True, Maverick, Old Gold and Max brand names. These six brands include 41 different product offerings which vary in price, taste, flavor, length and packaging.
Net sales were $1.520 billion for the second quarter of 2010, compared to $1.519 billion for the second quarter of 2009. Gross profit for the quarter was $542 million, lower than $552 million in the year-ago quarter, and gross margins contracted 120 basis points to 52.2% from a year ago's 53.4%, reflecting higher costs related to federal regulations.
Lorillard's second quarter domestic wholesale shipments decreased 0.6% compared to the same period in 2009 versus a 7.1% decline in total domestic wholesale industry shipments. Lorillard's domestic wholesale shipments increased 5.3% in the first six months of 2010 compared to 2009, while total domestic wholesale industry shipments declined 4.9%. Lorillard's domestic retail market share increased by 1.0 share points over the year ago period to 12.8%.
Newport domestic retail market share increased by 0.5 share points over the year ago period to 10.9% from 10.4% in the second quarter of 2009.
Maverick - At the retail level, based on our (Lorillard) data, Newport achieved a 10.93% share in the first six months of this year, an increase of 0.66 points over the same period in 2009. Maverick grew 0.44 points for the same periods of comparison, achieving a 1.44% retail share of market.
Question: you think about Newport’s share performance in the first half of the year, just in light of continued intense competitive activity, whether it’s from Marlboro menthol or Camel, how would you assess the Newport’s performance and really just kind of looking at the share and profitability balance that you’ve been able to achieve?
Martin Orlowsky, CEO, President, board chairman:
Well frankly, we haven’t really witnessed any significant shifts in terms of the competitive framework so far through the year. I would not necessarily, I can’t anticipate at this stage of the game whether there’s going to be any radical or significant change occurring. So assuming all things remain as they’ve pretty much been, the Newport brand should continue to perform competitively, as it has.
Question:
Could you provide us with an update on where the MST (moist snuff tobacco) development stands?
Martin Orlowsky
We’re still continuing on a path of having, of being in a position to compete in that category. I don’t have anything specific to add at this point, but we still continue to have the interest.
Question: And any timeline when you want to have a product on the market?
Martin Orlowsky
In a reasonable time in the near future.
Lorillard, Inc. Reports Second Quarter 2010 ResultsLorillard, Inc., 7/26/2010.
Lorillard Inc. Q2 2010 Earnings Call Transcript, Seeking Alpha, 7/26/2010.
Q&A - Lorillard Inc. Q2 2010 Earnings Call Transcript, Seeking Alpha, 7/26/2010.
Read more...
Israel - number of smokers revised downward..
The lower figure - for 2009 - was supplied by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) on the basis of a study of 30,000 adults aged 20 and older in over 9,000 Israeli households. It was quoted by Anat Shemesh of the ministry at a meeting of the Israel Council for the Prevention of Smoking on July 15.
Until now, the ministry - including Litzman - has been quoting its 2008 survey results, which were collected by its own Center for Disease Control (CDC) and which showed a relatively small decline from the previous CDC survey figure. The CDC survey is based a sample about one-tenth the size of the CBS study's, and comes out every two years, while the CBS survey is held once in 10 years.
Prof. Tammy Shohat, head of the CDC, said it did not present the CBS figures at Litzman's press conference because they were "still preliminary" at the time.
Council chairman Amos Hausner, a long-time smoking- prevention lawyer, told the Post on Monday that if the smoking figures go as low as they are in the US, Israel should commit itself to observing the Bangkok Protocol of 2007, to which Israel is a signatory. The protocol calls for the elimination of smoking rooms.
"This survey sample is very large, and valid," said Hausner. He credited the "steep decline" in smoking to the 2009 increase in tobacco tax (which has increased further by NIS 2 per pack just recently) and the ongoing effect of the Erdan Law that set higher fines and made proprietors of public establishments responsible for enforcing no-smoking laws.
"Today people do not smoke in most public places, and there is an increased interest in smoking cessation among the general public, as proven by the high demand for smoking cessation medications and courses [which are] now free in the heath basket," he said.
Hausner noted that if only one-fifth of the population smokes, there is no need for smoking rooms in public buildings; any remaining smokers can go outdoors. In California, Massachusetts and New York, where the smoking rates are between 14% and 18%, as well as in Australia, smoking rooms are illegal. In addition, part of tobacco taxes in California and Australia are dedicated to smoking prevention education and media activities.
According to the CBS statistics, the smoking rate for those between the ages of 20 and 24 is 20%; for those aged 25 to 34 it's 22.5%; for ages 35 to 44 it's 24.2%; between 45 and 54 it's 26.7% ; from 55 to 64 the rate is 19.5% ; from 65 to 74 it's 13.4%; and only 5.2% at 75 and over. The average across all age groups is 20.9%.
Reference: Israeli smoking rate for 2009 down to 20.9%, by JUDY SIEGEL, Jerusalem Post, 7/20/2010.
Israel - related news briefs:
Israel - slight decline in the number of Israelis who smoke..;
Israel - Knesset member bill eliminate nicotine from cigarettes..;
Israeli study - are non-smokers smarter than smokers?;
Israel - Professor Connolly advises completely bar smoking in public places..;
Israel - 10,000 die each year from smoking (8,664 smokers and approximately 1500 from secondhand smoke..;
Israel - may initiate a bill to bar smoking in vehicles with kids.. Do it for YURI..;
Israel bans electronic (e) cigarettes..;
Israel - first menthol-cigarette lawsuit in the world filed in Israel..;
Israel - sucking tobacco' illegally imported under ministries' noses..;
Read more...
Bulgaria - customs intercepts 6-tons of smuggled tobacco headed for Romania..
Image from Bulgarian Customs..
The 6-ton tobacco shipment was discovered in a Bulgarian truck registered to transport paper and cardboard to Romania and had no relevant documents. Customs estimate that an excise tax of more than BGN 0.5 M (331,856.98 USD) is due on the tobacco.
In other news, the Customs Agency announced it had stopped 120 l (liter) of illegal alcohol from crossing the Bulgarian-Romanian border at Russe. Alcohol smuggling is on the other hand regularly effected in small installments by Bulgarian locals, mainly older people, who are carrying a few liters of alcohol each. The liquid is stored in 2 l and 5 l plastic bottles with no designation of contents and producers. People are carrying the alcohol to Romanian town of Gyurgevo across the Danube river, where they can profitably sell it.
Large fines are prescribed for failing to register goods and paying their excise tax.
Reference: Bulgarian Customs Detain Illegal Tobacco, Alcohol for Romania, Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency), 7/23/2010.
Bulgaria - related news briefs:
Bulgaria - 3-cigarette distributors permitted to merge..;
Bulgaria - subsidy for tobacco growers included in govt budget for 2010..;
Bulgaria - an inexpensive place to live...;
Bulgaria - female tennis player Tsvetana Pironkova upsets Venus Williams at Wimbledon..;
Bulgaria - investor shows interest in state-owned cigarette monopoly Bulgartabac..;
Bulgaria - NO decrease in cigarette excise tax..;
Bulgaria - tobacco growers again mass protests over unpaid subsidies..;
Bulgaria - govt no more tobacco growers protests over subsides..;
Bulgaria - were the cigarettes contraband or not..Moldova says NO..;
Bulgaria - Bulgartabac Holding sales jumped by 15-20 percent..;
Bulgaria - full smoking ban in force for 3-days officially abolished..;
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 Bulgarian Communist Party which led to the crumbling of the communist regime..
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