A total of 89% of people surveyed agreed that businesses should have to have a licence to sell tobacco, which could be removed if they were caught selling to under-age youngsters more than once. The research found 82% supported the law banning smoking in enclosed public places, although this fell to 57% amongst those who smoke, with 35% of smokers totally opposed to the ban.
"Both smokers and non-smokers alike would like to see changes in Scotland. It is clear that respondents are concerned about preventing young people taking up smoking and want to see restrictions which will stop young people accessing cigarettes. For smokers, they also very much support NHS stop-smoking services, which is unsurprising when 69% of smokers would like to quit."
Reference: 90% of Scots back tobacco sale laws, Press Association Scotland, 9/2/2010.
Scotland - related news briefs:
Scotland, Grampian Region - latest word, NHS Grampian hospital smoking clampdown delayed..;
Scotland - bribing people to live a healthy lifestyle..;
Scotland - Imperial Tobacco in legal action to stop ban on cigarette displays and vending machine removal..;
Scotland - tobacco industry says massive increase in illegal cigarettes..;
PAPER: Scotland Unhealthy risk factors those with lack of education/ low income..;
Scotland - renewing efforts to stop pregnant women from smoking..;
Scotland - cigarette smoking quit attempts increase by 35%..;
Scotland - retailers can provide input on future to ban the display of tobacco..;
Scotland - campaigners want more to be done to protect young people from passive smoking..;
Scotland - government no plans to ban smoking in cars and public places used by children..;
Scotland - smokers will be banned from fostering or adopting children, comments from Professor Banzhaf..;
Scotland - parliament votes to ban retail cigarette displays and vending machines..;
Scotland - health minister urges smokers to quit..;
Scotland - some men beginning to lead a healthier lifestyle and therefore living longer..;
Scotland - self-reporting of smoking by pregnant women underestimates true number of pregnant smokers..;
Scotland - tobacco firms claim proposed display ban is unnecessary..;
"Glasgow effect" - prevalence of cigarette smoking impact on poor health..;
Scotland - tobacco industry will try to stop attempts to curb sales to young people..;
Scotland - cigarette vending machines removal..;
Scottish politicans most have the courage to protect the health of their constituents..;
Scotland - small businesses given extra 2-years to remove tobacco displays..;
Northern Ireland - assembly approves ban on display of tobacco items..;
Scotland to ban cigarette displays and outlaw cigarette vending machines..;
Bar workers who smoke also benefit from smoking ban..;
17 countries in the world ban indoor smoking - ENFORCEMENT..;
England, Wales to ban tobacco displays in shops..;
Definite Health Benefits of Smoking Bans..;
Northern Ireland raising age for sale of tobacco from 16 to 18 joining the other three United Kingdom (UK) countries..;
Scotland proposes to implement more measures to discourage tobacco use including the banning of tobacco displays..;
Raise Age to 21 to Purchase Tobacco Products...
Read more...
Scotland - 90% of Scots back law that prosecutes adults for buying cigarettes for children..
Wisconsin - July 2010 smoking ban included banning smoking in every hotel guestroom..
But in Wisconsin, "there can be zero rooms" that allow smoking in sleeping rooms, Trisha Pugal, CEO of Wisconsin Hotel and Lodging Association told me in an interview.
And the new law is causing "a major culture change" for hoteliers and guests alike.
Wisconsin is the second state in the USA after Michigan to pass anti-smoking legislation that doesn't exempt hotels, she said. The hotel association didn't exactly embrace the legislation. In fact, the group lobbied to let hotels retain a certain percentage of smoking rooms, but the proposal was shot down.
Today, hoteliers say their biggest challenge with the smoking ban is convincing guests that it truly is the law - and that there are real consequences if they smoke in their room, according to Pugal. "People tend not to believe," she says. "We even created a signage guide for lodging properties to help educate the guest. In the hospitality industry, you don't want to appear inhospitable."
Wisconsin's roughly 2,000 hotels post signs declaring their building a non-smoking facility. They're also requiring guests to initial a statement promising to comply or face paying a fee. Hotels are charging penalty fees anywhere from $100 to $300, she said. "Unfortunately, there are people choosing to smoke anyway, even with all the signage and initialing things saying they know there will be a penalty," Pugal told me.
Hotel staffers don't always know that a person smoked until a housekeeper gets into the room to clean it, sometimes creating "a logistical nightmare" for the hotel if someone is waiting for the same room that then must be cleaned thoroughly, she said.
Smoking guests who flout the law, however, aren't getting away with it. Hotels are charging the fee, in hopes that it will deter people from smoking the next time.
Whether the smoking ban is costing hotels business isn't yet clear. Pugal just yesterday sent member hotels a survey to see how the ban may be affecting their business.
Reference: Wisconsin law bans smoking in all hotel guestrooms by Barbara De Lollis, USA TODAY, 9/2/2010.
Wisconsin related news briefs:
Green Bay Packers games - got it right - no smoking..;
Wisconsin - fewer young people smoking..;
Wisconsin - statewide smoking ban starts Monday, July 5, 2010..;
Wisconsin - with smoking ban coming tavern league selling discounted e-cigarettes - is this legal??;
Wisconsin - will July 5th smoking ban lead to more cigarette litter..;
Wisconsin - preparing residents for a more complete smoking ban starting in July 2010..;
Appleton, Wisconsin - will city get grant to fight dissolvable tobacco products seen as a threat to children..;
Wisconsin - lawmakers defeat plan to eventually eliminate candy-flavored tobacco..;
Wisconsin - almost last state to require fire-safe cigarettes..;
Wisconsin - government anti-smoking programs cut from $15.3 million a year to $6.9 million..;
Wisconsin - tobacco taxes to go up tomorrow, Tuesday, September 1, 2009..;
U.S. - Midwest States smoking bans do not hurt business..;
Wisconsin Governor Doyle signs smoking ban..;
Wisconsin - legislature passes smoking ban in restaurants, bars and other businesses..;
Count Wisconsin as the 26th state to ban smoking..;
Wisconsin may be the 26th state to ban smoking in all bars and restaurants..;
Wisconsin - Increased Sales Tax Decrease in Smoking..;
Wisconsin's achieves the lowest adult smoking prevalence ever..;
The primary reason to increase the tax on tobacco is to get smokers to quit and dissuade kids from starting..;
Wisconsin cigarette tax and tax on other tobacco products to increase January 1, 2008..;
Wisconsin to Increase Tax on All Tobacco Products..;
Wisconsin voters overwhelmingly (2-to-1) favor upping cigarette taxes by $1.25 a pack..
Read more...
General Tobacco, 6th largest U.S. tobacco company to close..
September 3, 2010 - General Tobacco, maker of low-priced cigarettes such as Bronco, Silver and GT One is planning to shut down after failing to make Master Settlement Agreement payments owed to states, reports the Wall Street Journal.
General Tobacco, of Mayodan, N.C., stopped producing cigarettes and other tobacco products at its North Carolina plant several months ago and is winding down operations, according to J. Ronald Denman, executive vice president and general counsel. He said the closely held company, which is formally called Vibo Corp., recently has been selling off inventory in foreign markets.
The Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) of 1998 was a legal settlement between the Attorneys General of 46 U.S. states and the four largest American tobacco companies to settle lawsuits brought by the states to recover billions of dollars in costs associated with treating smoking-related illnesses. Four states - Florida, Minnesota, Mississippi, and Texas - settled their tobacco cases separately from the MSA states. The MSA requires the tobacco industry to make payments to the states totaling approximately $246 billion through the year 2025.
General Tobacco became a participating manufacturer to the Master Settlement Agreement in 2004, six years after it was signed by major tobacco companies, and agreed to make payments to the states for both ongoing sales and those it recorded prior to joining the agreement.
The company has made about $600 million in payments to states, but early this year, Washington, North Carolina and other states barred the company from selling cigarettes because it had not made certain payments for cigarette sales prior to 2004. The bans didn't affect filtered cigars and roll-your-own tobacco sold by the company. The delisting is part of the pressures that the 46 participating states in the Master Settlement Agreement are putting on General to make good on its back-payment obligations.
Mr. Denman said General Tobacco has informed states that it will not be able to make the so-called back payments. The company did not say how many states have requested the delisting. Noelle Talley, a spokeswoman for the N.C. Attorney General's Office, said that General's cigarette brands were removed from the state's list of approved brands on Jan. 20. Talley said that the state cited "General's failure to comply with the financial obligations under the Master Settlement Agreement and subsequent agreements."
General Tobacco products is on its way to being barred from selling its cigarette products in 18 states over its failure to make payments under the multistate Master Settlement Agreement (MSA), which was created in 1998. (General Tobacco - will remove cigarette brands from certain states..)
In 2008, General Tobacco sued many attorneys general and tobacco companies, alleging that the Master Settlement Agreement violated federal antitrust and constitutional law. The company argued that rivals such as Liggett enjoyed terms under the agreement that gave them unfair competitive advantages. A U.S. judge in Kentucky dismissed the case last year. General Tobacco filed an appeal this year, and continues to pursue it, Mr. Denman said.
Reference: General Tobacco Plans to Shut Down, by DAVID KESMODEL, The Wall Street Journal, 9/3/2010.
Some related news briefs:
General Tobacco - will remove cigarette brands from certain states..;
General Tobacco - owes states $285 million..;
General Tobacco - last defendants dropped from cigarette antitrust suit..;
General Tobacco makes MSA payment in full..;
General Tobacco reaches deal with states on MSA;
Judge dismisses General Tobacco challenge to tobacco settlement..; General Tobacco lays off nearly 25% of work force..;
General Tobacco Sues 52 U.S Attorneys General and 19 Tobacco Companies..; N.C.'s General Tobacco Appoints New Sales Head..;
General Tobacco completes move to Mayodan, N.C..;
General Tobacco (GT) could “potentially” come out with snus type product..;
Read more...
England - if you want to rent a place to live then it's time to quit smoking..
September 3, 2010 - A new survey published on Easyroommate.co.uk, has revealed that 38% of the landlords do not tolerate smoking and would not allow their tenants to smoke in their properties, whereas only 7% of the landlords would give their properties to a smoker, or allow the tenant to smoke at their dwelling.
The survey found a strong shift in attitude against smoking tenants among landlords following the smoking ban introduced in July 2007. Jonathan Moore, the director of Easyroommate.co.uk, said: “With smoking in pubs and restaurants off the cards, the last refuge for smoking – at home – is being eroded now, too. There’s been a strong shift in attitudes towards smoking since the ban. Smoker-friendly accommodation has been squeezed as a result.
“Since its introduction, many landlords who were a little more tolerant previously have subsequently turned their flats into smoke-free zones. All the signs show that the clamp down is only going to get worse.”
The number of smokers has fallen by a quarter in the past decade, but an estimated 200,000 young people start smoking every year. More than 80,000 deaths are attributed to smoking ever year, costing the NHS almost £3 billion a year.Smoking remains the main cause of preventable disease and premature death in the UK. About 8.5 million people still smoke in England today, and over 80,000 deaths a year are due to smoking in England alone. That is why the Government White Paper Choosing Health: Making healthier choices easier, (building on the 1998 White Paper Smoking Kills), promised new action to tackle tobacco.
Mr Moore added: “Thousands of smokers are unable to buy their own homes to smoke in, and are reliant on private renting and flatsharing. They are finding it harder than ever to find suitable accommodations.
The Department's tobacco programme is split into six 'strands', which each contribute to the overall reduction in smoking. Since 1998 adult smoking rates in England have fallen from 28 percent in 1998 to 21 percent in 2008 - a fall of nearly 2.5 million. These are the lowest smoking rates in England on record.
Department of Health - Tobacco
References: According to a Survey, Smokers Are Not Accepted Anymore submitted by Barinder Khatra, TOPNEWS.co.uk, 09/02/2010; Smokers barred from renting a home More than 90 per cent of smokers are barred from renting a property, new figures have suggested. by Myra Butterworth, Personal Finance Correspondent, Telegraph.co.uk, 9/1/2010.
(house, apartment, flat, room, town house, condominium)
Residual tobacco smoke pollution in used cars..
Such requirements, the report said, could empower buyers ‘to request non-smoking environments’ or a discount on cars that had been smoked in previously.
PAPER: Residual tobacco smoke pollution in used cars for sale: Air, dust, and surfaces, Georg E. Matt1,Penelope J. E. Quintana, Melbourne F. Hovell, Dale Chatfield, Debbie S. Ma, Romina Romero and Anna Uribe, Nicotine & Tobacco Research 2008 10(9):1467-1475, ABSTRACT..
Reference: Warning: third hand smoke in second hand cars, Tobacco Reporter, 9/3/2010.
News briefs - third hand smoke:
New Study - children are especially vulnerable to thirdhand smoke..;
Children are especially vulnerable to thirdhand smoke..
Read more...
Philippines - lawmaker files bill to make cigarette-makers share in the health costs of smoking..
AGHAM logo..
Palmones: Tobacco companies should allot 5% of their net cigarette sales to pay for testing and hospitalization fees of people who have smoking-related illness, a lawmaker said Thursday.
He cited Department of Health (DOH) studies showing that of an estimated 17 million smokers in the country, 250 die every day or around 90,000 annually. He also mentioned studies stating that around 200,000 Filipino men develop smoking-related diseases, resulting in productivity losses.
"It was estimated in 1999, that to provide healthcare for these sick men, and the loss in productivity, cost Filipino taxpayers some P43 billion (967,705,690.62 USD) ," Palmones added.
Palmones said smoking affects the economy, as productivity is affected when workers tend to use their time for work in smoking. Their livelihood also takes a hit when they become sick because of tobacco use, he added.
Palmones said smoke from cigarettes can cause upper respiratory and pulmonary diseases such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema, bronchiolities, bronchogenic carcinoma, and lung cancer.
"Smoke is irritating to many individuals especially those who are allergic to it and can trigger asthma attack. Laryngitis can also be caused by exposure to heavy tobacco and cigarette smoke," he said.
Reference: Tobacco firms urged to pay for hospital fees, abs-cbnNEWS.com, 9/3/2010.
Philippines - some related news briefs:
Philippines - House of Representatives turns down proposal to hke tax on cigarettes by 400%..;
Philippines - PMI warehouse opens - former smokers that no longer have a voice are upset..;
Philippines - injunction regarding picture health warnings on cigarette packs nationwide..;
Philippines - more and more women dying of lung cancer..;
Philippines - tobacco companies don't want warnings on cigarette packs..;
Philippines - President Aquino has stated he will prioritize increase in the tax on cigarettes..;
Philippines - DOH pushing for hefty tax increase on cigarettes..;
Philippines - Muslim council says smoking is forbidden..;
Philippines - PMFTC has 90% of the tobacco market..;
Philippines - Philip Morris report sales higher than annual 2-3% growth..;
Philippines - National Tobacco Assoc. will oppose any move to reduce demand for tobacco unless govt..;
Philippines - tobacco industry has obtained temporary relief from placing graphic warnings on cigarette packs..;
Philippines - govt agencies and employees barred from unnessary interaction with tobacco industry..;
Philippines - Filipino Muslims forbidden to smoke, trade cigarettes..;
Philippine congress proclaims Aquino 15th president..;
Philippines - tobacco firms claim graphic warnings on cigarette packs are illegal..;
Philippines - new president smokes but this should not slow tobacco prevention activities..:
Philippines - Department of Health wants health warnings on cigarette packs within 90 days..;
Philippines - health groups want more protection from the dangers of tobacco..;
Philippines - DOH warns government agencies to avoid partnerships or accepting donations from tobacco manufacturers..;
Philip Morris Philippines..;
Philippines - DoH pushes for picture warnings on cigarette packs..;
Philippines - PMI - FTC merger may lead smokers continuing to smoke and lure children into a life of nicotine addiction..;
Philippines - PMI and Fortune Tobacco Corp. form new company called PMFTC..;
Philippines - Tanauan City names street Philip Morris..;
Philippines - DOH campaign for 100% smoke-free workplaces..;
Philippines - total tobacco industry could be down 10% to 15% this year..;
Philippines - 2003 ban on advertising and skirting the ban..;
Philippines - June is annually observed as 'No Smoking' Month..;
Philippines may be losing the war against smoking..;
http://snus-news.blogspot.com/2008/11/philippines-thai-cigarette-import-rules.html;
Philip Morris won't postpone Philippines Eraserheads Concert..;
Philip Morris could be criminally liable for its sponsorship of the event .in the Philippines..;
STOP PMI Sponsoring Concert in Philippines..;
Philippines - Smoker to be deported...
Filipino
Read more...
Developing World - lifestyle related diseases rivaling infectious disease..
September 2, 2010 - The effort to combat disease in the developing world is becoming less about killer viruses and more about killer products - chiefly tobacco. Developing countries are undergoing a rapid epidemiological transition—from infectious diseases such as diarrhea and pneumonia to chronic ones such as heart disease—that threatens to overwhelm their strapped health systems and cripple their fragile economies.
Changes in traditional diets following the arrival of western-style fast food have also contributed to rising rates of "non-communicable" diseases, diabetes and heart disease. Dr Mary Assunta, senior policy adviser to the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) - said these lifestyle-related diseases were now starting to rival the impact of infectious disease in developing nations.Dr Assunta told AAP: "The trend that you see now in many developing countries is that non-communicable diseases - many of which are tobacco related - are actually catching up with infectious disease and this places a tremendous burden,"
"Out of the 1.2 billion smokers in the world, 80 per cent of those are actually from developing countries or poor and low resourced countries ... It is a huge challenge."
While less than 20 per cent of Australians are smokers, in Indonesia the prevalence of smoking among adults is just over 45 per cent.
Dr Assunta said developing nations, many of which have yet to impose cigarette advertising bans, were "aggressively" targeted by the tobacco industry.
Governments in developing nations were also "burdened with addressing immediate problems" and so could put off action on the longer-term health implications of smoking.
Dr Assunta was chair of a panel at the United Nations DPI/NGO (Department of Public Information/Non-Governmental Organisation) conference, a three day summit in Melbourne which is focussed on the efforts of the NGO (non-government organizations) community in tackling poverty and disease.
The panel was told how the Philippines government now faced a legal challenge from the tobacco industry, as it sought to introduce graphic warning labels like those seen on tobacco products in Australia. (Philippines - injunction regarding picture health warnings on cigarette packs nationwide..)
It also heard how some governments in developing nations relied on funding from tobacco companies - given as "corporate social responsibility" donations - to fund public services including schools. (for example: Tanzania - accepts donations from Alliance One, a leaf tobacco merchant...)
Dr Assunta said there was one "plus" to tackling tobacco as opposed to infectious disease - it did not hinge on scientists looking for an elusive vaccine.
"The plus point for addressing tobacco ... is you need to put in place comprehensive legislation to reduce tobacco use," she said. "And the single most important way is to put up tobacco tax, which must be reflected in expensive and not affordable cigarettes."
Reference: Lifestyle diseases ‘now rival infection’, Smoking-quit.info, 9/2/2010.
Read more...
New York State - cigarette tax collection from Native American sales pushed off until 5-judge panel decides..
A day after a federal judge granted a two-week reprieve in a related case, a spokeswoman for Gov. David A. Paterson said the state is standing down on the tax collections because of a stay issued Wednesday by Judge Samuel L. Green of the Fourth Department of the State Appellate Division.
The order reinstated a temporary restraining order that had been issued by another state judge in January 2009, according to state officials. (Snyder hails extension of cigarette tax ban by Matt Grytam The Buffalo, News, 1/28/2009; NY Governor signs bill to attempt to curb illegal sale of tax-free cigarettes to non-Indian purchasers..)
A five-judge panel from the appellate court will consider the tax-collection issue in more depth next Thursday, September 9th said Margaret A. Murphy, the Buffalo attorney who persuaded Green to reinstate the restraining order Wednesday.
The governor's office said the state is making efforts to have the injunction lifted once again but, in the meantime, will not enforce the cigarette tax collections against any tribe. "We are disappointed today that the Appellate Division has stayed the implementation of our statute and regulations," Paterson spokeswoman Jessica Bassett said.
Wednesday, September 1st was when state officials had planned to start collecting a $4.35-a-pack sales tax on cigarettes sold to non-Indians. However, a ruling Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara temporarily blocked any collection at the Seneca and Cayuga territories. (New York State - Seneca Nation and other Indian Tribes get injunction from federal judge delaying tax collection on cigarettes..)
Two past governors — Mario M. Cuomo in 1992 and George E. Pataki in 1997 — tried to tax cigarettes sold by Indians, but their efforts ended after violent protests from some of the tribes.
The state case has bearing on tribal territories statewide.
"We asked Judge Green to reinstate the temporary restraining order, and he agreed to do so. We're glad that he took the prudent measure of putting things back at the status quo so the judges can look at it next Thursday," Murphy said.
Murphy represents Scott B. Maybee, a successful Seneca cigarette retailer, and Day Wholesale, a non-Indian cigarette wholesaling company located in Tupper Lake in the Adirondacks. She said that both of her clients would suffer great losses of business if the state efforts go forward.
References: State relents after ruling on cigarette tax Restraining order reinstated by judge by Dan Herbeck and Aaron Besecker News Staff Reporters, The Buffalo News, 9/2/2010; Court Blocks New York Tax on Tribal Cigarette Sales by FERNANDA SANTOS, The New York Times, 9/1/2010.
Some related news briefs:
New York State - Seneca Nation and other Indian Tribes get injunction from federal judge delaying tax collection on cigarettes..;
New York State - Governor Patterson will not tax cigarettes sold among Native Americans..;
New York - Senecas asking for Bloomberg to resign over remarks he made..;
New York State - Seneca Indian Nation files sued to block enforcement of a plan to collect cigarette taxes..;
Read more...
South Dakota - smoking ban campaign moves forward..
September 2, 2010 - Background: South Dakota - smoking ban passed by legislature still must go to a statewide vote.. on November 2, 2010.
Though early numbers may look good for November passage of the smoke-free referendum, Yes on 12 proponents aren’t taking any chances. “We’re going to fight as if we’re one point behind,” said Dr. Allen Nord, chairman of the South Dakota Tobacco Free Kids Network.
Nord and former president of the South Dakota Medical Association Dr. Cynthia Weaver kicked off the Yes on 12 Campaign at Rapid City Regional Hospital on Tuesday, August 31st.
The campaign will include door-to-door voter outreach, town hall meetings and an interactive website at www.smokefreesd.com.
The law would prohibit workplace smoking in all businesses, including bars, restaurants, casinos and video lottery establishments. It passed in the 2009 South Dakota Legislature, but opponents sent the issue to a referendum.
In the past, opponents of the law have argued that it infringes on personal freedoms and will harm businesses. Nord said such claims are unfounded. Research in California, Massachusetts, Oregon, Texas, New York, Florida, Maryland and Kentucky showed that smoke-free ordinances had no negative effect on bar sales, he said. A series of studies of sales tax data from 81 locations in six states shows that smoke-free policies have not had a negative effect on restaurant revenues.
At the same time, researchers have proven that secondhand smoke is dangerous, Nord said. The World Health Organization found that there is “no safe level of exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke,” he said. “The evidence is overwhelming.” (former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona, MD, told reporters: "There is no risk-free level of secondhand smoke exposure.." The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General, June 27, 2006..)
As a physician, Nord said he cares for patients every day who are suffering from smoke-related illnesses. South Dakota taxpayers pay $58 million a year in Medicaid payments for tobacco-related health care costs, he said. Nord said he wants all workers in South Dakota to have the right to work in a safe and healthy environment.
“We believe that everyone deserves to have smoke-free air,” he said. “What it’s really about is the health of workers in South Dakota.”
Phone calls to the Citizens for Individual Freedom, the organization that opposes the tobacco ban, were not returned Tuesday, August 31st.
Reference: Smoking ban campaign begins in Rapid City, Lynn Taylor Rick (lynn.taylorrick@rapidcityjournal.com), Rapid City Journal, 8/31/2010.
South Dakota State Smoking Ban - Developments - related news briefs:
South Dakota - smoking ban one more possible appeal..;
South Dakota - American Cancer Society won't appeal judges decision..;
South Dakota - smoking ban passed by legislature still must go to a statewide vote..;
South Dakota (SD) - judge smoking ban legally eligible for statewide public vote..;
South Dakota - smoking ban, judge won't let ACS call witnesses - as trial nears..;
South Dakota - statewide smoking ban trial date moved to mid-November.;
South Dakota - trial delayed in fight to enforce smoking ban..;
South Dakota - new judge appointed in the smoking ban dispute..
South Dakota - ACS wants smoking ban passed by legislature to begin ASAP..
South Dakota - opponents of smoking ban gain a delay..;
South Dakota - petition rejected - state smoking ban to take effect..;
South Dakota - Secretary of State's Office still counting disputed signatures on the smoking ban petitions..;
South Dakota - anti-smoking leaders challenge petition..;
South Dakota - smoking ban to start July 1, 2009 may be delayed..;
South Dakota - opponents try to stop extended smoking ban..;
South Dakota - extends smoking ban effective July 1, 2009...
Read more...
Wichita, Kansas - judge extends state smoking ban..
Background: Back on Friday, June 26th a Sedgwick County judge issued a temporary restraining order that will prevent a statewide indoor smoking ban from going into effect next week in the city of Wichita.In his ruling, the judge defended the Legislature's right to regulate smoking in Kansas. Judge Goering: "The scope and breadth of that regulation is a matter of public policy, and it is not for this Court to second guess the wisdom of that policy." But he also chided the state for using a double standard of allowing smoking in state-owned casinos while banning it in private businesses.
On Thursday, July 1, 2010 - Kansas joined nearly 40 states that have some statewide restrictions on where smokers can light up. (Kansas - governor signed into law the Clean Indoor Air legislation..)
District Judge Eric Yost issued the order, which would allow Wichita businesses to continue operating under the city's smoking ordinance at least until July 15. The injunction had no effect on businesses outside the Wichita city limits. In his order, Yost scheduled a July 15 hearing to determine whether the temporary restraining order should be extended. VIDEO - Hearing in Wichita smoking ban delayed until August.., KWCH.com, 7/9/2010.
Wichita, Kanaas - city's smoking ordinance more stringent than state law..
Among the plaintiffs' arguments was that Wichita's smoking ordinance — which allowed indoor smoking in businesses that prohibit minors or establish separate, ventilated smoking rooms — is more stringent than the state's and should be the controlling law in Wichita.
But in his ruling, Goering wrote, "There is no question (the state's law) is the more stringent."
Reference: Judge's ruling extends smoking ban to Wichita by RICK PLUMLEE (rplumlee@wichitaeagle.com), Wichita Eagle, 9/1/2010.
Related Kansas news briefs:
VIDEO - Topeka, Kansas under both city and state smoking bans..;
Kansas - goes smoke-free on July 1, 2010..;
Wichita, Kansas - city's smoking ordinance more stringent than state law..;
Kansas - governor signed into law the Clean Indoor Air legislation..;
Kansas - public smoking ban effective July 1, 2010..;
University of Kansas (KU) bans sale of tobacco starting July 1, 2010..;
Topeka, Kansas - opponents of smoking ban may drop petition drive..;
Kansas - cigarette tax hike likely in 2010..;
Topeka, Kansas - some petitions to overthrow smoking ban missing..;
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..;
Kansas - cigarette makers fined, failed to pay into escrow accounts..;
Kansas City, Missouri - court upholds smoking ban..;
Read more...
Russia - finance minister urges citizens to smoke and drink more to lift tax revenues..
Another generation of smokers..
September 2, 2010 -
Smoke and drink more, Russia’s finance minister Alexei Kudrin urged citizens to smoke and drink more on Wednesday, August 31st explaining that higher consumption would help lift tax revenues for spending on social services.
'If you smoke a pack of cigarettes, that means you are giving more to help solve social problems such as boosting demographics, developing other social services and upholding birth rates,’ Kudrin said, quoted by the Interfax news agency. ‘People should understand: Those who drink, those who smoke are doing more to help the state,’ he said, offering unconventional advice as the Russian government announced plans to raise excise duty on alcohol and cigarettes.
Alcohol and cigarette consumption are already extremely high in Russia, where 65
percent of men smoke and the average Russian consumes 18 litres of alcoholic beverages per year, mainly vodka, according to official statistics.Background: Moscow's top doctor said on March 15, 2010 smoking was leading to a "national catastrophe." Dr. Leonid Lazebnik painted a grim picture of the harm that tobacco was causing Russians, telling a round table that 65 percent of men and 30 percent of women have smoked at some time in their lives. In contrast, Lazebnik said, the figures in the mid-1980s were 48 percent of men and 5 percent of women.
Russian duties on cigarettes are among the lowest in Europe, with most brands priced at around 40 rubles ($1.30) per pack and unfiltered cigarettes selling for much less.
He said 24.6 percent of Muscovites (a native or resident of Moscow )are smokers. "But the scariest thing of all is our future," Lazebnik said. "In Moscow, 73 percent of boys and 65 percent of girls smoke. I see this as a national catastrophe."
Russsia - 73 percent of boys and 65 percent of girls smoke...
Russia's population is decreasing at a loss of about 700,000 to 800,000 citizens each year dying. Russia has a very high death rate of 15 deaths per 1000 people per year. This is far higher than the world's average death rate of just under 9. (Russia's Population Set to Decline From 143 Million Today to 111 Million in 2050)
Russia's bleak picture of health, CNN by Grace Wong, 5/19/2009.
The finance ministry in June announced plans to more than double excise duty on cigarettes over the next three years from 250 roubles per 1,000 filtered cigarettes to 590 roubles in 2013. (Russia - Finance Ministry skeptical about raising taxes on tobacco..)
The state recently imposed a new minimum legal price for vodka, implemented a zero tolerance ban on drink-driving and banned night-time sales of alcohol to curb abuse blamed for the deaths of thousands of Russians every year.
Alcohol abuse kills around 500,000 Russians annually and greatly impacts male life expectancy, which is lower than in such developing countries as Bangladesh and Honduras, according to official figures.
Reference: Russians urged to smoke, drink more, Reuters - The Windsor Star, 9/1/2010.
Russia related news briefs:
Russia - BATR has an alternative instead of banning cigarette sales from kiosks or by street vendors..;
Russia - health warnings on cigarette packs..;
Russsia - 73 percent of boys and 65 percent of girls smoke..;
Russia - Finance Ministry skeptical about raising taxes on tobacco..;
Russia - tax on tobacco may be quadrupled..;
Russia - tobacco epidemic with no solution in site..;
Russia - public health official discusses tobacco control..;
Russia - making it more difficult for servicemen to smoke..;
Russia - draft tobacco law being considered by Duma..;
Russia among top-10 smoking nations..;
Russian lawmakers discuss smoking ban for restaurants and bars..;
Russia passes new restrictions on tobacco..;
British American Tobacco (BAT) Misleading Russian Consumers..;
Russian State Duma (Parliament) ratified the framework convention of the World Health Organization (WHO) on tobacco control...
Read more...
Cambodia - proposed ban on all tobacco advertising and promotion..
“We are creating the sub-decree on tobacco advertisement measures because we are mainly focused on promoting people’s health,” Mam Bunheng said.
The advertising ban is a key component of the World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which Cambodia ratified in November 2005. The convention demands that member states institute a “comprehensive ban” on all forms of tobacco “advertising, promotion and sponsorship” within five years of ratification. (Cambodia - may miss deadline to ban tobacco advertising..)
Mam Bunheng said companies that breach the ban on advertising would risk losing their business licences. “If any company does not follow, first we will send a letter to warn them,” he said. “Second is to suspend their business and the third is to withdraw licences from running businesses.”
WHO tobacco health adviser Yel Daravuth said he supported a ban. “Banning advertising of tobacco products is an important step to prevent youth from starting to smoke,” he said. “It will help smokers start to quit.”
Mom Kong, the executive director of the NGO Cambodia Movement for Health, said tobacco advertisements were far too prevalent. “There are all forms of advertisements in the media,” he said. “You can see it on the street, or at concerts, which can attract a lot of youths and rural people to smoke.”
Kun Lim, the head of corporate affairs for British American Tobacco (BAT) Cambodia, said the company had been prepared for an advertising ban and supported it – so long as the embargo was enforced across the board. “We welcome all the sensible laws regarding tobacco control, including advertising,” he said. “If it is done on a level playing field, I don’t see any major issue with it.”
Kun Lim said BAT would like point-of-sale advertisements – posters where cigarettes are sold, for example – not to be included in any potential ban. “How do we get information to the consumer? We can only do so at the point of sale,” he said.
Chum Sophea, the human resource manager for Viniton Group, which markets Angkor brand cigarettes, said any ban on advertising would affect the company “100 percent”.
However, her company was still waiting to see what the new sub-decree would entail, she said.
Reference: Tobacco Ad Ban Proposed in Cambodia, Khoun Leakhana, The Phnom Penh Post, 9/1/2010.
Cambodia - some related News Briefs:
Cambodia - may miss deadline to ban tobacco advertising..;
Cambodia - agreement greater tobacco control measures needed..;
Cambodia - 2-day seminar, strategies for controlling tobacco use..;
SEATCA - Gates funding for research on improving tobacco control tax systems..;
Cambodia - text only cigarette warnings starting July 2010..;
Cambodia - now favors text only warnings on cigarette packs..;
Cambodia - graphic warnings soon to be on cigarette packs..;
Asean Countries - Tobacco Industry Blocking Global Treaty On Tobacco..;
Read more...
Vancouver, British Columbia - September 1, 2010 - launches smoking ban in all city parks and beaches..
Background:“We are there to make sure that all Vancouverites, and even visitors, are able to come down and have a reasonable expectation that they can enjoy the parks, beaches, playgrounds and not have their health put in harm’s way,” said park board commissioner Aaron Jasper. The message that came out of consultation with doctors was there is no such thing as safe exposure to second-hand smoke, Mr. Jasper said.
The Vancouver Parks Board voted unanimously Monday night, April 19th to ban all smoking from more than 200 public parks and beaches, effective September 1, 2010. Park board member Ian Robertson said there wasn’t much debate needed to make the decision.
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada - bans smoking in parks and beaches..
The bylaw is the latest in a string of existing laws aimed at snuffing out tobacco in Vancouver. Smoking is already banned on patios, bus stops, and near entranceways and air intakes.
Similar bans on outdoor smoking in parks, beaches and playgrounds are in effect in West Vancouver, White Rock and Richmond.
Reference: Vancouver smokers not butting out yet Some continue to light up in parks, beaches despite the city’s new outdoor smoking ban, Rebecca Lindell, The Globe and Mail, 9/2/2010.
A few related news briefs - Vancouver - British Columbia..
British Columbia (B.C.), Canada - largest counterfeit tobacco seizure..;
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada - bans smoking in parks and beaches..;
Vancouver's GM Place - Britney Spears walks off stage blames cigarette smoke..;
Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics - smoke-free with exceptions..;
British Columbia - 1st man fined for smoking in car with his child present..;
British Columbia puts into effect smoking ban in cars when kids are present..;
Read more...
Indonesia - 2-year old kicks the habit - COLD Turkey..
September 2, 2010 - A two-year-old Indonesian boy who smoked about 40 cigarettes a day has kicked the habit after receiving intensive specialist care, a child welfare official said Thursday, September 2nd.
Ardi Rizal shocked the world when a video of him drawing heavily on cigarettes appeared on the Internet in May and drew attention to Indonesia's failure to regulate the tobacco industry.
Directly related news briefs:"He has quit smoking and the most important thing is he doesn't ask for cigarettes anymore," national commission for child protection secretary-general Arist Merdeka Sirait told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Indonesia - CNN Video on 2-year old nicotine addict..;
Indonesia - more on the 2-year old addicted to nicotine..;
Indonesia - addicted to nicotine at the age of two..;
Indonesia - parents encourage 4-year old boy to continue smoking habit..
Six months after his father gave him his first cigarette, the overweight boy was smoking two packs a day and threw violent tantrums if his addiction was not satisfied. Accompanied by his mother, the boy left his village on Sumatra island in July to undergo treatment in the capital.
"He received psychosocial therapy for one month, during which therapists kept him busy with activities and encouraged him to play with kids of the same age," Sirait said. "We diverted his addiction from cigarettes to playing."
Seto Mulyadi, advisory chairman of the National Commission for Child Protection (Komnas Anak), said the two-year-old had fully recovered from his addiction after a month-long rehabilitation program, involving both the commission, pyschologists and doctors.
Ardi's case has highlighted the tobacco industry's aggressive marketing to women and children in developing countries like Indonesia, where regulations are weak and many people do not know that smoking is dangerous.
Sirait said the government had given financial support to Ardi's parents, who were ignorant of smoking's dangers and used cigarettes to keep the toddler happy as they worked long hours at a street market. "Ardi was very happy when he left Jakarta this morning as he has really missed his father in the village," Sirait said.
Four-year-old Adi (previously known as Sandi), a former foul-mouthed, smoking toddler from East Java made infamous by another YouTube video, has also been recently rehabilitated. (Indonesia - parents encourage 4-year old boy to continue smoking habit..)
Cigarette consumption in the Southeast Asian archipelago of some 240 million people soared 47 percent in the 1990s, according to the World Health Organization. (Indonesia - paradise for smokers and paradise for tobacco companies..)
References: Indonesia's smoking toddler kicks habit, Agence France-Presse (AFP), 9/2/2010; Infamous Infant Kicks Two-Pack-a-Day Smoking Habit, Jakarta Globe, 9/2/2010.
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Alberta - government is not planning to finance medications to help people quit smoking..
September 1, 2010 - The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) Journal is calling on provincial governments to publicly fund medications designed to help Canadians quit smoking, but Alberta is closing the door on the idea for now. In an editorial published Monday, August 30th the authors suggest tax revenues collected on the sale of tobacco products could fund reimbursement for smoking cessation therapies.
Five and a half million Canadians — or 19 percent — use tobacco, according to the editorial, and that number has remained stagnant in recent years in spite of provincial and federal programs meant to help Canadians quit.
Among provinces, Alberta and Nova Scotia had the highest smoking rate, at 23.3 per cent.
Quebec is the only province that funds all drugs to help people quit smoking, while Yukon and Prince Edward Island reimburse residents for at least one product.
Alberta Health spokesman Howard May said the province is not planning at the moment to examine whether it should finance medications to help Albertans quit smoking. He added it's too early to say whether Alberta's stance would change in light of the medical association editorial.
In recent years, the Alberta has introduced several measures to curb cigarette use, including hiking tobacco taxes, banning smoking in public places, and prohibiting tobacco sales in pharmacies. "If you compare us to other provinces, we've got some of the most aggressive and progressive anti-smoking programs," May said.
In B.C., the government has begun a review of smoking-cessation products, including nicotine-replacement therapies and prescription drugs.
The medical association editorial suggests policy-makers don't understand that the cost of smoking cessation therapies is a barrier for some smokers who want to stop.
A spokesperson from Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion and Sport reminded people that quit-smoking rates are higher when counselling is provided along with smoking-cessation therapies. Ontario is in the process of developing a new five-year strategy to combat tobacco use in the province.
References: Alberta rejects therapy to quit smoking, Postmedia News and Calgary Herald, 8/31/2010; Medical journal calls on provinces to fund quit-smoking drugs by Allison Cross, Postmedia News, The Star Phoenix, 8/30/2010.
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RAI to webcast presentation at Barclays Capital Back-To-School Consumer Conference..
Susan M. Ivey, RAI’s chairman, president and chief executive officer, will provide a business update on the company. The webcast will be available online on a
Registration will be available as of August 31st. Please visit the Investors section at www.ReynoldsAmerican.com to register.
A replay of the webcast will be available on the website for 30 days. All remarks made during the webcast will be current at the time of the webcast and will not
be updated to reflect subsequent material developments.
News media representatives are welcome to monitor the remarks and may direct inquiries to Jane Seccombe at (336) 741-5068.
Reference: RAI to webcast presentation at Barclays Capital Back-To-School Consumer Conference, Reynolds American Inc., 8/31/2010.
Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) to Host Webcast of Presentation at Barclays Capital Back-to-School Consumer Conference..
The webcast will provide live audio of the entire PMI session and will be in a listen-only mode.
An archived copy of the webcast will be made available until 5:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, October 6, 2010, at www.pmi.com. An audio replay in MP3 format will also be available within 24 hours after the conclusion of the presentation on the company's Web site.
Reference: Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) to Host Webcast of Presentation at Barclays Capital Back-to-School Consumer Conference BUSINESS WIRE, NEW YORK, 8/31/2010.
Read more...
More - Greece- September 1st embarks on 4th attempt in eight-years to ban smoking in public places..
Health Minister Mariliza Xenoyiannakopoulou said in an August 19 interview with Flash 96 radio, the new law represents a “total ban on smoking in all indoor places”, attributing the failure of the last ban, introduced in 2009, to “exceptions and loopholes” which caused “unfair competition between small and large restaurants”.
The Pasok (Panhellenic Socialist Movement - political party) minister was referring to the concession that allowed the owners of premises smaller than 70 square metres to declare themselves either exclusively smoking or non-smoking establishments and the owners of larger venues to install fully enclosed, air-conditioned smoking areas.
Heralded at the time by New Democracy health minister Dimitris Avramopoulos as a law “ending the myth that we make laws that we don’t respect”, the previous ban also allowed companies with more than 50 workers to designate a smoking room for their employees. Within months of being introduced on 1 July 2009, the law was a flop, particularly in cafes and restaurants, despite encouraging signs that it enjoyed the support of the public and that it had initially met with considerable compliance in much of the hospitality sector.
However, the Xenoyiannakopoulou law does contain some temporary loopholes, and has therefore met with criticism from the country’s small but active antismoking lobby.
Significantly, casinos and venues larger than 300m2 offering live music - many of the country’s bouzoukia nightclubs would fall into this category - will have nine months, until 31 May 2011, to comply with the new ban. This concession was made at the request of the owners of such establishments, who said that their business was already suffering considerably as a result of the economic crisis.
Enforcement of new law not clear..Alexandros Fotinos, founder of the NoSmoke.gr NGO (non-government organization), has said that the interior, health and economy ministers had yet to prepare a joint ministerial decision specifying who precisely will enforce the ban and how. The absence of all the necessary legal instruments such as a joint ministerial decision, he points out, was the main reason the 2009 ban could not be enforced. Although the authorities received thousands of complaints that the ban was being flouted in cafes and workplaces, no prosecutions followed.
“If we don’t have a joint ministerial decision by August 31, the law cannot be enforced from the following day because the municipal police will not have the power to do anything,” Fotinos said.
The antismoking campaigner also regretted that a proposal to give the police a role in enforcing the ban - a detail included in first draft of the new law, which was launched by the minister on World No Tobacco Day on May 31 - was dropped from the final version of the law, which empowers only the prefectural health authorities, municipal police and the coastguard in this regard.
Fotinos is also scathing at an exemption in the law that will allow small neighbourhood shops to advertise cigarettes inside and kiosks to showcase cigarette packs behind windows.
“This is completely illogical. A lot of children go to small shops and kiosks to buy sweets and there they will be confronted with these adverts,” said Fotinos.
How to report transgressions
The 24-hour 1142 smoking-ban hotline established in 2009 will remain in operation. To make a formal complaint, you must provide your personal details, including full name and address.
The law in a nutshell
* Individuals found smoking in public indoor places may be issued with a fine ranging from 50 to 500 euros.
* Owners of public places (restaurants, cafes, workplaces etc) where people are found smoking, those found guilty of selling tobacco and alcohol products to minors, and those found in contravention of the ban on tobacco advertising, will face a fine ranging from 500 to 10,000 euros. On their fifth violation, their respective operating licence will be cancelled.
* Repeat offenders in all categories will pay higher fines
(1.00 EURO = 1.28 USD)
Source: Article 17 of Law 3868/2010, published in the Government Gazette on August 3
See first reference for a list of Greek laws related to tobacco from 1856..
References: Countdown to stubout Issue No. 13405Source: www.nosmoke.gr and Athens News, 8/30/2010; Greece to crack down -- again -- on die-hard smokers, Agence France-Presse (AFP), 8/30/2010.
Some Greece related news briefs:
Greece to go smoke free startng September 1, 2010 this time with the help of Harvard School of Public Health..;
Harvard SPH to help Greece with smoking ban..;
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...
Victoria, Australia - hefty fines for adults that smoke in cars when children are present..
Victoria Coat-of-Arms..
Police caught 62 smokers in the six months after the passing of a law decreeing that cars carrying children (kids) be smoke-free. The problem is mainly in the west and women smokers aged 30-39 are the worst offenders, figures show. The state's western police region, which had the most offenders, includes Bendigo, the Central Goldfields and the Macedon Ranges.
Under the ban, people who are caught smoking in cars carrying under-18s face a $239 on-the-spot fine. The maximum penalty, enforceable in court, is $584.10.
Latest police figures reveal that up to June, 138 people - about five a week - had incurred on-the-spot fines. Of those, 25 were women aged 30-39, and 21 were males aged 15-19.
Research by the Tobacco Control Journal has found "fine particulate matter" levels from smoking in cars can be as high as in a smoky pub and much higher than is recommended in World Health Organisation guidelines.
Children exposed to second-hand smoke are more at risk of lower respiratory infections, sudden infant death syndrome, ear infections, and severe asthma attacks - and of becoming smokers later in life.
Quit Victoria executive director Fiona Sharkie said previous research had shown 90 per cent of Victorian smokers supported the ban on smoking in cars. "People do still need to be informed about the legislation, and a fine is one way of telling them," she said. "There is no safe level of second-hand smoke. People think if they put the window down, it will be OK, but all that does is push the smoke into the back of the car." She said fewer than 17 percent of adult Victorians were regular smokers, but the 18-24 age group had the highest smoking rates.
In Queensland, 158 people copped fines under smoke-free car laws between January and June.
A spokeswoman for Victorian Health Minister Daniel Andrews said it was disappointing that people weren't obeying the law. "There is no excuse to smoke in a car with children around," she said. "These results are disappointing but it shows there was a need to legislate, and that's why the Government did. These penalties should serve as a reminder for parents not to smoke in cars carrying children."
Reference: NEGLIGENT parents are being slapped with hefty fines for lighting up cigarettes in cars carrying children, Elissa Doherty, Heraldsun.com.au, 9/1/2010.
Victoria some related news brief:
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Victoria, Australia - ban on flavored cigarettes../a>;
Victoria, Australia - make cigarettes $20 a pack, doctors urge..;
Victoria, Australia - ban from smoking in cars when children under 18 are present comes into force January 1, 2010..;
Victoria, Australia - 4 in 10 smokers still light up around children..;
Victoria, Australia 5-YR Tobacco Control Strategy..;
State of Victoria Releases 5-Year Tobacco Control Strategy..;
Quit Victoria anti-smoking ad draws controversy..;
Australia - wants to move up date for fire-safe cigarettes..;
Australia - Victoria fires - arson thrown cigarette butt..;
Smoking Device has Quit fuming..;
Victoria May Outlaw Underage Smoking..;
Read more...
Boston Area - tobacco signs more plentful in city's poorer areas..
More signs: *Convenience Store Update - hanging tobacco signs from the ceiling..
A dozen years after Massachusetts attempted to ban storefront tobacco ads within 1,000 feet of schools and playgrounds, a prohibition thwarted by a tobacco company’s legal challenge, the signs remain prolific and prominent in Boston’s lower-income neighborhoods, especially those with substantial African-American and Hispanic populations.
But now, empowered by Congress to regulate tobacco companies, the Food and Drug Administration is taking steps that could rein in the pastel-hued signs that industry foes say entice young customers to start smoking.
With cigarette advertising banished from the airwaves and largely absent from billboards, storefronts are some of the last bastions of tobacco marketing. The continued presence of the ads is a testament, researchers said, to the deep reach of cigarette makers in poorer communities, where merchants said company representatives sometimes personally attach ads to store exteriors.
Researchers found in 2003 and 2004 that roughly 4 of every 10 dollars spent on tobacco marketing went to store signs, payments to retailers for prime shelf space, and displays inside shops. In some cases, shopkeepers received thousands of dollars through tobacco manufacturer incentive programs. And the more tobacco promotions children encounter, the greater the risk they will start smoking, Massachusetts scientists reported in 2006. It is no secret that ad dollars are disproportionately spent in poorer neighborhoods, said researchers, pointing to studies from the past 15 years.
The researchers, who canvassed storefronts from November 2007 to February 2008, also discovered that stores in Dorchester were more likely to advertise prices and that the prices were lower than in Brookline. In the Dorchester ZIP code covered by the study, 02124, the median family income was $38,203; 18 percent of Dorchester adults smoke regularly. In Brookline, where the median income was $92,993, the smoking rate was only 6.5 percent.
In 1996, the FDA first asserted regulatory jurisdiction over tobacco companies, including advertising, but a court ruled that the federal agency was overstepping its authority. Two years later, Massachusetts attempted to restrict storefront ads. Tobacco maker Lorillard sued, and the US Supreme Court sided with the company.
Last year, the FDA won the power to regulate tobacco companies under a landmark law passed by Congress. The agency, after soliciting public comments, is weighing what to do about ads on the exterior walls and grounds of retailers, a spokeswoman said.
Reference: Tobacco signs still target city’s poorer areas by Stephen Smith, The Boston Globe, 8/30/2010.
Massachusetts - some related news briefs:
Lorillard claims not liable in a 2004 lawsuit by a former black Newport smoker..;
Boston, Massachusetts - next, ban smoking in all public housing..;
Boston, MA. - gets federal stimulus funding for obesity and tobacco prevention projects..;
Massachusetts - senate votes to license 3-totally no-smoking casinos..;
Massachusetts - City of Everett to ban tobacco sales in pharmacies..;
Massachusetts - may force retailers to display graphic warning signs of perils of tobacco..;
Massachusetts - jury rejects condo owner's lawsuit that realtor did not inform that neighbor smoked..;
Massachusetts - YOUTH - cigars and smokeless tobacco use surpasses cigarettes..;
Successful Massachusetts tobacco cessation program gets national attention..;
Massachusettes - lower income smokers giving up their nicotine addiction..;
Massachusettes - smoker loses job and then loses in federal court..;
Massachusetts - smokeless tobacco purchasers settle class action suit..;
Boston's ban on blunt wraps stands..;
Boston - NO Tobacco Products Sold - Pharmacies/College Campuses..;
Massachusetts cigarette tax jumps $1 per pack..;
Massachusetts (MA) Likely to Increase Tobacco tax..;
Massachusettes - Smoking ban drop in fatal heart attacks..;
Read more...
New York State - Seneca Nation and other Indian Tribes get injunction from federal judge delaying tax collection on cigarettes..
Lawyers for New York State won the latest round in the legal fight Monday, August 30th. State Supreme Court Justice Donna M. Siwek lifted two injunctions previously issued by another judge, which had prevented the state from taxing any Native American cigarette sales. In a ruling Siwek said she agreed with state lawyers who argued that the state acted legally in enacting a new tax-collection law earlier this year. "I find that the state has met its burden," Siwek said, reading her order from the bench of her downtown Buffalo courtroom.
Lawyers for the Seneca Nation and other Indian tribes have one more day to convince a judge that the state's efforts to tax millions of dollars in Native American cigarette sales to non-Indians are illegal. With tax collections scheduled to begin Wednesday, September 1st the Seneca Nation and other Indian tribes will get another chance to fight the law in federal court Tuesday afternoon, August 31st.
They will ask U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to issue an injunction delaying the implementation of the new law, which could ignite some violent demonstrations by angry Senecas. Judge Richard Arcara has granted a request by two western New York tribes for a court order that would stop the state from imposing a $4.35 per-pack sales tax on cigarettes sold by reservation retailers starting Wednesday.
New York State’s plan to begin collecting tax on Indian-sold cigarettes will be delayed for at least two weeks. The temporary restraining order delays (for at least two weeks) the collection of a tax on cigarettes. The tax totals $4.35 per pack of cigarettes sold to non-Indian customers. The ruling now allows time for more legal arguments to be heard on the issue.
The Seneca Nation will withhold future revenue-sharing payments to New York State from its three Western New York casinos, Tribal Council members voted on Monday, August 30th. (VIDEO - Seneca Nation to Withhold NYS Casino Payments
by John Borsa, WKBW.com channel 7, 8/30/2010)
References: State lawyers win another round in cigarette tax battle Collections by state to start Wednesday unless tribes obtain injunction in federal court today by Dan Herbeck, The Buffalo News, 8/31/2010; Federal Judge Puts Indian Cig Tax on Hold, Reported by: Sean Carroll (scarroll@13wham.com), 13WHAM.com news, 8/31/2010.
Some related news briefs:
New York State - Governor Patterson will not tax cigarettes sold among Native Americans..;
New York - Senecas asking for Bloomberg to resign over remarks he made..;
New York State - Seneca Indian Nation files sued to block enforcement of a plan to collect cigarette taxes..;
Read more...
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