The smoking rate in Japan in 2008 was 36.8 percent for men and 9.1 percent for women. To help bring these numbers down, the health ministry has proposed another tobacco tax increase as part of tax system reform for fiscal 2011, stating that tobacco prices in this country are still low compared to other advanced nations.
According to a survey conducted on 316 smokers by pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson K.K. before the hike, about 60 percent said they would quit. Of these, 58 percent cited financial reasons.
The price of Mild Seven, the most popular brand sold by Japan Tobacco Inc., rose from 300 yen (3.60 USD) to 410 yen (4.93 USD) per pack. A pack of Marlboro from Philip Morris Japan K.K. went from 320 yen (3.85 USD) to 440 yen (5.29 USD).
After closing Thursday, September 30th the Amaya Shoten tobacco shop in a business district in Chuo Ward, Tokyo, put new price tags on about 100 brands of cigarettes on its shelves. Only four customers came to the shop Friday, October 1st between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m., although it usually sees more than 20 salaried workers during that time. Sales from September 20 to 30 were 4.5 times more than in the same period last year.
"It's inevitable that we'll have few customers for a while, but I'm worried whether they'll come back," said shop operator Toshiyuki Amaya, 55.
Tobacco sales skyrocketed nationwide before the tax hike. On Thursday, Seven-Eleven Japan Co. sold about eight times more than on the same day last year, a company spokesman said. (Japan - smokers stocking up on cigarettes before October 1st tax hike..)
Reefrence: Cigarette prices soar, The Yomiuri Shimbun, Yomiuri.co.jp, 10/2/2010.Some directly related news briefs:
Read more...
Japan - October 1, 2010 - tobacco tax increase, govt aims to discourage smoking..;
Japan - lawmakers want to keep on raising the price of cigarettes..;
Japan - smokers stocking up on cigarettes before October 1st tax hike..;
Japan Tobacco - annual survey, smoking incidence continues to fall..;
Japan - people more aware of dangers of smoking cigarettes - dangers to smokers and those around them..;
Japan - Health Ministry set to urge all local governments to go smoke-free..;
Japan Tobacco - reacts angrily to governments decision to raise cigarette tax..;
Japan - tax increase, a pack of 20 cigarettes will increase by an average of 33%..;
Japan - cigarette taxes increase may be less than expected..;
Japan - prime minister calls for tobacco tax increase..;
Japan - new government administration considering raising cigarette taxes..;
Japan shelves tobacco tax hike for 2009..;
Japan - Ruling party plans tobacco tax hike in 2009..;
Japan Tobacco Starts Petition To Fight Tax Increase..;
How to get most smokers to quit?? - Keep On Raising The Price..;
Japanese lawmakers want to triple cigarette prices..;
Japan - with tax increase in place, fewer smokers buying cigarettes so far..
Lebanon - protect your next generation - your children..
Listen to article..
October 2, 2010 - The Lebanese National Tobacco Control Program (NTCP) estimates that some 75 percent of Lebanese children are regularly exposed to SHS (second hand smoke, SHS, environmental smoking, ETS, passive smoking, involuntary smoking, sidestream smoke) 150,000 youngsters could die prematurely if exposure is not severely limited, they added. “Exposure to SHS is a major cause of premature death and disease in non-smokers,” a 2008 NTCP-sponsored study lead by Dr Georges Saade, found. “[SHS exposure] among children is a major pediatric problem and is associated with increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome, acute respiratory infections, ear problems, and increased severity of asthma symptom.”revealed.
The NTCP is now urging the government to fast-track proposed tobacco control legislation currently “stuck” in discussions by the Parliament’s Administrative and Justice Committee. While the organization and human rights activists would like to see a total ban on smoking in public places enacted as soon as possible, certain business interests argue that introducing the ban would hit the entertainment industry and reduce tax and advertising revenue.
Smoking instance in Lebanon is among the highest in the region, but, unlike its neighbors who have begun to introduce smoking bans, the country has done little to curb prevalence or protect non-smokers. Syria and Turkey have both enacted public smoking bans with little impact on businesses, activists claim.
Based on World Health Organization (WHO) standards levels in the tunnel proved to be almost 18 times higher than acceptable levels, while those in cafes were on average 15 times the levels considered safe for human health. Almost half of the cafes surveyed, however, actually had higher levels than Salim Slam, with one being 25 times more polluted, the NTCP found.
“The difference between the two locations, is that in restaurants that serve narguileh, you sit for hours, while it takes less than a minute to pass through Salim Slem Tunnel – most of the time with the windows closed,” the NTCP said.
Because of its sweet smell, narguileh is often considered to be less harmful to health than cigarettes, but a mounting body of scientific evidence is discrediting this assumption and proving that “hookah” (Sheesha, hubble-bubble, Shisha, Hookah, Narghile, Waterpipe) is just as dangerous. It is estimated that water pipe sessions lasting 30 minutes may generate similar emissions to a single cigarette smoked for around 10 minutes.
Lebanese restaurant pollution figures for the recent comparison are taken from the 2008 report, but with no changes in smoking legislation – and the practice continuing largely unchecked in most establishments – it is assumed that hazard levels have remained relatively constant.
Reference: Secondhand smoke affecting nation's youth
150,000 Lebanese youngsters could die prematurely if Government does not act, groups claim by Simona Sikimic Daily Star staff, The Daily Star (Lebanon), 9/30/2010.
Lebanon - some related news briefs:
Arab countries exchange 'lessons learned' from tobacco control..;
Lebanon - some trying to prevent youth from a life of nicotine addiction..;
Lebanon - marketing tobacco products encouraged people to smoke with CNN Video..;
Lebanon - concerned citizens trying to introduce tobacco controls..;
Lebanon - a smokers paradise..;
BAT Middle East - conference on the illicit tobacco trade..;
American University Beirut (AUB) Lebanon and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) awarded $2.8 million from U.S. NCI to study toxin exposure and hea...;
Read more...
Columbia, South Carolina - with smoking ban in place more cigarette butts can be found..
Background: Columbia passed a no smoking ordinance in November of 2006, but it was not enforced until the South Carolina Supreme Court upheld the validity of cities enacting no smoking provisions. The South Carolina Supreme Court ruled in March 2008 that cities and counties could pass such ordinances, and the Court outlined how local no smoking ordinances must be enforced. (Columbia Should Pass a Comprehensive No Smoking Ordinance May 2008)To help combat the butts, business owners are helping by ordering cigarette receptacles. Some have already been ordered in the Vista and may end up in places like Five Points. Kelly Tabor owns Good for the Soul Shoes in Five Points, and says he's tired of picking up butts on the sidewalk in front of his shoe store. "It just clutters up everything," said Tabor. "It makes the city look dirty." Tabor just ordered a cigarette receptacle. "Oh I think it's going to be fantastic," he said. "I'm hoping people will use them." Tabor believes if more businesses in Five Points buy receptacles, people will do the right thing.
The city extended the ban to include restaurants, and perhaps most controversial, bars starting October 1, 2008. A similar ban was be put in place in Richland County - the ban applied to unincorporated areas of Richland County not in the City of Columbia. City smoking ban in bars, restaurants beginsWIST.tv, 10/5/2008)
"That cigarette butts' gonna be here for years," said Tabor. "It'll eventually make it's way in to the streams and rivers and it's a source of pollution. They need to think twice about tossing it or throwing it down on the ground."
Reference: Business owners battle cigarette butts following smoking ban, WISTV.com, 10/1/2010.
Some South Carolina news briefs:
South Carolina - cigarette tax raised 50 cents to 57 cents/pack..;
South Carolina - House overrides governor's veto of tobacco tax..;
South Carolina - governor vetoes bill to raise tobacco tax..;
South Carolina - tobacco tax increase bill goes to governor..;
South Carolina - state senate could send 50-cent cigarette tax increase to governor soon..;
South Carolina - senators try to write bill on cigarette tax increase to override Governor Sanford's veto..;
South Carolina - increase in cigarette tax still NOT likely..;
South Carolina - cigarette tax, State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex speaks up..;
South Carolina - among the worst states in the nation in smoking prevention efforts..;
South Carolina - among the worst states in the nation in smoking prevention efforts..;
South Carolina - most residents support raising the tobacco tax..;
South Carolina - with Gov. Sanford still in office most likely no tobacco tax increase in 2010..;
South Carolina - low cigarette pricing, smuggling, higher insurance premiums, etc..;
Lexington County, South Carolina has a workplace smoking ban..;
South Carolina - governor disappears, maybe its time to slip through a cigarette tax..;
South Carolina - next legislative session starts June 16th..;
South Carolina - lawmakers may disappoint again on cigarette tax increase..;
SC tobacco tax increase - doubt exists maybe NOT this year..;
South Carolina - can we expect a tobacco tax increase this year??;
South Carolina a magnet for cigarette black market..;
South Carolina - legislators eager to pass cigarette tax increase - the odds are against them??;
South Carolina to spend NO money on tobacco prevention..;
South Carolina (SC) will NOT devote any resources to anti-smoking programs..;
In 2008 will the politicians do what's right for the State of South Carolina??;
South Carolina - Tobacco Tax Increase Killed - State House Fails to Override Governor's Veto..
Tobacco Tax Increase – What’s Wrong with South Carolina??;
Read more...
Asia Pacific Conference on Tobacco or Health (APACT) - October 6-10, 2010, Sydney..
Date: 6 - 9 October 2010
Location: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
The theme of the conference is 'FCTC in the Asia Pacific: Change, Challenge, and Progress'. The aim of this conference is to encourage tobacco control and public health advocates, researchers, practitioners, policy makers and especially youth leaders to share experiences and discuss strategies for implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and for dealing with the tobacco industry.
For information on the APACT Conference..
Read more...
Scotland - Imperial Tobacco loses attempt to overturn ban on cigarette displays and removal of vending machines..
Lord Bracadale threw out the company's legal challenge and said Scottish ministers were within their legislative rights to restrict tobacco sales to safeguard public health, particularly among teenagers and young adults.
The ruling is a significant setback for Imperial and other tobacco manufacturers. The company, which has a 45% share of UK cigarette sales and 58% of tobacco sales, is pursuing a similar legal action in London to overturn a ban on over-the-counter displays due to come into force in England and Wales in October 2011.
It now faces the prospect that this challenge may also fail, but Imperial reacted to the Scottish ruling by indicating it was likely to appeal and insisted today's judgment had no bearing on its legal action in England and Wales. The company argues that the devolved government in Edinburgh does not have the legislative power to introduce the main bill, the Tobacco & Primary Services Act, which has brought the controls into force. (UK - Vending Machines..Imperial Tobacco seeks Judicial Review..)
In a short statement, Imperial said its subsidiary Sinclair Collis, the UK's largest cigarette vending machine company, was still pursuing its legal challenge to the vending machine ban in Scotland. A two-week hearing is due to start in the civil court in Edinburgh, the court of session, at the end of October. Sinclair Collis is pursuing a similar case in London.
The company added that it could also still challenge the forthcoming Scottish government regulations on the precise controls banning over-the-counter displays. "Imperial will consider its position once these regulations are published," the company said.
In today's ruling, Lord Bracadale rejected Imperial's argument that the Scottish legislation involved consumer law and the control of the sale of products to consumers – areas which are reserved to Westminster. The judge concluded that the act's purpose "was to reduce smoking of tobacco among children and young persons and thereby improve public health in the long term". That was not a reserved matter under the Scotland Act 1998 that created the Scottish parliament. Bracadale also rejected suggestions that the act was in conflict with freedom of trade provisions in the Act of Union which unified the Scottish and English parliaments in 1707.
"Freedom of trade should be interpreted as relating to a common market," he said. "An examination of the historical context in which the acts of union were passed made it clear that the paramount concern on the Scottish side of entering the union with England was gaining entrance to the common market of England and her colonies."
Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish health secretary, said that her government was pleased by Bracadale's ruling. "We robustly defended our proposals in court," she said. "Banning the display of tobacco products in shops will help to discourage a future generation of smokers. We are committed to doing all we can to improve the nation's health and cutting smoking rates is a key part of this drive."
Scottish government officials said they were now pressing ahead with implementing the new measures.
Reference: Imperial Tobacco loses bid to stop Scottish cigarette ad ban Tobacco firm fails in bid to overturn Scottish government's ban on over-the-counter cigarette displays and vending machines, Severin Carrell, Guardian.co.uk, 9/30/2010.
Scotland - related news briefs:
Scotland - mainly shopkeepers oppose tobacco display ban..;
Scotland - smoking ban produced benefits for people (i.e., children) who are not exposed to occupational tobacco smoke..;
Scotland - 90% of Scots back law that prosecutes adults for buying cigarettes for children..;
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...
Finland - enforcement of tobacco act begins - 1st - forbid the selling of cigarettes to children..
VIDEO - Bloomberg.com: Finland - the Tobacco Act..
The Act enters into force as soon as Friday, October 1, 2010. According to the new tobacco act, smoking among children and adolescents is forbidden. Neither shops nor private persons are allowed to sell or provide tobacco products to a minor under 18 from October 1, 2010. Any person who sells a single cigarette or buys a packet of cigarettes from a shop for a minor can be fined or sentenced to prison for a maximum of six months. According to the new legislation, persons under the age of 18 are banned from importing and possessing tobacco products and importing can attract a fine. In addition, sellers of tobacco products must be aged at least 18 years in the future.
We all hope this law to prevent children from obtaining tobacco will be strictly enforced. Philip Morris International (PMI) has complained in the past that Finland authorities have been lax in enforcement. (Finland - president approves new tobacco act, not as strong as people hoped..)
The prohibition on display of tobacco products as well as the restrictions on smoking in hotel rooms enter into force at the beginning of 2012. The vending machines for tobacco products will be forbidden as from the beginning of 2015.
Bans on smoking will be extended to places used by children and youngsters, the public venues of residential areas, outdoor public places and hotel rooms.
"We know we can never completely end smoking but several civic groups are working under the slogan 'Smoke-free Finland in 2040,'" said Ismo Tuominen from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. "General opinion seems to be in favor of adopting tighter controls."
Tobacco advertising has been banned in Finland for more than 30 years and in 1995 smoking was forbidden in workplaces, public buildings and on public transport, and was extended in 2007 to bars and restaurants. In 2000, a law labeled smoke as "a carcinogenic, hazardous substance." Sales of chewing tobacco and snuff are also banned, but can be imported for personal consumption.
"The idea is to restrict the presence and visibility of tobacco to stop children and youth taking up the habit," Tuominen said. "We hope other countries will follow suit." Young age groups are the ministry's greatest concern. Tuominen said that now more 16-year-old girls smoke than boys of the same age. "It's a worrying trend and we don't really know why it's happening," he said.
Reference: Finland's strict smoke-free law enters into force, Xinhua News Agency - Source: iStockAnalyst, 10/1/2010; Finland Banishes Marlboros From Shelves to Stub Out Smoking by Kati Pohjanpalo (kpohjanpalo@bloomberg.net) and Nicole Itano (editor responsible for this story: Tasneem Brogger at tbrogger@bloomberg.net), Bloomberg.com, 10/1/2010.
Finland - some related news briefs:
Finland - ban on smoking on terraces of private apartments overturned..;
Finland - president approves new tobacco act, not as strong as people hoped..;
Finland - Philip Morris destroys 20 million cigarettes - not self-extinguishing..;
Finland - govt can not prevent people from smoking in cars when kids are present..;
Finland - proposal for plain cigarette packaging surfaces again..;
Finland - parliament will soon vote on anti-smoking bill..;
Finland - anti-smoking bill will end smoking altogether..;
Finland - to end the consumption of tobacco products by 2040..;
Finland - extends anti-tobacco law, restricting smoking in cars and ban on cigarette displays..;
Finland - health officials devising more restrictions to fight tobacco use..;
Finland - government proposing ban on smoking when kids present and other tobacco control measures..;
Finland may ban smoking in cars carrying children..;
Finland - Court of Appeals Hears Cigarette Liability Case, Decision Spring 2010..;
Finland banning shops from displaying cigarettes..;
Finland - proposal to ban tobacco display, total ban on SNUS..;
European Health Commissioner reprimands Astrid Thors for snus liberation campaign..;
Aland Islands Dispute Over Sale of SNUS On Board Ships Threatens Finland's Ratification of the EU's Treaty of Lisbon (The Reform Treaty)..;
Finnish Ferry Goes Swedish Over Snus Ban..;
EU Takes Finland to Court Again For NOT Banning the Use of Oral Tobacco..
Read more...
Czech Republic - President Klaus claims methods EU proposing to reduce smoking are ludicrous..
President's flag..
Czech President Vaclav Klaus, a nonsmoker and active athlete who is particularly fond of hiking, took part in the celebratory opening Wednesday, September 29th of an expanded Philip Morris tobacco and cigarette production plant in the medieval Czech city Kutna Hora.
Before cutting the ribbon to open the new plant, which now can produce 40 million cigarettes annually compared with 30 million previously, Mr. Klaus, 69, said the methods the EU is proposing to reduce smoking are ludicrous, adding that more bureaucracy can stifle or even kill business.
The European Commission last week launched a public consultation period ahead of the revision of the bloc’s Tobacco Products Directive, a set of guidelines for the tobacco industry. Measures being floated for the updated directive include more restrictive rules on tobacco sales, double-sided pictorial warnings on cigarette packages illustrating the dangers of smoking, as well as a proposal that, if approved, would require all brands of cigarettes to be sold in “plain” [read: generic] packaging. The EU aims to adopt the updated rules in 2012. Similar proposals in the U.K. were floated earlier this year.
Mr. Klaus: “Prohibitions can never solve anything,” adding that he came to the factory reopening to support a going concern that is actually investing and increasing the size of its operations. Without a doubt, corporate investment rather than cash-hording is crucial if Europe wants to keep its recovery on track. And so long as tobacco is still legal in Europe, Mr. Klaus has a valid argument that companies involved in the industry should be allowed to compete.
He added that he was not “celebrating cigarettes” but reiterated that he was bringing attention to sought after investment.
Sometimes Klaus’s contrarian (person with a preference for taking a position opposed to that of the majority view prevalent in the group of which they are a part) views may look tainted, for example having international translations and publishing of his anti-environmentalist book Blue Planet in Green Chains funded by various oil companies.
At one time - Czech President Klaus ready to debate Gore on climate chnage..
Reference: Nonsmoking Euroskeptic Klaus May Have a Point This Time by Sean Carney, Wall Street Journal Blogs, 9/30/2010.
Czech Republic - related news brief:
Czech Republic - cigarette sales down for 1st half of 2010 after price increases..;
Czech Republic - some restaurants go smoke free as of July 1, 2010..;
Czech Republic - Philip Morris decides not to pass on tax increase to smokers..;
Czech Republic - crackdown on tobacco use long way off..;
Czech Republic - new penal code weakens laws against illegal cigartte production..;
Czech Republic - pubs and restaurants allow smoking or Do NOT allow smoking..;
Czech children worst in cigarette smoking in world..;
Czech Republic - Philip Morris profits dropping 2-years in a row..
Read more...
South Carolina - October 1, 2010 - second tobacco summit..
September 30, 2010 - The second South Carolina Tobacco Summit will be held at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center in beautiful downtown Columbia on October 1, 2010. The theme, “Traveling Beyond the Boundaries: The Future of Evidence-based Tobacco Control,” will provide informative and educational opportunities for tobacco advocates and healthcare providers, and will highlight emerging tobacco products over a luncheon keynote.
South Carolina _Tobacco Summit..
Some South Carolina news briefs:
South Carolina - cigarette tax raised 50 cents to 57 cents/pack..;
South Carolina - House overrides governor's veto of tobacco tax..;
South Carolina - governor vetoes bill to raise tobacco tax..;
South Carolina - tobacco tax increase bill goes to governor..;
South Carolina - state senate could send 50-cent cigarette tax increase to governor soon..;
South Carolina - senators try to write bill on cigarette tax increase to override Governor Sanford's veto..;
South Carolina - increase in cigarette tax still NOT likely..;
South Carolina - cigarette tax, State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex speaks up..;
South Carolina - among the worst states in the nation in smoking prevention efforts..;
South Carolina - among the worst states in the nation in smoking prevention efforts..;
South Carolina - most residents support raising the tobacco tax..;
South Carolina - with Gov. Sanford still in office most likely no tobacco tax increase in 2010..;
South Carolina - low cigarette pricing, smuggling, higher insurance premiums, etc..;
Lexington County, South Carolina has a workplace smoking ban..;
South Carolina - governor disappears, maybe its time to slip through a cigarette tax..;
South Carolina - next legislative session starts June 16th..;
South Carolina - lawmakers may disappoint again on cigarette tax increase..;
SC tobacco tax increase - doubt exists maybe NOT this year..;
South Carolina - can we expect a tobacco tax increase this year??;
South Carolina a magnet for cigarette black market..;
South Carolina - legislators eager to pass cigarette tax increase - the odds are against them??;
South Carolina to spend NO money on tobacco prevention..;
South Carolina (SC) will NOT devote any resources to anti-smoking programs..;
In 2008 will the politicians do what's right for the State of South Carolina??;
South Carolina - Tobacco Tax Increase Killed - State House Fails to Override Governor's Veto..
Tobacco Tax Increase – What’s Wrong with South Carolina??;
Read more...
Japan - October 1, 2010 - tobacco tax increase, govt aims to discourage smoking..
September 30, 2010 - On October 1st, cigarette taxes in Japan will rise for the first time in four years, forcing smokers to shell out about 3.5 yen (0.042 USD) per cigarette -- a sharp increase.
The tobacco tax hike will probably not be the last, as the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is looking to keep bumping the tax up until Japanese rates are on par with those in Europe and North America. The Ministry of Finance, on the other hand, is less keen to see further increases, as it worries overall tax revenue will fall as people give up smoking in the face of rising prices per pack.Some directly related news briefs:
Japan - lawmakers want to keep on raising the price of cigarettes..;
Japan - smokers stocking up on cigarettes before October 1st tax hike..;
Japan Tobacco - annual survey, smoking incidence continues to fall..;
Japan - people more aware of dangers of smoking cigarettes - dangers to smokers and those around them..;
Japan - Health Ministry set to urge all local governments to go smoke-free..;
Japan Tobacco - reacts angrily to governments decision to raise cigarette tax..;
Japan - tax increase, a pack of 20 cigarettes will increase by an average of 33%..;
Japan - cigarette taxes increase may be less than expected..;
Japan - prime minister calls for tobacco tax increase..;
Japan - new government administration considering raising cigarette taxes..;
Japan shelves tobacco tax hike for 2009..;
Japan - Ruling party plans tobacco tax hike in 2009..;
Japan Tobacco Starts Petition To Fight Tax Increase..;
How to get most smokers to quit?? - Keep On Raising The Price..;
Japanese lawmakers want to triple cigarette prices..;
So which has higher priority, health or tax revenue? The debate on this question looks to continue well after the coming tobacco tax hike, but one thing is certain: Japan Tobacco Inc. (JT) -- formerly a government-owned tobacco monopoly -- is nervous. 50% of JT is owned by the Japanese government.
Including the hike set for October, tobacco taxes have been raised four times since 1998. That year, the price of a single cigarette went up 0.82 yen, followed by rises of 0.82 yen and 0.852 yen in 2003 and 2006. However, the coming increase is different from the past three in two major ways. First, the hike is being backed by the health ministry, not the finance ministry, and second it is much larger, exacerbating a 1.5 yen per cigarette increase from high tobacco leaf prices. The end result is a per-pack price increase of between 110 yen (1.32 USD) and 140 yen (1.68 USD).
Under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, Japan and the some 170 other signatory nations are expected to establish taxes on tobacco. Though it's well known that tobacco causes serious health problems, a 2008 health and nutrition survey found that 36.8 percent of Japanese men smoked, outstripping North American and European figures by more than 20 points.(Japan Tobacco - annual survey, smoking incidence continues to fall..) Perhaps not coincidentally, a pack of cigarettes costs the equivalent of about 1,008 yen (12.07 USD) in the United Kingdom and about 757 yen (9.06 USD) in Canada -- significantly more than the Japanese price. The health ministry is determined to close the gap, stating, "There is room to increase prices to around 700 yen (8.38 USD) per pack, in line with Western nations."
Though the Finance Ministry may be fretting over losing tax-paying smokers, Japan is also facing a steadily increasing load of medical expenses. According to the results of a health ministry survey released in 2002, medical costs for ailments connected to smoking and second-hand smoke inhalation totaled an estimated 1.3 trillion yen in fiscal 1999. Meanwhile, the survey said hospitalization and death caused by such ailments cost the Japanese economy some 7 trillion yen in lost labor and other damages.
"Because of resistance from tobacco industry groups and Diet members with connections to that industry, Japan has not built a comprehensive tobacco regulation system," says Ryuzo Ono, a professor of oncology at Aichi Shukutoku University's Faculty of Medical Welfare. "The world trend in tobacco regulation policy cannot be stopped, and the government needs to show resolve on the issue."
Meanwhile, faced with a future of higher tobacco taxes at home, JT has been looking to overseas markets. In 1999, JT bought up all of tobacco giant RJR Nabisco Inc.'s operations outside the United States, and acquired British tobacco company Gallaher Group in 2007. JT is also venturing into markets in emerging nations.
Japan Tobacco counts on Russia and other markets in eastern Europe to spur earnings as it expects domestic sales to fall 16 percent this fiscal year because of a planned tax increase on October 1st. The region accounts for almost half of Japan Tobacco’s overseas cigarette sales by volume, according to the company.
References: Japanese tobacco taxes marching upwards as gov't aims to discourage smoking, Mainichi Daily News, 9/24/2010; VIDEO - Japan Tobacco Says Demand Is Recovering in Russia, Ukraine and Neighbors by Naoko Fujimura (nfujimura@bloomberg.net) - editor responsible for this story: Frank Longid at flongid@bloomberg.net, Bloomberg, 9/29/2010.
Read more...
BAT - dramatized short film on illicit trade in tobacco products..
The film is approximately 8 minutes.
Film - Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products..
The European Commission has estimated that counterfeit and smuggled tobacco products cost the European Union (EU) and national governments up to €10 billion (13.63 billion USD) annually in unpaid taxes. (European Union (EU) - tobacco firms are contributing funds to the fight against cigarette smuggling..)
Imperial Tobacco Canada Ltd, a unit of BAT admitted on Thursday (7/31/2008) they had aided the contraband tobacco trade. (Canada tobacco firms admit aiding smuggling..)
Reference: Film presents dramatic account of illicit trade, Tobacco Reporter, 9/29/2010.
Read more...
Netherlands - small pubs (bars) - one-man businesses smoking allowed..
The incoming rightwing government is responding to persistent complaints from one-man businesses who argued that the smoking ban was meant to guarantee staff a smoke-free working environment. Since they had no employees, their small pubs didn't need the smoking ban, the owners claimed.
The ban will remain in force, however, for pubs, restaurants and the like which are run with personnel.
Secretary Wiel Maessen of the 1250 small pubs' umbrella group KHO said "I lit an extra cigarette when I heard the news." He added that despite his satisfaction on behalf of his members, the fight would not be over until the ban was lifted for the entire sector.
For further information on smoking policy take a look at the related news briefs below.
Reference: Small pubs welcome lifting of Dutch smoking ban, Radio Netherlands Worldwide, 9/29/2010.
Netherlands - related news briefs:
Netherlands - legislation to abolish smoking ban for small cafes/bars with no staff.. ;
Netherlands - bars defy two-year old smoking ban..;
Netherlands - small bars can continue to ignore smoking ban..;
Dutch government will change law to keep bars smoke free..;
Netherlands - lifted smoking ban for bars with no employees..;
Holland - smoking ban temporarily halted for smaller cafes run by their owners alone..;
Netherlands - spot checks on smoking in small cafes suspended temporarily..;
Dutch bar owners without staff when victory against smoking ban..;
Netherlands - Marijuana /Tobacco Cigarettes - Confusion..;
Netherlands - small bars/cafes with no staff could be exempt from smoking ban..;
Court spares small Dutch cafe over smoking ban..;
Netherlands - 1st court case for flouting smoking ban..;
Netherlands - ban on smoking in bars and restaurants NOT enforced..; Netherlands - ban on smoking in bars and restaurants NOT enforced..; Netherlands the smoking ban must be enforced - Ab Klink, Health Minister...;
Congratulations are in order: Netherlands, Romania & Alberta...
(Holland, Dutch)
Read more...
Penang, Malaysia - specific areas for smoking.
'Instead of gazetting non-smoking areas, we have proposed to the ministry for the situation to be reversed. We will gazette the areas where people can smoke. 'We want to encourage the people to discipline themselves, rather than using laws alone to solve the problem,' he said, adding that the proposal was aimed at creating a healthier state. 'This step does not discriminate against the smokers' right. However, we are concerned about them and their family's health,' he said after flagging off a walkathon organised by the Penang Adventist Hospital.
Consumer groups welcomed the proposal, describing it as the right move towards a healthier society. Fomca secretary-general Muhd Sha'ani Abdullah said Penang could implement the smoke-free rule in municipal areas under the Local Government Act. 'They can declare smoke-free areas in all business premises and hotel rooms using the council's licensing powers,' he said.
Click to enlarge..
Consumers Association of Penang president S.M. Mohd Idris urged the state government to put up banners about the pictorial warning on cigarette packs within school compound and outside places of worship. 'The banners should be put up in primary schools to warn pupils about the dangers of smoking so that they don't pick up the habit,' he said. Mr Idris said although the Botanical Gardens here was a no-smoking zone, many people, especially tourists, were seen puffing away. -- THE STAR/ANN
Reference: SE ASIA - Penang to be 'smoke-free', THE STAR/ANN, Straits Times, 9/27/2010.
Malaysia - some related news briefs:
Malaysia - BAT wants gradual, moderate increases in the cigarette tax..:
Malaysia - horrific graphic warnings on cigarette packs, cartons..;
Malaysia - one out of three packets of cigarettes was smuggled;
Malaysia - doing a better job of seizing smuggled cigarettes..;
Malaysia - best way to get teenage girls to stop smoking is through education..;
Malaysia - ban on 14-stick cigarette packs delayed worry about increase in illicit cigarettes..;
Malaysia - slight decrease in illicit cigarettes; JTI Malaysia q1 2010 market share increases..;
Malaysia - Health Ministry's proposal to ban the sale of 14-stick cigarette packs beginning June 1, 2010..;
Malaysia - increase in number of women smoking..;
Malaysia - new strategy to penalize retailers who sell contraband cigarettes..;
Malaysia - youth and student smokers may not receive aid from government..;
Malaysia - two tobacco control regulations starting January 1, 2010..
Malaysia - about 368,000 teenager smokers in the country, 50-60 added per day..;
Malaysia - sale of cigarettes in packets of less than 20 prohibited as of June 1, 2010..;
Malaysia - stepping up efforts to curb the trade in illicit cigarettes..;
Malaysia - BAT plans to dispose of a parcel of industrial land..;
Malaysia - ban on cigarette sponsorship for sports will not be withdrawn..;
Malaysia - cigarette-shaped sweets packaged like cigarettes;
Malaysia - Penang consumer group ban cheap cigarettes and increase price on premium..;
Malaysia - Kelantin State Government may not promote staff who smoke..;
Malaysia - excise duty increased on tobacco - another increase could be coming this month..;
Malaysia - smoking limits your quality of life..;
Malaysia - smoking civil servants in Penang to receive free nicotine treatment..;
Malaysia - illicit cigarettes, BAT wants government to slow excise duty increases..;
Peninsular Malaysia - one of three cigarette packs is either contraband or fake..;
Komtar, Penang, Malaysia smoking ban strictly enforced..;
Malaysia student forced to smoke 40 cigarettes in two hours..
Malaysia - PSD and Cuepacs are at odds over the no-smoking rule at government departments and agencies..;
Malaysia: Are tobacco control measures working? - WHO thinks so...;
Malaysia - slowdown in cigarette consumption..;
Malaysia - January 1, 2009 pictorial cigarette warnings..;
Malaysia to hike cigarette prices..;
Malaysia - 25% of all cigarettes sales are illegal...Peninsular Malaysia - one of three cigarette packs is either contraband or fake..;
Komtar, Penang, Malaysia smoking ban strictly enforced..;
Malaysia student forced to smoke 40 cigarettes in two hours..
Malaysia - PSD and Cuepacs are at odds over the no-smoking rule at government departments and agencies..;
Malaysia: Are tobacco control measures working? - WHO thinks so...;
Malaysia - slowdown in cigarette consumption..;
Malaysia - January 1, 2009 pictorial cigarette warnings..;
Malaysia to hike cigarette prices..;
Malaysia - 25% of all cigarettes sales are illegal...
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Minnesota - third anniversary of the Freedom to Breathe Act..
September 30, 2010 - Tomorrow (September 30th) marks the third anniversary of the Freedom to Breathe Act,
Minnesota's strong smoke-free law. (On May 16, 2007, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty signed the Freedom to Breathe Act of 2007, a comprehensive statewide law that will provide protections from secondhand smoke to the vast majority of Minnesota workers. The new law went into effect on October 1, 2007. Clear Way Minnesota, Freedom to Breathe..)
Three years later, it's still very popular, with few complaints and fewer violations.
In fact, people sometimes tell me they barely remember a time when Minnesotans smoked in bars and restaurants. Some even ask, "Does anybody really smoke anymore?"
The sad truth is a lot of people still do, in Minnesota and across the country. In September, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a new report that is a reality check. It found that national smoking rates, which for decades had seen steady declines, have now flatlined at about 20 percent. That's less than a single percentage point change since 2004 -- six years ago.
In Minnesota, our adult smoking rate is lower than the national average -- 17 percent. But the costs associated with tobacco use are still unacceptable: more than 5,500 deaths in our state each year, and nearly $2 billion spent on health care for patients with smoking-related diseases.
Why has the rate stopped declining? Two reasons. First, the tobacco industry has evolved for the times, coming up with clever new ways to market tobacco products; targeting kids and nonsmokers, and offering price discounts, "two-for-ones" and other incentives to keep existing tobacco users hooked.
Second, the stagnating smoking rates come at a time when states are losing focus on tobacco as a health issue and are funding tobacco prevention programs at lower levels. On the other hand, those states making strong commitments to prevention -- through higher cigarette prices, education and quitting help for smokers -- have some of the lowest smoking rates: Massachusetts (15 percent), Washington state (14.9 percent) and California (12.9 percent).
Reference: We'd better not rest easy on tobacco by DAVID J. WILLOUGHBY, StarTribune.com, 9/29/2010.
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Bulgaria - another tobacco tax increase in the draft 2011 budget..
It is interesting to note, just a few days ago a Bulgarian a politician, Petko Atanasov, wanted to lower tax on cigarettes to reduce contraband..
Cigarette excise was increased earlier this year. Bulgaria - grace period over, increase in tobacco tax starts Thursday, April 1, 2010..
Reference: Bulgarian Govt Strikes Deal with Business for 9% VAT in Tourism, Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency), 9/28/2010.
Bulgaria - related news briefs:
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 Bulgaria;
Read more...
Kenya - do they have it together? - want to reduce smoking by 5% in 5-years..
Kenya is working hard to prevent this from occurring in its country. Dr William Maina, the Head of Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation Division of Non Communicable Diseases, on Tuesday, September 28th observed that tobacco use in the country among males had already reduced from 23 percent in 2003 to 18 percent in 2008/09. The Kenyan government has embarked on an ambitious strategy to gradually reduce smoking by five percent in five years to move to 13 percent,” he observed.
He added that the government would put in place a framework that would jump start the tobacco cessation programme to support smokers quit the habit. Dr Maina however noted that women were fast picking up the habit thereby increasing the need to enhance campaigns against it. “Consumption of tobacco among school going children had gone up to 18.6 percent because they think smoking is sexy, stylish and cool.
Dr Maina also alleged that a lot of illegal tobacco was finding its way into the Kenyan market. He added that his ministry would combine efforts with the national tax collector to ensure that the culprits were apprehended. The figures are not even available at the Kenya Revenue Authority,” he claimed.
He further accused small scale tobacco sellers of ignoring the directive by government not to sell single cigarette sticks. “The Tobacco Control Act prohibits the sale of tobacco in sticks; they must be bought in a packet of not less than 10. It also prohibits sale of the drug through automatic vending machines because we want the retailers to determine the age of their consumer,” he said.
He added that the habit increased poverty in the country due to the number of deaths it caused: “It (tobacco smoking) causes all sorts of cancers and we all know that cancer treatment is not universally available in the country and it is very expensive so most of those who are affected are the poor”.
Dr Maina also cautioned tobacco smokers against continued use as it jeopardized their health. “Over half of the people who smoke cigarettes in their life time die. If you take 18 percent of the males in this country from the current population, you will find that we have six to eight million people in this country who are smokers and half of these will die from diabetes, amputation, heart and kidney diseases,” he said. He added that the habit put women at higher risk due to their genetic make up.
Reference: Kenya to cut tobacco use by 5pc, Capital News, 9/28/2010.
Kenya - related news briefs:
Kenya - BAT trying to find ways to circumvent law that outlaws promotion of tobacco products..;
Kenya - educate public on harmful effects of smoking and enforce provisions of tobacco control act..
Kenya - public health officers will be involved in enforcement of smoking regulations..;
Kenya - smoking ban must be enforced - it's the law..;
Kenya - BAT declines to support charities - tobacco control laws..;
Kenya - discrepancies between local smoke-free regulations and Tobacco Control Act..;
Smoking ban starts in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya..;
British American Tobacco (BAT) - 100 years in Africa..
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Gambia - enforcement of public smoking act begins October 1st - Gambian police will enforce..
But now It is a welcome development to hear that the Gambia Police Force has committed itself to enforcing the anti-public smoking law. (The Gambia signed the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control on the 15th of June 2007 by the National Assembly, assented by the president on the 29th of October 2007.)
July 13, 2009 - Ghana - Tobacco Control Bill to parliament this month, July 2009..;
April 20, 2009 - Gambia - Enforcing public smoking ban is long overdue...
The re-enforcement stated that with effect from October 1st 2010 all cigarette packets being imported into The Gambia are required to bear the following health warnings in the format prescribed hereafter: On the front of every new cigarette packaging, the front of the packet should bear the inscription; “SMOKING KILLS", at the back of the packet, it should bear; "SMOKING SERIOUSLY HARMS YOU AND OTHERS AROUND YOU". On the sides of the packet should be written; “SOLD IN THE GAMBIA".
The Gambia Police Force in collaboration with sister security units in the country and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, on Monday, September 27th organised a one-day sensitisation forum on the re-enforcement of anti-public smoking act at the Police headquarters in Banjul.
Further more information on the tobacco control actions to take place can be found in the reference below.
Reference: Gambia - Anti-public smoking law to be re-enforced, Author: by Omar Wally, Daily Observer, 9/28/2010.
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Canada - Health Canada shelves update of graphic warning messages to concentrate on the problem of contraband tobacco..
Health Canada told provinces and territories attending a closed-door meeting in Newfoundland two weeks ago that its tobacco strategy will instead concentrate on the problem of contraband cigarettes, an issue that has been highlighted by the tobacco industry.
It is unclear why the government cannot pursue tobacco smugglers at the same time it is updating the warning labels.Background: Canada in 2001 became the first country to introduce pictorial warnings warnings on tobacco packages. We reported in September 2009 that approximately nine years later Health Canada is in the process of revising these health warnings. See news brief: Graphic Warnings cigarette packs: Canada revising warnings, U.S. pictorial warnings within 4-years..
The decision to walk away from the complex task of changing and enhancing the nine-year-old messages that are emblazoned on cigarette packages comes after the expense of much time, effort and millions of dollars of public money. The move surprised the provinces, which had been looking forward to the establishment of a toll-free line to help smokers quit. The number of that hotline was to have been incorporated into the new package design.
Health Canada shared mock-ups of supersized new warning labels with public-health advocates more than a year ago — with regulations that were expected to be tabled in January 2010 to increase the warning size from their current 50 per cent to at least 70 per cent of the package's surface. Rob Cunningham, a tobacco control specialist at the Canadian Cancer Society, "The government's been working on this for years now and there has been some very unfortunate and inexplicable delays in a new round of cigarette packaging warnings." In a statement to Postmedia News, Health Canada said the department "continues to examine this issue" and "to review public-opinion research on the effectiveness of health-warning messages. "The findings from this research will help Health Canada have messages that will be noticed and effective for all Canadians." (August 12, 2010 - Health Canada - why delay in new round of cigarette pack pictorial warnings??)
Officials of provinces contacted by The Globe and Mail on Monday, September 27th expressed disappointment in the federal government’s decision. Health Canada would say only that it “continues to examine the renewal of health warning messages on tobacco packaging but is not ready to move forward at this time.”
Anti-tobacco lobby groups say they believe the government is afraid of taking on the big cigarette companies. “I would expect that the tobacco industry has been lobbying against these warnings just as they have lobbied against improvements to warnings on tobacco packages over the last 20 years,” said Rob Cunningham, a senior policy analyst with the Canadian Cancer Society.
Garfield Mahood, the executive director of the Non-Smokers Rights Association, said he has heard that, when the industry learned about the revisions that Health Canada was planning, “things started to slow right down.”
Eric Gagnon, a spokesman for Imperial Tobacco, said his company believes the existing warning labels are sufficient to convey the health risks associated with smoking. Everyone agrees that the biggest issue related to tobacco is contraband, said Mr. Gagnon. “So I think it would be important for Health Canada to put its efforts on the contraband issue.”
JTI-Macdonald, another big tobacco company, also said the government’s priority right now should be solving the huge problem of illegal tobacco.
New statistics released on Monday by the federal government show that fewer Canadians are giving up smoking. Between 1999 and 2005, the number of smokers over the age of 15 fell from 25 per cent of the population to 19 per cent. That’s a decline of six percentage points. But between 2005 and 2009, that figure dropped by just one percentage point.
Cynthia Callard, the executive director of Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada, said the tobacco companies have been able to prevent many smoking-related health measures by threatening job losses and legal disputes. The fact that the federal government’s decision was announced to the provincial ministers behind closed doors, said Ms. Callard, “speaks to the fact that it doesn’t make sense and that there is something fishy going on.”
Reference: Federal tobacco strategy turns from scary labels to stopping contraband, Gloria Galloway,
The Globe and Mail, 9/28/2010.
Canada - cigarette smuggling (illicit, illegal) related briefs:
Canada - action must be taken to control the illicit cigarette problem..;
The New Big Tobacco: Inside Canada’s underground tobacco industry, a five-part series..;
Canada - federal govt announced new initiatives to combat cigarette smuggling..;
Canada - even federal servants smoke illegal cigarettes..;
Canada - tobacco firms settle cigarette smuggling case..;
Ontario - NO new measures to curb youth smoking..;
Ontario - don't cut provincial tobacco taxes to try to reduce contraband tobacco traffic..;
Canada - nearly one in five packs of cigarettes smoked by Canadian teen smokers are contraband products..;
Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey - 2008..;
Ontario, Canada - illegal cigarettes are everywhere..;
Canada - half of smokers have tried to quit..;
Canada - illegal cigarette trade - Imperial Tobacco President Kemball comments..;
Canada - Imperial Tobacco Head - Illegal Cigarettes..;
Imperial Tobacco - Canada Head - Canada growing crisis of illicit tobacco sales..; Imperial Canada - stop illegal tobacco sales rather than raisng tax on tobacco..; Canada - will higher tobacco prices lead to increase in illicit cigarettes..;
Canada - to launch an advertising campaign on the problem of tobacco smuggling..;
Nova Scotia - buying smuggled tobacco you encourage organized crime..; Ontario Businessmen - want government to crack down on illegal cigarettes..;
Imperial Tobacco Canada - slow illegal cigarettes/sue tobacco companies..;
As tobacco prices rise - increase in illegal cigarette trafficing..; Canada - Obama visit - help STOP cigarette smuggling from U.S..;
Canada economic recession losing billions in unpaid tobacco taxes..;
Canada - Police arrest 46 in tobacco crackdown..;
Imperial Tobacco Survey - Canadian Illegal Tobacco Trade..;
Canada - Introduction of Tobacco Stamp to combat contraband...
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