Germany - tobacco taxes to increase in May 2011..

December 18, 2010 - Berlin - The cost of smoking is to increase in Germany from next year, after the upper house of parliament agreed Friday to raise tobacco taxes. The incremental increases will begin in May 2011 and push the average cost of leading brands' 19-cigarette packs over 5 euros (6.6 dollars) by the year 2015.

The tax increase, between 0.04 to 0.08 cents annually per pack over the next 5 years, is aimed at compensating financial losses generated by tax relief measures for industries with high energy consumption.

October 27, 2010 - German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government plans to raise tobacco taxes over the next five years, generating as much as 1 billion euros ($1.4 billion) in fresh revenue for the federal budget by 2015. Beginning next year, the government will raise a predicted 200 million euros through the tax, rising to 1 billion by 2015.(Germany - tobacco tax to increase incrementally over next 5-years..)

The greatest increases in tobacco tax are to hit loose tobacco, which will increase annually by 0.12 to 0.14 cents for a 40-gramme pack. Cigarillos, cigars and pipe tobacco will also be hit by the increase.

Reference: Price of cigarettes to rise in Germany, MonstersandCritics.com, 12/17/2010.

Some Germany related news briefs:
Germany - tobacco tax to increase incrementally over next 5-years..;
Oktoberfest 2010 in Munich, Germany smokefree in 2011..;
Bavaria, Germany - Oktoberfest to be smokefree but not this year..;
Study - the more teens see cigarette ads, the greater the risk of taking a puff..;
Germany - Bavaria referendum on smoking in cafés and beer halls on July 4, 2010..;
Germany - losing billions as smokers find cheaper places to buy cigarettes..;
Germany - smokers smoking less but it's costing more..;
Bavarians force referendum on smoking ban next year..;
Bavaria - court rules, looser implementation of smoking ban constitutional..;
Germany - beer sales are down smoking ban maybe partial blame..;
Bavaria - state's parliament loosened regulation on smoking ban..;
WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic 2008..;
German sales rise in Germany amid moves to impose smoking ban..
Read more...

King County, Washington - bans the public use of electronic cigarettes..

December 17, 2010 - The King County Board of Health passed a controversial proposal Thursday, December 16th that bans the public use of electronic cigarettes, despite protests that the battery-powered, nicotine-delivery sticks emit no second-hand smoke and are often used for harm reduction.

The King Board of Health is in very good company. Non-profit health organizations such as The American Lung Association, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the American Heart Association and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, have called for e-cigarettes to be removed from the market. Electronic cigarettes have already been banned in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Israel, Mexico, and New Zealand and restricted in Finland, Malaysia. (Federal Court of Appeals - e-cigarettes - rules against the FDA..) American Medical Association - US AMA policy - e-cigarettes FDA should treat as a drug delivery device..

Background:

Harm reduction - The original intent of harm reduction tobacco products was for use specifically by the pool of inveterate (hard-nosed, long established, deep-rooted) cigarette smokers (approximately 30 percent of smokers) that refuse to consider trying to quit smoking tobacco. For example, supporters of harm reduction such as Brad Rodu, DDS and William T. Godshall, MPH authored a paper in the December 2006 issue of the Harm Reduction Journal entitled, "Tobacco Harm Reduction: An Alternate Cessation Strategy for Inveterate Smokers," and Dr. Coral Gartner and colleagues paper in the June 16, 2007 issue of The Lancet concluded that SNUS could produce a net health benefit in inveterate smokers.

But it would be impossible to limit distribution of harm reduction tobacco products to only inveterate tobacco smokers. As pointed out by John Britton, MD, Chair of the Royal Royal College of Physicians, Tobacco Advisory Group, a proponent of the use of harm reduction therapy, "It's tobacco companies job to sell as much tobacco as possible, so they will be targeting non-smokers rather than current ones, that's the worry."

Tobacco companies are targeting a much younger crowd of young adults and any kids they can entice along the way. (In Process - Harm reduction, let's get it right this time..)

To disguise the taste of the nicotine emitted the e-cigarette device delivers the inhaled solutions in various flavors. From Ruyan, an e-cigarettes manufacturer flavors include: regular tobacco, marlboro, mint, almond, chocolate, cherry, regular, menthol, apple and strawberry. They have surveyed a number of electronic cigarette smokers and the overwhelming favorites are menthol and, believe it or not, strawberry. More: Philip Morris - Ruyan Group - e-cigarettes..

The use of these electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) will result in our children being nicotine addicts never able to reach their full potential. Surely we want the very best for our children and would do everything in our power to stop this from happening.

Emit no second-hand smoke - Nicotine is a highly addicting, highly toxic substance that has been shown to enhance the growth of an existing cancer and also, in itself is carcinogenic. (PAPER: Nicotine in cigarettes linked to breast cancer..)

Nicotine is very poisonous and ingesting even the smallest amount can cause extreme fatigue, vomiting, a rapid yet weak pulse, and possibly nervous breakdowns, even death. (FDA: Electronic cigarettes contain toxic chemicals..; E-cigarettes - scientists want more safety studies before use..)

The 30th Surgeon General’s report just just published, - describes specific pathways by which tobacco smoke damages the human body and leads to disease and death. The report finds that cellular damage and tissue inflammation from tobacco smoke are immediate, and that repeated exposure weakens the body’s ability to heal the damage. What do think is the main culprit is here - Nicotine.

Take a look of this figure that points out the negative, side-effects of nicotine. (Nicotine)


Click to enlarge..

The measure is not a complete ban on e-cigarettes. Rather, it prohibits e-cigarette smoking in the same places where real smoking is forbidden by the state, such as restaurants, bars and workplaces.

But the state's tobacco smoking ban, adopted in 2006, was based on the fact that second-hand smoke causes cancer and other diseases. The rationale behind King County's e-cig ban was a fear of eroding "social norms." Health officials reasoned that the fake smokes - which emit a less-smelly, combustion-free vapor - are so similar to real smokes that they may cause people to think it's OK to smoke in public. And that may lead to more nicotine addiction and second-hand smoke, officials said.

The regulation also prohibits the sale of e-cigarettes, often marketed in bright colors and fun flavors, from minors. It also bans free giveaways and heavily discounted sales of the products.

The Board easily passed those regulations, saying young people needed to be protected from the products, while the federal government figures out what to do with e-cigarettes. Earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration lost a court fight to ban or regulate e-cigarettes as unapproved drug delivery devices. (Federal Court of Appeals - e-cigarettes - rules against the FDA.. )

See reference for further information.

Reference: King County bans public e-cigarette smoking by VANESSA HO (vanessaho@seattlepi.com),SEATTLEPI.COM STAFF, 12/16/2010.

Some e-cigarette news briefs:
FDA Law Blog - e-cigarettes, D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals..;
Federal Court of Appeals - e-cigarettes - rules against the FDA.. ;
E-cigarettes - a device for delivery of variable amounts of vaporized nicotine..;
U.S. e-cigarette imports banned indefinitely - ASH..;
THIS MUST STOP - e-cigarette company asking active duty soldiers to buy their product..;
Electronic cigarettes - study finds not an effective nicotine delivery system..;
U.S. - federal appeals court, import of e-cigarettes on hold again..;
U.S. FDA appealing a federal judge's ruling on e-cigarettes..;
U.S. FDA - judges ruling regarding e-cigarettes must be appealed - ASAP..;
California - attorney general thinks e-cigarette distributor is targeting minors..;
E-cigarettes - scientists want more safety studies before use..;
In Process: US. Federal District court judge makes serious error regarding the import of e-cigarettes..;
New Jersey assemblywoman wants to limit electronic (e) cigarettes..;
"Smoking Everywhere", an electronic cigarettes retailer sued..;
Dubai, UAE customs blocks e-cigarette shipment..;
Connecticut AG Blumnethal wants to ban e-cigarettes..;
Orgeon - files lawsuit against e-cigarette company..;
Saudi Arabia - banning sales of electronic (e) cigarettes..;
Smoking Everywhere - e-cigarette distributor..;
Oregon - electronic (e) cigarettes sales prohibited until approved by FDA..;
Israel bans electronic (e) cigarettes..;
New Zealand - 1st trial ever of e-cigarettes..;
FDA: Electronic cigarettes contain toxic chemicals..;
e-cigarettes - Company sues FDA for blocking imports of product..;
e-cigarettes - FDA approval needed prior to marketing..;
E-cigarettes http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5361956449419487283&postID=2916961506023468891#need to establish efficacy and safety - FIRST..;
Read more...

Ireland - Office of Tobacco Control to be dissolved..

December 17, 2010 - The Irish parliament, the Dáil (House of Representatives), has passed a bill that will see the dissolution of the Office of Tobacco Control (OTC). (About the National Parliament (Oireachtas)..)

The functions of the OTC will be transferred to the Health Service Executive on 1 January 2011.

The bill received cross-party support and during the debate this morning, Deputies took the opportunity to warn about the dangers of smoking.

July 14, 2010 - Ireland - Office of Tobacco Control 2009 Annual Report..

Reference: Office of Tobacco Control to be dissolved, RTE.ie news, 12/16/2010.

Some Ireland related news briefs:
Ireland - cigarette dealers are now selling their smuggled goods door-to-door..;
Ireland - 2009 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General..;
Ireland - police force says gangs making €3m a week from illegal cigarette sales..;
Ireland - time for major effort to crackdown on tobacco smuggling..;
Ireland - tobacco smuggling has reached record levels..;
Ireland - Office of Tobacco Control 2009 Annual Report..;
Ireland retailers claim since display ban smuggling up - denied by health campaigners..;
Ireland - highest tobacco prices in the EU..;
Ireland - smoking on the increase with young women in lower-income groups..;
Ireland - Illicit tobacco trade booms..;
Ireland - no increase in excise duty on tobacco products worry about smuggling..;
reland - ASH will never give up - get smoking out of cars (and homes) when kids are present..;
Ireland - harder to quit when switching to low tar cigarettes..;
Ireland - after 2004 smoking ban decline in maternal smoking rates as well as lower risk for preterm births..;
Ireland - cancer society urges government to increase cigarette tax..;
Ireland - increase fine for cigarettes imported illegally..;
Ireland - roll your own cigarettes making a comeback..;
Ireland - lots of smokers - lots of sickness - resulting in premature death - THIS HAS TO STOP..;
Ireland - people responding well to the ban on cigarette displays..;
Ireland - Prof Clancy not enough spent on prevention..;
Ireland - tobacco vendors must register by October 1, 2009..;
Children - exposed to cigarette smoke in cars have greater chance of respiratory distress..;
Ireland - tobacco companies not helping small retailers - display ban..;
Tobacco control initiatives starting Wednesday, July 1, 2009..;
Ireland - Office of Tobacco Control 2008 annual report - Positive..;
Ireland - modest penalty for cigarette smuggling..;
Ireland - to amend tobacco legislation to to include pictoral warnings..;
Ireland - as of July 1, 2009 no advertising or display of tobacco products will be permitted in retail outlets..;
Ireland - cigarette tax abandoned over smuggling fears..;
Ireland - may raise tax on cigarettes as part of emergency budget..;
Ireland - ban smoking in cars when kids are present..;
Ireland - further provisions of the Public Health (Tobacco) Acts 2002 and 2004 are to be commenced on 1 July 2009.;
Ireland - 80% of smokers want a ban on tobacco advertising in shops to stop youngsters starting the habit..;
Ireland to ban tobacco displays..;
Ireland - reduction in admissions for acute coronary syndrome... Read more...

Leduc, Alberta , Canada - bans smoking in cars with kids, takes effect July 2, 2011..

Leduc City flag..
December 17, 2010 - The City of Leduc has passed a bylaw that bans people from smoking in their own vehicles when children are present. The bylaw was passed Monday night, December 13th by city council. The bylaw "Smoke-free Vehicles for Minors Bylaw" states that no person shall smoke in a private vehicle when another person who is under the age of 18 is present in the vehicle. This would apply even if a window, sunroof or car-top is open. This would also apply whether the vehicle is parked or moving.

If caught, violators in Leduc will get a $100 fine for the first offence and $200 for a second offence. The bylaw takes effect on July 2, 2011. The law applies even when a window or sunroof is open for ventilation. If caught, violators face a fine of $100 for a first offence and $200 for a second offence.

During the next seven months, the city will embark upon a public education campaign to inform residents about the bylaw.

Leduc is the second Alberta municipality to pass this type of bylaw. The Town of Okotoks passed a bylaw on Sept. 1, 2008. (August 10, 2009 - Okotoks, Alberta - enforcement - no fines issued smoking drivers with kids..; September 4, 2008 - Okotoks, Alberta - Smoking in Vehicles With Kids Present Banned..)

The Alberta Province Health and Wellness Minister Gene Zwozdesky applauded Leduc for passing the bylaw, but said it won't be on his radar for a province-wide ban any time soon. "We do not have anything contemplated at this stage to increase our legislation in that regard," he said. "I've got a lot of issues I am dealing with right now."

Canada - Smoke-free Vehicles When Children are Present: The Province of Nova Scotia was the first in Canada to ban smoking in cars with children under the age of 19 in effect April 1, 2008. Some others: British Columbia, under age 16, in effect April 7, 2009; New Brunswick, under age 16, effective January 1, 2010; Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada, under age 19, broader definition of smoking, in effect January 1, 2008; Okotoks, Alberta, Canada, under age 16, in effect September 1, 2008; Ontario, Canada – under age 16, in effect January 21, 2009; Prince Edward Island, under age 19, effective September 15, 2009; Victoria, Canada – under age 16, effective 2009; Yukon, Canada – under age 18, in effect May 1, 2008. (Smoke-free Vehicles When Children are Present)
Also Saskatchewan, Canada - ban on smoking in cars with child passengers now in force - October 1, 2010.

References: VIDEO - Leduc bans smoking in cars when kids are present, CTV Edmonton, 12/14/2010; Leduc bans smoking in cars with kids by PAMELA ROTH, Edmonton Sun, 12/14/2010.
(children, child, kids)
Read more...

Altria Group Inc. - new senior management structure..

December 17, 2010 - Altria Group Inc. has adopted a new senior officer structure that it said "will enhance the company's responsiveness to evolving regulatory and marketplace opportunities and continue to develop future leadership capability for the company."



Michael E. Szymanczyk will remain chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Altria. Reporting to Szymanczyk will be four business areas, each led by a single executive officer:



* Business Operations - Effective Jan. 1, 2011, David R. Beran will become vice chairman of Altria, responsible for Business Operations.

* Innovation, Public Affairs, Human Resources and Compliance - Effective Jan. 1, 2011, Martin J. Barrington will become vice chairman of Altria, responsible for Innovation, Public Affairs, Human Resources and Compliance.

* Finance and Strategic Planning - Effective Jan. 1, 2011, Howard A. Willard will become executive vice president and chief financial officer of Altria.

* Law - Denise F. Keane will continue to serve as executive vice president and general counsel.

For more information see the Altra press release below..

Reference: Altria Announces New Management Structure, Press Release, SOURCE: Altria Group, Inc., 12/15/2010.
Read more...

Ukraine - draft law introduced to ban the sale of tobacco and alcoholic beverages in kiosks..

December 17, 2010 - Member of parliament of Ukraine from the Regions Party faction Andriy Pinchuk has proposed that the sale of alcoholic beverages and tobacco in stationary and mobile small architectural constructions, in particular, kiosks, stalls, and slot machines, be banned.

This draft law was registered in the parliament on Dec. 13. According to an explanatory note to the document, the draft law is mainly aimed at ensuring the proper level of health of citizens, and limiting the consumption of alcohol and tobacco.

Tobacco Use: Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS): Ukraine: 2010..

Ukraine is divided into 24 provinces or oblasts, two municipalities with oblast status (Kiev and Sevastopol), and one autonomous republic (Crimea). Ukraine..

Reference: Parliament can ban sale of alcohol, tobacco in kiosks, Interfax-Ukraine, Kyiv Post, 12/15/2010.

Ukraine related news briefs:
Kiev (Kyiv), Ukraine - January 1, 2011 restrict smokers in restaurants to closed-off rooms..;
Ukraine - President Victor Yushchenko accused of being close with tobacco industry..;
Ukraine - President Yushchenko vetoes bill to hike tobacco products tax..;
Ukraine - enforcement of smoking ban, 28,000 people fined..;
Ukraine - lost cigarettes flooding Europe.. Read more...

Wisconsin - after smoking ban air quality in bars improves..

December 16, 2010 - On July 5, Wisconsin became the 39th state to institute a comprehensive smoking ban law. Signed by Gov. Jim Doyle in May 2009, the Smoke-Free Wisconsin Act prohibits smoking in most public places in Wisconsin, including restaurants, bars, workplaces and any place open to the public or where the public may be invited. (Wisconsin - statewide smoking ban starts Monday, July 5, 2010..)

A new report shows the air quality at bars and restaurants that had been found to have unhealthy air has improved 92 percent since Wisconsin enacted a smoking ban statewide more than five months ago, according to state officials. The Department of Health Services joined the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center in looking at the air quality of 200 bars and restaurants before the smoking ban and after. Before the ban, 21 percent of bars had air quality that was considered hazardous.

The study also saw dangerous small-particle levels from cigarette smoke dropped from 160 micrograms on average to 13 micrograms. Anything at or above 35 micrograms is considered unhealthy air.

Public health agencies collected the air samples using air quality testing equipment. Most of the testing was done on weekends when the businesses were busier and more employees and customers could potentially be exposed to secondhand smoke.

Reference: Air Quality In Bars Improves Dramatically After Smoking Ban Bars With Unhealthy Air Show 92 Percent Improvement, Channel3000.com, 12/15/2010.

Wisconsin related news briefs:
Wisconsin, Green Bay Packers Lambeau field - fans adjusting to no tobacco law..;
Wisconsin and Oregon can keep money held in escrow from tobacco company.. ;
Wisconsin - July 2010 smoking ban included banning smoking in every hotel guestroom..;
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...

Massachusetts - Lorillard has to pay punitive damages of $81 million..

December 16, 2010 - A Massachusetts jury on December 14, 2010 ordered cigarette manufacturer Lorillard Inc. to pay $71 million in damages to a dead smoker's family for allegedly seducing the Boston woman decades ago into smoking Newport cigarettes.
The Suffolk Superior Court jury awarded compensatory damages of $50 million to the estate of Marie Evans and $21 million to her son, William Evans. A hearing on punitive damages in the lawsuit has been scheduled for Thursday. The total amount of damages awarded could rise significantly at that hearing. (Massachusetts - Lorillard loses lawsuit - did they pass out cigarettes to kids??)

Punitive Damages..A Suffolk Superior Court jury today, Thursday, December 16th decided that the Lorillard Inc. should be sanctioned for seducing a Roxbury woman into a lifelong – and fatal -- addiction to Newport cigarettes and ordered them to pay the estate of Marie Evans an additional $81 million in punitive damages.

Earlier today, the main lawyer for Lorillard asked the jurors to no longer hold the company accountable for the past. “The focus is solely on the present and the future,” Walter Cofer, a Kansas City-based attorney representing tobacco company Lorillard Inc., told jurors today. He said the company had rectified the problems that were alleged during the recent trial: The company no longer passes out samples of Newport cigarettes, it no longer advertises cigarettes on radio or television, and the company agrees that cigarettes cause cancer and other diseases. “You don’t get punished today for moving in the right direction,” Cofer said.

But attorney Michael Weisman, representing Evans’s estate and her only son, said jurors should punish Lorillard for the acts of the past with a financial penalty to make sure such acts never occur again.

Also earlier, both sides introduced financial experts who testified about the financial status of Lorillard Inc., which the jury used in deciding punitive damages.

Robert Johnson, a forensic scientist from California, said that Lorillard is in “solid” shape and that its revenue from sales grew to $5.2 billion last year, up from $4.2 billion the year before. He said the company has $1 billion in cash at hand.

But Robert H. Temkin, a Massachusetts-based certified public accountant testifying for Lorillard, said the company is most appropriately judged by its operating values of about $844 million in yearly income, once liabilities are accounted for.

The case could have implications in Washington, D.C., where federal officials are considering a ban on menthol cigarettes.

Reference: Tobacco company ordered to pay $81m in punitive damages to Roxbury woman's estate, posted by John Ellement, Boston.com, 12/16/2010.

Massachusetts - some related news briefs:
Massachusetts - Lorillard loses lawsuit - did they pass out cigarettes to kids??;
Massachusetts South Coast - smoking among pregnant women far surpasses state average..;
Massachusetts - if states cover tobacco cessation treatment cost will smokers quit??;
Massachusetts Hospital Association - as of January 1, 2011 will no longer hire users of tobacco products..;
Cambridge, MA city counsel studying proposal to ban smoking in public parks..;
Boston Area - tobacco signs more plentiful in city's poorer areas..
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...

Changes in Cigarette Prices May Affect Alcohol Consumption..

December 16, 2010 - Raising cigarette taxes has the unwanted effect of increasing alcohol consumption, including binge and heavy drinking. This relationship is an example of what economists call a cross-price or substitution effect. And it’s something policy makers need to be cognizant of, Deborah L. McLellan said at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association (November 6-10, 2010, in Denver, CO.)

Dr. McLellan analyzed 6 years of cross-sectional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s annual Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys carried out in 2001-2006. Interviews were conducted with 1,323,758 adults living in nearly every state in the country.

For more see the Reference..

Reference: Changes in Cigarette Prices Affect Alcohol Consumption by: BRUCE JANCIN, Internal Medicine News Digital Network, 12/13/2010.
Read more...

South Korean tobacco company KT&G signs deal to sell cigarettes in the Middle East and Russia..

December 16, 2010 - South Korea's biggest tobacco company, KT&G Corporation, said on Wednesday, December 15th it has signed a 520 billion Korean won (456.5 million US dollars) deal with Alokozay International Ltd to sell its cigarettes in the Middle East and Russia.

Alokozay International Ltd's Web site describes the Alokozay group as a major organization in the tea and cigarette industries. The site says the group comprises three main companies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

April 19, 2010 - Tobacco Asia has been taking a look at KT & G Corporation..

October 10, 2010 - KT&G Corp., Korea’s tobacco monopoly, has recently completed the construction of a plant in Russia to expand its presence in the world’s second-largest tobacco market. Russia - KT&G Corp. completes construction of plant..

January 28, 2010 - South Korea - KT&G forms alliance with Imperial Tobacco Group to manufacture Imperial products..

According to KT&G, ESSE is the leading international brand from the point of view of health-oriented and premium cigarettes category, as the company applied a great effort to create a product with a very low lever of tar and nicotine, highly effective filter technology and the lowest amount of harmful additives across the industry. (KT&G: a Look on ESSE Cigarettes Maker, MyDiscountCigarette.com, 5/10/2010)

Reference: Korea's KT&G wins $456m Middle East, Russia deal by Reuters, ArabianBusiness.com,. 12/15/2010.

South Korea - some related news briefs:
South Korea - BAT releases Dunhill Orient as a limited edition..;
http://snus-news.blogspot.com/2010/11/south-korea-end-of-next-year-teenagers.html;
South Korea - stop people from smoking go ahead and triple the price of cigarettes..;
South Korea - Smoking Manner Campaign - promoting cigarette butt-free streets..;
South Korea - in 2007, world's 12th largest cigarette exporter..;
South Korea - study finds higher prices most effective method to discourage smoking..;
South Korea - a new Raison line extension..;
next month enforcement of ban on smoking by taxi drivers..;
South Korea - fines collected for dumping cigarette butts are down.. ;
South Korea - BAT launches new cigarette seems similar to Camel Crush..;
South Korea - rate of male smokers probably higher than any other OECD country..;
South Korea - BAT to further invest in Sacheon factory..;
South Korea - a look at KT&G Corporation with 63% of the market..;
South Korea - streets and parks of Seoul City could be designated as non-smoking areas..;
PMI - slide presentation South Korean Cigarette Market..;
South Korea - KT&G forms alliance with Imperial Tobacco Group..;
South Korea - more smokers in 2009 than in 2008..;
South Korea - remote island going smoke-free, car-free and night lights-free..;
South Korea - Stressed-out Koreans smoking more..;
South Korea - to ban smoking in public places from 2011..;
Korea - BAT - winning the hearts and minds of customers based on tactics tailored to local tastes..;
Korea - sets target to reduce smoking 10% in 5-years..;
Korea - stricter regulation of the tobacco industry coming..;
South Korea - tobacco imports surge 396-fold over 10-years..;
Korea - slight increase in men smoking.. ;
South Korea - anti-tobacco campaign - body painting..;
Korea - smoking ban just about everywhere by end of 2009..;
Tobacco marketing in South Korea has been deliberately aimed at girls and young women..;
Korea - smoking rates fall for men and women...
Read more...

New York City - suing tobacco company in Washington State..

December 16, 2010 - New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration is suing a tobacco company in Washington state. He’s accusing King Mountain Tobacco Company, which lies on the Yakama Indian Reservation, of illegally selling and distributing untaxed cigarettes in New York. In filing the suit, Bloomberg's got a fight over Native American sovereignty on his hands.

According to the suit announced yesterday, December 14th by Bloomberg (see complaint), King Mountain sold thousands of cartons of cigarettes over a nine-month period to smoke shops on the Poopsatuck Indian Reservation in New York.

A recently passed federal law, called the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act, requires King Mountain to ensure that taxes are paid before shipping tobacco to New York, the suit contends. Yet the Yakama company not only failed to do so, but it refused to stop supplying the bootleg cigs after being told by Bloomberg's law office that it was breaking the law, the suit charges.

The civil action, which also accuses King Mountain and two co-owners of racketeering, seeks unspecified financial damages and an injunction to stop King Mountain from sending more cigarettes to Bloomberg territory. The mayor said yesterday that the case is "extending the fight" against tobacco tax evaders to out-of-state companies.

But King Mountain is arguing that Native American sovereignty gives the company a pass on state taxes for wholesale cigarettes. "The state has no jurisdiction," Kamiakin Wheeler, King Mountain CEO and son of co-owner Delbert Wheeler argues to the Yakima Herald-Republic.

Reference: Michael Bloomberg Takes on Yakama Reservation Cigarette Company/a> By Nina Shapiro, Seattle Daily Weekly, 12/15/2010.

NYC directly related:
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg gives $500,000 to defend anti-smoking laws in Uruguay..;
New York City - decreases in tobacco related disease..;
New York City - smoking-related deaths drop by 17% in 8-years..;
New York City - does it the RIGHT WAY, bans most forms of flavored tobacco products..;
New York City - City Council moves one step closer to extending smoking ban to parks and beaches..;
New York City - Poospatuck Reservation stores (2) caught selling cigarettes to bootleggers..;
New York City - smoking ban enforced, club fined and closed for letting patrons smoke inside..:
New York City - Mayor Bloomberg still mulling over smoking ban at NYC parks, beaches..;
New York City - Department of Health cracking down on smoking at outside areas at bars and other places....;
New York City - more on the anti-smoking signs lawsuit against Department of Health..;
New York City - Mayor Bloomberg still considering smoking ban in parks and beaches.. - Get It Done Already!!;
Big tobacco companies file lawsuit contesting NY City's anti-smoking signs..;
New York City - federal judge rejects plaintiffs attempt to stop the law that blocks the sale of flavored tobacco products..;
New York City - moving closer to closing a nighclub that flouted smoking ban..;
New York City - VIDEO: starting March 1, 2010 stores, anti-smoking signs..;
NYC Lawsuit against Online Cigarette Vendor Dismissed..;
NY City - smokers kicking the addiction and living longer than ever..;
NY City Council not backing down as US Smokeless Tobacco files lawsuit against city..;
New York City - ban on flavored tobacco products becomes law..;
New York City bans the sale of flavored tobacco products..;
New York City - Mayor Bloomberg pushing ahead to ban smoking in city parks and beaches..;
New York City - all retailers selling tobacco will be required to post warning signs..;
New York City - to ask public opinion - smoking graphic warning signs; New York City - proposed pictorial warning signs to show the sickness and suffering caused by tobacco use.;
New York City - may ban smoking in parks and beaches..;
New York City - can't sue Internet cigarette retailers for lost taxes..;
New CDC Chief Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH..;
New York City Council ban candy-flavored tobacco, smoking outside of hospitals..;
New York - city and state officials back off plans to crack down on cigarette black market..;
New York City - nonsmokers exposed to cigarette smoke..;
New York City - cigarettes more than $10- a- pack..;
NYC can move forward with reservation cigarette lawsuit..;
Michael Rubens Bloomberg - ELF Award winner 2008;
NYC sues reservation smoke shops over bootlegging..;
NYC Fights Smoking With Reality Images in Matchbooks..;
NY City Can Proceed With Lawsuits Against 10 Online Cigarette Vendors..;
NYC Warns Parents of Smoking Lawsuits...
Read more...

BAT - number of regions in management structure reduced from five to four effective January 2011..

December 14, 2010 - the corporate slogan: British American Tobacco (BAT) the world's most international tobacco group, with quality brands sold in more than 180 markets and a responsible approach to doing business from crop to consumer.

Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) corporate slogan: is the leading international tobacco company, with seven of the world’s top 15 brands, including Marlboro, the number one cigarette brand worldwide. PMI's products are sold in approximately 160 countries.

BAT is to reduce the number of regions in its management structure from five to four with effect from 1 January 2011.

The company said it will form a new region - Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa or EEMEA, which will include all the previous Africa and Middle East (AME business units) in addition to Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Caucasus and Central Asia. Andrew Gray, currently regional director of AME, will be the regional director for the new region.

Meanwhile, the company's Asia-Pacific and Americas regions will remain unchanged. The Western Europe (WE region) will include the South Eastern Europe (SEE area), consisting of Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania and Kosovo, Jack Bowles, currently regional director of WE, will continue in that position.

Further, BAT said that Peter Taylor, group operations director, has decided to retire at the end of May 2011. He will be succeeded by Des Naughton, currently regional director of Eastern Europe. Des will become group operations director designate on 1 January 2011 and work closely with Peter and the global operations as well as research & development teams.

Reference: BAT to simplify management structure. Tobacco Journal International, 12/14/2010. Read more...

Newport Non-Menthol - how's it doing?? - results of a survey of 108 retailers..

December 16, 2010 - Results of a CSP-UBS Tobacco Survey, which included 108 retailers representing more than 15,000 convenience stores.

Read the results of the survey:
Exclusive Tobacco Analysis: Slow Burn for Newport Non-Menthol Exclusive CSP-UBS Tobacco Survey shows discounts helping new product by Linda Abu-Shalback Zid, Convenience Store / Petroleum (CSP) Daily News, 12/16/2010.

So what might the future hold for Newport non-menthol? UBS tobacco analyst Nik Modi summarized, "The true test will be how Newport Non-Menthol sells once the introductory pricing ends. Retailers don't seem to think it will, but it's still very early."

Related news brief:
Lorillard - Newport - non-menthol may be a hit this time..;

Lorillard to launch non-menthol variety of Newport in November 2010...









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December 16, 2010 - 2nd White House Tribal Nations Conference..

December 15, 2010 - On Thursday, December 16, 2010, President Obama will host the second White House Tribal Nations Conference. As part of President Obama’s ongoing outreach to the American people, this conference will provide leaders from the 565 federally recognized tribes the opportunity to interact directly with the President and representatives from the highest levels of his Administration. (President Obama Announces 2010 White House Tribal Nations Conference, The White House, 11/15/2010)

Robert Porter, president of the Seneca Nation tribe of Native Americans in western New York state, will attend and has a message for President Obama. Mr. Porter: “I’d like to see the president not be so timid in his efforts to support and protect Indian country.”

Many Native American reservations historically have suffered mightily from high unemployment and related problems. By contrast, the Seneca Nation is a thriving economy, operating casinos and tobacco businesses, Porter says. Instead of government handouts, he says the Seneca people would benefit from tax relief — a message he will carry to this week’s meeting. “The core of our economy and mentality is one of self-sufficiency. We’re not looking for extensive appropriations programs. We’re looking for tax relief,” Porter told Reuters.

While Porter is at the White House, he hopes to ask for the president's support in the Senecas' fight with New York state over cigarette taxes.


One concession that can not be made: when non-Indians buy tobacco products including cigarettes from Indian outlets they must pay the appropriate taxes. Tobacco use remains the single most preventable cause of death in the United States. Cigarette smoking accounts for nearly one-third of all cancer deaths in this country each year.
One of the most effective ways to get people to quit using tobacco is to increase the price.

References: Seneca Nation has message for Obama on taxes, Reuters, 12/14/2010; Seneca Nation President Issues Call to Action Native American Leaders Meet in Washington to Advance Plan for Indian Country - hard copy.

Some related news briefs:
New York State - federal judge rules in favor of the state but still can't start collecting sales tax; no mediation..;
New York State - federal judge, temporary restraining order extended until November 12, 2010..;
New York State - two federal judges continue to prevent the collection of taxes on cigarettes sold by Indians..;
New York State - federal judge, worried about the violence that may result extends indefinitely ban on state taxation of cigarette sales by Indians..;
New York State - tribal lawsuits may be merged within federal court..;
U.S. Supreme Court - rejects appeal from Indian merchant who wanted an Idaho Supreme Court ruling overturned..;
New York State - now the Oneida Indian Nation gets restraining order from federal judge.;
New York State - state court clears way for state to collect cigarette tax - on to federal court..;
New York State - U.S. District Judge extends order blocking state from collecting taxes, hearing Sept 14th..;
New York State - cigarette tax collection from Native American sales pushed off until 5-judge panel decides..;
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...

Thailand - TTM to build a new plant to produce cigarettes.. WHY??

December 15, 2010 - The Thailand Tobacco Monopoly (TTM) has received cabinet approval to use its own funds to construct a 16.2-billion-baht factory at an industrial estate in Ayutthaya province. [1 USD = 30.0610 baht] The board of the state enterprise approved the purchase of land in the industrial estate in August last year. TTM so far has spent 679.11 million baht out of an approved budget of 877 million for design consulting fees. Deputy government spokesman Vachara Kannikar said the cabinet also approved a Finance Ministry proposal to cut TTM's contribution to the national treasury in fiscal 2012. At present TTM contributes 88% of its net income to the treasury.

The Thailand Tobacco Monopoly (TTM) dominates the tobacco market in Thailand. TTM is a state-owned enterprise and is the only domestic tobacco producer in Thailand. In 2008, TTM held 67% of the total cigarette market. Philip Morris International ranked second with a market share of 27 percent, followed by British American Tobacco (3 percent), and Japan Tobacco (0.5 percent.) In Thailand, more than 38 billion cigarettes were sold in 2008. (International Resource Center: Thailand: Overview

Thailand prides itself on their tobacco control program to protect the health of their citizens. At the Tabinfo Asia 2009 expo in Thailand, November 2009 the country's prime minister did not want TTM to promote smoking. (Thai Tobacco Monopoly withdraws products from Tabinfo Asia 2009..)

The ministry reasoned that although TTM is profitable, it has limited access to funds since some financial institutions do not want to lend to tobacco companies, and some institutional investment groups have similar restrictions. Business risk as a result of competition with foreign cigarettes is also a concern of financial institutions.

The Asean Free Trade Area (Afta) required members to cut tariffs on tobacco products to zero in January. TTM still has an 80% share of the local cigarette market.

The government first began talking about moving TTM out of Bangkok in the mid-1990s. TTM has been seeking a location for a new factory since 2007 to replace its existing site in a park-like setting off Rama IV Road, one of the most highly coveted pieces of real estate left in the centre of the capital.

Reference: TTM gets go-ahead for B16bn plant in Ayutthaya, Bangkok Post, 12/12/2010.

Some other Thailand news briefs:
Phuket, Thailand - no smoking in crowded outside areas starting January 1, 2011..;
WTO panel order Thailand to set up uniform taxes on both foreign and locally made cigarettes..;
Thailand - health authorities want to close smoking areas at airport..;
Thailand - EU free-trade agreement (FTA) stuck over alcohol and tobacco..;
Thailand govt - wants to ban the growing of Burley and Oriental tobacco..;
Thailand - more measures put in place to protect non-smokers..;
Thailand - number of no-smoking zones expanded..;
Thailand - PMI likely breached the Foreign Business Act..;
Thai Tobacco Monopoly withdraws products from Tabinfo Asia 2009..;
Thailand - organizer of international tobacco exhibition fined..;
Thailand - hand-rolled cigarettes more popular and other matters..;
WTO - "DS 371" Philippines versus Thailand on cigarette customs valuation..;
Thailand - Tobacco Expo organizers and guests must obey all tobacco control laws..;
Thailand unit of Philip Morris International faces charges that it violated custom tax rules..;
Thailand - hosting major tobacco promotion event in November 2009..;
Thailand Tobacco Monoploly - union concerned about privatization..;
Thailand - monks sickly from tobacco smoking and/or smoke exposure..;
Philippines - Thai cigarette import rules..;
Thailand - cigarette and liquor prices are expected to rise once new measures for calculating excise taxes take effect..;
Congratulations.. Thailand Joins Developed World With Total Ban On Smoking..;
Discouraging Tobacco Use - Horrific Images on the Packaging..

- Thailand is a member of Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA)..
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England - smokers blocked from routine surgery as cost-cutting measure..

December 15, 2010 - All smokers awaiting non-life threatening elective surgery - which includes hip and knee operations - must take the 12 week smoking cessation course offered by the NHS Stop Smoking Service. It is one of a range of measures being taken by managers at the primary care trust (PCT), which serves 675,000 people, to cut costs.

Dr. Steven Bodley, Chair of Ontario's Anesthesiologists at the Ontario Medical Association (OMA). "We know that patients who stop smoking before surgery not only reduce their risk of complications, but also speed up their recovery time. Patients that recover more quickly spend less time in hospital and can free up space, saving much needed health care dollars that can be reinvested back into patient care."

Other benefits to patients who stop smoking before surgery include:
- 48% of smokers experienced breathing problems after surgery, compared to 17% of smokers who had quit more than 8 weeks before surgery. (Warner et al. Anesthesiology 1984; 60:380-383);
- Overall complication rates for smokers vs. quitters drop from 52% to 18% (Moller et al. The Lancet 2002 Jan :114-117); and
- Wound infection rates for smokers vs. non-smokers drop from 12% to 2% (Sorensen et al. Annals of Surgery 2003 July:1-5).

We want patients who smoke to know the proactive steps they can take to improve their surgical experience," said Dr. Bodley. (Stopping Smoking Before Surgery Could Save Millions: Ontario's , Ontario Medical Association News Release, 1/2010)

Another measure includes requiring those who are seriously overweight, with a body mass index (BMI) or 30 or more, to go on a 12-week NHS weight loss programme.

The orders, outlined in a letter to General Practitioners (GPs) from the PCT, went into force earlier this month. The letter read: "There is good evidence to show that stopping smoking prior to surgery reduces length of stay and infection rates, and improves healing time; it is also a time when people are often highly motivated to give up.

"All patients who smoke and are booked for planned surgery will therefore be required to complete a NHS Stop Smoking course prior to surgery." A spokesman for NHS Kent confirmed the measures were designed to curb a potential overspend of up to £10 million, or one per cent of its budget, by April 2011. She said: "They are part of a range of measure to ease the financial pressures that we are experiencing."

A fifth of patients in the health authority's area smoke while a quarter are overweight.

Under the NHS Constitution all patients should receive treatment within 18 weeks of referral, although the Coalition recently removed this as a target. However, NHS rules allow health authorities to "stop the clock" while patients go on such courses.

Dr John Allingham, medical secretary of Kent Local Medical Committee, told the GPs' magazine Pulse that doctors were strongly opposed to the orders. He said: "It's a way of extending the waiting times."

Reference: Smokers told: stop before your hip operation A health authority has ordered smokers to take a stop smoking course before they can have an operation, in a move designed to save cash as budgets tighten by Stephen Adams, Medical Correspondent, The Telegraph, 12/13/2010.
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Bulgaria - PMI to introduce their own Marlboro 10-pack cigarettes..

December 15, 2010 - Philip Morris Bulgaria is part of Philip Morris International (PMI). Marlboro brand will be introduced on the Bulgarian market in cigarette boxes with 10 pieces each, instead of the common 20. The information is listed in the tobacco products registry of the Finance Ministry. The brands "Red" and "Gold" will cost BGN 2.70 (1.83 USD) compared to BGN 5.20 (3.52 USD) for the 20-pack.

"Philip Morris Bulgaria" told the daily "Dnevnik" they are generally against such practice, but the sales of smaller packages have been very successful in Bulgaria thus the decision to start making them as well. With the participation of "Philip Morris" in the smaller packaging segment of the cigarette market in Bulgaria, the only companies remaining outside it are now "Imperial" and "Karelia."

"Dnevnik" cites cigarette makers' data showing small cigarette packaging is sharply increasing to reach soon 5% of the market, compared to 3% in the beginning of the year, and to just 0.3% in the fall of 2009.

The Bulgarian Bulgartabac "King" brand has the largest share among boxes with 10 cigarettes. The cheapest 10-cigarette packages are offered by "King" as well - "King's Tobacco," by British-American Tobacco - "Viceroy," and by the Bulgarian "Femina" for the price of BGN 2.20 (1.49 USD).

Other brands such as British-American Tobacco's "Pal Mall," and Japan Tobacco International's (JTI) "Winston" go for BGN 2.40 (1.62 USD) and a 10-cigarettes pack of "Camel" sells for BGN 2.50 (1.69 USD).

JTI is introducing in Bulgaria the "LD" brand with 19-cigarette boxes for BGN 4 (2.70 USD). Currently, the cheapest cigarettes are the "Goldfield" brand, sold at the Lidl supermarket chain, for BGN 3.99 (2.70 USD) for 20 pieces.

At the moment, 18 EU Member have a ban on smaller cigarette packaging over the opinion they encourage cigarette use. Romania, Italy, Spain, France and others, mandate 20-cigarette packs while Belgium, Hungary, the Netherlands, Germany, and Greece, among others, allow no less than 19.


Ireland banned 10-pack cigarettes in May 2007. The Department of Health had signalled for years that 10-packs would be forbidden, largely because they are a magnet for under-age smokers. (10-pack cigarettes banned from Thursday, IrishHealth.com, 5/29/2007)

Reference: Small Cigarette Packs Invade Bulgarian Market, Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency), 12/14/2010.
(European Union)
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Canada - federal govt will be releasing new warning labels by mid-January..

December 14, 2010 - The feds will be releasing new warning labels for cigarette packs by mid-January, after critics alleged the Tories caved to Big Tobacco. Conservative MPs at Tuesday's health committee voted to have Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq introduce new labels, including graphic photos, by Jan. 17, despite her previous refusal to commit to a deadline.

Last week, Aglukkaq said she was close to making a decision on a new anti-smoking strategy, but didn't commit to updating the cigarette warning labels. (Canada - federal govt health minister, "not in bed with big tobacco.." And she denied shelving the plan to use more graphic photos and make the labels bigger.

Back on September 28, 2001 - Canada - Health Canada shelves update of graphic warning messages to concentrate on the problem of contraband tobacco..



Cynthia Callard, executive director of Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada (PSCA) says the committee vote is a good step forward because the Tories have signalled the government will be announcing picture-based health warnings. “We left the room feeling very happy that progress had been made,” said Cynthia Callard.

But with the government MPs (Members of Parlaiment) refusing to vote for both motions, “it also made us a little worried that what had been talked about last year was going to be watered down," she said. Callard says the government was under pressure to implement the changes.

“The department, we know, was working on this for seven years. They certainly had something ready to go. The question was whether it was approved.” Health Canada spent more than $3.6 million between 2004 and 2010 developing the labels and testing their effectiveness in focus groups. (Canada - millions lost in revamping cigarettes graphic warnings..)

Aglukkaq said last week she agrees bigger labels with more graphic pictures will be more effective. “We're not in bed with Big Tobacco,” she said. “I have been examining the labelling ... and I have not shelved that project.”

Reference: New smoke labels imminent by LAURA PAYTON, Parliamentary Bureau, Toronto Sun, 12/14/2010.
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NIDA Report: 2010 "Monitoring the Future" marijuana use vs tobacco smoking.

December 14, 2010 - For the first time since 1981, high school seniors reporting they had smoked marijuana in the last 30 days outnumbered those who said they smoked cigarettes. (In 2010, 21.4% of high school seniors said they had smoked pot in the month before, while 19.2% reported they were cigarette smokers.)

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)on Tuesday, December 14th issued its 2010 "Monitoring the Future" survey--a yearly look at kids' drug and tobacco use patterns and attitudes. The remarkable crossover of the lines for marijuana use and tobacco use is a victory for public-health campaigns aimed at stamping out cigarette smoking among teens. But the federal office that tracks illicit drug use said it is driven by an uptick in youth marijuana use that is broad-based and likely to continue.

Dr. Nora Volkow, director of NIDA, called the rise in daily use of marijuana particularly troubling, given that more frequent use, and by teens whose brains are still developing, has been shown to be more damaging to learning and memory than less frequent use. Daily users are also at far higher risk of developing dependency on marijuana and other drugs, she said. She said "one can only speculate at this point" about the cause of pot's reversal, which began roughly three years ago after a decade of declining use.

NIDA - Monitoring the Future Survey 2010..

Reference: Rising marijuana use leaves tobacco in a cloud of smoke, Melissa Healy, Los Angeles Times, 12/14/2010.
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Massachusetts - Lorillard loses lawsuit - did they pass out cigarettes to kids??

December 14, 2010 - A Massachusetts jury today ordered cigarette manufacturer Lorillard Inc. to pay $71 million in damages to a dead smoker's family for allegedly seducing the Boston woman decades ago into smoking Newport cigarettes.

The Suffolk Superior Court jury awarded compensatory damages of $50 million to the estate of Marie Evans and $21 million to her son, William Evans. A hearing on punitive damages in the lawsuit has been scheduled for Thursday. The total amount of damages awarded could rise significantly at that hearing.

The case was the first to claim that Lorillard had decided to target minority communities with samples of Newports, a menthol brand more popular among black communities.

Directly related news brief:
Lorillard claims not liable in a 2004 lawsuit by a former black Newport smoker..

Gregg Perry, a Lorillard spokesman, said the company denied the allegations. He said the company would appeal and was "confident it will prevail."

The jury found that the cigarette company was negligent in passing out samples of cigarettes to Evans and other black children when they were growing up in the Orchard Hill housing development in Boston's Roxbury section -- and in denying for years the health risks associated with cigarettes.

Central Issue.. Boston lawsuit blames woman's death on cigarette freebies, but Lorillard says it never gave to kids. Leslie Adamson said the white truck that stopped at the Boston housing project she grew up in brought adults and children running, much like a visit from the ice cream man. But instead of sweets, the truck brought free cigarette samples.

Lorillard attorney Walter Cofer acknowledged that the company gave away free cigarette samples — a common practice by tobacco companies from the 1950s through the 1980s — but said Lorillard did not give cigarettes to children at Orchard Park.

The cigarette giveaways are a central issue in a lawsuit brought against Lorillard Tobacco Co. by a man who claims his mother was introduced to smoking as a child through the free samples and became so addicted that she was unable to quit and eventually died of lung cancer. Lorillard denies that anyone from the company gave out cigarettes to children.

Jurors also heard from Marie Evans herself as Weisman played excerpts from a videotaped deposition she gave to her lawyers in 2002, three weeks before she died. On the tape, Evans said the giveaways had a "large impact" on her.

In Richard Kluger book 'Ashes To Ashes" page 700 - he writes about the experience of Joe Tye's organization, Stop Teenage Addiction to Tobacco (STAT), caught Lorillard in the act of sampling youngsters with Newports from a van painted green and orange and bearing the brand's slogan, "Alive with Pleasure," in large, equally attention-getting letters on the streets of the nation's capital. Lorillard stated, "We do not give cigarettes to children," and blamed the incident on the carelessness of its hired dispensers.

The verdict was unusual in that, even as tobacco companies’ past marketing practices have been criticized by government agencies and court rulings, jurors are typically reluctant to side with smokers who bring lawsuits against the companies. Jurors typically want to hold the smoker partly responsible, legal experts have said.

Reference: Mass. jury rules against Lorillard, awards $71M to dead smoker's family, Posted by Andrew Ryan (Martin Finucane of the Globe staff contributed to this report), Globe Metro Desk, Boston.com, 12/14/2010.

Massachusetts - some related news briefs:
Massachusetts South Coast - smoking among pregnant women far surpasses state average..;
Massachusetts - if states cover tobacco cessation treatment cost will smokers quit??;
Massachusetts Hospital Association - as of January 1, 2011 will no longer hire users of tobacco products..;
Cambridge, MA city counsel studying proposal to ban smoking in public parks..;
Boston Area - tobacco signs more plentiful in city's poorer areas..
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..;
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UK - Brits to petition govt to put a stop to adults smoking in cars when youngsters are present..

December 13, 2010 - Dame (female equivalent of Sir) Judi Dench joined calls last night, December 11th for a ban on smoking in cars, citing the dangers to the health of youngsters. "Children are still being exposed to passive smoke, which is extremely harmful to developing lungs," said the actress.

Dame Judi, whose husband Michael Williams died of lung cancer in 2001, is vice president of the British Lung Foundation, which is calling for a ban. She added: "I am happy to offer my support ... I encourage anyone who wants the Government to make children's lung health a priority to sign up to the petition."

Pressure is mounting on the Government to extend the smoking ban to cars. Such a move would prevent some of the 22,000 new cases each year of asthma caused by passive smoking, the charity claims. Research published in The Lancet last month showed 40 percent of children were exposed to passive smoke each year, accounting for 165,000 deaths worldwide. (Passive smoking kills over 600,000 a year worldwide—WHO report..)

Supporting information: Every parent wants their children to lead healthy and happy lives. There's an abundance of evidence that children are more susceptible to the negative effects of second-hand smoke (ETS, environmental tobacco smoke, involuntary smoking, sidestream smoke, passive smoking).

As pointed out by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Australia in a February 2009 paper the evidence of second-hand smoke harm to children in enclose spaces is extensive and irrefutable. A 2004 survey of over 1300 Australians in 800 households showed over 90 percent (including 73 percent of smokers) support banning smoking in cars carrying children. A Harvard School of Public Health report indicated that secondhand smoke in cars can be up to 10 times more of a health risk than secondhand smoke in a home.

Vehicles have been found to be the most dangerous space for second-hand smoke levels. Kids exposed to smoke are at higher risk since they breathe in more air by weight than adults. Both the respiratory rate and heart rate are higher in children below the age of 13 than in adults. The younger the child, the greater the potential for exposure. Since the lungs of children are still developing, exposure to second-hand smoke can lead to ear infections, asthma, bronchopneumonia and other illnesses.

Northern Ireland - 9 of 10 households would welcome a ban on smoking in cars with children present..

Comments from prominent physicians: Just about every physician in the United Kingdom insists that smoking should be banned in cars when a child is present.

Wales - Chief Medical Officer Dr. Tony Jewell we must protect children from second-hand smoke, especially in cars..;

Professor Steve Field, chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners (GPs), has has stated, parents that smoke in front of their children at home at in cars are "committing a form of child abuse." Professor Field, represents 42,000 GPs across the United Kingdom (UK). (United Kingdom - head GP physician calls smoking in front of children "child abuse"..);

Twenty of Britain’s most senior doctors call today for a ban on smoking in cars as part of a sweeping expansion of laws to protect children against the effects of inhaling smoke. (Senior British Doctors demand banning smoking in vehicles when children are present...)

Comment from Philip Morris: David Sutton, a spokesman for Philip Morris USA said the company believes the public "should be guided by the conclusions of public health officials regarding the health effects of secondhand smoke" and "particular care should be exercised where children are concerned."

Dame Judi is one of 12,000 people to have signed the petition calling for a ban on smoking in cars carrying children. The charity's aim is to collect 50,000 signatures. Deborah Arnott, the chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, called on the Govenment to continue campaigns discouraging parents from smoking in front of their children. She said: "While we can't pass legislation to prohibit smoking in the home, smoking in cars can and should be prohibited by law."

Simon Clark, the director of the smokers' group Forest, conceded: "It's reasonable to encourage people not to light up in a small confined space if children are present," but he dismissed calls for a ban as "unnecessarily heavy-handed". He added: "It's a small step to far more illiberal measures like banning smoking in all private vehicles or, worse, banning smoking in the home. Enough is enough."

A ban cannot happen quickly enough for Lynda Mitchell. The 53-year-old, from Bristol, has never smoked but is dying of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. "I found being exposed to passive smoke in the car the worst because there was no escape. I want parents to know that what happened to me could happen to their children if they continue to smoke near them." (Woman exposed to secondhand smoke as a child dying of COPD..)

Smoking in vehicles carrying children is illegal in parts of Australia, Canada, the United States (including California), as well as Cyprus. Mauritius is the only country to have banned smoking in cars outright.



Smokefree Cars...



Reference: Call to ban smoking in cars with child passengers Dame Judi Dench leads fight for government action after research shows 40 percent of youngsters are exposed to smoke by Jonathan Owen, Independent.co.uk, 12/12/2010.
(Great Britain, British, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England, Isles)
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