Click to find out more..
The law (signed into law July 1, 2009) was suppose to take effect September 2010. State Fire Marshall Randy Cole: To sell down existing stock, cigarette retailers and wholesalers will have until January 1, 2011, to bring inventory in line with the new law. Missouri - fire-safe cigarettes delayed until January 2011..
VIDEO - Missouri Fire-Safe Cigarette Law Set to Begin, fox4kc.com, 12/31/2010.
January 25, 2009 - U.S.A. Fire-Safe Cigarettes for All 50 States - NOW...
Read more...
Missouri - January 1, 2011 - fire-safe cigarette law begins..
European Union countries - fire-safe cigarettes as of November 2011..
Background: Since 2007 London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA) has worked as part of a coalition of organisations including UK fire services and health and tobacco control groups, calling for the introduction of a fire safer standard for cigarettes in Europe. Chairman of LFEPA’s Community Safety Committee, Councillor Susan Hall, said: "We have campaigned long and hard for this legislation to be introduced and now it has, it will undoubtedly save lives.
The EU Commission said on Tuesday, August 5, 2008 that all cigarettes sold throughout the European Union will be self-extinguishing "fire-safe" brands (reduced ignition propensity (RIP) cigarettes) by 2011. (EU plans 'fire-safe' cigarettes..)
The standard setting process is now complete and the new standard was agreed on 18 November 2010.
A fire safer standard is already in force on cigarettes sold in Canada, Australia, Finland, New York and other US states. Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) undertook some research into the comparisons of the propensity of fire safer cigarettes and conventional cigarettes to ignite textile materials used in a domestic environment. The research estimated that had cigarettes in the UK conformed to the New York standard in 2003, the number of smoking related fires would have been reduced in that year by nearly two thirds.
There are about 800 fires a year in London that are started by smoking materials. 78 people died in London in fires started by smoking materials between April 2005 and November 2010.
Although this is a voluntary standard, manufacturers have a strong incentive to comply, as the standard will provide a ‘presumption of safety’ for cigarettes manufactured within it. If a cigarette does not comply with the standard, member state authorities (in the UK, this would be Trading Standards) would be able to take action - such as withdrawing it from the market.
It is estimated that if all cigarettes sold in the EU meet this requirement one to two lives could be saved every day.
References: Fire safer cigarettes, London Fire Brigade, 1/1/2011; London Fire Brigade backs new cigarette rules, CroydonGuardian.co.uk, 1/1/2011.
(United Kingdom, European Union, fire safe cigarettes, FSC, Reduced Ignition Propensity (RIP))
Read more...
Canada - warning labels on cigarette packs about to get bigger and more graphic..
Ottawa (federal govt) will begin drafting regulations for the new warning labels in early 2011, but has no specific timeline for implementation. Tobacco companies will have a chance to comment during the process and the new rules will be phased in gradually, officials said.
"Warnings that occupy 75 percent of the major faces of the package constitute a huge step toward plain and standardized packaging, a key major tobacco control goal of the national health community," said Melodie Tilson, Non-Smokers' Rights Association Director of Policy. "The health minister deserves praise for deciding to move forward with these reforms."
"The effectiveness of health warnings increases with size - the larger the warnings, the greater the impact," says Rob Cunningham, Senior Policy Analyst, Canadian Cancer Society in a statement. "Implementation of the new, larger package warnings will be an important achievement, and will reduce cancer and other tobacco-related diseases in Canada. Moreover, from an international perspective, the new tobacco labelling measures will position Canada as a world leader in this area."
Physicians for a smoke-free Canada: Health warnings with pictures are a very effective way to reduce smoking.
Background:
December 14, 2010 - Canada - federal govt will be releasing new warning labels by mid-January..;
December 9, 2010 - Canada - federal govt health minister, "not in bed with big tobacco..";
December 8, 2010 - Canada - millions lost in revamping cigarettes graphic warnings..;
October 28, 2010 - Canada - c-store association applauds move by govt to focus on nation's tobacco contraband problem..;
September 28, 2010 - Canada - Health Canada shelves update of graphic warning messages to concentrate on the problem of contraband tobacco..;
August 15, 2010 - Health Canada - why delay in new round of cigarette pack pictorial warnings??;
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..
"Three months ago, the Minister of Health said illegal tobacco was her priority. However, she has done nothing to crack down on the illegal trade since then. Instead, she caved into the pressure of a handful of anti-tobacco groups," said Mr. Clayton, vice president, Corporate Affairs at Imperial. "The illegal operators already ignore over 200 rules and regulations, including the existing labeling requirements. This will simply be another law that is ignored -and yet another case of the Government of Canada turning a blind eye to that illegal activity," he added.
Canada - action must be taken to control the illicit cigarette problem..
References: Canada to put bigger health warnings on cigarettes by Louise Egan, (Additional reporting by Allan Dowd; Editing by Jeffrey Hodgson), Reuters, 12/31/2010; New cigarette packaging in Canada highlights warnings by KJ Mullins, DigitalJournal.com, 12/30/2010; CANADA'S HEALTH MINISTER CHOOSES TO IGNORE TODAY'S REAL TOBACCO PROBLEM Impérial Tobacco Canada asks the Minister where the proposed health warnings will be on the illégal "baggies", Imperial Tobacco Canada, newswire.ca, 12/30/2010.
Read more...
Mumbai, India - students campaign to spread word on the dangers of tobacco products..
Carrying banners and placards on the ill effects of smoking and tobacco products, students marched down the main roads emphasising the need to take effective measures against this menace.
"Tobacco is very harmful for us. This harms the children who are growing up. We want to go ahead with a good and useful lesson and a person reduces five minutes of his life after consuming a cigarette," said Karan Yadav, a student.
Students, later burnt effigies of tobacco products and Lady Nictoine.
The organiser of the campaign said if the children and youngsters are kept away from tobacco, they would be away from it for their entire life. "We believe in tobacco control. If we keep the children away when they are young, then probably they will not take the tobacco later on in life," said Devika Chadda, Programme Director, Salaam Bombay.
We are doing this not through awareness alone but with advocacy, through life skill development, personality development of the child so that they are well equipped to handle life in the future," she added.
India makes critical decision on education that will help convince children not to use tobacco. The government on Thursday, April 1st brought into force a new law that makes education free and compulsory for every child from age 6 to 14—the latest government initiative aimed at harnessing the economic potential of its young population. About a third of India's 1.2 billion people are under the age of 14, one of the highest ratios in the world. (Joining hands in the interest of children, Kapil Sibal, The Hindu, 1/31/2010)
Reference: Mumbai students spread mass awareness on ill effects of tobacco by Susheel Parikh (ANI), Sify news, 12/31/2010.
India - some related news briefs:
*a href="http://snus-news.blogspot.com/2010/12/india-cigarettebidis-companies-resume.html">India - cigarette/bidis companies resume tobacco production..;
*India - will delay for a year the use of scarier pictorial warnings on cigarette and bidi packs..;
*India - cigarettes and bidis manufacturers halt production seek clarification on pictorial health warnings..;
*India - Tobacco Board warns farmers against planting unauthorized crop..;
*India - revised pictorial warnings on tobacco products will be implemented from December 1, 2010..;
*India - captions with pictorial warnings should use local languages..:
*India - pictorial warning will appear on every tobacco pack sold from June 1, 2010..;
*India - government set to ban foreign direct investment in tobacco..;
*India - despite tobacco control measure in place - tobacco sales increase..;
*India - still confusion pictorial warnings on cigarette packs..;
*Mumbai, India - NGO activists want closure of hookah bars..;
*India - gutkha and bidi companies NOT pictorial warnings..;
*India - cigarette packs with pictorial warnings are here..; *ndia - NO graphic pictorial warnings yet..;
*India - Still no pictorial warnings on cigarette packs..;
*India - pictorial warning on cigarettes and tobacco products effective May 31, 2009..;
*India - pictorial warning on cigarettes and tobacco products will be implemented from May 31 - no doubts about it..;
*India - will pictorial or graphic health warnings be implemented from May 30, 2009..;
*India - placing pictorial warnings on tobacco products delayed again...
Read more...
Tampa, Florida - more hospitals going totally tobacco free..
By Monday, January 3rd the vast majority of local hospitals won't allow any smoking, as the latest converts join institutions such as Bayfront Medical Center, All Children's Hospital, University of South Florida Health and Moffitt Cancer Center that previously took the step.
"If we're going to talk the talk, we have to walk the walk," said Dr. Mark Vaaler, chief medical officer for St. Joseph's hospitals and South Florida Baptist Hospital, part of the newly tobacco-free BayCare Health System. "We are here to help promote healthy behaviors." Smoking, which causes more than 85 percent of lung cancers, can lead to cancer throughout the body. One in three cancer deaths in the United States is tobacco-related.
Hospitals have spent months mapping out their transition, from offering classes to help employees kick the habit to stocking nicotine gum in their gift stores.
In Pasco County, all hospitals have been tobacco-free since 2009 through an initiative supported by the local health department. Hospital campuses in Hernando and Citrus counties have also snuffed out smoking. At Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg, completely smoke-free since 2002, patients and visitors accepted the policy once they understood it.
See reference for hospitals in Tampa area going tobacco-free in January 2011.
Reference: Tampa Bay hospitals ring in the new year by going tobacco-free by Letitia Stein, Times staff writer, St. Petersburg Times, 1/1/2011.
Read more...
Brunei - 2,920 Reasons To Quit Smoking,,
Health Promotion Centre Officer Pg Anuar Husaini Lt Col (R) Pg Hj Ramli said the average smoker would spend nearly $3,000 and consume 7,300 cigarettes a year if they spend $8 on a cigarette pack each day.
During a lecture on "The Habit of Smoking and How to Stop", yesterday, about 70 police officers were reminded to stop their smoking habits as it can greatly affect their mental stability.
Pg Anuar Husaini Lt Col (B) Pg Hj Ramli said that smoking not only affects a person's health, but also takes a toll on one's ability to accomplish work tasks.
For more on the lecture see reference below.
Pg Anuar provided simple steps on how to quit smoking. Among the steps and suggestions he provided were to set a specific date on when to quit, no longer than six months; eliminating sources that may be related to smoking such as lighters and ashtrays; as well as distracting one's self when tempted.
Reference: 2,920 Reasons To Quit Smoking, written by Amir Noor, The Brunei Times, 12/30.2010.
elated news briefs:
Brunei - govt raises tobacco tax effective November 1, 2010..;
Brunei - briefing on hazards of smoking for Department of Youth and Sports officers..;
Brunei - seems like smokers to avoid fines want designated smoking area..;
Brunei - smoking ban looks like it will work - ENFORCEMENT STRONG..;
Brunei - An imam blasts tactics to keep people addicted to nicotine..;
Brunei - smoking top cause of cancer death..;
Brunei - national tobacco control panel to create smoke-free society..
Read more...
New York City - . U.S. Court rejects NYC law for shops to have anti-smoking signs..
Background:
“Even merchants of morbidity are entitled to the full protection of the law,” Judge Rakoff wrote, “for our sake as well as theirs.”
August 13, 2010 - The hearing was set for October 14 in U.S. District Court in Manhattan. The city agreed to stop enforcing its law until January 1 or 14 days after a judge's order, whichever comes first. The court case: US District Court Southern District of New York - NY Health Department signs in retail stores - 6/2/2010.
Massachusetts was poised to become the first state in the nation to force retailers to prominently display graphic warnings about the perils of smoking right where cigarettes are sold — at tobacco sales racks and next to cash registers. The proposal by the state Department of Public Health need the approval of the state Public Health Council. But now members of the council are waiting to see what happens with a pending New York lawsuit. "We are not going to take any action until after the initial hearing in New York City," says Jennifer Manley of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. (Massachusetts - may force retailers to display graphic warning signs of perils of tobacco..)
New York City - more on the anti-smoking signs lawsuit against Department of Health..
June 4, 2010 - Philip Morris USA, Lorillard Tobacco Company, and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., plus two major retail trade groups and two convenience stores, alleged in the Manhattan federal court lawsuit that the signs violate the sellers' rights by imposing the signs on them. (Big tobacco companies file lawsuit contesting NY City's anti-smoking signs..
March 1, 2010 - NY City health officials are requiring stores that sell tobacco products to display graphic anti-smoking signs by March 1, 2010 but some experts and other New Yorkers question the effectiveness of the ad campaigns. Starting March 1, any city shops that sell cigarettes and other tobacco products that do not display these arresting anti-smoking signs risk fines of up to $2,000. (New York City - VIDEO: starting March 1, 2010 stores, anti-smoking signs..)
September 22, 2009 - The New York City (NYC) Department of Health unanimously approved a measure Tuesday, September 22nd that will require all retailers selling tobacco to post health warning signs in stores. (New York City - all retailers selling tobacco will be required to post warning signs..)
June 25, 2009 - New Yorkers are being called upon to give their opinion in a public hearing on July 30 on a new Health Code amendment that would put graphic anti-smoking warnings wherever tobacco products are sold. The warnings would include images depicting the adverse health effects of smoking and information on how to quit. (New York City - to ask public opinion - smoking graphic warning signs..)
June 24, 2009 - The New York City (NYC) Health Department is proposing city tobacco retailers post signs with graphic images such as cancer-ravaged throats and black lungs in an effort to discourage smoking, health officials. (New York City - proposed pictorial warning signs to show the sickness and suffering caused by tobacco use..)
The decision puts an end — at least for now— to the city’s plan to have the placards displayed beside cash registers in more than 11,000 establishments across the city. While awaiting Judge Rakoff’s ruling, the city had agreed that it would postpone enforcement of its rule until this weekend.
Lawyers with the city’s Law Department said they planned to appeal the decision. In a statement, the health department said that the city “strongly disagrees” with the ruling and that tobacco companies “trying to prevent these messages from being seen should be ashamed of themselves.”
But Judge Rakoff also cited a federal law enacted in 1965, the Labeling Act, which gave the federal government exclusive authority over cigarette warnings. That law, he wrote, seeks to balance public and commercial interests: the federal government protects the public, but also sets clear and uniform cigarette regulations that protect “commerce and the national economy.” In his ruling, Judge Rakoff pointed out that the Labeling Act also contained a provision forbidding any state laws from conflicting with the federal government’s policies on cigarette warnings and advertisements. That, he concluded, makes the city’s placard policy illegal.
Reference: Judge Rejects City Law on Antismoking Posters by ANAHAD O’CONNOR, The New York Times, 12/29/2010.
NYC directly related:
New York City - suing tobacco company in Washington State..;
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...
RJR - national campaign to promote Camel SNUS..
Click to enlarge..
"A lot of adults make a decision to quit smoking this time of the year," Howard said. "For those making that attempt, but still wanting the pleasure of tobacco, we're saying 'Here's an option.' " Bill Godshall, the executive director of SmokeFree Pennsylvania, said he believes that Reynolds is the first large U.S. tobacco company to encourage smokers to quit smoking by urging them to switch to a smokeless product. (Pennsylvania - no state tax on cigars and smokeless tobacco products..)
The ads have run in magazines such as Entertainment Weekly, People, Sports Illustrated, Time and US Weekly, as well as free and alternative publications.
(Camel SNUS ads from Car and Driver Magazine 2010..; Camel SNUS Advertisements - Entertainment Magazines..)
RJR can't be trusted. They tell you they are now targeting quitters. But before they were targeting smokers that refuse to quit. The promotions, the packaging, the various flavors are all designed to attract young adults and any kids they can entice along the way. (R.J. Reynolds - trying their hardest to recruit new tobacco users..; Are adults snoozing while kids are "snusing?"..)
Reynolds American Inc - Susan Ivey, Ms. Everything, to retire..
Not many people would want to take a pouch of flavored tobacco place in a particular location in their mouth and suck on it for 30 minutes. If the pouch is moved at all it will result in more saliva being produced and the urge to spit will increase. Drooling can be a problem, especially for the inexperienced user and, of course, the juice that is swallowed contains lots of toxins including carcinogens. (The Art of SNUSing; Karolinska Institution finds twice risk of pancreatic cancer when using moist snuff (snus)..
In the "2011 smoke-free resolution" ad, Reynolds said it supports smokers who have decided to quit using tobacco. "But if you're looking for smoke-free, spit-free, drama-free tobacco pleasure, Camel Snus is your answer," the ad's text reads. The ads also contain a large warning that "smokeless tobacco is addictive."
(Snuff (snus) just as addictive as cigarettes..; One can Camel SNUS addicted to nicotine for life..)
Howard said that the "drama-free" reference is aimed at adults who want to use tobacco products in restaurants, bars and other social outlets where smoking is discouraged or banned.
Reynolds' print ads are part of a "take the pleasure switch challenge" campaign tied to an age-restricted Camel Snus website. (NAAG asks R.J. Reynolds Tobacco to stop promotional campaign for Camel cigarettes - appeals to young people..)
Matt Myers, the president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said that Reynolds should "stop its insidious marketing of tobacco products in ways that seek to discourage smokers from quitting and keep them hooked on nicotine." "The ads are trying to take advantage of people trying to end all uses of tobacco," Myers said. "If a smoker does that, switch to smokeless, they'll be worse off than if they had quit."
Snus comes in a small pouch that is placed between the lip and gum. The tobacco is pasteurized, not fermented, and it contains less moisture and salt than moist snuff. It also does not require the consumer to spit, Reynolds said. Although Reynolds does not dictate the price of Camel Snus at retail, the price is comparable to a premium pack of cigarettes, which typically sells for $4 to $4.50.
Reynolds has been the most aggressive U.S. tobacco manufacturer with snus. It began its first trial in April 2006, with national distribution commencing in January 2009.
(Reynolds To Roll Out Camel SNUS Nationally Early in 2009..)
The ads do not make any claims of reduced health risks with a potential switch.
Some anti-smoking advocates are encouraging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to allow the advertising of smokeless tobacco as less harmful than cigarettes if such claims can be proven through research. For example, a study of smokers ages 18 to 70 — released in November by the Tobacco Use Research Center of the University of Minnesota — found that "quit rates for Camel Snus were comparable to those obtained with nicotine replacement therapy."
"A properly powered study is needed to determine if use of smokeless tobacco products with higher nicotine content can be an effective path to smoking cessation, perhaps especially among smokers who are not interested in or previously were not successful with using approved pharmacotherapies."
Some anti-tobacco advocates oppose marketing smokeless products under cigarettes' brand names because of those brands' appeal to youth.
The 2010 Monitoring the Future survey, released Dec. 14, found that smokeless tobacco use is rising among eighth, 10th and 12th graders, including at 16 percent among 12th-grade boys. The survey is conducted by the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. Michigan researchers said that factors leading to the increases in smokeless-tobacco use likely included increased advertising and availability of these products.
Myers said that research of smokeless products must evaluate what harm is caused by the product along with how the product is marketed. "If a smokeless product reduces the risk of disease, but results in more people using tobacco, it could result in more deaths, not fewer," Myers said.
Godshall said it will be interesting to see if the FDA tries to claim "that Reynolds' new ads make Camel Snus an unapproved smoking-cessation drug device." He said that the FDA has made such a claim with electronic cigarettes. This is a ridiculous comment on the part of Mr. Godshall. Camel snus is a pouch of tobacco where an e-cigarette (ENDS - nicotine electronic delivery device) consists of a battery, a heating element and a cartridge that contains a liquid suspension with nicotine. When a user inhales from the cartridge, the liquid is heated and the vaporized liquid can be inhaled.
More Camel Snus holiday ads 2010..
Reference: Reynolds targets quitters by RICHARD CRAVER (rcraver@wsjournal.com), Winston-Salem Journal, 12/29/2010.
Read more...
North Carolina - air quality improved - reaping the benefits of state smoking ban..
April 24, 2010 - North Carolina - reaping the benefits of statewide smoking ban...
Jackalope Jacks Manager Ben Jackson said he and his employees are feeling a lot different in 2010 than they did at this time last year. "We don't seem to be as sick. It's a better working environment. People don't seem to come down with colds as much, upper respiratory infections,” Jackson said.
The North Carolina Division of Public Health found Jackson isn't the only one breathing easier. Nearly one year after smoking was banned in North Carolina's bars and restaurants a new report showed air quality has improved nearly 90 percent where we eat, drink and have a good time.
"I hope that skeptics can see now that this is not just a popular law that people really enjoy but that it's actually having a positive effect on the health of the state,” Ann Staples (with the state tobacco prevention and control branch) said. Staples said the longer the smoking ban is in effect, the better it will be for the state's overall well being and health care costs. "Heart disease and lung disease and particularly lung cancer, and we should see those rates go down where there's less and less exposure to secondhand smoke,” Staples said.
Smokers we spoke with Wednesday night, December 22nd said they're still getting used to walking outdoors in order to light up. "It's more of a mental process, you know, like I have to go outside right now, to go smoke, and get away from my friends," Alison Kushner said.
Beyond the health impact of the state's smoking ban, an economic study is expected in a month or so which will outline how the ban has affected businesses' bottom line. Jackson said it has filtered in new customers to his establishment. “If anything it's affected for the better, because we've had an influx of non-smokers that normally wouldn't have come to bars and restaurants," Jackson said.
Reference: VIDEO - Air quality better at eateries, bars following smoking ban By: Brad Broders, triad.news14.com, 12/22/2010.
Related North Carolina smoking ban news briefs:
North Carolina - smokers be careful where you flick your cigarette..;
North Carolina - nine sentenced in cigarette-smuggling ring..;
North Carolina - U.S. cigarette consumption in 2009 fell 9.3% so share of MSA payment reduced..;
Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina - you can smoke on the beach but don't drop them..;
North Carolina - reaping the benefits of statewide smoking ban..;
North Carolina - may restore tax stamp to reduce smuggling..:
North Carolina - smoking ban forces smokers outside in the cold..;
North Carolina - some hookah bars owners stay open after smoking ban begins..;
North Carolina (NC) - beginning in January 2010 fire safe cigarettes (FSC), smoking ban in public places..;
North Carolina - smoking ban simple details, January 2, 2010..;
North Carolina - smoking ban does not allow hookah bars to operate - RIGHT..;
North Carolina smoking ban includes banning hookah bars..;
North Carolina Governor Purdue signs smoking ban law..;
North Carolina - legislators approve smoking ban..;
North Carolina - smoking ban scaled back again..;
North Carolina Senate Health Committee votes for stricter smoking ban..;
North Carolina House poised to pass smoking ban..;
North Carolina - ban on smoking in public places passes 1st test...
Read more...
Beijing, China - smoke-free indoor public places by 2015 - can they do it??
Hospitals, schools, theaters, museums, business halls, stadiums, offices of enterprises and government organizations, as well as buses, taxies and subways, should hopefully be smoke-free by then, said Mao Yu, spokesman of the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau, at a news conference held Friday, December 24th.
The municipal government issued a smoking ban in the above places in 2008 ahead of the Beijing Olympics, but the rules haven't been effectively implemented. (Beijing to ban smoking in most public areas from May 2008, beijing2008.cn, 4/24/2008) Background: Each year, 5.4 million people die of smoking-related diseases worldwide, one fifth of whom are in China. The country now has 350 million smokers on the mainland, including 180 million teenagers, WHO statistics showed. Without effective intervention, another 100 million Chinese will die from smoking-related illness by 2050, half of them aged between 30 and 60, experts estimated.
Mao said, "The current smoking-control regulations still need to be improved."
Yang Gonghuan, head of the National Office of Tobacco Control, said that progress in reducing the number of smokers had almost stalled since China ratified FCTC in 2003.
The municipal government issued a smoking ban in the above places in 2008 ahead of the Beijing Olympics, but the rules haven't been effectively implemented. China's tobacco consumption has been rising in recent decades, from nearly 590 billion cigarettes in 1978 to roughly 2.3 trillion in 2009, statistics on the website of the China National Tobacco Corporation showed. And cigarette production has increased by 33 percent since 2002.
China's tobacco consumption has been rising in recent decades, from nearly 590 billion cigarettes in 1978 to roughly 2.3 trillion in 2009, statistics on the website of the China National Tobacco Corporation showed. And cigarette production has increased by 33 percent since 2002.
As the tobacco industry reportedly generated more than 513 billion yuan ($77 billion) in taxes in 2009, accounting for 7.5 percent of total government revenues.
Despite a lack of national legislation, by 2010 more than half of China's 337 large and medium-sized cities had issued regulations to ban smoking in certain public areas, said the report.
Ministry of Industry and Information Technology administers China's largest tobacco producer. Currently, China National Tobacco Corporation, the largest cigarette-maker in China and reportedly the largest worldwide, makes 95 percent of China's tobacco products and is a subsidiary of the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration, which is under the ministry.
NGO calls for tough action on tobacco control, Source: China Daily(By Shan Juan), People's Daily Online, 12/29/2010.
He said the first step was for health authorities to better implement the smoking ban in medical institutions, as a drop in medical professionals smoking could set an example for society.
China is home to 350 million smokers, a third of the global total. It ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in 2003, pledging measures to effectively curb tobacco use and ban smoking in all indoor public places, workplaces and public transport.
Reference: Beijing aims for smoke-free indoor public spaces by 2015, Source: Xinhua, People's Daily Online, 12/26/2010.
A few China related news briefs:
China - can they learn tobacco control from Hong Kong??;
China - heavy metals in cigarettes pose a health risk..;
Chinese made fake Marlboro cigarettes showing up around Wasington, D.C..;
China to ban all tobacco advertising by 2011...
Read more...
Japan - workplace smoking ban likely in 2011..
Back on December 7th it was learned that a government panel plans to propose a bill to require employers in Japan to ban smoking in workplaces or set up smoking rooms, but will not include any penalties, government officials said Monday. The panel will present the proposal to the minister of health, labor and welfare before the end of the year to allow the bill to be submitted to the Diet during its ordinary session in the first half of 2011. Although some labor representatives at the panel’s meeting Monday, December 6th called for some penalties to ensure compliance with the requirement, the panel eventually endorsed management representatives’ opinion that imposing such punishment would be too tough for employers, the officials said. The proposal will also urge the government to provide financial and other support for employers to promote antismoking measures. (Japan plans to impose workplace smoking ban, but without penalties, JapanToday.com, 12/7/2010)
The advisory committee submitted the plan this week to Health Minister Ritsuo Hosokawa, Legislation will probably be submitted next year to Parliament.
Japan now has a voluntary policy on smoking. A 2007 survey found just over half of businesses had not taken steps to protect non-smokers from secondhand smoke by totally banning the practice or creating leak-proof smoking rooms. A government order banning smoking in all offices, factories and stores to protect nonsmoking employees and customers from secondhand smoke will likely be implemented next year. The measure would significantly ratchet up regulations from the current nonbinding rule. This has left restaurants and bars, unable to ignore the wishes of customers who like to light up, worried about how to comply with the new restrictions.
The new regulation would, in principle, force all places of business to completely ban smoking or separate smoking areas in rooms smoke cannot leak out of. According to a 2007 survey by the ministry, 53.6 percent of businesses had yet to introduce either a total ban on smoking or establish separate smoking areas.
In February 2010, the ministry issued a nonbinding notice banning smoking in all public places, including restaurants and bars. (Japan - Health Ministry set to urge all local governments to go smoke-free..) "The [antismoking notice] has not penetrated enough," a ministry official said. The ministry wants to strengthen the regulations to force business and factory owners and operators to choose between a complete ban on smoking or building a segregated area.
In a 2008 survey by the Japan Industrial Safety and Health Association on action taken by restaurants and bars against secondhand smoke, 50 percent of respondents said they wanted to prevent passive smoking but business must come first. Only 32 percent said clearly that exposure to secondhand smoke should be prevented. Even if an exception is granted, simply separating smoking and nonsmoking tables probably would be insufficient, as there would be limits set on the quantity of dust in the air. Therefore, investment in ventilators or other equipment likely would be necessary, a difficult burden to shoulder for small eating and drinking establishments.
Global-Dining Inc., a Tokyo-based chain of 60 restaurants and other food service operations, made all of its stores smoke-free in March, with the exception of a cigar bar. The company said it is commonly accepted overseas that smoking is not allowed in restaurants. The chain's customers have praised the decision.
The nation's smoking rate was 23.4 percent in 2009. With the number of smokers dwindling and tough new regulations on the horizon, Japan Tobacco Inc. (JT) is in crisis mode. In November, JT sent the ministry a letter claiming the new rules would have many negative effects, such as a decline in revenue at bars and restaurants.
The ministry does not stipulate any penalties, such as fines, for those who flout the rule, but said it would try to make the regulations stick by allowing the labor standards inspections office to issue correction instructions. Inspectors will have the right to enter businesses and conduct inspections at will, and violators will have to report on their corrective measures to the office.
However, Fumisato Watanabe, editor in chief of Kinen Journal, a monthly magazine on stopping smoking, criticized the lack of penalties. "It's like if traffic violators didn't face any punishment," Watanabe said. "It's meaningless."
A senior ministry official said: "As long as society is tolerant of smoking, it's difficult to completely get rid of secondhand smoke. Public opinion will determine how effective the regulations will be."
Reference: Workplace smoking ban likely next year, Yuki Inamura and Tomoko Koizumi Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers, Daily Yomiuri online, 12/25/2010.
Some Japan related news briefs:
Japan - with tax increase, after first month three of five quitters still smoke-free..;
Japan - ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) committee recommends caution in raising the tax on cigarettes again soon..;
Japan - increased demand for anti-smoking aid Chantix (Champix)..;
Japan - cigarette sales increase by 88% prior to tax increase..:
Japan Tobacco to expand Zerostyle Mint distribution..;
Japan Tobacco - to launch Pianissimo Super Slims menthol in November 2010..;
Japan - with tax increase in place, fewer smokers buying cigarettes so far..;
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..;
Read more...
Smoking Ban Arrives January 1, 2011 for U.S. Navy's Submarine Sailors ..
Click to enlarge..
The move was in response to a 2009 study by the Naval Submarine Medical Research Laboratory that showed the ill effects on nonsmokers. (The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General)
The USS Michigan got a jump on a dozen other Kitsap-based submarines, and its sailors are breathing easier because of it. The Blue Crew of SSGN-727 went smokeless at 7:27 a.m. on July 27, matching the boat’s hull number. By midnight on Dec. 31, the rest of the Navy’s subs must follow suit. The Michigan was the first boat from Naval Base Kitsap, and possibly in the Navy, to kick the habit, said Submarine Group 9 spokesman Lt. Ed Early. It wasn’t alone, however.
As of Oct. 22, 21 of the Navy’s 71 submarines had gone completely smoke-free, Early said. Efforts to get an updated number from Submarine Force in Norfolk, Va., last week proved unsuccessful.
There are about 3,500 submariners based at Naval Base Kitsap. If 31 percent of sailors smoke, as a 2008 Department of Defense survey contends, then nearly 1,100 local submariners will have to either quit or subdue the urge to smoke while they’re on patrol.
Submariners can still use smokeless tobacco, though the Navy highly discourages it. Ten percent of them do, according to the survey. They can take cigarettes onto the boat and smoke them pier side or while on liberty. If they get caught sneaking a puff on board, the commanding officer will determine the proper response.
“The goal is to educate smokers about the effect on smokers, and if they want to quit, to help them quit,” Early said.
Sailors have had seven months to quit, and a lot of help. The Navy provided smoking-cessation classes, counseling, and nicotine patches and gum at Naval Hospital Bremerton, its Bangor health clinic and a substance-abuse rehabilitation center at Bangor, said hospital spokesman Doug Stutz. “They have qualified counselors who have been accredited and have a thorough knowledge of how to deal with anybody who wants to undertake the process of weaning away from the nicotine habit,” Stutz said.
That includes spouses and girlfriends, Stutz said.
The hospital is working with Submarine Group 9 leadership and submarine commanding officers so the crews have ample resources to kick the habit, Stutz said. Each crew has an independent duty corpsman who oversees the program on the sub and is responsible for the gum and patches.
A week from the deadline, all submarines should be close to smokeless, though there might be some stragglers, Early said. “We’ve put the word out to all of our boats. We expect when Jan. 1 rolls around, the submarine force will be absolutely smoke-free,” he said. Anybody with access to the naval hospital can get help to quit smoking, not just submariners, Stutz said. Call (800) 422-1383. Resources are available at the website www.ucanquit2.org.
Reference: Smoking Ban Arrives Jan. 1 for Navy's Submarine Sailors by Ed Friedrich, KitsapSun.com, 12/24/2010.
Read more...
Tobacco use a threat to your oral health can be severe, even deadly..
Dr. Moore..
“Smoking is the No. 1 most preventable cause of death, according to both the federal government and the World Health Organization,” Moore said. “Baby Boomers and their children have lived most of their lives with Surgeon General’s warnings on cigarette packs, pointing out that they cause heart disease, lung cancer and other ills.”
“But if you need more motivation to quit using tobacco, the answer is in your mouth,” the San Antonio orthodontist added, noting that smoking – as well as smokeless tobacco products – can cause a number of serious problems, including:
* Unsightly tooth stains
* Persistent bad breath
* Loss of the ability to taste food
* A higher rate of mouth sores, gum recession and gum disease
* Tough plaque that must be cleaned professionally
* The development of deep pockets between teeth and gums, and the loss of tissue and bones that anchor teeth into place.
* Tooth loss - At a rate triple that of non-smokers
* Healing problems in the mouth - with a lower success rate for periodontal treatments and dental implants
* Formation of white patches in the mouth
* Oral cancer
“If you started smoking to look ‘cool’, it has the opposite effect” Moore said. The good news is that many of the bad effects of tobacco use can be slowed or even reversed by quitting immediately, he said.
New Year’s is a good time to make a commitment to stop smoking, because is a culturally accepted time to make life-change decisions, Moore said. But a smoker must be realistic and make a serious commitment to quit ... and to keep focusing on the goal, even if there are slips. “In the end, you have to take responsibility for your own habits, and whether tobacco is going to control you,” Dr. Moore said. “While you’re planning your end-of-year holidays, make this year the one to give a gift of life and health to your loved ones and yourself.”
Tobacco deadly in any form or disguise - graphic warnings for cans of smokeless tobacco..;
Smoking a contributor to many dermatologic conditions and complications...
Reference: Snuff It Out: A New Year’s Resolution to Keep Your Smile on Your Face, San Antonio PRWEB, 12/26/2010.
Read more...
President Obama - willpower does the trick - president has gone 9-months without smoking..
VIDEO - No more smoke-filled rooms for Obama?, CNN Political Unit, 12/25/2010.
“It was a commitment that I think he made to himself at the end of health care and with his two daughters in mind,” Mr. Gibbs told CNN Chief Political Correspondent Candy Crowley.
Nine months is the longest period Mr. Obama has gone without puffing a cigarette.
Mr. Gibbs also mentioned the president used “stubborn willpower” after trying Nicorette soft chews.
“It really stuck,” said Mr. Gibbs. “I hope he doesn’t start again, it tests his willpower everyday, and this president has a strong will.”
Reference: Obama Quits Smoking by: S.K. Neff, PoliticallyIllustrated.com, 12/26/2010.
Related news briefs:
President Obama - still needs a cigarette (coffin nails) once in a while??;
President Obama - time to get tobacco use out of your life forever..;
President Obama still trying to kick his addiction to tobacco..; Father's Day and Third-Hand Smoke..;
Children are especially vulnerable to thirdhand smoke...
Read more...
Australia, New South Wales - Sydney Beaches - good tobacco control measures but where's the enforcement..
Now we find that anti-smoking rules on some of Sydney's most famous beaches are nothing but hot air, with at least one council claiming its rangers are powerless to enforce the ban. Waverley Council, which set the no-smoking rule on Bondi Beach in 2004, told The Sunday Telegraph it had not issued a single fine since the ban was introduced because it did not know whether its rangers had the power to demand someone's identification.
A related news brief:
Australia - smoking bans must be enforced, especially at hospitals..
When The Sunday Telegraph visited Bondi Beach last week, it had no trouble finding scores of people lighting up on the famous stretch of sand. While Waverley rangers take a soft approach, a spokesman for Local Government Minister Barbara Perry said council rangers could, in fact, not only demand a person's name and address, but they could also physically detain them if they didn't comply.
At Manly, where smoking is banned on the beach and in The Corso, the council has issued three $110 fines in the past 12 months for people smoking on the beac (the only fines). A spokesman for Manly Council said its rangers preferred to "educate" people rather than fine them and had never detained anyone who refused to give their name and address to rangers. "The the ranger would identify themselves and ask for the person's identification, and if they refused or the situation escalated, they would call the police," he said.
Smokers in Mosman have been banned since 2004 from lighting up in al fresco dining areas and within 10m of council owned buildings. In 2007, the Mosman ban was extended to cover parks, public squares, bus shelters and beaches.
Reference: Smoke screen on Sydney beaches by JESSE PHILLIPS, The Sunday Telegraph, 12/26/2010.
New South Wales (NSW) related news briefs:
New South Wales (NSW), Australia - more bans coming for smoking in public places..;
New South Wales, Australia - budget for anti-smoking advertising cut..;
Australia - opportunity to buy cigarettes too readily available..;
Smokers' kisses can be fatal, a leading child health expert has warned..;
Orange, New South Wales, Australia - bans smoking in central business district..;
Australia, New South Wales - BAT pushes for removal of judge hearing a cancer compensation case..;
Australia - New South Wales - display ban for large stores started January 1, 2010..;
New South Wales politician smoking comment totally inaccurate..;
New South Wales - July 1, 2009 - Great Day for Tobacco Control..;
New South Wales - comply with tobacco laws too costly - NOT TRUE..; New South Wales refuse to be complacent about tobacco control..;
New South Wales won't use "separation" anti-tobacco ad..;
NSW Premier Rees Directly Involved Staged Smoking Bans..;
NSW - Clerical Error 2008 Tobacco Bill Corrected..;
Candy cigarettes predispose children to smoke..;
More New South Wales - Sweeping Anti-Tobacco Measures..;
New South Wales - tough new anti-tobacco laws approved..;
New South Wales - Big Tobacco Influencing Cabinet's Decision..;
Festival cigarette stalls banned in youth crackdown...
Read more...
Pakistan - on average 273 Pakistanis die each day from smoking related diseases..
Listen to VIDEO..
Directly related news brief:
January 29, 2010 - Pakistan - over 273 people die daily of smoking related disease..
Many blame this, among other factors, on lack of public awareness, and lax anti-smoking regulations. With a spike in smoking amongst the youth, retailers in Pakistan continue to sell cigarettes illegally to under-age smokers.
The government has withdrawn the Statutory Rules and Orders (SRO) on designated smoking areas, totally banning smoking in any place of public work to protect the health of non-smokers. However, the law is being openly violated across Pakistan.
(Pakistan - More, on rollback of the Statutory Regulatory Order on Designated Smoking Areas..)
The leading tobacco companies in Pakistan have recently been aggressively marketing their products for the youth. The government's step to introduce pictorial health warnings to make people aware of the hazards of smoking back in May 2009, has been slow in its implementation. For now it seems, with or without health warnings, the prevalence of smoking is set to continue to rise in the coming years. (Pakistan - will soon increase size of graphic warnings on cigarette packs..)
Experts believe measures like increasing taxes on tobacco products and banning advertising don't address the root causes of the habit. Smoking levels naturally drop off when people become richer and better-educated.
Pakistan Tobacco Company has mobile doctor teams that provide health care in areas where there are no medical facilities. (Mobile doctors)
Reference: VIDEO - Pakistan among top S Asian countries in smoking, Addiel Sabir, Press TV, Islamabad, 12/23/2010.
Pakistan - related news brief:
Pakistan - govt revenue loss on account of tax evasion, smuggling and counterfeiting in cigarette industry..;
Pakistan - will soon increase size of graphic warnings on cigarette packs..;
Pakistan - as of October 1, 2010 - cigarette packs must have 20 cigarettes or more..;
Pakistan beats India introducing - pictorial warnings on cigarette packs.. - REALLY..;
Pakistan - pictorial health warnings on cigarette packs will be enforced from June 1, 2010..;
Pakistan - govt misses deadline to implement pictorial tobacco warnings..
Pakistan - over 273 people die daily of smoking related disease..;
Pakistan - implementation of tobacco control laws difficult..;
Pakistan - February, 2010 - graphic warnings on cigarette packs..;
Pakistan National Conference Tobacco Control, October 28th..;
Pakistan - pictorial health warnings on cigarette packs and cartons soon..;
Pakistan - More, on rollback of the Statutory Regulatory Order on Designated Smoking Areas..;
Smuggled Cigarettes Give Boost To Pakistani Militants..;
Pakistan - strong tobacco control measures..;
Pakistan - Government must withdraw Statutory Regulatory Order..;
Bloomberg Grant: Tobacco Reforms in Pakistan...
Read more...
U.S. FDA could start regulating cigars as soon as June 2011..
WASHINGTON -- A brief posting in the December 20, 2010, issue of the Federal Register, the Department of Health and Human Services suggests cigars could come under regulation by the Food and Drug Administration as soon as June 2011.
The Federal Register published the agency's semi-annual "Regulatory Agenda," which provides a forecast of numerous rulemaking actions under development that the agency expects to undertake in the foreseeable future. The FDA is a part of the Department of Health and Human Services.
In the published notice, Sequence Number 325 lists a proposed rule titled "Cigars Subject to the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act," according to a recent newsletter from the National Association of Tobacco Outlets. This act is the law that granted the FDA the authority to regulate tobacco products.
The notice includes the abstract on this proposed rule, which states that "[t]his proposed rule would deem cigars to be subject to the Tobacco Control Act and include provisions to address public health concerns raised by cigars."
To date, cigars have remained separate from the act, although many in the industry assumed they would eventually fall under the FDA’s regulation. In the notice, a possible action timetable for a proposed rule on cigars is June 2011.
Federal Register /Vol. 75, No. 243 /Monday, December 20, 2010 /Unified Agenda 79765
HHS - Food and Drug Administration—Proposed Rule Stage
325 Cigars Subject to the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act .............................................................. 0910–AG38
Reference: Cigars Next for FDA Regulation, CSP (Convenience Store / Petroleum) Daily News, 12/27/2010.
Read more...
325. CIGARS SUBJECT TO THE
FAMILY SMOKING PREVENTION AND
TOBACCO CONTROL ACT
Legal Authority: 21 USC 301 et seq,
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic
Act; PL 111–31, The Family Smoking
Prevention and Tobacco Control Act
Abstract: The Family Smoking
Prevention and Tobacco Control Act
(the Tobacco Control Act) provides
FDA authority to regulate cigarettes,
cigarette tobacco, roll-your-own
tobacco, and smokeless tobacco.
Section 901 of the Federal Food, Drug,
and Cosmetic Act, as amended by the
Tobacco Control Act, permits FDA to
issue regulations deeming other tobacco
products to be subject to the Tobacco
Control Act. This proposed rule would
deem cigars to be subject to the
Tobacco Control Act and include
provisions to address public health
concerns raised by cigars.
Timetable:
Action Date FR Cite
NPRM 06/00/11
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
Required: Yes
Agency Contact: May Nelson,
Regulatory Counsel, Department of
Health and Human Services, Food and
Drug Administration, 9200 Corporate
Boulevard, Rockville, MD 20850
Phone: 877 287–1373
Fax: 240 276–3904
Email: may.nelson@fda.hhs.gov
RIN: 0910–AG38"Agenda" suggests agency could take on additional tobacco category as soon as June, CSP (Convenience Store / Petroleum) Daily News, 12/27/2010.
Philadelphia, PA - trying to stop the sale of cigarettes to minors..
Mayor Michael Nutter..
Philadelphia is an easy place for kids to buy cigarettes illegally. When undercover shoppers for the city's health department — local high school students posing as customers — try to buy cigarettes in one of the city's 4,300 tobacco retailers, they succeed at least 25% of the time.
Confronted by one of the highest underage smoking rates among large cities, Philadelphia has launched an unusual program that sends health department workers into corner stores and Chinese restaurants for one-on-one sessions with retailers who have been caught selling tobacco to teens.December 23, 2010 - Stores caught selling cigarettes to minors will now face heftier fines in Philadelphia. The legislation signed Thursday, December 23rd is designed to cut the city's high teen smoking rate. The bill raises the fine from $100 to $250 and if a merchant defaults on the fine it can be increased to as much as $2,000. Mayor Michael Nutter says it's designed to help keep young people from taking up what could be a deadly habit. "We cannot allow our children to be the next generation of addicts facing a very certain future of illness and death. Smoking is not cool at all," said Nutter.
In Philadelphia, 7.4% of teenagers under 18 smoke daily, according to an annual study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That's less than the national underage smoking rate of 11.2%, but far higher than cities such as Boston, where 5.7% of teenagers smoke regularly, Los Angeles, where 3.6% do, or New York, where 4.9% of kids smoke, according to the CDC's 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance released in June.
In addition to the fines, the legislation authorizes the city to shut down a business for 48 hours if it sells tobacco to minors three times in two years. And the city will post on its website the names of businesses cited for illegal tobacco sales.
Nutter also spoke about a new publicity campaign, called the "Last Pack," which will provide counseling and other support to those trying to quit cigarettes. Promotional ads will be featured on 17 local radio stations. The effort is funded through a $10.4 million federal stimulus grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As part of the anti-smoking effort, last month the city launched a nicotine-patch giveaway that attracted 3,300 participants. And starting in January, the city will provide insurance coverage for smoking-cessation medications to roughly 7,000 employees. Nutter asked that anyone who witnesses an illegal tobacco sale to a minor report it by calling 1-888-99-SMOKE or going to smokefreephilly.org.
"The products are available at just about every corner," says Giridhar Mallya, director of policy and planning for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. And because Philadelphia has no local tax on cigarettes, unlike many cities, "they're pretty darn cheap," at about $6 a pack.
The city's effort comes at a time when the national decline in youth smoking has stalled, and the rate of retailers selling to minors has crept up. After dropping from a peak of 35% in 1995 to 20% in 2007, the decline in the rate of youth who have smoked in the previous month has plateaued, according to the CDC. In the most recent federal reports on underage cigarette sales, the national rate of retailers selling to minors increased to 10.9% from 9.9%, the first increase since the study began in 1997 and the highest rate since 2005.
Of the 405 retailers visited in the program's first five months, 45% have again sold cigarettes to teens, according to Lauren Gemberling of the Health Promotion Council of Southeastern Philadelphia, which undertakes the work for the health department.
Anti-smoking efforts don't stop with minors. According to the city, smoking afflicts all ages in Philadelphia, killing 2,500 people in the city each year and costing more than $800 million in lost productivity.
Under a law that went into effect in June, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will enforce the ban on underage cigarette sales through state grants; Pennsylvania won a grant in July. The program's impact on Philadelphia is "to be determined, but that could be an important piece" of reducing kids' ability to buy cigarettes, Mallya says. (FDA CTP Retailer Compliance Training Sessions..)
References: Philadelphia targets underage smoking, Martha T. Moore, USA TODAY, 12/2/2010; Philadelphia raises fines for selling tobacco to kids by Tom MacDonald, newsworks.org, 12/23/2010; A pack of initiatives to cut city smoking rates by CATHERINE LUCEY (luceyc@phillynews.com), Philadelphia Daily News, 12/24/2010.
Read more...
PAPER: smoking cessation may increase blood levels of good cholesterol..
PAPER: Effects of smoking and smoking cessation on lipids and lipoproteins: Outcomes from a randomized clinical trial, Adam D. Gepner, MD, Megan E. Piper, PhD, Heather M. Johnson, MD, Michael C. Fiore, MD, MPH, Timothy B. Baker, PhD, James H. Stein, MD, Amer Heart Journal 161(1): 145-151, January 2011, ABSTRACT..
"Further benefits on cholesterol levels may have been actually masked by the weight gain seen after quitting," said lead researcher Adam Gepner from the University of Wisconsin, stressing that small weight gain regularly follows smoking cessation.
"It is important to counsel quitters about weight gain and the need for a healthy diet and regular exercise during the quitting period," he added.
Researchers, however, do not have a clear understanding of what lies behind quitting cigarette and increased good cholesterol levels, suggesting that smoking may damage the proteins that control the breakdown of cholesterol.
Previous studies have linked about 20 percent of mortalities from cardiovascular diseases to smoking.
Reference: Quitting smoking ups good cholesterol, presstv.ir, 12/25/2010.
Read more...
Tivoli, New York - smoke-free experience in Memorial Recreation Park..
“Kids should not be playing and inhaling cigarette smoke,” said Village Board member Bryan Cranna, who sponsored the resolution instituting the ban. “We’re hoping this is going to be a step toward creating a healthier and cleaner play environment for the kids.” Cranna said he began pushing for the smoking ban after he and two other board members celebrated Earth Day by cleaning up litter in the park. Cranna said the group SmokeFree Dutchess provided the village with information needed to draft the ban along with the “No Smoking” signs that have been placed throughout the park.
Ellen Reinhard, director of SmokeFree Dutchess, commended Tivoli officials for “joining the growing list of municipalities across New York state who have adopted polices and ordinances in support of tobacco-free parks and playgrounds. This policy will help denormalize tobacco use, which encourages adults to quit smoking and prevents youths from ever starting,” she said.
In May, town of Hyde Park officials banned smoking at two town parks, and earlier this month, the town of Poughkeepsie banned smoking at its 22 town parks and playgrounds. Ulster County has banned smoking on all county-owned and operated properties. Smoking also is prohibited on all city of Kingston municipal properties, including parks, and the town of Ulster is considering a ban on smoking at town parks and playgrounds. Town snuffs smoking at parks, playgrounds)
Reference: Smoking banned in village of Tivoli park by PATRICIA DOXSEY, Daily Freeman (Serving the Hudson Valley since 1871), 12/25/2010.
(Hudson Valley)
Read more...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
To Provide Public Awareness
Purpose
About Us
Contact Us
2008 HIGHLIGHTS
TOPIX PAPERS - 2008 & 2009..