another TOBaCCO control FAILURE- e-cigaretttes A tobacco PODUCTUCTsDUCTCTOs.

>

J"Because e-cigarettes have not been thoroughly tested, one cannot conclude that they are less harmful or less dangerous than conventional cigarettes," said Dr. Langston. "The fact that they come in fruit and candy flavors gives them the potential to entice new nicotine users, especially teens." Some of flvors include o, Mint, Apple, Chocolate, and Strawberry. You can pick your nicotine level and the flavor you want for your electronic cigarette set that comes with additional refills, or if you already have your e-cigarette, pick the flavor of your cartridge refills.

Today's annoucement april 25 , 2011 by the FDA http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/PublicHealthFocus/ucm252360.htm to not appeal Judge Richard Leon's ruling in NJOY v FDA https://ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_public_ doc?2009cv0771-54 to the US Supreme Court means that e-cigarettes, e-liquid, nicotine gums, lozenges, patches, skin creams and nasal sprays are now unregulate tobacco products according to federal law (as long as no therapeutic claim is made by the manufacturer/importer).

These nicotine products now join cigars and pipe tobacco as unregulated tobacco products under the . Currently regulated products include cigarettes, roll-your-own, and smokeless tobacco.

U.S. FDA for our children must limit the availability of menthol cigarettes..

IF THE FDA DOES NOT limit the availability of menthol cigarettes..THE Family Smoking Prevention Tobacco Control Act CAN BE CONSIDER A FAILURE...

Why we need a ban on menthol cigarettes,
,

n Read more...

Vermont - $1 cigarette tax is likely up in smoke..

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APRIL 30, 2011

VERMONT
February 3, 2011 - Vermont’s anti-tobacco forces are pressing lawmakers to boost the state’s per-pack tax — now $2.24 — in hopes of offsetting planned budget cuts to anti-tobacco efforts, raising more money for the state and discouraging people from lighting up.

A new survey shows strong public support for an 81-cent increase in Vermont's tax on a pack of cigarettes -- a finding the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Vermont is using to support its drive for the tax change, reported the Burlington Free Press. The poll showed even stronger support -- 88 percent -- for raising taxes on other tobacco products such as cigars and chewing tobacco, Vermont - Anti-smoking group proposes tax increase, public survey agrees..;

APRIL 29th - A heavy lobbying campaign to increase Vermont’s cigarette tax will continue its legislative push in an effort to reduce smoking rates while raising an additional $10 million in revenue.House members recently voted on a 27-cent increase on the state’s cigarette tax (currently at $2.24) before the Senate voted last week on a 53-cent hike in the Miscellaneous Tax bill. But the Coalition for a Tobacco Free Vermont says that is not enough to discourage smokers from lighting up.

"We are strongly still championing at least a 10 percent increase. We would love a dollar because that would bring the best public health benefit to Vermont, but you need to have at least a 65 cent increase (that would be a 10 percent increase) ... studies have shown that at least a 10 percent increase is needed to have a public health impact," said coalition coordinator Tina Zuk.

"Twenty-seven cents is just not worth it, and it doesn’t even produce that much revenue for the state and it probably won’t have any public health impact because you need to have a significant increase for [smokers] to even notice it," she said.

Anti-smoking groups have pressured lawmakers to support a $1 increase in the tax, citing the hike as the most effective way to prevent youth smoking. Raising the tax would create a $10.2 million increase in new revenue as well, according to the coalition.

"I think it’s important to not only look at the budget now, but down the road. We can’t be short-sighted with what we’re doing fiscally now because we’ll pay for it later," Zuk said.

But Gov. Peter Shumlin, a first-term Democrat, has lobbied for a smaller tax bump to keep Vermont on an even playing field with neighboring states.

"I don’t object to cigarette taxes, but right now, Vermont has $5 million of unexpected cash for the 2011 budget because our cigarette tax is lower than New York and competitive with Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The result has been that people have flooded into Vermont to buy cigarettes. While they’re there, they buy other things in our stores," he said.

The administration also disputes the full $1 increase would bring in $10 million annually, saying Vermont could see a loss in sales instead because other states will reap the benefits of lower cigarette prices.

"Those who say a dollar increase will bring us $10 million are smoking something other than tobacco," Shumlin told the Reformer. In the end, the General Assembly will go home approving a small increase in the cigarette tax, but it will not be "penny-wise and pound-foolish," he added.

Rebecca Ryan, director of Health Promotion and Public Policy for the American Lung Association, said Shumlin is pushing for real health care reform but will not address tobacco use.

"Vermont was a national leader in reducing the devastating impact of tobacco use, but the state’s investment in programs to prevent kids from smoking and helping adults quit has been dramatically reduced over the last three years," Ryan said. "In addition, the evidence is clear that increasing the price of a pack of cigarettes is most effective at preventing kids from smoking, Vermont has not had a significant increase since 2006 and the youth smoking rate has not changed since 2005."

Sen. Jeanette White, D-Windham, said the proposed cigarette tax and the rest of the Miscellaneous Tax bill heads to the Committee of Conference.

"The Senate committee ended up with 53 cents, so there were a lot of differences between the House version and the Senate version," she said. "The conference committee is set up with three Senate members and three House members and they go and they do the final bill."

Any final compromise between the two proposes are not likely to increase, but find a median between the two.

The coalition has actively lobbied for cigarette tax increases since 2002 when the levy jumped from 44-cents to $1.19, and another 80-cent hike in the next four years.

In 2009, the Legislature increased the tax to its current level of $2.24 per pack.
..
Chris Garofolo can be reached at cgarofolo@reformer.com or 802-254-2311 ext. 275.

Rreference $1 cigarette tax is likely up in smoke">.By CHRIS GAROFOLO / Reformer Staff Read more...

Bill seeks $1.50 hike in Maine cigarette tax

April 29, 2011

LITTLE BACKGOUND Maine - anti-smoking groups want an increase in state cigarette tax..;

A bill to increase Maine's cigarette tax by $1.50 per pack to $3.50 has encountered opposition in the State House from convenience stores, grocers and other businesses that deal with tobacco.

The Taxation Committee on Wednesday took up a bill supporters see as a way to help discourage young people from smoking. Money from the tax increase would help fund the operation of a tobacco help line.

The American Lung Association of Maine says that when Maine raised its cigarette tax by $1 per pack, an unprecedented number of people called the help line.

But groups representing convenience stores and tobacco dealers say they worry about the negative impact higher taxes will have on their businesses. They also say the higher taxes will send cigarette buyers to New Hampshire..

Reference A bill to increase Maine's cigarette tax by $1.50 per pack to $3.50 has encountered opposition in the State House from convenience stores, grocers and other businesses that deal with tobacco.

The Taxation Committee on Wednesday took up a bill supporters see as a way to help discourage young people from smoking. Money from the tax increase would help fund the operation of a tobacco help line.

Reference: Bill seeks $1.50 hike in Maine;

Maine - related news briefs:
Maine - anti-smoking groups want an increase in state cigarette tax..;
Ogunquit, Maine - the people have voted no smoking on beaches..;
Maine cigarette sales rise, New Hampshire cigarette sales fall..;
Maine - light cigarette lawsuit judges ruling sets case back.;
Maine - conference on a class-action lawsuit against the makers of light cigarettes..;
Maine - new law bans smoking in outside dining areas..;
Maine - smoking prohibited at states parks, beaches and historic sites..;
Maine - law banning flavored tobacco products - July 1, 2009..
Maine - illegal to smoke in cars while children present..
Star Scientific gets Maine lawmakers to repeal a ban enacted last September 20, 2007 on the sale of a tobacco lozenge product known as hard snuff..;
Maine - ban on flavored tobacco products..;
Maine Tobacco Tax Hike.
Read more...

BELGIUM - Barkeepers demonstrate against total smoking ban..

28 Apr 2011. More than 800 Belgian bar owners and their supporters demonstrated Saturday against a decision to widen a smoking ban in public spaces to cover all cafes and the kingdom's nine casinos from 1 July.
DIRECTLY Related news brief Belgium - smoking ban in casinos and cafes moved up to July 1, 2011.."

he demonstration in Brussels was organised by the federation of cafe owners and restaurateurs, which claims that 4,000-5,000 of the country's 12,000 cafes are threatened with closure by the new legislation which will ban smoking in all of the HORECA (Hotels, Restaurants, Cafes) industry as of 1 July.

Smoking has been banned in work places, restaurants and pubs that serve food since 2009, while temporary exemptions had been granted to casinos and cafes that only serve snacks. The law had called for the exemptions to end sometime between 1 January 2012 and 1 January 1, 2014, but the Flemish Anti-Cancer League asked Belgium's constitutional court to strike them down. The court decided to lift the exemptions but gave establishments until 30 June to "adapt to the general smoking ban."

The judges ruled that the government failed to prove that pubs would be harmed by a general smoking ban, saying that drawing distinctions between establishments was actually harmful to competition.

The court also stated that the protection of the health of employees and non-smokers should apply to casinos even though they serve a "specific" clientele.

Café and bar owners argue a total ban on smoking in pubs is unacceptable because it would result in a 30 to 50 per cent loss of revenues and have a knock-on effect on breweries and other suppliers. They want the option to declare their premises smoking or non-smoking. (pi)

REFERENCE; Barkeepers demonstrate against total smoking ban, Read more...

lorillard’s sales and share up sharply.., q1 2011

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SEEKING ALPHA, 4/26.04, 26 201

SEEKING alphA 4/26/2011 quESTIONS AND ANSWER

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April 27, 2011 Lorillard’s sales and share up sharply
Apr 27, 2011—Lorillard's wholesale domestic cigarette shipment volume during the first three months of this year, at 9,524 million, was up by 9.4 per cent on that of the first three months of 2010.

This performance was achieved against a background of an estimated 3.4 per cent fall in volume for the US domestic market as a whole.

In reporting its first quarter 2011 figures, Lorillard said that the three months period under review had included one more shipping day than had the first quarter of 2010. Adjusting for this additional day and for 'modest' changes in wholesale inventory patterns, Lorillard's domestic volume had increased by an estimated 8.3 per cent.

Lorillard's full price brand volume was up by 7.5 per cent to 8,217 million.

Newport volume was up 8.0 per cent to 8,114 million, an increase in which Newport Non-Menthol, launched in the final quarter of 2010 as the first major Newport extension in a decade, was said to have played a significant part.

Also within Lorillard's full-price stable, True volume was down by 16.6 per cent to 52 million and Kent volume was down by 21.1 per cent to 50 million.

Price/value brand volume was up by 23.1 per cent to 1,307 million, with Maverick volume up 22.7 per cent to 1,174 million and Old Gold volume up 26.0 per cent to 133 million.

Including shipments to Puerto Rico and US Possessions, Lorillard’s overall volume was up by 9.5 per cent to 9,708 million.

Lorillard's share of the US domestic retail market during the first three months of this year, at 14.1 per cent, was up by 1.5 percentage points, while Newport's share of the market, at 12.0 per cent, was up by 1.1 percentage points.

Newport Menthol's share of the US market's menthol segment was unchanged at 36.4 per cent. The menthol segment in the US was said to have increased by 1.1 percentage points to 31.0 per cent of the total market.

Meanwhile, Lorillard's net sales during the first quarter of this year, at $1.535 billion, were increased by 12.9 per cent, or $175 million, on those of the first quarter of 2010.

The increase in net sales was said to have resulted from higher unit sales volume and higher average prices, partially offset by higher sales promotion costs primarily driven by the introduction of Newport Non-Menthol.

Gross profit during the first quarter of 2011, at $543 million, represented 35.4 per cent of net sales, whereas, during the first quarter of last year, gross profit was $478 million, or 35.1 per cent of net sales.

The increase in gross profit was said to reflect an increase in net sales, partially offset by higher costs related to the State Settlement Agreements and the Federal Assessment for Tobacco Growers, and higher Food and Drug Administration user fees.

"In the first quarter, Lorillard once again delivered industry leading financial results on virtually every measure that matters," said Murray S. Kessler, chairman, president and CEO.

"It's a testament to our flagship Newport brand which continues to organically grow volume and market share, despite challenging external conditions."

PMI’s cigarette volumes increased ,

Philip Morris International Management Discusses Q1 2011 Results - Earnings Call Transcript

"Some of the people they've hired certainly know a lot about tobacco, (but) the odds that many or any of them have actually been on the inside of a manufacturing facility is probably pretty low," said Ira Loss, an analyst with Washington Analysis who has covered the agency for three decades.

The nation's second-largest cigarette maker, Reynolds American Inc., intends to take the agency up on the request.

"We certainly think it's important the FDA understand the practicalities of tobacco manufacturing," Reynolds spokesman David Howard said.

Altria Group Inc., owner of the nation's top cigarette company, Philip Morris USA, said it plans to respond but wouldn't say whether that meant it would extend an invitation.

Tobacco companies, in essence, will foot the bill through user fees the FDA charges them.

Reference: FDA wants to get schooled in cigarette making, asks tobacco cos for learning tours by Michael Felberbaum, The Associated Press – 3 days ago Read more...

Third Hand Smoke...What it is, and How it Affects you..

April 24, 2011

April 19, 2011

Backgound: Third-Hand Smoke..

Father's Day and Third-Hand Smoke..

Children are especially vulnerable to third-hand smoke.

more-evidence-dangers-of-third-hand.html

George, B.C. - Third hand smoke is something people should be taking seriously--that from a Tobacco Reduction Coordinator with Northern Health. George Wiens, says if you walk into a home or sit in a car and smelled the pungent odour of a distant cigarette, that is third hand smoke. He says with each cigarette, third hand smoke gets into furniture, carpets , clothing, blankets, hair and toys. Wiens says babies and children are most at risk from third hand smoke. He says kids are "on the floors, on the rugs in our home, and young children very tactile. They pick things up and put it in their mouth. Long term those low level exposure dosages will have health effects." Wiens says smokers can reduce the risk by smoking outside and away from children, wearing a designated smoke jacket and washing their hands as soon as your cigarette is done.

REFErence; What it is, and How it Affects you./hqprincegeorge.comv, 4/23/2011

Read more...

Anybody who tests positive for tobacco or nicotine products will not be able to gain employment at Sparrow hospital..

April 24, 2011There are almost as many "no smoking" signs at Sparrow Hospital as there are cigarette butts along its campus. The hospital banned smoking on site years ago, and whether or not people listened, it's taking the next step in its anti-tobacco policy.

"Anybody who tests positive for tobacco or nicotine products will not be able to gain employment at Sparrow," said John Berg, a Sparrow marketing executive.

Lucky for current employees who smoke, that only goes for new hires starting May 1, 2011. Still, those we talked to--smokers or not--didn't like it.

"See that's crazy to me, your freedom of choice...that's why I live in America," said Jacob McPhail, a non-smoking employee.

"I don't think that's fair. I think if they don't want them smoking on campus that's fine but I think what you do on your own time should be up to you," said employee Michael VanDussen, who does smoke.

The sparrow campus has been smoke free since 2007 and the signs are everywhere to prove it. But there's also proof the policy isn't always enforced. We found a pile of cigarette butts swept up just feet from a no-smoking sign outside the building, not to mention, people coming and going for smoke breaks there too.

"I've seen people smoke right next to the non-smoking sign and nobody say anything about it whatsoever," said McPhail.

The new policy won't be quite as easy to get around. Applicants who test positive for nicotine can apply back only after 90 days. It's the latest move, the hospital says, to promote healthy living.

"Whether you're talking about emphysema or lung cancer or COPD and pneumonia, heart disease, congestive heart failure, and heart attack, all of these are effects of a lifetime of smoking," said Berg. "This is is a habit that robs families of loved ones. It cuts people's lives short."

These are things anyone in the health care industry should know first-hand, he added.

RFEERENCE: Smokers Need Not Apply.wilx.com, 2/22/2011
A few related news briefs:
.Detriot, Michigan 3- area hospitals; want a job do not use tobacco..
Franciscan Health System - seeking a job don't use tobacco or don't even hang with people that use tobacco..
Hennepin County, Minnesota - planning no smoking on all county property even inside your own car..;
Get that job in health care just quit smoking or don't start using tobacco..;
Each smoker costs an employer about $3,400 annually in higher health care bills..;
Massachusetts - Anna Jaques Hospital jobs - if nicotine test is positive do not apply..;
Massachusetts Hospital Association - as of January 1, 2011 will no longer hire users of tobacco products..;
Hospital in Georgia will no longer hirer new employees that use tobacco..;
Tennessee - hospital will no longer hire people that use tobacco products.. Read more...

Basically Tobacco Companies will do anything to get you to start moking..

reach lucky-strike_instead of a sweet

April 4, 2011Quit smoking and you can still save your skin..

The tobacco industry’s past role in weight control related to smoking. Semira Gonseth1 Isabelle Jacot-Sadowski1 Pascal A. Diethelm Vincent Barras and Jacques Cornuz, EUOPeAN Journal of PPUblic Helh The tobacco industry’s past role in weight control related to smoking First published online: April 7, 2011 ABSTRACT,

British and American tobacco companies deliberately added powerful appetite-suppressing chemicals to cigarettes to attract people worried about their weight, according to internal industry documents dating from 1949 to 1999. Chemical additives are just one of several strategies successfully used by tobacco companies over the past 50 years to convince people that smoking makes you thin.

Tobacco giants Philip Morris and British American Tobacco added appetite suppressants to cigarettes, according to the documents, released during litigation in the US. Four other major companies tested potential chemicals, including amphetamine and nitrous oxide, better known as laughing gas, but the documents, which are incomplete, do not reveal if such chemicals were ever added and sold to the public.

By the end of the 20th century, smoking was almost exclusively male behaviour, but the number of women smokers dramatically increased in the 1940s and 1950s. Today, one in five British men and women smoke, causing more than 100,000 preventable deaths a year.

A Canadian study of 500 young women, published in Tobacco Control this month, found those looking at female-oriented cigarette packs branded with words such as "slim" and "vogue", were more likely to believe smoking helps people control their appetite – an important predictor of smoking among this group – compared with those viewing plain packaging. Smokers wrongly believe that certain words, such as the names of colours, and long, slim cigarettes mean the brand is less harmful, according to a study, that included 2,000 Britons, published in Addiction.

Deadly in pink: the impact of cigarette packaging among young women
Press Release. Juliana Doxey, David Hammond, Tobacco COntrol First 8 April 2011, ABSTRACT

Since the widespread advertising ban, images such as Kate Moss smoking on the catwalk have become invaluable for the industry.

Last year, Australia became the first country to introduce compulsory plain packaging. Here, the Government committed to considering similar controls on packaging in the Tobacco Control Plan published in March. The public health minister Anne Milton will meet her Australian counterpart in the next few weeks.

Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) is urging the Health Select Committee to force tobacco companies to disclose documents that would shed light on marketing strategies, including product packaging and design, to help MPs make an informed choice about introducing plain packaging.

Deborah Arnott, chief executive of Ash, said: "Now advertising is banned, the industry uses pack design and product descriptors, such as "slims", to promote the message that smoking makes you thin. It must be required to put its products in plain, standardised packaging to prevent it using such "dog whistle" tactics to promote smoking to vulnerable young women."

A Tobacco Manufacturers' Association spokesman said: "We do not believe any plans for plain packaging are based on sound public policy, nor any compelling evidence... Plain packs are likely to lead to further increases in smuggling... and make it easier for counterfeiters to copy."

REFEERENCE: Tobacco firms used diet-aid chemicals Internal documents reveal that appetite suppressants were added to cigarettes as companies pitched their products to women Nina Lakhani, ndependent.co.uK, 4/24/2011. Read more...

Seeking Alpha, RAI q1 2011..

PMI’s cigarette volumes increasedTOBACCO REPORT, /6/26, 2011 Read more...

MMWR - CDC predicts smoking bans in every state by 2020..

DIrectly related new brief:
CDC predicts smoking bans in every state by 2020..

READ MMWR Report: State Smoke-Free Laws for Worksites, Restaurants, and Bars --- United States, 2000--2010
Weekly
April 22, 2011 / 60(15);472-475Cigarette Smoking --- United States, 1965--2008 SupplementsCDC January 22, 2011 / 60(01);109-113

January 22, 2011 -
Secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure causes lung cancer and cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in nonsmoking adults and children, resulting in an estimated 46,000 heart disease deaths and 3,400 lung cancer deaths among U.S. nonsmoking adults each year (1). Smoke-free laws that prohibit smoking in all indoor areas of a venue fully protect nonsmokers from involuntary exposure to SHS indoors.

Read more...

NYC - PURCHASE INternet cigarette sales wihout paying taxes..

CDC predicts smoking bans in every state by 2020..

April 21, 2011 - By 2020, every state may have bans on smoking in restaurants, bars and the workplace, federal health officials predicted Thursday Apil 21st, based on the current pace of adopting anti-smoking laws.

The number of states with comprehensive indoor smoking bans went from zero in 2000 to 26 in 2010.

"It is by no means a foregone conclusion that we'll get there by 2020," said Dr. Tim McAfee, director of the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health.

But the success of the smoking ban movement has been astounding, and seems to be accelerating, he added. "I'm relatively bullish we'll at least get close to that number."

Nearly half of U.S. residents are covered by comprehensive state or local indoor smoking bans, the CDC estimated, in a new report.

Another 10 states have laws than ban smoking in workplaces, bans or restaurants, but not in all three venues.

Some other states have less restrictive laws, like requiring smoking areas with separate ventilation.

.Only seven states have no indoor smoking restrictions, although some of their cities do: Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Gary Nolan, director of a smokers' rights group, said he wouldn't be surprised if the CDC's prediction came true. Public health officials and others have been putting tremendous pressure on bars and businesses to bar smoking, he added.

"It wouldn't surprise me if they prevailed," said Nolan, of the Smoker's Club. "It's just a little bit more liberty slipping away at the hands of big government."

Tobacco smoke is an established cause of lung cancer, heart disease and other maladies, and smoking has been called one of the nation's leading causes of death.

The science on the impact of smoking bans is younger. Because it takes years or even decades for cancers to develop, there's little information on the impact of bans on cancer rates. But studies have already charted declines in adult heart attack rates and in childhood asthma attacks after smoking bans were adopted in some communities.

The American Heart Association's chief executive, Nancy Brown, said the CDC report brings good news. But she said advocates have a lot of work ahead of them to make the 2020 prediction come true.

"It's too soon to rest on our laurels," she said, in a prepared statement.

Reference: CDC predicts smoking bans in every state by 2020", By MIKE STOBBE, AP Medical Writer, Wral.om, 4/21/2011, Read more...

VIDEO smokers in Ukraine has decreased by 5% in the last year..

April 21, 2011 - Ukraine has one of the highest numbers of smokers in Europe, with most people starting by the age of 12.Doctors say smoking-related diseases kill around 100,000 people each year. But according to the Ministry of Health, the number of smokers in Ukraine has decreased by 5% in the last year, compared with the previous year.

The main reasons may be the increase in excise taxes and the prices of tobacco products, the restriction on public smoking and the prohibition of direct advertising. Ukraine has one of the highest numbers of smokers in Europe, with most people starting by the age of 12. Doctors say smoking-related diseases kill around 100,000 people each year.
But according to the Ministry of Health, the number of smokers in Ukraine has decreased by 5% in the last year, compared with the previous year.

The main reasons may be the increase in excise taxes and the prices of tobacco products, the restriction on public smoking and the prohibition of direct advertising.

Reference; VIDEO_ Smokers in Ukraine on the Decline,, english.ntdtv.com/, 4/21/2011

Ukraine related news briefs:
Kyiv (Kiev) , Ukraine - banning alcohol and tobacco sales from small street kiosks starting April 1, 2011....;
Ukraine - draft law introduced to ban the sale of tobacco and alcoholic beverages in kiosks..;
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...

CSP Daily News 4/21/201 Altria q1 2011 - cigarettes down, smokeless down, cigars down ..

April 21, 2011 Meanwhile, as Mr. Symanczyk and Chief Executive Officer of Altria Group, Inc. pointed out, Marlboro gained share as the quarter progressed, but Marlboro's 2011 first-quarter retail share decreased 0.5 share points due primarily to the timing of new product launches. Marlboro's 2010 first-quarter retail share benefited from the January introduction of two Marlboro Special Blend products, while two new Marlboro Special Blend products, which began shipping at the end of February 2011, had a minimal impact on the brand's retail share in the first quarter of 2011.SQPhilip Morris USA's retail share for the three-month period decreased 1.2 share points.

Altria Group results outside of cigarettes:

Overall. In the first quarter of 2011, Altria's net revenues decreased 2.0% to $5.6 billion due primarily to lower net revenues from cigarettes and cigars, and revenues net of excise taxes were essentially flat.

Smokeless.The smokeless products segment's 2011 first-quarter financial, shipment volume and retail share comparisons were impacted primarily by new product launches and promotional product introductions. The smokeless products segment's 2010 first-quarter results benefited from the launch of new Copenhagen products, the national introduction of Marlboro Snus and a Skoal Slim Can pouch promotion. In the first quarter of 2011, the smokeless products segment's net revenues and revenues net of excise taxes decreased 0.5% and 0.6%, respectively, due primarily to lower shipment volume and costs for brand-building initiatives, partially offset by higher pricing.

Cigars. The cigars segment's 2011 first-quarter financial results were negatively impacted by events following the 2009 federal excise tax (FET) increase on tobacco products. Middleton saw increased competitive activity, including significantly higher levels of imported, low-priced machine-made large cigars. Middleton responded with promotional investments to defend its position in the marketplace. In the first quarter of 2011, the cigar segment's net revenues and revenues net of excise taxes decreased 13.3% (from $135 million to $117 million) and 24.1% (from $87 million to $66 million), respectively, due primarily to increased promotional investments.

REFERENCE: Marlboro's Momentum Altria addresses Marlboro Leadership Program, details quarterly earnings By Linda Abu-Shalback Zid & Steve Holtz, csp DAILY News 4/21/2011.

Read more...

Marlboro Losing Ground from Seeking ALpha - Altria, Inc Q1 2011

Altria, Inc. Q1 20110 Earnings Call Transcript, Seeking Alpha, 4/26/2010;

Questions and Answers: Altria, Inc. Q1 20110 Earnings Call Transcript - Questions and Answers , Seeking Alpha, 4/26/2010;
Ansers.
Read more...

PAPER: Gender-Specific Effectiveness of a Life Skills Program..

VVENA, Germany, April 19 (UPI) -- Telling teens to "just say no" is not effective but school-based training on live skills helps them avoid tobacco and alcohol, German researchers say.

PAPER: Do Girls Profit More? Gender-Specific Effectiveness of a Life Skills Program Against Alcohol Consumption in Early Adolescence, arina Weichold karina.weichold@uni-jena.de,Anett Brambosch, Rainer K. Silbereisen, The Journal of Early Adolescence November 4, 2010, abstract

"Information alone is not good enough because even children know that alcohol consumption and smoking can cause health damage," Dr. Karina Weichold of the Jena University in Germany says in a statement. "Therefore prevention needs to start somewhere else."

Weichold and colleagues at Jena University are developing a specially developed prevention program named IPSY -- an acronym for Information and Psychosocial Competence, which tries to convey basic life skills.

The study involved about 1,700 school children ages 10-15 from Thuringia, Germany. The students learn general skills such as how to deal with stress and anxiety or with their own self image, using interactive learning modules. They discuss their results with classmates and teachers.

Role playing, movement and relaxation techniques are part of the concept. The program consists of 15 modules of 90 minutes in fifth-grade, followed by a development phase of seven modules in the next two years.

"The age-typical increase in the consumption of alcohol and cigarettes is lower in the group of pupils who took part in our program than in the control groups," the researchers say. "Moreover, the initiation age is being delayed."

The findings are published in the Journal of Early Adolescence.

Reference: Telling youth to 'just say no' not enough, UPI.com, 4/19/2011
Read more...

Smoke -Free Bismarck., North Dakota...

Bismarck voters said no to smoking on Tuesday, April 9th, 2011. Voters chose to make all bars smoke-free in a special referendum election. They also rejected allowing smoking huts for bar patrons wishing to puff outside

The ban is expected to take effect next week, after ballots are verified by the Bismarck City Commission. That could be next Tuesday or April 27, said city administrator Bill Wocken. "The commission will decide," he said.

The smoking ban for all bars, truck stops and tobacco shops passed with 5,273 yes votes to 3,554 no votes, said Burleigh County Auditor Kevin Glatt. The measure that allowed smoking huts, but implemented the smoking ban, was rejected 4,482 to 4,285.
Voters opposed paying for the special election with sales tax funding 4,454 to 4,182.

"We are truly excited. It was truly a grassroots effort. We want to thank all the volunteers who helped," said Kimberlee Schneider, spokeswoman for the Smoke Free Bismarck and American Lung Association in Bismarck. She said Bismarck "took a big step toward being a clean city and making sure everyone has the right to breathe clean air."

Supporters of the bar workers who organized the referendum against the ban were disappointed about the new restrictions. Their spokesman, Keith Holzer, thanked the bar workers for stepping up to the plate and the businesses that supported the anti-ban campaign. "This is going to cost jobs, and cost revenue and charitable gaming. ... The citizens got their chance to vote. I hope all those people support those bars when they go smoke-free," Holzer said.

City attorney Charlie Whitman expects the commission will officially receive the ballots at next Tuesday's meeting that begins 5:15 p.m. at the City/County Building. The ban would go into effect April 27 if commissioners validate the ballots.

Glatt said about 8,838 ballots were cast Tuesday. In the June 2010 election when voters elected the city commission, park board and school board, some 11,700 ballots were cast.

Most of the people waited an average of eight to 12 minutes to vote at the VFW Sports Center, Glatt said. "The longest wait was 30 minutes. A lot of that was because people didn't have proper ID. It required more work from the clerks to enter them into the system," he said.

"Between 2:30 and the close of the polls (7 p.m.) we averaged 300 voters per precinct - five a minute. At 7 p.m. all those standing in line were able to vote," he said.

He said the last voter at the VFW Sports Center left at 7:30 p.m.

Witnesses said some frustrated voters turned around at the Bismarck Civic Center site. Some voters reported waiting 45 minutes at the Civic Center.

Glatt was pleased with the trial run of the voting center concept.

"I think it was a very good test of vote centers. It's something we'll sit down and take a look at, things we learned today. I think it was a valuable experiment. We received a lot of positive comments. We received some criticism and we'll use that constructively," Glatt said.

Of the count, there was a healthy level of absentee voters - 1,700 requested and about 1,200 were returned, Glatt said.

Reference:
Bismarck voters approve smoking ban but no smoke huts Read more...

Senator Richard Blumenthal expressing support for menthol recommendation..

Apil 20, 2011 - Hartford, CT) –Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) wrote the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)today expressing support for their continued work to protect public health through the “removal of menthol cigarettes from the marketplace.”

Blumenthal encouraged the FDA to continue work to follow up on recommendations from a report from the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC) regarding menthol cigarettes.

“Such findings about the dangers of menthol tobacco products in general, and to our youth in particular, are highly concerning, and provide abundant grounds for FDA to develop a plan that will result in the removal of menthol from tobacco products to protect public health,” Blumenthal states in the letter. “It is well documented that the restriction of access to tobacco products directly impacts youth smoking rates and that FDA should take strong action to prevent tobacco companies from using menthol cigarettes to increase the number of youth who smoke.”

The TPSAC Committee found evidence that tobacco companies often include menthol flavors in their products both to entice certain demographics – such as young children and teens – to use tobacco, and to make it harder for them to quit.

Blumenthal has a long record of fighting to protect public health as Attorney General, and helped lead the legal fight against big tobacco culminating in an historic settlement in 1998 which included restrictions on direct tobacco advertising to children, resulting in a dramatic drop in youth smoking rates in Connecticut and around the country.

Menthol Cigarettes - alter the menthol concentration so cigarettes will not be so appealing to young smokers..)

Reference: blumenthal.senate.gov/4/18/2011 - Letter from Senator Blumenthal can be found at bottom of reference.. Read more...

MALAYSIA - BAT sees challenging year..

Tak nak = Don'tr Want..

APRIL 20, 2011 PETALING JAYA: British American Tobacco (M) Bhd (BAT Malaysia) expects its challenging operating environment to continue this year. BAT Malaysia chairman Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman said the challenge was still declining volumes, in view of the high government excise tax which has led to an increase in the trade of illicit cigarettes.

BAT Malaysia managing director William Toh reiterated that two surveys conducted last year by the Confederation of Malaysian Tobacco Manufacturers showed that illicit trade comprised 38.2% of the country's total cigarettes market.

“This is a sizeable portion of the market for us to tap if we can resolve the illicit cigarette trade issue,” said Toh after the group's 50th AGM yesterday.PETALING JAYA: British American Tobacco (M) Bhd (BAT Malaysia) expects its challenging operating environment to continue this year.

“This is a sizeable portion of the market for us to tap if we can resolve the illicit cigarette trade issue,” said Toh after the group's 50th AGM yesterday.

BAT Malaysia chairman Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman said the challenge was still declining volumes, in view of the high government excise tax which has led to an increase in the trade of illicit cigarettes.

“This is a sizeable portion of the market for us to tap if we can resolve the illicit cigarette trade issue,” said Toh after the group's 50th AGM yesterday.

Toh added that prices of cigarettes in Malaysia was the third highest in Asean countries, after Singapore and Brunei.

Last year, the group took advantage of duty savings under the by sourcing wrapping materials and tobacco leaves from neigbouring countries like Thailand and Indonesia.

“Tobacco leaves from Indonesia is much cheaper compared with non-Asean countries. But we still support local tobacco growers although Malaysian leaves is among the most expensive in the world.

“We are still the biggest buyer of Malaysian tobacco in the country,” said Toh.

This year, the group aims to double its export volume to 30% of its annual production.

Toh said new contract customers this year are BAT Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

“This is in addition to our exports to Hong Kong and Taiwan as well as for duty-free retail. Exports should contribute about 5% or 6% to group revenue this year.”

BAT Malaysia is also looking to sell its machines, which were used to produce 14-stick packs (banned in June last year), to members of the BAT group outside Malaysia. (Malaysia - ban on 14-stick cigarette packs delayed worry about increase in illicit cigarettes..

The machines are valued at between RM15mil and RM18mil.

“We do not sell to third parties because we do not know what they do with the machines,” said Toh.

REFERENCE: BAT sees challenging year by THOMAS HUONG Huong@thestar.com.my, THE STar , 4/20/2011>

Malaysia - some related news briefs:
Malaysia - cigarette makers charging less than the minimum for a pack of cigarettes..;
Malaysia - some related news briefs:
Malaysia - 8% drop in tobacco industry volume projected in 2011..;
Malacca, Malaysia - smoke free zones to be expanded..;
Malaysia - public are strongly advised not to purchase any e-cigarettee..;
Malaysia - sets minimum price for cigarettes..;
Malaysia - if you smoke you lose..;
Penang, Malaysia - specific areas for smoking..;
Malaysia - BAT wants gradual, moderate increases in the cigarette tax..:
Malaysia - horrific graphic warnings on cigarette packs, cartons..;
Malaysia - one out of three packets of cigarettes was smuggled;
Malaysia - doing a better job of seizing smuggled cigarettes..;
Malaysia - best way to get teenage girls to stop smoking is through education..;
Malaysia - ban on 14-stick cigarette packs delayed worry about increase in illicit cigarettes..;
Malaysia - slight decrease in illicit cigarettes; JTI Malaysia q1 2010 market share increases..;
Malaysia - Health Ministry's proposal to ban the sale of 14-stick cigarette packs beginning June 1, 2010..;
Malaysia - increase in number of women smoking..;
Malaysia - new strategy to penalize retailers who sell contraband cigarettes..;
Malaysia - youth and student smokers may not receive aid from government..;
Malaysia - two tobacco control regulations starting January 1, 2010..
Malaysia - about 368,000 teenager smokers in the country, 50-60 added per day..;
Malaysia - sale of cigarettes in packets of less than 20 prohibited as of June 1, 2010..;
Malaysia - stepping up efforts to curb the trade in illicit cigarettes..;
Malaysia - BAT plans to dispose of a parcel of industrial land..;
Malaysia - ban on cigarette sponsorship for sports will not be withdrawn..;
Malaysia - cigarette-shaped sweets packaged like cigarettes;
Malaysia - Penang consumer group ban cheap cigarettes and increase price on premium..;
Malaysia - Kelantin State Government may not promote staff who smoke..;
Malaysia - excise duty increased on tobacco - another increase could be coming this month..;
Malaysia - smoking limits your quality of life..;
Malaysia - smoking civil servants in Penang to receive free nicotine treatment..;
Malaysia - illicit cigarettes, BAT wants government to slow excise duty increases..;
Peninsular Malaysia - one of three cigarette packs is either contraband or fake..;
Komtar, Penang, Malaysia smoking ban strictly enforced..;
Malaysia student forced to smoke 40 cigarettes in two hours..
Malaysia - PSD and Cuepacs are at odds over the no-smoking rule at government departments and agencies..;
Malaysia: Are tobacco control measures working? - WHO thinks so...;
Malaysia - slowdown in cigarette consumption..;
Malaysia - January 1, 2009 pictorial cigarette warnings..;
Malaysia to hike cigarette prices..;
Malaysia - 25% of all cigarettes sales are illegal...Peninsular Malaysia - one of three cigarette packs is either contraband or fake..;
Komtar, Penang, Malaysia smoking ban strictly enforced..;
Malaysia student forced to smoke 40 cigarettes in two hours..
Malaysia - PSD and Cuepacs are at odds over the no-smoking rule at government departments and agencies..;
Malaysia: Are tobacco control measures working? - WHO thinks so...;
Malaysia - slowdown in cigarette consumption..;
Malaysia - January 1, 2009 pictorial cigarette warnings..;
Malaysia to hike cigarette prices..;
Malaysia - 25% of all cigarettes sales are illegal...
Read more...

April 20, 2011 Reynolds American Inc., the nation's second-biggest cigarette company, reports its first-quarter results before the stock market opens Thursday, April 21st. (host first-quarter 2011 earnings conference call on April 21st, 2011)
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Continued growth in Reynolds American Pall Mall brand despite industrywide declines in the number of cigarettes being as taxes, smoking bans, health concerns and social stigma all increase.

The Winston-Salem, N.C., company has promoted Pall Mall as a longer-lasting and more affordable cigarette as smokers weather the weak economy and high unemployment, and the company has said half the people who try the brand continue using it. Reynolds also sells Camel and Natural American Spirit cigarettes, and Kodiak and Grizzly smokeless tobacco.

Pall Mall's fourth-quarter volume grew 19 percent, and its share of the U.S. market increased 2.3 percentage points to 8.3 percent. Camel volumes grew 8.5 percent during the fourth quarter, and the brand's market share rose to 8 percent.

While its growth brands like Camel and Pall Mall continue to do well, increasing 13.5 percent last quarter, its other brands are dragging down overall volumes, which fell about 5 percent in the fourth quarter.

Analysts also will be looking at the company's smokeless tobacco products - a segment of the tobacco industry that's growing and becoming increasingly competitive as companies seek products to offset the decline in cigarette sales. (Reynolds American Inc. highlights business report q4 and entire 2010..)

Reference; Earnings Preview: Reynolds American by MICHAEL FELBERBAUM, Asssociated Press 4/19/2011
Read more...

Lake Worth Beach, FL, beach, city parks to go tobacco free along with grounds of city buildings..

April 20 2011 - moking would be banned at Lake Worth Beach, city parks and the grounds of city buildings under tobacco-free rules the city plans to create.

Commissioners directed city staff Tuesday, April 19th to develop a tobacco-free parks and workplace ordinance modeled after one suggested by the county health department.

Goals include reducing litter, promoting a healthy lifestyle and reducing health insurance costs for city employees, Mayor Rene Varela said.

Enforcement would not be strict and would likely come by raising awareness about the ordinance, Varela said.,

"We all know realistically we're not going to have police out there enforcing this," Varela said. "A big push in public health is creating awareness."

The health department has offered to help the city with its anti-smoking campaign at no charge by:

Providing tobacco-free signs for property.
Helping organize events to raise awareness about the hazards of smoking.
Supplying brochures about smoking and contact information for the Florida Quitline, a telephone service that provides counseling, nicotine patches and other services to smokers trying to quit.
Offering city employees services to help them quit smoking.

Vice Mayor Suzanne Mulvehill said she worried that establishing a tobacco-free beach would discourage some people from coming.

She dropped her concern after hearing health department statistics showing that more than 80 percent of county residents are non-smokers.

"It's going to be part of reinforcing that we are a green, living city," Mulvehill said .

Resident Erica Whitfield urged commissioners to develop the tobacco-free ordinance, noting that she was tired of removing cigarette butts from the sand while building sand castles with her daughter .

Barbara Jean Weber, a smoker, urged the commission to ban smoking at the beach.

"The beach is a gorgeous, exquisite, living thing," Weber said. "When I go to church, I don't put my cigarette out on sacred ground."

Reference: Lake Worth beaches, parks to go tobacco free, by Willie Howard, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer, palmbeachpost.com, 4/19/2011.
Read more...

More evidence dangers of third -hand smoke..

April 19, 2011

Backgound: Third-Hand Smoke..

Father's Day and Third-Hand Smoke..

Children are especially vulnerable to third-hand smoke..

Strong campaigns against pregnant women smoking and being exposed to secondhand smoke are well-known, but toxins remaining on surfaces and clothing or so-called “thirdhand smoke” can also be dangerous. New research has found that thirdhand smoke has a harmful effect on the lungs of a developing fetus.

Stepping outside to smoke a cigarette may not be enough to protect the lungs and life of a pregnant woman’s unborn child, according to a new study in the American Journal of Physiology.

PAPER: Thirdhand Smoke: A New Dimension to the Effects of Cigarette Smoke on the Developing Lung, Virender K Rehan vrehan@labiomed.org, Reiko Sakurai, and John S. Torday , American Journal of Physiology accepted in final form 8 April 2011. ,abstract

The study, by researchers at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (LA BioMed), found prenatal exposure to toxic components of a newly recognized category of tobacco smoke—known as “thirdhand smoke”—can have as serious or an even more negative impact on an infants’ lung development as postnatal or childhood exposure to smoke. Thirdhand smoke is the newly formed toxins from tobacco smoke that remain on furniture, in cars, on clothing and on other surfaces—long after smokers have finished their cigarettes.

“Thirdhand smoke is a stealth toxin because it lingers on the surfaces in the homes, hotel rooms, casinos and cars used by smokers where children, the elderly and other vulnerable people may be exposed to the toxicants without realizing the dangers,” said Virender Rehan, MD, a principal investigator at LA BioMed and corresponding author of the study. “Pregnant women should avoid homes and other places where thirdhand smoke is likely to be found to protect their unborn children against the potential damage these toxins can cause to the developing infants’ lungs.

Dr. Rehan, a National Institutes of Health-funded investigator who has been researching the effects of smoking on lung development for more than a decade, said this is the first study to show the exposure to the constituents of thirdhand smoke is as damaging and, in some cases, more damaging than secondhand smoke or firsthand smoke.

“We looked at the mechanisms that drive normal lung development and found those mechanisms were clearly disrupted by thirdhand smoke,” he said. “Based on this, we can conclude that prenatal disruption of lung development can lead to asthma and other respiratory ailments that can last a lifetime.”

Thirdhand smoke is aged secondhand smoke, and it attaches to the surfaces in homes and other surroundings. It is composed of smaller, ultrafine particles with a greater molecular weight that pose a greater asthma hazard than firsthand or secondhand smoke. Although concerns about the dangers from thirdhand smoke have been raised recently, this new study is the first to provide biological data to support these concerns.

Dr. Rehan said touching surfaces contaminated with thirdhand smoke, as well as ingesting dust containing the superfine particles of thirdhand smoke, are the most likely major pathways for exposure to these toxins.

“Children and pregnant mothers in busy households are especially susceptible to thirdhand smoke exposure because they could touch or breathe in the toxic substances from contaminated surfaces,” he said. “Among infants, it has been found that the rate of ingesting dust is more than twice that of adults, making babies especially vulnerable to the effects of thirdhand smoke.”

He also noted that nicotine levels are six times lower among infants living in homes with strict no-smoking policies.

“The dangers of thirdhand smoke span the globe because smoking is more prevalent in many other countries than it is in the United States,” he said. “While further study is needed, the alarming data clearly highlight the potential risks and long-term consequences of thirdhand smoke exposure.”

While previous studies had documented the danger of nicotine in thirdhand smoke, this new study measured the effect of two other toxins in thirdhand smoke—1-(N-methyl-N-nitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridinyl)-4-butanal (NNA) and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK). The researchers found prenatal exposure to thirdhand tobacco smoke components plays a much greater role in altered lung function in offspring than postnatal or childhood exposures.trong campaigns against pregnant women smoking and being exposed to secondhand smoke are well-known, but toxins remaining on surfaces and clothing or so-called “thirdhand smoke” can also be dangerous. New research has found that thirdhand smoke has a harmful effect on the lungs of a developing fetus.
Stepping outside to smoke a cigarette may not be enough to protect the lungs and life of a pregnant woman’s unborn child, according to a new study in the American Journal of Physiology.

The study, by researchers at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (LA BioMed), found prenatal exposure to toxic components of a newly recognized category of tobacco smoke—known as “thirdhand smoke”—can have as serious or an even more negative impact on an infants’ lung development as postnatal or childhood exposure to smoke. Thirdhand smoke is the newly formed toxins from tobacco smoke that remain on furniture, in cars, on clothing and on other surfaces—long after smokers have finished their cigarettes.

“Thirdhand smoke is a stealth toxin because it lingers on the surfaces in the homes, hotel rooms, casinos and cars used by smokers where children, the elderly and other vulnerable people may be exposed to the toxicants without realizing the dangers,” said Virender Rehan, MD, a principal investigator at LA BioMed and corresponding author of the study. “Pregnant women should avoid homes and other places where thirdhand smoke is likely to be found to protect their unborn children against the potential damage these toxins can cause to the developing infants’ lungs.

Dr. Rehan, a National Institutes of Health-funded investigator who has been researching the effects of smoking on lung development for more than a decade, said this is the first study to show the exposure to the constituents of thirdhand smoke is as damaging and, in some cases, more damaging than secondhand smoke or firsthand smoke.

“We looked at the mechanisms that drive normal lung development and found those mechanisms were clearly disrupted by thirdhand smoke,” he said. “Based on this, we can conclude that prenatal disruption of lung development can lead to asthma and other respiratory ailments that can last a lifetime.”

Thirdhand smoke is aged secondhand smoke, and it attaches to the surfaces in homes and other surroundings. It is composed of smaller, ultrafine particles with a greater molecular weight that pose a greater asthma hazard than firsthand or secondhand smoke. Although concerns about the dangers from thirdhand smoke have been raised recently, this new study is the first to provide biological data to support these concerns.

Dr. Rehan said touching surfaces contaminated with thirdhand smoke, as well as ingesting dust containing the superfine particles of thirdhand smoke, are the most likely major pathways for exposure to these toxins.

“Children and pregnant mothers in busy households are especially susceptible to thirdhand smoke exposure because they could touch or breathe in the toxic substances from contaminated surfaces,” he said. “Among infants, it has been found that the rate of ingesting dust is more than twice that of adults, making babies especially vulnerable to the effects of thirdhand smoke.”

He also noted that nicotine levels are six times lower among infants living in homes with strict no-smoking policies.

“The dangers of thirdhand smoke span the globe because smoking is more prevalent in many other countries than it is in the United States,” he said. “While further study is needed, the alarming data clearly highlight the potential risks and long-term consequences of thirdhand smoke exposure.”

While previous studies had documented the danger of nicotine in thirdhand smoke, this new study measured the effect of two other toxins in thirdhand smoke—1-(N-methyl-N-nitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridinyl)-4-butanal (NNA) and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK). The researchers found prenatal exposure to thirdhand tobacco smoke components plays a much greater role in altered lung function in offspring than postnatal or childhood exposures.

>PAPER: Thirdhand Smoke: A New Dimension to the Effects of Cigarette Smoke on the Developing Lung, Virender K Rehan vrehan@labiomed.org, Reiko Sakurai, and John S. Torday , American Journal of Physiology accepted in final form 8 April 2011. ,abstract

Reference Thirdhand Smoke Can Affect Fetal Lung Development, lements4health.com, 4/19/2011
Read more...

Bulgarians moking less and drinking less alcohol..

April 19. 2011 In the last year, smoking in Bulgaria is down to 591 cigarettes per person, compared with 778 in 2009, according to data of the National Statistics Institute, NSI.

The consumption of alcoholic beverages is also down – from 25.5 liters in 2009 to 23.6 liters in 2010.

In 2010, Bulgarian households have increased their consumption of bread by 2.1 kg, compared to the previous year, reaching 108 kg per person.

The trend to eat more meat, fish, seafood, and vegetables remains, with 32 kg of meet per person, compared to 30.7 in 2009.

In 2010, the average Bulgarian drank 19.9 liters of milk, 1 liter less than in 2009, but increased the consumption of yoghurt to 28.9 kg, from 26.8 kg in 2009.

The consumption of vegetables is up from 68.4 per person in 2009 to 69.1 in 2010, but the one of fruit is slightly down, by 800 grams to 42.5 kg per person in 2010.

"We want a total ban of smoking in public, and we must become a non-smoking Bulgaria," Konstatinov said on the Bulgarian national radio pointing out that Bulgaria is second only to Greece in the percentage of smokers, and first in the EU on the percentage of smokers between 15 and 20 years of age. (Bulgarian Health Minister Demands All-out Smoking Ban..)

Reference; National Stats: Bulgarians Smoke Less, Drink Less Alcohol, novinite.com (Sofia New Agency, 3/14/2011
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Bulgaria - some related news briefs:
Bulgarian Health Minister Demands All-out Smoking Ban..)
Bulgaria to Finalize Bulgartabac Privatization in 3 Weeks..:
Bulgaria - Health Ministry to Increase Smoking Ban Checks..;
Bulgaria - Major Tobacco Companies Back Bulgaria's Excise Policies..;
Bulgaria - Culture Minister protests against ban on smoking scenes in cinema..;
Bulgaria - National Program for Limiting Smoking in 2011-2015..;
Bulgaria - Bulgartabac 2010 profit 16.5 times larger than it was in 2009..;
Bulgaria - about a dozen investors declared interest in the privatization of Bulgartabac Holding..;
Bulgaria - according to CEO of Bulgartabac cigarette prices may not change in 2011..;
Bulgaria - advisory board for tobacco will be established..;
Bulgaria - Bulgartabac - sale should be completed by middle of 2011..;
Bulgaria - rightist SDS party - each EU state should set own excise duties..;
Bulgaria - tobacco contraband..;
Bulgaria - cigarette excise revenue down this year..;
Bulgaria - smoking restriction checks begin after January 3, 2011..;
Bulgaria - PMI to introduce their own Marlboro 10-pack cigarettes..;
Bulgaria - health minister will work for implementing full smoking ban in public places..;
Bulgaria - tobacco growers seeking more subsidies..;
Greece/Bulgaria - governments opposed to WHO's attempt to ban blended tobacco..;
Bulgaria - tobacco companies back effort to reduce illicit cigarette trade.;
Bulgaria - Mayor of Town of Kyustendil - non-smokers should pay less for health insurance..;
Bulgaria - smoking ban beginning January 1, 2011 - do they know which smoking ban applies??;
Bulgaria - Director of the Customs Agency announced Bulgaria ranks 1st in Europe in seizure of contraband cigarettes..;
Bulgaria - smoking rate down, knowledge of dangers of tobacco use gaining..;
Bulgaria - another tobacco tax increase in the draft 2011 budget..;
Bulgaria - confusion over which public smoking ban is in force..;
Bulgaria - WHO upset with Bulgaria's weakened smoking ban..;
Bulgaria - weakened smoking ban, just added minors can't be in disco clubs after 10pm..;
Bulgaria - final vote delayed on weakened smoking ban..;
Bulgaria - weakened smoking ban, second reading..;
Bulgaria - commission tightens smoking ban a little..;
Bulgaria - Bulgartabac buyer may be chosen by end of year..;
Bulgaria - prime minister not happy with giving tobacco growers subsidies..;
Bulgaria - to loosen smoking ban to start June 1, 2010..;
Bulgaria - finance minister comments may be good news for tobacco farmers..;
Bulgaria - parliament debates proposal to water down smoking ban..;
Bulgaria - majority of all Bulgarians - 78% are against the smoking ban delay..;
Bulgaria - every increase in excise duty on cigarettes consumption goes down..;
Bulgaria - grace period over, increase in tobacco tax starts Thursday, April 1, 2010..;
Bulgaria - Italian authorities arrest 2-Bulgarians smuggling cigarettes..;
Bulgaria - tractor trailer loaded with contraband cigarettes seized in Ancona, Italy..;
Bulgaria - cigarette consumption down, cigarette tax collection up, seeking funds for technology to intercept contraband goods..;
Bulgaria - justifying why smoking ban won't go into effect on June 1, 2010..;
Bulgaria - Citigroup chosen as consultant for sale of Bulgartabac..;
Bulgaria - ruling party may delay smoking ban until 2011..;
Bulgaria - Finance Minister Djankov, "Less Smoking Is Good for Economy..";
Bulgaria - govt to weaken full smoking ban to be effective June 1, 2010..;
Bulgaria - do producers support contraband cigarettes??;
Bulgaria - sale of Bulgartabac coming - selection of a consultant..;
Greek Farmers Renew Bulgaria Border Blockade..;
Bulgaria - leadership of tobacco fund to be replaced..;
Bulgaria - illegal trade in cigarettes will reach 40% of total trade in 2010..;
Bulgaria - limits on personal imports of tobacco products from outside the EU..;
Bulgaria - European Commission authorizes payment to tobacco producers for 2009 crop..;
Bulgaria -two cigarette smuggling attempts busted on Serbian border..;
Bulgaria - price of cigarettes increases..;
Bulgaria - Bulgartabac stays in the economy ministry, sold by middle of 2010, starting price 100,000,000 euro..;
Bulgaria - tobacco producers propose Bulgartabac transfer..;
Bulgaria - government, tobacco growers reach subsidy agreement..;
Bulgaria - start of steps leading to the privatization of the state-owned cigarette monopoly Bulgartabac..;
Bulgaria - police hold smoking protest over lack of bonuses..;
Bulgaria - police busts major cigarette contraband ring..;
Bulgaria - Bulgartabac Holding” will be privatized in 2010..;
Bulgaria - MPs Impose Hefty Fines on Cigarette Sales Violators..;
Bulgartabac Chief - cigarette tax increase as of January 1, 2010..;
Bulgaria Bulgartabac Holding Sells 23% of Shares to Mutual Funds..;
Bulgaria - more than 70% of smokers want to quit..;
Bulgaria - cigarette taxes going up each year except 2011..;
Bulgaria - chair of the economic committee in parliament disapproves of planned raise in excise duties on cigarettes..;
Bulgaria and others - smoking ban, increased cigarette taxes, smuggling..;
Bulgaria - Cigarette excise duties will be increased next year..;
Bulgaria - cigarette contraband, government loses BGN 920M yearly..;
Bulgaria - one third of the tobacco products sold are illicit..;
Bulgaria - new government to speed-up Bulgartabac sale..;
Bulgaria - Fake Victory Light cigarettes..;
Bulgaria's tobacco monopoly may be up for sale..;
Bulgarian lawmakers vote to ban smoking in all publc places from June 2010..; Bulgarian tobacco company Sofia-BT exports increase by 541 percent..;
Does Russia own Bulgaria's tobacco monopoly, Bulgartabac..;
EU percent of adults smokers -highest Greece 1 , Bulgaria 2.. - lowest Slovenia..;
Bulgaria - 1 in 3 youths smoke / half of pregnant women smoke..;
PMI training Bulgarian custom officers to stop cigarette smuggling..;
Philip Morris International (PMI) was truly happy they had been back in the Bulgarian cigarette market for a year and had already had 6.8% of market..;
WHO FCTC Protocol to Prevent Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products Won't Be Completed Until End of 2010..;
WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic 2008..;
Bulgaria Enters 2009 with Cigarette Prices Hike...
Bulgaria is marking Tuesday, November 10, 2009, the 20th year since the internal coup at the Bulgaria Read more...

Snus News & Other Tobacco Products