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..
April 22, 2011 - New Yorkers hoping to avoid the nation's highest cigarette taxes have long turned to the Internet as a source for cheap smokes, but few bought as often, or as much, as Roza Budansky, according to city officials.
Over a three-year period, the 64-year-old purchased nearly $1 million worth of untaxed cigarettes from an Internet retailer in Louisville, Ky., said a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday by the City of New York. In total, some 32,232 cartons were shipped to her modest apartment in Brooklyn, the suit claimed.
The city's lawsuit accuses Budanksy and 31 other people of evading millions of dollars in taxes by buying heaps of cigarettes over the Web from Chavez Inc., which was raided and effectively shuttered by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in late 2009.
Lawyers for city said the variety and quantities of cigarettes involved made it clear that the cartons were being resold on the black market as part of a tax evasion racket.
Each of the defendants was listed in company billing records as having bought thousands of cartons - far more than they could smoke themselves. Budansky's orders, the suit said, were for 22 different brands and were placed 10 to 15 times a month.
The suit seeks $6.5 million in unpaid taxes from Chavez and its major New York City customers, plus $13 million in penalties.
Attorneys who have represented the company's principal owners, Israel and Pam Chavez, in past legal proceedings said Thursday that they hadn't seen the complaint and didn't yet know whether their clients would comment.
In January, the company lost a legal appeal in which it had challenged the seizure of its bank accounts and assets. In court, the company had acknowledged that it didn't collect taxes on out-of-state cigarette purchases but argued that it wasn't required to do so.
Justice Department lawyers said the company had $132 million in online sales over just a few years. They had argued that the company's key sin wasn't the failure to collect taxes, but its refusal to comply with a law requiring it to report purchases to state officials, so that customers could eventually be billed at their local tax rate.
Attempts by The Associated Press to reach Budansky by phone and through social networking messages were not immediately successful, but she told The New York Post in an interview published Thursday that she was innocent.
REFERENCE: NYC sues over Internet sales of tax-free cigs, by DAVID B. CARUSO,Associated Press, 4/21/20
NYC directly related:
New York City - loosies still being sold in New York City..;
New York City - fewer smokers entering free quit smoking program..;
New York City - Should condos and co-ops be able to ban smoking inside owners' apartments?;;
New York City smoking ban includes city golf courses..;
NYC Mayor Bloomberg making the case for banning smoking at city bus stops..;
New York City - Mayor Bloomberg signs legislation into law that bans smoking in parks and on beaches..;
New York City Council votes to ban smoking in parks, beaches and other outdoor public places..;
New York City - tomorrow is the day, ban on smoking in parks, beaches, marinas, boardwalks and pedestrian plazas should pass..;
New York City - expects vote soon on smoking at beaches and park..;
New York City - . U.S. Court rejects NYC law for shops to have anti-smoking signs..;
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...
(NY City)
Read more...
CDC predicts smoking bans in every state by 2020..
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..
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.
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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
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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...
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..
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
Bulgarians moking less and drinking less alcohol..
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...
Tobacco smuggling as an "unintended consequence of high cigarette taxes..
April 19,2011
Larry Penninger, acting director of the tobacco diversion unit of theBureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), says investigations and prosecutions involving tobacco trafficking have been increasing as smugglers flood high-tax states with cigarettes from low-tax states.
From 2007 to last year, 27 states raised their cigarette taxes, according to Michigan's Mackinac Center for Public Policy, which closely tracks tobacco tax rates across the country. Mackinac describes tobacco smuggling as an "unintended consequence of high cigarette taxes."
There is so much illicit money to be made, Penninger says, that some drug and weapon trafficking organizations are adding tobacco to their product lines to boost profits. For example, in low-tax states such as Virginia, where cigarettes cost about $4.50 a pack, smugglers can sell a truckload (typically 800 cases) in New York at $13 a pack. New York is the highest tobacco taxing jurisdiction in the country.
Smuggling costs states and the federal government about $5 billion, according to U.S. government estimates. "Everybody out there (involved in illegal trafficking operations) is tapping into tobacco,'' Penninger says.
Since 9/11, much of federal law enforcement has focused on terrorism, but tobacco smuggling is attracting fresh interest.
- Last year, the ATF reported 357 open cases involving tobacco smuggling, compared with a handful a decade earlier.
- During the 2010 fiscal year, the Justice Department reported 71 new prosecutions referred by the bureau, a 39% increase from the year before, according to records compiled by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University in New York.
- Seizures of cash and property also have been rising, from $11 million in the 2007 fiscal year to $31.5 million in the 2009 fiscal year.
Reference: Cigarette taxes spur smuggling
by Kevin Johnson - USA TOday, 4/18/2011.
Read more...
Cancer Council tips more apartment smoking bans coming....
Earlier this month an eight-unit apartment block in western Sydney introduced a by-law making the premises, including balconies, completely smoke-free.
Sydney, Australia - apartments stub out smoking..
xpectation is growing that there be no smoke in shared places," she said.
"Councils have discussed [banning smoking at] various events like Christmas pageants.
"The State Government has announced plans to protect playgrounds, and Cancer Council SA wants to see hospitality in South Australia smoke-free as a priority.
"It's entirely possible and even probable that people sharing apartment blocks will want those to be smoke-free too here in Australia."
Professor Wilson says the demand for smoke-free areas is sparked by increased awareness of the risks of second-hand smoke.
2006 Surgeon General's Report—The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke.
"[The] fact remains that second-hand smoke is harmful. The level of exposure can determine a person's risk and you could imagine many would like to have the choice that their home be a safe haven - something that poses quite a challenge in a shared setting such as apartment blocks," she said.
But Tim Vine, the director of Civil Liberties Australia, says tobacco is legal and people should be entitled to use it in the privacy of their homes.
"They shouldn't be excluded from a community because they engage in a legal activity," he said.
"While I understand people wouldn't want second-hand smoke coming through their apartment buildings... people will just have to learn to live alongside each other.
"We shouldn't be turning to the law to settle disputes between neighbours."
Cameron Murphy, the head of the New South Wales Council for Civil Liberties, fears a ban on smoking in units could trigger a broader crackdown.
"It's perfectly alright to ban smoking where it affects another person's enjoyment of their lot but it's got to be something that is more than a mere annoyance," he said.
"Can the body corporate really dictate what people are entitled to do inside their lot? If it's found that they can, what's next?
"It's a slippery slope. If an owners corporation doesn't like people cooking because it doesn't like the smell of cooking wafting from apartment to apartment, will they ban it? "Drinking coffee, what you do in the bedroom... will they ban that?"
Reference: Cancer Council tips more apartment smoking bans by Monique Ross, ABC News, 4/8/2011
Read more...
WHO warns anti-smoking campaigners not to become too close to drug firm..
The World Health Organization has warned health professionals working in tobacco control not to become too closely involved with drug companies that produce smoking cessation products.
The warning came last month at a meeting on smoking prevention in Madrid that was hosted by the National Committee to Prevent Smoking, which represents most Spanish anti-tobacco organisations, and which was sponsored by Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, and McNeil—all of which make treatments to help smoking cessation.
Armando Peruga, programme manager of WHO’s Tobacco Free Initiative, advised health professionals “to be independent and guided by scientific evidence.”
“We have to keep a distance from the tobacco industry, but we also have to maintain some distance from any other industry that can have a commercial interest in this issue,” he said.
“Today the tobacco industry is starting to joke that we have been sold to the pharmaceutical industry, something we must be aware of,” he added.
rEFEENCE: Steer clear of Big Pharma, says... the WHO!/A>
Frhttp://velvetgloveironfist.blogspot.com , VELVET GLOVE ION FIST, 4/15/2011
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PHILIP Morris USA on Friday made its annual Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) payment, which amounted to about $3.5 billion..v.
As permitted by the terms of the MSA (Tobacco Master settlement agreement;, PM USA paid the disputed amount into a Disputed Payments Account pending final resolution of the 2008 NPM Adjustment dispute. "We continue working towards a resolution of the Non-Participating Manufacturer Adjustment dispute for 2008 and prior years and look forward to doing so, either by settlement or through the arbitration process laid out in the Master Settlement Agreement," said Denise Keane, Altria Group, Inc. executive vice president and general counsel, speaking on behalf of PM USA. "PM USA determined that the best decision at this time was to place the disputed money into an escrow account where it will be available, with earnings, to whoever prevails in the 2008 NPM Adjustment dispute." Since 1997, PM USA has paid more than $55 billion to the states (MSA and Previously Settled States combined), which included payment of disputed amounts for the 2003-2007 NPM Adjustments that PM USA was entitled to withhold or pay into a disputed payments account under the MSA. The NPM Adjustment Proceedings Background The Master Settlement Agreement is a contract between Participating Manufacturers and the Settling States that establishes certain rights and obligations for each of the parties. The amount each Original Participating Manufacturer pays each year under the agreement is determined by a complex formula. One component of that formula is the Non-Participating Manufacturer adjustment, which is potentially available in the event that all of the Participating Manufacturers in the aggregate lose more than two percentage points of market share compared to 1997. For the years 2003-2006, an economic consulting firm appointed under the Master Settlement Agreement has rendered its final and non-appealable decision that disadvantages experienced as a result of the MSA were a "significant factor contributing to" the market share loss of the Participating Manufacturers for 2003-2006. For 2007, 2008 and 2009, the Participating Manufacturers and the States have agreed that the States will not contest that the disadvantages of the MSA were a significant factor contributing to the Market Share Loss. Thus, no significant factor determination will be necessary with respect to the Participating Manufacturer's collective loss of market share for 2007, 2008 and 2009. States that prove they have diligently enforced their qualifying escrow statutes during all of a particular year will be able to avoid any application of the Adjustment to their payments for that year. The MSA Independent Auditor recently determined that the participating manufacturers collectively lost market share for 2010. A proceeding before an economic consulting firm with respect to a "significant factor" determination for 2010 loss of market share cannot be commenced until April 2012. Arbitration Agreement for 2003 PM USA and approximately 25 other Participating Manufacturers have entered into an arbitration agreement with 45 MSA States concerning the 2003 NPM Adjustment, including the States' claims of diligent enforcement for 2003. The selection of the Arbitration Panel for the 2003 NPM Adjustment was completed in July 2010 and the arbitration is currently ongoing. Proceedings to determine state diligent enforcement claims for 2004-2009 have not yet been scheduled. The availability and precise amount of any NPM Adjustment for 2003-2009 will not be finally determined until 2012 or thereafter. Reference: Philip Morris USA Makes Master Settlement Agreement Payment of Approximately $3.5 Billion, SOURCE: Philip Morris USA, (BUSINESS WIRE), 4/15/2011 RICHMOND, Va., Apr 15, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) --
Read more...
chief of the Montana First Nation been suspended after admitting her role in storing 14 million contraband cigarettes..
The cigarettes were found stored in a Quonset that belonged to the First Nation. Chief Carolyn Buffalo of the Montana First Nation did not deny that the cigarettes were in the possession of the First Nation.
Band members told CTV News Buffalo and band councillor Leonard Standingontheroad have both lost their roles with the band pending an investigation.
"I'll apologize as many times as I need to," said Buffalo. "The truth is we were trying to get our economy going because we have no money," said Buffalo.
The Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission announced Fbeen suspended after admitting her role in storing 14 million contraband cigarettes from a storage building on the Montana First Nation near Wetaskiwin.
Reference: been suspended after admitting her role in storing 14 million contraband cigarettes edmonton.ctv.ca, 1/7/2011
Alberta few related news briefs:
Smoking in a car, even if window is open, exposes a child to dangerous levels of poisonous particles..;
This is a FACT: Children's exposure to second-hand smoke is dangerous, especially in cars..;
United Kingdom - head GP physician calls smoking in front of children "child abuse"..;
Senior British Doctors demand banning smoking in vehicles when children are present..;
More evidence - vehicles most dangerous space for second-hand smoke inhalation..;
Vehicles Most Dangerous Space for Second-Hand Smoke Levels...
References: a href="http://www.edmontonsun.com/news/alberta/2011/04/01/17845606.html">Anti-smoking group wants smoking ban in vehicles with kids"> by FRANK LANDRY Legislature Bureau, edmontonsun.com, 4/1/2011; Group calls for ban on smoking in cars Kelly Turner, AM770, 4/1/2011.
Some Alberta related news briefs:
a href=http://snus-news.blogspot.com/2011/04/alberta-pressured-not-to-left-alone-ban.html">Alberta - pressured not to left alone ban smoking in cars with kids present..;
Alberta - only two provinces left that do not ban smoking in cars with children..;
Canadian Cancer Society - wants Alberta and all other remaining provinces/territories to ban smoking in cars with children..:
Leduc, Alberta , Canada - bans smoking in cars with kids, takes effect July 2, 2011..;
lberta, Canada - family of anti-smoking activists wants her photo on cigarette packs..;
Alberta, Canada - lawsuit against big tobacco should be filed within a year..;
Alberta - government is not planning to finance medications to help people quit smoking..;
Alberta - tobacco banned in pharmacies and grocery stores..;
Alberta tobacco reduction strategy is working..;
Smoking rampant among pregnant women in Alberta..;
Conflict Exists With the Acceptance of Tobacco Industry Money..;
duMaurier SNUS - Comments Regarding Smokeless Tobacco from Dave Hancock, Minister of Health & Wellness, Province of Alberta, Canada..;
duMaurier SNUS - Edmonton, Alberta - Imperial Tobacco Canada..; We need more tobacco like a hole in the head - the world does not need: smokeless, chewless and spitless tobacco.;
Tighten restrictions on all tobacco advertising..
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