Tobacco Free Florida Helps Save Lives and Money: 500,000 Fewer Tobacco Users in Just Three Years>;
The observance celebrates the state's progress in reducing smoking rates across the state, as well as significant decreases in personal and state healthcare expenditures. The theme for this year's Tobacco Free Florida: Saving Lives, Saving Money.
During this time period, from 2006 to 2009, annual personal healthcare expenditures related to smoking have declined by $1 billion and as much as $4.2 billion in total personal healthcare expenditures have been saved as a result of the reduction in adult smoking rates(3). Lower healthcare costs mean more funds available for investment in business assets and a healthier workforce, which equals increased productivity. In addition, those former smokers are no longer spending money on tobacco products, allowing that money to be spent in other ways for their families, totaling hundreds to thousands of dollars each year per smoker.
"We see more and more tobacco products every day and too many young people are still getting hooked," said Kahreem Golden (Putnam County), Youth Advocacy Board Chair of SWAT. "Today, even though cigarette manufacturers are banned from selling candy-flavored cigarettes, candy flavored tobacco is readily available and comes in a variety of flavors that appeal to kids, yet many think they are harmless."
Reference: Tobacco Free Florida Helps Save Lives and Money: 500,000 Fewer Tobacco Users in Just Three Years, PR Newswire, 3/29/2011.,/B>
Read more...
Kicks-Off Tobacco Free Florida Week Across The State March 28 through April 2..
US Judge: Racketeering Ruling No Longer Applies To British American Tobacco..
Background:BAT's lawyers argued that the company, which is based in central London, should be exempt from the ruling because US law did not have the authority to hold a foreign company liable for its actions outside the US.
March 6, 2011 - Department of Justice - tobacco company defendants indeed violated the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO)...U.S. federal govt and 3-cigarette makers asked the Supreme Court to review racketeering verdict..
Using a Supreme Court ruling from last year involving National Australia Bank as a precedent, Judge Kessler ruled the US had limited authority in trans-national lawsuits against foreign companies.
"There is no evidence that Congress intended to criminalise foreign racketeering activities," Judge Kessler wrote. However, she ruled that BAT would still have to contribute to some of the legal costs of the US government because it won the original ruling. Philip Pfeffer, a lawyer for BAT, said that it was pleased with the decision.
Reference: BAT scores US court victory by Richard Blackden, US Business Editor , By Richard Blackden, US Business Editor 8:16PM BST 29 Mar 2011, telegraph.co.uk, 3/29/2011. Read more...
Washington State.. youth using candy or other alternative tobacco products..
According to the Washington State Department of Health’s biannual Healthy Youth Survey, there were no significant increases in the rate of smokers among sixth-, eight-, 10th-, and 12th-graders who participated since a decade ago.
But cigarettes aside, another potential problem that the health department wants people to know about is the increase in “alternative” tobacco, and nicotine products, which are seemingly targeted at youth characteristics such as their candy flavor.
King County's results from the survey:
* In 2010, among students in 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12thgrades, the current cigarette use (smoked cigarettes during the past 30 days) prevalence were 1%, 4%, 8%, and 15% respectively.
* The statewide rates in these grades were higher at 2%, 6%, 12%, and 19% respectively.
* Current cigarette use appears to have peaked in 2008 and declined between 2008 and 2010, from 14% to 8% for grade 10, and from 19% to 15% for grade 12.
* In 2010, for students in 10th and 12th grades respectively, 3% and 6% were current frequent cigarette users, 4% and 6% used smokeless tobacco, and 7% and 14% smoked cigar during the previous 30 days.
* The prevalence of frequent cigarette use, cigar use, and smokeless tobacco use all declined between 2008 and 2010, but the changes in smokeless tobacco use were not statistically significant.
Reference: by Brent Champaco, woodinville.patch.com. 3/26/2011.
Read more...
South Korea - KT&G’s Esse is queen of the super-slim cigarettes..
Within this total, exports of Esse increased from 11.2 billion in 2009 to 20.8 billion last year. (South Korean tobacco company KT&G signs deal to sell cigarettes in the Middle East and Russia..
At home, Esse accounts for 85 per cent of super-slim cigarettes. According to Euromonitor International, in 2009, sales of Esse stood at 29.2 billion, compared with Virginia Slim’s 17 billion and Vogue’s 11 billion.
“Since its inception in 1996, we have nurtured Esse as a global brand,” said Huh Up, who is in charge of the company’s global businesses. “It is currently available in around 40 states and regions including Russia and the Middle East.”
“In particular, Esse is presently the top-selling super-slim cigarette in Iran, Uzbekistan and Indonesia. In Russia it accounts for more than 10 per cent in the segment.”
Huh said that as well as exporting Esse, KT&G had established factories abroad to “generate products with local relevance”.
The company was determined to foster a “host of globally famous brands” and become a genuine international player, he added.
In October last year, KT&G invested about $100 million setting up Esse production facilities about 150 km of south of Moscow. (Russia - KT&G Corp. completes construction of plant..)
And it has cigarette factories in Turkey and Iran, both of which opened in early 2008.
Reference: KT&G rules slim cigarette market with best-selling 'Esse' by Kim Tae-gyu, Korea Times, 3/28/201.
South Korea - some related news briefs:
South Korea - lung cancer patients taken tobacco suit to the Supreme Court..;
South Korea - One out of every 10 female high-school students smoke cigarettes habitually..;
South Korea - appellate court upholds lower court ruling rejecting claims of compensation for smoking lung cancer patients..;
South Korea - more tobacco control measures to be implemented - wants positive results by 2014..;
South Korea - govt serious about getting smokers to quit..;
South Korea - charge enough for cigarettes smokers will quit..;
South Korea - BAT Korea launching Dunhill Nanocut 1 mg, next week..;
South Korean tobacco company KT&G signs deal to sell cigarettes in the Middle East and Russia..;
South Korea - BAT releases Dunhill Orient as a limited edition..;
http://snus-news.blogspot.com/2010/11/south-korea-end-of-next-year-teenagers.html;
South Korea - stop people from smoking go ahead and triple the price of cigarettes..;
South Korea - Smoking Manner Campaign - promoting cigarette butt-free streets..;
South Korea - in 2007, world's 12th largest cigarette exporter..;
South Korea - study finds higher prices most effective method to discourage smoking..;
South Korea - a new Raison line extension..;
next month enforcement of ban on smoking by taxi drivers..;
South Korea - fines collected for dumping cigarette butts are down.. ;
South Korea - BAT launches new cigarette seems similar to Camel Crush..;
South Korea - rate of male smokers probably higher than any other OECD country..;
South Korea - BAT to further invest in Sacheon factory..;
South Korea - a look at KT&G Corporation with 63% of the market..;
South Korea - streets and parks of Seoul City could be designated as non-smoking areas..;
PMI - slide presentation South Korean Cigarette Market..;
South Korea - KT&G forms alliance with Imperial Tobacco Group..;
South Korea - more smokers in 2009 than in 2008..;
South Korea - remote island going smoke-free, car-free and night lights-free..;
South Korea - Stressed-out Koreans smoking more..;
South Korea - to ban smoking in public places from 2011..;
Korea - BAT - winning the hearts and minds of customers based on tactics tailored to local tastes..;
Korea - sets target to reduce smoking 10% in 5-years..;
Korea - stricter regulation of the tobacco industry coming..;
South Korea - tobacco imports surge 396-fold over 10-years..;
Korea - slight increase in men smoking.. ;
South Korea - anti-tobacco campaign - body painting..;
Korea - smoking ban just about everywhere by end of 2009..;
Tobacco marketing in South Korea has been deliberately aimed at girls and young women..;
Korea - smoking rates fall for men and women...
(passive smoking, environmental tobacco smoke, ets, involuntary smoking, sidestream smoking)
Read more...
Japan - Japan Tobacco to halt shipments..
March 29, 2011 - Japan's dominant tobacco company on Friday said it would halt shipments of all its 97 tobacco products due to disruption from a huge earthquake and tsunami that struck the country two weeks ago.
Japan Tobacco (JT), which has a roughly two-thirds share of the domestic market and in which the government has a 50 percent stake, will temporarily halt shipments from Wednesday through April 10.
JT blamed serious disruption to supply chains and production issues after the 9.0-magnitude earthquake on March 11, which unleashed a massive tsunami that devastated swathes of the northeastern coast.
The company said it would temporarily limit output to its 25 key products such as Mild Seven and Seven Stars as it restocks product inventories to secure a stable supply of its top brands.
It blamed the 12-day shipment halt on "deteriorated distribution conditions", damage to facilities and scheduled blackouts following Japan's biggest ever recorded quake.
JT said time would be needed for damaged factories to recover.
It said the 25 key products that will temporarily become its focus will be sourced from factories in western Japan.
The 25 products cover approximately 65 percent of its consumer base according to shipment volume recorded last month, the company said.
More than 27,000 people are confirmed dead or listed as missing in Japan following the huge earthquake and the monster wall of water it unleashed.
Economists are reviewing daily their increasingly bleak forecasts for an economy that has seen infrastructure along the northeast coast shattered, and power outages in the Tokyo region. Firms have closed plants, hitting output.
Exports of key components and equipment used in the assembly of goods abroad, such as silicon wafers, liquid-crystal displays and electric machinery, have also been hit, last week sending shockwaves across global markets.
JT's factories at Kita-Kanto, Koriyama and Tomobe have suspended operations because of damage to the facilites, as has Tagajo factory of Nihon Filter, a JT group company. The extent of the damage is currently being assessed.
There was further damage to JT’s buildings in Morioka, Sendai, Mito and Utsunomiya sales offices, Sendai order processing center, and some distribution depots (located in Aomori, Morioka, Sendai, Mito and Utsunomiya) which belong to TS Network, a JT Group company, and some of these operations were suspended. JT is continuing production in each of the group’s factories west of Tokai District.
References: Japan Tobacco to halt shipments, www.channelnewsasia.com, 3/26/2011; Expressing their deepest sympathies to those who have been afflicted by the Pacific Ocean earthquake last Friday, Japan Tobacco today announced the presently known effect on the group.
Read more...
To Provide Public Awareness
Purpose
About Us
Contact Us
2008 HIGHLIGHTS
TOPIX PAPERS - 2008 & 2009..