THE CITY government will soon ratchet up the pressure on tobacco companies as it mulls imposing higher taxes on tobacco products, seven years after passing the anti-smoking ordinance in 2002.
Councilor Peter Laviña, chair of the committee on trade, commerce and industry, said the campaign of the city to educate the public on the hazards of smoking has been successful but that’s not enough if the levy on tobacco products remains low.
Making cigarettes expensive is another way to encourage the public, especially the youth, against taking up what would become a very expensive vice. The proposed rate of increase on tobacco products will be discussed further with the stakeholders in a committee hearing next year.
Data from Department of Health, the country’s tobacco excise tax collection had only a total of P199.61 billion from 2000 to 2008 with an average of government earnings of P23.26 billion annually. The health care and economic cost which were being spent on people who had smoking-related illnesses, however, was higher with a total of P1.62 trillion since 2000 up to 2008.
Laviña said there should be a tight ordinance that could strongly discourage minors on buying tobacco products. “The tobacco-related illnesses will rank number one on the cause of death next year if we would not do anything about this,” he said.
The health agency further estimated around 87,600 Filipinos per year die from smoking-related illnesses like lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, coronary heart disease, stroke, and cancer of the lips, nose, or larynx.
Laviña said the proposed amendment on the anti-smoking ordinance also prohibits vendors from selling the cigarettes by retail as well as peddling them in the sidewalk and the streets.
The anti-smoking ordinance states that “it shall be unlawful for any person to smoke or allow smoking in a public utility vehicle, government-owned vehicle or any other means of public transport for passengers, accommodation and entertainment establishment, public building, public place, enclosed public place, or in any enclosed area outside of ones private residence, private place of works, cars owned by the government or duly designated smoking areas, within the jurisdiction of Davao City.”
Laviña said the amendment of the ordinance will not kill the business of the sidewalk vendors as they can still sell candies, biscuits and other food items.
Vendors’ associations will be invited by the committee, which already gathered position papers from the anti-smoking task force and the tobacco companies.
In a position paper of the tobacco industries from Manila, the proposed amendment on the anti-smoking ordinance will severely affect their business. “The tobacco industries opposed on the proposed amendment especially when it comes to their economic concerns. They even questioned the local government on why they are eager to impose higher taxes while the national government did not even propose as such,” he said.
Dr. Domilyn Villareiz, chairperson of the city’s anti-smoking task force, said the proposed amendment on the existing ordinance could make the city “100 percent smoke-free.” This does not, however, the task force is not doing well in implementing the anti-smoking ordinance, she said.
Villareiz said their enforcement is very good. There are now nine establishments with approved smoking areas this year, she said.
Dec 29, 2009
Dec 23, 2009
US legislator calls for mobile phone warning
A legislator in the US state of Maine has now called for mobile phone manufacturers to carry a warning similar to cigarettes, noting the likely effects of overuse including brain cancer.
Andrea Boland noted several studies which linked cancer to mobile phone use, and has said a proposal will be put forward in early 2010.
Under the new bill, manufacturers would be forced to put labels on phones and packaging, warning of the potential risks of radiation. These warnings would recommend certain users, such as children and pregnant women, keep the devices away from certain parts of the body including the head.
The Federal Communications Commission has already set a certain "Absorption" rate of radiation, and says all phones in the US are safe.
Andrea Boland noted several studies which linked cancer to mobile phone use, and has said a proposal will be put forward in early 2010.
Under the new bill, manufacturers would be forced to put labels on phones and packaging, warning of the potential risks of radiation. These warnings would recommend certain users, such as children and pregnant women, keep the devices away from certain parts of the body including the head.
The Federal Communications Commission has already set a certain "Absorption" rate of radiation, and says all phones in the US are safe.
Dec 21, 2009
Health proponents want cigarettes filtered out of movies
What do the feature films A Christmas Carol, Armored and The Blind Side currently circulating have in common?
They’re among an increasing number of movies that feature scenes of smoking, which is making a comeback on silver screens across North America, health officials warn.
“It’s becoming more prevalent,” Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health division manager Shawn Zentner says. Concerned it’s having an undue influence on viewers, he’s worried the more exposed a person is to smoking, “the more likely you are to take up the habit.”
Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada research director Neil Collishaw said he suspects it’s more than coincidence that tobacco companies are seeing their products reaching broad audiences.
“I would like to get to the bottom of what’s really going on,” he said.
Health boards, meanwhile, aren’t waiting to find out why.
On Friday, they concluded a pilot “Don’t be a Target” program that on Nov. 30 began alerting the public through short warning clips aired before movies at area theatres, including Galaxy Cinemas in Guelph and Orangeville.
Zentner said the seven health boards in central-western Ontario involved are now evaluating the effectiveness of the campaign, and may run a version again in the coming year.
“We would like to continue with some sort of presence (in movie houses).”
Collishaw praised Zentner’s board for being proactive in fighting the influence of onscreen smoking.
“It would be perfectly appropriate for the local group to try to counter this,” he said.
Zentner said movie portrayals of smokers are misleading, suggesting glamorous lifestyles without adverse health consequences, as well as implying smoking is much more common among people than is the case in real life.
Taking a broader view, Collishaw said there are several remedies to onscreen depictions of smoking proposed. There’s a California group suggesting movies with gratuitous portrayals should get an ‘R’ or ‘Restricted’ rating so youths can’t see them. India is also exploring an outright ban on these depictions.
Collishaw said he hasn’t yet concluded which is the best way to get cigarettes off screens.
But Zentner is intrigued by a ban.“Certainly, that would be something we’d endorse,” he said.
They’re among an increasing number of movies that feature scenes of smoking, which is making a comeback on silver screens across North America, health officials warn.
“It’s becoming more prevalent,” Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health division manager Shawn Zentner says. Concerned it’s having an undue influence on viewers, he’s worried the more exposed a person is to smoking, “the more likely you are to take up the habit.”
Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada research director Neil Collishaw said he suspects it’s more than coincidence that tobacco companies are seeing their products reaching broad audiences.
“I would like to get to the bottom of what’s really going on,” he said.
Health boards, meanwhile, aren’t waiting to find out why.
On Friday, they concluded a pilot “Don’t be a Target” program that on Nov. 30 began alerting the public through short warning clips aired before movies at area theatres, including Galaxy Cinemas in Guelph and Orangeville.
Zentner said the seven health boards in central-western Ontario involved are now evaluating the effectiveness of the campaign, and may run a version again in the coming year.
“We would like to continue with some sort of presence (in movie houses).”
Collishaw praised Zentner’s board for being proactive in fighting the influence of onscreen smoking.
“It would be perfectly appropriate for the local group to try to counter this,” he said.
Zentner said movie portrayals of smokers are misleading, suggesting glamorous lifestyles without adverse health consequences, as well as implying smoking is much more common among people than is the case in real life.
Taking a broader view, Collishaw said there are several remedies to onscreen depictions of smoking proposed. There’s a California group suggesting movies with gratuitous portrayals should get an ‘R’ or ‘Restricted’ rating so youths can’t see them. India is also exploring an outright ban on these depictions.
Collishaw said he hasn’t yet concluded which is the best way to get cigarettes off screens.
But Zentner is intrigued by a ban.“Certainly, that would be something we’d endorse,” he said.
Dec 18, 2009
Malawi’s Farmers Shun Tobacco Due to Poor Prices, Times Reports
Tobacco farmers in Malawi are planning to grow other crops this year because of the poor prices offered for the leaf last season, the Daily Times reported, citing a survey by the Tobacco Control Commission.
As many as 40 percent of the country’s farmers who grew tobacco last season will not do so again in 2010, the Blantyre- based newspaper said.
Malawi’s Tobacco Control Commission Chief Executive Officer Bruce Munthali was not available when Bloomberg News called his office in Blantyre today seeking comment.
As many as 40 percent of the country’s farmers who grew tobacco last season will not do so again in 2010, the Blantyre- based newspaper said.
Malawi’s Tobacco Control Commission Chief Executive Officer Bruce Munthali was not available when Bloomberg News called his office in Blantyre today seeking comment.
Dec 15, 2009
Robbery suspect arrested 45 days after release from jail
A city man has been arrested early Thursday morning for allegedly breaking into a convenience store and stealing cigarettes and money from the cash register just a month and a half after his release from jail, according to police.
Kenney Javier Menendez, 32, of 532 South Bridge St., was arrested shortly before 6 a.m. on Elm Street after in connection with a break in that occurred at the Dairy Mart located at the intersection of Lyman and Maple streets, according to Police Chief Anthony Scott. Menendez has been arraigned 47 times in since 1998 for various drug and burglary charges, according to Scott, and has served several sentences in jail.
"He rode the Hampden County Merry Go Round of Justice several times and was released from the House of Corrections on October 26, 2009 only forty-five (45) days before he broke into the Dairy Mart," states Scott in a release sent to the media Thursday.
According to police, officers were called to the store around 4:30 a.m. for a burglary alarm and discovered someone had allegedly broken into the store. A review of the store's surveillance video revealed a man matching Menendez's description had allegedly went into the store, filled his pockets with Newport cigarettes and then smash the store's cash register and fled with it's tray full of money after the business's alarm began to sound, according to Scott.
Menendez was arrested after police spotted him at the intersection of Elm and Essex streets, according to police, and he allegedly had $232.59, 12 packages of Newport cigarettes, a knife and a gram of cocaine in his possession. Menedez had allegedly been wearing the same clothing as was seen in the surveillance video, according to Scott.
Menendez is scheduled to be arraigned in Holyoke District Court on several charges for the incident, including possession of cocaine, larceny over $250 and felony breaking and entering during the nighttime.
Kenney Javier Menendez, 32, of 532 South Bridge St., was arrested shortly before 6 a.m. on Elm Street after in connection with a break in that occurred at the Dairy Mart located at the intersection of Lyman and Maple streets, according to Police Chief Anthony Scott. Menendez has been arraigned 47 times in since 1998 for various drug and burglary charges, according to Scott, and has served several sentences in jail.
"He rode the Hampden County Merry Go Round of Justice several times and was released from the House of Corrections on October 26, 2009 only forty-five (45) days before he broke into the Dairy Mart," states Scott in a release sent to the media Thursday.
According to police, officers were called to the store around 4:30 a.m. for a burglary alarm and discovered someone had allegedly broken into the store. A review of the store's surveillance video revealed a man matching Menendez's description had allegedly went into the store, filled his pockets with Newport cigarettes and then smash the store's cash register and fled with it's tray full of money after the business's alarm began to sound, according to Scott.
Menendez was arrested after police spotted him at the intersection of Elm and Essex streets, according to police, and he allegedly had $232.59, 12 packages of Newport cigarettes, a knife and a gram of cocaine in his possession. Menedez had allegedly been wearing the same clothing as was seen in the surveillance video, according to Scott.
Menendez is scheduled to be arraigned in Holyoke District Court on several charges for the incident, including possession of cocaine, larceny over $250 and felony breaking and entering during the nighttime.
Dec 14, 2009
Record illegal cigarette hauls as smuggling rings smashed
ILLEGAL cigarette seizures reached record-breaking levels this year as Customs officers smashed a number of major smuggling operations.
They confiscated 215 million cigarettes worth €90m in the first 11 months of the year -- with one 120 million seizure the biggest in EU history.
This marked a substantial rise in the volume of cigarettes seized this year, compared with 135 million last year.
Tobacco smuggling is the biggest fraud, in terms of revenue, against EU countries, according to the European Commission's anti-fraud office.
However, it is predicted the number of seizures will increase next year as Customs has stepped up the fight with the purchase of a second mobile scanner, at a cost of €2.3m.
The scanner can examine the inside of containers and uses sophisticated software to produce high-quality images.
Revenue believes one in every five cigarettes in the country is not taxed. But cigarette manufacturers claim untaxed cigarettes account for at least a quarter of all smoked in Ireland and may cost the State as much as €500m in lost revenue.
Operations
Revenue's Ursula O'Neill said the high number of seizures was an indication of the number of attempted cigarette smuggling operations coming through Ireland.
"Our excise duties are the highest in Europe, and as long as that is the case we are always going to be a target.
"But some of the seizures we are seeing are intended for the UK market," she said.
Deirdre Healy, a spokeswoman from manufacturer John Player, said there had been an increase in people attempting to sell counterfeit cigarettes on the black market.
The company was made aware of two instances in recent days -- one in Mullingar, Co Westmeath, the other in Drogheda, Co Louth -- where people were leafleting homes offering 200 cigarettes for around €40. This compares with €8.40 for a pack of 20 John Player Blues in a retail outlet.
Finance Minister Brian Lenihan last week let the duties on tobacco stand, as he admitted the high price was giving rise to tobacco smuggling.
There have been 154 convictions to date this year -- 140 for smuggling and 14 for illegal selling in shops -- with prison sentences imposed in 10 cases.
More than 27 million illegal cigarettes, worth more than €11.7m, have been confiscated at Dublin Airport -- down slightly on both 2008 and 2007 levels.
Tax receipts on cigarettes soared by 66pc when Latvia and Lithuania joined the EU in 2004, with people buying cheaper cigarettes to sell in countries with higher excise duties, Revenue said.
They confiscated 215 million cigarettes worth €90m in the first 11 months of the year -- with one 120 million seizure the biggest in EU history.
This marked a substantial rise in the volume of cigarettes seized this year, compared with 135 million last year.
Tobacco smuggling is the biggest fraud, in terms of revenue, against EU countries, according to the European Commission's anti-fraud office.
However, it is predicted the number of seizures will increase next year as Customs has stepped up the fight with the purchase of a second mobile scanner, at a cost of €2.3m.
The scanner can examine the inside of containers and uses sophisticated software to produce high-quality images.
Revenue believes one in every five cigarettes in the country is not taxed. But cigarette manufacturers claim untaxed cigarettes account for at least a quarter of all smoked in Ireland and may cost the State as much as €500m in lost revenue.
Operations
Revenue's Ursula O'Neill said the high number of seizures was an indication of the number of attempted cigarette smuggling operations coming through Ireland.
"Our excise duties are the highest in Europe, and as long as that is the case we are always going to be a target.
"But some of the seizures we are seeing are intended for the UK market," she said.
Deirdre Healy, a spokeswoman from manufacturer John Player, said there had been an increase in people attempting to sell counterfeit cigarettes on the black market.
The company was made aware of two instances in recent days -- one in Mullingar, Co Westmeath, the other in Drogheda, Co Louth -- where people were leafleting homes offering 200 cigarettes for around €40. This compares with €8.40 for a pack of 20 John Player Blues in a retail outlet.
Finance Minister Brian Lenihan last week let the duties on tobacco stand, as he admitted the high price was giving rise to tobacco smuggling.
There have been 154 convictions to date this year -- 140 for smuggling and 14 for illegal selling in shops -- with prison sentences imposed in 10 cases.
More than 27 million illegal cigarettes, worth more than €11.7m, have been confiscated at Dublin Airport -- down slightly on both 2008 and 2007 levels.
Tax receipts on cigarettes soared by 66pc when Latvia and Lithuania joined the EU in 2004, with people buying cheaper cigarettes to sell in countries with higher excise duties, Revenue said.
Dec 1, 2009
Ky. universities expand smoking, tobacco bans
Kentucky's flagship public university gave the official heave-ho to tobacco on Thursday, touting the health benefits of a smoke-free policy covering all of its sprawling campus in the heart of burley tobacco country.
The tobacco ban at the University of Kentucky includes outdoor areas and applies to chew, pipes, cigars and snuff as well as cigarettes. Kentucky leads the nation in the production of burley tobacco, and has some of the nation's highest smoking rates.
"Going tobacco-free may not be the easiest thing to do, it may not be the most politically popular thing to do, but in my mind it's the right thing to do for this campus," UK President Lee Todd said in trumpeting the strict anti-tobacco policy.
Not far behind in the tobacco crackdown is the University of Louisville, which started restricting smoking Thursday to limited areas on its Belknap and Shelby campuses.
The goal is to make the university totally smoke-free in a year from now.
Pikeville College also announced Thursday it plans for its campus to be tobacco-free by next fall.
In Lexington, some UK students welcomed the tobacco prohibition.
"It'll be nice walking to class and not having to walk in a cloud of smoke," nonsmoker Kelly Stilz, a senior, said while eating a quick breakfast on campus.
Sophomore Matt Danter, also a nonsmoker, harbored no strong feelings about the policy, but said "it seems a little contradictory" given Kentucky's heritage as a tobacco producer.
Danter said he has friends on campus who smoke and don't like the policy. He said he expects to see plenty of scofflaws on campus."If there's a will, there's a way," he said.
The university is stressing treatment, not punishment, for people caught using tobacco on campus. Citations will not be given to violators, and the school will steer them toward treatment. However, UK employees who are flagrant violators could ultimately be fired, and flagrant student violators could face dismissal from school, said Ellen Hahn, a UK nursing professor who played a leading role in implementing the policy.
"We would not expect that," she said, predicting that people will comply.
But the goal is to help them kick their tobacco habits. To help accomplish that, the university will make nicotine replacement products available at no cost for up to 12 weeks for students, faculty and staff enrolled in UK-sponsored tobacco treatment programs, she said.
Those not ready to give up tobacco but wanting to get through the day without a cigarette or a pinch of snuff can get the replacement products at deep discounts on campus, she said.
"We know it's going to take time," said Anthany Beatty, UK's assistant vice president for campus services. "Nicotine is a powerfully addictive substance, and folks just can't drop the habit."
Kent Ratajeski, a lecturer in UK's Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, said the tobacco-free policy went too far, encroaching on the freedom of students.
"I think the university is telling them how to live their lives," he said.
UK has prohibited smoking inside and within 20 feet of buildings since 2006.
Tim Bricker, chairman of pediatrics for the Kentucky Children's Hospital, said he understood the tobacco-free policy will be inconvenient for some on campus. But if the ban improves overall health and entices some people to stop smoking, then it's "really worth it," he said.
Kentucky has the nation's highest rate of lung cancer and is third in adult smoking rates, according to the state Department for Public Health.
"Our young people are being targeted by the tobacco companies, and have been for years," said Hahn, who played a key role in implementing the policy. "This policy really is an investment in our young people and in our state."Even with the ban, UK still has strong ties to tobacco.
Specialists in its College of Agriculture offer production advice to tobacco growers, and UK is home to a research center seeking new commercial uses for tobacco, including pharmaceuticals.
Scott Smith, dean of UK's College of Agriculture, said the university still grows tobacco on its farms as part of research to assist growers and the tobacco industry.
"Tobacco remains an important crop to many Kentucky farms," he said.Elsewhere, the University of Louisville kicked off its policy Thursday to ban smoking almost everywhere on its campuses. Rather than asking employees and students to quit cold turkey, however, U of L began a phaseout of smoking, with designated smoking areas set up on its Belknap and Shelby campuses. The school will gradually phase out those smoking areas, with the goal of making its campuses totally smoke-free by November 2010.
U of L's Health Sciences campus has been smoke-free since 2004.
"As a university committed to our students, faculty and staff, we are emphasizing the health benefits of not smoking," said U of L Provost Shirley Willihnganz.
The tobacco ban at the University of Kentucky includes outdoor areas and applies to chew, pipes, cigars and snuff as well as cigarettes. Kentucky leads the nation in the production of burley tobacco, and has some of the nation's highest smoking rates.
"Going tobacco-free may not be the easiest thing to do, it may not be the most politically popular thing to do, but in my mind it's the right thing to do for this campus," UK President Lee Todd said in trumpeting the strict anti-tobacco policy.
Not far behind in the tobacco crackdown is the University of Louisville, which started restricting smoking Thursday to limited areas on its Belknap and Shelby campuses.
The goal is to make the university totally smoke-free in a year from now.
Pikeville College also announced Thursday it plans for its campus to be tobacco-free by next fall.
In Lexington, some UK students welcomed the tobacco prohibition.
"It'll be nice walking to class and not having to walk in a cloud of smoke," nonsmoker Kelly Stilz, a senior, said while eating a quick breakfast on campus.
Sophomore Matt Danter, also a nonsmoker, harbored no strong feelings about the policy, but said "it seems a little contradictory" given Kentucky's heritage as a tobacco producer.
Danter said he has friends on campus who smoke and don't like the policy. He said he expects to see plenty of scofflaws on campus."If there's a will, there's a way," he said.
The university is stressing treatment, not punishment, for people caught using tobacco on campus. Citations will not be given to violators, and the school will steer them toward treatment. However, UK employees who are flagrant violators could ultimately be fired, and flagrant student violators could face dismissal from school, said Ellen Hahn, a UK nursing professor who played a leading role in implementing the policy.
"We would not expect that," she said, predicting that people will comply.
But the goal is to help them kick their tobacco habits. To help accomplish that, the university will make nicotine replacement products available at no cost for up to 12 weeks for students, faculty and staff enrolled in UK-sponsored tobacco treatment programs, she said.
Those not ready to give up tobacco but wanting to get through the day without a cigarette or a pinch of snuff can get the replacement products at deep discounts on campus, she said.
"We know it's going to take time," said Anthany Beatty, UK's assistant vice president for campus services. "Nicotine is a powerfully addictive substance, and folks just can't drop the habit."
Kent Ratajeski, a lecturer in UK's Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, said the tobacco-free policy went too far, encroaching on the freedom of students.
"I think the university is telling them how to live their lives," he said.
UK has prohibited smoking inside and within 20 feet of buildings since 2006.
Tim Bricker, chairman of pediatrics for the Kentucky Children's Hospital, said he understood the tobacco-free policy will be inconvenient for some on campus. But if the ban improves overall health and entices some people to stop smoking, then it's "really worth it," he said.
Kentucky has the nation's highest rate of lung cancer and is third in adult smoking rates, according to the state Department for Public Health.
"Our young people are being targeted by the tobacco companies, and have been for years," said Hahn, who played a key role in implementing the policy. "This policy really is an investment in our young people and in our state."Even with the ban, UK still has strong ties to tobacco.
Specialists in its College of Agriculture offer production advice to tobacco growers, and UK is home to a research center seeking new commercial uses for tobacco, including pharmaceuticals.
Scott Smith, dean of UK's College of Agriculture, said the university still grows tobacco on its farms as part of research to assist growers and the tobacco industry.
"Tobacco remains an important crop to many Kentucky farms," he said.Elsewhere, the University of Louisville kicked off its policy Thursday to ban smoking almost everywhere on its campuses. Rather than asking employees and students to quit cold turkey, however, U of L began a phaseout of smoking, with designated smoking areas set up on its Belknap and Shelby campuses. The school will gradually phase out those smoking areas, with the goal of making its campuses totally smoke-free by November 2010.
U of L's Health Sciences campus has been smoke-free since 2004.
"As a university committed to our students, faculty and staff, we are emphasizing the health benefits of not smoking," said U of L Provost Shirley Willihnganz.
Nov 30, 2009
More Stress on Smoking Ban
Soon, instead of focusing on grim health warnings and gruesome advertisements for cigarettes, the advertising world will now put the spotlight on smoker’s hip pockets.
A move that coincides with the Cancer Institute NSW’s new research that 20% of smokers would give up smoking on a $3/- increase in cigarette prices, with an additional 29% admitting they would reduce the number of cigarettes they smoked.
A heavy smoker buying a packet of cigarettes for an average price of $13.50, expects to see almost $5000 going up in smoke every year.
As well, over the festive season, new radio advertisements honing in on this cost will be launched by the NSW Government, with Minister Assisting on Health, Barbara Perry, informing, the new ads will show better ways for spending hard-earned money than frittering it away on cigarettes.
‘This new campaign appeals to smokers' hip-pockets, as well as their health, describing Christmas presents and holidays that their money could be better spent on,’ she said.
‘People who smoke 10 or more cigarettes each day are told they are burning through more than $1500 a year, which could instead go towards creating a really special Christmas.’
According to Cancer Institute’s research, half the smokers are happy to welcome a cigarette price hike, if only it will help them give up smoking, including deterring young people from lighting up.
The survey of 800-smokers and 800 non-smokers found 66% of smokers up from 2005’s 59%, were keen to quit within the next six months.
Researchers were surprised to find the smokers themselves supported a hike in the price of cigarettes.
A move that coincides with the Cancer Institute NSW’s new research that 20% of smokers would give up smoking on a $3/- increase in cigarette prices, with an additional 29% admitting they would reduce the number of cigarettes they smoked.
A heavy smoker buying a packet of cigarettes for an average price of $13.50, expects to see almost $5000 going up in smoke every year.
As well, over the festive season, new radio advertisements honing in on this cost will be launched by the NSW Government, with Minister Assisting on Health, Barbara Perry, informing, the new ads will show better ways for spending hard-earned money than frittering it away on cigarettes.
‘This new campaign appeals to smokers' hip-pockets, as well as their health, describing Christmas presents and holidays that their money could be better spent on,’ she said.
‘People who smoke 10 or more cigarettes each day are told they are burning through more than $1500 a year, which could instead go towards creating a really special Christmas.’
According to Cancer Institute’s research, half the smokers are happy to welcome a cigarette price hike, if only it will help them give up smoking, including deterring young people from lighting up.
The survey of 800-smokers and 800 non-smokers found 66% of smokers up from 2005’s 59%, were keen to quit within the next six months.
Researchers were surprised to find the smokers themselves supported a hike in the price of cigarettes.
Nov 26, 2009
Penalty for selling cigarettes to underage decoy reduced
A tiny Chinatown store accused of selling cigarettes to an underage decoy had a tobacco license suspension reduced after it claimed that the decoy’s ID was damaged and difficult to read.
Sam & Son Market, which opens on Powell Street at 5 a.m. to sell newspapers, cigarettes, lottery tickets and snacks, was initially suspended by the San Francisco Department of Public Health from selling tobacco for 25 days because it sold cigarettes to an underage police decoy on May 2.
But the San Francisco Board of Appeals reduced that suspension to 20 days after the business owner said his wife, who he described through a translator as illiterate and suffering vision problems, checked the decoy’s ID but sold the cigarettes anyway.
The ID was crumpled and the laminate was bubbled, perhaps because it had been left in clothes when they were sent to a dry cleaner, the business owner said through his translating son, William Chan.
The Department of Public Health was unable to produce a copy of the decoy’s ID, leading the Board of Appeals to vote 4-1 to reduce the suspension to 20 days.
Board members also expressed sympathy during the hearing for Sam & Son Market because it’s a small business.
Sam & Son Market, which opens on Powell Street at 5 a.m. to sell newspapers, cigarettes, lottery tickets and snacks, was initially suspended by the San Francisco Department of Public Health from selling tobacco for 25 days because it sold cigarettes to an underage police decoy on May 2.
But the San Francisco Board of Appeals reduced that suspension to 20 days after the business owner said his wife, who he described through a translator as illiterate and suffering vision problems, checked the decoy’s ID but sold the cigarettes anyway.
The ID was crumpled and the laminate was bubbled, perhaps because it had been left in clothes when they were sent to a dry cleaner, the business owner said through his translating son, William Chan.
The Department of Public Health was unable to produce a copy of the decoy’s ID, leading the Board of Appeals to vote 4-1 to reduce the suspension to 20 days.
Board members also expressed sympathy during the hearing for Sam & Son Market because it’s a small business.
Nov 23, 2009
As national smoking rates rise, NY's drops
While national rates for cigarette smoking have risen slightly, New York has shown a decrease in smokers, which experts attribute to the state's high cigarette tax and aggressive anti-smoking laws and programs.
Nationally, about 20.6 percent of adults were smokers in 2008, up from 19.8 percent in 2007, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday.
Even so, the trend over the last decade is still downward: Since 1998, the proportion of adult smokers has declined overall by 3.5 percentage points.
In New York, the rate of adult smokers dropped from 18.3 percent in 2007 to 16.8 percent in 2008, the lowest ever measured in the state, said Claire Pospisil, a spokeswoman from the state Health Department.
Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable illness and death in the country, according to the CDC. But, as states struggle with budgets, many are cutting back on their smoking prevention programs, yet few have raised cigarette taxes as high as New York's, the nation's third highest.
With a $2.75 per pack tax levied by the state, along with taxes by other jurisdictions, a pack of cigarettes in the state costs from $7 to $10. Nassau and Suffolk counties have asked to put their own taxes on cigarettes but have been turned down by the state. New York City adds $1.50 a pack.
"New York is a role model," said Matthew Myers, president of the nonprofit Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "While the rest of the country is stagnant, New York is a demonstration that its comprehensive effort is working."
The decline in New York means there are about 300,000 fewer smokers, said Pat Folan, director of the Center for Tobacco Control at the North Shore-LIJ Health System. "Some people look at [smoking] as a dead issue, that we shouldn't have to worry about it anymore, but in fact it's not completely gone away," Folan said. The center, supported by a $600,000-a-year state grant, is one of 19 such regional centers statewide.
The CDC's survey found the highest prevalence of smoking among the least educated: A 27.5 percent rate for people with less than a high school diploma and 41.3 percent for those with a General Educational Development certificate. Only 5.7 percent of people with a graduate degree smoke, according to the survey.Myers predicted that smoking statistics from 2009 will show a sharp decline because of the April federal increase in a cigarette tax from 39 cents to $1.01. He said preliminary data from the first three-quarters of the year show a drop in smoking of about 9 percent.
"The lesson of the impact of the federal tax as well as New York's is that by increasing the tobacco tax and funding comprehensive programs, we can dramatically reduce the number who die from tobacco use," Myers said.
Nationally, about 20.6 percent of adults were smokers in 2008, up from 19.8 percent in 2007, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday.
Even so, the trend over the last decade is still downward: Since 1998, the proportion of adult smokers has declined overall by 3.5 percentage points.
In New York, the rate of adult smokers dropped from 18.3 percent in 2007 to 16.8 percent in 2008, the lowest ever measured in the state, said Claire Pospisil, a spokeswoman from the state Health Department.
Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable illness and death in the country, according to the CDC. But, as states struggle with budgets, many are cutting back on their smoking prevention programs, yet few have raised cigarette taxes as high as New York's, the nation's third highest.
With a $2.75 per pack tax levied by the state, along with taxes by other jurisdictions, a pack of cigarettes in the state costs from $7 to $10. Nassau and Suffolk counties have asked to put their own taxes on cigarettes but have been turned down by the state. New York City adds $1.50 a pack.
"New York is a role model," said Matthew Myers, president of the nonprofit Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "While the rest of the country is stagnant, New York is a demonstration that its comprehensive effort is working."
The decline in New York means there are about 300,000 fewer smokers, said Pat Folan, director of the Center for Tobacco Control at the North Shore-LIJ Health System. "Some people look at [smoking] as a dead issue, that we shouldn't have to worry about it anymore, but in fact it's not completely gone away," Folan said. The center, supported by a $600,000-a-year state grant, is one of 19 such regional centers statewide.
The CDC's survey found the highest prevalence of smoking among the least educated: A 27.5 percent rate for people with less than a high school diploma and 41.3 percent for those with a General Educational Development certificate. Only 5.7 percent of people with a graduate degree smoke, according to the survey.Myers predicted that smoking statistics from 2009 will show a sharp decline because of the April federal increase in a cigarette tax from 39 cents to $1.01. He said preliminary data from the first three-quarters of the year show a drop in smoking of about 9 percent.
"The lesson of the impact of the federal tax as well as New York's is that by increasing the tobacco tax and funding comprehensive programs, we can dramatically reduce the number who die from tobacco use," Myers said.
Nov 18, 2009
Latest cigarettes seizures worth €4.8m
THE LATEST seizures by Customs of some 12 million cigarettes in two hauls have a combined retail value of €4.8 million.
The consignments came through Dublin Port in recent days. On Monday, between five million and six million cigarettes were seized by Customs officers near Dundalk, Co Louth.
The Regal brand cigarettes were hidden in a container which arrived into Dublin Port from Barcelona last week. The tobacco was labelled on the manifest as "hair extensions" and was hidden in 25 pallets with empty boxes.
The load was followed for seven days before a driver with the container was stopped at a checkpoint at the M1 Dundalk south turn-off on Monday night. An Irishman detained at the scene was later released and is said to be helping Customs with its investigations.
Dublin Port Customs official Ciarán Moulton said inquiries were ongoing. "But based on the fact that the container was heading towards the Border and the brand is more common in Northern Ireland and the UK, we believe it was destined for the UK market."
Some six million contraband Souvenir brand cigarettes arrived into Dublin Port on a ship from Vietnam on Saturday.
They were hidden behind a load of timber furniture.The seizure involved surveillance and investigation work by gardaí and Customs officers. Several people were questioned in relation to the haul.
It brings to almost €10 million the value of tobacco seizures in the past seven days. A €5 million shipment arrived at Dublin Port from Holyhead, and was seized by Customs officers near Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan last week.
The consignments came through Dublin Port in recent days. On Monday, between five million and six million cigarettes were seized by Customs officers near Dundalk, Co Louth.
The Regal brand cigarettes were hidden in a container which arrived into Dublin Port from Barcelona last week. The tobacco was labelled on the manifest as "hair extensions" and was hidden in 25 pallets with empty boxes.
The load was followed for seven days before a driver with the container was stopped at a checkpoint at the M1 Dundalk south turn-off on Monday night. An Irishman detained at the scene was later released and is said to be helping Customs with its investigations.
Dublin Port Customs official Ciarán Moulton said inquiries were ongoing. "But based on the fact that the container was heading towards the Border and the brand is more common in Northern Ireland and the UK, we believe it was destined for the UK market."
Some six million contraband Souvenir brand cigarettes arrived into Dublin Port on a ship from Vietnam on Saturday.
They were hidden behind a load of timber furniture.The seizure involved surveillance and investigation work by gardaí and Customs officers. Several people were questioned in relation to the haul.
It brings to almost €10 million the value of tobacco seizures in the past seven days. A €5 million shipment arrived at Dublin Port from Holyhead, and was seized by Customs officers near Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan last week.
Nov 16, 2009
Burglars crash car into store to steal cigarettes
Burglars crashed a vehicle into Midland Market and stole cartons of cigarettes early Saturday on Midland Road, a sheriff’s deputy reported.
Owner David A. Boyce reviewed store surveillance video showing someone in a mid-sized regular cab pickup truck crashed through the door and front windows of the market, Deputy Joseph McCool reported.
An unknown amount of cigarettes were stolen.Deputy Matt Clagg and McCool cleared the store.
“I observed multiple cartons of cigarettes lying on the floor and paint transfer from the vehicle on the door frame,” McCool stated, adding the doors were pushed in.
Deputies also found bloodstains inside the store.
Detective Chris Owens is investigating. People who have information about the burglary or suspects may call Owens at 904-3045.
In an unrelated case, Deputy Gene Thorpe reported thieves stole a 500-gallon propane tank and about 200 gallons of propane from William B. Williams of J.D. Todd Road.
Loss was estimated at $1,560.
Owner David A. Boyce reviewed store surveillance video showing someone in a mid-sized regular cab pickup truck crashed through the door and front windows of the market, Deputy Joseph McCool reported.
An unknown amount of cigarettes were stolen.Deputy Matt Clagg and McCool cleared the store.
“I observed multiple cartons of cigarettes lying on the floor and paint transfer from the vehicle on the door frame,” McCool stated, adding the doors were pushed in.
Deputies also found bloodstains inside the store.
Detective Chris Owens is investigating. People who have information about the burglary or suspects may call Owens at 904-3045.
In an unrelated case, Deputy Gene Thorpe reported thieves stole a 500-gallon propane tank and about 200 gallons of propane from William B. Williams of J.D. Todd Road.
Loss was estimated at $1,560.
Man assaulted on Lucky St., stabbed over cigarettes
A man was stabbed Sunday when he refused to give his cigarettes away.
The Rock Hill man was assaulted on Lucky Street around 1:20 a.m. after two men asked him for a cigarette, according to a Rock Hill police report.
The victim told police he was walking down the street when he was approached by two unknown men wearing dark clothing, the report states. One of the suspects asked for a cigarette, and the victim told police he replied, “You sell drugs, go get buy your own cigarettes,” the report states.
Then one of the men pushed him down and the other cut the man in the chest with a knife, the report states. Afterward, they ran away.
The victim was taken to Piedmont Medical Center for treatment for non-life threatening injuries.
The report does not have a description of the suspects.
The Rock Hill man was assaulted on Lucky Street around 1:20 a.m. after two men asked him for a cigarette, according to a Rock Hill police report.
The victim told police he was walking down the street when he was approached by two unknown men wearing dark clothing, the report states. One of the suspects asked for a cigarette, and the victim told police he replied, “You sell drugs, go get buy your own cigarettes,” the report states.
Then one of the men pushed him down and the other cut the man in the chest with a knife, the report states. Afterward, they ran away.
The victim was taken to Piedmont Medical Center for treatment for non-life threatening injuries.
The report does not have a description of the suspects.
Nov 13, 2009
Africa Faces Surge In Tobacco-Related Deaths
Africans face a surge in cancer deaths amid growing rates of tobacco use and a lack of laws that protect people from second-hand smoke, according to a joint report released Wednesday by the Global Smokefree Partnership and the American Cancer Society (ACS).
The continent, which accounts for 14 percent of the world’s population, has just four percent of the world’s smokers today. But African nations are set to undergo the highest increase in the rate of tobacco use among developing countries, with more than half the continent expected to double its tobacco use within 12 years if current trends continue, the report found.
This comes at a time when nearly 90 percent of Africans have no meaningful protection from secondhand smoke.
"If we don't act now on tobacco control in Africa, millions of lives will be lost because tobacco is now becoming an issue in Africa," Tom Glynn of the Global Smokefree Partnership told the AFP news agency.
The report, entitled “Global Voices: Rebutting the Tobacco Industry, Winning Smokefree Air”, also offers some hope.
Many African nations are fighting against the tobacco industry's aggressive efforts to stop public health interventions by putting smoke-free laws into place.
"For the first time in history, we have the tools in hand to prevent a pandemic," said Dr. Otis W. Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society.
"Recent data suggests that, with current trends, more than half of the region of Africa will double its tobacco consumption within 12 years. Smoke-free public places are one example of a low-cost and extremely effective intervention that must be implemented now to protect health."
Kenya and Niger have enacted national smoke-free policies within the last year, and South Africa, which has been smoke-free since March 2007, continues to play a vital role in the region, demonstrating that smoke-free laws can work in Africa.
In a first for the region, Mauritius recently passed a law that is close to meeting the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) standards, ranking among the strongest anti-smoking measures in the world.
However, implementation remains a challenge in many places, such as Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana and Uganda, the report found.
Barriers include identifying resources for implementation, and tobacco industry opposition to smoke-free laws. In Abuja, Nigeria, for example, 55 percent of students are unaware that secondhand smoke is harmful to health, and smoke-free laws protect just 1 percent of the population.
The report exposes the tobacco industry's efforts to prevent legislation through convincing African governments that tobacco is important to their economies, and that raising taxes on cigarettes and adopting smoke-free laws will result in revenue and job losses.
In Kenya, the tobacco industry has legally challenged a strong smoke-free law passed by the Parliament. And in Zambia, British American Tobacco has helped to water down proposals for a smoke-free law.
But evidence in recent years indicates that such alleged revenue losses do not occur. For instance, the smoke-free law in Mauritius is not expected to impact tourist revenues, which account for more than 25% of the nation’s GDP, the report found.
In South Africa, value added tax returns showed that smoke-free laws had no meaningful impact on restaurant revenues, and indeed may have had a positive effect.
In addition to tough anti-smoking laws, economic interventions, such as imposing high taxes on cigarettes, have substantial potential to effectively and efficiently decrease tobacco consumption rates in Africa. Doubling the price of cigarettes by increasing the tax can lower consumption by 60 percent, the report found.
This holds true among many African nations. In South Africa, for example, tobacco consumption has decreased by one-third since 1993, when aggressive increases in cigarettes taxes began to take effect.
It is estimated that in 2010 smoking will claim the lives of 6 million people worldwide, 72 percent of which live in low- and middle-income nations.
If current trends continue, tobacco will kill 7 million people a year by 2020 and more than 8 million people annually by 2030.
Some 1 billion people in 45 nations are now protected from the health hazards of secondhand tobacco smoke at work and in public areas. Despite this progress, more than 85 percent of the world's people are without such protection.
The continent, which accounts for 14 percent of the world’s population, has just four percent of the world’s smokers today. But African nations are set to undergo the highest increase in the rate of tobacco use among developing countries, with more than half the continent expected to double its tobacco use within 12 years if current trends continue, the report found.
This comes at a time when nearly 90 percent of Africans have no meaningful protection from secondhand smoke.
"If we don't act now on tobacco control in Africa, millions of lives will be lost because tobacco is now becoming an issue in Africa," Tom Glynn of the Global Smokefree Partnership told the AFP news agency.
The report, entitled “Global Voices: Rebutting the Tobacco Industry, Winning Smokefree Air”, also offers some hope.
Many African nations are fighting against the tobacco industry's aggressive efforts to stop public health interventions by putting smoke-free laws into place.
"For the first time in history, we have the tools in hand to prevent a pandemic," said Dr. Otis W. Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society.
"Recent data suggests that, with current trends, more than half of the region of Africa will double its tobacco consumption within 12 years. Smoke-free public places are one example of a low-cost and extremely effective intervention that must be implemented now to protect health."
Kenya and Niger have enacted national smoke-free policies within the last year, and South Africa, which has been smoke-free since March 2007, continues to play a vital role in the region, demonstrating that smoke-free laws can work in Africa.
In a first for the region, Mauritius recently passed a law that is close to meeting the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) standards, ranking among the strongest anti-smoking measures in the world.
However, implementation remains a challenge in many places, such as Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana and Uganda, the report found.
Barriers include identifying resources for implementation, and tobacco industry opposition to smoke-free laws. In Abuja, Nigeria, for example, 55 percent of students are unaware that secondhand smoke is harmful to health, and smoke-free laws protect just 1 percent of the population.
The report exposes the tobacco industry's efforts to prevent legislation through convincing African governments that tobacco is important to their economies, and that raising taxes on cigarettes and adopting smoke-free laws will result in revenue and job losses.
In Kenya, the tobacco industry has legally challenged a strong smoke-free law passed by the Parliament. And in Zambia, British American Tobacco has helped to water down proposals for a smoke-free law.
But evidence in recent years indicates that such alleged revenue losses do not occur. For instance, the smoke-free law in Mauritius is not expected to impact tourist revenues, which account for more than 25% of the nation’s GDP, the report found.
In South Africa, value added tax returns showed that smoke-free laws had no meaningful impact on restaurant revenues, and indeed may have had a positive effect.
In addition to tough anti-smoking laws, economic interventions, such as imposing high taxes on cigarettes, have substantial potential to effectively and efficiently decrease tobacco consumption rates in Africa. Doubling the price of cigarettes by increasing the tax can lower consumption by 60 percent, the report found.
This holds true among many African nations. In South Africa, for example, tobacco consumption has decreased by one-third since 1993, when aggressive increases in cigarettes taxes began to take effect.
It is estimated that in 2010 smoking will claim the lives of 6 million people worldwide, 72 percent of which live in low- and middle-income nations.
If current trends continue, tobacco will kill 7 million people a year by 2020 and more than 8 million people annually by 2030.
Some 1 billion people in 45 nations are now protected from the health hazards of secondhand tobacco smoke at work and in public areas. Despite this progress, more than 85 percent of the world's people are without such protection.
Nov 10, 2009
Georgia's Psychiatric Hospitals Going Smoke-Free
Georgia's mental health facilities next year will go completely tobacco free. WABE's Jim Burress has more.
State officials say Georgia's seven psychiatric hospitals are just like other healthcare facilities--and as such, should adopt by policy rules that further healthful living:
"If we went and got our gallbladder out, we wouldn't expect to be sitting in recuperation smoking."
That's Tom Wilson, spokesman for the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health. He says individual facilities' policies have to this point varied widely:
" in some cases, nearly smoke-free; in other cases, allowing designated smoking areas. And in some, even there would be places where you might be able to purchase cigarettes. So all of those things make for a good reason that we should have one statewide policy that applies to every hospital."
The tobacco-free policy takes effect January 5th. Wilson says hospitals will offer smoking cessation classes to the estimated 2,200 affected patients, and to employees, before that date.
State officials say Georgia's seven psychiatric hospitals are just like other healthcare facilities--and as such, should adopt by policy rules that further healthful living:
"If we went and got our gallbladder out, we wouldn't expect to be sitting in recuperation smoking."
That's Tom Wilson, spokesman for the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health. He says individual facilities' policies have to this point varied widely:
" in some cases, nearly smoke-free; in other cases, allowing designated smoking areas. And in some, even there would be places where you might be able to purchase cigarettes. So all of those things make for a good reason that we should have one statewide policy that applies to every hospital."
The tobacco-free policy takes effect January 5th. Wilson says hospitals will offer smoking cessation classes to the estimated 2,200 affected patients, and to employees, before that date.
Nov 6, 2009
Illegal cigarettes peddlers caught
In a swift operation lasting just half an hour, 15 men, aged between 25 and 38, were arrested were arrested on Tuesday October 27, in an operation conducted at Yew Tee Industrial Estate.
378 packets of contraband cigarettes found on them. Officers then combed through the vicinity and seized another 635 packets of contraband cigarettes. The total duty and GST evaded on the cigarettes was close to $8,500.
Further investigations revealed that 14 of the offenders were illegal immigrants and they were charged in Court on October 29 and 30, 2009.
Singapore Customs (SC) together with Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and Singapore Police Force (SPF) began plans for the operation two weeks earlier.
Officers monitored the movements of the peddlers, observed how transactions took place with buyers and recorded the 'peak' times for illegal peddling activities.
On the night of the operation, officers kept close watch on a group of suspicious-looking foreigners who were carrying red plastic bags and lurking near the forested area at Yew Tee Industrial Estate.
At 10 p.m. officers moved in and ambushed the men who were suspected to be involved in the peddling of contraband cigarettes.
The peddlers started to flee in all directions in an attempt to escape. The officers chased after and eventually subdued them.
Since January 2009, 11 peddlers - all foreigners - had been arrested and 102 end-consumers fined in Yew Tee. More than 4,000 packets of contraband cigarettes had been seized in the area for the same period.
378 packets of contraband cigarettes found on them. Officers then combed through the vicinity and seized another 635 packets of contraband cigarettes. The total duty and GST evaded on the cigarettes was close to $8,500.
Further investigations revealed that 14 of the offenders were illegal immigrants and they were charged in Court on October 29 and 30, 2009.
Singapore Customs (SC) together with Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and Singapore Police Force (SPF) began plans for the operation two weeks earlier.
Officers monitored the movements of the peddlers, observed how transactions took place with buyers and recorded the 'peak' times for illegal peddling activities.
On the night of the operation, officers kept close watch on a group of suspicious-looking foreigners who were carrying red plastic bags and lurking near the forested area at Yew Tee Industrial Estate.
At 10 p.m. officers moved in and ambushed the men who were suspected to be involved in the peddling of contraband cigarettes.
The peddlers started to flee in all directions in an attempt to escape. The officers chased after and eventually subdued them.
Since January 2009, 11 peddlers - all foreigners - had been arrested and 102 end-consumers fined in Yew Tee. More than 4,000 packets of contraband cigarettes had been seized in the area for the same period.
Nov 5, 2009
Japan Considers Higher Cigarette Taxes
TOKYO – Japan is looking into increasing cigarette taxes to fund a new government spending plan, the Wall Street Journal reports. Complicating that plan is partial state ownership of Japan Tobacco.
The world’s biggest tobacco company measured by sales, Japan Tobacco is half-owned by the state. A Japanese health minister put a cigarette tax hike on the table during a TV interview on Sunday.
“Tobacco poses health problems. It may be necessary to raise [the tobacco tax] to the levels in Europe,” said Akira Nagatsuma, minister of health, labor and welfare. The government’s tax panel is already considering raising the tobacco tax as part of reforms for fiscal 2010, at the request of the health ministry.
Currently, a 10-yen-per-cigarette jump is under debate. Such an increase would be 10 times previous increases. The Japanese pay among the lowest amount of any developed nation for cigarettes.
Since the Japanese government has a stake in Japan Tobacco, which accounts for 65 percent of the market share, raising the cigarette tax can be tricky.
“We believe the current excise tax is already at a high level,” said a Japan Tobacco spokesman. “This is based on the fact that in the past, excise increases have shown that there hasn’t been a corresponding increase in revenue, because sales volumes have declined.”
The world’s biggest tobacco company measured by sales, Japan Tobacco is half-owned by the state. A Japanese health minister put a cigarette tax hike on the table during a TV interview on Sunday.
“Tobacco poses health problems. It may be necessary to raise [the tobacco tax] to the levels in Europe,” said Akira Nagatsuma, minister of health, labor and welfare. The government’s tax panel is already considering raising the tobacco tax as part of reforms for fiscal 2010, at the request of the health ministry.
Currently, a 10-yen-per-cigarette jump is under debate. Such an increase would be 10 times previous increases. The Japanese pay among the lowest amount of any developed nation for cigarettes.
Since the Japanese government has a stake in Japan Tobacco, which accounts for 65 percent of the market share, raising the cigarette tax can be tricky.
“We believe the current excise tax is already at a high level,” said a Japan Tobacco spokesman. “This is based on the fact that in the past, excise increases have shown that there hasn’t been a corresponding increase in revenue, because sales volumes have declined.”
Nov 2, 2009
Canadian tobacco firm destroyed evidence: researchers
OTTAWA — Researchers said Thursday they uncovered evidence that a Canadian tobacco company destroyed scientific data it had decades ago showing that cigarettes were addictive and caused cancer.
The three Canadian researchers published copies of 60 internal documents, shredded by Imperial Tobacco Canada in 1992 to avoid embarrassment or liability, in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
The copies were uncovered in the files of parent firm British American Tobacco subsidiary.
The documents detail evidence from scientific reviews prepared by British American Tobacco's researchers, as well as dozens of original research studies between 1967 and 1984, such as the examination of the biological activity and carcinogenicity of tobacco smoke.
They describe research on cigarette modifications and toxic emissions, including how consumers adapted their smoking behavior to these modifications, and depict a comprehensive research program on the pharmacology of nicotine and its central role in smoking behaviour.
Some studies found second-hand smoke on rats was dangerous. Other research cast doubt on the comparative benefits of low-tar cigarettes, as smokers simply compensated by inhaling more intensely.
All the while, Imperial Tobacco Canada executives had denied that smoking was addictive or a health hazard, even testifying such at a parliamentary committee hearing in 1987.
The records are now likely to be used in lawsuits by three Canadian provinces seeking billions of dollars from tobacco firms for smoking-related health care costs.
The three Canadian researchers published copies of 60 internal documents, shredded by Imperial Tobacco Canada in 1992 to avoid embarrassment or liability, in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
The copies were uncovered in the files of parent firm British American Tobacco subsidiary.
The documents detail evidence from scientific reviews prepared by British American Tobacco's researchers, as well as dozens of original research studies between 1967 and 1984, such as the examination of the biological activity and carcinogenicity of tobacco smoke.
They describe research on cigarette modifications and toxic emissions, including how consumers adapted their smoking behavior to these modifications, and depict a comprehensive research program on the pharmacology of nicotine and its central role in smoking behaviour.
Some studies found second-hand smoke on rats was dangerous. Other research cast doubt on the comparative benefits of low-tar cigarettes, as smokers simply compensated by inhaling more intensely.
All the while, Imperial Tobacco Canada executives had denied that smoking was addictive or a health hazard, even testifying such at a parliamentary committee hearing in 1987.
The records are now likely to be used in lawsuits by three Canadian provinces seeking billions of dollars from tobacco firms for smoking-related health care costs.
Oct 29, 2009
MPs Approve Cigarette Vending Ban
The U.K. may ban cigarette vending machines and prevent stores from displaying tobacco products.LONDON, ENGLAND – A new proposal that is part of England’s Health Bill would ban cigarette vending machines and prevent stores from displaying tobacco products, Reuters reports.
Former Labor minister Ian McCartney, who proposed the vending machine ban, said that its intent is to make it more difficult for minors to buy cigarettes.
"We don't allow alcohol, fireworks, knives or other age-restricted products to be sold from vending machines," McCartney said on his Web site. "These are only sold where there is a face-to-face transaction over the counter. We need to tackle this anomaly which allows children to get hold of cigarettes."
The House of Commons approved the vending machine amendment earlier this week. It now moves to the House of Lords for consideration. If approved there, it would become law in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Opponents of the proposed non-display bill argued that it would harm merchants while doing little to improve the public’s health. They said that there is scant evidence from other countries that banning cigarette displays reduces smoking rates.
However, Health Secretary Andy Burnham said that the government would not try to block its passage in the House of Lords.
Former Labor minister Ian McCartney, who proposed the vending machine ban, said that its intent is to make it more difficult for minors to buy cigarettes.
"We don't allow alcohol, fireworks, knives or other age-restricted products to be sold from vending machines," McCartney said on his Web site. "These are only sold where there is a face-to-face transaction over the counter. We need to tackle this anomaly which allows children to get hold of cigarettes."
The House of Commons approved the vending machine amendment earlier this week. It now moves to the House of Lords for consideration. If approved there, it would become law in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Opponents of the proposed non-display bill argued that it would harm merchants while doing little to improve the public’s health. They said that there is scant evidence from other countries that banning cigarette displays reduces smoking rates.
However, Health Secretary Andy Burnham said that the government would not try to block its passage in the House of Lords.
Oct 28, 2009
Contraband-cigarette auction brings $1.9M
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi Auditor Stacey Pickering says the federal government is collecting significantly more than the state from Tuesday's auction of more than 900,000 cartons of contraband cigarettes.
Pickering said in a news release that the auction in Tupelo generated $1.9 million. He said more than $1.6 million of that will go to the federal government, and Mississippi will keep $277,635.
The cigarettes were seized in two Tupelo area warehouse raids last spring.
Of the money staying in Mississippi, 80 percent goes into the general state budget, 10 percent goes to the State Tax Commission, 8 percent goes to the auditor's office and 2 percent is split among local law enforcement agencies such as the Tupelo Police Department and the Marshall County Sheriff's Department.
Pickering said in a news release that the auction in Tupelo generated $1.9 million. He said more than $1.6 million of that will go to the federal government, and Mississippi will keep $277,635.
The cigarettes were seized in two Tupelo area warehouse raids last spring.
Of the money staying in Mississippi, 80 percent goes into the general state budget, 10 percent goes to the State Tax Commission, 8 percent goes to the auditor's office and 2 percent is split among local law enforcement agencies such as the Tupelo Police Department and the Marshall County Sheriff's Department.
Oct 23, 2009
Zim tobacco auction floors open
The sales, which were supposed to start at 7.30am at the country's three auction floors, were only conducted at the Tobacco Sales Floor (TSF) from 3pm after government officials had convinced growers to sell while they looked into the emotive issue of the exchange rate.
Among the officials that addressed the growers, some of whom had become restive due to the delayed start, were Agriculture Minister Rugare Gumbo, Acting Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa, and Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Gideon Gono.
Chinamasa told the growers that the government was close to concluding the pricing mechanism of this year's crop, and pleaded with the farmers to be patient with them.
"We want you to give us time to work on the pricing mechanism while you continue to sell your crop," Chinamasa told the growers, who were camped at the TSF auction floors.
"Don't worry about how much gets into your account. Just worry about the US dollar price. Try to negotiate with the buyers to get a good bargain of the US dollar price."
He promised to get back to growers with an answer in a few days' time, saying the government was committed to the viability of the tobacco sector.
He said from the discussions they had had so far, indications were that the government would yet again award farmers viable and competitive prices that would ensure continued growth of the cash crop.
Gono told the farmers never to doubt the government's commitment to the growth of the tobacco industry.
"We are almost there," he said about the negotiations they were having. "The reason why we have not reached an agreement is that we want the truth on many things, including correct calculations on the inputs costs incurred by growers."
Gono said the government would once again reward growers handsomely to encourage them to go back to the farms and increase next year's production.
The government offered viable prices to growers last year, resulting in them increasing production from 54 million kg to an expected 80 million kg this year, he said.
He said the government would announce its position in about seven days.
Meanwhile, the RBZ governor announced that the 15 percent foreign currency retention scheme for tobacco growers had not been scrapped as earlier reported.
He blamed the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board for misleading the central bank into believing that growers preferred being paid all their money in local currency.
"It's a lie. We didn't withdraw the facility. In fact, I am inclined to increase it from 15 percent to 20 percent."
He said the central bank would continue to support tobacco growers, including providing them concessionary funds to boost production.
The government, Gono said, would also pay farmers their outstanding bonuses for the crop they sold last year.
"What you must do now is to fight tobacco smuggling. We hear that tobacco is going to Malawi and others are involved in side-marketing. I want to warn those smuggling tobacco outside the country that their days are numbered," he said.
Some of the crop that was sold on Tuesday fetched as much as US$2, 95 per kg with some growers already expressing happiness with the price.
"The prices are reasonably fair," said Tobacco Growers' Trust chairman Wilfanos Mashingaidze.
TIMB acting chief executive Andrew Matibiri said he was happy that the floors had opened.
"I am looking forward to the rest of the selling season and I would like to encourage growers to bring more of their crop to the auction floors," he said.
Earlier, tobacco growers interviewed said they wanted a viable exchange rate or parallel market rates because they acquired most of their inputs based at black market rates. The exchange rate is currently pegged at $250 to the US$.
Tobacco is one of Zimbabwe's top foreign currency earners. ' New Ziana.
Among the officials that addressed the growers, some of whom had become restive due to the delayed start, were Agriculture Minister Rugare Gumbo, Acting Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa, and Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Gideon Gono.
Chinamasa told the growers that the government was close to concluding the pricing mechanism of this year's crop, and pleaded with the farmers to be patient with them.
"We want you to give us time to work on the pricing mechanism while you continue to sell your crop," Chinamasa told the growers, who were camped at the TSF auction floors.
"Don't worry about how much gets into your account. Just worry about the US dollar price. Try to negotiate with the buyers to get a good bargain of the US dollar price."
He promised to get back to growers with an answer in a few days' time, saying the government was committed to the viability of the tobacco sector.
He said from the discussions they had had so far, indications were that the government would yet again award farmers viable and competitive prices that would ensure continued growth of the cash crop.
Gono told the farmers never to doubt the government's commitment to the growth of the tobacco industry.
"We are almost there," he said about the negotiations they were having. "The reason why we have not reached an agreement is that we want the truth on many things, including correct calculations on the inputs costs incurred by growers."
Gono said the government would once again reward growers handsomely to encourage them to go back to the farms and increase next year's production.
The government offered viable prices to growers last year, resulting in them increasing production from 54 million kg to an expected 80 million kg this year, he said.
He said the government would announce its position in about seven days.
Meanwhile, the RBZ governor announced that the 15 percent foreign currency retention scheme for tobacco growers had not been scrapped as earlier reported.
He blamed the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board for misleading the central bank into believing that growers preferred being paid all their money in local currency.
"It's a lie. We didn't withdraw the facility. In fact, I am inclined to increase it from 15 percent to 20 percent."
He said the central bank would continue to support tobacco growers, including providing them concessionary funds to boost production.
The government, Gono said, would also pay farmers their outstanding bonuses for the crop they sold last year.
"What you must do now is to fight tobacco smuggling. We hear that tobacco is going to Malawi and others are involved in side-marketing. I want to warn those smuggling tobacco outside the country that their days are numbered," he said.
Some of the crop that was sold on Tuesday fetched as much as US$2, 95 per kg with some growers already expressing happiness with the price.
"The prices are reasonably fair," said Tobacco Growers' Trust chairman Wilfanos Mashingaidze.
TIMB acting chief executive Andrew Matibiri said he was happy that the floors had opened.
"I am looking forward to the rest of the selling season and I would like to encourage growers to bring more of their crop to the auction floors," he said.
Earlier, tobacco growers interviewed said they wanted a viable exchange rate or parallel market rates because they acquired most of their inputs based at black market rates. The exchange rate is currently pegged at $250 to the US$.
Tobacco is one of Zimbabwe's top foreign currency earners. ' New Ziana.
Oct 21, 2009
Paterson seeks smoke tax threat assessment
ALBANY, N.Y., Oct. 21 (UPI) -- New York Gov. David Paterson has asked federal prosecutors to assess the chances of violence if the state tries to collect cigarette taxes from Indian tribes.
Paterson sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice last month requesting the "threat assessment" and suggesting New York could require federal assistance in dealing with any unrest.
The letter was sent to the U.S. attorneys in three New York jurisdictions amid heated opposition to the proposed levies on cigarettes sold on tribal lands.
The Buffalo (N.Y.) News said Wednesday that Paterson is coming under increased pressure from lawmakers to force American Indians to collect takes on the high volume of cigarettes sold in smoke shops and by mail and Internet.
Sources told the News the letter might have been an attempt by Paterson to scuttle the tax-collection effort and blame it on the potential for violence.
Paterson sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice last month requesting the "threat assessment" and suggesting New York could require federal assistance in dealing with any unrest.
The letter was sent to the U.S. attorneys in three New York jurisdictions amid heated opposition to the proposed levies on cigarettes sold on tribal lands.
The Buffalo (N.Y.) News said Wednesday that Paterson is coming under increased pressure from lawmakers to force American Indians to collect takes on the high volume of cigarettes sold in smoke shops and by mail and Internet.
Sources told the News the letter might have been an attempt by Paterson to scuttle the tax-collection effort and blame it on the potential for violence.
Oct 16, 2009
Mystery tale "Mindgame" keeps audience in suspense
Carpet. Envelope. Wallpaper. Cigarette. Jelly.
Does that make any sense? Am I the crazy one, or are you?
Friday at 8 p.m. the pieces will fall into place at the Hippodrome during Anthony Horowitz's play, "Mindgame."
"Mindgame" is a psychodrama filled to the brim with serial killers, intrigue, sex, bondage and violence.
The cast of characters includes a true crime journalist named Mark Styler, played by Tod Zimmerman; Easterman, the serial killer whose tale holds the key to Styler's next big story; Dr. Farquhar, an eccentric and contradictory psychiatrist, played by David Sitler; and Nurse Plimpton, played by Sara Morsey.
"It is all about the nature of perception. What we see is not always what we get," director Lauren Caldwell said.
The play is set in an office at the Fairfields Institute for the Criminally Insane. As the story progresses, Styler realizes that no one can be trusted, no one knows who they are, and nothing is as it seems, not even things he witnesses with his own eyes.
"Once you see the twists and the turns and everything else, it's a real roller coaster ride. It's a lot of fun," said Sitler, who also performed as Neil in "The Pursuit of Happiness" on the Hippodrome stage and traveled with Broadway's "Frost/Nixon." "I was sold on my first line."
The script is Quentin Tarantino-inspired. There are songs from "Pulp Fiction," moments that remind you of "Reservoir Dogs" and "Kill Bill"-esque abuse that doesn't cease throughout the play.
Bottles are broken on the backs of heads, scalpels come dangerously close to faces and the heat from lit cigarettes threatens the flesh.
"The script is just a framework. This is our show; we don't know how it's done in New York or anywhere else." Caldwell said. "The music choices, the staging, the actor's intentions, the characters and all that, that comes from our own show."
"I'm in rehearsal making choices and seeing what works and what doesn't - it's the process of coming up with who I am," Zimmerman said.
In true mind game spirit, the story ends, but somehow it doesn't feel like it's finished. The cat is still chasing the mouse once the curtains are closed.
Caldwell's goal is not to tell us what to think, only to get our synapses working.
"If four people walk out and they have four different opinions, they'd have something to talk about over a glass of wine," she said. "If that's what you think, then that's what happened. The conclusions are your decisions."
Tickets are $30 on opening night, and reduced pricing for each night after. There is an advance screening tonight that costs $12 for students and $15 for adults.
"The play's not finished until the audience is here," Sitler said.
Does that make any sense? Am I the crazy one, or are you?
Friday at 8 p.m. the pieces will fall into place at the Hippodrome during Anthony Horowitz's play, "Mindgame."
"Mindgame" is a psychodrama filled to the brim with serial killers, intrigue, sex, bondage and violence.
The cast of characters includes a true crime journalist named Mark Styler, played by Tod Zimmerman; Easterman, the serial killer whose tale holds the key to Styler's next big story; Dr. Farquhar, an eccentric and contradictory psychiatrist, played by David Sitler; and Nurse Plimpton, played by Sara Morsey.
"It is all about the nature of perception. What we see is not always what we get," director Lauren Caldwell said.
The play is set in an office at the Fairfields Institute for the Criminally Insane. As the story progresses, Styler realizes that no one can be trusted, no one knows who they are, and nothing is as it seems, not even things he witnesses with his own eyes.
"Once you see the twists and the turns and everything else, it's a real roller coaster ride. It's a lot of fun," said Sitler, who also performed as Neil in "The Pursuit of Happiness" on the Hippodrome stage and traveled with Broadway's "Frost/Nixon." "I was sold on my first line."
The script is Quentin Tarantino-inspired. There are songs from "Pulp Fiction," moments that remind you of "Reservoir Dogs" and "Kill Bill"-esque abuse that doesn't cease throughout the play.
Bottles are broken on the backs of heads, scalpels come dangerously close to faces and the heat from lit cigarettes threatens the flesh.
"The script is just a framework. This is our show; we don't know how it's done in New York or anywhere else." Caldwell said. "The music choices, the staging, the actor's intentions, the characters and all that, that comes from our own show."
"I'm in rehearsal making choices and seeing what works and what doesn't - it's the process of coming up with who I am," Zimmerman said.
In true mind game spirit, the story ends, but somehow it doesn't feel like it's finished. The cat is still chasing the mouse once the curtains are closed.
Caldwell's goal is not to tell us what to think, only to get our synapses working.
"If four people walk out and they have four different opinions, they'd have something to talk about over a glass of wine," she said. "If that's what you think, then that's what happened. The conclusions are your decisions."
Tickets are $30 on opening night, and reduced pricing for each night after. There is an advance screening tonight that costs $12 for students and $15 for adults.
"The play's not finished until the audience is here," Sitler said.
Oct 12, 2009
Dan River Region hails JTI Leaf
JTI Leaf Services’ decision to process American-grown tobacco in Danville doesn’t just mean 39 new full-time jobs and 150 seasonal jobs.
It’s about more opportunities for the Dan River Region’s tobacco farmers — and a potential shot in the arm for the local agricultural economy.
“They’re here. They never left,” Commissioner Todd Haymore of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said of local tobacco farmers last week. “They have the land and the infrastructure. They have the knowledge and the know-how.”
Over the past decade, though, it seemed like those advantages — developed over generations of growing tobacco in this community — were destined to be ignored, forgotten and eventually lost. Make no mistake about it — flue-cured tobacco is still an important cash crop in the Dan River Region. But the acres grown and the pounds produced are well off the marks set just a decade ago.
It’s no surprise, then that local economic developers have moved on to recruit new manufacturing, retail and technology jobs to the Dan River Region.
But in this economy, any job is a good job and if we can keep local tobacco farmers — and all the people who supply them — working, than we’ve at least stabilized an economic sector long assumed to be a lost cause.
“In these tough economic times, this multimillion dollar investment and the jobs it creates are especially significant in Southside Virginia,” Gov. Timothy M. Kaine said in a news release. “Even as we continue to diversify the region’s economy, we’re pleased by the opportunity to build on traditional industries that have historically been important in the commonwealth.”
The deal was closed with a $100,000 grant from the Governor’s Opportunity Fund and up to $250,000 from the Virginia Tobacco Commission. JTI Leaf Services is also eligible to receive money from the Virginia Enterprise Zone program.
Some people may see that as an example of new money chasing after old jobs. But we think it’s a smart investment in jobs that can be filled quickly by a company that recognizes the quality product grown here.
The Dan River Region needs every good job it can get, and growth in the tobacco sector through JTI Leaf Services’ commitment to our community is great news.
It’s about more opportunities for the Dan River Region’s tobacco farmers — and a potential shot in the arm for the local agricultural economy.
“They’re here. They never left,” Commissioner Todd Haymore of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said of local tobacco farmers last week. “They have the land and the infrastructure. They have the knowledge and the know-how.”
Over the past decade, though, it seemed like those advantages — developed over generations of growing tobacco in this community — were destined to be ignored, forgotten and eventually lost. Make no mistake about it — flue-cured tobacco is still an important cash crop in the Dan River Region. But the acres grown and the pounds produced are well off the marks set just a decade ago.
It’s no surprise, then that local economic developers have moved on to recruit new manufacturing, retail and technology jobs to the Dan River Region.
But in this economy, any job is a good job and if we can keep local tobacco farmers — and all the people who supply them — working, than we’ve at least stabilized an economic sector long assumed to be a lost cause.
“In these tough economic times, this multimillion dollar investment and the jobs it creates are especially significant in Southside Virginia,” Gov. Timothy M. Kaine said in a news release. “Even as we continue to diversify the region’s economy, we’re pleased by the opportunity to build on traditional industries that have historically been important in the commonwealth.”
The deal was closed with a $100,000 grant from the Governor’s Opportunity Fund and up to $250,000 from the Virginia Tobacco Commission. JTI Leaf Services is also eligible to receive money from the Virginia Enterprise Zone program.
Some people may see that as an example of new money chasing after old jobs. But we think it’s a smart investment in jobs that can be filled quickly by a company that recognizes the quality product grown here.
The Dan River Region needs every good job it can get, and growth in the tobacco sector through JTI Leaf Services’ commitment to our community is great news.
Oct 8, 2009
Driver smashes through store for cigarettes
A man backed a pickup through the doors of a West Plains convenience store this morning and stole money and more than 100 packs of cigarettes.
Surveillance video shows a newer model silver, four-door Dodge or Nissan truck backing through the front doors of the Conoco Station at 40th and Foseen about 6 a.m., according to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office. The truck had no visible license plates.
The driver, wearing a gray mask or mesh, gloves, a black sweatshirt and black pants, jumped over the counter and grabbed a cash drawer and an empty cash box, then returns for a display drawer containing 107 packs of Camel cigarettes.
The store’s owners estimated damage to the building to be between $5,000 and $20,000, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Surveillance video shows a newer model silver, four-door Dodge or Nissan truck backing through the front doors of the Conoco Station at 40th and Foseen about 6 a.m., according to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office. The truck had no visible license plates.
The driver, wearing a gray mask or mesh, gloves, a black sweatshirt and black pants, jumped over the counter and grabbed a cash drawer and an empty cash box, then returns for a display drawer containing 107 packs of Camel cigarettes.
The store’s owners estimated damage to the building to be between $5,000 and $20,000, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Oct 7, 2009
67 cigarette cartons stolen from convenience store
Lee County authorities say someone broke into an Estero convenience store early Monday morning and stole dozens of cigarette cartons and lottery tickets.
It happened at the Amerifuel at 21481Tamiami Trail, near Corkscrew Road.
Deputies say the burglar threw a concrete block through a large glass window in the front of the business to get inside. The store was closed at the time of the incident.
Authorities say 67 cartons of cigarettes and several lottery tickets were stolen. The store manager says the stolen items have an estimated valued of $7,000.
The manager says it'll cost about $450 to fix the front window.
It happened at the Amerifuel at 21481Tamiami Trail, near Corkscrew Road.
Deputies say the burglar threw a concrete block through a large glass window in the front of the business to get inside. The store was closed at the time of the incident.
Authorities say 67 cartons of cigarettes and several lottery tickets were stolen. The store manager says the stolen items have an estimated valued of $7,000.
The manager says it'll cost about $450 to fix the front window.
Oct 5, 2009
MICHIGAN CITY - A "snus" - rhymes with moose and goose - sounds like a new cartoon character or kids' cereal.
Actually, it's a tiny pouch of spitless tobacco similar to chewing tobacco, packaged 15 per tin.
It's one of the new line of dissolvable tobacco products being marketed as alternatives to cigarettes by R. J. Reynolds tobacco company under the Camel brand.
Although smoking is illegal if you're under 18, these products are intentionally designed to appeal to youth, according to Michigan City education and health advocates. Kelly Foley, site coordinator for the Safe Harbor and Hours for Hours programs at Edgewood Elementary School, has a collection of Camel dissolvable products she uses in the Tobacco Awareness Program for students who want to quit smoking.
Camel Snus come in menthol or mellow flavors and are available in Michigan City, according to Foley.
"You can go to a local gas station and you'll see the logo at eye level," she said. "By packaging it to look like candy, it's very confusing to a child to be confronted with a product like this."
Foley is concerned about the nearly three times higher nicotine levels in dissolvable tobacco products compared to cigarettes. She's particularly upset by Camel Orbs, small lozenges that come in "fresh" (minty) or "mellow" (original) flavor. Orbs were test-marketed in Indianapolis starting in January, as part of nationwide product research. They last about 15 minutes, Foley said, and each one packs three times more nicotine than a regular cigarette.
Her husband, who smokes about a pack of cigarettes a day, tried one of the Orbs.
"He said it was like smoking three cigarettes all at the same time," Foley said. "His experience was like he felt when he first started smoking. He got a head rush."
Camel Sticks, available in the "mellow" flavor, look like toothpicks. They can be broken in half and placed between the upper lip and gum, where they will dissolve in 10 minutes.
Camel Strips look like Listerine breath-freshening strips and last about three minutes. Packaged in tin boxes the size of a shirt pocket, dissolvables are promoted as alternatives to cigarettes when smokers are in a place where they're unable to light up. Given the products' convenience and similarity to candy and mints, users could ingest more than one at a time and possibly get a toxic dose of nicotine. The new products are not regulated by the FDA, so no product testing is required.
Sandy Gleim, executive director of Healthy Communities of La Porte County, said smokeless alternative nicotine products are just as addictive as cigarettes. Adults who use them shouldn't leave them laying around where kids can pick them up and pop them into their mouths, she cautioned.
"This is a concern," she said. "Young children aren't going to know what they are."
Gleim said most of the dissolvable tobacco products haven't yet arrived in this area, but she believes they will be sold on a more widespread basis. Foley was given the package of Snus by a high school student who was using the product.
"He's now a senior and has been chewing (tobacco) since he was a young kid," Foley said. "It was a socially acceptable thing in his household."
As smoke-free environments have become more prevalent, the dissolvables have the advantage of being a sort of stealth form of smoking.
"Nobody can complain about second-hand smoke," Foley said. "You don't have to sneak out of the office or spit."
During the eight-week Tobacco Awareness Program, Foley uses as many tricks as she can find to scare students about the negative health effects of smoking. Her visual aids include a set of diseased lungs, the Jar of Tar and a list of some 4,000 chemicals in each cigarette.
"What our program does is help kids make the decision of whether they want to make the commitment (to quit)," Foley said.
Foley quit smoking 24 years ago, after a bout of pneumonia, and likes to tell her students about how she put aside the money she would have spent on cigarettes. After a year and a half, she was able to take her family on a 10-day trip to Disneyland, she said.
"I ask them to figure the amount of money they'd spend smoking one $5 pack of cigarettes a day for a year," Foley said. "They can't believe how much money ($1,825) they'd spend. It helps the kids see that it's not only costing their health, but costing them money."
Foley said she's encouraged to find fewer young people using tobacco than when she was growing up. She will help mobilize a group of local teens who will lead the Tobacco Free Walk starting from Elston Middle School at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 10. Anyone in the community can participate in the event sponsored by Voice, Foley said. Voice is a student group that speaks out against the negative influence of tobacco companies on kids.
Actually, it's a tiny pouch of spitless tobacco similar to chewing tobacco, packaged 15 per tin.
It's one of the new line of dissolvable tobacco products being marketed as alternatives to cigarettes by R. J. Reynolds tobacco company under the Camel brand.
Although smoking is illegal if you're under 18, these products are intentionally designed to appeal to youth, according to Michigan City education and health advocates. Kelly Foley, site coordinator for the Safe Harbor and Hours for Hours programs at Edgewood Elementary School, has a collection of Camel dissolvable products she uses in the Tobacco Awareness Program for students who want to quit smoking.
Camel Snus come in menthol or mellow flavors and are available in Michigan City, according to Foley.
"You can go to a local gas station and you'll see the logo at eye level," she said. "By packaging it to look like candy, it's very confusing to a child to be confronted with a product like this."
Foley is concerned about the nearly three times higher nicotine levels in dissolvable tobacco products compared to cigarettes. She's particularly upset by Camel Orbs, small lozenges that come in "fresh" (minty) or "mellow" (original) flavor. Orbs were test-marketed in Indianapolis starting in January, as part of nationwide product research. They last about 15 minutes, Foley said, and each one packs three times more nicotine than a regular cigarette.
Her husband, who smokes about a pack of cigarettes a day, tried one of the Orbs.
"He said it was like smoking three cigarettes all at the same time," Foley said. "His experience was like he felt when he first started smoking. He got a head rush."
Camel Sticks, available in the "mellow" flavor, look like toothpicks. They can be broken in half and placed between the upper lip and gum, where they will dissolve in 10 minutes.
Camel Strips look like Listerine breath-freshening strips and last about three minutes. Packaged in tin boxes the size of a shirt pocket, dissolvables are promoted as alternatives to cigarettes when smokers are in a place where they're unable to light up. Given the products' convenience and similarity to candy and mints, users could ingest more than one at a time and possibly get a toxic dose of nicotine. The new products are not regulated by the FDA, so no product testing is required.
Sandy Gleim, executive director of Healthy Communities of La Porte County, said smokeless alternative nicotine products are just as addictive as cigarettes. Adults who use them shouldn't leave them laying around where kids can pick them up and pop them into their mouths, she cautioned.
"This is a concern," she said. "Young children aren't going to know what they are."
Gleim said most of the dissolvable tobacco products haven't yet arrived in this area, but she believes they will be sold on a more widespread basis. Foley was given the package of Snus by a high school student who was using the product.
"He's now a senior and has been chewing (tobacco) since he was a young kid," Foley said. "It was a socially acceptable thing in his household."
As smoke-free environments have become more prevalent, the dissolvables have the advantage of being a sort of stealth form of smoking.
"Nobody can complain about second-hand smoke," Foley said. "You don't have to sneak out of the office or spit."
During the eight-week Tobacco Awareness Program, Foley uses as many tricks as she can find to scare students about the negative health effects of smoking. Her visual aids include a set of diseased lungs, the Jar of Tar and a list of some 4,000 chemicals in each cigarette.
"What our program does is help kids make the decision of whether they want to make the commitment (to quit)," Foley said.
Foley quit smoking 24 years ago, after a bout of pneumonia, and likes to tell her students about how she put aside the money she would have spent on cigarettes. After a year and a half, she was able to take her family on a 10-day trip to Disneyland, she said.
"I ask them to figure the amount of money they'd spend smoking one $5 pack of cigarettes a day for a year," Foley said. "They can't believe how much money ($1,825) they'd spend. It helps the kids see that it's not only costing their health, but costing them money."
Foley said she's encouraged to find fewer young people using tobacco than when she was growing up. She will help mobilize a group of local teens who will lead the Tobacco Free Walk starting from Elston Middle School at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 10. Anyone in the community can participate in the event sponsored by Voice, Foley said. Voice is a student group that speaks out against the negative influence of tobacco companies on kids.
Oct 1, 2009
Smoking not the only concern for Danvers H.S. parents
Despite my total distaste for smoking (I am a personal trainer), I think the Danvers School Committee, and high school principal and vice principal, need to be more concerned about the things going on at their school, on school property.
Spending time issuing fines for students smoking off school grounds is completely inappropriate.
Maybe if they have so much time on their hands, they can figure out how to provide healthier lunches for the children and making sure everyone gets plenty of physical activity. And maybe they could spend a little more time and resources improving the academic offerings at the school.
Spending time issuing fines for students smoking off school grounds is completely inappropriate.
Maybe if they have so much time on their hands, they can figure out how to provide healthier lunches for the children and making sure everyone gets plenty of physical activity. And maybe they could spend a little more time and resources improving the academic offerings at the school.
Sep 28, 2009
Cigarette tax, water bottle bill take effect Thursday
HARTFORD -- Smokers have two more days to hoard cartons of cigarettes before the new $1-per-pack tax on them takes effect in an effort to raise an additional $217 million over the next two years for the beleaguered state budget.
The new tax that raises the current $2-a-pack tax by a dollar and makes Connecticut's tax the second highest on cigarettes in the nation, is among a variety of new laws that kick in at 12:01 a.m. Thursday. They also include a requirement that motorists move over and give more space on the highway for stopped law enforcement and emergency vehicles.
Another law will establish local penalties for drivers who get stuck in traffic and block intersections.
Another new statute will allow pet owners to establish trusts for the care of their animals. Penalties for identity theft will also increase under another new law.
But the law that may have the biggest impact on the daily habits of Connecticut residents is the expansion of the 31-year-old nickel-deposit law to include the half-million water bottles purchased each year.
Rep. Richard Roy, D-Milford, co-chairman of the legislative Environment Committee who pushed for the new law, said Monday that it's a way to update the 1978 legislation that targeted soda and beer containers and did not plan on the proliferation of water bottles.
"I think that every effort should be taken to keep litter out of our environment," Roy said in a phone interview. "Water bottles have taken over complete aisles in our stores, replacing in part the soda that has historically had the deposits."
And since the state Department of Environmental Protection last year took over the unclaimed deposits from the beverage industry, an estimated $41.1 million a year will flow into the state budget, including more than $17 million from discarded water bottles. Roy said the new law, however, will give people reasons to redeem them.
"Too often people are taking water bottles into a park or down to the beach and because there's no incentive to return them, they leave them there," Roy said. "Some will put them in trash barrels and what could have been recycled will go to an incinerator. Others will leave them lying on the ground." Roy said that the next step in the statewide recycling effort is to further investigate programs that would allow residents to put all their recyclables -- from paper to glass and plastics -- together in one large bin for curbside collection in a method called single stream recycling.
A variant of that is called pay as you go. Families would be charged for the amount of trash removed by weight. First, Roy wants to gauge the effect of the new deposit law on water bottles.
"I would like to see the program take hold and see how well it performs and how many of the bottles are returned," Roy said. "That will be a key. If you want to increase the redemption program, you'd want to have good results with the water. If we still have problems, other solutions will have to be looked at, including the single stream."
Dennis Schain, spokesman for the DEP, said that since the agency took over the unredeemed deposits six months ago, revenue has been coming in at a rate of $24 million a year for beer and soda containers. Adding water bottles is expected to generate $17.1 million more per year.
Under the new motor-vehicle laws, state Superior Court judges will be allowed to determine the fines for drivers who fail to "move over" for police, EMS and state Department of Transportation vehicles as well as tow trucks with lights flashing along state highways.
State Police Sgt. H. Christopher Johnson said Monday that, at the very least, motorists will be required to slow down when they are driving in the lane next to emergency and law-enforcement personnel.
"If you're in the right lane and there's activity on the shoulder, we ask that the motoring public move to the next adjacent lane," Johnson said. "If they are unable because of traffic, they should reduce their speed to a safe amount below the speed limit. We want to make sure they move over when it's safe or reasonable."
The so-called blocking-the-box law allows towns and cities to adopt municipal ordinances fining drivers who get caught in marked intersections after the green light has changed to red. It requires towns and cities to mark the intersections and warn that violators are subject to fines. Under state law, municipal ordinances can create penalties larger than $100.
Another new law allows pet owners who want to support their animals to establish trusts for them that would take effect at the owners' deaths.
New laws effective Oct. 1 n Per-pack tax rises for cigarettes by $1 n Water bottles under three liters will have nickel deposits n Motorists will be required to "move over" for police and emergency personnel on state highways n Nursing home residents now will have a bill of rights n Cystic fibrosis tests are required for newborns n People convicted of identity theft face tougher sentences
The new tax that raises the current $2-a-pack tax by a dollar and makes Connecticut's tax the second highest on cigarettes in the nation, is among a variety of new laws that kick in at 12:01 a.m. Thursday. They also include a requirement that motorists move over and give more space on the highway for stopped law enforcement and emergency vehicles.
Another law will establish local penalties for drivers who get stuck in traffic and block intersections.
Another new statute will allow pet owners to establish trusts for the care of their animals. Penalties for identity theft will also increase under another new law.
But the law that may have the biggest impact on the daily habits of Connecticut residents is the expansion of the 31-year-old nickel-deposit law to include the half-million water bottles purchased each year.
Rep. Richard Roy, D-Milford, co-chairman of the legislative Environment Committee who pushed for the new law, said Monday that it's a way to update the 1978 legislation that targeted soda and beer containers and did not plan on the proliferation of water bottles.
"I think that every effort should be taken to keep litter out of our environment," Roy said in a phone interview. "Water bottles have taken over complete aisles in our stores, replacing in part the soda that has historically had the deposits."
And since the state Department of Environmental Protection last year took over the unclaimed deposits from the beverage industry, an estimated $41.1 million a year will flow into the state budget, including more than $17 million from discarded water bottles. Roy said the new law, however, will give people reasons to redeem them.
"Too often people are taking water bottles into a park or down to the beach and because there's no incentive to return them, they leave them there," Roy said. "Some will put them in trash barrels and what could have been recycled will go to an incinerator. Others will leave them lying on the ground." Roy said that the next step in the statewide recycling effort is to further investigate programs that would allow residents to put all their recyclables -- from paper to glass and plastics -- together in one large bin for curbside collection in a method called single stream recycling.
A variant of that is called pay as you go. Families would be charged for the amount of trash removed by weight. First, Roy wants to gauge the effect of the new deposit law on water bottles.
"I would like to see the program take hold and see how well it performs and how many of the bottles are returned," Roy said. "That will be a key. If you want to increase the redemption program, you'd want to have good results with the water. If we still have problems, other solutions will have to be looked at, including the single stream."
Dennis Schain, spokesman for the DEP, said that since the agency took over the unredeemed deposits six months ago, revenue has been coming in at a rate of $24 million a year for beer and soda containers. Adding water bottles is expected to generate $17.1 million more per year.
Under the new motor-vehicle laws, state Superior Court judges will be allowed to determine the fines for drivers who fail to "move over" for police, EMS and state Department of Transportation vehicles as well as tow trucks with lights flashing along state highways.
State Police Sgt. H. Christopher Johnson said Monday that, at the very least, motorists will be required to slow down when they are driving in the lane next to emergency and law-enforcement personnel.
"If you're in the right lane and there's activity on the shoulder, we ask that the motoring public move to the next adjacent lane," Johnson said. "If they are unable because of traffic, they should reduce their speed to a safe amount below the speed limit. We want to make sure they move over when it's safe or reasonable."
The so-called blocking-the-box law allows towns and cities to adopt municipal ordinances fining drivers who get caught in marked intersections after the green light has changed to red. It requires towns and cities to mark the intersections and warn that violators are subject to fines. Under state law, municipal ordinances can create penalties larger than $100.
Another new law allows pet owners who want to support their animals to establish trusts for them that would take effect at the owners' deaths.
New laws effective Oct. 1 n Per-pack tax rises for cigarettes by $1 n Water bottles under three liters will have nickel deposits n Motorists will be required to "move over" for police and emergency personnel on state highways n Nursing home residents now will have a bill of rights n Cystic fibrosis tests are required for newborns n People convicted of identity theft face tougher sentences
Sep 25, 2009
Cash and cigarettes stolen from Kangaroo store
Cash and cigarettes were taken when a convenience store was burglarized, according to sheriff’s deputies.
The manager at Kangaroo at 12475 N.W. Gainesville Road told deputies that when he arrived at 4 a.m. Thursday to open the business, he was unable to open the front door, which had been tampered with.
The manager said he looked through the window and noticed the cigarette cabinet was open, garbage was strewn on the floor and the trash can was missing.
On scene, deputies were told that cash was taken from two registers and nearly $1,100 in cigarettes had been taken. The ATM machine was damaged and telephone and alarm wires were cut.
The manager at Kangaroo at 12475 N.W. Gainesville Road told deputies that when he arrived at 4 a.m. Thursday to open the business, he was unable to open the front door, which had been tampered with.
The manager said he looked through the window and noticed the cigarette cabinet was open, garbage was strewn on the floor and the trash can was missing.
On scene, deputies were told that cash was taken from two registers and nearly $1,100 in cigarettes had been taken. The ATM machine was damaged and telephone and alarm wires were cut.
Sep 22, 2009
FDA bans cigarettes with fruit, candy or clove flavors
The move is meant to reduce the appeal of smoking to young people. The agency is also considering a ban on menthol cigarettes and other flavored tobacco products.
The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday banned cigarettes with fruit, candy or clove flavors.
Authorized by the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act enacted in June, the ban represents an effort to reduce an easy entry point for youth into smoking and tobacco addiction. Some cigarette makers favored and others opposed giving the FDA this new authority.
Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S., the government says.
The FDA also is considering bans on menthol cigarettes and other flavored tobacco.
"Almost 90% of adult smokers start smoking as teenagers. These flavored cigarettes are a gateway for many children and young adults to become regular smokers," said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg. "The FDA will utilize regulatory authority to reduce the burden of illness and death caused by tobacco products."
The FDA said studies have shown that 17-year-old smokers are three times as likely to use flavored cigarettes as smokers over age 25.
The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday banned cigarettes with fruit, candy or clove flavors.
Authorized by the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act enacted in June, the ban represents an effort to reduce an easy entry point for youth into smoking and tobacco addiction. Some cigarette makers favored and others opposed giving the FDA this new authority.
Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S., the government says.
The FDA also is considering bans on menthol cigarettes and other flavored tobacco.
"Almost 90% of adult smokers start smoking as teenagers. These flavored cigarettes are a gateway for many children and young adults to become regular smokers," said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg. "The FDA will utilize regulatory authority to reduce the burden of illness and death caused by tobacco products."
The FDA said studies have shown that 17-year-old smokers are three times as likely to use flavored cigarettes as smokers over age 25.
Sep 21, 2009
Sting cracks cigarette smuggling ring
A sting operation snuffed out a cigarette smuggling operation and led to the arrests of 21 people who cheated the state out of millions in tax dollars, authorities said Friday.
An informant tipped Westchester County cops that 11 men from New York City and others from as far away as Virginia were looking for a steady supply of untaxed smokes, Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore said.
After stockpiling cigarettes from a legitimate manufacturer, agents opened a warehouse in Yonkers. Deputy state tax Commissioner William Comiskey said the operation took in more than $800,000 a week.
Cops found thousands of packs of untaxed Newport and Marlboro smokes and common household irons, used to attach counterfeit tax stamps, in a series of raids, prosecutors said.
The dealers, if convicted, face up to eight years in prison on charges ranging from forgery to tax evasion, authorities said.
In the raids, cops also swept up Gary Burstell, 52, of Cortlandt Manor, who had eight homemade bombs, 14 rifles, a pump action shotgun and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
An informant tipped Westchester County cops that 11 men from New York City and others from as far away as Virginia were looking for a steady supply of untaxed smokes, Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore said.
After stockpiling cigarettes from a legitimate manufacturer, agents opened a warehouse in Yonkers. Deputy state tax Commissioner William Comiskey said the operation took in more than $800,000 a week.
Cops found thousands of packs of untaxed Newport and Marlboro smokes and common household irons, used to attach counterfeit tax stamps, in a series of raids, prosecutors said.
The dealers, if convicted, face up to eight years in prison on charges ranging from forgery to tax evasion, authorities said.
In the raids, cops also swept up Gary Burstell, 52, of Cortlandt Manor, who had eight homemade bombs, 14 rifles, a pump action shotgun and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
Sep 16, 2009
Illegally imported cigarettes found in Moz
Maputo - The Mozambican Revenue Authority (AT) has bust a contraband cigarette importing syndicate and recovered more than $2-million (about R14-million) worth of cigarettes, a report said on Wednesday.
The contraband cigarettes had been confiscated since January, the state controlled Televisao de Mozambique (TvM) reported citing Orlando Jose, director of AT's audit and investigations unit.
Jose said during the same period at least 19 local companies were audited and found to have false importing receipts.
By the end of the year AT expects to recover more than $10-million worth of illegally imported cigarettes coming in from neighbouring countries, he said.
Mozambique is also fighting against contraband foreign beer which is mostly imported from neighbouring South Africa by informal importers.However, Jose told the state broadcaster that inspection for illegal imports at the country's points of entry was not sufficient.
He said since January the revenue authority had only managed to seize 3000 cases of illegally imported alcohol.
Most of the contraband products get into the country through informal crossing points or after informal traders pay bribes to crooked border officials, the report said.
The contraband cigarettes had been confiscated since January, the state controlled Televisao de Mozambique (TvM) reported citing Orlando Jose, director of AT's audit and investigations unit.
Jose said during the same period at least 19 local companies were audited and found to have false importing receipts.
By the end of the year AT expects to recover more than $10-million worth of illegally imported cigarettes coming in from neighbouring countries, he said.
Mozambique is also fighting against contraband foreign beer which is mostly imported from neighbouring South Africa by informal importers.However, Jose told the state broadcaster that inspection for illegal imports at the country's points of entry was not sufficient.
He said since January the revenue authority had only managed to seize 3000 cases of illegally imported alcohol.
Most of the contraband products get into the country through informal crossing points or after informal traders pay bribes to crooked border officials, the report said.
Sep 15, 2009
Let's Trade The The Cigarette Tax For A Soda Tax
There continues to be a lot of low-level chatter about a possible "soda tax," which could, in theory, raise revenue and discourage people from drinking life-threatening sugar water.
If you didn't have any philosophical objection to the government deciding what's healthy and what food/drink should be discouraged, then this is probably a good one. Soda is evil, and drinkers of it should subsidize the cost of an improved healthcare system.
Of course, it'd be tough to pull of politically, for obvious reasons.
But... what if Democrats were willing to do a little horse trading? How about an exchange: We'll get rid of cigarette taxes and replace them with a soda tax.
Republicans might get behind that, since tobacco growers have always been closer to the core of the party. Economically it'd be a win-win-win. More smokers equals earlier death equals lower health costs. Multiple studies have established that. The soda tax would preserve the revenue, and since soda hurts a much wider swath of the economy than smokers, you'd be making people much healthier.
What's not to like?
If you didn't have any philosophical objection to the government deciding what's healthy and what food/drink should be discouraged, then this is probably a good one. Soda is evil, and drinkers of it should subsidize the cost of an improved healthcare system.
Of course, it'd be tough to pull of politically, for obvious reasons.
But... what if Democrats were willing to do a little horse trading? How about an exchange: We'll get rid of cigarette taxes and replace them with a soda tax.
Republicans might get behind that, since tobacco growers have always been closer to the core of the party. Economically it'd be a win-win-win. More smokers equals earlier death equals lower health costs. Multiple studies have established that. The soda tax would preserve the revenue, and since soda hurts a much wider swath of the economy than smokers, you'd be making people much healthier.
What's not to like?
Sep 11, 2009
Teen agents in Berks County enforce ban on tobacco sales to minors
About a dozen students from 6 high schools work undercover; stores that sell to minors receive citations.
A 17-year-old Reading girl waited in line to pay for orange-flavored vitamin water and to buy a pack of cigarettes recently at a West Reading convenience store.
"May I have a pack of Newports?" she asked the clerk.
The clerk gave her the cigarettes and rang up the sale.About 10 minutes later, the clerk and store were cited for selling tobacco to a minor."The clerk apologized and said it was his first time," said Michael Moorman, the Berks County sheriff's deputy who issued the citations. "I hear all kinds of excuses."
The girl was accompanied into the store by an adult during an undercover tobacco operation run by the Berks County Council on Chemical Abuse as the deputy waited in the parking lot.
The girl, who asked not to be identified, said she has been working undercover for three years because she he has strong feelings against smoking.
"I am doing this because I don't think people should be smoking," said the teen, who is paid $10 an hour by the council for going undercover.
The girl said none of her friends or relatives smoke cigarettes.
A Reading High School senior, she is one of a dozen students from about six county high schools who works undercover. The students are members of BUSTED!, a program to educate the community about the dangers of tobacco, and are trained before they go into the stores.
The council and law enforcement officers are planning more than 1,300 unannounced checks at stores - like the one in West Reading - this year in hopes of preventing tobacco sales to those under the age of 18.
The law requires clerks to check identification for anyone who looks under 25 years of age.
Christa L. McCusker, council tobacco program coordinator, said the number of checks has nearly tripled during the last three years because more law enforcement departments are participating."We want to keep tobacco out of the hands of youth," McCusker said. "We have added more law enforcement to help with the checks."In December, Sheriff Eric J. Weaknecht's deputies began working with the council to conduct checks.
Having the sheriff's (deputies) working with us is really helping because they are allowed to go countywide," McCusker said.
Weaknecht said his deputies are glad to help.
A 17-year-old Reading girl waited in line to pay for orange-flavored vitamin water and to buy a pack of cigarettes recently at a West Reading convenience store.
"May I have a pack of Newports?" she asked the clerk.
The clerk gave her the cigarettes and rang up the sale.About 10 minutes later, the clerk and store were cited for selling tobacco to a minor."The clerk apologized and said it was his first time," said Michael Moorman, the Berks County sheriff's deputy who issued the citations. "I hear all kinds of excuses."
The girl was accompanied into the store by an adult during an undercover tobacco operation run by the Berks County Council on Chemical Abuse as the deputy waited in the parking lot.
The girl, who asked not to be identified, said she has been working undercover for three years because she he has strong feelings against smoking.
"I am doing this because I don't think people should be smoking," said the teen, who is paid $10 an hour by the council for going undercover.
The girl said none of her friends or relatives smoke cigarettes.
A Reading High School senior, she is one of a dozen students from about six county high schools who works undercover. The students are members of BUSTED!, a program to educate the community about the dangers of tobacco, and are trained before they go into the stores.
The council and law enforcement officers are planning more than 1,300 unannounced checks at stores - like the one in West Reading - this year in hopes of preventing tobacco sales to those under the age of 18.
The law requires clerks to check identification for anyone who looks under 25 years of age.
Christa L. McCusker, council tobacco program coordinator, said the number of checks has nearly tripled during the last three years because more law enforcement departments are participating."We want to keep tobacco out of the hands of youth," McCusker said. "We have added more law enforcement to help with the checks."In December, Sheriff Eric J. Weaknecht's deputies began working with the council to conduct checks.
Having the sheriff's (deputies) working with us is really helping because they are allowed to go countywide," McCusker said.
Weaknecht said his deputies are glad to help.
Sep 8, 2009
Cigarette tax not a long-term solution
Juneau voters may have to vote in October on a proposed tax increase on cigarettes, from 30 cents to $1 per pack. This Juneau Assembly proposal is bad for small businesses, bad for taxpayers and a poor source of revenue for the city.
The tax proposal before Juneau citizens would direct revenues from this tax increase to social service programs and a recovery center for people addicted primarily to alcohol. A higher tax on cigarettes is an unrelated source of funds for these programs. Also, it would be inappropriate to tax a segment of the Juneau population to generate more revenue for the entire city.
There are other, more responsible ways to deal with Juneau's budget problems. City leaders should first attempt to keep expenses in line with income. A tax increase on cigarettes is not a viable long-term solution.
The tax proposal before Juneau citizens would direct revenues from this tax increase to social service programs and a recovery center for people addicted primarily to alcohol. A higher tax on cigarettes is an unrelated source of funds for these programs. Also, it would be inappropriate to tax a segment of the Juneau population to generate more revenue for the entire city.
There are other, more responsible ways to deal with Juneau's budget problems. City leaders should first attempt to keep expenses in line with income. A tax increase on cigarettes is not a viable long-term solution.
Sep 6, 2009
Federal, state cigarette taxes driving more New Jersey smokers to quit centers
An increase in federal and New Jersey cigarette taxes may be a major factor in a swell in the use of quit centers in the state, officials say.
The federal tax jumped 62 cents April 1, followed by the state increase in July.
The number of smokers seeking help to quit started to rise early in the year when the economy was especially rough, but seemed to peak around the time of the new taxes, said Jonathan Foulds, director of the tobacco dependence program at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark.
"It's very hard to draw the right cause and effect with statewide programs ... but I think that seems pretty plausible," Foulds said. "I think it's the affect of more expensive cigarettes."
According to a report released this summer by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, as of 2007, 62 percent of New Jersey residents who once smoked had quit, which is the highest percentage in the country.
The trend includes Warren County, where Leeanne Del Prado says more people have been coming to her for help at Community Prevention Resources of Warren County in Washington.
Some come with the express intention of quitting, like a recent woman who was diagnosed with emphysema. Others come for different reasons but end up revealing their desire to quit, she said.
"I have noticed an increase in people who wanted to quit for various reasons," said Del Prado, coordinator of the Warren County Community Partnerships for a Tobacco-free New Jersey, a program funded by the state Department of Health and Senior Services' Comprehensive Tobacco Control Program.
The need for help has led to new programs, such as a helpers program devised by the University of Arizona's College of Medicine and the New Jersey tobacco control program. The program teaches skills to assist others in quitting smoking such as understanding the psychology of a quitter's mind.
"It's based off principles of active listening," Del Prado said. "It's meant to help people make informed decisions about how to quit. Some of it is a no-brainer, but it's outlined in a helpful way."
Cigarette consumption has generally dropped between 2 and 4 percent a year over the last several years, said John Singleton, a spokesman for cigarette manufacturer RJ Reynolds Tobacco Co. But this year it is expected to be more dramatic. When the federal tax increase was approved in March, tobacco manufacturers predicted 6 to 8 percent of its customers would quit smoking.
New Jersey's increased cigarette tax -- which at $2.70 is the nation's third highest, behind New York and Rhode Island -- is designed to provide health insurance for low-income children. But Singleton said it may have the opposite effect of reducing the state's cigarette tax revenue by deterring smokers from buying.
At the same time, New Jersey quit programs are also facing financial hardship, according to Foulds. Where the tobacco control program had $50 million in funding a decade ago, it has $7.8 million now.
"We think that New Jersey has done a very good job" helping smokers quit, he said. But "things are tough and lots of things are being cut."
The federal tax jumped 62 cents April 1, followed by the state increase in July.
The number of smokers seeking help to quit started to rise early in the year when the economy was especially rough, but seemed to peak around the time of the new taxes, said Jonathan Foulds, director of the tobacco dependence program at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark.
"It's very hard to draw the right cause and effect with statewide programs ... but I think that seems pretty plausible," Foulds said. "I think it's the affect of more expensive cigarettes."
According to a report released this summer by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, as of 2007, 62 percent of New Jersey residents who once smoked had quit, which is the highest percentage in the country.
The trend includes Warren County, where Leeanne Del Prado says more people have been coming to her for help at Community Prevention Resources of Warren County in Washington.
Some come with the express intention of quitting, like a recent woman who was diagnosed with emphysema. Others come for different reasons but end up revealing their desire to quit, she said.
"I have noticed an increase in people who wanted to quit for various reasons," said Del Prado, coordinator of the Warren County Community Partnerships for a Tobacco-free New Jersey, a program funded by the state Department of Health and Senior Services' Comprehensive Tobacco Control Program.
The need for help has led to new programs, such as a helpers program devised by the University of Arizona's College of Medicine and the New Jersey tobacco control program. The program teaches skills to assist others in quitting smoking such as understanding the psychology of a quitter's mind.
"It's based off principles of active listening," Del Prado said. "It's meant to help people make informed decisions about how to quit. Some of it is a no-brainer, but it's outlined in a helpful way."
Cigarette consumption has generally dropped between 2 and 4 percent a year over the last several years, said John Singleton, a spokesman for cigarette manufacturer RJ Reynolds Tobacco Co. But this year it is expected to be more dramatic. When the federal tax increase was approved in March, tobacco manufacturers predicted 6 to 8 percent of its customers would quit smoking.
New Jersey's increased cigarette tax -- which at $2.70 is the nation's third highest, behind New York and Rhode Island -- is designed to provide health insurance for low-income children. But Singleton said it may have the opposite effect of reducing the state's cigarette tax revenue by deterring smokers from buying.
At the same time, New Jersey quit programs are also facing financial hardship, according to Foulds. Where the tobacco control program had $50 million in funding a decade ago, it has $7.8 million now.
"We think that New Jersey has done a very good job" helping smokers quit, he said. But "things are tough and lots of things are being cut."
Sep 3, 2009
Kansas governor says he’ll push for statewide ban on public smoking
TOPEKA | Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson said he will push next year for a statewide ban on smoking indoors in public places and he may work to raise the state’s tax on cigarettes to boost revenue and improve health.
A similar ban passed in the state Senate earlier this year but failed in the House. Parkinson said Tuesday he’ll try to get support from some House members for the proposal when the Legislature convenes in January.
“We are going to put our full effort behind it,” Parkinson said during a meeting of the Governor’s Council on Fitness.
Many cities in Kansas already ban smoking in indoor public places, such as restaurants and businesses.
“All the research shows this will have a very positive impact on the overall health of Kansans and, over the long term, it will reduce health care costs,” said Andrew Allison, acting director of the Kansas Health Policy Authority.
According to state health agency statistics, nearly 4,000 Kansas residents die annually from smoking-related diseases, including 290 from diseases related to secondhand smoke. Residents spend nearly $1 billion on treatment related to smoking, including some $200 million in Medicaid funds.
Parkinson said he may throw his support behind raising cigarette taxes, but that the decision would hinge on whether the state needs more revenue to balance the budget.
Legislative staff have projected a budget shortfall of more than $500 million in the coming fiscal year. Parkinson has said it’s too early to tell how big the gap may be. Legislators have rejected numerous attempts in recent years to increase tobacco taxes.
Kansas imposes a 79-cent tax on a pack of cigarettes — well below the national average of $1.32.
Former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius failed to garner enough support among lawmakers to increase cigarette taxes by as much as 50 cents a pack to fund expanded health care programs.
A similar ban passed in the state Senate earlier this year but failed in the House. Parkinson said Tuesday he’ll try to get support from some House members for the proposal when the Legislature convenes in January.
“We are going to put our full effort behind it,” Parkinson said during a meeting of the Governor’s Council on Fitness.
Many cities in Kansas already ban smoking in indoor public places, such as restaurants and businesses.
“All the research shows this will have a very positive impact on the overall health of Kansans and, over the long term, it will reduce health care costs,” said Andrew Allison, acting director of the Kansas Health Policy Authority.
According to state health agency statistics, nearly 4,000 Kansas residents die annually from smoking-related diseases, including 290 from diseases related to secondhand smoke. Residents spend nearly $1 billion on treatment related to smoking, including some $200 million in Medicaid funds.
Parkinson said he may throw his support behind raising cigarette taxes, but that the decision would hinge on whether the state needs more revenue to balance the budget.
Legislative staff have projected a budget shortfall of more than $500 million in the coming fiscal year. Parkinson has said it’s too early to tell how big the gap may be. Legislators have rejected numerous attempts in recent years to increase tobacco taxes.
Kansas imposes a 79-cent tax on a pack of cigarettes — well below the national average of $1.32.
Former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius failed to garner enough support among lawmakers to increase cigarette taxes by as much as 50 cents a pack to fund expanded health care programs.
Sep 1, 2009
Puffed with pride over cigarette-free month
THE retired top banker who cast himself away for a month on an uninhabited Outer Hebridean island in a last-gasp bid to give-up smoking is still off cigarettes – but admits it is harder to kick the habit now he is back in civilisation.
Geoff Spice, right, left Sgarabhaigh in the Sound of Harris last Wednesday and said the next five days would be his toughest.
Having passed that milestone yesterday – and also a month without nicotine – Mr Spice, 57 now home in Ashstead, Surrey said:
"The cravings are quite bad. I expected they would be worse when I was not on the island. But I am still determined to get through and quit for good."
"If I can help inspire people to give up smoking too – that would be great. But sitting on an uninhabited island may not be the way for them to do it!"
Mr Spice, 57, former managing director, global head of treasury, at NM Rothschild in London came off Sgarabhaigh nearly a week earlier than his original target – beaten by the Hebridean gales, but not by nicotine.
Geoff Spice, right, left Sgarabhaigh in the Sound of Harris last Wednesday and said the next five days would be his toughest.
Having passed that milestone yesterday – and also a month without nicotine – Mr Spice, 57 now home in Ashstead, Surrey said:
"The cravings are quite bad. I expected they would be worse when I was not on the island. But I am still determined to get through and quit for good."
"If I can help inspire people to give up smoking too – that would be great. But sitting on an uninhabited island may not be the way for them to do it!"
Mr Spice, 57, former managing director, global head of treasury, at NM Rothschild in London came off Sgarabhaigh nearly a week earlier than his original target – beaten by the Hebridean gales, but not by nicotine.
Aug 23, 2009
Cigarette started Oregon City apartment fire
OREGON CITY -- An apartment fire that displaced seven families today was caused by disposal of a cigarette in a potted plant, an investigation shows.
Steve McAdoo, spokesman for Clackamas County Fire District 1, said investigators determined that someone put out at least one cigarette in a potted plant outside an eight-unit building in the Pioneer Ridge Apartments complex, 13826 S. Meyers Road. The cigarette apparently smoldered in the potting soil until it burst into flames.
The fire was reported at 3:21 a.m., when a next-door neighbor's Chihuahua, Jack, began barking at the sight of flames. The neighbor then tried to put out the fire with a garden hose while awakening residents.
When firefighters arrived, seven families already had evacuated the building. The eighth unit was vacant.
The Oregon Trail Chapter of the American Red Cross is providing temporary housing for the displaced families.
McAdoo said six of the families may be allowed to move back in sometime Wednesday. But damage to one upstairs apartment may keep the residents from returning quickly.
McAdoo said investigators are blaming several recent fires in Oregon and Southwest Washington on the same improper disposal of cigarettes. He said that putting out a lit cigarette in a potted plant does not guarantee that it will not burn. Most potting soil has a fiber-like material in it that acts like a sponge, to help soak up and hold water. But, if you let it dry out it turns into a very dangerous fire starter.
"Please dispose of cigarettes into an ashtray -- or better yet, an ashtray with water in it," McAdoo said. "Your life and your neighbors life depends on it."
Steve McAdoo, spokesman for Clackamas County Fire District 1, said investigators determined that someone put out at least one cigarette in a potted plant outside an eight-unit building in the Pioneer Ridge Apartments complex, 13826 S. Meyers Road. The cigarette apparently smoldered in the potting soil until it burst into flames.
The fire was reported at 3:21 a.m., when a next-door neighbor's Chihuahua, Jack, began barking at the sight of flames. The neighbor then tried to put out the fire with a garden hose while awakening residents.
When firefighters arrived, seven families already had evacuated the building. The eighth unit was vacant.
The Oregon Trail Chapter of the American Red Cross is providing temporary housing for the displaced families.
McAdoo said six of the families may be allowed to move back in sometime Wednesday. But damage to one upstairs apartment may keep the residents from returning quickly.
McAdoo said investigators are blaming several recent fires in Oregon and Southwest Washington on the same improper disposal of cigarettes. He said that putting out a lit cigarette in a potted plant does not guarantee that it will not burn. Most potting soil has a fiber-like material in it that acts like a sponge, to help soak up and hold water. But, if you let it dry out it turns into a very dangerous fire starter.
"Please dispose of cigarettes into an ashtray -- or better yet, an ashtray with water in it," McAdoo said. "Your life and your neighbors life depends on it."
Aug 17, 2009
Analysis Finds Toxic Substances in Electronic Cigarettes
Electronic cigarettes contain traces of toxic substances and carcinogens, according to a preliminary analysis of the products by the Food and Drug Administration.
The findings, which were announced on Wednesday, contradict claims by electronic cigarette manufacturers that their products are safe alternatives to tobacco and contain little more than water vapor, nicotine and propylene glycol, which is used to create artificial smoke in theatrical productions. When heated, the liquid produces a vapor that users inhale through the battery-powered device.
“We’re concerned about them because of what we know is in them and what we don’t know about how they affect the human body,” said Joshua Sharfstein, the F.D.A.’s principal commissioner.
The agency analyzed 19 varieties of cartridges, which hold the liquid, and two cigarettes, one manufactured by NJoy and another by Smoking Everywhere.
The analysis found that several of the cartridges contained detectable levels of nitrosamines, tobacco-specific compounds known to cause cancer. One Smoking Everywhere cartridge was found to contain diethlyene glycol, a common ingredient in antifreeze that counterfeiters have substituted for glycerin in toothpaste, killing hundreds worldwide.
Dr. Sharfstein said the agency was “not sure” what type of effect the diethlyene glycol and other carcinogens have on the human body when inhaled through electronic cigarettes.
The Electronic Cigarette Association, an industry trade group, said in a statement that the F.D.A.’s testing was too “narrow to reach any valid and reliable conclusions” and that its members sell and market their products only to adults.
A statement from the chief executive officer of NJoy, Jack Ledbetter, said a third party had tested its products and found them to be “appropriate alternatives” for cigarettes, but he did not release the findings. The company said its experts would review its tests and the F.D.A.’s.
Electronic cigarettes, which are manufactured in China, are subject to little quality control, Dr. Sharfstein said. The study found the levels of nicotine to vary even in cartridges whose labels claim to have the same amount of nicotine. Some of the cartridges that claimed not to contain nicotine actually did, the analysis found.
The F.D.A. has called electronic cigarettes drug delivery devices and said they should not be allowed in the country. It has turned away about 50 shipments of the devices at the border, but they still continue to be sold in malls nationwide and online. The agency would not comment on whether it planned to ban or seize the devices. In April, Smoking Everywhere sued the F.D.A., claiming that it did not have jurisdiction to bar the electronic devices from entering the United States.
The agency and public health officials are especially worried that electronic cigarettes, which are offered in flavors including cherry and bubblegum, are enticing to children and may be easy for those under 18 to obtain online or in malls.
The findings, which were announced on Wednesday, contradict claims by electronic cigarette manufacturers that their products are safe alternatives to tobacco and contain little more than water vapor, nicotine and propylene glycol, which is used to create artificial smoke in theatrical productions. When heated, the liquid produces a vapor that users inhale through the battery-powered device.
“We’re concerned about them because of what we know is in them and what we don’t know about how they affect the human body,” said Joshua Sharfstein, the F.D.A.’s principal commissioner.
The agency analyzed 19 varieties of cartridges, which hold the liquid, and two cigarettes, one manufactured by NJoy and another by Smoking Everywhere.
The analysis found that several of the cartridges contained detectable levels of nitrosamines, tobacco-specific compounds known to cause cancer. One Smoking Everywhere cartridge was found to contain diethlyene glycol, a common ingredient in antifreeze that counterfeiters have substituted for glycerin in toothpaste, killing hundreds worldwide.
Dr. Sharfstein said the agency was “not sure” what type of effect the diethlyene glycol and other carcinogens have on the human body when inhaled through electronic cigarettes.
The Electronic Cigarette Association, an industry trade group, said in a statement that the F.D.A.’s testing was too “narrow to reach any valid and reliable conclusions” and that its members sell and market their products only to adults.
A statement from the chief executive officer of NJoy, Jack Ledbetter, said a third party had tested its products and found them to be “appropriate alternatives” for cigarettes, but he did not release the findings. The company said its experts would review its tests and the F.D.A.’s.
Electronic cigarettes, which are manufactured in China, are subject to little quality control, Dr. Sharfstein said. The study found the levels of nicotine to vary even in cartridges whose labels claim to have the same amount of nicotine. Some of the cartridges that claimed not to contain nicotine actually did, the analysis found.
The F.D.A. has called electronic cigarettes drug delivery devices and said they should not be allowed in the country. It has turned away about 50 shipments of the devices at the border, but they still continue to be sold in malls nationwide and online. The agency would not comment on whether it planned to ban or seize the devices. In April, Smoking Everywhere sued the F.D.A., claiming that it did not have jurisdiction to bar the electronic devices from entering the United States.
The agency and public health officials are especially worried that electronic cigarettes, which are offered in flavors including cherry and bubblegum, are enticing to children and may be easy for those under 18 to obtain online or in malls.
Aug 11, 2009
Fake cigarettes warning
THE dangers of smoking 'dodgy' cigarettes will be highlighted at a roadshow.
North Staffordshire PCT will be staging the event at the Midsummer Mayhem fun day at Lyme Valley Park, Newcastle, on Sunday.
As well as providing advice for those wishing to stop smoking, health experts will also show smokers the variety of unusual substances they may be inhaling if they buy dodgy cigarettes.
The event is the latest part of a hard-hitting poster and radio advertising campaign from the Department of Health and HM Revenue & Customs.
Paul Hooper, regional tobacco policy manager for the West Midlands, said: "Buying cheap cigarettes from a man down the pub or from someone returning from their holidays may seem like a great deal.
"However, they are often made in unhygienic conditions and can contain ingredients like insects."
North Staffordshire PCT will be staging the event at the Midsummer Mayhem fun day at Lyme Valley Park, Newcastle, on Sunday.
As well as providing advice for those wishing to stop smoking, health experts will also show smokers the variety of unusual substances they may be inhaling if they buy dodgy cigarettes.
The event is the latest part of a hard-hitting poster and radio advertising campaign from the Department of Health and HM Revenue & Customs.
Paul Hooper, regional tobacco policy manager for the West Midlands, said: "Buying cheap cigarettes from a man down the pub or from someone returning from their holidays may seem like a great deal.
"However, they are often made in unhygienic conditions and can contain ingredients like insects."
Aug 6, 2009
‘Lingering smoke’ after a cigarette is out may harm you
If lung cancer, bad breath, yellowed teeth and fingers, breathlessness, the ever-increasing price of cigarettes, and the harmful effects of second-hand smoke on friends and family, and more specifically children, aren’t motivation enough to quit smoking, then perhaps a new phenomenon coined “third-hand” smoke will do the trick.
Third-hand smoke is the tobacco smoke contamination that lingers even after your cigarette has been extinguished; whether trapped in your hair, in the couch cushions or in your T-shirt, the toxic particulate matter of which cigarettes are composed sticks around long after you’ve finished that drag. Thus, when children come in contact with a smoker, they also come in contact with approximately 250 poisonous gases, chemicals and metals, eleven classified as group one carcinogens, which cling to their person and home.
Third-hand smoke is particularly relevant to mothers who are in frequent contact with their children. Think about how often your child wraps his arms around your neck and buries his head in your shoulder when he’s sad or sleepy, inhaling all the bad stuff in cigarettes that gets trapped in your sweater. Or if you’re a breastfeeding mom and smoker, the toxins are transferred to your child via breast milk. Children are especially susceptible to third-hand smoke because they often crawl and play on carpeted flooring and touch and put their mouths on contaminated surfaces. Low levels of tobacco particulate have been linked with cognitive deficits among children; the greater the exposure, the lower the reading score.
It was only a matter of time before researchers found yet another weapon to combat the battle against smoking. It’s getting more and more difficult to see the attraction of it. If quitting for your own health isn’t enough to make you kick the habit, do it for your loved ones.
If the health of your loved ones isn’t enough to quit, than perhaps a lovely trip south for a family of four could entice? At the cost of cigarettes today, and at the disastrous rate of one pack per week, enough money could be saved from quitting smoking to send a family of four to a vacation destination down south at an all-inclusive four-star hotel. Of course, it’s easier said than done, but the way this summer’s weather has been, I would seriously consider the trip.
Third-hand smoke is the tobacco smoke contamination that lingers even after your cigarette has been extinguished; whether trapped in your hair, in the couch cushions or in your T-shirt, the toxic particulate matter of which cigarettes are composed sticks around long after you’ve finished that drag. Thus, when children come in contact with a smoker, they also come in contact with approximately 250 poisonous gases, chemicals and metals, eleven classified as group one carcinogens, which cling to their person and home.
Third-hand smoke is particularly relevant to mothers who are in frequent contact with their children. Think about how often your child wraps his arms around your neck and buries his head in your shoulder when he’s sad or sleepy, inhaling all the bad stuff in cigarettes that gets trapped in your sweater. Or if you’re a breastfeeding mom and smoker, the toxins are transferred to your child via breast milk. Children are especially susceptible to third-hand smoke because they often crawl and play on carpeted flooring and touch and put their mouths on contaminated surfaces. Low levels of tobacco particulate have been linked with cognitive deficits among children; the greater the exposure, the lower the reading score.
It was only a matter of time before researchers found yet another weapon to combat the battle against smoking. It’s getting more and more difficult to see the attraction of it. If quitting for your own health isn’t enough to make you kick the habit, do it for your loved ones.
If the health of your loved ones isn’t enough to quit, than perhaps a lovely trip south for a family of four could entice? At the cost of cigarettes today, and at the disastrous rate of one pack per week, enough money could be saved from quitting smoking to send a family of four to a vacation destination down south at an all-inclusive four-star hotel. Of course, it’s easier said than done, but the way this summer’s weather has been, I would seriously consider the trip.
Jul 27, 2009
Reynolds Agrees to Drop Flavored Cigarettes
ALBANY, N.Y. — R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. has agreed to a domestic ban on its line of flavored cigarettes such as Twista Lime and Mocha Taboo, which critics say are marketed to youths.
The tobacco giant, a unit of Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Reynolds American Inc., settled a broad investigation of its domestic sales and marketing without paying any penalty. The company agreed to stop giving cigarettes names that allude to candy, fruit, desserts or alcoholic beverages, according to New York Atty. Gen. Eliot Spitzer.
Last year, a national survey by the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, N.Y., found that 20% of smokers ages 17 to 19 said they used flavored cigarettes in the last 30 days and that just 6% of smokers over age 25 did, said Dr. Gary Giovino, a senior researcher at the institute.
The deal struck with California and 39 other states, however, exempts the company's experimental "smoking lounge" in Chicago, allowing it to sell premium flavored cigarettes but with packaging that doesn't evoke images of fruit or sweet foods and drink. The deal allows R.J. Reynolds to offer lines of flavored cigarettes in the future under revised packaging, the company and state officials said Wednesday.
Marshall McGearty's, the R.J. Reynolds-owned lounge, is exempt from local smoking laws. The states contend that the one exception doesn't extend to similar businesses, but R.J. Reynolds spokesman Frederick McConnell disagrees.
"We can still sell flavored cigarettes in the future," he said.
The tobacco giant, a unit of Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Reynolds American Inc., settled a broad investigation of its domestic sales and marketing without paying any penalty. The company agreed to stop giving cigarettes names that allude to candy, fruit, desserts or alcoholic beverages, according to New York Atty. Gen. Eliot Spitzer.
Last year, a national survey by the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, N.Y., found that 20% of smokers ages 17 to 19 said they used flavored cigarettes in the last 30 days and that just 6% of smokers over age 25 did, said Dr. Gary Giovino, a senior researcher at the institute.
The deal struck with California and 39 other states, however, exempts the company's experimental "smoking lounge" in Chicago, allowing it to sell premium flavored cigarettes but with packaging that doesn't evoke images of fruit or sweet foods and drink. The deal allows R.J. Reynolds to offer lines of flavored cigarettes in the future under revised packaging, the company and state officials said Wednesday.
Marshall McGearty's, the R.J. Reynolds-owned lounge, is exempt from local smoking laws. The states contend that the one exception doesn't extend to similar businesses, but R.J. Reynolds spokesman Frederick McConnell disagrees.
"We can still sell flavored cigarettes in the future," he said.
Jul 16, 2009
Fire Damage Due To Candles & Cigarettes
Fire damage can be a devastating experience. Only those who have suffered due to fire damage can actually understand how much of a painful experience it can be. Not only does fire leads to loss of property but also accounts for the loss of many lives.
Although there could be many reasons for a fire, the most disappointing are those fire damages which occur due to a simple negligence on our part. Candles and cigarettes are two of those items which can lead to big fires just due to our own negligent behavior.
Almost every household has a candle. Its uses are varying. It can be a source of light at night. It can be used for calming our nerves as part of aromatherapy. It can be used as a decorative item in any room of the house. It is used in wedding ceremonies. It is used in numerous religious rituals. And who hasn't blown a candle placed on top of his birthday cake.
However, if precautions are not taken, the small and beautiful flame of the candle can turn out into an ugly and devastating fire. Here are some precautions which everyone should take while using candles:
1. Use proper and steady candle holders. If a candle is placed carelessly anywhere in the house, and without using a steady candle holder, it can easily tilt and fall on any cloth, paper, furniture or carpet. These are materials which easily catch fire and fire can quickly spread through them.
2. Keep candles in a place where there is no breeze. A draft can easily spread the fire to flammable articles such as clothes and papers.
3. Lit candles should never be left unattended. If an unattended candle falls on furniture in the house, it can be cause fire damage. If immediate action is not taken in such a situation the fire may spread to widespread proportions and actually burn down the whole apartment, the whole building and even the whole community.
4. Once you are done with their use, snuff them out completely. Make sure that they are not still burning before you move away from them.
A little thing such as a candle can bring about so much fire damage that may be hard to believe, but true. Similarly, recklessness in disposing off a small cigarette butt can also lead to fire damage. People tend to throw cigarette butts in various public places. It may be a street, a park, or a restaurant. Even schools have cigarette butts lying around.
Here are a few points which smokers should always keep in mind:
1. If cigarette butts are not put out completely, they can lead to big fires and cause a lot of fire damage. These lighted cigarette butts can come in contact with combustible materials such as clothes, papers and wood and easily spread the fire in the whole area. So make sure that the cigarette butts are completely put out before discarding them.
2. Don't throw cigarette butts in public places such as streets and schools. If they are not completely snuffed out, it becomes easier to grow into a fire by coming in contact with flammable articles in such places.
3. Always use ashtrays while smoking to dispose off ash.
4. Never fall asleep with a lighted cigarette in your hand. It can easily fall on to the carpet and lead to a fire. If you begin to feel sleepy while smoking, put it out immediately and dispose it off in a proper and safe manner.
5. Always use proper disposal bins to throw away cigarette butts. However, make sure that it is completely snuffed out. Or it may catch fire if some paper is already in lying in the trash can.
Fire damage can indeed be very destructive to our property and our lives. Simple precautions, however, can go a long way in preventing such disasters. So next time you use a candle or smoke a cigarette, be cautious.
Although there could be many reasons for a fire, the most disappointing are those fire damages which occur due to a simple negligence on our part. Candles and cigarettes are two of those items which can lead to big fires just due to our own negligent behavior.
Almost every household has a candle. Its uses are varying. It can be a source of light at night. It can be used for calming our nerves as part of aromatherapy. It can be used as a decorative item in any room of the house. It is used in wedding ceremonies. It is used in numerous religious rituals. And who hasn't blown a candle placed on top of his birthday cake.
However, if precautions are not taken, the small and beautiful flame of the candle can turn out into an ugly and devastating fire. Here are some precautions which everyone should take while using candles:
1. Use proper and steady candle holders. If a candle is placed carelessly anywhere in the house, and without using a steady candle holder, it can easily tilt and fall on any cloth, paper, furniture or carpet. These are materials which easily catch fire and fire can quickly spread through them.
2. Keep candles in a place where there is no breeze. A draft can easily spread the fire to flammable articles such as clothes and papers.
3. Lit candles should never be left unattended. If an unattended candle falls on furniture in the house, it can be cause fire damage. If immediate action is not taken in such a situation the fire may spread to widespread proportions and actually burn down the whole apartment, the whole building and even the whole community.
4. Once you are done with their use, snuff them out completely. Make sure that they are not still burning before you move away from them.
A little thing such as a candle can bring about so much fire damage that may be hard to believe, but true. Similarly, recklessness in disposing off a small cigarette butt can also lead to fire damage. People tend to throw cigarette butts in various public places. It may be a street, a park, or a restaurant. Even schools have cigarette butts lying around.
Here are a few points which smokers should always keep in mind:
1. If cigarette butts are not put out completely, they can lead to big fires and cause a lot of fire damage. These lighted cigarette butts can come in contact with combustible materials such as clothes, papers and wood and easily spread the fire in the whole area. So make sure that the cigarette butts are completely put out before discarding them.
2. Don't throw cigarette butts in public places such as streets and schools. If they are not completely snuffed out, it becomes easier to grow into a fire by coming in contact with flammable articles in such places.
3. Always use ashtrays while smoking to dispose off ash.
4. Never fall asleep with a lighted cigarette in your hand. It can easily fall on to the carpet and lead to a fire. If you begin to feel sleepy while smoking, put it out immediately and dispose it off in a proper and safe manner.
5. Always use proper disposal bins to throw away cigarette butts. However, make sure that it is completely snuffed out. Or it may catch fire if some paper is already in lying in the trash can.
Fire damage can indeed be very destructive to our property and our lives. Simple precautions, however, can go a long way in preventing such disasters. So next time you use a candle or smoke a cigarette, be cautious.
Jul 13, 2009
Replacing That Nasty Stinking Cigarette
Are you still one of the many that are smoking those nasty, stinking, tobacco cigarettes? With each passing year the tobacco companies raise the prices on their cigarettes and then bring out cheaper brands that usually taste bad and some of them really smell bad to the person standing next to you. Some of these cheap brands will even make your throat sore and make you cough a lot more than usual. The tobacco companies and the cigarette companies do this so that you will keep buying the more expensive brands. They are right in this thinking as this is the way most of these smokers will react.
We are sure that this has happened to you especially if you have been smoking for years. You have even told yourself that if the price of your cigarettes go up again that you would quit. Well, this as happened several times and most of you are still smoking. You say that you will quit only to find out that quitting them is harder than you thought. If you had quit when you said you would, you might have had a little easier time, but then again you might not have. You might have tried to only fail.
These old cigarettes are so habit forming that the longer you smoke them the harder it is going to be to quit. You will need to try to find something that will help you get through the whole process. This process will be long and hard. You will go through a lot of changes and even some mood swings. Some times these mood swings can make your character change from a nice quiet person to a really nasty and unlikeable person. You might not know this will happen to you until it does. If and when you try again, you might want to try the e-cigarette instead of the patches and the gum that you know will not help that much in the first place for many people.
With an e-cigarette you will immediately be eliminating the thousands of chemicals you have been exposing yourself to with tobacco use. There is also no tar residue. Even if you do not really want to quit right now, using the e-cigarette will help in the process of getting away from tobacco. You will be able to enjoy your friends and family since you will no longer be sending secondhand smoke out for them to breathe and you will no longer be using tobacco because the e-cigarette has none.
We are sure that this has happened to you especially if you have been smoking for years. You have even told yourself that if the price of your cigarettes go up again that you would quit. Well, this as happened several times and most of you are still smoking. You say that you will quit only to find out that quitting them is harder than you thought. If you had quit when you said you would, you might have had a little easier time, but then again you might not have. You might have tried to only fail.
These old cigarettes are so habit forming that the longer you smoke them the harder it is going to be to quit. You will need to try to find something that will help you get through the whole process. This process will be long and hard. You will go through a lot of changes and even some mood swings. Some times these mood swings can make your character change from a nice quiet person to a really nasty and unlikeable person. You might not know this will happen to you until it does. If and when you try again, you might want to try the e-cigarette instead of the patches and the gum that you know will not help that much in the first place for many people.
With an e-cigarette you will immediately be eliminating the thousands of chemicals you have been exposing yourself to with tobacco use. There is also no tar residue. Even if you do not really want to quit right now, using the e-cigarette will help in the process of getting away from tobacco. You will be able to enjoy your friends and family since you will no longer be sending secondhand smoke out for them to breathe and you will no longer be using tobacco because the e-cigarette has none.
Jul 6, 2009
Countries mull ban on selling cigarettes on Net
More than 130 countries met Monday to consider whether to ban the sale of tobacco on the Internet as part of an effort to crack down on the multibillion dollar market in contraband cigarettes.
As well as stopping direct sales to consumers, the draft treaty being considered in Geneva this week could ban online vendors from offering raw tobacco or cigarette manufacturing equipment.
Parties to the U.N.-backed 2005 Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which the U.S. has signed but yet to ratify, are also debating how to stop free trade zones from being used as smuggling hubs for untaxed and fake cigarettes.
Experts estimate the market in illicit cigarettes accounts for more than 10 percent of tobacco sales worldwide, costing governments $40-50 billion in lost tax revenue each year.
A report by the Washington-based U.S. Center for Public Integrity identifies China, Paraguay and Ukraine as among the major sources of contraband tobacco products.
The nonprofit group's report, published Monday to coincide with the start of the meeting, said criminal gangs and terrorist organizations are among the beneficiaries of the black market trade.
Some large tobacco companies said they support moves to crack down on illicit competitors, who they claim are flooding the market with cheap, low quality imitations or no-name packs.
"The meeting is a fantastic opportunity to create a level playing field," said Pat Heneghan, head of British American Tobacco PLC's anti-smuggling unit.
A spokesman for Philip Morris International, Greg Prager, said the company too supported the talks but declined to comment on specific anti-smuggling measures.
As well as stopping direct sales to consumers, the draft treaty being considered in Geneva this week could ban online vendors from offering raw tobacco or cigarette manufacturing equipment.
Parties to the U.N.-backed 2005 Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which the U.S. has signed but yet to ratify, are also debating how to stop free trade zones from being used as smuggling hubs for untaxed and fake cigarettes.
Experts estimate the market in illicit cigarettes accounts for more than 10 percent of tobacco sales worldwide, costing governments $40-50 billion in lost tax revenue each year.
A report by the Washington-based U.S. Center for Public Integrity identifies China, Paraguay and Ukraine as among the major sources of contraband tobacco products.
The nonprofit group's report, published Monday to coincide with the start of the meeting, said criminal gangs and terrorist organizations are among the beneficiaries of the black market trade.
Some large tobacco companies said they support moves to crack down on illicit competitors, who they claim are flooding the market with cheap, low quality imitations or no-name packs.
"The meeting is a fantastic opportunity to create a level playing field," said Pat Heneghan, head of British American Tobacco PLC's anti-smuggling unit.
A spokesman for Philip Morris International, Greg Prager, said the company too supported the talks but declined to comment on specific anti-smuggling measures.
Jul 2, 2009
Australia urged to approve plain-packaged cigarettes
A Canadian expert says the time is right for the Government to pursue the introduction of plain packaging for cigarettes.
A recommendation to begin selling cigarettes without advertising logos is expected to be handed to the Federal Government by the preventative health taskforce.
Moves towards implementing plain packaging in Canada were unsuccessful.
But the executive director of Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada, Cynthia Callard, says tobacco companies no longer have the same influence they had 10 years ago.
"The framework convention on tobacco control has said that plain packaging is a very effective way of reducing advertising and of increasing health warning messages," she said.
"Also I think tobacco companies do not have the political allies they had 10 years ago. There's been a sea change, I think, in attitudes by political leaders and by communities toward these companies and I think people are unwilling to give them the time of day."
Dr Callard says plain packaging will have no branding elements and will include the information people need.
She says packaging should be used to provide smokers with more information about health issues, as many smokers are not entirely aware of these.
"They know that smoking causes cancer but they don't know what their survival likelihood is," she said.
"[While] pictures [on current packaging] are good at giving people emotional connections to change their opinions, tips on quitting and effects on family members should be put on the package."
She expects Australia could be one of the first countries in the world to bring in plain packaging for cigarettes.
"I think it would be one of the best contributions that the Australian Government could make to global health," she said.
"To establish plain packaging as a normal and effective measure so that other countries could pass it more easily."
With a ban on cigarette advertising in place, anti-smoking activists argue that the packet itself is the last place that tobacco companies can market their brand.
And if plain packaging is introduced, the Federal Government can expect a challenge in the High Court from the tobacco industry.
This industry is not shy of litigation when it comes to protecting its business.
A recommendation to begin selling cigarettes without advertising logos is expected to be handed to the Federal Government by the preventative health taskforce.
Moves towards implementing plain packaging in Canada were unsuccessful.
But the executive director of Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada, Cynthia Callard, says tobacco companies no longer have the same influence they had 10 years ago.
"The framework convention on tobacco control has said that plain packaging is a very effective way of reducing advertising and of increasing health warning messages," she said.
"Also I think tobacco companies do not have the political allies they had 10 years ago. There's been a sea change, I think, in attitudes by political leaders and by communities toward these companies and I think people are unwilling to give them the time of day."
Dr Callard says plain packaging will have no branding elements and will include the information people need.
She says packaging should be used to provide smokers with more information about health issues, as many smokers are not entirely aware of these.
"They know that smoking causes cancer but they don't know what their survival likelihood is," she said.
"[While] pictures [on current packaging] are good at giving people emotional connections to change their opinions, tips on quitting and effects on family members should be put on the package."
She expects Australia could be one of the first countries in the world to bring in plain packaging for cigarettes.
"I think it would be one of the best contributions that the Australian Government could make to global health," she said.
"To establish plain packaging as a normal and effective measure so that other countries could pass it more easily."
With a ban on cigarette advertising in place, anti-smoking activists argue that the packet itself is the last place that tobacco companies can market their brand.
And if plain packaging is introduced, the Federal Government can expect a challenge in the High Court from the tobacco industry.
This industry is not shy of litigation when it comes to protecting its business.
Jun 29, 2009
Nicotine on its own is not addictive!
Researchers at the CNRS (French National Centre for Scientific Research) and the College of France have highlighted the role of certain monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) that are also found in tobacco products. It is their association with nicotine that, according to the researchers, appears to be the cause of dependency.
This is how it works: these MAOIs act by unleashing the addictive properties of nicotine, explains Jean-Pol Tassin of the College of France, who carried out this research. In fact they cancel out the natural protection of neurons with respect to nicotine.
In other words, as Tassin and his team have shown, nicotine alone is not enough to trigger a state of dependency among smokers. Other tobacco components -the infamous MAOIs in fact - prove to be essential in unleashing its addictive capacity.
For the authors, this discovery also explains why the nicotine substitutes used to help in quitting smoking are ineffective in the long-term. Indeed, according to the researcher who cites several studies on the subject, 80% of nicotine patch users start smoking again within one year of quitting. Nicotine alone is not sufficient as a substitute product.
It should be remembered that worldwide, smoking kills nearly 5 million people each year. And by 2030, this figure is expected to rise to as many as 8 million… which is an increase of 63%.
This is how it works: these MAOIs act by unleashing the addictive properties of nicotine, explains Jean-Pol Tassin of the College of France, who carried out this research. In fact they cancel out the natural protection of neurons with respect to nicotine.
In other words, as Tassin and his team have shown, nicotine alone is not enough to trigger a state of dependency among smokers. Other tobacco components -the infamous MAOIs in fact - prove to be essential in unleashing its addictive capacity.
For the authors, this discovery also explains why the nicotine substitutes used to help in quitting smoking are ineffective in the long-term. Indeed, according to the researcher who cites several studies on the subject, 80% of nicotine patch users start smoking again within one year of quitting. Nicotine alone is not sufficient as a substitute product.
It should be remembered that worldwide, smoking kills nearly 5 million people each year. And by 2030, this figure is expected to rise to as many as 8 million… which is an increase of 63%.
Jun 25, 2009
Philip Morris USA pulls new filter cigarettes
RICHMOND, Va. -- Philip Morris USA has ended market tests of Marlboro cigarettes that use a high-technology filter to reduce the risk of smoking.A spokesman for the parent of the Richmond-based company, Bill Phelps, said Monday that Marlboro Ultra Smooth and Marlboro Ultra Light cigarettes were discontinued due to lower consumer acceptance.
The cigarettes use an activated carbon filter that delivers nicotine but with potentially less exposure to carcinogens.
Philip Morris stopped shipments of Marlboro Ultra Smooth to wholesalers in April. Those cigarettes were being tested in Atlanta, Tampa, Florida, and Salt Lake City for more than three years. Tests of Marlboro Ultra Lights in Phoenix and North Dakota were also discontinued.
The cigarettes use an activated carbon filter that delivers nicotine but with potentially less exposure to carcinogens.
Philip Morris stopped shipments of Marlboro Ultra Smooth to wholesalers in April. Those cigarettes were being tested in Atlanta, Tampa, Florida, and Salt Lake City for more than three years. Tests of Marlboro Ultra Lights in Phoenix and North Dakota were also discontinued.
May 29, 2009
Bali flooded with black-market cigs
Ngurah Rai customs officers are currently hunting a suspect who allegedly plays a central role in the distribution of tens of thousands of cigarette packets with counterfeited excise tax stickers in Bali. The suspect, identified only as DL, is believed to be in Malang, East Java.
So far investigating officers have arrested four other suspects in the case.
One of the responsibilities of the Customs and Excise Office is the collection of taxes from cigarette companies. It does this by exclusively printing and issuing excise stickers that cigarette companies must purchase for each individual pack produced.
The investigation began after custom officers noticed the widespread circulation of cigarettes without excise tax stickers in September. The packets, found in a Papuan traditional market in Tabanan regency, had forged stickers.
"Our undercover officers managed to set up a transaction with the suppliers. They led us to another suspect in Negara, Jembrana regency. He later brought us to some small-scale cigarette packing facilities in Malang and Jember," investigating officer Hanny Fisher Palilingan said on Monday.
Hanny said the man from Negara was only a second layer player in the business. The mastermind is believed to be somewhere around Malang.
Throughout the investigation the officers confiscated 39,153 packs of cigarettes with fake excise tax stickers, 32,207 packs with no sticker at all and 1,610 packs with incorrect stickers. They also seized 30 rolls of forged stickers from a cigarette factory in Jember.
Jusuf Indarto, director of control and investigations at the Jakarta customs and excise office, said forgeries and sales of illegal cigarettes would increase if the government did not immediately ban the sale of old cigarette machines.
"The old machines are sold to individuals who illegally produce cigarettes. These people rake huge profits because cigarettes are in high demand, since many people smoke everywhere," he said, adding that the production is usually done in Java with the illegal cigarettes later distributed elsewhere.
According to the 2004 national socioeconomic survey, about 138.82 million Indonesians are smokers, or 63.1 percent of a total population of 220 million people at the time.
Jusuf said the government's income from the tobacco excise tax has reached Rp 47 trillion (US$4.7 billion), an increase of 12.1 percent on last year. The increase was achieved after customs and excise officers tightened their investigations on illegal cigarettes.
In October the customs and excise officers also confiscated 4000 liters of bootlegged alcohol and 3,500 liters of liqueurs and vodka hoarded in Denpasar without any legal excise documents.
Bambang Wahyudi, head of Ngurah Rai's customs and excise supervision and service office said his officers had questioned the owners of a leading local company, who were allegedly responsible for hoarding the alcohol.
"We have sealed the company temporarily and fined it Rp 660 million. I hope local liqueur producers do not run from their responsibility to pay the excise because their products are more marketable now, with the difficulties in importing liqueur," he said.
The office also confiscated some 700 smuggled mobile phones found in an unclaimed suitcase at the airport's foreign arrival terminal in July.
"According to the baggage documents, the luggage belongs to Raj Sudhahar of India, who flew from Hong Kong, China," Nurkiswar Eddy, head of prevention and investigation said, adding that the perpetrator had yet to be found.
So far investigating officers have arrested four other suspects in the case.
One of the responsibilities of the Customs and Excise Office is the collection of taxes from cigarette companies. It does this by exclusively printing and issuing excise stickers that cigarette companies must purchase for each individual pack produced.
The investigation began after custom officers noticed the widespread circulation of cigarettes without excise tax stickers in September. The packets, found in a Papuan traditional market in Tabanan regency, had forged stickers.
"Our undercover officers managed to set up a transaction with the suppliers. They led us to another suspect in Negara, Jembrana regency. He later brought us to some small-scale cigarette packing facilities in Malang and Jember," investigating officer Hanny Fisher Palilingan said on Monday.
Hanny said the man from Negara was only a second layer player in the business. The mastermind is believed to be somewhere around Malang.
Throughout the investigation the officers confiscated 39,153 packs of cigarettes with fake excise tax stickers, 32,207 packs with no sticker at all and 1,610 packs with incorrect stickers. They also seized 30 rolls of forged stickers from a cigarette factory in Jember.
Jusuf Indarto, director of control and investigations at the Jakarta customs and excise office, said forgeries and sales of illegal cigarettes would increase if the government did not immediately ban the sale of old cigarette machines.
"The old machines are sold to individuals who illegally produce cigarettes. These people rake huge profits because cigarettes are in high demand, since many people smoke everywhere," he said, adding that the production is usually done in Java with the illegal cigarettes later distributed elsewhere.
According to the 2004 national socioeconomic survey, about 138.82 million Indonesians are smokers, or 63.1 percent of a total population of 220 million people at the time.
Jusuf said the government's income from the tobacco excise tax has reached Rp 47 trillion (US$4.7 billion), an increase of 12.1 percent on last year. The increase was achieved after customs and excise officers tightened their investigations on illegal cigarettes.
In October the customs and excise officers also confiscated 4000 liters of bootlegged alcohol and 3,500 liters of liqueurs and vodka hoarded in Denpasar without any legal excise documents.
Bambang Wahyudi, head of Ngurah Rai's customs and excise supervision and service office said his officers had questioned the owners of a leading local company, who were allegedly responsible for hoarding the alcohol.
"We have sealed the company temporarily and fined it Rp 660 million. I hope local liqueur producers do not run from their responsibility to pay the excise because their products are more marketable now, with the difficulties in importing liqueur," he said.
The office also confiscated some 700 smuggled mobile phones found in an unclaimed suitcase at the airport's foreign arrival terminal in July.
"According to the baggage documents, the luggage belongs to Raj Sudhahar of India, who flew from Hong Kong, China," Nurkiswar Eddy, head of prevention and investigation said, adding that the perpetrator had yet to be found.
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