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.
Jul 27, 2009
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.
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