School children have launched a campaign to support stronger pictorial health warnings on tobacco products in India at the India International Trade Fair. The campaign kicked off on November 14, which is celebrated as Children's Day.
Young school children visited the exhibition at Pragati Maidan for this purpose and get enlightened about the tobacco epidemic that is tightening its noose around lakhs of people in our country. The exhibition is being jointly organised by HRIDAY (Health Related Information & Dissemination Amongst Youth) and Public Health Foundation of India. It is showcasing the best international practices in terms of effective health warnings that are displayed on tobacco products in different countries. Through signature campaigns, opinion polls, 'warning walls' and media advocacy, the exhibition hopes to garner pubic and political support in favour of effective pictorial health warnings that will help save lives today and in the years to come.
"Pictorial warnings on the covers of Indian cigarette packs are not that effective. These should be effective enough to act as a deterrent," said Parul Kashyap, a class IX student of St Mark's School, Janakpuri.
Monica Arora, senior director of HRIDAY, said, "Pictorial health warnings first notified in India in 2006 have faced delays and dilutions time and again. In fact, numerous baseless arguments have been bandied about against the use of gory pictures to inform about the health effects of tobacco use. This exhibition offers people an opportunity to reach out to the policymakers through this groundswell of opinion."
According to KS Reddy, president, Public Health Foundation of India, "A number of developing countries like Uruguay, Thailand, Malaysia and Mauritius have already taken steps in the right direction by implementing effective pictorial health warnings. It is imperative that the Indian government replaces the current weak and ineffective warnings with stronger ones on December 1, particularly in the wake of the growing burden of tobacco use in the country"
Vandana Shah, who is spearheading the campaign for tobacco-free world for kids in South East Asia, feels that it is high time India takes a leaf out of other countries' that have successfully implemented the campaign against tobacco consumption by using powerful pictures which can dissuade people to use it. She also stressed the need to strengthen advertising laws which should take public interest into account.
More and more schools are getting involved in this campaign against tobacco. "This sort of exhibition helps school children have an idea about the harmful impact of tobacco abuse," said Anupam Ganesh, science teacher at St Mark's School, Janakpuri.
Nov 30, 2010
Nov 24, 2010
Ukraine requests World Trade Organization to settle tobacco dispute with Armenia
For the first time since Ukraine became World Trade Organization (WTO) member, it has requested that the WTO Dispute Settlement Body establish a panel to settle a dispute with Armenia over less favorableconditions for theimport of Ukrainian tobacco and alcohol than those of national origin.
The request was posted on the WTO's web site.
According to the WTO, Ukraine asks that this request be placed on the agenda of the next meeting of the WTO Dispute Settlement Body that will take place on September 21, 2010.
According to Ukraine, it was impossible to resolve the dispute through consultations.
"In case a country refuses from consultations or does not start them, a WTO member that has placed a request for the consultations has the right, under Article 4.3 of the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes, to immediately request the establishment of a panel to settle a dispute," Andrii Zablotskyi, an associate from the Volkov Koziakov & Partners law firm, told Interfax-Ukraine.
He also said that following examination, the panel issues recommendations to the county which has violated the WTO agreements under which the country should bring its legislation in line with the WTO standards.
On July 20, 2010, Ukraine requested consultations with Armenia regarding Armenia's measures affecting the importation and internal sale of cigarettes and alcoholic beverages.
Ukraine alleged that Armenia's law "On Presumptive Tax for Tobacco Products" of March 24, 2000, levies discriminatory internal taxes on imported tobacco products and is therefore in violation of Article III of the GATT 1994 and paragraph 1.2 of Armenia's Protocol of Accession to the WTO.
Moreover, the law imposes customs duties on such imported tobacco products at a rate of 24%, which is higher than Armenia's WTO bound rate of 15%.
According to the Ukrainian side, for a small number of products, including cigarettes, Armenia imposes a single, fixed charge (the "presumptive tax") which includes both internal taxes such as VAT and excise tax and the applicable customs duty. Armenia applies this so-called "presumptive tax" at the fixed rates of AMD 6,500 ($17.7) per 1,000 imported cigarettes and AMD 4,750 ($12.9) per 1,000 like domestic cigarettes pursuant to Article 3 of the Tobacco Charges Law. "This presumptive tax on cigarettes at the above fixed rates for imported and domestic cigarettes is in violation of Armenia's obligations of providing national treatment to imported products and leads to the imposition of customs duties in excess of Armenia's tariff binding of 15% ad valorem for cigarettes as set forth in Armenia's Schedule of Concessions," Ukraine claims.
As to imported alcoholic beverages, Ukraine alleges that Armenia's law "On Excise Tax" of July 7, 2000, applies higher excise taxes on imported alcoholic beverages than on like domestic products.
Ukraine considers that this is also inconsistent with Armenia's obligations under Article III of the GATT 1994.
Read more: http://www.kyivpost.com/news/business/bus_general/detail/83121/#ixzz16Ckija7H
The request was posted on the WTO's web site.
According to the WTO, Ukraine asks that this request be placed on the agenda of the next meeting of the WTO Dispute Settlement Body that will take place on September 21, 2010.
According to Ukraine, it was impossible to resolve the dispute through consultations.
"In case a country refuses from consultations or does not start them, a WTO member that has placed a request for the consultations has the right, under Article 4.3 of the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes, to immediately request the establishment of a panel to settle a dispute," Andrii Zablotskyi, an associate from the Volkov Koziakov & Partners law firm, told Interfax-Ukraine.
He also said that following examination, the panel issues recommendations to the county which has violated the WTO agreements under which the country should bring its legislation in line with the WTO standards.
On July 20, 2010, Ukraine requested consultations with Armenia regarding Armenia's measures affecting the importation and internal sale of cigarettes and alcoholic beverages.
Ukraine alleged that Armenia's law "On Presumptive Tax for Tobacco Products" of March 24, 2000, levies discriminatory internal taxes on imported tobacco products and is therefore in violation of Article III of the GATT 1994 and paragraph 1.2 of Armenia's Protocol of Accession to the WTO.
Moreover, the law imposes customs duties on such imported tobacco products at a rate of 24%, which is higher than Armenia's WTO bound rate of 15%.
According to the Ukrainian side, for a small number of products, including cigarettes, Armenia imposes a single, fixed charge (the "presumptive tax") which includes both internal taxes such as VAT and excise tax and the applicable customs duty. Armenia applies this so-called "presumptive tax" at the fixed rates of AMD 6,500 ($17.7) per 1,000 imported cigarettes and AMD 4,750 ($12.9) per 1,000 like domestic cigarettes pursuant to Article 3 of the Tobacco Charges Law. "This presumptive tax on cigarettes at the above fixed rates for imported and domestic cigarettes is in violation of Armenia's obligations of providing national treatment to imported products and leads to the imposition of customs duties in excess of Armenia's tariff binding of 15% ad valorem for cigarettes as set forth in Armenia's Schedule of Concessions," Ukraine claims.
As to imported alcoholic beverages, Ukraine alleges that Armenia's law "On Excise Tax" of July 7, 2000, applies higher excise taxes on imported alcoholic beverages than on like domestic products.
Ukraine considers that this is also inconsistent with Armenia's obligations under Article III of the GATT 1994.
Read more: http://www.kyivpost.com/news/business/bus_general/detail/83121/#ixzz16Ckija7H
Nov 19, 2010
In Face Of Cigarette Regulation, RHS ETF Worth Watching
The Health and Human Services Department announced today that it will require larger, more prominent health warnings on cigarette packs.
The new labels, which would take effect in 2012, could dissuade cigarette buyers by including graphic images and large type outlining the adverse health effects of smoking. The labels could cover up to half of the front and back of each package.
The news is causing investors to question future cigarette sales, and tobacco shares are traded lower on Wednesday. Shares of Altria (MO), producer of Marlboro cigarettes traded lower by about 1.5%, while Reynolds American (RAI) fell 2.2%, and Lorillard (LO) was off about .6%.
The new labels, which would take effect in 2012, could dissuade cigarette buyers by including graphic images and large type outlining the adverse health effects of smoking. The labels could cover up to half of the front and back of each package.
The news is causing investors to question future cigarette sales, and tobacco shares are traded lower on Wednesday. Shares of Altria (MO), producer of Marlboro cigarettes traded lower by about 1.5%, while Reynolds American (RAI) fell 2.2%, and Lorillard (LO) was off about .6%.
Nov 10, 2010
Secondhand Smoke
Too Many Montanans Are Still Exposed to Secondhand Tobacco Smoke
People living in apartment buildings or condominiums with neighbors who smoke
Anyone in an outdoor setting where smoking is permitted
American Indians on reservations where no tribal policies exist or where the Clean Indoor Air Act does not apply
New research, new urgency:
New research on secondhand smoke and the heart shows that there are more severe and immediate health effects than we previously thought.
Secondhand tobacco smoke causes reactions in the heart very quickly. In as few as 30 minutes, secondhand smoke exposure can cause heart attacks for people at risk for heart disease.
Dr. Robert Shepard, Medical Director at New West Health Services in Helena, Montana and a well-known champion of Montana’s Clean Indoor Air Act cites over 50 epidemiology studies that demonstrate the effects of secondhand smoke on the human body.
Shepard has identified specific risks to the heart, which are magnified by secondhand smoke. These risks, in turn, increase the risk of heart attacks in non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke.
Non-smokers, when exposed for 30 minutes to secondhand smoke, have platelets which look exactly like a smoker. They are activated and ready to create a clot. The clot is solid, the artery is too small, and the blood cannot flow; causing a heart attack.
Secondhand smoke also kills the cells lining the artery which control the ability of the artery to dilate and thus heightens the risk of spasms increasing the risk of a heart attack.
The message is loud and clear for those who will listen.
There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke.
And until we reach the tipping point that protects all of us from secondhand smoke, an estimated 175 Montanans who never smoked will die each year from breathing someone else's tobacco smoke.
Nov 2, 2010
Smuggled cigarettes found at Immingham docks
More than one million cigarettes have been found smuggled inside concrete blocks at Immingham docks.
UK Border Agency officials uncovered the haul following checks on lorry freight arriving from the Continent.
Officers used sledgehammers to break open the blocks and discovered the Chinese-made cigarettes.
Andy Lumb, from the UK Border Agency, said: "Cigarettes may be legal but the smuggling of such goods is often linked to serious organised crime."
The UK Border Agency said the lorry had been seized and inquiries were continuing.
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