Tobacco.org

How Are Hookah Bars Still Legal? 

Are hookah bars legal?

That's the real question you should be asking, as the law treats hookah smoking and cigarette smoking the same, as they are both tobacco products regulated by the same statutes.

As cigarette smoking decreases, hookah use seems to be rising, particularly amongst the younger generations, possibly contributing to the perception that hookah bars are legal while cigarette smoking is not.

This is actually not the case, as many hookah bars operate illegally.

The reason for this is the state of smoking laws across the country.

Smoking bans operate on a city, county and state level, prohibiting tobacco smoking in workplaces, with minor exceptions.

In jurisdictions with such bans, hookah bars must fit into these exceptions in order to operate legally. . . .

Now that you know the facts, keep in mind the following:

Hookah bars, legal or not, pose the same risks as establishments where cigarette smoking is permitted.

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• Smugglers Prosper in Spain’s ‘Perfect Storm’ for Tobacco  

Spanish smokers, squeezed by higher taxes and a deepening recession, are increasingly relying on smugglers to feed their habit.

Illegal imports now account for 7 percent to 8 percent of Spanish cigarette sales, compared with almost nothing a year ago, according to the country’s tobacconists association. In southern provinces such as Cadiz, Seville and Malaga, the proportion is 20 percent.

“Smuggling and fake tobacco, which had been eradicated since 1993, came back strongly last year,” said Jaime Gil- Robles, corporate affairs director at Altadis, the Spanish unit of Imperial Tobacco Group Plc. (IMT)

Smuggling, encouraged by a December 2010 increase in tobacco taxes and a ban on smoking in public places, has eroded both government coffers and company revenues. Spain, which has the European Union’s highest jobless rate, collected 14 percent less tobacco taxes in 2011 than a forecast of 9.05 billion euros ($12 billion), excluding value-added tax, according to Altadis.

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Scottsville legislator goes to bat for burley  

A southcentral Kentucky lawmaker hopes that Kentucky burley is given its due when future trade agreements are negotiated between the United States and foreign countries.

"There is some discussion of excluding tobacco from the agreements," said state Rep. Wilson Stone, D-Scottsville.

On Tuesday, Stone filed a nonbinding House resolution that says Kentucky farmers need to have the same access to trade as other agriculture commodities. The measure is expected to be voted on soon. Sen. Paul Hornback, R-Shelbyville, filed the same resolution in the state Senate, signaling bipartisan support for the issue.

Stone said there have been rumors that President Barack Obama's administration wants to take tobacco out of the equation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, a regional trade agreement between the U.S., Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. Those negotiations are expected to finish this summer.

"It's not so much a price issue, because world markets determine that, but one of access," Stone said. "If you take tobacco out of those agreements, it will dearly hurt Kentucky and Kentucky's farmers,"

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The Briar and the Burley’s recent move should be smoke shop’s last, longtime owner says ($$) 

The Briar and the Burley has been in four locations since Mike Fisher started the business back in 1972, but he swears h ...

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Philip Morris, Lorillard Smoke Analysts Q4 Profit, Sales Forecasts, Gain Share PM LO  

Cigarette maker Philip Morris International (PM) beat fourth-quarterexpectations, while smaller rival Lorillard (LO) also recorded strong gains during the quarter and hiked its quarterly dividend.

Both companies claimed market share gains.

Philip Morris International, which was split off from Philip Morris USA in 2008, said earnings per share climbed 13% to $1.10, a penny above estimates. Revenue rose 9% to $7.7 billion.

The tobacco giant also issued an upbeat 2012 profit forecast. It sees full-year EPS of $5.25-$5.35, vs. $4.85 in 2011, the midpoint topping analyst projections by 11 cents.

Philip Morris shares jumped 3% to 80.39. Shares have climbed 33% from a closing price of 60.45 on Oct. 7.

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Philip Morris's Strong Quarter Sets Up A Great Year  

Philip Morris (PM) was the Dow Jones Industrial Average's best performer in 2011, rising 34%. Including dividends, total shareholder return was 40%.

Can the stock continue to deliver in 2012 after last year's strong performance? So far, this year, the stock has been a laggard. I'm a shareholder and like the stock despite the 2011 run.

First, Philip Morris started the year off with a bang.

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Philip Morris Increases Cigarette Prices By Nearly 7% 

Starting today, Philip Morris International Korea will increase its cigarette prices by nearly 7-percent on average. Its flagship brands such as Marlboro, Parliament and Lark will be sold at 2,700 won roughly 2-dollars-and-40-cents a pack, up 200 won. In April and May last year, British American Tobacco Korea, the No. 2 player in the local market, and Japan Tobacco International Korea relayed their price hikes on Dunhill, Kent, Mild Seven and other products by 200 won in general to cope with surging raw material and labor costs. Korea’s tobacco giant, KT&G Corporation however, is set to freeze its cigarette prices for the time being

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Philip Morris Climbs to Highest Since 2008 on Forecast  

Philip Morris International Inc. rose to the highest since its spinoff by Altria Group Inc. almost four years ago after forecasting profit this year that was higher than analysts estimated.

The world's largest publicly traded tobacco manufacturer gained 3 percent to $80.18 at 2:41 p.m. in New York after climbing to $80.99, the highest intraday price since March 2008.

Profit per share in 2012 will be $5.25 to $5.35, the New York-based company said today in a statement. The average estimate of 16 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg was $5.20.

Chief Executive Officer Louis Camilleri boosted shipments of Marlboro and the company's nine other biggest brands in 2011, leading to higher global market share for the fourth straight year. Philip Morris anticipates stronger growth in Asia in 2012, Camilleri told analysts today on a conference call.

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Jolly Good Smoke 

Stogies on Grand (961 Grand Ave., St. Paul) and Lewis Pipes and Tobacco (527 Marquette Ave., Minneapolis) evoke completely different feelings upon entrance.

Stogies’ quaint Grand Avenue storefront leads into a labyrinthine store filled with laughter and smoke, while Lewis’ massive skyscraper hat sits over a clean one-room shop. The men who own these stores, on the other hand, look quite similar — tall, broad and worried around the eyes.

The wrinkles that crease their faces are in no small part due to the stress of working in an industry constantly teetering on the brink — “… really the only industry that could vanish, poof, at the whim of a Congress session,” as Lewis Tobaco owner Rich Lewis puts it. . . .

Many tobacco enthusiasts also malign the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which gives the president full regulatory power over the tobacco industry.

“Too many kids have been grabbing cheap cigars, Swishers and Dutch Masters, scraping out the middle and filling them with marijuana. You might have heard of it — it’s called ‘blunting,’” Wolk said.

In an effort to stop the illegal activity, the newer bill would also effectively put stores like Stogies out business.

This year will mark the 40th anniversary of Lewis’ tenure at his family’s tobacco shop, and he has seen business grind to a near halt as higher taxes are passed and stricter smoking restrictions are enacted. . . .

Make sure to keep tamping the ash down as you smoke, and the bowl should puff all the way down without a problem.

Remember to keep it an occasional celebration, and enjoy!

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Lorillard Exceeds, Ups Dividends - Analyst Blog  

Lorillard Inc. ( LO ) delivered better-than-expected fourth-quarter and fiscal year 2011 adjusted earnings of $2.20 and $7.88 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.96 and $7.65 per share, respectively. The results also exceeded the prior-year quarterly earnings by 26.4% and prior-year earnings by 16.2%.

The adjusted earnings exclude the favorable impact on tobacco settlement expense of $25 million. However, the adjusted results include the benefit of the company's share repurchase program which resulted in lower outstanding shares and thus contributed 22 cents and 63 cents per share to the increase in the earnings of fourth quarter and fiscal year 2011, respectively.

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Tobacco sale concerns delay Indian Affairs secretary's appointment (2:02 p.m.)  

State senators, concerned about possible illegal tobacco sales at a tribal store in which Arthur Allison has an interest, delayed a vote today on whether to confirm him as secretary of the Department of Indian Affairs.

Allison, 64, told the Senate Rules Committee that he no longer makes any day-to-day decisions about operations of the Five Star Oil & Gas store on the Navajo nation near Farmington. He said he is "a passive member" of a partnership, but his son runs the business.

At issue for the Senate is whether the store is continuing to sell cigarettes to non-tribal members without charging a state tax.

Allison said tobacco products at his store are taxed by the Navajo Nation. He said his lawyer did not believe the law required that an additional tax be collected and paid to the state government if someone outside the tribe makes a purchase.

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Star Scientific and Reynolds American Focus on New Tobacco Trends  

Tobacco stocks have been relatively flat in 2012 as the industry continues to negotiate strict regulations pushed by governments across the world. Tobacco manufacturers continue to focus more attention on their respective smokeless tobacco segments to offset the decline in cigarette demand. Thus far, this has benefitted margins industrywide. Five Star Equities examines investing opportunities in the tobacco industry and provides equity research on Star Scientific, Inc. (NASDAQ: CIGX - News) and Reynolds American, Inc. (NYSE: RAI - News). Access to the full company reports can be found at:

www.fivestarequities.com/CIGX www.fivestarequities.com/RAI

Global Industry Analytics, Inc. (GIA) recently issued a report, "Tobacco: A Global Outlook," arguing that dropping consumption of tobacco products across developed economies has prompted tobacco companies to augment their focus on developing markets, "which have been exhibiting positive trends." Moreover, GIA says that new Low Tar Cigarettes are expected to do well in the market with the industry being optimistic to "sail through" the disturbing phase.

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RUZVIDZO: The leaf couldn’t be more golden! 

Reports that Zimbabwe's tobacco could be in higher demand internationally bring good news to consolidate the growth that the sector has begun to enjoy in the last few years. That production in Brazil and USA is subdued due to floods this year means that many buyers will look up to Zimbabwe to fill the gap. This naturally translates into higher prices as the forces of supply and demand come into play. We certainly hope that output is as high as anticipated.

Last year's average of US$3,36 for flue-cured tobacco is certainly set to be surpassed.

What a windfall! The golden leaf couldn't be more golden. The many growers that have decided to join this sector are certainly not regretting. The farmers should be smiling that their hard work will certainly be worth the while.

Brazil's production is believed to be down by 150 million while USA has had to revise its figures downwards by 50 million. Zimbabwe is expected to sell at least 150 million kg this year. The tobacco sector, fraught with many challenges that adversely affected production figures, should use this season as an opportunity to consolidate the growth experienced in the last two seasons. . . .

China, one of this country's biggest clients, will be seeking to buy more than the 40 million kg it imported last year. Given all the positives around tobacco new growers will need assistance in terms of financial discipline if they intend to stay in the sector for a long time.

Reports of impulse buying and farmers being cheated of their hard-earned cash would be a sad way of seeing their sweat going down the drain.

We applaud the Zimbabwe Farmers' Union for taking the initiative to encourage farmers to use plastic money which would come in handy at a time when cash sources are constricted. For now we will stand on TIMB

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All licensed tobacco auction floors in Harare 

TOBACCO growers will sell their crop at auction floors in Harare only this year because all firms that applied for licences to operate in other provinces failed to meet stipulated standards. Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board chairperson, Mrs Monica Chinamasa, yesterday said companies out of Harare could not meet the requirements although some had already put up structures.

She said the decentralisation of tobacco auction floors had now entered the second phase.

She said the first phase of decentralisation was done by TIMB, which decentralised its offices to provinces to enable farmers to book and register nearer to their farms.

"It is a long process, which cannot be completed in a single season.

"This season some companies in Karoi and Mvurwi applied for licences but could not meet the standards required to operate auction floors," she said.

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Govt happy with tobacco auction floors’ preps 

Government is satisfied with the state of preparedness of auction floors ahead of the start of the 2012 tobacco-selling season on Wednesday next week. Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development, Mr Seiso Moyo yesterday said he was impressed after touring four auction floors that were licensed to operate this season.

Four auction floors namely Tobacco Sales Floor Limited, Boka Tobacco Auction Floor, Millennium Tobacco Floors and Premier Tobacco Auction Floor will operate during the 2012 tobacco-selling season.

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