Tobacco.org

'Stub out' tobacco company lobbying  

They've been stripped of the right to advertise, will soon be forced to sell their products in plain packaging, at least two political parties refuse to accept their donations and now there is a call to ban tobacco companies from lobbying governments.

Anti-tobacco group Action on Smoking and Health wants a crackdown on the tobacco industry's ability to influence public policy.

In a submission to a Senate committee inquiry into the Government's Lobbying Code of Conduct and and the Register of Lobbyists, ACOSH said smoking had caused the deaths of more than one million Australians since 1950 and was now responsible for the deaths of 15,000 each year.

''Action to reduce smoking has been consistently and vigorously opposed and undermined by the global tobacco industry through sophisticated and well-funded campaigns in Australia, with the goal of undermining tobacco control and public health initiatives,'' the ACOSH submission said.

''A ban on lobbying activities by the tobacco industry is an appropriate remedy to the tactics utilised by the tobacco industry, which defy accountability or transparency.

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• Indian Affairs Secretary Faces Scrutiny Over Cigarette Sales 

Gov. Susana Martinez’s nominee to lead the Indian Affairs Department is under scrutiny from lawmakers over possible illegal sales of cigarettes at a store operated by the Cabinet secretary’s family.

The Senate Rules Committee agreed Monday to postpone a vote on the confirmation of Indian Affairs Secretary Arthur Allison because of questions about the sale of untaxed cigarettes at the Star Ranch Store, near Farmington on the Navajo Nation.

At issue are sales to non-Indians of cigarettes without New Mexico’s tax and the sale of certain cigarettes that the Attorney General’s Office contends are prohibited in New Mexico.

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Bid to stub out tobacco donations  

POLITICAL parties would be banned from accepting donations from tobacco companies under government legislation to be introduced to State Parliament this year.

The move will keep the heat on the Tasmanian Liberal Party, which was criticised last week for taking $38,000 from cigarette companies last year.

Attorney-General Brian Wightman said legislation was necessary because the Opposition had failed to do the right thing.

``From our point of view, such a law is just commonsense given the harm that smoking has on our community year after year,'' Mr Wightman said.

``Political parties should not be accepting money from the sale of a product that has such an impact.''

Mr Wightman's promise comes ahead of the release this week of a discussion paper on political donations.

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Unions and Tobacco Comparison is Offensive and Out of Touch - Brian Wightman, MP  

The Attorney-General, Brian Wightman, today called on the Tasmanian Liberals to apologise for comparing unions to tobacco companies on the issue of political donations.

The Liberal Party's State Director, Sam McQuestin, is quoted in today's media as saying "I trust that the Bill (banning political donations from tobacco companies) will also include a proposal to ban union donations to Labor".

"Unfortunately, this again shows that the Liberals just don't get it," Mr Wightman said.

"Comparing unions to tobacco companies is both ignorant and offensive.

"Suggesting they should be treated the same way in donation laws is even worse.

"Trade unions fight for workers' rights, including better pay and conditions. By contrast, rich tobacco companies sell cigarettes which kill about 400 Tasmanians every year, and put huge extra strain on our health system.

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Labor targets the Opposition over tobacco donations 

The Labor party in Tasmania is stepping up its campaign against the Liberal party for accepting donations from tobacco companies.

Last week the Australian Electoral Commission released a list of donations to Tasmania's political parties, which showed the state Liberals received about $38,000 in donations from two big tobacco companies.

Labor's state secretary, John Dowling says it's re-released the Liberal party's "vision for the future" TV commercial on the internet with a health warning about tobacco.

"The Liberal party has received tens of thousands of dollars from big tobacco, they've received tens of thousands of dollars from other sources," he said.

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Measure seeks to curb “roll your own” cigarette movement  

On Tuesday, the House Committee on Business & Financial Services officially approved legislation that would formally declare retail shops as manufacturers of cigarettes and also make them pay the same taxes as are levied on pre-packed cigarettes. The measure now heads to the House Ways & Means Committee. A similar measure is being considered in the Senate.

Brown, who traveled to Olympia to testify against the measure, says that by declaring his little store a cigarette manufacturer he would have to undergo the same U.S. Food & Drug Administration standards as the large tobacco companies.

“I don’t mind charging more in taxes but the manufacture aspect, that’s going to put us out of business,” Brown said.

And on Thursday, despite never receiving a public hearing, the Senate Committee on Labor, Commerce & Consumer Protection referred legislation that would out-right ban the use of the large “roll your own” cigarette machines to the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

Brown said he’s just amazed at the open hostility he’s seeing to destroy his business. . . .

“I’m not convinced that we need this bill,” said Blake, D-Aberdeen. “I think the business owners have made the case that they’re just selling tobacco and the tubes and letting customers combine them. And I’m not convinced that any change is needed. But, I have to say, there is bi-partisan support to push this through this session.”

Rep. Steve Kirby, who chairs the House Business Committee, is the prime sponsor of the legislation.

“Many of you will recall a couple of years back when we put that last dollar a pack on cigarettes, I stood on floor of the House opposed to that,” said Kirby, D-Tacoma. “I warned that people would find a way not to pay it. Here we are. Here we are. And we’ve got a problem now and we’ve got to weigh the revenue we’re losing by raising taxes against this entrepeneur spirit that many of us respect.”

TK Bentler, with the Washington Association of Neighborhood Stores, testified that the state is losing $26.2 million in revenue a year by allowing the roll-your-own cigarette stores to remain open and not pay the same taxes.

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Eye on Boise: E-cigarette bill opponent saw smoke, mirrors 

A St. Maries legislator raised fears about a “nanny state” when the Idaho House considered legislation this week to ban the sale of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes to children, but the measure ended up passing unanimously.

State Rep. Dick Harwood, R-St. Maries, cast the only “no” vote on HB 405, but then, at the last minute, changed his vote to “yes.”

Harwood told the bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d’Alene, that he suspected the statistics Nonini cited in his opening debate for the bill were slanted and came from groups that really don’t want anyone to smoke. “I can’t speak for the New England Journal of Medicine,” Nonini responded, “but yes, they would encourage nobody to smoke cigarettes. … Panhandle Health, yes, I think they would support no smoking at all.” Nonini himself is a smoker. . . .

State Rep. Eric Anderson, R-Priest Lake, told the House, “Most of you know in this body that I am a statistic. … I had the opportunity to quit smoking this last year, and I started smoking in my mid-20s. It’s not the kind of thing I like to stand up and announce to the whole world, but that’s what I did. … The statistics are, and it has been proven … that minors that start smoking, they have a lot more difficult time quitting than I did. And trust me, it’s not an easy addiction to overcome, and I probably will struggle with it for a long, long time.”

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Where Else Are the Liberals' Cigarette Donations Going?  

Labor Member for Bass, Brian Wightman, today called on Will Hodgman to explain where else the Liberals will spend the political donations it received from cigarette companies.

Mr Wightman said the Liberals needed to come clean on exactly what campaigns this money from big tobacco would be spent.

"Given that Mr Hodgman's new website advertisement features him making promises about health care funding, I'm sure Tasmanians would be interested in knowing what else the profits of cigarette sales will be helping pay for.

"He should immediately can these ads, and ensure the Liberal Party start disclosing how much of their advertising is being brought to Tasmanians courtesy of big tobacco companies and their profits.

"Mr Hodgman seems to think it is okay for his Party to pocket $38,000 in proceeds of cigarette sales on the basis that it doesn't alter its policies, and that they have supported Labor's anti-smoking laws.

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Idaho rep is Capitol's last cigarette smoker  

BOISE, Idaho -- Standing outside the Capitol on a brisk January afternoon, Rep. Bob Nonini cups his hand deftly to shelter a cigarette - not from the wind, but from a camera.

The Coeur d'Alene Republican and House Education Committee chairman has the distinction of being the lone legislator who still regularly, if bashfully, steps outside for a smoke.

"This is private," Nonini says, declining further comment this week.

His solo status in Idaho's Statehouse underscores a decadeslong transformation in American culture. But despite a near absence of smokers in the Republican-dominated Legislature, don't hold your breath in anticipation of new anti-cigarette laws, even with about a quarter of lawmakers belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which forbids tobacco use.

Most Idaho conservatives have a stronger aversion to government overreach and tax hikes than they have to cigarette smoke, even ex-smokers such as Challis Republican Rep. Lenore Barrett.

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Springfield smoking ban targeted by group hoping for repeal 

Opponents of the expanded smoking ban that took effect in June say they've gathered more than enough signatures to put a repeal of the ordinance before Springfield voters.

The group Live Free Springfield, which campaigned against the smoking ban before it was passed in April, has been circulating petitions seeking a repeal since November.

"As of right now we have over 4,000 signatures," said spokesman Dave Myers. "That shows a lot of support from a lot of people that are really seeing the effects of this ban."

According to City Charter, signatures from 2,101 registered Springfield voters -- 10 percent of the vote total in the most recent mayoral election -- are needed to send the initiative petition to City Council.

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Bill to charge Medicaid tobacco users more takes a smoke break 

Rep. Paul Ray, R-Clearfield, asked a legislative committee Thursday for help in developing a "wellness" program in the state that would use higher co-pays to encourage healthy behavior among the state's members of Medicaid, the federal health program for low-income individuals and families. Ray argued that smokers pay different premiums with private insurance, so why not with the federal program. "If it works with private insurance, why can't we take it and work it in with Medicaid?" Ray asked.

Ray's House Bill 247 would seek a waiver from the federal government to allow the state to charge an increased co-pay of $2-$3 per visit to state Medicaid patients who use tobacco products. Ray said the program could be used to help cover costs of administrating the federal program and encourage patients to quit smoking since it would also allow patients to waive the cost if they signed up for a smoking-cessation program.

"This rolls back to personal responsibility. . . .

At a meeting of the House Government Operations Committee, the bill faced opposition from health-care advocates like Dr. Jennifer Brinton of the Utah Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, who worried the added cost would have a chilling effect on dialogue between vulnerable Utahns and their physicians.

"Studies show smokers already underreport their smoking

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State smoking ban draws controversy 

The Indiana House of Representatives approved a limited and controversial smoking ban in a 61-34 vote Wednesday.

The bill would outlaw smoking in most public places and businesses, though it would exempt casinos, private clubs, hookah bars and retail tobacco stores.

It would also require that bars go smoke-free in 18 months.

Governor Mitch Daniels had called for such a ban during his State of the State address earlier this year.

“We should at long last enact a law to protect the workers and patrons around Indiana from the hazards of second-hand smoke,” Daniels said at the time.

Supporters of the bill say it will protect businesses’ employees from second-hand smoke, smoke that healthcare workers say can cause serious lung conditions.

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• Tobacco companies are biggest political spenders 

New figures have revealed the political spending of tobacco companies, the mining industry and clubs as they fought to reverse government policy in the past financial year.

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has released financial disclosure returns that show the donations of more than $11,500 made to political parties and the political expenditure of donors.

Large tobacco companies spent about $14 million as they fought against the Federal Government's plain packaging laws.

British American Tobacco, Phillip Morris and Imperial Tobacco gave a total of $9 million to the Alliance of Australian Retailers, which led the campaign against the laws.

Imperial Tobacco also separately spent more than $4 million fighting the move with printed material and broadcast advertising and Philip Morris added to that with nearly $500,000.

The Coalition also received donations worth $184,000 from British American Tobacco and $79,000 from Philip Morris.

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Libs still taking Big Tobacco's blood money ... Heat on Wightman 

The Tasmania Greens today said it was disappointing but unsurprising that the Tasmanian Liberal Party had received another large cash handout from their friends at Big Tobacco.

Greens Leader Nick McKim MP said that today's release of the previous year's political donations report by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) showed that the Liberals received $22,000 from British American Tobacco and $15,900 from Phillip Morris.

Mr McKim said the figures could be the tip of the iceberg, because current disclosure laws do not require political parties to provide a complete or up-to-date picture of the donations they receive.

"As the only state party still accepting tobacco company political donations, any credibility the Liberals might have sought on public health policy has gone up in smoke," Mr McKim said.

"British American Tobacco, Phillip Morris and the Tasmanian Liberal Party continue to be friends-with-benefits, which explains the Liberals' reprehensible stance against a ban on tobacco company donations."

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• Liberals using tobacco revenue to fund attack ads  

The Premier, Lara Giddings, said the Liberal Opposition had been exposed using money from tobacco companies to fund their expensive commercial television campaign.

Ms Giddings said the latest political donations report by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) showed that the Liberals received $22,000 from British American Tobacco and $15,900 from Phillip Morris last year.

"It is reprehensible that the Liberal Party in Tasmania continues to accept donations from tobacco companies," Ms Giddings said.

"We now know how Will Hodgman can afford to bombard commercial television with glossy ads in the lead-up to the next EMRS poll.

"Those ads should carry the disclaimer: funded by Big Tobacco. . . .

*COMPTON Where did the money come from? Most people who have been around the state political traps for any length of time would know that campaigns are hard to fund even at the height of the election cycle. Where did the money come from?

McQUESTIN Ah well.., err, the.., the money has come from.., err.., err.., from our own.., err, resources, I suppose, Leon. Err, we have a.., a consistent fundraising activity which I don't think I'd.., I'm keen to outline, but.., that will.., err, that continues on and on, and.., as I say, given the unstable nature of.., of this.., this Government.., err, we decided it was a good opportunity to.., to u.., to use some now.

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