Tobacco.org

• Latin Tobacco: Negative Outlook 

Countries throughout Latin America have been increasing the number of laws controlling labeling and public smoking. In the midst of growing health concerns and increased global pressures to establish and enforce tobacco legislation, some Latin American countries are strongly pushing new legislation as it relates to bans on tobacco, while others are making moves to expand previous legislation that was rarely enforced.

Much of this legislation stems from the World Health Organization�?(TM)s (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). This enforcement comes at a time when many Latin American countries are recovering from economic difficulties requiring governments to focus on recovery and less on smoking regulation. . . .

In an effort to increase the population’s awareness of health issues that arise from smoking, many Latin American countries have instated labeling legislations requiring written warnings and images on tobacco packing. Labeling cigarettes as “light”, “ultra light” and “mild” has become a major target for cigarette packaging. Legislators believe that the “light” labeling can mislead consumers into thinking that the product is better for them than the alternative. Brazil has been at the forefront of tobacco control with one of the most extensive tobacco legislations in Latin America.

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EDITORIAL: International tobacco control should repudiate Jekyll and Hyde health philanthropy 

So what should global tobacco control workers make of the world’s richest man,1 Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Helú, pouring rivers of money into health, education and poverty charities in Latin America? . . .

Slim’s efforts to improve the health of Latin Americans while continuing to profit from tobacco sales is nothing but the latest episode in Jekyll and Hyde duplicity. His continuing "active partnership" with Philip Morris invites consideration of what advice he might be giving them. What will he suggest about compensating the families of tens of thousands of Mexican smokers who died early from smoking Cigatam products? What will he advise that Philip Morris do with their earnings from underage smokers each year? Will he urge that Mexico move all retailed tobacco under the counter as happens in Thailand, significantly raise tobacco tax and be the first nation to introduce plain packaging? Will he fund mass reach, effective graphic campaigns known to reduce sales or support PM’s tepid, feel-good and ineffectual youth smoking prevention campaigns?5

There is now a conga line of health and poverty relief agencies and researchers applauding Slim’s philanthropy and hoping to get in on the action. Business philanthropy is to be applauded but when a philanthropist’s day job is a major contributor to the death and disease that his generosity in part seeks to redress, it is time for all self-respecting agencies to make a stand and refuse to have anything to do with it.

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Tobacco One Inc. (Formerly VTWN) Commences Trading under the Symbol TBCO 

Tobacco One Inc. (OTC: TBCO.PK) plans to acquire companies focused on the manufacturing and direct national distribution of current high volume high margin tobacco products. The national distribution network will serve to properly brand our new cutting-edge product line currently under development. Tobacco One's industry focus is in the area of specialty cigarettes, cigars, and other tobacco products (OTP), as well as revolutionary new smoking alternative products. The Company looks to finalize its first acquisition in the 1st Qtr of 2008 and has additional acquisitions under review.

The Company is also focusing on international sales opportunities with an emphasis in Latin America. Currently, the Company is negotiating with several, multi-billion dollar Latin American companies. These negotiations have already produced "Letters of Intent," as well as representative agreements, further facilitating the inevitable distribution agreements that the Company expects in place during Qtr. 1 of 2008.

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• Nations from the Region of the Americas Collaborate to Save Lives and Reduce Economic Losses by Cracking Down on Illicit Tobacco Trade 

Representatives from 35 countries are gathering in Montevideo, Uruguay on December 5, 2007 to work on knowledge-gathering and skill-sharing on the illicit trade of tobacco -- a global crime that contributes to higher rates of tobacco-related disease and death, helps finance criminal and terrorist groups, and robs governments of $US billions in revenue.

The December meeting of American Region delegates is a working conference to prepare for the upcoming meeting in Geneva in February 2008 when representatives of 151 countries will begin negotiations on the international protocol aimed at eliminating illicit tobacco trade. Combating illicit trade is a key provision of the world's first international public health treaty, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) of the World Health Organization.

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Snow white smoking nude sets Latam sculpture record  

A snow white sculpture of a voluptuous nude daintily holding a cigarette fetched $1.6 million at Christie's Latin American art auction on Monday, a record for a sculpture by Colombia's Fernando Botero.

With 86 percent of 76 lots of Latin American art finding buyers, Christie's said the evening auction showed the resurgence of international interest for Latin American art. . . .

The $1.6 million record high for his sculpture was for "Smoking Woman." The woman figure is lying on her stomach, propped up by crossed arms, unabashedly revealing her plump breasts and playfully kicking up a leg

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• Cigar tax proposal threatens US retailers, Latin American countries 

(Thomson Financial) - US specialty tobacco shops are worried that a proposed increase in federal taxes on cigars will drive thousands of small retailers out of business, and could also lead to substantial job losses in Latin American countries that produce and export most cigars sold in the US. . . .

Chris McCalla, legislative director for the Retail Tobacco Dealers of America, said the taxes being considered could force premium cigar prices in the US to double or even triple, since the tax would apply every time a cigar changes hands at the import, distribution and retail levels. As one example, he said a 4 usd cigar could cost as much as 12 usd under the new tax.

McCalla said the tax would likely drive a large percentage of the 3,600 specialty tobacco retailers in the US out of business, since he does not expect consumers to pay this steep price.

'If this happens, expect a great number of these family-owned cigar shops to close,' he said of the legislation. McCalla's group includes about 2,000 small retailers as members.

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• World No-Tobacco Day in LAC: RIACT Launched 

Brazil's Health Minister, José Gomes Temporão, today announced the launch of the Ibero-American Tobacco Control Network (RIACT - Rede Ibero-Americana de Controle do Tabagismo in Portuguese, Red Ibero-Americana de Control del Tabaquismo in Spanish) to bring together the tobacco control authorities of (Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking) Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) with those of Spain and Portugal to cooperate, coordinate and collaborate in the implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

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Waiting to inhale? 

SMOKERS wishing to top up their nicotine levels while on holiday needn't bother heading to Chile, where a ban on smoking in public has been introduced. In a bid to cut the number of tobacco-related deaths, lighting up is now banned in parks, beaches, buses, schools, hospitals and stadiums, with restaurants to follow suit by May. The clear Andean air is now even purer, with few smokers willing to risk a £15 fine by puffing in public.

It's a trend seen all across Latin America: Uruguay implemented one of the region's toughest laws in March; Cuba restricted smoking in public last year; and restaurants in some parts of Mexico are now required to have a non-smoking section. Leaving for Las Vegas

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Award Winners named for World No Tobacco Day in the Americas 

The Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) is recognizing six individuals and organizations today from across the Americas for their contributions to reducing tobacco use.

The PAHO/WHO World No Tobacco Day Awards are presented annually to individuals and institutions in the Americas that have demonstrated a long-term commitment and contribution to research, capacity building, promotion of policy or legislation, and advocacy, among other activities to advance tobacco control. The awards are given on World No-Tobacco Day, May 31, every year. . . .

This year's winners are:

WHO Director General's Award (one of two awards worldwide) Honorable Dr. Tabaré Vázquez, President, Oriental Republic of Uruguay

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• Latin America has high prevelance of lung diseases 

The lung diseases, emphysema and bronchitis, are a greater health problem in Latin America than previously thought, concludes a study published online today (Friday November 4, 2005) by The Lancet. High rates of tobacco smoking, the main risk factor for COPD, could explain the prevalence but altitude may also play a part, state the authors.

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• Clarke's evidence on BAT to be investigated for 'contradictions' 

The chairman of the Commons health committee is to investigate allegations that Kenneth Clarke gave false evidence to parliament about the activities of his company British American Tobacco.

Kevin Barron, Labour chairman of the health committee, said he would consult with David Hinchliffe, who was chairman in February 2000 when the Conservative leadership contender testified, denying claims that BAT was involved in international cigarette smuggling. Mr Barron said: "I shall be asking to study the record of the evidence Mr Clarke gave at the time, to see if there are any contradictions."

The Guardian disclosed yesterday that a letter written by BAT's lawyers admitted that certain allegations of BAT's involvement in smuggling were true. But five days after the letter was written, Mr Clarke, who is deputy chairman of BAT, denied the charges to MPs, describing them as "unfounded" and "nonsense".

Yesterday at Blackpool he sought to brush off the allegations. Addressing a packed lunchtime meeting, Mr Clarke likened himself to the man in the Hamlet cigar commercial. "When I am accused of heinous crimes I just light up a cigar ... It does save me from stress. I do not suffer from stress."

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• Briefing document in relation to the CPI Report of 31 January 2000 dealing with Latin America (PDF) 

1.1 The purpose of this paper is to provide a briefing in relation to the allegations made in the CPI Report of 31 January 2000 dealing with activities in Latin America . . . .

2.1 The essential allegation is that, in the period 1990 to 1995 (the period covered by the CP I Report), British American Tobacco and its subsidiaries sought to control and exploi t smuggling as part of a world-wide marketing strategy to increase revenue . . .

3.3 A market developed in smuggled cigarettes and consistent with its general policy, and with a view to securing market share, British American Tobacco acted, within the law, on the basis that its brands would be found alongside those of its competitors in the smuggled as well as the legitimate market . . . .

3.10 Although British American Tobacco did not instigate the smuggling of its brands into Colombia, and although its policy throughout the 1990s has been to work toward th e establishment of an entirely legitimate business there, the evidence is that it used DNP channels to grow its market share in Colombia and to establish itself there . That fact does not detract from what is said above given the wide compass of the statement that British American Tobacco "acts within the law on the basis that its brands will be found available alongside those of its competitors in the smuggled as well as the legitimate market". However, the use of DNP channels in Colombia needs to be borne in mind when responding to the Select Committee's questions.

3.11 Although it is true that DNP can have different meanings, it would appear that in Colombia and other Latin American countries it does connote smuggled goods .

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Journalistic competition to highlight tobacco control 

Journalists, publicists and other media professionals of Latin America and the Caribbean are invited to participate in the Inter-American Journalism Contest on Tobacco Control.

The contest will honor the best journalism and advertising related to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which is aimed at reducing tobacco use worldwide. The contest also covers related topics such as bans on tobacco ads, protective measures to avoid tobacco smoke, and the control of tobacco smuggling, among others.

The Inter-American Heart Foundation, the Pan-American Health Organization and the Alliance for the Framework Convention are among the organizers. Entry deadline: November 4.

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• HEALTH: Poisoned Lives: the Price Of Tobacco Farming 

For the world's anti-tobacco movement, a small town in southern Brazil has become a symbol of a silent tragedy unfolding among communities which have turned to tobacco farming for a livelihood.

What has contributed to such symbolism is the ''very high rate of suicides'' in that town, Venancio Aires, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, says Angela Cordiero, an agronomist and a Brazilian activist in the movement. While the national average in Brazil has been three suicides per 100,000 people, in Venancio Aires it is seven times higher - 21 suicides per 100,000 inhabitants.

For Cordeiro, the suicide rate in Venancio Aires can be traced to the ''dangerous pesticides'' used by the tobacco farmers in that area.

''The organophosphate pesticides that farmers use in the tobacco fields have chemicals known to affect the neurological system. They often get depressed after exposure and try to kill themselves,'' she adds. . . .

Studies have revealed that a majority of those who committed suicide in Venancio Aires were farmers, and they had killed themselves during the months when organophosphate pesticides were used extensively in the tobacco fields.

For the tobacco-control movement, such a disturbing phenomenon is only one of a litany of problems that has been plaguing those who work on tobacco farms. In this country, for instance, the plight of the Huichol Indians working in the tobacco fields in the western state of Nayarit has become a cause for concern.

Says Patricia Diaz-Romo, a Mexican anti-tobacco activist, the most glaring as been the impact of pesticide poisoning on the pregnant Huichol Indian women who have worked in the fields.

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• 700,000 Health Professionals in the Americas Pledge To Combat Tobacco 

More than 520 health professional and support organizations from throughout the Americas are joining together to support tobacco control activities and to advocate for governments to ratify and implement the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The organizations have more than 700,000 members and workers in 30 countries.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) invited health professional organizations to sign the "Declaration of the Americas" to increase awareness and motivate action by health professionals to mark World No Tobacco Day, May 31.

This year's theme, "Health Professionals Against Tobacco," calls on health professionals and their associations to be on the front lines of efforts to reduce tobacco use, which claims more than a million lives every year in the Americas.

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