Tobacco.org

Million cigarettes seized in Larne 

Two men have been arrested and released on bail after more than one million cigarettes were seized in Larne.

Officers from HM Revenue & Customs and the PSNI carried out the raid on business premises near Larne Harbour on Tuesday afternoon.

The 1.2 million cigarettes that were seized are estimated to be worth more than £200,000 in unpaid excise duty and VAT.

A lorry was also seized during the operation.

Jump to full article »

Men questioned on Larne illicit cigarette haul 

Over 1.2 million smuggled cigarettes have been seized in Larne, County Antrim.

Two men were arrested following the discovery of the cigarettes in a lorry at an industrial unit in the town.

The men have been questioned and released on bail.

Officers from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and the PSNI made the discovery, and seized computers at three houses during follow-up searches in Antrim and Ballymena.

The cigarettes are estimated to be worth nearly £200,000 in unpaid excise duty and VAT.

Jump to full article »

Barrett's patients who smoke are twice as likely to develop esophageal cancer 

Barrett's esophagus (BE) patients who smoke tobacco are at a two-fold increased risk of developing esophageal cancer, according to a new study in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association. BE patients who smoke also double their risk for developing advanced precancerous cells.

"We found that tobacco smoking emerged as the strongest lifestyle risk factor for cancer progression. Contrary to popular belief, alcohol consumption didn't increase cancer risk in this group of patients with Barrett's esophagus," said Helen G. Coleman, PhD, of Queen's University Belfast in Northern Ireland and the lead author of this study.

Jump to full article »

Tobacco Smoking Increases the Risk of High-Grade Dysplasia and Cancer Among Patients With Barrett's Esophagus 

Background & Aims

Esophageal adenocarcinoma arises from Barrett's esophagus (BE); patients with this cancer have a poor prognosis. Identification of modifiable lifestyle factors that affect the risk of progression from BE to esophageal adenocarcinoma might prevent its development. We investigated associations among body size, smoking, and alcohol use with progression of BE to neoplasia. . . .

Conclusions

Smoking tobacco increases the risk of progression to cancer or high-grade dysplasia 2-fold among patients with BE, compared with patients with BE that have never smoked. Smoking cessation strategies should be considered for patients with BE.

Jump to full article »

• 'Put me behind bars', says Carter  

“MY time has come!” That’s the message from anti-smoking ban campaigner Chris Carter who has vowed to go to prison rather than cough up for a £1,250 fine for lighting up illegally in Bangor’s Town Hall.

The staunch opponent of the five year old stub-it-out legislation says he is determined to fight it to his last breath and will forfeit his freedom rather than pay the price for smoking in the local council’s HQ.

He claims the police could arrive at his door at any moment to arrest him and take him away to serve up to 47 days in a Northern Ireland prison cell for not paying the king size penalty. . . .

The 57 year old Bangor man wanted to take his case to the Supreme Court but was told that he could not and that he either pays the fine imposed on him in 2007 or goes to jail.

Jump to full article »

Northern Ireland cigarette vending machine ban due in March 

Cigarettes will no longer be sold in vending machines in Northern Ireland from 1 March 2012.

MLAs agreed the move during a debate in the assembly on Tuesday afternoon.

It is being introduced to drive down the number of children and young people who smoke by limiting their unsupervised access to the machines.

Health Minister Edwin Poots said the regulations would bring Northern Ireland into line with the rest of the UK.

"A survey in Northern Ireland in 2010 highlighted that for 14% of smokers aged between 11 and 16 years, cigarette vending machines are a usual source of tobacco," he said.

Jump to full article »

• Cigarette machines to be banned  

Tobacco vending machines will be banned in Northern Ireland from March 1.

Many smokers aged under 16 use them to access cigarettes, Health Minister Edwin Poots said.

DUP MLA Jim Wells said he looked forward to the day when cigarettes were sold in plain brown packaging featuring a picture of a diseased lung. He added that there may be a thousand machines in Northern Ireland but there was a market for them secondhand in areas such as South Asia.

"It is sad that we would be exporting these to other countries where more young children can access cigarettes," he said.

"The industry had lots of opportunity and warning that this was coming. They have had time to adjust and to move to an export-led market rather than selling within the British Isles and therefore they have no excuse of being caught unawares.

Jump to full article »

Scan shows effects of smoking and sun exposure  

One of the Northern Ireland's best-known beauties has aged by almost 30 years in five minutes - but it's all for a good cause.

Miss Northern Ireland Finola Guinnane agreed to have photos taken using a new high-tech facial scanner on the Action Cancer Bus.

The technology shows how our faces will look after decades of cancer-causing sun damage, smoking and calorie-laden food - and the results are dramatic.

This unique computer programme, which is used by police trying to trace criminals or missing people, manipulates photographs to provide a stream of images of a person's face as it changes with age.

A photograph of the 22-year-old Belfast model was digitally altered to highlight the damaging effects of smoking, overeating and sun exposure. . . .

to a computer.

With a few simple clicks of the mouse the computer programme - which is available on Action Cancer's Big Bus - reveals the ageing process if you take care of yourself.

Jump to full article »

Smuggled Cigarette Operation Targeted  

A man has been arrested and later bailed following the discovery of 230,000 illegal cigarettes behind a false bulkhead in a box van yesterday afternoon.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) intercepted the van on the A5 between Omagh and Strabane, as part of the drive against the illegal tobacco trade in Northern Ireland.

The van ostensibly contained furniture but a detailed search quickly uncovered the illegal cargo concealed behind a false wall.

Jump to full article »

230k illegal cigarettes seized  

A man has been arrested following the discovery of 230,000 illegal cigarettes in a van stopped by customs officials in Co Tyrone on Wednesday afternoon.

Revenue and Customs (HMRC) intercepted a van carrying furniture between Omagh and Strabane as part of a clamp down on the illegal tobacco trade in Northern Ireland.

The illegal cargo was uncovered behind a false wall within the vehicle.

Jump to full article »

Coroner warns over cigarettes 

SMOKERS have been urged by a Belfast coroner to exercise extreme caution when disposing of cigarette butts this Christmas.

The warning came during the inquest yesterday into the death of Iris Hoey in south Belfast last December.

Miss Hoey, 56 - who was originally from Enniskillen - had been sitting in an armchair at her home in Ulsterville Avenue when it is believed a lit cigarette ignited the armchair she was sitting on.

Coroner Brian Sherrard said the tragedy was “a timely warning, particularly coming into the festive season” of the need to take care with smoking materials.

Jump to full article »

Tobacco Smoking Increases the Risk of High-Grade Dysplasia and Cancer Among Patients with Barrett’s Esophagus 

Conclusions

Smoking tobacco increases the risk of progression to cancer or HGD 2-fold among patients with BE, compared with patients with BE that have never smoked. Smoking cessation strategies should be considered for patients with BE.

Jump to full article »

Editor's Viewpoint: Protecting children from smoking's ills  

Whatever anyone's choice about smoking, everyone agrees that it is a dangerous and potentially lethal habit, responsible for an estimated five million deaths worldwide every year.

Driving is also potentially lethal, but much effort has been put into making vehicles safer and getting drivers and passengers to strap themselves in securely. It would therefore be illogical to expose young children in a vehicle to dangers over which they have no control. Stamping out smoking in cars with children is a sensible step and should be supported by MLAs.

Jump to full article »

• VIDEO: Smoking in a car with children - the dangers 

Health Minister Edwin Poots has said he would consider banning smoking in all cars, not just those with children as passengers. . . .

BBC Newsline's Julian O'Neill has spoken to campaigners for a ban who have measured the damage tobacco smoke could cause in the confines of a car.

Jump to full article »

• Edwin Poots launches car smoking ban consultation 

Health Minister Edwin Poots has said he will consider banning smoking in all cars and not just those with children as passengers.

Mr Poots was speaking on an assembly motion proposing a ban on smoking in cars carrying those under 16.

He said children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of smoking.

Mr Poots said his department will launch a public consultation and he urged everyone with an interest on the issue to respond to the consultation.

He said he was prepared to ban smoking in all private cars although he was aware some people would see this as a "step too far".

Jump to full article »