Tobacco.org

GUTFELD: Why Smoking Bans Blow  

I think the health threats from passive smoking are fabricated and books have been written on the faulty data behind the research. Plus, smoking on the street blows: As a worldwide celebrity it's hard to puff when you're constantly kissed and hugged by adoring fans.

It's all just a scam to legislate behavior that people don't like and has nothing to do with science.

Fact is, if you let smokers smoke only smokers die. That's it. Everyone else is fine — which is a shame, because I'd really like to take a few vegetarians with me.

And if you disagree with me, then you sir are worse than Hitler.

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EDITORIAL: Let the FDA oversee tobacco 

But the White House objects, along with lawmakers from tobacco country and Reynolds American, producer of the Camel brand and candy-flavored cigarettes.

They say the FDA is too overburdened with other duties to add tobacco. And the White House argues that regulation will give the false impression that tobacco smoking is safe – as if keeping tobacco outside oversight makes it safer. . . .

Regrettable compromises have made the House bill acceptable to other tobacco interests. It exempts flavor-enhancing menthol, used by Philip Morris, which supports the legislation. Nicotine can be reduced, but not banned. Companies selling smokeless tobacco can offer free samples in limited venues, such as auto races. And regulation may – may – end up shielding the industry from lawsuits.

But compromise is how things get done in Washington. The nation has waited too long for regulation of tobacco. Now is the time.

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EDITORIAL: Logic goes up in smoke  

THE BUSH administration's reason for opposing a bill giving the Food and Drug Administration authority to regulate tobacco products defies logic. According to a spokeswoman, the White House fears that FDA oversight could make the public think that regulated tobacco products are safe. But if tobacco products aren't safe, why should they remain unregulated? Short of an outright ban, FDA control is the best way to minimize the danger of cigarettes and other tobacco products that are marketed ever more creatively to the public. . . .

The bill has 218 House and 56 Senate cosponsors - more than half the Congress. The Institute of Medicine and the President's Cancer Panel both endorse FDA regulation. Even the National Association of Convenience Stores says it will no longer oppose it.

Another disingenuous concern from the administration is that the FDA lacks the resources to implement the new controls. That is the fault of the very officials who point to a weakened FDA as an excuse. It almost makes a citizen wish for Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who is the top Senate recipient of tobacco industry contributions in the current campaign cycle, at $107,000. At least his opposition to FDA control is straightforward.

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Altria: Image vs. Reality 

Altria Group, Inc., the parent company of Philip Morris USA (PM USA), Philip Morris International (PMI) and Kraft Foods claims to honor a "commitment to responsibility" to its customers, to its employees and to the environment.

However, the company sends a mixed message: while declaring, "There's no such thing as a 'safe' cigarette," it thrives on markets, holding a 14.5 percent international market share in the tobacco industry. . . .

A member of the World Health Organizations Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), it cites goals such as "regulation of the contents of tobacco products" and "licensing to prevent illicit trade." PMI also encourages smoking minimum-age laws.

In addition, the firm supports financial contributions to charities to four main areas: domestic violence prevention, hunger relief, disaster relief and arts development. . . .

Although striving for positive recognition through its vast quantities of global projects, the company cannot shake its tainted Marlboro Man reputation so quickly. . . .

A 1975 report from PM researcher M.E. Johnston reads, "Marlboro's phenomenal growth rate in the past has been attributable in large part to our high market penetration among young smokers, 15 to 19 years old … The[se] years are important because [this is when] most smokers begin to smoke, initial brand selections are made, conformity to peer-group norms is greatest."

The main argument lies in the opinion that Altria focuses more on how it is perceived in the public eye than on actual improvement projects. Altria's donations account for less than one percent of total net expenditures.

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Anti-Smoking Advocate Belongs To Tobacco Family 

Patrick Reynolds lost his father, brother and other family members to tobacco-induced illnesses. . .

The grandson of the founder of the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company is one of the most outspoken anti-smoking advocates in the country. . . .

Spokeswoman Maura Teynor says MedCentral Health System sponsored the anti-smoking program because its staff and physicians see first hand the damage smoking and chewing tobacco can do.

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Giving GIs a puff of home  

Sometime this month, an Army captain in Iraq named Ryan Main will receive a small white box mailed from a shop just a few home runs from Coors Field.

When Main opens it, he'll find 25 premium cigars, fragrant with Dominican tobacco, hand-rolled and shipped by a total stranger.

The stranger's name is Clay Carl ton. Whatever his other claims to fame, one stands out: He's the only Coloradan holding both a barber's license and a federal cigar manufacturing license.

"We really don't know who we're sending these cigars to," Carlton said. "They generally just go to an Army Post Office address. But that's fine. We know the troops enjoy them. They've sent us letters from the field."

Carlton owns Palma Cigar Co., housed in a brick building at 2207 Larimer St. The one-man tobacco operation is in the front, his two-chair barber shop in back. . . .

There are few if any pleasures soldiering in Iraq, but Carlton is bringing a bit of comfort to the troops, one cigar at a time.

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Pregnant teens don't quit smoking for sake of baby  

NEARLY half of Australia's teenage mothers smoke during pregnancy, a study has found. And only one in 15 teenage smokers quits after they get pregnant, despite proof that smoking past the 20th week of gestation leads to a sicklier baby that weighs significantly less and is prone to chronic diseases later in life.

But the researchers say they are taking some positives out of the research, published in The Medical Journal of Australia.

"It shows that women should be encouraged to give up smoking throughout their pregnancy, because there are positive benefits (from doing so) the whole way through, especially before halfway," said associate professor Elizabeth Sullivan from the University of NSW's School of Women's and Children's Health.

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• Smoke alarm on pregnant teens  

FOUR out of 10 teenage mothers-to-be smoke during pregnancy, stunting their baby's growth and putting them at risk of chronic disease later in life.

Research reveals only one in 15 teenage smokers quits during pregnancy.

But those who cut back on the number of cigarettes they smoke after 20 weeks can dramatically improve their baby's outcomes.

Low birth weight is an indicator of a newborn's overall health and affects development.

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New Report: Increasing Massachusetts’ Cigarette Tax Will Reduce Smoking, Save Lives and Save Money  

a report released today finds that a proposed $1 cigarette tax increase would raise more than $150 million in new revenue and also drastically reduce youth smoking, cause many smokers to quit, reduce tobacco-related health care costs and save thousands of lives.

The 30-page report by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids – titled “Tobacco Tax Benefits for Massachusetts: Reducing Smoking, Saving Lives, and Saving Money” – finds that a $1 cigarette tax increase would:

* Prevent more than 46,000 Massachusetts kids from becoming smokers;

* Spur 25,800 current adult smokers to quit for good; . . .

“This report provides powerful evidence that increasing the cigarette tax by $1 will improve both the physical and financial health of Massachusetts for generations to come,” said William V. Corr, Executive Director of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. “We strongly urge Massachusetts’ leaders to pass this life-saving measure and dedicate a portion of the new revenue to the state’s tobacco prevention efforts and other vital health care initiatives.”

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Pregnant teens don't get no smoking message 

According to a new study pregnant teenagers don't get the no smoking message and almost half of all Australian teenage prospective mothers continue to smoke during pregnancy.

The research by scientists from the University of NSW's School of Women's and Children's Health has revealed that only 1 in 15 teenage smokers quits after they get pregnant.

This is despite scientific evidence that smoking beyond the 20th week of gestation leads to a sicklier baby with a significantly lower birth weight and a greater propensity for chronic diseases later in life.

Author, associate professor Elizabeth Sullivan, says the research shows that women should be encouraged to give up smoking throughout their pregnancy . . .

The research is published in The Medical Journal of Australia.

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New Study Finds That Cigarette Smoke Exposure Impairs Infant Lungs 

US researchers report that exposure to cigarette smoke inhibits innate gene expression and impairs alveolar growth in neonatal mice.

Sharon McGrath-Morrow from John Hopkin Medical Institute wrote in the American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology that their findings may in part explain the increased incidence of respiratory symptoms in infants and children exposed to cigarette smoke.

Infants exposed to cigarette smoke are at higher risk for sudden infant death syndrome, lower respiratory tract infections, and small airway disease, compared with infants not exposed to cigarette smoke, suggesting that perinatal life represents a period of vulnerability during which exposure to cigarette smoke may impair lung immunity and lung growth.

To investigate the effects of cigarette smoke exposure on the neonatal lung, the researchers exposed neonatal mice to cigarette smoke for the first 2 weeks of life.

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Fuming residents protest smoking ban 

Wachtel is organizing a parade of smokers and non-smokers to be held rain or shine at 10 a.m. Saturday on Main Street to protest the law, which went into effect Jan. 1 and does not allow smoking inside and up to 15 feet outside public establishments, including restaurants, bars and clubs.

After noticing one day that the distance between the sidewalk and State Rep. David Reis' office is 15 feet, Wachtel told people there had to be a parade against the ban. After deciding that he would organize the event, Wachtel obtained a permit for the parade at Olney City Hall.

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EDITORIAL: The Tobacco Ruse  

The New York Times recently reported that Henschke's study was funded in part by the little-known Foundation for Lung Cancer: Early Detection, Prevention & Treatment. The foundation, it turns out, is financed by the parent company of a major cigarette manufacturer, Liggett Group. . . .

Who could forget the spectacle of seven tobacco executives swearing before Congress in 1994 that they didn't believe nicotine was addictive? The industry has a long history of underwriting research — sometimes through independent-sounding foundations — to make cigarettes seem less dangerous, the Times reported.

Dr. Murray Kopelow, chief executive of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, told The Times that an increasing number of doctors and institutions are setting up foundations to accept money from companies without having to disclose the source.

That practice has to stop. Federal authorities as well as journals and associations must require full disclosure of primary funding sources. Scientific research is too important to be subject to manipulation of any kind.

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Bezeq to fund Israel's largest campaign to stop smoking 

The recent round of cuts and restructuring at Bezeq (TASE: BZEQ) appear to have had little effect on the welfare benefits it provides its staff. The company's welfare department recently announced that it would be financing a new scheme to help employees give up smoking. The program will be offered in cooperation with Abramson Clinics, a rehabilitation institute specializing in smoking cessation. As far as is known, this is the biggest smoking addiction program ever conducted in Israel.

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• Indonesia has not taken basic steps to control tobacco industry 

Indonesia is lagging behind neighboring countries in implementing tobacco control policies and is the only Southeast Asian country that has not ratified the global tobacco control treaty, the World Health Organization's (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). In a recent Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) meeting in Bangkok, SEATCA policy development adviser Mary Assunta talked with The Jakarta Post's Desy Nurhayati on the issue. Below is an excerpt of the interview.

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