Tobacco.org

• Secrets of smuggled cigarettes 

To the untrained eye they seem like ordinary goods - leather sofas, timber, even soft toys and lunch boxes - but hidden inside, millions of illegal cigarettes have been discovered.

Among the vast array of items which criminals try to smuggle through Birmingham Airport are guns and knives, animals, drugs, prescribed medicines and false passports.

But it is illicit cigarettes, both genuine and counterfeit, which make up the bulk of the hauls seized by customs officers.

On Friday, a hard-hitting campaign to warn smokers of the dangers of buying counterfeit cigarettes was launched in the West Midlands and Staffordshire by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and Smokefree Alliance groups.

For those tasked with detecting the hauls before they arrive on the streets, it is a massive challenge.

Jump to full article »

Staffordshire | Fake cigarettes campaign launched 

A campaign to warn smokers of the dangers of buying counterfeit cigarettes has been launched in the West Midlands and Staffordshire.

The Counterfeit Kills campaign will aim to increase public awareness of the illicit cigarette trade and the health risks of smoking fake varieties.

Customs officers seized more than 50 million illicit cigarettes in the West Midlands in 2007.

More than 70% of seizures involved counterfeit products, officials said.

Jump to full article »

• Report Shows Tobacco Money Flows to Campaigns, Lobbying 

Tobacco interests spent nearly $2 million to influence California elections and legislative policy in 2007, according to a new report by the American Lung Association of California's Center for Tobacco Policy & Organizing (the Center).

"Campaign Contributions and Lobbying Expenditures of Tobacco Interests" shows which legislators and how much money was accepted from tobacco interests in 2007, as well as which bills the tobacco interests lobbied. This report for 2007 is one of a series of quarterly reports produced by the Center for the 2007-2008 election cycle. Highlights from the 2007 report include:

- Philip Morris USA, Inc., maker of Marlboro cigarettes, spent nearly $345,000 in the fourth quarter (September - December) of 2007 to lobby on ABX1-1, the health care reform bill authored by Speaker Fabian Nunez (D-46) and supported by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The health care reform legislation would have increased the state tobacco tax by $1.75 per pack.

- Tobacco interests are making campaign contributions to legislators and candidates at the same rate they contributed in the previous election cycle. . . .

In addition to this report, the Center unveiled an expanded online database of campaign contributions from tobacco interests to members of the Legislature. The public can use the database to see if their legislator accepted tobacco money. Additionally, the database contains contributions information for both current and past legislators and you can search by name, legislative district or county. . . .

A full copy of "Campaign Contributions and Lobbying Expenditures of Tobacco Interests" is available at http://www.Center4TobaccoPolicy.org/tobaccomoney .

The searchable database can be accessed at http://www.Center4TobaccoPolicy.org/database .

Jump to full article »

Report Shows Tobacco Companies Spent $2 Million to Lobby Calif. Lawmakers  

A new report issued by the American Lung Association of California shows tobacco companies have spent $2 million to lobby state lawmakers during the past year. Association spokesman Paul Knepprath says 37 Assembly-members and 16 Senators received contributions from tobacco companies.

Knepprath: The most important thing about the report that we are issuing is that Philip Morris spent more in the last part of 2007 lobbying against the governor and speaker's health reform bill. They spent about $345,000 and ultimately that bill went down to defeat.

That health care reform measure killed by lawmakers included plans to hike the state cigarette tax by $1.75.

Jump to full article »

• Fired up over cigarette tax  

Philip Morris USA is trying to light up opposition to the state's proposed $1-a-pack cigarette tax hike.

The huge tobacco company is posting fliers at local convenience stores urging customers to oppose the tax increase and to call their legislators to block the plan - which has already passed the House and is now before the Senate.

The company has also started a "Massachusetts Legislative Hotline" for smokers to call to get tips on what to say to lawmakers. The "hotline" even automatically transfers calls to lawmakers' State House offices.

"Enough is enough," the Philip Morris hotline recording says of the proposed tax hike.

Bill Phelps, a spokesman for Altria, the Richmond, Va.-based parent company of Philip Morris, declined to say how much Philip Morris is spending on its campaign.

But he confirmed Philip Morris is "providing materials" to retailers that sell cigarettes.

Jump to full article »

• Tobacco giant defends smokers' rights 

British American Tobacco Switzerland, the country’s second-largest tobacco company, has held its annual press conference in Geneva. The company has come out in favour of a nationwide ban on smoking in public places – as long as there are provisions for smoking areas or all-smoking establishments. BAT also reasserted its determination not to use advertising to target minors, stating their aim was only to persuade adult smokers to buy their products. World Radio Switzerland’s Catherine Allen spoke to the company’s director of corporate and legal affairs, Claudio Rollini.

Jump to full article »

Oxfordshire | Smoke ban landlord vows to quit 

An Oxfordshire landlord has vowed to stop smoking in his own pub and ban customers from lighting up after being fined more than £1,700.

Gerry Stonhill, of the Masons Arms in Witney, admitted five offences under the new smoke-free legislation.

But on Wednesday he said he had "learned his lesson" and would stop people smoking on his premises.

He was fined a total of £1,750 and ordered to pay £4,000 costs at Witney Magistrates' Court.

Jump to full article »

Cigarette butts foul up the streets 

Fermanagh District Council were one of six Councils across Northern Ireland who contributed to a recent survey looking at the cleanliness of streets across the province.

The results show a rising tide of sweet wrappers and cigarette butts being discarded on the streets.

The findings show that 92% of streets in the six Councils surveyed met government cleanliness guidelines during 2007. While this is an improvement on the 13% failure rate of the previous year, both cigarette litter and confectionery related litter has been on the increase during the same period.

Jump to full article »

Beer and cigarette prices increase 

PRICES of cigarette and beer products in the country have now increased.

This follows an order issued by the Minister of Finance Snyder Rini last week to all the tobacco and beer importers and manufacturers.

Mr Rini had told parliament last month that government will cut goods tax on rice and increase tax on beer and cigarette by 20 per cent. . . .

Another importer of cigarette and alcohol products Sullivans Limited said they received orders from the government yesterday about the increase in tax on duty.

Jump to full article »

Tobacco lobby has infiltrated Hong Kong government, campaigner says 

Anti-smoking legislation in Hong Kong has been weakened over the past decade partly because of the links between officials and the tobacco industry, a campaigner alleged Thursday. Judith Mackay, World Health Organization advisor and director of the Asian Consultancy on Tobacco Control, claimed industry influence has caused a "recession" in smoking controls.

She said the tobacco industry had become more influential with the government over the past 10 years, resulting in the watering down of long-awaited anti-smoking legislation.

Mackay complained about continuing delays to a full ban on smoking in pubs and nightclubs in the former British colony, and low taxes on cigarettes.

Jump to full article »

Tobacco, over-eating cause additional health problems 

Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy said tobacco, alcohol and over-eating are factors destroying people’s health.

Addressing a workshop, Dr. Ramsammy said tobacco is the only killer substance in the world that is legalised. “We have to fight against tobacco,” he said.

The Health Minister said all public places in the country should become smoke free zones. To this end, on May 1, all health facilities will be declared smoke free zones. There has also been a declaration by the Ministry of Education to make all schools, public and private, smoke free zones. The Minister also encouraged workplaces to become smoke free zones.

Jump to full article »

• BAT Korea Under Probe Over Alleged Tax Evasion 

Prosecutors are investigating British American Tobacco Korea (BAT Korea), the largest foreign tobacco company in the country, for alleged tax evasion and illegal lobbying of tax officials to cover up the illegalities.

BAT Korea had evaded taxes by omitting its profits worth more than 100 billion won ($100 million) between 2001 and 2005 in its report to the National Tax Service (NTS), according to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office.

``We've started this investigation on suspicion that the company had lobbied tax officials for one year from December 2005 when the Seoul Regional Tax Office's investigation into the company was underway,'' said a prosecutor in charge of the case. The prosecution is also looking into whether there was any more tax evasion than previously known.

Jump to full article »

UPDATE 1-Indonesia's Gudang Garam Q4 net profit doubles 

Indonesian tobacco firm PT Gudang Garam Tbk's GGRM.JK fourth quarter net profit more than doubled from a year ago thanks to lower operating expenses and interest charges.

But the results of the country's largest tobacco company, best known for its traditional clove cigarettes, were below analysts' expectations because of strong competition from rivals and the impact of tougher government regulations and tariff pressure.

Some analysts say Gudang Garam's products are mainly targeted at the lower income group, which is more sensitive to price fluctuations and broader economic condition, compared to rival Sampoerna which targets the largely higher income group.

Jump to full article »

No more tobacco logos for Ferrari 

It is likely that a cigarette brand will never again be outwardly visible on the livery of a Formula One car.

Other teams - notably Renault, McLaren and Honda - farewelled their tobacco-fuelled dollars a couple of years ago, as anti-advertising laws swept Europe and the world.

Ferrari, however, opted to renew its association with Philip Morris, and until recently has been displaying Marlboro logos where possible, including in places like Monaco and China. . .

Reportedly, Philip Morris, owned by Altria Group, decided that the 'barcode' livery should be permanent.

Jump to full article »

Ontario Stores Prepare For May 31 Cigarette Display Ban  

After several Canadian provinces had banned smoking inside a car with someone below 18 years old inside, Parliament Hill is set to implement by May 31 a ban on cigarette displays.

The Smoke Free Ontario Act prohibits display of tobacco products in convenience stores. Instead, store clerks would present cigarette buyers a binder with only photos of tobacco products to help consumers make their choice.

Jump to full article »