Tobacco.org

4th UPDATE: OFT Alleges Tobacco Cos, Retailers Fixed Prices 

The Office of Fair Trading said Friday it will investigate possible price fixing by two tobacco manufacturers and 11 retailers on tobacco products in the U.K.

In a statement of objections, the OFT outlined its proposed findings against the U.K.'s two largest cigarette sellers Imperial Tobacco Group PLC (ITY) and Japan Tobacco Inc.'s (2914.TO) Gallaher, plus retailers Asda - a unit Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) - The Co-operative Group, First Quench, Wm. Morrison Supermarkets PLC (MRW.LN), Safeway prior to its takeover by Morrison, J Sainsbury PLC (SBRY.LN), Shell, Somerfield PLC (SOF.YY), T&S Stores, Tesco PLC ( TSCDY) and TM Retail.

The alleged price fixing occurred between 2000 and 2003.

John Fingleton, OFT Chief Executive, said: "If we find evidence of anti- competitive activity, we are prepared to use the appropriate powers to punish the companies involved and to deter other businesses from taking part in such behavior."

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Beijing to recruit 100,000 people to enforce smoking ban 

BEIJING plans to deploy more than 100,000 people to enforce a smoking-ban that was issued by the city's government yesterday for the Beijing Games in August, the city's health and legal authority told a press conference yesterday, China News Service has reported.

More than 1,000 people have been trained on the new rule, while another 100,000 people would be appointed as "inspectors," the report said, citing Sun Xianli, deputy director of the Beijing Patriotic Health Committee.

The supervision team has "full capability" to enforce the rule, Sun said.

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• Beefed up smoking ban set for Olympics; in hands of `Patriotic Health Campaign Committee' 

BEIJING - It's called the "Patriotic Health Campaign Committee." This is the Beijing municipal body charged with enforcing the city's beefed up no-smoking rules, and it's sure to be popular with the 500,000 foreigners expected to visit the Beijing Olympics.

It'll be a different story for Beijing's 5 million smokers.

New smoking restrictions begin May 1, part of a commitment officials made for a smoke-free Olympics. That date will also send officials scrambling, trying to figure out how to enforce new rules in a city famous for incorrigible smokers _ and a country with 350 million of them _ who flagrantly ignore no-smoking bans in public places.

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• Despite smoking ban in NJ casinos, Pa. casinos not budging 

What happens in Atlantic City, including a ban on smoking inside casinos, may stay there.

Pennsylvania casinos that have actively opposed a statewide ban on smoking at their properties said Thursday they are not budging from their stance, regardless of a pending law in New Jersey's gambling mecca.

With lobbyists and legislators dug in on both sides of the debate in Pennsylvania, it remained unclear whether a smoking ban in Atlantic City will change minds here.

"I guess it has the potential to," said Rep. Ron Miller, R-York, one of six legislators on a House-Senate conference committee that is tasked with crafting a compromise bill. "The question comes down to whether we can do a total ban in casinos and get the votes in both houses."

Progress on an indoor smoking ban in Pennsylvania has been stuck since July, when the Senate rejected a tougher ban approved by the House.

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In figures: cigarette prices have soared 

The Office of Fair Trading's claim that cigarette prices have been fixed comes at a time when UK smokers have seen the cost of a packet of 20 cigarettes double since 1995.

But as these statistics from the Tobacco Manufacturers Association show, most of the cost goes straight to the Treasury.

1990: £1.65 (73% tax)

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Imperial Tobacco Group PLC announces divestment of fine cut and pipe tobacco brands 

Imperial Tobacco Group PLC has agreed to divest a number of fine cut and pipe tobacco brands to Philip Morris International for a consideration of ?254 million.

The divestment of a small number of brands in certain European markets was a condition of the European Commission's approval of the Group's acquisition of Altadis.

The divestment is subject to European Commission approval and includes the fine cut tobacco brands Interval, Bergerac, Santoya and Wervicq (France), Van Nelle (Italy and Canary Islands) and Picadura (Spain) and the pipe tobacco brands Bergerac (France) and Kilta (Finland).

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• Newspaper Wins Access To Public Comments 

A Morgantown newspaper has won unrestricted access to nearly 3,600 public comments on a countywide smoking ban proposed for Monongalia County.

Monongalia County Circuit Judge Robert Stone ruled in favor of The Dominion Post on Wednesday.

The newspaper had filed a complaint against the county Board of Health last week after the board refused to release the names, addresses and telephone numbers of the people who made the comments.

Phil Magro, an assistant county prosecutor who represented the board, asked Stone to bar access to the letters in their entirety. He argued that the comments were protected under a Freedom of Information Act exemption that restricts internal memoranda or letters received or prepared by any public body from public disclosure.

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One in five German adolescents smokes 

A nation-wide study in Germany has revealed that 20 per cent of adolescents smoke.

The German Health Interview and Examination Survey of tobacco consumption by children and adolescents covered almost 7,000 girls and boys, aged 11 to 17.

For the study, experts at the Robert Koch Institute gathered data on the current smoking status and on exposure to passive smoking for the years 2003 to 2006.

The researchers then examined possible factors influencing the findings that included the social status of the family, the type of school attended by the adolescents, and the smoking status of parents and friends.

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Philip Morris to buy certain Imperial Tobacco trademarks for 254M euros  

Philip Morris International said it agreed to buy the Interval trademark and certain other trademarks from Imperial Tobacco Group PLC for 254 million euros ($405.4 million).

Philip Morris expects the deal to add 1 cent a share to earnings.

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LETTER: WILBUR: Selling the Wrong Choices 

The stated causes of the decrease in women's life expectancy -- smoking and obesity -- didn't occur by accident ["Life Expectancy Drops for Some U.S. Women," front page, April 22]. Twenty years ago, creative marketing minds were successfully selling the idea of cigarettes specially made for women and of fast food as a good alternative to cheaper and more healthful meals made at home. The long-term consequences of those campaigns are now being seen. . . .

If we don't want to see similar headlines 20 years from now, we should pay attention to the health consequences of the environment we're living in now.

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• State sues Native American company over tobacco sale ($$) 

The state of Tennessee has sued Black Hawk Tobacco Inc. of California over the sale of three cartons of cigarettes.

The cigarettes are produced by Native Americans on the Agua Caliente Reservation in Southern California, according to the company's Web site.

Robert E. Cooper, Tennessee attorney general, filed the lawsuit this month on behalf of Reagan Farr, the state's tax commissioner. The lawsuit asks that Black Hawk Tobacco be fined for the sale of the cartons.

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Tobacco ad billboards demolished 

A mobile court during an anti-smoking drive yesterday knocked down 11 illegal billboards of tobacco products installed in 11 shops in Chouddagram area in Comilla.

It also fined the shop owners a total of Tk 6,400 for violating the 'Smoking and Tobacco Control Act-2005' which prohibits advertising of tobacco products in leaflets, handbills and billboards.

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Vamoose® Tobacco Odor Eliminators Now Distributed by HBI, Approved at Smoker Friendly's 

Vamoose Products and HBI Tobacco International (www.HBIInternational.com) today announced the availability of the Vamoose family of Tobacco odor elimination products through HBI International, one of the largest independent wholesalers for tobacco and related products and Smokers Friendly's (www.smokerfriendly.com/about) acceptance of Vamoose as an authorized product for resale for over 500 of their stores.

HBI has sales offices and warehouses in the U.S., Canada and Germany distributing to convenience stores, general stores, and tobacco retailers including Smoker Friendly. Smoker Friendly is America's largest Cigarette and Tobacco Store (CTS) in the U.S. HBI will stock and resell Vamoose, which permanently removes tobacco odors, in Fresh Scent, New Car Scent, Leather Scent and Fragrance Free sprays in 4 and 16 ounce spray bottles initially in the U.S. and later through its international offices.

"This is the first odor eliminating product I've tested that truly works for me." said Doug Kennedy, Publisher of RYO Magazine

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LETTER: Davis contradicts itself regarding tobacco 

With three news articles in less than a week about restricting and regulating the use of tobacco, I must throw in my 2 cents' worth. If I am to believe what has been reported, secondhand smoke is so absolutely horrific that to even catch a whiff of it in an outdoor area will cause me cancer.

That is the truth, and according to U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona, there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke. This is the most obvious reason that Davis County has banned smoking in public and some private outdoor areas. So, why doesn't our government at the federal, state and local levels ban tobacco altogether?

The answer, of course, is that we are addicted as a society to tobacco, smokers physically and non-smokers to the tax revenues. . . .

So, welcome to Davis County, where is it legal to publicly purchase tobacco, but illegal to smoke it where anyone can get a whiff of it.

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BREAKING: Yorkshire supermarket giants Asda and Morrisons named in OFT tobacco sales probe  

SUPERMARKETS including Leeds-based Asda and Bradford-based Morrisons were today among 11 retail chains accused of anti-competitive pricing practices on tobacco products.

Tobacco giants Imperial Tobacco and Gallaher are also named in the Office of Fair Trading investigation, which comes just a week after the consumer watchdog announced a major inquiry into price-fixing in the construction industry.

The OFT's tobacco investigation alleges that manufacturers and retailers struck deals to restrict the ability to determine selling prices independently, spanning three years between 2000 and 2003.

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