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Shocking images deter cigarette smokers, WHO says  

* WHO backs pictorial warnings on tobacco packaging

* Says disgust, fear, sadness, worry prompt smokers to quit . . .

Cigarette packages should show graphic images of yellow teeth, blackened gums, protruding neck tumours and bleeding brains to alert smokers to their disease risks, the World Health Organisation said on Friday.

More than 20 countries, including Britain, Iran, Peru and Malaysia, already use visual warnings on their tobacco products, the head of the WHO's Tobacco Free Initiative said.

"Although some people question the need for such pictures, the evidence is absolutely clear that they convince people to quit," Douglas Bettcher told a news conference ahead of World No Tobacco Day, to be held on Sunday.

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• No butts about it, Lebanon's a smoker's paradise 

Want to indulge in a guilt-free tobacco experience? Then head to Lebanon, a smoker's paradise where you can work, dine and have your hair styled in a cloud of smoke.

The anti-smoking lobby is barely a blip on the radar and the government cares little about the issue.

So the price of Cuban Havanas is among the world's cheapest, cigarettes are free of punitive pricing and the health warnings are barely visible on the side of packs -- a far cry from the bold warnings and images the World Health Organisation (WHO) is promoting this Sunday on "World No Tobacco Day".

Even teenagers can afford the average one dollar per pack, compared to an average seven dollars (five euros) in France or nearly nine dollars in Britain.

"The minute you land in this country you start huffing and puffing," said Ghazi Zaatari, a physician and chairman of the department of pathology at the American University of Beirut as well as head of a WHO study group on tobacco regulation.

"As far as tobacco is concerned, Lebanon is a health disaster."

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As far as tobacco is concerned, Lebanon is a health disaster.
Ghazi Zaatari, a physician and chairman of the department of pathology at the American University of Beirut as well as head of a WHO study group on tobacco regulation.

PAHO Calls for Pictorial Warnings on Tobacco Packaging 

Graphic images depicting the sickness and suffering caused by tobacco use should be mandatory on packaging for all tobacco products, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said today on the eve of World No Tobacco Day, 31 May.

"We're calling on our member countries to enact laws and regulations that require picture warnings that tell the truth about the health effects of tobacco," said PAHO Director Dr. Mirta Roses. "Tobacco companies should not be allowed to fool people into thinking that smoking is anything but harmful and ugly."

Although tobacco is the world's leading preventable cause of death-killing more than 5 million people yearly-many people do not understand the specific health risks.

Research has shown that picture-based warnings can raise awareness of these risks and are effective in motivating smokers to quit and in reducing the appeal of tobacco use for people who are not yet addicted.

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TC officials push smoking restrictions 

Traverse City leaders hope a new push will help them extinguish smoking in bars and restaurants.

State Rep. Gary McDowell, D-Rudyard, agreed to sponsor a bill in the Michigan Legislature to allow local control of smoking in bars and restaurants. It would give local officials the authority to ban smoking in such places and could spur legislators in Lansing to enact a statewide ban, McDowell said.

"This would allow local units of government to go ahead and make this decision themselves, rather than waiting on Lansing. It's a long process and I'm not sure we can get it done on a state level," he said.

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• FEDYASHIN: World No Tobacco Day, futile attempt to curb smoking 

We advise our readers to go out on May 31 and to see how many smokers are there. Anyone who comes to Russia or any other former Soviet republic will be in for a big surprise. Those going to China or India will be horrified and will realize that World No Tobacco Day is something far-fetched. . . .

It appears that tobacco health warnings are a sign of despair. Although this will now be the twenty-first World No Tobacco Day, the ranks of smokers continue to swell. The WHO estimates that global tobacco consumption has soared by 20% since 2003, primarily in Africa and Asia, which have been targeted by transnational tobacco companies over the last nine years.

China leads the global smoking spree. . . .

Contrary to a widespread opinion, the U.S. government has not declared a federal ban on smoking in public places. Only 25 states have banned smoking on the local level. In 12 more states, adults are allowed to smoke in bars, restaurants and casinos. Although some municipal councils have banned smoking in 13 remaining states, no federal smoking ban is envisaged there.

The WHO estimates that at least five million will die from tobacco-related causes throughout 2009 worldwide, and that this figure will reach 8-10 million by 2020, unless smokers' ranks are reduced. Smoking may claim a billion lives in the 21st century.

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State launching new anti-smoking campaign  

The Missouri Foundation for Health has launched a national campaign, "Become An Ex" to Missouri to help combat the state's high smoking rates.

The foundation, as a founding member of the National Alliance for Tobacco Cessation, joins leading public health organizations and 13 other states to make this unprecedented public health effort possible.

The Ex campaign was developed by the American Legacy Foundation along with health experts at the Mayo Clinic.

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Dutchess may limit smoking, texting, polystyrene containers 

POUGHKEEPSIE — Dutchess County legislators will consider several proposals when they meet in committees next Thursday that could will affect the quality of life of all county residents.

On the Legislature’s agenda for consideration are a ban on smoking in county parks . . .

Smoking on all Ulster County property will be banned beginning on June 1. In November, Ulster lawmakers voted to impose a total ban on smoking on all property owned or under the control of the county, rejecting a compromise bill that would have banned smoking within 50 feet of the entranceway to any county building.

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EDITORIAL: FDA should regulate tobacco 

It may seem like a contradiction to charge the United States Food and Drug Administration with regulating tobacco, but the move would be a giant step forward in fighting the single most preventable cause of death in the United States. . . .

The American Lung Association says 3,500 American children a day try their first cigarette and 1,000 become new, regular daily smokers. Of that number, a third will eventually die prematurely as a result of their addiction.

The tobacco industry's political and economic influence should no longer buy it a place among the least regulated consumer products in the marketplace.

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Smoking ban begins June 1 

EAGLE - Starting next month, it will be lights out for cigarette smoking inside public buildings.

A statewide smoking ban takes effect June 1.

According to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, the ban protects the public health and welfare by prohibiting smoking in indoor areas and places of employment.

Some establishments, like the One Eyed Dog Saloon in Eagle, have created patio areas outside the establishment for patrons who still wish to smoke.

The saloon's owner, Dan Buckley, said the patio was specially built in preparation for the smoking ban.

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Mental health care providers encouraged to help thwart smoking among patients in Clark County 

Smoking addictions are difficult to overcome for anyone, but for a person struggling with mental illness, it can be nearly impossible to stop without seeking help, according to experts.

Three guest speakers were at the Sheraton Louisville Riverside Hotel in Jeffersonville to educate area mental health professionals about ways to integrate smoking cessation into regular practice.

"Our being here is part of a statewide effort to educate mental health professionals on implementing effective tobacco cessation policies," said Tom Lux Jr., project director for ReThink Tobacco with Mental Health America of Indiana.

Dr. Jill Williams, the director of the Division of Addiction Psychiatry at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey, was the keynote speaker for the conference.

"The mental health system hasn't done enough," Williams said.

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Charity Navigator Gives ASH 4 Out of Four Stars 

Charity Navigator is America's premier independent charity evaluator. They help charitable givers make intelligent giving decisions by providing in-depth, objective ratings and analysis of the financial health of America's largest charities. Charity Navigator awarded Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) four out of a possible four stars. In earning Charity Navigator's highest four star rating, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) has demonstrated exceptional financial health, outperforming most of its peers in its efforts to manage and grow its finances in the most fiscally responsible way possible.

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Florida smokers to spend more on habit 

The state's cigarette tax of 34 cents a pack hasn't gone up in two decades, making the Sunshine State one of the cheapest in the country to pick up the habit.

But that may soon change.

On April 1, the federal excise tax on cigarettes will rise to $1.01 per pack, up 62 cents from the current level. And the Florida Legislature is considering a $1-per-pack increase in the state tax.

Together, the one-two tax punch could push many brands in Florida beyond $5 a pack, a prospect that has some smokers thinking twice.

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• Youth smoking rate has flatlined 

Youth smoking seems like a problem Canada has addressed. Minors can't legally buy cigarettes in stores and displays are banned.

Yet, after a decade-long decline in youth smoking, the rate has flatlined.

One in five Canadian adolescents report having tried smoking in a national survey run by a University of Waterloo researcher.

"We can't forget that the tobacco industry is a formidable enemy," said Steve Manske, a scientist with UW's Centre for Behavioural Research and Program Evaluation.

"They have very effective ways of continuing to make their product seem desirable."

Manske's latest data, from a Health Canada-sponsored survey of Grade 6 to 12 students, shows 21 per cent had tried smoking in 2006-07. Among students in Grade 10 to 12, that number is even higher -- 48 per cent.

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Chinese medical institutions asked to ban smoking entirely by 2011 

A Chinese tobacco control organization said Thursday that more than 20 hospitals nationwide had been certified smoke-free.

Tobacco addiction is not only a bad habit, but a serious chronic disease, Wang Chen, vice president of the Chinese Association on Tobacco Control (CATC) told Xinhua on Thursday.

The CATC initiated a tobacco control campaign among hospitals starting in 2001.

"We firmly support the government's decision to ban smoking in medical institutions and will invite more hospitals to join the campaign," Zhang Jing, communication officer of the CATC, said.

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Restauranteurs want changes in the anti-smoking law 

The catering guild of the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts and the Zagreb Restaurant Association has sent an open letter to the government.

The letter asks for changes in the new anti-smoking law that went into effect ten days ago in the name of 16,000 Croatian restauranteurs.

They claim there has been a decline in customer numbers since the new anti-smoking law went into effect and want changes in it to bolster the Croatian economy and tourism.

The restauranteurs believe the government should let them decide whether they will be smoking or non-smoking establishments. They want bars larger than 50 square meters to have the right to reserve 30 per cent of their area for smokers.

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