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Over 5 million people die of tobacco yearly -WHO regional director  

The World Health Organisation (WHO) regional director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambou, has stepped up calls for the usage of picture warnings in effort to expose the deadly effect of tobacco, whose consumption rate continues to pose serious treat to the world’s population.

Dr Sambou’s call is contained in a message delivered as part of activities commemorating World No Tobacco Day, on the 31 May, 2009. Describing tobacco as the leading preventable cause of death in the world, he revealed that more than 5 million people die from its effect every year. This, he added, is more than all deaths resulting from HIV/AIDS, Malaria and tuberculosis combined.

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Clerks charged after tobacco check  

Seven workers are facing misdemeanor charges for failing tobacco compliance checks at area businesses during the weekend.

The violations were uncovered Saturday night during a check conducted by the Wood River Police Department.

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Referrals to NHS stop smoking services up 49% 

The number of referrals to local NHS Stop Smoking Services in England has risen by 49 per cent thanks to a new systems-based approach in primary care.

Designed to ensure that GP interventions are routine and systematic, the new approach is set to be rolled out to practices over the next few months following a successful trial in Rotherham between January 2007 and September 2008.

Irene Botham, clinical nurse manager at the Dinnington Group practice in Rotherham, revealed: 'Our nurses received expert training from the local NHS Stop Smoking Service in smoking interventions.

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Smokefree Innotec in Distribution Pact With SENCO G.C.S. 

Smokefree Innotec, Inc. (Pink Sheets:SFIO) (www.smokefree-innotec.com) today announced an addition to the distribution and marketing force assembled to bring Smokefree Innotec's "totally smoke-free cigarette" to its rapidly expanding world wide marketing team. SENCO G.C.S. (Green Clean Solutions), a subsidiary of Double Vision Productions (www.sencogcs.com), is a wholesale and marketing company, based in Jacksonville, NC, which is committed in its efforts to bring new and innovative products to market. The Company and SENCO G.C.S. anticipate the initial targeted markets will include domestic and foreign United States Military Exchange Services installations across the globe, beginning in Europe. Further expansion will include bases located in Asia and the United States.

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Pic & choose to kick the habit  

The ban on smoking in public places went up in smoke soon after it came into effect in the city.

In another move to discourage the use of tobacco, the central government had assured the Supreme Court that it would feature pictorial warnings, like the skull and crossbones, or a cancer-disfigured face, on 40 per cent space on the front of all cigarette packets and other tobacco products from May 31. But would such warnings work?

JT showed a probable image to both youngsters and psychiatrists in the city, and both groups felt that if the images were as strong as that one (see box), they might well dissuade those thinking of trying a puff, and even help reduce the intake of regular smokers. . . .

Smokers say that while it’s tough to quit immediately, the unpleasant images certainly make it harder to be seen with a cigarette packet without being nagged or upsetting others.

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• Court Can't Quit DOJ's Tobacco Case 

But defense lawyers and legal scholars following the case point out that the tobacco industry did not walk away with a wholesale loss. The cigarette makers "lost liability, but they lost the liability question years ago," said University of Notre Dame Law School professor G. Robert Blakey, who drafted the RICO law in the 1970s. "What they've won in this case is the narrowest possible remedy." . . .

Going forward, there are two main areas for a defense attack: corporate liability and available remedies.

The D.C. Circuit opinion -- issued per curiam by Chief Judge David Sentelle and judges David Tatel and Janice Rogers Brown -- rejected for a second time the government's bid for disgorgement as a remedy to prevent future RICO violations. . . .

Lawyers following the case predict the tobacco companies will also seek review in the high court on the liability finding, which is rooted in the government's theory that the defendants made up an "association-in-fact" enterprise with individuals and trade associations. Lawyers for the tobacco companies argued in briefs that association-in-fact enterprises involve individuals, not corporations. The D.C. Circuit, citing its own precedent, ruled that corporations can also be part of an association in fact.

The risk, say defense lawyers, is that a company will face RICO liability as part of an association-in-fact based on the actions of just a few employees. "It creates a huge opportunity for plaintiffs to haul multiple defendants into court, scare them with treble damages and induce them to settle cases that otherwise lack merit," said Steven Cottreau, a Washington partner at Clifford Chance who has defended clients in civil RICO cases.

More good news from a defense vantage: The appellate judges directed the trial court to re-examine whether subsidiaries should be lumped in with parent companies under the same remedial restraining order.

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• Smoke and mirrors: Study shows relationship between cigarette use and acne intensity 

Semnan, Iran — A recent study indicates that there is a significant association between cigarette smoking and the development and severity of acne lesions. According to one expert, acne patients who withdraw from cigarette smoking can improve their acne condition.

Whether smoking induces acne remains controversial. However, an increasing number of studies are concluding that cigarette smoking causes a new disease entity called "smoker’s acne."

"It is known that cigarette smoking increases the levels of carbon monoxide within the body, which in turn stimulates the sebaceous glands to produce excessive amounts of sebum.

"This increased production of sebum will inevitably clog the hair follicles, which in turn will cause the erythematous papular and nodular lesions commonly seen in acne patients.

"This increased and continual production of sebum will likely lead to a worsening of the acne condition," says Mohammad Nassaji-Zavareh, M.D., of the department of infectious diseases, Fatemieh Hospital, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.

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The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard Trailer 

Who is Don Ready? Salesman? Lover? Song Stylist? Semi-professional dolphin trainer? Ready is all of the above -- except for a dolphin trainer. When he's asked to help save an ailing local car dealership from bankruptcy, Ready and his ragtag crew descend on the town of Temecula like a pack of coyotes on a basket full of burgers. . . .

stars Emmy award-winning actor Jeremy Piven ('The Kingdom,' 'Entourage') and Ving Rhames ('I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry,' 'Mission: Impossible III'). The film is the first production from Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's Gary Sanchez Productions, directed by Neal Brennan, co-creator of the hugely successful Comedy Central hit, 'Chappelle's Show.' . . .

Cast: Jeremy Piven, Ving Rhames, Ed Helms

Release: August 14, 2009 . . .

Smoking ban back on the table 

By a 3-2 vote Monday, Salina city commissioners agreed to reopen the issue of a public smoking ban in Salina by having hearings so business operators can appeal for exemptions.

Commissioners Tom Arpke, Samantha Angell and Mayor Luci Larson were in favor of bringing the issue back before the commission, while commissioners Aaron Peck and Norman Jennings were against it. The decision was reached at a commission study session.

No date for the hearings was set Monday.

The city's smoking ban, which applies to virtually all public buildings, took effect May 2.

Arpke, who made it clear in his race for the commission that he opposed the smoking ban, made it clearer still Monday that he wants to make antismoking forces responsible for keeping the ban on the books.

"I'll make it real easy," Arpke told fellow commissioners during a discussion preceding Monday's commission meeting. "I think my goal, when it's all said and done, is to repeal the existing ordinance."

His comment drew applause and cheers from a large group of ordinance opponents who filled the commission's conference room.

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Smoking bill still alive in new form 

A last-minute maneuver to revive part of an indoor smoking bill continued on Monday, the final day of the 2009 Nevada legislature.

The plan, to roll back a voter-approved smoking ban only at tobacco trade conventions, was suggested as an amendment to AB309, which deals with the crime of stalking, earlier this week.

“I’ve never had a bill that was a battle ground before, at least not this late in the session,” said Assemblywoman Ellen Koivisto, D-Las Vegas, sponsor of AB309. “I brought that bill because of a woman in my district who was killed by a stalker. The stalking bill is so important.”

Koivisto said some AB309 sponsors in the Assembly wanted their names off the bill if the smoking provisions remained, and warned that the bill would lose their votes if the provisions were not removed.

But others in the Senate warned Koivisto that the bill wouldn’t pass out of that house unless the tobacco convention language was added back in. Koivisto said the bill was being redrafted to include the tobacco convention language.

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Tobacco Regulation Bill Advances In Senate Test Vote 

The U.S. Senate took a step forward Tuesday toward debate of a bill that would give the Food and Drug Administration authority to regulate tobacco, as senators showed strong support for the measure in a procedural vote.

The Senate voted 84-11 to limit debate on whether to consider the tobacco bill. Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., an outspoken opponent of the bill, is expected to pull out the stops by forcing numerous procedural votes on the bill.

The bill, introduced by Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., would give the FDA limited authority to monitor smoking products. It would impose strict controls on advertising that restrict ads to black and white, and stop the use of terms " mild" and "low tar." A similar bill passed the House in April.

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'SINE DIE': Legislature finishes quietly  

A last-minute maneuver to revive part of an indoor smoking bill succeeded late Monday. The plan to roll back a voter-approved smoking ban so that tobacco trade conventions are exempted was amended into AB309, which deals with the crime of stalking. The change was approved by the Assembly and the Senate and now goes to Gov. Jim Gibbons for final approval.

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LAST SESSION: What they did  

SMOKING BAN REVISION: Legislators rejected a bill sought by tavern owners to change the 2006 voter-approved law that prohibits smoking in restaurants, bars that serve food, supermarkets and most other public places. Tavern owners had wanted legislators to allow smoking in bars that served food as long as people under age 21 were excluded from the premises

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BRADLEY: Don't raise taxes; cut state spending 

The following is an excerpt from a recent constituent newsletter by Republican state Sen. Jeb Bradley of Wolfeboro:

It is almost certain that taxes in New Hampshire are going up. These looming and precipitous tax hikes are due to the majority party in control of both the House and Senate which has shown no willingness to cut spending as families and businesses are doing to survive the harsh economy. . . .

Increasing the tobacco tax: a proposed 45-cent increase by the Senate Finance Committee. This is estimated to raise $75 million but would be the fourth tobacco tax increase in five years. Smokers have to be saying enough already.

Furthermore, our budget already counts on $160 million in revenue from this tax - a large portion coming from cross-border sales of tobacco. An increase of this magnitude could mean the expected revenue gains go up in smoke as our competitive position is undermined.

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Tobacco products still sell without pictorial warning 

It was the same story on Day Two. No violators were fined across Tamil Nadu for sale of tobacco packs without the mandatory pictorial warning. Health department officials, who, until May 30, had said they would initiate strong action against violators, now say they will not impose fines on manufacturers or retailers till June 15.

"We want to create awareness among members of the public before fining them for violation," says director of public health Dr S Elango.

Many healthcare workers, who were eagerly awaiting the implementation of the ban, were a disappointed lot. "When the Supreme Court issues a deadline, should not that be followed? How can there be such scant respect for a ruling given by the country's highest court? Should they have not started preparations early?" asks Nisha S, who does voluntary service for the Adyar Cancer Institute.

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