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Hundreds of Tobacco Workers Protest Against Proposed Tobacco Tax Hikes 

More than 400 employees of Reynolds American Inc. and its operating companies rallied in Raleigh today to express opposition to N.C. Governor Perdue's proposed $1 per-pack increase in the state's excise tax on cigarettes.

The rally was preceded by a march around the General Assembly building. Employees, many of whom wore T-shirts reading, "North Carolina needs more jobs, not more taxes," carried hand-made signs protesting proposed tobacco-tax hikes.

"What a great turn-out from our employees," said Daan Delen, chairman, president and chief executive officer of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. "We are sending a clear message to the governor and those who support an increase in these taxes. The production and manufacture of tobacco remains vitally important to our state's economy. The governor's proposed $1 per-pack tax increase will cause job loss and economic hardship for thousands of North Carolinians. . . .

Also joining the protest were the mayors of Winston-Salem, Tobaccoville and King as well representatives from the North Carolina legislature.

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A Brief History Of Cigarette Advertising  

The tobacco industry is no stranger to regulation, however. Over the past half-century, cigarette manufacturers have found ways to successfully sell their product despite increasing advertising restrictions and will no doubt try to continue to do so in the face of this new legislation.

Before the hazardous health effects of smoking were widely known, cigarette companies were able to advertise largely regulation-free. The first tobacco advertisement in the United States ran in 1789 when what is now the Lorillard Tobacco Company promoted their snuff in a local New York newspaper . . .

By labeling cigarettes as an "addictive drug" in 1996, the FDA sought to gain control over the industry and limit the sales and advertising of tobacco products. While its actions were supported by then President Bill Clinton, the Supreme Court ruled against the FDA in 2000, claiming the federal agency was never given the proper authority to regulate tobacco by Congress.

Once the new bill becomes law, the FDA will have the regulatory power over the tobacco industry that has eluded them over the past two decades. Among the new restrictions are a ban on tobacco advertising within 1,000 ft. of schools and playgrounds, a requirement that warning labels cover 50 percent of the front and back of cigarette packs and the end of sweetened and spice-flavored cigarettes. President Obama (who has struggled with his own nicotine addiction) lauded the bill, saying in a statement that its passage "truly defines change in Washington." He is expected to sign it into law in the coming week.

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• 'Pegger takes on Big Tobacco  

A Winnipeg woman is hoping to succeed where all other smokers have failed in the fight against Big Tobacco.

Deborah Kunka has filed a class-action suit alleging the industry has intentionally misled the public about the health effects of smoking and targets children to maintain their profits.

Kunka, says the lawsuit, began smoking in 1976 when she was 12 years old "after seeing various tobacco advertisements which portrayed smoking as 'glamorous' and 'prestigious' and which failed to adequately warn, or warn at all, about the harmful effects of smoking."

Kunka, says the lawsuit, continues to smoke a pack of cigarettes a day despite suffering chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, severe asthma and reversible lung disease.

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EDITORIAL: It’s about time 

In 1994, top executives of seven tobacco corporations looked federal lawmakers in the eyes and swore that their products were neither addictive nor carcinogenic. Those statements have long since been proven baldfaced lies, exposed in part by the industry's own secret research. When the CEOs testified under oath, they were well aware of that data.

It's taken 15 years for the U.S. House and Senate to empower the Food and Drug Administration to regulate tobacco . . .

Altria Group, the nation's biggest tobacco company, supported the bill -- no doubt figuring that even tough regulation won't cut off its customers and profits as long as smoking remains highly addictive and legal.

Sadly, they're probably right.

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EDITORIAL: Cigarettes at bay 

Tireless efforts by a relatively small but dedicated group of tobacco-fighters finally paid off last week when both houses of Congress passed a bill that puts the tobacco industry under supervision of the Food and Drug Administration. This won't help the millions of addicted smokers whose habit destroyed their health, but it's not too late for current users and new generations of potential smokers. . . .

The first step is to establish a research arm financed by mandatory contributions from the industry to adopt standards for content. Agency scientists should have little trouble identifying the most harmful ingredients, given the in-depth research that has already taken place. The agency should act quickly to remove them from use in cigarettes and should likewise refuse to approve any new tobacco products for distribution to consumers unless they have a benign effect.

There may never be any such thing as a harmless cigarette, but there are ways to reduce the dangers of smoking. The FDA now has the power to make that happen.

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• Not enough done to prevent smoking, RCSI report finds  

IRELAND HAS become complacent about its smoking cessation achievements, with evidence that advice on giving up smoking was offered to just half of smokers who were seen by a primary care health professional, a report to be published today has found.

The analysis of data from the recent SLÁN national survey of Lifestyle Attitudes and Nutrition by the Division of Population Health Science at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) confirms that a previous downward trend in smoking rates has stalled.

Researchers, led by Prof Ruairí Brugha of RCSI, report smoking rates higher than the national average of 29 per cent in a number of occupational health groups. They found a particularly high rate of smoking in 18-29 year old women in social class 5 and 6 which, at 56 per cent, is double the rate found among women in the same age group in social classes 1 and 2.

Commenting on the relative lack of access to smoking prevention programmes in the country, Prof Brugha said, “a high percentage of smokers, at 72 per cent, who were interviewed in 2007 had attended a GP in the previous year, while only 38 per cent of smokers reported that a doctor or health professional had discussed ways of giving up smoking with them”.

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Hey, Angelenos, wanna quit smoking? Here's some help -- free 

Cigarette Not that you're addicted or anything, but if you would prefer not to smoke -- and just need a little extra willpower, nicotine patches or nicotine gum are worth a shot. And here's your chance to get started with no outlay of cash other than gas money or bus fare.

Today, the L.A. County Department of Public Health, together with Ralphs and L.A. Care Health Plan, will give away free smoking-cessation products to county residents.

Learn more about the offer at laquits.com. There's even a map of participating Ralph's pharmacies.

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• Memo to infrequent puffers: It's still smoking  

the number of “social smokers” like Hynes is on the rise, according to a new study. Between 1996 and 2001, the rate of nondaily smoking jumped from 16 percent to 24 percent of smokers. And it has continued to climb since then. In California, for example, the percentage of smokers who light up only occasionally went from 26 percent in 1992 to 30 percent in 2005, state health figures show.

And that’s exactly the way cigarette companies planned it, says Dr. Rebecca Shane, a researcher at the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California at San Francisco. She's a lead author on a new study published in the August issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The study aims to turn tobacco company research on its head, using industry data to help find ways to help social smokers quit.

In the 1970s and 80s — as the health risks of smoking became increasingly apparent — the tobacco industry spent millions studying social smokers to figure out what made them tick, Shane says. . . .

Tobacco firms targeted social smokers The tobacco makers hired anthropologists and psychologists to help design advertising campaigns that would make cigarettes more alluring to people who weren’t wired to become addicted to nicotine. The idea was to show that cigarettes could be a social lubricant, a necessary addition to any social gathering.

Shane and her co-author turned up the new information while searching through reams of tobacco industry documents that were released as part of a settlement in one of the landmark state suits against big tobacco.

Tobacco companies worked hard to develop an image of smokers as “cool,” Shane says. . . .

The challenge, Shane says, is to counter that alluring image and to find a way to get occasional puffers to acknowledge that they truly are smokers, too. Until experts figure out a way to do that, there won’t be much progress in getting social smokers to quit, says Dr. Antoine Douaihy, an associate professor of psychiatry and medical director of Addiction Medicine Services at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

“Conventional anti-smoking campaigns will fail to reach them,” Douaihy says.

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Reynolds Tobacco workers protest proposed $1 hike in cigarette tax 

Some 400 employees of Winston-Salem-based R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Inc. (NYSE: RAI) marched in front of the General Assembly Tuesday to protest a proposed $1 per-pack increase in the state's excise tax on cigarettes.

"We are sending a clear message," said Reynolds CEO Daniel Delen, at a rally following the march. "The governor's proposed $1 per-pack tax increase will cause job loss and economic hardship for thousands of North Carolinians."

Also joining the protest were the mayors of Winston-Salem and the nearby communities of Tobaccoville and King. Many of the marching workers wore T-shirts reading, "North Carolina needs more jobs, not more taxes,"

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• Smoking Ban Under Study 

Residents of South Dakota may have to wait until January 2011 for a statewide smoking ban to actually take effect.

According to an Associated Press story, enough signatures have been collected for a petition to allow voters to decide whether they want a smoking ban or not.

The petition needs at least 16,776 signatures in order to make it on the ballot for voters on November 2010, and Larry Mann, coordinator of the petition, said even more signatures would be collected.

"We're in good shape as far as signatures needed. Now we're just trying to build a buffer," said Mann, who leads the petition on behalf of the Video Lottery Establishments of South Dakota, the Licensed Beverage Dealers of South Dakota, the DeVitt Gaming Association and the Music and Vending Association of South Dakota.

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Imperial, Philip Morris hike Spain tobacco prices  

Imperial Tobacco (IMT.L) and Philip Morris (PM.N) have both raised the price of their cigarettes in Spain by about 0.35 euro a pack, according to figures published in Spain's state bulletin. . . .

Last week, the government announced tax increases on tobacco

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奥巴马将签历史性禁烟法案 

本报讯 据美国媒体报道，美国总统奥巴马即将签署一项历史性的反吸烟立法，将烟草业置于美国食品和药物管理局（FDA）的监管之下。从此，美国政府在烟草制品监管方面将具有空前权力。

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美国参议院通过限烟法案 禁止在香烟中加入香味 

美国国会参议院11日投票通过一项限烟法案，赋予美国食品和药物管理局监管香烟等烟草制品权力，限制相关广告、审查烟草公司以及新产品。

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美药管局将获权监控烟草生产 

当地时间11日，美国参议院以79票赞成、17票反对的绝对多数通过一项历史性法案，同意授权美国食品和药物管理局（FDA）监管香烟及其他烟草制品。

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华人移民美国戒烟成功率高　学者称文化影响所致 

中新网6月14日电　据美国《世界日报》报道，主导亚裔戒烟的人士认为，华裔移民到美国以后，受当地法律与文化影响，戒烟比率越来越高。戒烟热线、免费咨询等措施在吸烟率高的华裔社区行之有效。近年来在帮助亚裔戒烟方面投入较多的加州，效果更加明显。

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