Tobacco.org

Shopkeeper and cigarette giant unite to fight Irish tobacco law  

A County Donegal shopkeeper will join forces with cigarette manufacturer Philip Morris tomorrow to legally challenge Ireland's ban on the display of tobacco products in shops.

A lawsuit will be filed at the high court in Dublin by Philip Morris Limited, Philip Morris Products SA and Donegal Town shopkeeper Maurice Timony.

Timony and the multinational are seeking to overturn the ban on the grounds that it severely restricts their ability to provide trade and violates Irish and EU constitutional law.

Ireland imposed its ban on the display of tobacco products in shops in July. Similar bans exist in Iceland and some provinces of Canada, and the British government is considering whether to join them.

Timony said he should be entitled to display the products which the Irish government has given him a licence to sell.

"The country is swamped in legislation that is making life very difficult for compliant retailers like me. The ban on the display of cigarettes is just one example of a piece of over-regulation that has negatively affected my business," he said. "As a law-abiding retailer, I have a responsibility to my employees to make sure that I can continue to employ them going forward. Simply put, enough is enough."

Jump to full article »

The country is swamped in legislation that is making life very difficult for compliant retailers like me. The ban on the display of cigarettes is just one example of a piece of over-regulation that has negatively affected my business. As a law-abiding retailer, I have a responsibility to my employees to make sure that I can continue to employ them going forward.
Donegal Town shopkeeper Maurice Timony--the local presence Philip Morris partnered with to bring a lawsuit in Ireland--sounding just like a corporate press release.

Driving instructor wins smoke bid 

A driving instructor has won the right to smoke in her own car.

Lynda Wright successfully challenged a fixed penalty fine issued by Armagh Council. She had been fined twice before and faced paying up to £1,000.

Solicitor Oisin Toner said the fine was overturned because she was on her own in the car on a personal errand.

Jump to full article »

SHAMEEM: Tobacco industry's reluctant farewell to flavor  

While the passage of this sweeping legislation is well intentioned in aims of preventing underaged smoking, it is both ambiguous and slightly contradictory in nature. . . .

What the FDA has forgotten is that smoking is a personal choice for those of age and that government regulation of the ability to choose what flavor a citizen smokes is an infringement on one's rights. Anonymous third year biology major at UIC states, "I think it's hypocritical that we ban flavored cigarettes when there's all this talk about legalizing marijuana. There are far bigger problems in regard to smoking and its regulation, and banning all but the most popular flavor seems illogical." . . .

For many non-smokers on campus, myself included, the banning of flavored cigarettes really makes no difference. For legal smokers, it is an infringement upon their right to smoke once legal substances. However, for conscientious citizens who wish to prevent under aged smoking, the FDA's ban is sloppy, vague, and contradictory at best.

Jump to full article »

Cuts snuff smoking cessation programs 

Banks completed a smoking cessation program through the Sadler Health Center and the Cumberland-Perry Drug & Alcohol Commission.

“I’ve never gone back,” she said. “I credit that program. I do not think I could’ve done it with without everyone’s support on a weekly basis. I don’t think I’d have ever quit if I hadn’t done that program.”

But programs like the one Banks completed are facing funding cuts in the state budget.

Massive cuts

The state budget compromise proposed by legislators and Gov. Ed Rendell includes a 50 percent cut in tobacco prevention and cessation programming, cutting funding from $32.2 million to $16.1 million.

“This would have devastating effects on our programs,” said Jack Carroll, director of Cumberland-Perry Drug & Alcohol Commission.

Jump to full article »

Northern Express Weekly is northern Michigan's largest weekly newspaper, Traverse City, distributed in 13 counties throughout the northwestern lower peninsula of Michigan. 

For 31 years Mike Nolan has been selling tobacco in downtown Traverse City. Nolan’s Tobacconists have enjoyed success over the years because Mike understands the business better than most (he is president of the cigar store industry association for 38 stores in Michigan) and he even has been a trendsetter in establishing the first cigar dinner in the country over 20 years ago (documented by Cigar Aficionado, which credits Nolan and restaurateur Jim Milliman for starting the trend).

As Michigan nears a smoking ban in public buildings, Nolan knows he had to do something if he wants to keep his business a success. So he is launching Nolan’s Cigar Lounge.

“Most of the proposed legislation will allow for established tobacco shops to have a lounge for their patrons to smoke,” said Nolan. “It is something I have talked about doing for a long time anyway, but with legislation looming in Michigan, I figured I better get it down now.” . . .\ \ FUNDRAISER UP IN SMOKE?

The popular cigar dinner movement started by Nolan may also be snuffed out with the new legislation. Nolan, along with the Ancient Order of Hibernians started the Father Fred Foundation Annual Cigar Dinner 15 years ago. The dinner accounts for raising 22 percent of the Foundation’s annual operating budget and has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to date, and it may be in jeopardy when a smoking ban is passed.

Jump to full article »

Your Town: Monterey City Council to consider smoking ban  

An ordinance that would ban smoking in Monterey city parks and on the Monterey Recreation Trail has been proposed by Councilwoman Libby Downey, and the City Council Tuesday will vote whether to place it on a coming agenda.

Downey asked the council at its Sept. 15 meeting to consider such an ordinance.

The council will consider her request during its evening session beginning at 7 p.m.

Jump to full article »

• Philip Morris Limited and Independent Retailer Announce Joint Lawsuit Challenging Irish Tobacco Display Ban  

Philip Morris Limited (PML), Philip Morris Products S.A. (PMPSA) and Maurice Timony, an independent retailer from Donegal, have announced that they will file a joint lawsuit seeking to overturn the ban on display of tobacco products at retail stores in Ireland.

The lawsuit will be filed before the High Court in Dublin on October 6, 2009. Plaintiffs will be challenging the tobacco display ban on the grounds that it severely restricts their ability to provide trade and services thus violating Irish constitutional law and EU law. The tobacco display ban came into effect in Ireland on July 1, 2009. Outside Ireland, a display ban exists in Iceland as well as some provinces of Canada.

"We know from our experience in Iceland that a total ban on tobacco display does not work, is costly to implement and ineffective at reducing smoking levels," said Anne Edwards, spokesperson for PML. "We support strict tobacco regulation, but this legislation just serves to hand the tobacco business over to smugglers and counterfeiters.

Jump to full article »

Smoking & Home Fires : Cathy Hedrik Sound Bites 

Cathy Hedrick is the Director of Survivor Programs for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. Cathy began volunteering with the Foundation during the 1993 National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend after her firefighter son, Kenny Hedrick, was killed in the line-of-duty while responding to a home fire caused by a cigarette. She joined the Foundation staff in 2004 after a 30-year career in nursing. Based out of the Foundation's Crofton, MD office, Cathy works with the Taking Care of Our Own training program, manages family registration during the Memorial Weekend, and makes presentations at local, state and national fire service meetings.

Jump to full article »

• Spencer Azizul plays on the emotion in anti-smoking ad 

AS this year's Tak Nak anti-smoking campaign enters the final laps, it culminates in showing not just the physical effects of smoking on the smokers but also the emotional toll on both the smokers and their families.

Spencer Azizul Sdn Bhd, the advertising agency tasked with developing the Health Ministry campaign, began the year with graphic ads depicting diseases of smokers.

It has put in more ammunition since July. Spencer Azizul has introduced statistics into the Tak Nak print ads to better convince sceptics and has launched a three-minute TV commercial - the longest TV spot it has ever done.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai told the agency that he wanted the commercial to show not only what smoking did to the smoker but also the effects of smoking on his family and others around him. . . .

Due to its length and budget constraint, the ad cannot be shown frequently, so the agency had to be very selective in the programmes chosen and the periods to air the commercial. It is mostly run during prime time.

Senior copywriter Juliet Tan says now that the ad showcases how families suffer, hopefully the family members of smokers would urge the smokers to stop. "If they get sick, the family members will have to take care of them."

Jump to full article »

Varenicline and suicidal behaviour: a cohort study based on data from the General Practice Research Database (Full Text) 

Main findings

We found no clear evidence of an increased risk of self harm associated with varenicline compared with other smoking cessation products, although the limited study power means we cannot rule out either a halving or a twofold increase in risk. Analysis of those patients prescribed varenicline suggested that they were likely to be at lower risk of self harm than those prescribed nicotine replacement products—they had lower levels of past psychiatric consultation and previous self harm.

Nevertheless, controlling for these factors in multivariable models did not alter our conclusions.Wefound no evidence that varenicline increased the incidence of suicidal thoughts. However, associations with suicidal thoughts should be treated with caution as they are under-recorded in the General Practice Research Database (GPRD). Varenicline was associated with a reduced risk of treated depression, as indexed by initiation of antidepressant therapy. . . .

Conclusion

We found no clear evidence of an increased risk of self harm, suicidal thoughts, or depression in people prescribed varenicline compared with those prescribed other smoking cessation products. In view of increasing concerns about the possible increased risk of suicide associated with these drugs and their increasing popularity, further investigation of their effect on suicide risk is required in other databases and through secondary analysis of all adverse event reporting in relevant clinical trials. Any such risk must be balanced against the likely long term health benefits of smoking cessation and the robust evidence of the effectiveness of varenicline as an aid to smoking cessation.

Jump to full article »

Contribution of smoking during pregnancy to inequalities in stillbirth and infant death in Scotland 1994-2003: retrospective population based study using hospital maternity records (Full Text) 

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ON THIS TOPIC

Rates of both stillbirth and infant death show social gradients within developed countries Smoking during pregnancy has been clearly linked to stillbirth and infant deaths Quantifying the contribution that smoking during pregnancy has on the social inequalities gap in stillbirths and infant deaths is of interest

WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS

Social gradients existed in the stillbirth and infant death rates in Scotland during 1994-2003 Smoking during pregnancy accounted for 38% of the inequality in stillbirths and 31% of the inequality in infant deaths

In addition to tackling smoking during pregnancy and reducing infants’ exposure to tobacco smoke, other measures are needed to reduce social inequalities in these outcomes

Jump to full article »

EDITORIAL: Tougher ban is blow for health  

This month, the City-County Council will begin deliberations on a proposal to close the yawning loopholes in the anti-smoking ordinance it passed in 2005.

The new ordinance being offered by Democrat Angela Mansfield and Republican Ben Hunter would remove the exemption for bars and bowling alleys from the current ban on smoking in restaurants, hotel lobbies and other public spaces. . . .

Meanwhile, the "civil rights" mantra has been blown away by research documenting the deadly effects of secondhand smoke -- and by studies showing significant reductions in heart attacks in workplaces with smoking bans. . . .

If the enormous potential of health-related economic activity is to be exploited here, the city -- and state, for that matter -- cannot justify lagging behind a changing nation. Nor can they compete adequately for business in general with a now-glaring lifestyle disadvantage.

Health matters more than wealth. But the two are inseparable. The council must recognize that the future for both is smoke free.

Jump to full article »

Cigarette prices to soar, fuel to inch up  

Cigarettes will be levied an excise duty of EUR 76 per 1,000 pieces in 2010, finance minister Simeon Djankov said in a phone conversation from Goteborg where he attended the meeting of EU's finance and economy ministers. The current rate is EUR 52 per 1,000 units and the excise hike will bring the prices of most popular brands to BGN 4.50-4.90 a pack. . . .

The excise hike plans drew serious opposition from British American Tobacco (BAT). The company, which produces Kent, Pall Mall and Viceroy, warned the measure would boost illegal trade by 40%, claiming cigarette prices in Bulgaria are the highest as measured against per capita income. (Dnevnik)

Jump to full article »

Smoking ban enforcement beefed up at Statehouse  

That's the message state officials are sending by stepping up enforcement of a smoking ban on the grounds of the Statehouse and Government Center complex in Indianapolis.

A memo sent to all agency heads and state employees says the smoking ban put in place by Gov. Mitch Daniels in 2006 has been violated continually. Many people have been smoked just outside the Statehouse and Government Center buildings since the ban took effect.

Jump to full article »

Local hospitals laud outdoor smoking bans  

John Hamann's infant daughter, born three months premature, was receiving care inside St. John's Hospital one night last week, while Hamann was outside, fuming, as he smoked cigarettes on a public sidewalk several floors below.

"It's already a stressful situation, and it's been kind of hard getting down here to smoke," the 26-year-old Litchfield resident said. "Not being able to smoke makes it that much more stressful. There's not even a spot to go and get dry."

St. John's and several other Springfield-area health-care institutions voluntarily enacted outdoor smoking bans almost four years ago. While visitors who smoke may not be pleased, officials believe the policies are working well.

Few people violate the bans, officials said. A handful of employees have been disciplined for violations, but no one has been fired.

Jump to full article »