Tobacco.org

Bloomberg announces new quit-smoking campaign 

To kick off the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's 16-day nicotine patch and gum give-away for New Yorkers wishing to quit smoking, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley launched a new public-education campaign to highlight the benefits of quitting and the consequences of continued smoking. The campaign, called "Reverse the Damage," features stark images of lung cancer and heart disease along with an emphasis on the potential for a smoker's body to heal after quitting.

"Reverse the Damage" emphasizes how quickly the body begins to heal after years of smoking tobacco. The campaign will feature TV spots and radio promotion, as well as print advertisements that will appear on subway and bus shelters across the City.

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KOH/PAREKH: The gift of cleaner, safer air  

This year, North Carolina is giving its citizens an incredible public health gift - the opportunity to breathe clean indoor air. As of yesterday, most bars and restaurants in the Tar Heel state are smoke-free. That means hospitality workers and patrons alike will be protected against the harmful effects of secondhand smoke.

This action stems directly from conclusive scientific evidence that documents the adverse effects of involuntary smoking on children and adults. . . .

North Carolina has taken a public and powerful step toward public health. The state should know that its efforts are being recognized nationwide as the country moves toward a smoke-free future.

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KOH/PAREKH: Guest Blog: Kansas smoking ban gets thumbs up from HHS experts 

This year, Kansas will grant its citizens an incredible gift -- the opportunity to breathe clean indoor air. Thanks to a historic vote by your legislature, most bars, restaurants and workplaces in the Sunflower State will be smoke-free by July 1. That means the vast majority of your residents will be protected against the harmful effects of secondhand smoke, whether they are at work or enjoying a meal.

We applaud the leadership of Governor Mark Parkinson and the many individuals and organizations who are committed to making a smoke-free Kansas a reality.

This action stems from science. . . .

With this new law in effect, Kansas will be saving lives, saving money, and protecting its residents. It now joins 23 other states, the District of Columbia and scores of municipalities in passing similar laws. Passage of such laws can change the social norm toward health and prompt smokers to reconsider the benefits of quitting. If you still smoke, cessation help is available at . You can also talk to your doctor about programs and medication or call 1-800-QUITNOW (1-800-784-8669).

Kansas has taken a public and powerful step toward public health. The state should know that its efforts are being recognized nationwide as the country moves toward a smoke-free future.

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Cancerous mouth pictures on tobacco products from June 1 

Come June 1, packets of cigarettes and other tobacco products will display pictures of cancerous mouths as health warnings, health officials said Monday.

The 'grotesque' picture will occupy at least 40 percent of the packet area and will be displayed on the top portion so that people could be dissuaded from using tobacco which causes cancer, and is one of the top 10 killers in India.

The health ministry, as per provisions of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Rules, 2008, and amended in 2008 and 2009, notified the new pictorial health warnings March 5, a health ministry official told IANS.

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New pictorial warning for tobacco products to come into effect from 1st June 2010 

As per the provisions of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Rules, 2008, subsequently amended in 2008 and 2009, the specified health warning rules notified by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare on 31.5.2009 have to be rotated after every 12 months and the next rotation is due on 31.5.2010. As a signatory to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control the MoHFW has to rotate the health warnings on tobacco product packs on a regular basis.

The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) (Amendment) Rules, 2010 have been notified vide G.S.R. No. 176 (E) dated 5th March 2010. The new specified health warnings for both smoking and chewing of smokeless forms of tobacco will come into effect from 1st June 2010.

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Pleasant Hill Considering Tougher Smoking Laws 

Pleasant Hill could become the next Bay Area city to have tougher anti-smoking rules.

On Monday night, the city council will consider changing the city's smoking regulations.

The biggest changes apply to housing with four or more units, where new rules would ban smoking on private decks, balconies and patios within 20 feet of a non-smoking apartment.

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'Butt bins' to stop Dorchester's cigarette butt litter 

A community organisation in Dorchester which campaigned against litter caused by cigarette ends has helped establish 69 new 'butt bins' in the town.

The campaign began in 2008 after a group of county town residents noticed an increase in cigarette ends after the smoking ban was introduced.

They lobbied businesses to persuade them to install special 'butt bins'.

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Recent Cigarette Marketing Campaign Targeted Teen Girls, Study Reveals 

The 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) prohibits tobacco industry advertising practices that encourage underage teenagers to smoke, yet new research out of the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego has found that a 2007 marketing campaign for Camel brand cigarettes was effective in encouraging young girls to start smoking.

The study, led by John P. Pierce, PhD, professor of Family and Preventive Medicine and director of the Cancer Center's Cancer Prevention and Control Program, will be published March 15 in an early online edition of the scientific journal Pediatrics.

The research, part of a national study on parenting practices, involved 1,036 males and females who were 10 to 13 years old when enrolled onto the study. Between 2003 and 2008, scientists conducted five telephone interviews, which included questions about smoking. The fifth interview was conducted after the start of RJ Reynolds' "Camel No. 9" advertising campaign in 2007.

Consistent with earlier research, the new study showed that youth who had never smoked but who reported having a "favorite" cigarette ad at the beginning were 50 percent more likely to initiate smoking.

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Christian Coalition says no to cigarette tax, yes to tax on lottery and movie tickets 

The Georgia Christian Coalition says it is now contacting lawmakers to urge them not to consider a $1-a-pack increase in the state tax on cigarettes. . . .

“If you think money has any real meaning to teens,” Luquire observes, “then you haven’t checked their spending on cell phones, texting, video games, energy drinks and car accessories.

A former smoker, he said, “A nicotine addict is going to have his fix and a nickel a cigarette is simply going to mean he has less money to spend on other things that also have taxes on them.” He said he quit smoking December 25, 1982.

As to health claims he observed, “With those wanting to tax everything that tastes good in the name of helping your health, there is no end to the harassment they will bring. If so called unhealthy foods were killing you, there would be no old, fat people crowding buffets,” Luquire added.

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WTO puts off Thailand-Philippines cigarette tax row verdict 

The World Trade Organization pushed back its verdict on the cigarette tax row between the Thailand and the Philippines.

Trade assistant secretary Jose Antonio Buencamino told reporters on Monday said the panel formed by the WTO has sought a one-month extension on the release of its report on the issue. The verdict is now expected to be released by end-April.

Buencamino said the panel sought for an extension to give it time to review the facts presented on the case. "It's a fact-intensive case," said Buencamino. . . .

The case stemmed from Bangkok's decision to slap a bond on imports from Philip Morris Philippines Manufacturing Inc

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Ruling on RP-Thai row moved to end of April 

THE WORLD TRADE Organization (WTO) panel in charge of settling a long-standing cigarette tax dispute between the Philippines and Thailand has postponed the release of its preliminary ruling by a month, a Trade official yesterday said.

The interim report will be issued by end-April instead of end-March as the panel needs more time to go over the arguments, Trade Assistant Secretary Jose Antonio S. Buencamino said.

In the meantime, exporters -- particularly Philip Morris Philippines Manufacturing, Inc. (PMPMI) -- will have to bear with Thailand's allegedly unfair tax treatment of foreign-made cigarettes.

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Oneidas cool to state’s new cigarette proposal  

Now the Paterson administration is giving collecting this revenue another shot, but local Indian nations are cool to the concept.

In December 2008, in Utica, Paterson signed a controversial law intended to enforce such a collection. The administration is moving forward on enforcing that, spokesman Morgan Hook said.

"This is a different kind of enforcement. It's enforcement on the wholesale level, not retail," he said. "The enforcement happens before the cigarettes get to the Indian nations."

Recent proposed state regulations would limit the quantity of tax-free cigarettes that may legally be supplied to Indian nations or tribes.

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ITC raises prices of cigarettes 8-20%  

Cigarette major ITC Ltd, which had increased prices of its flagship brand Gold Flake Kings by 7% prior to the Union budget, has now hiked rates by 8-20% across its portfolio.

A channel check in Mumbai suggested shortage in distribution of cigarettes as ITC is in the process of supplying the stock with revised prices. The company has an over-80% share in the cigarette market. . . .

ITC's immediate competitor, Godfrey Phillips India Ltd, that sells Four Square and Red and White brand of cigarettes, will also be compelled to take a price hike

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SNIDER: Smoking issue really a matter of courtesy, not policy  

Personal liberties and the personal pursuit of happiness sometimes gets in the way with common sense. We all want to be comfy and feel like we are in our "safe" zone and in doing so, we sometimes tend to push our beliefs, needs and wants on others. Case and point: Smoking is bad for you. I know it, you know it, the doctors know it, the insurance companies know it, your momma knows it and pretty much everyone who is over the age of 3, not mentally challenged or in a coma knows it. That's a fact. For whatever reason, to some people, smoking is a way of life. . . .

Non-smokers, we also know that second-hand smoke kills too. That's a fact. So once again, if you don't want to be around it, go somewhere else. There are a lot of businesses that are smoke free. Go give your money to them. Smokers, we also know that second-hand smoke kills too. That's a fact. SO once again, if you walk into a non-smoking establishment, don't complain like someone is pulling your teeth. Go somewhere else and give them your money.

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• Greeks smoke in defiance of ban 

The Greek government's attempt to ban smoking in public is being widely ignored. While the law is in line with EU recommendations, the business community argues that the economy is bad enough without hassling paying customers.

By Maria Paravantes for Southeast European Times in Athens -- 12/03/10

With as many as 20,000 Greeks dying each year from tobacco-related diseases, the country banned smoking in public places. But compliance is an issue. [Getty Images]

It was a bustling Friday night in one of Athens' hottest music clubs, where groups of friends came in for fun after the busy week. As soon as they settled in, the men and women pulled out their cigarettes and realised there were no ashtrays on the tables.

"No smoking," said the waitress taking their order. "Maybe later..."

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