Tobacco.org

• Democrats Plan an Early Push Against Tobacco  

The new Congress plans to move aggressively against the tobacco industry in coming months by regulating cigarettes, raising per-pack sales taxes and ratifying an international antitobacco treaty, according to aides for key lawmakers and experts who expect the Obama administration to break a logjam on smoking issues.

The measures, which even tobacco executives acknowledge as nearly inevitable, are ones that the Bush administration opposed, vetoed or declined to act upon but that President-elect Barack Obama, himself an intermittent smoker, supported as a senator.

The steps include legislation giving the Food and Drug Administration broad authority over cigarettes for the first time. . . .

In the House, Henry A. Waxman of California, a Democrat and chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, plans to move quickly with the F.D.A. legislation

"We hope for early action on the bill in the new Congress," Melissa Wagoner, a spokeswoman for Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, said of the landmark legislation, which Mr. Kennedy has promoted for years.

Robert Gibbs, Mr. Obama's spokesman and incoming press secretary, said by e-mail on Sunday that Mr. Obama supported the measures when he was in Congress but had not made any decisions yet about actions on them in the White House.

Matthew L. Myers, the head of a nonprofit antismoking group, said on Monday, "The election of Barack Obama changes everything." . . .

Democratic leaders in both houses of Congress, whose new members will be sworn in on Tuesday, have also said they hope to pass legislation to raise federal cigarette taxes by 61 cents, to $1 a pack. That may even be among the economic measures awaiting Mr. Obama's signature as soon as he takes office Jan. 20, according to Congressional aides and antismoking lobbyists. . . .

As a third step against smoking, Congressional aides and lobbyists on both sides expect the new president to submit an international tobacco control treaty to the Senate for ratification. . . .

In this country, an estimated 45 million people smoke. That number is unchanged since 1990, the American Lung Association says, although the number of cigarettes smoked has declined by one-third. . . .

The Democrats who are expected to help reinforce the efforts against tobacco include Tom Daschle, the president-elect's choice for health and human services secretary, who has been an ardent opponent of the cigarette industry.

And among those whose names are being circulated as candidates to head the F.D.A. is Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, the antismoking health commissioner for Baltimore and a former investigator for Representative Waxman. It was Mr. Waxman who convened the memorable 1994 hearing where seven tobacco executives swore under oath that nicotine was not addictive.

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The election of Barack Obama changes everything. . . . I think that 2009 has the potential to be the most historic year in making progress on tobacco at the federal level since the first surgeon general's report in 1964.
Matthew L. Myers, "the head of a nonprofit antismoking group" (sez the Times). Quick action is expected on FDA regulation, a federal tax increase and ratification of the Framework Convention

• Some Conservatives Fear Obama Advisers Lean Too Far Left 

But some government experts argue that in this particular transition, a wider-than-usual ideological gap separates the outgoing Bush administration and the incoming Obama team and that both sides are likely to view the other as extreme.

"The incoming Bush people were all about stopping regulation. The Obama people will do their best to accelerate regulation that they think protects the environment, workers, airline safety, et cetera," said Paul Light, a New York University professor of government who has served as a consultant on the transition to The Washington Post. "That's not barbarians at the gate. It's a difference of philosophy." . . .

Besides Achtenberg and Lee, other transition advisers' past positions are sending off flares in the ultra-conservative wing of the Republican Party. None of them responded to requests for comment.

William V. Corr, a vocal tobacco-control activist at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, publicly attacked the Bush administration in 2006 for weakening the government's prosecution of tobacco companies and its chances for regulating tobacco. Now he is making recommendations for strengthening the Food and Drug Administration's regulation of millions of other grocery and drugstore products, though he has recused himself from discussing tobacco.

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• AP IMPACT: Donors, lobbyists help Obama get ready  

-An Obama transition adviser for health and human services, Bill Corr, lobbied to prevent children from smoking as executive director of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. The group has spent $675,000 this year trying to influence policymakers. Corr has told Obama he will not offer advice on tobacco issues.

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• Colombia Takes Action to Save Lives by Implementing Sweeping Smoke-Free Decree  

The government of Colombia took historic action this week to protect the health and lives of its citizens by implementing a sweeping smoke-free decree that applies to all indoor workplaces and public places. The decree was first introduced in May of 2008 and went into effect this week. It requires that all indoor workplaces and public places be smoke-free, including restaurants, bars, public transportation and medical and educational institutes.

The smoke-free decree is a major step forward in protecting the health of Colombia's 46 million residents and workers from the deadly effects of secondhand smoke and adds momentum to the growing smoke-free movement in Latin American and the world.

In Latin America, Colombia joins Uruguay, Panama, Mexico and five Argentinean provinces in having strong smoke-free laws and policies.

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• Anti-Smoking Advocate Named to Obama Transition Team  

A leading anti-tobacco advocate will serve on President-elect Barack Obama's transition team reviewing health policy and the Dept. of Health and Human Services during the administration switch.

Bill Corr, executive director of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, was one of 12 health policy specialists who will "will complete a thorough review" of the health agency "to provide the President-elect, Vice President-elect, and key advisors with information needed to make strategic policy, budgetary, and personnel decisions prior to the inauguration. The Teams will ensure that senior appointees have the information necessary to complete the confirmation process, lead their departments, and begin implementing signature policy initiatives immediately after they are sworn in," according to transition officials.

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• A Decade of Broken Promises: The 1998 State Tobacco Settlement Ten Years Later 

On November 23, 1998, 46 states settled their lawsuits against the nation’s major tobacco companies to recover tobacco-related health care costs, joining four states -- Mississippi, Texas, Florida and Minnesota -- that had reached earlier, individual settlements.

These settlements require the tobacco companies to make annual payments to the states in perpetuity, with total payments estimated at $246 billion over the first 25 years.�

The tobacco settlements presented the states with a historic opportunity and unprecedented sums of money to attack the enormous public health problem posed by tobacco use in the United States.

Ten years later, this report finds that most states have failed to keep their promise to spend a significant portion of the settlement funds on programs to protect kids from tobacco addiction and help smokers quit.

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• On 10th Anniversary of 1998 Tobacco Settlement, Report Finds Most States Fail To Adequately Fund Tobacco Prevention Programs 

Ten years after reaching more than $246 billion in legal settlements against the tobacco industry, the states have failed to keep their promise to spend a significant portion of the money on programs to protect kids from tobacco and help smokers quit, according to a report released today by a coalition of public health organizations.

A Decade of Broken Promises: The 1998 State Tobacco Settlement Ten Years Later

Executive Summary (PDF)

Full Report (PDF)

Chart: State Rankings (PDF)

Key findings of the report include:

* Over the past 10 years, the states have received $203.5 billion in tobacco-generated revenue — $79.2 billion from the tobacco settlement and $124.3 billion from tobacco taxes. But they have spent only 3.2 percent of their tobacco money — $6.5 billion — on tobacco prevention and cessation programs.

* This year, no state is funding tobacco prevention programs at the levels recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only nine states are funding tobacco prevention at even half the CDC-recommended amount, and 27 states are providing less than a quarter of the recommended funding. (Beginning in fiscal 2010, North Dakota will fund its prevention program at the CDC-recommended level as a result of a state ballot initiative approved on November 4.)

* The limited restrictions on tobacco marketing imposed by the tobacco settlement have failed to curtail the tobacco industry’s ability to aggressively market its products. . . .

The report, titled "A Decade of Broken Promises: The 1998 State Tobacco Settlement Ten Years Later," was released by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Lung Association and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The 10th anniversary of the settlement comes as recent surveys have shown that the nation has made significant progress in reducing smoking in the past decade, but smoking declines have slowed in recent years. From 1997 to 2007, smoking rates declined by 45 percent among high school students and by 20 percent among adults. But 20 percent of high school students and 19.8 percent of adults still smoke, and tobacco use remains the nation’s leading cause of preventable death, killing more than 400,000 people and costing nearly $100 billion in health care expenditures each year.

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• In Depth: How Much You'll Save By Quitting Smoking 

Smoking is getting more and more expensive--especially if you live Delaware, where residents spend $998.23 on cigarettes every year, more than in any other state. Even in Utah, the state that spends the least on smoking, you'd still save $150.85 per year by quitting. . . .

Smokers in most states stand to save between $200 and $500. They include those in Florida ($276.04); Alaska ($441.72); Maine ($439.92); Mississippi ($321.46); and Illinois ($298.66).

Forbes.com found data on the price of cigarettes and frequency of smoking for the 50 states and the District of Columbia, and found that in most states, quitting smoking would save more than $300 per year just on the cost of cigarettes, and in some states, far more than that. Those savings don't include the myriad other costs nonsmokers are spared: steep dry-cleaning bills, big health care costs and higher life insurance premiums among them.

Click through to see how much smokers in your state would save.

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• LETTER: NITZKIN: FDA Regulation of Tobacco 

• Gillibrand's tobacco past includes Philip Morris 

You won't learn about it by reading campaign literature or looking at her official biography, but Congresswoman Kirsten E. Gillibrand represented tobacco giant Philip Morris for five years as it battled criminal probes and civil lawsuits.

Today, the company and its executives continue to count her as a friend, donating at least $23,200 to her current campaign, public records show.

Gillibrand says she is independent and not influenced by money from the Altria Group, Philip Morris's parent company.

In fact, the Columbia County Democrat, now seeking re-election, has voted in favor of all three bills pushed by anti-tobacco lobbyists and passed by the House of Representatives.

Yet, in Congress Gillibrand remains one of the bigger recipients of Altria funds. . . .

In contrast, her neighbor, Congressman Michael McNulty, D-Green Island, received just one $500 check from the company during his 20-year career. He sent the money back.

"I didn't want to take money from a tobacco company,'' McNulty said. . . .

Anti-smoking activists, who count her as a supporter, were unaware she had once represented Philip Morris. "I did not know that," said Bill Corr, executive director of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "What's important to us is how she votes." . . .

Gillibrand's history with Philip Morris was publicized on the Internet Wednesday on a blog written by Christopher Chichester, a former press aide to Gov. George Pataki, a Republican. . . .

Her efforts took her to a secretive lab in Germany set up by Philip Morris to do sensitive research.

An advantage to the lab, according to company documents that later became public, is that German research cannot readily be subpoenaed in the United States.

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• Victory predicted for FDA powers on tobacco  

The measure passed the House this summer with overwhelming support, but a threat from Sen. Richard M. Burr, R-N.C., to block it and a veto threat from the White House helped stall it in the Senate.

The Senate left town last week without bringing it up for a vote and is unlikely to do so even if lawmakers return after the election.

William V. Corr, executive director of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a public-health advocacy group, said he expects shifts in the political landscape will ensure passage in 2009.

Unlike President Bush, John McCain and Barack Obama strongly support giving the FDA the authority to restrict tobacco marketing and set standards for nicotine levels in cigarettes.

And an increase in support for the measure in the Senate this fall will make it harder for Burr to block the bill next year, Corr said.

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• International tobacco-control award for Indian social activist and Thailand's health minister 

Hemant Goswami, a social activist from India, and Thailand's Health minister have been selected for the prestigious international "Global Smokefree Partnership Award" in recognition of their work in controlling the menace of tobacco. The honour is awarded every year by "The Global Smokefree Partnership," a joint worldwide initiative of over twenty international organisations formed to promote effective smoke-free air policies worldwide.

Reacting to the news, Goswami said, "Such recognition reassures a person that he is moving in the right direction and that the work undertaken by him is making impact. It's a real honour to be selected for such an international award. I am happy and would like to share the honour with all the associates and people who have provided support to our activities."

Hemant Goswami has been awarded in the category, "Extraordinary Award" for his exceptional and outstanding commitment as a dedicated smoke-free and tobacco control activist to promote the implementation of the guidelines on Article 8 (smoke-free policies) of the "Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC)" treaty. Hemant is credited with initiating the smoke-free movement in India and for making Chandigarh as the first smoke-free city not only in India but also the first one even in any third world country. A feat which everyone thought would be impossible to achieve in India. . . .

The international award given by the international coalition is coordinated by "American Cancer Society" and includes reputed international organisations like; Cancer Research - UK, Global Tobacco Research Network, International Union Against Cancer, International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Johnson and Johnson, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Institute for Global Tobacco Control, Action on Smoking and Health - London, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Pfizer, Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance, World Heart Federation and others.

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• At 50, AARP Enters Its Golden Years 

Fifty years after its founding by a retired high school principal, AARP is a premier lobbying power in Washington. Its 40 million members, many of them more than capable of finding a voting booth on Election Day, make it the country's single largest organization -- that is, if you don't count a little outfit called the Catholic Church. . . .

"If you're trying to grow revenue and gain new members who are turning 50, then what they're doing is brilliant," Dychtwald said. "However, if your proposition is to be the defender and the advocate of the poor and elderly, it could be argued that you're a bit turning your back on them."

William D. Novelli, AARP's avuncular chief executive, waves off the criticism with the easy laugh of an elder dismissing a whippersnapper. . . .

Novelli's path to AARP was a bit more circuitous. He grew up outside Pittsburgh, the son of a steelworker-turned-insurance agent, before embarking on a career in marketing and advertising. . . .

he focused on building his public relations firm, Porter Novelli, which amassed an impressive portfolio that included Kellogg's, Hewlett-Packard and Corning. But what fired him up, he said, were campaigns such as the one launched to educate the public about the dangers of high blood pressure.

At the age of 49, Novelli left Porter Novelli, hoping to devote himself full time to social issues. His first stop was CARE, which combats global poverty, then the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. He joined AARP in 2000, becoming chief executive the following year. His mission was to lasso the millions of baby boomers becoming old enough to join up.

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• Durham teen wins $100,000 award 

A Durham teenager has won a $100,000 prize in the televised Teen Choice Awards for his anti-smoking campaigns.

Chad Bullock, 19, a Durham native and graduate of the Middle College High School at Durham Technical Community College, won the program's "Do Something Award." The show aired Monday night on Fox. . . .

He has also been active with the National Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, which in 2006 named him a Youth Advocate of the Year.

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• Health Advocates Protest Tobacco Sponsorship of Alicia Keys Concert in Indonesia  

International public health advocates are calling on U.S. singing star Alicia Keys to withdraw tobacco industry sponsorship of her July 31 concert in Jakarta, Indonesia, and are condemning tobacco giant Philip Morris International for sponsoring the concert as a way of marketing cigarettes to children.

The concert is being sponsored and heavily advertised by Philip Morris International and its Indonesian subsidiary Sampoerna. According to giant billboards posted in Jakarta (see photos at www.tobaccofreekids.org/aliciakeys), the July 31 Keys concert is being billed as A Mild Live Production. A Mild is a cigarette brand produced by Sampoerna, the Philip Morris International subsidiary. The billboards feature a large photo of Alicia Keys, the logo for A Mild cigarettes and a large health warning that states, Smoking can cause cancer, heart attacks, impotence and harm pregnancy and fetal development. . . .

Alicia Keys is being urged to withdraw tobacco industry sponsorship of the concert or cancel her appearance in a letter signed by the U.S.-based Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the National Commission for Child Protection of Indonesia and the Framework Convention Alliance for Tobacco Control . . .

In a separate letter to Camilleri, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids condemned Philip Morris Internationals sponsorship of the Alicia Keys concert as evidence that the company has not changed and continues to engage in marketing that appeals to children, contradicting claims Camilleri made while heading Altria that the company was reformed and did not market to children.

It is a cynical company with no moral compass that would engage in these practices.

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