http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/category/international.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=633206 http://tobacco.org/news/293090.html Most smokers around the world support workplace smoking bans, according to a new study. Researchers surveyed more than 3,500 employees who smoke and more than 1,400 employers (smokers and nonsmokers) in the United States and 13 other countries. They found that 74 percent of employees who smoke and 87 percent of employers said the workplace should be smoke-free. "Although there was widespread variation among countries, overall the results demonstrate global support for workplace smoking bans," lead author Michael Halpern, a senior fellow at RTI International, said in a news release. "This study shows support for additional programs and policies to increase those bans and assist employees with smoking cessation." Support for workplace smoking bans was greatest in India (85 percent) and Japan (75 percent), and much lower in Germany (33 percent) and Poland (37 percent). HealthDay [HealthScout] Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122680327/abstract?CRETRY=1 http://tobacco.org/news/293061.html Aim To explore predictors of smoking relapse and how predictors vary according to duration of abstinence. . . . Findings Relapse was associated with lower abstinence self-efficacy and a higher frequency of urges to smoke, but only after the first month or so of quitting. Both these measures mediated relationships between perceived benefits of smoking and relapse. Perceived costs of smoking and benefits of quitting were unrelated to relapse. Conclusions Challenging perceived benefits of smoking may be an effective way to increase abstinence self-efficacy and reduce frequency of urges to smoke (particularly after the initial weeks of quitting), in order to reduce subsequent relapse risk. Wiley InterScience UK Canada Australia USA Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122680331/abstract?CRETRY=1 http://tobacco.org/news/293060.html Aims To describe the long-term natural history of a range of potential determinants of relapse from quitting smoking. Design, setting and participants A survey of 2502 ex-smokers of varying lengths of time quit recruited as part of the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four Country Survey (Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, United States) across five annual waves of surveying. . . . Findings Most theorized determinants of relapse changed over time in a manner theoretically associated with reduced risk of relapse, except most notably the belief that smoking controls weight, which strengthened. Change in these determinants changed at different rates: from a rapidly asymptoting log function to a less rapidly asymptoting square-root function. Conclusions Variation in patterns of change across time suggests that the relative importance of each factor to maintaining abstinence may similarly vary. Wiley InterScience UK Canada Australia USA Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://pmusa.com/en/cms/Media/Company_Announcements/2009/International_Trade_Commission_Blocks_Illegal_Internet_Cigarette_Sales.aspx http://tobacco.org/news/292999.html The International Trade Commission (ITC) took action this week to stop illegally imported Marlboro®, Virginia Slims® and Parliament® cigarettes from entering the United States. The ITC issued a General Exclusion Order requiring U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to deny entry of these illegal goods, which infringe on Philip Morris USA's (PM USA) trademarks. "We're pleased that the ITC has granted the General Exclusion Order, which should be a helpful tool for law enforcement in addressing illicit Internet cigarette sales and reinforces that preventing these imports is a priority," said Joe Murillo, vice president and associate general counsel, Altria Client Services, speaking on behalf of Philip Morris USA. Philip Morris USA Thu, 24 Sep 2009 04:00:00 GMT http://www.tobaccointernational.com/1109/feature.htm http://tobacco.org/news/292886.html Now, more than ever, Central America is an ever-changing field of opportunities and obstacles. John Parker profiles the region and goes through the numbers market by market. The combination of rising income, more influence of free trade policies, multinational business connections, and smokers seeking higher quality brands contributed to greater cigarette imports by countries in Central America in 2008. Estimated cigarette imports for countries in Central America in 2008 rose to about 11 bn pieces. That is an estimate for total imports tabulated by adding data for each of the seven countries. The net regional imports would be about half of that because of large shipments to other countries in Central America by Honduras and Guatemala. BAT and subsidiaries account for most of the cigarette output in Central America. Tobacco International editor@tobaccointernational.com (John Parker) Central America Sun, 01 Nov 2009 04:00:00 GMT http://www.trend-news.com/default.asp?newsid=7133 http://tobacco.org/news/292858.html European Union Finance Ministers have agreed to introduce a significant increase in the minimum level of excise tax on cigarettes from 2014 in an effort to reduce the bulk-buying of cigarettes in cheaper eastern European countries, in a move which has been led by the EU's Swedish Presidency. In effect and from 2014, the minimum tax on a carton of 1,000 cigarettes (or loose packs to the same equivalent) across all 27 EU member states will be increased to E.90 ($134.4) per 1,000 cigarettes and no lower than 60% of the sales price. A transitional period will apply for countries that have only recently or yet to raise prices to those rates. in effect, this means that smokers will still have access to cheaper cigarettes until January 1, 2018, in Bulgaria, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania. TREND-News.com Europe Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/14/701418 http://tobacco.org/news/292836.html It is a pity that when many developed countries have tightened laws to make smoking unacceptable or illegal in public places, in developing countries it is the reverse. In the last 40 years, according to the ACS, smoking rates have fallen in rich countries like the United States, Britain and Japan but have been rising in most of the developing world. Statistics show that smoking will kill six million people worldwide as early as 2010 and 72% of those will be from low and middle-income countries. Uganda is a poor country whose health sector is grossly inadequate. . . . According to the Uganda Heart Institute, respiratory diseases and lung cancer will be Uganda's leading killer by 2020. Lung cancer is closely associated with smoking and is on the increase because anti-smoking laws are very weak or non-existent in poor countries. In 2004, the then environment minister Kahinda Otafiire imposed a smoking ban in all public places. However, since the public places were not gazetted, its enforcement became problematic. Clearly, there is need to discourage smoking. The starting point is to help tobacco growers switch to alternative crops. The law on public smoking must be vigorously enforced and non-smoking areas clearly demarcated. Cigarettes should be sold in packets and not as individual sticks to make its cost prohibitive. Churches, mosques and schools should play a role in sensitising people about the danger of smoking. With concerted effort, the deadly menace of smoking can be tackled. The New Vision Uganda Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20091116005560&newsLang=en http://tobacco.org/news/292811.html This report provides in-depth company profiles for Tobacco companies ranked in the 2009 Fortune Global 500 list. All data is gathered from primary source. Reports are available in easily accessible PDF format and data is consistently presented. Data is regularly tracked and enhanced to ensure data on these high profile companies is accurate and current. This report is an indispensable tool for investors, researchers and analysts wanting to gather the relevant facts on the major companies in of the world. The author concentrates on a small number of high profile companies using tested and trusted research and editorial methodologies. Business Wire press@researchandmarkets.com Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE5AG45920091117 http://tobacco.org/news/292784.html Even smokers support bans to prohibit lighting up in the workplace, according to a new survey. The international poll of nearly 5,000 people by research institute RTI International and Harris Interactive showed that nearly three-quarters of workers who smoke and 87 percent of employers support a smoke-free work environment. "Although there was widespread variations among countries, overall the results demonstrate global support for workplace smoking bans," said Michael Halpern, of RIT who is one of the authors of the report. "This study shows support for additional programs and policies to increase those bans and assist employees with smoking cessation," he added in a statement. The strongest support for smoking bans was in India where 85 percent of people voted for smoke-free workplaces, followed by Japan with 75 percent. But only one-third of Germans and 27 percent of Poles thought bans should be in place. Reuters Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8355619.stm http://tobacco.org/news/292773.html Since the smoking ban in Kenya, people can only smoke in special zones At Jeevanjee gardens in Nairobi, smokers gather during their lunch hour to read, chat and light up. It is one of the few zones in the Kenyan capital where people can smoke in public, since the ban on smoking in public came into effect in 2007. As he takes a puff, one of the young men describes his habit. "I've been smoking for 40 years but I hate it," he says. . . . Dr Twalib Ngoma, president of the African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC), says that Africa is on the brink of a smoking epidemic. "Africa is in the area of the pre-epidemic and so we should prevent the epidemic," he told the BBC World Service. "We should not wait until there is an epidemic and then work on it. We should prevent the epidemic." Tobacco-related cancer was one of the key topics discussed at a recent international cancer conference in Tanzania. One of the reports presented there warns that African nations are set to undergo the highest increase in the rate of tobacco use among developing countries. . . . "For the first time in history, we have the tools in hand to prevent a pandemic," says Dr Otis W Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society. "Smoke-free public places are one example of a low-cost and extremely effective intervention that must be implemented now to protect health." As well as Kenya, Niger also recently introduced a smoking ban in public places. . . . "If a consumer is addicted to tobacco, then it is possible to put prices up and they will go without lunch." But Mr Spielman says that he expects that over time, increasing advertising restrictions and bigger health warnings will come into place in African countries. But in the meantime, as long as there are smokers who will sacrifice lunch for a packet of cigarettes, there will always be consumers. BBC Online Africa Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-11-16-voa61.cfm http://tobacco.org/news/292765.html Medical experts say tobacco-related illnesses are becoming a serious health issue in Africa as a new report warns tobacco use may double in some parts of the continent during the next 12 years. The report, from the Global Smokefree Partnership, warns that 90 percent of people in Africa have no protection against second-hand smoke. Almost 15 percent of the world's population is in Africa, but right now the continent only accounts for four percent of world smokers. The Global Smokefree Partnership, an initiative aimed at developing smoke-free policies around the world, says the continent needs to introduce strong smoke-free laws and high taxes on cigarettes in order to keep the number of smokers down and to limit the affects of second-hand smoke. Antonella Cardone, project manager of the Partnership, says in some parts of Africa governments are taking important steps towards protecting their populations from the affects of tobacco. "There are several countries now in Africa, which have developed smoke free policies," said Antonella Cardone. "We can definitely mention Niger and Kenya, then Mauritius - those are just a few." But Cardone says in many African countries citizens still have no protection. Ghana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda are highlighted in the report as countries that are failing to implement smoke-free laws. VOANews.com Africa Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.rti.org/news.cfm?objectid=EA26C6B3-5056-B155-2C97B0C26EC8DC34 http://tobacco.org/news/292735.html The majority of smokers worldwide support smoking bans in the workplace, according to a new study by RTI International and Harris Interactive. The study, published in the International Journal of Public Health online edition, surveyed more than 3,500 employees who smoke and more than 1,400 employers (both smokers and nonsmokers) in 14 counties about their attitudes toward workplace smoking and cessation. The results showed that 74 percent of smoking employees and 87 percent of employers felt that the workplace should be smoke free. . . . The greatest support for workplace smoking bans was in India (85 percent) and Japan (75 percent). In contrast, only one-third of employees in Germany (33 percent) and Poland (37 percent) agreed with a workplace smoking ban. Research Triangle Institute / RTI International news@rti.org Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://mobile.globalpost.com/dispatch/thailand/091113/asias-pushback-big-tobacco http://tobacco.org/news/292722.html Assailed by the western world's laws, taxes and anti-smoking mores, the global tobacco industry has little choice but to keep pushing eastward into Asia. Tobacco bosses learned this week that some Asians are ready to push back. This week, more than 500 screaming protesters converged outside TabInfo Asia 2009, the region's largest tobacco summit in years. More than an expo, the event is also a strategy session conducted in secrecy. "As rules, regulations, and perceptions of tobacco change around the globe, Asia Pacific has become one of the world's most important tobacco markets," according to promotional materials. The event, set up by the Raleigh, N.C.-based Tobacco Reporter magazine, invited major industry players gathered to discuss "operating in a world of bans" and "ingenious ways of operating in an increasingly regulated, plain-pack, dark market environment." "Asia is the fastest growing tobacco market in the world. They can't afford to ignore this region," said Prakit Vathesatogkit, executive secretary of the Bangkok-based Action on Smoking and Health Foundation. "We can't really stop them from coming," Prakit said, "but we can try to stop them from circumventing regulation." On Wednesday, the summit's first day, attendees were beset by a loose coalition of Southeast Asian anti-smoking protesters. Outside the event doors, a 500-plus crowd of mostly college students screamed at men in suits entering Bangkok's largest convention center. GlobalPost Thailand Asia Sun, 15 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.health-e.org.za/news/article.php?uid=20032568 http://tobacco.org/news/292720.html DAR-ES-SALAAM - Taxation is the most powerful weapon governments have at their disposal to control tobacco consumption and ultimately decrease deaths, Dr Yussuf Saloojee of the National Council Against Smoking told the African Organisation for Research & Training in Cancer (AORTIC) conference. South Africa showed decreases in tobacco consumption, but this was now leveling off as government ceases to drastically increase taxation on tobacco for fear of creating a market for illegal smuggling, something which Saloojee said was unfounded. Saloojee presented evidence which showed that as the price of cigarettes goes up, consumption goes down. . . . Lekau Ayo-Yusuf of the University of Pretoria also presented evidence that the use of non-cigarette products such as snus was increasing with big tobacco companies Philip Morris and Swedish Match selling these products in Africa. Snus is a moist powder tobacco product that is consumed by placing it under the lip for extended periods of time. Health-E Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.tabinfoasia09.com/ http://tobacco.org/news/292653.html THE BIG ISSUES. THE BIG PLAYERS THE BIG EXHIBITION. THE BIG CONGRESS. It's all here at the Asia Pacific area's premier tobacco event Bangkok - the commercial centre and capitol of Thailand - a city famous for gold-spired temples, long-tail boats, three-wheel tuk-tuks, and fiery curries. From November 11th to the 13th, Bangkok will also be the host for the hottest event on the Asia Pacific tobacco market's calendar. WORLD'S MOST IMPORTANT MARKETS As rules, regulations, and perceptions of tobacco change around the globe, Asia Pacific has become one of the world's most important tobacco markets. That's why TABINFO ASIA holds a spot as one of the most noteworthy and important tobacco events of the year. TABINFO ASIA attracts not only a large number of participants, but also a very diverse representation of industry players - up and down the supply chain. The expanded list of participants makes this a must-attend event for networking, showcasing, discovering, buying, and selling. THE BIG ISSUES The Congress at TABINFO ASIA is focused on The New Landscape of Tobacco as key industry leaders tackle the big issues head on. Everyone attending will have a unique opportunity to participate in the discussion in order to make this a truly impactful event. In this industry - and especially in this region - you cannot afford to miss a thing. Tabinfo Asia 2009 Thailand Asia Sat, 14 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT