http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/category/internet.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/080512/aqm096.html?.v=45 http://tobacco.org/news/265147.html Many nonsmokers support the right of smokers to light up in their apartments. While the majority of renters surveyed (62%) by Apartments.com do not smoke, opinions on whether or not to ban smoking in apartment communities were neck in neck. Leading with a slight majority, forty-five percent of renters surveyed do not believe that smoking should be banned in apartment communities while nearly forty percent support a smoking ban. However, this is not a black and white issue for renters as many seem conflicted by their desire to live in a smoke-free apartment community and the rights of the renter. Thirty-two percent of renters surveyed believe that their property management company should not be able to dictate whether or not they can smoke in the privacy of their own apartment PR Newswire tkotula@apartments.com (Source: Apartments.com) Mon, 12 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.connpost.com/localnews/ci_9220201 http://tobacco.org/news/265064.html In his latest crusade against teenage smoking, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is butting heads with Stamford-based UST Inc. Blumenthal wants Congress to add tobacco to the list of items banned from mail delivery, a step he claims would effectively block Internet sales of cigarettes to minors and those seeking to evade paying state taxes. UST, the world's leading producer of moist smokeless tobacco products, is lobbying against such a ban. The holding company and its public affairs arm reported spending $650,000 in the first quarter of 2008 on lobbying Congress, according to a quarterly report recently filed with the U.S. Senate. Although $650,000 may seem large, it represents only a small fraction of special interest lobbying. . . . Beyond the sale of cigarettes to minors, Blumenthal said the Internet is costing states tax revenues, particularly those that have enacted high taxes like Connecticut. The state's $2-a-pack tax is one of the highest in the nation. Prudential Financial Research estimated that states lost $254.7 million in excise taxes in 2002 as a result of Internet cigarette sales. Connecticut Post Sun, 11 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=749176 http://tobacco.org/news/265036.html State Revenue Department officials have sent more than 1,000 letters this year to Wisconsin smokers who bought cigarettes from Internet vendors, telling them to either stop buying them that way or pay the $1.77-per-pack state tax that took effect Jan. 1. "You have been reported to DOR as a person who recently purchased cigarettes where the cigarette use taxes and sales taxes . . . due may not have been paid," the warning letter says. It lays the groundwork for those smokers to be billed if their names show up as repeat buyers from Internet vendors. . . . some Wisconsin residents got an ad in the mail last week from an online vendor associated with the Seneca Indian Nation, offering a 10-pack carton of Skydancer cigarettes over the Internet for $12.99 - about $5 less than the Wisconsin taxes owed on it. Another Internet cigarette vendor, smokin4free.com, tells potential customers it won't cooperate with federal or state tax collectors under any circumstances: "IMPORTANT: We have never and do not report any information about our customers to any authorities. We guarantee your safety while shopping with us and will uphold our promise in keeping your information 100% confidential." Asked about such ads, Ervin said his agency is quietly doing all it can to work with Internet vendors, retailers and Indian tribes that sell cigarettes, and Wisconsin smokers who are avoiding the $1.77-per-pack tax. . . . At www.NoCigTax.com, a site belonging to the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., toll-free phone numbers appear with urgings to call lawmakers to speak out against rising cigarette taxes. A supervisor reached by phone who identified himself as Hyson Blitz said callers to NoCigTax.com are asked their ZIP codes so they can be given the names and contact information for their local legislators. Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel swalters@journalsentinel.com (STEVEN WALTERS) Sat, 10 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-wi-internetcigarette,0,6721770.story http://tobacco.org/news/265035.html The state's Revenue Department has sent out more than 1,000 letters this year to smokers who bought cigarettes online telling them to stop buying cigarettes that way or to pay the $1.77-per-pack state tax that's now in effect. The letters could mean the smokers could be billed if their names show up as repeat buyers later. The state said it got the names from Internet cigarette vendors after notifying 75 of them that a federal law makes it their responsibility to ensure Wisconsin gets the tax money. AP Sat, 10 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://americanlegacy.org/2361.aspx http://tobacco.org/news/265008.html Throughout the month of April and May, new elements from the truth® youth smoking prevention campaign will roll out online, on television, and in movie theaters. The latest truth® campaign, called the “Sunny Side of truth® ”, launched in January 2008; the campaign aims to shine a light on some of the activities of Big Tobacco and the health consequences of tobacco use by satirically pointing out some of the “hidden positives” associated with tobacco. “We know that today’s media-savvy teens look to TV, the Internet and popular entertainment to keep up with friends and get their daily information,” remarked Cheryl G. Healton American Legacy Foundation Mon, 05 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://whyquit.com/pr/043008.html http://tobacco.org/news/264911.html Prior to the Internet, the death of a young smoker in their thirties or forties was likely a local obituary page news event, if covered at all. But increasingly, young and middle-aged terminally ill smokers, and their surviving families, are realizing the value of their ordeals to worldwide youth smoking prevention efforts and in helping motivate smokers to quit smoking. Boldly, they are going online to share how the richness of life can be snuffed horribly short by not arresting chemical dependency upon smoking nicotine while still time. A tour guide with a passion for history, a Camel smoker since age 14, Noni Glykos was married at 30 and gave birth to her only child, a son, at 32. Two months later she was told she had lung cancer, that it had already spread to her brain, and that she only had a few months to live. One month later Noni bravely stood before friends and loved ones at her final birthday party to say goodbye. Today visitors to WhyQuit watch a video clip of Noni's farewell speech . . . A two-pack-a-day Marlboro smoker, Bryan Lee Curtis starting smoking cigarettes at age 13. Those reading his story view a haunting image of what small cell lung cancer can do to a human body in just 63 days. Having just turned 34, a photograph shows his grieving wife Bobbie clinging to their two-year-old son, as Brian lies on his death bed. . . . Visitors are also introduced to notable smoking victims such as playwright Lorraine Hansberry, who wrote "Raisin in the Sun" and died of lung cancer at age 34, and actress Carrie Hamilton, daughter of Carol Burnett, lost to lung cancer at 38. The most recent notable recognized at WhyQuit is popular Toronto radio DJ Chris "Punch" Andrews who died of lung cancer on March 30, 2008 at age 43. whyquit.com Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.the84.org/home/index.php?name=The%20Scene&id=3 http://tobacco.org/news/264709.html Ever thought you could build a movement by not doing something? That's because you're doing something with your head, your time, and your cash instead of smoking or chewing tobacco. That's what makes you The 84. Here's the lowdown. The 84 is the huge number of young people in Massachusetts who choose not to use tobacco.(83.6% of 7th to 12th-graders who aren't current smokers, to be exact!)*. Some of us are outraged and outspoken about Big Tobacco's deadly products. Some of us fight tobacco on the DL. Some of us want our parents and friends to quit. Some of us aren't even trying to make a statement by not smoking... we're too busy doing other things that make us part of the 84. The84.org Tue, 06 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1210062662307540.xml&coll=2 http://tobacco.org/news/264708.html The state is smoking out Ohio smokers who evaded cigarette taxes by shopping online between July and March. Nearly 5,500 buyers should expect a bill for unpaid excise and use taxes on cigarettes purchased during that nine-month period, the Ohio Department of Taxation announced Monday. The combined tab? More than $2.15 million, including nearly $370,000 owed to Cuyahoga County. The largest bill - $2,700 - belongs to a Huron County resident who bought 2,160 packs from out-of-state Internet vendors. Most bills are less than $600. They must be paid within 30 days, according to the department, which did not release names. "If people bought online to avoid taxes," state spokesman Mike McKinney said, "they're going to be disappointed." Cleveland Plain Dealer Tue, 06 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.nbc4i.com/midwest/cmh/news.apx.-content-articles-CMH-2008-05-05-0027.html http://tobacco.org/news/264707.html If you have gone online thinking you were cheating the system and bypassing the state's cigarette tax, you could be in for a surprise when a bill for those state taxes shows up in your mailbox. Peter Wong buys his cigarettes at the same place as many smokers. "I buy them in a gas station or somewhere like that," he says. Mark Overton smokes as well. "(Cigarettes) are exceedingly getting more and more expensive," he says. nbc4i tbrockman@wcmh.com (Tom Brockman) Tue, 06 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/hp/content/oh/story/news/local/2008/05/05/sns050608smokers.html http://tobacco.org/news/264701.html Smokers who bought cigarettes online hoping to avoid potentially costly taxes are in for a surprise -- Ohio Department of Taxation officials have begun mailing letters to collect more than $2.1 million from Internet purchasers for unpaid cigarette excise and sales taxes. The department is mailing out 5,468 bills over the next few weeks for unpaid taxes on cigarettes purchased online between July 2007 and March 2008, , according to a press release. Springfield News-Sun boutten@coxohio.com (Bridgette Outten Staff Writer) Mon, 05 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/olympics/2008-04/28/content_6649491.htm http://tobacco.org/news/264214.html As high as 90 percent of the Chinese public applauded Beijing's smoking ban in public places, to take effect on May 1, however some are concerned if the ban can be implemented effectively, a survey has shown. The survey by the China Youth Daily and sina.com.cn, covering 5,482 netizens, also revealed that 52 percent of the smoking population agreed with the ban while 37 percent opposed it. A student smoker at Peking University said he was "certainly unhappy about the ban" but as the ban was to benefit others he would not strongly oppose it. . .. The on-line survey showed half of the surveyed local residents know of the Beijing smoking ban, and less than 22 percent think it will be enforced effectively. The survey showed that 90 percent of the respondents believed ubiquitous passive smoking would bring harm to non-smokers' health. More than 72 percent said smokers could well quit smoking after the ban was imposed next month. China Daily China Mon, 28 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.csnews.com/csn/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003791062&imw=Y http://tobacco.org/news/263880.html The second largest U.S. cigarette maker, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. (RJRT), recently expanded its tobacco advocacy Web site for retailers and wholesalers -- NoCigTax.com -- to include materials on state-level excise tax legislation, as well as the original issue covered: the federal excise tax (FET) increase on cigarettes, company representatives told CSNews Online. In a meeting earlier this week with CSNews Online, Dave Riser, vice president of government relations and trade marketing for RJRT, emphasized the original site saw more than 30,000 visits and generated more than 120,000 contacts to legislators on the FET between June and December 2007. Moreover, more than 1,100 tobacco-related bills -- including anti-smoking efforts and state tax increases -- were introduced in 2007. Due to the continued targeting of cigarettes for tax increases, and the impact it had on the company's retail and wholesale partners, RJRT saw a need to expand its Web site to cover cigarette legislation both on the state and federal level, he said. "This is a commitment to our trade partners who face the challenges of the industry," he said. "This is less about R.J. Reynolds, than letting them know their opinion counts, it does matter, and it can make a difference." .. . he No. 1 ongoing issue is H.R. 1108, a bill that would allow the FDA to regulate the sale and manufacture of tobacco products, said Riser. To that end, the NoCigTax.com Web site also has a microsite dedicated to fighting that legislation Convenience Store News Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.thestreet.com/story/10412140/1/how-to-find-smoke-free-hotel-rooms-worldwide.html http://tobacco.org/news/263841.html Finding European and Asian hotels that restrict, or even ban, smoking is easier than ever before for travelers willing to put in the time to research their options. Usually, that boils down to spending some time on the Internet, surfing the Web sites of tourist boards, hotel chains, online outlets like Hotels.com, Expedia and Freshstay.com, and checking out the hotels section of sites such as Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights . As always with the Web, there is plenty of information out there, but reading the fine print is essential. Details and nuances of smoking policies can differ widely thestreet.com Wed, 16 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/04/14/smoking_sites_hack/ http://tobacco.org/news/263325.html Hackers attacked the websites of two organisations campaigning against the smoking ban last week, redirecting UK users to the NHS Smokefree site. The attack, which targeted British organisation Freedom2Choose and Forces International, lasted 11 hours. Freedom2Choose webmaster Steven Cross said the redirect appeared to have been caused by a DNS poisoning attack. . . . No one has been fingered as the author of the attack but, much to the relief of the tobacco-fanciers, both sites are working now. No matter how healthy the NHS Smokefree site may be, its content will never be as amusing as reading the claims that the smoking ban is a case of "social engineering", or that the ban in NY is "causing all kinds of problems [and] 'bad vibes'". The Register UK Tue, 15 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/04-10-2008/0004790392&EDATE= http://tobacco.org/news/263154.html comScore, Inc. (Nasdaq: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released a listing of the 20 most commonly searched health conditions as well as the 15 most commonly searched prescription brands in February 2008. The results, from comScore's custom search capability, revealed that the terms "pregnancy" and "cancer" were the two most frequently searched conditions, garnering 8.8 million and 7.7 million search queries respectively. That five of the 20 conditions (herpes, HIV, HPV, menopause and pregnancy) relate to sexual or reproductive health may be a function of these conditions' highly personal nature and the anonymity the Internet provides. . . . The study also looked at the top 15 most commonly searched prescription brand name treatments and found that Pfizer's Chantix, a smoking cessation treatment, topped the list, generating more than 500,000 search queries in February 2008. PR Newswire photodesk@prnewswire.com (SOURCE comScore, Inc.) Thu, 10 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT