http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/category/opinion.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://www.nzdoctor.co.nz/news?article=63b904ed-56fd-48f3-a357-24a4f4ee5c42 http://tobacco.org/news/268229.html New research from New Zealand confirms international evidence that tobacco displays encourage children to start smoking. Researchers found that the more times teens visit retail outlets which display tobacco products or report noticing tobacco displays in shops, the more likely they are to be susceptible to smoking, have experimented with smoking or be a regular smoker. That's the conclusion of four researchers with Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) after they examined the results of a survey conducted among 27,000 Year 10 (4th form) students from 238 schools last year. New Zealand Doctor New Zealand Thu, 03 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/2008/06/28/quits-amazing-89520-20623909/ http://tobacco.org/news/268184.html The smoking ban on lighting up in pubs, clubs and restaurants is being hailed as the "single most important health measure for a generation" after record numbers gave up the habit last year. A leaked report shows 234,060 people quit cigarettes in the months before and after the law introduced a year ago - a figure up 22 per cent on the previous year. Ministers will use the anniversary of the smoking ban in England next week to publicise its success. The report, to be officially published on the July 1 anniversary, also shows that 98 per cent of premises inspected complied with the smoke-free legislation. And it says that 76 per cent of people support the ban for workplaces and other public places while just three per cent of businesses reported a negative impact on trade. The Mirror UK Sat, 28 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://news.netdoctor.co.uk/news_detail.php?id=18663717 http://tobacco.org/news/268166.html Public support for smoke-free measures is still on the rise a year after the introduction of England's ban on smoking in public places, new research shows. Recent figures from the Office for National Statistics found that 80 per cent of people are in favour of the smoking ban and a new poll from Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) has now revealed that many people want even stronger measures. More than three quarters of English adults support a ban on smoking in cars carrying children while 85 per cent want shops to be banned from selling tobacco products if they are caught selling cigarettes to children. NetDoctor.co.uk UK Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.swissinfo.org/eng/front/Drinking_and_smoking_lose_favour_with_youth.html?siteSect=105&sid=9284710&cKey=1214930570000&ty=st http://tobacco.org/news/268060.html Young people in Switzerland are drinking less alcohol, as well as smoking less tobacco and cannabis than four years ago, according to a study released on Tuesday. . . . The findings were presented in Bern by the Swiss Institute for the Prevention of Drug and Alcohol Problems as part of the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs. "In the general population of young people, substance use is going down for tobacco, alcohol and cannabis," Gerhard Gmel, director of the study, told swissinfo. . . . Gmel echoed his concern on the availability and low prices for both alcohol and tobacco. "The prices here are the lowest in the world compared to what people earn. Price regulation is one of the best prevention measures we have." swissinfo Switzerland Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/business-news/2008/07/01/bosses-wary-of-cig-ban-100252-21207191/ http://tobacco.org/news/268054.html NEARLY three-quarters of UK bosses have seen productivity fall due to the smoking ban which became law in England and Wales a year ago today. The findings are from new research by Employment Law Advisory Services (Elas), which also reveals that up to five per cent of the 1,100 employers surveyed admitted breaking the law and allowing staff to smoke indoors due to staff taking more frequent or longer smoking breaks. However, on a positive note, 93% of bosses have seen a decrease in the number of employees who start smoking and 82% noted a reduction in sick leave. Liverpool Daily Post & Echo UK Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.ananova.com/business/story/sm_2911737.html http://tobacco.org/news/268011.html Almost two thirds of publicans now support the smoking ban despite more than half seeing a drop in trade. The figure has risen to 64%, up from the 57% when the ban came in a year ago. That is according to a poll of 1,500 licensees for trade magazine The Publican. PA News / Ananova UK Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.cokepubandbar.co.uk/CokePubandBar/lic_news.jsp?article=18663724 http://tobacco.org/news/267918.html Most pub customers have welcomed the smoking ban despite its reported impact on trade, according to a recent study. Figures releases from the Morning Advertiser reveal that up to 78 per cent of pub goers stated that they were pleased the ban was brought in. In addition, nearly half of all smokers were also supportive of the ban with 42 per cent of them happy it was introduced. Further figures released from the Smoking Toolkit Study estimated that the ban has helped up to 400,000 people stop smoking. Coke Pub and Bar UK Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://weblog.signonsandiego.com/news/breaking/2008/07/casino_patrons_dont_like_smoki.html http://tobacco.org/news/267907.html Most Southern California casino customers don't like cigarette smoke, according to a survey released this morning by J.D. Power and Associates. About 85 percent of the 1,766 casino patrons surveyed said they preferred a non-smoking environment San Diego Union-Tribune Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.itv.com/News/Articles/Pubs-show-support-for-smoking-ban-722886353.html http://tobacco.org/news/267789.html Most publicans support the smoking ban even though their takings have fallen. A poll of 1,500 licensees for trade magazine The Publican showed 64 per cent are now in favour of the ban, compared with 57 per cent when the ban was introduced last summer. Nearly half of those polled (48 per cent) said they strongly supported the ban, even though 52 per cent of licensees reported a fall in trade over the last year. Only 10 per cent of landlords reported a rise in takings, while 38 per cent said business had remained the same. ITV Network Limited UK Sun, 29 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.jg-tc.com/articles/2008/06/26/news/doc48644fbb386a1902270785.txt http://tobacco.org/news/267737.html Anti-smoking advocates pointed to a statewide survey Thursday to declare Illinois' six-month-old ban on public smoking a success. Nearly three-quarters of the more than 600 registered voters surveyed said they think the state's ban on smoking has been beneficial. The percentage increased by nearly 10 percent since the same company conducted a similar poll a year ago, when the issue was debated statewide. On behalf of the American Lung Association of Illinois, American Cancer Society-Illinois and the Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago, the Washington D.C.-based firm of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research polled 606 Illinoisans on the smoking ban from May 28 to June 1. Journal Gazette and Times-Courier online@jg-tc.com (KARTIKAY MEHROTRA, JG/T-C Springfield Bureau) Fri, 27 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.nwitimes.com/articles/2008/06/27//news/illiana/doc5fd9eb9b45260f79862574750001b91b.txt http://tobacco.org/news/267734.html Anti-smoking advocates pointed to a statewide survey Thursday to declare Illinois' six-month-old ban on public smoking a success. Nearly three-quarters of the more than 600 registered voters surveyed said they think the state's ban on smoking has been beneficial. The percentage has increased by nearly 10 percent since a year ago, when the same company conducted a similar poll as the issue was being debated statewide. Residents were surveyed by a private international polling agency on behalf of the American Lung Association of Illinois, American Cancer Society - Illinois and the Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago. "Clearly, the public understands that cigarette smoke in the workplace is a serious health hazard," The Times of Northwest Indiana Fri, 27 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.stuff.co.nz/4599871a11.html http://tobacco.org/news/267732.html Cigarettes could soon be kept under shop counters, with huge support having been expressed for a ban on tobacco displays. A Health Ministry report on public consultation on tobacco displays shows 453 out of 557 submissions received - more than 80 per cent - were in favour of a total ban. It is estimated that 10,000 dairies, supermarkets and petrol stations sell tobacco products. They are at present allowed to display 100 cigarette packets per cash register and must have a "smoking kills" sign nearby. British American Tobacco New Zealand warns that a ban on displays could drive sales underground and put retailers at risk. . . . The survey was presented yesterday on the final day of the National Tobacco Control Hui in Wellington. Independent Newspapers Ltd. / STUFF New Zealand Sat, 28 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://news10now.com/content/top_stories/118961/smoking-down-among-high-school-students/Default.aspx http://tobacco.org/news/267710.html Smoking among high school students in New York is down. That's according to a new report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The American Lung Association of New York is thrilled with news, since teen smoking is down from just over 16 percent in 2005 to 13.8 percent in 2007. The survey is administered every two years to students in grades 9 to 12. News 10 Now Thu, 26 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5725a3.htm http://tobacco.org/news/267703.html To examine changes in cigarette use among high school students in the United States during 1991--2007, CDC analyzed data from the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). This report summarizes the results of that analysis, which indicated that the prevalence of lifetime cigarette use was stable during 1991--1999 and then declined from 70.4% in 1999 to 50.3% in 2007. The prevalence of current cigarette use increased from 27.5% in 1991 to 36.4% in 1997, declined to 21.9% in 2003, and remained stable from 2003 to 2007. The prevalence of current frequent cigarette use increased from 12.7% in 1991 to 16.8% in 1999 and then declined to 8.1% in 2007. To resume the declines observed in current cigarette use during 1997--2003 and achieve the 2010 objective, communitywide comprehensive tobacco-control programs that use coordinated evidence-based strategies should be implemented and revitalized. . . . The findings in this report show that current cigarette use among high school students declined from 1997 to 2003, but rates remained stable from 2003 to 2007. This trend is consistent with 30-day cigarette use trends reported from the Monitoring the Future survey (an ongoing national study of the behaviors, attitudes, and values of 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students), which also show declines starting in the late 1990s and stable rates more recently (3). The sharp increase in cigarette use during the early to mid-1990s observed in this and other surveys might have resulted from expanded tobacco company promotional efforts, including discounted prices on cigarette brands most often smoked by adolescents, product placement in movies, development of nontobacco product lines with company symbols (e.g., hats and t-shirts), and sponsorship of music concerts and other youth-focused events Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report mmwrq@cdc.gov Thu, 26 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/06-26-2008/0004839682&EDATE= http://tobacco.org/news/267700.html Nearly six months after implementation of the state's smoke-free workplace law, a poll released today finds that Illinois voters overwhelmingly support the law making public places smoke-free by prohibiting smoking inside all workplaces, including restaurants, bars, and casinos. The poll also finds that voters would reject attempts to exempt casinos from the new law. "The smoke-free law is working exactly as intended to protect the people of Illinois from the health harms of secondhand smoke and preserve their right to breathe clean air. Clearly, Illinois voters appreciate the new law," said Clement Rose, MD, President, American Cancer Society, Illinois Division. The poll found that nearly three out of four (73 percent) Illinois voters support the smoke-free workplace law, with 62 percent expressing strong support. Just 25 percent of voters oppose the law. The smoke-free law is even more popular now than when passed a year ago by the state legislature - with the margin of support growing by 10 percentage points from a similar poll conducted a year ago. At the same time last year, voters favored the legislation 68 to 30 percent. Support for the new law comes from a broad coalition of voters, including Democrats and Republicans as well as voters in every region of the state. By a 2 to 1 margin, voters also feel that casinos should continue to be included under the smoke-free law. PR Newswire Thu, 26 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT