http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/category/tobacco_control.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://www.rediff.com/movies/report/nothings-more-alluring-than-katrina-lighting-your-beedi/20120201.htm http://tobacco.org/news/333241.html If you watch Katrina Kaif's [ Images ] item song Chikni Chameli [ Images ] in Agneepath, you will see a statutory warning scrolling at the bottom of the screen every time she sings, 'Beedi chillum jalaane ayee,' claiming cigarette smoking is injurious to health. But there is no reason for the film industry to go into panic mode. As Pankaja Thakur, CEO of the Censor Board Of Film Certification (CBFC), says it doesn't mean every sequence showing a character smoking would be required to run a warning scroll. "Not at all!" exclaims Thakur emphatically. "The intention of the scroll is being misinterepreted by a section of the film imdustry. An actor smoking on screen is a different matter from an actress saying, Beedi chillum jalaane aayee. We did ask for the scroll in Agneepath. As per the cinematograph act, glamorisation of smoking is not to be allowed on screen. We in the Censor Board thought nothing can make smoking more alluring than Katrina Kaif offering to light the crowd's beedis and chillums." Rediff on the Net moviesreview@rediff.co.in India Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.pressconnects.com/article/20120203/VIEWPOINTS02/202030305/Guest-Viewpoint-Smoking-burden-health-care?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE%7Cs http://tobacco.org/news/333206.html I would like to address online comments made in response to the Dec. 24 letter to the editor titled "Tobacco prevention funds pay off in time." A common misconception is that smoking pays for "kiddy health care." "Kiddy health care" is what some people call the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which is a federally administered program that provides matching funds to cover uninsured children in families with incomes that are modest but too high to qualify for Medicaid. Taxes received by New York from the sale of tobacco and money paid by the tobacco companies to 46 states as outlined in the Master Settlement Agreement — commonly known as tobacco settlement money — are put in the state's general fund and used along with money from many other sources to run the state government. Although these two sources of tobacco-generated revenue totaled $2.2 billion for the state in 2010, they don't begin to cover the cost to treat people with smoking-related illnesses. In contrast to the $2.2 billion that the state received from tobacco in 2010, that same year $8.2 billion was spent in New York to cover health care costs directly caused by smoking, with $5.4 billion coming from the Medicaid program. If smoking ceased and we no longer used Medicaid money to treat smoking-related diseases, New York would have $3.2 billion more to fund "kiddy health care," not the other way around. . . . The key message is that tobacco use not only takes a terrible toll on the health of our family and friends, it also costs taxpayers a large amount of money. Each household in New York has a tax burden of $884 per year in state and federal taxes from smoking-caused government expenditures — a fact too often forgotten when people think only of the revenue that tobacco provides. Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.khq.com/story/16660710/idaho-panel-sets-priorities-for-tobacco-money http://tobacco.org/news/333186.html State lawmakers want to use $5.7 million from a nationwide tobacco settlement for smoking cessation programs and substance abuse treatment. Idaho currently gets money annually from the 1998 settlement with the nation's five largest tobacco companies. The money goes into an account called the "Millennium Fund," and lawmakers allocate 5% each year to spend on smoking prevention and related health programs. Associated Press Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://ibnlive.in.com/news/discourage-glamorisation-of-smoking-ceo-cbfc/226864-8-66.html http://tobacco.org/news/333182.html If you stare hard enough at the screen during Katrina Kaif's item song in 'Agneepath', you will see a statutory warning flashed at the bottom of the screen. But there is no reason for the film industry to go into a panic mode, says Pankaja Thakur, CEO of the Central Board Of Film Certification (CBFC), adding that they just try to discourage glamorisation of smoking on screen. Contray to the widespread concern in the entertainment industry, the board doesn't intend to ask for a warning scroll every time a character on screen takes a smoke. "As long as lyrics like 'Bidi chillum jalaane aayee', offering smoking temptations, are not prevalent, the scroll in 'Agneepath' would be a one-off thing. As long as an actor doesn't urge the world to join in the bidi- chillum smoke, the scroll in 'Agneepath' would remain a one-off thing. Glamorization of smoking is to be discouraged as per the guidelines of the Cinematograph Act," said Thakur. He also says that the filmmakers shouldn't get panicky. "Not at all!" CNN-IBN India Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/Jorhat-launches-anti-tobacco-drive/articleshow/11731725.cms http://tobacco.org/news/333180.html Jorhat has become the first district in the country to introduce a new anti-tobacco drive launched by the Centre recently to control the use of tobacco among people under eighteen years of age. Imposing a strict ban on the sale of tobacco to minors, the Jorhat district tobacco control cell has installed a statutory notice at every tobacco shop instructing both the proprietor and a prospective buyer to follow the rule. The move comes after the Indian government issued a general notification directing all states to launch the drive on December 1, 2011. The government has also unveiled a new logo for their drive. The Times of India India Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-01-29/mumbai/30675760_1_anti-smoking-message-film-maker-warning-scroll http://tobacco.org/news/333172.html The decision of the censor board to ask the producers of Agneepath to run an anti-smoking scroll for the Chikni Chameli song has not gone down well with the industry. Many feel it is curbing their creative freedom and the producers' body is planning to write to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) objecting to the new decision. Siddharth Roy Kapur of UTV Motion Pictures said, "Producers will have to abide by the law of the land. However, it curbs creative freedom significantly and distracts the flow if one has to include anti-smoking scrolls in a movie." He added, "The authorities should reconsider their decision and ask for all such messages to be included at the start of the film." The Association of Motion Pictures and Television Programme Producers (AMPTPP) is also not too happy. The Times of India India Sun, 29 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.malawitoday.com/news/123645-who-fctc-disputes-burley-claims-malawi-gets-case-study-status http://tobacco.org/news/333158.html Claims that partial guidelines for the implementation of Articles 9 and 10 have a negative effect on burley tobacco and its producers are inaccurate, the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO-FCTC) has said. But the International Tobacco Growers Association (ITGA), which has fought against the adoption of the guidelines, has, on several occasions, argued that the treaty threatens the livelihoods of 30 million tobacco growers globally. The association estimates that 3.6 million people in just five poor African countries depend on tobacco cultivation. In Malawi alone, reducing the demand for harsher tasting burley tobacco could shrink the economy by 20 percent, according to ITGA. Two million Malawians directly survive on tobacco growing. The association said a severe shock to exports for tobacco will lead to the destabilisation of Malawi’s economy which will take decades to recover from such a “one-time shock”. Malawi Today Malawi Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=80069 http://tobacco.org/news/333155.html The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s tobacco control campaign has launched music video ‘Life Se Panga mat Le Yaar’ sung by singer Shaan. In May 2011, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had appointed Shaan as the tobacco control ambassador of India. The campaign ‘Life Se Panga Mat Le Yaar’ is being aired on major radio stations like Radio Mirchi, Radio City, BIG FM and Red FM across India from January 28 2012. Unveiling of the music video on popular national television channels like MTV, Sab TV, UTV Bindass and 9XM has begun from 1st February 2012. The 2.3 minute track has a melody and rhythm composed by Shaan. The lyrics have been written by Rekha Nigam and the music video has been directed by Alia Sen Sharma of Chrome Pictures. The video has been co-produced by Salaam Bombay Foundation. . . . In order to implement the tobacco control laws and create awareness on the harmful effects of tobacco use the Government of India launched the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) 2007-08. National level mass media public awareness campaigns are very important component of the NTCP and as per the ‘ WHO report on Global Tobacco Epidemic 2011’ India is one of the few countries to have a dedicated budget for the tobacco control mass media campaign. As per estimates, in India, nearly 1 million people die every year due to diseases related to tobacco use. Press Information Bureau-Government of India India Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/forum-no-smoking-policies-save-lives-and-money/article_cb994489-1bce-5c32-888c-228e928c640f.html http://tobacco.org/news/333153.html American Lung Association in California released its State of Tobacco Control 2012 ---- California Local Grades report card to track how well cities and counties are doing to protect people from the burden of tobacco. . . . Solana Beach was the first city in San Diego County to prohibit smoking on its beaches and in its parks. Solana Beach understood this action would create a healthier environment with reduced pollution from cigarette butts and less second hand smoke for cleaner air. We also eliminated smoking from outdoor dining and most public venues. The decisions that I made as a city council person regarding reducing tobacco smoking exposure are important to me and straightforward. I have pledged as a city council member to uphold the health, safety and welfare of my city and its citizens. And I have received significant support from them and visitors who are excited to enjoy our smoke-free beaches and parks, and the eating and shopping experience in our town unencumbered by inhalation of smoke. Strong anti-smoking policies assist in maintaining healthy communities . . . My hope is that in North County, our cities will make local tobacco control policies a priority. We can be the healthy trendsetter for our county, the state, and nation by implementing policies that create smokefree outdoor air (specifically in restaurant patio dining), smoke-free multiunit housing and reduce tobacco sales to minors through retail licensing. North County Times Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://search.eurekalert.org/e3/cs.html?url=http%3A//www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-01/jotn-sos012012.php&charset=iso-8859-1&qt=tobacco%2C+smoking%2C+cigarettes&col=ev3rel&n=23&la=en http://tobacco.org/news/333124.html Telephone counseling services (also known as quitlines) are an effective intervention for Chinese-, Korean-, and Vietnamese-speaking smokers living in the U.S., and should be incorporated into current smoking cessation services, according to a study published January 25 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Quitlines have played an essential role in helping people quit smoking in the U.S. These services, however, had never been tested with Asian immigrants who may have limited proficiency in English. Dr. Shu-Hong Zhu, a Professor in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of California San Diego (UCSD), and his colleagues designed an intervention to test the effectiveness of quitline counseling for Asian immigrant smokers. The study was embedded into the California quitline service operated by UCSD. Dr. Zhu and his team developed a culturally tailored counseling protocol and tested its effectiveness in Chinese-, Korean-, and Vietnamese-speaking smokers in a large randomized trial. Participants were 2,277 adult smokers who were first time callers to the Asian-language lines of the California Smokers' Helpline. EurekAlert Zachary.Rathner@oup.com Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/politics&id=8526858 http://tobacco.org/news/333110.html Prop 29, called the California Cancer Research Act, would hike tobacco taxes a dollar per pack of cigarettes and other related products to fund research and prevention measures. Supporters of California's Cancer Research Act urged students at Fresno State to vote yes on Prop 29. If approved, the measure would tax a dollar onto a pack of cigarettes which now cost around five or six bucks. "We're hoping that with Prop 29, we'll raise about $600-million each year for cancer research, and cancer education and smoking prevention programs here in California," said Dr. Paul Mills. KFSN ABC-30 Tommy.Tran@abc.com (Tommy Tran, News Team) Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://finance.yahoo.com/news/-5-000-QuitCash-Challenge-prnews-1761157414.html?x=0 http://tobacco.org/news/333109.html A Fridley woman quit smoking after nearly 13 years to win the $5,000 grand prize in QUITPLAN Services' fourth annual QuitCash Challenge. Christine Albertson, 26, was one of more than 3,000 Minnesotans who entered The QuitCash Challenge, kicking their tobacco habit and remaining smoke-free for at least one month. QUITPLAN Services will celebrate Christine's accomplishment and present her with a check for $5,000 on Friday, January 27, just one week before American Heart Month begins. American Heart Month draws attention to the leading cause of death in the United States, coronary heart disease, which, according to the Centers for Disease Control, can be caused by smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke. Christine was able to overcome her addiction to tobacco by using nicotine patches, which she has now weaned off of completely. PR Newswire Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.japantimes.co.jp/rss/nn20120203a9.html http://tobacco.org/news/333103.html The health ministry has presented an advisory panel with a new basic plan for anticancer programs, including the goal of cutting the smoking rate in Japan to 12.2 percent in 10 years, officials said. The rate was 19.5 percent in 2010. The plan submitted Wednesday calls for reducing the rate beginning in fiscal 2012 by helping smokers who wish to quit and rooting out smoking among minors, to achieve the target by fiscal 2022, the officials said. The plan also envisages halving passive smoking. It targets reducing the chances to 15 percent in restaurants and 3 percent in homes, from 50.1 percent and 10.7 percent in 2010. The current plan to fight cancer, drawn up in fiscal 2007, does not include a numerical target for reducing smoking due to opposition from the tobacco industry. The panel of anticancer experts is expected to approve a final plan in June Japan Times Japan Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2012/02/03/2003524583 http://tobacco.org/news/333087.html Two thousand hospitals and clinics are expected to join in a nationwide campaign to help people quit smoking that will be launched on March 1, the Department of Health (DOH) said yesterday. About 180,000 people are expected to take advantage of the program, which will translate into 45,000 smokers quitting the habit, given an expected success rate of 25 percent, Bureau of Health Promotion Director-General Chiou Shu-ti (邱淑媞) said. Success is counted if someone remains smoke-free six months after the end of the program. Taipei Times Taiwan Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/f9a88a0053984d7289e0ca1be5212e40/ID-XGR--Millennium-Fund/ http://tobacco.org/news/333080.html State lawmakers want to use $5.7 million from a nationwide tobacco settlement for smoking cessation programs and substance abuse treatment. Idaho currently gets money annually from the 1998 settlement with the nation's five largest tobacco companies. The money goes into an account called the "Millennium Fund," and lawmakers allocate 5 percent each year to spend on smoking prevention and related health programs. The committee that shepherds the fund voted 8-2 on Wednesday to recommend spending on a dozen programs, with the largest payment at $2 million going to the state Department of Health and Welfare. Associated Press Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT