http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/country/austria.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://tamworth.yourguide.com.au/news/national/national/general/two-years-of-pain-after-smoking-bans-hotels/806376.aspx http://tobacco.org/news/268400.html An international study showing smoking bans in restaurants, bars and nightclubs have no financial impact on businesses is flawed, according to a Queensland industry group. The World Health Organisation (WHO) released a report today and found public smoking bans are effective and largely pain-free, after examining more than 900 studies and government research. The group concluded that smoke-free policies implemented in bars and restaurants have no impact on business activity. The results are in contrast to Queensland Hotels Association figures, which show an average seven per cent downturn in revenue during 2006 - the first year of smoking bans in Queensland. Tamworth Northern Daily Leader Austria Tue, 08 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.wienerzeitung.at/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=4082&Alias=wzo&cob=355278 http://tobacco.org/news/266934.html The fatal fire that broke out at a refugee centre in Klagenfurt on Thursday claiming the life of an African refugee has been explained as the result of a cigarette. One refugee died and three others were seriously injured after jumping from a second story window to escape the fire. 17 refugees were also slightly injured Wiener Zeitung Austria Fri, 13 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.praguemonitor.com/en/334/czech_national_news/22659/ http://tobacco.org/news/265340.html Austrian customs officials have started imposing tough fines on persons bringing Czech cigarettes to Austria and in addition they confiscate all the non-permitted cigarettes they find, the daily Lidove noviny wrote Tuesday. Czechs taking out more than one carton of Czech cigarettes while travelling for holiday to Croatia via Austria could be severely punished because the Austrian customs officials have started imposing tough fines on all drivers who violate "the tobacco law" while crossing the Austrian border, the paper says. Under the law, passed shortly before the Czech Republic joined the Schengen area without border checks last December, one person can only take out 200 pieces of cigarettes with the Czech-language health warning message while travelling from the Czech Republic to Austria. Prague Daily Monitor Austria Czech Repulic Eastern Europe Wed, 14 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-05/06/content_8111284.htm http://tobacco.org/news/264684.html Austrian teenager smoke generally and therefore enhanced the risk of suffering asthma, the Austrian Society of Pneumology said in a research results released on Monday, a day before the World Asthma day. "20 percent of the 15-year-old boys and 25 percent of the 15-year-old girls smoke daily," said the research, about 50 percent students in the vocational schools smoke. Teenager who never smoke are only around 20 percent. The situation of teenagers who worked in gastronomy is particularly serious with a smoking rate of 70 percent, which mainly attribute to the negative influence from those smoking colleagues and guests. Josef Riedler, an Austrian specialist on respiratory diseases in childhood and adolescence of Austrian Society of Pneumology, said passive smoking would lead to asthma Xinhua Newswire Austria Tue, 06 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iY4P5xkEOQYosfNV1GsJRYeDklIg http://tobacco.org/news/264469.html While many European countries have imposed smoking bans in bars and restaurants, Austria, afraid of hurting businesses, has so far resisted legislation preventing people lighting up where they please. After a six-month break, the ruling Social Democrats and conservatives returned to the negotiating table this week to discuss a no-smoking policy in public places, an issue that has deeply divided politicians. Conservative Health Minister Andrea Kdolsky and the Social Democrats want to protect non-smokers without hurting businesses, while the environmental Greens and trade unions are calling for a total ban. Agence France Presse Austria Wed, 09 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/health/news/article_1402786.php/Austrian_government_agrees_on_smoking_bans_by_2009 http://tobacco.org/news/264467.html After months of intra-coalition wrangling, Austria's government on Wednesday agreed on introducing smoking bans in cafes and restaurants by January 1, 2009. Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer said the compromise found between Social Democrats and the conservative People's Party was a 'step in the right direction.' The ban is, however, far from total, as restaurants will still be able to have smoking sections, albeit in separate rooms. At least 50 per cent of a restaurant's space must be non-smoking the government compromise said. Restaurants, bars or cafes smaller than 50 square metres will have to decide whether to go all non-smoking or remain cigarette-friendly. Monsters and Critics Austria Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.praguepost.com/articles/2008/04/30/sparks-flying-in-cigarette-dispute.php http://tobacco.org/news/264453.html Industry and Trade Minister Martin Říman is now calling on groups afflicted by Austria’s limit on Czech cigarette imports, like the “trafika” newsstands dotting the border, to sue the country through the European Union legal system. Austrians are allowed to bring only 200 cigarettes, 100 cigarillos, 50 cigars or 250 grams of loose tobacco home from their visits to the Czech Republic — limits that technically should apply only to non-EU states. For member states, the EU sets guideline levels four times higher. “This is not about getting more money to flow into the state treasury. It’s a matter of principle,” said Tomáš Bartovský, spokesman for the Industry and Trade Ministry. “[In this case] one EU member state is restricting the free trade of goods from another member state.” It’s atypical for member states to file complaints against each other, hence Říman’s plea to tobacconists, Bartovský added. Prague Post mheitmann@praguepost.com (Michael Heitmann Staff Writer, The Prague Post ) Austria Czech Repulic Thu, 01 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/mostpopular.var.2206367.mostviewed.anger_after_students_allowed_to_smoke_on_school_trip.php http://tobacco.org/news/263753.html A COLLEGE has come under fire from parents and anti-smoking campaigners after a group of young students were allowed to smoke with staff supervision during a trip abroad. More than 200 youngsters from Northallerton College, in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, went on a skiing trip to Austria during the Easter holidays. A group of 16 students, who are aged 15 and 16 and are not legally allowed to buy tobacco, were allowed to smoke cigarettes under the supervision of staff. Northern Echo andy.walker@nne.co.uk (Andy Walker) UK Austria Fri, 18 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://news.theage.com.au/smoking-costs-hit-austrian-economy/20080411-25i2.html http://tobacco.org/news/263059.html Austria's economy is burdened by additional costs of 511 million euros ($A864.64 million), or 0.23 per cent of the country's Gross Domestic Product, per year due to smoking, according to a study just released. If losses in productivity arising from smoking - including health care costs, or early retirement or death because of smoking-related illnesses - were deducted from the income generated by tobacco taxes, the negative economic effects were obvious, the Institute for Higher Studies said. They compared the real costs and benefits with costs occurring in a hypothetical non-smoking society. The Age Austria Fri, 11 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.todayonline.com/articles/247541.asp http://tobacco.org/news/263005.html While many European countries have imposed smoking bans in bars and restaurants, Austria, afraid of hurting businesses, has so far resisted legislation preventing people lighting up where they please. After a six-month break, the ruling Social Democrats and conservatives returned to the negotiating table this week to discuss a no-smoking policy in public places, an issue that has deeply divided politicians. Conservative Health Minister Andrea Kdolsky and the Social Democrats want to protect non-smokers without hurting businesses, while the environmental Greens and trade unions are calling for a total ban. . A compromise deal, due to be presented in mid-May, suggests that all pubs, cafes and restaurants have a sectioned-off area for non-smokers Agence France Presse Austria Thu, 10 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.news24.com/News24/Sport/Soccer/0,,2-9-840_2277202,00.html http://tobacco.org/news/260331.html Vienna - Fans wishing to light up at Euro 2008 matches will be free to do so as neither Austria nor co-hosts Switzerland plan to apply a smoking ban in the stadiums. News reports in both countries said domestic law permitted smoking in the stadiums and that Europe's football body Uefa will also not insist on a cigarette ban. News24 Switzerland Austria Tue, 26 Feb 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wienerzeitung.at/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=4082&Alias=wzo&cob=326801 http://tobacco.org/news/259462.html A poll of 810 people by the Klagenfurt Humaninstituts shows that 44 per cent of Austrians favour a "humane" smoking ban in bars and restaurants, 32 per cent support a "radical" ban, and 24 per cent have no opinion. . . . Institut head Franz Witzeling says that it should be possible to come up with a compromise solution to the question of smoking indoors in establishments open to the public without "panic-mongering." Wiener Zeitung Austria Thu, 07 Feb 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wienerzeitung.at/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=4082&Alias=wzo&cob=324697 http://tobacco.org/news/258779.html The EU Commission is going to take Austria to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) over the issue of the minimum price for cigarettes that Austrian law imposes. The Commission has already lodged such a complaint against Ireland. The ECJ ruled in 1998 in a case against Greece that minimum prices violated EU law since taxes on cigarettes were an adequate means of safeguarding public health. Wiener Zeitung Austria Europe Mon, 28 Jan 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/view/half_in_austria_oppose_restaurant_smoking_ban/ http://tobacco.org/news/258689.html Many Austrians disagree with enacting a full prohibition on smoking in restaurants and other establishments were food is served, according to a poll by OGM. 50 per cent of respondents oppose a ban, while 42 per cent support it. Tobacco is considered as the largest cause of avoidable death in the European Union (EU) . . . On Jan. 15, Kitzbuehel Tourism Association chief Christian Harisch expressed support for a complete ban on smoking in Austrian gastronomic establishments, saying that the country has to portray itself as healthy and not as "Europe's smoking paradise." Harisch said a proposal put forward by the Health Ministry to allow owners of establishments with fewer than 75 square metres to decide whether they would be smoking or non-smoking was "complete nonsense." Angus Reid Group Austria Sat, 26 Jan 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080124/od_afp/austriahealthsmokingoffbeat_080124170731 http://tobacco.org/news/258601.html No more nicotine tablets and patches: the latest tool to help people quit smoking is a luxurious stretch limousine, according to a new anti-smoking campaign in Austria. Where guilt and health concerns no longer work, financial incentives may be the answer for those wishing to give up their daily pack, the Austrian Nicotine Institute and US pharmaceutical company Pfizer, who are behind the campaign, claim. Their "Smoking instead of Smoking" initiative will accordingly tour Austrian shopping centres with a luxury stretch limo, meant to show nicotine addicts what they could now own if their money had not gone up in smoke. Agence France Presse Austria Thu, 24 Jan 2008 05:00:00 GMT