http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/country/czech_repulic.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://praguemonitor.com/2011/08/15/minister-smokers-treatment-costs-one-tenth-taxes http://tobacco.org/news/331975.html An analysis the Czech Health Ministry has made shows that Czech smokers pay in consumer taxes and VAT dozens of billions of crowns more than what their treatment costs, the Czech Television (CT) public broadcaster Sunday quoted Health Minister Leos Heger (TOP 09) as saying. Heger said public finances would lose minimally 50 billion crowns without smokers. He said recently he would like a part of the collected tax to go to his sector. "About six billion crowns is spent on the treatment of smokers' diseases in the system of public health insurance annually while the tax on tobacco products brings in the state budget about 60 billion," Heger said. . . . Eva Kralikova, head of the addictions treatment centre of the 1st Medical Faculty of Charles University, said, however, the health care sector pays 80 to 100 billion crowns for the presence of tobacco in the market. She explained her statement saying that besides the treatment costs also the fact that ill smokers do not pay direct taxes and health insurance must be added to the statistics. Heger's opponents say the costs of treatment are much higher. Vascular and heart operations alone that mostly smokers undergo cost three billion crowns annually. Cancer treatment costs some 20 billion crowns annually, the opponents say. Prague Daily Monitor Czech Repulic Mon, 15 Aug 2011 04:00:00 GMT http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-29/philip-morris-cr-plans-to-raise-cigarette-prices-pravo-reports.html http://tobacco.org/news/331333.html Philip Morris CR AS (TABAK) will raise its cigarette prices by as much as 4 koruna ($0.2) a pack beginning in January because of the higher excise tax being introduced, Pravo reported, citing company data. Bloomberg News lponikelska1@bloomberg.net (Lenka Ponikelska) Czech Repulic Thu, 29 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hACp6Ey-cBK46ssuUDqZtPyuy0yA?docId=52b4d44612b846ba98ad0598de3c71ca http://tobacco.org/news/330661.html Vaclav Havel wove theater into revolution, leading the charge to peacefully bring down communism in a regime he ridiculed as "Absurdistan" and proving the power of the people to overcome totalitarian rule. Shy and bookish, with a wispy mustache and unkempt hair, the dissident playwright was an unlikely hero of Czechoslovakia's 1989 "Velvet Revolution" after four decades of suffocating repression — and of the epic struggle that ended the wider Cold War. He was his country's first democratically elected president, leading it through the early challenges of democracy and its peaceful 1993 breakup into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, though his image suffered as his people discovered the difficulties of transforming their society. A former chain-smoker who had a history of chronic respiratory problems dating back to his years in communist jails, Havel died Sunday morning at his weekend home in the northern Czech Republic, his assistant Sabina Tancevova said. His wife Dagmar and a nun who had been caring for him the last few months of his life were by his side, she said. He was 75. . . . In December 1996, just 11 months after his first wife, Olga Havlova, died of cancer, he lost a third of his right lung during surgery to remove a 15-millimeter (half-inch) malignant tumor. He gave up smoking and married Dagmar Veskrnova, a dashing actress almost 20 years his junior. Associated Press Czech Repulic Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/18/us-czech-havel-idUSTRE7BH08W20111218 http://tobacco.org/news/330660.html Vaclav Havel, a dissident playwright who was jailed by Communists and then went on to become Czech president and a symbol of peace and freedom after leading the bloodless "Velvet Revolution," died at age 75 on Sunday. The former chain smoker, who survived several operations for lung cancer and a burst intestine in the late 1990s that nearly killed him and left him frail for the rest of his life, died after a long respiratory illness. . . . Those scares followed cancer surgery in 1996 to remove two small, malignant tumours and half his right lung. He also suffered from pneumonia and chronic bronchitis. He was last hospitalised for the disease in March and had been very frail, since then, appearing in a wheelchair during the Dali Lama's visit. Reuters Czech Repulic Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://blisstree.com/live/vaclav-havel-dies-lung-cancer-czech-republic-501/ http://tobacco.org/news/330659.html Vaclav Havel, former playwright, president of the Czech Republic and leader of the Velvet revolution in 1981, died in his country home northeast of Prague today at the age of 75, succumbing to a battle with lung cancer. He was a chain smoker for much of his life, but his health problems also stem from the five years he spent in communist prison for dissident activity, where he suffered a poorly treated case of pneumonia that left him with a lifetime of chronic lung problems. Though his lung problems began when he was jailed in the 1980s, he was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1996, and only quit smoking after having a portion of his lung removed to stop cancer growth. After that, he was treated for several other health problems, including surgery for a perforated bowel in 1998; surgery for a pulmonary inflammation in 2009; earlier this year he suffered acute bronchitis, from which he never recovered. Blisstree znvygb:oevnan@oyvffgerr.pbz (Briana Rognlin) Czech Repulic Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://praguemonitor.com/2011/12/14/mfd-us-often-criticised-presidents-aide http://tobacco.org/news/330481.html The USA has become a frequent target of verbal attacks by Czech President Vaclav Klaus's aides who has only once distanced himself from them, daily Mlada fronta Dnes (MfD) writes yesterday. When a U.S. task force killed Osama bin Laden in May, Petr Hajek, deputy head of President Vaclav Klaus's office, said Osama bin Laden's life and death were a media fiction. Hajek indirectly called U.S. President Barack Obama a liar and the successful U.S. operation a part of the started presidential campaign in the USA, MfD writes. Hajek has also suggested that the 9/11 attacks were masterminded by U.S. secret services, it adds. . . . Some views voiced by Hajek are really entertaining. Hajek, a zealous opponent of Darwinism, said he did not descend from any monkey, MfD writes. Besides, he said smoking was not harmful, it adds. Prague Daily Monitor Czech Repulic Wed, 14 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.health-e.org.za/news/article.php?uid=20033286 http://tobacco.org/news/330409.html Philip Morris, who produce Malboros, have admitted that death saves money This podcast by Planet Money reveals a cost analysis commissioned by the Czech Republic government who were concerned about their economic depression. Smoking was admitted to be less costly for governments and Philip Morris admitted that death saves money by Planet Money from http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2010/07/16/128569258/the-friday-podcast-death-saves-you-money A decade ago, Philip Morris commissioned a study that found smokers in the Czech Republic were actually saving society money. . . . Activists used the study's findings against the industry -- and, paradoxically, sought to undermine the study's conclusions. On today's Planet Money, we tell the story of the study. And we look more broadly at the economics of this stuff. For more on the story of the Czech smoking study, listen to our piece on this weekend's This American Life. Health-E Czech Repulic Wed, 20 Apr 2011 04:00:00 GMT http://www.praguepost.cz/news/11016-smoking-ban-is-proposed.html http://tobacco.org/news/328888.html After years of reluctance to include restaurants in any public smoking ban, Boris Šťastný (Civic Democrats, ODS), chairman of the Health Committee of the Parliament and a doctor, is pushing to make the ban a reality by 2014, with the Czech Republic remaining in the minority of European Union countries not to have such restrictions. "Some time has passed, and the Chamber of Deputies has changed as well as the attitude of the public toward more widespread support for the protection of the nonsmokers," Šťastný said. "While in the former election period, the health minister together with the prime minister blocked the new law, these days it is on the contrary." At present, restaurants need only to clearly label themselves as smoking, nonsmoking or mixed, with separate areas for smokers and nonsmokers. Indeed about 70 percents of nonsmokers are in favor of a ban, some 20 percent higher than four years ago Prague Post kjiricna@praguepost.com (Klára Jiřičná - Staff Writer) Czech Repulic Wed, 16 Nov 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.praguepost.com/business/10042-restaurants-fear-smoking-ban.html http://tobacco.org/news/325653.html A proposed ban on smoking in restaurants, bars and cafés has spurred a debate about how the economic consequences will weigh out, as those against the ban caution that bars and restaurants, as well as state revenue, will suffer if fewer people buy cigarettes, while supporters of the ban say the overall improved health of citizens will make up for any losses. The discussion is not new - every time a country presents a smoking ban, the same facts and figures are raised regarding the potential losses for the hospitality industry and the state, but different analyses, both sponsored and independent, report conflicting results. At present, an amendment to ban smoking in restaurants, bars and cafés, with a fine for violators, is being pushed by Dr. Boris Šťastný of the Civic Democrats (ODS), who said this autumn he would present a proposal to the Chamber of Deputies with the support of Health Minister Leoš Heger. The ban would build on legislation that took effect in July 2010 requiring restaurants to display on their doors whether they are smoking or nonsmoking establishments, and requires that nonsmoking sections be enclosed. The Hotels and Restaurants Association of the Czech Republic (AHR ČR) has criticized the proposal, saying that 75 percent of its members already have nonsmoking areas and that the ban would result in a loss of "a considerable part of our guests." Prague Post ccontiguglia@praguepost.com (Cat Contiguglia - Staff Writer) Czech Repulic Wed, 31 Aug 2011 04:00:00 GMT http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/19/philipmorriscr-idUSPRG00496620110519 http://tobacco.org/news/321304.html Revenues at cigarette maker Philip Morris Czech Republic (TABKsp.PR) fell 0.8 percent year on year in the first quarter to 2.49 billion crowns ($145 million), the company said on Thursday. The drop was due to lower sales in its core markets, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the company said. Reuters Czech Repulic Thu, 19 May 2011 04:00:00 GMT http://praguemonitor.com/2011/05/30/survey-smokers-predominate-among-czechs http://tobacco.org/news/321303.html Smokers slightly predominate in the Czech Republic, according to the European Health Interview Survey (EHIS) conducted in the Czech Republic in 2008, whose results were published by the Institute of Health Information and Statistics (UZIS) on the Internet Friday. If daily, occasional and former smokers are added up, they outnumber non-smokers. Non-smokers appear more frequently than smokers among women. Some 42.7 percent of Czech men and 59 percent of Czech women over 15 have never smoked, while the rest did so one time or another in their lives. Prague Daily Monitor Czech Repulic Mon, 30 May 2011 04:00:00 GMT http://www.mindfully.org/Industry/Philip-Morris-Czech-Study.htm http://tobacco.org/news/319799.html November 28, 2000 Arthur D. Little International, Inc. . . . Executive summary Based on up-to-date reliable data and consideration of all relevant contributing factors, the effect of smoking on the public finance balance in the Czech Republic in 1999 was positive, estimated at +5,815 mil. CZK. This report details the findings of a study commissioned by Philip Morris CR a.s. and undertaken by Arthur D. Little to quantify the effects of smoking on the public finance balance in the Czech Republic in 1999. The objective was to determine whether costs imposed on public finance by smokers are offset by tobacco-related tax contributions and external positive effects of smoking. The study entailed analysis of data from scientific journals, reports by international and national health institutions, official statistics published by the Czech Statistical Office, data provided by the General Health Insurance Company and interviews with experts in health care, smoking, epidemiology and economics. The results of the study show that the total public finance balance of smoking in the Czech Republic in 1999 was positive and amounted to +5,815 mil. CZK. This is a realistic estimate, which reflects the author’s best professional opinion. The variety of expert opinion and input data put this estimate to the range of +1,347 mil. CZK to +13,650 mil. CZK. Our principal finding is that the negative financial effects of smoking (such as increased health care costs) are more than offset by positive effects (such as excise tax and VAT collected on tobacco products). This conclusion would hold even if the indirect positive effects of smoking were neglected. Public finance gained between 19,523 mil. CZK and 23,793 mil. CZK,with the realistic estimate of 20,270 mil. CZK, from smoking-related taxes. Public finance saved between 943 mil. CZK and 1,193 mil. CZK (realistic estimate:1,193 mil. CZK) from reduced health-care costs, savings on pensions and housing costs for the elderly -- all related to the early mortality of smokers. Among the positive effects, excise tax, VAT and health care cost savings due to early mortality are the most important. Increased health-care costs, absenteeism-related social costs, lost income tax related to early mortality, and fire-induced costs total between 13,849 mil. CZK and 16,605 mil. CZK, with the realistic estimate totalling 15,647 mil. CZK. Our findings are summarised in Figure 1. Mindfully.org Czech Repulic Tue, 28 Nov 2000 05:00:00 GMT http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/29/czech-philipmorris-idUSLDE72S1GG20110329 http://tobacco.org/news/317427.html Cigarette maker Philip Morris Czech Republic (TABKsp.PR) said on Tuesday it proposed to a pay a 60 percent higher dividend than a year ago, pushing shares to a 2-1/2 month high. The Czech group plans a 1,260 crowns ($72.50) per share gross dividend from 2010 profits, up from 780 crowns a share the previous year, it said in an invitation to its annual shareholders meeting. Net profit rose 13 percent year-on-year to 2.43 billion crowns last year for the tobacco group, which is active in the Czech and Slovak markets and is majority owned by Philip Morris International (PM.N). Reuters Czech Repulic Tue, 29 Mar 2011 04:00:00 GMT http://www.tobaccojournal.com/Czech_government_pushes_aggressively_against_high_smoking_rates.50431.0.html http://tobacco.org/news/316658.html The Czech government is using tax increases and smoking restrictions to reduce smoking. Tobacco Journal International Czech Repulic Tue, 15 Mar 2011 04:00:00 GMT http://www.praguepost.com/opinion/7561-petition-pushes-for-czech-smoking-ban.html http://tobacco.org/news/315415.html About 300 benches around Prague are displaying posters in support of a campaign for smoke-free restaurants, a petition that has attracted more than 115,000 signatures to date. Campaigner Dr. Eva Králíková of the Center for Treatment of Tobacco Dependence at General Teaching Hospital said organizers of the "Stop kouření" (Stop Smoking) campaign were ready to bring the petition to Parliament "to officially present our demands as soon as possible." She told The Prague Post that campaigners were waiting for a resolution to the doctors' pay dispute to ensure their petition gets as much attention as possible. Králíková said the new poster drive came after Dušan Harok, owner of outdoor advertising firm AD-Net, offered 300 spaces on tram and bus stop benches free of charge. "I find this very encouraging that people spontaneously support activities leading to smoke-free restaurants," Králíková said. . . . Králíková, who is also a member of the Charles University Faculty of Medicine, insisted the health benefits of public smoking bans were "clearly proven," adding she believed "any MP who votes against smoke-free legislation is either totally stupid or corrupt." Prague Post Czech Repulic Wed, 16 Feb 2011 05:00:00 GMT