http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/country/finland.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=atBXnoTda1WM http://tobacco.org/news/268134.html The 27,000 people of Finland's Aaland Islands are tired of being bossed around by the European Union. ... The islanders, who often say they feel more like Swedes than Finns, have clashed with the EU over fishing and hunting rights, as well as snus, a form of snuff that is popular in Sweden but illegal to sell in Finland. ... Aalanders consider snus, pronounced ``snoos,'' to be an important part of their Swedish culture. Brussels banned sales of snus, packets of tobacco that are inserted under the top lip, in 1992 on concern it would spread outside Scandinavia and attract new users. Sweden won an exemption before it joined the bloc in 1995. Aaland ferries continue to sell snus in Swedish waters. Bloomberg News dbenaaron1@bloomberg.net (Diana ben-Aaron) Finland Europe Thu, 03 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSL3090731620080530?sp=true http://tobacco.org/news/266297.html In a Finnish court case that could set a precedent in Europe, two tobacco firms admitted smoking may cause serious illness but denied liability to three women with lung disease who say they were unaware of the dangers. The Helsinki district court on Friday heard closing arguments in an indemnity and product liability suit brought by the women, aged 64, 58 and 52, against the Nordic unit of British American Tobacco (BATS.L: Quote, Profile, Research) and Finland's Amer (AMEAS.HE: Quote, Profile, Research), which produced cigarettes until 2004 under licence from Altria's (MO.N: Quote, Profile, Research) Philip Morris. A ruling is due in late August or early September. Erkki Aurejarvi, the plaintiffs' lawyer, contended that when the women started smoking as teens, there was no way for them to understand the risks, since tobacco firms hid and publicly denied the link between cigarettes and diseases such as lung cancer. His team also argued that tobacco companies have since the 1970s incorrectly marketed light cigarettes as a healthier option. Reuters Finland Fri, 30 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.yle.fi/news/id92077.html http://tobacco.org/news/266137.html The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health estimates the level of absenteeism has dramatically fallen in the restaurant sector since the introduction of a complete ban on smoking last year. Earlier tens of thousands of bar and restaurant personnel had to inhale tobacco smoke. Around 4,000 to 5,000 restaurant employees still face toxic tobacco fumes at work in the some 500 establishments which were able to obtain a partial exemption from the law until the summer of next year. The Institute of Occupational Health says those restaurants allowing smoking should give their non-smoking employees jobs in areas where no smoking took place. They were particularly concerned about the plight of expectant mothers . . . The Service Union United PAM has expressed satisfaction with the tougher anti-smoking law. . . . For their part, the Association of Hotels and Restaurants (MaRa ry.) says the smoking ban in restaurants has weakened growth in the sector. YLE24 Finland Thu, 29 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Women%20smoking%20less%20than%20before/1135235567375 http://tobacco.org/news/263454.html Only 17 per cent of women in Finland are smokers, according to a recent study. The figure is the lowest since the 1980s. Health officials are pleased that the trend is the same among young women as well. Of those aged 15 to 24, 16 per cent smoke, showing a sharp decline that has continued for three years. Until recently, the rate of smoking among women had long been at 20 per cent. However, the decline in smoking among men has stopped. The proportion of smokers among men has slightly increased from the previous years, and is most striking among younger men. One in four Finnish men smoke on a daily basis. A clear majority of smokers want to quit. "The problem is not how to persuade smokers that they should quit, but rather to help them do what they want to do", emphasises Pekka Puska, director-general of the National Public Health Institute. According to Puska, one solution would be to impose higher punitive taxes Helsingin Sanomat Finland Mon, 14 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Workers+at+mines+and+quarries+face+highest+cancer+risk/1135235039356 http://tobacco.org/news/261931.html People working in mines and quarries have been found to have the greatest cancer risk of all occupational groups. According to the Nordic Occupational Cancer Study, seamen have the second-highest risk, while tobacco industry workers come in third. The study, which is being released on Tuesday, finds that the lowest cancer risk is among farmers and garden workers. . . . Cancers among ship crews are linked with factors such as the asbestos insulation that was previously used in machine rooms, and occasional exposure to chemicals in cargo. Seamen also frequently suffer from cancers caused by smoking and alcohol, such as cancers of the mouth larynx, liver, and the lungs. Those working in the tobacco industry have been entitled to free cigarettes. Pukkala also notes that the air in cigarette factories has also had large amounts of carcinogenic substances. Restaurant personnel have suffered from having to breathe large amounts of second-hand smoke. Male journalists frequently have alcohol-related cancers, but they have fewer smoking-related cancers. Women journalists, for their part, have more than double the lung cancer risk of the average woman, apparently resulting from a higher rate of smoking. Helsingin Sanomat Finland Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/markmardell/2008/03/could_finland_snuff_out_the_li.html http://tobacco.org/news/261454.html Those who want to stop the Lisbon Treaty may be in the mood for grasping, not at straws, but snus. This is what’s known as “moist oral snuff” but is basically chewing tobacco in a sort of tea bag. It seems that Finland is so exercised about a European Union ban on the product that there is a suggestion that they could reject the treaty. Or at least the Aland Islands' government could reject it. The islands are a semi-autonomous province of Finland . . . Ships from the Aland Islands want to be able to sell it in Swedish waters. Although the Aland government could vote against the treaty and simply be outside its scope, YLE news reports that Finnish government ministers don’t find this acceptable. I can’t see the European Commission risking the treaty over the issue, and it looks very much as if the Finns are playing hardball to get concessions, but interesting nonetheless. BBC Online Finland Europe Wed, 12 Mar 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.yle.fi/news/id84282.html http://tobacco.org/news/260690.html Three women suffering from various lung afflictions are each seeking over 100,000 euros in restitution from Amer and British American Tobacco. The women are accusing the companies of misleading advertising, as tobacco companies previously advertised "light" cigarettes as less harmful to health than regular cigarettes. The women smoked these types of cigarettes for years. Monday opened a court battle, expected to be waged over months, on whether the tobacco companies are liable to pay compensation to the women, who are now in their fifties and ill. YLE24 Finland Mon, 03 Mar 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssConsumerGoodsAndRetailNews/idUSL0320897020080303 http://tobacco.org/news/260687.html Three Finnish women with lung disease are claiming 348,000 euros ($527,900) in damages from two tobacco companies in a case that could set a precedent in Europe. The women, aged 64, 58 and 52, are suing the Nordic unit of British American Tobacco (BAT) and Finland's Amer, which manufactured cigarettes until 2004 under licence from Altria's Philip Morris. . . . The plaintiffs argue they were not aware of the dangers of smoking when they started in their teenage years, and that the tobacco companies hid and publicly denied that cigarettes cause various diseases, including lung cancer. Two of the women have had lung cancer and all three have been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Their lawyers also argue that tobacco companies have since the 1970s marketed light cigarettes as a healthier option. . . . The hearings are expected to last until May with a decision due later in the year. Reuters Finland Mon, 03 Mar 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2008/02/15/DI2008021501434.html http://tobacco.org/news/260310.html Cherry Hill, NJ: On a trip to see several spots in Scandinavia, my husband and I (both non smokers) booked a cheap room - with bunkbeds - on an overnight ferry from Helsinki to Stockholm. It was cheap for a reason. My tall (6'4) husband didn't fit on the bed, and the floor was a smoking floor! Apparently, lots of young college kids go back and forth from Helsinki to Stockholm and party - drink and smoke - all night. We had already purchased our return trip for a few days later in the same cabin class, but a gracious agent allowed us to upgrade to a room with a view, in a nonsmoking area. Oh, that was heaven! John Deiner: Good for you, CH. Smoking rooms, if you don't smoke, are disgusting. Glad you changed. The Washington Post deinerj@washpost.com Finland Sweden Mon, 25 Feb 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Smoking%20legislation%20has%20not%20driven%20customers%20away%20from%20downtown%20bars/1135234004138 http://tobacco.org/news/259781.html Joking apart, Heikki has had to change his habits. He and many others from among the pub’s old regulars now pop in for a quick beer to say hello to friends and acquaintances, and then they head home or go to some other bar that has - unlike Angleterre - arranged itself a stay of execution for smokers. “What I happen to like are beer and a cigarette. I’m not looking for just a beer”, Heikki says. Restaurant Manager Vessu Juvonen acknowledges that the new law has hit revenue a little, but certainly not as much as 10 per cent. “It is hard to say, as in some months we are showing a plus and in others sales are down. The drop has not been as radical as we initially feared”, he says. The secret is that non-smoking citizens have also found the pleasures of sitting in the pub. Helsingin Sanomat otto.talvio@sanoma.fi (Otto Talvio) Finland Sat, 09 Feb 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Ban%20on%20smoking%20has%20already%20cut%20pub%20sales%20by%2010/1135234003538 http://tobacco.org/news/259780.html The new law on smoking in public places, including bars and restaurants, which was introduced in June of last year, has led to a clear decline in bar sales. HOK-Elanto, which owns and operates more than 100 bars and restaurants in the Greater Helsinki area, reports that income from bar sales since last July has been consistently around 10 per cent down on the equivalent monthly figures in 2006. A similar picture is drawn by other publicans and restaurateurs in the region who were interviewed by Helsingin Sanomat. . . . Heinonen states by contrast that sales of food have increased in the chain’s eateries. "If the new legislation has caused this, then it has had a positive impact." "When one looks at customer behaviour patterns, then this [the introduction of the law last June] has been an important change in Finnish restaurant history", comments Heinonen. He nevertheless is confident that people will find their way back to restaurants and bars. "The Finns are not going to stop drinking." Helsingin Sanomat jarmo.huhtanen@hs.fi (Jarmo Huhtanen) Finland Sat, 09 Feb 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.stm.fi/Resource.phx/publishing/documents/13679/index.htx http://tobacco.org/news/258442.html Efforts made at the beginning of the decade to improve the health of young people seem to be paying off. Fresh research shows that young people experiment with smoking or take up the habit at an older age. Abstinence from alcoholic drink has increased among 12-16 year-olds and inebriation has dropped among 18-year-olds. The trends were recorded from a survey conducted in 2007 of 5,840 young people aged 12-18. The replies to the survey indicate that experimenting with smoking has declined among all young age groups. Smoking and tobacco products no longer have the same significance attached to them for young people than for the previous generation. Smoking is less conspicuous and there is a greater understanding of the health risks it involves, and so it is less of a symbol of adulthood. Finland Ministry of Social Affairs and Health arja.rimpela@uta.fi Finland Thu, 10 Jan 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Minister%20of%20Health%20and%20Social%20Services%20wants%20to%20see%20price%20hike%20for%20cigarettes/1135233372421 http://tobacco.org/news/258441.html Minister of Health and Social Services Paula Risikko (National Coalition Party) believes it is necessary to raise the price of a pack of cigarettes in order to discourage smoking. Risikko is in favour of including an increase in the excise duty levied on cigarettes in next year’s budget proposals. "According to research studies, increasing the price of tobacco products is the most effective way of reducing smoking in the population, particularly among the young and the less well-educated", declared Risikko in the opening address to a "Smokeless Finland 2040" seminar in Helsinki arranged by the Finnish network of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work. A working party from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is currently preparing a proposal for the increasing of duty on cigarettes and tobacco. Helsingin Sanomat Finland Fri, 18 Jan 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.yle.fi/news/left/id77821.html http://tobacco.org/news/256872.html A ban on smoking has cut sales in bars and pubs, according to new sector survey. The Association of Travel and Restaurant Services says that income for pubs has dropped more than predicted. Smoking was prohibited in bars and restaurants as of the 1st of June of this year. The law allows setting up a special smoking room with separate a ventilation system. Drinking, eating, serving and entertainment such as games are prohibited in the smoking booth. YLE24 Finland Mon, 17 Dec 2007 05:00:00 GMT http://www.hs.fi/english/article/EU%20fines%20%C3%85land%20over%20smokeless%20tobacco/1135231272892 http://tobacco.org/news/254371.html The European Union is imposing a fine on the semi-autonomous Ã…land Islands for violating the European Union ban on the sale of smokeless tobacco. The European Commission decided on Tuesday to impose a significant fine on the province. In May of last year the Commission noted that the practice violates EU legislation, and the total of the fine grows with each day that Ã…land fails to comply. The sum now stands at more than two million euros. Helsingin Sanomat Finland Europe Fri, 26 Oct 2007 04:00:00 GMT