http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/country/malta.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=139474 http://tobacco.org/news/333543.html Cigarettes may turn out to be even more expensive than they are for the unwary: having a smoke in a garden or playground where there is children's play equipment would cost the offender a ?232.90 fine, according to legal notice 493 of last year. The prohibition is restricted to the zone where play equipment is installed and local councils have been asked to identify these areas. Malta Independent tmid@independent.com.mt Malta Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/national/World-Cancer-Day-marked-by-anti-smoking-campaign-20120204 http://tobacco.org/news/333290.html Addressing a news conference to mark World Cancer Day held this morning at Mater Dei hospital, the Health Minister, Joe Cassar said government intends to embark on anti-smoking campaign to address the growing number of cancers caused by tobacco. Cassar said that 26.6% of men and 9% of women who died in Malta last year, had lung cancer. "Smoking is a vice people find very hard to get rid of. Smoking not only harms smokers but is also harmful to people around smokers." Stephen Montford, who chairs the smoking and health committee that runs smoking cessation programmes, said that hospital offers cessation and psycho therapy classes to hospital patients and employees who wish to stop smoking. Montford also said that a tender has been issued for the introduction of nicotine replacement therapy patches for patients. Malta Today /mailto:maltatoday@mediatoday.com.mt (Saviour Balzan) Malta Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.maltastar.com/pages/r1/ms10dart.asp?a=19748 http://tobacco.org/news/333263.html Marking World Cancer Day Health Minister Joe Cassar said on Saturday morning that in 15 days' time Mater Dei Hospital and the grounds around it will become a smoke free zone. He said he will issue a legal notice to allow smoking only in three closed shelters. No one will be able to smoke in a car on the hospital grounds. Staff caught breaking the rules will face disciplinary measures and the police will enforce the ban amongst the people who visit hospital. Cassar said smoking remains the biggest killer in Malta where lung cancer is concerned: maltastar.com info@maltastar.com Malta Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120204/local/mater-dei-hospital-and-grounds-to-become-smoke-free.405254 http://tobacco.org/news/333262.html Mater Dei Hospital, including its extensive grounds will become a smoke free zone on February 20, Health Minister Joe Cassar said this morning. Addressing a news conference, the minister said three closed smoking shelters will be set up far out on the grounds. One will be close to university, one close to the employees car park and the third will be close to the Emergency Department but further out. A legal notice will issued to bring this into effect. Dr Cassar announced the measure while marking world cancer day, being celebrated today. Times of Malta mynews@timesofmalta.com Malta Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/businessdetails/business/businessnews/Tobacco-pushes-retail-price-index-up-0-29-20120123 http://tobacco.org/news/332473.html In December, the Retail Price Index went up to 105.44 from 105.13 in November 2011. The increase, 0.29%, primarily reflected an increase of 1.43% in the beverages and tobacco Index, mainly due to higher prices of cigarettes. Malta Today /mailto:maltatoday@mediatoday.com.mt ( Bianca Caruana ) Malta Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/national/Wardens-to-enforce-smoking-law-in-playing-fields-201217 http://tobacco.org/news/331942.html The local enforcement agencies which are responsible for the enforcement of the new law are still working on a schedule on how to enforce the ban. The new law will be enforced by local wardens, a spokesperson for parliamentary secretary responsible for local councils - Chris Said - told MaltaToday. The legal notice states that smoking is not allowed in a playground or in any public garden which hosts playing equipment for children. Malta Today /mailto:maltatoday@mediatoday.com.mt (James Debono) Malta Sun, 08 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/national/Wardens-to-enforce-smoking-law-in-playing-fields-201217 http://tobacco.org/news/331710.html The legal notice states that smoking is not allowed in a playground or in any public garden which hosts playing equipment for children. But although the law is already in effect, no signs warning against smoking in playing fields have been erected. The Department for Local Government is urging local councils to affix signs, including the details of such legal notices, in playing fields. Malta Today /mailto:maltatoday@mediatoday.com.mt (James Debono) Malta Sun, 08 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20111216/local/smoking-to-be-banned-from-playing-fields.398644 http://tobacco.org/news/330602.html Smoking is to be banned from playing fields as from the beginning of next year, Parliamentary Secretary Chris Said announced today. He said the decision has just been taken by the Cabinet and a legal notice will be published shortly. He pointed out that despite the fact that playing fields are in the open, there is a high concentration of children and it was felt that smoking was unsuitable, not least for health reasons. Times of Malta mynews@timesofmalta.com Malta Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://gozonews.com/21053/smoking-to-be-banned-in-playing-fields-from-the-new-year/ http://tobacco.org/news/330599.html Parliamentary Secretary Chris Said announced today at the launch of the rehabilitation project of Mtarfa's playing field, that as from the beginning of the new year, smoking in playing fields will be banned. The Parlialmentary Sectretary commented that despite the fact that playing fields are in the open, there are also children and families in the small area and this therefore makes it an unsuitable place to smoke. The decision, he said, had been taken by the cabinet, with the legal notice to follow shortly. Gozo News.com Malta Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20111211/local/Smoking-ban-still-broken-in-the-bars.397724 http://tobacco.org/news/330297.html Seven years since it was first introduced, patrons at many bars in Paceville continue to flout anti-smoking legislation – whether the police are nearby or not. It is unrealistic to expect police to somehow monitor every bar’s patrons People were smoking in five out of six Paceville bars visited by The Sunday Times last Wednesday night. In one instance, the reporter saw a patron order a drink while lighting up. And despite figures showing increased police enforcement of the ban, The Sunday Times photographed two police officers sharing soft drinks with a young woman as she smoked openly inside the Bay Street complex on December 2. Malta was the second EU state to introduce an indoor smoking ban, having done so in April 2004, but there is a widespread perception that the ban is disregarded by many bar and nightclub patrons. Times of Malta mynews@timesofmalta.com Malta Sun, 11 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=136723 http://tobacco.org/news/330242.html The Environmental Health Directorate of the Superintendence of Public Health warned tobacco products retailers that it would take legal action if tobacco products are found to be in breach of the combined pictorial health warnings. It said that with respect to tobacco products other than cigarettes, the combined health warnings may be affixed as stickers, provided that such stickers are irremovable Malta Independent tmid@independent.com.mt Malta Sat, 10 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20111206/local/MP-s-smoking-gun-a-lit-cigarette-in-House.397124 http://tobacco.org/news/330219.html A compulsive smoking habit got the better of shadow justice minister José Herrera on Saturday morning after a long voting session in Parliament. As soon as he left the Chamber he was seen by The Times taking out a cigarette and proceeding to light it –­ in breach of smoking regulations – as he walked through the corridor and down the staircase towards the yard of the Presidential Palace. Called yesterday for an explanation, Dr Herrera at first completely denied having smoked inside the Parliament building and said PN backbencher Beppe Fenech Adami was his witness, since the two lit a cigarette once outside. “I smoked in the yard. I was careful not to smoke inside. I just lit it, because it was windy, and went into the yard to smoke with Beppe Fenech Adami. The lighter wasn’t mine, I borrowed it. “I only smoke in the yard or in the Chamber of the Opposition,” he added, stressing that he did not break any laws. Times of Malta mynews@timesofmalta.com (Christian Peregin) Malta Tue, 06 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.di-ve.com/Default.aspx?ID=72&Action=1&NewsId=88126 http://tobacco.org/news/330154.html A 62 year old Maltese living in London admitted that he stole 1,600 cigarettes from the Malta International Airport just as he came down from a flight from London. The man, originally from Bormla, came to Malta for a week so as to visit his family. The accused, Emanuel Attard told the police he stole the cigarettes because of two reasons. First, because he is a heavy smoker and suffers from what he called an urge to smoke, and secondly because the cigarettes in London are far more expensive than in Malta. di-ve.com Malta Wed, 07 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=136647 http://tobacco.org/news/330142.html A 62-year-old Maltese Londoner who stole 80 packs of cigarettes at the airport's arrivals lounge was spared jail when he pleaded guilty to the crime yesterday. Emanuel Attard, who was born in Cospicua but who has lived for a long time in London, flew to Malta last Tuesday and got into trouble within minutes of his arrival. At an outlet operated by the Nuance Group at the arrivals lounge Mr Attard stuffed two bulk packets, each made up of 40 20-cigarette packs, into a bag and left. Unsurprisingly, however, the incident was caught on camera, and Mr Attard was arraigned over theft. The charge was aggravated by the value of the cigarettes, ?366, and Mr Attard faced a possible jail term of up to three years as a result, prompting Magistrate Anthony Vella to wonder whether it was worth it for "a little tobacco". Malta Independent tmid@independent.com.mt (John Cordina) Malta Thu, 08 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20111206/local/smoking.397140 http://tobacco.org/news/330066.html The Health Promotion Unit has launched an anti-smoking campaign targeting young women - the sector which is showing growth among smokers. Officials at the unit said at a press conference this morning that they will be homing in on the detrimental impact of smoking on women. The campaign has as one of its themes "Control the Wrinkling Process - Stop Smoking". Charmaine Gauci, who heads the unit, pointed out that smoking leads to premature ageing. The skin, as particularly evident in women, develops early wrinkling owing to dehydration. Times of Malta mynews@timesofmalta.com Malta Wed, 07 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT