http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/state/MD.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.cigar0317,0,7353926.story http://tobacco.org/news/298619.html Knowing the impact flavored cigars have on youth smoking, the General Assembly should prohibit the sale of these addictive and harmful products by passing Senate Bill 973, sponsored by Sen. Richard Madaleno. . . . tobacco companies never lost their resolve, and continue to aggressively market their flavored cigars to kids with the goal of luring them into a world of smoking. SB 973 aims to fight the tobacco companies by removing these dangerous, addictive and deceptive products from the shelves. Baltimore Sun Wed, 17 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.cigarettetax17mar17,0,6870121.story http://tobacco.org/news/298618.html In 2007, Gov. Martin O'Malley and the Maryland General Assembly enacted a number of tax increases designed to close the state's budget deficit. As this year's General Assembly session illustrates, these tax hikes did not fix the state's spending problems. Instead, they created problems for many Marylanders. For instance, the cigarette tax is driving smokers to purchase their cigarettes in other states, hurting local businesses and depriving the state of tax revenue. A cigarette tax hike may be popular with politicians and public health advocates, but Marylanders are doing all they can to avoid it. . . . Clearly, some Marylanders quit smoking or reduced smoking between 2007 and 2008. But the increase in cigarette smuggling, the discrepancy between the reduction in packs of cigarettes sold and the number of smokers in the state, and the increase in neighboring states' cigarette sales indicate that some Marylanders - maybe a significant number - are taking steps to avoid the higher cigarette tax. Those Marylanders who purchase their cigarettes within state lines have increased state tax revenue, but not as much as may have been expected. . . . Increasing the cigarette tax both raised revenue and decreased smoking, but only to a limited extent, and in doing so hurt Maryland businesses and smokers. Baltimore Sun mkilmer@mdpolicy.org (Marc Kilmer) Wed, 17 Mar 2010 04:00:00 GMT http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2010/02/24/d-c-cigarette-tax-hike-fail/ http://tobacco.org/news/297602.html Allow LL to follow up on the new city revenue projections for a second. In his letter to the mayor and D.C. Council, Chief Financial Officer Natwar M. Gandhi informed them that a $.50 per-pack cigarette tax hike implemented last October has not gone as planned. Because the increase, to $2.50, catapulted the District's rate over Maryland's $2-per-pack rate, Gandhi explains, many Maryland smokers who'd bought their tobacco in the District switched back to buying in Maryland. Add that to all the D.C. smokers who started buying cheap-as-dirt Virginia smokes, and you get the picture---instead of $45.4 million in revenue, Gandhi says the District will only bank $30 million. But the legislative screw-up is more profound than that: The projections are now that this year's estimated cigarette tax revenues will fall below the pre-hike FY2009 levels ($37.6 million)---in other words, the tax hike got the city less revenue, not more. . . . The good news: Maryland's currently considering another cig-tax hike, to $3. Washington City Paper mdebonis@washingtoncitypaper.com (Posted by Mike DeBonis on Feb. 24, 2010, at 5:24 pm ) Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://dailycaller.com/2010/02/25/washington-cigarette-tax-hike-results-in-decreased-revenues-as-smokers-buy-outside-city-limits/ http://tobacco.org/news/297600.html The District of Columbia’s Chief Financial Officer Natwar Gandhi learned a hard lesson this week after assessing the fiscal forecast for 2010: D.C. smokers weren’t happy with the city council after it upped the cost of cigarettes, and responded by depriving the District of millions in tax revenue. Any nicotine fiend who’s dodged puddles of upchuck in Adams Morgan on a Friday night or maintained a distance of 30 feet from downtown office buildings on a weekday could have predicted that smokers would flee to Maryland and Virginia. And according to a report released Wednesday by Gandhi, that’s exactly what happened after the D.C. Council raised taxes on cigarettes from $2.00 to $2.50 a pack in mid 2009. In a report addressed to D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray and Mayor Adrian Fenty, Gandhi wrote, “The 50-cent increase in the cigarette tax rate was projected to increase revenue but also decrease volume. Collections year-to-date point to a more severe drop in volume than projected.” How severe? “The estimate for cigarette tax revenue is revised downwards by $15.4 million in [fiscal year] 2010 and $15.2 million in [fiscal year] 2011.” The Daily Caller Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.diamondbackonline.com/news/university-senate-will-discuss-rape-smoking-ban-this-semester-1.1174853 http://tobacco.org/news/297520.html The University Senate is preparing to tackle contentious issues, such as rape on the campus, merit pay for faculty and a smoking ban this year, even though one month into the semester, the body has yet to meet. The senate, an advisory body that makes policy recommendations to university President Dan Mote, will finally meet next week . . . The committee is also dealing with a proposed ban on smoking on the campus. While Walters wouldn't say what the committee plans to do, they do have a recommendation in mind. "If we put a more stringent ban on it, there's a lot of problems we could run into, like how do we enforce and pay for this change?" he said. The Diamondback redding@umdbk.com (Lauren Redding) Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/opinion/display_editorial.htm?StoryID=101555 http://tobacco.org/news/297289.html The fly in the ointment of the restitution fund is that the amount of money the participating tobacco companies are required to pay is based primarily on the number of cigarettes they sell. The bottom line is that that number and the payments that correspond to it have been on the decline since the settlement was struck. In Maryland, as elsewhere, that means less funding is available to fight smoking, conduct scientific research, and help pay the medical bills resulting from treating those who have smoked. That is a big bill. In Maryland, fund money has been going into a number of projects, including crop conversion, cancer research and substance abuse prevention. But these programs are now being squeezed by the ever-smaller amounts of funding they are receiving from the settlement. . . . Is all this good news or bad news? On balance, we'd say good. Cancer mortality rates have dropped and the prevalence of smoking in both adults and youth has declined appreciably. A smoke-free society is the ultimate goal, as it would mean a healthier, more productive, less medically expensive population. The long-term trend toward less smoking is the one most important statistic in this story. If that means fewer tobacco settlement dollars for Maryland and other states, it should be worth the price -- especially in the long run. Frederick News-Post Sat, 20 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20100215/NEWS01/2150320 http://tobacco.org/news/296991.html Cancer research and substance abuse programs need to start looking for money elsewhere as the fund sustained by settlement money from lawsuits against three national tobacco companies gradually diminishes. Maryland's Cigarette Restitution Fund budget is down almost $820,000, or about 11 percent from last year, reflecting the decline in smoking and a decrease in tobacco spending throughout the United States. The money flow drop is a good thing because it corresponds to reduced cigarette purchases, said Sen. Catherine Pugh, D-Baltimore, but it means many programs that depend on the restitution fund must look for alternative resources. DelmarvaNow.com Mon, 15 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://somd.com/news/headlines/2010/11237.shtml http://tobacco.org/news/296746.html Cancer research and substance abuse programs need to start looking for money elsewhere as the fund sustained by settlement money from lawsuits against three national tobacco companies gradually diminishes. Maryland's Cigarette Restitution Fund budget is down almost $820,000, or about 11 percent from last year, reflecting the decline in smoking and a decrease in tobacco spending throughout the United States. The money flow drop is a good thing because it corresponds to reduced cigarette purchases, said Sen. Catherine Pugh, D-Baltimore, but it means many programs that depend on the restitution fund must look for alternative resources. "We should recognize that when there's a big effort to get people to reduce their smoking that this fund would go down. So I think that what's in the fund now will probably sustain some of the programs," said Pugh. "But we're also getting information from many ... cancer treatment programs that depend on the (restitution fund) that they really need the money." Southern Maryland Newspapers Tue, 09 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-bz.hancock27jan27,0,5574031.column http://tobacco.org/news/296078.html . Tobacco smuggling isn't as violent as drug smuggling, but wait: According to Kelly, some dealers are switching from heroin and cocaine to tobacco because it's easier and just as lucrative. Sometimes law-enforcement officials report links between tobacco traffickers and terrorists. These entrepreneurs aren't doing Maryland any good. Kelly's office has fewer than two dozen people to stop tobacco smuggling. The same folks have to track liquor and gasoline sales, too. . . . The cigarette-smuggling boom shows yet again that policies have side effects, and Maryland does not operate in a smoke-free vacuum. Baltimore Sun Wed, 27 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.legalnewsline.com/news/225270-r.j.-reynolds-settles-with-gansler http://tobacco.org/news/296048.html R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company will end its use of cartoons and brand name merchandise and restrict its marketing practice for its tobacco product brands in Maryland following a settlement with state Attorney General Douglas Gansler. Gansler alleged that R.J. Reynolds' Camel Farm marketing campaign's alleged use of cartoons and brand name merchandise was in violation of the 1998 Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement and Consent Decree. In addition to ending its campaign, R.J. Reynolds will pay the state of Maryland $150,000. "In its Camel Farm campaign, Reynolds turned a blind eye to its obligations under the MSA to never again use cartoons or to give away branded trinkets to promote its deadly products in Maryland," Gansler said. . . . "This settlement holds Reynolds accountable for bringing the Camel Farm campaign to Maryland in the first place and, by specifying and clarifying the MSA's restrictions on cartoons and giveaways, prevents Reynolds from evading these important protections in the future." Reynolds is prohibited by the 1998 MSA from using cartoons or distributing brand name merchandise to promote its cigarettes. . . . R.J. Reynolds will, under terms of the settlement, terminate the Camel Farm program and refrain from ever distributing any of the marketing materials created in connection with the campaign again. Legal NewsLine Wed, 27 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local-beat/Maryland-Burned-by-Tobacco-Smugglers-82645662.html http://tobacco.org/news/295970.html Law enforcement agents in Maryland have uncovered an underground tobacco smuggling operation. Fifty-four businesses are under investigation for selling the contraband. State agents said the smuggling scheme is cheating Maryland out of much-needed tax revenue. Kyun Hong is at the center of this tobacco smuggling operation. After receiving two tips that he was delivering untaxed cigarettes and other tobacco products to retail stores for sale, agents followed his car and documented deliveries he made to retail stores, authorities said. They got a warrant to search his Severna Park home and seized more than $150,000 worth of tobacco products. NBCWashington.com Tue, 26 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.abc2news.com/news/local/story/Local-Man-Arrested-for-Smuggling-Cigarettes/axpSsdoDxEOQb2fx56_R9Q.cspx http://tobacco.org/news/295969.html An investigation by the Maryland Comptroller’s Office that spanned several weeks turned up 130,000 sticks of untaxed tobacco products, along with more than 2,600 illegal cigarettes. Comptroller Peter Franchot says Kyun Hong from Severna Park is at the center of it all. Agents watched him transport a large quantity of tobacco products, but where he got it from is still unknown. The Avenue Bar on Greenmount Ave. received a $500 citation in connection with the case, but the manager says he buys cartons of cigarettes from wholesalers and he doesn't know Hong. "We expect all the cigarettes are good to sell for retail, but unfortunately those few cigarettes we had wasn't stamped," said Sung Kim, manager, The Avenue Bar. WMAR ABC2 /mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=21115@wmar.dayport.com ( Reported by: Cheryl Conner ) Mon, 25 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.somdnews.com/stories/01132010/indyfea172001_32225.shtml http://tobacco.org/news/295421.html The public is invited to attend a presentation and discussion about the past, present and future of the many tobacco barns in Southern Maryland. The three-hour meeting will be at 1 p.m. Jan. 31 at the Calvert County library in Prince Frederick. There will be presentations on the history of the barns and on the efforts that have been made to save and restore some of them, according to a Southern Maryland Heritage Area Consortium press release. Southern Maryland Newspapers prs@umd.edu Wed, 13 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.gazette.net/stories/01072010/collnew154159_32557.php http://tobacco.org/news/295064.html A Landover woman who was smoking a cigarette while using an oxygen tank is alleged to be the cause of an early morning apartment fire Monday that hospitalized her and resulted in thousands of dollars in damage, according to Prince George's County fire officials. Forty firefighters responded about 3:30 a.m. to a blaze in a terrace-level apartment at a three-story garden-style apartment building in the 3400 block of Dodge Park Road, according to a fire department release. The unit is inside the Kings Square Apartments complex. Firefighters extinguished the fire in 30 minutes and evacuated 40 residents from the building, according to the release. The woman, who was in her 50s, was last listed in "fair condition" in a local hospital for smoke and burn injuries Gaithersburg Gazette nmcgill@gazette.net ( Natalie McGill * Staff Writer ) Thu, 07 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/country-inns--suites-by-carlson-opens-in-lexington-park-md-79835922.html http://tobacco.org/news/294433.html The new 88-room Country Inn & Suites By Carlson® Lexington Park today announced it is open for business at 44941 Worth Lane. . . . "This hotel is a wonderful addition to our community. We are confident that this recognized brand and lodging concept will help us grow and prosper in the future," said Antonio Walker, general manager of the Country Inn & Suites By Carlson Lexington Park. The 100 percent non-smoking hotel features an indoor pool, whirlpool and fitness center with two treadmills, recumbent cycle and personal core fitness kit. PR Newswire Mon, 21 Dec 2009 05:00:00 GMT