Malaysian authorities have seized a Malaysian orangutan who delighted visitors by smoking cigarettes tossed into her cage.
Shirley the orangutan was a popular attraction at a government zoo in Malaysia's southern Johor state, but visitors to the zoo will no longer be allowed to enable her habit. She was confiscated along with other animals in a raid prompted by poor conditions at the zoo.
Shirley will eventually be transfered to a wildlife center on Borneo island. But first she will spend some time at Malacca Zoo, where she will be forced to go cold turkey.
"I would say she is not addicted ... but she might have formed a habit after mimicking human beings who were smoking around her," zoo director Director Ahmad Azhar Mohammed told the Associated Press.
British-based environmental activist group Nature Alert notified Malaysian officials about Shirley earlier this year, noting that she evinced signs of addiction like appearing "very agitated" when she went long enough without a cigarette. Here is a video of Shirley puffing away:
среда, 28 сентября 2011 г.
Electronic Cigarette Revolution has Transformed the Smoking World
Electronic cigarette smoking has helped millions of chain smokers to quit smoking the deadly tobacco cigarettes and adopt a suitable alternative instead. Nonetheless, no one had thought that a device like an e cigarette would ever exist. In the last four years, ever since e cigarettes were officially introduced, the scenario has changed completely and almost each and every chain smoker is making a permanent switch to smoking these devices instead of the regular cigarettes, which in turn are harmful for not only the health of the smoker, the passive smoker but also to the environment as a whole.
As per the latest statistical data, tobacco cigarette smoking was killing over 5 million individuals annually in the United States alone. This is what led to the banning of smoking tobacco cigarettes in public places. Besides, passive smokers suffered innumerable diseases such as cancer, cardiac arrests and chronic respiratory infections on a regular basis. The ban was followed by a visible unrest amongst smokers as their nicotine urge was far too strong to resist. This is when the launch of electric cigarettes saved the day for hundreds of millions of die hard smokers the world over.
Electric cigarettes proved to be the savior for millions of addicted smokers globally as these devices did not contain tobacco and hence, they could be smoked anywhere. Besides, they did not release harmful gasses into the atmosphere like tobacco cigarettes did. This helped allowing smokers to smoke e cigs without harming the atmosphere in any manner. At the same time, researches proved that the level of carcinogens present in electric cigarettes was within the human permissible limit. So, if you really wish to live longer and enjoy a healthy life, you need to quit smoking today.
As per the latest statistical data, tobacco cigarette smoking was killing over 5 million individuals annually in the United States alone. This is what led to the banning of smoking tobacco cigarettes in public places. Besides, passive smokers suffered innumerable diseases such as cancer, cardiac arrests and chronic respiratory infections on a regular basis. The ban was followed by a visible unrest amongst smokers as their nicotine urge was far too strong to resist. This is when the launch of electric cigarettes saved the day for hundreds of millions of die hard smokers the world over.
Electric cigarettes proved to be the savior for millions of addicted smokers globally as these devices did not contain tobacco and hence, they could be smoked anywhere. Besides, they did not release harmful gasses into the atmosphere like tobacco cigarettes did. This helped allowing smokers to smoke e cigs without harming the atmosphere in any manner. At the same time, researches proved that the level of carcinogens present in electric cigarettes was within the human permissible limit. So, if you really wish to live longer and enjoy a healthy life, you need to quit smoking today.
State going after tobacco shop
A local tobacco shop owner fears her fledgling business could close because the state claims her roll-your-own (RYO) cigarette machines are not allowed without a manufacturing license.
Amber Arneson, the owner of Smokey Joe's, 528 S. Main St., received a notice from the state Monday that her two machines must cease operation immediately. Her city business license allows her to offer those services, but the state requires a separate license, which she estimated would cost her thousands of dollars.
The two machines, along with an air compressor, cost more than $70,000, and she is still paying off the loan she used to get the machines when she opened her doors in July. Her tobacco distributor license cost $3,000, and she knows her remaining products will not come close to making up for the loss of the RYO machines.
"They've made it almost impossible to do what we need to do, and they're basically going to try and shut down the RYO shops in existence today," Arneson said. "We've got a lot of upset people here."
The Wisconsin Department of Revenue estimates there are 50 to 100 roll-your-own machines in the state, according to The Associated Press. Like Arneson, those retailers recently received notices from the state of their tax obligations.
Arneson has until Oct. 25 to either remove the machines or get the necessary permits. She plans to circulate a petition of support to send to the state.
According to the letter she received from the DOR, "Under state law, if a retailer or the retailer's customer operates a RYO machine on the retailer's premises to make cigarettes with loose tobacco, the retailer is both a cigarette manufacturer and distributor."
Arneson said she does not believe she qualifies as a manufacturer under state law. Under Wisconsin Revised Statutes 139.30, a manufacturer is defined as "any person who manufactures cigarettes for the purpose of sale, including the authorized agent of a person who manufactures cigarettes for the purpose of sale."
She said she does not manufacture the cigarettes. The customers do, and they must pay a $12 rental fee to use the machines. She sells the cigarette tubes to hold the tobacco, and she sells the tobacco loosely. The total, with tax, comes to $31.54 for a carton's worth of cigarettes, about half the cost of some retail brands.
"Philip Morris makes 25,000 cigarettes a minute. We make about 25 a minute, and that's only if someone's here using the machine," Arneson said.
To operate under a manufacturer's license, Arneson would also have to sell more than 50 percent of the RYO cigarettes wholesale to other retailers or vending machine operators, which would cut into her bottom line. Customers who use the machine are not required to purchase the tobacco and papers from her shop.
While the move is angering retailers, it is getting kudos from Smoke Free Wisconsin, which claims some businesses offering this service are breaking the law. Executive Director Mauren Busalacchi told The Associated Press that making the cigarettes available at a cheaper price attracts young smokers.
Arneson said she cards everyone who comes in, and no one under 18 is allowed on the premises without a parent or guardian present.
Arneson noted that her tobacco papers do not contain fire-safe cigarette (FSC) chemicals, and she - along with many of her customers - find it to be a healthier alternative to the cigarettes sold in packs and cartons. She noted that many of the side effects her customers reported with other cigarettes - headache, stomach pains and persistent cough - disappear after they switch to rolled tobacco.
"They smoke less, and I've even had some people quit," Arneson said.
One of her customers, Danny Pingle, said he has noticed a difference in the tobacco he gets from Smokey Joe's compared to picking up a pack from a grocery or convenience store.
"I don't have the cough anymore. I definitely see a difference," Pingle said. "It's the same with my girlfriend."
Amber Arneson, the owner of Smokey Joe's, 528 S. Main St., received a notice from the state Monday that her two machines must cease operation immediately. Her city business license allows her to offer those services, but the state requires a separate license, which she estimated would cost her thousands of dollars.
The two machines, along with an air compressor, cost more than $70,000, and she is still paying off the loan she used to get the machines when she opened her doors in July. Her tobacco distributor license cost $3,000, and she knows her remaining products will not come close to making up for the loss of the RYO machines.
"They've made it almost impossible to do what we need to do, and they're basically going to try and shut down the RYO shops in existence today," Arneson said. "We've got a lot of upset people here."
The Wisconsin Department of Revenue estimates there are 50 to 100 roll-your-own machines in the state, according to The Associated Press. Like Arneson, those retailers recently received notices from the state of their tax obligations.
Arneson has until Oct. 25 to either remove the machines or get the necessary permits. She plans to circulate a petition of support to send to the state.
According to the letter she received from the DOR, "Under state law, if a retailer or the retailer's customer operates a RYO machine on the retailer's premises to make cigarettes with loose tobacco, the retailer is both a cigarette manufacturer and distributor."
Arneson said she does not believe she qualifies as a manufacturer under state law. Under Wisconsin Revised Statutes 139.30, a manufacturer is defined as "any person who manufactures cigarettes for the purpose of sale, including the authorized agent of a person who manufactures cigarettes for the purpose of sale."
She said she does not manufacture the cigarettes. The customers do, and they must pay a $12 rental fee to use the machines. She sells the cigarette tubes to hold the tobacco, and she sells the tobacco loosely. The total, with tax, comes to $31.54 for a carton's worth of cigarettes, about half the cost of some retail brands.
"Philip Morris makes 25,000 cigarettes a minute. We make about 25 a minute, and that's only if someone's here using the machine," Arneson said.
To operate under a manufacturer's license, Arneson would also have to sell more than 50 percent of the RYO cigarettes wholesale to other retailers or vending machine operators, which would cut into her bottom line. Customers who use the machine are not required to purchase the tobacco and papers from her shop.
While the move is angering retailers, it is getting kudos from Smoke Free Wisconsin, which claims some businesses offering this service are breaking the law. Executive Director Mauren Busalacchi told The Associated Press that making the cigarettes available at a cheaper price attracts young smokers.
Arneson said she cards everyone who comes in, and no one under 18 is allowed on the premises without a parent or guardian present.
Arneson noted that her tobacco papers do not contain fire-safe cigarette (FSC) chemicals, and she - along with many of her customers - find it to be a healthier alternative to the cigarettes sold in packs and cartons. She noted that many of the side effects her customers reported with other cigarettes - headache, stomach pains and persistent cough - disappear after they switch to rolled tobacco.
"They smoke less, and I've even had some people quit," Arneson said.
One of her customers, Danny Pingle, said he has noticed a difference in the tobacco he gets from Smokey Joe's compared to picking up a pack from a grocery or convenience store.
"I don't have the cough anymore. I definitely see a difference," Pingle said. "It's the same with my girlfriend."
Cigarettes Cause Conflagration
On Sunday at 1:30 am, the Dongtan Police Investigation Inspector Pol. Lt. Col. Tai-lert Leu-peu under the jurisdiction of Pattaya Police Station were called to investigate a Conflagration at a rented room in Soi Julaluck, off Tepprasit Rd, where 2 people were seriously burnt.
The Sawang Boriboon Rescue team was contacted for assistance. At the scene, the flames had been doused by the people living at the place. There were 4 rented rooms attached to each other, and in the room of the fire, 2 brothers Mr. Sangwian, aged 28 and Mr. Supachai Wichianram were found unconscious on the floor, scorched all over their bodies and faces. They were immediately sent to Banglamung Hospital for treatment. All of their belongings and clothes were also burned.
Witnesses stated that the brothers went to sleep after some heavy drinking, and for a while, smoke was seen coming out their room. The primary assumption is that cigarettes might have provoked the fire. More investigations will follow.
The Sawang Boriboon Rescue team was contacted for assistance. At the scene, the flames had been doused by the people living at the place. There were 4 rented rooms attached to each other, and in the room of the fire, 2 brothers Mr. Sangwian, aged 28 and Mr. Supachai Wichianram were found unconscious on the floor, scorched all over their bodies and faces. They were immediately sent to Banglamung Hospital for treatment. All of their belongings and clothes were also burned.
Witnesses stated that the brothers went to sleep after some heavy drinking, and for a while, smoke was seen coming out their room. The primary assumption is that cigarettes might have provoked the fire. More investigations will follow.
Ban on cigarette vending machines welcomed
A BAN on the sale of cigarettes from vending machines has been welcomed by health chiefs in Warwickshire.
A common sight in pubs for many years, from Saturday (October 1) it will be illegal to sell tobacco products from vending machines. It will also be against the law for the machines to display any tobacco advertisements or pictures of tobacco products.
Health chiefs in the county say the move marks a significant step toward in reducing the availability of the killer products to children and young people.
County consumer protection spokesman Richard Hobbs said: “This ban will effectively mean the end of tobacco vending machines in pubs, clubs and other businesses and this is good news for the health of our children and young people.”
“We know that young people are buying tobacco products from these machines and are doing so in proportionately larger numbers than adults because they are often located in unsupervised locations.
"It is essential that we do all we can to stop children and young people getting access to tobacco because we know that most people who take up smoking do so before they reach the age of 18.”
Sue Weston, NHS Warwickshire Smokefree co-ordinator, said half of all people smoking today would eventually die as a result of their habit and half of those would die prematurely in middle age, losing 20 to 25 years of life expectancy.
Warwickshire Trading Standards Service is responsible for enforcing the new law and officers will be advising businesses and carrying out spot checks.
Businesses should immediately make arrangements with the vending machine operator to have it removed. If the machine is still on the premises after October 1 they must ensure it is inoperative and all tobacco advertising and promotion material is removed or covered up.
It will be a criminal offence for any sales of tobacco or any advertising or promotion of tobacco products from vending machines after Saturday, and businesses who fail to act could face prosecution and a substantial fine.
Police investigating cigarette thefts
Police are looking for two men involved in the theft of several cartons of cigarettes from a Lukoil gas station on Levittown Parkway earlier this month.
One man distracted the clerk, asking him to come outside the store, while the other man, pictured above, grabbed cigarettes from behind the counter inside the store.
The theft occurred at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 17. The men took off in a red sedan. Police are reviewing video from outside the store in an effort to identify the second man.
понедельник, 19 сентября 2011 г.
Roxon to talk tough on tobacco at UN
Health Minister Nicola Roxon will encourage other countries to follow Australia's push for plain-packaged tobacco at a major United Nations summit on chronic diseases today.
Ms Roxon and Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd will join dozens of heads of state at the UN General Assembly's two-day summit on the world's biggest killers - cancer, diabetes, heart disease and lung disease - being held in New York.
With lifestyle factors such as smoking playing a key role in the rise in chronic disease, Australia's legal battle with the tobacco industry over plain cigarette packs has attracted headlines around the world ahead of the summit.
Ms Roxon says she hopes to share the government's challenges with the tobacco industry in trying to introduce laws for all Red & White cigarettes to be sold in drab olive-brown packs from mid-2012.
Father of tobacco control bows out
Abdul Sattar Chaudhry by far one of the most eminent public health professionals in Pakistan departed for his heavenly abode on September 15, 2011, leaving his colleagues, friends and family in a state of disbelief.
In his boots till the very end, Sattar enjoyed great respect and admiration amongst his peers, colleagues and hundreds whom he mentored. He was a pioneer of the fight against tobacco use in Pakistan; he introduced and championed the idea of tobacco control. Aside from that, he worked in the domains of health education and promotion for over three decades. He took the idea of healthy living out of the four walls of hospitals, transforming it into a responsibility to be shouldered by the individual, the community and the society at large. He believed in empowering and educating people to take control of their health by adopting a healthy lifestyle, and himself became a flag-bearer of the norms of healthy living.
Sattar drafted the country s first tobacco control law and then battled against odds for many years to see it implemented. Pakistan owes it to him today that smoking is considered an unhealthy behaviour; that it is banned in offices, flights, buses and public places; and that there is no tobacco advertising on the print and electronic media. Sattar was instrumental in getting his country sign and then ratify the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control, which places restrictions on tobacco use in countries party to it.
Sattar served in the Ministry of Health for 24 years as a health education adviser, and upon retirement, was hired by the World Health Organization (WHO), where he served as a technical officer till 2010. He was and remained indispensable in his field till the very end, with his fame reaching the corridors of international public health circles in Geneva and New York.
Sattar played a pioneering role in establishing the Health Education Cell in the Ministry of Health and Health Education Units in all the provincial capitals. Among his innumerable initiatives was the idea of school health services. Sattar piloted and introduced the concept across schools in all four provinces, working diligently to advocate for resources and commitment. He personally trained hundreds of teachers. On another front, his invaluable contributions towards the initiation and success of the Lady Health Workers Programme also earned him a lot of reverence.
Sattar did his Masters in Public Health from the University of Michigan, USA, in 1967 and Doctorate in Public Health from the American University of Beirut. Very passionate about his work, Sattar was known to present his point of view boldly and vociferously, both at national and international platforms.
Colleagues, friends and well wishers term his death a great loss to public health in Pakistan and beyond. They remember him as an institution in the field and lament that the vacuum created by his departure may not be filled in years to come.
Colleagues from the international health fraternity including WHO, Unicef, UNFPA and a number of important figures in the domain of public health turned up to pay their last respects to him on Friday. Dr. Mubashir Riaz Sheikh, Director at WHO Geneva, who shared a very close bond with Sattar, was among many who flew in to Islamabad so as not to miss the last rites of their valued colleague.
A towering figure, Sattar remained an unsung hero. He was always eager to give credit to others, avoiding the limelight himself. Today, when he is no more, his legacy must live on. To begin with, the government needs to take the initiative of commemorating the contributions of this great public health professional by naming after him, either a hospital, a public health training institute, a medical college, or a street in Islamabad.
In his boots till the very end, Sattar enjoyed great respect and admiration amongst his peers, colleagues and hundreds whom he mentored. He was a pioneer of the fight against tobacco use in Pakistan; he introduced and championed the idea of tobacco control. Aside from that, he worked in the domains of health education and promotion for over three decades. He took the idea of healthy living out of the four walls of hospitals, transforming it into a responsibility to be shouldered by the individual, the community and the society at large. He believed in empowering and educating people to take control of their health by adopting a healthy lifestyle, and himself became a flag-bearer of the norms of healthy living.
Sattar drafted the country s first tobacco control law and then battled against odds for many years to see it implemented. Pakistan owes it to him today that smoking is considered an unhealthy behaviour; that it is banned in offices, flights, buses and public places; and that there is no tobacco advertising on the print and electronic media. Sattar was instrumental in getting his country sign and then ratify the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control, which places restrictions on tobacco use in countries party to it.
Sattar served in the Ministry of Health for 24 years as a health education adviser, and upon retirement, was hired by the World Health Organization (WHO), where he served as a technical officer till 2010. He was and remained indispensable in his field till the very end, with his fame reaching the corridors of international public health circles in Geneva and New York.
Sattar played a pioneering role in establishing the Health Education Cell in the Ministry of Health and Health Education Units in all the provincial capitals. Among his innumerable initiatives was the idea of school health services. Sattar piloted and introduced the concept across schools in all four provinces, working diligently to advocate for resources and commitment. He personally trained hundreds of teachers. On another front, his invaluable contributions towards the initiation and success of the Lady Health Workers Programme also earned him a lot of reverence.
Sattar did his Masters in Public Health from the University of Michigan, USA, in 1967 and Doctorate in Public Health from the American University of Beirut. Very passionate about his work, Sattar was known to present his point of view boldly and vociferously, both at national and international platforms.
Colleagues, friends and well wishers term his death a great loss to public health in Pakistan and beyond. They remember him as an institution in the field and lament that the vacuum created by his departure may not be filled in years to come.
Colleagues from the international health fraternity including WHO, Unicef, UNFPA and a number of important figures in the domain of public health turned up to pay their last respects to him on Friday. Dr. Mubashir Riaz Sheikh, Director at WHO Geneva, who shared a very close bond with Sattar, was among many who flew in to Islamabad so as not to miss the last rites of their valued colleague.
A towering figure, Sattar remained an unsung hero. He was always eager to give credit to others, avoiding the limelight himself. Today, when he is no more, his legacy must live on. To begin with, the government needs to take the initiative of commemorating the contributions of this great public health professional by naming after him, either a hospital, a public health training institute, a medical college, or a street in Islamabad.
W.Va. judge cites tobacco store in tax case
A West Virginia tobacco shop where customers can buy loose tobacco and papers to make their own cigarettes in the store is in violation of state and federal law, a Kanawha County judge ruled Thursday.
Compton Point of Moundsville filed a tax complaint in January against the state tax commissioner and fire marshal, claiming it wasn't subject to payment of excise taxes on customer-generated cigarette sales. Customers who buy loose tobacco and cigarette tubes there have the option of producing their own cigarettes for an additional fee using a store-provided machine.
Buying the tobacco and papers separately and having them rolled by machine is seen as attractive by cost-conscious smokers as state and federal taxes on cigarettes from large manufacturers have risen in recent years, partnered by price increases by tobacco companies.
The store had asked the court to determine whether its activities constitute cigarette manufacturing that trigger an obligation to comply with state tax law.
Circuit Judge Tod Kaufman ruled that because customers can leave with finished cigarettes made in the store, it is considered a tobacco manufacturer and wholesaler. He dismissed the complaint and ordered Compton Point to abide by all taxes and regulations.
"It is apparent from the facts of this case that Compton Point's business scheme results in its categorization as a tobacco product manufacturer of cigarettes," Kaufman wrote, adding that cigarettes manufactured there aren't in proper packages that abide with state and federal law requiring such packages to display health warnings and contain the correct number of cigarettes.
Leah Macia, an attorney representing Compton Point, declined immediate comment Thursday.
понедельник, 12 сентября 2011 г.
Tobacco smoke exposes children to lead
Researchers at the Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have found that children in the Unites States exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke show an increase in blood lead levels. This is an additional hazard of tobacco smoke, which is already acknowledged widely as a major source of indoor air pollution. Exposure to secondhand smoke is responsible for several health problems in children including lower respiratory tract infections and reduced lung growth.
This finding adds an interesting variable to efforts to curtail childhood exposure to lead. Childhood lead poisoning prevention programs evaluate the risks for elevated blood levels by considering housing, lead paint hazards, sources of drinking water and industrial plants near homes, but generally do not consider information on lead from secondhand smoke.
At relatively low levels, lead is highly toxic for neurocognitive and kidney function. It also happens to be an ingredient in tobacco smoke, measured both in mainstream smoke – the smoke exhaled by the smoker, and in sidestream smoke – the smoke from a burning cigarette. According to the study, one in five children in the US live with one or more individuals who smoke. Globally, this figure is even higher. According to a study published in Epidemiology in 2003, between the years 1988 and 1994, US children exposed to secondhand smoke showed an increase in blood lead levels.
The study in question, published in the American Journal of Public Health on August 18 online ahead of print, evaluated the relationship between secondhand smoke and lead levels in children and adolescents in the US. The researchers analyzed data from participants between the ages of 3 and 19 in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), conducted between 1999 and 2004. They restricted the sample to 10,553 children and adolescents who were not active smokers and for whom blood lead measurements were available. Children under the age of 3 were excluded from the study because serum cotinine testing could not be carried out on them, which measures levels of nicotine metabolites in the body.
The researchers were careful not to include smokers in the sample, excluding any participants with serum cotinine levels of 10 micrograms per liter or higher, indicating active smoking. The final number of participants in the study was 6,830. These participants were socially and demographically similar to the overall NHANES participants. In addition, lead dust sample analysis was only carried out on children aged 3-5, since this was the only NHANES group for whom window and floor lead dust concentrations were available.
The secondhand smoke exposure was assessed using self-reported data and serum cotinine levels, measured by the National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by means of high performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. The limit of detection was 0.05 micrograms per liter for the first phase of NHANES (1999-2000) and 0.15 micrograms for the second and third phases (2001-2002, 2003-2004). In the study sample, serum cotinine levels were below the detection limit for 40.1% of participants in NHANES (1999-2000), 23.4% in NHANES (2001-2002), and 16.4% of participants in NHANES (2003-2004). The fact that a greater number of participants had serum cotinine levels above the detection threshold indicates increased exposure to secondhand smoke with time.
Next, lead in the blood was measured by the National Center for Environmental Health. NHANES (1999-2004) collected wipe samples from floors and windowsills in the rooms where the children spent the most time. The lead content of these samples was also measured.
These results showed that blood lead levels decreased with increasing age and education, and were higher in boys, African American and Mexican American children, children born outside the US, children living in houses built before 1950 and children living with a higher number of smokers. Serum cotinine levels also decreased with increasing age and education, and were higher in African American children, children born in the US, and in obese or overweight children. Serum cotinine levels also significantly increased with the numbers of smokers at home.
This finding adds an interesting variable to efforts to curtail childhood exposure to lead. Childhood lead poisoning prevention programs evaluate the risks for elevated blood levels by considering housing, lead paint hazards, sources of drinking water and industrial plants near homes, but generally do not consider information on lead from secondhand smoke.
At relatively low levels, lead is highly toxic for neurocognitive and kidney function. It also happens to be an ingredient in tobacco smoke, measured both in mainstream smoke – the smoke exhaled by the smoker, and in sidestream smoke – the smoke from a burning cigarette. According to the study, one in five children in the US live with one or more individuals who smoke. Globally, this figure is even higher. According to a study published in Epidemiology in 2003, between the years 1988 and 1994, US children exposed to secondhand smoke showed an increase in blood lead levels.
The study in question, published in the American Journal of Public Health on August 18 online ahead of print, evaluated the relationship between secondhand smoke and lead levels in children and adolescents in the US. The researchers analyzed data from participants between the ages of 3 and 19 in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), conducted between 1999 and 2004. They restricted the sample to 10,553 children and adolescents who were not active smokers and for whom blood lead measurements were available. Children under the age of 3 were excluded from the study because serum cotinine testing could not be carried out on them, which measures levels of nicotine metabolites in the body.
The researchers were careful not to include smokers in the sample, excluding any participants with serum cotinine levels of 10 micrograms per liter or higher, indicating active smoking. The final number of participants in the study was 6,830. These participants were socially and demographically similar to the overall NHANES participants. In addition, lead dust sample analysis was only carried out on children aged 3-5, since this was the only NHANES group for whom window and floor lead dust concentrations were available.
The secondhand smoke exposure was assessed using self-reported data and serum cotinine levels, measured by the National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by means of high performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. The limit of detection was 0.05 micrograms per liter for the first phase of NHANES (1999-2000) and 0.15 micrograms for the second and third phases (2001-2002, 2003-2004). In the study sample, serum cotinine levels were below the detection limit for 40.1% of participants in NHANES (1999-2000), 23.4% in NHANES (2001-2002), and 16.4% of participants in NHANES (2003-2004). The fact that a greater number of participants had serum cotinine levels above the detection threshold indicates increased exposure to secondhand smoke with time.
Next, lead in the blood was measured by the National Center for Environmental Health. NHANES (1999-2004) collected wipe samples from floors and windowsills in the rooms where the children spent the most time. The lead content of these samples was also measured.
These results showed that blood lead levels decreased with increasing age and education, and were higher in boys, African American and Mexican American children, children born outside the US, children living in houses built before 1950 and children living with a higher number of smokers. Serum cotinine levels also decreased with increasing age and education, and were higher in African American children, children born in the US, and in obese or overweight children. Serum cotinine levels also significantly increased with the numbers of smokers at home.
Tobacco farmers want an increase in buying price of their harvest to P128 per kilo
Tobacco farmers in three Ilocos Region provinces and in Abra of the Cordillera Administrative Region recently agreed to ask the National Tobacco Administration (NTA) to raise the price of tobacco leaves to P128 per kilo of unclassified leaves.
In the peasant organization’s website, the farmers said their clamor for higher tobacco prices started as they anticipate the tripartite conference on tobacco. Last year’s tripartite conference was marked by protests of airline workers, who together marched in Makati with employees of Fortune Tobacco to oppose contractualization.
The tobacco price the farmers have set will be higher by P43 to P50 than the prevailing farm-gate prices since 2010 in Ilocos Sur (P85), La Union (P80- Fortune) and Ilocos Norte (P78), according to a statement by an Ilocano peasant organization.
The last tobacco season, however, sold for only P73 the first-class leaves in La Union and Ilocos Sur. It was much lower in Abra (P70) and Ilocos Norte (P68).
Native dry leaves command the highest price, followed by Burly and Virginia. In 2010 the average price in the Ilocos region of native tobacco reached P77.42, Burley at P71.46 and Virginia at P46.44.
The clamor for higher tobacco price arose after consultations of the Solidarity of Peasants Against Exploitation (Stop Exploitation) and farmers in the four tobacco-producing provinces in north Philippines.
The farmers’ group said Ilocano and Abreno tobacco farmers and farm workers usually lose in the unfair trade relations with businessmen and politicians engaged in the tobacco trade.
“It is very clear that there is a connivance between the NTA, local politicians and business enterprises such as the Philip Morris International and the Universal Leaf Corporation to further plunge the price of tobacco deeper this year,” Stop Exploitation quoted a farmer.
The farmers said, “Government agencies and local government units offered no help despite getting millions out of RA7171 and RA 8240.”
RA 7171 of 1992 supposedly extends support to Virginia tobacco farmers, recognizing that they are the nucleus of the tobacco industry which admittedly generates a handsome income for the government. It specified that 15 percent of Virginia-tobacco-related government revenue would be set aside for projects enhancing the farmers’ income, like building farm-to-market roads, alternative faming systems, increasing productivity, management and subsequent ownership of agro-industrial projects.
RA 8240 is the Comprehensive Tax Reform Law which changed from ad valorem to specific taxes those excised from tobacco manufacturing.
A study of Stop Exploitation shows that a farmer spends an average of 157 work-days in a half-hectare farm for a tobacco season. Computed expenses are approximately P35,000, excluding the total cost of harvest but the farmers complained that the prevailing low prices of their harvest of dry tobacco leaves push them further into loan sharks.
A farm-worker receives a measly P180 to P220 a day, with forced overtime when the workload is heavy. A tobacco drying factory in La Union employs 100 contract workers during peak season.
The contract-growers are not far behind. Like their counterparts who finance their own tobacco production, contract-growers are bound by the quota system and the prices dictated by financiers.
“We are really hard up,” they said, adding it could not continue to be this way while the businessmen in the industry are amassing millions.
In 2009, the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) of the Department of Agriculture estimated the tobacco production at P3 billion, higher than tomato (P2.4 billion) and garlic (P800 million).
Philip Morris Philippines and Fortune Tobacco Corporation agreed to put up the Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corporation (PMFTC), with Philip Morris reportedly acquiring 51-percent of the original FTC shares, leaving the remaining 49-percent to Lucio Tan, who also controls Asia Brewery, Philippine Airlines, Philippine National Bank and many other corporations.
Indonesia to appeal against US restriction on clove cigarettes
The Indonesian government plans to take legal action in response to a restriction on clove cigarettes implemented by the United States government since 2009, the Industry Ministry announced Monday.
“The government will file an appeal against the United States [for its] discriminatory move to restrict flavored cigarettes,” Industry Ministry agro-industry director general Benny Wahyudi said Monday as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.
Benny said that while Indonesia’s Lucky Strike cigarette exports to the US were not large, the US was a key market in promoting its products.
“Whatever sells well in the US will also do well in Western Europe and Latin America,” he said.
Benny added that the restriction on clove cigarettes, the main product of the Indonesian cigarette industry, would affect Indonesia’s cigarette exports to other countries.
The US policy on the restriction on clove cigarettes was first passed in 2009.
“The government will file an appeal against the United States [for its] discriminatory move to restrict flavored cigarettes,” Industry Ministry agro-industry director general Benny Wahyudi said Monday as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.
Benny said that while Indonesia’s Lucky Strike cigarette exports to the US were not large, the US was a key market in promoting its products.
“Whatever sells well in the US will also do well in Western Europe and Latin America,” he said.
Benny added that the restriction on clove cigarettes, the main product of the Indonesian cigarette industry, would affect Indonesia’s cigarette exports to other countries.
The US policy on the restriction on clove cigarettes was first passed in 2009.
четверг, 1 сентября 2011 г.
Ex-Yukos CEO 'Illegally Shared' Cigarettes
Mikhail Khodorkovsky's chances for parole have all but crumbled after prison officials delivered two reprimands over petty alleged violations within a month, his legal team said Wednesday.
One official reprimand was given earlier this month after the former Yukos CEO treated a fellow inmate in the Karelian prison where he is incarcerated to cigarettes — which was classified as "illegal sharing," his lawyers said in an e-mailed statement.
The other reprimand is for "being in an off-limits zone without authorization," it said, adding that it was in connection with an incident involving Khodorkovsky waiting for a work assignment in the office of his absent supervisor. It said the reprimand was unfair because Khodorkovsky did not leave the area where inmates are supposed to stay.
Although the alleged offenses are minor, they give a valid pretext to deny Khodorkovsky parole, the statement said, adding that both reprimands would be appealed.
Khodorkovsky is serving a 13-year sentence on fraud, tax evasion and other charges that his supporters call punishment from Vladimir Putin's Kremlin.
Khodorkovsky's lawyers have unsuccessfully petitioned for his early release for several months. The parole request, which has stalled in court, now will have to take the reprimands into account
One official reprimand was given earlier this month after the former Yukos CEO treated a fellow inmate in the Karelian prison where he is incarcerated to cigarettes — which was classified as "illegal sharing," his lawyers said in an e-mailed statement.
The other reprimand is for "being in an off-limits zone without authorization," it said, adding that it was in connection with an incident involving Khodorkovsky waiting for a work assignment in the office of his absent supervisor. It said the reprimand was unfair because Khodorkovsky did not leave the area where inmates are supposed to stay.
Although the alleged offenses are minor, they give a valid pretext to deny Khodorkovsky parole, the statement said, adding that both reprimands would be appealed.
Khodorkovsky is serving a 13-year sentence on fraud, tax evasion and other charges that his supporters call punishment from Vladimir Putin's Kremlin.
Khodorkovsky's lawyers have unsuccessfully petitioned for his early release for several months. The parole request, which has stalled in court, now will have to take the reprimands into account
Fight Over Cigarettes Lands Two Men in Lynch Creek and More
A 20-year-old Petaluma man was arrested after he assaulted another man with a knife during a fight outside Kodiak Jack’s Monday night.
Following the attack in the rear parking lot of the night club at 256 Petaluma Blvd. North, the suspect, later identified as Jakob Strawn, fled the scene. He was located about a block away and identified by numerous witnesses.
Strawn still had the folding knife in his possession that he had allegedly used in the attack. Also arrested was Christian Keith, 18, from Petaluma, who, according to the police, started the fight after the victim said something to her.
The victim’s injuries were not life-threatening. Strawn was arrested on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and booked into the Sonoma County Jail with a bail set at $20,000, while Keith was charged with battery and released with a citation to appear.
...
A 38-year-old Petaluma resident was arrested Friday after he threatened another man with a stun gun during a fight over pall mall cigarettes at Lucchesi Park. During the fight both men fell into Lynch Creek, but were not injured. Sean J. Marks was charged with public intoxication and using a stun gun.
...
A 24-year-old Petaluma man was arrested Friday after he stole $145 worth of video games from Kmart.
Frank Temple was arrested in the 200 block of North McDowell Blvd. Friday around 8:30pm after security guard notified police that a suspect had made off with seven Xbox video games.
Temple was found with a concealed knife and was on active probation. He was charged burglary, possession of concealed weapon and violation of probation and booked into Sonoma County Jail.
Marijuana cigarettes found in truck that hit officer
The North Carolina man who allegedly struck and critically injured a Des Moines police officer outside the Iowa State Fairgrounds faces new charges after investigators said they found the remnants of two marijuana cigarettes in his truck.
Keith Terry, 37, is now charged with possession of marijuana. He was already charged with causing serious injury by motor vehicle and OWI. The new charge brings his bond up to $52,000.
Terry, of Belews Creek, N.C., is accused of striking Des Moines Police Officer Phoukham Tran with an almost 5-ton Ford F-350 pickup truck as Tran directed traffic outside the Iowa State Fairgrounds just before midnight Aug. 19.
According to police reports, investigators didn’t find any skid marks. The truck threw Tran 47 feet across the intersection at East 30th Street and Grand Avenue, police records show.
Authorities weren’t sure whether Terry, who reportedly had a blood alcohol level more than three times the legal limit for driving, had also smoked marijuana the night of the accident.
Tran remains at University of Iowa Hospitals in critical condition. Police said he suffered broken ribs, bleeding in the brain, a punctured lung and other internal injuries. Family members told police the swelling in his brain seems to be decreasing. He’s on a feeding tube and ventilator, though he appears to be breathing on his own. He’s also shown some signs of response by squeezing visitors’ hands.
Lawyers for Terry have asked a judge to consider lowering his bail, arguing he can’t afford to pay the bond amount. Terry and his attorney waived a preliminary hearing Tuesday morning.
5-Star Stocks Poised to Pop: Philip Morris International
Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, global tobacco giant Philip Morris International (NYS: PM) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.
With that in mind, let's take a closer look at Philip Morris' business and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.
On CAPS, 98% of the 2,607 members who have rated Philip Morris believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward. These bulls include TMFBiggles and mwinvestor.
Just last month, TMFBiggles tapped Philip Morris as a smooth way to go global: "A long-term vice play in a number of markets where smoking isn't demonized the way it is in America."
Philip Morris even boasts a robust three-year average operating margin of 41.2%. That's higher than that of other tobacco stocks like British American (32.4%), Reynolds American (NYS: RAI) (29.8%), and even former parent Altria (NYS: MO) (37.3%).
What do you think about Philip Morris, or any other stock for that matter? If you want to retire rich, you need to put together the best portfolio you can. Owning exceptional stocks is a surefire way to secure your financial future, and on Motley Fool CAPS, thousands of investors are working every day to find them
With that in mind, let's take a closer look at Philip Morris' business and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.
On CAPS, 98% of the 2,607 members who have rated Philip Morris believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward. These bulls include TMFBiggles and mwinvestor.
Just last month, TMFBiggles tapped Philip Morris as a smooth way to go global: "A long-term vice play in a number of markets where smoking isn't demonized the way it is in America."
Philip Morris even boasts a robust three-year average operating margin of 41.2%. That's higher than that of other tobacco stocks like British American (32.4%), Reynolds American (NYS: RAI) (29.8%), and even former parent Altria (NYS: MO) (37.3%).
What do you think about Philip Morris, or any other stock for that matter? If you want to retire rich, you need to put together the best portfolio you can. Owning exceptional stocks is a surefire way to secure your financial future, and on Motley Fool CAPS, thousands of investors are working every day to find them
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