Changes made to District 11 weapons and tobacco policies

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Some changes have been made to a pair of policies in Anoka-Hennepin District 11. The changes, which were approved last week by the school board, include modifications to the district’s weapons and tobacco use policies. Streamlining the process for addressing expulsion referrals related to possession of knives, box cutters and razor blades on school property is the biggest change to the weapons policy. Under the revised policy, administrative review of certain weapons violations would be allowed rather than an automatic referral to the school board for expulsion.

 According to Greg Cole, Compass programs principal, the rationale for the change in policy lies in the decisions of the school board over the last two school years regarding weapons violations associated with knives, box cutters and razor blades. During the 2010-2011 school year, the board reviewed 41 weapons violations for possible expulsion, according to Cole. Of those violations, the school board decided to return 10 students to their neighborhood school immediately under probationary conditions. During the 2011-2012 school year, 24 weapons violations were reviewed, with nine students immediately returned to their neighborhood school under probationary conditions.

The revised policy allows automatic referral to the school board if certain circumstances are present when a student is found in possession of a knife, box cutter or razor blade on school property. These include a threat or intent to use the object, the object was found in the school building or if administrators know it was in the school building at one time, a search was done specifically for the said item, the item is also an illegal one and if the student has a discipline record involving harassment, bullying, physical aggression, fighting or a previous expellable offense. According to Cole, if none of these items is found to be present, the matter would still be referred to the principal of the Compass programs for possible expulsion.

A meeting would be held with the family of the alleged offender to review the case. If, after that meeting, it is confirmed that none of these items were present, the associate superintendent and the building principal would review the matter and determine whether it should be referred to the school board for expulsion or whether a lesser discipline would be recommended. “This would ensure consistency,” Cole said. “While our priority is keeping students safe, our number one goal is to educate them,” said School Boardmember Marci Anderson at the May 21 school board meeting where the revised policy was introduced. Another change to the weapons policy was made regarding chemical irritants, such as mace or pepper spray. These are considered weapons but students are allowed to bring them to school if parents make special arrangements with the principal to check them into the office while on school property.

Under the revised policy, students would be allowed to bring these without making special arrangements, which according to Cole would not result in diminished safety at district schools. The final policy change approved by the school board related to tobacco under the code of student conduct. Currently the policy states that students may not possess or use tobacco in any form. The revised language will include nicotine products, electronic cigarettes or look-a-likes in any form. According to Cole, these products have nicotine in them but were allowed under the old policy because they do not contain tobacco.

Check tobacco promotion, sales: Voluntary group to FSSAI

An anti-tobacco voluntary group Wednesday sought intervention of India's food safety authority to check promotion and sales of tobacco products in the country as part of the public health policy. HRIDAY (Health Related Information Dissemination Amongst Youth), in a letter to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said tobacco products were being indirectly promoted in the country.

"The tobacco industry has been using indirect and surrogate means like sponsoring TV shows, cricket tournaments and award functions to promote products such as pan masala through their identical brand extensions." "The use of identical or similar brand names creates a confusion and incites consumers, particularly youth, to experiment with such products," the letter to FSSAI chairperson K. Chandramouli said. FSSAI, under the ministry of health and family welfare, lays down scientific standards for food articles and their manufacturing, storage and distribution.

Citing advertisements of certain products at Delhi's Metro stations and the international airport, which claim to have "zero percent tobacco", the anti-tobacco group demanded that these be tested to ensure the safety of consumer. "We urge FSSAI to initiate a process of testing all pan masala and mouth fresheners available in the market and, based on their cancer-causing and other hazardous properties, prohibit their direct and indirect advertisements," the letter said.

Tax hike has many Utahns bootlegging cigarettes

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The way Utahns buy cigarettes and cars is reshaping Utah tax collections. A recent $1-a-pack tax hike on cigarettes has many Utahns going out of state to buy them, resulting in less revenue than expected, state officials reported Tuesday. And frugal Utahns are buying more fuel-efficient cars amid high gasoline prices. While that may be saving them money and helping the environment, it brought lower-than-expected gasoline sales and taxes.

 Despite those twists, the state’s revenue projections for this fiscal year — which ends next week — have been nearly right on target, the Legislative Fiscal Analyst’s Office told the Executive Appropriations Committee on Tuesday. That means lawmakers likely will not have much leftover money to spend, nor any big money holes to fill despite forecasts being off in some areas. "At least $4 million in cigarette tax revenue has shifted to Idaho, Nevada, Wyoming and Colorado" from Utahns trying to escape higher taxes here, said analyst Thomas Young.

 In 2010, the Legislature raised cigarette taxes by $1 a pack to $1.70 — which is currently the 16th highest among the states. In comparison, cigarette tax is 57 cents a pack in Idaho; 60 cents in Wyoming; 80 cents in Nevada; and 84 cents in Colorado. Among neighboring states, only Arizona has higher cigarette taxes than Utah, at $2 a pack. Analysts figure that Idaho collected at least $1.5 million in extra cigarette tax from Utahns this year; Nevada received at least $1.3 million more; Wyoming, at least $700,000 more; and Colorado, at least $600,000 more. Even while some Utahns travel to other states to purchase tobacco, more Utahns have stopped smoking. So far, cigarette tax revenues are off about $775,000 from the previous year, according to the Utah Tax Commission.

KPMG Study Shows Illicit Cigarettes in EU Reach Highest Recorded Level in 2011

Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) PM -0.98% FR:PM -0.39% today announced the results of a comprehensive analysis undertaken to assess the illicit trade in contraband and counterfeit cigarettes in the European Union (EU). The study, conducted by KPMG LLP (KPMG), estimates that the annual consumption of illicit cigarettes in the EU in 2011 was 65.3 billion cigarettes. This is the highest ever recorded level and constitutes the fifth consecutive yearly increase.

KPMG estimates the annual EU-wide tax loss due to cigarette smuggling to be approximately 11.3 billion euros. Commenting on the results, Artyom Chernis, PMI's Vice President Illicit Trade Strategies and Prevention, said: "Illicit cigarettes represent a serious problem for business and government alike. Beyond the significant economic damage, the illicit cigarette trade breeds criminality as profits are often used to fund other criminal activities such as drug smuggling, human trafficking and terrorism." "Despite efforts by law enforcement authorities to curb the illegal cigarette market, it remains a significant problem, having grown by more than 5 billion cigarettes in the EU in the last 5 years.

PMI remains committed to continuing its close cooperation with governments and other stakeholders to implement effective solutions to tackle this critical issue." Significant findings of the KPMG study include:
 -- Illicit cigarette consumption increased by 1.1 billion in 2011 versus 2010 to a total of 65.3 billion cigarettes, which equates to 10.4% of all cigarette consumption in the EU. This is the highest ever recorded level and constitutes the fifth consecutive yearly increase.
 -- Illicit cigarette consumption in the EU in 2011 was larger than the total legal cigarette markets of France and Portugal combined.
 -- Illicit cigarette consumption increased in Mediterranean countries, including Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus and Malta and amounted to 12.6 billion cigarettes in 2011.
 -- 2011 witnessed a sharp increase in "illicit white" cigarettes
- cigarettes that are manufactured for the sole purpose of being smuggled into and sold illegally in another country. In 2011, illicit whites reached more than 15.7 billion cigarettes across the EU, compared to nearly zero in 2006. PMI is firmly opposed to the illicit trade in cigarettes and has undertaken a broad series of measures to combat this growing problem, including implementation of a global tracking and tracing system, comprehensive know-your-customer policies, consumer education and collaboration with governments. The key to success in this effort is local and international cooperation among numerous stakeholders, including governments, enforcement agencies, manufacturers and retailers.

AMU organized a Workshop on "World No Tobacco Day"

The Department of Community Medicine, J.N. Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University organized a Workshop on "World No Tobacco Day" at the Rural Health Training Centre (RHTC) of AMU, Jawan. Inaugurating the workshop, AMU Vice Chancellor Lt. General Zameer Udddin Shah, appreciated the functioning of the department and expressed happiness over the fact that health care services were provided to the poor free of cost. He congratulated the staff of the department for their efforts even in a remote area of Aligarh.

He asked the participants to encourage the people to quit tobacco smoking and chewing. He also visited the site of the boundary wall which was demolished by the local land mafia. He assured that it will be constructed very soon. Mr. Raj Kumar Singh, a prominent local person whose family had donated the land to the Department of Community Medicine, requested the Vice Chancellor to start a Pharmacy College on the land available at RHTC. Earlier, Dr. M. Athar Ansari, Organizing Chairman while welcoming the guests and participants observed that Rural Health Training Centre of AMU was one of the best training centres in northern India and it has been engaged in serving the poor with complete dedication.

Professor Zulfia Khan, Coordinator of the Programme presented an overview of the workshop and discussed the objectives of the workshop. Prof. M. Ashraf Malik, Principal and Chief Medical Superintendent, J. N. Medical College and Hospital appreciated the efforts made by the department in carrying out various health related activities in the field practice areas of the department and ranked the department as one of the most vibrant departments of the Medical College. Dr. M. Salman Shah, Organizing Secretary made a presentation highlighting various health care services available to the people. He also presented the data of patients getting treatment.

In the scientific session, presentations on various aspects of tobacco related health problems and their prevention and WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) and the Government of India Initiatives taken under National Tobacco Control Programme were given by Dr. Nafiz, Dr. Nadeem and Dr. Srikanta. Health education sessions were also carried out in different villages, such as Jawan, Sumera and Tejpur regarding hazards of tobacco consumption. Dr. Salman Khalil, Dr. Saira Mehnaz, Dr. Arshiya Massod, senior and junior residents, interns posted at RHTC, nonteaching staff, and local people, attended the programme. In the valedictory function Prof. Afzal Ahmad, former Dean, Faculty of Unani Medicine presented a poem written by him on hazards of tobacco and its prevention. Dr. Asma Ali conducted the programme while Dr. Iqbal M. Khan, In-charge of RHTC, proposed the vote of thanks.

Illinois Cigarette Tax Increase Awaits Gov. Quinn's Signature

While most of the attention in the cigarette industry has been on California's bid to raise the state's cigarette excise tax by $1, Illinois lawmakers passed an identical hike last week with little fanfare. State legislators gave their final approval on a measure to increase taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products in an effort to hold off deeper cuts to Illinois' health care program for the poor. The $1-per-pack hike more than doubles the current tax, which has held steady at 98 cents for several years, according to the Chicago Tribune.

 The measure was sent to Gov. Pat Quinn for his signature. The governor has come out in favor of the increase. "Increasing the price of cigarettes will decrease smoking-related costs to Medicaid, which came to $1.5 billion last year. This legislation will help 60,000 people quit smoking, prevent 60,000 deaths from smoking-related conditions and keep 80,000 kids from taking up smoking in the first place," the governor said in statement."By working together to pass these bills, strong progress has been made in our mission to restructure Medicaid, so that it serves as a health and wellness system instead of a provider-payment system. As a result, our Medicaid system will continue to serve the millions of Illinois residents who rely on it.

 "I look forward to signing the bills to preserve and restructure our Medicaid system, as we continue to take important steps to restore fiscal stability to Illinois," he added. The $1 increase will bring the cost of a pack of cigarettes in Chicago near-New York City levels. Current local and state taxes on a pack of cigarettes in Chicago are $3.66, according to the anti-smoking Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. The $1 increase would bring the combined tax rate to $4.66 in Chicago, behind only the $5.85 per pack rate in New York City, the newspaper reported. Illinois' cigarette tax now ranks 32nd among the states and the District of Columbia.

The state would move up to the 16th highest tax rate, behind states that levy $2 or more for a pack of cigarettes. A spokesman for tobacco retailers predicted sales of cigarettes would drop by about 20 percent because of the tax increase. An official for the so-called roll-your-own cigarette machine industry said new taxes and regulations would essentially ban the machines in Illinois, the newspaper added. However, in an analysis late last week, Bonnie Herzog, managing director, beverage, tobacco and consumer research at Wells Fargo Securities, said that the Illinois increase (and a possible one in California) will only cause a temporary volume disruption, as CSNews Online previously reported.

"We feel that, after an initial shock, these increases would be absorbed as consumers become conditioned to accept higher price points," she said. "In other words, we don't see an incremental negative volume impact that would alter the long-term industry decline rate of approximately 3.5 percent."

More Teens Smoke Marijuana Than Cigarettes

Teens are more likely to smoke marijuana than cigarettes, according to the CDC's Youth Risk Behavior report for 2011 released June 7. From 2009 to 2011, cigarette use among teens decreased from 19 to 18 percent; during the same period, use of marijuana increased from 21 to 23 percent, the study said. Despite the increase in marijuana use over that two year period, use has gone down from its 1999 high point of 27 percent.

The CDC report yielded several other encouraging developments in youth risk behavior including a sharp increase in seatbelt usage and a sharp decrease in drinking and driving/riding with someone who had consumed alcohol. Car crashes are the number one cause of death among teens, however, those deaths have decreased 40 percent in the past decade.

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Push to quash tobacco tax could echo beyond Calif

Big Tobacco's success in branding a proposed California cigarette tax as a government boondoggle sent a message that could echo in other states as votes trended toward the opposition. Through a barrage of campaign ads, the industry was able to cut support for a $1-a-pack cigarette tax backed by cycling legend Lance Armstrong from a two-thirds majority in March to a dead heat on Election Day. While the outcome remained unclear Wednesday afternoon, experts said the feat of undermining the once-popular measure could scare off tobacco foes in other states.

The $47 million ad campaign — which scarcely mentioned the word "tobacco" — showed that cigarette makers are shifting away from arguing about their product and looking for other ways to attack tax initiatives. "If they talk about smokers, most people in California aren't smokers," said Jack Pitney, a political science professor at Claremont McKenna College in Pomona. "Instead, they talk about wasteful spending and most people in California are against wasteful spending." In March, a statewide poll suggested Proposition 29, which would have used tax revenue to fund cancer research, would pass with two-thirds approval. With hundreds of thousands of votes still to be counted on Wednesday, it could be days or longer before a winner is declared.

Taxes have been shown to reduce smoking rates, especially in young people, but in campaign ads, tobacco companies ignored the issue of smoking and of taxes entirely and instead focused on trouble the state could run into trying to distribute the revenue. The strategy didn't just sow doubt in the minds of individual voters. A slew of newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times, opposed the measure while proclaiming their reluctance to side with tobacco companies and general support for such sin taxes. They argued that the revenue should go directly to the state, which Gov. Jerry Brown announced last month now faces a deficit of $16 billion. The situation was reminiscent a 2006 California cigarette tax measure that led by wide margins until tobacco companies spent $66 million to defeat it with ads, including one featuring a Central Valley physician.

That same physician was the centerpiece of this year's anti-tax campaign. Proposition 29 led in early returns for much of Tuesday as mail-in ballots were counted. But as precincts began to tally the votes cast on Election Day, the measure fell behind and began trailing by a fraction of a percentage point. Public health workers and anti-smoking advocates said that they would not let the bitter California fight discourage them from challenging the tobacco industry in the future. "They don't like to lose a big public campaign like this because they know it encourages us," said Danny McGoldrick of the Washington, D.C based Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "I think they were trying to send a message to other states not to try this, but I think people are more resolved than ever to take them on." Armstrong and a coalition of anti-smoking groups say they raised about $12 million to bolster the measure.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg made headlines when he kicked in $500,000 to help offset the industry donations. But the effort was dwarfed by $47 million raised by opponents, a large haul for even the most heated state races. By comparison, Jerry Brown spent about $36 million in his successful 2010 bid to become governor of California and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and his allies spent $47 million to beat back a recall challenge this week. The nation's most populous state has become a challenge for tobacco tax advocates in recent years. Californians approved a raft of smoking restrictions in the late 1990s and helped drive smokers off the beaches, away from bus stations, and in some cases, out of their own cars and apartments. The famously health-conscious state has not raised tobacco taxes since 1998, though, and the rest of the country has caught up. If the new tax passed, California would still have only the 16th highest tax rate in the nation. The overwhelming majority of recent tobacco taxes have been approved in statehouses, not at the polls, according to data compiled for The Associated Press by Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

Missouri voters are expected to weigh in on a tobacco tax increase in November, and similar proposals await action in the Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Illinois statehouses, according to the campaign. In California, where the smoking rate is just 12.1 percent, lawmakers have defeated more than 30 attempts to raise tobacco taxes in the last 30 years. Anti-smoking advocates say that far from discouraging them, each defeat at the ballot teaches them how to make their initiative less vulnerable to attack. "This shows that spending $47 million can get people confused, and when people are confused they tend to vote no," said Stan Glantz of the University of California, San Francisco's Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education. If the measure had directed the money straight to the state's hemorrhaging general fund, the opposition campaign would not have been able to raise the specter of the tax dollars leaving California, he said. "But they would have probably thought of something else," he said.

Tobacco’s grip remains one of life’s mysteries

For quite a spell I thought Twinkies were right up there with indoor plumbing and turn signals as man’s top contributions to a better world. This Twinkie romance wasn’t quite an addiction, but it was serious. Now I can walk past them in the store without blinking — besides, they have shrunk. Addiction is a deadly word, as you know — thousands of Cubs fans, being hooked on losers. Maybe counseling would help. Nobody wants it, I suspect. Addictions like that may be harmless, something to laugh about.

The addiction to cigarettes is neither harmless nor funny. I was reminded of that when I re-read John Grisham’s book “The Runaway Jury.” It involves a woman’s suit against big tobacco companies, blaming them for her husband’s death from lung cancer. It is a piece of gripping fiction involving real issues, like whether a long-time smoker can just give it up, and how smokers get hooked. Did the Marlboro Man have an effect? Do kids see their parents smoke and think it is OK? What about the old movies where the stars puffed away as if it was in the script?

Maybe it was. I never got the hang of it — a few times I got so sick after smoking cigarettes that I was afraid I might die before I could leave a note blaming some other kids for urging me to light up. I still have their names, but I never told. It seems a mystery to me, even now, light years away from those “Twenty Grand” experiments, how anybody could get sick and then go out and do it again until smoking seems natural and important. Being a slow learner, I reckon, was good for me. I tried it again in the Army, along with poker, and I was not good at either. Poker didn’t make me physically sick, though, just mentally upset thinking that even my war, safe near Supreme Headquarters, was hell. When I was about 4 years old, my dad quit smoking.

He was an Old Golds fellow. It may have been easy to quit because my mother asked him to. After that, nobody ever smoked in our house. My mom was quietly firm, and even now, I am glad she kept our houses smoke free. One of my uncles chewed Beech Nut and I crammed some into my mouth one day while looking for four-leaf clovers. Very soon, I was dizzy and could not see the clover well enough to count to even three. I was a poor spitter. There must be something about tobacco that is insidiously inviting and, well, addictive.

We all know smokers who say they want to quit but can’t. And we all have seen people standing outside their workplaces, puffing away. In my early newspaper days, the newsroom was smoky and loud. Now newsrooms generally are smoke free and sadly quiet. It is a new era. Restaurants are generally smoke free. Some of us think the food tastes better. In my kid days, I got the feeling that smoking was a sin. For sure, it was wrong. My mom said so. When I got sick on cigarettes, I wondered if she had put a hex on me. I tried pipes for a brief period at work — it made me look studious, which I never was. I burned holes in my pants — actually I was inept with pipes. Not as bad as I was with the chewing tobacco, though. Only smokers know how powerful the habit is, and it is their business, not mine. It just remains a mystery to me, an old nonsmoker.

CA voters split on tax targeted by Big Tobacco

Voters TuA California initiative to raise the tax on tobacco products was losing early Wednesday but the vote was still too close to call because hundreds of thousands of ballots potentially remained uncounted. esday were deciding whether to approve a California tobacco tax that has been the target of a multimillion-dollar opposition campaign. The day after Election Day, Proposition 29 was losing by just over 1 percent, or about 64,000 votes out of more than 3.8 million counted. However, even with all precincts reporting, there typically are many late-arriving ballots from early and absentee voting not counted until after election day.

These ballots typically comprise up to 20 percent of all votes, meaning potentially hundreds of thousands of votes were still to be counted statewide. It could be days or longer before a winner is declared. Cycling legend Lance Armstrong backed the measure to impose an additional $1-per-pack tax on cigarettes to fund cancer research. A $50 million opposition ad campaign was led by Big Tobacco(read here). In March, a statewide poll suggested the Proposition 29 would pass with two-thirds approval. The situation reminded some of a 2006 California cigarette tax measure that was leading by wide margins until tobacco companies spent $66 million to defeat it. The attempt to hike taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products grew into a national fight last month with tobacco companies pouring in millions to quash the effort and celebrities including the New York City Mayor urging voters to support it.

 As returns came in, both camps said they expected a close race but remained confident they would emerge the winner. "We expected that as voters took a look at the measure, they would recognize the serious flaws, and as well intentioned as the measure is, they would realize it's not right for California," Beth Miller, spokeswoman for the No on 29 campaign said Wednesday. Tobacco taxes have been proven to reduce smoking. But opponents said the initiative would create an unaccountable bureaucracy in charge of doling out the tax revenue, which is expected to start at $735 million a year. An extra tax in the nation's most populous state also could mean major losses for tobacco companies, and Proposition 29 supporters said industry heavyweights were inventing arguments to obscure their true motive -- safeguarding profits.

 "I think the public health message has gotten through the smoke screen of the tobacco companies' nearly $50 million misinformation campaign," Jim Knox of the American Cancer Society said Tuesday. Armstrong and a coalition of anti-smoking groups raised about $18 million to bolster the measure. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg gave $500,000 to the campaign to help offset the industry donations. Majorities in the Democratic-leaning counties along the Northern California coast favored the tax, while majorities in most other regions others opposed it. Voters on both sides expressed strong convictions as they cast their ballots. "I think that we should aggressively discourage smoking -- make it less convenient, make it more expensive," said Susan Hyman of Long Beach.

California voters reject raising tobacco tax

California voters narrowly rejected a ballot measure that would have added a $1 tax to a pack of cigarettes in the state's primary election Tuesday, an outcome observers attributed to a $47 million ad blitz by the tobacco industry. The measure, known as Proposition 29, was defeated 50.8 percent to 49.2 percent on a day of light voter turnout, according to election results posted on Wednesday by California's secretary of state.

Some absentee and other ballots remained to be counted. The result reflected a long-standing political divide in California, with San Francisco Bay area counties heavily supporting the measure, while conservative suburban counties in more populous Southern California overwhelmingly opposed it. Revenue from the proposed tax, estimated at $735 million in its first year, would have supported medical research on tobacco-related diseases and programs to prevent and control tobacco use.

 The measure, championed, among others, by the American Cancer Society and cycling great and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong, had enjoyed a commanding lead in polls earlier in the year. But opponents, led by Altria's Philip Morris and Reynolds American Inc, vastly outspent their rivals, blanketing the airwaves in much of the state in recent weeks with a message that cast doubt on how the new tax revenues would be spent.

 The result mimicked a 2006 effort at increasing tobacco taxes, which voters also rejected after a fierce industry-sponsored ad campaign. California voters last approved a measure to increase the state's tobacco tax in 1998. It narrowly passed. MEASURE OVERWHELMED BY ADS Support for Proposition 29 was hampered by concerns that revenue from the tax would not go to public services, such as schools and policing, which have had their budgets slashed, said Mark DiCamillo, director of The Field Poll, which tracks California's public policy and political issues. DiCamillo added that older, more conservative voters opposed to the measure likely had an outsized influence in an election marked by low turnout. According to California's secretary of state, only 24 percent of registered voters cast ballots on Tuesday.

That figure will increase as counties finish counting outstanding ballots. Democratic Governor Jerry Brown unveiled a revised state budget plan last month that projected a $15.7 billion deficit. He proposed closing it with spending cuts to healthcare for the poor and elderly, savings from reduced work hours for state employees and new revenue from tax increases he plans to put to voters in a ballot measure in November.

 If voters reject Brown's proposal - it would raise the state sales tax and income tax rates for wealthy taxpayers - he has said an additional $6 billion in spending, including $5.5 billion on schools and community colleges, would need to be cut later this year. "This measure (Proposition 29) wasn't going to do anything to fix that," said Joel Fox, president of the Small Business Action Committee and a member of the coalition that opposed it. "It creates another walled-off account the governor and the legislature can't get to in difficult times."