TWO North-East men are part of a gang of four RAF servicemen who have admitted smuggling more than a million cigarettes into the UK on military planes.
Senior Aircraftman Paul Garbutt, of Avon Grove, Billingham, near Stockton, and Corporal Stuart Helens, 31, formerly of Sunderland, but now living in Wiltshire, admitted being part of a gang that brought tobacco into RAF Brize Norton, in Oxfordshire, and RAF Lyneham, in Wiltshire.
The cigarettes were brought to the North-East and sold without paying customs duty.
Corporal Thomas Warren, 27, of Lyneham, and Sergeant Stuart Walker, 43, of Basingstoke, Hampshire, also admitted their part in the conspiracy.
Civilians Lisa Harrison, 35, of Sydney Road, Middlesbrough, Alison McCabe, 44, of Fielding Court, Billingham, and Christopher Garbutt, 25, of Knapton Avenue, Billingham, also admitted being part of the smuggling ring.
They earned up to £30,000 each before the operation was discovered.
Ian Dixey, prosecuting, told Bristol Crown Court that the servicemen exploited their position of trust.
He said they took advantage of the number of flights they made to bring large quantities of cigarettes into the country.
He added: “There was an ongoing arrangement to buy cigarettes abroad and smuggle them into this country via RAF flights and then distribute them without any tax having been paid in this country.
“The cigarettes were sold for substantially more than they cost the defendants. It was dishonest.”
Mr Dixey said the cigarettes were bought at UN bases, where US dollars was the preferred currency.
After being brought into the country, Christopher Garbutt was in charge of picking them up from the air bases.
The conspiracy was discovered when customs officers searched an aircraft after it landed at RAF Lyneham and found 950,000 cigarettes from Kabul in a cardboard box.
Helens arrived at the base to collect the shipment on April 29, last year, but he tried to get away after he heard the cigarettes had been found.
Security officials found 10,000 cigarettes in his car. He was arrested and police found a spreadsheet on his computer detailing the scam as well as £70,000 in cash.
Mother-of three Louisa Garbutt, of Avon Grove, Billingham, denies conspiring to cheat the public revenue and acquisition of criminal property.
Her trial continues.
The others will be sentenced at the conclusion of her trial.
пятница, 10 декабря 2010 г.
Every cigarette puff causes damage
Even brief exposure to tobacco smoke — from, say, an occasional puff or secondhand smoke — can damage DNA in ways that lead to cancer, according to the U.S. Surgeon General’s first new report on tobacco in four years.
“Tobacco smoke damages almost every organ in your body,” surgeon general Regina Benjamin said in the report released Thursday. In someone with underlying heart disease, Benjamin said, “One cigarette can cause a heart attack.”
One in five deaths nationwide is attributed to cigarettes, according to the report — about the same percentage of adults and older teens who smoke.
The 700-page report also sheds lights on why cigarettes are so addictive: Cigarettes today are designed to deliver nicotine more quickly and efficiently than they did decades ago, making them more likely to hook first-time users and to keep older smokers coming back. For instance, adding ammonia converts nicotine into a form that gets to the brain faster, and sugar and “moisture enhancers” reduce the burning sensation, making smoking more pleasant, especially for new smokers.
“The timing of this report is important for Illinois, where some members of the General Assembly are trying to create exemptions to the Smoke-Free Illinois law for casinos, racetracks and off-track betting venues,” said Joel Africk, head of the Respiratory Health
“Tobacco smoke damages almost every organ in your body,” surgeon general Regina Benjamin said in the report released Thursday. In someone with underlying heart disease, Benjamin said, “One cigarette can cause a heart attack.”
One in five deaths nationwide is attributed to cigarettes, according to the report — about the same percentage of adults and older teens who smoke.
The 700-page report also sheds lights on why cigarettes are so addictive: Cigarettes today are designed to deliver nicotine more quickly and efficiently than they did decades ago, making them more likely to hook first-time users and to keep older smokers coming back. For instance, adding ammonia converts nicotine into a form that gets to the brain faster, and sugar and “moisture enhancers” reduce the burning sensation, making smoking more pleasant, especially for new smokers.
“The timing of this report is important for Illinois, where some members of the General Assembly are trying to create exemptions to the Smoke-Free Illinois law for casinos, racetracks and off-track betting venues,” said Joel Africk, head of the Respiratory Health
понедельник, 21 июня 2010 г.
Calhoun Community College Officials Ban Tobacco
ATHENS, AL - It's a measure no public universities or colleges in Alabama have taken. Starting this fall, no tobacco products will be allowed on the campus of Calhoun Community College.
Calhoun administrators say they have the students' best interest in mind, but some students say their perspective is clouded.
"We're willing to take a stand that's not necessarily popular because we know it's the right thing to do," said Calhoun Community College Health Sciences Dean Bret McGill.
Thursday, college officials announced on campus, no one may use tobacco products starting August 16, the first day of the fall semester.
"It sends a major and clear message that smoking is bad for your health, and I think it protects the community and everyone from second hand smoke," said Dr. Grace Thomas, Medical Director for Women's Health with the Alabama Department of Health.
"Also for younger generations who are coming to college and do not smoke, there will be less chance of them being exposed to it and being interested in smoking just because of seeing other people smoking," said Calhoun Nursing Student Oliviere Nkiere.
But, some oppose the new rule.
"I feel like they shouldn't ban us from smoking on campus because for one, you know we do choose to come to school here, and it should be our privilege," said Kim Shelton, a Calhoun student and a smoker.
She says if the intent really is to make students healthier, they should change out the food sold in the snack machines.
If students are caught using tobacco products on campus in the fall, they could face a fine of $25 or more.
Calhoun officials say smoking or dipping in your car on campus is okay, but doing it outside of your car, in the parking lot, is not.
Calhoun administrators say they have the students' best interest in mind, but some students say their perspective is clouded.
"We're willing to take a stand that's not necessarily popular because we know it's the right thing to do," said Calhoun Community College Health Sciences Dean Bret McGill.
Thursday, college officials announced on campus, no one may use tobacco products starting August 16, the first day of the fall semester.
"It sends a major and clear message that smoking is bad for your health, and I think it protects the community and everyone from second hand smoke," said Dr. Grace Thomas, Medical Director for Women's Health with the Alabama Department of Health.
"Also for younger generations who are coming to college and do not smoke, there will be less chance of them being exposed to it and being interested in smoking just because of seeing other people smoking," said Calhoun Nursing Student Oliviere Nkiere.
But, some oppose the new rule.
"I feel like they shouldn't ban us from smoking on campus because for one, you know we do choose to come to school here, and it should be our privilege," said Kim Shelton, a Calhoun student and a smoker.
She says if the intent really is to make students healthier, they should change out the food sold in the snack machines.
If students are caught using tobacco products on campus in the fall, they could face a fine of $25 or more.
Calhoun officials say smoking or dipping in your car on campus is okay, but doing it outside of your car, in the parking lot, is not.
понедельник, 14 июня 2010 г.
Oregon requires insurers to offer tobacco cessation
Oregon smokers who want to quit may find it a little easier due to some recent developments.
For one, state legislators recently passed a new law that requires health insurance companies that do business in Oregon to provide a tobacco cessation benefit.
“This is a great benefit,” said Dr. Charles Bentz, a Portland-based physician who advocated for passage of the new legislation. “It's great news for (smokers) that want to quit.”
The Legislature passed the new law in June 2009. It took effect Jan. 1 of this year. But at the time, health insurance companies had already designed their benefit packages for 2010. Bentz recently visited The News-Review to raise awareness of the new law, particularly as health insurers are designing benefit packages for 2011.
He was accompanied by Dianne Danowski Smith, who works for a Portland-based public relations firm that's helping Bentz spread the word about the new law.
The legislation, known as Senate Bill 734, requires health insurers to include a tobacco cessation benefit of at least $500 in every benefit program they offer in Oregon. The minimum $500 benefit is per member per lifetime.
The benefit includes coverage of over-the-counter therapies, oral medicines and counseling. It may be used by users of any tobacco product, from cigarettes to chewing tobacco to cigars.
Bentz, who has been working as an internist in Oregon for 20 years, is enthusiastic about the requirement to offer health care coverage of cessation programs.
“If you want to get smokers to quit smoking, you've got to cover it,” he said.
He bases his opinion partly on his own experience helping develop a tobacco cessation program while he worked for Providence Health System's five Portland-based hospitals for 15 years. During that period, the hospitals helped 10,000 people to stop smoking, he said.
Bentz said it's also important for the public to understand how hard it is for smokers to quit. He said smoking actually changes a smoker's brain by increasing the number of receptors that crave nicotine.
He also stressed the benefits of quitting, noting that smoking has been tied to a higher risk for illnesses ranging from heart attacks to strokes to cervical cancer.
Both Bentz and Smith said they were pleasantly surprised health insurance companies did not object to Senate Bill 734 when it was introduced. Bentz said he believes that's because they realize how it will save them money in the long run.
Bentz said employers pay an extra $3,300 to $5,500 a year for employees who smoke compared to employees who don't. He said that includes the costs of added medical expenses, lost productivity and having to replace the employees due to early death.
Although employers will pay more upfront to provide the required tobacco cessation benefit to employees, Bentz estimated they will recoup those costs within two years.
The new state law is just one of many recent changes making it easier for smokers to kick the nicotine habit, Bentz and Smith said.
As of Jan. 1, Oregon Health Plan beneficiaries no longer have to pay a co-pay to take advantage of OHP's tobacco cessation benefit. Recently, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded the Oregon Quit Line $661,000 to expand its services.
Callers who call the Quit Line, at 800-Quit-Now, can receive information about tobacco cessation programs and even talk to a counselor.
And an increasing number of places are going smoke-free, partly due to legislation that banned smoking in most restaurants and bars on Jan. 1, 2009.
Bentz said he applauds the efforts to make more locations smoke-free, as it “generates heat” on the topic of smoking.
But he also praised the Legislature for passing the new law that requires health insurers to offer a tobacco cessation benefit.
For one, state legislators recently passed a new law that requires health insurance companies that do business in Oregon to provide a tobacco cessation benefit.
“This is a great benefit,” said Dr. Charles Bentz, a Portland-based physician who advocated for passage of the new legislation. “It's great news for (smokers) that want to quit.”
The Legislature passed the new law in June 2009. It took effect Jan. 1 of this year. But at the time, health insurance companies had already designed their benefit packages for 2010. Bentz recently visited The News-Review to raise awareness of the new law, particularly as health insurers are designing benefit packages for 2011.
He was accompanied by Dianne Danowski Smith, who works for a Portland-based public relations firm that's helping Bentz spread the word about the new law.
The legislation, known as Senate Bill 734, requires health insurers to include a tobacco cessation benefit of at least $500 in every benefit program they offer in Oregon. The minimum $500 benefit is per member per lifetime.
The benefit includes coverage of over-the-counter therapies, oral medicines and counseling. It may be used by users of any tobacco product, from cigarettes to chewing tobacco to cigars.
Bentz, who has been working as an internist in Oregon for 20 years, is enthusiastic about the requirement to offer health care coverage of cessation programs.
“If you want to get smokers to quit smoking, you've got to cover it,” he said.
He bases his opinion partly on his own experience helping develop a tobacco cessation program while he worked for Providence Health System's five Portland-based hospitals for 15 years. During that period, the hospitals helped 10,000 people to stop smoking, he said.
Bentz said it's also important for the public to understand how hard it is for smokers to quit. He said smoking actually changes a smoker's brain by increasing the number of receptors that crave nicotine.
He also stressed the benefits of quitting, noting that smoking has been tied to a higher risk for illnesses ranging from heart attacks to strokes to cervical cancer.
Both Bentz and Smith said they were pleasantly surprised health insurance companies did not object to Senate Bill 734 when it was introduced. Bentz said he believes that's because they realize how it will save them money in the long run.
Bentz said employers pay an extra $3,300 to $5,500 a year for employees who smoke compared to employees who don't. He said that includes the costs of added medical expenses, lost productivity and having to replace the employees due to early death.
Although employers will pay more upfront to provide the required tobacco cessation benefit to employees, Bentz estimated they will recoup those costs within two years.
The new state law is just one of many recent changes making it easier for smokers to kick the nicotine habit, Bentz and Smith said.
As of Jan. 1, Oregon Health Plan beneficiaries no longer have to pay a co-pay to take advantage of OHP's tobacco cessation benefit. Recently, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded the Oregon Quit Line $661,000 to expand its services.
Callers who call the Quit Line, at 800-Quit-Now, can receive information about tobacco cessation programs and even talk to a counselor.
And an increasing number of places are going smoke-free, partly due to legislation that banned smoking in most restaurants and bars on Jan. 1, 2009.
Bentz said he applauds the efforts to make more locations smoke-free, as it “generates heat” on the topic of smoking.
But he also praised the Legislature for passing the new law that requires health insurers to offer a tobacco cessation benefit.
понедельник, 7 июня 2010 г.
Man accused of stealing $50,000 in cigarettes
SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- South Carolina authorities are searching for a man who has stolen more than $50,000 in cigarettes from six convenience stores.
Authorities say the man has broken into Murphy USA stores in Spartanburg, Simpsonville, Union, Columbia, North Augusta and Belmont, N.C.
Police said that the man enters the stores and uses large trash cans to carry out the cigarettes.
Anyone who recognizes the man should call Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC.
Authorities say the man has broken into Murphy USA stores in Spartanburg, Simpsonville, Union, Columbia, North Augusta and Belmont, N.C.
Police said that the man enters the stores and uses large trash cans to carry out the cigarettes.
Anyone who recognizes the man should call Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC.
вторник, 1 июня 2010 г.
World No Tobacco Day Receives Mild Response In KL
KUALA LUMPUR, May 31 (Bernama) -- The World No Tobacco Day observed worldwide every May 31 has received minimal response, with survey around the capital showing that the public was unaware of the day and its theme.
Visits by Bernama to Bukit Bintang and its surrounding areas revealed people were still engaging in their usual smoking habits, contrary to the 24-hour abstinence period the celebration propagated.
A worker at a chicken rice restaurant, Hanafi Yaakob, 25, said he was a heavy smoker and only knew of the celebration after being asked by reporters to give an opinion on the matter.
"Even after knowing about it, I cannot imagine living without cigarettes for a day to support the campaign," he said.
A 30-year-old sales promoter, Wong Chee Hiong, attributed the lack of response to insufficient publicity.
"This campaign is not carried out seriously. There are no promotions in the papers or electronic media which is why people ignore it," he said, adding that he was unaware of the celebrations and would continue to smoke.
Meanwhile, the survey also found that the ban on 14-stick cigarette packs was unable to overcome addiction among Malaysians.
Private college student, Joseph Wee Tong Hang, 20, said heavy smokers would continue to buy regardless of the rise in the price of cigarettes.
"It is no wonder they are willing to spend so much money for a puff," he said.
Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai had stated that the number of smokers in the country, including women, had reached a critical level.
World No Tobacco Day was celebrated for the first time in 1987 and has been recognised by the World Health Organisation. It is observed annually and aims to inform the global community of the danger and effects cigarettes have on health.
Visits by Bernama to Bukit Bintang and its surrounding areas revealed people were still engaging in their usual smoking habits, contrary to the 24-hour abstinence period the celebration propagated.
A worker at a chicken rice restaurant, Hanafi Yaakob, 25, said he was a heavy smoker and only knew of the celebration after being asked by reporters to give an opinion on the matter.
"Even after knowing about it, I cannot imagine living without cigarettes for a day to support the campaign," he said.
A 30-year-old sales promoter, Wong Chee Hiong, attributed the lack of response to insufficient publicity.
"This campaign is not carried out seriously. There are no promotions in the papers or electronic media which is why people ignore it," he said, adding that he was unaware of the celebrations and would continue to smoke.
Meanwhile, the survey also found that the ban on 14-stick cigarette packs was unable to overcome addiction among Malaysians.
Private college student, Joseph Wee Tong Hang, 20, said heavy smokers would continue to buy regardless of the rise in the price of cigarettes.
"It is no wonder they are willing to spend so much money for a puff," he said.
Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai had stated that the number of smokers in the country, including women, had reached a critical level.
World No Tobacco Day was celebrated for the first time in 1987 and has been recognised by the World Health Organisation. It is observed annually and aims to inform the global community of the danger and effects cigarettes have on health.
понедельник, 10 мая 2010 г.
P.E.I. gets tougher on tobacco sales to youth
Retailers on P.E.I. caught repeatedly selling cigarettes to minors will now face more than just warnings, and at least one store recently was handed a licence suspension.The tougher rules came into effect at the start of the year. First offences still draw just a warning, but a second offence within a few months now has more serious consequences: a fine, a possible suspension of the licence to sell tobacco, and placement on a high-risk list. Being on the list means no more warnings, and stores need to stay clean for two years to get off it.
"We're hoping that it will have the desired effect," environmental health manager Joe Bradley told CBC News.
"Certainly a number of store owners are very diligent, and hopefully all will be a little more diligent in checking youth for IDs."
Mac's News in Summerside and a Sobey's tobacco shop in Charlottetown were the first establishments placed on the high-risk list. Kozy Korner Café in Charlottetown and MacDonald's Rite Stop in St. Peter's Bay were issued warnings on the March/April list.
Mac's News owner Tina Mundy has no quibbles with the tougher rules.
"They do have to do something. There are way too many kids underage that are smoking," said Mundy.
"I guess the thing they need to work on is, I don't think there's a law for kids to actually have it. It's we that get fined for selling it."
The province has no plans to start fining kids.
Mundy says that along with a $250 fine her licence to sell tobacco will be suspended for a week in June, and the lost sales will cost her a lot more than the fine.
"We're hoping that it will have the desired effect," environmental health manager Joe Bradley told CBC News.
"Certainly a number of store owners are very diligent, and hopefully all will be a little more diligent in checking youth for IDs."
Mac's News in Summerside and a Sobey's tobacco shop in Charlottetown were the first establishments placed on the high-risk list. Kozy Korner Café in Charlottetown and MacDonald's Rite Stop in St. Peter's Bay were issued warnings on the March/April list.
Mac's News owner Tina Mundy has no quibbles with the tougher rules.
"They do have to do something. There are way too many kids underage that are smoking," said Mundy.
"I guess the thing they need to work on is, I don't think there's a law for kids to actually have it. It's we that get fined for selling it."
The province has no plans to start fining kids.
Mundy says that along with a $250 fine her licence to sell tobacco will be suspended for a week in June, and the lost sales will cost her a lot more than the fine.
понедельник, 3 мая 2010 г.
Rudd the Terminator
Opposition leader Tony Abbott and executives from Big Tobacco appear to be alone in their opposition to the Federal Government's draconian measures to cut smoking.
Last week Prime Minister Kevin Rudd imposed an immediate 25 per cent tax increase on tobacco products and signalled his intention to require plain paper packaging by 2012.
Abbott stressed that he is opposed to smoking, but questioned the Prime Minister's motives, claiming that Rudd is making a panicked 'tax grab' to pay for his addiction to spending.
While his reasoning suggests opposition for opposition's sake, Abbott is right to ask questions. However it's not so much the tax grab that is a worry, but the shift towards regressive taxation to fund the health system. In other words, increasing the cost of cigarettes hurts the poor more than the rich. If James Packer still smokes, it does not matter to him whether he has to pay $13 or $20 for a packet of cigarettes. But it makes a big difference to many other Australians.
The regressiveness of tobacco tax is compounded by the reality that smoking is much more prevalent among those from lower socio-economic and disadvantaged Australians. Health policy analyst Jennifer Doggett says that while the 'white collar' smoking rate is just 13 per cent, the Indigenous figure is 50 per cent, and the rate for those with schizophrenia is 90 per cent.
Such figures are quoted whenever tobacco tax hikes are threatened because welfare advocates know that many Australians with a small discretionary income will give priority to cigarettes over food and clothing for themselves and their families. Such is the nature of addictive substances, and it only demonstrates that some form of draconian action against tobacco is necessary.
However Rudd is acting with the callous efficiency of The Terminator when he really needs to find a more equitable incentive to give up smoking. Not only does he appear committed to unfair regressive taxation, but there is a lack of empathy towards those who will suffer most from this particular form of tough love.
He may not be a smoker himself, but he makes no attempt to encourage smokers from lower socio-economic groups to feel that he is one with them. In the past he has demonstrated empathy in some of his prepared speeches, for example the allusion in the health debate to his upbringing in a family of nurses. Instead his rhetoric here was combative, and it was as if smokers were as much the enemy as Big Tobacco.
'Cigarettes kill people. Therefore the Government makes no apology whatsoever for what it's doing … This will be the most hardline regime for cigarette packaging anywhere in the world for which we make no apology whatsoever.'
The action on smoking is clearly part of a strategy of taking an easy option to get runs on the board before this year's election following a series of spectacular failures and backflips. But the punishing manner in which he is executing his plan could cause it to backfire, and leave him offside with the 'battlers' whose quality of life is noticeably diminished by the regressive tobacco tax slug.
Last week Prime Minister Kevin Rudd imposed an immediate 25 per cent tax increase on tobacco products and signalled his intention to require plain paper packaging by 2012.
Abbott stressed that he is opposed to smoking, but questioned the Prime Minister's motives, claiming that Rudd is making a panicked 'tax grab' to pay for his addiction to spending.
While his reasoning suggests opposition for opposition's sake, Abbott is right to ask questions. However it's not so much the tax grab that is a worry, but the shift towards regressive taxation to fund the health system. In other words, increasing the cost of cigarettes hurts the poor more than the rich. If James Packer still smokes, it does not matter to him whether he has to pay $13 or $20 for a packet of cigarettes. But it makes a big difference to many other Australians.
The regressiveness of tobacco tax is compounded by the reality that smoking is much more prevalent among those from lower socio-economic and disadvantaged Australians. Health policy analyst Jennifer Doggett says that while the 'white collar' smoking rate is just 13 per cent, the Indigenous figure is 50 per cent, and the rate for those with schizophrenia is 90 per cent.
Such figures are quoted whenever tobacco tax hikes are threatened because welfare advocates know that many Australians with a small discretionary income will give priority to cigarettes over food and clothing for themselves and their families. Such is the nature of addictive substances, and it only demonstrates that some form of draconian action against tobacco is necessary.
However Rudd is acting with the callous efficiency of The Terminator when he really needs to find a more equitable incentive to give up smoking. Not only does he appear committed to unfair regressive taxation, but there is a lack of empathy towards those who will suffer most from this particular form of tough love.
He may not be a smoker himself, but he makes no attempt to encourage smokers from lower socio-economic groups to feel that he is one with them. In the past he has demonstrated empathy in some of his prepared speeches, for example the allusion in the health debate to his upbringing in a family of nurses. Instead his rhetoric here was combative, and it was as if smokers were as much the enemy as Big Tobacco.
'Cigarettes kill people. Therefore the Government makes no apology whatsoever for what it's doing … This will be the most hardline regime for cigarette packaging anywhere in the world for which we make no apology whatsoever.'
The action on smoking is clearly part of a strategy of taking an easy option to get runs on the board before this year's election following a series of spectacular failures and backflips. But the punishing manner in which he is executing his plan could cause it to backfire, and leave him offside with the 'battlers' whose quality of life is noticeably diminished by the regressive tobacco tax slug.
понедельник, 26 апреля 2010 г.
Marijuana Guru Dennis Peron Suffers Stroke
With the marijuana movement sparking these days, one of its seminal figures was just nearly snuffed out. Dennis Peron -- a longtime pot activist and the co-author of the 1996 medical marijuana ballot initiative, Prop. 215 -- on Sunday confirmed he'd suffered a stroke.
"That's why I didn't give a speech at the hemp expo" at the Cow Palace, Peron told SF Weekly. He noted that he suffered the stroke about a month ago and underwent an operation yesterday to "unclog my artery."
"Total success, total success," the 65-year-old continued. "I have so much more energy. I'm on the mend. Don't count me out."
Peron added that he's now quit smoking cigarettes. Well, not every cigarette.
"I have to go easy on the pot," he notes. But when asked if he could still consume marijuana brownies he immediately answered "Yeah, yeah. I'm enjoying life."
"That's why I didn't give a speech at the hemp expo" at the Cow Palace, Peron told SF Weekly. He noted that he suffered the stroke about a month ago and underwent an operation yesterday to "unclog my artery."
"Total success, total success," the 65-year-old continued. "I have so much more energy. I'm on the mend. Don't count me out."
Peron added that he's now quit smoking cigarettes. Well, not every cigarette.
"I have to go easy on the pot," he notes. But when asked if he could still consume marijuana brownies he immediately answered "Yeah, yeah. I'm enjoying life."
понедельник, 19 апреля 2010 г.
Cigarette shock pics confirmed
SHOCK images are to begin appearing on cigarette packets in France next year, more than two years after the idea was first proposed.
Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot said she had signed the decree that will force cigarette manufacturers to show pictures of the damage smoking does to the body.
One of 14 images will take up 40% of the space on the back of every packet sold in France, with messages such as "Smokers die early" and "Smoking causes deadly lung cancer".
Anti-smoking groups have been calling for the shock tactics for several years. Producers and tobacconists have a year to use up their existing stocks.
Ms Bachelot said she was "favourable" to the idea in October 2008 after a study by the University of Rennes showed that the method was an efficient way of reducing the amount of cigarettes sold.
Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot said she had signed the decree that will force cigarette manufacturers to show pictures of the damage smoking does to the body.
One of 14 images will take up 40% of the space on the back of every packet sold in France, with messages such as "Smokers die early" and "Smoking causes deadly lung cancer".
Anti-smoking groups have been calling for the shock tactics for several years. Producers and tobacconists have a year to use up their existing stocks.
Ms Bachelot said she was "favourable" to the idea in October 2008 after a study by the University of Rennes showed that the method was an efficient way of reducing the amount of cigarettes sold.
четверг, 15 апреля 2010 г.
Govt urged to raise tobacco taxes
The Rudd government must increase tobacco taxes if it is serious about preventative reforms in health care, the Cancer Council says.
Professor Ian Olver, chief executive of Cancer Council Australia, said tobacco addiction remained the nation's largest preventable cause of serious disease and death.
Prof Olver said he was hopeful media speculation about a significant increase in the tobacco taxes would become reality in the 2010-11 federal budget.
"Smoking is still the largest preventable cause of cancer death and disease in Australia, and increasing the price of tobacco products is the best way to encourage smokers to quit," Professor Olver said in a statement on Wednesday.
"If the Government is serious about disease prevention as a key part of healthcare reform, it must increase the price of tobacco products in the next budget.
"This would reduce tobacco disease burden and also help to fund prevention programs like tobacco control and bowel cancer screening."
News Ltd reports indicate the federal government was considering a hike in tobacco taxes to part-fund the $18 billion cost of its broader health reform agenda.
A $13.50 packet of cigarettes could be increased to $20 staggered over three years, according to reports.
It also said Australian tobacco taxes had lagged the developed world, standing at 68 per cent compared to 75 - 80 per cent for comparable countries.
The speculation also comes as a minority of petrol stations, corner stores and other retail outlets continue to flout the law on cigarette sales to the young.
A compliance operation involving more than 70 tobacco retailers in northern NSW found almost 10 per cent would sell tobacco products to children aged 14 and 15 years.
"A small percentage of retailers neglected to ask for identification and sold cigarettes to minors," said Hunter New England Health Environmental Health Manager Philippe Porigneaux.
"Currently two businesses have been prosecuted and fined for failure to comply with the legislation."
Businesses in NSW risk fines of up to $110,000, or $11,000 for individuals, for selling cigarettes to those under 18.
Mr Porigneaux said it was important to take action against these outlets as research showed 90 per cent of long-term smokers began their habit in their teens.
"Nicotine dependence is established rapidly, even among adolescents, and preventing young people from commencing smoking will reduce smoking deaths and illness and the associated costs in the long-term," Mr Porigneaux said.
Professor Ian Olver, chief executive of Cancer Council Australia, said tobacco addiction remained the nation's largest preventable cause of serious disease and death.
Prof Olver said he was hopeful media speculation about a significant increase in the tobacco taxes would become reality in the 2010-11 federal budget.
"Smoking is still the largest preventable cause of cancer death and disease in Australia, and increasing the price of tobacco products is the best way to encourage smokers to quit," Professor Olver said in a statement on Wednesday.
"If the Government is serious about disease prevention as a key part of healthcare reform, it must increase the price of tobacco products in the next budget.
"This would reduce tobacco disease burden and also help to fund prevention programs like tobacco control and bowel cancer screening."
News Ltd reports indicate the federal government was considering a hike in tobacco taxes to part-fund the $18 billion cost of its broader health reform agenda.
A $13.50 packet of cigarettes could be increased to $20 staggered over three years, according to reports.
It also said Australian tobacco taxes had lagged the developed world, standing at 68 per cent compared to 75 - 80 per cent for comparable countries.
The speculation also comes as a minority of petrol stations, corner stores and other retail outlets continue to flout the law on cigarette sales to the young.
A compliance operation involving more than 70 tobacco retailers in northern NSW found almost 10 per cent would sell tobacco products to children aged 14 and 15 years.
"A small percentage of retailers neglected to ask for identification and sold cigarettes to minors," said Hunter New England Health Environmental Health Manager Philippe Porigneaux.
"Currently two businesses have been prosecuted and fined for failure to comply with the legislation."
Businesses in NSW risk fines of up to $110,000, or $11,000 for individuals, for selling cigarettes to those under 18.
Mr Porigneaux said it was important to take action against these outlets as research showed 90 per cent of long-term smokers began their habit in their teens.
"Nicotine dependence is established rapidly, even among adolescents, and preventing young people from commencing smoking will reduce smoking deaths and illness and the associated costs in the long-term," Mr Porigneaux said.
понедельник, 29 марта 2010 г.
Anti-smoking squads hired as Hong Kong extends cigarette ban
Hong Kong - A team of nearly 100 anti-smoking officers is toenforce a new ban on cigarettes at outdoor public transport interchanges in Hong Kong, a government official said Monday.
Hong Kong, which has already banned smoking in many outdoor areas including public parks and sports venues, is to extend the ban to outdoor public transport interchanges before the end of the year.
A team of 99 tobacco control inspectors with the power to issue spot fines of 1,500 Hong Kong dollars (193 US dollars) is to enforce the ban, Tobacco Control Office chief Ronald Lam said.
The officers are to patrol 130 outdoor interchanges where bus and train networks meet to ensure the ban is observed, Lam told the South China Morning Post.
Hong Kong has one of the region's toughest anti-smoking laws with cigarettes banned in all bars, nightclubs, restaurants and mahjong parlours. Around 13 per cent of Hong Kong adults are reported to be smokers.
Hong Kong, which has already banned smoking in many outdoor areas including public parks and sports venues, is to extend the ban to outdoor public transport interchanges before the end of the year.
A team of 99 tobacco control inspectors with the power to issue spot fines of 1,500 Hong Kong dollars (193 US dollars) is to enforce the ban, Tobacco Control Office chief Ronald Lam said.
The officers are to patrol 130 outdoor interchanges where bus and train networks meet to ensure the ban is observed, Lam told the South China Morning Post.
Hong Kong has one of the region's toughest anti-smoking laws with cigarettes banned in all bars, nightclubs, restaurants and mahjong parlours. Around 13 per cent of Hong Kong adults are reported to be smokers.
понедельник, 15 марта 2010 г.
Ontario Convenience Stores Association Launches Petition Drive
Last week, the Ontario Convenience Store Association (OCSA) launched a petition drive to dissuade the Ontario government from executing the harmonized sales tax (HST), which goes into effect July 1. Essentially, the HST will raise legal tobacco prices by 8 percent, driving down the price of illegal cigarettes even more.
With the illegal trade of cigarettes already accounting for almost 50 percent of all cigarettes purchased in Ontario, the OCSA has been trying to convince the government that raising HST is not an acceptable solution for the convenience store industry.
“This will likely only drive more consumers to the illegal market, thereby exacerbating the illegal trade problem in the province and putting our businesses a further risk,” said Dave Bryans, OCSA president. “After numerous meetings with government officials and politicians, and participation in pre-budget consultations, the OCSA continues to engage key staff in the Ministry of Revenue to help them address this problem. We now think it is time for your individual voices to be heard.”
The association is sending its members a petition for the Legislative Assembly and two postcards for the Ministers of Finance and Revenue. “We strongly encourage retailers to sign these three documents, so that the government can hear from people across the province,” said Bryans. “It is extremely important that our members fully participate in this initiative [because …] the government continues to not understand the impact the HST will have on the convenience store channel in Ontario and the contraband market.”
With the illegal trade of cigarettes already accounting for almost 50 percent of all cigarettes purchased in Ontario, the OCSA has been trying to convince the government that raising HST is not an acceptable solution for the convenience store industry.
“This will likely only drive more consumers to the illegal market, thereby exacerbating the illegal trade problem in the province and putting our businesses a further risk,” said Dave Bryans, OCSA president. “After numerous meetings with government officials and politicians, and participation in pre-budget consultations, the OCSA continues to engage key staff in the Ministry of Revenue to help them address this problem. We now think it is time for your individual voices to be heard.”
The association is sending its members a petition for the Legislative Assembly and two postcards for the Ministers of Finance and Revenue. “We strongly encourage retailers to sign these three documents, so that the government can hear from people across the province,” said Bryans. “It is extremely important that our members fully participate in this initiative [because …] the government continues to not understand the impact the HST will have on the convenience store channel in Ontario and the contraband market.”
вторник, 9 марта 2010 г.
Bill takes aim at cigarette smugglers
A new law targeting cigarette smugglers has cleared both houses of the General Assembly and now goes to the governor for his signature.
The House of Delegates on Wednesday joined the Senate in unanimously passing Senate Bill 476, sponsored by Sen. John C. Watkins, R-Midlothian.
The bill would establish additional penalties for "any person who sells, purchases, transports, receives, or possesses unstamped cigarettes" in Virginia.
Cigarettes are stamped in most states to ensure that the tax on them has been paid. If a pack of cigarettes is sold in Virginia without a stamp, that means no tax has been paid to the commonwealth.
In Virginia, the tax on a pack of cigarettes is 30 cents. In South Carolina, the tax per pack is 7 cents, and that state doesn't stamp its cigarettes. Smugglers often purchase cigarettes in states with low tobacco taxes and sell them illegally in states with higher tobacco taxes, pocketing the difference as profit.
If Gov. Bob McDonnell signs SB 476 into law, first-time offenders would be charged $2.50 a pack, up to $500. For a second violation within 36 months, the fine would be $5 per pack, up to $1,000. And for a third violation, the penalty would be $10 per pack, up to $50,000.
If authorities determine that the violator had a willful intent to defraud the commonwealth, the penalty would be $25 a pack, up to $250,000.
On another tobacco-related issue, the House last week also gave final approval to SB 478, which would change the tax on moist snuff tobacco.
Currently, snuff is taxed at 10 percent of the manufacturer's sales price. Under SB 478, which was proposed by Watkins, the tax would be 18 cents an ounce.
The House voted 92-6 for the bill. It passed the Senate last month, 38-2. If McDonnell signs the bill, it would take effect on Jan. 1, 2011.
Bill Phelps, a spokesperson for the U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co., said the bill would help both tobacco companies and the commonwealth. Phelps said it makes sense to change the tax on snuff to an excise tax, as Virginia taxes gasoline or beer. That way, the tax is based on the amount of the product sold, not the quality.
"We think that taxing moist tobacco by weight ... is a fair way to tax the product," Phelps said.
He said taxing snuff by the ounce will provide a more stable source of revenue for the commonwealth, because the price of snuff has gone down every year for the past six years.
The House of Delegates on Wednesday joined the Senate in unanimously passing Senate Bill 476, sponsored by Sen. John C. Watkins, R-Midlothian.
The bill would establish additional penalties for "any person who sells, purchases, transports, receives, or possesses unstamped cigarettes" in Virginia.
Cigarettes are stamped in most states to ensure that the tax on them has been paid. If a pack of cigarettes is sold in Virginia without a stamp, that means no tax has been paid to the commonwealth.
In Virginia, the tax on a pack of cigarettes is 30 cents. In South Carolina, the tax per pack is 7 cents, and that state doesn't stamp its cigarettes. Smugglers often purchase cigarettes in states with low tobacco taxes and sell them illegally in states with higher tobacco taxes, pocketing the difference as profit.
If Gov. Bob McDonnell signs SB 476 into law, first-time offenders would be charged $2.50 a pack, up to $500. For a second violation within 36 months, the fine would be $5 per pack, up to $1,000. And for a third violation, the penalty would be $10 per pack, up to $50,000.
If authorities determine that the violator had a willful intent to defraud the commonwealth, the penalty would be $25 a pack, up to $250,000.
On another tobacco-related issue, the House last week also gave final approval to SB 478, which would change the tax on moist snuff tobacco.
Currently, snuff is taxed at 10 percent of the manufacturer's sales price. Under SB 478, which was proposed by Watkins, the tax would be 18 cents an ounce.
The House voted 92-6 for the bill. It passed the Senate last month, 38-2. If McDonnell signs the bill, it would take effect on Jan. 1, 2011.
Bill Phelps, a spokesperson for the U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co., said the bill would help both tobacco companies and the commonwealth. Phelps said it makes sense to change the tax on snuff to an excise tax, as Virginia taxes gasoline or beer. That way, the tax is based on the amount of the product sold, not the quality.
"We think that taxing moist tobacco by weight ... is a fair way to tax the product," Phelps said.
He said taxing snuff by the ounce will provide a more stable source of revenue for the commonwealth, because the price of snuff has gone down every year for the past six years.
понедельник, 1 марта 2010 г.
Smoker's Club finds niche
With a recent expansion of the business and an upcoming statewide ban on public smoking, the Smoker's Club of Mt. Pleasant is experiencing interesting times.
Owner Dave Sprunger loves his business and believes it is doing well.
"Our business stays afloat because a very large part of our business here is the make your own cigarette business," Sprunger said. "A lot of folks are making their own these days. They save a lot of tax money doing so and it's more economical to make your own."
The Smoker's Club also offers a chemical-free alternative to mainstream cigarettes; these contain none of the chemical additives that manufactured cigarettes do.
With people making a substantial savings as they roll their own cigarettes, it is easy to see why Sprunger's business is doing well. But with legislation to ban smoking in public areas, it is uncertain whether or not his business will be affected.
Sprunger, for one, does not think it will change anything.
"I don't think the smoking ban will affect my business," he said. "People generally buy their product here to take home and enjoy. I really don't think it will affect smoking. We are very fortunate that the current legislation that will go into effect May 1, we are exempt from. Folks are welcome to partake in smoking tobacco in any form here in the store, be it cigars, or hookah tobacco, cigarettes or pipe, whatever they like.
"...We are a retail store that derives more than 75 percent of our income from tobacco and tobacco-related sales, so folks can come in here and enjoy our new lounge and sit down and smoke a cigarette, pipe or cigar indoors like in the old days."
Sprunger's client base is quite diverse.
"I've literally had millionaires rubbing elbows with street people in my store," he said. "It's a very wide demographic. So we really cover all the spectrum of Mt. Pleasant."
Recently, as the unit next to him became available, he chose to expand the business adding a lounge and more storefront.
"The reason I chose this time to expand was really something we've meant to do for quite some time, but things are never right to do some things," he said. "The unit came open next door and I said 'It's now or never.' I couldn't take the chance of somebody else getting in there on a three- or five-year lease. So, we opened the lounge now for a few weeks and we're doing good."
The lounge is in the front window of the new addition and Sprunger also has two hookah lounges in the back that are still under development.
The Smoker's Club was founded in November of 1996 and was originally owned by Bruce Gardner. Sprunger came to work at the store in 1999 and he purchased the business from Gardner in January 2007.
"It's been a love for me. It's been kind of a lifelong dream," Sprunger said.
There's not exactly another retail tobacco smoke shop in the area to attract business, but there is competition.
"Liquor stores and gas stations are all selling tobacco these days, so yeah it's out there, but I'm the only true tobacco shop in the area," Sprunger said.
Even though his business is succeeding, Sprunger has experienced a slight slump in business. Other than that, he said, things are going quite well.
"Because we are an economic alternative to manufactured cigarettes, when the economy is troubled it does tend to send people our way because it's a good way to save a few bucks and still enjoy tobacco," he said.
Owner Dave Sprunger loves his business and believes it is doing well.
"Our business stays afloat because a very large part of our business here is the make your own cigarette business," Sprunger said. "A lot of folks are making their own these days. They save a lot of tax money doing so and it's more economical to make your own."
The Smoker's Club also offers a chemical-free alternative to mainstream cigarettes; these contain none of the chemical additives that manufactured cigarettes do.
With people making a substantial savings as they roll their own cigarettes, it is easy to see why Sprunger's business is doing well. But with legislation to ban smoking in public areas, it is uncertain whether or not his business will be affected.
Sprunger, for one, does not think it will change anything.
"I don't think the smoking ban will affect my business," he said. "People generally buy their product here to take home and enjoy. I really don't think it will affect smoking. We are very fortunate that the current legislation that will go into effect May 1, we are exempt from. Folks are welcome to partake in smoking tobacco in any form here in the store, be it cigars, or hookah tobacco, cigarettes or pipe, whatever they like.
"...We are a retail store that derives more than 75 percent of our income from tobacco and tobacco-related sales, so folks can come in here and enjoy our new lounge and sit down and smoke a cigarette, pipe or cigar indoors like in the old days."
Sprunger's client base is quite diverse.
"I've literally had millionaires rubbing elbows with street people in my store," he said. "It's a very wide demographic. So we really cover all the spectrum of Mt. Pleasant."
Recently, as the unit next to him became available, he chose to expand the business adding a lounge and more storefront.
"The reason I chose this time to expand was really something we've meant to do for quite some time, but things are never right to do some things," he said. "The unit came open next door and I said 'It's now or never.' I couldn't take the chance of somebody else getting in there on a three- or five-year lease. So, we opened the lounge now for a few weeks and we're doing good."
The lounge is in the front window of the new addition and Sprunger also has two hookah lounges in the back that are still under development.
The Smoker's Club was founded in November of 1996 and was originally owned by Bruce Gardner. Sprunger came to work at the store in 1999 and he purchased the business from Gardner in January 2007.
"It's been a love for me. It's been kind of a lifelong dream," Sprunger said.
There's not exactly another retail tobacco smoke shop in the area to attract business, but there is competition.
"Liquor stores and gas stations are all selling tobacco these days, so yeah it's out there, but I'm the only true tobacco shop in the area," Sprunger said.
Even though his business is succeeding, Sprunger has experienced a slight slump in business. Other than that, he said, things are going quite well.
"Because we are an economic alternative to manufactured cigarettes, when the economy is troubled it does tend to send people our way because it's a good way to save a few bucks and still enjoy tobacco," he said.
понедельник, 22 февраля 2010 г.
Cleona teen gets state pen for pair of cigarette thefts
A Cleona boy with a lengthy juvenile criminal record has been sentenced to state prison for twice breaking into a grocery store and stealing cigarettes.
Justin C. Oliver, 17, of 801 E. Pine St. was sentenced last week to one to two years and fined $300 for two counts of burglary and one of drug-paraphernalia possession.
Oliver broke into Country Cupboard grocery store in North Lebanon Township on Sept. 13 and 16 and took more than $1,200 worth of cigarettes. He told police he sold some of the cigarettes and smoked some of them.
Oliver, who was adjudicated in the case as an adult, has an arrest record as a juvenile dating to August 2007. As a youth, Oliver was arrested for burglary, criminal trespass and theft.
In other cases before Judge Bradford H. Charles last week:
Jamie Avila, 18, of 365 N. 10th St., Lebanon, was sentenced to state prison for 14 months to three years and fined $100 for aggravated assault.
Avila, who has an extensive juvenile criminal record, was sentenced for punching a Lebanon County Children and Youth supervisor at Good Samaritan Hospital on July 16.
Taticca G. Madden, 21, Harrisburg, was sentenced to Lebanon County prison for three to 23 months and fined $200 for possession with intent to deliver cocaine, possession of marijuana and drug-paraphernalia possession.
Justin Herring, 28, of 1145 Jay St., Lebanon, was sentenced to county prison for 30 days to 23 months and fined $100 for heroin possession.
Justin C. Daubert, 27, no permanent address, was sentenced to the 49 days he had already served to six months in county prison and fined $100 for giving police a false name and birth date.
Larry L. Ulrich Jr., 23, of 4 Little Swatara Church Road, Richland, was sentenced to one year probation and fined $150 for possession of cocaine and possession of a small amount of marijuana.
Ashley A. Crawford, 22, of 18 S. Sixth St., Lebanon, was sentenced to one year probation and fined 4100 for giving police a false name and birth date.
Dustin E. Donton, 20, no permanent address, was sentenced to 30 days probation and fined $15 for theft.
Justin C. Oliver, 17, of 801 E. Pine St. was sentenced last week to one to two years and fined $300 for two counts of burglary and one of drug-paraphernalia possession.
Oliver broke into Country Cupboard grocery store in North Lebanon Township on Sept. 13 and 16 and took more than $1,200 worth of cigarettes. He told police he sold some of the cigarettes and smoked some of them.
Oliver, who was adjudicated in the case as an adult, has an arrest record as a juvenile dating to August 2007. As a youth, Oliver was arrested for burglary, criminal trespass and theft.
In other cases before Judge Bradford H. Charles last week:
Jamie Avila, 18, of 365 N. 10th St., Lebanon, was sentenced to state prison for 14 months to three years and fined $100 for aggravated assault.
Avila, who has an extensive juvenile criminal record, was sentenced for punching a Lebanon County Children and Youth supervisor at Good Samaritan Hospital on July 16.
Taticca G. Madden, 21, Harrisburg, was sentenced to Lebanon County prison for three to 23 months and fined $200 for possession with intent to deliver cocaine, possession of marijuana and drug-paraphernalia possession.
Justin Herring, 28, of 1145 Jay St., Lebanon, was sentenced to county prison for 30 days to 23 months and fined $100 for heroin possession.
Justin C. Daubert, 27, no permanent address, was sentenced to the 49 days he had already served to six months in county prison and fined $100 for giving police a false name and birth date.
Larry L. Ulrich Jr., 23, of 4 Little Swatara Church Road, Richland, was sentenced to one year probation and fined $150 for possession of cocaine and possession of a small amount of marijuana.
Ashley A. Crawford, 22, of 18 S. Sixth St., Lebanon, was sentenced to one year probation and fined 4100 for giving police a false name and birth date.
Dustin E. Donton, 20, no permanent address, was sentenced to 30 days probation and fined $15 for theft.
понедельник, 15 февраля 2010 г.
Columbus crime: Convenience store burglars target cigarettes, beer
Burglars targeted cigarettes and beer in a weekend heist, taking more than $2,000 in goods, Columbus police said.
The suspect or suspects entered the Pyramid Food Mart, 3512 Buena Vista Road, between 11 p.m. Friday and 5:30 a.m. Saturday. They entered through the south side brick wall and caused $2,000 in damages, reports state.
The suspects took 30 cartons of Newport cigarettes, four 18-packs of Corona, four 12-packs of Heineken, 14 12-packs of Budweiser and eight 12-packs of Budlight, police said.
The suspect or suspects entered the Pyramid Food Mart, 3512 Buena Vista Road, between 11 p.m. Friday and 5:30 a.m. Saturday. They entered through the south side brick wall and caused $2,000 in damages, reports state.
The suspects took 30 cartons of Newport cigarettes, four 18-packs of Corona, four 12-packs of Heineken, 14 12-packs of Budweiser and eight 12-packs of Budlight, police said.
пятница, 12 февраля 2010 г.
Third-hand cigarette smoke residue can be deadly, lab finds
A California research lab has found in a recent that third-hand smoke, or the residue of cigarettes that is left on clothing, paper or walls, is extremely carcinogenic when combined with an indoor pollutant.
“The biggest message is the study reveals that the tobacco smoke residue that remains after smoking, sometimes days or weeks later, could pose a risk to people who occupy that space or use it,” said Lara Gundel, the co-principal investigator in a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
That risk increases when the residue combines with a common indoor pollutant, nitrous acid, Gundel said. Nitrous acid usually floats inside a building and is generated by unvented gas appliances or diesel engines.
Together the residue and pollutant become potentially even more carcinogenic, forming a tobacco-specific nitrosamine, which is extremely hazardous, the scientist explained. In fact Gundel said when nicotine and nitrous acid combine, Gundel said, they are much more dangerous than just nicotine.
According to the chemist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory at the University of California, a recent study the lab did has found that not only is smoke residue a hazard for people who come in contact with it, but that the residue can stay on people and is transported back into homes, offices or even the dashboard of a car.
Here in Ontario, smoking in vehicles with children is banned as is smoking in public places in Toronto. But residue remains on people’s clothes and skin even when they smoke outdoors, since then they bring it inside, Gundel said.
The dangers of mainstream and second-hand smoke have long been known – with cancer, cardiovascular disease and stroke, as well as pulmonary disease and birth defects high on the list.
But third-hand smoke has only recently made the headlines. The term was first used in a study that appeared in the January 2009 issue of Pediatrics that found 65 per cent of non-smokers and 43 per cent of smokers surveyed agreed with the statement that “breathing air in a room today where people smoked yesterday can harm the health of infants and children.”
“The biggest message is the study reveals that the tobacco smoke residue that remains after smoking, sometimes days or weeks later, could pose a risk to people who occupy that space or use it,” said Lara Gundel, the co-principal investigator in a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
That risk increases when the residue combines with a common indoor pollutant, nitrous acid, Gundel said. Nitrous acid usually floats inside a building and is generated by unvented gas appliances or diesel engines.
Together the residue and pollutant become potentially even more carcinogenic, forming a tobacco-specific nitrosamine, which is extremely hazardous, the scientist explained. In fact Gundel said when nicotine and nitrous acid combine, Gundel said, they are much more dangerous than just nicotine.
According to the chemist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory at the University of California, a recent study the lab did has found that not only is smoke residue a hazard for people who come in contact with it, but that the residue can stay on people and is transported back into homes, offices or even the dashboard of a car.
Here in Ontario, smoking in vehicles with children is banned as is smoking in public places in Toronto. But residue remains on people’s clothes and skin even when they smoke outdoors, since then they bring it inside, Gundel said.
The dangers of mainstream and second-hand smoke have long been known – with cancer, cardiovascular disease and stroke, as well as pulmonary disease and birth defects high on the list.
But third-hand smoke has only recently made the headlines. The term was first used in a study that appeared in the January 2009 issue of Pediatrics that found 65 per cent of non-smokers and 43 per cent of smokers surveyed agreed with the statement that “breathing air in a room today where people smoked yesterday can harm the health of infants and children.”
понедельник, 8 февраля 2010 г.
Smoking ban: ‘We need more time’
ABU DHABI // The federal smoking ban will not be fully enforced until bodies such as the Ministry of Health, police and municipalities determine who will be responsible for implementing the various parts of the legislation, senior health officials said yesterday.
The Ministry of Health disclosed some aspects of the law last month, but confusion has arisen over when and how the regulations will be enforced.
The ministry plans to issue an appendix to answer these questions, but has not said when it will do so. The law will take effect when the details are published by the Government.
For instance, it was announced that smoking in a car carrying a child under 12 will be illegal. However, it is hard to say who will enforce such as rule. Is it the police? Or road and transport authorities? Or the municipalities?
Senior health officials working on the law yesterday told The National they were hammering out the details.
“We understand that some people might be confused, as it a very comprehensive law, there are a lot of different points. We will clarify all of these,” said Dr Wedad al Maidoor, the head of the National Tobacco Control Committee.
Dr al Maidoor said she could understand why people and businesses could be confused.
“For every subject there will be an appendix explaining exactly what is means,” she said.
“The law will only become active from the time everything is clarified. It is a complicated law so there is a lot to work out and many different stakeholders to discuss it with.”
She said publicity campaigns would be launched when the appendices were complete.
“We cannot say exactly when these will be but we will make sure people know all about the law.”
Dr Mahmoud Fikri, the ministry’s director of health legislation and policies, added: “Technical committees will be set up to establish exactly how the law will be implemented. We cannot say today that ‘this person will be fined or that person will be fined’ because the implementation discussions have not finished. It would not be right to start giving fines until the public know exactly what they cannot do, and who can enforce it.”One of the main things the ministry is trying to figure out is which agencies will be responsible for enforcing the different elements of the law, Dr Fikri said. It will hold talks with the police, road and transport authorities, municipalities and other health authorities operating in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
It is already known that different parts of the legislation will be implemented at different times.
For example, the ban on shisha cafes or restaurants operating in residential buildings or areas will not be enforced until 2012.
Businesses will be given a grace period until then to relocate.
As well as a ban on smoking in public places, the federal law will govern the sale of cigarettes to minors, the growing of tobacco, the importing of toys that look like cigarettes and tobacco advertising, among other things.
In non-residential restaurants, hotels, shopping malls, cafes and other enclosed public places, designated smoking areas will be allowed but they must adhere to rules about ventilation, location and capacity, all of which will be outlined in the appendix.Hotels will still be allowed to have smoking rooms as long they meet certain criteria. Shops must not sell cigarettes to those under 18 or else face hefty fines.
The law carries fines of up to Dh1 million (US$270,000) and up to two years imprisonment.
Officials are also considering placing graphic photographs of illnesses, such as cancerous tumours, on cigarette packets as some western countries have done, and raising the price of tobacco products.
According to Dr al Maidoor, instituting warnings is a lengthy process because it needs to be dealt with on a GCC-wide level. The new law, however, would make it illegal to import cigarettes that do not carry either written and pictorial warnings.
The Ministry of Health disclosed some aspects of the law last month, but confusion has arisen over when and how the regulations will be enforced.
The ministry plans to issue an appendix to answer these questions, but has not said when it will do so. The law will take effect when the details are published by the Government.
For instance, it was announced that smoking in a car carrying a child under 12 will be illegal. However, it is hard to say who will enforce such as rule. Is it the police? Or road and transport authorities? Or the municipalities?
Senior health officials working on the law yesterday told The National they were hammering out the details.
“We understand that some people might be confused, as it a very comprehensive law, there are a lot of different points. We will clarify all of these,” said Dr Wedad al Maidoor, the head of the National Tobacco Control Committee.
Dr al Maidoor said she could understand why people and businesses could be confused.
“For every subject there will be an appendix explaining exactly what is means,” she said.
“The law will only become active from the time everything is clarified. It is a complicated law so there is a lot to work out and many different stakeholders to discuss it with.”
She said publicity campaigns would be launched when the appendices were complete.
“We cannot say exactly when these will be but we will make sure people know all about the law.”
Dr Mahmoud Fikri, the ministry’s director of health legislation and policies, added: “Technical committees will be set up to establish exactly how the law will be implemented. We cannot say today that ‘this person will be fined or that person will be fined’ because the implementation discussions have not finished. It would not be right to start giving fines until the public know exactly what they cannot do, and who can enforce it.”One of the main things the ministry is trying to figure out is which agencies will be responsible for enforcing the different elements of the law, Dr Fikri said. It will hold talks with the police, road and transport authorities, municipalities and other health authorities operating in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
It is already known that different parts of the legislation will be implemented at different times.
For example, the ban on shisha cafes or restaurants operating in residential buildings or areas will not be enforced until 2012.
Businesses will be given a grace period until then to relocate.
As well as a ban on smoking in public places, the federal law will govern the sale of cigarettes to minors, the growing of tobacco, the importing of toys that look like cigarettes and tobacco advertising, among other things.
In non-residential restaurants, hotels, shopping malls, cafes and other enclosed public places, designated smoking areas will be allowed but they must adhere to rules about ventilation, location and capacity, all of which will be outlined in the appendix.Hotels will still be allowed to have smoking rooms as long they meet certain criteria. Shops must not sell cigarettes to those under 18 or else face hefty fines.
The law carries fines of up to Dh1 million (US$270,000) and up to two years imprisonment.
Officials are also considering placing graphic photographs of illnesses, such as cancerous tumours, on cigarette packets as some western countries have done, and raising the price of tobacco products.
According to Dr al Maidoor, instituting warnings is a lengthy process because it needs to be dealt with on a GCC-wide level. The new law, however, would make it illegal to import cigarettes that do not carry either written and pictorial warnings.
четверг, 4 февраля 2010 г.
Altria profit up but cigarette volumes shrivel
Altria Group Inc. said Thursday that its fourth quarter earnings rose 7% even as cigarette volumes continued to shrivel, and the tobacco titan said the business outlook for 2010 remains challenging.
Altria (MO 19.78, -0.15, -0.75%) earned $725 million, or 35 cents a share, in the quarter
ended , from $679 million, or 33 cents a share, a year earlier.
Revenue at the Richmond, Va.-based maker of Marlboro cigarettes rose 29% to $6.01 billion from $4.65 billion.
On an adjusted basis, the company said it would have earned 39 cents a share in the latest quarter.
The average estimate of analysts polled by FactSet Research had been for the company to earn 40 cents a share on revenue of $4.17 billion.
The company said the business environment for 2010 is likely to remain challenging, as adult consumers remain under economic pressure and face high unemployment.
Its tobacco operating companies also continue to see competitive promotional activity. It also expects that continuing state budget issues may lead to excise tax increase proposals in many states in 2010.
Altria forecast that its 2010 profit to be $1.78 to $1.82 a share, including estimated charges of 7 cents a share related to exit, integration and implementation costs, UST-acquisition related costs and SABMiller (UK:SAB 1,711, -9.00, -0.52%) special items.
Excluding items, profit is forecast to be $1.85 to $1.89 a share.
Altria spun off Philip Morris International (PM 46.97, -0.63, -1.32%) at the end of March
2008 in a move designed to separate the fast-growing overseas cigarette business from a U.S. unit hobbled by litigation worries, huge payments to states and seemingly inexorable year-on-year volume declines.
About a year ago, it closed on the acquisition of smokeless tobacco and wine maker UST.
During the period, Philip Morris USA's domestic cigarette shipment was down 11.4% while its flagship Marlboro brand's retail share was down 0.4 percentage point to 41.7%.
On the brighter side, smokeless tobacco brands Copenhagen and Skoal's combined volume rose 7.8% versus the prior-year period, driven by the successful launch of Copenhagen Long Cut Wintergreen
"Marlboro displayed resiliency in an intensely competitive promotional environment, and we are also pleased with the strong retail share and volume growth of Copenhagen in the fourth quarter of 2009," said Michael Szymanczyk, chief executive, in the earnings report.
Shares of Altria rose 20 cents to $20.01.
Altria (MO 19.78, -0.15, -0.75%) earned $725 million, or 35 cents a share, in the quarter
ended , from $679 million, or 33 cents a share, a year earlier.
Revenue at the Richmond, Va.-based maker of Marlboro cigarettes rose 29% to $6.01 billion from $4.65 billion.
On an adjusted basis, the company said it would have earned 39 cents a share in the latest quarter.
The average estimate of analysts polled by FactSet Research had been for the company to earn 40 cents a share on revenue of $4.17 billion.
The company said the business environment for 2010 is likely to remain challenging, as adult consumers remain under economic pressure and face high unemployment.
Its tobacco operating companies also continue to see competitive promotional activity. It also expects that continuing state budget issues may lead to excise tax increase proposals in many states in 2010.
Altria forecast that its 2010 profit to be $1.78 to $1.82 a share, including estimated charges of 7 cents a share related to exit, integration and implementation costs, UST-acquisition related costs and SABMiller (UK:SAB 1,711, -9.00, -0.52%) special items.
Excluding items, profit is forecast to be $1.85 to $1.89 a share.
Altria spun off Philip Morris International (PM 46.97, -0.63, -1.32%) at the end of March
2008 in a move designed to separate the fast-growing overseas cigarette business from a U.S. unit hobbled by litigation worries, huge payments to states and seemingly inexorable year-on-year volume declines.
About a year ago, it closed on the acquisition of smokeless tobacco and wine maker UST.
During the period, Philip Morris USA's domestic cigarette shipment was down 11.4% while its flagship Marlboro brand's retail share was down 0.4 percentage point to 41.7%.
On the brighter side, smokeless tobacco brands Copenhagen and Skoal's combined volume rose 7.8% versus the prior-year period, driven by the successful launch of Copenhagen Long Cut Wintergreen
"Marlboro displayed resiliency in an intensely competitive promotional environment, and we are also pleased with the strong retail share and volume growth of Copenhagen in the fourth quarter of 2009," said Michael Szymanczyk, chief executive, in the earnings report.
Shares of Altria rose 20 cents to $20.01.
понедельник, 1 февраля 2010 г.
Cigarettes make up 33% of accidental ingestion cases by young children+
Cigarettes made up one-third of accidental ingestion cases involving infants and very young children at home in the year ended last March, accounting for the largest number for 30 years in a row, a government survey showed Sunday.
The results were shown in the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry's survey on health damage involving household articles and others reported by hospitals across the country during the year to March 2009.
An official at the Japan Poison Information Center said the many cases involving cigarettes are characteristic of Japanese living style -- people live mostly on tatami mat-covered floors and adults often put cigarettes on floors and low tables within the reach of young children.
Although cigarettes are on the decrease in the ratio of the total cases as more people refrain from smoking, a ministry official called on parents to pay attention to prevent young children from swallowing them by accident.
The survey was compiled from a total of 477 such accidents reported by seven hospitals. The number of cases involving cigarettes totaled 159, accounting for 33.3 percent of the total, the same level as the previous year's 33.6 percent.
By age, most of the children were 6 months to 18 months old, accounting for 139 of the total.
Cigarettes accounted for about 50 percent of the total in the 1990s and the ratio has fallen to the lower half of the 30 percent level in recent years.
In the survey, medicines came in second highest at 18.0 percent of the total, followed by toys at 7.8 percent and plastic products at 5.2 percent.
The results were shown in the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry's survey on health damage involving household articles and others reported by hospitals across the country during the year to March 2009.
An official at the Japan Poison Information Center said the many cases involving cigarettes are characteristic of Japanese living style -- people live mostly on tatami mat-covered floors and adults often put cigarettes on floors and low tables within the reach of young children.
Although cigarettes are on the decrease in the ratio of the total cases as more people refrain from smoking, a ministry official called on parents to pay attention to prevent young children from swallowing them by accident.
The survey was compiled from a total of 477 such accidents reported by seven hospitals. The number of cases involving cigarettes totaled 159, accounting for 33.3 percent of the total, the same level as the previous year's 33.6 percent.
By age, most of the children were 6 months to 18 months old, accounting for 139 of the total.
Cigarettes accounted for about 50 percent of the total in the 1990s and the ratio has fallen to the lower half of the 30 percent level in recent years.
In the survey, medicines came in second highest at 18.0 percent of the total, followed by toys at 7.8 percent and plastic products at 5.2 percent.
пятница, 29 января 2010 г.
Altria profit up but cigarette volumes shrivel
Altria Group Inc. said Thursday that its fourth quarter earnings rose 7% even as cigarette volumes continued to shrivel, and the tobacco titan said the business outlook for 2010 remains challenging.
Altria (MO 20.01, +0.02, +0.10%) earned $725 million, or 35 cents a share, in the quarter ended , from $679 million, or 33 cents a share, a year earlier.
Revenue at the Richmond, Va.-based maker of Marlboro cigarettes rose 29% to $6.01 billion from $4.65 billion.
On an adjusted basis, the company said it would have earned 39 cents a share in the latest quarter.
The average estimate of analysts polled by FactSet Research had been for the company to earn 40 cents a share on revenue of $4.17 billion.
The company said the business environment for 2010 is likely to remain challenging, as adult consumers remain under economic pressure and face high unemployment.
Its tobacco operating companies also continue to see competitive promotional activity. It also expects that continuing state budget issues may lead to excise tax increase proposals in many states in 2010.
Altria forecast that its 2010 profit to be $1.78 to $1.82 a share, including estimated charges of 7 cents a share related to exit, integration and implementation costs, UST-acquisition related costs and SABMiller (UK:SAB 1,706, +14.00, +0.83%) special items.
Excluding items, profit is forecast to be $1.85 to $1.89 a share.
Altria spun off Philip Morris International (PM 46.21, -0.43, -0.92%) at the end of March 2008 in a move designed to separate the fast-growing overseas cigarette business from a U.S. unit hobbled by litigation worries, huge payments to states and seemingly inexorable year-on-year volume declines.
About a year ago, it closed on the acquisition of smokeless tobacco and wine maker UST.
During the period, Philip Morris USA's domestic cigarette shipment was down 11.4% while its flagship Marlboro brand's retail share was down 0.4 percentage point to 41.7%.
On the brighter side, smokeless tobacco brands Copenhagen and Skoal's combined volume rose 7.8% versus the prior-year period, driven by the successful launch of Copenhagen Long Cut Wintergreen "Marlboro displayed resiliency in an intensely competitive promotional environment, and we are also pleased with the strong retail share and volume growth of Copenhagen in the fourth quarter of 2009," said Michael Szymanczyk, chief executive, in the earnings report.
Shares of Altria rose 20 cents to $20.01
Altria (MO 20.01, +0.02, +0.10%) earned $725 million, or 35 cents a share, in the quarter ended , from $679 million, or 33 cents a share, a year earlier.
Revenue at the Richmond, Va.-based maker of Marlboro cigarettes rose 29% to $6.01 billion from $4.65 billion.
On an adjusted basis, the company said it would have earned 39 cents a share in the latest quarter.
The average estimate of analysts polled by FactSet Research had been for the company to earn 40 cents a share on revenue of $4.17 billion.
The company said the business environment for 2010 is likely to remain challenging, as adult consumers remain under economic pressure and face high unemployment.
Its tobacco operating companies also continue to see competitive promotional activity. It also expects that continuing state budget issues may lead to excise tax increase proposals in many states in 2010.
Altria forecast that its 2010 profit to be $1.78 to $1.82 a share, including estimated charges of 7 cents a share related to exit, integration and implementation costs, UST-acquisition related costs and SABMiller (UK:SAB 1,706, +14.00, +0.83%) special items.
Excluding items, profit is forecast to be $1.85 to $1.89 a share.
Altria spun off Philip Morris International (PM 46.21, -0.43, -0.92%) at the end of March 2008 in a move designed to separate the fast-growing overseas cigarette business from a U.S. unit hobbled by litigation worries, huge payments to states and seemingly inexorable year-on-year volume declines.
About a year ago, it closed on the acquisition of smokeless tobacco and wine maker UST.
During the period, Philip Morris USA's domestic cigarette shipment was down 11.4% while its flagship Marlboro brand's retail share was down 0.4 percentage point to 41.7%.
On the brighter side, smokeless tobacco brands Copenhagen and Skoal's combined volume rose 7.8% versus the prior-year period, driven by the successful launch of Copenhagen Long Cut Wintergreen "Marlboro displayed resiliency in an intensely competitive promotional environment, and we are also pleased with the strong retail share and volume growth of Copenhagen in the fourth quarter of 2009," said Michael Szymanczyk, chief executive, in the earnings report.
Shares of Altria rose 20 cents to $20.01
среда, 27 января 2010 г.
Supreme Court sides with online cigarette vendor
New York City may not use federal racketeering laws to sue out-of-state tobacco vendors, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-3 Monday.
Hemi Group, of New Mexico, appealed a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit that said it could be sued under federal racketeering statutes. The City says the online seller of cigarettes has intentionall defrauded it of tax revenues, and that constituted wire and mail fraud.
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the opinion. He wrote Hemi had no obligation to collect, remit or pay the lost taxes.
"This Court has interpreted (the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act) broadly, consistent with its terms, but we have also held that its reach is limited by the 'requirement of a direct causal connection' between the predicate wrong and the harm," Roberts wrote.
"The City's injuries here were not caused directly by the alleged fraud, and thus were not caused 'by reason of' it. The City, therefore, has no RICO claim."
Justice Sonia Sotomayor did not take part in the case.
Joining Roberts in the majority were justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.
Dissenting were John Paul Stevens, Anthony Kennedy and Stephen Breyer.
Breyer wrote that Hemi's failure to provide New York State with the names and addresses of its New York City customers caused the City to lose tax revenue.
Hemi Group, of New Mexico, appealed a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit that said it could be sued under federal racketeering statutes. The City says the online seller of cigarettes has intentionall defrauded it of tax revenues, and that constituted wire and mail fraud.
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the opinion. He wrote Hemi had no obligation to collect, remit or pay the lost taxes.
"This Court has interpreted (the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act) broadly, consistent with its terms, but we have also held that its reach is limited by the 'requirement of a direct causal connection' between the predicate wrong and the harm," Roberts wrote.
"The City's injuries here were not caused directly by the alleged fraud, and thus were not caused 'by reason of' it. The City, therefore, has no RICO claim."
Justice Sonia Sotomayor did not take part in the case.
Joining Roberts in the majority were justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.
Dissenting were John Paul Stevens, Anthony Kennedy and Stephen Breyer.
Breyer wrote that Hemi's failure to provide New York State with the names and addresses of its New York City customers caused the City to lose tax revenue.
понедельник, 25 января 2010 г.
Smash-and-grab nets cigarettes in S. Attleboro
Police say two people smashed a South Attleboro gas station's windows and stole cigarettes early Sunday.
The incident happened at Getty, 947 Newport Ave. (Route 1A), about 1 a.m.
The suspects smashed the storefront's glass windows to get inside, police said. A light-colored sedan with Rhode Island license plates may have been involved, police said.
The incident happened at Getty, 947 Newport Ave. (Route 1A), about 1 a.m.
The suspects smashed the storefront's glass windows to get inside, police said. A light-colored sedan with Rhode Island license plates may have been involved, police said.
пятница, 22 января 2010 г.
FDA to unveil ingredients in cigarettes
The Food and Drug Administration is working to lift the smokescreen from the ingredients used in cigarettes and other tobacco products.
In June, tobacco companies must tell the FDA their formulas for the first time, as drugmakers have for decades. Manufacturers also will have to turn over studies they have done on the effects of the ingredients.
It's an early step for an agency starting to flex muscles granted to it by a law that took effect in June 2009 that gives it broad power to regulate tobacco beyond the warnings now on packs — short of banning it.
Companies have long acknowledged using cocoa, coffee, menthol and other additives to make tobacco taste better. The new information will help the FDA determine which ingredients might also make tobacco more harmful or addictive. It will use the data to develop standards for tobacco products and could ban some ingredients or combinations.
"Tobacco products today are really the only human-consumed product that we don't know what's in them," said Lawrence Deyton, a physician and the director of the FDA's new Center for Tobacco Products.
Although the FDA must keep much of the data confidential under trade-secret laws, it will publish a list of harmful and potentially harmful ingredients, listed by quantity in each brand, by June 2011.
Some tobacco companies have listed product ingredients online in recent years but not with the specificity they must give the FDA, said Matt Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
For example, Altria Group Inc., the parent company of the nation's largest tobacco maker, Philip Morris USA, has posted general ingredients on its Web site since at least 1999.
Makers say their products contain tobacco, water, sugar and flavorings, along with chemicals such as diammonium phosphate, meant to improve burn rate and taste, and ammonium hydroxide, to improve taste. Studies suggest those chemicals also could make the body more easily absorb nicotine.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says about 443,000 people in the U.S. die each year from diseases linked to smoking.
In June, tobacco companies must tell the FDA their formulas for the first time, as drugmakers have for decades. Manufacturers also will have to turn over studies they have done on the effects of the ingredients.
It's an early step for an agency starting to flex muscles granted to it by a law that took effect in June 2009 that gives it broad power to regulate tobacco beyond the warnings now on packs — short of banning it.
Companies have long acknowledged using cocoa, coffee, menthol and other additives to make tobacco taste better. The new information will help the FDA determine which ingredients might also make tobacco more harmful or addictive. It will use the data to develop standards for tobacco products and could ban some ingredients or combinations.
"Tobacco products today are really the only human-consumed product that we don't know what's in them," said Lawrence Deyton, a physician and the director of the FDA's new Center for Tobacco Products.
Although the FDA must keep much of the data confidential under trade-secret laws, it will publish a list of harmful and potentially harmful ingredients, listed by quantity in each brand, by June 2011.
Some tobacco companies have listed product ingredients online in recent years but not with the specificity they must give the FDA, said Matt Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
For example, Altria Group Inc., the parent company of the nation's largest tobacco maker, Philip Morris USA, has posted general ingredients on its Web site since at least 1999.
Makers say their products contain tobacco, water, sugar and flavorings, along with chemicals such as diammonium phosphate, meant to improve burn rate and taste, and ammonium hydroxide, to improve taste. Studies suggest those chemicals also could make the body more easily absorb nicotine.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says about 443,000 people in the U.S. die each year from diseases linked to smoking.
четверг, 21 января 2010 г.
As smoking bans multiply elsewhere, Las Vegas is holding strong
Walking through most Las Vegas casinos, cigarette smoke billows, stinging the eyes, nose and tongue. The acrid smell seems more prevalent than ever. Some people shuffle with purpose to tables and slot machines in areas where smokers aren’t hanging out.
Maybe more smokers really are flocking to Las Vegas, as some casino guests speculate. After all, the Strip is among the last great refuges for smokers to congregate.
California has restricted indoor smoking for more than a decade, and some cities have extended bans to outdoor areas. The number of states with some form of smoking regulation far exceeds the number of states without. With a tobacco-producing state like North Carolina recently instituting a ban of its own, how long can Vegas hold out?
While the number of nonsmoking areas along the Strip is noticeably growing, so too are the spaces where indoor smoking is allowed as new resorts open there.
That’s not to say the city and its developers aren’t facing major pushback. The American Cancer Society in Nevada sued the state, health officials and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority in response to a state law allowing smoking at some trade shows.
The policies came under scrutiny again weeks later when a small fire at the Stratosphere casino was tentatively blamed on careless smoking.
And last month, the giant CityCenter project opened on the Strip to protests from nonsmokers. The 18-million-square-foot complex of hotels, condos and shops is expansive and architecturally progressive. But even this new development doesn’t dictate a no-smoking policy.
CityCenter’s Aria casino, with its coffee-brown-colored carpeting and decor, high ceilings and scented air, hasn’t succumb to the overwhelming stench that plagues older Las Vegas installations. Blackjack dealers at Aria are protected by air curtains at the table area that blast a wall of fresh air to neutralize smoke from players.
Most casinos lack the innovative safeguards of the CityCenter. Casino floors are ground zero for the proliferation of smoke, I found in recent visits to Las Vegas.
While having to take it outside in most other cities she visits, Margie Martinez, an accountant from San Francisco, takes full advantage of the opportunity to smoke in the casinos.
Puffing on a cigarette one evening at the MGM Grand, Martinez placidly discussed the perks of the lax rules. “I forget sometimes and then go, ‘Oh! I can smoke!’”
Nonsmokers say they’re sick of it. “I’m bothered by it,” said Brandon Ohm, a nonsmoker from Yuma, Wash. “If someone starts smoking, I’ll just get up and go somewhere that’s not so cloudy.”
Ohm’s friend, James Lang, a mechanic from Bothell, Wash., added, ”I’ll wake up feeling sick the next morning and my clothes smell.”
Even occasional smokers are bothered by the prevalence of smoke in casinos. Frenchie Evans, a retired Air Force technical sergeant from Oakland, said he’ll sometimes light up a cigar, prompting some nearby folks to give him “the eye.”
Despite enjoying the infrequent cigar himself, Evans gets annoyed with Vegas’ excessive smoke at times. “If I don’t like it, I’ll move,” Evans said.
Vocal nonsmokers in Vegas are pushing another idea: Move the cigarettes outside.
Maybe more smokers really are flocking to Las Vegas, as some casino guests speculate. After all, the Strip is among the last great refuges for smokers to congregate.
California has restricted indoor smoking for more than a decade, and some cities have extended bans to outdoor areas. The number of states with some form of smoking regulation far exceeds the number of states without. With a tobacco-producing state like North Carolina recently instituting a ban of its own, how long can Vegas hold out?
While the number of nonsmoking areas along the Strip is noticeably growing, so too are the spaces where indoor smoking is allowed as new resorts open there.
That’s not to say the city and its developers aren’t facing major pushback. The American Cancer Society in Nevada sued the state, health officials and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority in response to a state law allowing smoking at some trade shows.
The policies came under scrutiny again weeks later when a small fire at the Stratosphere casino was tentatively blamed on careless smoking.
And last month, the giant CityCenter project opened on the Strip to protests from nonsmokers. The 18-million-square-foot complex of hotels, condos and shops is expansive and architecturally progressive. But even this new development doesn’t dictate a no-smoking policy.
CityCenter’s Aria casino, with its coffee-brown-colored carpeting and decor, high ceilings and scented air, hasn’t succumb to the overwhelming stench that plagues older Las Vegas installations. Blackjack dealers at Aria are protected by air curtains at the table area that blast a wall of fresh air to neutralize smoke from players.
Most casinos lack the innovative safeguards of the CityCenter. Casino floors are ground zero for the proliferation of smoke, I found in recent visits to Las Vegas.
While having to take it outside in most other cities she visits, Margie Martinez, an accountant from San Francisco, takes full advantage of the opportunity to smoke in the casinos.
Puffing on a cigarette one evening at the MGM Grand, Martinez placidly discussed the perks of the lax rules. “I forget sometimes and then go, ‘Oh! I can smoke!’”
Nonsmokers say they’re sick of it. “I’m bothered by it,” said Brandon Ohm, a nonsmoker from Yuma, Wash. “If someone starts smoking, I’ll just get up and go somewhere that’s not so cloudy.”
Ohm’s friend, James Lang, a mechanic from Bothell, Wash., added, ”I’ll wake up feeling sick the next morning and my clothes smell.”
Even occasional smokers are bothered by the prevalence of smoke in casinos. Frenchie Evans, a retired Air Force technical sergeant from Oakland, said he’ll sometimes light up a cigar, prompting some nearby folks to give him “the eye.”
Despite enjoying the infrequent cigar himself, Evans gets annoyed with Vegas’ excessive smoke at times. “If I don’t like it, I’ll move,” Evans said.
Vocal nonsmokers in Vegas are pushing another idea: Move the cigarettes outside.
понедельник, 18 января 2010 г.
On Your Side: E-Cigarettes fuels fierce debate between users, medical community
Nich Wallace is smoking a vaporized version of nicotine. No tobacco. No cigarette smoke. An e-cigarette is a battery-operated device.
"All you're getting exposed to is a fog, a glycerine fog."
Also foggy -- the debate over the product's safety. Manufacturers say they are safer and healthier than regular cigarettes. It's an argument that's gotten the attention of the medical community.
"I am not going to say it is as dangerous as a cigarette. It is dangerous," said MCG Dr. Janie Heath.
Even if it's not the same as cigarettes, Dr. Heath still doesn't recommend it for people trying to quit smoking.
FDA studies found the vapor includes a chemical found in antifreeze and some amounts of carcinogens. But the FDA admits they've done just limited testing.
A federal court judge issued an injunction against the FDA on Thursday, ordering them to stop detaining imports of e-cigarettes that cross into the United States. The decision said the products could not be defined as a drug-device and are for therapeutic purposes. The FDA has been trying to regulate the drug by calling it a drug-device for its supposed similarities to cigarettes.
"We need more science to be able to say, yes it's OK, this is better to consume in a cigarette -- that there are 4800 toxins in one cigarette," said Heath.
Because it's not classified as a drug there are no mandated health warnings. Some retailers have them anyway -- to keep young people away.
"It's really appealing to youth, because it's cool looking, it's high tech, and it smells good," Heath added.
"When I was in school, you didn't want to bring in grape-flavored cigarettes either, you wanted Marlboro reds," Wallace said. "If you're doing it for that cool factor, this is not marketed towards them, not intended for them, and they probably wouldn't like it if they could get their hands on it."
Smoking of any kind is illegal under the age of 18.
Wallace supports enforcement, just not regulation that he says could take e-cigarettes out of his hands.
Adds Wallace: "The old quit or die attitude the government is pushing isn't going to work, and people are going to finally say, look this is safer, and I can do this, and I think we're going to win out on that."
"All you're getting exposed to is a fog, a glycerine fog."
Also foggy -- the debate over the product's safety. Manufacturers say they are safer and healthier than regular cigarettes. It's an argument that's gotten the attention of the medical community.
"I am not going to say it is as dangerous as a cigarette. It is dangerous," said MCG Dr. Janie Heath.
Even if it's not the same as cigarettes, Dr. Heath still doesn't recommend it for people trying to quit smoking.
FDA studies found the vapor includes a chemical found in antifreeze and some amounts of carcinogens. But the FDA admits they've done just limited testing.
A federal court judge issued an injunction against the FDA on Thursday, ordering them to stop detaining imports of e-cigarettes that cross into the United States. The decision said the products could not be defined as a drug-device and are for therapeutic purposes. The FDA has been trying to regulate the drug by calling it a drug-device for its supposed similarities to cigarettes.
"We need more science to be able to say, yes it's OK, this is better to consume in a cigarette -- that there are 4800 toxins in one cigarette," said Heath.
Because it's not classified as a drug there are no mandated health warnings. Some retailers have them anyway -- to keep young people away.
"It's really appealing to youth, because it's cool looking, it's high tech, and it smells good," Heath added.
"When I was in school, you didn't want to bring in grape-flavored cigarettes either, you wanted Marlboro reds," Wallace said. "If you're doing it for that cool factor, this is not marketed towards them, not intended for them, and they probably wouldn't like it if they could get their hands on it."
Smoking of any kind is illegal under the age of 18.
Wallace supports enforcement, just not regulation that he says could take e-cigarettes out of his hands.
Adds Wallace: "The old quit or die attitude the government is pushing isn't going to work, and people are going to finally say, look this is safer, and I can do this, and I think we're going to win out on that."
пятница, 15 января 2010 г.
N.J. puts limits on sale of electronic cigarettes
TRENTON -- New Jersey has enacted restrictions on the sale and use of electronic cigarettes.
Gov. Jon Corzine on Monday signed into law legislation that prohibits the use of electronic smoking devices in workplaces and other indoor public places and prohibits their sale to minors.Electronic cigarettes look like the real thing but don't contain tobacco. Instead, they employ a metal tube with a battery that heats up a liquid nicotine solution. Users inhale and exhale the resulting water vapor.
The bill's sponsor, Assemblywoman Nancy Munoz, a Republican from Summit, said the restrictions are a matter of erring on the side of caution because the health risks associated with e-cigarettes have not been fully determined.
Gov. Jon Corzine on Monday signed into law legislation that prohibits the use of electronic smoking devices in workplaces and other indoor public places and prohibits their sale to minors.Electronic cigarettes look like the real thing but don't contain tobacco. Instead, they employ a metal tube with a battery that heats up a liquid nicotine solution. Users inhale and exhale the resulting water vapor.
The bill's sponsor, Assemblywoman Nancy Munoz, a Republican from Summit, said the restrictions are a matter of erring on the side of caution because the health risks associated with e-cigarettes have not been fully determined.
понедельник, 11 января 2010 г.
Montana health officials discourage use of e-cigarettes to avoid Clean Indoor Air Act
Some smokers have turned to electronic cigarettes to get their nicotine fix now that the Clean Indoor Air Act applies to bars and casinos.
State health officials warn against it, saying the products aren't regulated and emit carcinogens, but acknowledge they can't stop it under state law.
"We, at this point, don't feel that we can go into a place and say, 'You're using e-cigarettes. That's a violation of the Clean Indoor Air Act,'" said Linda Lee, supervisor with the Montana Tobacco Use Prevention Program in the state Department of Public Health and Human Services.
Electronic cigarettes contain a solution in a cartridge that is drawn through a battery-operated vaporizer to simulate inhaling smoke. The Food and Drug Administration has tested some of the more popular brands and has found they emit carcinogens. The FDA is seeking to regulate the electronic cigarettes, as it does tobacco products under a bill signed by President Barack Obama in June.
Lee said e-cigarettes can contain varied amounts of nicotine.
"They're made in various places, a bunch of them are made in China," Lee said. "There's no regulation at all as far as nicotine content and whatever else is delivered. We're very concerned about it."
Robyn DeMasi, manager of the tobacco shop chain Smoker Friendly in Bozeman, said there has been an increase in sales of electronic cigarettes since the clean air act was expanded to bars and casinos on Oct. 1.
"People are looking for an alternative way to 'smoke' where they can't now," she said.
Jeremy Weiner, the Denver-based sales and marketing manager for Smoker Friendly, said the corporation began selling them a year ago and in most markets is doing very well.
Lee cautions that e-cigarettes, sometimes marketed as a safer alternative to cigarettes, are nothing of the sort.
"There is no real reason to use an unregulated product that could be dangerous," Lee said.
FDA-approved products such as patches, gum and lozenges are already available, she said.Lee said the state Clean Indoor Air Act doesn't address e-cigarettes because lawmakers didn't know about them in 2005, when the act passed.
"We'd never even heard about them at that point," she said.
State health officials warn against it, saying the products aren't regulated and emit carcinogens, but acknowledge they can't stop it under state law.
"We, at this point, don't feel that we can go into a place and say, 'You're using e-cigarettes. That's a violation of the Clean Indoor Air Act,'" said Linda Lee, supervisor with the Montana Tobacco Use Prevention Program in the state Department of Public Health and Human Services.
Electronic cigarettes contain a solution in a cartridge that is drawn through a battery-operated vaporizer to simulate inhaling smoke. The Food and Drug Administration has tested some of the more popular brands and has found they emit carcinogens. The FDA is seeking to regulate the electronic cigarettes, as it does tobacco products under a bill signed by President Barack Obama in June.
Lee said e-cigarettes can contain varied amounts of nicotine.
"They're made in various places, a bunch of them are made in China," Lee said. "There's no regulation at all as far as nicotine content and whatever else is delivered. We're very concerned about it."
Robyn DeMasi, manager of the tobacco shop chain Smoker Friendly in Bozeman, said there has been an increase in sales of electronic cigarettes since the clean air act was expanded to bars and casinos on Oct. 1.
"People are looking for an alternative way to 'smoke' where they can't now," she said.
Jeremy Weiner, the Denver-based sales and marketing manager for Smoker Friendly, said the corporation began selling them a year ago and in most markets is doing very well.
Lee cautions that e-cigarettes, sometimes marketed as a safer alternative to cigarettes, are nothing of the sort.
"There is no real reason to use an unregulated product that could be dangerous," Lee said.
FDA-approved products such as patches, gum and lozenges are already available, she said.Lee said the state Clean Indoor Air Act doesn't address e-cigarettes because lawmakers didn't know about them in 2005, when the act passed.
"We'd never even heard about them at that point," she said.
среда, 6 января 2010 г.
St. Paul man arrested in theft of cigarettes at West St. Paul tobacco shop
West St. Paul police have arrested a suspect in connection with at least one of the two "smash-and-grab" thefts that have occurred in the past six weeks at a Robert Street tobacco store.
William Erwin Williams, 30, was arrested Tuesday at his St. Paul home on suspicion of burglary. He was being held at the Dakota County Jail in Hastings pending possible charges.
"We received a number of tips based on some video footage that was out in the press. Ninety percent said it was this one individual," West St. Paul police Lt. Brian Sturgeon said of Williams. "He has a lengthy criminal history."
Police have investigated three break-ins at Joseph's Tobacco Sales since mid-November.
On Nov. 16, a man rammed a vehicle through the shop's front window, then fled with 60 cartons of Marlboro cigarettes, according to the storeowner.
On Nov. 28, multiple would-be burglars broke into an adjoining vacant storefront and tried to enter the tobacco shop by punching a hole through the wall in a back restroom. They ran off empty-handed.
And on Dec. 23, a pickup truck again rammed the storefront, and a man can be seen on security video grabbing 70 cartons of Marlboro cigarettes.
Williams has been charged in at least 26 criminal cases since 1997, according to court records. Charges include traffic infractions, burglary, criminal damage to property, motor vehicle theft, trespassing and possession of a police scanner.
St. Paul police are investigating whether a smash-and-grab burglary at a St. Paul gas station early Wednesday is connected to the cases in West St. Paul and elsewhere, said Sgt. Paul Schnell, St. Paul police spokesman.
Police officers, called shortly after 3 a.m. to the Holiday station at 1400 Arcade St., found "fairly substantial damage to the front of the store," Schnell said.
It appeared a vehicle "had been used to smash through the front entry of the store," he said. An ATM near the front door had been knocked over, its cash stolen, he said. The gas station was closed at the time.
A General Motors pickup truck apparently was used, based on evidence at the scene, Schnell said.
Police were reviewing surveillance video from the store. A description of the burglar or burglars wasn't available.
William Erwin Williams, 30, was arrested Tuesday at his St. Paul home on suspicion of burglary. He was being held at the Dakota County Jail in Hastings pending possible charges.
"We received a number of tips based on some video footage that was out in the press. Ninety percent said it was this one individual," West St. Paul police Lt. Brian Sturgeon said of Williams. "He has a lengthy criminal history."
Police have investigated three break-ins at Joseph's Tobacco Sales since mid-November.
On Nov. 16, a man rammed a vehicle through the shop's front window, then fled with 60 cartons of Marlboro cigarettes, according to the storeowner.
On Nov. 28, multiple would-be burglars broke into an adjoining vacant storefront and tried to enter the tobacco shop by punching a hole through the wall in a back restroom. They ran off empty-handed.
And on Dec. 23, a pickup truck again rammed the storefront, and a man can be seen on security video grabbing 70 cartons of Marlboro cigarettes.
Williams has been charged in at least 26 criminal cases since 1997, according to court records. Charges include traffic infractions, burglary, criminal damage to property, motor vehicle theft, trespassing and possession of a police scanner.
St. Paul police are investigating whether a smash-and-grab burglary at a St. Paul gas station early Wednesday is connected to the cases in West St. Paul and elsewhere, said Sgt. Paul Schnell, St. Paul police spokesman.
Police officers, called shortly after 3 a.m. to the Holiday station at 1400 Arcade St., found "fairly substantial damage to the front of the store," Schnell said.
It appeared a vehicle "had been used to smash through the front entry of the store," he said. An ATM near the front door had been knocked over, its cash stolen, he said. The gas station was closed at the time.
A General Motors pickup truck apparently was used, based on evidence at the scene, Schnell said.
Police were reviewing surveillance video from the store. A description of the burglar or burglars wasn't available.
понедельник, 4 января 2010 г.
Menthol Cigarettes More Addictive to U.S. Minorities
Menthol cigarettes appear to be more addictive for black and Hispanic smokers than regular cigarettes, a U.S. study has found.
Researchers from the School of Public Health at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) analyzed data on 7,815 current and former smokers who'd reported at least one attempt to quit. The information came from the 2005 National Health Interview Survey.
Among adults who smoked menthol cigarettes, just 44 percent of blacks and 48 percent of Hispanics were able to kick the habit. But blacks and Hispanics who smoked regular cigarettes had higher quit rates -- 62 percent and 61 percent, respectively. Those rates were similar to quit rates for white adults.
The data also showed that non-whites tended to smoke fewer cigarettes a day and were about three times more likely than whites to smoke menthol cigarettes, the study authors noted.
"Historically, tobacco companies have targeted minority populations when marketing menthol cigarettes," study co-author Cristine Delnevo, director of the Center for Tobacco Surveillance and Evaluation Research at UMDNJ, said in a university news release.
"Although whites and non-whites have similar smoking prevalence rates, the fact that non-whites are more likely to smoke menthols, and those who smoke menthols are less likely to quit, could explain why minority populations continue to suffer disproportionately from tobacco-caused disease and death," she said.
Study author Daniel Gundersen said in the news release that "with the substantial number of smokers smoking menthol cigarettes, particularly among minorities, this is serious cause for concern."
Researchers from the School of Public Health at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) analyzed data on 7,815 current and former smokers who'd reported at least one attempt to quit. The information came from the 2005 National Health Interview Survey.
Among adults who smoked menthol cigarettes, just 44 percent of blacks and 48 percent of Hispanics were able to kick the habit. But blacks and Hispanics who smoked regular cigarettes had higher quit rates -- 62 percent and 61 percent, respectively. Those rates were similar to quit rates for white adults.
The data also showed that non-whites tended to smoke fewer cigarettes a day and were about three times more likely than whites to smoke menthol cigarettes, the study authors noted.
"Historically, tobacco companies have targeted minority populations when marketing menthol cigarettes," study co-author Cristine Delnevo, director of the Center for Tobacco Surveillance and Evaluation Research at UMDNJ, said in a university news release.
"Although whites and non-whites have similar smoking prevalence rates, the fact that non-whites are more likely to smoke menthols, and those who smoke menthols are less likely to quit, could explain why minority populations continue to suffer disproportionately from tobacco-caused disease and death," she said.
Study author Daniel Gundersen said in the news release that "with the substantial number of smokers smoking menthol cigarettes, particularly among minorities, this is serious cause for concern."
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