SRK is arrogant, above the law: Anti-smoking watchdog

"My main grievance is his arrogant demeanour with which he time and again decides to trample the law and smoke in places where he can be viewed and emulated by thousands of viewers when he can smoke privately," said Shekhar Salkar, General Secretary, NOTE. Salkar said that Shah Rukh's recent smoking in a stadium in Jaipur during IPL indicates 'his careless attitude towards his responsibilities as an influential personality.'

 Recommending tobacco eradication counselling for the film star, NOTE has said that smoking is a very powerful addiction and in spite of him repeatedly stating his desire to quit, he hasn't been able to kick the butt. "In my personal opinion he would never be able to because of his all-knowing haughty persona," Salkar said. NOTE, in the past, had filed a case against Amitabh Bachchan for promoting smoking through posters of his movie 'Family'. The superstar had admitted his mistake and assured not to repeat it. "A similar incident happened with Ajay Devgn in Goa and after sending him a letter by NOTE, he was very gracious in accepting his mistake and his recent visits to Goa have not seen him smoking in public," he said. Responding to a question whether celebrities should be fined more than general public for violating anti-tobacco laws, Salkar said, "morally it looks ethical and feasible but we live in a democratic country in which each citizen is considered equal," adding, "habitual offenders should be given harsher punishments and after three monetary fines in increasing levels.

A repeat offence should be punishable for at least one day behind the bars." He said this would deter the often habitual offenders like film stars who usually think they are above the law and for whom the nominal fine is not a big deal. Two years back, NOTE had suggested that for first-time offenders, the Rs 200 fine levied was reasonable but the second time around it should be Rs 500 and the third time, Rs 1,000. "In cases involving violation of law in hotel premises or public places, the manager of the hotel should be fined a minimum Rs 5,000 which will ensure a more disciplined approach," Salkar suggested. Jaipur court has asked Shah Rukh Khan to appear before it on May 26 following complaint by Anand Singh, head of the Jaipur Cricket Academy, who had sought action against the actor under section 5/11 of Rajasthan Prohibition of Smoking Act, 2000, which prohibits smoking in public places.

Easton expands smoking ban to ballfields, conservation land

Town Meeting voters approved a new anti-smoking bylaw Monday night, May 21 after weighing the merits of public health versus personal freedom. By a vote of 69-39 and after the only debated of the evening, the town has now expanded its ban on smoking in public places to include recreational and sports fields and conservation property.

Health Agent Mark Taylor said the board wanted to promote a healthy lifestyle and limit exposure to second-hand smoke. Scofflaws would be fined $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second offense and $300 for third and subsequent offenses. Selectmen Chairman Colleen Corona called the move to ensure smoke-free ball fields at public-controlled property “another tool in the tool box.” Although most residents supported the move to broaden the smoke-free areas of town, some thought local government was overstepping its bounds.

“The idea of restricting smoking is overreach pure and simple,” Tony Cabral of Poquanticut Avenue said. Conservation commissioner John Grant said his board did not need another agency encroaching on its jurisdiction and imposing its rule on more than 5,000 acres of public land. “I think it’s very presumptuous and it’s totally unnecessary,” he said.

Teenagers may be targeted under a new bylaw that would curb high school students from leaving school property to smoke. Police Chief Allen Krajcik said parents had complained about the practice and the new law was enforceable. “This gives our school resource officer a way to positively intervene and talk to the kids,” he said. “We’re not going to balance the budget by ticketing.”

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Hazards of Second-Hand Smoke - VALD and CTCB Petition Parliament

Every year second-hand smoke causes over 600,000 premature deaths and many people, especially children, are still exposed to second-hand smoke in public and work places; these children are at greater risk for developing tobacco-related health problems than adults who work in smoke-free environments. Women and children are disproportionately harmed by second-hand smoke from male smokers and therefore smoke-free laws save lives and improve public health.

 The Vision for Alternative Development (VALD) and Coalition on the Tobacco Control Bill (CTCB) have appealed to Parliament to support smokers to quit smoking. "Parliament must protect its integrity against tobacco industry interferences by continuing to protect public health over tobacco profit," Mr. Issah Ali, Executive Director of VALD and the Coalition, has said in a statement.

He said there is no constitutional right to smoke and that exposing people to second-hand smoking infringed on non-smokers' right to health. He said constitutions of many countries and governments have the responsibility to protect their citizens' right to the highest standard of health, to life, and to a safe work environment and the right of a person to breathe clean air takes priority over any possible right of smokers to pollute the air.

Mr. Ali said ventilation systems and designated smoking rooms do not provide effective protection to the public and workers from the deadly effects of second-hand smoke. "Article 8 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control requires parties to adopt smoke-free laws to protect citizens from exposure to tobacco smoke in workplaces, public transport and other indoor public places. Guidelines adopted by the treaty's governing body make it clear that only 100% smoke-free laws meet the treaty requirements," he said.

Few fines expected under new smoking bans

Changes being phased in from July in the Macedon Ranges Shire will ban smoking at playgrounds and around entrances to council-owned buildings. The council is one of only a few in country Victoria to introduce the regulations. The Heart Foundation's Victorian chief executive, Kathy Bell, says she is pleased the shire is setting a good example for other councils.

"In other places that have these bans there's not a lot of enforcement required," she said. "It really just becomes a general expectation, for example, that people aren't going to smoke in a children's playground. "A lot of fines aren't required for that, it's more a community education process." More about smoking ban on this blog.

Spencer Amends Anti-Smoking Bill

Seeking more of a balance between smokers' rights and health protection for non-smokers, Suffolk County Legislator William Spencer has modified his call for a smoking ban at county-owned or operated parks and beaches. Introduced to the Legislature May 8 by Spencer, the original bill made little to no compromises to smokers in an effort to provide residents with the highest levels of protection from secondhand smoke. While remaining committed to limiting children's exposure to smoking, the 18th District lawmaker and doctor says smokers' rights are also important.

 "I want them to have the same rights to smoke," said Spencer to Patch. "It should be the people's choice." The amended law would allow smoking in some areas of county parks and beaches including parking lots and entry ways, according to Spencer. Receptacles would be provided in smoking areas to help cut down on litter from cigarette butts. In a recent unscientific Patch poll, readers were fairly split on the proposed smoking ban, with 53 percent in favor. Tobacco news at interesting blog, click here to visit.

 If the bill passes, those caught smoking in banned areas may be asked to leave by park employees but no other penalties will be enforced, according to Spencer. Spencer's amended bill will go before the health committee Friday. A final vote is expected June 5.

Fifth anniversary of Arizona Smoke-Free Act May 31

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This year, “World No Tobacco Day”, – celebrated May 31 – will be a date of special significance for Arizonans. It helps mark the five-year anniversary of the Smoke-Free Arizona Act, a landmark voter initiative that prohibits smoking in most enclosed public places. Within the past five years, Arizona has been a national leader in reducing tobacco use. In fact since the Act became effective in 2007, an estimated 230,000 Arizonans have quit using tobacco. We’ve seen almost a 25 percent drop in smoking.

 Moreover, a 2010 statewide survey showed that more than 80 percent of Arizonans and 70 percent of business owners appreciate smoke-free laws. “The people have truly responded to the Act,” said Harmony Duport, Office of Inspection and Compliance Chief at Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS). “We went from thousands of inquiries and complaints the first year to a little over 100 a month last year. Both business owners and the general public seem comfortable with the Act.” Arizona’s three-pronged approach – smoke-free laws, the high cost of tobacco and effective prevention and cessation programs – has proved successful in reducing the tobacco burden in Arizona. “Proactive tobacco policies in Arizona have been key to major reductions in tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke,” said Wayne Tormala, Bureau of Tobacco and Chronic Disease Chief at ADHS. “That in turn will bring dramatic reductions in disease and healthcare spending.”

 Fiscal estimates of almost a quarter-million people quitting tobacco put savings in workplace productivity, pre-mature deaths, and direct medical expenses at more than $1.4 billion over the remainder of their lifetimes. “The health prognosis of a smoker, no matter how long they have been smoking, is immediately improved the moment they stop smoking and continues to improve over time,” said Bill Pfeifer, CEO of American Lung Association of the Southwest. "Tobacco is at the root of so many preventable diseases.” The good news for those who want to quit is they are not alone. The ADHS ASHLine is here to help. The ASHLine has one of the best success rates of all quitlines in the country – providing support on the telephone, online and through Smart Phones.

Smokers' children suffer long-term

Children exposed to their parents' cigarette smoke are at greater risk of suffering serious cardiovascular health problems later in life, a study showed Wednesday. The Menzies Research Institute in Tasmania collected data from a Finnish and Australian study following children first examined 20 years ago who are now aged in their mid-30s. It found that those exposed to passive smoke as youngsters have less elasticity in their arteries, an indicator of poor cardiovascular health. Study author and Menzies Research fellow Seana Gall said while it has been previously known that passive smoke was harmful, this was the world's first examination on the long-term effects on blood vessel health. "We looked at blood vessel elasticity by measuring the ability of an artery in the arm to expand and contract," she said.

 "We found that people who had been exposed to parental smoking when they were children had less elastic arteries, an early indicator of poor cardiovascular health." Gall added that it was not explained by the participants' own smoking habits. "The effect was seen up to 27 years later, suggesting a long-term and irreversible effect of passive smoking in childhood on the health of arteries," she said. "The chemicals in cigarette smoke interact with the lining of the blood vessels and that seems to be causing an inability of them to expand and contract properly."

 The World Health Organization estimates that about 40 percent of the world's children are regularly exposed to second-hand smoke at home, with 600,000 deaths annually caused by passive smoking. "The highest prevalence of smoking is still seen in those age groups that correspond with people first becoming parents, so that's still a concern and we'd want to get the prevalence down in those groups particularly," said Gall.

Jagannath Temple employees to be penalised for tobacco use

To ensure cleanliness in the 12th century shrine at Puri, the Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has decided to punish its employees found smoking or chewing tobacco inside the complex. "The employees found violating the rule will have to forgo a day's salary", a notification issued by SJTA yesterday said. The new chief administrator Arabinda Padhee said the temple must be clean. During inspection he found people spitting at different places in the temple premises.

"Padhee was informed that the employees of SJTA created all nuisance in the temple. The devotees hardly spit in temple premises", an official said. Though there was a standing instruction to punish persons spitting inside the temple, it could hardly be implemented as employees were involved. Earlier, the provision of Rs 100 penalty could not stop the practise, they said.

How Best to Smother Sales of Contraband Cigarettes

Government efforts to tax cigarettes in Canada can have unintended consequences for tax revenues and the supply of contraband cigarettes, according to a report released today by the C.D. Howe Institute. In "A Taxing Dilemma: Assessing the Impact of Tax and Price Changes on the Tobacco Market," Concordia University economists Ian Irvine and William Sims assess the effect of tax policy on tobacco use and, in particular, on prices and consumer choice between illegal and legal cigarettes. Sales of contraband cigarettes in Canada constitute a sizable component of the tobacco market, note the authors.

This illegal trade is associated with a loss in tax revenue and an array of illicit activities that involve gangs and organized crime. Concerned Canadians have called for action: some have urged governments to lower tobacco taxes in the belief that lower relative prices for the legal product would induce smokers to switch away from illegal to legal cigarettes, perhaps increasing tax revenues.

 To assess the impact of different policy approaches to the problem, the authors model consumer choices under four policy scenarios: (i) decreasing taxes on the legal product; (ii) boosting the price of the illegal product through an intensified crackdown; (iii) a combination of (i) and (ii); and (iv) decreasing the price of discount cigarettes closer to that of the contraband product.

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Russian cigarette packs to bear graphic images

Images including one of blackened lungs will be on cigarette packs in Russia starting in 2013 to emphasize the health impacts of smoking, officials said Friday. The Health and Social Development Ministry said the 13 graphic images will be accompanied by warnings about impacts of smoking, including periodontitis and erectile dysfunction, RIA Novosti reported. The images and new warnings will begin appearing in May 2013.

 Cigarette packs in Russia now carry only written warnings. The World Health Organization's Global Adult Tobacco Survey in 2007 found Russia led the world in smoking, with more than 39 percent of the adult population, or 43.9 million people, using tobacco, acting Health and Social Development Minister Tatiana Golikova said.

 Golikova said smoking kills about 400,000 Russians a year. An anti-smoking campaign in Russia is to include stricter rules on smoking in public places and higher taxes on cigarettes.

Philip Morris Intl. Stock Can Puff To $98

Free tobacco and cigarettes article: www.freetobacco.info

One of the biggest concerns facing investors regarding the tobacco companies is falling cigarette consumption, and so they hence are skeptical to assign much if any growth to these companies. A closer look at Philip Morris International however points to a robust economic model and sound cash flow generating ability. The stock has climbed more than 12% in 2012 so far, and we believe there is more to come. Philip Morris International competes with tobacco majors like British America Tobacco and Imperial Tobacco Group, among others. We have a $98.70 price estimate for Philip Morris International, which is about 10% higher than the market price.
  Strategy for Europe

 Tobacco companies have been raising the prices of cigarettes periodically in Europe to make up for the declining volumes. It’s easy to justify the price increases by blaming the governments and rising input costs. Moreover, the company doesn’t necessarily lose from declining cigarette volumes. Since the value of excise taxes are fixed for a pack of cigarettes (rather than a percentage of selling price), raising the selling prices increases the net revenue per cigarette pack (i.e. revenue – excise taxes) for the company. Besides, declining cigarette volumes could not stop the company from posting growth in overall net revenues. In 2011, the net revenues for the European region grew 4.6% to $9.2 billion. Even in Q1 2012, net revenues rose 2.5% y-0-y.
  Asian Markets Carry Growth

Unlike in Europe, demand for cigarettes in other Asian countries is actually showing positive growth buoyed by rising incomes and cigarettes as an integral part of people’s lifestyle. Some of the biggest markets for the company outside Europe are Indonesia, Japan and South Korea. In 2011, Asia displaced Europe as the biggest revenue contributing region.

Bloodtest flags kids' exposure to cigarettes

More than half the children who took part in a study on exposure to cigarette smoke tested positive for such exposure, despite only a few of the parents admitting to lighting up, according to a U.S. study. Parents may think their children are exposed only if they're around someone actively smoking a cigarette, or unaware of where else their children may be breathing in smoke - but a blood test may help identify and reduce smoke exposure, said researchers at the University of California, San Francisco.

 Secondhand-smoke exposure in children has been tied to sudden infant death syndrome, respiratory problems, ear infections and asthma. "What the test does is allow the doctor, in consultation with the parent, to figure out the source of exposure and then to eliminate it," said Jonathan Winickoff of Massachusetts General Hospital for Children in Boston. Winickoff, who co-wrote an editorial accompanying the study in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, told Reuters the test can also identify if a child is exposed to smoke without the parent realizing it, such as by living in an apartment building where smoking is allowed. The researchers tested 496 blood samples left over from children, most ages one to four, to determine how many of them were exposed to secondhand smoke. The blood samples were initially taken at San Francisco General Hospital to test for lead exposure between November 2009 and March 2010.

 The researchers tested the blood for cotinine, a chemical produced by the body after it is exposed to nicotine. Overall, 55 per cent of the blood samples had a measurable amount of cotinine, which meant those children had been exposed to smoke within the previous three to four days. Only 13 per cent of parents admitted that their child had been exposed to secondhand smoke. "Parents do not understand the various sources of potential exposure," said Neal Benowitz, one of the study's co-authors. The researchers reported that some parents may also believe a child has to be around someone who is smoking to be exposed - but that is not the case. For example, children still get the effects of secondhand smoke if they spend time in a room where someone recently smoked.

Tobacco: Protect our children

Tobacco articles: www.tobacco-news.net
THE vast majority of people in the North-East – 85 per cent – believe children should not be exposed to any tobacco marketing, according to a survey. Eight in ten of those surveyed in the region think that tobacco marketing is harmful to children, and two-thirds (66 per cent) said that the colourful branding, striking logos and distinctive packet designs make cigarettes more appealing to children. Cancer Research UK has released the survey results as the Government consults on whether to put all tobacco in packs of uniform size, shape and design, with large health warnings front and back.

The charity is championing the call to protect children from tobacco marketing through a hardhitting campaign called The Answer is Plain. People across the North-East are being urged to sign the campaign petition for all branding to be removed from tobacco packaging at theanswerisplain.org Cancer Research UK believes that plain, unbranded packaging is needed to reduce the appeal of tobacco products to children and give the region’s young people one less reason to start smoking. Paul Wadsworth, Cancer Research UK’s spokesman for the North-East, said: “This is not about ‘the nanny state’. This is about us as a society saying that it is wrong for tobacco a product that kills half of all its long-term users – to be marketed to children as though it was a bag of sweets.”

Research and Markets: Analyzing the Tobacco Industry in Mexico

More tobacco news: www.cigarettesflavours.com
Witnessing strong growth in recent years, the Mexican tobacco industry is expected to witness a slowdown in the coming five years. The Mexican tobacco industry is led by the sales of cigarettes, followed by loose tobacco. Cigars and chewing tobacco do not have much of a market share in the industry. With the Mexican market expected to slowdown in the next five years, players are gearing up to boost sales with new marketing strategies to combat the strict regulations governing the market.

The report is an in-depth profile of the tobacco industry in Mexico as well as the global tobacco industry, along with a complete analysis of the major players in the industry. For the global tobacco industry the report analyzes the industry through an industry definition, industry overview wherein it looks at the market statistics, an industry value analysis, industry segmentation, regional share of the industry, industry distribution, along with an analysis of the competition in the industry and company market share. Future of the global tobacco industry is also analyzed.

For the Mexican tobacco industry, the report analyzes the tobacco market through an industry overview, industry value analysis, industry segmentation, regional share analysis, industry distribution, market competition, major players in the market and their market share, as well as an analysis of the future of the tobacco market in Mexico. With tobacco being one of the most commonly used addictive substances in the world, the industry will continue to grow in the coming years, though the growth is going to be faced with many challenges as countries put in place stringent laws to combat the health effects of consuming tobacco. Major players in the Mexican tobacco industry are analyzed through a company overview, business segment analysis, financial analysis, and a SWOT analysis.

State resolution pits smokeless tobacco against cigarettes

Topeka- House Resolution 6026 was debated by the Federal State Affairs Committee of the Kansas House on Tuesday. The resolution would require the Kansas Department of Health and Education to study tobacco harm reduction. The maker of one of the largest tobacco companies, R.J. Reynolds, is encouraging the state based study and told the Huffington Post that the company has scientific evidence that chewing tobacco is less harmful than cigarettes.

Those who oppose the resolution say it promotes tobacco usage by the state. An American Cancer Society spokesperson also told the Huffington Post that the state doesn’t need to encourage people to trade one carcinogen for another. The committee will discuss the issue further on Wednesday.

Candy Shop Removes US Candy Cigarettes From Stores

Candies are kids' favorite and they love to have them all the time. Recently, a sweet shop chain in Auckland removed all the candies similar to American lolly cigarettes in looks after they were criticized by the public. The people are really against such products and want a candy shop to just close them immediately. Ms. Babi Burdett, the Director of the food chain, told that they immediately stopped selling American products, as they didn't wanted to offend the general public. It was not in their company's culture to offend people.

They wanted to retain public's love for their products. A report was published against the sore that it was selling candies, which looked similar to cigarettes. The stocking candy sticks looked similar to hand rolled cigarettes and chewing gums with a wrapping, which made them look just like a cigarette. After the newspaper reported such a thing the food chain director immidiately reacted and told that their food chain will stop making such candies. She also ordered to take five different types of look-alike lolly cigarettes off from the shelves of store as they were packed in packing similar to cigarettes.

He immediately ordered the staff to take them off as even they could have been questioned. Ms. Burdett also told that despite the American lollies are being removed from the counter the New Zealand ones are still being kept in store at Mt Eden and Devonport. They want to sell the spaceman candies, as a lot of kids love them. She added, "They are readily available everywhere, in The Warehouse, dairies, superettes. I don't see any reason to remove those", he said. The chain wanted to apologies publicly and they have that also. These comments from her side have also told that cigarette lollies should be banned all over and a bill should be passed for the same.

Argument over cigarettes led to fatal shooting in Justice

A Justice woman has been charged with first-degree murder for shooting her neighbor after they argued about who would pay for cigarettes, police said Monday. Her attorney said in court Sunday the woman acted in self-defense. Janine Brown, 33, and her neighbor, Anthony Kingyon, 47, were looking to buy cigarettes Friday when the argument erupted, police said.

 The fight turned physical, and Brown retrieved a .32-caliber handgun from her home, authorities said. Brown fired multiple shots at Kingyon, who was fatally hit in the chest just yards from their homes in the 8600 block of South 88th Avenue, police said. Kingyon was pronounced dead at 12:09 p.m. at Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

 Prosecutors on Sunday said Kingyon was searching for keys when Brown returned and shot him. Brown, a nurse, was ordered held on $800,000 bail. Her attorney insisted in court Sunday that Brown was defending herself after Kingyon punched her and broke her glasses, pointing out bruises on Brown’s face for which he said Kingyon was responsible.

Cigarette maker Lorillard 1Q profit falls

Cigarette maker Lorillard Inc. said Wednesday its net income fell 10 percent in the first quarter as higher prices couldn't offset a decline in the number of cigarettes sold. The nation's third-biggest tobacco company also announced that it has acquired electronic cigarette maker Blu Ecigs for $135 million, part of an industrywide push to diversify beyond the traditional cigarette business. Lorillard, based in Greensboro, N.C., earned $223 million, or $1.70 per share, for the period ended March 31, down from $248 million, or $1.71 per share, a year ago. A 10-percent drop in the number of outstanding shares helped buoy the per-share results for the recent quarter.

Adjusted earnings were $1.74 per share. Revenue excluding excise taxes was essentially flat at $1.06 billion. Analysts polled by FactSet, on average, were expecting earnings of $1.99 per share on revenue of $1.13 billion. The company's fundamental performance remained strong, although it was masked by "significant changes in wholesale inventory," CEO Murray Kessler said in a conference call. Lorillard said the number of cigarettes it sold fell about 3 percent to 9.44 billion cigarettes. Newport, its biggest brand, fell 4 percent, while low-priced Maverick cigarettes rose about 10 percent. The company estimates that the industry as a whole sold about 4 percent fewer cigarettes during the quarter. High unemployment and rising cigarette prices and taxes have caused many smokers to smoke less and trade down to cheaper brands during the recession in a bid to save money. Lorillard's Maverick and Reynolds American Inc.'s Pall Mall brands have been among the beneficiaries.

 Lorillard's retail market share increased 0.4 points during the quarter to an all-time high of 14.5 percent of the U.S. market. Newport's share of the menthol market grew 0.5 points to 36.8 percent, while its top competitors have ramped up efforts to grab some of the growing menthol market. The company said promotion of non-menthol Newports, the Maverick brand's growth and Newport's geographic expansion drove market share gains. Most tobacco companies have been raising prices and cutting costs to keep profits up as the recession and declining demand cut into cigarette sales. Tax increases, smoking bans, health concerns and social stigma also have made the cigarette business tougher.

 With Wednesday's announcement of its acquisition of Blu Ecigs, Lorillard joins several other tobacco companies that have announced similar initiatives to seek cigarette alternatives as demand declines. Lorillard said Blu Ecigs, based in Charlotte, N.C., will remain a separate operating company. Electronic cigarettes are battery-powered plastic and metal devices that heat a liquid nicotine solution in a disposable cartridge, creating vapor that users inhale. Users call the practice "vaping" rather than smoking. Some e-cigarettes are made to look like a real cigarette with a tiny light on the tip that glows like the real thing. E-cigarettes devotees tout them as a way to break addiction to real cigarettes.

They insist the devices address both the nicotine addiction and the behavioral aspects of smoking - the holding of the cigarette, the puffing, exhaling something that looks like smoke and the hand motion - without the more than 4,000 chemicals found in cigarettes. Kessler said Blu Ecigs are "the perfect adjacency for us to participate in the smokeless market, but in a Lorillard way."

 The company also said it completed its $750 million share buyback during the quarter, repurchasing about 1.6 million shares at a cost of $188 million. Reynolds American, the nation's second-biggest tobacco company and maker of Camel, Pall Mall and Natural American Spirit brand cigarettes, said Tuesday its first-quarter profit fell 29 percent as restructuring charges and a 5 percent decline in the number of cigarettes sold more than offset the effect of higher prices and productivity improvements. Altria Group Inc., owner of the nation's largest tobacco company, Marlboro maker Philip Morris USA, is set to report Thursday.

Imperial Tobacco workers revolt over Nottingham Workplace Parking Levy

Employees at Imperial Tobacco in Nottingham have commenced taking industrial action against the company’s decision to pass on the cost of the city council’s workplace parking levy. According to union GMB, the action comprises an overtime ban that began at midnight on 30 April and will last a week, followed by an indefinite work-to-rule action where employees will only carry out the minimum amount of work required of them. GMB claimed that Imperial intends to pass on the annual £192 plus VAT charge to employees.

However, the firm said that it will only pass on £120, which would be tax-free for staff and equate to a net annual cost of around £80 per person, or £1.50 a week. Imperial also stated that employees willing to participate in one voluntary day of training relevant to the business or a day’s work for a registered charity of their choice would be exempt from the charge. But GMB regional officer Chris Needham responded that while employees had been asked to do 20 hours of voluntary work in exchange for payment of the WPL, it wasn’t worth the equivalent time in pay.

Imperial claimed the action would have “limited impact on operations”, but Needham countered: “Imperial works on the goodwill of our members. They’re losing the usual flexibility and that will impinge on the company. "When you’ve got a CEO who brags he could pay his employees 10 times as much then you can see the ilk of the people we’re dealing with.”

Group takes aim at tobacco sales to youth in Pawtucket, North Providence

Like a popular clothing store might draw young people in with the lights and music that most appeal to them, tobacco companies are increasingly producing products that entice youths to buy them, says the head of a new project to reduce tobacco use among children. Gone are the days when colorful posters depicting young people finding fulfillment in a cigarette were commonplace, according to Jeff Gale, coordinator for the International Institute Rhode Island Tobacco Control Program.

Nicotine marketing has gone into stealth mode, said Gale, with a bevy of newer products that by their very look appeal to young people. Gale and the IIRI Tobacco Control Program are working with municipal leaders, school officials and civic groups in both Pawtucket and North Providence to drum up support for making it more difficult to target youths with tobacco and nicotine products that often look, feel and taste like candy. In February of this year, the IIRI Tobacco Control Program won approximately $40,000 in annual funding from the Rhode Island Department of Health to reduce tobacco use among teens in Pawtucket and North Providence.

 Gale is working with groups like the Pawtucket Substance Abuse Task Force and its program director, Diane Dufresne, to get two ordinances passed locally to help them toward their goal of keeping tobacco out of the hands of youths and to improve the health of Rhode Islanders. The two ordinances would require: * The implementation of retailer licensing fees that would be dedicated in total or in part to the enforcement of tobacco laws; * Restrictions on the display and sale of tobacco-related products, requiring tobacco retailers to reduce physical and visual access of tobacco products to underage customers. This ordinance would require that products be moved from the front of the counter, near the candy items, to the back.

 While North Providence already has an ordinance requiring tobacco products to be moved back behind the counter, said Gale, he is encouraging officials there to update the law "to reflect new emerging tobacco products." Pawtucket City Councilor Mark Wildenhain has offered early support for a new ordinance that would tighten restrictions on tobacco sales in Pawtucket, said Gale. The new rules would go before the council's substance abuse subcommittee and then to the ordinance committee. City Councilor Albert Vitali Jr. told The Breeze that Gale and others have won support from a number of members like himself who want to see nicotine use among local teens curtailed.

 Pawtucket has more than double the population of North Providence, at more than 70,000, according to Gale, and more than double the number of convenience stores, with 88 total compared to 35 in North Providence. To this point, said Gale, he has had much better luck reaching Pawtucket municipal leaders than school officials to gain support for his tobacco prevention efforts, while in North Providence, school leaders have been the more supportive to this point. As nicotine users die off or stop using, said Gale, tobacco companies are left with little choice but to package their products in new ways to maintain profitability. Many of the newer items have higher levels of nicotine than a common cigarette, he said, and much lower taxes than their smellier counterparts. Many young people are first tempted to smoke or use other nicotine products in middle school, said Gale, and once they use them a few times, more often than not, they become loyal customers for years to come.

 Items like "orbs," which "look amazingly like breath mints," "sticks" and "strips," offer nicotine in innocent-looking new packaging, said Gale. Many products are made using finely ground flavored tobacco and a high volume of addictive nicotine. "They (the tobacco companies) went from 'smoking is cool, be hip,' to 'here's your nicotine, we know you need your fix,'" Gale told The Breeze. Newer dissolvable nicotine products allow students to get their nicotine fix in class, said Gale, without the need to spit as with old-school chew. Despite laws in place banning sales of nicotine products to young people, said Gale, more than 2 million packs of cigarettes are bought or smoked by minors in Rhode Island each year, according to a March 2012 report from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.