Beginning Friday, patients and visitors will be required to put out their cigarettes before arriving at Metroplex Hospital in Killeen.
As of Jan. 1, the Metroplex Health System will ban all tobacco products on its campuses, including cigars, pipes and chewing tobacco.
"Because we are a health system … we wanted to make sure anyone who enters our campuses is living the healthiest lifestyle they can," Metroplex spokeswoman Desirae Franco said Monday.
Currently, Metroplex provides designated outdoor smoking areas for its patients and visitors. The hospital prohibited employees from smoking in June 2008.
The hospital's executive team last October voted in favor of the ban, which includes parking lots, Franco said. People caught smoking on the grounds will be issued a warning and escorted off the campus if they continue to light up.
Across the nation, strict smoking bans are being enforced in buildings and cities. The city of Killeen enacted a citywide smoking ban in June.
The ordinance, which the Killeen City Council passed 5-2, prohibits smoking in all public buildings except in stand-alone bars, pool halls, clubs, bingo halls and bowling alleys.
Scott & White Hospital in Temple became one of the first smoke-free hospitals in the state when it banned tobacco use on its campus in January 2005.
Dr. Jeana O'Brien, a pulmonary critical care physician at Scott & White, said the effort was brought forth by employees as a way to promote wellness. The hospital previously allowed smoking in designated outdoor areas.
Carl L. Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Hood permits smoking in an outdoor gazebo and officials have not considered a smoking ban, spokeswoman Jeri Chappelle said Monday.
"We're not going to eliminate that anytime soon," she said.
Dec 29, 2009
Dec 23, 2009
Study finds a third of shops selling cigarettes to minors
APPROXIMATELY ONE-THIRD of minors are illegally able to purchase cigarettes from retailers, a new study has found.
The National Tobacco Retail Audit – 2009 Monitoring Report , published today, examined compliance by retailers with regard to legislation on the sale of cigarettes to minors.
It concluded that children have “an unacceptably high chance” of purchasing cigarettes through shops and licensed premises.
The study carried out by the Office of Tobacco Control found almost one-third of shopkeepers were disregarding laws that prohibit the sale of cigarettes to minors.
More than a third of licensed premises were willing to sell tobacco to minors according to the survey, though compliance levels among these premises increased 28 per cent from 37 per cent in 2008 to 65 per cent this year.
The research found compliance was higher among premises with token-operated cigarette vending machines where 70 per cent prevented children from buying cigarettes, compared to 37 per cent of premises with coin-operated machines.
Compliance among retailers was up 8 per cent, from 60 per cent in 2008 to 68 per cent in 2009.
Some 61 per cent of shops and licensed premises asked children for identification.
Ninety-seven per cent of minors who were asked for ID were refused the sale of cigarettes, the survey found.
Office of Tobacco Control chief executive Éamonn Rossi said although a clear improvement in compliance culture had occurred among retailers, there was still a long way to go.
“While we welcome the increase, still one-third of minors can buy cigarettes,” he said.
Launching the report, Áine Brady TD, Minister of State with responsibility for Older People and Health Promotion, said staff vigilance was essential to ensure young people don’t have access to cigarette vending machines.
In selling tobacco to a child, people may be launching them on a journey to addiction, disease and death, she said.
The Mandate trade union yesterday called on retailers to ensure identification is requested from customers.
Mandate general secretary John Douglas said, “while we recognise that compliance is improving with relation to sales to under-18-year-olds, there is still massive scope for improvement”.
The National Tobacco Retail Audit – 2009 Monitoring Report , published today, examined compliance by retailers with regard to legislation on the sale of cigarettes to minors.
It concluded that children have “an unacceptably high chance” of purchasing cigarettes through shops and licensed premises.
The study carried out by the Office of Tobacco Control found almost one-third of shopkeepers were disregarding laws that prohibit the sale of cigarettes to minors.
More than a third of licensed premises were willing to sell tobacco to minors according to the survey, though compliance levels among these premises increased 28 per cent from 37 per cent in 2008 to 65 per cent this year.
The research found compliance was higher among premises with token-operated cigarette vending machines where 70 per cent prevented children from buying cigarettes, compared to 37 per cent of premises with coin-operated machines.
Compliance among retailers was up 8 per cent, from 60 per cent in 2008 to 68 per cent in 2009.
Some 61 per cent of shops and licensed premises asked children for identification.
Ninety-seven per cent of minors who were asked for ID were refused the sale of cigarettes, the survey found.
Office of Tobacco Control chief executive Éamonn Rossi said although a clear improvement in compliance culture had occurred among retailers, there was still a long way to go.
“While we welcome the increase, still one-third of minors can buy cigarettes,” he said.
Launching the report, Áine Brady TD, Minister of State with responsibility for Older People and Health Promotion, said staff vigilance was essential to ensure young people don’t have access to cigarette vending machines.
In selling tobacco to a child, people may be launching them on a journey to addiction, disease and death, she said.
The Mandate trade union yesterday called on retailers to ensure identification is requested from customers.
Mandate general secretary John Douglas said, “while we recognise that compliance is improving with relation to sales to under-18-year-olds, there is still massive scope for improvement”.
Dec 22, 2009
Kansas Governor Will Likely Push for Tobacco Tax Increase
Kansas Governor Mark Parkinson is likely to push for increasing the state's tobacco tax in the coming legislative session, to make up for a budget shortfall.
He says Kansas could face a deficit of more than 300 million dollars in the coming fiscal year.
"Raising cigarette taxes is good public policy," Parkinson said. "It not only raises money, but it also reduces teen smoking. The studies are quite clear that in states where cigarettes are expensive, teens do not smoke as much as in states where cigarettes are cheap. And so I think it would be very good public policy to raise our tax at least to the national average."
The cigarette tax in Kansas is currently 79 cents per pack. The national average is more than a dollar and thirty cents per pack.
Parkinson has said he'll push for new sources of revenue, to avoid more cuts to programs like Medicaid and education.
He says Kansas could face a deficit of more than 300 million dollars in the coming fiscal year.
"Raising cigarette taxes is good public policy," Parkinson said. "It not only raises money, but it also reduces teen smoking. The studies are quite clear that in states where cigarettes are expensive, teens do not smoke as much as in states where cigarettes are cheap. And so I think it would be very good public policy to raise our tax at least to the national average."
The cigarette tax in Kansas is currently 79 cents per pack. The national average is more than a dollar and thirty cents per pack.
Parkinson has said he'll push for new sources of revenue, to avoid more cuts to programs like Medicaid and education.
Dec 21, 2009
My New Years Resolution And Electronic Cigarettes
Every year millions of people all over the world make New Years Resolutions, but an awful lot of those promises are broken pretty soon. The most popular resolutions are to stop smoking or lose weight, both difficult to do in their own way.
This year I will be making an Old Years resolutions and this is: To carry on giving up smoking and never put one of those disgusting, addictive, foul smelling, cancerous things in my mouth ever again. There I've said it. Do you know how much it means to me and anybody else who manages to stop smoking to be able to say that and know that this time you really mean it?
When you watch TV programmes like the X Factor or Strictly Come Dancing the contestestants always seem to say that winning means the world to them. Well in the real world stopping smoking truly can mean the world to you when you have smoked for many years. I started when I was 14, it was easy to buy separates from corner shops and then graduate to packs of 5 Park Drive if you got some extra spending money or had a pal to share the cost with. Back then in the 60s it was cool to smoke, the height of sophistication if you were an impressionable teenager.
We just didn't know the health risks that went hand in hand with looking sophisticated to our peers. Then the health risks became known but when you are addicted your needs overcome what is good for you. It is hard to stop smoking, very hard for most of us nicotine addicts. Every now and then you try to stop but more often than not you weaken and start smoking again.
You create a pattern until eventually you manage to break that pattern and stop - that is if you don't die from smoking related illnesses first. I will be ending the old and starting the new year as a non smoker and that will be for the first time in 40 years. I won't have a smokers cough or get out of breath while I am partying. Those who I give a new years hug or kiss to will smell Opium perfume on me and not be repulsed by the disgusting ashtray smell.
I won't have to go outside in the cold with the other outcasts who share the horrible habit and I can brag about how much money I have saved. Very important to me and the main reason that I stopped back in May is a massive improvement in my circulation. Last winter I suffered from a lot of excruciating pain in my fingers from Reynards disease. At times it was frightening because there was no circulation in my fingers and it was difficult to get my fingers warm enough to get the blood flowing again.
As I work in a shop that sells chilled and frozen products I couldn't always keep my fingers warm and they and my livelihood were at risk. Now that I don't smoke those problems have lessened to such an extent that it is just an occasional minor nuisance now.
Sometimes it was too painful to use my computer keyboard but now there isn't a problem. For those of you who despair of ever giving up smoking my story is proof that eventually you can stop. With my weak willpower it took a lot of attempts using different methods to stop but eventually I found the way that works best for me and that was electronic cigarettes .
I used them to gradually get rid of my nicotine addiction and I don't smoke anything now - nor am I addicted to anything. One of the things that I did to help myself was to build a blog and keep an online diary.
Knowing that other people would be watching how I did strengthened my resolve and my diary will always be there to stop me from slipping.
This year I will be making an Old Years resolutions and this is: To carry on giving up smoking and never put one of those disgusting, addictive, foul smelling, cancerous things in my mouth ever again. There I've said it. Do you know how much it means to me and anybody else who manages to stop smoking to be able to say that and know that this time you really mean it?
When you watch TV programmes like the X Factor or Strictly Come Dancing the contestestants always seem to say that winning means the world to them. Well in the real world stopping smoking truly can mean the world to you when you have smoked for many years. I started when I was 14, it was easy to buy separates from corner shops and then graduate to packs of 5 Park Drive if you got some extra spending money or had a pal to share the cost with. Back then in the 60s it was cool to smoke, the height of sophistication if you were an impressionable teenager.
We just didn't know the health risks that went hand in hand with looking sophisticated to our peers. Then the health risks became known but when you are addicted your needs overcome what is good for you. It is hard to stop smoking, very hard for most of us nicotine addicts. Every now and then you try to stop but more often than not you weaken and start smoking again.
You create a pattern until eventually you manage to break that pattern and stop - that is if you don't die from smoking related illnesses first. I will be ending the old and starting the new year as a non smoker and that will be for the first time in 40 years. I won't have a smokers cough or get out of breath while I am partying. Those who I give a new years hug or kiss to will smell Opium perfume on me and not be repulsed by the disgusting ashtray smell.
I won't have to go outside in the cold with the other outcasts who share the horrible habit and I can brag about how much money I have saved. Very important to me and the main reason that I stopped back in May is a massive improvement in my circulation. Last winter I suffered from a lot of excruciating pain in my fingers from Reynards disease. At times it was frightening because there was no circulation in my fingers and it was difficult to get my fingers warm enough to get the blood flowing again.
As I work in a shop that sells chilled and frozen products I couldn't always keep my fingers warm and they and my livelihood were at risk. Now that I don't smoke those problems have lessened to such an extent that it is just an occasional minor nuisance now.
Sometimes it was too painful to use my computer keyboard but now there isn't a problem. For those of you who despair of ever giving up smoking my story is proof that eventually you can stop. With my weak willpower it took a lot of attempts using different methods to stop but eventually I found the way that works best for me and that was electronic cigarettes .
I used them to gradually get rid of my nicotine addiction and I don't smoke anything now - nor am I addicted to anything. One of the things that I did to help myself was to build a blog and keep an online diary.
Knowing that other people would be watching how I did strengthened my resolve and my diary will always be there to stop me from slipping.
Dec 18, 2009
Burning Illegal Florida Cigarette Sellers
Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco recently launched a campaign to encourage citizens to report illegal tobacco sales.
As part of the campaign, the ABT is asking consumers to report individuals and businesses who sell cigarettes that do not bear a tax stamp, indicating that seller has not paid the requisite state tobacco tax.
As part of the campaign, the ABT is asking consumers to report individuals and businesses who sell cigarettes that do not bear a tax stamp, indicating that seller has not paid the requisite state tobacco tax.
Dec 14, 2009
Early results show no tobacco violations on campus
Leading up to the Nov. 19 tobacco ban, the main reason given for how the change will be implemented was creating a culture of compliance. With the ban in effect for nearly a month, the plan is seemingly working according to early results.
As of Friday, no student or faculty member had been reported to the Dean of Students or Human Resources for violating the policy, said Gail Hairston, university spokeswoman.
In weeks leading up to the ban, students had said they would simply walk across campus to get their nicotine fix. However, several managers of businesses nearby campus have said they have not noticed an increase in people smoking outside their facilities.
David Wade, manager of Wildcats Textbooks, located at 563 S. Limestone, said he has not seen an increase or change in the amount of people that loiter outside his business.
Gordon Bentley, manager of Phillips Market, located at 553 S. Limestone, said he has not noticed a particular increase in loitering either.
“I can’t tell if that’s made an increase, I know a lot of people that do smoke that don’t particularly care about the ruling,” he said.
As of Friday, no student or faculty member had been reported to the Dean of Students or Human Resources for violating the policy, said Gail Hairston, university spokeswoman.
In weeks leading up to the ban, students had said they would simply walk across campus to get their nicotine fix. However, several managers of businesses nearby campus have said they have not noticed an increase in people smoking outside their facilities.
David Wade, manager of Wildcats Textbooks, located at 563 S. Limestone, said he has not seen an increase or change in the amount of people that loiter outside his business.
Gordon Bentley, manager of Phillips Market, located at 553 S. Limestone, said he has not noticed a particular increase in loitering either.
“I can’t tell if that’s made an increase, I know a lot of people that do smoke that don’t particularly care about the ruling,” he said.
Nov 30, 2009
Smokers warned of hidden dangers in illegal cigarettes
SMOKERS could be further damaging their health by buying counterfeit cigarettes from street sellers operating illegally in Doncaster town centre.
The Tobacco Manufacturer's Association has issued a warning saying the fake goods could not only be variable in quality but could also contain hidden health threats by not complying with government regulations.
The association said street vendors in Baxtergate are making thousands of pounds by selling counterfeit 20 packs of Malboro or 'cheap whites' called Raquel or Samba for £2.50 compared to an average retail price of £5.85.
Cheap whites are produced by small overseas manufacturers which often have no legitimate market in the world - so in effect they are made for smugglers.
The vendors have also been selling 50 gram packs of tobacco pouches such as Golden Virginia and Cutters Choice for £4 against the usual £11.76.
Christopher Ogden, chief executive of the Tobacco Manufacturers' Association said: "All smuggled tobacco poses a serious threat to legitimate manufacturers and retailers.
"Although they may be tempted by a cheaper product, we urge smokers not to buy it.
"They may also be unwittingly purchasing counterfeit, the contents of which are unregulated and unknown."
The counterfeit goods are not checked and may contain different amounts of nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide. They may also contain additional ingredients not approved by the Government.
The association said in 2006/07 the illicit tobacco market cost the Treasury up to £3.1 billion in lost tax revenue - the equivalent to £8.5 million per day.
Mr Ogden added: "Smugglers are innovative and relentless, finding new ways to infiltrate the market as demonstrated by 'Cheap Whites' that are now appearing on UK streets."
The Tobacco Manufacturer's Association has issued a warning saying the fake goods could not only be variable in quality but could also contain hidden health threats by not complying with government regulations.
The association said street vendors in Baxtergate are making thousands of pounds by selling counterfeit 20 packs of Malboro or 'cheap whites' called Raquel or Samba for £2.50 compared to an average retail price of £5.85.
Cheap whites are produced by small overseas manufacturers which often have no legitimate market in the world - so in effect they are made for smugglers.
The vendors have also been selling 50 gram packs of tobacco pouches such as Golden Virginia and Cutters Choice for £4 against the usual £11.76.
Christopher Ogden, chief executive of the Tobacco Manufacturers' Association said: "All smuggled tobacco poses a serious threat to legitimate manufacturers and retailers.
"Although they may be tempted by a cheaper product, we urge smokers not to buy it.
"They may also be unwittingly purchasing counterfeit, the contents of which are unregulated and unknown."
The counterfeit goods are not checked and may contain different amounts of nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide. They may also contain additional ingredients not approved by the Government.
The association said in 2006/07 the illicit tobacco market cost the Treasury up to £3.1 billion in lost tax revenue - the equivalent to £8.5 million per day.
Mr Ogden added: "Smugglers are innovative and relentless, finding new ways to infiltrate the market as demonstrated by 'Cheap Whites' that are now appearing on UK streets."
Nov 27, 2009
Smoking ban puts bad air outside
Smoking bans have made the air healthier in bars and restaurants, but may have made the air just outside the establishments more hazardous, University of Georgia researchers have found.
Nonsmoking diners and imbibers sitting in outdoor patios or sidewalk seating areas connected to the bars or restaurants are picking up doses of secondhand smoke, the scientists found.
In fact, nonsmokers who volunteered to sit in the outdoor seating areas had levels of a tobacco byproduct in their bodies up to 162 percent higher than when they first sat down, said Luke Naeher, a professor in the university's environmental health science department.Collaborating with researchers in the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Northeast Health District, Mr. Naeher and other UGA researchers measured levels of a substance called cotinine.
Mr. Naeher's research team assigned 20 nonsmoking volunteers to spend six evening hours in one of three outdoor areas for the study -- outside a downtown Athens bar, outside a restaurant near downtown or outside UGA's main library."We're looking at real-world settings," Mr. Naeher said.
After six hours, the volunteers gave a saliva sample, which the researchers tested for cotinine, a nicotine byproduct often used as an indicator of tobacco exposure.
Volunteers who hung out where smokers gather outside a restaurant saw their cotinine levels more than double. Nonsmokers outside a bar had their cotinine increase by even more, up to 162 percent.
The study is published in this month's issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene .
Previous studies have shown that restaurant and bar smoking bans reduce the incidence of heart attacks and respiratory illness among people inside the establishments.
But researchers don't know the health impacts of outdoor secondhand smoke."The question is, is it an environment that warrants concern or further study?" Mr. Naeher said. "The answer is, we don't know yet."
The researchers aren't quite ready to declare outdoor cafes a new health hazard for those that may inhale secondhand smoke there -- including children, restaurant and bar workers, and pregnant women and their unborn children.
"We feel like it's something we need to be taking a look at," said Lou Kudon, one of the authors of the study. Mr. Kudon is program manager for the Athens-based Northeast Health District, which includes Clarke and nine other area counties.
Next, researchers will measure levels of a carcinogen called NNAL in nonsmokers who spend time in outdoor places where people smoke.
Nonsmoking diners and imbibers sitting in outdoor patios or sidewalk seating areas connected to the bars or restaurants are picking up doses of secondhand smoke, the scientists found.
In fact, nonsmokers who volunteered to sit in the outdoor seating areas had levels of a tobacco byproduct in their bodies up to 162 percent higher than when they first sat down, said Luke Naeher, a professor in the university's environmental health science department.Collaborating with researchers in the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Northeast Health District, Mr. Naeher and other UGA researchers measured levels of a substance called cotinine.
Mr. Naeher's research team assigned 20 nonsmoking volunteers to spend six evening hours in one of three outdoor areas for the study -- outside a downtown Athens bar, outside a restaurant near downtown or outside UGA's main library."We're looking at real-world settings," Mr. Naeher said.
After six hours, the volunteers gave a saliva sample, which the researchers tested for cotinine, a nicotine byproduct often used as an indicator of tobacco exposure.
Volunteers who hung out where smokers gather outside a restaurant saw their cotinine levels more than double. Nonsmokers outside a bar had their cotinine increase by even more, up to 162 percent.
The study is published in this month's issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene .
Previous studies have shown that restaurant and bar smoking bans reduce the incidence of heart attacks and respiratory illness among people inside the establishments.
But researchers don't know the health impacts of outdoor secondhand smoke."The question is, is it an environment that warrants concern or further study?" Mr. Naeher said. "The answer is, we don't know yet."
The researchers aren't quite ready to declare outdoor cafes a new health hazard for those that may inhale secondhand smoke there -- including children, restaurant and bar workers, and pregnant women and their unborn children.
"We feel like it's something we need to be taking a look at," said Lou Kudon, one of the authors of the study. Mr. Kudon is program manager for the Athens-based Northeast Health District, which includes Clarke and nine other area counties.
Next, researchers will measure levels of a carcinogen called NNAL in nonsmokers who spend time in outdoor places where people smoke.
Nov 23, 2009
Cigarette packages to feature graphic images
Turkey will start warning smokers with both written and pictorial cautions on cigarette packages in 2010.The chairman of the Turkish Tobacco & Alcohol Market Regulation Board (TAPDK), Mehmet Küçük, said on Sunday that the board would start warning smokers with both written statements and pictures as of Jan. 1, 2010. “In addition to the current written warnings, there will be 14 pictures on cigarette and other tobacco product packages,” Küçük told the Anatolia news agency. Küçük said the board would try to draw attention to the harms of cigarettes with this method.
There are 180 different types of cigarette packages in Turkey. All these packages will be changed to include the new visual warning system.
Tobacco companies will switch over to the new packaging at designated intervals. Cigarette packages produced through Dec. 31, which include only written warnings, can be put on the market through June 30, 2010. Both visual and written warnings must cover 65 percent of the cigarette packages, according to the new regulations. One year after the switch, by Jan. 1, 2011, every cigarette package on shelves in Turkey must have the pictorial warning.
Visual warning on cigarette packages is a system already in place in countries including the UK, Belgium, Romania, Brazil, Thailand and Singapore. The European Union has 42 sample pictures for visual warnings on tobacco products. Turkey will choose 14 of these pictures for domestic use. Research indicates that visual warnings are effective in 20 percent of cases of people who want to quit smoking.
Turkey banned smoking in workplaces and malls in May 2008. It gave restaurants, bars and cafés extra time to comply with the new smoking ban. The expanded smoking ban went into effect across Turkey on June 19. Under it, it is illegal to smoke in coffeehouses, cafeterias, pubs, clubs, restaurants and taxis, and advertising or promoting tobacco products or the names and brands of tobacco-producing companies is prohibited, as well.
Turkey became the seventh country in Europe to ban smoking in all enclosed public places.
There are 180 different types of cigarette packages in Turkey. All these packages will be changed to include the new visual warning system.
Tobacco companies will switch over to the new packaging at designated intervals. Cigarette packages produced through Dec. 31, which include only written warnings, can be put on the market through June 30, 2010. Both visual and written warnings must cover 65 percent of the cigarette packages, according to the new regulations. One year after the switch, by Jan. 1, 2011, every cigarette package on shelves in Turkey must have the pictorial warning.
Visual warning on cigarette packages is a system already in place in countries including the UK, Belgium, Romania, Brazil, Thailand and Singapore. The European Union has 42 sample pictures for visual warnings on tobacco products. Turkey will choose 14 of these pictures for domestic use. Research indicates that visual warnings are effective in 20 percent of cases of people who want to quit smoking.
Turkey banned smoking in workplaces and malls in May 2008. It gave restaurants, bars and cafés extra time to comply with the new smoking ban. The expanded smoking ban went into effect across Turkey on June 19. Under it, it is illegal to smoke in coffeehouses, cafeterias, pubs, clubs, restaurants and taxis, and advertising or promoting tobacco products or the names and brands of tobacco-producing companies is prohibited, as well.
Turkey became the seventh country in Europe to ban smoking in all enclosed public places.
Nov 20, 2009
Smokers feel attacked by local bans
Thursday marks the 33rd annual great American smoke-out.
The American Cancer Society uses the day to encourage smokers to kick the habit, at least for a day.The ultimate goal is to snuff it out completely.
Several municipalities have already done snuffed out smoking, at least in public places.
Just in our viewing area alone, nine cities and counties have kicked the butts.
Seven of those bans have already gone into effect and two others take effect in January.
But the recent bans have left some smokers feeling like they are under attack.
Clarence Lovick enjoys taking a smoke on his lunch break.“If I’m upset, it might calm me down,” says Lovick.
The Columbia resident says he’s been a smoker since he was 16.
But lately Lovick says, lighting up has been harder to do, with smoking bans in capitol city restaurants and bars.
“I think it’s just a waste of time, for somebody to make a law, to have somebody stop doing what they feel they have the right to do,” says Lovick.”"I wish it would be totally banned," says Executive Director of the American Cancer Society, Sue Mclesse.
Mclesse says one way to make people quit smoking, is to make the habit more expensive.
Currently the organization is working to increase to the state’s cigarette tax from seven cents a pack, to a dollar.
But Mclesse says she won’t be completely satisfied until the whole state, is smoke free."What I would like to see, is total cessation, total lack of production, of cigarettes," says Mclesse.
According to the American Cancer society, 440,000 people die in this country every year from tobacco related illnesses.That's more than alcohol, car accidents, suicide, murder and illegal drugs combined.
Clarence Lovick knows the numbers, but wishes the organization would butt out of his personal choice.
"Somebody sometimes might need or want a cigarette, just like somebody might need or want something to eat that they shouldn't it,” says Lovick.
The American Cancer Society uses the day to encourage smokers to kick the habit, at least for a day.The ultimate goal is to snuff it out completely.
Several municipalities have already done snuffed out smoking, at least in public places.
Just in our viewing area alone, nine cities and counties have kicked the butts.
Seven of those bans have already gone into effect and two others take effect in January.
But the recent bans have left some smokers feeling like they are under attack.
Clarence Lovick enjoys taking a smoke on his lunch break.“If I’m upset, it might calm me down,” says Lovick.
The Columbia resident says he’s been a smoker since he was 16.
But lately Lovick says, lighting up has been harder to do, with smoking bans in capitol city restaurants and bars.
“I think it’s just a waste of time, for somebody to make a law, to have somebody stop doing what they feel they have the right to do,” says Lovick.”"I wish it would be totally banned," says Executive Director of the American Cancer Society, Sue Mclesse.
Mclesse says one way to make people quit smoking, is to make the habit more expensive.
Currently the organization is working to increase to the state’s cigarette tax from seven cents a pack, to a dollar.
But Mclesse says she won’t be completely satisfied until the whole state, is smoke free."What I would like to see, is total cessation, total lack of production, of cigarettes," says Mclesse.
According to the American Cancer society, 440,000 people die in this country every year from tobacco related illnesses.That's more than alcohol, car accidents, suicide, murder and illegal drugs combined.
Clarence Lovick knows the numbers, but wishes the organization would butt out of his personal choice.
"Somebody sometimes might need or want a cigarette, just like somebody might need or want something to eat that they shouldn't it,” says Lovick.
Nov 17, 2009
FDA Goes After Online Sales of Flavored Cigarettes
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning more than a dozen online cigarette sellers that they may be in violation of the new regulations against selling most types of flavored cigarettes to U.S. citizens and have 15 days to prove that they have stopped those sales or risk government action.A ban on the U.S. sale of cigarettes flavored with anything other than menthol went into effect on Sept. 22 as part of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.
That law, enacted in June, gives the FDA power to regulate the content of tobacco products, along with the marketing and distribution of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco, and the impact of ads for those products on young people. The new law also lets the FDA limit the amount of nicotine in products and block labels such as “light” and “low tar” that appear to offer “healthier” cigarettes.
The warning letters went out to 14 owners of Web sites that the FDA says are still offering the banned flavored cigarettes for sale to U.S. customers, according to Internet searches conducted by its own Office of Enforcement and by its new Center for Tobacco Products, a division created within the FDA in August to administer the new tobacco ad and promotion policies and review applications for the exemption of new tobacco products.
The FDA sent a previous letter to the tobacco industry at large on Sept. 14 reminding them of the flavored-cigarette ban and stating that company selling the banned products would be subject to enforcement.
This latest round of notices went out to individual merchants, some located in the United States and some based overseas but selling to U.S. citizens through their Web sites. All the letters cite the language of the new bill that “A cigarette or any of its component parts (including the tobacco, filter or paper) shall not contain, as a constituent (including a smoke constituent) or additive, an artificial or natural flavor (other than tobacco or menthol) or an herb or spice, including strawberry, grape, orange, clove, cinnamon, pineapple, vanilla, coconut, licorice, cocoa, chocolate, cherry, or coffee, that is a characterizing flavor of the tobacco product or tobacco smoke.”
If the products listed for sale on the merchants’ Web sites do contain such flavorings, the letters say, they are adulterated tobacco products and subject to FDA penalty. If they don’t, they are misleadingly labeled and also subject to FDA penalty.
Merchants not based in the U.S. who received FDA letters were told that the agency will work to have their shipments into the U.S. stopped at customs, and that the FDA will notify authorities in their home countries that their banned products will not be allowed into the U.S.
The FDA’s enforcement effort is part of its initiative to prevent children and adolescents from taking up the smoking habit—something they can be lead into by candy- or fruit-flavored tobacco products, as well as marketing aimed at young audiences.
“FDA takes the enforcement of this flavored cigarette ban seriously,” Center for Tobacco products director Lawrence Deyton said in a release. ”These actions should send a clear message to those who continue to break the law that FDA will take necessary actions to protect our children from initiating tobacco use.”
In related news, a U.S. District Court ruled a week ago that tobacco companies have little chance of blocking enforcement of the Family Smoking Prevention Act on the grounds that it restricts their free speech rights to market new tobacco products, including smokeless tobacco and so-called “electronic cigarettes.”
R. J. Reynolds, which markets the Camel cigarettes product line, and Lorillard Inc., maker of Newport menthol cigarettes, filed suit against the law Aug. 31 in Richmond, VA, along with several other smaller tobacco marketers. In its filing, Reynolds asked the court to issue a preliminary injunction against the law, arguing that it impaired “their First Amendment right to communicate with adult tobacco consumers about their products.” If granted, the ruling would have prevented the FDA from enforcing the law while the plaintiffs pursued their broader case against it.
But U.S. District Court Judge Joseph McKinley denied the injunction on Nov. 5, saying that the “plaintiffs have little likelihood of success” in challenging the provisions of the law governing new “modified-risk” tobacco products.
The ruling means the tobacco makers will have to comply with the FDA’s new manufacturing and marketing regulations while the plaintiffs’ lawsuit moves forward.
That suit contends that the new law prohibits their use of “color lettering, trademarks, logos or any other imagery in most advertisements, including virtually all point-of-sale and direct-mail advertisements.” They also allege that new, more prominent health warnings on package fronts and cartons will relegate their branding to the bottom half of cigarette packaging and make it difficult, if not impossible, to see.”
That law, enacted in June, gives the FDA power to regulate the content of tobacco products, along with the marketing and distribution of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco, and the impact of ads for those products on young people. The new law also lets the FDA limit the amount of nicotine in products and block labels such as “light” and “low tar” that appear to offer “healthier” cigarettes.
The warning letters went out to 14 owners of Web sites that the FDA says are still offering the banned flavored cigarettes for sale to U.S. customers, according to Internet searches conducted by its own Office of Enforcement and by its new Center for Tobacco Products, a division created within the FDA in August to administer the new tobacco ad and promotion policies and review applications for the exemption of new tobacco products.
The FDA sent a previous letter to the tobacco industry at large on Sept. 14 reminding them of the flavored-cigarette ban and stating that company selling the banned products would be subject to enforcement.
This latest round of notices went out to individual merchants, some located in the United States and some based overseas but selling to U.S. citizens through their Web sites. All the letters cite the language of the new bill that “A cigarette or any of its component parts (including the tobacco, filter or paper) shall not contain, as a constituent (including a smoke constituent) or additive, an artificial or natural flavor (other than tobacco or menthol) or an herb or spice, including strawberry, grape, orange, clove, cinnamon, pineapple, vanilla, coconut, licorice, cocoa, chocolate, cherry, or coffee, that is a characterizing flavor of the tobacco product or tobacco smoke.”
If the products listed for sale on the merchants’ Web sites do contain such flavorings, the letters say, they are adulterated tobacco products and subject to FDA penalty. If they don’t, they are misleadingly labeled and also subject to FDA penalty.
Merchants not based in the U.S. who received FDA letters were told that the agency will work to have their shipments into the U.S. stopped at customs, and that the FDA will notify authorities in their home countries that their banned products will not be allowed into the U.S.
The FDA’s enforcement effort is part of its initiative to prevent children and adolescents from taking up the smoking habit—something they can be lead into by candy- or fruit-flavored tobacco products, as well as marketing aimed at young audiences.
“FDA takes the enforcement of this flavored cigarette ban seriously,” Center for Tobacco products director Lawrence Deyton said in a release. ”These actions should send a clear message to those who continue to break the law that FDA will take necessary actions to protect our children from initiating tobacco use.”
In related news, a U.S. District Court ruled a week ago that tobacco companies have little chance of blocking enforcement of the Family Smoking Prevention Act on the grounds that it restricts their free speech rights to market new tobacco products, including smokeless tobacco and so-called “electronic cigarettes.”
R. J. Reynolds, which markets the Camel cigarettes product line, and Lorillard Inc., maker of Newport menthol cigarettes, filed suit against the law Aug. 31 in Richmond, VA, along with several other smaller tobacco marketers. In its filing, Reynolds asked the court to issue a preliminary injunction against the law, arguing that it impaired “their First Amendment right to communicate with adult tobacco consumers about their products.” If granted, the ruling would have prevented the FDA from enforcing the law while the plaintiffs pursued their broader case against it.
But U.S. District Court Judge Joseph McKinley denied the injunction on Nov. 5, saying that the “plaintiffs have little likelihood of success” in challenging the provisions of the law governing new “modified-risk” tobacco products.
The ruling means the tobacco makers will have to comply with the FDA’s new manufacturing and marketing regulations while the plaintiffs’ lawsuit moves forward.
That suit contends that the new law prohibits their use of “color lettering, trademarks, logos or any other imagery in most advertisements, including virtually all point-of-sale and direct-mail advertisements.” They also allege that new, more prominent health warnings on package fronts and cartons will relegate their branding to the bottom half of cigarette packaging and make it difficult, if not impossible, to see.”
Nov 13, 2009
Tobacco prevention program earns World Health Organization recognition
The state’s Tobacco Prevention and Control Program, a national leader in fighting tobacco use, will take part in an international workshop on effective prevention strategies.
Terry Reid, the program’s director since March 2001, will represent the Department of Health at the World Health Organization (WHO) event in Tunis, Tunisia on November 13 and 14. The group will work on tobacco control measures for use by countries around the world.
“This is a real honor for our state and our Tobacco Prevention and Control Program,” said Secretary of Health Mary Selecky. “Since the program began, adult smoking is down by 30 percent, youth smoking has dropped by about half, and we’ve implemented one of the most comprehensive smoke-free indoor air laws in the country. The invitation is a tribute to Terry’s leadership. Improving the health of our state’s people is the real payoff.”
The meetings in Tunisia bring together WHO representatives and select managers of national tobacco control programs. Reid is the only person from the U.S. who has been invited.
“I’m proud of the effective tobacco prevention and control model we’ve deveoped and the difference it has made in our state,” said Reid. “It’s a testament to the daily efforts of state and local tobacco prevention specialists throughout Washington. Their dedication has helped save our state thousands of lives and billions in future health care costs. I’m delighted to share with an international audience how we’ve achieved those successes.”
“Washington has long been a national leader in tobacco prevention and control,” said Matthew L. Myers, executive director of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. “For the last nine years, the program has implemented a comprehensive effort to help adults quit, prevent youth from starting, and protect people from secondhand smoke, which produced dramatic results.”
Terry Reid, the program’s director since March 2001, will represent the Department of Health at the World Health Organization (WHO) event in Tunis, Tunisia on November 13 and 14. The group will work on tobacco control measures for use by countries around the world.
“This is a real honor for our state and our Tobacco Prevention and Control Program,” said Secretary of Health Mary Selecky. “Since the program began, adult smoking is down by 30 percent, youth smoking has dropped by about half, and we’ve implemented one of the most comprehensive smoke-free indoor air laws in the country. The invitation is a tribute to Terry’s leadership. Improving the health of our state’s people is the real payoff.”
The meetings in Tunisia bring together WHO representatives and select managers of national tobacco control programs. Reid is the only person from the U.S. who has been invited.
“I’m proud of the effective tobacco prevention and control model we’ve deveoped and the difference it has made in our state,” said Reid. “It’s a testament to the daily efforts of state and local tobacco prevention specialists throughout Washington. Their dedication has helped save our state thousands of lives and billions in future health care costs. I’m delighted to share with an international audience how we’ve achieved those successes.”
“Washington has long been a national leader in tobacco prevention and control,” said Matthew L. Myers, executive director of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. “For the last nine years, the program has implemented a comprehensive effort to help adults quit, prevent youth from starting, and protect people from secondhand smoke, which produced dramatic results.”
Nov 10, 2009
Firestorm over smokeless cigarette
Electronic cigarettes are opening a new front in the tobacco wars as state and local lawmakers try to restrict the product, which may allow users to circumvent smoking bans.
The battery-powered device is made up of a cartridge containing nicotine, flavoring and chemicals. It turns nicotine, which is addictive, into a vapor that is inhaled. Users say they're "vaping," not smoking.
E-cigarettes are used by at least a half-million Americans, says Matt Salmon, head of the Electronic Cigarette Association.
"People who smoke ought to have better alternatives, because some can't quit," he says. His father, a longtime smoker, died last week of cancer and emphysema.
Public health officials question the safety of e-cigarettes. The Food and Drug Administration, which regulates tobacco and nicotine replacement devices, says the e-cigarettes it tested had carcinogens. E-cigarette distributors have filed a lawsuit challenging the FDA's authority.
"It's a new frontier. We don't know what the dangers are," says John Banzhaf of Action on Smoking and Health, an anti-smoking group.
"We're actively investigating these companies and their products," says Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal. Other actions:
• California passed a ban on e-cigarette sales, but Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed it this month.
• Oregon Attorney General John Kroger, a Democrat, reached a settlement in August with retailers and distributors not to sell them.
• New Hampshire state Rep. Rich DiPentima, a Democrat, is crafting a bill to ban sales to minors.
• New Jersey state Assemblywoman Connie Wagner, a Democrat, plans a bill to subject e-cigarettes to the same restrictions as cigarettes.
• In Paramus, N.J., the health department's board plans to propose an ordinance today banning e-cigarettes where smoking is not allowed.
• In August, Suffolk County, N.Y., restricted e-cigarettes in public places and banned sales to minors.
To Julie Woessner, 46, a former smoker in Wildwood, Mo., they are "almost a miracle," allowing her to kick her two-packs-a-day cigarette habit.
The battery-powered device is made up of a cartridge containing nicotine, flavoring and chemicals. It turns nicotine, which is addictive, into a vapor that is inhaled. Users say they're "vaping," not smoking.
E-cigarettes are used by at least a half-million Americans, says Matt Salmon, head of the Electronic Cigarette Association.
"People who smoke ought to have better alternatives, because some can't quit," he says. His father, a longtime smoker, died last week of cancer and emphysema.
Public health officials question the safety of e-cigarettes. The Food and Drug Administration, which regulates tobacco and nicotine replacement devices, says the e-cigarettes it tested had carcinogens. E-cigarette distributors have filed a lawsuit challenging the FDA's authority.
"It's a new frontier. We don't know what the dangers are," says John Banzhaf of Action on Smoking and Health, an anti-smoking group.
"We're actively investigating these companies and their products," says Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal. Other actions:
• California passed a ban on e-cigarette sales, but Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed it this month.
• Oregon Attorney General John Kroger, a Democrat, reached a settlement in August with retailers and distributors not to sell them.
• New Hampshire state Rep. Rich DiPentima, a Democrat, is crafting a bill to ban sales to minors.
• New Jersey state Assemblywoman Connie Wagner, a Democrat, plans a bill to subject e-cigarettes to the same restrictions as cigarettes.
• In Paramus, N.J., the health department's board plans to propose an ordinance today banning e-cigarettes where smoking is not allowed.
• In August, Suffolk County, N.Y., restricted e-cigarettes in public places and banned sales to minors.
To Julie Woessner, 46, a former smoker in Wildwood, Mo., they are "almost a miracle," allowing her to kick her two-packs-a-day cigarette habit.
Nov 9, 2009
Cigarette demand falling, but profits solid
RICHMOND, Va. — The weak economy and higher prices are snuffing out cigarette demand around the world — most vigorously in the U.S., where a federal tax hike, smoking bans, health concerns and social stigma have cut demand at least 10 percent.
Two of the world's biggest cigarette makers reported Thursday that they emerged from the third quarter in better shape than analysts expected and raised their 2009 profit estimates.
Both Philip Morris International — which makes Marlboro and other top brands for sale abroad — and Reynolds American Inc. — the second-biggest cigarette seller in the U.S., with brands such as Camel and Pall Mall — raised prices even as consumers bought fewer cigarettes. And Reynolds is looking to smokeless alternatives for future growth.
Analysts are closely watching the U.S. industry's third quarter for the first clear sense of cigarette volumes after a 62-cent-per-pack federal tax increase took effect. Cigarette sales fell during the first half of the year before and after the April 1 change.
Reynolds American recorded 72 percent higher profit than in last year's third quarter, when restructuring costs and the falling value of its trademarks dampened its earnings. Based in Winston-Salem, N.C., it earned $362 million for the period that ended Sept. 30, up from $211 million a year earlier.
The company said tax increases and the tough economy cut the volume of cigarettes it shipped by 11 percent, and it pegged the decline industrywide at 12.6 percent. Reynolds said its smokeless tobacco unit, Conwood Co., sold 11.7 percent more moist snuff products by volume during the quarter.
In a conference call with investors, Reynolds CEO Susan M. Ivey said she expects U.S. cigarette demand to fall 8 percent to 9 percent per year and easing back to annual drops of 3 percent to 4 percent over the next few years.
Declines are less stark in the rest of the world.Philip Morris International shipped 219.3 billion cigarettes in the quarter, 2.9 percent less than a year earlier, as declines in Europe and the Middle East were offset by a rising volume in Latin America and Canada from its acquisition of Rothmans Inc. during the third quarter last year.
The company, which sells Marlboros, L&M, Parliament and Virginia Slims abroad, said Thursday its third-quarter profit fell nearly 14 percent as the stronger dollar shrunk profit earned in other currencies.
When the dollar is strong, companies that sell goods abroad and convert that revenue from foreign currencies, they take a hit in the dollar value of those sales. That effect is particularly strong for Philip Morris International, because all its business is overseas.
Philip Morris International — which has offices in Lausanne, Switzerland, and New York — said it earned $1.79 billion during the quarter. It is the world's second-biggest cigarette maker after the state-controlled China National Tobacco Corp. It was spun off in 2008 from Richmond, Va.-based Altria Group Inc., owner of the largest U.S. tobacco company, Philip Morris USA.
Thursday's earnings reports come on the heels of those for Altria Group Inc., parent company of the nation's No. 1 tobacco company, Philip Morris USA.
Altria reported Wednesday that its third-quarter profit to rose 1.7 percent on cost-cutting and improved results from its cigar unit. It said it sold about 12 percent fewer cigarettes versus an industry decline it estimated at 10 percent.
Greensboro, N.C.-based Lorillard Inc., the nation's third-largest tobacco company with the market-leading menthol brand Newport, reports on its third quarter Monday.
Two of the world's biggest cigarette makers reported Thursday that they emerged from the third quarter in better shape than analysts expected and raised their 2009 profit estimates.
Both Philip Morris International — which makes Marlboro and other top brands for sale abroad — and Reynolds American Inc. — the second-biggest cigarette seller in the U.S., with brands such as Camel and Pall Mall — raised prices even as consumers bought fewer cigarettes. And Reynolds is looking to smokeless alternatives for future growth.
Analysts are closely watching the U.S. industry's third quarter for the first clear sense of cigarette volumes after a 62-cent-per-pack federal tax increase took effect. Cigarette sales fell during the first half of the year before and after the April 1 change.
Reynolds American recorded 72 percent higher profit than in last year's third quarter, when restructuring costs and the falling value of its trademarks dampened its earnings. Based in Winston-Salem, N.C., it earned $362 million for the period that ended Sept. 30, up from $211 million a year earlier.
The company said tax increases and the tough economy cut the volume of cigarettes it shipped by 11 percent, and it pegged the decline industrywide at 12.6 percent. Reynolds said its smokeless tobacco unit, Conwood Co., sold 11.7 percent more moist snuff products by volume during the quarter.
In a conference call with investors, Reynolds CEO Susan M. Ivey said she expects U.S. cigarette demand to fall 8 percent to 9 percent per year and easing back to annual drops of 3 percent to 4 percent over the next few years.
Declines are less stark in the rest of the world.Philip Morris International shipped 219.3 billion cigarettes in the quarter, 2.9 percent less than a year earlier, as declines in Europe and the Middle East were offset by a rising volume in Latin America and Canada from its acquisition of Rothmans Inc. during the third quarter last year.
The company, which sells Marlboros, L&M, Parliament and Virginia Slims abroad, said Thursday its third-quarter profit fell nearly 14 percent as the stronger dollar shrunk profit earned in other currencies.
When the dollar is strong, companies that sell goods abroad and convert that revenue from foreign currencies, they take a hit in the dollar value of those sales. That effect is particularly strong for Philip Morris International, because all its business is overseas.
Philip Morris International — which has offices in Lausanne, Switzerland, and New York — said it earned $1.79 billion during the quarter. It is the world's second-biggest cigarette maker after the state-controlled China National Tobacco Corp. It was spun off in 2008 from Richmond, Va.-based Altria Group Inc., owner of the largest U.S. tobacco company, Philip Morris USA.
Thursday's earnings reports come on the heels of those for Altria Group Inc., parent company of the nation's No. 1 tobacco company, Philip Morris USA.
Altria reported Wednesday that its third-quarter profit to rose 1.7 percent on cost-cutting and improved results from its cigar unit. It said it sold about 12 percent fewer cigarettes versus an industry decline it estimated at 10 percent.
Greensboro, N.C.-based Lorillard Inc., the nation's third-largest tobacco company with the market-leading menthol brand Newport, reports on its third quarter Monday.
Nov 5, 2009
West City gets grant to reduce tobacco access by local youths
The village of West City has been chosen by the Illinois Liquor Control Commission to receive a grant in the amount of $1,100 to establish a comprehensive educational and enforcement program addressing minimum-age tobacco laws.
“We are pleased to receive this grant to enhance our efforts to reduce youth access to tobacco products. The health of the children in our community is very important,” Chief of Police Steve Mumbower said.
The commission, the state’s lead agency in developing strategies to reduce the illegal sale of tobacco products to minors, annually awards $1 million in grants to communities that are willing to implement its Tobacco Enforcement Program.
Participating communities are required to provide retail education to their retailers prior to implementing the enforcement component.
All tobacco retailers will receive the commission’s Tobacco Retailer Kit, which includes a review of state minimum-age tobacco laws, required signage and training guides for their personnel.
In addition, each tobacco retailer will receive three compliance checks.
Tobacco retailers within the entire program currently average over 90-percent compliance, and Illinois is ranked seventh nationwide in Synar tobacco retailer compliance rates.
“We are pleased to receive this grant to enhance our efforts to reduce youth access to tobacco products. The health of the children in our community is very important,” Chief of Police Steve Mumbower said.
The commission, the state’s lead agency in developing strategies to reduce the illegal sale of tobacco products to minors, annually awards $1 million in grants to communities that are willing to implement its Tobacco Enforcement Program.
Participating communities are required to provide retail education to their retailers prior to implementing the enforcement component.
All tobacco retailers will receive the commission’s Tobacco Retailer Kit, which includes a review of state minimum-age tobacco laws, required signage and training guides for their personnel.
In addition, each tobacco retailer will receive three compliance checks.
Tobacco retailers within the entire program currently average over 90-percent compliance, and Illinois is ranked seventh nationwide in Synar tobacco retailer compliance rates.
Nov 2, 2009
A call to arms for tobacco store owners
Let us consider the case of a cigar store owner. No food is served. No alcohol is available. The only products are cigars, tobacco products and accessories. Because no alcohol is served, it doesn't qualify for status as "Specialty Tobacco Bar."
Let us also assume that this establishment is owned by a retiree, the sole employee. He started this store because of his love of cigars. He has become something of an expert and customers often seek out his advice, much in the way a wine enthusiast may seek the opinion of a sommelier.
Under the expanded ban he will not be allowed to sample a new cigar in his own store in order to provide advice for his customers.
Who is being harmed and needs to be protected by the expanded ban? Does he not have the right to run his business to the best of his ability?
I would urge all tobacco store owners to call their City-County Council member and urge him or her to vote against Proposal 371.
Let us also assume that this establishment is owned by a retiree, the sole employee. He started this store because of his love of cigars. He has become something of an expert and customers often seek out his advice, much in the way a wine enthusiast may seek the opinion of a sommelier.
Under the expanded ban he will not be allowed to sample a new cigar in his own store in order to provide advice for his customers.
Who is being harmed and needs to be protected by the expanded ban? Does he not have the right to run his business to the best of his ability?
I would urge all tobacco store owners to call their City-County Council member and urge him or her to vote against Proposal 371.
Oct 30, 2009
Suspected heroin just tobacco at Columbia Point Marina
A specially packaged bundle of suspected heroin found in a bathroom at Columbia Point Marina turned out to be a block of chewing tobacco.
The package was found Tuesday when a maintenance worker bumped into the ventilation screen inside the bathroom, Richland police Capt. Mike Cobb said.
Officers initially thought the package had six, 1-ounce bindles of heroin and speculated it was left there for someone on a state Department of Corrections work crew to pick up, he said.
About 90 seconds after it was found, a van of inmates from Coyote Ridge Corrections Center pulled into the marina for a break, Cobb said. The inmates had been picking up litter along Highway 240.
Further testing showed the package contained a block of chewing tobacco that has the same consistency and appearance of black tar heroin, Cobb said.
Investigators still have no proof the package was left for a Coyote Ridge work crew inmate, but Cobb suspects it was.
"Who else would treat that as contraband other than someone in the penal system?" Cobb said. "It's the only reasonable explanation I can think of."
The package was found Tuesday when a maintenance worker bumped into the ventilation screen inside the bathroom, Richland police Capt. Mike Cobb said.
Officers initially thought the package had six, 1-ounce bindles of heroin and speculated it was left there for someone on a state Department of Corrections work crew to pick up, he said.
About 90 seconds after it was found, a van of inmates from Coyote Ridge Corrections Center pulled into the marina for a break, Cobb said. The inmates had been picking up litter along Highway 240.
Further testing showed the package contained a block of chewing tobacco that has the same consistency and appearance of black tar heroin, Cobb said.
Investigators still have no proof the package was left for a Coyote Ridge work crew inmate, but Cobb suspects it was.
"Who else would treat that as contraband other than someone in the penal system?" Cobb said. "It's the only reasonable explanation I can think of."
Oct 28, 2009
Tobacco seized at city ferry port
CUSTOMS officials are investigating an alleged attempt to smuggle around 400 kilos of tobacco into Plymouth.
A 46-year-old man and a 71-year-old woman, both from the Durham area, were arrested at Plymouth ferry port on Saturday.
They were subsequently interviewed by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) investigators.
UK Border Agency officers say they uncovered the haul in a people-carrier vehicle disembarking a ferry from Roscoff, France.
The tobacco was enough to make 800,000 cigarettes.Both people have been released on police bail until January 26, 2010.
The case is being handled by HMRC criminal investigators and inquiries are ongoing.The revenue allegedly evaded is estimated at around £46,000.
A 46-year-old man and a 71-year-old woman, both from the Durham area, were arrested at Plymouth ferry port on Saturday.
They were subsequently interviewed by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) investigators.
UK Border Agency officers say they uncovered the haul in a people-carrier vehicle disembarking a ferry from Roscoff, France.
The tobacco was enough to make 800,000 cigarettes.Both people have been released on police bail until January 26, 2010.
The case is being handled by HMRC criminal investigators and inquiries are ongoing.The revenue allegedly evaded is estimated at around £46,000.
Oct 26, 2009
Off Beat: Clark College professor’s theory goes up in smoke
Clark College is justifiably proud of its pioneering status as a no-smoking campus.In 2005, Clark became the first public college in Washington to abolish the use of tobacco.
Clark was also a national leader as one of just 25 colleges in the country to become tobacco-free.
And, Clark was the second community college in the U.S. to take that step, according to Rebecca Wale, environmental health manager.
... Which must have been an interesting turn of events for some former Clark students. It wasn’t just that tobacco was tolerated at Clark for decades. In 1946, it became part of a classroom exercise.
Echoes of that era popped up in The Columbian’s archives in a story about Tony Bacon, longtime Vancouver newsman who died in September.
In the story, Bacon recalled enrolling in Clark College as a 16-year-old in 1946. It was just after World War II, and many of Bacon’s classmates were veterans who were going back to school on the G.I. Bill.
Homer Foster, who taught history and social sciences, liked to conduct experiments in class. His classes were filled with veterans, and half of them were smokers.
Foster had heard that smoking impaired reasoning abilities, Bacon related. Foster set about to test this point on the first day of the quarter. The professor divided his students into smokers and non-smokers, and handed out an exam.
When the results were in, the professor was amazed at the results: The smokers had way better grades than the non-smokers, Bacon said.
"Poor old Homer Foster decided then and there that he should become a smoker," Bacon told the writer.
"He wasn’t very adept at it, but he kept puffing away because of the results of this hysterical experiment."
Hatching a penguin
There’s another bit of irony in the no-smoking policy: Clark College might owe its "Penguin Nation" identity to something that has been banned from campus.
According to one story, the roots of the school’s mascot could be traced to a Clark College student who swiped a mechanical penguin from a promotional display at a local drug store.
As the story goes, the pilfered penguin advertised Kool cigarettes.
Clark was also a national leader as one of just 25 colleges in the country to become tobacco-free.
And, Clark was the second community college in the U.S. to take that step, according to Rebecca Wale, environmental health manager.
... Which must have been an interesting turn of events for some former Clark students. It wasn’t just that tobacco was tolerated at Clark for decades. In 1946, it became part of a classroom exercise.
Echoes of that era popped up in The Columbian’s archives in a story about Tony Bacon, longtime Vancouver newsman who died in September.
In the story, Bacon recalled enrolling in Clark College as a 16-year-old in 1946. It was just after World War II, and many of Bacon’s classmates were veterans who were going back to school on the G.I. Bill.
Homer Foster, who taught history and social sciences, liked to conduct experiments in class. His classes were filled with veterans, and half of them were smokers.
Foster had heard that smoking impaired reasoning abilities, Bacon related. Foster set about to test this point on the first day of the quarter. The professor divided his students into smokers and non-smokers, and handed out an exam.
When the results were in, the professor was amazed at the results: The smokers had way better grades than the non-smokers, Bacon said.
"Poor old Homer Foster decided then and there that he should become a smoker," Bacon told the writer.
"He wasn’t very adept at it, but he kept puffing away because of the results of this hysterical experiment."
Hatching a penguin
There’s another bit of irony in the no-smoking policy: Clark College might owe its "Penguin Nation" identity to something that has been banned from campus.
According to one story, the roots of the school’s mascot could be traced to a Clark College student who swiped a mechanical penguin from a promotional display at a local drug store.
As the story goes, the pilfered penguin advertised Kool cigarettes.
Oct 22, 2009
A call to arms for tobacco store owners
Let us consider the case of a cigar store owner. No food is served. No alcohol is available. The only products are cigars, tobacco products and accessories. Because no alcohol is served, it doesn't qualify for status as "Specialty Tobacco Bar."
Let us also assume that this establishment is owned by a retiree, the sole employee. He started this store because of his love of cigars. He has become something of an expert and customers often seek out his advice, much in the way a wine enthusiast may seek the opinion of a sommelier.
Under the expanded ban he will not be allowed to sample a new cigar in his own store in order to provide advice for his customers.
Who is being harmed and needs to be protected by the expanded ban? Does he not have the right to run his business to the best of his ability?
I would urge all tobacco store owners to call their City-County Council member and urge him or her to vote against Proposal 371.
Let us also assume that this establishment is owned by a retiree, the sole employee. He started this store because of his love of cigars. He has become something of an expert and customers often seek out his advice, much in the way a wine enthusiast may seek the opinion of a sommelier.
Under the expanded ban he will not be allowed to sample a new cigar in his own store in order to provide advice for his customers.
Who is being harmed and needs to be protected by the expanded ban? Does he not have the right to run his business to the best of his ability?
I would urge all tobacco store owners to call their City-County Council member and urge him or her to vote against Proposal 371.
Oct 19, 2009
Bill McKewin: The outrageous tax on tobacco
So there's a proposal in the Wisconsin State Senate to raise the liquor tax 50 cents per liter.
Wow! That's a drop in the shot glass compared to the tobacco tax that amounts to more than the product itself is worth. Of course, we're well aware of all the problems tobacco causes. Just ask the police, especially the overnight shift, how many tobacco related calls they answer and how many vehicle crashes were due to someone smoking too many cigarettes.
It's common knowledge, family violence and divorce are directly linked to tobacco misuse. There's no question, nursing homes are full of 80- and 90-year-old smokers collecting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Scientific evidence suggests that tobacco, not vehicle emissions and coal fired industrial plants, are causing severe environmental damage.
Destroyed friendships, impaired thinking, poor job performance and even termination - yup, not alcohol, that's all on tobacco. Vandalism, burglary, rape and murder, in many cases, could be prevented if people weren't messed up on tobacco. And how many tax dollars go to rehab centers treating tobacco addiction?
BUTT - Bureaucrats for Universal Tobacco Taxation - recommends taxing tobacco users to the point of cessation because they can no longer afford the product. That will cause the pool of tobacco users to shrink and, in turn, will cause a shortfall in tax revenue, which will have to be made up by increasing the tax on those remaining users.
Eventually, because of financial hardship, the pool of tobacco users will be reduced to a single smoker who will be responsible for all the revenue. Of course, with only one smoker left on earth, the egregious problems caused by tobacco will have been all but eliminated and the complaints will be a barely audible squawk in the night - ingenious!
Wow! That's a drop in the shot glass compared to the tobacco tax that amounts to more than the product itself is worth. Of course, we're well aware of all the problems tobacco causes. Just ask the police, especially the overnight shift, how many tobacco related calls they answer and how many vehicle crashes were due to someone smoking too many cigarettes.
It's common knowledge, family violence and divorce are directly linked to tobacco misuse. There's no question, nursing homes are full of 80- and 90-year-old smokers collecting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Scientific evidence suggests that tobacco, not vehicle emissions and coal fired industrial plants, are causing severe environmental damage.
Destroyed friendships, impaired thinking, poor job performance and even termination - yup, not alcohol, that's all on tobacco. Vandalism, burglary, rape and murder, in many cases, could be prevented if people weren't messed up on tobacco. And how many tax dollars go to rehab centers treating tobacco addiction?
BUTT - Bureaucrats for Universal Tobacco Taxation - recommends taxing tobacco users to the point of cessation because they can no longer afford the product. That will cause the pool of tobacco users to shrink and, in turn, will cause a shortfall in tax revenue, which will have to be made up by increasing the tax on those remaining users.
Eventually, because of financial hardship, the pool of tobacco users will be reduced to a single smoker who will be responsible for all the revenue. Of course, with only one smoker left on earth, the egregious problems caused by tobacco will have been all but eliminated and the complaints will be a barely audible squawk in the night - ingenious!
Oct 13, 2009
Enforce the rules we have
On Tuesday, Columbia will hold a town hall meeting on the proposal to ban smoking on campus. Haven’t heard about it? Not surprising.
On Tuesday, Columbia will hold a town hall meeting on the proposal to ban smoking on campus. Haven’t heard about it? Not surprising. Outside of a few groups on campus, no one’s talked about it. That, in and of itself, is problematic for such a large policy change. Without public notice, small minorities, whether they are supporters or opponents of smoking, have virtual control over campus governance. Whether the broader student population wants it or not, a draconian policy might be imposed simply because supporters showed up at a meeting to gauge support. If only die-hards vote, the vote does not reflect the sentiment of the population as a whole and indeed poses a real threat to representative government. Even more noticeably, though, smoking is already banned across much of campus to little effect.
You wouldn’t know it from walking around campus, but smoking is banned within 25 feet of a building by state law. Where does that end? Who knows? It’s not marked. Even if someone wanted to obey the law, they would be hard-pressed to do so. Without any visible indications of where smokers can’t light up, the entrance to Butler becomes a cloud of tobacco smoke. That’s a real concern, especially for asthmatics, and Columbia’s learning environment is not fostered by forcing library-goers to brave an onslaught of smoke. There’s no reason they should have to, either. Smoking should be forbidden there.
Yet the Columbia administration is not focusing on that very real issue. Rather than putting up signs to indicate where smoking is and is not allowed, the administration is pushing a campus-wide ban on smoking under the radar without student knowledge, let alone input. Why? Would administrators enforce a new ban any more than the current ban is enforced? We can’t know. From the limited coverage in campus media, it has not been mentioned. Would Public Safety round up smokers on campus? Unlikely, but all the time they would spend telling students, and even faculty, to put out their cigarettes is time they would not be spending protecting students from crime.
In addition, unenforced rules erode respect for all rules. If the smoking ban is enacted and not enforced, it will spread a general disrespect for authority. If the smoking regulations are not enforced, this sends a very powerful signal that other rules, whether about underage drinking or writing graffiti on walls, will not be, either. Ultimately, this results in a broader lack of regard for campus standards and seemingly give smokers carte blanche to violate the rules.
If a complete ban were enforced, on the other hand, that would drive smokers off campus. The main gates and other entrances to campus would be clouded by smoke. If you think the smoke in front of Butler is bad, imagine how much worse it would be if all the smokers on campus were standing on 116th and Broadway, clustered together to form an even larger, more threatening cloud. Who would want to go to a school where they have to go through that to get to campus? Students would go off campus to find activities where the long arm of Public Safety wouldn’t tell them not to smoke. In a puff, Columbia’s effort to support student activities would be gone. Smokers would be less engaged in student life on campus, and considering that a number of student leaders smoke, Columbia’s vibrancy would decline.
The best thing to do would be for Columbia to enforce its current ban on smoking near buildings. Without depending on a massive witch hunt for smokers across campus, the administration could put up signs near buildings reminding students and faculty not to light up there but marking where smoking is permitted. Public Safety, in the course of its normal rounds, could remind smokers too close to buildings to take a step back without requiring a significant presence beyond what already exists. At the same time, rather than wasting money criminalizing a large portion of the Columbia community, the savings could be used to help smokers quit. It wouldn’t even require a drastic policy change. If that’s not enough, and scientific studies show that expanding a smoking ban would result in measurable improvements, the administration can publicly educate the community about the benefits of a change and wait for the democratic process to work.
Oct 9, 2009
Seaford police send out reminder
SEAFORD Police are reminding adults it is an offence to purchase alcohol on behalf of children.
They warned anyone buying booze for underage drinkers will receive a fixed penalty notice of £80.
Police are appealing for information about irresponsible adults buying alcohol and cigarettes for youngsters.
Sgt Chris Veale said: "Disorder caused by drunken teenagers is a large drain on police resources and a major concern for local residents.
"The young people involved are also putting themselves at risk in a number of ways – either by being a victim of crime or by taking part in high risk behaviour."
They warned anyone buying booze for underage drinkers will receive a fixed penalty notice of £80.
Police are appealing for information about irresponsible adults buying alcohol and cigarettes for youngsters.
Sgt Chris Veale said: "Disorder caused by drunken teenagers is a large drain on police resources and a major concern for local residents.
"The young people involved are also putting themselves at risk in a number of ways – either by being a victim of crime or by taking part in high risk behaviour."
Oct 7, 2009
FDA starts collecting fees from tobacco companies
The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday began collecting millions in fees from the nation's tobacco companies to help fund the agency's newly granted authority to regulate the industry.
The user fees, which will be collected quarterly, are based on each company's share of the U.S. tobacco market. The FDA will collect about $23 million for fiscal 2009. That will rise to $235 million in 2010 and grow to $712 million by 2019.
The FDA would not disclose the assessments for specific companies.
Stifel, Nicolaus & Co. analyst Christopher Growe said in a note to investors that Richmond, Va.-based Altria Group Inc., owner of market-leading Philip Morris USA, would be responsible for about 50 percent of the fees.
FDA spokeswoman Kathleen Quinn said the fees will be used to fund the Center for Tobacco Products, the agency's group tasked with regulating tobacco. The fees will pay for staffing, offices, systems that will be used to register products and outside contractors.
In June, President Barack Obama signed the law that allows the FDA regulate the industry. Its authority includes the ability to ban certain products, reduce nicotine in tobacco products and block labels such "low tar" and "light." Tobacco companies also will be required to cover their cartons with large, graphic warnings.
The law doesn't let the FDA ban nicotine or tobacco outright.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated in June that the law would reduce the number of underage tobacco users by 11 percent by 2019 and lead to a 2 percent decline in smoking among adults.
Altria supported the legislation, while its chief rivals -- No. 2 Reynolds American Inc. and No. 3 Lorillard Inc., both based in North Carolina -- opposed it. The latter two have joined in a lawsuit with other smaller tobacco companies challenging specific marketing regulations of the law.
The nation's tobacco companies already pay $1.01 per pack that it sells for federal excise taxes, and the top cigarette makers also make yearly payments as part of the landmark 1998 tobacco settlement to reimburse states for smoking-related health care costs.
In that settlement, tobacco companies agreed to make about $206 billion in annual payments over more than two decades. Companies also make payments as part of legislation that ended the federal tobacco program, a quota program that limited and stabilized the amount of tobacco produced by farmers.
The user fees, which will be collected quarterly, are based on each company's share of the U.S. tobacco market. The FDA will collect about $23 million for fiscal 2009. That will rise to $235 million in 2010 and grow to $712 million by 2019.
The FDA would not disclose the assessments for specific companies.
Stifel, Nicolaus & Co. analyst Christopher Growe said in a note to investors that Richmond, Va.-based Altria Group Inc., owner of market-leading Philip Morris USA, would be responsible for about 50 percent of the fees.
FDA spokeswoman Kathleen Quinn said the fees will be used to fund the Center for Tobacco Products, the agency's group tasked with regulating tobacco. The fees will pay for staffing, offices, systems that will be used to register products and outside contractors.
In June, President Barack Obama signed the law that allows the FDA regulate the industry. Its authority includes the ability to ban certain products, reduce nicotine in tobacco products and block labels such "low tar" and "light." Tobacco companies also will be required to cover their cartons with large, graphic warnings.
The law doesn't let the FDA ban nicotine or tobacco outright.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated in June that the law would reduce the number of underage tobacco users by 11 percent by 2019 and lead to a 2 percent decline in smoking among adults.
Altria supported the legislation, while its chief rivals -- No. 2 Reynolds American Inc. and No. 3 Lorillard Inc., both based in North Carolina -- opposed it. The latter two have joined in a lawsuit with other smaller tobacco companies challenging specific marketing regulations of the law.
The nation's tobacco companies already pay $1.01 per pack that it sells for federal excise taxes, and the top cigarette makers also make yearly payments as part of the landmark 1998 tobacco settlement to reimburse states for smoking-related health care costs.
In that settlement, tobacco companies agreed to make about $206 billion in annual payments over more than two decades. Companies also make payments as part of legislation that ended the federal tobacco program, a quota program that limited and stabilized the amount of tobacco produced by farmers.
Oct 5, 2009
Now you can report tax-dodging businesses via the web
Following recent initiatives to clamp down on tax evasion, you can now report businesses you believe are evading tax via the web.
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has made clamping down on tax cheats one of its key priorities in recent years, with a reported £42m being recovered since 2005 as a result of information provided by members of the public via traditional telephone hotlines.
Given the state of the public finances, it will probably come as no surprise that the Government is keen to increase its efforts to shore up the Treasury's coffers. You can now use the web to report tax evaders at www.hmrc.gov.uk/tax-evasion
According to HMRC, this new facility, enabling members of the public to raise their concerns online, builds on HMRC’s cross tax approach to compliance, helping to identify and tackle high-risk cases early on. Under its new behaviourally based system of penalties HMRC can now charge penalties of up to 100% for those individuals who deliberately evade tax.
Interestingly, information received through the hotlines over past years has led to the successful recovery of 320kg of class A drugs, along with 27 million illegal cigarettes and 9.7 tonnes of hand rolling tobacco!
"Denying funding for essential public services"
Linking the relatively small amount of tax recovered via hotlines in recent years with the multi-billion pound black hole in the Government's finances, Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, said:
“We are committed to ensuring the tax system operates fairly and efficiently, and encourage anyone to share their information on activities they think may be unlawful. Reporting your concerns online is quick and easy. By doing so you will be helping us to catch people who are unfairly competing with honest businesses and denying funding for essential public services.
“Being able to report potential tax evasion online is just the latest step in demonstrating that for tax cheats the game is up.
“Information provided by the public is important and HMRC takes all allegations seriously.”
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has made clamping down on tax cheats one of its key priorities in recent years, with a reported £42m being recovered since 2005 as a result of information provided by members of the public via traditional telephone hotlines.
Given the state of the public finances, it will probably come as no surprise that the Government is keen to increase its efforts to shore up the Treasury's coffers. You can now use the web to report tax evaders at www.hmrc.gov.uk/tax-evasion
According to HMRC, this new facility, enabling members of the public to raise their concerns online, builds on HMRC’s cross tax approach to compliance, helping to identify and tackle high-risk cases early on. Under its new behaviourally based system of penalties HMRC can now charge penalties of up to 100% for those individuals who deliberately evade tax.
Interestingly, information received through the hotlines over past years has led to the successful recovery of 320kg of class A drugs, along with 27 million illegal cigarettes and 9.7 tonnes of hand rolling tobacco!
"Denying funding for essential public services"
Linking the relatively small amount of tax recovered via hotlines in recent years with the multi-billion pound black hole in the Government's finances, Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, said:
“We are committed to ensuring the tax system operates fairly and efficiently, and encourage anyone to share their information on activities they think may be unlawful. Reporting your concerns online is quick and easy. By doing so you will be helping us to catch people who are unfairly competing with honest businesses and denying funding for essential public services.
“Being able to report potential tax evasion online is just the latest step in demonstrating that for tax cheats the game is up.
“Information provided by the public is important and HMRC takes all allegations seriously.”
Oct 1, 2009
Some tobacco farmers dealt late-season setback
LOUISVILLE — Recent heavy rains that soaked Kentucky delivered a late-season setback to some tobacco farmers as their leaf ripens, dampening their hopes for a bumper crop after a couple of drought years.More than a half-foot of rain fell across part of the Bluegrass State last week as the bulk of the burley tobacco crop was curing in barns — an autumn ritual when the long green leaves gradually change to reddish brown in a process that prepares the leaf for market. The prolonged stretch of wet weather in the state that leads the nation in burley production at least briefly heightened the risk of tobacco being afflicted with mold or fungus that can rot away part of the leaf.
Fields with uncut tobacco turned into muddy bogs, slowing harvest and hurting leaf quality.
"It's certainly putting a hardship on the farmers," said Nick Carter, agricultural extension agent in Fayette County in central Kentucky.
Will Snell, a University of Kentucky agricultural economist specializing in tobacco, said burley, an ingredient in cigarettes, started out curing well, but the combination of high humidity and rain has been "very hard on the crop."
That has added to the anxiety of farmers growing tobacco under contract for tobacco companies. A poor crop can be turned away or fetch a lower price.
"There's a lot of fear with guys knowing that the tobacco companies aren't going to take low-quality tobacco," said Kenny Seebold, a UK extension tobacco specialist.
"Everybody here is on thin margins. They need all the income that they can get."
A weekly report stated some farmers indicated that the high humidity and wet weather are "taking a toll on housed tobacco," according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service's Kentucky field office.
Snell said timing could be crucial in determining how well each individual crop cures this fall.
Burley that reached the barn early in the season "may still do well," he said, but later-planted tobacco housed just before the onslaught of rains "may have some major issues."
Another factor, he said, is that "some farmers crammed the tobacco in the barn too tightly due to limited barn space, and that is just adding to the problem."
Fields with uncut tobacco turned into muddy bogs, slowing harvest and hurting leaf quality.
"It's certainly putting a hardship on the farmers," said Nick Carter, agricultural extension agent in Fayette County in central Kentucky.
Will Snell, a University of Kentucky agricultural economist specializing in tobacco, said burley, an ingredient in cigarettes, started out curing well, but the combination of high humidity and rain has been "very hard on the crop."
That has added to the anxiety of farmers growing tobacco under contract for tobacco companies. A poor crop can be turned away or fetch a lower price.
"There's a lot of fear with guys knowing that the tobacco companies aren't going to take low-quality tobacco," said Kenny Seebold, a UK extension tobacco specialist.
"Everybody here is on thin margins. They need all the income that they can get."
A weekly report stated some farmers indicated that the high humidity and wet weather are "taking a toll on housed tobacco," according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service's Kentucky field office.
Snell said timing could be crucial in determining how well each individual crop cures this fall.
Burley that reached the barn early in the season "may still do well," he said, but later-planted tobacco housed just before the onslaught of rains "may have some major issues."
Another factor, he said, is that "some farmers crammed the tobacco in the barn too tightly due to limited barn space, and that is just adding to the problem."
Sep 29, 2009
Tobacco regs to be changed
Belmont, Mass. - The Board of Health will hold a public hearing from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 5, in Conference Room 4 of the Town Hall, corner of Concord Avenue and Pleasant Street.
These changes were proposed by Belmont’s tobacco consortium director in response to changes being made in communities around Belmont. Only two small changes were accepted by the Board of Health in regard to the “Sale of Tobacco Products to Minors.” One is that a tobacco sales permit will not be renewed if the permit holder has failed to pay all fines issued. The other is that revocation of a tobacco sales permit will result if a permit holder sells tobacco products while the permit is under suspension.
The Board of Health has been enforcing the State’s smoke-free workplace law since its enactment in July, 2004. In order to make local changes, a new Belmont “Regulation Prohibiting Smoking in Workplaces and Public Places” is now being proposed by the Board of Health. This regulation will prohibit smoking bars and hookah bars in Belmont and will prohibit smoking in “all outdoor seating areas adjacent to food service establishments where food is consumed.” The popularity of outdoor dining in recent years has brought the smoking issue in these areas to the attention of Boards of Health as well as all of the tobacco consortiums around the State.
These changes were proposed by Belmont’s tobacco consortium director in response to changes being made in communities around Belmont. Only two small changes were accepted by the Board of Health in regard to the “Sale of Tobacco Products to Minors.” One is that a tobacco sales permit will not be renewed if the permit holder has failed to pay all fines issued. The other is that revocation of a tobacco sales permit will result if a permit holder sells tobacco products while the permit is under suspension.
The Board of Health has been enforcing the State’s smoke-free workplace law since its enactment in July, 2004. In order to make local changes, a new Belmont “Regulation Prohibiting Smoking in Workplaces and Public Places” is now being proposed by the Board of Health. This regulation will prohibit smoking bars and hookah bars in Belmont and will prohibit smoking in “all outdoor seating areas adjacent to food service establishments where food is consumed.” The popularity of outdoor dining in recent years has brought the smoking issue in these areas to the attention of Boards of Health as well as all of the tobacco consortiums around the State.
Sep 25, 2009
Four million cigarettes uncovered
A Hungarian lorry driver has been arrested after more than four million cigarettes were found at Dover.
Customs officers who stopped a Hungarian-registered lorry at the Kent port on Thursday found an estimated £708,000 worth of cigarettes.
The 35-year-old driver from Wekerle near Budapest, was arrested, questioned and bailed pending further inquiries.
Bob Gaiger of HM Revenue & Customs said: "We take a very serious view of cigarette and tobacco smuggling."
Customs officers who stopped a Hungarian-registered lorry at the Kent port on Thursday found an estimated £708,000 worth of cigarettes.
The 35-year-old driver from Wekerle near Budapest, was arrested, questioned and bailed pending further inquiries.
Bob Gaiger of HM Revenue & Customs said: "We take a very serious view of cigarette and tobacco smuggling."
Sep 23, 2009
NY judge blocks higher fees for tobacco dealers
NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York's fee increases for cigarette-selling shops were temporarily blocked by a state judge, a retail association said on Friday, leaving the current $100-a-year charge in effect for now.
State Supreme Court Justice Thomas Feinman issued a temporary restraining order that prevents the state charging fees that could have climbed to as high as $5,000-a-year for stores with high volumes of sales, said James Calvin, president of the New York Association of Convenience Stores.
The fee increases were designed to stop about 40 percent of the state's 24,000 licensed tobacconists from selling cigarettes in an effort to improve public health, he said.
"But that theory is all wet because most of the displaced smokers would merely shift their tobacco purchases to Indian reservations, the Internet and the black market, making things worse for small business, tax revenue and public health," Calvin said in a statement.
A spokesman for New York Governor David Paterson had no immediate comment.
The state's governors have for years failed to force Native American reservation stores to charge New York state taxes on sales of cigarettes and gasoline. The state claims it loses hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenues as a result.
Non-reservation stores say they cannot compete with the lower prices the Native American stores can offer.
State Supreme Court Justice Thomas Feinman issued a temporary restraining order that prevents the state charging fees that could have climbed to as high as $5,000-a-year for stores with high volumes of sales, said James Calvin, president of the New York Association of Convenience Stores.
The fee increases were designed to stop about 40 percent of the state's 24,000 licensed tobacconists from selling cigarettes in an effort to improve public health, he said.
"But that theory is all wet because most of the displaced smokers would merely shift their tobacco purchases to Indian reservations, the Internet and the black market, making things worse for small business, tax revenue and public health," Calvin said in a statement.
A spokesman for New York Governor David Paterson had no immediate comment.
The state's governors have for years failed to force Native American reservation stores to charge New York state taxes on sales of cigarettes and gasoline. The state claims it loses hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenues as a result.
Non-reservation stores say they cannot compete with the lower prices the Native American stores can offer.
Sep 21, 2009
Rome woman charged with using stolen credit cards
A 29-year-old Rome woman is facing several charges after she allegedly used a stolen credit card to purchase cigarettes at Walmart earlier this month, New Hartford police said.
Scarlet Gies was charged Thursday with fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property and second-degree forgery, both felonies, as well as misdemeanor petit larceny, Officer Shane Yoxall said.
According to police, Gies entered the Walmart store in Consumer Square on Sept. 3 and attempted to purchase two carts of Newport cigarettes using three different credit cards, Yoxall said. Gies was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and a baseball cap.
After the first two credit cards were declined, Gies then used a third card to complete the transaction, Yoxall said. When Gies left the store, the Walmart employee followed Gies into the parking lot and wrote down her vehicle’s license plate number. The employee then reported the suspicious incident to New Hartford police.
Following a joint investigation by the New Hartford police, Rome police, and the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, it was later determined that the credit card Gies used to buy the cigarettes had been stolen earlier that day from a vehicle in the outer district of Rome, Yoxall said.
Gies was arraigned and released, and she is due to appear in New Hartford Town Court on Oct. 1 to answer the charges.
Scarlet Gies was charged Thursday with fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property and second-degree forgery, both felonies, as well as misdemeanor petit larceny, Officer Shane Yoxall said.
According to police, Gies entered the Walmart store in Consumer Square on Sept. 3 and attempted to purchase two carts of Newport cigarettes using three different credit cards, Yoxall said. Gies was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and a baseball cap.
After the first two credit cards were declined, Gies then used a third card to complete the transaction, Yoxall said. When Gies left the store, the Walmart employee followed Gies into the parking lot and wrote down her vehicle’s license plate number. The employee then reported the suspicious incident to New Hartford police.
Following a joint investigation by the New Hartford police, Rome police, and the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, it was later determined that the credit card Gies used to buy the cigarettes had been stolen earlier that day from a vehicle in the outer district of Rome, Yoxall said.
Gies was arraigned and released, and she is due to appear in New Hartford Town Court on Oct. 1 to answer the charges.
Sep 17, 2009
Campus smoking ban eliminates student rights
Another smoking ban? Here we go again. Enough is enough. First came taxes, then came designated areas, and now here comes Bellarmine University with a smoking ban.
Nobody in their right mind denies the risks of smoking tobacco products. Smoking cigarettes undoubtedly causes lung cancer and other health problems. For this reason, I absolutely agree that this health risk should be combated with the full force of education.
In the same vein, secondhand smoke absolutely remains a considerable health risk for non-smokers. Given the risk of second-hand smoke, designated areas for smoking makes sense for the protection of non-smokers. But a campus-wide smoking ban is frankly ridiculous.
Are we supposed to believe that non-smokers do not have the sense to protect their own health by staying away from non-smoking areas? Do they have the sense to come out of the rain?
A campus-wide smoking ban takes a good idea and makes it oppressive. Smokers make up 25% of the population, which is the quarter of the American people whose rights no longer seem to be of any importance to the remaining 75% of our society*.
Already society regulates smokers to separate areas, and taxes them an arm and a leg for their cigarettes. Society has done enough to stop the effects of smoking. Now is the time to draw the line.
Smoking 15 feet away from the exits of all Bellarmine buildings does no one any harm except the smokers themselves.
When it comes to smokers' health as far as the University is concerned, if they are over 18 that is their business. To ban smoking from the entire campus implies the act of smoking is sinful.
Smoking cigarettes hurts health, but give me a break. We live in a society founded on the basis of individual rights.
The ability to smoke cigarettes is not a privilege it is a right. Citizens have the right to choose whether they want to smoke or not, and the University should not interfere so long as no innocents are hurt. The ban is excessive and I disagree with the University's decision to enact it.
Nobody in their right mind denies the risks of smoking tobacco products. Smoking cigarettes undoubtedly causes lung cancer and other health problems. For this reason, I absolutely agree that this health risk should be combated with the full force of education.
In the same vein, secondhand smoke absolutely remains a considerable health risk for non-smokers. Given the risk of second-hand smoke, designated areas for smoking makes sense for the protection of non-smokers. But a campus-wide smoking ban is frankly ridiculous.
Are we supposed to believe that non-smokers do not have the sense to protect their own health by staying away from non-smoking areas? Do they have the sense to come out of the rain?
A campus-wide smoking ban takes a good idea and makes it oppressive. Smokers make up 25% of the population, which is the quarter of the American people whose rights no longer seem to be of any importance to the remaining 75% of our society*.
Already society regulates smokers to separate areas, and taxes them an arm and a leg for their cigarettes. Society has done enough to stop the effects of smoking. Now is the time to draw the line.
Smoking 15 feet away from the exits of all Bellarmine buildings does no one any harm except the smokers themselves.
When it comes to smokers' health as far as the University is concerned, if they are over 18 that is their business. To ban smoking from the entire campus implies the act of smoking is sinful.
Smoking cigarettes hurts health, but give me a break. We live in a society founded on the basis of individual rights.
The ability to smoke cigarettes is not a privilege it is a right. Citizens have the right to choose whether they want to smoke or not, and the University should not interfere so long as no innocents are hurt. The ban is excessive and I disagree with the University's decision to enact it.
Sep 15, 2009
Is Smoking Tobacco Cigarettes Interfering With Your Life And Driving You Crazy
People start smoking cigarettes, usually at an early age, and they never really realize what a can of worms they have opened until it is too late. They do not know what a difficult monkey this will be to ever get off their back. They are not aware at the time they start smoking cigarettes that it will feel like a shackle around their ankle for the rest of their life, a shackle that they may never be able to find the right key to remove it.
Everyone has heard about how addictive and destructive to the health of a person that cigarettes can be, but you can never have a really clear understanding of exactly how bad it is unless you smoke and have become addicted yourself.
It might not seem to be such a burden or bother to smoke when you have only been doing it for a few years. There does come a time however, when smoking is no longer much of a pleasure at all. It turns into a habit that you can not easily find a way to break and one that can constantly interfere with your everyday life. It can become annoying when you open your eyes in the morning and the first thing you think about is lighting that first cigarette. When you run out at night, you might not even be able to sleep well because you know there will not be one waiting for you when you wake up. It might sound ridiculous, but this is the way this addiction works.
It can be even more annoying and uncomfortable for a smoke now that there have been so many bans placed on smoking in public places. You can no longer enjoy a cigarette after a meal in your favorite restaurant. You must wait until you get to your car or at home to smoke. So many people have developed an aversion to smoking cigarettes and the secondhand smoke they produce, you might even find it hard to have an active social life with people who do not smoke. It might be that some smokers can go for hours on end without smoking, but even those who have the willpower to do it usually do not like it.
You might be getting really tired of always wanting a cigarette. You might hesitate to go places or join in activities where smoking is prohibited. You might also be sick and tired of spending endless amounts of the cost of smoking cigarettes. Maybe you are annoyed at the way your home, your car, and even your body smells because of smoking. The fact is that smoking might really be getting on your nerves and it is a habit that you do not even enjoy anymore because of the guilt you feel about what you are slowly doing to your body, and that is far more important than what it smoking might be doing to your social life.
Everyone has heard about how addictive and destructive to the health of a person that cigarettes can be, but you can never have a really clear understanding of exactly how bad it is unless you smoke and have become addicted yourself.
It might not seem to be such a burden or bother to smoke when you have only been doing it for a few years. There does come a time however, when smoking is no longer much of a pleasure at all. It turns into a habit that you can not easily find a way to break and one that can constantly interfere with your everyday life. It can become annoying when you open your eyes in the morning and the first thing you think about is lighting that first cigarette. When you run out at night, you might not even be able to sleep well because you know there will not be one waiting for you when you wake up. It might sound ridiculous, but this is the way this addiction works.
It can be even more annoying and uncomfortable for a smoke now that there have been so many bans placed on smoking in public places. You can no longer enjoy a cigarette after a meal in your favorite restaurant. You must wait until you get to your car or at home to smoke. So many people have developed an aversion to smoking cigarettes and the secondhand smoke they produce, you might even find it hard to have an active social life with people who do not smoke. It might be that some smokers can go for hours on end without smoking, but even those who have the willpower to do it usually do not like it.
You might be getting really tired of always wanting a cigarette. You might hesitate to go places or join in activities where smoking is prohibited. You might also be sick and tired of spending endless amounts of the cost of smoking cigarettes. Maybe you are annoyed at the way your home, your car, and even your body smells because of smoking. The fact is that smoking might really be getting on your nerves and it is a habit that you do not even enjoy anymore because of the guilt you feel about what you are slowly doing to your body, and that is far more important than what it smoking might be doing to your social life.
Sep 11, 2009
Judge halts tribe's cigarette sales to nonmembers
In a decision that could put a significant crimp in untaxed cigarette sales from the Poospatuck tribal reservation in Mastic, a federal judge has granted New York City's request for an injunction against sales to nonmembers of the Indian tribe.
U.S. District Judge Carol Amon, following a four-day hearing in May, found that sales from reservation smoke shops fueled a massive bootlegging trade of cheap smokes in New York City that deprived the city of tax revenue and reduced the effectiveness of anti-smoking programs.
Although untaxed sales to tribal members for their personal use are legal, Amon said the privately run smoke shops named in the suit had abused the privilege with bulk sales of massive quantities and efforts to help buyers evade police.
"Defendants' principal business model is to provide customers with the opportunity to purchase cigarettes at significantly reduced prices, without paying taxes," Amon wrote in the decision, issued late Tuesday.
The judge stayed the injunction for 30 days to give the defendants a chance to file an appeal.
New York City, in its lawsuit filed in 2008, alleged that reservation smoke shops had sold 24 million cartons since 2004 - more than 19,000 a day for the 300 residents of the 55-acre reservation. The city said Wednesday that untaxed sales from the reservation had cost it about $225 million in revenue from 2004 to 2008, and cost the state and city combined $840 million.
"The city will go after every dollar that is owed to city taxpayers," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a statement lauding the ruling.
Earlier in the case, Amon rejected an argument that the smoke shops and their owners, which are licensed by the Unkechaug tribe, could not be sued because they are part of a sovereign nation.
Lawyers for the smoke shops and their operators did not return calls Wednesday, but Harry Wallace, chief of the Unkechaug Indians who live on the reservation, predicted an appeal.
He said the decision was an unjustified intrusion into tribal affairs, and denounced Amon for ignoring a state court ruling issued last month by an appeals panel in Rochester that said state tax laws don't prohibit Indians from selling untaxed cigarettes to nontribal members on reservations.
"She ignored every legal precedent in our favor," said Wallace. "I'm curious about how a federal judge can simply ignore a state court on state law."
The injunction covers five smoke shops - Monique's, Peace Pipe Smoke Shop, Red Dot & Feather, Smoking Arrow and TDM - and nine individuals. Other reservation smoke shops settled earlier in the case.
U.S. District Judge Carol Amon, following a four-day hearing in May, found that sales from reservation smoke shops fueled a massive bootlegging trade of cheap smokes in New York City that deprived the city of tax revenue and reduced the effectiveness of anti-smoking programs.
Although untaxed sales to tribal members for their personal use are legal, Amon said the privately run smoke shops named in the suit had abused the privilege with bulk sales of massive quantities and efforts to help buyers evade police.
"Defendants' principal business model is to provide customers with the opportunity to purchase cigarettes at significantly reduced prices, without paying taxes," Amon wrote in the decision, issued late Tuesday.
The judge stayed the injunction for 30 days to give the defendants a chance to file an appeal.
New York City, in its lawsuit filed in 2008, alleged that reservation smoke shops had sold 24 million cartons since 2004 - more than 19,000 a day for the 300 residents of the 55-acre reservation. The city said Wednesday that untaxed sales from the reservation had cost it about $225 million in revenue from 2004 to 2008, and cost the state and city combined $840 million.
"The city will go after every dollar that is owed to city taxpayers," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a statement lauding the ruling.
Earlier in the case, Amon rejected an argument that the smoke shops and their owners, which are licensed by the Unkechaug tribe, could not be sued because they are part of a sovereign nation.
Lawyers for the smoke shops and their operators did not return calls Wednesday, but Harry Wallace, chief of the Unkechaug Indians who live on the reservation, predicted an appeal.
He said the decision was an unjustified intrusion into tribal affairs, and denounced Amon for ignoring a state court ruling issued last month by an appeals panel in Rochester that said state tax laws don't prohibit Indians from selling untaxed cigarettes to nontribal members on reservations.
"She ignored every legal precedent in our favor," said Wallace. "I'm curious about how a federal judge can simply ignore a state court on state law."
The injunction covers five smoke shops - Monique's, Peace Pipe Smoke Shop, Red Dot & Feather, Smoking Arrow and TDM - and nine individuals. Other reservation smoke shops settled earlier in the case.
Sep 9, 2009
Class offered to help smokers kick the butts
Fond du Lac Area Businesses On Health (FABOH) wants to help its members kick tobacco addiction by reimbursing those who complete a local cessation class.A pack of cigarettes will go up an additional 75 cents in Wisconsin for a total tax of $2.52 per pack starting Sept. 1. The increase makes Wisconsin's cigarette tax the fifth highest in the nation.
With the increase, the average price for a pack of cigarettes could be anywhere from $6 to $8.
"With the tobacco tax increase this September and Wisconsin going smoke-free in 2010, FABOH understands the importance of providing cessation services," said Jeff Butz, FABOH wellness director, in a press release. "For FABOH member company employees (or covered spouses) who are interested in quitting, the cost for the eight sessions is $125."
FABOH, he said, will reimburse the first 20 employees provided they attend a minimum of seven out of the eight classes and submit proof of attendance within 30 days of completing the class.
The class is also open to all community members who are interested, but reimbursement is only offered to FABOH members.
With the increase, the average price for a pack of cigarettes could be anywhere from $6 to $8.
"With the tobacco tax increase this September and Wisconsin going smoke-free in 2010, FABOH understands the importance of providing cessation services," said Jeff Butz, FABOH wellness director, in a press release. "For FABOH member company employees (or covered spouses) who are interested in quitting, the cost for the eight sessions is $125."
FABOH, he said, will reimburse the first 20 employees provided they attend a minimum of seven out of the eight classes and submit proof of attendance within 30 days of completing the class.
The class is also open to all community members who are interested, but reimbursement is only offered to FABOH members.
Class offered to help smokers kick the butts
Fond du Lac Area Businesses On Health (FABOH) wants to help its members kick tobacco addiction by reimbursing those who complete a local cessation class.A pack of cigarettes will go up an additional 75 cents in Wisconsin for a total tax of $2.52 per pack starting Sept. 1. The increase makes Wisconsin's cigarette tax the fifth highest in the nation.
With the increase, the average price for a pack of cigarettes could be anywhere from $6 to $8.
"With the tobacco tax increase this September and Wisconsin going smoke-free in 2010, FABOH understands the importance of providing cessation services," said Jeff Butz, FABOH wellness director, in a press release. "For FABOH member company employees (or covered spouses) who are interested in quitting, the cost for the eight sessions is $125."
FABOH, he said, will reimburse the first 20 employees provided they attend a minimum of seven out of the eight classes and submit proof of attendance within 30 days of completing the class.
The class is also open to all community members who are interested, but reimbursement is only offered to FABOH members.
With the increase, the average price for a pack of cigarettes could be anywhere from $6 to $8.
"With the tobacco tax increase this September and Wisconsin going smoke-free in 2010, FABOH understands the importance of providing cessation services," said Jeff Butz, FABOH wellness director, in a press release. "For FABOH member company employees (or covered spouses) who are interested in quitting, the cost for the eight sessions is $125."
FABOH, he said, will reimburse the first 20 employees provided they attend a minimum of seven out of the eight classes and submit proof of attendance within 30 days of completing the class.
The class is also open to all community members who are interested, but reimbursement is only offered to FABOH members.
Sep 7, 2009
Eyewitness News Tests Fire Safe Cigarettes
Smokers in Kansas may not realize it, but the cigarettes they're buying now are different from what was on the shelves just two months ago. In July, fire safe cigarettes became the only kind available in the state.
Experts hope the new cigarettes will cause fewer fires because they go out much more quickly. Fire safe cigarettes have several layers of paper surrounding the tobacco making it more difficult for oxygen to feed a burning cigarette. It means if the cigarette isn't actively being smoked, it'll burn itself out.
Since 2006, Wichita has seen 226 cigarette-caused fires.
"We deal with people who are having their worst day ever," says Wichita Fire Captain Stuart Bevis.
Capt. Bevis joined Eyewitness News Thursday to help compare the differences between the old and new cigarettes. He's investigated around 2,000 fires in his time with the department.
"They'll say nothing bad's ever happened to them when they've fallen asleep with their cigarette or had too much alcohol with their cigarette," says Capt. Bevis, "because it only takes one time. When that one time happens, it's a tragedy."
In our first test, we simply lit one of each type of cigarette and laid them in an ash tray. The fire safe cigarette went out in less than two minutes while the old cigarette burned all the way to the filter for 16 minutes.
"It does have a chance to be a little bit better," Capt. Bevis says of the new cigarettes. "Two and a half minutes smoldering against 15? That gives us a much better chance of it going out before something bad happens."
In the second test, we placed the lit cigarettes on an old recliner's cushion. Once again, the fire safe cigarette only takes a couple of minutes to go out, leaving a small burn in the polyester fabric. The old cigarette burns to the filter, leaving a long burn mark and almost getting to the cotton fabric inside the cushion's cover.
We use our last two tests checking what typically happens in a cigarette-caused fire, a cigarette that falls in a cushion corner or into a crevice. In these tests, both types of cigarettes burn to the filter.
In one of the tests, the fire safe cigarette chars a piece of highly-combustible lint. It likely means the recliner wasn't far from going up in flames. Capt. Bevis says it's a sign that just because the product is safer doesn't mean it's safe.
"They can have cigarettes that are supposed to put themselves out in two-and-a-half minutes, but if all the right circumstances fall into place, it can still lead to a fire if they're dealt with carelessly," says Capt. Bevis.
We wanted to know if you've ever heard of fire safe cigarettes. The results of our exclusive Fact Finder 12 scientific survey show 28% of you say you've heard of the new cigarettes while most, 72%, say you have not.
Not everyone likes the new cigarettes. More than 8,600 smokers nationwide have signed an online petition calling for a repeal of fire safe cigarettes. They complain the new cigarettes taste bad and have more carbon monoxide in each drag.
Experts hope the new cigarettes will cause fewer fires because they go out much more quickly. Fire safe cigarettes have several layers of paper surrounding the tobacco making it more difficult for oxygen to feed a burning cigarette. It means if the cigarette isn't actively being smoked, it'll burn itself out.
Since 2006, Wichita has seen 226 cigarette-caused fires.
"We deal with people who are having their worst day ever," says Wichita Fire Captain Stuart Bevis.
Capt. Bevis joined Eyewitness News Thursday to help compare the differences between the old and new cigarettes. He's investigated around 2,000 fires in his time with the department.
"They'll say nothing bad's ever happened to them when they've fallen asleep with their cigarette or had too much alcohol with their cigarette," says Capt. Bevis, "because it only takes one time. When that one time happens, it's a tragedy."
In our first test, we simply lit one of each type of cigarette and laid them in an ash tray. The fire safe cigarette went out in less than two minutes while the old cigarette burned all the way to the filter for 16 minutes.
"It does have a chance to be a little bit better," Capt. Bevis says of the new cigarettes. "Two and a half minutes smoldering against 15? That gives us a much better chance of it going out before something bad happens."
In the second test, we placed the lit cigarettes on an old recliner's cushion. Once again, the fire safe cigarette only takes a couple of minutes to go out, leaving a small burn in the polyester fabric. The old cigarette burns to the filter, leaving a long burn mark and almost getting to the cotton fabric inside the cushion's cover.
We use our last two tests checking what typically happens in a cigarette-caused fire, a cigarette that falls in a cushion corner or into a crevice. In these tests, both types of cigarettes burn to the filter.
In one of the tests, the fire safe cigarette chars a piece of highly-combustible lint. It likely means the recliner wasn't far from going up in flames. Capt. Bevis says it's a sign that just because the product is safer doesn't mean it's safe.
"They can have cigarettes that are supposed to put themselves out in two-and-a-half minutes, but if all the right circumstances fall into place, it can still lead to a fire if they're dealt with carelessly," says Capt. Bevis.
We wanted to know if you've ever heard of fire safe cigarettes. The results of our exclusive Fact Finder 12 scientific survey show 28% of you say you've heard of the new cigarettes while most, 72%, say you have not.
Not everyone likes the new cigarettes. More than 8,600 smokers nationwide have signed an online petition calling for a repeal of fire safe cigarettes. They complain the new cigarettes taste bad and have more carbon monoxide in each drag.
Sep 3, 2009
How Do Electronic Cigarettes Compare To The Real Thing?
Most resistance from smokers of regular tobacco-based cigarettes comes from the fact they believe the so-called smoke-less, or electronic cigarettes, won't taste the same. Truth is, the electronic cigarettes have been designed to be a real alternative, both in taste and feel, to a regular cigarette while instantly providing the smoker with the same degree of nicotine they expect with each drag.
Smoking an electronic cigarette involves a slightly different technique, similar to that of pipe smoking. Once the smoker takes a drag, nicotine is released directly into a mist and the sensation of it hitting the lungs is virtually identical to it's tobacco based counterpart. Nicotine, on average, reaches the lungs within five to ten seconds.
Afterward, smokers of the electronic cigarette typically don't complain of the soreness that typically accompanies smoking a regular cigarette, although some do experience a slight dryness from the propylene glycol; but this quickly passes.
Some manufacturers of the electronic cigarette have striven to mimic traditional brands of regular tobacco based cigarettes. The NJOY electronic cigarette, for example, comes in four strengths, zero (no nicotine) through strong (Marlboro) as well as flavored brands including menthol, apple or strawberry.
Another big difference between tobacco and electronic cigarettes is price. To get started, a starter kit is priced at about $110. A replacement (rechargeable) battery runs about $15, and the nicotine cartridges cost $25 for a set of five. Each set is equivalent to about two packs of cigarettes. Dollar for dollar, the electronic cigarette is actually cheaper than their unhealthy counterparts over time.
Most users polled the electronic cigarette is as close to the real things by as much as 90-95%. The vapor actually looks like smoke but is made up of water and other ingredients generally regarded as safe. The cartridges contain no tobacco nor do they produce tobacco smoke or smoke of any kind.
Another pleasant difference between electronic cigarettes and tobacco cigarettes is the incredible strength of the smell of stale tobacco given off by smokers. The smell permeates clothes, cars, carpets and drapes. This vanishes completely with electronic cigarettes, since there is no actual fire or burning tobacco. You're not inhaling (nor exhaling) all the oxidized compounds, therefore there's nothing left to cause an odor.
The downside in all of this, as if there were any, is the electronic cigarette will more than likely ruin the smoker's desire to return to typical tobacco based products. After using the smokeless electronic cigarette, taste buds regenerate. After a few months, if an electronic smoker picks up a regular cigarette it will more than likely taste vile.
An added benefit is the ability for the electronic smoker to smoke in virtually any place or environment. Pubs, Clubs, restaurants, theaters and airplanes, places which have banned cigarette smoke for decades are completely legal for electronic smokers since the e-cigarette produces no illegal by-products, and therefore no secondhand smoke.
Smoking an electronic cigarette involves a slightly different technique, similar to that of pipe smoking. Once the smoker takes a drag, nicotine is released directly into a mist and the sensation of it hitting the lungs is virtually identical to it's tobacco based counterpart. Nicotine, on average, reaches the lungs within five to ten seconds.
Afterward, smokers of the electronic cigarette typically don't complain of the soreness that typically accompanies smoking a regular cigarette, although some do experience a slight dryness from the propylene glycol; but this quickly passes.
Some manufacturers of the electronic cigarette have striven to mimic traditional brands of regular tobacco based cigarettes. The NJOY electronic cigarette, for example, comes in four strengths, zero (no nicotine) through strong (Marlboro) as well as flavored brands including menthol, apple or strawberry.
Another big difference between tobacco and electronic cigarettes is price. To get started, a starter kit is priced at about $110. A replacement (rechargeable) battery runs about $15, and the nicotine cartridges cost $25 for a set of five. Each set is equivalent to about two packs of cigarettes. Dollar for dollar, the electronic cigarette is actually cheaper than their unhealthy counterparts over time.
Most users polled the electronic cigarette is as close to the real things by as much as 90-95%. The vapor actually looks like smoke but is made up of water and other ingredients generally regarded as safe. The cartridges contain no tobacco nor do they produce tobacco smoke or smoke of any kind.
Another pleasant difference between electronic cigarettes and tobacco cigarettes is the incredible strength of the smell of stale tobacco given off by smokers. The smell permeates clothes, cars, carpets and drapes. This vanishes completely with electronic cigarettes, since there is no actual fire or burning tobacco. You're not inhaling (nor exhaling) all the oxidized compounds, therefore there's nothing left to cause an odor.
The downside in all of this, as if there were any, is the electronic cigarette will more than likely ruin the smoker's desire to return to typical tobacco based products. After using the smokeless electronic cigarette, taste buds regenerate. After a few months, if an electronic smoker picks up a regular cigarette it will more than likely taste vile.
An added benefit is the ability for the electronic smoker to smoke in virtually any place or environment. Pubs, Clubs, restaurants, theaters and airplanes, places which have banned cigarette smoke for decades are completely legal for electronic smokers since the e-cigarette produces no illegal by-products, and therefore no secondhand smoke.
Sep 1, 2009
State drops collection of taxes on Indian cigarettes
ALBANY — Despite a ballooning budget deficit, the Paterson administration quietly has written off taxes it had been expecting to collect on sales of cigarettes by American Indian retailers — an admission that yet another governor has no plans to resolve the long-standing, thorny matter.
In April, Gov. David A. Paterson and lawmakers agreed on a budget for the state's current fiscal year that projected revenue of $65 million from taxing cigarettes sold to non-Indians in smoke shops, through the mail or over the Internet from reservation-based businesses.
But with no fanfare — or even public notice — the administration has eliminated the $65 million, meaning the governor now does not expect to begin collecting the taxes at least until April 1, the start of the new fiscal year.
The decision drew immediate and sharp criticism from health groups and an association that represents non-Indian retailers who say they cannot compete with the American Indians, who do not charge the state's sales $2.75-per-pack excise tax.
"It's embarrassing, and it's outrageous that the Empire State can't seem to figure out how to collect this tax when just about every other state does," said Russell Sciandra, director of the Center for a Tobacco Free New York, which is connected with the American Cancer Society.
Critics say the state loses $1 billion annually by not collecting the cigarette tax. Seneca Nation of Indians retailers lead the country in the sales of untaxed cigarettes.
For years, state officials have worried about potential violence, such as the clash between state troopers and Indians on the Thruway in 1995, when then-Gov. George E. Pataki tried to end the tax-free sales.
Seneca Nation officials, who were working Friday on flood relief efforts, were unavailable to comment.
Last week, the Paterson administration released a 329-page update on state spending through the first quarter of the fiscal year.
The report said the administration believes the state now faces a $2.1 billion deficit this year, and Paterson is looking at spending cuts and other options to propose to a special session of the State Legislature, expected to be held next month. Lawmakers have not ruled out raising taxes to close the gap.
Deep in its pages, the spending update briefly mentions lower cigarette tax revenues, but makes no specific reference to jettisoning the cigarette tax collections.
During an interview on an unrelated topic, Robert Megna, the governor's budget director, revealed to The Buffalo News that the state is backing away from the projection of $65 million from the potential revenue source.
Matt Anderson, a spokesman for Megna, later said the $65 million was deleted from the budget "to prudently address potential risks to our receipts forecast."
"We continue to work diligently toward a negotiated settlement of this issue," he added.
Laws on the books already permit the state to collect the tax, which has been an issue going back to the days of Mario M. Cuomo's tenure as governor. Over the past decade, the dispute has intensified as the state increased cigarette taxes, widening the playing field between Indian and non-Indian retailers.
The Senecas have maintained that treaty rights going back to the days of George Washington give them the right to sell products, including cigarettes, without taxes.
They have long said they never will act as agents of the state government in collecting taxes, which they say would kill off a flourishing Western New York business that employs hundreds of people.
On numerous occasions, the State Legislature has sought to force Paterson, and governors before him, to collect the tax.
In January, Paterson said he wanted to resolve the issue through negotiation. But critics say that, with the stakes so lucrative, the Indian tribes, especially the Senecas, have little reason to negotiate.
"It's sending totally the wrong signal," James Calvin, executive director of the New York Association of Convenience Stores, said of the administration quietly striking the Indian cigarette tax money from the budget.
"If the state has a $2.1 billion deficit, it's crazy not to access the hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue that's readily available from this source," he added. "It's already a law. It's collectable. The United States Supreme Court has said we can collect it. Why would you ignore close to $1 billion when staring at such a huge deficit?"
In June 2008, the state raised its excise tax on a pack of cigarettes by $1.50 to $2.75. That gives an Indian retailer who does not charge the tax a built-in price advantage of $27.50 per carton.
"By the end of the fiscal year, the state and Gov. Paterson, we conservatively estimate, will have forgone $1 billion that is owed on Indian cigarette sales," Sciandra said.
In April, Gov. David A. Paterson and lawmakers agreed on a budget for the state's current fiscal year that projected revenue of $65 million from taxing cigarettes sold to non-Indians in smoke shops, through the mail or over the Internet from reservation-based businesses.
But with no fanfare — or even public notice — the administration has eliminated the $65 million, meaning the governor now does not expect to begin collecting the taxes at least until April 1, the start of the new fiscal year.
The decision drew immediate and sharp criticism from health groups and an association that represents non-Indian retailers who say they cannot compete with the American Indians, who do not charge the state's sales $2.75-per-pack excise tax.
"It's embarrassing, and it's outrageous that the Empire State can't seem to figure out how to collect this tax when just about every other state does," said Russell Sciandra, director of the Center for a Tobacco Free New York, which is connected with the American Cancer Society.
Critics say the state loses $1 billion annually by not collecting the cigarette tax. Seneca Nation of Indians retailers lead the country in the sales of untaxed cigarettes.
For years, state officials have worried about potential violence, such as the clash between state troopers and Indians on the Thruway in 1995, when then-Gov. George E. Pataki tried to end the tax-free sales.
Seneca Nation officials, who were working Friday on flood relief efforts, were unavailable to comment.
Last week, the Paterson administration released a 329-page update on state spending through the first quarter of the fiscal year.
The report said the administration believes the state now faces a $2.1 billion deficit this year, and Paterson is looking at spending cuts and other options to propose to a special session of the State Legislature, expected to be held next month. Lawmakers have not ruled out raising taxes to close the gap.
Deep in its pages, the spending update briefly mentions lower cigarette tax revenues, but makes no specific reference to jettisoning the cigarette tax collections.
During an interview on an unrelated topic, Robert Megna, the governor's budget director, revealed to The Buffalo News that the state is backing away from the projection of $65 million from the potential revenue source.
Matt Anderson, a spokesman for Megna, later said the $65 million was deleted from the budget "to prudently address potential risks to our receipts forecast."
"We continue to work diligently toward a negotiated settlement of this issue," he added.
Laws on the books already permit the state to collect the tax, which has been an issue going back to the days of Mario M. Cuomo's tenure as governor. Over the past decade, the dispute has intensified as the state increased cigarette taxes, widening the playing field between Indian and non-Indian retailers.
The Senecas have maintained that treaty rights going back to the days of George Washington give them the right to sell products, including cigarettes, without taxes.
They have long said they never will act as agents of the state government in collecting taxes, which they say would kill off a flourishing Western New York business that employs hundreds of people.
On numerous occasions, the State Legislature has sought to force Paterson, and governors before him, to collect the tax.
In January, Paterson said he wanted to resolve the issue through negotiation. But critics say that, with the stakes so lucrative, the Indian tribes, especially the Senecas, have little reason to negotiate.
"It's sending totally the wrong signal," James Calvin, executive director of the New York Association of Convenience Stores, said of the administration quietly striking the Indian cigarette tax money from the budget.
"If the state has a $2.1 billion deficit, it's crazy not to access the hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue that's readily available from this source," he added. "It's already a law. It's collectable. The United States Supreme Court has said we can collect it. Why would you ignore close to $1 billion when staring at such a huge deficit?"
In June 2008, the state raised its excise tax on a pack of cigarettes by $1.50 to $2.75. That gives an Indian retailer who does not charge the tax a built-in price advantage of $27.50 per carton.
"By the end of the fiscal year, the state and Gov. Paterson, we conservatively estimate, will have forgone $1 billion that is owed on Indian cigarette sales," Sciandra said.
Aug 26, 2009
Cigarette Packaging May Still Mislead Consumers
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - While many countries have banned terms like "light" and "low-tar" from cigarette packs, other aspects of the products' packaging may also be misleading consumers, a new study suggests.
Studies have shown that long-used terms like "light," "mild" and "low- tar" confuse many consumers into thinking that so-described cigarettes carry lower health risks. Dozens of countries have now banned tobacco companies from using the terms on cigarette packs.
But in the new study, Canadian researchers found that other packaging details -- words like "smooth" and "silver," and even the color of the pack -- influence consumers' perceptions of a brand's health risks.
The findings suggest that current regulations are not going far enough to remove misleading elements from cigarette packs, the researchers report in the Journal of Public Health.
One remedy would be to require "plain packaging," free of logos and other brand imagery, write David Hammond and Carla Parkinson of the University of Waterloo in Ontario.
"Plain-packaging regulations came very close to being implemented in Canada in the early 1990s, and they are receiving serious consideration in several other countries at the moment," Hammond noted in an email correspondence to Reuters Health.
The tobacco industry is opposed to such measures, which is not surprising, Hammond noted, since packaging is a key marketing tool, particularly in countries where other forms of tobacco advertising are restricted.
And a cigarette pack's appearance does seem to influence many consumers' perceptions, Hammond and Parkinson found.
For their study, the researchers had 312 smokers and 291 non-smokers look at cigarette packs that had been specifically designed for the study. Participants viewed the packs in pairs, with the two products differing in one element of package design.
Overall, the study found, 80 percent of participants thought that the product labeled "smooth" carried fewer health risks than the one labeled "regular." Similarly, when they viewed products labeled as either "silver" or "full-flavored," 73 percent thought the "silver" product was less hazardous.
Even numbers included as part of the brand-name influenced perceptions. Eighty-four percent of participants thought the product that included a "6" in the name was less risky than another product labeled with a "10."
Color also mattered. More than three-quarters of the men and women thought that the light-blue pack they viewed carried fewer risks than its dark-blue counterpart.
While the tobacco industry opposes the notion of plain packaging, Hammond said he is "confident" it will be a reality in the next five years -- likely with one country setting the precedent, and others quickly following suit.
Ultimately, Hammond said, the public may look back at today's cigarette packaging in the same way they now view the practice of having smoking sections on airplanes.
"People will wonder how such a lethal product was ever allowed to be sold in packages with pictures of flowers and pretty coloring that appeal to young people and provide false reassurance to consumers about the risks of smoking," he explained.
Studies have shown that long-used terms like "light," "mild" and "low- tar" confuse many consumers into thinking that so-described cigarettes carry lower health risks. Dozens of countries have now banned tobacco companies from using the terms on cigarette packs.
But in the new study, Canadian researchers found that other packaging details -- words like "smooth" and "silver," and even the color of the pack -- influence consumers' perceptions of a brand's health risks.
The findings suggest that current regulations are not going far enough to remove misleading elements from cigarette packs, the researchers report in the Journal of Public Health.
One remedy would be to require "plain packaging," free of logos and other brand imagery, write David Hammond and Carla Parkinson of the University of Waterloo in Ontario.
"Plain-packaging regulations came very close to being implemented in Canada in the early 1990s, and they are receiving serious consideration in several other countries at the moment," Hammond noted in an email correspondence to Reuters Health.
The tobacco industry is opposed to such measures, which is not surprising, Hammond noted, since packaging is a key marketing tool, particularly in countries where other forms of tobacco advertising are restricted.
And a cigarette pack's appearance does seem to influence many consumers' perceptions, Hammond and Parkinson found.
For their study, the researchers had 312 smokers and 291 non-smokers look at cigarette packs that had been specifically designed for the study. Participants viewed the packs in pairs, with the two products differing in one element of package design.
Overall, the study found, 80 percent of participants thought that the product labeled "smooth" carried fewer health risks than the one labeled "regular." Similarly, when they viewed products labeled as either "silver" or "full-flavored," 73 percent thought the "silver" product was less hazardous.
Even numbers included as part of the brand-name influenced perceptions. Eighty-four percent of participants thought the product that included a "6" in the name was less risky than another product labeled with a "10."
Color also mattered. More than three-quarters of the men and women thought that the light-blue pack they viewed carried fewer risks than its dark-blue counterpart.
While the tobacco industry opposes the notion of plain packaging, Hammond said he is "confident" it will be a reality in the next five years -- likely with one country setting the precedent, and others quickly following suit.
Ultimately, Hammond said, the public may look back at today's cigarette packaging in the same way they now view the practice of having smoking sections on airplanes.
"People will wonder how such a lethal product was ever allowed to be sold in packages with pictures of flowers and pretty coloring that appeal to young people and provide false reassurance to consumers about the risks of smoking," he explained.
Aug 19, 2009
Union holds up tobacco restructuring
Union resistance means the Thailand Tobacco Monopoly must reconsider its organisational restructuring, said chairwoman Jantima Sirisaengtaksin.
Mrs Jantima said it was incumbent on management of the state enterprise to reopen talks with the TTM's 3,000- strong union and that restructuring did not imply a privatisation.
"The policy to change the TTM into a juristic person is not a privatisation, but a restructuring of the organisation aimed at improving flexibility and reducing obstacles to operations," she said.
Currently, the TTM must essentially seek Finance Ministry approval for nearly any strategic decision, significantly hindering the agency's ability to respond to changes in the market.
Mrs Jantima warned that without change, the TTM may very well face collapse, similar to cigarette producers in other countries.
The TTM produces the market-leading brand Krong Thip, but has seen its revenues fall sharply in recent years due to stiffer anti-smoking regulations as well as competition from foreign producers such as Philip Morris, Japan Tobacco and British American Tobacco.
Mrs Jantima said trade liberalisation had caused the TTM's market share to fall to 77%. While still dominant in the market, the TTM's market share had never fallen below 80% until recently.
The TTM hopes to boost its market share to 85% by 2010-11 through better cost controls, more efficient production processes and product innovations.
Foreign producers, meanwhile, continue to make inroads in the market, with foreign cigarette sales totalling 418.86 million packs in 2007, compared with just 12 million in 1991. The TTM saw its own sales drop to 1.59 billion packs in 2007 compared with 2.31 billion 10 years earlier.
Sales for fiscal 2009 ending next month are projected at 28.8 billion cigarettes, or 5% below targets. Revenues, however, are expected to exceed targets slightly at a projected 44 billion baht this year.
Mrs Jantima said it was incumbent on management of the state enterprise to reopen talks with the TTM's 3,000- strong union and that restructuring did not imply a privatisation.
"The policy to change the TTM into a juristic person is not a privatisation, but a restructuring of the organisation aimed at improving flexibility and reducing obstacles to operations," she said.
Currently, the TTM must essentially seek Finance Ministry approval for nearly any strategic decision, significantly hindering the agency's ability to respond to changes in the market.
Mrs Jantima warned that without change, the TTM may very well face collapse, similar to cigarette producers in other countries.
The TTM produces the market-leading brand Krong Thip, but has seen its revenues fall sharply in recent years due to stiffer anti-smoking regulations as well as competition from foreign producers such as Philip Morris, Japan Tobacco and British American Tobacco.
Mrs Jantima said trade liberalisation had caused the TTM's market share to fall to 77%. While still dominant in the market, the TTM's market share had never fallen below 80% until recently.
The TTM hopes to boost its market share to 85% by 2010-11 through better cost controls, more efficient production processes and product innovations.
Foreign producers, meanwhile, continue to make inroads in the market, with foreign cigarette sales totalling 418.86 million packs in 2007, compared with just 12 million in 1991. The TTM saw its own sales drop to 1.59 billion packs in 2007 compared with 2.31 billion 10 years earlier.
Sales for fiscal 2009 ending next month are projected at 28.8 billion cigarettes, or 5% below targets. Revenues, however, are expected to exceed targets slightly at a projected 44 billion baht this year.
Aug 14, 2009
Analysis Finds Toxic Substances in Electronic Cigarettes
Electronic cigarettes contain traces of toxic substances and carcinogens, according to a preliminary analysis of the products by the Food and Drug Administration.
The findings, which were announced on Wednesday, contradict claims by electronic cigarette manufacturers that their products are safe alternatives to tobacco and contain little more than water vapor, nicotine and propylene glycol, which is used to create artificial smoke in theatrical productions. When heated, the liquid produces a vapor that users inhale through the battery-powered device.
“We’re concerned about them because of what we know is in them and what we don’t know about how they affect the human body,” said Joshua Sharfstein, the F.D.A.’s principal commissioner.
The agency analyzed 19 varieties of cartridges, which hold the liquid, and two cigarettes, one manufactured by NJoy and another by Smoking Everywhere.
The analysis found that several of the cartridges contained detectable levels of nitrosamines, tobacco-specific compounds known to cause cancer. One Smoking Everywhere cartridge was found to contain diethlyene glycol, a common ingredient in antifreeze that counterfeiters have substituted for glycerin in toothpaste, killing hundreds worldwide.
Dr. Sharfstein said the agency was “not sure” what type of effect the diethlyene glycol and other carcinogens have on the human body when inhaled through electronic cigarettes.
The Electronic Cigarette Association, an industry trade group, said in a statement that the F.D.A.’s testing was too “narrow to reach any valid and reliable conclusions” and that its members sell and market their products only to adults.
A statement from the chief executive officer of NJoy, Jack Ledbetter, said a third party had tested its products and found them to be “appropriate alternatives” for cigarettes, but he did not release the findings. The company said its experts would review its tests and the F.D.A.’s.
Electronic cigarettes, which are manufactured in China, are subject to little quality control, Dr. Sharfstein said. The study found the levels of nicotine to vary even in cartridges whose labels claim to have the same amount of nicotine. Some of the cartridges that claimed not to contain nicotine actually did, the analysis found.
The F.D.A. has called electronic cigarettes drug delivery devices and said they should not be allowed in the country. It has turned away about 50 shipments of the devices at the border, but they still continue to be sold in malls nationwide and online. The agency would not comment on whether it planned to ban or seize the devices. In April, Smoking Everywhere sued the F.D.A., claiming that it did not have jurisdiction to bar the electronic devices from entering the United States.
The agency and public health officials are especially worried that electronic cigarettes, which are offered in flavors including cherry and bubblegum, are enticing to children and may be easy for those under 18 to obtain online or in malls.
The findings, which were announced on Wednesday, contradict claims by electronic cigarette manufacturers that their products are safe alternatives to tobacco and contain little more than water vapor, nicotine and propylene glycol, which is used to create artificial smoke in theatrical productions. When heated, the liquid produces a vapor that users inhale through the battery-powered device.
“We’re concerned about them because of what we know is in them and what we don’t know about how they affect the human body,” said Joshua Sharfstein, the F.D.A.’s principal commissioner.
The agency analyzed 19 varieties of cartridges, which hold the liquid, and two cigarettes, one manufactured by NJoy and another by Smoking Everywhere.
The analysis found that several of the cartridges contained detectable levels of nitrosamines, tobacco-specific compounds known to cause cancer. One Smoking Everywhere cartridge was found to contain diethlyene glycol, a common ingredient in antifreeze that counterfeiters have substituted for glycerin in toothpaste, killing hundreds worldwide.
Dr. Sharfstein said the agency was “not sure” what type of effect the diethlyene glycol and other carcinogens have on the human body when inhaled through electronic cigarettes.
The Electronic Cigarette Association, an industry trade group, said in a statement that the F.D.A.’s testing was too “narrow to reach any valid and reliable conclusions” and that its members sell and market their products only to adults.
A statement from the chief executive officer of NJoy, Jack Ledbetter, said a third party had tested its products and found them to be “appropriate alternatives” for cigarettes, but he did not release the findings. The company said its experts would review its tests and the F.D.A.’s.
Electronic cigarettes, which are manufactured in China, are subject to little quality control, Dr. Sharfstein said. The study found the levels of nicotine to vary even in cartridges whose labels claim to have the same amount of nicotine. Some of the cartridges that claimed not to contain nicotine actually did, the analysis found.
The F.D.A. has called electronic cigarettes drug delivery devices and said they should not be allowed in the country. It has turned away about 50 shipments of the devices at the border, but they still continue to be sold in malls nationwide and online. The agency would not comment on whether it planned to ban or seize the devices. In April, Smoking Everywhere sued the F.D.A., claiming that it did not have jurisdiction to bar the electronic devices from entering the United States.
The agency and public health officials are especially worried that electronic cigarettes, which are offered in flavors including cherry and bubblegum, are enticing to children and may be easy for those under 18 to obtain online or in malls.
Aug 11, 2009
Cigarette Packaging is Still Misleading
Last month, President Barack Obama signed The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act into law, allowing the federal government broad authority over tobacco products. Unfortunately, new research indicates that regulations have not fully enabled the removal of misleading information from cigarette labeling, reports ScienceDaily.
Verbiage such as “silver” or “smooth,” says ScienceDaily, allow consumers to believe that cigarettes are not as dangerous. Including low numbers into cigarette brand names, lighter colors, or pictures of filters, add to the misconception, Science Daily added.
The new regulation was enacted to allow regulators to control cigarette packaging and marketing as well as how much nicotine—the addictive component in cigarettes—is added in tobacco products, explained the Washington Post previously.
“Research has already shown that using words such as ‘light,’ ‘mild,’ and ‘low tar’ on cigarette packaging misleads consumers into thinking that one brand carries a lower health risk than another and that’s why those words have been outlawed in more than 50 countries, but there has been virtually no independent research on these other packaging tactics to support broader regulation,” said study’ leader, David Hammond, a professor of health studies at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, quoted ScienceDaily. “Our study found that commonly-used words not covered by the bans, as well as other packaging design elements such as colour, the use of numbers and references to filters, were just as misleading, which means there’s a loophole that needs to be closed,” Hammond added.
ScienceDaily explained that the study involved 603 adults and was published in yesterday’s online edition of the Journal of Public Health. Canadian researchers are urging for the list of banned words to go beyond what is now prohibited: “light,” “mild,” and “low-tar,” reported ScienceDaily. The group also called for the removal of other “pack elements” to better ensure consumers do not mistakenly believe any one brand of cigarettes is less dangerous than another, said ScienceDaily.
ScienceDaily pointed out that not only is tobacco use the number one cause of preventable death worldwide, but the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that over five million people die annually from smoking. According to the LA Times previously, citing the National Institutes of Health (NIH), about one-third—30 percent—of “youth” smokers will die prematurely from a “smoking-related disease” and those who begin smoking before they are 21 years of age have the most difficult time quitting. The NIH reports that about 25 percent of all U.S. high school students smoke, said the LA Times.
“An important function of tobacco marketing has been to reassure consumers about the product’s risks and a central feature of the strategy has been to promote the perception that some cigarettes are less hazardous than others, so that health-concerned smokers are encouraged to switch brands rather than quit,” Hammond said. “We’ve seen research described in internal tobacco industry documents indicating that reference to filters and the use of lighter colours conveys that message successfully, but now we have independent confirmation, plus evidence on other words in widespread use,” Hammond added, quoted ScienceDaily. “The truth is that all cigarettes are equally hazardous, regardless of the filter type, what colour the pack is or what words appear on it. These tactics are giving consumers a false sense of reassurance that simply does not exist,” said Hammond.
Verbiage such as “silver” or “smooth,” says ScienceDaily, allow consumers to believe that cigarettes are not as dangerous. Including low numbers into cigarette brand names, lighter colors, or pictures of filters, add to the misconception, Science Daily added.
The new regulation was enacted to allow regulators to control cigarette packaging and marketing as well as how much nicotine—the addictive component in cigarettes—is added in tobacco products, explained the Washington Post previously.
“Research has already shown that using words such as ‘light,’ ‘mild,’ and ‘low tar’ on cigarette packaging misleads consumers into thinking that one brand carries a lower health risk than another and that’s why those words have been outlawed in more than 50 countries, but there has been virtually no independent research on these other packaging tactics to support broader regulation,” said study’ leader, David Hammond, a professor of health studies at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, quoted ScienceDaily. “Our study found that commonly-used words not covered by the bans, as well as other packaging design elements such as colour, the use of numbers and references to filters, were just as misleading, which means there’s a loophole that needs to be closed,” Hammond added.
ScienceDaily explained that the study involved 603 adults and was published in yesterday’s online edition of the Journal of Public Health. Canadian researchers are urging for the list of banned words to go beyond what is now prohibited: “light,” “mild,” and “low-tar,” reported ScienceDaily. The group also called for the removal of other “pack elements” to better ensure consumers do not mistakenly believe any one brand of cigarettes is less dangerous than another, said ScienceDaily.
ScienceDaily pointed out that not only is tobacco use the number one cause of preventable death worldwide, but the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that over five million people die annually from smoking. According to the LA Times previously, citing the National Institutes of Health (NIH), about one-third—30 percent—of “youth” smokers will die prematurely from a “smoking-related disease” and those who begin smoking before they are 21 years of age have the most difficult time quitting. The NIH reports that about 25 percent of all U.S. high school students smoke, said the LA Times.
“An important function of tobacco marketing has been to reassure consumers about the product’s risks and a central feature of the strategy has been to promote the perception that some cigarettes are less hazardous than others, so that health-concerned smokers are encouraged to switch brands rather than quit,” Hammond said. “We’ve seen research described in internal tobacco industry documents indicating that reference to filters and the use of lighter colours conveys that message successfully, but now we have independent confirmation, plus evidence on other words in widespread use,” Hammond added, quoted ScienceDaily. “The truth is that all cigarettes are equally hazardous, regardless of the filter type, what colour the pack is or what words appear on it. These tactics are giving consumers a false sense of reassurance that simply does not exist,” said Hammond.
Aug 4, 2009
Students fight tobacco use
CASPER - Whitney Swieter started smoking in high school because she thought it was "the cool thing" and "everybody else was doing it."
She quit several years ago after learning more about the dangers and realizing it wasn't cool.
She and students in the newly formed Natrona County Youth Tobacco Prevention Coalition want students to be clearly informed about tobacco. They want to voice that not everyone is "doing it."
The group held its first meeting several weeks ago and most recently publicized its mission at Friday's Casper Ghosts game.
Casper has needed a youth organization against tobacco, said Swieter, assistant director of Well-Being of Wyoming.
"Natrona County and Wyoming have a higher rate of tobacco users in high school than the rest of the country," Swieter said. "Definitely for spit tobacco."
In 2007, about 21 percent of Wyoming students smoked, compared with 20 percent nationwide, according to the Youth Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey's most recent numbers.
That same year, 15 percent of Wyoming students used smokeless tobacco, compared with only about 8 percent nationwide.
At Friday's game, Ryan Jones, 12, made it his job to make sure students and adults weren't using chew or smoking.
"Sir, do you use tobacco? If so would you like to learn how to quit?" Ryan asked a Casper Ghost fan entering Mike Lansing Field.
"No, I don't," the unsuspecting man replied.
"Thanks, you make my job a whole lot easier," Jones said.
The Centennial Junior High School student said he does not want others to suffer as his grandfather did.
"I'm here because my grandfather died of lung cancer," Jones said. "I don't want people to go through the fate he did."
The group has already gathered many outspoken young people like Ryan, Swieter said, and looked to gain more membership at the game.
Members wore bright blue shirts that said, "SWAT Team" on the back. SWAT stands for Students Working Against Tobacco.
They handed out trading cards listing some of tobacco's cancer-causing agents on them and asked other youth to sign tobacco-free pledges.
Alexis Johnson, 15, said she sees too many teens smoking or chewing.
"It kills so many people," Alexis said, and many teens are unaware of all the risks.
"I just don't like seeing people killing themselves," Johnson said. "It's nice to know you are making a difference."
The tobacco industry targets youths, said Deborah Walton, coordinator of Wyoming Through With Chew. There are peach-flavored cigarettes and berry-flavored chew, she said.
"The tobacco industry markets to youth so they can replace the over 430,000 who die each year from tobacco or a tobacco-related disease," Walton said.
The youth coalition hopes to influence adults to quit using tobacco and prevent youth from ever starting.
"I hope that we can reach out and show them the facts and figures," Alexis Johnson said. "And, hopefully, scare them away from tobacco products."
She quit several years ago after learning more about the dangers and realizing it wasn't cool.
She and students in the newly formed Natrona County Youth Tobacco Prevention Coalition want students to be clearly informed about tobacco. They want to voice that not everyone is "doing it."
The group held its first meeting several weeks ago and most recently publicized its mission at Friday's Casper Ghosts game.
Casper has needed a youth organization against tobacco, said Swieter, assistant director of Well-Being of Wyoming.
"Natrona County and Wyoming have a higher rate of tobacco users in high school than the rest of the country," Swieter said. "Definitely for spit tobacco."
In 2007, about 21 percent of Wyoming students smoked, compared with 20 percent nationwide, according to the Youth Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey's most recent numbers.
That same year, 15 percent of Wyoming students used smokeless tobacco, compared with only about 8 percent nationwide.
At Friday's game, Ryan Jones, 12, made it his job to make sure students and adults weren't using chew or smoking.
"Sir, do you use tobacco? If so would you like to learn how to quit?" Ryan asked a Casper Ghost fan entering Mike Lansing Field.
"No, I don't," the unsuspecting man replied.
"Thanks, you make my job a whole lot easier," Jones said.
The Centennial Junior High School student said he does not want others to suffer as his grandfather did.
"I'm here because my grandfather died of lung cancer," Jones said. "I don't want people to go through the fate he did."
The group has already gathered many outspoken young people like Ryan, Swieter said, and looked to gain more membership at the game.
Members wore bright blue shirts that said, "SWAT Team" on the back. SWAT stands for Students Working Against Tobacco.
They handed out trading cards listing some of tobacco's cancer-causing agents on them and asked other youth to sign tobacco-free pledges.
Alexis Johnson, 15, said she sees too many teens smoking or chewing.
"It kills so many people," Alexis said, and many teens are unaware of all the risks.
"I just don't like seeing people killing themselves," Johnson said. "It's nice to know you are making a difference."
The tobacco industry targets youths, said Deborah Walton, coordinator of Wyoming Through With Chew. There are peach-flavored cigarettes and berry-flavored chew, she said.
"The tobacco industry markets to youth so they can replace the over 430,000 who die each year from tobacco or a tobacco-related disease," Walton said.
The youth coalition hopes to influence adults to quit using tobacco and prevent youth from ever starting.
"I hope that we can reach out and show them the facts and figures," Alexis Johnson said. "And, hopefully, scare them away from tobacco products."
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