Come June 1 and cigarette packets and tobacco products will carry a new set of pictorial health warnings, an NGO said.

Binoy Matthew of Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI), an NGO said: “The ministry of health and family welfare March 5 notified the new pictorial health warnings which will be implemented on all tobacco products from June 1.”

“Since the news came just a few days before the No Smoking Day, we are very happy. VHAI had field tested these pictorial warnings in seven states in the country and found them to be most effective,” he said.

The seven states where VHAI tested the pictorial warnings for efficacy were Orissa, Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.

“The pictorial warnings on tobacco products were enforced May 31 last year. However they were found to be ineffective. Further the rules mandate that the pictorial warnings should be rotated every 12 months – thus the new warnings which shows a picture of oral cancer, will be implemented in June,” Matthew said.
March 11, 2010 Indiatimes

Physicians and other public health advocates fighting in the tobacco wars have claimed some major victories in recent months but also have seen reminders of the need to remain vigilant against the onslaught of a committed foe.

Soon after the June 22, 2009, enactment of a landmark tobacco regulation law, some members of Big Tobacco launched the first of an expected series of legal challenges in an attempt to weaken the flanks of the statute. Anticipating this tactic, public health champions stepped up to defend the law and the public it was designed to protect.

The outcome of the first big skirmish in the courts was decidedly in favor of the public’s well-being. A federal trial court in Kentucky ruled in November 2009 that tobacco firms could not use a First Amendment-rights argument to claim that the Food and Drug Administration’s new authority over the industry’s questionable marketing practices went too far. Instead, the court affirmed the argument that the massive threat posed by the No. 1 cause of preventable death in the U.S. made it clear that the government was well within its rights to take a strong stand on behalf of consumers everywhere.

The tobacco companies involved in the lawsuit claimed that better enforcement of laws already on the books before June 2009 would be sufficient. But the government has tried that time and time again, and typically, the tobacco industry showed its willingness and ability to slip out of the grasp of any regulation that came its way. All the while, smoking-related health conditions continued to worsen, more kids got hooked on nicotine, and more people died.

This time around, it won’t be so easy for the cigarette makers to escape their responsibilities.

A January ruling from the same Kentucky district court affirmed that the FDA was on solid ground in requiring larger warning labels on tobacco products and banning the sale of “light” products without prior federal approval. The decision validated some of the most significant elements of the landmark regulation statute and hobbled the ability of tobacco firms to continue misleading consumers.

Even though these were some big wins for public health, complacency is not an option for patient advocates.

The tobacco industry has such a strong economic interest in crippling the new statute that it likely will appeal any court decisions that don’t go its way. But physicians and the legal firepower at their disposal — including the Litigation Center of the American Medical Association and State Medical Societies — have an even stronger interest in protecting the law: the health and lives of their patients. Expect these advocates to continue to fight as long as it takes, even if that road eventually leads to the highest court in the land.

It should be noted that the outcomes have not gone entirely in favor of the public’s health. In the January ruling, the Kentucky district court declined to dismiss the First Amendment challenge to FDA restrictions against marketing cigarettes as safe products simply because the government is regulating them more tightly. The judges also sided with the industry on the issue of restricting color and graphics in tobacco advertising, which have been used to entice many young children to light up their first smokes and fall into addiction.

Still, there are reasons to be optimistic that public health advocates will prevail in protecting effective FDA regulation. As things stand, none of the challenges to the bill so far has targeted the heart of the statute: the affirmation that the FDA has the authority to regulate tobacco. Instead, the threats have been coming from the sides, on unrelated free-speech and marketing issues.

That said, a well-delivered blow to the flank is a well-established and highly effective maneuver. Recent events show that some members of Big Tobacco know this tactic well. Fortunately, so do advocates for the public’s health.
American Medical News.
Februar 15, 2010

General Tobacco said Wednesday it will comply with recent notices regarding the removal of its cigarette brands from certain state directories of approved brands for sale.

Some states have pursued additional payments from Mayodan-based General Tobacco related to the Master Settlement Agreement, a deal reached in 1998 when tobacco companies agreed to pay states for the costs of treating smoking-related illnesses. In a statement Wednesday, General Tobacco said it continues to dispute the validity of the agreement and maintains its claims that it is owed more than $95 million in overpayment to states.

“Consumers should not have to lose the choice of GT’s brands over what the company considers to be a bona fide dispute over the interpretation of the MSA and its validity under federal and state law,” said Ronald Denman, GT’s executive vice president and general counsel.

“Big Tobacco got away with billions in sales with no payments to the states before the MSA and is now squeezing its competitors out of business under the auspices of the MSA so that it can make many more billions.”

The de-listing does not pertain to the filtered cigars or pipe tobacco products sold by GT.

Buyers were paying good money Monday for most of the tobacco at Farmers Warehouse at one of the first auctions of the year, but some say there’s still concern that prices could drop and hurt local farmers.

Warehouse owner Jerry Rankin said last week that an excess of tobacco on the open market this year could hurt profits for local tobacco farmers, despite this year’s crop being one of the best in several decades.

On Monday, the first tobacco bales were auctioned out of Rankin’s warehouse. On the high end, bales sold for about $1.75 per pound; on the low end, tobacco was going for about $1.35 per pound.

Last year, the average price of open-market tobacco at Farmers was about $1.55. Rankin said while much of the tobacco currently in the warehouse is of superior quality, several rows were not handled properly by farmers, leading to house-burned, high-moisture tobacco.

The poorly handled tobacco brought the lowest prices and will impact the official overall average price. Without the rows of high-moisture tobacco, the average would probably wind up somewhere around $1.68, he said.

Weather a factor in quality

While poor handling may have impacted the quality of some of the tobacco on the warehouse floor, what concerns Rankin is the tobacco that hasn’t made it to the warehouse yet. Continual rain in late June made it impossible for farmers who had not already planted their tobacco to get it into the ground until July.

“A tremendous amount of acreage went in the field after the Fourth of July,” he said. “It got dirty, it got bruised by the east winds — there’s just a number of things that went wrong.”

A large amount of rain in October and several frosts spell bad news for tobacco planted in July — much of it could even be un-marketable, Rankin said. Buyers could spend less now, thinking they’ll be able to buy more later.

“If they want tobacco, they’d better be putting their name on it now,” he said.

Local farmer Jason Elliott is one of the farmers who planted his tobacco before the late June rains. When he began to strip his tobacco, he realized it still had pretty high moisture, so he waited to let it dry out more. His tobacco crop has not been sold yet, but he expects it to sell in the upper range, somewhere between $1.60 and $1.70 per pound.

“You can make money at $1.60, $1.70 a pound, but you’ve got to keep costs down,” he said.

Elliott said tobacco used to sell for a lot more — more than $2 per pound. But once companies started essentially paying farmers not to grow tobacco, the price dropped.

Elliott said he doesn’t know any farmers who didn’t plant until July, but he estimated about 20 percent of farmers wait until July every year. Beyond the bad weather, Elliott said how much farmers care about their tobacco is an issue. Some farmers are moving away from family-based farming and just not showing much interest in their crops anymore, he said.

“There’s no pride in tobacco anymore,” he said.

About one-third of the 1 million pounds of tobacco on the Farmers warehouse floor sold Monday. Two more auctions are scheduled in the coming weeks to sell the rest of it.

By BEN KLEPPINGER, AMNews
November 24, 2009

The University of Kentucky has officially placed an expanded ban on smoking and tobacco across its entire campus, stating that a smoke-free policy has various health benefits and should be implemented and followed especially in places where there are all types of people, at any given time.

The newly expanded ban includes outdoor areas and applies to, in addition to cigarette smoking, chewing of tobacco, pipes, cigars and snuff. The new development has come as a shock to many residents of a place which leads the country in production of burley tobacco and records some of the highest smoking rates across the nation.

“Going tobacco-free may not be the easiest thing to do, it may not be the most politically popular thing to do, but in my mind it’s the right thing to do for this campus”, saidUniversity of Kentucky President Lee Todd. The goal of the ban is to make the entire university smoke free within the next year.

UK is not the only campus in the nation which is looking at making smoking a thing of the past, University of Louisville also placed restrictions on smoking starting Thursday, and only few areas of the campus are now open to smokers. Pikeville College is also aiming at making its campussmoke free by fall, as was confirmed on Thursday.


By Piyush Diwan, 11/22/2009

PHILIPPINE and Thai negotiators late last week resumed their second hearing on an ongoing trade dispute over cigarette duties, the Manila delegation said in a statement over the weekend.

The dispute process had been held up when the World Trade Organization (WTO), which arbitrates the case, had to make way for the resumption of talks seeking to forge a global trade pact.

The Philippines, at the hearing last Nov. 4-6, reiterated claims that Thai tax policies on foreign-made cigarettes violate WTO rules as they unfairly favor domestic industry, the statement read.

A ruling from an international panel led by Brazil WTO representative Roberto Acevedo is expected early next year, the statement read further.

Manila first raised the dispute in March 2007 in line with Philip Morris Philippines Manufacturing, Inc.’s complaint that Thai customs officials were ignoring declared customs values, preferring to set higher ones that meant higher duties needed to be paid.

This policy, along with higher excise taxes slapped on foreign-made cigarettes, violate free trade rules, Manila argued.

“The Philippine delegation… presented factual claims and legal arguments…challenging the WTO-consistency of customs and internal tax measures taken by Thailand affecting cigarettes made in the Philippines and imported into Thailand…[The delegation also] highlighted issues of transparency, discrimination, and domestic protection in Thailand’s regulatory regime, which affects the entry of Philippine-made cigarettes in the country.”

Both sides will have up to Dec. 7 to submit final comments before the panel issues a ruling “in the early part of 2010.”

November 09, 2009 Bworldonline

Score one for Big Tobacco in Toronto.

In the same week that the feds officially banned tobacco advertising in newspapers and magazines (finally closing a donut-sized loophole), city staff have recommended that shops selling tobacco not be charged an extra licensing fee – despite a request from the Canadian Cancer Society.

Most Ontario cities already charge shops that sell smokeables an extra fee. The Society says it would give smaller shops a disincentive to sell tobacco.

But staff argued in their report to the Licensing and Standards Committee last week that “any new fees may be interpreted as indirectly imposing a sales tax on the sale of tobacco, which is specifically prohibited by the City Of Toronto Act.”

Smoke and mirrors?

Councillor Howard Moscoe, who chairs the Licensing Committee, is not buying staff’s advice. He doesn’t see why bureaucrats can’t employ what he calls “creative accounting” to get around the tax stipulation.

Between 2006 and 08, the public health department registered more than 670 tobacco-selling offences: 366 convictions for the sale of tobacco to minors and 320 convictions for selling tobacco without health warnings.

Twenty-?eight businesses were issued orders prohibiting the sale of tobacco outright.

The number of shops selling tobacco products continues to rise.

More than 646 new licences have been issued in 2009, bringing the total number of Toronto stores peddling the deadly weed to more than 3,900.

The cloud hanging over this story: the province has informed Toronto Public Health that it will no longer be picking up 100 per cent of costs associated with the enforcement of tobacco laws in the city.

The result: fewer routine checks of tobacco sellers and fewer inspectors.

By Enzo Di Matteo, October 14-21, 2009 Nowtoronto

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina is poised to become only the second state to impose a fat fee on its state employees by placing them in a more expensive health insurance plan if they’re obese.

Smokers will feel the drag of higher costs, too, as North Carolina state employees who use tobacco are slated to pay more for health insurance next year.

North Carolina officials, coping with a steady uptick in health care costs for state employees each year, are aiming to improve state workers’ health, which saves money in future medical expenses.

“Tobacco use and poor nutrition and inactivity are the leading causes of preventable deaths in our state,” said Anne Rogers, director of integrated health management with the N.C. State Employees Health Plan. “We need a healthy work force in this state. We’re trying to encourage individuals to adopt healthy lifestyles.”

State workers who don’t cut out the Marlboros and Big Macs will end up paying more for health insurance. Tobacco users get placed in a more expensive insurance plan starting next July and, for those who qualify as obese, in July 2011.

Some state employees, though, are criticizing the planned changes. The State Employees Association of North Carolina opposes the tobacco and obesity differentials as invasive steps that could have been avoided if the legislature had fixed the plan.

“It’s my understanding they’re talking about testing (for tobacco use) in the workplace which, to me, would create a hostile environment,” said Kim Martin, a sergeant at Piedmont Correctional Institution in Salisbury. “And it’s an invasion of privacy. This is America, the land of the free. I don’t think (body mass index is) a very good measure. I know some folks who would have a high body mass index because they’re muscular.”

The health plan covers more than 600,000 state employees, retirees and teachers at a total cost last year of $2.6 billion. Last spring, the legislature bailed out the plan with an infusion of $250 million to pay the bills after rising costs and inaccurate projections left little money for claims. Over the next two years, the state general fund will pump about $408 million into the health plan.

While officials have not yet estimated any potential savings from the obesity requirement, the higher costs for smokers could save $13 million in the 2010-2011 budget year, Rogers said, emphasizing that the plan’s priority is to improve health and save money in the process.

The idea of penalizing unhealthy lifestyles and rewarding healthy conduct is hardly new among insurance plans. Public health insurance plans in other states already penalize smokers or reward nonsmokers in insurance costs. South Carolina’s state employees health plan is scheduled to add a $25-per-month surcharge on smokers in January. Elsewhere in the southeast, Kentucky and Georgia impose surcharges, and Alabama gives non-smokers a discount.

Alabama was out front on weight testing. Starting in January, state workers will have their blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose and body mass index checked by a nurse. If they’re in a risk category, such as a body mass index of 35 or greater or a blood pressure of 160/100 or greater, they are charged an extra $25 per month on their insurance premium. If they go to a health screening, either offered by the state or by their personal physician, then the $25 is subtracted, according to Gary Matthews, chief operating officer for the Alabama State Employees Insurance Board.

North Carolina will allow state workers with a BMI of up to 40 to keep the discount, although a BMI of 30 is considered obese by some experts.

Private sector employers appear to have been targeting tobacco and weight in their insurance pricing ahead of state health plans.

“We’re beginning to see a lot of employers extremely interested in this,” said Tim Smith, president of BioSignia, in Durham, which provides for private employers a system of measuring employees’ risk factors for the onset of chronic disease. The company presents only aggregate data to the employers and does not disclose information about individuals, Smith said.

Tobacco and obesity are leading risk factors for ailments such as heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes and chronic breathing disorders. BioSignia is not under contract with the state health plan, but Smith said that employers like the state are trying to catch employees who are in pre-disease stages to save both lives and money.

Only a fraction of employers, though, offer financial incentives for healthy behavior or wellness programs, such as gym memberships or smoking cessation, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation study last year. Differences in employees’ education, health literacy and access to basic health care could affect the usefulness of financial incentives in reducing health care costs over time, the study said.

The results are not yet in. The higher costs for smokers and the obese don’t appear to have been in place long enough for any state to boast of a healthier work force yet, according to officials in several states.

“I don’t know that any states have a lot of hard data on this,” Rogers said.

The policies have generated a backlash among at least a portion of state workers. Some workers are anxious over the idea of tests for smoking, which involve examining a saliva sample for cotinine, a derivative of nicotine found in the system of tobacco users. Health plan officials recognize those concerns and are getting ready to take bids from companies that will perform the tests. The state plan has not yet developed a procedure to monitor members for the obesity standard due to take effect in 2011.

“We’re going to have to work out those logistics,” Rogers said.

Martin, the prison sergeant in Salisbury, doesn’t smoke but considers herself overweight. Instead of financial penalties, she would like to see financial subsidies.

“If they’re going to hold us accountable,” Martin said, “pay for a gym membership or part of a membership. Give us an incentive, a way to combat it.”


By Mark Johnson
— The Charlotte Observer

Bulgaria’s Finance Ministry plans to raise the excise duty on cigarettes to 76 euros for 1,000 cigarettes from January 2010.

If this plan goes ahead, cigarette prices in Bulgaria would increase by 30 per cent, on average. Currently, the rate is 52.3 euros for 1,000 cigarettes, Bulgarian-language Dnevnik daily reported.

One of the most popular brands, Victory, which is currently sold at 3.40 leva (1.70 euros) a packet, could reach 4.50 leva (2.3 euros) while Marlboro, currently sold at 3.90 leva (1.99 euros), could cost five leva (2.5 euros).

The ministry plans to include the new cigarette excise duty rates in the draft bill on the 2010 state budget, that will have to be tabled in parliament by the end of October.

Bulgaria has an agreement with the European Commission to raise the current cigarette excise duty to 64 euros for 1,000 cigarettes in 2010, from the current 52.3 euros, which is one of the lowest rates in the EU. Now, however, the ministry is apparently revising its intentions.

“The idea for a higher excise duty comes as a surprise, because until a few days ago we were discussing an excise duty of 64 euros,” the state-owned Bulgartabak tobacco company, which holds half the cigarette market in Bulgaria, told Dnevnik.

Dnevnik spoke to producers and importers, who said that the increased excise duty would stimulate contraband and illegal cigarette production.

30 September 2009 Balkaninsight

Japanese stocks rose on speculation an improved business outlook will prompt more companies to lift their earnings forecasts.

JVC Kenwood Holdings Inc. soared 31 percent after the Nikkei newspaper said its second-quarter profit may exceed its forecast. Japan Tobacco Inc. gained 3.4 percent after Goldman Sachs Group Inc. recommended the stock. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. lost 1.8 percent after a report showed lending growth slowed and on concern banks will need more capital.

The Nikkei 225 Stock Average rose 0.7 percent to close at 10,393.23 in Tokyo after changing direction six times. The broader Topix added 0.2 percent to 946.40, with five stocks gaining for every three that retreated.

“There are still a lot of things to be worried about, but the economic cycle will take care of them naturally,” said Masaru Hamasaki, a senior strategist at　Toyota Asset Management Co., which oversees the equivalent of $14 billion. “Earnings and the economy will continue to improve.”

Trading volumes on the Tokyo Stock Exchange have stayed below the 12-month average on all but one day since Aug. 5, as investors evaluated whether the Nikkei 225’s rally of more than 45 percent since March was justified and as Japan prepared for parliamentary elections on Aug. 30. The Democratic Party of Japan won the vote in a landslide victory that ended single- party government of almost half a century by their opponents.


To contact the reporter for this story: Masaki Kondo in Tokyo at mkondo3@bloomberg.net.
Copyright ©: September 8, 2009 Bloomberg

WASHINGTON, – The following is a statement of Matthew L. Myers, President, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids:

Connecticut’s leaders have taken decisive action to protect the state’s kids and taxpayers from the devastating toll of tobacco use by increasing the state cigarette tax by $1 to $3.00 per pack, making it the second highest state cigarette tax in the nation (Rhode Island’s tax is $3.46 per pack). Connecticut is also increasing its tax rates on most other tobacco products, but they still remain shamefully low compared to the state’s exemplary new tax rate on cigarettes. Increased tobacco taxes are a win-win-win solution for Connecticut and every other state – a health win that will reduce tobacco use and save lives, a financial win that will raise revenue to help alleviate budget shortfalls, and a political win that polls show is popular with the voters.

The evidence is clear that increasing the cigarette tax is one of the most effective ways to reduce smoking, especially among kids. Studies show that every 10 percent increase in the price of cigarettes reduces youth smoking by more than six percent and overall cigarette consumption by about 4 percent. Connecticut can expect the $1 cigarette tax increase to prevent 24,000 Connecticut kids from becoming addicted adult smokers; spur 10,000 current adult Connecticut smokers to quit for good; save more than 10,500 Connecticut residents from future smoking-caused deaths; lock in more than $520 million future health care savings; and raise about $60 million a year in new state revenue.

By failing to raise taxes on other tobacco products to match its new cigarette tax, Connecticut’s legislators have chosen not to take advantage of a golden opportunity to raise a lot more money; money that could be used to increase funding for the state’s tobacco prevention program and to help provide cessation assistance through the state’s Medicaid program. Connecticut continues to be one of the last states to not provide any cessation coverage for its Medicaid recipients, and is still near the bottom of all the states with regard to tobacco prevention funding.

Governor Jodi Rell proposed the increase in the cigarette tax this session. The state Legislature approved the tobacco tax increase this week and Governor Rell is allowing the budget to become law without her signature. By supporting a higher cigarette tax, Connecticut’s leaders have taken action that will improve the health of Connecticut residents for generations to come and continue the state’s leadership in the fight against tobacco use, the No. 1 cause of preventable death in the United States. The tobacco tax increases take effect on October 1.

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death and disease in Connecticut, claiming 4,700 lives each year and costing the state $1.63 billion annually in health care bills, including $430 million in Medicaid payments alone. Government expenditures related to tobacco amount to a hidden tax of $680 each year on every Connecticut household. While Connecticut has made significant progress in reducing youth smoking, 21.1 percent of Connecticut high school students smoke, and 4,600 more kids become regular smokers every year.

With Connecticut’s tax increase, the average state cigarette tax is now $1.34 per pack. Connecticut is the second state with a cigarette tax of $3 or more, Rhode Island being the first. Fourteen states and the District of Columbia will now have cigarette tax rates of $2 per pack or more, and 26 states and DC have cigarette tax rates of $1 per pack or more. South Carolina (a tobacco growing state) remains the lowest-tax state with a cigarette tax of only seven cents per pack. Only three states besides South Carolina have failed to raise their cigarette tax since before 2000: California (1999), Missouri (1993), North Dakota (1993) and South Carolina (1977).

SOURCE 2 sept, 2009 Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India (MOHFW, GOI) had mandated that all tobacco products manufactured/ packaged/ imported in India on or after 31 May 2009 have to display pictorial health warnings, as specified in the notification dated 15 March 2008.

However, a civil society led monitoring exercise has revealed blatant violations that are taking place across India, in the enforcement of this crucial public health and corporate accountability provision of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003. A total of 60 tobacco product packages (from 9 states of India), manufactured on or after 31 May 2009 were analyzed (17 smoking forms and 43 smokeless forms). These products were purchased from retail sale outlets from 15 July 2009 onwards, considering that the already existing old stock of products available in the market would need a period of 4-6 weeks to be exhausted.

On close scrutiny, it has been revealed that a majority of the tobacco packs analyzed either do not display any pictorial warnings at all or the warnings displayed are not in conformity with the rules notified by the Government.

“The intent with which this provision was notified is not being fulfilled. The coming into force of the warnings was already delayed by two years and now this provision is ineffectively enforced. The notification 30 dated July 2009 which notified the officers responsible for implementing the packaging and labelling rules came two months after the enforcement date of this provision of the law. By then most tobacco product manufacturers had violated this law” said Monika Arora, Director, HRIDAY.

Some of the key deficiencies reported in this study include:

* Size of the pictorial warning: Pictorial warnings are occupying less than the stipulated 40% of the principal display area of the pack. Of the 60 products analyzed, 25 brands of gutka, 10 brands of khaini and 2 brands of bidi carry smaller warnings.

* Misleading descriptors on the pack: These are prohibited but still appear on some of the tobacco products analyzed. Five cigarette brands and 4 chewing tobacco brands contain such descriptors.

* Promotional messages on the pack: Messages promoting tobacco use appear on the packs of 10
brands.

* No pictorial warnings: Several tobacco products do not display any pictorial warnings at all. Eight brands of chewing tobacco and 9 brands of smoking forms of tobacco do not have any warnings. These include international brands as well.

* Incorrect warnings: Three brands were found carrying incorrect warnings

* Language: In some of the products, the warnings are not displayed in the regional language in which the brand name is mentioned, as mandated by the law.

“Some gutka companies are again circumventing pictorial warnings by covering 40% area of the pack with white colour and devoting much less space to the warning. The Government should hold them accountable in interest of public health and social justice” said Bobby Ramakant, Indian Society Against Smoking, Asha parivar.

“Enforcement of pack warnings is very weak in Kerala especially on bidi and chewing tobacco product packs. Today also lakhs of packets of Dinesh Bidi come to the market without pack warnings. The reason told by the company is the bulk stock of non-warning wrappers. The Government’s inaction on the violation reflects its attitude towards the health of the people” said Saju Itty, Executive Officer, Kerala Voluntary Health Services (KVHS).

“It is almost scandalous that even after such a long time many tobacco products do not carry stipulated warnings and those who carry it, try to circumvent the rules in every possible way. This situation has developed because word ’sold’ used in the gazette notification was changed to the word ‘manufactured/ imported’ in the public notices issued by the ministry. This has clearly sent wrong signals to the industry about the seriousness of the implementation” said Dr PC Gupta, Director, Healis- Sekhsaria Institute for Public Health, Mumbai.

These violations have been documented and the report has been submitted to MOHFW, GOI, with a request to take cognizance of these violations and ensure that continuance and reoccurrence are prevented.

A set of recommendations have also been submitted to the Government to upscale the enforcement of pictorial warnings. These include:
- Introduction of a complaint mechanism
- Constitution of Inspection and Compliance Cells (ICCs)
- Issuing compliance guidelines for manufacturers, distributors and retailers of tobacco products
- Uniform placement of pictorial health warnings on all tobacco packs, preferably on the top edge of the pack
- Mandatory depiction of the warnings in at least one regional/local language specific to the region of sale

Civil society organizations are keen to work in partnership with the Central and State Governments to take stock of violations, improve enforcement and increase compliance at all levels. This includes the development of a thorough nationwide enforcement mechanism based on the recommendations submitted for the Government’s perusal.

This study was collaboratively undertaken by Advocacy Forum for Tobacco Control (AFTC) member organizations: Cancer Foundation of India, West Bengal; Healis Sekhsaria Institute for Public Health, Maharashtra; Health Related Information Dissemination Amongst Youth (HRIDAY), Delhi; Indian Society against Smoking ,Uttar Pradesh; Institute of Public Health, Karnataka; Dr Mira Aghi, Delhi; National Organisation For Tobacco Eradication (NOTE), Goa; Rajasthan Cancer Foundation, Rajasthan; Taleem Research Foundation, Gujarat; Voluntary Health Association of India, Delhi and Kerala Voluntary Health Services, Kerala.
Source: Citizen News Service (CNS) – www.citizen-news.org

One of the coolest new inventions to hit the market are these electronic cigarette or electronic-cigarette-basic-starter_kit(4)better known as an e-cigarette. One of the reasons why these electronic cigarettes are becoming in high demand is because the e-cigarette is a great way to avoid the recent smoking bans where smokers are limited to places where they can smoke inside, if there are any places that allow smoking indoors anymore.

There are also many benefits to your health when using the e-cigarette as well. Tobacco cigarettes have over 4,000 different types of harmful chemicals in them and on top of that we all know of the deadly carcinogens that they contain as well. The electronic cigarettes give off nicotine water vapor when you puff on them and when you exhale there is a small mist cloud but no smell of smoke at all. This means that not only are you smoking healthier but also you are not bothering people around you as well with the nasty smell of cigarette smoke.

Then the price of tobacco is skyrocketing to the point that a carton of tobacco cigarettes is running smokers about $50-$60. The e-cigarette has them beat in the pricing category as well. You can get a 5 pack of electronic cigarette refills for about $15.00 and they will last you about as long as a carton of cigarettes does. You can also find some great electronic cigarette coupon codes that will help give you some great discounts on electronic cigarette starter kits as well.

The e-cigarette can help many smokers get their nicotine dose without all the deadly chemicals that are involved with smoking tobacco cigarettes. Although the electronic cigarette is becoming so popular there are still millions of people out their that are unaware of how this e-cigarette can help you take that next step to a healthier life.

OREGON — National tobacco sales to minors are at the lowest point they’ve been in years.

But Oregon residents shouldn’t be too quick to celebrate.

Oregon has the fourth highest retailer violation rates for selling tobacco to minors in the nation according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

We went to a cigarette store in Oregon today.

The manager, Patti Englert, said she was surprised to hear this.

She said she and her staff check customers ID’s if there’s any question about their age.

And if an underage person even comes in to her store, she’ll turn them away.

“If they look under 26, we card. Check their ID, make sure the description matches” said Englert.

Englert says if retailers sell to minors, they could lose their jobs, they could be fined, and the store they work at could also be fined.

In 2002, the national rate of tobacco sales to minors was just over %16.

In 1997, it was just over %40.


Copyright © 2009 Kvewtv

A proposed tax hike isn’t only bad news for smokers, but a new study suggests it could be bad news for the state of Michigan as well.

The proposed 25- cent hike would be on top of the already two dollar a pack state cigarette tax.

Studies conducted by the Michigan Petroleum Association and the Michigan Association of Convenience Stores were released at a meeting Tuesday.

The results show the hike could likely lead the state to increased crime, loss of sales for retailers, and target low-income residents.

“Now is exactly the wrong time to raise taxes in Michigan. Quite simply, job providers, citizens can’t afford to send any more money to Lansing to pay for state bureaucracy,” Says Jim Holcomb, V.P of Business Advocacy.

A similar hike has already occured in New Jersy, and the study shows it lost the state millions of dollars in revenue.


Copyright © 2009 Wlaj

New Delhi, The Supreme Court today dismissed a PIL seeking implementation of rules making it mandatory to specify internationally recognized warning on packs of tobacco products saying it was a “fancy” litigation.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan was not impressed with the submission that the present rules have been brought by diluting international standards.

“Rules are operating. We can’t entertain a writ petition for implementation of any law,” the Bench, also comprising Justice P Sathasivam, said.

“Nothing doing. We do not have time for this sort of fancy litigation,” the Bench said brushing aside the submission of the PIL petitioner that it was a serious matter.

At the outset, Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium said the rules are not scrapped.

Clayton has joined the trickle of Missouri cities that have banned smoking. In Tuesday night City Council meeting, members voted unanimously to outlaw indoor smoking. The Clayton ban goes into effect a year from now. Clayton becomes the second St. Louis County municipality following Ballwin to ban indoor smoking.

Clayton’s Mayor, Linda Goldstein, said, “If the municipalities continue leading the way, I’m confident that eventually the County and the state will tune in as well.”

Restaurant and bar lobbyists have blocked any statewide smoking bans in Jeff City. County executive Charlie Dooley’s against a ban in St. Louis County. St. Louis city, meanwhile,could decide to go smoke free this fall, ut only if all of the county follows.

So now, it’s up to each town.

Bill Hannigan with Keep St. Louis Free says, “When Clayton decided to go smoke free they were counting on the city bars and adult venues also going smoke free so they wouldn’t be competing with each other.”

The Clayton smoking ban takes effect in July of 2010. Smoking will be allowed in outdoor dining areas. Otherwise, no smoking in offices, hotels, restaurants, and bars.

Meanwhile, Kirkwood City Council votes on a smoking ban Thursday night. It is expected to fail.

Mayor Goldstein says, “For whatever reasons, certain members of an elected body may choose to agree with not becoming a smoke-free community and it is my understanding that in Kirkwood that is the case.”

Jean Loemker with Healthy Air For Kirkwood says, “I think it’s a basic fear of change. They’re afraid it may have a negative economic impact.

But Kirkwood’s residents will get a chance to vote on a smoking ban in November.

Copyright © 2009 Kplr11

Listed Philippine Tobacco Flue-Curing and Redrying Corp. will lend P72 million to its subsidiary Baesa Redevelopment Corp. to redevelop its warehouse properties, corporate secretary Patricia O. Bunye said.

In a disclosure, Bunye said the amount was increased from P40 million after it was determined the original was “not sufficient” to cover the costs. A supplement to loan agreement was signed Thursday after Philippine Tobacco extended financial assistance in August with an interest of eight percent per year.

She said the parties have the option to raise the amount if it is still insufficient for the needs of Baesa Redevelopment. The interest was also reduced to six percent.

The company and Baesa Redevelopment have contract of lease covering parcels of land in Baesa, Quezon City where its five warehouses are located. Philippine Tobacco bought four for P57 million based on book value.

The redevelopment project was estimated at P90 million.

Upon completion of the first warehouse redevelopment, Baesa Redevelopment will shift its leasing business to commercial spaces from warehouse, which has been “very profitable” in the past years.

Copyright © 2009 Gmanew

Background and Purpose— The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of timing and extent of smoking, type of cigarettes, and concomitant vascular risk factors (VRFs) on the association between smoking and carotid intima-media thickness (C-IMT) in a lipid clinic population.

Methods— 1804 patients (869 men, age 21 to 85 year) participated in the study. Smoking habits were recorded and C-IMTs were measured by B-mode ultrasound. The associations of C-IMT with smoking status (never, former, and current) and with the cigarettes’ content of tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide (alone or combined to define “light” or “regular” cigarettes) as well as the interactions between smoking status, gender, and VRFs were evaluated before and after adjustment for confounders.

Results— C-IMT was highest in current smokers, lower in former, and lowest in never smokers. C-IMT of former and current smokers differed only after data adjustment for variables describing the extent and timing of smoking exposure. C-IMT was positively related to the number of pack-years (number of cigarettes smoked per day [cigarettes/d] multiplied by number of years smoked/20) in both former and current smokers. There were no differences in C-IMT between smokers of cigarettes with high or low nicotine, tar, or carbon monoxide content. Both diabetes and hypertension interacted positively with smoking in determining C-IMTs.

Conclusions— In the present cross-sectional observational investigation, carried out in a cohort of patients attending a lipid clinic, consumption of light cigarettes does not reduce the atherogenic effect of smoking on C-IMT. The number of pack-years, cigarettes/d, and years of smoking are relevant covariates in evaluating the effects of smoking on vascular health. The presence of diabetes or hypertension strengthens the association between smoking and cardiovascular risk.
Copyright © 2009 Stroke.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/40/6/1991

Graphic pictorial warnings like a cancer-disfigured face or diseased lungs — to highlight the hazards of tobacco intake — were supposed to have hit the market on May 31. But they are nowhere in sight and the tobacco industry says it will take more time.

“Given the fact that the various trade channels hold fairly large quantities of inventory, it will take some time for stocks with the new health warnings to be available in the marketplace,” Udayan Lall, director of the Tobacco Institute of India (TII), told IANS.

The TII is an organisation representing farmers, exporters, manufacturers and ancillaries of the cigarette segments of the tobacco industry.

Tobacco products with gory pictures were expected over 10 days ago — the skull and crossbones warning being optional for cigarette packs. Tobacco vendors in the country say they are left with no choice but to sell the old stock.

“Why are we being blamed for not stocking the new cigarette boxes? Blame the distributors. We think they are holding the stock and as such we have enough stock to last us at least a month,” said Prince, owner of Prince Pan Corner in the capital.

Another cigarette vendor, Raj Kumar, said, “No fresh stock of cigarette has come with health warnings as yet. There is only one chewable tobacco (Shikhar Pan Masala) with a picture of scorpion and a statutory warning in the market.”

The delay in the health warnings reaching the market has been strongly criticised by NGOs and health professionals. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), India records about 8,00,000 tobacco deaths every year or 2,200 deaths a day.

“The date of implementation of the pictorial warning, May 31, departed many days back and we still do not see pictorial health warnings on most of the tobacco products,” said Sunita Gupta, convenor, Indian Cancer Society.

“Display of pictorial warnings on tobacco products is one of the most proven ways to reduce tobacco consumption. It is a matter of great disappointment that after so much struggle, the pictorial warnings on tobacco products are still not there,” said Mr. Gupta.

Stating the example of Thailand and other countries that have long implemented the warnings, Bhavna Mukhopadhyay of the Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI) said: “Over a period of time, we have seen a decrease in the sale of cigarettes in countries that have long implemented this rule. No change is seen overnight. Wait and watch, things will change.”

However, cigarette vendors believe that their sales will not see a dip following health warnings.

“If a person wants to consume poison on his own then no one can stop him. I don’t think there will be any change in the sales of tobacco,” said Kaushik T., a cigarette vendor at R.K. Puram.

Flouting the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products (Packing and Labelling) Rules 2008 would attract fines up to Rs 5,000 with or without two years of imprisonment for the manufacturer. The dealer or seller can be fined up to Rs 1,000 with or without a year’s imprisonment.

On subsequent offences, the fine would be Rs 10,000 for the manufacturer and he could be jailed for five years. The fine would be Rs 3,000 for the seller and he may be jailed for two years.

Copyright © 2009 Hindu

The Senate cleared the way for a final debate in a decade-old fight over whether the $80-billion- a-year U.S. tobacco industry should be policed by drug regulators.

Lawmakers voted 61-30 to limit deliberations on a measure that would empower the Food and Drug Administration to restrict ingredients such as tar and nicotine, review all new products and expand warning labels on cigarette packages. The House passed a similar measure April 2.

Senator John McCain, an Arizona Republican, urged lawmakers to allow consideration of an amendment permitting consumers to import cheaper medicines from other countries, including those used to treat the harmful effects of smoking. Majority Leader Harry Reid objected to the proposal, saying it was off-topic and would prevent the tobacco bill from passing.

“Every year, the tobacco industry pours billions upon billions of dollars into marketing designed to get more people, including children, to start smoking,” Reid, a Nevada Democrat, said today on the Senate floor. “These marketers are very good at their jobs. It’s time we do ours.”

Senator Byron Dorgan, a North Dakota Democrat, said he voted to advance the bill after Reid promised that the Senate would consider drug importation in a separate vote “in a matter of weeks.” The proposal has “more than sufficient votes” to win passage in the Senate, Dorgan said.

Copyright © 2009 Bloomberg

Quitting smoking is an admirable goal for anyone.  By quitting, a person can save a ton of money, and greatly improve their chances of living longer and being healthier while doing it.  So it’s also a very sensible decision.  But it’s tough to pull off.  Whether they go cold turkey, use the patch,  various prescription medications, or try to taper off, the vast majority of people who try to quit smoking don’t succeed.  That’s a tragedy.  Why is this the case?  Well, for a lot people, it’s the side effects that they experience when they quit that make them fall off the wagon.  But if you want to quit smoking, side effects are part of the package.   Plan ahead for them, and be prepared to deal with them.

Common “quit smoking” side effects are eating more, and eating junk food, and consequently gaining a few pounds.  That’s not that big of a deal, and people tend to overreact to it.  It’s only natural to deal with cravings for a smoke by eating something to relieve the desire for oral intake.  But don’t sweat it.  Yes, in the first few weeks you will probably put on a few pounds, but it won’t be long before your cravings decrease in both number and intensity.  When that happens, you’ll find yourself eating at normal levels again.

And of course there’s irritability and restlessness.  Again, these are common, and nothing to get all bent out of shape about.  And you can greatly reduce these side effects by taking a walk every day for half an hour or so, or getting in some other form of moderate exercise.  (Don’t overdo it at first.)   If you find yourself snapping at people, take a deep breath, apologize, and tell them what you’re dealing with.  Most of the time they’ll be very understanding.

But when people quit smoking, side effects aren’t the same for everybody.  Two less common, but very disconcerting ones are constipation and insomnia.  These will eventually go away as your body chemistry sorts itself out, but in the meantime, you might want to consider taking a laxative and sleep remedies if you experience these.  Of course, it would be great if we could quit smoking with no side effects, but that’s not going to happen.  Just be prepared for them, and have a plan for dealing with them, and don’t let them force you back into your old lifestyle.

Manufacturers and retailers of cigarettes and tobacco products in the city could be in for a tough time on May 31, World No Tobacco Day,
and the days following.
Starting Sunday, several three-member police squads will be doing the rounds in Chennai, covering petty shops and retail outlets to check whether pictorial warnings against smoking are printed on tobacco packs, mandatory as per specifications provided by the Union health ministry. Each team will comprise a police official, health officer and school headmaster. Violations would attract fines, with or without imprisonment, commissioner of police K Radhakrishnan said here on Monday.

At a function organised by the directorate of public health to flag off the campaign van, Radhakrishnan said that his department would ensure that the rule was followed for the sake of a healthy future. “In my own family I have seen members suffer because of tobacco. They have faced the direct consequences it,” he told reporters.

According to the cigarette and tobacco products (packaging and labeling) rules issued by the Union government, all cigarette and tobacco packs should carry pictorial messages and a revised statuary warning, Smoking kills and tobacco causes cancer’ on 40% of the principal display area ( Smoking is injurious to health’ was the earlier warning that customers have been used to for years).

“If this (instructions) is not followed, the manufacturer can be fined up to Rs 5,000 with or without two years imprisonment. The dealer or seller can be fined up to Rs 1,000 with or without a year’s imprisonment. If the offence is repeated, the fine amount will be raised to Rs 10,000 for the manufacturer with or without five years’ imprisonment, and up to Rs 3,000 for the dealer or seller with or without two years’ imprisonment,” said director of public health Dr S Elango.

So far, more than 9,600 people have been fined for smoking in public places and this has resulted in an income generation of Rs 11.44 lakh for the state government.

Meanwhile, the health department will initiate a week-long signature campaign in the city, where smokers will be asked to make vows that they would quit smoking. “Last time, we asked them to give up the cigarette they were smoking. This time we will ask them to quit the habit,” Dr Elango said. There would also be street plays as well as messages about smoking hazards broadcast from campaign vans. On May 31, the department has organised a rally that will be flagged off by health minister MRK Panneerselvam.

Copyright © 2009 Indiatimes

The owners of The Virginian Saloon and three nonprofit groups filed a lawsuit Friday opposing the Teton Health District’s Smokefree Air Rule, which is set to go into effect Saturday.

The lawsuit asks 9th District Court Judge Nancy Guthrie to “declare that the 2009 Air Rule is void and unenforceable.”

The Teton County board of health approved the rule, which prohibits smoking in all public places including bars, restaurants and places of employment, in late March following a mandatory public comment period.

The board began pursuing a smoking ban through the health department last fall after attempts to get the Jackson Town Council to approve an ordinance failed. Councilors thought such an ordinance was unnecessary because so few places permit smoking.

Flat Creek Development Co., which owns the Virginian, Wyoming Contractor’s Association, Wyoming Trucking Association and the Wyoming State Liquor Association argue the health department doesn’t have the authority to enact or enforce the smoke-free air rule.

The agency is an appointed body that has only the powers bestowed upon it by elected officials, and elected officials have defeated legislation on the state and local level in recent years, the lawsuit states.

The complainants argue the rule is unlawful because Wyoming law “prohibits the delegation of municipal functions, other than those which are purely administrative, to officials not subject to the control of the people.”

Keith Gingery, attorney for Teton County and the health district, said he expected this argument.

The state Legislature granted public heath boards in the state the power to protect public health, he said.

“The question here is, does that include smoke-free air?” Gingery said. “And that will be the key legal discussion.”

The complainants also argue that the rule is inequitable.

The suit states that while the rule is “based on the finding that ‘breathing secondhand smoke is a cause of disease to healthy nonsmokers,’ the 2009 Air Rule does not prohibit smoking in personal residences or personal vehicles or private clubs.”

The lawsuit argues there is not justification for “imposing restrictions on less than all classes of smoking or classes of locations allowing smoking.”

The suit argues the rule is “special legislation which violates Wyoming constitutional requirement that all persons similarly situated should be treated alike.”

The suit also alleges the rule violates the Fifth and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, though it does not say how.

The Virginian is the only establishment affected by the new rule because it is the only business that allows smoking inside other than Tobacco Row, which is exempt from the rule.

Max Anderson, the Virginian Saloon and Liquor Store manager, said she is not commenting on the lawsuit until after the weekend.

She told the News&Guide earlier this week that the bar would comply with the rule, stop smoking and remove ashtrays.

Steven Freudenthal and Frank Hess, attorneys for the complainants, did not immediately return phone calls Friday.

Yesterday, we talked with Senator Kay Hagan about her campaign support from big tobacco and her opposition to the Food and Drug Administration regulating tobacco. In fact both North Carolina Senators oppose the idea. We hoped to talk with Senator Burr about the issue to ask the same tough questions of him that we asked of Senator Hagan. Namely whether his position had anything to do with the money tobacco groups have spent on his campaigns. We tried multiple times but the Senator’s Press Office said Burr would not be available to do an interview on the matter. According to the non-partisan, non-profit Center for Responsive politics, Burr has received more than $355,000.00 in campaign support from the tobacco industry; making him the second highest recipient of tobacco money of anyone in the Senate. Burr’s staff did tell Nine On Your Side that the Senator’s position had to do with jobs and not tobacco money.

Here is Senator Burr’s statement on FDA Regulation: “Granting FDA regulation of the tobacco industry would severely impede the agency’s core mission which is to ensure the safety and efficacy of our nation’s food supply, medicines, and medical devices.  It would also discourage tobacco companies from introducing reduced risk products to the market, which public health experts say could significantly reduce tobacco-related illness and death. Our alternative would create a new agency responsible solely for the regulation of tobacco without further burdening the already over-stretched FDA.”

Tough questions tonight for Senator Kay Hagan about her campaign funding from big tobacco and her opposition to the Food and Drug Administration regulating tobacco. In fact both of North Carolina’s Senators oppose the idea. And both got thousands of dollars in support for their political careers from tobacco companies. We wanted to know the real reason behind the opposition.

Supporters of Senate Bill 982 say giving the Food and Drug Administration the authority to regulate tobacco products is long overdue in fighting America’s tobacco health care crisis.

982 is Senator Edward Kennedy’s bill and in a statement he says that FDA regulation can decrease smoking among the youth by preventing tobacco advertising targeting children and can help prevent tobacco sales to minors.

Kennedy also says that regulation can make tobacco products less toxic and less addictive for those who use them.

In a conference call, Senator Kay Hagan said she didn’t think the government’s top regulatory agency should regulate tobacco.

Hagan says, “I think that the key point is that they’ve got too much on their plate right now. You look at the outbreaks of salmonella that have occurred across our country and I think they’re overburdened, I think they’re overworked and I think they need to concentrate on food and drugs.“

Since the National Institutes of Health clearly states that tobacco is not only a drug but “One of the most heavily used addictive drugs” we had to ask is her position really based on wanting the FDA to focus on food and drugs or is it influenced more by thousands and thousands of dollars in campaign support she received from tobacco companies?

Reporter: “I know that in the past you’ve received some financial support from tobacco groups for your campaign. Does your current position on this bill have anything to do with that?“
Hagan responds, “You know I think tobacco companies have given quite a bit of funding to Republican candidates and it certainly has no bearing whatsoever. I am primarily interested in jobs in North Carolina and the impact this will have on the farming community and I am certainly here to advocate on behalf of North Carolina’s best interests.

Which begs the question: is our states best interest the health of our people or the health of our tobacco industry?

Hagan says, “I think it goes back to the public at large knows that tobacco smoking is harmful and I think that’s one of the things that’s already currently known and the FDA has too much on their plate to deal with.“

Her alternative to the FDA regulating tobacco? Hagan says, “A new agency, paid for by the tobacco companies that would do fees on the cigarettes that would actually regulate them.“

As we mentioned, Senator Burr is co-sponsoring legislation with Hagan offering an alternative to the FDA tobacco regulation bill. His campaigns have received far more support from tobacco groups than Hagan. We hope to hear what he has to say about any possible influence tobacco money has had on his position tomorrow.

We posted this story online before it aired and were immediately contacted by a member of Senator Hagan’s staff, who questioned the accuracy of our story. When they could not provide a single example of anything factually incorrect, the staff member said they deeply resent the questions raised in this story.

As journalists we have an obligation to ask the tough questions and to hold the powerful accountable.

At the Senators request we are happy to point out the fact that tobacco plays an important part in North Carolina’s economy.

Copyright © 2009 Wnct

A recession is a good time for bad habits to go up in smoke, a Timaru nurse believes.

When times are tough economically it makes sense to quit smoking, Timaru Hospital smokefree clinical nurse specialist Olly Wilson says in the lead-up to World Smokefree Day on May 31.

“A pack-a-day smoker could save more than $4000 a year by quitting or $8000 if a couple smokes.

“Imagine having that much extra money. It could take a lot of stress out of car repairs, school fees, rent payments, groceries and the winter power bill.”

World Smokefree Day’s focus this year encourages people to give quitting smoking a go. Mr Wilson says this fits well with the economic climate.

“We are all looking for ways to save money. Quitting smoking is a great way to keep more money in your family’s pocket and invest in your family’s health.

“You wouldn’t pay someone to wreck your car, why pay someone to wreck your body?” He acknowledged that quitting can be hard and suggests that people find out about the help available, enlist the support of their loved ones and set a quit date.

Help is available for those wanting to quit. He recommended calling the free Quitline on 0800 778 778, and using nicotine replacement therapy such as patches or gum, which can double a person’s chances of stopping.

He suggested people write down all the reasons they want to stop and tape the list to the fridge to help them stay motivated.

Copyright © 2009 Stuff

Eight months after the ban on smoking in public places came into effect, a survey has revealed that while 88% restaurants, bars and pubs are aware of the smoking ban, only 64% are implementing it. Also, hookah bars recorded the worst air-quality levels.

Youth volunteers surveyed a sample of 60 restaurants, bars and pubs in the city and the suburbs from March 19 to April 30.The air quality monitoring survey by Healis Sekhsaria Institute for Public Health also revealed that the city still has some way to go as far as complete implementation of the ban is concerned.

“Air quality at indoor public places where people smoke is far worse than garbage dumping grounds,” said Dr PC Gupta, Director, Healis Sekhsaria Institute.

Compared to the average particulate matter concentration of 97 PM2.5 µ/m3 in non-smoking venues, smoking venues averaged nearly 363 PM2.5 µ/m3 — worse than the average values seen at Mumbai’s different garbage dumping grounds (149-169 PM2.5 µ/m3), he explained.

The BMC and NGOs have been organising workshops with the support of the Association of Hotels and Restaurants in Mumbai (AHAR). “They came up with suggestions like a ’smoke-free’ helpline, a ‘flying squad’, distribution of uniformly sized no smoking signs etc,” said Dr Surendra Shastri, head, preventive oncology, Tata Memorial Hospital.

Copyright © 2009 Dnaindia

Government reported that it would ensure pictorial warnings like the skull and cross bones or a cancer-deformed face on the packets of cigarettes and other tobacco products starting with May 31st.
The government’s law officer said: “The Union of India undertakes to implement the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products (Packing and Labeling) Rules, 2008, from May 31, 2009″.
The government’s undertaking came during the hearing of a lawsuit by NGO Health for Millions seeking implementation of the law on pictorial warnings on the packets of all tobacco products. The pictorial warning would occupy 40 percent of the space on the front of all packets.
The project came a day after the court queried the government on Jaisingh’s charge that despite a Group of Ministers at its meeting Feb 3 deciding that the pictorial warning should be carried on both sides of the packet, the government notification only provided for this on the front.
Jaisingh argued that this was due to the pressure of the tobacco lobby and was much against the wishes of former health minister A. Ramados, a solid supporter of the “No Smoking cause”.
On Feb 3rd Group of Ministers had a meeting in the court. At this meeting Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam explained that while the agenda mentioned that the displays would be on both sides of packets, at the meeting did not specify this.
That’s why Group of Ministers had wanted to convene another meeting to correct the lacunae but this did not happen due to the insufficiency of the time in the run-up to the general elections.
According to a health ministry official, the pictorial warnings are a crucial step to protect the public from the hazards of tobacco and second-hand smoke, and to reduce the use of tobacco by the youth.