BARAGA — The veterans at the American Legion Post 444 see it as pretty straightforward.

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Smoking tobacco is legal. They own, run and risk failure at their post’s tavern in tiny Baraga at the base of the Keweenaw Bay in the Upper Peninsula.

So they get to decide whether patrons get to smoke.

That wasn’t an issue before May 1, when a statewide ban on smoking in places of employment took effect (with a few, minor exceptions and one major one: Detroit’s three casinos).

Now Foucault-Funke Post 444, where the ashtrays never came off the tables and smokers line the bar each afternoon and evening, is at the center of what could be a decisive showdown for the new state law and — as the vets see it — for the individual liberty and self-government they fought to defend.

Earlier this month, the post sued the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department to strike down as unconstitutional the department’s order to end indoor smoking.

“It’s not about the smoking,” said post spokesman Joseph O’Leary. “It’s about the right to choose to allow the use of a legal substance on our property.”

Smoke looks like freedom on a Baraga afternoon

At least for the time being, smoking is good for business at the Baraga American Legion post.

On a recent perfect August afternoon, nearly two dozen patrons took shelter from the sun at its U-shaped bar to toss back brew, banter and (for about half the group) brazenly blow smoke into the indoor air.

The way one of those smokers, Baraga resident and auxiliary post member Anita Shepard, sees it, that smoke is what freedom looks like.

“People walk in, stop and see the ashtrays and they’re blown away,” she said. “They say, ‘Awright,’ turn around and go back to their cars to get their cigs.”

The new state smoking ban, Shepard said, is just one more encroachment on personal freedom, a decision handed down by out-of-touch politicians 500 miles away. She likens it to restrictions on gun rights and creeping government intrusion generally.

“We’re not a communist country yet, but we’re only one step away from it,” she said.

The leaders of the Baraga post said they didn’t go looking for a confrontation with the state or local health authorities. But when the new law was signed, they decided it was time to take a stand.

“These are guys who put their lives on the line for their country,” said O’Leary, an honorary member of Post 444.

“They said, ‘Wait a minute. This is our property. This is not heroin. Nobody in the world who doesn’t like smoke has to walk through that door.’

“They just decided, enough is enough.”

When May 1 came, Post Commander Rick Geroux issued a notice to members and employees that, until ordered by a court, the new restrictions would not be observed on its premises.

During the next two months, several citizen complaints were filed about the post’s noncompliance, and local health department officials sent notices of violation. Geroux responded with a news release July 16 that described the new law as unconstitutional and un-American.

Further, the exemption for Detroit’s casinos (which was based on their need to compete with American Indian casinos not covered by the state law) is “wildly unfair” to the Baraga post, which lies within a mile, and competes for customers, with two alcohol-serving, smoking-acceptable tribal facilities, Geroux said.

After getting a cease-and-desist order from the health department July 20, the post decided to sue.

Guy St. Germain, director of the western Upper Peninsula health department, said the post’s take on the law is “strictly speaking, irrelevant to how we do our job.

“We’re obligated to enforce public health statutes the Legislature passes. This is a valid law until a court says otherwise.”

St. Germain said the Baraga post is alone among establishments in the five-county region that have chosen to ignore the law. He said a “small handful” of complaints about other violations were mostly technical in nature and easily resolved. A spokesman for the state Attorney General’s Office said she was unaware of any other lawsuits over the smoking ban.

Post spokesman O’Leary, also the Baraga County prosecuting attorney, believes noncompliance with the law, especially in the libertarian-leaning Upper Peninsula, is more widespread than health officials acknowledge. The legion post has been targeted, at least in part, because it is openly defiant, he said.

That high profile has helped in some ways, as well, generating donations to a legal defense fund and drawing support from all over the state.

St. Germain and the health department have asked Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox to defend the smoking ban in court. A response to the post’s lawsuit is due soon.

For now, however, Post 444 keeps serving and its patrons keep smoking.

The front door is decorated with a bumper sticker, notifying customers: “We believe in Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Those Who Threaten It!”

Inside, the barkeeper distributes another to visitors, “Say yah to da U.S. eh!,” a patriotic variation on the green stickers that became ubiquitous in northern Michigan in the 1980s — “Say yah to da U.P. eh!”

The vets at Post 444 said they don’t think of smoking as an act of patriotism (although several of the elder statesmen point out the government provided the smokes and hooked them on the habit when they were in the service).

But there isn’t any question they view a government order to stop as an affront to liberty.

“No foreign enemy has ever taken away any of our liberties or our property,” O’Leary said. “Now those guys in Lansing are doing it.”

GENESEE TOWNSHIP – Michigan’s new smoking ban appears to be creating a boost in the e-cigarette industry.

At least one local restaurant says it’s looking at these electronic cigarettes as a way to keep their staff and customers smoking legally indoors.

Many who run bars and restaurants in Mid-Michigan say they’ve been struggling with ways to maintain their smoking customer base since the smoking ban went into effect May 1. For one local restaurant, it wasn’t just the customers they were worried about, but nearly their entire staff smokes.

The new e-cigarettes appear to have answered some of their problems already.

“It’s just steam. It’s water vapor, but gives the nicotine of each of these cartridges is about a pack of cigarettes,” said Cindy Guillie who owns Guillie’s Coney Island.

The tobacco-free cigarettes that just emit vapor turned out to be the answer to a troubling problem for management at Guillie’s Coney Island in Genesee Township, where all by two of their employees smoke.

“With them not being able to smoke here-it because very difficult for them to work a whole shift.

As the smoking ban was approaching in Michigan, Guillie says she and her husband began investigating the concept of e-cigarettes.

So there’s no smell, and there’s very little taste. “They’re exempt from all smoking bans because there’s no tobacco in them, and you don’t light them,” Guillie explained.

Now Guillie and all her employees are using them and finding them cost effective. She considers e-cigarettes more environmentally friendly and even offer benefits to employees who are no longer inhaling tobacco smoke.

“Nicotine does not cause cancer. The tar in the cigarettes causes cancer,” Guillie said.

Since she recommended them for the employees, Guillie said the e-cigarette concept has been catching on. “We’ve been selling these things like hotcakes. In fact, some bars rent them because they’re completely harmless.”

While some of her smoking customers still are choosing to take their food to go and smoke and eat at picnic tables outside, the e-cigarettes are turning into a solution for many customers who are looking to sit inside as a break from their outdoor work.

“Sit down have coffee, have some pop and go back to work because it’s their break time. So this is a solution to it,” said Guillie.

Guillie said the smoking units cost about $100 each with rechargeable batteries, and it’s about $2 a nicotine cartridge that lasts a bit more than a normal pack.

Cathy Shafran
May 11, 2010

Maybe we should call Missouri the “Smoke Me” state.

Whether it’s at home or at work or at the convenience store checkout counter, Missourians live in a state that is one of the most tobacco-friendly places in the nation. That’s according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that ranks states on their tobacco control efforts.

At just 17 cents per pack, Missouri has the second-lowest state tobacco tax, after South Carolina, the CDC statistics show.

Missouri workers are more likely to be exposed to tobacco smoke than any workers outside of Nevada. And Missouri families are more likely than others to welcome smoking in their homes — 69.5 percent of households in the state maintain no smoking rules, compared with the national average of 77.6 percent.

This nonchalance doesn’t come without cost. An estimated 307 adults out of every 100,000 in Missouri die each year due to smoking. Only nine states had higher rates.

The CDC’s numbers for Kansas were nothing to be proud of either, but its rates of adult smoking and smoking-related deaths were closer to the national averages than those of Missouri.

So what keeps Missouri smoking?

“There’s a real lack of political will and a lack of investment in tobacco control,” said Douglas Luke, director of Washington University’s Center for Tobacco Policy Research in St. Louis. “The shame is that it costs us both in money and lives.”

Missouri doesn’t have a clean indoor air law, Luke said. That leaves many workers in bars, restaurants and casinos exposed to second-hand smoke.

And Missouri spends just 1.7 percent of the amount the CDC recommends for tobacco prevention programs such as anti-smoking media and education campaigns. Only Mississippi and Tennessee spent less.

“It’s not that we’re trying and failing,” Luke said. “It’s that we’re not even trying.”

Kit Wagar, spokesman for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, acknowledged that more could be done to discourage smoking. But there have been successes, he said.

“Nobody here is under any illusions that we’ve done enough. This is a huge public health problem,” Wagar said. “We’re working as hard as we can with the resources we have. We think we are making progress.”

Missouri has successful prevention programs in schools, Wagar said.

And when the state teamed up with the Royals and Cardinals last year for anti-smoking public service announcements, calls by smokers to the state’s “quit line” more than doubled.

Luke is heartened by the growing number of localities in Missouri, such as Kansas City, Kirksville and Columbia, that have enacted indoor smoking bans.

“I have a lot of hope things will continue to improve and there will be discussion of doing something statewide,” Luke said. “Do we want to be known as one of the most unhealthy places in the country?”
By ALAN BAVLEY
Kansas City, May. 06, 2010

Domestic market

KT&G’s brand portfolio retains a 63% of market share in Korea.

Its major brands include: Esse (17% market share), The One (6.9%), Raison (6.0%), This Plus (5.1%), This (2.2%), Season (1.9%), Time (1.8%) and Bohem (1.7%). The company controls 80% of the super slim segment, 67% of the slim and 40% of the king size segments.

Domestic manufacturing is carried out at four high-technology KT&G factories in Korea producing 140 billion pieces of cigarettes annually, and these factories account for 50% of the world’s super slim cigarettes.

The addition of new cigarette factories in Turkey, Iran and Russia (to be opened this year), along with the constant process of automation and facility upgrades will strengthen KT&G’s production capacity globally.

Packaging innovations

Packaging is an important medium for Korean consumers and manufacturers strive to create striking and effective solutions to appeal to customers. Cigarette packaging reflects this preference in Korea, and KT&G has made great efforts to create appropriate packaging for its brands.

“A lot of special packaging or edition products with various design and function, have been already introduced in the market,” a KT&G spokesperson told Tobacco Asia. “Special edition products are often offered in metal packaging to enhance a premium image. Also, the slide pack was introduced in year 2003 for the Zest brand, a major innovation over previous pack design. With regards to developing packaging, since it is most important for us to source materials that are suitable for the concept and which contribute to the desirability and value of each brand, we do not put importance on where materials are coming from. They could be either produced in-house or outsourced.”

Growth segments

Korea’s domestic market has shown a growing preference for super slim and low tar products, and KT&G is strong in both these segments. Demand for both super slim and low tar products will most likely keep on growing, which will help KT&G to maintain its lead.

“Since the segment grew fast from the beginning on account of health concern and the perceived well-being of Korean smokers, we anticipate that the super slim and low tar segment will enjoy steady market expansion,” KT&G told Tobacco Asia.

New technology

KT&G has not been slow in developing and embracing new technology to further the growth of its brands.

Innovations that have been introduced recently include the development of various types of filters with specific inherent function, such as the tube filter, a bamboo charcoal filter, the three-layered cavitec filter and so on.

Research and development of ultra low tar brands (cigarettes with tar levels as low as 0.5mg or even 0.1mg) and innovative less smoke smell (LSS) cigarettes is well under way, and we can expect to see initial offerings in these segments presented quite soon, according to the company.

“There are several steps for new products to be launched in market,” KT&G said. “Various surveys are performed prior to launching, and marketing strategies that are developed in accordance with 4P mix are articulated in order to create smoker/market-oriented products.”

Distribution and suppliers

KT&G operates it own direct sales distribution force all across the country covering various channels, and it has developed a formidable domestic supply chain.

“Regardless of type of material, high quality is the most important thing we look for in any supplier,” the company said.

The company sources much of its leaf tobacco domestically, with flue-cured leaf sourced primarily in the Chunbuk, Kyungbuk region and burley from the Geonnam, Geonbuk area.

“KT&G deals with farmers directly and it is the exclusive buyer from the farmer,” the spokesperson told us. “Farmers try their best to produce good leaf quality and meet KT&G’s standard for tobacco leaves. KT&G supports Korean tobacco farmers through various training programs.”

Rules and regulations

The Korean government has various programs regulating tobacco production, sales and consumption, including the Tobacco Business law, the Health Promotion law, and a Youth Protection law. Recent legislation has expanded smoke-free areas and most buildings are divided into smoking and non-smoking areas. Some buildings have been declared smoke-free areas in their entirety. Health Promotion Funds, levied on tobacco, are utilized for non-smoking education, to finance stop smoking campaigns and no smoking ads. Most recently, warning messages on cigarette package have been expanded to list potentially cancer-causing ingredients.

“Korea ratified FCTC in 2005 and has been participating very actively on its implementation since then,” according to our source. “Korea is known as one of the countries with a strong smoking ban policy. The obligatory and advisory articles in FCTC were already implemented in domestic law before the agreement was signed. Since FCTC ratification, the national assembly as well as executives have been paying attention to anti-smoking policy and proposing various bills related to non-smoking and health.”

Tax structures

The Korean government has announced that it believes that raising taxes on cigarettes will serve to reduce the country’s smoking rate through price control.

An tax increase of KW500 (US$0.45) per pack was introduced in December, 2004, and an additional hike was planned. However, there were protests over the sudden price increase of cigarette, and so far the plan has not yet been executed.

“KT&G is expecting a fair decision on reasonable tax increases that conform to a timely schedule that considers the opinions of other producers and consumer resistance, and KT&G will abide by governmental policy to decide the price of its products,” the spokesperson said.

Exports

Exports are a growing factor in KT&G’s growth, and it has enjoyed notable success with several of its products in various overseas markets. The largest market for KT&G cigarettes currently is the Middle East region, including Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan.

“We have also enjoyed rapid development in the CIS region where Esse was accepted very well by female smokers,” we were told. “Esse is our global flagship brand and has enjoyed wide success all across the world. The super slim segment will most likely keep expanding its influence and KT&G plans on developing its Esse brand globally and becoming a household name for super slims.”

Esse is certainly well on the way to achieving this goal as it has already proved itself to be a potent brand.

“Esse is a major success for KT&G and it has targeted a very specific segment of the market, the health-oriented and premium image category,” KT&G told us. “Esse has taken advantage of its position as the first super slim brand in the market in various regions. Esse has enjoyed high performance and has become well-accepted by female smokers, particularly in the CIS and Russia.”

Esse’s success owes perhaps as much to the ground work done assessing the potential market and preparing the product to meet the relevant criteria as anything else.

“Prior to launching products, a consumer survey is always done in order to measure the suitability of the product in a specific market,” the company said. “A brand is developed and tailored for certain markets; it could be adjusted in terms of blending and packaging for different regions.”

Future markets

KT&G is looking forward to introducing its brands to new consumers elsewhere in the world, building on the success of its efforts in existing markets. According to the company, new market development will be focused on Europe and South America.

“KT&G will have its third overseas manufacturing facility soon as its factory in Russia is finished in 2010,” the company said. “Operating a factory in Turkey has made it easier for us to reach out to smokers in Europe where KT&G hasn’t made a breakthrough – yet.”

To ensure the maximum potential for success, it is critical that the right distributor is selected, a process that KT&G takes great care to assess candidates based on its own experience in the domestic market.

“It is critical for KT&G to keep good relations with distributors since they manage and are in charge of our overseas distribution in different regions,” KT&G said. “We have worked closely with several distributors ever since we started global operations. Without a direct sales force in overseas markets, we wish to continue working closely with distributors to reach out to global consumers. It is important that KT&G and its distributors should be able to exchange information about market and to discuss the issues concerning marketing activities in specific regions. However, most important qualification, and an overriding condition in the selection and appointment of any overseas KT&G distributor, is credibility.”

YES: Don’t subsidize costly habit at the expense of services we need.

By Ron Stephens

I’m a proud Republican and a fiscal conservative. I’m also the lead sponsor on a bill that would raise an estimated $350 million in new state taxes and attract another $1 billion in federal health care funds to Georgia. What’s more, I’m looking forward to running for re-election this year and will campaign on this issue.

If all this sounds confusing and contradictory, let me explain. House Bill 39 would raise the state tax on cigarettes by $1 a pack — from the current 37 cents a pack (fifth-lowest in the nation) to $1.37. For a whole host of reasons, this is an idea whose time has come.

For me, the case for the so-called “buck a pack” increase rests mainly on the need to promote the good health of our citizens (by discouraging smoking) and on tax equity.

Right now Georgia’s 37 cents a pack cigarette tax generates about $237 million a year, but we spend $537 million a year treating smoking-related illnesses in Medicaid patients alone. That means Georgia’s taxpayers are subsidizing the medical costs for the smokers among us to the tune of $300 million a year. Per household, Georgians are contributing $550 a year to cover the smoking-related medical costs for the state’s Medicaid patients. Raising the cigarette tax by a buck a pack would generate at least $350 million and put the burden where it needs to be — on the smokers themselves.

Let me be clear that my purpose is not to demonize smokers. Smoking is an addiction, and most of the smokers I know have tried to quit — many times. Without a doubt, the higher tax will give some enough incentive to do so. I certainly hope so. It would suit me fine if the extra dollar tax caused every smoker in the state to stop tomorrow.

Sadly, history tells us that won’t happen. The last time we raised the tobacco tax was in 2003, when we bumped it from 12 cents a pack to the current 37 cents. In 2004, Georgia’s tobacco tax revenues increased by 142 percent. Cigarette manufacturers and retailers opposing my bill warn that it will simply drive smokers across state lines to lower-tax markets, but there’s not much evidence that happens. In South Carolina, for instance, tobacco tax revenues actually declined after Georgia raised its tax in 2003.

Beyond tax equity and health care issues is the fact, of course, that Georgia is facing unprecedented budget challenges. The General Assembly is struggling now to plug a $1.1 billion hole in the state budget. The “buck a pack” tax increase on cigarettes would attract an estimated $1 billion in new federal health care funds, giving us much-needed flexibility in other areas of the budget.

Without new revenue, we’re facing truly draconian budget choices. Do we really want to lay off state patrol officers, fire prison guards and reduce the number of school days so that we can maintain Georgia’s reputation as one of the cheapest cigarette markets in the nation? Is that more important than, for instance, rebuilding a public health system that is already suffering from more than a 30 percent vacancy rate and is inadequate to handle responsibilities that range from checking diabetes and hypertension to responding to disease epidemics and terrorist attacks?

These are not scare tactics. These are the choices now facing the General Assembly — and the people of Georgia.

The next few weeks will tell the tale. Will Georgia opt for a cigarette tax that finally eliminates what amounts to a $300 million subsidy for the cigarette industry and gives us the wherewithal to get through the current fiscal crisis without further undermining the public services Georgians count on? Or will we choose to preserve the dubious honor of being the source of some of the least expensive cigarettes in the nation?

The choice is all of ours to make together. Your House and Senate members need to know what you think.

State Rep. Ron Stephens (R-Savannah) is a member of the House Ways & Means Committee.

NO: Unreliable revenue source declines over time, hurts retailers.

By John Heavener

With state revenue sinking during this economic downturn, some state legislators think they can dig out of the budget hole by raising “sin taxes,” promising that it will not only improve our health, but also solve our revenue problems.

If only it were that easy.

Cigarette taxes are a quick go-to for politicians looking to fund their spending habits. But when raising cigarette taxes become a knee-jerk reaction to budget shortfalls, we need to look at all the facts.

Should the Legislature unfairly single out cigarettes for higher taxes, all while promising the public not to tax their way out of the budget mess?

Unfortunately, government wants to play a bigger role in our personal lives every year, making decisions about our finances, hobbies and health habits that used to be up to individuals to decide themselves. If smoking is their target today, what will it be tomorrow?

Tax advocates understand that most legislators have already pledged not to raise taxes and loath to even consider taxing our way out of the state’s spending problem during a time of economic uncertainty for Georgians. So these tax-increase advocates would have legislators single out cigarette smokers and retailers to carry the burden of a tax increase.

They are quick to point to a poll they recently commissioned that claims a majority of voters would actually support a “sin tax” increase. What these cleverly worded poll questions cannot explain away is what legislators hear every day in their districts: They want the state to cut spending and do not support using tax increases to balance the budget.

There is also a strictly practical reason to rethink raising cigarette taxes. Lots of data suggests that it doesn’t work, that higher taxes on tobacco products consistently have been known to fail to produce the higher projected revenues.

Higher taxes on cigarettes increase their retail cost and encourage more people to give them up or to go looking for cheaper cigarettes somewhere else. Either way, the intended revenues don’t add up.

Tying something as important as funding government programs to a tax that is designed to bring in a steadily declining revenue stream doesn’t make sense. It might provide a short-term fix, but one that virtually guarantees us insolvency down the road. We often fall into these fiscal traps, only to face a renewed crisis later.

And the short-term solution is no sure thing either. For example, New Jersey raised its cigarette excise tax by 17.5 cents in 2006. As a result, its tobacco tax revenue dropped by $22 million a year. The governor’s answer? Raise taxes another 12.5 cents a pack.

In many cases, raising tobacco taxes doesn’t make people quit, it just moves them to do their shopping in another state. If we raise the tobacco excise tax, Savannah-area retailers located close by the border can expect to see their revenues plummet — and tobacco sales constitute a hefty portion of the business done by numerous merchants, especially small, neighborhood stores.

Another common reaction to increased cigarette taxes is for smokers to turn to Internet vendors. These scam artists, many operating out of foreign countries, don’t charge taxes at all, nor do they pay them — failing to provide the state with legally required cigarette taxes.

Their business model of online ordering, credit card payment and mail-order delivery also make it possible for kids to buy cigarettes anytime they want. No ID check to worry about; all they have to do is beat their parents to the mailbox.

Unfortunately, as nice as it would be for a simple cigarette tax hike to solve all our problems, it just won’t work. There is still no substitute for fiscal responsibility. Whether they like it or not, lawmakers should bite the bullet and figure out a way to live within their budget, just like the rest of us.

SALT LAKE CITY — So, how do you get a fiscally conservative governor to sign a cigarette tax increase in an election year?

Make him an offer he can’t refuse — like more money for programs that he wants, which GOP lawmakers would otherwise cut, including public and higher education.

It’s a strategy that appears to be working, say sponsors of House and Senate bills raising the state’s tobacco tax.

Both Rep. Paul Ray, R-Clearfield, and Sen. Allen Christensen, R-North Ogden, said Monday they believe Gov. Gary Herbert will sign off on a tobacco tax hike, even though Herbert has been talking tough on no new taxes.

Christensen has gone so far as to put together a list of programs the $50 million from his tax increase would keep off the chopping block, ranging from public education to Utah Highway Patrol troopers to the yet-to-be established state dental school.

Although Christensen said Friday his “shopping list” wouldn’t be included in his bill. Instead, the programs that would be saved with the cigarette tax revenue would be determined through the usual budget process.

Many of the items on what he called his “shopping list” are also top priorities of the governor as Herbert negotiates the budget with

Ray doesn’t endorse earmarks, but he understands the effect of identifying where the money should go.

“It plays favorably with the governor,” Ray said. “I think a lot of that is aimed at the governor. He won’t veto it if we take care of the hot spots in the budget.”

Christensen said in a statement that “Gov. Herbert again and again has told us that he has never said he would veto a tobacco tax increase. … He has also said he did not intend to make this particular tax a political issue like some around us are doing.”

But Herbert, who faces conservative state GOP delegates in a May convention, has said he doesn’t want to increase any taxes, including those on cigarettes. Last week, the governor told the Deseret News he has veto pens “greased up and ready to go.”

But how do you get the tax hike past Herbert?

Neither lawmakers nor the governor want to lay off 29 UHP troopers, release 213 prison inmates in August, or make severe cuts to higher education and some human services.

Herbert says take more money out of the state’s Rainy Day Fund to pump into those and other programs. Taking another $50 million from the fund would still leave what he calls a respectable $200 million balance.

But conservatives don’t want to further increase the state’s “structural deficit” for the budget year that begins July 1 and beyond.

“That ensures a general tax hike,” said House Majority Leader Kevin Garn, R-Layton, in 2012 or 2013 if Utah’s economy doesn’t bounce back quickly.

So, to get Herbert’s signature on a tobacco tax bill, legislators could — on a priority basis — put those revenues into programs the governor really wants funded.

If he vetoes the bill, then those programs aren’t funded.

Of course, before the governor can decide what to do about a tax increase, lawmakers need to pass one. Ray says between GOP and Democratic representatives he has around 45 “yes” votes (38 are needed for House passage) on his cigarette tax bill. It would raise the tax on a pack of cigarettes from 69.5 cents to about $1.70.

Christensen has a harder sell to a GOP Senate caucus that’s split on the issue. He said he’ll make another pitch to the caucus Tuesday on his bill to boost the tax on a pack of cigarettes to $2. He can likely count on some Democrat senators’ votes — it takes 15 votes to pass in the 29-member Senate.

Senate President Michael Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, said he’ll support the tobacco tax increase. “I think it’s the proper thing to do,” he said.

Even the tobacco industry itself appears to accept there will be a tax hike. Reportedly, cigarette makers are hoping to limit the size of the increase to just 25 cents or so a pack, rather than stop it altogether.

That is, after all, what Utahns want, according to a recent Deseret News/KSL-TV poll that found 80 percent of the state’s residents want to see the tobacco tax increased.

And nearly 60 percent in the Dan Jones & Associates survey want the state’s budget balanced by a combination of budget cuts and tax hikes to close a $700 million shortfall.

Cigar shapes of the most famous Cuban cigar brand known as Cohiba will be honored and tasted by cigar lovers from 60 countries around the world during the upcoming 12th Habano Festival, scheduled to take place from February 22nd through the 26th in Havana.

Cohiba is considered one most prestigious brands in the world of Premium cigars (hand-rolled). The brand was launched in 1966 and for years these cigars were reserved as presents for government personalities who visited Cuba.

Tobacco leaves collected to make Cohibas are carefully selected from the best five plantations in the famous localities of San Juan y Martinez, and San Luis, in the region of Vuelta Abajo, located in western province of Pinar del Rio.

The Cohiba is the only Habano brand whose production takes a second fermentation of two of the three kinds of leaves. This process provides the aroma and taste that distinguish this cigar brand.

In late 2009, the Cuba-Tabaco enterprise, which is of part of Habanos S.A. Cuban-Spanish association, won a litigation against the U.S. General Cigar firm which was illegally marketing the brand Cohiba in the United States.

The decision, which was issued last December 14th by a federal judge, resolved a 12-year litigation by prohibiting General Cigar from using the Cuban brand in the United States.

The sale of Cuban cigars by the end of 2009 significantly improved following a very complex period of the previous six months, according to Habanos company executives.

Participants at the upcoming Festival will be able to check out the new cigar shapes that will soon be launched on the foreign market by Habano Company. They will also take a first-hand look at the secrets of the cigar rolling tradition.

The Festival will hold traditional activities including visits to cigar factories in Havana, a commercial fair, workshops, cigar tasting sessions, the Sommelier Contest, a key lecture on cigar rolling and tours of famous tobacco plantations in western Pinar del Rio province.

On February 22nd, the inauguration will include the launching by Habanos of its cigars for this year, plus the nominations to the Habano Prize of the year, followed by a concert Chucho Valdes.

The closing ceremony on February 26th will include the traditional auction of exclusive humidors and dinner. Proceeds from the auction will be donated to boost Cuban health care programs.

Last year’s Habano Festival was attended by over 1000 guests from 60 countries. More than 500 exhibitors from 30 countries have participated each year, according to the festival’s organizing committee.

During the Festival, entrepreneurs, producers and business people in the tobacco sector will exhibit equipment related to the tobacco industry, while artists and craftsmen will display their art works, which include paintings, crafts, bibliographies, and products for smokers.

A body of Non Governmental Organization under the aegis of Africa Tobacco Control Regional Initiative (ATCRI) is making a strong demand on the government of Africa to seek ways of controlling tobacco use in the continent. This cautionary warning is a result of increase in deaths resulting from smoking complications.

No fewer than 5.5 million deaths, resulting from complications from smoking occur in 2009 alone, a World Health Organizations´ statistics reveals. A large chunk of the death was recorded in Africa. This has prompted action from civil society groups concerned with Tobacco Control issues in Africa to try and reverse the trend.

Ethiopian Oncologist, Dr. Bogale Solomon offered a simple but practically hard option. “If everybody agrees to stop smoking at once,” he said, “we can reverse the effect in a day.” However, he was equally cognizant of the fact that such a quick solution was easier said than done.

Bogale stated that tobacco has about 50 chemicals that are known carcinogens. “In more than 90 percent of the time,” he said, “lung cancer is induced by tobacco.” He also recalled that several forms of cancer are induced by tobacco. The oncologist underlined the fact that even if the more people are exposed to tobacco chemicals, the more likely that they will be affected by cancer; there is no as such a safe level of exposure to tobacco.

This growing challenge will put pressure on already overstretched public health burden on Africa, which makes it sensible to implore information provision as a persuasive tactics for smokers to quit and for government to take serious actions “Smoking tobacco is not a matter of personal choice, as it affects not only first hand smokers but also others around them.” Says Bogale.

ATCRI´s acting director Mr. Bode Oluwafemi believes that one way to control the use of tobacco and cut smoking related death is a systematic behavioral change approach. “We need to adopt a strategy for dealing with the Tobacco companies. We need to task African government to place a strong regulatory demand on Tobacco importation or production in their various countries….The Tobacco companies must be made to abide by the provision of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which provides for pictorial warning on the packs of cigarette, such warning signals are deliberately omitted in Africa and it is unacceptable” he said.

This strategy seems to be working out with a few success cases. For instance, two States in Nigeria has placed a ban on public smoking. Few weeks ago America´s State of North Carolina joined the league of states´ that have made smoking illegal in public arenas. This is one step forward; another step is to ensure that these legislations are well implemented.

Another strategy proffered by ATCRI is a provision of reliable information on the situation of Tobacco Control in Africa “If we know what the true situation is in each country, it will give us a guide to new approach and strategies” says Mr. Adeola Akinremi, Africa Regional Coordinator for Framework Convention Alliance, an organization that is ensuring that the contents of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control is implemented.

At the moment ATCRI with the support of International Development Research Centre, IDRC is gathering useful information that will help develop country-specific intervention for the control of tobacco use African.

64 Tobacco has opened at 134 Forest Hill Road in the Forest Hill Center, next to Subway.

Donnie and Teresa Allen and Charlie and Catrina McDaniel are the partners in the business, which sells cigarettes, regular and premium cigars and other tobacco product, such as chewing tobacco, snuff and dip.

The store also sells lottery tickets.

Donnie Allen said he has worked in retail sales for years, including managing a tobacco products store in Winston-Salem for a year as well as managing a retail furniture store.

Allen said there are a couple of other tobacco shops in Lexington, “but we’re basically trying to have the lowest cost and still stay in business and offer good customer service.”

Business hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. The telephone number is 300-8101.

- Vikki Broughton Hodges

Smokers could soon break their habit with a jab that stops niccotine from being addictive by preventing it from entering the brain, scientists claimed.

As a result the injectable vaccine stops the smoker from deriving any pleasure from inhaling a cigarette.

In human trials the vaccine proved successful in 50 per cent of cases.

This would help relieve the NHS of the heavy burden of tobacco-related diseases. Smoking is believed to cost the NHS between £1.4billion and £1.7billion a year, according to the Centre for Health Economics, University of York.

And yesterday it was announced that the jab has moved one stop closer to hitting the market after pharmaceutical giant Glaxo-SmithKline made a deal with its developer Nabi Pharmaceuticals.

GSK is to pay $40million, (£24million) up front and as much as $500m in the future to Nabi.

The product, called NicVAX is likely to open a new front in the tobacco wars.

They are many products currently on the market to help people quit smoking such as nicotine patches, and gum.

But many of the existing smoking cessation products are failing to prevent many people from returning to their tobacco habits.

NicVAX is the first product that prevents smokers from returning to their habit with others just stopping their immediate tobacco use.

It helps create antibodies that bind to the addictive nicotine molecule, preventing them from passing from the blood into the brain.

Trials have shown that it halves the number of people returning to their habit compared with those given a placebo over six months.

Those vaccinated were 3.5 times more likely not to be smoking again after a year.

Medical research from the American Lung Association shows that relapse rates among smokers are as high as 90 per cent within a year of quitting.

Jean Stephanie, president of GSK’s Biological Divisions, told the Financial Times: ‘If approved, this…. technology could be a novel solution to help the millions of smokers who want to stop smoking and remain abstinent; a habit that is well documented to be very hard to stop permanently.’

It comes as sales of anti-smoking patches, gums and other devices declined last year.

In June, scientists claimed a blood pressure pill might help people quit smoking.

Researchers believe that the beta blocker drug works on certain brain chemicals and effectively deletes some of the memories associated with the habit.

It is these memories which help drive the craving and lead to thousands of would-be quitters relapsing.

There are an estimated 10million smokers in the UK — around a quarter of men smoke, which is just slightly more than the number of women who do.

While 70 per cent try to give up each year, only 5 to 15 per cent actually manage to do so for more than 12 months.

Trials of the vaccine have been carried out by scientists at the University of California and eight other institutions. The US Food and Drug Administration put the trial on fast-track for approval.

A number of companies have developed less advanced nicotine addiction vaccines than NicVAX.

Nabi is to continue to fund that late-stage tests of NicVAX which are already under way, while GSK will support future tests and commercialisation if the results are promising.

It successful, the drug could be on the market in a little over a year.

The vaccine would revolutionise anti-smoking treatments.

Most current treatments simply replace the nicotine from cigarettes in a less harmful way, using gum, lozenges, patches and nasal sprays.

Each NicVax jab lasts about a month. People quitting would need to receive repeat doses to help them quit.

By Ryan Kisiel and Kate Loveys
17th November 2009

On Nov. 19, many people will throw away their cigarettes in honor of the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout. Jason Halford, 29, of Joliet probably will not be one of them.

In the nine years since he started smoking, Halford has quit twice, but he blames job and money-related stresses for lighting back up. Even the rising cost of cigarettes isn’t enough to discourage him.

“I buy cheap brands and look for dollar-off specials,” Halford said.

While some people might think the high cost of keeping the habit would discourage its use, recent research suggests the opposite may be true.

Dr. Bruce Christiansen of the University of Wisconsin’s Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention (CTRI) discovered that half the adults in Milwaukee’s poorest neighborhoods smoke, despite paying $9 for a pack of cigarettes on a household income below $15,000.
Quit kit
“There’s an ugly truth about the good news of dropping smoking rates,” Christiansen said. “While smoking rates have dropped overall, we’ve left some populations behind.”

In response to his findings, Christiansen and his group are creating a tool kit for community organizations. Smokers who come to food pantries or shelters can receive a 13-minute intervention message about the best methods for quitting, including medication options and referral to the Wisconsin Tobacco Quitline. This provides free coaching and starter medication.

The Will County Health Department offers a more intense solution. For $20, people 18 and older can attend the American Lung Association’s seven-week Freedom From Smoking program. For the program’s duration, free nicotine patches or lozenges will be distributed up to six weeks to those interested in using them, although their use is not required.

“Those are only two options that are available,” said Michelle Marek, community health director. “Some people like throwing the patches on and not worrying about it, and others prefer to quit cold turkey. What works for one person doesn’t work for another.”
Support of peers
Although each hour-and-a-half session will address topics — quitting techniques, stress management, weight control, healthy diet and controlling smoking urges — possibly the program’s main benefit is its sense of “I’ve officially quit” and “We’re all in this together.”

“No one quits by himself,” Marek said. “A lot of these people have been smoking for a long time and get into their own routines. But the other people in the class are going through the same struggle and they get helpful tips from one another.”

Classes meet only once each week, except week four — “quit week” — when everyone stops smoking on the same day and meets 48 hours later for a follow-up session. Despite the low-cost fee to cover materials, Marek said the program attracts people with a wide range of ages and income.

Even as participants “kick the habit,” they are also learning strategies to replace smoking with a healthy lifestyle and possibly add years to their lives.

According to the health department’s Smoke-Free Joliet Coalition (www.smokefreejoliet.org), a 50-year study of more than 34,000 male doctors found that quitting by age 40 can add about nine years to a man’s life. Quit by age 50 and gain six.

For those who cannot attend the program, Marek suggests they call the free Illinois Tobacco Quitline at 866-QUIT-YES.

“They don’t have any replacement products, but they do help people over the phone,” Marek said.

The coalition’s medical experts suggest these additional methods to ease the transition to being smoke-free:

• Set a quit date then ask family and friends for support.

• Use nicotine-replacement therapy or prescription medicine to ease the withdrawal process, which peaks at one to three weeks after quitting.

• Avoid people and places that induce cigarette cravings.

• Ask your doctor for advice to adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

November 4, 2009
By DENISE M. BARAN-UNLAND For Sun-Times Media

SMOKERS will be banned from lighting up in outdoor areas where food and drinks are served under new laws being proposed by the ACT Government.
It will force smokers to move at least two metres away from eating and drinking areas if they want a cigarette.

The move – mirroring similar measures in Queensland and Tasmania – is about ensuring a smoke-free workplace for waiters and waitresses, the ACT Government says.

But Health Minister Katy Gallagher concedes businesses have a tough time ahead should the laws be passed.

Under the draft laws, any outdoor area where food or drinks are served must remain smoke-free, with restaurants, cafes, clubs and pubs – not the smokers – facing fines if they don’t toe the line.

Ms Gallagher said she expected opposition from industry groups, but maintained no worker should be exposed to smoke in their workplace.

“There just simply isn’t an argument that you can run that says, ‘well it’s not okay to smoke in anyone else’s workplace, but we can smoke in a waiter and waitress’s workplace’,” she said.

Asked about the rights of smokers, she conceded it was “a balancing act”.

But other states had proved the system was workable.

“It’s made it more difficult for smokers to smoke in public, but the sky hasn’t fallen in,” Ms Gallagher said.

She was unrepentant about pushing the no-smoking message, with the Government also introducing draft laws to ban smoking at all underage events.

It’s also considering following NSW’s lead in banning smoking in cars with children.

Ms Gallagher admitted the new change could force businesses to outlay cash to create new smoking areas, just three years after an indoor smoking ban compelled them to rezone service areas.

She denied the move was likely to deter customers from visiting Canberra’s entertainment spots.

“Change doesn’t come easily, but I believe that we have been as reasonable as we can whilst maintaining the position that we’re coming from, which is to reduce the harmful effects of tobacco smoke,” Ms Gallagher said.

The industry had been aware of the potential changes for at least 18 months, she said, meaning businesses would have plenty of time to adapt.

If passed in the legislative assembly, the restrictions will commence in December 2010.

October 15, 2009 News

Labour supports UK moves on tobacco

Labour Associate Health Spokesperson Iain Lees-Galloway says the decision by the UK Parliament to support a ban on tobacco displays is embarrassing for the New Zealand Government that can’t even decide whether or not it is in favour of similar action here.

“I am heartened that the UK House of Commons today voted to send legislation banning tobacco displays to the House of Lords. Removal of point-of-sale tobacco advertising is seen as the next step in the fight to prevent young people from taking up the smoking habit, a habit that kills 5000 New Zealanders every year and is the leading cause of preventable death in our country,” said Iain Lees-Galloway.

“Sadly, although the Minister responsible for tobacco control, Tariana Turia, is in favour of a ban, the National Party is happier sitting on the sidelines lest they upset anyone in the tobacco industry.

“In response to my questions in the house, Tony Ryall was unable to give the Government’s position on tobacco displays, instead offering Mrs Turia’s personal opinion on the matter. He is avoiding the issue and refuses to acknowledge the growing body of evidence that supports a ban on Tobacco Displays.

“As more and more countries introduce bans on Tobacco Displays, New Zealand falls further and further behind in preventative healthcare.

“The only people opposed to a ban are the tobacco companies and associations of which the tobacco companies are members. The only people Tony Ryall is appeasing is the tobacco companies.

“It is time for our brave little country to act. The nations we like to compare ourselves to, are rapidly removing the last bastion of tobacco advertising. How long before we are the only one left beholden to Big Tobacco?”

13 October 2009, Scoop

INDIANAPOLIS – Indianapolis is now a test market for a new kind of tobacco. Normally, it’s easy to tell when people are getting their nicotine fix. But smoking laws are changing and people can’t light up in as many places as they used to.

“So, the tobacco companies are coming up with alternative so people can still have their tobacco.”

R.J. Reynolds company is now selling what’s called dissolvable tobacco under the brand name of Camel. It’s actually tobacco you put in your mouth and it dissolves on your tongue. The product is being tested in only three cities and Indianapolis is one of them.

“We aren’t happy that individuals are being used as human guinea pigs. ” Karla Sneegas, Indiana Tobacco Prevention.

Indiana Tobacco Prevention is furious about the newest way to keep people from quitting, and that the dissolvable tobacco is on shelves in Indiana. “They don’t know what the long term risks are.”

Tobacco Prevention says companies have used Indianapolis as a test market for the last nine years because the area has a high smoking rate and lacks strong smoke free laws. Retailers say it’s too early to tell if people are buying in on the new idea.


Copyright © September 18, 2009, WXIN-TV, Indianapolis

Seattle, Washington – Rain City Cigar of Seattle is remembering September 11 this year by celebrating America and honoring her troops overseas with – what else – premium cigars.
“Along with many cigar stores and manufacturers of cigars, we have donated premium cigars to our troops overseas in the past. This year, we have joined with CAO International to remember and celebrate the selfless acts of heroism exhibited by thousands of Americans on September 11, 2001,” said Kirsten Wolfe, store manager.
Between now and September 11, Rain City is joining with premium cigar manufacturer CAO International and will be taking donations of cigars for the troops. Although they will accept all cigars donated for the troops, for every CAO cigar donated by Rain City customers, CAO International will match it.
To help commemorate the event, CAO’s West Coast representative Ed Trevino will be at the store from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm on September 11 to discuss the program and raffle off incentives and premiums to encourage donations.
Active duty military personnel in uniform will receive an additional free cigar.
“We usually have a promotion every three weeks or so. When the September promotion came along and happened to fall on the 11th, we decided to focus on celebrating America’s best and a remembrance of our troops,” Wolfe said.
Rain City Cigar is located in historic Georgetown off I-5 at Exit 162, on the corner of Corson and Michigan at 5963 Corson Ave.
###
Contact:
Kirsten Wolfe Tony Tortorici
206/767-3619 678/493-0313
info@raincitycigar.com tony@tortoricipr.com

KT&G, the leading cigarette manufacturer in South Korea is about to reveal latest versions of its top-seller ESSE brand. The new varieties ESSE Black and ESSE Silver super slims will be introduced to the public during the TFWA World Exhibition, held in the famous city of Cannes later this year.

ESSE Silver and ESSE Black, both super slims, containing 0.1 and 0.2 mg of nicotine and almost 84mm in length are expected to become one of the most successful launches for South Corean tobacco giant, said Kelly Song, executive officer of KT&G’s international sales.

KT&G’s design department just completed the image of the packs and advertising campaign (on the picture above, a poster that will be placed in major Russian magazines).

ESSE super slims will offer a unique, ravishing taste thanks to most modern filter technology, which differs from other ESSE cigarettes, particularly famous among women. The latest varieties would be oriented basically at stylish and glamorous fashionistas aged between 25-30 years old.

In addition to the introduction of the new products at the exhibition KT&G will give its traditional celebration party, which will be held on the first day of the exhibition. All KT&G partners across the globe are invited. The 2009 gala dinner will be the fourth consecutive for the Korean cigarette maker.

ESSE is the best-selling and principal brand of KT&G’ in the overseas market, with sales reaching more than 15 billion sticks last year and keep growing.

Despite reaching major success, the company has ambitious plans on expanding the ESSE range even more. According to the executive officer of international sales, the company is working on development of more varieties of ESSE brand, with different flavorings and sizes.

This year KT&G’ already introduced 3 new versions of ESSE cigarettes, among which were ESSE slims, ESSE King Size, and the super slims.

Mrs. Song added that all KT&G’ employees worked hard to create premium quality cigarettes and their efforts were rewarded with the great success of ESSE brand and the progress it has achieved in such short period of time.

Besides ESSE, the company also makes such brands as ZEST, PINE, RAISON and CIMA, popular in the domestic market and in China.

ESSE cigarettes became the third best-selling brand in Russia and Asian countries last year. The most popular varieties included ESSE Menthol, ESSE One and ESSE Lights.

Springfield, Illinois – What could you do with $200 million in tax revenues? If you were the state of Illinois, you might create 5,000 jobs, each paying $40,000 per year. That won’t happen, says the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association, because of tax losses stemming from lower casino revenues directly related to the statewide smoking ban enacted last year.
The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis announced recently that a study by two of its economists proved that the statewide smoking ban enacted in January, 2008 by the state of Illinois was the primary reason that its nine casinos lost $400 million in revenues last year. The 38-page study was reported in the July issue of The Regional Economist and showed that the smoking ban was chiefly responsible for a 22 percent decline in revenues compared to recent years and to the performance of casinos in nearby states.
“And that’s just the tip of the iceberg,” said Chris McCalla, legislative director for the IPCPR. “Businesses everywhere are suffering from the economic downturn while those in Illinois have the added impact of this contemptuous legislated smoking ban. For example, in addition to lower state income, local communities also lost over $12 million in casino tax revenues.”
McCalla criticized anti-smoking organizations for dismissing out of hand the economic impact of legislated smoking bans.
“We have the economists at the Federal Reserve Bank to thank for proving once and for all that legislated smoking bans are bad for the economy. In times like these – let alone ever – do we really need legislated smoking bans? Absolutely not! Legislators should be doing everything they can to create jobs, not destroy them,” he claimed.
IPCPR members are mainly small business owners of mom-and-pop cigar stores and manufacturers and distributors of premium, hand-made cigars, pipes and related accoutrements. There are more than 2,000 members worldwide with 64 of them in the state of Illinois.
“Casinos aren’t the only businesses to suffer with legislated smoking bans. And when business goes down, employees are eliminated or the businesses close. That means loss of jobs and loss of tax revenues. Nobody wins.
“We’re not against individual business owners declaring no smoking on their premises. It’s their right to do so. It’s local, state and federal governments that should not interfere with the rights of individuals,” McCalla said.
###
Contact:
Tony Tortorici
678/493-0313
tony@tortoricipr.com

Grants are available for assistance in replacing lost tobacco income.

The Moore County Cooper-ative Extension Service has scheduled a “how to apply” workshop on Aug. 25, at 10 a.m. at the Agricultural Center in Carthage, according to Taylor Williams, agriculture agent. Future workshops will be announced later.

Williams says all farmers who make an income from agriculture in the central Piedmont counties are eligible to apply.

Through its Tobacco Communities Reinvestment Fund, the Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA (RAFI-USA) is offering cost-share grants of up to $10,000 for individual farmers and up to $30,000 for groups to assist with the development of on-farm and community demonstrations of innovative ways to replace lost tobacco income.

The Tobacco Communities Reinvestment Fund provides cost-share support for farmers to try new production, marketing and processing strategies in order to earn more income on the farm.

Nov. 11 is the deadline for applications.

The application process is competitive, and high priority will be given to innovative projects that show farmers a new direction or opportunity.

The Tobacco Communities Reinvestment Fund receives considerable support from a grant from the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission.

More information and application materials are available by contacting Joe Schroeder, RAFI-USA, at 919-542-1396 (extension 208) or at www.joe@rafiusa.org.

A leading clothing chain has been accused by senior doctors of irresponsible advertising after it refused to remove cigarettes from its window displays.

Jack Wills, which styles itself as “outfitters to the gentry” and markets to affluent students, has five stores in London and 25 elsewhere in Britain.

Doctors and public health officials in Gloucestershire have complained about the store’s repeated use of discarded cigarette butts in its window displays, claiming that it “lacks corporate responsibility in its implicit promotion of smoking”.

In a letter to The Times today, a group of health professionals led by Sam Guglani, a consultant oncologist at Cheltenham General Hospital, says: “Tobacco remains the only legal product responsible for the premature death of half of all life-long users … Jack Wills declare their platform as being ‘fabulously British’. It is in fact an embarrassment to Britain that a leading national brand so easily ignores the responsibilities necessitated by its promotional privileges.”

Dr Guglani said that he first noticed the use of cigarettes in the chain’s Cheltenham branch in March and had been told by staff that it was used to promote an “Oxford university” image as part of a national strategy.

When he wrote to the chain to complain, he received a reply that read: “Jack Wills has always set out to target customers over 18 years of age and in particular those aged 18-22. The window display aims to depict ‘real life’ situations associated with that particular age group.”

Public health officials from NHS Gloucestershire’s Stop Smoking Services also wrote to the store asking Jack Wills to “review your marketing strategy and remove these products immediately”.

Dr Guglani said that although the store had since changed its displays, cigarette ends were still used, along with discarded bottles, apparently to signal “cool, contemporary youth culture”.

He added: “Four months later, as very much younger teenagers pass daily, gazing at the window and shopping at the store, the cigarettes remain. What message is Jack Wills sending them?”

Smoking fell to its lowest recorded level in 2007, with 21 per cent of Britons aged 16 and over smoking. But rates are highest in the 20-24 age group, where 31 per cent smoke.

Dr Guglani said: “Daily I treat people with lung cancer and cutting down on smoking is the most important way of reducing the incidence of this horrible disease.

“Jack Wills’ purpose is to sell clothing, but they were intentionally or explicitly aligning smoking with that product, presumably part of a promotional identity.

“They are at risk of promoting that lifestyle. It isn’t for doctors to override any individual’s wishes but similarly I think we do have a role in raising an eyebrow at something that runs against all other messages about good health promotion.

“We would ask them honestly and publicly to reconsider the stance they are marketing to young people.”


Copyright © 2009 Timesonline

Japan Tobacco Inc. (TSE:2914) on Thursday reported that overseas sales volumes for the first six months of 2009 dropped 0.9 per cent from the same period a year earlier to 216.1 billion cigarettes.

In contrast, sales volumes for its eight global flagship brands, including Winston and Camel, rose 1.8 per cent on the year to 121.3 billion cigarettes.

Net sales excluding taxes during the six months ended June 30 slid 10.7 per cent from the previous year to US$4.55 billion. The results were heavily impacted by fluctuations in foreign exchange rates. Net sales excluding taxes would have risen 9.1 per cent given constant rates of exchange.

Sales under the LD and Glamour global flagship brand names were strong in Russia, which Japan Tobacco has positioned as a growth market. Its share of the Russian market rose 1.1 points on the year to 36.3 per cent.

Japan Tobacco says it has increased market share in most major markets where it sells products. Its international tobacco business is handled by wholly owned subsidiary JT International SA.


Copyright © 2009 Tradingmarkets

Bavarian lawmakers have voted to loosen Germany’s toughest restrictions on smoking in public.

The state legislature in Munich decided Wednesday to allow smoking in one-room bars of up to 800 square feet (75 square meters) starting Aug. 1, so long as they are labeled as “smoking bars.” Larger bars will be allowed to set a room aside for smokers.

That will end a complete ban on smoking in bars, restaurants and discos that took effect in January 2008 and bring Bavaria in line with looser restrictions elsewhere in Germany.

The ban was widely blamed as one factor in a poor state election showing last September for the region’s governing conservative party.

Before that, officials exempted beer tents with an eye to Munich’s annual Oktoberfest.

A PROPOSED hike in cigarette tax will make the importation of illegal tobacco more profitable, potentially enticing new players into what is already a booming criminal market.

Customs service national manager for investigations Richard Janeczko said it was “obvious” that further hikes on tobacco excise would make illicit importation more lucrative.

Mr Janeczko’s comments came in the wake of a discussion paper by the Preventative Health Taskforce, titled Making Smoking History, and aimed at cutting the number of smokers from 17 per cent of the population, or three million people, to 9 per cent.

The government is reportedly considering progressively increasing the price of cigarettes to $20 for a packet of 30. The proposal has been enthusiastically endorsed by the health industry, which argues that disadvantaged groups are more likely to drop the habit if the price goes up.

Mr Janeczko said an increase in tobacco tax would effectively increase the return made by smugglers, whose profit derived from dodging the excise.

“If you ask me, ‘will they make more money if they smuggle stuff in when it’s 10 per cent higher’, obviously, just the logic says they’re going to make 10 per cent more profit if they get in,” he told The Australian.

Mr Janeczko warned that, with greater profits to be made, there was a possibility of more illegal shipments from both existing criminal gangs as well as new entrants attracted by the high returns.

Mr Janeczko said the illegal importation of tobacco was a major issue for Customs.

According to figures supplied by Customs, there were 11 detections of illicit tobacco products between January and March. They included 65 tonnes of tobacco leaf and 22 million cigarettes.

Last year, there were 40 detections of illicit tobacco products comprising 111 tonnes of tobacco leaf and 62million cigarettes.

The year before, a total of 284 tonnes of tobacco leaf and 94 million cigarettes were seized.

All told, the illegal importations represented $185 million in tax evasion, not including GST.

Mr Janeczko has previously said the market for illegal tobacco is beginning to rival the illicit drug market. There have also been reports from overseas law enforcement agencies linking the proceeds of tobacco smuggling to terror funding.

Last year, Mr Janeczko said it was believed the Lebanese crime groups responsible for tobacco importation and distribution in Australia had links to Middle East terror groups.


Copyright © 2009 Theaustralian

President Barack Obama signed a law yesterday settling a decade-long battle between health groups and tobacco companies. Left unresolved was the question of his own fight with nicotine.

The president invoked his personal struggle in lauding the legislation to strengthen regulation of tobacco products, particularly provisions that he said would curtail the marketing of cigarettes to young people.

“Each day, 1,000 young people under the age of 18 become new regular, daily smokers, and almost 90 percent of all smokers began at or before their 18th birthday,” Obama said at the White House. “I know; I was one of these teenagers.”

“I know how difficult it can be to break this habit when it’s been with you for a long time,” he said.

Obama, 47, and his aides haven’t answered directly when asked periodically whether the president has completely broken the habit since winning the White House.

“Obviously, this is a struggle that he continues to have,” White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said after the bill signing ceremony.

The legislation signed by Obama gives the Food and Drug Administration power to restrict ingredients such as tar and nicotine, limit advertising to young people and approve the sale of new products.

Studies show that smoking is most likely to become a habit during teen years, as was the case for Obama. Almost 90 percent of adult smokers started smoking at or before age 19, according to the American Cancer Society.

Staving Off Cravings

The president has said first lady Michelle Obama, whom he married in 1992, pushed him to quit. He regularly chewed nicotine gum during his 2008 presidential campaign to help stave off cravings, according to a report from his longtime primary- care physician that was released during the race. The doctor, David Scheiner, wrote that Obama was in excellent health without excess body fat or medical complaints.

With protective aides and Secret Service, it’s difficult to track whether Obama is keeping to his vow to stop. At the same time, he’s frequently in the spotlight and under scrutiny.

When asked in February whether he has smoked since moving into 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Obama was coy. “I haven’t had one on these grounds,” he told CNN. “Sometimes it’s hard, but, you know, I’m sticking to — sticking to it.”

Healthy Regimen

Except for the smoking vice, Obama adheres to a healthy diet and workout regimen, going to the gym almost every day and playing basketball and golf whenever possible. He isn’t shy about encouraging staff to live more healthily and has even offered to pay for senior aides to work out with his Chicago- based trainer, who now spends part of his week in Washington.

Still, like millions of Americans, he struggles with one of the world’s most unhealthy addictions. Smoking is the No. 1 preventable cause of death in the U.S. and claims 440,000 American lives annually, according to the American Medical Association. Forty-five million American adults smoke and 1,000 children become new smokers every day, the AMA says.

In the past, tobacco-state lawmakers have successfully fought off efforts to regulate the industry, killing a similar attempt in 1998 and a half-dozen times since then. This year, the campaign had the support of the Democratic majority in Congress, public-health groups and Altria Group Inc., the biggest U.S. cigarette maker with brands such as Marlboro and Benson & Hedges.

Withdrawal

Obama has said he puffed on three to eight cigarettes a day before deciding to quit. “So it wasn’t a huge challenge with withdrawal symptoms,” he said in an interview published in the November 2008, issue of Men’s Health magazine. “Michelle had been putting pressure on me for a while,” he said.

As an Illinois state senator in the late 1990s until 2004, Obama took part in a weekly poker game with colleagues in Springfield. There, away from his Chicago home, he would light up, all the while hoping Michelle wouldn’t find out, colleagues from the time said. During one of those games, his wife called and Obama immediately put out his cigarette.

“We said, ‘What the hell is she going to do? See you smoking?’” state Senator Terry Link, who hosted the games, recalled last year.

During Obama’s presidential campaign, nicotine gum didn’t always prove an acceptable substitute for the real thing. “There have been a couple of times during the campaign when I fell off the wagon and bummed one, and I had to kick it again,” Obama told Men’s Health. “But I figure, seeing as I’m running for president, I need to cut myself a little slack.”
Copyright © 2009 Bloomberg

Politicians have extraordinary shoulder joints that enable them to pat themselves on the back, and last week the president, a master of that calisthenic, performed it in the Rose Garden. His subject – aside from himself, as usual – was the bill by which Congress authorized the Food and Drug Administration to regulate tobacco. The president called this “a bill that truly defines change in Washington” and “changes the way Washington works and who Washington works for.”

Our leaders are often wrong but rarely so precisely wrong. In two particulars the bill is a crystalline example of Washington business as usual – the protection of the strong. The bill was supported by America’s biggest tobacco company and by the Democratic Party’s fountain of funds, the trial bar.

Congress could ban cigarettes, therefore it could ban tobacco advertising. Instead, tobacco promotions will be even more severely curtailed. These restrictions merit a constitutional challenge. Congress should not be allowed to effectively prohibit truthful communication about a legal product. Philip Morris, however, can live – indeed, can flourish – with the new restrictions on the marketing measures by which less powerful companies might threaten its dominance. And lest courts rule that companies cannot be sued for behavior (selling cigarettes) governed, hence authorized, by a regulatory body, the bill stipulates that it shall not be construed to limit “the liability of any person under the product liability law of any state.”

Government policy regarding tobacco, as regarding so much else, is contradictory and unlovely. Nevertheless, it has been, on balance, a success: Americans are behaving much more sensibly.

Before the surgeon general declared tobacco addictive (1988) and carcinogenic (1964), before a character in a 1906 O. Henry story asked, “Say, sport, have you got a coffin nail on you?” people intuitively understood that inhaling smoke is unhealthy. But death and intelligence cost the companies 6,000 customers a day, so that many new smokers must be made daily just to keep up.

Ironies abound. The February expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program is supposed to be financed by increased tobacco taxes, so this health care depends on a renewable supply of smokers.

But governments cannot loot tobacco companies that do not flourish. In 1998, 46 states conspired to seize $206 billion from companies selling legal tobacco products made from a commodity subsidized by the governments that subsidize treatment of tobacco-related illnesses. The dubious premise of the settlement was that smoking costs governments. Yet tobacco is the most heavily taxed consumer good (Massachusetts’ is $2.51 per pack) and the accurate actuarial assumptions of pension plans are that premature deaths of smokers will save billions in payments.

Three decades ago, public outrage killed an car (Ford’s Pinto) whose design defects allegedly caused 59 deaths. Yet every year tobacco kills more Americans than did World War II.

In the time it takes to read this column, three Americans will die of smoking-related illnesses. If you tarry to savor the lovely prose, four will die, so read fast.
Copyright © 2009 Bostonherald

Japan Tobacco Inc., the world’s third-biggest maker of cigarettes, climbed to a six-month high in Tokyo trading after agreeing to acquire Tribac Leaf Ltd. to improve its access to tobacco growers.

Japan Tobacco rose 5.9 percent to 321,000 yen as of the 11 a.m. break on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, the highest since Dec. 9.

The cigarette maker made the announcement after the close of trading on June 12, without disclosing how much it will spend on the unlisted U.K.-based company. Japan Tobacco decided to make the purchase after recent volatility in the tobacco leaf market demonstrated the need for a steady supply of the crop, according to a press release.

“By acquiring their business we will have a lot more direct access to the farmers, and through that we can secure the crops on a lot more stable basis,” Hideyuki Yamamoto, a spokesman Japan Tobacco, said by phone today. Yamamoto said the Tokyo-based cigarette maker may also use that access to “try to improve the quality of the leaves.”

Copyright © 2009 Bloomberg

Some cities and states around the country have completely banned smoking in public places. Others have instituted partial bans to avoid negative economic consequences, such as loss of employment in restaurants and bars due to reduced patronage by smokers. But a new study from Minnesota finds that there is no significant difference between partial bans, complete bans and even no bans, in terms of their impact on number of employees in restaurants and bars.

“This is the first study to compare the economic consequences of partial bans, total bans and no bans on smoking in public places. Because they don’t have any differential effect on employment in restaurants and bars, it is obvious that a total ban on smoking is the only way to protect employees and patrons from second hand smoke, which is known to cause lung cancer, heart disease and respiratory diseases” according to study author Elizabeth Klein, Ph.D., MPH, Assistant Professor in the Health Behavior & Health Promotion Division of the College of Public Health at Ohio State University. Klein conducted the study while she was at the University of Minnesota. The study is published in the June issue of Prevention Science, a peer reviewed journal of the Society for Prevention Research.

Klein studied ten cities in Minnesota from 2003 to 2006, using data from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. Employment was based on per capita figures to allow comparison among non-urban, small cities, suburban and large cities for a 45-month period. The range of employment in restaurants and bars across the various cities was 467 to 11, 296, and the total number of establishments ranged from 20 to 440 per city.

Communities that had a total ban on smoking in public places had 2 fewer employees per 10,000 residents compared to those without any ban on smoking. They also 9 fewer employees per 10,000 community members compared to communities with partial bans on smoking.

“These differences are not statistically significant, they are not disastrous, and they are not long-term, as are often predicted by opponents of any type of bans on smoking in public places,” Klein said.

“Before Minnesota passed a complete ban on smoking in public places, some communities had complete bans; some had partial bans while others had no bans on smoking in public places. The different types of bans provided a perfect opportunity to study how these laws affected employment in restaurants and bars,” according to Klein.

Klein’s study covered free standing bars, which included lounges, taverns and nightclubs; and full service restaurants, which included family style restaurants, fine dining and steak houses.

Klein’s paper notes that the concern for the economic health of bars was one of the reasons that led to a rollback of a county level, comprehensive clean indoor air policy in Hennepin County in Minnesota, which includes Minneapolis. The rollback in Hennepin County was eventually reversed by the comprehensive state-level ban on smoking in all public places.

“The fact that large scale changes in employment were not observed in Minnesota should be useful to policy makers across the country as they weigh the known health benefits of bans on smoking in public places against any perceived loss of employment in restaurants and bars,” Klein said.

Copyright © 2009 Eurekalert

Republican Gov. Haley Barbour, a former tobacco lobbyist long opposed to raising Mississippi’s cigarette tax, relented Wednesday in the face of slumping budget revenues and signed the state’s first increase in nearly a quarter century.

The state’s 18-cents-a-pack excise tax hadn’t changed since 1985. On Friday, it rises to 68 cents a pack.

Mississippi becomes the latest state to make smokers pay more to boost finances during a recession. Kentucky and Arkansas also enacted cigarette tax increases this year. In Florida, Gov. Charlie Crist is expected to sign a $1 increase.

Barbour signed the legislation as Mississippi struggles with an estimated revenue shortfall of $400 million for the year that ends June 30. The tax is estimated to generate more than $113 million for the year that begins July 1.

Barbour spokesman Dan Turner said the governor declined comment on the legislation.

The 50-cents-a-pack increase is enough to make smokers such as Pete Banks of Jackson give up his habit.

The short-order cook who has smoked for more than a decade said his pack of Salem cigarettes increased to $3.94 after the federal tobacco tax increased by 62 cents a pack in April. Now, he’s about to be hit with the state tax.

“I don’t need medicine to make me quit,” Banks said. “Paying that extra money is enough to make me quit.”

Banks’ response has been the goal of health advocates who’ve pushed for an increase for about six years.

“This cigarette tax is an overdue investment to lead to less smoking by our children and to a healthier state. We consider this a start,” said Roy Mitchell, chairman of the Mississippi Communities for a Clean Bill of Health. The statewide coalition of health organizations had lobbied for a $1 tax increase.

House Ways and Means Chairman Percy Watson, a Democrat from Hattiesburg who authored the bill, said he’s hopeful the state will consider another increase in a few years “as we assess the number of people in the population who are still smoking.”

The increasing cost to care for people with diseases caused by smoking has helped sell leaders on the idea of raising cigarette taxes, said political scientist Marty Wiseman, director of the Stennis Institute of Government at Mississippi State University.

“When Kentucky, where tobacco was a cash crop, raised the tax on cigarettes, that pretty well opens the door for anybody to do that,” Wiseman said.

However, Wiseman believes Barbour resisted the tax increase because he didn’t want to follow the path of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

“Huckabee lacks favor with a lot of Republicans because, though he’s 100 percent Republican, he raised taxes several times in Arkansas,” Wiseman said. “I believe the eyes of the nation are on Barbour.”

In the 1990s, when Mississippi sued the nation’s tobacco industry to cover the costs of treating sick smokers, some manufacturers were Barbour’s clients. The litigation led to a $3.6 billion settlement for Mississippi in 1997.

Barbour became governor in January 2004. He vetoed two bills in 2006 that would’ve increased the cigarette tax and decreased the 7 percent grocery tax. In 2007, one of his Senate allies blocked consideration of a similar cigarette-grocery tax swap.

Barbour appointed a commission in 2008 to study the state’s tax structure. Based on recommendations from the group, Barbour asked lawmakers this year for an increase of 24 cents a pack for premium cigarettes and 43 cents a pack on less expensive cigarettes produced by companies that didn’t participate in the state’s 1997 settlement of a lawsuit against the tobacco industry.

After months of haggling, legislators agreed last week to increase the tax by 50 cents a pack on all brands of cigarettes.

Lawmakers said revenue from the tax would replenish a fund that helps lower the cost of car license tags and help pay for other state services, including Medicaid, a government-funded health plan for poor and disabled.

“Hallelujah,” said House Public Health Committee Chairman Steve Holland, D-Plantersville, noting Barbour long opposed any increase.

Other legislators are saying they only supported the proposal because of the millions needed for the state’s car tag fund.

“It’s a real big deal for me to vote for any tax increase,” said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Dean Kirby, R-Pearl. “I have always voted against it. But this year, after looking at the surrounding states and seeing what they’ve done and also looking at what the car tag reduction fund has become, I felt like it was time for us to do something.”

No one is debating the fact that smoking is harmful to your health. But like a lot of things that are harmful it remains legal. The debate in Michigan is centered on two viewpoints and one “wild card.” The position of those who are opposed to the any type of ban is about “choices” versus “public health” the position taken by the anti-smoking organizations and other public health groups. The “wild card,” and probably the reason legislation has not been enacted in Michigan, is because of the casinos — particularly the casinos owned by Native American tribes — who are sovereign nations and would not be mandated by a smoking ban law. This would essentially give them a competitive advantage over other casinos and entertainment venues in Michigan.
Lisa Danto is the coordinator for the Traverse Bay Area Tobacco Coalition, an organization whose mission is “to reduce tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke within Benzie, Grand Traverse, and Leelanau Counties, through advocacy, education, and awareness.” Danto has been active in the movement since 2003, and while legislators have been dragging their feet, she and others have not. She has helped to spearhead 279 restaurants and bars in a three-county area to eliminate smoking 100% from their establishments.
“It is our biggest accomplishment as an organization. In fact Traverse City leads all Michigan cities with the most smoke-free restaurants and bars, and Grand Traverse County with 203 establishments now smoke-free ranks in the top 10,” said Danto. “Sure, I know some would argue that based on our success of these establishments voluntarily imposing a ban that legislation is not needed. I disagree completely.”

Fort Myers nonprofit Cigars For Soldiers has registered with the state and is allowed to solicit donations, a state agency confirmed this week

The group has not received its tax-exempt status.

The nonprofit, which sends cigars and other support to soldiers overseas, registered with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services on March 11. That was about two weeks after The News-Press reported the group had not registered with the agency as is required by the state to solicit donations.

The organization is not a tax-exempt nonprofit. Founder Chuck Ley said he has submitted the paperwork and was awaiting approval from the IRS. Without approval the group can accept donations and continue its mission, but donors can’t claim deductions to the group on federal taxes.

The organization seeks donations online at cigarsforsoldiers.org.

Terence McElroy, spokesman for the consumer services department, said Cigars For Soldiers was never investigated but was sent a reminder to register with the department, which the group did.

The organization is awaiting confirmation from the IRS, Cigars For Soldiers founder Chuck Ley said in an e-mail to The News-Press.

“Cigars for Soldiers Inc. organized to bring the enjoyment of a good cigar and other much-needed items to our armed forces,” the statement reads. “To date, we have directly touched the lives of thousands of service members around the world, all stationed in harms way.”

According to the state agency’s Gift Givers’ Guide, the organization has revenue of $30,689 and spends 91 percent on services. Five percent goes to administrative costs and 4 percent for fundraising.

Ley jointly operates Cigars For Soldiers and Leyd Back Marketing with his wife from an office on Treeline Avenue.

THE FIANNA Fáil minister for finance, Sean T O’Kelly, introduced his third budget in 1941, and also his third since the second World War had begun.

It was not an easy budget but it was not as tough as had been feared in advance. Income tax went up from 30 per cent to 37.5 per cent (but not to the feared level of 50 per cent as in the North and Britain); corporation profits tax went up to 10 per cent (from 7.5 per cent) for Irish companies and 12.5 per cent for foreign companies; petrol went up almost 20 per cent, by 5d a gallon to two shillings and seven pence (31d) but the quantity available was reduced and precarious; cigarettes went up by 4d to one shilling and six pennies (18 pennies) on a packet of 20, an increase of about 29 per cent; and a 1 per cent tax was introduced on domestic newspapers. The front page report in today’s newspaper summarised the event thus:

Mr. O’Kelly’s third Budget took eighty-five minutes to deliver. The Dáil was well filled, though not overcrowded. Mr. David Gray, the American Minister [Ambassador], and Mrs. Gray, as well as Mr. C. Benziger, the Swiss Chargé dAffaires, and Mr. E. J. Garland, of the Canadian Office, were among those in the distinguished strangers’ gallery.

The Minister referred to the war situation, and said that, although this country had not been involved, it had not escaped its repercussions. In the circumstances there was no alternative to the imposition of higher taxation.

The greatest loss which they had to face was in respect of the mineral hydrocarbon group of minerals, from which revenue of £1,343,000 was received in last year, and now all that could be expected was £700,000. Tanker tonnage had been depleted owing to war casualties.

Tobacco, which he described as the saviour of the Exchequer, now showed a decline from £6,590,000 last year to £4,785,000 this year, but even at that figure it would produce 57 per cent of the total Customs revenue. The raw material of the industry, which came chiefly from America, was a difficulty which filled him with anxiety.

Referring to the gap between revenue and expenditure, which he estimated at £7,765,000, the Minister said that it was alarming, and that he saw no means of bridging it by normal means. The Budget could not, therefore, be balanced in the strict sense, and, said the Minister, “we must succumb to the general epidemic of budgetary malaise that has been sweeping the world.”

In regard to his increase of the petrol tax, the Minister said that it was based on two assumptions – namely, that substantial imports would take place during the year and that such imports would be consumed.

In order that there should be, as far as possible, an equality of sacrifice all round, he had promulgated two orders of first class importance. These orders placed restrictions on increase of rates of remuneration of practically all classes of workers and employees in the service of public utility and statutory undertakings, in certain essential industries and sheltered and protected industries, and at the same time limited the amount that can be paid by companies either by way of dividend or remuneration of directors.

Referring to this countrys neutrality, Mr. O’Kelly commented: “Neutrality may not be an heroic rôle – especially for Ireland – but, nevertheless, it is an expensive rôle. To secure due respect for our neutrality our defence force had to be increased. This year it costs four times as much as before the war.”

In other ways, too, the cost had been increased. The rise in the cost of living had added to the expenses of government. The Civil Service had to be increased, and social services had been added to the expense of the exchequer.

Copyright © 2009 Irishtimes