US: North Carolina smoking ban ends era in US tobacco heartland

North Carolina's governor has signed a statewide indoor smoking ban into law, signaling the end of an era in the United States' leading tobacco-producing state.

"This is a historic day for North Carolina," Governor Bev Perdue said. "But more important than the history that we are making is the positive impact we are having on public health. "By banning smoking in our restaurants and bars, we will greatly reduce the dangers of secondhand smoke and lower health care costs for families," Perdue said.

North Carolina joins more than 30 other US states that have similar laws. Virginia, another state with a centuries-old tobacco-growing tradition, adopted a ban in March. The new law prohibits smoking in restaurants and bars, with the exception of private clubs and cigar bars. The law, which takes effect in January, authorizes fines of up to 50 dollars for people who smoke after being asked to stop, and up to 200 dollars for managers of establishments who have twice been warned to enforce the law.

The law's supporters say it will protect people from the adverse health effects of second-hand smoke, which the US Surgeon General says causes the deaths of approximately 50,000 people a year in the United States.

Critics of the ban say it infringes on smokers' rights as well as the rights of property owners to set their own rules. Scott Bissette, an international marketing specialist with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, said the law will hurt the state's tobacco farmers, who last year produced nearly 385 million pounds of tobacco worth more than 677 million dollars. North Carolina tobacco is exported all over the world. "Any time you put restrictions on smoking, you're going to curtail consumption," Bissette said.

Source: Google News, 19 May 2009
Link: http://tinyurl.com/pm7bpu

Evidence backs web- and computer-based stop-smoking programs

Available evidence supports the use of online or other computer-based smoking cessation programs for helping adults quit smoking, according to a meta-analysis of previously published studies appearing in the May 25 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

“Smoking is the single greatest cause of preventable disease and premature death,” the authors write as background information in the article. Currently recommended smoking cessation strategies include individual or group counseling, medications and telephone quit-line counseling.

Seung-Kwon Myung, M.D., M.S., then at the University of California, Berkeley, and now at the National Cancer Center, Goyang, South Korea, and colleagues identified 22 randomized controlled trials of Web- and computer-based programs published between 1989 and 2008. The trials included a total of 29,549 participants, 16,050 of whom were randomly assigned to a computer-based program and 13,499 to a control group. Ten studies used supplemental interventions—such as counseling, classroom lessons, nicotine replacement gum or patches, medication or quitlines—whereas 12 studies used Web- or computer-based programs alone.

When the results of the trials were pooled and analyzed, individuals assigned to use computer- or Web-based programs were about 1.5 times more likely to quit smoking than those assigned to control groups. Abstinence rates were higher among intervention groups than control groups after six to 10 months (11.7 percent vs. 7 percent) and 12 months (9.9 percent vs. 5.7 percent) of follow-up. The effects of these programs were similar to those of counseling interventions, the authors note.

“The stand-alone interventions had a significant effect on smoking cessation as well as on those that had supplemental interventions,” the authors write. “However, compared with adults, these programs did not significantly increase the abstinence rate in adolescent populations.”

“Our findings imply that there is sufficient evidence to support the use of a Web- or computer-based smoking cessation program for adult smokers,” the authors conclude. “As global Web users continue to increase, Web-based smoking cessation programs could become a promising new strategy that is easily accessible for smokers worldwide.”

Source: Seung-Kwon Myung, M.S. et. al., Effects of Web- and Computer-Based Smoking Cessation Programs. Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials, Arch Intern Med. 2009; 169(10):929-937

Thailand: Cigarette tax increase will decrease number of smokers

Prof. Prakit Vathesatogkit, Executive Secretary of Action on Smoking and Health Foundation (Thailand) welcomes the government policy of increasing cigarette tax. He believes that the tax increase will greatly benefit smokers in Thailand. This is due to the fact that the higher cigarette price will result in people smoking less or quit completely, especially in the lower income group. 

A country-wide research study conducted in 2006 to evaluate the impact of a tobacco tax increase, from 75% to 79%, which led to a 15% increase in price, found that 58% of smokers smoke less while 10% have shifted to a cheaper brand of cigarettes. Furthermore, 23% now purchase only single sticks and 9% have switched to hand-rolled cigarettes. The number of people who quit smoking completely was at an impressive 10%.

Dr. Prakit said "from 1993 through to 2007, the government of Thailand has increased tax 8 times in total. This gradually increases the price of Krongtip (the most popular brand of cigarette) from 15 Baht per pack to 45 Baht per pack (while the latest increase leads to 56 Baht). The impact was most evidence in the lower income group in Thailand, in which smoking prevalence has declined from 42% in 1991 down to only 20.7% in 2007. The household income this group spent on cigarettes has also reduced from 16.30% in 1991 to 8% in 2007.

According to the World Bank, the tobacco tax should be two-thirds or three-quarters (66-80%) of the retail price in order to have the desirable impact in reducing tobacco use. The current tax burden on cigarettes is now 69% of the retail price (or 85% of factory price plus 7% VA, 2% health tax, 1.5% Public television tax and 0.5% local tax). The World Bank has recommended all governments to use tobacco tax increases as one way to fight poverty. The obvious reason is that money saved, either by quitting or reducing number of cigarette smoked, can then be spent on the improvement of a healthier life-style as well as support for their families.

Source: mediLexicon, 19 May 2009
Link: http://tinyurl.com/l25o4s

Parents who quit smoking and their adult children's smoking cessation: a 20-year follow-up study

Abstract

Aims: Extending our earlier findings from a longitudinal cohort study, this study examines parents' early and late smoking cessation as predictors of their young adult children's smoking cessation.

Design: Parents' early smoking cessation status was assessed when their children were aged 8 years; parents' late smoking cessation was assessed when their children were aged 17 years. Young adult children's smoking cessation, of at least 6 months duration, was assessed at age 28 years.

Setting: Forty Washington State school districts.

Participants and measurements: Participants were 991 at least weekly smokers at age 17 whose parents were ever regular smokers and who also reported their smoking status at age 28. Questionnaire data were gathered on parents and their children (49% female and 91% Caucasian) in a longitudinal cohort (84% retention).

Findings: Among children who smoked daily at age 17, parents' quitting early (i.e. by the time their children were aged 8) was associated with a 1.7 times higher odds of these children quitting by age 28 compared to those whose parents did not quit [odds ratio (OR) 1.70; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.23, 2.36]. Results were similar among children who smoked weekly at age 17 (OR 1.91; 95% CI 1.41, 2.58). There was a similar, but non-significant, pattern of results among those whose parents quit late.

Conclusions: Supporting our earlier findings, results suggest that parents' early smoking cessation has a long-term influence on their adult children's smoking cessation. Parents who smoke should be encouraged to quit when their children are young.

Source: Bricker, J.B. et. al, Addiction. 2009 Apr 9. [Epub ahead of print]
Link: http://tinyurl.com/n3ojmp

US: Altria holds 2009 Annual Meeting of Stockholders

Altria Group, Inc. held its 2009 Annual Meeting of Stockholders on the 19th May. Altria Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Michael E. Szymanczyk, told an audience of stockholders that Altria experienced remarkable and transformative changes in the past few years. According to Szymanczyk, Altria is now the premier total tobacco company in the United States through its operating companies of Philip Morris USA in cigarettes, U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company in moist smokeless tobacco and John Middleton Co. in machine-made large cigars. 

A copy of Mr. Szymanczyk’s business presentation and a replay of the audio webcast of the Altria 2009 Annual Meeting of Stockholders is available at www.altria.com until 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, June 19, 2009.

Source: Euro Investor, 19 May 2009
Link: http://tinyurl.com/ns4vm8

Fine warnings over 'smoking research centres'

Licensees have been warned they could face hefty fines if they follow in the path of a pub that allowed customers to light-up as part of a ‘research project’. Kerry Fenton opened a smoke room in her pub the Cutting Edge in Worsbrough, South Yorkshire, after being told a legal loophole allows some pubs to use rooms as designated research centres.

She has since been forced to stop the scheme after being given warnings by both Barnsley Council and landlord Punch Taverns. And Federation of Licensed Victuallers Associations chief executive Tony Payne said other pubs should beware of taking part in similar projects. “I would warn licensees against this because they could end up being fined,” he said. “This lady has had to withdraw it because of the legality and it could be considerably expensive for anyone else who does it.”

However Kerry is adamant that if she had been running a freehouse she would have carried on with the scheme. “In the two weeks that we did this we saw an 800 per cent boost in profits. I only stopped because of Punch Taverns’ concerns. Customers absolutely loved it. People started coming to the pub again and socialising together as a community, especially the older generation.”

The ‘legal loophole’ was spotted by Cutting Edge customer James Martin. He points to the Smoke-free regulations exemptions which indicates research centres can be exempt from the ban if “tests relate to emissions from tobacco and other products used for smoking”. He now plans to sell research packs to licensees “from Land’s End to John O Groats” for £150 each. The packs include laminated signs and questionnaires for customers to complete regarding how habits have changed since the ban was introduced.

Martin said: “People have said pubs cannot be scientific research centres but in the legislation the exemptions only refer to research centres – there is no mention of the term 'scientific'. Not every pub can do this. It is only those that have a separate room that can be designated as a research centre.”

However a Department of Health spokesperson disagreed: "Smokefree legislation does set out an exemption for bona fide research and testing facilities that may have a designated room that is not smokefree, provided specific criteria are met. Simply renaming a pub would not appear to satisfy the requirements under the law.”

He added it was down to council’s to enforce the legislation and in this case Barnsley Council ruled that “clearly the smoking research room is in breach of non-smoking legislation.”

A Punch Taverns spokeswoman said: “Punch has requested that our licensee at the Cutting Edge cease activity and we believe this has now been adhered to.”

Source: The Publican, 21 May 2009
Link: http://tinyurl.com/r9m3wr

Croatia: Tough anti-smoking measures split country

Home to some of Europe's most die-hard smokers, Croatia now has one of the strictest anti-tobacco laws in the Balkans region and not everyone is happy about it.

Thirty to 40 percent of all adults in the Balkans are inveterate smokers, its figures show, hooked on a habit the WHO - which marks "World No Tobacco Day" on Sunday - considers a major cause of premature death. But owners of Croatian drinking holes fear the new ban on public smoking has come at the worst possible time for their businesses, with the country already grappling with the global financial crisis.

The law, which bans smoking inside all public places including bars and restaurants, went into effect in May. It echoes standards adopted by the European Union which Croatia hopes to join by 2011. Cafes, bars and nightclubs are expected to be the worst affected, said Zlatko Puntijar, head of the national association gathering around 16,000 owners in the industry who employ some 100,000 people.

In Croatia, some 32 percent of the 4.4 million inhabitants are smokers, according to survey figures the health ministry cited this month. But some clients at the Mala Kavana coffee shop on Zagreb's main Trg Bana Josipa Jelacica square, like 65-year-old pensioner Ana, see the anti-smoking measures as a breath of fresh air. "This law is aimed at saving non-smokers. My whole life I was forced to accept something I hate," Ana said as she sipped her coffee.

With the sun beaming down on Mala Kavana's vast terrace, owner Branko Kleskovic was happy about another day of strong sales ahead of what he fears will become a "nightmare" business climate when the good weather ends. Inside his coffee shop is almost deserted, with most clients sitting outside on a terrace that can accommodate some 140 people. "The number of clients has not dropped yet. But, this is because they are all on the terrace. We will not see them any more in winter," Kleskovic said. "This law was adopted in a hurry and it should be amended. It is no good for we who live off our clients, 80 percent of whom are smokers." Mala Kavana has some 15 employees, and Kleskovic hopes he will not be forced to lay them off when summer ends.

In Croatia, tobacco is blamed for killing some 10,000 people each year while an additional 3,000 die from passive smoking, according to the health ministry. Annual health costs in treating the consequences of smoking are estimated at 422 million euros (more than 570 million dollars). WHO's theme for this year's "World No Tobacco Day" focuses on health warnings printed on cigarette packets, with the WHO encouraging pictures designed to encourage smokers to quit. Croatian packs feature a bold text alerting citizens that "Smoking Kills", but they are yet to carry any of the gruesome images seen mainly in some parts of western Europe.

Source: Yahoo News, 29 May 2009
Link: http://tinyurl.com/m4hpyf

Japan Tobacco International launches tobaccoretaiiling.com

From 1st April 2009, increased sanctions in England and Wales came into force, which are designed to penalise those who persistently break the law by illegally selling tobacco to those under the age of 18. In response, Japan Tobacco International (JTI) has developed a website, www.tobaccoretailing.com, to help retailers understand and raise awareness of the introduction of the new legislation and the impact it could have on their business.

Available to use from May 2009, the website is designed to: "Underpin JTI's commitment to help inform and support retailers in preventing underage sales; provide retailers with the detail of the new sanctions in an easily accessible format; provide support for existing campaigns such as No ID No Sale and support circa 50,000 independent retailers who sell tobacco."

Jeremy Blackburn, JTI's Head of Communications, says: "Tobacco is a vibrant category and retailers need to be up to date on what's happening to make the most of what is an extremely important and profitable footfall driver. This new website is an easy to use one-stop-shop guide to responsible tobacco retailing, and is one more way in which we can help retailers to stay informed in order to help them run an efficient business."

Source: Talking Retail, 27 May 2009
Link: http://tinyurl.com/lqlcr9

China: Hospitals ordered to kick the habit

China will ban smoking in all hospitals and medical facilities from 2011, the Health Ministry said on Friday, as the world's most populous nation struggles to get its people to kick one of their favourite habits.

China is the world's largest cigarette producer and the Chinese are the world's most enthusiastic smokers, with a growing market of about 320 million making it a magnet for multinationals and focus of international health concerns. Chinese cigarettes are also among the cheapest in the world, with a packet costing as little as a few cents. More than half of all male Chinese doctors also smoke.

"Every department in every part of the nation must establish leading work groups to put into effect a smoking control framework," the ministry said in a statement on its website (www.moh.gov.cn). "Workers must give up smoking, not smoke in their workplace or public areas (and) promote knowledge about the harm tobacco causes," it added.

Military hospitals will also be banned from offering cigarettes to important visitors, the rules state. It remains to be seen how easy it will be to enforce the new regulation as non-smoking signs and laws are generally given short shrift in China.

Source: Reuters UK, 22 May 2009
Link: http://tinyurl.com/mrxh8a

Nigeria: Govt slams N591bn suit against tobacco companies

Gombe State government has dragged five tobacco companies before the state High Court, on the allegation that they have been targeting and addicting minors in the state for the past 20 years.

Sitting before Justice Abdul Hamed Yusuf, the state government is demanding N591 billion from British American Tobacco (Nigeria) Ltd, International Tobacco Limited, British America Tobacco PLC, British America Tobacco (Investment) Ltd, and Philip Morris International, in suit number GM/177/208. The suit is one of several class action suits filed by several states and the Federal Government against tobacco manufacturers operating in the country.

Gombe is asking for N10.1 billion as special damages for negligence, N521 billion as anticipatory damages for future expenses, N50 billion as punitive damage for wrongful conducts and N10 billion as restitution and disgorgement of profit for unjust enrichment.

Speaking to newsmen at the court premises, Akinbode Oluwafemi of the Environmental Rights Action/Friend of the Earth Nigeria, said they were in court to reiterate support for Gombe State government in the case. “We are very much in support of this suit. Over the years, we have seen that the tobacco industry cannot be trusted, so there is need for strict control of manufacturing and sale of cigarettes in this country," he added.

Also speaking, Coordinator, Coalition Against Tobacco (CAT), Toyosi Onaolapo, berated the tobacco companies for deliberately targeting young people, in order to make them addictive.

Source: This Day, 29 May 2009
Link: http://tinyurl.com/m722h2