India: Tobacco exports post 39% growth

India’s tobacco exports (the third-largest in the world) surged by about 39% to reach Rs 2,561 crore in the first 10 months of this financial year on a sharp rise in price realisation and a weakening rupee. In volume terms, tobacco exports comprising raw tobacco and its products rose 12% to 1,83,605 tonnes between April 2008 and January 2009 from 1,64,117 tonnes in the year-ago period, a senior tobacco board official said. India exported tobacco worth Rs 2,560.71 crore between April and January against Rs 1,573.93 crore in the same period last year, he said.

The export of tobacco in January was down marginally in volume terms to 10,121 tonnes from 10,126 tonnes a year before but record prices have more than compensated for the decline in volume. In value terms the shipment more than doubled to Rs 132.06 crore compared with Rs 65.42 crore in January 2008, the official said. Record prices for the Indian tobacco have contributed significantly to the cause of exporters this year. That apart the weakening of the domestic currency against the dollar added to their benefit, he said.

Source: The Indian Economic Times, 26 February 2009
Link: http://tiny.cc/bs4O4

US: Home of Marlboro man passes partial smoking ban

Lawmakers in tobacco-friendly Virginia have passed a limited ban on smoking in bars and restaurants. The measure restricts smoking to separately ventilated rooms in restaurants and private clubs in Virginia, which has grown tobacco for 400 years. The decisive 60-39 vote was in the House of Delegates, dominated by Republicans who have battled tobacco restrictions for years. The Senate earlier voted 27-13 for the bill, which now heads to Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, who said he would sign it.

"I think it will be signed quite promptly, in the quickest-drying ink I can find," said Kaine, the Democratic National Committee chairman, who privately negotiated the bill with Republican House Speaker William J. Howell. Republicans had tried to dilute it but were unsuccessful. The measure passed the House and Senate without debate in a state where tobacco is so revered that frescoes of the golden leaf are painted on the ceilings of the Capitol rotunda. The crop was a mainstay of the earliest Virginia settlements, dating to Jamestown in 1607. A few miles south of the Capitol, Philip Morris churns out Marlboros and Virginia Slims at the world's largest cigarette factory.

A coalition of restaurant and tobacco industry lobbyists argued the bill went too far and would hurt business. "Every restaurant in Virginia already had the right to ban smoking on their own, and many of them did," said Phillip Morris spokesman Bill Phelps. The bill also got a lukewarm reception from anti-smoking groups who felt it didn't go far enough.

Hilton Oliver, executive director of the Virginia Group to Alleviate Smoking in Public, or Virginia GASP, called it "a pretty good bill under the circumstances. It's not as good a bill as it could have been, but in this state with this legislature, nothing ever is," Oliver said.

Source: examiner.com, 19 February 2009
Link: http://tiny.cc/4W3Aj

Improving access to smoking cessation services for disadvantaged groups: a systematic review

Abstract

Background: Smoking is a main contributor to health inequalities. Identifying strategies to find and support smokers from disadvantaged groups is, therefore, of key importance. 

Methods: A systematic review was carried out of studies identifying and supporting smokers from disadvantaged groups for smoking cessation, and providing and improving their access to smoking-cessation services. A wide range of electronic databases were searched and unpublished reports were identified from the national research register and key experts.

Results: Over 7500 studies were screened and 48 were included. Some papers were of poor quality, most were observational studies and many did not report findings for disadvantaged smokers. Nevertheless, several methods of recruiting smokers, including proactively targeting patients on General Physician's registers, routine screening or other hospital appointments, were identified. Barriers to service use for disadvantaged groups were identified and providing cessation services in different settings appeared to improve access. We found preliminary evidence of the effectiveness of some interventions in increasing quitting behaviour in disadvantaged groups.

Conclusions: There is limited evidence on effective strategies to increase access to cessation services for disadvantaged smokers. While many studies collected socioeconomic data, very few analysed its contribution to the results. However, some potentially promising interventions were identified which merit further research.

Source: Murray, R. et al. Journal of Public Health, 10 February 2009
Link: http://tiny.cc/szyit

US: Ruyan America adds Jazz E-cigarette to product line

Ruyan America has added Jazz E-cigarette to its product line, developed specifically for the hospitality/convenience store/travel center market. According to the company, like its Vegas E-cigar, the Jazz is a completely disposable product that does not require that its battery be charged or that its cartridges be changed.

The Jazz resembles a slightly larger traditional cigarette, 134mm in length and 11mm in diameter and has the equivalent mouthfuls of vapor found in four to five packs of conventional cigarettes, the company said.

Ruyan said that the Jazz is available in four styles: the classic, which contains 16mg of nicotine; the classic menthol, also with 16mg of nicotine and menthol flavoring; the freestyle, with zero mg of nicotine, but all the flavor of the classic; and the freestyle menthol, another nicotine free product.

William Bartkowski, president of Ruyan America, said: "The Jazz has certainly raised the bar with respect to the product category in terms of convenience, aesthetics and value. It was designed and manufactured specifically to be sold in those venues where smokers most often purchase traditional tobacco products - retail environments such as tobacco outlets, convenience stores, truck stops and travel centers and hospitality venues like casinos and hotels. We expect that the Jazz will soon be available nationwide."

Source: Datamonitor, 25 February 2009
Link: http://tiny.cc/JIt7p

Scotland: Ban on cigarette displays in stores

Cigarette sales in Scotland will be further restricted after ministers announced plans today to outlaw cigarette vending machines and ban shops from openly displaying tobacco. The sweeping measures will include a new registration scheme for shops selling tobacco products, on-the-spot fines for retailers who sell to under-18s and sales bans against retailers who continually sell to underage smokers. The tobacco control bill , unveiled by the Scottish public health minister, Shona Robison is expected to get cross-party support in the devolved parliament in Edinburgh.

But tobacco retailers argue there is no evidence that forcing cigarettes under the counter would cut underage smoking. They say it would cost recession-hit shops between £2,000 and £5,000 to implement. Ministers have dropped plans to ban the sale of cigarettes in packs of 10 – a measure opposed by retailers – after admitting there were doubts the devolved government was legally empowered to do so. They will, however, press for a UK-wide ban.

In March 2006, Scotland under a Labour-led coalition became the first part of the UK to ban smoking in public places. In October 2007, the minimum age for buying tobacco was raised to 18 along with the rest of the UK. Ministers and the chief medical officer for Scotland, Harry Burns, said stricter and more rigorously enforced controls were needed to protect public health, and particularly to stop children smoking.

A survey of youth smoking in 2006, the Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Abuse Survey, found 47% of 13-year-olds and 82% of 15-year-olds said they had bought cigarettes in shops. While the number of 13-year-olds buying cigarettes had fallen sharply from 62% in 2004, 15-year-olds appeared to be more resistant to the anti-smoking message, with a 4% fall in the number buying cigarettes between 2004 and 2006.

The same study discovered that underage smokers made more than a third of vending machine purchases: one in 10 smokers aged 13 and 15 had used them. Robison said radical steps were needed to prevent children being lured into smoking; research had shown that someone who started smoking at 15 was three times more likely to die of cancer than a smoker who began in their mid-20s. "Point of sale marketing is a powerful tool and I believe it's totally inappropriate for cigarettes to be promoted in this way," she said. "Similarly, I believe there is no place in a modern Scotland for cigarette vending machines – we wouldn't allow any other dangerous product to be sold in this way."

Burns said: "Tobacco is one of the most addictive drugs around. There's also no such thing as a good cigarette – tobacco is unequivocally bad for you. Preventing young people taking up smoking is now one of the biggest challenges facing us and this bill is designed to tackle that." Cathie Jamieson, Labour's shadow health secretary at Holyrood, said the bill was likely to get her party's support – a pledge that gives the bill commanding majority support at Holyrood. "Scottish Labour led the way by being the first part of the UK to ban smoking in public places," she said. "We will look closely at any serious measures that will help people give up cigarettes." She would urge ministers to introduce measures to change a culture where smoking was still widely acceptable, particularly targeting children, Jamieson said.

The ban on displaying cigarettes mirrors similar measures in England where, like Scotland, the new rules will come into force for larger shops in 2011 and smaller retailers in 2013. However, for England, ministers are taking a softer, slower approach on vending machines. The government at Westminster has no plans to outlaw vending machines entirely, but will make them token, rather than coin, operated from 2011. If that fails to stop children from using them, ministers would consider an outright ban.

Source: The Guardian, 26 February 2009
Link: http://tiny.cc/3t4uB

Japan: Calls to increase cigarette tax rejected

Anti-smoking campaigners in Japan are dismayed at the government's decision to put economic concerns ahead of health worries by not increasing tax on cigarettes. The government has been accused of fomenting a public health crisis after it rejected demands from health experts and Members of Parliament (MP) to increase the price of cigarettes.

Their proposal to more than triple the price of a packet of 20 cigarettes - from 300 yen (US$3) to 1000 yen ($11) - and to use the revenue to fund soaring social security and health costs failed amid fierce opposition from industry lobbyists. Representatives of Japan's 13,000 tobacco farmers warned that the proposed increase would ruin their livelihoods, while Japan Tobacco (JT), the world's third biggest tobacco maker, said that sales would collapse.

Health campaigners' hopes were raised last year when Yohei Sasakawa, a WHO ambassador and president of the Japan Foundation, gave his backing to the price hike. His proposal was taken up by a group of MPs who pressed to include the hike in the fiscal year 2009 in the hope of persuading Japan's 30 million smokers that their addiction would soon become financially unsustainable.

Although the number of Japanese smokers has fallen since the mid-1960s, when more than 80% of men indulged, awareness of the health dangers posed by smoking remains low compared with the USA and Europe, despite the introduction of bigger health warnings on cigarette packets and local bans on smoking in public places.

According to a recent survey by the Japan Health Promotion and Fitness Foundation, 39·5% of Japanese men smoked last year compared with 55·2% 10 years ago. Among women, the rate has dropped slightly from 13·3% in 1998 to 12·9% last year. But a closer look at the data reveals some worrying trends. Among men aged 30—39 years the rate increases to 53%, and to more than 17% among women in their 20s. Although no official data are available for teenagers—it is illegal for people under 20 to buy cigarettes in Japan—surveys suggest the rate among minors is rising.

In a flurry of press conferences held late last year as the government was putting the finishing touches to its draft budget, industry officials warned of dire consequences if the tax increase went ahead. “[It] could destroy Japan's tobacco industry”, JT president Hiroshi Kimura said at the time.
Campaigners point to evidence that price rises deter smokers more than health warnings: according to one Japanese study, every 10% rise in prices results in a 2—3% fall in demand. But the tobacco lobby fought against the prospect of a sharp slowdown in sales.

The government found the fair taxation argument more compelling than the public health warnings. Although they are dismayed by the decision, campaigners are planning a year of action to ensure more smokers are priced out of their fatal habit when the next budget is drawn up. “Cigarettes in Japan are far too cheap”, says Kazushige Masuda of the Japan Health Promotion and Fitness Foundation. “It takes the average salaryman about 10 minutes to earn enough money to buy a packet of cigarettes, even though smoking is by far the most serious risk to health in Japan.”

Source: The Lancet, 28 February 2009
Link: http://tiny.cc/sK3ZX

Effect of tobacco smoking on survival of men and women by social position: a 28 year cohort study

Abstract

Objective: To assess the impact of tobacco smoking on the survival of men and women in different social positions.

Design: A cohort observational study.

Setting: Renfrew and Paisley, two towns in west central Scotland.

Participants: 8353 women and 7049 men aged 45-64 years recruited in 1972-6 (almost 80% of the population in this age group). The cohort was divided into 24 groups by sex (male, female), smoking status (current, former, or never smokers), and social class (classes I II, III non-manual, III manual, and IV V) or deprivation category of place of residence.

Main outcome measure: Relative mortality (adjusted for age and other risk factors) in the different groups; Kaplan-Meier survival curves and survival rates at 28 years.

Results: Of those with complete data, 4387/7988 women and 4891/6967 men died over the 28 years. Compared with women in social classes I II who had never smoked (the group with lowest mortality), the adjusted relative mortality of smoking groups ranged from 1.7 (95% confidence interval 1.3 to 2.3) to 4.2 (3.3 to 5.5). Former smokers’ mortalities were closer to those of never smokers than those of smokers. By social class (highest first), age adjusted survival rates after 28 years were 65%, 57%, 53%, and 56% for female never smokers; 41%, 42%, 33%, and 35% for female current smokers; 53%, 47%, 38%, and 36% for male never smokers; and 24%, 24%, 19%, and 18% for male current smokers. Analysis by deprivation category gave similar results.

Conclusions: Among both women and men, never smokers had much better survival rates than smokers in all social positions. Smoking itself was a greater source of health inequality than social position and nullified women’s survival advantage over men. This suggests the scope for reducing health inequalities related to social position in this and similar populations is limited unless many smokers in lower social positions stop smoking.

Source: Gruer, L. et al. British Medical Journal, 17 February 2009
Link: http://tiny.cc/HiotB

PQ: Point of Sale Display Ban

Lord Cope of Berkeley (Conservative): To ask Her Majesty's Government what evidence they have received on the effect on smoking by young people of the ban on the open display of tobacco products in shops in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, Canada.

Lord Darzi of Denham (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department of Health; Labour): There is evidence from jurisdictions that have removed tobacco displays at the point of sale that such measures can make an important contribution to reducing smoking prevalence among children and younger adults. Data on smoking prevalence among young people in each Canadian province over the period 1999 to 2007 are available in the Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey (CTUMS).

The CTUMS has been placed in the Library. In 2008, the department received information from the Government of Saskatchewan about smoking rates among young people since legislation removing tobacco display at the point of sale came into force in that province. Tobacco display legislation came into force in Saskatchewan in 2002, and apart from a 15 month break as a result of legal challenge, has been in force ever since. At the point that legislation came into force, smoking prevalence among 15-19 year-olds in Saskatchewan was 29 per cent.

The latest smoking rate for 15-19 year-olds in Saskatchewan is 22 per cent, 2007 data. The Saskatchewan Government advised that the removal of tobacco displays has made an important contribution to this reduction in smoking prevalence among young people. The department has not received any specific information from the Government of Manitoba.

Source: Hansard, 23 February 2009, Column WA27
Link: http://tiny.cc/nLa3c

British American Tobacco profit boosted by weak pound

Recession-resilient smokers boosted profit at British American Tobacco, the London cigarette maker has reported. Profit before tax rose 20 per cent to £3.7 billion, boosted by acquisitions in Scandinavia and Turkey and the weak pound, which inflated earnings from overseas. But the company warned that it remains on its guard against smokers switching to cheaper brands or contraband cigarettes. Even allowing for the favourable currency movements and the acquisitions of Tekel and Skandinavisk Tobakskompagni, revenue increased by 7 per cent, with the volume of cigarettes sold rising by 1 per cent in 2008.

Paul Adams, the chief executive, said: “We have gone back and looked at what happened to our brands in previous recessions, such as the rouble crisis and the Asian crisis. Smokers continue to keep smoking. That's not to say volumes are flat - they are falling by around 1 per cent per annum and that historic trend continues. They will first change where they shop, rather than what they smoke. They will go to value outlets but still buy the same brand. Then, as the economic squeeze tightens they may trade down slightly and buy cheaper cigarettes. But it's only when unemployment really spikes that you get real down-trading. We're well placed.”

Mr Adams said that BAT's brands were evenly spread between premium, mid-market and value cigarettes. Latin America, Canada and Japan saw declines in volumes, driven by health concerns and public smoking restrictions. He worried about any sharp rises in taxation, saying: “I recognise the point that governments around the world are feeling the squeeze and may well look to increase taxes or excise rates. What has always presented a problem is if there's a sudden and dramatic increase in excise because that has the danger of increasing illegal trade and contraband.”

BAT's main brands increased revenues by 16 per cent. Kent, its biggest brand, reported its sixth consecutive year of double-digit growth, increasing volume sales by 18 per cent. About 63 billion Kent cigarettes were sold, while Lucky Strike volumes grew by 9 per cent. Pall Mall, its cheaper range, rose 22 per cent. But the company suspended a share buyback to conserve cash. Ben Stevens, the finance officer, said: “We spent £2 billion in acquisitions in 2008, so it's probably prudent”.

Source: The Times, 27 February 2009
Link: http://tiny.cc/egZxR

Russia: Lawmakers consider public smoking ban

Russian lawmakers are considering following Europe's lead and imposing a nationwide ban on smoking in public places, hoping to promote a healthier lifestyle in a country where smoking is popular and the population in decline. Stale cigarette smoke hangs over Russian restaurants and bars and there are few non-smoking areas. On the long-distance trains that criss-cross Russia, smokers lurk at the back of carriages; in airports they congregate in overcrowded smoking zones or male toilets to puff on cigarettes beside the urinals before boarding their flights.

Around 40 percent of all adults smoke, a parliamentary committee has estimated. All that could change if Health Minister Tatyana Golikova has her way. Parliament is considering her request to change the law and ban smoking in bars, nightclubs, restaurants and casinos with an area of under 50 sq meters (538 sq feet), about a quarter of the size of a tennis court, followed two years later by a total ban on smoking in public places.

Nightclub owners in Moscow were not thrilled at the prospect of a smoking ban. "In New York, only 20 percent of the nightclubs survived after the smoking ban was introduced even though the climate allows people to go outside and smoke," said the owner of two of Moscow's best-known nightclubs, Georgy Petrushin.

Cigarettes cost about $1 a packet in Russia, posters advertising the joy of smoking plaster the streets and many high-profile public figures smoke. But the government wants to promote a more healthy lifestyle in a country where the average life expectancy for men is under 60, far lower than in western Europe, and the population is declining.

Source: Reuters, 20 February 2009
Link: http://tiny.cc/gYuS3

Exploring the views of women on using nicotine replacement therapy in pregnancy

Abstract

Objective: to explore women's views surrounding the use of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) to aid smoking cessation.

Design and setting: a qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews undertaken on 10 pregnant women in a semi-rural area of England.

Findings: the two main themes that emerged from the study were that NRT was an important component in stopping smoking, but this was in conjunction with support given by the midwife advisor. Both themes appeared to be equally important to the women in aiding their attempts at smoking cessation. Also, the importance of tailored interventions should not be dismissed when aiding women in smoking cessation.

Conclusions: exploring the views of women enabled the researchers to gain a greater understanding of the problems and achievements that women encountered when using NRT as an aid to stop smoking during pregnancy. The study also demonstrated that smoking cessation strategies can be successful if they are tailored to the individual needs of each woman, taking into account her dependency, domestic circumstances and willingness to change.

Implications for practice: the findings of this study add to the available research surrounding the efficacy of NRT in pregnancy. There is little evidence that the views of pregnant women have been taken into account prior to this study; as such, this report offers a different dimension to the available evidence. Although these findings could be adopted and utilized by practitioners, there is still the need for further research in this area on a larger scale.

Source: Ashwin, C. et al. Widwifery, 29 January 2009
Link: http://tiny.cc/OPBvP

PQ: Tobacco smuggling

Michael Penning (Shadow Minister, Health; Hemel Hempstead, Conservative): To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much HM Revenue and Customs spent on information campaigns relating to the smuggling and supply of illegal and counterfeit tobacco in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle (Parliamentary Secretary, HM Treasury; Wallasey, Labour): HM Revenue and Customs spend by year on targeted media campaigns to support their anti-smuggling strategy was:

Source: Hansard, 24 February 2009, Column 553W
Link:  http://tiny.cc/A2b0G

US: Philip Morris to seek appellate review of jury verdict

Philip Morris USA has said that it will seek appellate review of a jury verdict awarding $8 million in total damages to the family of a former smoker. Murray Garnick, Altria Client Services senior vice president and associate general counsel, on behalf of Philip Morris USA, said that this case was the first case tried to verdict since the Florida Supreme Court's decision out of a number of cases brought in Florida federal and state courts relying on the Engle findings.

Mr Garnick also said that every federal district court that has addressed the issue has held that reliance on the Engle findings instead of individual proof establishing a claim violates due process. Approximately 4,000 claims, or roughly half of those filed in the wake of the Florida Supreme Court's decision in the Engle case, are pending in federal court and have been put on hold pending a federal appeals court review of the constitutional issues arising from such trial procedures.

Of the $8 million awarded by the jury, $5 million was for punitive damages. The company said that it will ask the court to set aside the punitive award and to reduce the remaining $3 million compensatory award, based on the jury's findings in latest verdict.

Mr Garnick said: "The verdict was the result of an unconstitutional and profoundly flawed trial procedure. Fundamental fairness requires the plaintiff to establish basic liability before a jury can award damages. The trial court failed to do that in this case and instead improperly relied on findings by a prior jury in the Engle class action that have no direct connection with the deceased smoker."

Source: Datamonitor, 20 February 2009
Link: http://tiny.cc/38yDv

China: Anti-tobacco fighters demand warning pictures on cigarettes

China's tobacco control authorities are seeking support from netizens (online citizens) to urge producers to print warning pictures on cigarette packaging, trying to set an agenda for the coming parliamentary and political advisory sessions. The netizens' opinions will be submitted to national political advisors before they meet in March for their annual full meeting to call for more effective tobacco control efforts, organizers said. The National Tobacco Control Office (NTCO) initiated the move with several websites to ask the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration to ensure that harms of tobacco are clearly specified on the packs with pictures.

In China, although cigarette packs carry characters that read "smoking is harmful to your health", 70 percent of consumers are still ignorant or numb to the warning, according to a survey by the office last year. The survey sampled 16,521 people in 40 cities and counties of 20 provinces. The result suggested that specifying tobacco's harms with eye-catching pictures could help more than 90 percent of consumers give up the idea of giving others cigarettes as a gift.

According to Wu Yiqun, executive vice director of the Think Tank Research Center for Health Development, many foreign cigarette packings bear shocking pictures showing the consequences of smoking. "In the Great Britain, for instance, picture on a cigarette pack is a smoker with throat cancer. In Brazil, the picture is heart operation. In Australia, the pack shows black and yellow teeth of a smoker," Wu said. "Even exported Chinese tobacco has different packs from that sold in domestic markets," Wu said, showing a Zhonghua cigarette pack for overseas consumers with a picture of a smoker's ulcerated foot, which is invisible on the red packing of the same brand for domestic smokers. Zhonghua, with an ornamental column on its packing, like those on the Tian'anmen Square in Beijing, is often taken as a symbol of social status and given as a gift, Wu said.

Yang Gonghuan, vice director with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that each year, 8.4 million people died in China, among whom 12 percent, or about one million, died of disease connected with tobacco--lung cancer, throat cancer, coronary heart disease, brain stroke, tuberculosis and sudden death of the new-born. "As smokers are becoming younger, this percentage will soar to 33 percent by 2050. That means about half of the male smokers shall die of smoking-related diseases," Yang said.

By 6 p.m. Monday, more than 5,000 netizens voted on Sohu.com, a major portal in China, to support the tobacco control office's appeal. But tobacco companies will have to worry about their profit if the proposal is adopted. "Although it is in line with the International practice and will be inevitable, such a move will definitely impact the tobacco sales in the long run," said Wen Tao, a senior official with the Hongta Group, one of the country's leading tobacco producers based in southwest Yunnan Province.

China signed the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control with the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2003. The convention stipulates that on packs of tobacco, consequences of smoking must be clearly and strikingly stated. The words or pictures shall take up no less than 30 percent of the entire packing. At a WHO conference in South Africa last year, China was bestowed with an ash tray as award, which sarcastically implied the government's passiveness in smoking-control.

To fulfill its pledge, China changed many cigarette packs before this past January 9, but experts believed the efforts are far from enough. "On the one hand, the color of the warning characters is similar to that of the background, and the warnings are sometimes in English which many people could hardly understand," Wu said. "On the other hand, it is a cliche especially to those with little education to say 'smoking is harmful'," she said. "The point is, what harm does it make."

Shen Minrong, associate professor with the law department of Capital University of Economics and Business, said many companies only care about their profit. "Surely a pack with an ornamental column or a dragon sells better than those with disgusting pictures," he said "It is improper, however, to print China's totem on products which are not good for consumers, he said. "Besides, the profit is gained at the price of people's health." Shen also believed that changing the pack could also help preventing corruption.

Research by Cui Xiaobo, associate professor with the Capital Medical University, showed that 12 percent of the smokers in the country didn't buy cigarettes themselves--their cigarettes were given by others. A netizen has proposed a more striking warning design: on the cigarette pack there is a Chinese character "shou", or longevity. When the box is opened, the character is folded. In Chinese it is considered as "zhe shou", which means the life span is shortened. "Of course nobody would give or receive a gift which shortens the life span," Shen said.

Source: chinaview.cn, 16 February 2009
Link: http://tiny.cc/47mOZ

A Review of Economic Evaluations of Tobacco Control Programs

Abstract

Each year, an estimated 443,000 people die of smoking-related diseases in the United States. Cigarette smoking results in more than $193 billion in medical costs and productivity losses annually.In an effort to reduce this burden, many states, the federal government, and several national organizations fund tobacco control programs and policies. For this report we reviewed existing literature on economic evaluations of tobacco control interventions. We found that smoking cessation therapies, including nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and self-help are most commonly studied. There are far fewer studies on other important interventions, such as price and tax increases, media campaigns, smoke free air laws and workplace smoking interventions, quitlines, youth access enforcement, school-based programs, and community-based programs. Although there are obvious gaps in the literature, the existing studies show in almost every case that tobacco control programs and policies are either cost-saving or highly cost-effective.

Source: Kahende, J.W., et al. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 28 December 2008
Link: http://tiny.cc/pC9Me

PQ: Smokefree compliance line

Robert Wilson (Reading East, Conservative): To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many calls have been made to the smokefree compliance line in each year since it was established; and how much the line cost (a) to establish and (b) to operate in each year since it was established.

Dawn Primarolo (Minister of State (Public Health), Department of Health; Bristol South, Labour): Details of the number of calls are published on the Smokefree England website and on page seven of the report "Smokefree England—one year on". The Smokefree Compliance Line has been in operation since 1 July 2007.

In 2007-08 the set up costs for the Smokefree Compliance line was £8,810, and the operating costs from July 2007 to March 2008 was £57,595. The operating costs in 2008-09 to date is £29,717. A copy of the report "Smokefree England—one year one" has been placed in the library.

Source: Hansard, 25 February 2009, Column 886W
Link: http://tiny.cc/LRPsK