Lázár accuses Philip Morris of creating anti-Fidesz scandal

Hungary’s national tobacco company has refused a Socialist lawmaker access to documents containing bids submitted for a recent tender. The company on Wednesday rejected Csaba Toth’s request to view the bids for tobacco concessions, arguing that even though the company is publicly owned, it is not a state agency and so does not have to disclose public information. Toth said he would appeal to the National Development Ministry. Parties of the opposition have sharply criticized the government for the tobacco tender, claiming that members of the ruling Fidesz party influenced the tender process. Legislation approved last September established a state monopoly on the retail sale of tobacco products from July 1, 2013. Meanwhile, Janos Lazar, head of the Prime Minister’s Office, said the recent scandal surrounding the national tender for tobacco concessions may have been fuelled by tobacco giant Philip Morris, a senior government official has said. Philip Morris’s interests were harmed by the revamp of tobacco trade in the country, Lazar said in an interview to the weekly Heti Valasz. The company first lobbied the European Commission before making an attempt to stop Hungarian legislation from changing rules on public information, and launched a political campaign to blacken the government, Lazar said in the interview, an excerpt of which the paper released to MTI on Wednesday. “They sent us a clear message that they would do everything in their capacity to prevent the new system from being introduced. With such a large market, spending a few hundred million forints on a PR campaign is no problem,” he said. Referring to allegations that concession winners had been selected according to instructions from the ruling Fidesz, Lazar insisted that 90 percent of the winners were not associated with the party. Heti Valasz will publish the full interview on Thursday. Source: http://www.politics.hu/20130509/socialist-mp-refused-access-to-tobacco-documents-lazar-accuses-phillip-morris-of-creating-anti-fidesz-scandal/

$2 per pack tobacco tax on fast track in California Legislature

A proposal to raise the tobacco tax by $2 per pack of cigarettes cleared its first two policy committees Wednesday, with Republicans unified in their opposition. Sen. Kevin De Leon (D-Los Angeles) proposed the tax, which would move California's tobacco taxes from 33rd-highest in the nation to fourth. The $1.5 billion raised each year would help pay for medical care for tobacco-related diseases, anti-tobacco education and enforcement of tobacco-related laws. DeLeon said the state currently spends $3.1 billion on medical costs involving tobacco-related diseases and health impacts. “Our goal is to ensure that taxpayers don’t foot the bill related to any industry,” De Leon said. The state currently charges 87 cents in taxes on each pack of 20 cigarettes, with money going to healthcare programs, including an anti-smoking campaign. Supporters also hope the higher tax will discourage some people from smoking. The vote of the Senate Governance and Finance Committee was 4-2, with Republicans including Sen. Stephen Knight of Palmdale opposed. “Why wouldn’t we just obliterate smoking by raising it [the tax] $25?” Knight asked sarcastically. “Is it our job to tax people into a good decision?” SB 768 goes to the Senate Health Committee this afternoon so it can meet a looming deadline for committee action on bills. [Bill Dombrowski, president of the California Retailers Assn., opposed the measure, telling the health panel that the tax will cost jobs, promote black-market activity and hit the wallets of some people more than others. [“Raising taxes will unfairly burden low-income earners,” he told the Health Committee. [De Leon said the same goes for health. “What is truly regressive is the disproportionate impact smoking has on low-income and minority communities.” [Some supporters said the money can help with the expansion of MediCal, although De Leon said the bill does not yet address that issue.] Source: By Patrick McGreevy http://www.latimes.com/news/local/political/la-me-pc-tobacco-tax-20130508,0,7639018.story

Listen to Minnesotans: 66% support raising tobacco price $1.50 a pack

Of the many tax proposals currently under consideration by the Legislature, few enjoy support by a strong majority of Minnesotans, and few can have a significant health impact and save lives in our state. A new poll released by the Raise It for Health coalition shows that not only do a majority of Minnesotans support raising the tobacco tax, but 66 percent support raising it by $1.50 per pack. Who are these Minnesotans? They represent all walks of life – all ages, income levels and geographic areas of the state. They represent all political viewpoints, as well. Strong majorities of DFLers (68 percent), Republicans (65 percent) and Independents (62 percent) all indicate they support a $1.50 increase. Raising the price of tobacco is a proven method of encouraging adult smokers to quit and keeping our kids from starting to smoke. Fifteen years after Minnesota’s historic tobacco settlement, tobacco companies continue to find clever and creative ways to prey on our youth and commit them to a lifetime of addiction. The only group that benefits from cheap tobacco is the tobacco industry. Choose kids over industry interests This session, legislators have the chance to choose kids over tobacco-industry interests by raising the price of tobacco. Raising the price of tobacco products by $1.50 per pack would prevent 47,700 youth from becoming addicted adults, help 36,600 current smokers quit and save 27,700 Minnesotans from premature death. So far, Gov. Mark Dayton and legislative leaders in both the House and Senate have taken significant strides toward achieving this goal. We commend them, and hope conferees will support the House proposal at $1.60 per pack versus the Senate’s position at 94 cents per pack. The poll shows Minnesotans support a large increase, and lawmakers should remember, the more cigarettes cost, the greater the benefits for the kids and adults of this state. Tobacco remains a huge problem in our state: 16 percent of Minnesotans smoke and 77,000 youth will use tobacco this year. If those statistics are not wholly convincing that we need a significant tobacco tax increase, the fact that a solid majority of Minnesotans support this measure should tip the scales. Lawmakers should ask themselves, on what other issue could public agreement like this be found? Make it significant It is clear that Minnesotans see benefits from reducing the state’s smoking prevalence. The more than 30 health and nonprofit organizations who are part of the Raise It for Health coalition know all too well tobacco’s devastating effects. Now it is lawmakers’ turn to help create healthier communities and citizens by passing a significant tobacco tax increase this session. Our legislators have an opportunity to be in step with Minnesotans by raising the price of tobacco and improving health for all of us. Source: By David J. Willoughby http://www.minnpost.com/community-voices/2013/05/listen-minnesotans-66-support-raising-tobacco-price-150-pack

NMSU moves to be tobacco-free throughout system

The New Mexico State University system is in talks to become a tobacco-free university by July 2014. About 71 percent of main campus students, faculty and staff support the move, according to a 1,000-person email survey by the Campus Health Center. "We had such an overwhelming response to the idea that we are taking steps" to implement such a policy, center Executive Director Lori McKee said. The February survey and initial conversations came a month before the New Mexico Senate passed a memorial requesting all public post-secondary educational institutions in the state adopt a tobacco-free campus policy by July 1, 2014. If schools don't adopt such a policy, the memorial requests they explain why to two legislative committees. After the selection of the next president, NMSU will likely create a taskforce to decide whether the system will "go all the way" and be tobacco-free, prohibiting everything from cigarettes to dip, or just smoke-free, McKee said. The taskforce will likely advocate for the most stringent policy, a tobacco-free one, she said. "We're trying to add to the quality of life for everyone, not just students, faculty and staff, but everyone that comes on our campus," she said. NMSU would join more than 300 colleges and universities across the country that is tobacco-free. Half of NMSU's peer institutions have a smoke-free policy, McKee said. The University of New Mexico became largely tobacco-free in 2009 with 13 designated smoking areas on campus. "It's a major movement ... to move our institutions to a healthier environment," McKee said. NMSU currently prohibits smoking indoors; within 25 feet of entrances, exits, enclosed walkways and ventilation systems; in partially or fully enclosed walkways; and during some outdoor events. But secondhand smoke is hazardous to anyone nearby, McKee said, and implementing smoke- and tobacco-free policies will help decrease incidents of tobacco-related cancer. Tobacco use costs New Mexico $976 million in medical bills and lost productivity each year, according to the state Health Department. About 24 percent of New Mexico high school students and 17.9 percent of adults smoked at least one cigarette in the last month, according to a 2009 Health Department report. Enforcement of smoke- or tobacco-free policies will likely be difficult, McKee said, relying more on social norms than legal support. "Unless it's a law, you can't really cite someone for smoking," she said. UNM faces similar challenges, said Dr. Beverly Kloeppel, UNM's director of student health and counseling. The university planned to phase out the designated smoking areas within five years but is currently in a "holding pattern" as it looks at how to enforce a tobacco-free policy, Kloeppel said. "I do think we have much less smoking on campus, but there are problems with how it gets policed and enforced," she said. UNM's policy says it empowers the campus community to respectfully notify others of the rules and encourage compliance. Repeated or serious violations by students can be referred to the dean of students, while violations by employees can be referred to deans and department heads. Disciplinary action can ensue, though it is not described. UNM's tobacco-free move was a top-down initiative lead by former president David Schmidly, Kloeppel said. NMSU will similarly need the new president's support, McKee said, but the Senate memorial ensures the next leader won't squash the initiative.