Flavored cigars replacing cigarettes in popularity among teens

They come in colorful packages with exotic flavors like pineapple, double apple and strawberry. Now, after the federal ban on flavored cigarettes four years ago, flavored cigars are now all the rage, especially among younger smokers.

"One thing that the cigarette company learned long ago is the earlier you can get someone hooked on your product, the longer they will become a lifetime user of your product," said Pulmonologist Dr. Thomas Kunelis.

"It sounds like a safe alternative. It really isn't," he continued.

Back in 2009, the FDA banned flavored cigarettes, hoping to stop the appeal to younger smokers, especially teens. In the four years that followed, smoking cigarettes has gone down in younger age groups, according to federal data. However, tobacco companies have filled that gap with flavored cigars, which are not subject to the same laws.

"(Tobacco companies) direct their packaging and marketing and their location where they sell it to the person more likely to use it. They're not going to put it right next to the Geritol," said Kunelis.

CBS 5 checked out a variety of valley stores that sell cigarettes. In all of the stores, from gas stations to supermarkets, hidden cameras found cheap flavored cigars next to or near soda and candy.

"We call them power walls. It's where all of the tobacco is stored," said Christian Stumpf with the American Lung Association of the Southwest.

Stumpf says the power walls can be very effective.

"These are something that kids' eyes gravitate to. (Teens) are starting on cigars now. They're starting on whatever is cheapest. Some of them may not ever touch a cigarette. But they still are using the cigars," he continued.

In fact, federal data shows loose tobacco and cigars now makes up more than 10 percent of all tobacco sold in the United States. In 2000, it was just three percent.

Right now, the FDA is looking at making similar legislation preventing the sale of flavored cigars. Stumpf said he hopes the decision is made soon. "We're saying, 'FDA, look. You need to step up here and put the same regulations that you put on cigarettes,'" he said.

The decision could come down as early as October. However, if the same decision is made, it could take months before the ban takes effect.

Source: http://www.wfsb.com/story/23499540/flavored-cigars-replacing-cigarettes-in-popularity-among-teens

U.S. will spend up to $273M in tobacco-related research to reduce smoking deaths

The U.S. government plans to spend as much as $273 million over the next five years on tobacco-related research in a bid to help reduce the number of deaths from smoking.

The Food and Drug Administration and National Institutes of Health said on Thursday they have awarded an initial $53 million to 14 institutions to conduct research that could help the FDA shape tobacco product regulations. In 2009 the agency was given authority to regulate cigarettes, cigarette tobacco and roll-your-own tobacco, though not pipe tobacco, cigars or e-cigarettes. The law allows the FDA to expand its authority to all tobacco products but it must first issue new regulations. Those are in development and no date has been announced for their publication. On Thursday the American Academy of Pediatrics and 14 other public health organizations, including the American Lung Association and American Heart Association, sent a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to pressure the FDA to issue the new rules. "More than two years ago, FDA announced its intent to take this action, yet no progress has been made," the letter said. "This delay is having very real public health consequences." In July the FDA said it may place restrictions on menthol cigarettes following a scientific review that showed the products are likely to be more addictive than regular cigarettes. The agency is seeking public comment on whether a limit could be set on the amount of menthol in cigarettes. The public health organizations, in their letter, note that while cigarette use fell 33 percent between 2000 and 2011, e-cigarette use is rising, as is the use of cigars by young people. And while the FDA has the authority to stop the use of candy and fruit-flavors in cigarettes, it cannot stop their use in cigars or e-cigarettes. "According to national surveys, 17.8 percent of high school boys currently smoke cigars," the letter said, "and each day more than 3,000 kids under 18 years old try cigar smoking for the first time." Source: http://medcitynews.com/2013/09/u-s-will-spend-273m-tobacco-related-research-reduce-smoking-deaths/

FDA, NIH Create 14 Centers For Tobacco Research

The Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health are awarding millions in funding to create 14 centers to conduct research on tobacco products.

Officials said Thursday that the agencies have awarded up to $53 million for fiscal 2013 for the Tobacco Centers of Regulatory Science, mostly at universities around the country. The centers can eventually receive more than $273 million over the next five years for research on marketing of tobacco products, adverse health consequences, ways to reduce addiction and toxicity, economics, policies and communications, as well as so-called modified risk tobacco products and electronic cigarettes — battery-powered devices made of plastic or metal that heat a liquid nicotine solution, creating vapor that users inhale.

The federal agencies said the centers will help shape regulations on tobacco products with the aim of protecting the public health and reducing the death and disease caused by tobacco use. “The FDA is committed to a science-based approach that addresses the complex public health issues raised by tobacco product regulation,” FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said in a statement.

Among the multi-year grants is more than $18 million for researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond to study methods for evaluating modified risk tobacco products and other tobacco products. VCU’s work will include research in engineering, clinical behavior and randomized control trials to study the effects of tobacco products. “It’s not always clear how best to regulate the vast array of tobacco products that are out there, especially the newer ones like electronic cigarettes,” said Thomas Eissenberg, professor of psychology and director of VCU’s Clinical Behavioral Pharmacology Laboratory. “We at VCU have absolutely no preconceived notions about these products. The whole basis behind science-based regulation is that we need to let the data guide us when it comes to regulating novel tobacco products.”

The 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act gave the federal government authority, for the first time, to regulate tobacco products, including the ability to ban certain products, regulate marketing, reduce nicotine in tobacco products and block labels such “low tar” and “light.” The law also gives the FDA authority to evaluate tobacco products for their health risks and lets the agency approve ones that could be marketed as less harmful than what’s currently for sale. In addition to VCU, the network includes the American Heart Association, the University of Maryland, Georgia State, the University of California-San Francisco, the University of Vermont, the University of Pennsylvania, Yale, Penn State, the University of Southern California, the University of Texas, Ohio State and two centers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Source: http://washington.cbslocal.com/2013/09/19/fda-nih-create-14-centers-for-tobacco-research/

Health poll cites obesity, youth tobacco as problems in Fond du Lac County

A recent public opinion poll on healthy living indicates that childhood obesity and tobacco use by youth are ongoing problems in Fond du Lac County.

The purpose of the poll funded by the Centers for Disease Control’s Community Transformation Grant initiative and Transform Wisconsin, was to evaluate public support for county and regional efforts to promote healthier places to live, work and play. The poll was conducted by Live54218, 5 Counties for Tobacco-Free Living, Healthiest Manitowoc County, Community Action for Health Living, Shawano Pathways, and re: THINK!.

Among the Fond du Lac County findings:

• 93 percent of those surveyed favor taking steps to ensure kids can walk or bike to school.

• 90 percent think childhood obesity is a serious problem in Wisconsin.

• 83 percent favor schools buying local fruits and vegetables.

• 78 percent support funding for tobacco prevention.

• 71 percent agree youth tobacco is a concern.

Fond du Lac’s coalition has been working with local property managers to explain the benefits of apartments going smoke free and offering assistance with smoke-free signs and advertising.

There was significant agreement about the need to protect kids by investing in tobacco prevention, promoting tax parity that ensures flavored tobacco products are taxed at similar rates as cigarettes, and expanding smoke-free environments, according to a press release from the surveying groups.

In all counties surveyed, a majority of respondents also agreed that schools, community groups and local health departments should be major players in the battle against childhood obesity.

The poll was funded by the Centers for Disease Control’s Community Transformation Grant initiative and Transform Wisconsin.

Source: http://www.fdlreporter.com/article/20130919/FON0101/309190134/Health-poll-cites-obesity-youth-tobacco-problems-Fond-du-Lac-County?nclick_check=1

EU tobacco lobby fails to sway Finnish MEPs

An exceptionally intensive lobbying effort has not been successful in persuading Finnish MEPs to oppose tighter regulations on their business. Just one of the thirteen MEPs say they will oppose the new regulations, but Finnish support may not be enough after the EU parliament delayed a crucial vote.

On 5 September, a crucial vote on the new measures was delayed until 8 October. That means time is running out to implement the proposed law before the EU presidency passes from Lithuania to Greece.

Tobacco companies have reportedly funded an intensive lobbying effort in response to the proposed restrictions. The Guardian published a report on Phillip Morris International’s (PMI) lobbying strategy yesterday, detailing the company’s efforts to influence the parliament’s legislative process. The Guardian reported that PMI had employed 161 people to try and sway MEPs, and that they had claimed 1.25 million euros in expenses for meetings with politicians in the first six months of 2012, meeting 233 MEPs by 22 June 2012.

Finnish MEPs were not immune from the lobbying, reporting thousands of emails and intense pressure over the bill. In Finland, cigarette packs contained leaflets asking smokers to email MEPs to ask about the legislation. Some MEPs were largely left alone by the lobbyists themselves, while others were contacted more often. “There has been contact, opinions sent and requests to meet and discuss points of view,” said Eija-Riitta Korhola of the National Coalition party. The different experiences may be explained by the Guardian’s documents: they appear to show a preference for contacting liberal and center-right MEPs. The lobbying of Finnish MEPs was not that effective, with only Sampo Terho of the Finns party saying he believes legislation should remain as it is. The other Finnish MEPs favor tighter restrictions.

“On public health grounds, the benefit of reducing tobacco usage is undeniable,” said Anneli Jäätteenmäki of the Center party. “According to the World Health Organisation five million people die each year from tobacco-related illnesses.” No more pretty fag packets? The proposed regulation would ban menthol and other flavored tobacco products, introduce larger health warnings featuring pictures of patients suffering from tobacco-related diseases, and classify cigarettes as pharmaceutical products.

The idea is to prevent tobacco companies from using strategies that would attract younger smokers, something that Satu Hassi of the Green League is particularly keen on. She wants to eliminate tobacco products aimed at attracting new smokers. “These aromatic ingredients, and small, pretty, for example lipstick-red packaging,” said Hassi. “The tobacco industry knows that their customers die before long, more than half of them from tobacco-related diseases.”

Source: http://yle.fi/uutiset/eu_tobacco_lobby_fails_to_sway_finnish_meps/6825210

Fight for American tobacco access to Asia Pacific nations in Trans-Pacific Trade

Is it right to push American tobacco abroad? Two days ago, Malaysia introduced a proposal to a Trans-Pacific Trade pact being negotiated by Pacific rim nations that would allow complete freedom for participating pact nations to follow tobacco control measures, preventing the tobacco industry and its allies from challenging such measures as a violation of the agreement. The proposal is designed to stop the tobacco industry from challenging tobacco control measures as trade violations, a tactic the industry has used around the world to fight efforts to reduce tobacco use. American tobacco is still a significant industry, and tobacco interests aim to keep it that way as they argue and lobby for free trade access to Asian Pacific countries. In a New York Times op-ed, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York points out that the recent U.S. position on the trade talks regarding tobacco is a retreat from a previous position of allowing tobacco control measures a 'safe harbor,' allowing them to continue without contest from trade partners. Bloomberg charges that the new U.S. proposal is weak, the result of pressure from the tobacco industry and would allow trade partners to challenge a country's tobacco control measures. Data from the Bureau of Labor statistics put employment in the manufacture of tobacco and tobacco products at 13,650. Significant, but to put it in perspective note that total employment in U.S. manufacturing was almost 12 million. But the real clout of U.S. tobacco comes from the profits. The Tobacco Atlas estimate is that in 2010, profits at the six leading tobacco companies totaled $35 billion. Those billions of dollars can bring a lot of influence. Admittedly, a tougher stance on American tobacco and its ability to market product freely abroad can hurt some whose jobs depend on tobacco. This is especially true in the southeastern states of the United States. Tobacco growers in North Carolina and Kentucky, for example, depend on the crop for their livelihood. And it is not only the growers who would be hurt, but it is the suppliers to the famers and their employees that would take a hit. Erica Peterson, the executive vice president of the North Carolina Agribusiness Council, said to Mcclatchydc.com, "There is the fertilizer, the pesticide. There is the dealership that sells the truck to the farmer. ... Any of the employees they hire on the farm to payroll ...all these folks are going to be impacted." But surely, the United States can design a program of direct help to American workers and small businesses that rely on tobacco, while following a policy of expanded trade that would still allow countries to follow sensible public health anti smoking campaigns, including banning advertising and high taxes on the sale of cigarettes. We already have a program that is supposed to help workers affected by expanding free trade called Trade Adjustment Assistance. The program as now constituted should be expanded, made more generous and flexible to provide more help to trade affected workers than it now does. And perhaps it should be more proactive, getting in to help workers in an industry and a state before disaster of a job losses strike, offering retraining and relocation assistance in anticipation. All on the assumption that it is not good and humane policy to promote smoking abroad just for the profits that can be had. The Office of the United States Trade Representative lists the 12 countries currently negotiating the TPT trade pact as Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, United States, and Vietnam. There has been discussion and debate in Indonesia about becoming a potential partner in the trade pact. However, in January a Jakarta Post news report stated that Indonesia had little interest in joining. Indonesia needs to step up its anti smoking efforts. Remember the smoking baby photos. One report was that in 2010 he was down to one to two packs per day. Another report put it at 15 cigarettes a day. Source: http://www.examiner.com/article/fight-for-american-tobacco-access-to-asia-pacific-nations-trans-pacific-trade

City focusing on education before fines with new outdoor smoking bylaw

Concerned parents and anti-smoking advocates hoping for a swift crackdown on tobacco use in city playgrounds and sports fields will have to wait a little longer.

Almost a month after city hall banned smoking near stomping grounds for children, officials have not fined any violators, though they have received three complaints. City officials say they are still trying to educate the public about the new rules, which came into effect Aug. 1. They expect to have a better idea in September when they will start handing smokers $100 fines for lighting up within five meters of outdoor pools, skate parks and other outdoor play areas. At Riley Park in Hillhurst, Darnell Fortune threw his butt to the ground before walking into the fenced-in park surrounding the wading pool, but not because of the new city rules. He said he didn’t want to smoke around children.

“I have kids of my own, and I don’t smoke in the house and I don’t smoke in my vehicle,” said Fortune, who called the rules a cash grab. Abdul Rafih, acting manager of Animal and Bylaw Services, said city hall’s goal is not to hand out tickets, but to encourage smokers to freely comply with the newly amended bylaw. He said it’s why officials have allowed for a grace period, to give Calgarians time to adjust. For now, the city’s roughly 100 peace officers and bylaw officials will respond to complaints, but instead of handing out fines they will tell whomever is around about the new rules, Rafih said. If they see violators on their regular patrols, they’ll do the same thing. City officials are also working with sports organizations and community groups to get the word out. “The fact that there have only been three complaints may be a strong indicator that people are being respectful in those areas,” Rafih said. There are concerns that city hall will have a hard time enforcing the bylaw, given that smokers may have enough time to butt out their cigarettes by the time officials respond to a complaint. “We just don’t have enough bylaw officers to be able to have them drop everything they’re doing to run and catch someone with a cigarette in their hand,” said Ald. Jim Stevenson, who had voted against the bylaw amendment.

“The jury’s out as to how it’s going to work. I don’t see it being very effective, but they will have to do what they can with it.” Jessica Vanderhoef, a non-smoker who sat near a playground in Riley Park on Monday, said she supported the anti-puffing rules, though she was disappointed to learn officials had not started enforcing them. She said city hall should have workers patrolling parks, if they’re handing out tickets for other violations. “There should be some kind of consequence for smoking around children,” said Vanderhoef, who was with her five-year-old son, Jacob. City hall had taken the cue from other Canadian cities, such as Toronto, Edmonton and Grand Prairie, that ban smoking close to certain outdoor areas. In the United States, authorities had prohibited smoking in almost 850 parks and on 150 beaches by 2011, according to a recent study by Columbia University. Those bans were based on concerns with second-hand smoke, pollution caused by butts and the influence on youngsters watching adults smoke. But the study’s authors concluded there is no concrete evidence to support these claims.

They suggest authorities should instead make the case that the bans “de-normalize” the bad habit and encourage smokers to butt out more often. In Calgary, the ban was first proposed last November by Ald. Andre Chabot, a lifetime smoker who suffers from lung problems. The Canadian Cancer Society, which is among a coalition of health and community groups called Smoke-Free Calgary, backs the ban as a means to reduce children’s exposure to smoking, in the hopes it reduces the likelihood they will pick up the habit. “There is no safe level of second-hand smoke exposure,” said Sarah Hawkins, a public policy analyst with the cancer society. “And while it can be harder to monitor outdoors, we know that it can be a harm.”

Source: http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/calgary/Education+trumps+enforcement+outdoor+smoking+bylaw/8835726/story.html

Research and Regulation Is a Must

Cigarette smoking is a significant public health problem and efforts to reduce its burden are critically needed. Approximately one in five of the adult U.S. population smoke cigarettes and 440,000 Americans will die from a smoking-attributable cause this year. Quitting smoking is difficult and therefore alternatives are worth investigating, but questions must be asked about any new product.

All smokers are not the same and therefore will respond differently to novel smoking cessation aids, including electronic cigarettes. The limited existing data supports that an electronic cigarette is safer than a tobacco cigarette, which is not to say it is absolutely safe. However, there is a paucity of research on how individuals actually use electronic cigarettes. What about those who might have a chance of quitting smoking altogether but instead end up replacing the tar and nicotine from traditional cigarettes with e-cigarettes? What about those who lean on electronic cigarettes to circumvent smoking restrictions at work and in social settings but continue to smoke tobacco products as well; how much are they increasing their nicotine intake?

Nicotine is an addictive drug and therefore electronic cigarettes should be subject to some form of regulation. Production standards must be enforced so that consumers can be properly informed of the amount of nicotine and other constituents present. Regulations to prevent misleading marketing and labeling of electronic cigarettes is also important.

Other considerations include the use of flavorings, which have been banned in tobacco cigarettes, and the perception that electronic cigarettes are less harmful, less addictive, and more attractive than traditional cigarettes, especially when it comes to adolescents who would otherwise not be interested in inhaling nicotine. Until we have a sense of how the public will actually use the product we must carefully and continually monitor this emerging health issue.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/08/20/the-ambiguous-allure-of-the-e-cig/research-and-regulation-of-e-cigarettes-is-a-must

Winston maker says reduction in tobacco use way below expectations

Higher excise tax rates may have fueled an increase in government revenues, but tobacco consumption fell at a pace much slower than what Philippine officials were hoping for, according to the Japanese maker of the Winston and Camel brands of cigarettes.

In a press briefing last week, Japan Tobacco International (JTI) Philippines general manager Manos Koukourakis said the Aquino administration can exceed its P51.6-billion excise tax collection target for cigarettes this year. "From a government perspective, this is a successful legislative measure, because at the end of the day, it will achieve the target it has. The government in that respect did a good job," Koukourakis said. In the first six months, excise taxes slapped on cigarettes reached P22.4 billion, or 53 percent more than the P14.6 billion raised in the same period last year. The tax take from alcohol products hit P16.2 billion in the first half, or 37 percent more than the P11.8 billion a year ago. Taxes raised from both "sin" products climbed 46 percent from P26.4 billion last year to P38.5 billion this year. But while tax collections improved, cigarette use -- another policy objective of the law hiking sin taxes -- fell in the low double-digits, or way below the government's forecast of halving tobacco consumption. "If we go back one year ago, other companies in the market said that the introduction of excise tax will reduce the consumption of cigarettes by 50 percent. Our company was a little more optimistic, we were thinking about 40 percent," Koukourakis said. At the height of the policy debates over excise taxes, the government cited a University of the Philippines study showing that higher rates would cut tobacco consumption by at least 51 percent. Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corp (PMFTC), which accounts for at least eight out of every 10 sticks of cigarette sold in the Philippines, made the same forecast in raising concern about the potential job loss of an increase in taxes. "What happened is that we were all mistaken. The reality is that the total market consumption fell by around eight to 12 percent, or more or less 10 percent, and not by 50 percent," Koukourakis said. He said the less sharp drop in cigarette use can be traced to the entry of cigarette brands that sold for P1 a stick or P17 a pack. "Before the 'sin' tax enactment, you had less than 10. Now you have more than 30 products. That means that consumers have cheaper choices than they had before," Koukourakis said. Despite the influx of these cheaper brands, JTI expects to maintain its 3.2 percent share of the local market. "Our company decided consciously not to participate in this. JTI Philippines will have no brands at P1 per stick, or at below P20 per pack. We could never be in a position to do it," Koukourakis said, adding that competing with cheaper brands would result in losses of P8-10 a pack for the company. "We are doing okay, slightly better than our targets. Even with the sin tax, we expect that we will meet our targets," he said. "The Philippine market is a lucrative market. One thing that is certain is our company is here to stay," he added. Apart from Winston and Camel, JTI also manufactures and distributes the Mevius brand (formerly Mild Seven). JTI used to outsource production of its cigarettes to Fortune Tobacco Corp. Source: http://www.interaksyon.com/business/68920/after-sin-tax-hike--winston-maker-says-reduction-in-tobacco-use-way-below-expectations

Law fails to curb tobacco sales near school premises

Though nearly a decade has passed since the introduction of a ban on the sale of tobacco products near educational institutions, the situation has largely remained the same with much of the sales continuing to target school and college students. Lack of coordination between police, local bodies and school authorities is mostly to be blamed.

The sale of tobacco within a 100-yard radius of educational institutions was prohibited in 2004 under Section 6(b) of Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003 (COTPA) from January to May 2013.

The act made it mandatory to install display boards outside educational institutions declaring the zone as tobacco-free. "Though occasional inspections are conducted by police, no coordinated effort is on," feels Sruthi Ravikumar, a parent residing at East Hill. School authorities are also not keen in tackling the issue, she complained.

According to statistics with city police, cases have been registered against 98 persons this year till May for selling tobacco products in such places. Police also collected fine of Rs 19,600 from offenders. But not a single case has been registered under section 6(a) (Prohibition and sale of tobacco products to minors) of COTPA during this period. On the other hand, no cases were registered for the sale of tobacco products in school premises in 2012. "Statistics reveal that we have intensified action against tobacco sellers," said a senior police official. Though I can't provide recent data, I believe the number of cases have gone down as cops now have less time for such operations owing to frequent protests by political parties and feeder organizations," he said.

Educational institutions too have a significant role in addressing the menace but they chose to keep mum. Few schools in the city have affixed 'Tobacco- Free Area' boards at their entrance. The direction to constitute anti-tobacco cells in all educational institutions has also not been followed by most institutions.

Police alone cannot stop the sale of tobacco to youngsters, said a police official. Coordination of parents and teachers is essential as they would be better aware of shops that sell such products to kids and operate in the prohibited area, he said, adding that they were planning to intensify the activities of school protection groups to curb the menace.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kozhikode/Law-fails-to-curb-tobacco-sales-near-school-premises/articleshow/21836925.cms

Jersey City Police Officer Charged with Cigarette Cargo Theft and Scheme to Rob Drug Courier

A Jersey City, New Jersey police officer appeared in Newark federal court this afternoon to face charges that he stole more than 600,000 cigarettes from a trailer and conspired to rob $20,000 from a drug courier, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced. Mario Rodriguez, 39, of Jersey City, is charged by complaint with one count of cargo theft and one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right. He appeared this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor in Newark federal court and was released on a $250,000 bond and confined to home incarceration with electronic monitoring. The complaint also charges Anthony Roman, 48, also of Jersey City, in the conspiracy. Roman was arrested at home August 2, 2013, and appeared in court the same day. He was released on a $250,000 bond. According to the complaint: The Cargo Theft On July 3, 2013, Rodriguez and an individual working for the FBI as a confidential informant (CI) drove to a warehouse in Secaucus, New Jersey to break into a trailer and steal cigarettes they planned to sell to the CI’s associate for $5,000. Law enforcement agents had parked the trailer there and established surveillance of the area. Rodriguez used bolt cutters to cut the lock off of the trailer, and he and the CI loaded 50 cases containing approximately 600,000 cigarettes and six televisions from the trailer into their vehicle. As they drove the stolen items to a parking lot in Staten Island, New York, Rodriguez made several phone calls seeking buyers for the TVs. The pair met the CI’s associate—actually an undercover officer—in the parking lot to get the $5,000 payment for the cigarettes. Rodriguez kept $3,000 of the cash and three of the TVs. The Extortion On July 10, 2013, Rodriguez and the CI met in New Jersey with undercover law enforcement agents and discussed the possibility of robbing a drug courier—actually another undercover officer. Later that month, the group met again in Staten Island to discuss the plan. The undercover officers told Rodriguez the courier would be delivering cocaine to them that day in a Jersey City mall parking lot in exchange for a $20,000 payment, after which Rodriguez would steal the money. Rodriguez called Roman to help him with the robbery. Rodriguez and Roman drove a Toyota RAV-4 truck to the location on July 24, 2013, where law enforcement agents had established surveillance and staged the car containing $20,000 cash in a plastic bag. Rodriguez and Roman robbed the woman they thought was a drug courier of the money after identifying themselves as law enforcement officers—which Roman is not—and pretending to arrest the CI. Later that day, Rodriguez, the CI and the undercover met in a hotel room at a Pennsylvania casino to split the cash. The cargo theft and conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Extortion charges carry a maximum potential penalty of 10 and 20 years in prison, respectively. Both counts also carry a maximum fine of $250,000. U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford in Newark; the Special Investigations Unit of the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Acting Chief Joseph Connors; the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Gaetano T. Gregory; and criminal investigators of the U.S. Attorney’s Office with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the Bayonne Police Department, Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor, IRS-Criminal Investigation, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, and the New Jersey State Commission of Investigation for their significant contributions to the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan W. Romankow of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Organized Crime/Gangs Unit in Newark. The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. Source: http://www.fbi.gov/newark/press-releases/2013/jersey-city-police-officer-charged-with-cigarette-cargo-theft-and-scheme-to-rob-drug-courier

Kevin Rudd's tax hikes on tobacco will save lives and cut health system costs and should be applied to alcohol

That's what Kevin Rudd would have told Cabinet colleagues who baulked at the Federal Government's tax hike on cigarettes last week.

With 3.3 million smokers in Australia's pool of 14.5 million voters, Rudd's maths add up. He might alienate 23 per cent of an electorate happy to cough over their ballot papers, but Rudd gets clean air from a non-smoking 77 per cent who'll happily accept the $5.3 billion the extra tobacco tax will earn the Federal Government. Smokers, anarcho-liberals and other flat-earthers will cry "nanny state" crocodile tears as they deny the link between price and consumption. It doesn't matter how much ciggies cost, they'll say, poor blue-collar workers will still smoke, even if it means giving up milk and bread for the kids. But that's nonsense. There's overwhelming evidence that "sin taxes" reduce the consumption of legal but dangerous substances. In 2011, international research found that, for every 10 per cent of increased tax on cigarettes, we can expect 4 per cent of smokers to quit. Indeed, Australian medicos claim Rudd's tobacco tax could see up to 200,000 Australian smokers give up the habit. The gains for the Australian economy are huge. The worth of the lives saved is immeasurable.

My only beef with the Rudd vision is that it doesn't go far enough. If the Federal Government has the stomach to stand up to tobacco interests, why falter in the face of the alcohol industry? The price mechanism works just as well on booze. After Rudd's alcopops tax was introduced in 2008, for example, we saw a huge decline in the sale of sweet ready-mix drinks. But critics slammed the tax because it didn't reduce youth drinking overall. In that sense, the alcopops levy was ill-conceived public policy because it didn't go far enough.By taxing only one corner of the grog market, the policy merely shunted kids into other, equally dangerous, consumption patterns. Instead of pineapple flavored passion pop, youngsters instead guzzled on "goon" or swigged strong spirits. In that sense, the alcopops levy was ill-conceived public policy, simply because it didn't go far enough.

By taxing only one corner of the grog market, the policy merely shunted kids into other, equally dangerous, consumption patterns. Instead of pineapple flavored passion pop, youngsters instead guzzled on "goon" or swigged strong spirits. Had the tax hike been consistent across all alcohol products - beer, wine and spirits - there's no doubt youth binge drinking would be lower today and some of the 60 people who die each week from alcohol could have been saved. Enter that rare place where morality and politics meet. Rudd's tax isn't just about plugging a Budget black hole left by an amended carbon price. It's also about taking a moral ground above the Coalition. Labor campaign ads, for example, are already asking Opposition Leader Tony Abbott to defend the federal Liberals' acceptance of about $3 million in donations from tobacco companies over the past 12 years. It's a fair point. Happily, All Labor branches have refused tobacco donations since 2004 and both Labor and the Coalition in New South Wales NSW have banned donations from the tobacco, alcohol and gaming industries, and from property developers. Less heartening is the possibility the NSW Government will soon rescind those bans. But both major parties elsewhere can hang their heads in shame at the amount of cash they've accepted from the alcohol industry.

There is, of course, the $400,000-plus dollars the Australian Hotels Association slipped the NSW Liberals just before the 2011 state election. Then there's the $160,000 the Australian Hotels and Hospitality Association gave Victorian Labor in 2010 and the more than $140,000 handed to the Victorian Coalition that same year. Coopers Brewery also gave the South Australian Liberals more than $16,000 in 2010, and the list goes on. It seems alcohol and not oil lubricates Australia's electoral machinery Predictably, the free marketeers will again accuse me of "nanny state" politics. But I can never fathom why radical libertarians would allow people to injure themselves in the name of personal liberty. Even if they don't care about protecting the health of their fellow man, surely they see the economic argument of keeping Australians out of hospital which, in turn, keeps income tax down. For those who deny they need help in lowering their alcohol and tobacco consumption, price mechanisms are the way to go. Dr Paul Williams is a Griffith University School of Humanities senior lecturer.

Source: http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/opinion/kevin-rudd8217s-tax-hikes-on-tobacco-will-save-lives-and-cut-health-system-costs-and-should-be-applied-to-alcohol/story-fnihsr9v-1226691674874

Ill Effects Of Electronic Cigarette For Health

Have you heard of the well known and 'safe to use' electronic cigarettes? This electronic cigarettes which is considered a healthy option for smokers is now considered to be a threat! This electronic cigarettes has grabbed the attention of countless tobacco users from around the world. But are they really safe to use and healthier than a normal cigarette bud? Experts say that this cheaper alternative to a traditional cigarettes has a number of side effects to one's lungs when compared to that of the traditional cigarette. It is said that with the help of these electronic cigarettes one can enjoy a cheaper and healthier cigarette which has no bad smells, second-hand smoke and no cancer causing chemicals. But are these facts really true?

These electronic cigarettes which are battery operated devices have been developed as an alternative to your traditional cigarettes. They are made up of a heater, battery and a cartridge which contains a solution of propylene glycol, nicotine and some other various chemicals. The electronic cigarettes thus gives the smoker an effect of nicotine intake without delivering the toxic elements which is tobacco, carbon monoxide and tar which is said to harm the lungs. With the use of electronic cigarettes a smoker does not have bad breath nor suffers from the yellowing of teeth. These electronic cigarettes which is seen by many as a healthy option of tobacco smoking, does have some side effects which is not healthy for the lungs. Lets take a look at some of the ill effects of electronic cigarette. The use of electronic cigarettes can cause damage to the lungs. The reason being that when a smoker uses the e-cigarette he/ she exhales the vapour instead of smoke which is not good for the lungs as it leads to a problems in lung functioning. One is not aware as to how much nicotine is present in an e-cigarette.

Consumers of e-cigarette products currently have no way of knowing whether e-cigarettes are safe or not! However, one should know that an electronic cigarette does not contain those harmful chemicals which is usually found in a traditional cigarette. It is said that smoking electronic cigarettes will not give you cancer. But the ill effects of electronic cigarettes is that they provide to greater affects like that of heart diseases, heart attacks and other ailments. An electronic cigarettes contains cancer-causing compounds like nitrosamines.

Experts say that if this e-cigarette accidentally breaks, one is exposed to these harmful components. The other ill effects of an electronic cigarette is that these cigarettes contain an anti-freeze component which is called as diethylene glycol. It is a toxic to humans and can cause health worries when it comes to inhalation. This is one of the biggest and major ill effects of electronic cigarette. An E-cigarettes also consists of Tetramethylpyrazine. One who involves in a prolonged exposure to Tetramethylpyrazine can lead to brain damage. Therefore, it is best to avoid the use of the electronic cigarette. So you see that though an electronic cigarette is said to be less dangerous compared to traditional cigarettes, it is still a threat to smokers.

Source: http://www.boldsky.com/health/wellness/2013/ill-effects-electronic-cigarette-health-034483.html

GATS Report and Tobacco Use in Nigeria

Recently, a report by Global Audit on Tobacco Survey (GATS) indicated that incidence of tobacco use in Nigeria is low, a report that may not go down well with the civil society groups that campaigned against tobacco smoking, advertisement and production.

Tobacco smoking in various parts of the world had been a topical issue leading to its ban in some public places in many parts of the world.

Not until recently, the Lagos State House of Assembly proposed the Non-Tobacco Smoking Bill, which seeks a total ban on smoking in public places.

The Bill, however, did not get the nod of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, led By Mr. Anthony Ibafor, representative of hotel and club owners and tobacco distributors, who argued that the Bill would lead to unemployment, if tobacco smoking was totally banned. Reacting to the proposed bill, the Head of Regulatory Affairs of British American Tobacco of Nigeria (BATN), Mr. Sola Dosumu, expressed the company's support for the passage of a balanced and evidence-based Bill for the industry. He also stated that it was in the interest of stakeholders to ensure the passage of a balanced, workable and evidence-based Bill, adding that it would help to reduce the impact of tobacco on public health in the country. Dosumu went further to say that BATN had always supported appropriate regulation for the industry in Nigeria and had co-operated and collaborated with government agencies towards ensuring that existing regulations were enforced. On the other hand, Representative of Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance and other CSOs, Nurudeen Ogbara, sought for total ban of tobacco smoking in the public.

Today, GATS report has lent credence to Dosumu's views as a cardinal factor of modern life, which is the adoption of constitutions by nations of the world and one of the reasons for adopting same is to put in proper perspective ways and manners of peaceful co-existence among the citizens of the particular country. One basic inclusion in such constitution is human rights and freedom of choice. Even though those rights are enshrined in the constitution, the authors are mindful of the need to restrict the exercise of those rights to persons of certain age and above. One of such rights is the universal adult suffrage, which empowers adults of 18 years old and above the right to vote in an election so long as the person is of sound of mind. This is premised on the thought that at 18, and barring any mental deficiency, the person is capable of making an informed and reasonable judgment. The same is the issue of alcoholic beverage and tobacco consumption in many countries, Nigeria inclusive. If the report of the survey is right that "Nigeria has a relatively low rate of tobacco smoking compared to other countries, then we must safe guard this by having the appropriate laws that is suited to our local context in place and not simply copy one that will cause more problem in the country. Given Nigeria's peculiarity, coupled with the physiological make up of the human mind to crave that which is shrouded in mystery, the chances that over flogging the issue, as some anti-tobacco campaigners are clamouring for are high. In order not to regress in the tobacco use roll back campaign, anti-tobacco use advocates and the government in particular should thread softly, Mr. Tomiwa Alegusi, a tobacco distributor, said.

The reality of the modern world is that stringent laws inexplicably grow interests in the particular habit that it seeks to discourage. The more the law around a practice gets stringent, the more the curiosity around it grows, leading to increased indulgence in the act. We should be mindful of this in formulating more stringent anti-tobacco legislation. While the push for public health must be sought, we should, however, avoid sensationalism for the sake of advocacy. It is also pertinent to do a reality check on the anti-tobacco measures and laws that several countries have adopted over the years with a view to ascertain if they are achieving results or not. Arguably, countries that have adopted harsh regulations as anti-tobacco laws are feeling the effect of increased tobacco smuggling leading to astronomical rise in the sales and purchase of illegal products and funding of criminal groups. Among such countries are Ireland, Canada and South Africa. On the other hand, countries that have adopted moderate laws which are well balanced and applicable and enforceable locally have little incidence of smuggling, examples are Ghana and Russia.

Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201307290456.html

Man pushed shop assistant to take tobacco

A 23-year-old man who pushed past a shop attendant to steal tobacco was sentenced to home detention this week. Ngamataora Tai Mana Hira Makitae, unemployed, appeared in the Invercargill District Court before Judge Kevin Phillips yesterday for sentence for robbing a person of several pouches of tobacco on March 10. He was sentenced to seven months' home detention and ordered to pay $346.30 reparation. Judge Phillips said Makitae and a group of friends went in and out of the Tay St Night 'n Day store asking to buy tobacco just before 1am on March 10. Makitae went in and asked for three packets of tobacco but left when a member of the public came into the shop. He waited outside and came back in and moved behind the counter, where there was a confrontation between him and the 56-year-old female shop assistant, Judge Phillips said. Makitae pushed past her, took nine pouches of tobacco and fled, he said. The shop assistant contacted police and when spoken to Makitae said he was not the mastermind behind the robbery. Crown lawyer Riki Donnelly accepted the level of violence was at the lower end of the scale. Assault Shane Antony Manuel, 21, farmer, was remanded on bail to August 27 for sentence for assaulting a female and breaching a protection order on July 1. An 18-year-old man, who has interim name suppression, was remanded on bail to August 7 for sentence for assaulting a female on March 23. Assaults child A man, who has interim name suppression, was remanded on bail to August 6 for sentence for assaulting a child and behaving in a threatening manner on July 1. The court was told the man pushed a child in the ribs causing bruising. the man told police he had "just lost it." Breach Eugene Nicholas Wikitera was remanded on bail to August 28 for compliance for breaching community work on June 8. Michael George Mulligan, 27, was sentenced to 60 hours' community work for breaching community work on June 20. Driving Jessie Whatuira was sentenced to 50 hours' community work for driving while suspended. Judge Phillips found special reasons not to disqualify Whatuira from driving. Angelina Simeon Heita, 19, was remanded on bail to August 13 for sentence for driving while disqualified and with a breath alcohol level of 350mcg (under 20) on July 18. Karl James Schutt, 25, mill hand, of Riverton, was sentenced to four months' community detention, 100 hours' community work and disqualified for one year and one month for driving while disqualified at Riverton on June 5.

Cameron loses the plot over tobacco and alcohol reforms

It matters not a jot that Silverspoon Cameron says it was his decision alone, and not pressure from lobbyists, to abandon plain packaging for tobacco. The simple truth is that the prime minister has taken leave of his senses on this, as well as now not having a 45p per unit minimum price for alcohol. So topsy-turvy, in fact, that Silverspoon has completely undermined his lip-service to improving health. But the public aren't daft. They know that the easy cash cows for any government are upping taxes on cigarettes and booze. Would they really want to lose billions by sobering up and de-toxing the nation, even though the equivalent is handed out in wasted foreign aid? Meanwhile, commercial lobbying remains unscrupulously big business, as does party fund-raising (e.g. donor dinners at Downing Street). At present, 80% of commercial pressure groups are unregulated. Deep down, the government doesn't wish to offend its paymasters. Hence a token attempt to compile a register, produced from a hat the day before MPs took off for the summer break, and now destined for a rushed and unprepared second reading on September 3, the day parliament reconvenes Meanwhile, locally, better health would be served by limiting the number of deregulated empty buses zooming around town, especially in the wake of the latest abundantly obvious medical survey from Denmark, noting that traffic fumes raise lung cancer risk. Good riddance to the Liverpool Care Pathway It is a medically calculated way of dying, which to its eternal shame, was emblazoned with the name of our city. The Liverpool Care Pathway – sounds like a nice walk in the woods – allows supposedly dying patients to be starved of food and drink until they really do expire. The procedure is meant to require consent, but one report claims that more than 2,500 families were unaware that their loved ones had been assigned to the LCP by medics. Altogether, more than 130,000 patients a year are affected, giving a 25% chance that we will meet our end in this way. But there is a difference between being terminally ill and actually dying. The case is quoted of a cancer patient who had suffered a heart attack being put on the LCP and having all tubes and drips removed. But once his horrified relatives insisted he was nourished and treated, he lived for another month. We have been lessened, not ennobled, by trying to manage death to order. And once directives are sidelined, the subject stalks us by another less palliative name – euthanasia. So good news that the LCP is to go. But why should that take up to 12 months? A tomb with a view – and a £1m price-tag Richard III never enjoyed a good press. But now the quintessential English baddie, unearthed in a Leicester car park, is to be buried in what the city's Dean, David Monteith, describes as a “wonderful space” in the cathedral. And at as wonderful price – a whacking £1m. Surely money better spent on a soup kitchen for the poor. Ulster still shows its tribal underbelly The loyalist rioting in Belfast following the banning of a controversial Orange march was unforgivable, and evidence of just how entrenched this tribal approach to public life in Northern Ireland remains. Police faced a barrage of petrol bombs, fireworks, bottles, sticks and stones. Thirty-two officers were injured, including two from the record 1,000 drafted in from England, Wales and Scotland. In total, 4,000 police were needed to cope with security. Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson is right in insisting that any 'overflow' activity to our own city streets during Irish-inspired marches of any political colour, will not be tolerated. It only takes one to spoil things for everyone else As is so often the case, it only takes a single person to spoil enjoyment for everyone else. One of the benefits of the lovely weather was a coach trip to Ullswater, followed by a lake sail, plus a drive over Kirkstone Pass to Ambleside. All perfect, apart from the constant decibel-shattering nattering of an individual passenger, who was meant to be talking to his companion, but ended up driving everyone else on board to distraction. In flat-vowelled nasal Manc tones, he gave everyone the benefit of his supposed knowledge of geography and traffic flow. In the end, we were all left sucking through our teeth to prevent an uprising. Drivers and couriers should be equipped (and prepared) to deal with such incidents. Otherwise it just detracts from future custom. Alan Whicker: many impersonators, few equals The death of Alan Whicker is an enormous loss to broadcasting and television in particular. He had many impersonators but very few equals. Not least was the attractiveness of his voice: an intelligent, pleasantly modulating, tone – not to be confused with some of the eccentric excesses of his latter-day colleagues. Nobody mention the whimpering and whining of Robert Peston. Ever heard of contraception? The disgruntled faces of Gavin and Maggie Flisher, gaping out of newspaper pages with their six children in an attempt to drum up sympathy for being forced to live in a one-bedroom flat by their local council, had the opposite effect. The mother was described as “super-fertile” - the sort of language normally reserved for auctions of farm stock. But a simpler solution comes to mind. It's called contraception. Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/lifestyle/lifestyle-opinion/joe-riley-cameron-loses-plot-5170333

Perv who broke into NYC jail abused one inmate, gave cigarettes to others: cops

Alleged brazen jail-obsessed fiend Matthew Matagrano used a gold shield to get into the Manhattan Detention Center, schmooze with prisoners and attack an inmate — pinning him against a pillar, grabbing his testicles and threatening him, according to a criminal complaint. Matthew Matagarno used a fake badge to get into the Manhattan Detention Center, NYPD cops say, where he allegedly abused one inmate and told him, 'Don’t f--- with me. I will hurt you,' according to court records. The deranged perv who allegedly flashed a phony badge to glide past security at a New York City jail is facing a new rap for groping and strip-searching an inmate in the same visit, the Daily News has learned. Brazen jail-obsessed fiend Matthew Matagrano was already facing charges for using a gold shield to get into the Manhattan Detention Center on Feb. 27, spending 7 1/2 hours in the lockup schmoozing with inmates and doling out cigarettes. But now investigators say he also attacked an inmate on the same joyride — pinning him against a pillar, grabbing his testicles and threatening him, according to a new criminal complaint. “Don’t f--- with me. I will hurt you,” Matagrano, 37, told the victim, court records said. The 5-foot-8, 340-pound nut ordered his victim into a cell and forced the man to strip and be searched, the complaint says. The inmate later filed a complaint, leading to the additional charge of burglary as a sexually motivated felony against Matagrano on July 8. He was previously indicted for burglary, possession of a forged instrument, criminal impersonation and promoting prison contraband stemming from the same stunt at the lower Manhattan jail, also known as the Tombs. New York officials say that for at least a week, former inmate Matthew Matagrano used phony credentials to get into multiple city lockups, including Rikers Island, picturerd, and the Manhattan Detention Center, where he mingled with inmates for hours. He was essentially “pretending to be an investigator from the Intelligence Unit,” the complaint said. The Matagrano incident remains a black eye for the Department of Correction. On the date of his alleged visit to the jail, Matagrano parked in a reserved spot using a bogus placard and flashed a badge. It is unclear where he got the placard or why he was admitted with a fake badge. A gold badge from a group called Civil Advocates of New York was found on Matagrano when he was arrested. It is unclear if Civil Advocates of New York is a legitimate group. The group’s online mission statement says it “strives to be the secure and trusted safe place that our clients can turn to for personalized Advocacy/Training services when are (sic) clients are in their greatest need of a friend.” After he was caught, Matagrano admitted he sneaked into jails — and only had nice things to say about correction workers. “They give me food. They made me feel important,” he said. Matagrano is a sex offender who sodomized a teenage boy in 1996 and has done stints in state prison for that and other felonies, records show. The Department of Correction did not respond to a request for comment. Matagrano is being held without bail. Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/perv-broke-nyc-jail-abused-inmate-cops-article-1.1398570

Poor Diet, Tobacco Use and Lack of Physical Activity Taking Toll on Nation's Health

While we're living longer, poor diet, tobacco use and inadequate physical activity are negatively impacting our health. These are some of the findings of research released this week by the U.S. Burden of Disease Collaborators, prompting much discussion and debate. To those of us on the front lines of promoting workplace health this comes as no surprise. This study should only add to the sense of urgency that we as a nation must have in solving this crisis. There is a direct link between the health of the U.S. workforce and the overall well being of the U.S. economy. Currently, greater than 50 percent of Americans live with one or more chronic disease. With this rising burden of chronic disease comes rising costs within the health care system, and increased premiums at a cost to employers. Compounding this, employees with chronic disease take more sick days and are less productive on the job. Workplace health is of significant importance to the economic productivity of the nation and critical to reducing the national debt. The U.S. is slipping behind its major Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Countries (OECD) competitors regarding improvements in population health. Specifically, the U.S. falls in the bottom 20 percent of the 34 OECD countries for the following chronic diseases: ischemic heart diseases (rank: 27), lung cancer (28), COPD (32), diabetes (31), cardiopulmonary (31), chronic kidney disease (31), and hypertensive heart disease (27). Poorer health today could translate into lower productivity tomorrow. This is the first major analysis of the health status of the U.S. population in more than 15 years, led by a global collaborative of scientists from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington. The study found that while Americans are showing progress in reducing death rates (adjusted for age, across a variety of diseases), we aren't living healthier. Additionally, death rates from illnesses associated with obesity, such as diabetes and kidney disease, as well as neurological conditions like Alzheimer's disease, are on the rise. Poor diet, tobacco use and physical inactivity are driving the disease burden. The negative impact on our health care system cannot be understated as people who live longer and unhealthier lives are costly -- not only in terms of health care spend, but the impact on the productivity of our workforce and the ability of U.S. businesses to compete in a global economy. A point made recently in the Bipartisan Policy Center's recent report. None of this is news to The Vitality Institute, a global health think tank focused on reducing chronic disease risk. In fact, we recently released new data indicating a dangerous gap in the chronological age of Americans and their risk adjusted Vitality Age, as calculated based on a variety of factors including those cited in this new report. So now that we so clearly understand the problem, what are we going to do about it? To that end, we've recently assembled The Vitality Institute Commission. We're bringing together prominent thinkers in health and business including: Dr. Rhonda Cornum, with deep expertise from the Department of Defense; Susan Dentzer, with Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; Ginny Ehrlich, with the Clinton Health Matters Initiative; Jeff Levi, with Trust for America's Health; Ellis Rubinstein, with the New York Academy of Sciences; Dr. Dennis Schmuland, with Microsoft; and Dr. Kevin Volpp, from the University of Pennsylvania. All with the urgent goal of placing the power of evidence-based prevention at the center of health care policies and actions in the U.S. Better evidence, smarter laws and higher levels of innovation we believe could make a difference. There is strength in numbers, and we are working with corporations, associations, federal, state, and local government to identify multi-stakeholder solutions that will address the issues facing our nation's health in bold and transformative ways. For the U.S. to maintain its economic competitiveness, our health policy efforts need to address the risk factors of preventable chronic diseases that disproportionately affect the U.S. population (e.g., physical inactivity, diet, and alcohol and tobacco consumption) by effectively investing resources to ensure that each individual has the opportunity to make beneficial contributions to society and therefore progress the economy. We will soon issue a call for wide participation to harness the myriad of great ideas and actions already making a difference at the community, city or state level to ultimately improve America's health.

WHO reveals how tobacco control measures are improving health worldwide

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic 2013 shows more people worldwide are benefiting from tobacco control measures. The report, released today, said that 2.3 billion people living in 92 countries (a third of the world’s population) are now covered by at least one measure protecting them against tobacco’s effects. This figure has more than doubled in the past five years. But tobacco use continues to be the leading global cause of preventable death, killing approximately six million people and causing more than half a trillion dollars of economic damage annually. In 2008, WHO identified six evidence-based tobacco control measures that are the most effective for reducing tobacco use. Known as “MPOWer”, the measures correspond to one or more of the demand reduction provisions included in the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control: • Monitor tobacco use and prevention policies, • Protect people from tobacco smoke, • Offer help to quit tobacco use, • Warn people about the dangers of tobacco, • Enforce bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, and • Raise taxes on tobacco. • The report says three billion people now live in regions with national anti-tobacco campaigns and, as a result, hundreds of millions of people are less likely to start smoking. Professor of Health Policy at Curtin University Mike Daube said the report’s findings are positive, despite the harsh realities of tobacco’s impact worldwide. “We are making global progress in tobacco control – more countries banning tobacco advertising, implementing non-smoking provisions, mandating health warnings and running public education programs – but the grim reality is that around the world each year people are still smoking six trillion cigarettes, leading to six million deaths,” he said “The power of the tobacco industry remains immense. It continues to oppose and delay action in developed countries and to promote its products ruthlessly in developing countries,” he noted. “The catastrophic news is that more than 60 years after we learned unequivocally about the dangers of smoking, this remains our largest preventable cause of death and disease and action by most governments is slow, limited and resisted by the tobacco industry at every step.” Associate Professor Billie Bonevski, a research fellow for the Cancer Institute NSW and a research academic in the School of Medicine and Public Health at the University of Newcastle, referred to the report’s finding that low- and middle-income countries are a target for the tobacco industry and said more needs to be done to stem their power in these places. “Resources should be directed to these countries to ensure they are equipped with the workforce and legislative power to counter the tobacco industry’s efforts. Tobacco control efforts need to reach the whole of the population, especially people who find it difficult to stop smoking,” she said. “Even in developed countries, we’re seeing a concentration of smoking amongst socially disadvantaged and vulnerable sub-groups of the population. Bans on tobacco advertising and promotion alone are unlikely to help highly addicted smokers to quit. Evidence-based nicotine dependence treatments need to be easily accessible for these smokers.” Professor Daube said that while Australia was doing well, the battle is far from over. “It is encouraging that Australia is a world leader in tobacco control – but we cannot afford to be complacent: we must continue to show other countries that we can win our battles against Big Tobacco.”

Two new cigarettes win FDA clearance

Lorillard Inc., the largest U.S. maker of menthol cigarettes, has won the first two clearances to market new tobacco products among 500 requests, under authority given in 2009 to U.S. health regulators. The Food and Drug Administration cleared two of Lorillard’s Gold Box cigarettes for sale in the United States. The rulings benefiting the company from Greensboro, N.C., are the first handed down by the agency since lawmakers gave it the power to determine which current tobacco products can remain on the market and which new ones can be introduced. The FDA cleared the cigarettes through a “substantially equivalent” determination that makes a judgment as to whether products have the same characteristics as existing ones or raise new public health questions. The agency denied four other requests for the determination, it said last week in a statement. “It is important to emphasize that an SE decision does not mean that the agency considers a product to be safe,” wrote Mitch Zeller, head of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, in a blog post on the agency’s website. “We are proud to be the first company in the industry to receive authorization to begin marketing these new products in the U.S. through the FDA’s substantial equivalence pathway,” Murray Kessler, Lorillard’s chairman and chief executive officer, wrote in an email. The agency “carried out its evaluation process in a deliberate manner reflecting sound science,” he said. The FDA couldn’t reveal which substantially equivalent requests they denied for legal reasons, Jennifer Haliski, an agency spokeswoman, said in an email. The new products cleared were Newport Non-Menthol Gold Box 100s and Newport Non-Menthol Gold Box, according to Zeller’s blog. “While today’s development is a positive step, there is still work to be done,” Bonnie Herzog, an analyst at Wells Fargo in New York, said Tuesday in a note to clients. The lack of FDA substantial equivalence rulings “has been an overhang,” she said. Congress granted the FDA authority over tobacco products in 2009 and the new regime has created a backlog of requests at the agency. As of earlier this month, there were 500 requests to approve products not currently sold and 3,500 for products already in stores, Zeller said in a June 6 interview. “Today’s decisions are just the first of many forthcoming product review actions to be issued,” Zeller said in the agency’s statement.

E-Cigarettes Still Have Health Hazards

It’s been seven years since electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) hit the U.S. market and the number of smokers using them has steadily increased. Today, one out of five smokers -- an estimated 9 million Americans -- smoke e-cigarettes either exclusively or in addition to the light-it-with-a-match variety. E-cigarettes have a similar look and feel to the real thing, minus the actual tobacco and smoke. It’s a mechanical version of a cigarette -- the tip even lights up to mimic burning ash -- with a battery that heats up a cartridge of liquid nicotine solution to create vapor you can inhale for a nicotine fix. Problem is, e-cigarettes aren’t actually a healthy alternative to smoking. Unlike other nicotine products like cigarettes, chewing tobacco and dip snuff, e-cigarettes don’t carry any health warnings, but that doesn’t mean they are less harmful (which 70 percent of smokers believe). Because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) isn’t yet regulating the product, manufacturers don’t have to disclose what chemicals are used in the nicotine solutions or potential health risks. “Because there are so few well-designed studies on e-cigarettes, there are a lot of unknowns about their use and safety,” says Cheryl Healton, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Legacy, a nonprofit anti-tobacco organization in Washington, D.C. Before you decide to light up virtually, here’s a look at what we know about e-cigarettes: They may cause cancer. Just because you’re not ‘puffing’ on a real cigarette doesn’t mean you’re no longer at risk for cancer. A 2009 analysis discovered antifreeze and other carcinogens and toxic chemicals in e-cigarette nicotine solutions. And eliminating secondhand smoke may be a myth, too: A 2012 study on indoor air found that e-cigarette vapors release carcinogens and toxins like nicotine and formaldehyde into the air. They are not approved as smoking cessation tools. There’s no scientific evidence that e-cigarettes will help people stop smoking, which is why the FDA and the World Health Organization view them as tobacco alternatives, not smoking cessation tools. Boston psychiatrist Keith Ablow, M.D., disagrees. “I’ve seen two-pack-a-day smokers quit after a week or two with e-cigarettes,” says Ablow, who is currently studying how e-cigarettes help many smokers kick the habit. E-cigarette cartridges have varying nicotine levels so users can gradually reduce exposure and curb nicotine cravings, says Ablow. The actual device may satisfy a behavioral need to simulate the act of smoking. They may entice kids to smoke. E-cigarettes, which come in yummy, kid-friendly flavors like bubblegum and cola, aren’t subjected to age verification laws. Only five states -- California, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Utah -- prohibit selling them to minors. They may get former smokers addicted again. Former smokers beware; this is not a case of have your cake and eat it, too. E-cigarettes will get you hooked again – they still deliver highly-addictive nicotine, which is what made you a slave to smoking in the first place. Even so-called nicotine-free cartridges aren’t a safe alternative because studies have detected low levels of nicotine in them. “Picking up these devices is like playing with fire,” says Healton. “If you’ve managed to quit, stay quit.” And don’t rely on e-cigarettes to help you quit smoking. If you want to quit (or know someone who does) visit SmokeFree.gov for information about programs that are scientifically proven to work.

Tobacco ban triggers high demand, hoarding fears

While the ban on gutka and pan masala is being implemented in full force, other issues such as blackmarketing and alternative addictive substances have become a cause for concern for enforcement agencies and the Health Department. Among the biggest fears is the possible hoarding of the illegal pan masala and its sale in the black market at high prices. Recently, the Food Safety and Standards Authorities seized around 250 kilograms of illegal pan masala from a house in a residential area in Ayanavaram. According to officials, the estimated value of the stock is around Rs 1 lakh. The price would have been much higher, had it found its way to the black market. “We are taking all possible measures to ensure that there is no hoarding. Four teams have been formed in the city, for the North, South, East and Western parts, to check the illegal storage of pan masala and gutka. In this first phase, we are seizing and destroying the illegal products and serving notices on the shops and the persons concerned. In the coming days, the offenders will face stiff penalties,” says a senior official with the Food Safety and Standards Department. Health experts say that as per previous experience in other areas, a ban on addictive substances often leads to high demand. “Immediately after a ban on an addictive substance, there is usually a surge in the demand. This is especially true in the case of chewable tobacco, since the addiction is almost twice as that of cigarettes. The demand can take the form of an increase in black marketing. But, if we are able to direct these consumers to tobacco cessation units, it would be a great step forward in bringing down the addiction rates,” says Prasanna Kannan, WHO Consultant, State Tobacco Control Unit. Kannan adds that though there is a short-term increase in demand, in the long run the demand is bound to reduce in the lack of availability and the high prices of black market products. Another concern here is that people who have been used to the chewable tobacco addiction might take to other alternatives. “Due to sudden unavailability of pan masala and gutka, consumers may take to alternative tobacco products like cigarettes. As such it is important that those who have weaned away from the chewable tobacco are given help so that they do not fall into the trap of another tobacco product,” Kannan adds. The State Tobacco Control Unit has strengthened its training and awareness programmes. Pan vendors hope that their tobacco customers will revert to non-tobacco products like sweet pan. “After the ban, our daily sales has gone down by 50 percent. The customers who take to tobacco-based pan or gutka are not satisfied with anything else and roam around from one shop to the other in search of it. Hopefully these people will take to alternatives like sweet paan, otherwise it will be difficult to run the business,” says a vendor in Vepery.

Split over tougher rules on tobacco

Member states water down Commission proposal, but MEPs want stricter rules. Member states and MEPs are on a collision course over proposed rules to strengthen tobacco controls in the European Union. On Friday (21 June), health ministers voted to slightly water down the European Commission's proposal on tobacco rules. But MEPs want tougher rules that go further than the Commission's proposal.

Ministers removed from the Commission's proposal a ban on slim cigarettes. However, they said these cigarettes should be sold in normal-sized packets to reduce their appeal to young people.

The ministers backed a proposed ban on flavoured cigarettes, including menthol. They also backed a requirement for large pictorial warnings to be printed on all cigarette packets, but reduced the amount that would have to be covered from 75% to 65%. The compromises were made to ease the concerns of central and eastern European member states that believe the restrictions would harm their economies. But the amendments failed to satisfy Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Poland and Romania, which voted against the Council's position.

Speaking after the vote, Tonio Borg, the European commissioner for health, said the Council's position respected the intent behind the Commission's proposal. “The main thrust is that tobacco should look like tobacco, not like perfume or candy, and that it should taste like tobacco as well,” he said. But many MEPs want tougher rules. British centre-left MEP Linda McAvan, who will lead the Parliament's negotiating team, wants the EU to ban the use of logos and trademarks, and force all cigarettes to adopt ‘plain packaging'.

The Parliament's environment and health committee, which is responsible for the dossier, will vote on 10 July. The committee tends to take a strong line on such issues – but other parliamentary committees rejected the most ambitious anti-smoking amendments in advisory opinions last week.

E-cigarettes

There is likely to be disagreement on electronic cigarettes, which are largely unregulated in the EU. The Commission has proposed that e-cigarettes containing 4 milligrammes or more of nicotine must be classed as medicinal products. Health campaigners said such a move could hurt a product that many people use to help them quit smoking. But ministers voted to make the rules on e-cigarettes even tougher, lowering the threshold to 1mg.

Source: By Dave Keating http://www.europeanvoice.com/article/imported/split-over-tougher-rules-on-tobacco/77667.aspx

Minnesota poll shows support for tax hikes on cigarettes, wealthy

A new poll of Minnesotans found broad support for the tax hikes on wealthy residents and cigarette smokers that Gov. Mark Dayton and the Democratic Legislature approved last month. The Star Tribune's Minnesota Poll, published Tuesday, showed that 58 percent of respondents supported the income tax increase on roughly the top 2 percent of income earners. Even more respondents, 64 percent, backed the $1.60 per pack hike in the cigarette tax. The income tax was opposed by 36 percent of respondents, while 32 percent opposed the higher cigarette tax. The poll surveyed 800 adults by phone from June 11 to June 13, and had an error margin of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. The strong backing for both measures may reflect that they affect only small fractions of the greater population. Republicans in the House and Senate fought the tax increases, which were the two chief components of a tax bill that is projected to raise $2.1 billion in new revenue over the next two years. Republicans argued the additional tax money was not needed and would harm the state's economy. House Speaker Paul Thissen, a Minneapolis Democrat, said the poll showed that residents understood the need to raise more revenue in order to spend it on education and job creation, "and that we found a fair and acceptable way to do that." House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, said the poll reflects that the tax hikes are narrowly targeted. But he argued that they "frankly will hurt Minnesota's economy and hurt hardworking Minnesota families." Bruce Jawer, a poll respondent from Rochester, told the Star Tribune that he backed the cigarette tax increase because health problems caused by smoking cost the state money. And he backed the income-tax hike even though he said he may fall into the "upper-income" tax category at times. "Folks who make more money have a duty to contribute more to the welfare of the country and the state," said Jawer, an educational administrator for Mayo Clinic. "History shows that when things get too out of balance between the rich and the poor, it leads to instability." But Tom Penn, a small business owner from Excelsior, said the income tax hikes could hurt enterprises like his, in which business income is taxed as personal income. "If you're raising taxes, you're preventing us from reinvesting in the business," he said. Penn said he doesn't necessarily oppose cigarette tax hikes, but argued that similar items such as liquor should have been subject to the same increase. The Legislature and Dayton set a new tax rate of 9.85 percent on income above $250,000 for couples and above $150,000 for individuals, a 2 percent increase over the current rate. Income below those levels will continue to be taxed at existing rates. The $1.60 cigarette tax increase will be added to the state's current per-pack tax of $1.23. The Minnesota Department of Health estimates about 16 percent of Minnesota adults are smokers.

E-Cigarettes Fire Up Investors, Regulators

A group including Silicon Valley entrepreneur Sean Parker is investing $75 million in a leading maker of electronic cigarettes, part of a wave of money firing up a market that is under increasing regulatory scrutiny. The market for e-cigarettes—battery-powered devices that turn heated, nicotine-laced liquid into vapor—is small but growing rapidly, in part because they are increasingly seen as less harmful than conventional cigarettes. Mr. Parker, who co-founded the music-sharing site Napster and was the first president of Facebook Inc., is part of an investment group acquiring a minority stake in Scottsdale, Ariz.-based NJOY Inc., one of dozens of e-cigarette companies that have surfaced since 2006. "There's a huge opportunity to transition the entire world away from dangerous, carcinogenic, combating cigarettes," said Mr. Parker, who has been a big donor to cancer research, in an interview. E-cigarettes, unlike traditional smokes, currently aren't federally regulated. The Food and Drug Administration warned consumers in 2009 the new technology could pose its own health risks and required further study. The agency has said it is planning regulations that would treat them as tobacco products, but has provided no details. In an interview last week, FDA tobacco czar Mitch Zeller described the e-cigarette market as "the wild, wild West" in terms of regulation. More than a dozen states, including Arkansas, Colorado and Maryland, have banned e-cigarette sales to minors. New Jersey, North Dakota and Utah have outlawed their use in enclosed public spaces. A bill approved by California's state senate in May would bring e-cigarettes under smoke-free laws covering public buildings, workplaces and restaurants. Boston, Seattle and Indianapolis have extended their smoking bans to the devices. Airlines don't allow e-cigarettes, nor do Amtrak or Starbucks Corp. SBUX +0.56% For current smokers, e-cigarettes are believed to be less harmful than traditional smokes, which release most of their toxins through combustion. But some studies indicate nicotine, the addictive agent in cigarettes and in the new devices, may harm fetuses. The long-term impact of inhaling e-cigarette vapor, which contains other substances such as propylene glycol, has yet to be determined. Among the questions faced by federal regulators: Could e-cigarettes, which currently offer flavors such as chocolate, strawberry and piña colada, serve as a gateway to traditional cigarettes for young people? Will longtime smokers use them only to get a nicotine fix where regular smoking is banned? What kind of age restrictions and warnings should they carry? And what about advertising? The FDA's Mr. Zeller declined to comment on what future regulations might look like or when they will be proposed. E-cigarette sellers aren't currently allowed to make health or smoking cessation claims. The European Union also is considering limits on e-cigarette sales, and France's health minister said last month the government would impose the same curbs on them as on conventional cigarettes. E-cigarettes are already restricted in Mexico, Brazil and several Asian countries. The potential market for e-cigarettes is huge. Despite new regulation of cigarettes and stepped-up public health campaigns urging Americans to quit, nearly one in five American adults still smoke. E-cigarettes more closely mimic smoking than do other smokeless products such as moist snuff or nicotine patches. Industry experts say U.S. retail sales of e-cigarettes could reach $1 billion this year, just 1% of the country's cigarette market but twice that of 2012, as they spread from the Internet to store shelves and generate buzz through television advertisements and celebrity endorsements. Sales of traditional cigarettes have been falling as public-health officials mount graphic advertising campaigns and push to expand bans on smoking in public places, and as federal and state tax increases have raised cigarette prices. NJOY, the company in which Mr. Parker is investing, is a top-selling brand. Although industrywide sales numbers are scarce, NJOY captured 35.6% of the $36.4 million in U.S. convenience-store sales in the four weeks ended May 11, according to Wells Fargo Securities, citing Nielsen scanner data. Lorillard's blu had a 33.9% share, followed by the privately held LOGIC and 21st Century brands, with 13.8% and 7.4%, respectively. Mr. Parker is investing nearly $10 million. Homewood Capital, a New York investment fund headed by Douglas Teitelbaum, is investing nearly $40 million. Boston-based Fidelity Investments is contributing about $25 million. And Founders Fund, a San Francisco venture-capital fund started by PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, is kicking in roughly $5 million. Mr. Thiel helped finance the 2005 film "Thank You for Smoking," a satire about the cigarette industry. Mr. Teitelbaum, former head of hedge fund Bay Harbour Management, says he began exploring an investment in e-cigarettes after deciding the category could be a game-changer and that NJOY's product was impressive. "It's clear they have the flavor right, the look and feel of the cigarette right, the branding and packaging right," said Mr. Teitelbaum, who says he smoked traditional cigarettes for more than 30 years before switching to NJOY Kings a few months ago. Unlike many rival e-cigarettes that are made of metal and weigh and look more like fountain pens, NJOY Kings more closely resemble regular cigarettes. The disposable cigarette retails for $7.99 and promises to last roughly as long as two packs of traditional cigarettes. The company has been advertising on TV and has attracted celebrity endorsers such as musicians Courtney Love and Bruno Mars. In March, former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona joined NJOY's board. As the government's top physician, Mr. Carmona had highlighted the dangers of secondhand smoke and supported an outright ban of tobacco products. After joining NJOY, Mr. Carmona said it is important to explore alternatives to traditional cigarettes because the adult smoking rate has remained stuck at around 20%. More study is needed on the health effect of e-cigarettes, he said, but "initial information certainly suggests there is significant potential for harm reduction." He added that e-cigarettes could be another tool to get more people to quit.

Imperial's Stock Could Be Habit-Forming

Consumer-staples stocks have become the latest addiction on Wall Street. But when it comes to some tobacco stocks, investors have resisted the urge. They should give in to temptation.

Consider shares of Procter & Gamble PG -1.18% and Clorox, CLX -0.90% which have both rallied in recent months as risk-averse investors chased after yield and steady, if only modest, profit growth. Both sport dividend yields of about 3%, and analysts expect earnings to expand by midsingle-digit percentages this year. The stocks both trade at about 19 times forward earnings, the highest level in several years. By some measures, Imperial Tobacco Group IMT.LN +0.94% looks a lot like P&G or Clorox. Imperial, which manufactures cigarette brands like Davidoff and Gauloises, has managed to increase profit by raising prices to offset a long-standing decline in smoking in developed markets. The stock offers a healthy dividend yield of almost 5%, and analysts expect earnings per share to increase 4.5% in the year through September. And yet, Imperial trades at just 11 times 2013 earnings. The problem? Investors are still skittish about Europe, which accounts for roughly 60% of the company's operating income.

A persistent problem in Europe is the unemployment rate, which is in the double digits across the region and has crept above 25% in Spain. At the same time, several governments have raised taxes on cigarettes in order to reduce fiscal strains brought on by the financial crisis. Those factors have added to the pressure pushing down on cigarette sales. While Imperial can try raising prices, this has become harder due to surging sales of illegal cigarettes. These can sell for a fraction of normal prices because they don't include taxes. According to a study by KPMG, counterfeit and contraband sales accounted for 11.1% of European cigarette consumption last year, up from 8.3% in 2006.

The question for investors is whether the illegal-cigarette problem will get worse. As the forgone tax revenue mounts, some governments should take notice, especially in countries such as the U.K. that tax cigarettes heavily. Legal cigarette consumption there dropped by 3.2 billion sticks last year, while illegal sales rose by roughly the same amount, KPMG estimates. Matthew Grainger of Morgan Stanley MS -0.48% says there are a limited number of entry points for cigarette trafficking into Western Europe. That suggests that even a small step up in enforcement efforts could go a long way.

Even if it takes time for Imperial's European woes to ease, it is hard to imagine the stock sinking much further. One reason: Other cigarette companies that also face volume declines may become intrigued by Imperial's low valuation. Combining Imperial with another tobacco conglomerate could lead to ample cost savings in markets where they have overlapping production and distribution. While there might be antitrust issues in some regions, there may be ways to divide the company. As Martin Deboo of Investec points out, Diageo DGE.LN -0.86% andPernod Ricard RI.FR -0.59% overcame a similar obstacle by dividing up several Seagram brands in the early part of the last decade. It is true that tobacco stocks tend to trade at a discount to other consumer staples, given the risk of regulatory changes affecting marketing and advertising. But Imperial rival British American Tobacco, BATS.LN -0.68% which generates roughly 30% of operating income in Europe, trades north of 16 times 2013 earnings a 52% premium. Investors who left Imperial on the shelf may soon find their cravings return.

Source: By JOHN JANNARONE http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323398204578489321623762266.html

Costly tobacco: Smoking at home reduces property values says Ontario survey

A recent survey of Ontario real estate agents in Ontario found that smoking in a home could lower the value of your property by up to 30 per cent. The survey was sponsored by Pfizer Canada and besides the obvious damage by staining walls and carpets, it can leave a smell that is very hard to eliminate. I remember having a client close a deal and noticed a smell of smoke when they entered the home on closing. I asked why they didn't notice the smell when they originally toured the home and they said fans were on with electric air fresheners plugged into the walls. That apparently masked the smell that day. It makes sense that a home with a smoky smell or strong odor will be harder to sell as it will deter most buyers. Landlords are permitted to include no smoking clauses in their leases. But they can only evict a tenant who smokes if they can prove the smoking has damaged the unit or is bothering the other tenants. Here’s a case in point. In December, 2006 John Davidson rented a furnished condominium on Scollard St., in Toronto where the lease contained a no-smoking clause. The owner, Chris Cebula, noticed the smell of smoke in the apartment almost immediately, but Davidson refused to stop smoking. The landlord put the condo unit up for sale but his agent said the smell of smoke was hurting his ability to sell it. The landlord submitted estimates to the board to eradicate the smell of smoke from the apartment. Including staining and painting all the walls, replacing and/or upholstering the furniture, box spring and mattress, linens, drapes and carpets the cost amounted to $8,900. The landlord also claimed an extra one month’s damage of $2,052, since it would take one month to do the renovations. In a decision dated February 25, 2008, Landlord and Tenant Board adjudicator Egya Sangmuah found that Davidson’s smoking did damage the unit and awarded full damages to Cebula. The Non-Smoker’s Rights Association published their own study demonstrating that the average costs for a landlord to clean an apartment is two to three times greater when it was occupied by a heavy smoker. They also quote statistics from Canadian Fire Marshals demonstrating that cigarettes, lighters and matches remain one of the top causes of residential fires. Similar statistics are found with resale cars where the prior owner was a heavy smoker and it is difficult to remove the smell from the upholstery. Smoke or pet odours, such as cat urine, can cause headaches when trying to sell a home. There are solutions and companies that can solve these issues. Restoration companies such as Winmar Disaster Restoration, Medallion Healthy Homes of Canada and Biosense Environmental offer solutions that can assist with these problems. The process involved is using concentrated ozone gas to get into all areas of the home, including the walls, to assist in cleaning out the smell, even when the home was occupied previously by heavy smokers. There are, of course, household products such as vinegar that you can use for minor problem odours or an over-the-counter product such as Nature’s Miracle, to remove pet odours. Buyers, be suspicious if you notice the fans going or electric air fresheners whenever visiting a home for the first time. Sellers, don’t try to cover up or hide odour issues that you know about. Get rid of any foul odour before putting your home for sale, to maximize your return. Source: http://www.thestar.com/business/personal_finance/2013/05/19/costly_tobaccosmoking_reduce_property_values_says_ontario_survey.html

Ban tobacco in Maine entirely, or not at all

A bill to “simply outlaw tobacco altogether” would make more sense than piecemeal bans on smoking, Gov. Paul LePage said Monday as he vetoed a bill to outlaw smoking on public college campuses. “I firmly believe Maine people are responsible enough to make their own decisions concerning tobacco,” LePage wrote in his veto letter. “However, for those who oppose its use, they should bring a bill forward to simply outlaw tobacco altogether.” “Our various public colleges and universities can make their own decisions on whether or not to permit smoking on their campuses,” the governor wrote. And many already have. Five of the seven University of Maine System campuses are currently smoke-free, and smoke-free policies will take effect at the remaining two, the University of Maine at Machias and the University of Southern Maine, on Sept. 1 of this year and Jan. 1, 2014, respectively. In the Maine Community College System, one campus is currently smoke-free: Kennebec Valley Community College in Fairfield. A second campus, Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor, will be smoke-free starting Jan. 1, 2014. The bill, LD 468, sponsored by independent Rep. Ben Chipman of Portland, passed the House and Senate without dissent earlier this month. The bill would have prohibited smoking, except for religious purposes, on all university and community college campuses and at Maine Maritime Academy starting Aug. 1, 2014. Chipman said by phone Monday that his intent was to establish a uniform smoking policy for all Maine state campuses. He said he encountered very little opposition to the bill, which passed without debate or roll-call votes in the House and Senate. The Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee voted 10-3 in favor of Chipman’s bill. “Now along comes the governor and he decides he wants to be the voice of smokers,” Chipman said. “I’ll reach out to his office and talk to him. I’m hoping the House and Senate can stand by the decision we made with almost no opposition to protect the health of people who should be able to live, learn and work without having to breathe secondhand smoke.” Last week, LePage issued a statement expressing his opposition to raising state tobacco taxes. The Legislature’s Taxation Committee last week voted unanimously to recommend against a bill that proposed raising the state tax on cigarettes from $2 to $3.50 per pack and against a separate bill that would have taxed other tobacco products, including cigars and chewing tobacco, at an equivalent rate to cigarettes. LePage also vetoed on Monday a bill that would order a state study related to providing rental subsidies to MaineCare recipients with intellectual disabilities. In his veto letter, LePage said it’s premature to conduct the study when DHHS is in the midst of consolidating and overhauling services for people with intellectual disabilities. He also objected to the fact that the study would increase the workload at DHHS. Noting that the bill originally would have required DHHS to allocate $200,000 for the study, LePage wrote, “Redrafting bills to reduce the workload and claim that it will be provided ‘within available resources’ does not change the fact that additional work requires additional resources. We can no longer simply pile more initiative up without recognizing they have costs.” Democrat Rep. Richard Farnsworth of Portland, LD 387’s sponsor, said the study would have provided information the state does not now possess. “Maine’s contribution to their room and board is shrinking while costs for their providers are rising.” he said. “Without examining this situation, we have no way of knowing whether these Mainers are getting the care they need and deserve or whether the state is using its dollars wisely.” Monday’s vetoes mark the seventh and eighth of this legislative session. The Legislature has sustained five of LePage’s vetoes, with consideration of an override of a sixth veto issued Friday likely to start in the House this week. It takes two-thirds majority votes in both the House and Senate to override a veto. Source:http://bangordailynews.com/2013/05/20/news/state/lepage-veto-ban-tobacco-in-maine-entirely-or-not-at-all/