Tobacco News

PMFTC Inc., a venture between Philip Morris and Fortune Tobacco, yesterday lashed out at a directive of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) banning cigarette smoking in public places beginning July 1.

PMMFTC said the ban is inconsistent with the provisions of a law which prescribed the areas where smoking is allowed. PMFTC also questioned the authority of the MMDA to issue such a regulation. Chris Nelson, managing director of PMFTC, said the MMDA needs to publish and clarify its ordinance, especially as it relates to the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003, which specifically allowed “smoking in public places” under Section 5. The section further defines what these public places are. Ream more »

A Bowie man who owned a College Park auto glass business pleaded guilty Friday to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion in a scheme to illegally transport and sell millions of cigarettes across state lines, said the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland.

Amir Miljkovic, 39, owner of Prestige Auto Glass, is among six people in Maryland and Virginia so far to plead guilty in the scheme. Nine people total have been charged, including two former Prince George’s County police officers. Ream more »

Police served search warrants to four medical marijuana businesses in Kent on Wednesday.
The bust came after the city warned the business owners they must close or face potential criminal charges and the loss of their business licenses.

“They’d been sent a series of three notifications in the month of June that these businesses were operating illegally and needed to close,” said Michelle Witham with the City of Kent.
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Tobacco companies are seeking clarification from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on the smoking ban in public places in Metro Manila which started in earnest last July 1.

They insist that Republic Act 9211 (Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003) allows smoking on streets and other open or non-enclosed spaces. The MMDA has started issuing tickets to violators of the smoking ban.
Chris Nelson, president of Philip Morris and Fortune Tobacco, told ANC’s “Top Story” Wednesday that they want MMDA to clarify the implementation of the ban.
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A smoker for 55 years, Jerry Lilly can’t see the sense in the statewide smoking ban that has now been in place for one year.

“I hate it,” he said, sitting on a stool at The Patio Bar & Grill, unable to light up the traditional way.

The bar, he and bartender Tina Uselding explain, often sits empty when the patrons and bartender together head outside to have a smoke.
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A recent study has shown that women who do not smoke are more likely to be obese than those who do. Furthermore, the study claims those non-smoking women are more likely to be obese and die of associated illnesses than those who smoke. This study was carried out with 8000 women who were recruited from 1972 to 1976. The study was led by Dr Laurence Gruer from NHS Health Scotland. Ream more »

The District passed its first milestone in selecting who gets coveted licenses for the city’s burgeoning medical marijuana program — even as the federal government takes a second look at its hands-off approach to those who grow and sell the drug for patient use.

More than 80 people or businesses applied to cultivate or dispense medical marijuana through letters of intent submitted to the Department of Health. The applicants range from entrepreneurial lawyers and “green thumbs” in the District to medical marijuana business veterans from states as far away as Colorado and Montana.
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Hong Kong (HKSAR) – A 62-year-old man was convicted by the Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts today (July 5) of assaulting a Tobacco Control Inspector (TCI).He was sentenced to four weeks in prison and fined $500 for each offence – smoking in a banned place, failing to produce an identity card and dumping litter in a public place.

The incident took place at Diamond Hill Station Public Transport Interchange in Wong Tai Sin on February 12. Ream more »

A local coalition of carcinogen-hating activists launched a new campaign Tuesday targeting high smoking rates among youth in the province.
“The bottom line is youth smoking rates are disturbingly high,” said Les Hagen, executive director of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), one of the organizations working on the campaign. “Though we have reduced tobacco use rates in the general population, a problem remains among our youth.” Ream more »

Over P220 million worth of production assistance will be provided by the National Tobacco Administration (NTA) to tobacco farmers so they plant rice during the rainy season.

NTA administrator Edgardo D. Zaragoza said the program will boost the drive to become self-sufficient in rice 2013. Zaragoza recently distributed checks to 1,484 farmer co-operators in La Union, Pangasinan, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, Abra and Mindoro who are scheduled to plant rice in over 1,242 hectares of land previously planted to tobacco. Ream more »