Tobacco News

The public fight over tobacco is taking new shapes, literally, as Colorado becomes a testing ground for nicotine in the form of toothpicks, breath mints and strips that dissolve on the tongue.
The new forms of tobacco — potentially attractive to kids and a crutch for smokers whom health officials say should quit nicotine altogether — prompted public hearings and a scramble by regulators.
Tobacco critics condemn the products as dangerous “candy” and a cynical move by Big Tobacco to boost sales. Ream more »

Australian smokers will be forced to patronise cheap cigars from China and Indonesia if the federal government would not allow deadline extension of the plain packaging measures for tobacco products in the country, which takes effect on July next year.
Meeting the July 1 deadline, according to British American Tobacco Australia (BATA) chief executive David Crow, is next to impossible, who also warned on Thursday that Aussie smokers will be left to buy illegal cigarettes that could inundate the local market once a supply shortage ensues. Ream more »

Calhoun County supervisors agreed Monday to look into the feasibility of supplementing the new county courthouse with solar energy and to make all courthouse property tobacco-free.
Norman Griffin, of Calhoun City, spoke to the board about the possibility of installing a Solar Electric Generation System for the new courthouse.
Griffin said his company Blue Spectra Solar installs the largest system approved by TVA. Ream more »

When you arrive at Lafayette County Elementary School you may notice a bright new sign welcoming visitors to the tobacco free campus.

On Thursday, July 28 Lafayette County Elementary School had their “Tobacco Free School Grounds” sign installed. Tobacco Free Lafayette Partnership which was sponsored by Lafayette County Health Department and local community citizens have partnered throughout the past two years to bring awareness and education to the community on Tobacco related issues.
Ream more »

An ad campaign to promote healthy lifestyles has been rejected by King County Metro Transit.
Anti-tobacco ads, which depict a girl asking stores to sell fruit instead of tobacco, were rejected by Metro because they do not comply with its advertising policy.
Last winter, Metro changed the policy after a controversy involving opposing groups who wanted to run Israeli and Palestinian billboards on buses. In turn, non-commercial messages were restricted. Ream more »

In order to promote a safe and healthy environment for students, faculty, staff and visitors, Northwest Mississippi Community College will become tobacco-free on all campuses beginning Monday, following the Board of Trustees approval at its July 14 meeting. This policy goes into effect just three months after city of Senatobia board members voted to adopt an ordinance making Senatobia smoke-free.
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ITC Ltd led a handful of shares in the Sensex basket that bucked a decline on Thursday. The cigarette major’s share rose by 2.6% on a day when the Sensex fell 1.2%, as investors warmed up to its June quarter earnings.

In 2010-11, the company’s volume growth had been affected by a sharp hike in prices to compensate for higher excise levies. But the Union Budget 2011 was kind enough to spare cigarettes from any further excise hikes. Investors were hopeful this could lead to better volume surge, with price hikes providing further impetus to growth. Ream more »

Minister for Health Dr James Reilly has said it is ‘irresponsible’ of parents to smoke in the presence of children, given the evidence that tobacco smoke is a carcinogen which shortens lives.
He said he favoured introducing legislation, as early as possible next year, to ban smoking in cars when children are present.
The minister said the State had a duty of care to minors and he wanted to start a public debate on the issue.
However, he is not proposing a total ban, as suggested in some newspaper reports today. Ream more »

A coalition targeting Alberta’s smoking laws will be hitting Grande Prairie Thursday at the PC Candidates’ forum.

The campaign for a Smoke-Free Alberta is launching a Vote for Health initiative set on targeting the leadership candidates of Alberta’s Conservative and Liberal parties to gain support for steps toward preventing tobacco use amongst the province’s youth.

Les Hagen, executive director for the Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) says that the province’s projected targets on reducing smoking amongst teens between the ages of 12 and 19 to 10% were not met since their first anti-smoking initiative in 2006. Ream more »

British American Tobacco Plc (BATS), Europe’s largest cigarette maker, said first-half operating profit rose 12 percent as higher prices offset a decline in shipments.
Adjusted profit from operations rose to 2.76 billion pounds ($4.5 billion) from 2.46 billion pounds a year earlier, the London-based company said in a statement today. That beat the 2.67 billion-pound median estimate of three analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Sales increased 2 percent to 7.44 billion pounds. Ream more »