Tobacco News

A row of silver boxes hangs on the wall outside Hibbard Hall at UW-Eau Claire, each emblazoned with a picture of a cigarette and the words, “Smokers’ Station.” Tobacco users know to throw their smoldering cigarette butts in holes punched in the sides of each box.
Just a few inches above most of the cigarette butt receptacles hang black-and-white signs, each bearing an icon of a cigarette crossed through by a red line accompanied by the words, “No Smoking in this Area.” Ream more »

Naomi Ohayon, a 52-year-old mother of four, smoked for over 30 years until she quit the habit — hopefully for good — a month ago. “I’d tried just about every stop-smoking program out there,” Ohayon said from her home in the southern city of Beersheva. “Once, I quit for three days, the other times I couldn’t stop at all.”
Ohayon, who has asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), said she became increasingly motivated to kick the habit as her health deteriorated. Ream more »

Tax hikes on tobacco products was a major topic of discussion in Boise on Tuesday.
A coalition of 25 groups across Idaho has been formed and is inundating the state legislature with nearly 20,000 postcards, urging lawmakers to consider raising taxes by $1.25.
They are signed by Idahoans who agree increasing the tobacco tax is an overall winning solution for the state.
Health advocates agree smoking is not the best for your health and now many of them want to use higher taxes as a deterrent, particularly for youth. Ream more »

The trustee for three bankrupt Mocksville tobacco manufacturers is trying once again to get the companies out of Chapter 11 protection.

But an escrow dispute involving the National Association of Attorneys General has become a big legal hurdle to exiting bankruptcy.

Peter Tourtellot filed a reorganization plan Monday that could enable Renegade Holdings Inc., Renegade Tobacco Co. and Alternative Brands Inc. to emerge from bankruptcy as early as late March. The companies have a combined 101 employees. Ream more »

One Stop Shop, at 237 Main St., was shut down after the end of a long-term multiagency police investigation into the illegal sale and distribution of untaxed tobacco, the Johnson City Police Department said Friday.

The Johnson City police and New York State Department of Taxation and Finance’s Petroleum, Alcohol and Tobacco Bureau seized a “large quantity” of untaxed tobacco and cigars from the business.
Ream more »

Maryland Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown (D) joined a group of health advocates in Annapolis on Thursday to push for an increase in the tax on non-cigarette tobacco products, which were not affected when lawmakers voted to double the cigarette tax to $2 per pack in 2007.

The tax increase would generate an estimated $19 million for the state, according to the budget Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) proposed last week. Brown was quick to mention the anticipated revenue when he spoke to attendees, including the American Cancer Society, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids and MedChi, the state’s medical society.
Ream more »

A joint committee comprising members from both the National Assembly and the National Council sat together yesterday to settle their differences on the tobacco control amendment bill.

The consensus they reach will be up for deliberation at the joint sitting today at the Parliament.

While that’s that, a few within the civil service like those among assembly members said they smelt a rat in the way the council members removed some of the most crucial provisions of the tobacco control law.
Ream more »

Six months after Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo’s announcement of a push for a smoke-free capital, neither the Jakarta administration nor the City Council appear ready to introduce a bylaw to ban cigarette advertisements in the capital.

Administration secretary Fadjar Panjaitan said recently the city was still in the preliminary stage of drafting of the cigarette ban.

“It is still under discussion. We have not set a deadline for the completion of the draft,” Fadjar told The Jakarta Post in recent interview. Ream more »

Veteran anti-smoking advocate Prakit Vathesatogkit was recently elected secretary-general of the International Network of Health Promotion Foundations. He talks to APIRADEE TREERUTKUARKUL about his work and challenges in advancing health promotion activities around the world.
What is the INHPF’s mission?

Prakit: Finance is the biggest battle Ream more »

Philadelphia is handing out a holiday stocking stuffer that could save lives.
Adult smokers can get a month’s supply of nicotine replacement patches to help curb cravings.
Health commissioner Donald Schwarz said people often rely on stop-smoking aids for longer than 30 days.
“There’s a step down process, so this gets people started, and we know that once started that people –by a month–should be feeling the benefits,” he said. Ream more »