Tobacco News

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 »

Ahmed Lizneen was just 14 when he first smoked. What started as an “experiment for fun” has now become a habit – he has struggled to quit over the years, but to no avail.

“It was my friends who gave the cigarette to me first. I had it for fun. Then I also started buying. Not the whole pack, but a few cigarettes at a time as it was cheaper. Slowly it became an addiction. I tried to stop many times, but just could not,” Lizneen explained.
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The City University of New York made a bold move against smokers during a Board of Trustees meeting held late January last year. In early September of this year, all City University of New York campuses will be completely tobacco free.
This decision expands upon the tobacco policy enacted Sept. 29, 1994, which is an expansion upon a decision made by the Council of Presidents in 1990. This prohibits smoking in over 90 percent of the campus area including classrooms, auditoriums, elevators, hallways, restrooms and other common areas. This move will effectively make CUNY the largest tobacco free university system in the country. Ream more »

Imperial Tobacco Group PLC, the world’s fourth-largest tobacco group by sales, Wednesday posted a fall in first-quarter revenue and volumes on tough comparisons, hit by a trade ban in Syria and de-stocking.

“Delivering the planned acceleration in our underlying sales momentum whilst continuing to realize cost and cash opportunities remain our priorities,” Chief Executive Alison Cooper said. The maker of Lambert & Butler, Gitanes Blondes and JPS cigarettes said tobacco revenue, excluding foreign exchange effects, fell 1% year-on-year in the three months to Dec. 31, while total volumes fell 7%. 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 »

A Buffalo woman who was convicted of attempted possession with intent to distribute marijuana, was sentenced to three years’ probation, including one year electronic monitoring, by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.

Jaleesa Findley, 24, was charged after a Drug Enforcement Administration agent on a tip regarding a shipment of parcels containing 200 pounds of marijuana that were due to arrive at a shipping company in Buffalo.
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Teens struggling with smoking addictions have a new gizmo guide to help them get rid of that addiction.

Smokefree has launched its first text-only support program, which delivers a series of automated text messages directly to the smoker’s mobile phone over a period of up to 12 weeks, designed to help them kick the butt.
“Quit programs are often designed for adults, and teens are not little adults – they think and talk differently, and have different smoking patterns,” says teen smoking expert Dr. Yvonne Hunt of the National Institutes of Health. Ream more »

Perhaps pharmacy smoking cessation services are working with one hand tie behind their backs.
There are a number of issues I can think of that may be hindering the success rate of patients who use pharmacy;

Are these a less committed cohort of patients? We tend to opportunistically select patients who might be browsing the NRT products, or who we highlight during an MUR.
A little different from the COPD patient in the GPs surgery, getting yet another prescription for anitbiotics.
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This year’s Tobacco-Free Oklahoma Week, which officially began Monday, is broadening its focus to include not only public awareness campaigns on the health effects of smoking, but also on the financial costs to smokers and non-smokers.

Gov. Mary Fallin issued the proclamation last Friday, designating Jan. 29-Feb. 4 as Tobacco-Free Oklahoma Week, “a week highlighting the price all Oklahomans pay for tobacco use, whether they smoke or not.”
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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 »