A shopkeeper shot dead a man after he refused to pay for the cigarettes purchased in Saran district of Bihar, police said Tuesday.
Basudev Singh, in his early 30s, was shot dead by Uday Singh at Sabalpur Diara village in Saran district late Monday.
“After Basudev refused to pay money for the cigarettes bought, Uday and Basudev had a heated argument. Uday then killed Basudev,” a police officer said.
The officer said Uday is absconding.
вторник, 29 декабря 2009 г.
среда, 23 декабря 2009 г.
Fla. wants citizens to report tobacco tax cheats
Florida is trying to enlist citizens in a campaign against tobacco tax cheats.
The state made the trade in illegal cigarettes more lucrative this year by increasing the cigarette tax by $1 a pack.
The Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco on Wednesday announced that it'll begin paying informants up to 50 percent of fines collected for illegal cigarette sales.
The agency also has set up a toll-free hot line to report sales of cigarettes without the required tax stamp.
The state made the trade in illegal cigarettes more lucrative this year by increasing the cigarette tax by $1 a pack.
The Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco on Wednesday announced that it'll begin paying informants up to 50 percent of fines collected for illegal cigarette sales.
The agency also has set up a toll-free hot line to report sales of cigarettes without the required tax stamp.
Police believe string of Walgreens robberies are connected
A string of robberies at Colorado Springs Walgreens stores seems to be connected, Colorado Springs police said.
Sgt. Jim Meyers said loss-prevention officers have studied video and said that five robberies in recent weeks were all done by the same man.
The most recent robbery was Monday night, when a man believed to be 18 to 25 years old walked into the Walgreens store at 6011 Rangewood Drive and asked for a carton of cigarettes.
After the clerk gave him the cigarettes he demanded money, but then walked out of the store with the cigarettes before the clerk had a chance to give it to him.
Meyers said the five robberies fit a similar profile: A man in his late teens or early 20s walks into a Walgreens without a weapon, usually between 6 and 8 p.m., and demands money.
In addition to the Rangewood Walgreens, which was robbed twice, a Walgreens at 4713 Flintridge Drive has also been robbed twice. A Walgreens at 920 N. Circle Drive has also been robbed.
Meyers said police are aware of the situation and keeping an eye out, as are employees at Walgreens stores.
Sgt. Jim Meyers said loss-prevention officers have studied video and said that five robberies in recent weeks were all done by the same man.
The most recent robbery was Monday night, when a man believed to be 18 to 25 years old walked into the Walgreens store at 6011 Rangewood Drive and asked for a carton of cigarettes.
After the clerk gave him the cigarettes he demanded money, but then walked out of the store with the cigarettes before the clerk had a chance to give it to him.
Meyers said the five robberies fit a similar profile: A man in his late teens or early 20s walks into a Walgreens without a weapon, usually between 6 and 8 p.m., and demands money.
In addition to the Rangewood Walgreens, which was robbed twice, a Walgreens at 4713 Flintridge Drive has also been robbed twice. A Walgreens at 920 N. Circle Drive has also been robbed.
Meyers said police are aware of the situation and keeping an eye out, as are employees at Walgreens stores.
понедельник, 21 декабря 2009 г.
Renowned Gold Coast Hypnotherapy Specialists to Help 1,000 Gold Coast Smokers Quit in 2010
The buzz continues to swirl as 2009 comes to a close and we hurtle fast towards the New Year 2010. For many, the habit of smoking continues to present financial, health and social concerns that are associated with the use of cigarettes. Even with all of these concerns, many are still addicted to this unhealthy habit that has now been banned in many public places for the safety of those who do not smoke. Many local Gold Coasters will have a remarkable opportunity to end their smoking habit for once and for all in 2010.
My Success Club™ is a well respected Gold Coast hypnotherapy clinic that has taken up the challenge to assist Gold Coast residents by providing the highest quality hypnosis products and services to individuals and organizations in all areas of their professional and personal lives. The Quit Cigarettes in 60 Minutes™ Program is highly regarded as one of the best smoking cessation programs in the world. Dedicated to delivering advanced hypnosis principles with compassion and understanding, My Success Club assists smokers in kicking their habit easily without painful withdrawal symptoms.
Smoking is regarded as disgusting by many people and publicly frowned upon. Cigarettes are packed with cancer-causing ingredients such as tar, formaldehyde, ammonia, nicotine, arsenic and hydrogen cyanide. These habit forming ingredients cause permanent damage to the lungs and negatively affect blood vessels, hormones and the heart, slowly killing smokers from the inside - out. Hypnosis can make quitting easy!
Who is My Success Club™? Director Clinton J. Carter says, “We are a passionate group of professionals that want to help people to transform their lives in 2010. When you can stop smoking, there is a world of opportunities awaiting you. We are here to help put those possibilities within your grasp.” Carter has a special commitment that stems from his desire to help people liberate themselves from nicotine permanently and holds a record of distinction with an amazing success rate of 95.6% to date. The majority of clients have quit in only one hypnosis session.
For the New Year 2010, the club’s aim is to improve the quality of at least one thousand people’s lives by helping them to quit smoking. In support of this challenge, My Success Club™ offers a lifetime guarantee and pain free treatment, making their quite smoking program the only one of its kind available to Goal Coast smokers who are sick of their smoking habit.
My Success Club’s Quit Cigarettes in 60 Minutes Program™ is the answer for those who are looking to make the change and quit cigarettes. In 60 minutes with hypnotherapy a lifelong smoking habit can be completely eradicated. Embracing the idea to quit smoking is easy. Taking that first step is often the most difficult. Those who have tried and failed should consider an approach that works with the My Success Club™ New Year Promotion that is the most successful quit smoking Gold Coast located program offering hypnotherapy and hypnosis for those who want to give up smoking for once and for all.
“My Success Club™ Gold Coast Hypnotherapy Specialists embrace a fundamental desire to help 1000 Gold Coast smokers to extinguish their habit and stop smoking using our hypnosis services for the New Year 2010.” Located at Centrepoint Arcade Business Centre, Level 1, Suite 18a, 3290 Surfers Paradise Boulevard, Surfers Paradise, Queensland 4217 in Australia, Gold Coast hypnotherapy is administered to achieve safe, effective results in only one session. This Gold Coast hypnosis clinic offers privacy for hypnosis treatments that work. Lifelong smokers have sought out hypnosis and discovered that there is life after cigarettes.
“I am looking forward to helping those who are feeling the pinch of the stigma associated with smoking cigarettes. Our hypnotherapy procedures change lives, one by one, creating happy, healthy, smoke free conditions for those who are ready to give up smoking for good,” Clinton advises and welcomes everyone to visit My Success Club™ and experience the difference of a life without Smoking in 2010 and be one of the happy 1000 soon make smoking a thing of the past.
My Success Club™ is a well respected Gold Coast hypnotherapy clinic that has taken up the challenge to assist Gold Coast residents by providing the highest quality hypnosis products and services to individuals and organizations in all areas of their professional and personal lives. The Quit Cigarettes in 60 Minutes™ Program is highly regarded as one of the best smoking cessation programs in the world. Dedicated to delivering advanced hypnosis principles with compassion and understanding, My Success Club assists smokers in kicking their habit easily without painful withdrawal symptoms.
Smoking is regarded as disgusting by many people and publicly frowned upon. Cigarettes are packed with cancer-causing ingredients such as tar, formaldehyde, ammonia, nicotine, arsenic and hydrogen cyanide. These habit forming ingredients cause permanent damage to the lungs and negatively affect blood vessels, hormones and the heart, slowly killing smokers from the inside - out. Hypnosis can make quitting easy!
Who is My Success Club™? Director Clinton J. Carter says, “We are a passionate group of professionals that want to help people to transform their lives in 2010. When you can stop smoking, there is a world of opportunities awaiting you. We are here to help put those possibilities within your grasp.” Carter has a special commitment that stems from his desire to help people liberate themselves from nicotine permanently and holds a record of distinction with an amazing success rate of 95.6% to date. The majority of clients have quit in only one hypnosis session.
For the New Year 2010, the club’s aim is to improve the quality of at least one thousand people’s lives by helping them to quit smoking. In support of this challenge, My Success Club™ offers a lifetime guarantee and pain free treatment, making their quite smoking program the only one of its kind available to Goal Coast smokers who are sick of their smoking habit.
My Success Club’s Quit Cigarettes in 60 Minutes Program™ is the answer for those who are looking to make the change and quit cigarettes. In 60 minutes with hypnotherapy a lifelong smoking habit can be completely eradicated. Embracing the idea to quit smoking is easy. Taking that first step is often the most difficult. Those who have tried and failed should consider an approach that works with the My Success Club™ New Year Promotion that is the most successful quit smoking Gold Coast located program offering hypnotherapy and hypnosis for those who want to give up smoking for once and for all.
“My Success Club™ Gold Coast Hypnotherapy Specialists embrace a fundamental desire to help 1000 Gold Coast smokers to extinguish their habit and stop smoking using our hypnosis services for the New Year 2010.” Located at Centrepoint Arcade Business Centre, Level 1, Suite 18a, 3290 Surfers Paradise Boulevard, Surfers Paradise, Queensland 4217 in Australia, Gold Coast hypnotherapy is administered to achieve safe, effective results in only one session. This Gold Coast hypnosis clinic offers privacy for hypnosis treatments that work. Lifelong smokers have sought out hypnosis and discovered that there is life after cigarettes.
“I am looking forward to helping those who are feeling the pinch of the stigma associated with smoking cigarettes. Our hypnotherapy procedures change lives, one by one, creating happy, healthy, smoke free conditions for those who are ready to give up smoking for good,” Clinton advises and welcomes everyone to visit My Success Club™ and experience the difference of a life without Smoking in 2010 and be one of the happy 1000 soon make smoking a thing of the past.
пятница, 18 декабря 2009 г.
New law prohibits chewing tobacco at Oneida County properties
Chewing tobacco is no longer an accepted habit in or on any Oneida County owned properties.The new law will coincide with other county laws that prohibit smoking unless in a designated part of county properties.
Legislator George Joseph introduced the law, and said that when people chew tobacco and use "spit cups," it can put other people's health at risk.
"If nothing else, what it does is bring focus to the hygiene of others around us," Joseph said. "If it is just the start in doing that, then it is worth it."
Those caught breaking the law are subject to a written violation notice. Any offense thereafter could result in a fine.
Legislator George Joseph introduced the law, and said that when people chew tobacco and use "spit cups," it can put other people's health at risk.
"If nothing else, what it does is bring focus to the hygiene of others around us," Joseph said. "If it is just the start in doing that, then it is worth it."
Those caught breaking the law are subject to a written violation notice. Any offense thereafter could result in a fine.
вторник, 15 декабря 2009 г.
Herbal Cigarettes No Healthier Than Regular Smokes
It's a generally accepted fact that smoking cigarettes is bad for your health, leading to a number of cigarette alternatives. But those who light up Chinese "herbal" cigarettes thinking they are safer are wrong, researchers say.
"The public needs to be aware that herbal cigarettes do not deliver fewer carcinogens," said lead researcher Stanton A. Glantz, Ph.D., professor of medicine in the Department of Medicine and Cardiovascular Research Institute at the University of California, San Francisco. "We hope our findings will help to dispel the myth that they are a safer alternative to conventional cigarettes; they are not."
Results of the study are published in the December issue ofCancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, which has a special focus on tobacco. The researchers conclude that herbal cigarettes, which combine medicinal herbs with tobacco are just as addictive and no safer than regular cigarettes.
Chinese herbal cigarettes are becoming increasingly more popular in China and elsewhere in the world. Glantz, along with colleagues in China, examined nicotine and carcinogen levels between the two marketed products. They compared 135 people who smoked herbal cigarettes and 143 people who smoked "regular" tobacco cigarettes. The study was conducted in one city in China.
"Levels of carcinogens were correlated with measures of nicotine intake, meaning that the more nicotine smokers took in, the higher the levels of carcinogens they took in," Glantz said.
Forty-seven percent of participants who switched to use of herbal cigarettes did so because herbal cigarettes had a "better taste;" 24 percent switched because of their health concerns and the notion that herbal cigarettes were a healthier alternative. Most participants who switched to herbal cigarettes reported an increase in number of cigarettes smoked per day.
"Adding herbs to the cigarettes would not be expected to affect the nicotine, which is the addictive drug in tobacco, and cancer-causing chemicals in the smoke of cigarettes," said Glantz. "The Chinese tobacco industry should avoid misleading the public when promoting herbal cigarettes as 'safer' products."
"The public needs to be aware that herbal cigarettes do not deliver fewer carcinogens," said lead researcher Stanton A. Glantz, Ph.D., professor of medicine in the Department of Medicine and Cardiovascular Research Institute at the University of California, San Francisco. "We hope our findings will help to dispel the myth that they are a safer alternative to conventional cigarettes; they are not."
Results of the study are published in the December issue ofCancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, which has a special focus on tobacco. The researchers conclude that herbal cigarettes, which combine medicinal herbs with tobacco are just as addictive and no safer than regular cigarettes.
Chinese herbal cigarettes are becoming increasingly more popular in China and elsewhere in the world. Glantz, along with colleagues in China, examined nicotine and carcinogen levels between the two marketed products. They compared 135 people who smoked herbal cigarettes and 143 people who smoked "regular" tobacco cigarettes. The study was conducted in one city in China.
"Levels of carcinogens were correlated with measures of nicotine intake, meaning that the more nicotine smokers took in, the higher the levels of carcinogens they took in," Glantz said.
Forty-seven percent of participants who switched to use of herbal cigarettes did so because herbal cigarettes had a "better taste;" 24 percent switched because of their health concerns and the notion that herbal cigarettes were a healthier alternative. Most participants who switched to herbal cigarettes reported an increase in number of cigarettes smoked per day.
"Adding herbs to the cigarettes would not be expected to affect the nicotine, which is the addictive drug in tobacco, and cancer-causing chemicals in the smoke of cigarettes," said Glantz. "The Chinese tobacco industry should avoid misleading the public when promoting herbal cigarettes as 'safer' products."
понедельник, 14 декабря 2009 г.
NJ Senate Okays Restrictions for E-Cigarettes
Late last week, the New Jersey Senate voted unanimously to apply a portion of the New Jersey Free Air Act to regulate electronic smoking devices, NJ Today reports.
The measure would enlarge its smoking definition to encompass e-cigarettes. Under the bill, smoking would be classified as burning or inhaling tobacco or any other matter that could be inhaled or smoked, or the inhaling of smoke or vapor from an e-cigarette. Also, the smoking ban for minors would extend to use of electronic smoking devices.
“When a user puffs on an e-cigarette, which is a stainless steel tube designed to look like a real cigarette, they inhale a vaporized solution that usually contains nicotine,” said state Sen. Bob Gordon. “The liquid often contains flavoring, such as chocolate or cherry. It seems obvious the people who make these devices are trying to make them attractive to younger people.”
The act already outlaws smoking of cigars, cigarettes, pipes or other matter or substance with tobacco or any other matter that can be smoked in any indoor public place and workplace. “Our bill would update the current law to define an electronic smoking device to mean an electronic device that can be used to deliver nicotine or other substances to the person inhaling from the device, including an electronic cigarette, cigar, cigarillo, or pipe,” said Gordon.
Across the country, the battle to regulate e-cigarettes continues. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have found electronic smoking devices to have carcinogens. A recent lawsuit by electronic cigarette distributors challenges the agency’s authority to regulate the products.
The measure would enlarge its smoking definition to encompass e-cigarettes. Under the bill, smoking would be classified as burning or inhaling tobacco or any other matter that could be inhaled or smoked, or the inhaling of smoke or vapor from an e-cigarette. Also, the smoking ban for minors would extend to use of electronic smoking devices.
“When a user puffs on an e-cigarette, which is a stainless steel tube designed to look like a real cigarette, they inhale a vaporized solution that usually contains nicotine,” said state Sen. Bob Gordon. “The liquid often contains flavoring, such as chocolate or cherry. It seems obvious the people who make these devices are trying to make them attractive to younger people.”
The act already outlaws smoking of cigars, cigarettes, pipes or other matter or substance with tobacco or any other matter that can be smoked in any indoor public place and workplace. “Our bill would update the current law to define an electronic smoking device to mean an electronic device that can be used to deliver nicotine or other substances to the person inhaling from the device, including an electronic cigarette, cigar, cigarillo, or pipe,” said Gordon.
Across the country, the battle to regulate e-cigarettes continues. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have found electronic smoking devices to have carcinogens. A recent lawsuit by electronic cigarette distributors challenges the agency’s authority to regulate the products.
вторник, 1 декабря 2009 г.
Drop in smoking cuts cancer deaths in Europe
A decline in smoking in Europe and better screening mean fewer people are dying of cancer, but lung cancer deaths in women are rising in places like Scotland and Hungary where more women smoke, doctors said on Monday.
Early diagnosis and better treatments have pushed down deaths from cervical cancer and breast cancer, and declining smoking levels contributed to large falls in deaths from lung and other tobacco-related cancers in men, according to a study in the Annals of Oncology cancer journal.
The study of data from 1990-1994 and 2000-2004 showed overall European cancer death rates fell by nine percent in men and eight percent in women in the second period from the first.
But researchers said there were wide disparities in cancer death rates between different EU countries, and said some countries where alcohol and tobacco consumption has increased had seen a rise in deaths from lung, mouth, pharynx and oesophagus cancers.
"Further reduction of tobacco smoking remains the key priority for cancer control in Europe," Cristina Bosetti, head of the cancer unit at Italy's Mario Negri department of epidemiology, wrote in the study.
She said steps to cut alcohol consumption, improve nutrition, tackle obesity and increase screening, plus early diagnosis and medical advances for treatable cancers would also help reduce the European Union cancer burden.
The researchers found there was an average of 168 deaths per 100,000 of the population per year in men between 2000 and 2004, down from 185.2 deaths per 100,000 between 1990 and 1994.
For women the average number of deaths fell from 104.8 to 96.9 per 100,000 per year over the same period.
Bosetti said the downward trends had "continued over the most recent years" mainly because of falls in lung and other tobacco-related cancer deaths in men, a persistent decline in gastric cancer deaths and falls in those from colorectal cancer.
The researchers said cancer mortality rates in the worst performing European countries were almost twice those in the best performers.
For men, the death rates in 2000-2004 were highest in Hungary (255.2 deaths per 100,000 of the population per year), the Czech Republic and Poland and lowest in Sweden (125.8 deaths per 100,000 people), followed by Finland and Switzerland.
The highest death rates for women were in Denmark (141 per 100,000 people), Hungary and Scotland, and the lowest in Spain 78.9 per 100,000), Greece and Portugal - figures the scientists said reflected the different spread of cigarette smoking in men and women across Europe.
Early diagnosis and better treatments have pushed down deaths from cervical cancer and breast cancer, and declining smoking levels contributed to large falls in deaths from lung and other tobacco-related cancers in men, according to a study in the Annals of Oncology cancer journal.
The study of data from 1990-1994 and 2000-2004 showed overall European cancer death rates fell by nine percent in men and eight percent in women in the second period from the first.
But researchers said there were wide disparities in cancer death rates between different EU countries, and said some countries where alcohol and tobacco consumption has increased had seen a rise in deaths from lung, mouth, pharynx and oesophagus cancers.
"Further reduction of tobacco smoking remains the key priority for cancer control in Europe," Cristina Bosetti, head of the cancer unit at Italy's Mario Negri department of epidemiology, wrote in the study.
She said steps to cut alcohol consumption, improve nutrition, tackle obesity and increase screening, plus early diagnosis and medical advances for treatable cancers would also help reduce the European Union cancer burden.
The researchers found there was an average of 168 deaths per 100,000 of the population per year in men between 2000 and 2004, down from 185.2 deaths per 100,000 between 1990 and 1994.
For women the average number of deaths fell from 104.8 to 96.9 per 100,000 per year over the same period.
Bosetti said the downward trends had "continued over the most recent years" mainly because of falls in lung and other tobacco-related cancer deaths in men, a persistent decline in gastric cancer deaths and falls in those from colorectal cancer.
The researchers said cancer mortality rates in the worst performing European countries were almost twice those in the best performers.
For men, the death rates in 2000-2004 were highest in Hungary (255.2 deaths per 100,000 of the population per year), the Czech Republic and Poland and lowest in Sweden (125.8 deaths per 100,000 people), followed by Finland and Switzerland.
The highest death rates for women were in Denmark (141 per 100,000 people), Hungary and Scotland, and the lowest in Spain 78.9 per 100,000), Greece and Portugal - figures the scientists said reflected the different spread of cigarette smoking in men and women across Europe.
понедельник, 30 ноября 2009 г.
Tobacco taxes vary wildly across Potomac
Virginia, despite joining its counterparts across the Potomac in banning smoking in bars and restaurants, stands apart in its refusal to levy heavy taxes on the sale of cigarettes.
The state takes 30 cents out of every pack of cigarettes, a pittance compared with Maryland and the District and a reminder that the Old Dominion is far from uprooting its tobacco history.
While lawmakers agreed this year to the unprecedented restriction on where someone can smoke -- a victory for Gov. Tim Kaine -- the General Assembly nevertheless shot down Kaine's effort to double the cigarette levy to pay for skyrocketing Medicaid costs.
Virginia until five years ago had almost no tax on cigarettes, charging only 2.5 cents per pack. The increase to 30 cents in 2004 was the first since the tax was enacted in 1960.
That levy is the third lowest cigarette tax in the nation -- higher than only Missouri and South Carolina -- and less than a tenth of Rhode Island's highest-in-the-nation $3.46 per pack charge, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Maryland doubled its tax to $2 per pack in 2007. The D.C. Council matched that tax in 2008, and this year upped the ante to $2.50 a pack.
Virginia lawmakers' reluctance to follow suit is no doubt linked to the tobacco industry's presence in the state. Altria -- the parent company of tobacco giant Philip Morris -- is headquartered in Richmond and is a major campaign donor. Tobacco ranked ninth last year among the state's most lucrative agricultural products, bringing in $83 million, according to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
The state takes 30 cents out of every pack of cigarettes, a pittance compared with Maryland and the District and a reminder that the Old Dominion is far from uprooting its tobacco history.
While lawmakers agreed this year to the unprecedented restriction on where someone can smoke -- a victory for Gov. Tim Kaine -- the General Assembly nevertheless shot down Kaine's effort to double the cigarette levy to pay for skyrocketing Medicaid costs.
Virginia until five years ago had almost no tax on cigarettes, charging only 2.5 cents per pack. The increase to 30 cents in 2004 was the first since the tax was enacted in 1960.
That levy is the third lowest cigarette tax in the nation -- higher than only Missouri and South Carolina -- and less than a tenth of Rhode Island's highest-in-the-nation $3.46 per pack charge, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Maryland doubled its tax to $2 per pack in 2007. The D.C. Council matched that tax in 2008, and this year upped the ante to $2.50 a pack.
Virginia lawmakers' reluctance to follow suit is no doubt linked to the tobacco industry's presence in the state. Altria -- the parent company of tobacco giant Philip Morris -- is headquartered in Richmond and is a major campaign donor. Tobacco ranked ninth last year among the state's most lucrative agricultural products, bringing in $83 million, according to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
четверг, 26 ноября 2009 г.
Tobacco retailer fined S$2,500 for selling cigarettes to underage youth
A tobacco retailer has been fined S$2,500 for indirectly selling tobacco products to a person below the age of 18.
Cheau Biau Teck has also been banned from selling tobacco products.
Cheau who owns a provision shop overheard an adult offering to buy a packet of cigarettes for an underage youth.
Despite knowing that it was illegal, he still sold the cigarettes to the adult knowing that the adult would pass it on to the youth.
This is the second time that Cheau has been caught for the same offence.
The Health Sciences Authority reminds all tobacco retailers that selling tobacco products to a person below the age of 18 is an offence and is punishable with a maximum fine of S$5,000.
Cheau Biau Teck has also been banned from selling tobacco products.
Cheau who owns a provision shop overheard an adult offering to buy a packet of cigarettes for an underage youth.
Despite knowing that it was illegal, he still sold the cigarettes to the adult knowing that the adult would pass it on to the youth.
This is the second time that Cheau has been caught for the same offence.
The Health Sciences Authority reminds all tobacco retailers that selling tobacco products to a person below the age of 18 is an offence and is punishable with a maximum fine of S$5,000.
понедельник, 23 ноября 2009 г.
14 charged with cigarette smuggling
Federal prosecutors in Alexandria charged 14 people Thursday with paying money or trading guns and drugs to purchase 388,000 cartons of contraband cigarettes intended for sale in New York.
The case in U.S. District Court is the latest to target smugglers who buy truckloads of cigarettes from undercover agents in Virginia and sell them in other states without paying the required cigarette taxes. Federal officials have been cracking down on the practice for years.
The people charged Thursday with trafficking in contraband cigarettes allegedly purchased them in Stafford County. Two people were also charged with agreeing to hire a hit man to kill a man and his wife who were believed to be stealing some of the cigarettes.
The case in U.S. District Court is the latest to target smugglers who buy truckloads of cigarettes from undercover agents in Virginia and sell them in other states without paying the required cigarette taxes. Federal officials have been cracking down on the practice for years.
The people charged Thursday with trafficking in contraband cigarettes allegedly purchased them in Stafford County. Two people were also charged with agreeing to hire a hit man to kill a man and his wife who were believed to be stealing some of the cigarettes.
среда, 18 ноября 2009 г.
Newton aldermen snuff out tobacco in pharmacies
Newton — The Board of Aldermen approved a ban forbidding pharmacies from selling tobacco products in the city by a wide margin Monday night. The measure passed without discussion.
In an 18-3 vote, members approved the ban, which supporters said was intended to prevent those in the public health business from selling cigarettes and other tobacco items.
Aldermen Bill Brandel, Amy Sangiolo and Jay Harney cast the only nay votes against the ban.
Supporters of the proposal said at a previous meeting that pharmacies should not sell cigarettes because they also sell medicine — including medication for people trying to quit smoking.
Having to walk by cigarettes while being treated for cigarette addiction was sending patients mixed messages, they said.Opponents said the measure would deprive pharmacies from a source of revenue.
Of the 60 licensed cigarette vendors in Newton, 10 are pharmacies. According to city statistics, two of those pharmacies were caught selling cigarettes to minors during the city’s enforcement sweep in June, while 16 other vendors were also caught.
Newton’s ban is similar to that in neighboring Needham, along with ones in Boston and San Francisco.
In an 18-3 vote, members approved the ban, which supporters said was intended to prevent those in the public health business from selling cigarettes and other tobacco items.
Aldermen Bill Brandel, Amy Sangiolo and Jay Harney cast the only nay votes against the ban.
Supporters of the proposal said at a previous meeting that pharmacies should not sell cigarettes because they also sell medicine — including medication for people trying to quit smoking.
Having to walk by cigarettes while being treated for cigarette addiction was sending patients mixed messages, they said.Opponents said the measure would deprive pharmacies from a source of revenue.
Of the 60 licensed cigarette vendors in Newton, 10 are pharmacies. According to city statistics, two of those pharmacies were caught selling cigarettes to minors during the city’s enforcement sweep in June, while 16 other vendors were also caught.
Newton’s ban is similar to that in neighboring Needham, along with ones in Boston and San Francisco.
понедельник, 16 ноября 2009 г.
Cigarette vending machines banned
A ban on cigarette vending machines is set to become law across the UK, after it cleared its final Commons hurdle on Tuesday night.
MPs approved Lords amendments to the Health Bill, following the surprise agreement in the Commons to the proposal from Labour former minister Ian McCartney last month.
Health Minister Gillian Merron said it was hoped the ban would dissuade young people from smoking, as these were the "new recruits the tobacco industry needs to replace those who die".The measure will come into force in 2011.
Under the initial wording of the Bill, the Government had intended to regulate vending machines more strictly and only impose a ban if that failed to prevent cigarettes being sold to children.
But Mr McCartney's amendment was passed without a vote and Health Secretary Andy Burnham said the will of the House would be respected.
Ms Merron told MPs that vending machines reflected a time when shops closed early and it was difficult to buy cigarettes in the evening.
The ban brought the UK into line with 16 other EU countries, she said.
MPs approved Lords amendments to the Health Bill, following the surprise agreement in the Commons to the proposal from Labour former minister Ian McCartney last month.
Health Minister Gillian Merron said it was hoped the ban would dissuade young people from smoking, as these were the "new recruits the tobacco industry needs to replace those who die".The measure will come into force in 2011.
Under the initial wording of the Bill, the Government had intended to regulate vending machines more strictly and only impose a ban if that failed to prevent cigarettes being sold to children.
But Mr McCartney's amendment was passed without a vote and Health Secretary Andy Burnham said the will of the House would be respected.
Ms Merron told MPs that vending machines reflected a time when shops closed early and it was difficult to buy cigarettes in the evening.
The ban brought the UK into line with 16 other EU countries, she said.
четверг, 12 ноября 2009 г.
Tobacco Smoke Has Harmful Impact On Asthma, Rhinitis And Immunity
Tobacco smoke is involved in uncontrolled asthma, a diminished response to anti-asthma drugs, rhinitis, nasal obstruction, and deregulation of the immune system according to an international expert at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in Miami Beach, Fla.
Tobacco smoking has been mainly associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and is attributed to being one of the main reasons that COPD disease is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States.
“Recent studies have shown that smoking can be linked with other respiratory diseases such as asthma exacerbations and rhinitis,” said Carlos Baena-Cagnani, M.D., faculty of medicine, at Catholic University of Cordoba in Argentina. “Both active and passive smoking has been shown to be involved in uncontrolled asthma and associated with asthma exacerbations in children and adolescents.”
According to Dr. Baena-Cagnani, active smoking also causes changes in inflammation in asthma patients, diminishes their response to anti-asthma drugs, and has been found to induce nasal obstruction and decreased mucociliary clearance.
“The message is that smoking is a risk factor for the inception of asthma in allergic rhinitis patients, and it should be discouraged in patients with rhinitis,” he said. “There is increasing and compelling evidence that respiratory diseases, such as asthma and COPD, are also related to a deregulation of the immune system, especially the innate (natural) immunity.”
According to the latest World Health Organization statistics, currently 300 million people have asthma, and 210 million people have COPD, while millions have allergic rhinitis and other often under-diagnosed chronic respiratory diseases, Dr. Baena-Cagnani said.
Tobacco smoking has been mainly associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and is attributed to being one of the main reasons that COPD disease is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States.
“Recent studies have shown that smoking can be linked with other respiratory diseases such as asthma exacerbations and rhinitis,” said Carlos Baena-Cagnani, M.D., faculty of medicine, at Catholic University of Cordoba in Argentina. “Both active and passive smoking has been shown to be involved in uncontrolled asthma and associated with asthma exacerbations in children and adolescents.”
According to Dr. Baena-Cagnani, active smoking also causes changes in inflammation in asthma patients, diminishes their response to anti-asthma drugs, and has been found to induce nasal obstruction and decreased mucociliary clearance.
“The message is that smoking is a risk factor for the inception of asthma in allergic rhinitis patients, and it should be discouraged in patients with rhinitis,” he said. “There is increasing and compelling evidence that respiratory diseases, such as asthma and COPD, are also related to a deregulation of the immune system, especially the innate (natural) immunity.”
According to the latest World Health Organization statistics, currently 300 million people have asthma, and 210 million people have COPD, while millions have allergic rhinitis and other often under-diagnosed chronic respiratory diseases, Dr. Baena-Cagnani said.
вторник, 10 ноября 2009 г.
Teenagers could be fined if they smoke
SHOPKEEPERS want to turn children into criminals by making it illegal for minors to light up.
Under a plan proposed by the Australasian Association of Convenience Stores, which represents corner stores and petrol stations, children under 18 would be fined or given a court notice for smoking, The Daily Telegraph reports.
Association executive director Sheryle Moon said teenage smoking should be treated the same as underage drinking, adding: "Just as police officers enforce alcohol now, they would have the power to enforce underage smoking."
Frustrated that retailers carry the burden of underage smoking and face fines of $5500 if they sell to a minor, shopkeepers want parents and children to bear the responsibility.But their proposal, which will be presented to State and Federal Governments this week, has been slammed by anti-smoking groups, who said it would criminalise children.
About 10 per cent of children aged between 12 and 17 smoke - that number doubles after 17.
While the rate of underage smoking is declining, about 80 per cent of smokers started while children.
Under the NSW Tobacco Act, there is nothing to prevent a child from smoking - but an adult who purchases cigarettes for a minor can face a fine of $2200. Next year, under new legislation, shops will be forced to hide tobacco products from sight.
Ms Moon said traders face up to $20,000 in shop renovations to meet the laws, adding it was a "disproportionate level of responsibility".
The NSW Cancer Council yesterday dismissed the idea, claiming that education was more effective in reducing underage smoking.
Instead of the law criminalising teenagers who smoke, it recommended corner stores and petrol stations just stop selling cigarettes.
"The problem with making smoking illegal is that it turns people into criminals for a bad habit they developed through aggressive marketing by tobacco companies," the Cancer Council's tobacco unit manager Wendy Oakes said.
Under a plan proposed by the Australasian Association of Convenience Stores, which represents corner stores and petrol stations, children under 18 would be fined or given a court notice for smoking, The Daily Telegraph reports.
Association executive director Sheryle Moon said teenage smoking should be treated the same as underage drinking, adding: "Just as police officers enforce alcohol now, they would have the power to enforce underage smoking."
Frustrated that retailers carry the burden of underage smoking and face fines of $5500 if they sell to a minor, shopkeepers want parents and children to bear the responsibility.But their proposal, which will be presented to State and Federal Governments this week, has been slammed by anti-smoking groups, who said it would criminalise children.
About 10 per cent of children aged between 12 and 17 smoke - that number doubles after 17.
While the rate of underage smoking is declining, about 80 per cent of smokers started while children.
Under the NSW Tobacco Act, there is nothing to prevent a child from smoking - but an adult who purchases cigarettes for a minor can face a fine of $2200. Next year, under new legislation, shops will be forced to hide tobacco products from sight.
Ms Moon said traders face up to $20,000 in shop renovations to meet the laws, adding it was a "disproportionate level of responsibility".
The NSW Cancer Council yesterday dismissed the idea, claiming that education was more effective in reducing underage smoking.
Instead of the law criminalising teenagers who smoke, it recommended corner stores and petrol stations just stop selling cigarettes.
"The problem with making smoking illegal is that it turns people into criminals for a bad habit they developed through aggressive marketing by tobacco companies," the Cancer Council's tobacco unit manager Wendy Oakes said.
пятница, 6 ноября 2009 г.
Memphis man second to go to court
GREENVILLE, Miss. (AP) - A Memphis businessman linked to a multistate black-market cigarette operation will be in federal court in Greenville on Nov. 24 to face charges in the investigation, according to court documents.
However, prosecutors have not released any information on charges against Randy Benham and Jerry Burke.
Burke, of Tupelo, will be in the Greenville court that same day.
Documents accuse Burke of flying a plane to traffic the cigarettes and continuing his involvement with the business, even after he sold it to Benham.
Prosecutors allege Benham made it appear the cigarettes were being sold in Mississippi when they were being diverted to other states.
Federal agents raided a Tupelo warehouse owned by Benham in May. They seized thousands of cartons of cigarettes on which no state or federal taxes had been paid.
However, prosecutors have not released any information on charges against Randy Benham and Jerry Burke.
Burke, of Tupelo, will be in the Greenville court that same day.
Documents accuse Burke of flying a plane to traffic the cigarettes and continuing his involvement with the business, even after he sold it to Benham.
Prosecutors allege Benham made it appear the cigarettes were being sold in Mississippi when they were being diverted to other states.
Federal agents raided a Tupelo warehouse owned by Benham in May. They seized thousands of cartons of cigarettes on which no state or federal taxes had been paid.
четверг, 5 ноября 2009 г.
Five held for smuggling cigarettes
Marine police arrested five foreigners who were trying to smuggle in 7,000 cartons of contraband cigarettes off the waters of Segari yesterday.
The five, aged between 21 and 49, are being held to assist in investigations.
Perak Marine police commander Deputy Supt Shaari Ariffin said the cigarettes were believed to have originated from a neighbouring country.
Also seized during the 1.50am operation was a speedboat.
“This is our biggest haul this year,” said DSP Shaari, adding that the seized items were worth about RM773,800.
He said the success of yesterday’s operation was due to public cooperation and urged anyone with knowledge of illegal activities in Malaysian waters to inform the Marine police immediately.
The five, aged between 21 and 49, are being held to assist in investigations.
Perak Marine police commander Deputy Supt Shaari Ariffin said the cigarettes were believed to have originated from a neighbouring country.
Also seized during the 1.50am operation was a speedboat.
“This is our biggest haul this year,” said DSP Shaari, adding that the seized items were worth about RM773,800.
He said the success of yesterday’s operation was due to public cooperation and urged anyone with knowledge of illegal activities in Malaysian waters to inform the Marine police immediately.
понедельник, 2 ноября 2009 г.
It’s no smoke: IU Southeast students protest smoking ban
A small group of students at Indiana University Southeast protested the university’s tobacco-free policy by lighting cigarettes and smoking on campus Thursday afternoon.
Three students received referrals after campus police asked them to put out their cigarettes and they refused, but the protest remained peaceful. Another half dozen students joined in the protest or carried signs but chose not to smoke.
Ian Girdley, a sophomore English and journalism major, organized what he called the “act of civil disobedience.”
“We ask the IU Board of Trustees to give us a reasonable place to smoke while still protecting students from unwanted secondhand smoke,” Girdley said.The students walked from the free speech area near the clock tower about 50 yards to a nearby field to smoke. The campus policy is that students can only smoke in vehicles.
“I think most of us would just like a designated area to smoke — maybe one on each end of campus,” said Katelyn Dowell, a junior majoring in psychology.
Tristan Williamson, a junior English major, does not smoke, but marched with the demonstrators. He said it is “ridiculous” that smokers do not have a place to go.
Former IUS music professor Jamey Abersold argued with the protesters, accusing them of distorting the truth about the harmfulness of tobacco. Abersold now does anti-smoking presentations at local schools.
“I don’t think people should be allowed to smoke anywhere,” Abersold said.
University spokeswoman Jenny Johnson Wolf said the students who chose to smoke will be referred to the vice chancellor for Student Affairs, which is university policy for anyone caught smoking.
There is a judicial hearing to determine any discipline. Wolf said there is no minimum or maximum penalty for violating the smoking ban and that each offender is treated on a “case- by-case” basis.
In two years of the restrictions, less than 20 students have received referrals for smoking, Wolf said. Many of the students at the protest say they smoke in the parking lot, and no one has ever told them to stop. Girdley said he has received verbal reprimands for smoking on campus, but was never issued a referral before Thursday.
He said one reason they chose to demonstrate now — two years after the Indiana University Board of Trustees mandated the campus become completely tobacco-free — is because of concern the university was planning to start stricter enforcement of the anti-smoking policy.
Wolf said the university is discussing how to better enforce the rules, but that no formal proposal has been made and no date is set for changes to take place.
“The campus, with feedback from our Executive Council and students, is reviewing options to improve the effectiveness of the tobacco-free compliance, Wolf said. “This includes the possibility of fines and/or community service being assigned to those who break the tobacco-free policy.”
Student Government Association President James Bonsall said he will meet today with administration officials to discuss how to better enforce the tobacco-free policy. He said the university is considering issuing citations that would be similar to parking tickets, rather than having students go before a judicial board.
“Basically, nobody has ever had to enforce the smoking ban so far,” Bonsall said.
He said the problem with the current system is that some students do not have vehicles on campus and therefore cannot smoke. He supports having designated smoking areas away from building.
“I don’t believe nonsmoking students should be subjected at all to smoke,” Bonsall said.
He said it was good to see students out protesting, although he disagrees with them violating university rules to do so.
Three students received referrals after campus police asked them to put out their cigarettes and they refused, but the protest remained peaceful. Another half dozen students joined in the protest or carried signs but chose not to smoke.
Ian Girdley, a sophomore English and journalism major, organized what he called the “act of civil disobedience.”
“We ask the IU Board of Trustees to give us a reasonable place to smoke while still protecting students from unwanted secondhand smoke,” Girdley said.The students walked from the free speech area near the clock tower about 50 yards to a nearby field to smoke. The campus policy is that students can only smoke in vehicles.
“I think most of us would just like a designated area to smoke — maybe one on each end of campus,” said Katelyn Dowell, a junior majoring in psychology.
Tristan Williamson, a junior English major, does not smoke, but marched with the demonstrators. He said it is “ridiculous” that smokers do not have a place to go.
Former IUS music professor Jamey Abersold argued with the protesters, accusing them of distorting the truth about the harmfulness of tobacco. Abersold now does anti-smoking presentations at local schools.
“I don’t think people should be allowed to smoke anywhere,” Abersold said.
University spokeswoman Jenny Johnson Wolf said the students who chose to smoke will be referred to the vice chancellor for Student Affairs, which is university policy for anyone caught smoking.
There is a judicial hearing to determine any discipline. Wolf said there is no minimum or maximum penalty for violating the smoking ban and that each offender is treated on a “case- by-case” basis.
In two years of the restrictions, less than 20 students have received referrals for smoking, Wolf said. Many of the students at the protest say they smoke in the parking lot, and no one has ever told them to stop. Girdley said he has received verbal reprimands for smoking on campus, but was never issued a referral before Thursday.
He said one reason they chose to demonstrate now — two years after the Indiana University Board of Trustees mandated the campus become completely tobacco-free — is because of concern the university was planning to start stricter enforcement of the anti-smoking policy.
Wolf said the university is discussing how to better enforce the rules, but that no formal proposal has been made and no date is set for changes to take place.
“The campus, with feedback from our Executive Council and students, is reviewing options to improve the effectiveness of the tobacco-free compliance, Wolf said. “This includes the possibility of fines and/or community service being assigned to those who break the tobacco-free policy.”
Student Government Association President James Bonsall said he will meet today with administration officials to discuss how to better enforce the tobacco-free policy. He said the university is considering issuing citations that would be similar to parking tickets, rather than having students go before a judicial board.
“Basically, nobody has ever had to enforce the smoking ban so far,” Bonsall said.
He said the problem with the current system is that some students do not have vehicles on campus and therefore cannot smoke. He supports having designated smoking areas away from building.
“I don’t believe nonsmoking students should be subjected at all to smoke,” Bonsall said.
He said it was good to see students out protesting, although he disagrees with them violating university rules to do so.
четверг, 29 октября 2009 г.
Cigarettes and Lotto tickets stolen
OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - Deputies are investigating a break-in at an Ottawa County store.
They say someone forced their way into the Mobile Mart Gas Station on Ottawa Beach Road near Holland and stole cigarettes and Lotto tickets.
This happened early Monday morning.
Deputies are still looking for the suspect. If you have any information call the Ottawa County Sheriff's Department.
They say someone forced their way into the Mobile Mart Gas Station on Ottawa Beach Road near Holland and stole cigarettes and Lotto tickets.
This happened early Monday morning.
Deputies are still looking for the suspect. If you have any information call the Ottawa County Sheriff's Department.
среда, 28 октября 2009 г.
Just one cigarette harms young arteries
A new study shows that just a few cigarettes a day can harm young arteries. One cigarette was found to increase stiffness in the arteries of 18 to 30 year olds by twenty-five percent.
The findings, presented by Dr. Stella Daskalopoulou at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2009, show how tobacco can harm young adults. Dr. Daskalopoulous says “Our results are significant because they suggest that smoking just a few cigarettes a day impacts the health of the arteries. This was revealed very clearly when these young people were placed under physical stress, such as exercise."
Arterial stiffness can leads to high blood pressure, and eventually can lead to heart attack and stroke. When the heart beats and the artery is stiff, the heart has to work harder, eventually causing the it to become larger and less efficient.
The study tested arterial stiffness of young smokers to non-smokers, using a method called method applanation tonometry. The test is similar to a cardiac stress test, but instead of measuring the heart’s response to stress, it measures the response of the arteries to stress. When stressed, the arteries of smokers became stiffer. Conversely, those who did not smoke showed reduced stiffness in the arteries.
Dr. Daskalopoulou explains, "In effect we were measuring the elasticity of arteries under challenge from tobacco." An interesting finding was that the stiffness of arteries in smokers and non-smokers was the same at rest.
"In effect, this means that even light smoking in otherwise young healthy people can damage the arteries, compromising the ability of their bodies to cope with physical stress, such as climbing a set of stairs or running to catch a bus", says Dr. Daskalopoulou. "It seems that this compromise to respond to physical stress occurs first, before the damage of the arteries becomes evident at rest."
The study reinforces the damage that can occur from tobacco smoke and the impact on youth. Just a few cigarettes a day can harm young arteries. The findings are another reason to find a way to stop smoking. Speak with your doctor for medication help to stop smoking. According to the study, it takes few cigarettes to cause the arteries to become stiff, and the effect on youth is noteworty considering the number of young adults who smoke.
The findings, presented by Dr. Stella Daskalopoulou at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2009, show how tobacco can harm young adults. Dr. Daskalopoulous says “Our results are significant because they suggest that smoking just a few cigarettes a day impacts the health of the arteries. This was revealed very clearly when these young people were placed under physical stress, such as exercise."
Arterial stiffness can leads to high blood pressure, and eventually can lead to heart attack and stroke. When the heart beats and the artery is stiff, the heart has to work harder, eventually causing the it to become larger and less efficient.
The study tested arterial stiffness of young smokers to non-smokers, using a method called method applanation tonometry. The test is similar to a cardiac stress test, but instead of measuring the heart’s response to stress, it measures the response of the arteries to stress. When stressed, the arteries of smokers became stiffer. Conversely, those who did not smoke showed reduced stiffness in the arteries.
Dr. Daskalopoulou explains, "In effect we were measuring the elasticity of arteries under challenge from tobacco." An interesting finding was that the stiffness of arteries in smokers and non-smokers was the same at rest.
"In effect, this means that even light smoking in otherwise young healthy people can damage the arteries, compromising the ability of their bodies to cope with physical stress, such as climbing a set of stairs or running to catch a bus", says Dr. Daskalopoulou. "It seems that this compromise to respond to physical stress occurs first, before the damage of the arteries becomes evident at rest."
The study reinforces the damage that can occur from tobacco smoke and the impact on youth. Just a few cigarettes a day can harm young arteries. The findings are another reason to find a way to stop smoking. Speak with your doctor for medication help to stop smoking. According to the study, it takes few cigarettes to cause the arteries to become stiff, and the effect on youth is noteworty considering the number of young adults who smoke.
пятница, 23 октября 2009 г.
Students tell tobacco companies to back off
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - The Red Ribbon program focuses on staying healthy and achieving goals.
The schools use games and other activities to show kids how drugs, alcohol, and tobacco can affect those goals.
Wednesday, the kids at Consolidated Elementary in Vigo County wrote letters to tobacco companies to let them know how they feel about their role in getting kids to smoke.
"They're doing a good job of getting kids addicted. And so we want them to stop targeting kids," student Kelsey Farris said.
"These aren't going to be their customers of the future. Not if we can help it, " school counselor Monica Tener-Smith said.
More Red Ribbon activities are planned for the coming weeks.
The schools use games and other activities to show kids how drugs, alcohol, and tobacco can affect those goals.
Wednesday, the kids at Consolidated Elementary in Vigo County wrote letters to tobacco companies to let them know how they feel about their role in getting kids to smoke.
"They're doing a good job of getting kids addicted. And so we want them to stop targeting kids," student Kelsey Farris said.
"These aren't going to be their customers of the future. Not if we can help it, " school counselor Monica Tener-Smith said.
More Red Ribbon activities are planned for the coming weeks.
четверг, 22 октября 2009 г.
Alcohol, cigarettes are much more dangerous than pot
Michael Gimbel is remarkably uninformed about medical marijuana and drugs generally, in spite of his former role as drug czar in Baltimore County.
Alcohol and tobacco are the drugs of death and widespread harm for Americans and very large profits for big American corporations, lawyers, and the prison industry and unions.
There is not a single recorded case of a death due to marijuana overdose, but tens, even hundreds of thousands of Americans die annually due to the legal drugs whose makers profit from so handsomely and then use those profits to keep safer and cheaper alternatives like marijuana off the market. All those profits buy a lot of legislators, drug czars, prisons and power to keep the status quo money machine flowing.
Sure, the present circumstances lead some small operators to game the system with medical marijuana, but it is mostly a benign and harmless chemical compared to what the system makes legal. A large part of the story the media does not tell very well flows out of the abuse of power for economic purposes by those who run the present system.
If Marijuana, alcohol, tobacco and prescription drugs were all controlled to the same degree, by similar rules, America and its people would be a vastly healthier, safer and less corrupt country.
Alcohol and tobacco are the drugs of death and widespread harm for Americans and very large profits for big American corporations, lawyers, and the prison industry and unions.
There is not a single recorded case of a death due to marijuana overdose, but tens, even hundreds of thousands of Americans die annually due to the legal drugs whose makers profit from so handsomely and then use those profits to keep safer and cheaper alternatives like marijuana off the market. All those profits buy a lot of legislators, drug czars, prisons and power to keep the status quo money machine flowing.
Sure, the present circumstances lead some small operators to game the system with medical marijuana, but it is mostly a benign and harmless chemical compared to what the system makes legal. A large part of the story the media does not tell very well flows out of the abuse of power for economic purposes by those who run the present system.
If Marijuana, alcohol, tobacco and prescription drugs were all controlled to the same degree, by similar rules, America and its people would be a vastly healthier, safer and less corrupt country.
пятница, 16 октября 2009 г.
Smokers Sound Off On Tobacco Ban At Andrews Hospital
ANDREWS - Another West Texas hospital is putting the brakes on tobacco. They're banning all smoking and dipping anywhere on the property. The Permian Regional Medical Center (PRMC) in Andrews is the next to go Tobacco Free. They said it's part of a state and nationwide trend. However, some smokers said the trend is forcing them to kick the habit.
"It's everywhere. It's not just the hospitals. It's everywhere," Katherine Morgan, an Andrews Hospital employee and smoker, said. "There's a lot of people that don't even want to come around you if they see you with a cigarette."
It's not unusual to find Katherine Morgan and Tracy Herron taking regular smoke breaks at the Permian Regional Medical Center in Andrews. However, they may give up cigarettes entirely after hosptial officials announced everything inside and out will be smoke free.
"When we do want to have a cigarette, where are we going to have to go to smoke it?" Morgan asked. "So, to me, out of all of it, I feel like we're more or less being pushed to quit. I mean, where are you going to go to smoke?"
The Andrews hospital is one of many facilities throughout West Texas following the state and even nationwide trend. Even in Odessa, the debate continues over whether to ban tobacco in city parks.
"It's not just the hospital pushing it, it's everywhere," Morgan explained. "You can't smoke in a restaurant, you have to be so many feet from any facility to have a cigarette, they're raising the taxes, you can't afford them. There is a combination of things that's actually pushing us to quit. They're trying to make smokers quit."
Hospital officials told NewsWest 9, the idea is to promote healthier lifestyles and to set the example.
"We will be providing medications as well as counseling services," Tasa Watts, Director of Marketing and Public Relations with PRMC, said. "If they would like to quit. We are not making anyone quit. It's a choice. If you want to quit, we will provide the help to quit. If you don't want to quit, you just can't smoke on campus. You can go elsewhere to smoke."
For other PRMC employees, like Tracy Herron, kicking the habit will be a challenge. However, she said the ban may be the little push she needs to make her life healthier.
Hospital officials in Andrews said their ban will go into effect in January. They said they already have several dozen employees signed up to get help to kick the habit. Hospitals in Midland and Odessa have already made the switch to tobacco-free campuses.
"It's everywhere. It's not just the hospitals. It's everywhere," Katherine Morgan, an Andrews Hospital employee and smoker, said. "There's a lot of people that don't even want to come around you if they see you with a cigarette."
It's not unusual to find Katherine Morgan and Tracy Herron taking regular smoke breaks at the Permian Regional Medical Center in Andrews. However, they may give up cigarettes entirely after hosptial officials announced everything inside and out will be smoke free.
"When we do want to have a cigarette, where are we going to have to go to smoke it?" Morgan asked. "So, to me, out of all of it, I feel like we're more or less being pushed to quit. I mean, where are you going to go to smoke?"
The Andrews hospital is one of many facilities throughout West Texas following the state and even nationwide trend. Even in Odessa, the debate continues over whether to ban tobacco in city parks.
"It's not just the hospital pushing it, it's everywhere," Morgan explained. "You can't smoke in a restaurant, you have to be so many feet from any facility to have a cigarette, they're raising the taxes, you can't afford them. There is a combination of things that's actually pushing us to quit. They're trying to make smokers quit."
Hospital officials told NewsWest 9, the idea is to promote healthier lifestyles and to set the example.
"We will be providing medications as well as counseling services," Tasa Watts, Director of Marketing and Public Relations with PRMC, said. "If they would like to quit. We are not making anyone quit. It's a choice. If you want to quit, we will provide the help to quit. If you don't want to quit, you just can't smoke on campus. You can go elsewhere to smoke."
For other PRMC employees, like Tracy Herron, kicking the habit will be a challenge. However, she said the ban may be the little push she needs to make her life healthier.
Hospital officials in Andrews said their ban will go into effect in January. They said they already have several dozen employees signed up to get help to kick the habit. Hospitals in Midland and Odessa have already made the switch to tobacco-free campuses.
вторник, 13 октября 2009 г.
No buts! Syrian president bans smoking in public
DAMASCUS, Syria — Syria's president on Monday issued a decree banning smoking in public places, joining an anti-smoking trend already under way in other Arab countries.
The ban also includes a rare restriction in the Arab world: limiting places where Syrians can indulge in the hubbly bubbly — water pipes known locally as argileh.
President Bashar Assad's decree, which will to into effect in six months, bans smoking in restaurants, cafes, cinemas, theaters, schools, official functions and on public transport. Offenders will be fined 2,000 Syrian pounds — about $45.
Syria had taken steps before to try to restrict smoking, including a 1996 decree issued by Assad's late father, Hafez, that banned smoking in government institutions, hospitals and at the airport.
But the ban was often flouted and not strictly enforced. The younger Assad recently issued a law that banned the sale of tobacco to those under the age of 18.
Monday's decree is a much more sweeping measure reflecting Syria's desire to join other Arab countries struggling to control smoking with bans and anti-smoking campaigns.
Such laws are not easily enforced in the tobacco-loving Arab world, where people light up in offices, universities, taxis and even hospitals and where smoking has long been a social imperative and a rite of passage for young men. Packs can cost as little as 50 cents.
The decree issued by Assad, a British-trained eye doctor, also bans the favorite Mideast pastime — smoking water pipes — except in well-ventilated and designated areas. Also outlawed are tobacco advertising and the sale and import of sweets and toys modeled after tobacco products.
Health Minister Rida Saeed said authorities were working on campaigns that explain to the public "the health hazards of smoking and the environmental, economic and social vices of smoking."
Egypt, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates — and most recently Iraq — have imposed similar restrictions on smoking, but the bans vary in scope and enforcement.
Emirates authorities have banned smoking in public places and indoors, including water pipe smoking in certain places such as restaurants in residential neighborhoods.
Last year, Egypt, one of the top 15 smoking countries in the world, launched a campaign of visual warnings about tobacco's dangers, including a requirement that cigarette labels carry images of the effects of smoking.
Iraq's government in August unveiled sweeping curbs on smoking after parliament ratified the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which requires governments to fight smoking.
Turkey banned indoor smoking earlier this year, leading a man to shoot a restaurant owner to death after being asked to put out his cigarette.
The ban also includes a rare restriction in the Arab world: limiting places where Syrians can indulge in the hubbly bubbly — water pipes known locally as argileh.
President Bashar Assad's decree, which will to into effect in six months, bans smoking in restaurants, cafes, cinemas, theaters, schools, official functions and on public transport. Offenders will be fined 2,000 Syrian pounds — about $45.
Syria had taken steps before to try to restrict smoking, including a 1996 decree issued by Assad's late father, Hafez, that banned smoking in government institutions, hospitals and at the airport.
But the ban was often flouted and not strictly enforced. The younger Assad recently issued a law that banned the sale of tobacco to those under the age of 18.
Monday's decree is a much more sweeping measure reflecting Syria's desire to join other Arab countries struggling to control smoking with bans and anti-smoking campaigns.
Such laws are not easily enforced in the tobacco-loving Arab world, where people light up in offices, universities, taxis and even hospitals and where smoking has long been a social imperative and a rite of passage for young men. Packs can cost as little as 50 cents.
The decree issued by Assad, a British-trained eye doctor, also bans the favorite Mideast pastime — smoking water pipes — except in well-ventilated and designated areas. Also outlawed are tobacco advertising and the sale and import of sweets and toys modeled after tobacco products.
Health Minister Rida Saeed said authorities were working on campaigns that explain to the public "the health hazards of smoking and the environmental, economic and social vices of smoking."
Egypt, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates — and most recently Iraq — have imposed similar restrictions on smoking, but the bans vary in scope and enforcement.
Emirates authorities have banned smoking in public places and indoors, including water pipe smoking in certain places such as restaurants in residential neighborhoods.
Last year, Egypt, one of the top 15 smoking countries in the world, launched a campaign of visual warnings about tobacco's dangers, including a requirement that cigarette labels carry images of the effects of smoking.
Iraq's government in August unveiled sweeping curbs on smoking after parliament ratified the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which requires governments to fight smoking.
Turkey banned indoor smoking earlier this year, leading a man to shoot a restaurant owner to death after being asked to put out his cigarette.
пятница, 9 октября 2009 г.
Police ID man wanted in connection to cigarettes theft
Investigators have identified a man they say broke into three local convenience stores Monday to steal cigarettes.
Earl Alex Harris, Jr., 43, is wanted on three counts of burglary, according to Richmond County Sheriff’s Investigator Aaron Hannsz. He lives with his father at 4564 Pineview Lane in Hephzibah and is believed to frequent known drug areas downtown, Investigator Hannsz said. The robberies occurred at McTeer Food and Fuel on 4150 Windsor Spring Road, McTeer Shell Station at 1237 Gordon Highway and Wally’s on 4250 Windsor Spring Road, according to a sheriff’s report.
In each case, Mr. Harris is accused of smashing the glass door or window at the stores and robbed the business of Newport cigarettes.
Earl Alex Harris, Jr., 43, is wanted on three counts of burglary, according to Richmond County Sheriff’s Investigator Aaron Hannsz. He lives with his father at 4564 Pineview Lane in Hephzibah and is believed to frequent known drug areas downtown, Investigator Hannsz said. The robberies occurred at McTeer Food and Fuel on 4150 Windsor Spring Road, McTeer Shell Station at 1237 Gordon Highway and Wally’s on 4250 Windsor Spring Road, according to a sheriff’s report.
In each case, Mr. Harris is accused of smashing the glass door or window at the stores and robbed the business of Newport cigarettes.
среда, 7 октября 2009 г.
State could raise cigarette taxes by $1 a pack to pay for MAP grants
SPRINGFIELD -- The idea of raising Illinois cigarette taxes by a $1 a pack could come up again as early as next week as a way to pay for the state's biggest scholarship program.
Raising taxes by $1 was debated this spring as a way to generate more money for health care for low-income people.
Now, Gov. Pat Quinn wants to use money from a cigarette tax hike to pay for the state's Monetary Award Program. It's the biggest need-based scholarship program in Illinois, but the state's financial problems have left money for spring semester grants in limbo.
Though the Illinois Senate approved of raising cigarette taxes earlier this year, there weren't enough votes in the House to follow suit. Lawmakers returning to Springfield next week could try again.
The Senate sponsor of the tax plan said spending more on health care will draw in federal money. Then, state money could be shifted to pay for MAP grants.
"I don't think we're too far apart in our goals," said state Sen. Jeff Schoenberg, D-Evanston.
The tax hike faces opposition, though.
Republicans are pushing a plan to allow some people and businesses who are behind in paying their income and sales taxes to pay up without penalty in an effort to generate millions to pay for MAP.
State Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, said Republicans on board the tax amnesty plan want to see it approved before cigarette taxes are even considered.
Plus, he said, the effectiveness of a tax increase on cigarettes might be overestimated.
"More people will stop smoking," Brady said.
That's good for health reasons, he said, but not if the state is banking on getting more money.
Steve Brown, spokesman for Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan, said the Republican plan won't work.
Giving people who are behind on their taxes a break could actually cost the state money, he said.
"This is money the state would already get, and with penalties," Brown said. "There's a reluctance to give a break for deadbeats.The annual fall session of the General Assembly starts next week.
Raising taxes by $1 was debated this spring as a way to generate more money for health care for low-income people.
Now, Gov. Pat Quinn wants to use money from a cigarette tax hike to pay for the state's Monetary Award Program. It's the biggest need-based scholarship program in Illinois, but the state's financial problems have left money for spring semester grants in limbo.
Though the Illinois Senate approved of raising cigarette taxes earlier this year, there weren't enough votes in the House to follow suit. Lawmakers returning to Springfield next week could try again.
The Senate sponsor of the tax plan said spending more on health care will draw in federal money. Then, state money could be shifted to pay for MAP grants.
"I don't think we're too far apart in our goals," said state Sen. Jeff Schoenberg, D-Evanston.
The tax hike faces opposition, though.
Republicans are pushing a plan to allow some people and businesses who are behind in paying their income and sales taxes to pay up without penalty in an effort to generate millions to pay for MAP.
State Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, said Republicans on board the tax amnesty plan want to see it approved before cigarette taxes are even considered.
Plus, he said, the effectiveness of a tax increase on cigarettes might be overestimated.
"More people will stop smoking," Brady said.
That's good for health reasons, he said, but not if the state is banking on getting more money.
Steve Brown, spokesman for Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan, said the Republican plan won't work.
Giving people who are behind on their taxes a break could actually cost the state money, he said.
"This is money the state would already get, and with penalties," Brown said. "There's a reluctance to give a break for deadbeats.The annual fall session of the General Assembly starts next week.
понедельник, 5 октября 2009 г.
Whatever the flavor, it's bad
It's hard to argue with the Food and Drug Administration's decision to ban the sale of flavored cigarettes. To be honest, I always thought cigarettes came in regular and menthol, not chocolate and strawberry.
The legislation passed earlier this year giving the FDA authority over tobacco products authorized it to ban flavored cigarettes, while protecting the kind I got hooked on.
The justification for the ban is that the cigarette companies have been using kiddie flavors, as they've used cartoon characters, to appeal to teenagers. The tobacco industry faces unique challenges - given that so many of its best customers die - which makes recruiting new smokers an economic necessity. And studies have found that 17-year-olds are at least three times more likely to puff on fun-flavored cigarettes than are those over 25.
It sounds like a major step until you read the fine print: The biggest tobacco companies don't even make these cigarettes; the folks who did had pretty much stopped after Congress acted; and the ban doesn't touch menthol, the most popular flavor.
So will banning flavored cigarettes, which made up some 1 percent of the market, stop teens from opening the door to addiction?
I wouldn't bet on it.
Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in this country. Nearly half a million people die every year from smoking-related illnesses. About 50,000 of those are people whose only exposure to smoke was secondhand.
None of that seems to mean a lot to teens and young adults, especially girls, who start smoking to be cool or lose weight or find something to do with their hands when they're nervous.
I started at 15 and quit at 33. I tremble every time I have a chest X-ray. I lost my best friend to lung cancer, and she didn't smoke. The woman I am closest to is being treated for lung cancer. She didn't smoke.
When I was 15, I didn't worry about getting emphysema or cancer or heart disease. Yet I begged my father to stop smoking; his cough terrified me. He half-tried a few times and stopped smoking in the house, but he never really quit. By the time I started, he'd given up trying. He died at 53.
And that was not, I should add, enough to get me to quit for 10 more years.
Mortality isn't much fun to contemplate. Luckily for them, most young people don't. Even when you lose someone you love to cigarettes, you can convince yourself that it has nothing to do with you. From the perspective of a 20-year-old, 53 looks very far away. Until it isn't.
In a recent speech, President Obama sought to enlist young people in the fight for health-care reform, relying on a University of Michigan study that found that about 40 percent of Americans would lose health-insurance coverage in the next 10 years.
The Joe Wilson wannabe I debated on TV that day kept attacking Obama for using a bad study as a scare tactic. As far as I could tell, the study was fine. The real problem was it wasn't a very good scare tactic: The young - among those most likely to lose insurance when they age off their parents' plan - don't get scared about their health. If they did, you wouldn't need to ban chocolate cigarettes, because no one would be buying them.
The legislation passed earlier this year giving the FDA authority over tobacco products authorized it to ban flavored cigarettes, while protecting the kind I got hooked on.
The justification for the ban is that the cigarette companies have been using kiddie flavors, as they've used cartoon characters, to appeal to teenagers. The tobacco industry faces unique challenges - given that so many of its best customers die - which makes recruiting new smokers an economic necessity. And studies have found that 17-year-olds are at least three times more likely to puff on fun-flavored cigarettes than are those over 25.
It sounds like a major step until you read the fine print: The biggest tobacco companies don't even make these cigarettes; the folks who did had pretty much stopped after Congress acted; and the ban doesn't touch menthol, the most popular flavor.
So will banning flavored cigarettes, which made up some 1 percent of the market, stop teens from opening the door to addiction?
I wouldn't bet on it.
Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in this country. Nearly half a million people die every year from smoking-related illnesses. About 50,000 of those are people whose only exposure to smoke was secondhand.
None of that seems to mean a lot to teens and young adults, especially girls, who start smoking to be cool or lose weight or find something to do with their hands when they're nervous.
I started at 15 and quit at 33. I tremble every time I have a chest X-ray. I lost my best friend to lung cancer, and she didn't smoke. The woman I am closest to is being treated for lung cancer. She didn't smoke.
When I was 15, I didn't worry about getting emphysema or cancer or heart disease. Yet I begged my father to stop smoking; his cough terrified me. He half-tried a few times and stopped smoking in the house, but he never really quit. By the time I started, he'd given up trying. He died at 53.
And that was not, I should add, enough to get me to quit for 10 more years.
Mortality isn't much fun to contemplate. Luckily for them, most young people don't. Even when you lose someone you love to cigarettes, you can convince yourself that it has nothing to do with you. From the perspective of a 20-year-old, 53 looks very far away. Until it isn't.
In a recent speech, President Obama sought to enlist young people in the fight for health-care reform, relying on a University of Michigan study that found that about 40 percent of Americans would lose health-insurance coverage in the next 10 years.
The Joe Wilson wannabe I debated on TV that day kept attacking Obama for using a bad study as a scare tactic. As far as I could tell, the study was fine. The real problem was it wasn't a very good scare tactic: The young - among those most likely to lose insurance when they age off their parents' plan - don't get scared about their health. If they did, you wouldn't need to ban chocolate cigarettes, because no one would be buying them.
четверг, 1 октября 2009 г.
Huge rise in admissions caused by smoking
Smoking-related hospital admissions in people over 35 have risen by more than a fifth in the past decade, show the latest figures from The Health and Social Care Information Centre.
In the year 1997/8 there were fewer than 1.2 million admissions in England for smoking-attributable diseases in this age group, but in 2007/8 there were more than 1.4 million admissions for the same diseases – a rise of 22 per cent. The figures, published in Statistics on Smoking, England, 2009, equate to more than 4000 admissions per day. They exclude private patients in private hospitals, but include both NHS and private patients in NHS hospitals.
Circulatory diseases were responsible for the greatest overall number of smoking-related admissions, at almost 687,000; cancers came second, at almost 323,000. In men, 35 per cent of admissions for kidney cancer were estimated to be caused by smoking, compared with 9 per cent in women.
Of all 8.8 million admissions in 2007/8, about 440,900 – five per cent – were for smoking-related illness. However, more than 80 per cent of all admissions for cancer of the trachea, lung, bronchus or larynx were attributable to smoking, and 86 per cent of those for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
About 83,900 people died as a result of smoking – 18 per cent of all deaths in England for adults aged 35 or over. Smoking was estimated to be responsible for 23 per cent of deaths in men over 35, and 14 per cent of women.
The total expenditure on NHS Stop Smoking services in England in 2008/9 excluding drug treatments was almost £74 million – £219 per quitter – an increase of 26 per cent since 2007/8. The net ingredient cost of all stop-smoking prescription items – nicotine replacement therapy, varenicline (Champix) and bupropion (Zyban) – fell slightly from £61.5 million in 2007/8 to £57.5 million in 2008/9 but was a large increase on the £15.5 million these items cost in 2000/1.
In the year 1997/8 there were fewer than 1.2 million admissions in England for smoking-attributable diseases in this age group, but in 2007/8 there were more than 1.4 million admissions for the same diseases – a rise of 22 per cent. The figures, published in Statistics on Smoking, England, 2009, equate to more than 4000 admissions per day. They exclude private patients in private hospitals, but include both NHS and private patients in NHS hospitals.
Circulatory diseases were responsible for the greatest overall number of smoking-related admissions, at almost 687,000; cancers came second, at almost 323,000. In men, 35 per cent of admissions for kidney cancer were estimated to be caused by smoking, compared with 9 per cent in women.
Of all 8.8 million admissions in 2007/8, about 440,900 – five per cent – were for smoking-related illness. However, more than 80 per cent of all admissions for cancer of the trachea, lung, bronchus or larynx were attributable to smoking, and 86 per cent of those for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
About 83,900 people died as a result of smoking – 18 per cent of all deaths in England for adults aged 35 or over. Smoking was estimated to be responsible for 23 per cent of deaths in men over 35, and 14 per cent of women.
The total expenditure on NHS Stop Smoking services in England in 2008/9 excluding drug treatments was almost £74 million – £219 per quitter – an increase of 26 per cent since 2007/8. The net ingredient cost of all stop-smoking prescription items – nicotine replacement therapy, varenicline (Champix) and bupropion (Zyban) – fell slightly from £61.5 million in 2007/8 to £57.5 million in 2008/9 but was a large increase on the £15.5 million these items cost in 2000/1.
вторник, 29 сентября 2009 г.
FDA bans flavored cigarettes to fight smoking by youths
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned flavored cigarettes last week in an attempt to stop teenagers and young adults from becoming dependent on tobacco.
One of the FDA's first acts under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, a new law expanding the administration's right to regulate the tobacco industry, was to ban flavored tobacco Tuesday. This includes tobacco with a fruit or candy flavor, as well as clove cigarettes.
Menthol is excluded from the ban, but in a statement by the FDA, officials said they are looking for ways to regulate other tobacco products.
The new law also requires tobacco companies to post larger warning labels on packs of cigarettes and gives the FDA the power to demand lower amounts of nicotine and to control the type of advertisements on cigarettes.
Flavored tobacco was banned nationwide after the FDA found that teen smoking is often linked to it. According to a study cited by the administration, 17-year-olds are three times as likely to use flavored cigarettes than smokers over 25.
"Flavored cigarettes attract and allure kids into lifetime addiction," said U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Health Howard K. Koh. "FDA's ban on these cigarettes will break that cycle for the more than 3,600 young people who start smoking daily."
Earlier this year the Lee County Health Department spearheaded the Tobacco Free Lee initiative, one that plans to cut tobacco use in the county. Currently, 20 percent of adults in the county smoke and the amount of youth using tobacco is higher than the state average.
In a behavioral risk survey given to Lee County students, 5.7 percent in middle school and 18.4 percent in high school said they have smoked in the last 30 days. Statewide, the amount is 5 percent for middle school and 14.5 percent for high school.
Women are also more likely than men to smoke in Lee County, 22.6 percent of women compared to 16.4 percent of men.
Major tobacco companies, including R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., Lorillard Inc. and other smaller companies, have filed a lawsuit against the FDA claiming that restrictions in the law are violating their First Amendment rights. Not every company sells flavored tobacco, but those that do are poised to lose millions of dollars.
Earlier this year the Florida Legislature issued a $1 tax on cigarette packs to not only raise funding for health programs, but to curb younger smokers from developing a dangerous habit. This also includes a 60 percent surcharge on wholesale tobacco.
One of the FDA's first acts under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, a new law expanding the administration's right to regulate the tobacco industry, was to ban flavored tobacco Tuesday. This includes tobacco with a fruit or candy flavor, as well as clove cigarettes.
Menthol is excluded from the ban, but in a statement by the FDA, officials said they are looking for ways to regulate other tobacco products.
The new law also requires tobacco companies to post larger warning labels on packs of cigarettes and gives the FDA the power to demand lower amounts of nicotine and to control the type of advertisements on cigarettes.
Flavored tobacco was banned nationwide after the FDA found that teen smoking is often linked to it. According to a study cited by the administration, 17-year-olds are three times as likely to use flavored cigarettes than smokers over 25.
"Flavored cigarettes attract and allure kids into lifetime addiction," said U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Health Howard K. Koh. "FDA's ban on these cigarettes will break that cycle for the more than 3,600 young people who start smoking daily."
Earlier this year the Lee County Health Department spearheaded the Tobacco Free Lee initiative, one that plans to cut tobacco use in the county. Currently, 20 percent of adults in the county smoke and the amount of youth using tobacco is higher than the state average.
In a behavioral risk survey given to Lee County students, 5.7 percent in middle school and 18.4 percent in high school said they have smoked in the last 30 days. Statewide, the amount is 5 percent for middle school and 14.5 percent for high school.
Women are also more likely than men to smoke in Lee County, 22.6 percent of women compared to 16.4 percent of men.
Major tobacco companies, including R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., Lorillard Inc. and other smaller companies, have filed a lawsuit against the FDA claiming that restrictions in the law are violating their First Amendment rights. Not every company sells flavored tobacco, but those that do are poised to lose millions of dollars.
Earlier this year the Florida Legislature issued a $1 tax on cigarette packs to not only raise funding for health programs, but to curb younger smokers from developing a dangerous habit. This also includes a 60 percent surcharge on wholesale tobacco.
пятница, 25 сентября 2009 г.
Retailers warned against selling single cigarettes
State agencies are warning tobacco retailers to stop selling individual cigarettes that can be as cheap as 25 cents a piece, but pose a health threat to young people.
The state Attorney General's Office has notified 23 retailers who are allegedly selling single cigarettes that have been removed from the packs, called "loosies."
Retailers could face penalties up to $1,000 per violation for selling single cigarettes. Because of the low price of single cigarettes, health officials are concerned it may attract young people as an easy, affordable way to start smoking.
The state Attorney General's Office has notified 23 retailers who are allegedly selling single cigarettes that have been removed from the packs, called "loosies."
Retailers could face penalties up to $1,000 per violation for selling single cigarettes. Because of the low price of single cigarettes, health officials are concerned it may attract young people as an easy, affordable way to start smoking.
среда, 23 сентября 2009 г.
Washoe officials predict more budget cuts in 2010-11
Washoe County expects to cut spending in the 2010-11 budget after making severe cuts in the current year.
And it could take more than a decade for county property taxes to return to pre-recession levels because of state property tax limits, officials said.
With home values cut in half, Assistant County Manager David Childs said property taxes are expected to decline significantly in 2010-11 starting in July. But as property values eventually increase, he said property taxes will be slow to recoup because of a 3 percent cap on residential property taxes paid each year.
"So, the county could see a significant decline in property tax revenues that could take over a decade before revenues recover to anything near pre-recession levels," Childs said.
Childs was cited in a report by the International City/County Management Association about how communities are dealing with the recession. Washoe County was among five governments profiled in the report.
"We are hopeful that aggressive cuts made in 2009-10 will minimize the need for draconian cuts in 2010-11. However, it is expected that there will be more cutting that needs to be done."
Loss of property taxes
The county work force shrunk by 500 employees to about 2,690 employees. Since July, 100 workers were laid off and 150 retired early. Raises were eliminated over two years, and workers have agreed to take a 2.5 percent pay cut for most of 2009.
County parks have lost half of their budget, and county libraries are in a similar situation.
Budget Manager Darin Conforti said it's too early to talk about budget cuts for next year, but it is one of several scenarios under study. Without some growth in sales taxes, he expects that the budget will have to be trimmed.
"The harder one is what's going on with sales taxes," he said. "We have had such a sustained decline."
For 2009-10, property taxes are 47.7 percent of revenues, budgeted at $205.7 million. That's up from $196.6 million in the last fiscal year.
Retail sales, cigarette and alcohol taxes and the county's share of motor vehicle registration fees have been in decline for 33 of the past 36 months, including double-digit declines during the past 13 months. They comprise about a third of the county's revenues.
Conforti said county finance officials met with county Assessor Josh Wilson and Treasurer Bill Berrum last week to get earlier estimates for property taxes for next year.
Lower property values and countywide sales taxes also would affect budgets for Reno and Sparks.
Wilson cut residential values 15 percent countywide for the current fiscal year to reflect the tumble in housing prices. Based on initial reappraisals, he said Monday that residential values could be cut another 15 percent for the next fiscal year in July 2010.
Of 171,500 parcels in the county, Wilson said almost half are vacant. New construction is not subject to the tax limits, and commercial properties are under an 8 percent cap. It's too early to speculate on those values, he said.
And it could take more than a decade for county property taxes to return to pre-recession levels because of state property tax limits, officials said.
With home values cut in half, Assistant County Manager David Childs said property taxes are expected to decline significantly in 2010-11 starting in July. But as property values eventually increase, he said property taxes will be slow to recoup because of a 3 percent cap on residential property taxes paid each year.
"So, the county could see a significant decline in property tax revenues that could take over a decade before revenues recover to anything near pre-recession levels," Childs said.
Childs was cited in a report by the International City/County Management Association about how communities are dealing with the recession. Washoe County was among five governments profiled in the report.
"We are hopeful that aggressive cuts made in 2009-10 will minimize the need for draconian cuts in 2010-11. However, it is expected that there will be more cutting that needs to be done."
Loss of property taxes
The county work force shrunk by 500 employees to about 2,690 employees. Since July, 100 workers were laid off and 150 retired early. Raises were eliminated over two years, and workers have agreed to take a 2.5 percent pay cut for most of 2009.
County parks have lost half of their budget, and county libraries are in a similar situation.
Budget Manager Darin Conforti said it's too early to talk about budget cuts for next year, but it is one of several scenarios under study. Without some growth in sales taxes, he expects that the budget will have to be trimmed.
"The harder one is what's going on with sales taxes," he said. "We have had such a sustained decline."
For 2009-10, property taxes are 47.7 percent of revenues, budgeted at $205.7 million. That's up from $196.6 million in the last fiscal year.
Retail sales, cigarette and alcohol taxes and the county's share of motor vehicle registration fees have been in decline for 33 of the past 36 months, including double-digit declines during the past 13 months. They comprise about a third of the county's revenues.
Conforti said county finance officials met with county Assessor Josh Wilson and Treasurer Bill Berrum last week to get earlier estimates for property taxes for next year.
Lower property values and countywide sales taxes also would affect budgets for Reno and Sparks.
Wilson cut residential values 15 percent countywide for the current fiscal year to reflect the tumble in housing prices. Based on initial reappraisals, he said Monday that residential values could be cut another 15 percent for the next fiscal year in July 2010.
Of 171,500 parcels in the county, Wilson said almost half are vacant. New construction is not subject to the tax limits, and commercial properties are under an 8 percent cap. It's too early to speculate on those values, he said.
понедельник, 21 сентября 2009 г.
Cancer society cuts Oneida ties over cigarettes
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The American Cancer Society says it's severing ties with the Oneida Indian Nation, jeopardizing the organization's annual Coaches vs. Cancer fundraiser at the tribe's Turning Stone Resort and Casino.
The announcement came after the Oneidas said they've bought a cigarette manufacturing plant and will make their own cigarettes to sell.
The Cancer Society has been criticized in the past for holding the fundraiser at Turning Stone because the resort allows smoking and the nation sells tax-free cigarettes. The annual gala raised $325,000 this year for the cancer society.
Syracuse University Coach Jim Boeheim, a cancer survivor who sits on the national board of Coaches vs. Cancer and hosts the event, said Thursday he disagrees with the cancer society's decision.
The announcement came after the Oneidas said they've bought a cigarette manufacturing plant and will make their own cigarettes to sell.
The Cancer Society has been criticized in the past for holding the fundraiser at Turning Stone because the resort allows smoking and the nation sells tax-free cigarettes. The annual gala raised $325,000 this year for the cancer society.
Syracuse University Coach Jim Boeheim, a cancer survivor who sits on the national board of Coaches vs. Cancer and hosts the event, said Thursday he disagrees with the cancer society's decision.
четверг, 17 сентября 2009 г.
NY Indian Smoke Shops Feel the Heat
Judge’s ruling requires Indian reservation smoke shops to begin collecting tobacco taxes on sales to non-Indians by September 24.
NEW YORK – Having sold one in every seven packs of cigarettes in New York as recently as 2007 because it wasn’t required to assess state tobacco excise taxes, the Poospatuck Indian reservation has found its tobacco operations in serious jeopardy, as New York will begin a legal battle to assess tobacco taxes on reservation sales, the Associated Press reports.
Later this month, Poospatuck stores are supposed to begin collecting taxes for the first time, because of a federal judge’s ruling that untaxed tobacco sales to non-Indians are illegal.
The Poospatuck case is being watched closely by other states that are looking for ways to collect taxes on reservation sales to non-Indians.
At issue is what federal investigators call “buttleggers” — those who operate with the assistance of storeowners to buy large quantities of reservation smokes and resell them in the New York City at a markup. The profit margin at stake is wide — in New York City, a carton of cigarettes costs roughly $95, which includes $42.50 in state and local taxes.
"There's no difference between the cigarette business and the drug business. It's the same type of individuals involved," said Kyron Hodges, a former drug dealer from Brooklyn who has been transporting tax-free cigarettes from the Poospatuck reservation to the city. "I took all of my street knowledge and applied it to cigarettes."
In recent years, police have arrested more than 200 non-Indians leaving the Poospatuck reservation with cigarettes (by law, New York allows Indian merchants to sell tax-free cigarettes only to tribe members). However, the law has never been applied against the Indian smoke shops, despite what New York officials estimate at a $700 million a year loss in state and local tax revenue.
Things are beginning to come to a head, though. In an August 25 ruling, a U.S. District Judge ordered Poospatuck stores to begin collecting taxes on sales to non-Indians within 30 days. And Philip Morris ordered its wholesalers last year to cease selling its products to shops on the Poospatuck reservation because of smuggling.
"After 20 years of ever-worsening cigarette tax evasion in New York, the pendulum finally seems to be swinging in the direction of tax fairness," said James Calvin, president of the New York Association of Convenience Stores. "Experience has taught us not to get overconfident that the cigarette tax evasion epidemic will be cured, but the signs are encouraging."
One store on Poospatuck has already closed, and three others face uncertain futures.
NEW YORK – Having sold one in every seven packs of cigarettes in New York as recently as 2007 because it wasn’t required to assess state tobacco excise taxes, the Poospatuck Indian reservation has found its tobacco operations in serious jeopardy, as New York will begin a legal battle to assess tobacco taxes on reservation sales, the Associated Press reports.
Later this month, Poospatuck stores are supposed to begin collecting taxes for the first time, because of a federal judge’s ruling that untaxed tobacco sales to non-Indians are illegal.
The Poospatuck case is being watched closely by other states that are looking for ways to collect taxes on reservation sales to non-Indians.
At issue is what federal investigators call “buttleggers” — those who operate with the assistance of storeowners to buy large quantities of reservation smokes and resell them in the New York City at a markup. The profit margin at stake is wide — in New York City, a carton of cigarettes costs roughly $95, which includes $42.50 in state and local taxes.
"There's no difference between the cigarette business and the drug business. It's the same type of individuals involved," said Kyron Hodges, a former drug dealer from Brooklyn who has been transporting tax-free cigarettes from the Poospatuck reservation to the city. "I took all of my street knowledge and applied it to cigarettes."
In recent years, police have arrested more than 200 non-Indians leaving the Poospatuck reservation with cigarettes (by law, New York allows Indian merchants to sell tax-free cigarettes only to tribe members). However, the law has never been applied against the Indian smoke shops, despite what New York officials estimate at a $700 million a year loss in state and local tax revenue.
Things are beginning to come to a head, though. In an August 25 ruling, a U.S. District Judge ordered Poospatuck stores to begin collecting taxes on sales to non-Indians within 30 days. And Philip Morris ordered its wholesalers last year to cease selling its products to shops on the Poospatuck reservation because of smuggling.
"After 20 years of ever-worsening cigarette tax evasion in New York, the pendulum finally seems to be swinging in the direction of tax fairness," said James Calvin, president of the New York Association of Convenience Stores. "Experience has taught us not to get overconfident that the cigarette tax evasion epidemic will be cured, but the signs are encouraging."
One store on Poospatuck has already closed, and three others face uncertain futures.
вторник, 15 сентября 2009 г.
Smoking ban at beach bad for local businesses
Something I find to be several times more disgusting than cigarette butts left at the beach is Susan Kepner's efforts to try and ban smoking completely at the beach with her possible bill. I'm a non-smoker and believe a bill such as the one she is drafting would drastically kill tourism at the beach and hurt small businesses and treats people who smoke as lesser human beings.
This is the Live Free or Die state and legislators such as herself are trying to take away the citizens' personal liberties. Not every smoker is leaving their cigarette butts behind, so it would be insolent of us to punish all smokers for what a small fraction of them decide to do. Additionally, non-smokers leave plenty of trash behind at the beach and yet we don't see any lawmakers trying to place a ban on bringing plastic bottles or paper onto the beach, which take just as long as cigarette filters to decompose.
I believe this bill would ultimately discourage a large portion of tourists from coming to Hampton Beach, which would contribute to a large drop in revenue for our small businesses who create jobs and fuel our community's economy. Maybe instead of banning smoking completely, we could work on ways to make cigarettes easier to dispose of, such as positioning proper cigarette disposal units across our state parks. We can all agree that littering is a huge problem on our state beaches, but an outright ban of smoking is not the right way to go about solving such a problem.
This is the Live Free or Die state and legislators such as herself are trying to take away the citizens' personal liberties. Not every smoker is leaving their cigarette butts behind, so it would be insolent of us to punish all smokers for what a small fraction of them decide to do. Additionally, non-smokers leave plenty of trash behind at the beach and yet we don't see any lawmakers trying to place a ban on bringing plastic bottles or paper onto the beach, which take just as long as cigarette filters to decompose.
I believe this bill would ultimately discourage a large portion of tourists from coming to Hampton Beach, which would contribute to a large drop in revenue for our small businesses who create jobs and fuel our community's economy. Maybe instead of banning smoking completely, we could work on ways to make cigarettes easier to dispose of, such as positioning proper cigarette disposal units across our state parks. We can all agree that littering is a huge problem on our state beaches, but an outright ban of smoking is not the right way to go about solving such a problem.
пятница, 11 сентября 2009 г.
Cigarette smuggler jailed for £116k operation
A cigarette smuggling man from Sunningdale has been jailed for his part in a £116,000 counterfeit operation.
Michael Ali, 60, of Cross Road, was sentenced to 18 months in prison at Leeds Crown Court.
Ali was part of a five-man gang that tried to import cigarettes from Belgium, intended for sale in Yorkshire and the North West.
The gang were foiled by officers from the HM Revenue and Customs after their plan to use a Yorkshire-based textile firm's identity was rumbled.
They had hidden cigarettes among bath and tea towels which were then uncovered by officers as they were being unloaded at a self-storage depot in Pontefract, Yorkshire.
More than half a million Blue Superking cigarettes were found in boxes, thought to be worth an estimated £116,000 in lost excise duty and VAT.
The four other members involved in the smuggling operation were also found guilty of the offence and sentenced to various periods behind bars or durations of community service.
Ali had pleaded guilty to all the charges at Leeds Crown Court on November 3 last year.
Michael Ali, 60, of Cross Road, was sentenced to 18 months in prison at Leeds Crown Court.
Ali was part of a five-man gang that tried to import cigarettes from Belgium, intended for sale in Yorkshire and the North West.
The gang were foiled by officers from the HM Revenue and Customs after their plan to use a Yorkshire-based textile firm's identity was rumbled.
They had hidden cigarettes among bath and tea towels which were then uncovered by officers as they were being unloaded at a self-storage depot in Pontefract, Yorkshire.
More than half a million Blue Superking cigarettes were found in boxes, thought to be worth an estimated £116,000 in lost excise duty and VAT.
The four other members involved in the smuggling operation were also found guilty of the offence and sentenced to various periods behind bars or durations of community service.
Ali had pleaded guilty to all the charges at Leeds Crown Court on November 3 last year.
среда, 9 сентября 2009 г.
Cigarette Thief Sought
Pickens County deputies continue to search for a man who broke into a convenience store and swiped dozens of cartons of cigarettes.
The burglary happened at the Sav-A-Ton at 3790 Calhoun Memorial Highway in Easley at 2:22 a.m. on Aug. 17.
Security video shows a white male in his mid to late 20s, wearing a pink poncho, shorts and a rag wrapped around his forehead.
The burglar also carried a white and green plaid bag that he used to carry the cigarettes.
Deputies say it appeared the man had used a cinder block to break out a plexiglass door, and then crawled through the opening.
Anyone with information on the theft is asked to call the Pickens County Sheriff's Office.
The burglary happened at the Sav-A-Ton at 3790 Calhoun Memorial Highway in Easley at 2:22 a.m. on Aug. 17.
Security video shows a white male in his mid to late 20s, wearing a pink poncho, shorts and a rag wrapped around his forehead.
The burglar also carried a white and green plaid bag that he used to carry the cigarettes.
Deputies say it appeared the man had used a cinder block to break out a plexiglass door, and then crawled through the opening.
Anyone with information on the theft is asked to call the Pickens County Sheriff's Office.
понедельник, 7 сентября 2009 г.
Cigarettes To Have Larger, More Graphic Warning Labels
EL PASO, Texas -- The written warning label printed on cigarette packages will be replaced with a much larger label that shows graphic images of smoking's side effects.
The new regulations are part of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act passed in June.
The law calls for new labels to cover at least half of the front and back of each package and to contain images.
Smoker Marco Kato, of west El Paso, is part of the 21 percent of Americans who smoke daily, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"I probably buy a pack every other day," said Kato. "Sometimes more on the weekends."
He said he never looks at the current warning label on cigarettes. The drastic change in labeling is supposed to change that.
"I think it's a great idea," said Natie Castillo, of west El Paso. "Maybe it will give an incentive for people to think about it before they light up and smoke."
The new labels will be more in line with those produced in most foreign countries. Labels from Canada show graphic images of various forms of cancer and even death.
"I think that's great," said Tara Kahn, of west El Paso. "It's a picture, you know. You're not just reading the words, you're actually putting the words and the picture together so you're seeing the effects of it."
But Kato said most smokers are aware of the dangers, and no warning, despite how graphic, will be able to shake the addiction.
"I don't think the label would change my mind," said Kato. "I think prices will probably change people's minds."
The FDA has up to two years to develop the new labels. Then tobacco companies have 18 months to start printing them on the packages.
The new regulations are part of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act passed in June.
The law calls for new labels to cover at least half of the front and back of each package and to contain images.
Smoker Marco Kato, of west El Paso, is part of the 21 percent of Americans who smoke daily, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"I probably buy a pack every other day," said Kato. "Sometimes more on the weekends."
He said he never looks at the current warning label on cigarettes. The drastic change in labeling is supposed to change that.
"I think it's a great idea," said Natie Castillo, of west El Paso. "Maybe it will give an incentive for people to think about it before they light up and smoke."
The new labels will be more in line with those produced in most foreign countries. Labels from Canada show graphic images of various forms of cancer and even death.
"I think that's great," said Tara Kahn, of west El Paso. "It's a picture, you know. You're not just reading the words, you're actually putting the words and the picture together so you're seeing the effects of it."
But Kato said most smokers are aware of the dangers, and no warning, despite how graphic, will be able to shake the addiction.
"I don't think the label would change my mind," said Kato. "I think prices will probably change people's minds."
The FDA has up to two years to develop the new labels. Then tobacco companies have 18 months to start printing them on the packages.
четверг, 3 сентября 2009 г.
Connecticut Cigarette Tax Increase Delivers Victory for Kids and Taxpayers; $1 Increase...
Connecticut's leaders have taken decisive action to protect the state's kids
and taxpayers from the devastating toll of tobacco use by increasing the state
cigarette tax by $1 to $3.00 per pack, making it the second highest state
cigarette tax in the nation (Rhode Island's tax is $3.46 per pack).
Connecticut is also increasing its tax rates on most other tobacco products,
but they still remain shamefully low compared to the state's exemplary new tax
rate on cigarettes. Increased tobacco taxes are a win-win-win solution for
Connecticut and every other state - a health win that will reduce tobacco use
and save lives, a financial win that will raise revenue to help alleviate
budget shortfalls, and a political win that polls show is popular with the
voters.
The evidence is clear that increasing the cigarette tax is one of the most
effective ways to reduce smoking, especially among kids. Studies show that
every 10 percent increase in the price of cigarettes reduces youth smoking by
more than six percent and overall cigarette consumption by about 4 percent.
Connecticut can expect the $1 cigarette tax increase to prevent 24,000
Connecticut kids from becoming addicted adult smokers; spur 10,000 current
adult Connecticut smokers to quit for good; save more than 10,500 Connecticut
residents from future smoking-caused deaths; lock in more than $520 million
future health care savings; and raise about $60 million a year in new state
revenue.
By failing to raise taxes on other tobacco products to match its new cigarette
tax, Connecticut's legislators have chosen not to take advantage of a golden
opportunity to raise a lot more money; money that could be used to increase
funding for the state's tobacco prevention program and to help provide
cessation assistance through the state's Medicaid program. Connecticut
continues to be one of the last states to not provide any cessation coverage
for its Medicaid recipients, and is still near the bottom of all the states
with regard to tobacco prevention funding.
Governor Jodi Rell proposed the increase in the cigarette tax this session.
The state Legislature approved the tobacco tax increase this week and Governor
Rell is allowing the budget to become law without her signature. By supporting
a higher cigarette tax, Connecticut's leaders have taken action that will
improve the health of Connecticut residents for generations to come and
continue the state's leadership in the fight against tobacco use, the No. 1
cause of preventable death in the United States. The tobacco tax increases
take effect on October 1.
Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death and disease in
Connecticut, claiming 4,700 lives each year and costing the state $1.63
billion annually in health care bills, including $430 million in Medicaid
payments alone. Government expenditures related to tobacco amount to a hidden
tax of $680 each year on every Connecticut household. While Connecticut has
made significant progress in reducing youth smoking, 21.1 percent of
Connecticut high school students smoke, and 4,600 more kids become regular
smokers every year.
With Connecticut's tax increase, the average state cigarette tax is now $1.34
per pack. Connecticut is the second state with a cigarette tax of $3 or more,
Rhode Island being the first. Fourteen states and the District of Columbia
will now have cigarette tax rates of $2 per pack or more, and 26 states and DC
have cigarette tax rates of $1 per pack or more. South Carolina (a tobacco
growing state) remains the lowest-tax state with a cigarette tax of only seven
cents per pack. Only three states besides South Carolina have failed to raise
their cigarette tax since before 2000: California (1999), Missouri (1993),
North Dakota (1993) and South Carolina (1977).
and taxpayers from the devastating toll of tobacco use by increasing the state
cigarette tax by $1 to $3.00 per pack, making it the second highest state
cigarette tax in the nation (Rhode Island's tax is $3.46 per pack).
Connecticut is also increasing its tax rates on most other tobacco products,
but they still remain shamefully low compared to the state's exemplary new tax
rate on cigarettes. Increased tobacco taxes are a win-win-win solution for
Connecticut and every other state - a health win that will reduce tobacco use
and save lives, a financial win that will raise revenue to help alleviate
budget shortfalls, and a political win that polls show is popular with the
voters.
The evidence is clear that increasing the cigarette tax is one of the most
effective ways to reduce smoking, especially among kids. Studies show that
every 10 percent increase in the price of cigarettes reduces youth smoking by
more than six percent and overall cigarette consumption by about 4 percent.
Connecticut can expect the $1 cigarette tax increase to prevent 24,000
Connecticut kids from becoming addicted adult smokers; spur 10,000 current
adult Connecticut smokers to quit for good; save more than 10,500 Connecticut
residents from future smoking-caused deaths; lock in more than $520 million
future health care savings; and raise about $60 million a year in new state
revenue.
By failing to raise taxes on other tobacco products to match its new cigarette
tax, Connecticut's legislators have chosen not to take advantage of a golden
opportunity to raise a lot more money; money that could be used to increase
funding for the state's tobacco prevention program and to help provide
cessation assistance through the state's Medicaid program. Connecticut
continues to be one of the last states to not provide any cessation coverage
for its Medicaid recipients, and is still near the bottom of all the states
with regard to tobacco prevention funding.
Governor Jodi Rell proposed the increase in the cigarette tax this session.
The state Legislature approved the tobacco tax increase this week and Governor
Rell is allowing the budget to become law without her signature. By supporting
a higher cigarette tax, Connecticut's leaders have taken action that will
improve the health of Connecticut residents for generations to come and
continue the state's leadership in the fight against tobacco use, the No. 1
cause of preventable death in the United States. The tobacco tax increases
take effect on October 1.
Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death and disease in
Connecticut, claiming 4,700 lives each year and costing the state $1.63
billion annually in health care bills, including $430 million in Medicaid
payments alone. Government expenditures related to tobacco amount to a hidden
tax of $680 each year on every Connecticut household. While Connecticut has
made significant progress in reducing youth smoking, 21.1 percent of
Connecticut high school students smoke, and 4,600 more kids become regular
smokers every year.
With Connecticut's tax increase, the average state cigarette tax is now $1.34
per pack. Connecticut is the second state with a cigarette tax of $3 or more,
Rhode Island being the first. Fourteen states and the District of Columbia
will now have cigarette tax rates of $2 per pack or more, and 26 states and DC
have cigarette tax rates of $1 per pack or more. South Carolina (a tobacco
growing state) remains the lowest-tax state with a cigarette tax of only seven
cents per pack. Only three states besides South Carolina have failed to raise
their cigarette tax since before 2000: California (1999), Missouri (1993),
North Dakota (1993) and South Carolina (1977).
вторник, 1 сентября 2009 г.
Health report to recommend higher 'sin taxes'
A major health care report to be released by the Federal Government today is expected to call for higher taxes on cigarettes and alcohol.
The Preventative Health taskforce report has been with the Government for several months and is also likely to recommend plans to curb the rate of obesity in Australia, including changes to the way food is marketed and produced.
It is the third and final in a series of reports commissioned by the Government when it came to office. But the Government is yet to respond to any of them.
The Government is already facing calls to put whatever extra revenue is raised through higher taxes directly back into prevention measures.
It will be the second major health report put out in as many days, following yesterday's release of the draft of a National Primary Health care strategy.
The head of the Australian Medical Association, Dr Andrew Pesce, says there is a lot of overlap between the two areas and he wants today's report to recommend changes to funding for GPs and other health professionals.
"We need to identify funding models which allow GPs and health practitioners to spend the time with their patients, which currently isn't remunerated adequately, to make sure that they can incorporate good preventative health strategies into the healthcare plans for those people," he said.
Dr Pesce says the Government's response also needs to go beyond the idea of so-called "sin taxes" on cigarettes and alcohol.
"They are important, but they're old ideas and I think we're working on the law of diminishing returns in those areas," he said.
He says obesity is the next big challenge, with significant changes needed in the way food is sold to people.
"It's pretty obvious if you look around, that Australians are fatter, children are fatter, they need to be convinced to adopt the lifestyle changes."
The director of the Institute of Health Economics and Technology Assessment, Paul Gross, agrees that obesity should be the main target for a preventative health strategy.
He says the Government will need to consider more creative solutions, rather than just raising taxes.
"Elsewhere in the world, governments, employers and others are offering incentives to individuals to lose weight, and they are losing weight and holding their weight loss," he said.
"We haven't even tried that yet."
But he says any money raised through higher taxes must be quarantined for prevention programs to ensure they are adequately funded.
"People might pay more for something where they can see what the use of the money might be," he said.
"But they will not be happy if we just hit people with cigarette taxes and alcohol taxes where the revenue is used in some way they can't see."
Along with the National Hospitals and Health Reform Commission Report, the Government now has three reviews of the health system awaiting its response.
But with the Henry review of taxation not due until the end of this year, any decision on new preventative measures may take some time.
The health reports will be considered by state and federal governments at a Coalition of Australian Governments meeting next month.
The Preventative Health taskforce report has been with the Government for several months and is also likely to recommend plans to curb the rate of obesity in Australia, including changes to the way food is marketed and produced.
It is the third and final in a series of reports commissioned by the Government when it came to office. But the Government is yet to respond to any of them.
The Government is already facing calls to put whatever extra revenue is raised through higher taxes directly back into prevention measures.
It will be the second major health report put out in as many days, following yesterday's release of the draft of a National Primary Health care strategy.
The head of the Australian Medical Association, Dr Andrew Pesce, says there is a lot of overlap between the two areas and he wants today's report to recommend changes to funding for GPs and other health professionals.
"We need to identify funding models which allow GPs and health practitioners to spend the time with their patients, which currently isn't remunerated adequately, to make sure that they can incorporate good preventative health strategies into the healthcare plans for those people," he said.
Dr Pesce says the Government's response also needs to go beyond the idea of so-called "sin taxes" on cigarettes and alcohol.
"They are important, but they're old ideas and I think we're working on the law of diminishing returns in those areas," he said.
He says obesity is the next big challenge, with significant changes needed in the way food is sold to people.
"It's pretty obvious if you look around, that Australians are fatter, children are fatter, they need to be convinced to adopt the lifestyle changes."
The director of the Institute of Health Economics and Technology Assessment, Paul Gross, agrees that obesity should be the main target for a preventative health strategy.
He says the Government will need to consider more creative solutions, rather than just raising taxes.
"Elsewhere in the world, governments, employers and others are offering incentives to individuals to lose weight, and they are losing weight and holding their weight loss," he said.
"We haven't even tried that yet."
But he says any money raised through higher taxes must be quarantined for prevention programs to ensure they are adequately funded.
"People might pay more for something where they can see what the use of the money might be," he said.
"But they will not be happy if we just hit people with cigarette taxes and alcohol taxes where the revenue is used in some way they can't see."
Along with the National Hospitals and Health Reform Commission Report, the Government now has three reviews of the health system awaiting its response.
But with the Henry review of taxation not due until the end of this year, any decision on new preventative measures may take some time.
The health reports will be considered by state and federal governments at a Coalition of Australian Governments meeting next month.
вторник, 25 августа 2009 г.
Oregon moves to block e-cigarette sales
The Oregon Attorney General's Office is suing an electronic cigarettes importer that sells plastic devices marketed as being safer than regular tobacco cigarettes.
Attorney General John Kroger filed the lawsuit Tuesday, the same day a county in New York banned sales of what's called e-cigarettes to minors; both moves are the first of their kinds in the nation.
Typically imported from China, e-cigarettes look like traditional cigarettes, down to their battery-powered glowing red tip. Instead of burning, e-cigarettes vaporize certain mixtures, which can include liquid nicotine. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which has not approved the sale of e-cigarettes, recently reported hat a test of 19 brands found more than half contained a cancer-causing substance.
Kroger has filed suit against Florida-based Smoking Everywhere Inc., which had refused state requests to restrict its sales, and its chief executive, Elico Taieb.
Meanwhile, Smoking Everywhere and a major importer, Sottera Inc., are suing the FDA in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., claiming the agency doesn't have the authority to regulate their product.
Smoking Everywhere has continued to operate in Oregon as the federal case proceeds, Tuesday's lawsuit contends. Kroger already has reached an agreement with Sottera, maker of the Njoy brand, to halt sales here.
"It's my duty to protect the public from products that are falsely advertised as safe," said Kroger, who has said that e-cigarettes' flavored options are a further concern as they may appeal to young people.
Attorney General John Kroger filed the lawsuit Tuesday, the same day a county in New York banned sales of what's called e-cigarettes to minors; both moves are the first of their kinds in the nation.
Typically imported from China, e-cigarettes look like traditional cigarettes, down to their battery-powered glowing red tip. Instead of burning, e-cigarettes vaporize certain mixtures, which can include liquid nicotine. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which has not approved the sale of e-cigarettes, recently reported hat a test of 19 brands found more than half contained a cancer-causing substance.
Kroger has filed suit against Florida-based Smoking Everywhere Inc., which had refused state requests to restrict its sales, and its chief executive, Elico Taieb.
Meanwhile, Smoking Everywhere and a major importer, Sottera Inc., are suing the FDA in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., claiming the agency doesn't have the authority to regulate their product.
Smoking Everywhere has continued to operate in Oregon as the federal case proceeds, Tuesday's lawsuit contends. Kroger already has reached an agreement with Sottera, maker of the Njoy brand, to halt sales here.
"It's my duty to protect the public from products that are falsely advertised as safe," said Kroger, who has said that e-cigarettes' flavored options are a further concern as they may appeal to young people.
понедельник, 17 августа 2009 г.
Man pleads guilty to smuggling cigarettes abroad
MIAMI — Authorities say an American has pleaded guilty to smuggling more than 27 million cigarettes from the U.S. into some European Union countries.
Authorities in Miami say 57-year-old Roman Vidal pleaded guilty Friday to conspiring to commit wire and mail fraud. They say he was trying to avoid paying more than $6.5 million in customs and tax duties.
They say he arranged to buy cases of cigarettes from Panama along with other cargo such as yarn and wood flooring to cover them up. Authorities say he directed the preparation of documents that declared only the cover materials, not the cigarettes.
Sentencing is set for Nov. 10.
Vidal's attorney didn't immediately return a telephone message and an e-mail.
Authorities in Miami say 57-year-old Roman Vidal pleaded guilty Friday to conspiring to commit wire and mail fraud. They say he was trying to avoid paying more than $6.5 million in customs and tax duties.
They say he arranged to buy cases of cigarettes from Panama along with other cargo such as yarn and wood flooring to cover them up. Authorities say he directed the preparation of documents that declared only the cover materials, not the cigarettes.
Sentencing is set for Nov. 10.
Vidal's attorney didn't immediately return a telephone message and an e-mail.
вторник, 11 августа 2009 г.
Focus of cigarette laws is wrong
Recently I had the misfortune of sitting through the trial of a small business owner, charged because one of their employees sold a pack of cigarettes to a tobacco cop snitch. Using underage kids to try and entrap an unsuspecting clerk is a despicable act -I thought entrapment was illegal?
This was a three-day trial for one pack of cigarettes. What a flagrant waste of taxpayers dollars. We were appaled at the vindictiveness of the crown, who urged the judge to impose a $10,000 fine on a mom and pop operation.
The irony of this is what kid would be stupid enough to buy cigarettes for $10 a pack when they can get them for a fraction of this price on the street?
After further research I discovered that if an employee at the beer store sells to a minor they receive a letter of discipline, after the third offence they are fired. The liquor store, a government-owned business, is the same -a disciplinary letter and then the employee is fired. No one fines them, takes their licence away or threatens to shut them down when an employee has an off day or is overworked and mistakenly sells to a minor.
Why is the law different for stores that sell alcohol to minors? I've never heard of anyone under the influence of tobacco killing someone while behind the wheel of a car.
Incidentally, the store owner, who did not sell the cigarettes, was fined $4,000 plus court costs and lawyers fees.
Another example of justice served?
This was a three-day trial for one pack of cigarettes. What a flagrant waste of taxpayers dollars. We were appaled at the vindictiveness of the crown, who urged the judge to impose a $10,000 fine on a mom and pop operation.
The irony of this is what kid would be stupid enough to buy cigarettes for $10 a pack when they can get them for a fraction of this price on the street?
After further research I discovered that if an employee at the beer store sells to a minor they receive a letter of discipline, after the third offence they are fired. The liquor store, a government-owned business, is the same -a disciplinary letter and then the employee is fired. No one fines them, takes their licence away or threatens to shut them down when an employee has an off day or is overworked and mistakenly sells to a minor.
Why is the law different for stores that sell alcohol to minors? I've never heard of anyone under the influence of tobacco killing someone while behind the wheel of a car.
Incidentally, the store owner, who did not sell the cigarettes, was fined $4,000 plus court costs and lawyers fees.
Another example of justice served?
четверг, 6 августа 2009 г.
Cigarette smuggling brings $5,000 fine
A man smoked out by border officials with five cartons of undeclared cigarettes was smacked with a $5,000 fine Wednesday.
It was the fifth time 48-year-old Janusz Gorecki of Mississauga was caught attempting to smuggle goods into the country.
“That you would take this risk time and again is very surprising,” said Judge Joseph Nadel, in St. Catharines court Wednesday.
Federal prosecutor Darren Anger said the commercial truck driver was crossing the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge on Feb. 27 when customs officials ran his name and found he’d been subject to previous seizures.
They searched the truck and found five cartons of cigarettes in the well of the cab behind fridge unit.
Anger said Gorecki told officials the cigarettes were for himself and he could only buy the brand from Smokin’ Joes.
By hiding the cartons, he attempted to evade $215.51 in taxes.
The joint submission for a $5,000 fine was to deter Gorecki and others from smuggling, Anger said.
Gorecki was convicted and fined $2,700 in February 2007 while the other three prior incidents involved seizures only.
The judge said he felt bad for imposing such a large fine for a paltry offence but added it was Gorecki’s fifth attempt at smuggling.
“Prior lesser sentences have failed to deter you,” Nadel said.
It was the fifth time 48-year-old Janusz Gorecki of Mississauga was caught attempting to smuggle goods into the country.
“That you would take this risk time and again is very surprising,” said Judge Joseph Nadel, in St. Catharines court Wednesday.
Federal prosecutor Darren Anger said the commercial truck driver was crossing the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge on Feb. 27 when customs officials ran his name and found he’d been subject to previous seizures.
They searched the truck and found five cartons of cigarettes in the well of the cab behind fridge unit.
Anger said Gorecki told officials the cigarettes were for himself and he could only buy the brand from Smokin’ Joes.
By hiding the cartons, he attempted to evade $215.51 in taxes.
The joint submission for a $5,000 fine was to deter Gorecki and others from smuggling, Anger said.
Gorecki was convicted and fined $2,700 in February 2007 while the other three prior incidents involved seizures only.
The judge said he felt bad for imposing such a large fine for a paltry offence but added it was Gorecki’s fifth attempt at smuggling.
“Prior lesser sentences have failed to deter you,” Nadel said.
понедельник, 27 июля 2009 г.
Mexico hopes tax on soda will refill lost oil revenue
MEXICO CITY -- Mexico is trying to make up for a projected shortfall in oil revenue by raising taxes on other quick-fix liquids: colas and carbonated drinks.
A proposal by the nation's new President Felipe Calderon would impose a 5% levy on soft drinks -- and an additional 15% on cigarettes -- to raise $1 billion next year. With Mexico's oil production falling and its economy slowing, Calderon's administration is scrambling to find additional sources of revenue. Calderon said last week that he would seek to impose the new taxes as part of his 2007 budget.
The proposal has raised the ire of Mexico's $10-billion soft drink industry. The sector has taken out full-page ads in national newspapers blasting the proposal as a job killer and a potential blow to Mexican consumers, who trail only Americans in their consumption of carbonated drinks.
"Taxes on beer, cigarettes and soft drinks are the easiest to collect," said Alfredo Paredes, chief executive of Ajegroup, the maker of a popular soda called Big Cola. "That is why they are targeting us."
Although the tax would be levied on bottlers, companies said they would have to pass the cost on to the public, which already pays a 15% value-added tax on soda. They said the new tax could cost Mexico 36,500 jobs, including sugar-cane harvesters and mom-and-pop vendors.
Manufacturers said the hike would be particularly hard on low-income Mexicans, who spend more of their incomes on soft drinks than on beans. The average Mexican drinks an eye-popping 152 liters of soda a year, according to the industry statistics.
Sugary cola is a dietary staple for Mexico's poor. Cash-strapped laborers guzzle it on the job. Two-liter beverage bottles are more common than lunch boxes on construction sites.
"Poor people drink it for energy to keep from falling down in the street," said Paredes, whose Big Cola has captured nearly one-tenth of the Mexican market by selling cheaper than market leaders Coke and Pepsi.
At a convenience store in the capital's Polanco neighborhood, a 3.3-liter bottle of Big Cola was selling for $1.11 on Monday compared with $1.57 for a 2-liter bottle of Coke.
Paredes and other business leaders want Calderon to boost tax receipts by getting more cheats to pay up, rather than tapping industries that are already contributing.
A proposal by the nation's new President Felipe Calderon would impose a 5% levy on soft drinks -- and an additional 15% on cigarettes -- to raise $1 billion next year. With Mexico's oil production falling and its economy slowing, Calderon's administration is scrambling to find additional sources of revenue. Calderon said last week that he would seek to impose the new taxes as part of his 2007 budget.
The proposal has raised the ire of Mexico's $10-billion soft drink industry. The sector has taken out full-page ads in national newspapers blasting the proposal as a job killer and a potential blow to Mexican consumers, who trail only Americans in their consumption of carbonated drinks.
"Taxes on beer, cigarettes and soft drinks are the easiest to collect," said Alfredo Paredes, chief executive of Ajegroup, the maker of a popular soda called Big Cola. "That is why they are targeting us."
Although the tax would be levied on bottlers, companies said they would have to pass the cost on to the public, which already pays a 15% value-added tax on soda. They said the new tax could cost Mexico 36,500 jobs, including sugar-cane harvesters and mom-and-pop vendors.
Manufacturers said the hike would be particularly hard on low-income Mexicans, who spend more of their incomes on soft drinks than on beans. The average Mexican drinks an eye-popping 152 liters of soda a year, according to the industry statistics.
Sugary cola is a dietary staple for Mexico's poor. Cash-strapped laborers guzzle it on the job. Two-liter beverage bottles are more common than lunch boxes on construction sites.
"Poor people drink it for energy to keep from falling down in the street," said Paredes, whose Big Cola has captured nearly one-tenth of the Mexican market by selling cheaper than market leaders Coke and Pepsi.
At a convenience store in the capital's Polanco neighborhood, a 3.3-liter bottle of Big Cola was selling for $1.11 on Monday compared with $1.57 for a 2-liter bottle of Coke.
Paredes and other business leaders want Calderon to boost tax receipts by getting more cheats to pay up, rather than tapping industries that are already contributing.
четверг, 16 июля 2009 г.
Depression, Cigarettes and Negative Ions
How are smoking and depression connected? Is one the cause of the other? Science has shown that smokers are generally more prone towards depression than non smokers. How can employers combat this and help employees be as productive as they can be?
The scientific connection between nicotine addiction and depression has been well documented. A history of depression is a common link between many people suffering from nicotine addiction. Many smokers start as teenagers, when peer pressure and anxiety are at their zenith.
Studies have shown that regular smokers have lower monoamine oxidase A and B activity (Sharma, 2006). These enzymes serve many functions in the body, one being the regulation of moods. Depression has been shown to increase when dependant smokers quit using nicotine.
Besides the time lost from smoke breaks, workplace productivity is severely affected by the depression that accompanies nicotine addiction. The decreased enzyme activity has also been linked to attention deficit disorder. The ups and downs of nicotine cravings further contribute to productivity loss. When a smoker tries and fails to quit, depression increases.
The U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention estimate that $92 billion is lost every year due to cigarette smoking. On average, smokers take 6.16 sick days while non-smokers take 3.86 days per year (Halpern, 2001). These two figures give a small example of lost productivity because of nicotine addiction. Some suggest that the losses are due to the depression caused by nicotine addiction and withdrawal.
Because of this loss, employers would love help their employees kick the habit. But until laws are enacted that completely ban smoking, this is easier to say then do. Fortunately, there are technologies available to employers that can help.
Air purifiers that use negative ion technology have been linked to a decrease in smoking. Negative ions are particles which remove smoke and other contaminants from the air. They attract these toxic substances and attach themselves, causing the combined result to be too heavy to float. No longer able to remain airborne, the contaminant sinks harmlessly to the floor.
Besides the benefit of clean air, negative ions have also been linked to positive moods. One of the ways they do this is by increasing the oxygen flow to the brain. Another way is by eliminating many germs from the air (Mann, 2003). One in three people are highly susceptible to their effects.
Because of the mood enhancing properties, many smokers can be encouraged to quit. The uplifting effects of the negative ions boost their ability to quit smoking, keeping the depression at bay. With the pure air surrounding them, employees who smoke are given a breath of fresh air that invigorates them. They'll be less apt to light up once they realize that cigarettes worsen their depression.
Employers are constantly searching for ways to increase productivity. Millions of dollars are spent trying to encourage employees to quit smoking and get back to work. An air purifier that uses negative ions is exactly what they need to get their employees working at full steam.
The scientific connection between nicotine addiction and depression has been well documented. A history of depression is a common link between many people suffering from nicotine addiction. Many smokers start as teenagers, when peer pressure and anxiety are at their zenith.
Studies have shown that regular smokers have lower monoamine oxidase A and B activity (Sharma, 2006). These enzymes serve many functions in the body, one being the regulation of moods. Depression has been shown to increase when dependant smokers quit using nicotine.
Besides the time lost from smoke breaks, workplace productivity is severely affected by the depression that accompanies nicotine addiction. The decreased enzyme activity has also been linked to attention deficit disorder. The ups and downs of nicotine cravings further contribute to productivity loss. When a smoker tries and fails to quit, depression increases.
The U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention estimate that $92 billion is lost every year due to cigarette smoking. On average, smokers take 6.16 sick days while non-smokers take 3.86 days per year (Halpern, 2001). These two figures give a small example of lost productivity because of nicotine addiction. Some suggest that the losses are due to the depression caused by nicotine addiction and withdrawal.
Because of this loss, employers would love help their employees kick the habit. But until laws are enacted that completely ban smoking, this is easier to say then do. Fortunately, there are technologies available to employers that can help.
Air purifiers that use negative ion technology have been linked to a decrease in smoking. Negative ions are particles which remove smoke and other contaminants from the air. They attract these toxic substances and attach themselves, causing the combined result to be too heavy to float. No longer able to remain airborne, the contaminant sinks harmlessly to the floor.
Besides the benefit of clean air, negative ions have also been linked to positive moods. One of the ways they do this is by increasing the oxygen flow to the brain. Another way is by eliminating many germs from the air (Mann, 2003). One in three people are highly susceptible to their effects.
Because of the mood enhancing properties, many smokers can be encouraged to quit. The uplifting effects of the negative ions boost their ability to quit smoking, keeping the depression at bay. With the pure air surrounding them, employees who smoke are given a breath of fresh air that invigorates them. They'll be less apt to light up once they realize that cigarettes worsen their depression.
Employers are constantly searching for ways to increase productivity. Millions of dollars are spent trying to encourage employees to quit smoking and get back to work. An air purifier that uses negative ions is exactly what they need to get their employees working at full steam.
понедельник, 13 июля 2009 г.
Smoking Kills And E Cigarettes Could Save Smokers Lives
With smoking being one of the leading causes of death in the United States and around the world, people have been looking for a healthier alternative for years now. While some try to quit with patches, gums, pills, and other methods such as hypnosis, there are a number of people who are now switching over to a product called the e-cigarette.
Tobacco cigarettes emit around 4,000 chemicals and many of them are known to cause cancer, including formaldehyde, arsenic, benzene, and Polonium-210, but e-cigarettes contain only a few ingredients and by removing the tar, some health officials say that they could be safer than tobacco by 100 times.
E-cigarettes come with many different conveniences, including the fact that a user no longer has to wonder where to put their cigarette out, whether they are out in public or in a private home. Since they do not burn, e-cigarettes do not have to be put out. Cigarettes are one of the biggest causes of wildfires around the world and the mass use of e-cigarettes would remove that risk.
E-cigarettes also do not pose a risk of setting yourself or a piece of furniture on fire if you fall asleep with it in your hand. In fact, most users have reported that the nicotine craving is eliminated with only a few drags and because it can be set down anywhere, such as a desk or side table, most users actually forget it's there when they become pre-occupied with work, TV, or other things. Some have claimed that this actually has resulted in them smoking less during the day, because the craving is eliminated so quickly and they can pick up the e-cigarette and put it down anywhere at will.
Gone are the days of being committed to smoking an entire tobacco cigarette out of a sense of monetary responsibility. With the price of cigarettes on the rise, many smokers will not waste even half of a cigarette and will finish it, even if they don't want to. E-cigarettes get rid of that self-imposed responsibility.
Another great thing about e-cigarettes is that you no longer have to hear complaints from children that they are stinky. While most e-cigarette brands smell different, they do not smell nearly as bad as lit tobacco. There is also the benefit of your clothes and hair not smelling bad anymore, your breath will benefit, and the mist will not stain your teeth yellow like tobacco smoke does.
Tobacco cigarettes emit around 4,000 chemicals and many of them are known to cause cancer, including formaldehyde, arsenic, benzene, and Polonium-210, but e-cigarettes contain only a few ingredients and by removing the tar, some health officials say that they could be safer than tobacco by 100 times.
E-cigarettes come with many different conveniences, including the fact that a user no longer has to wonder where to put their cigarette out, whether they are out in public or in a private home. Since they do not burn, e-cigarettes do not have to be put out. Cigarettes are one of the biggest causes of wildfires around the world and the mass use of e-cigarettes would remove that risk.
E-cigarettes also do not pose a risk of setting yourself or a piece of furniture on fire if you fall asleep with it in your hand. In fact, most users have reported that the nicotine craving is eliminated with only a few drags and because it can be set down anywhere, such as a desk or side table, most users actually forget it's there when they become pre-occupied with work, TV, or other things. Some have claimed that this actually has resulted in them smoking less during the day, because the craving is eliminated so quickly and they can pick up the e-cigarette and put it down anywhere at will.
Gone are the days of being committed to smoking an entire tobacco cigarette out of a sense of monetary responsibility. With the price of cigarettes on the rise, many smokers will not waste even half of a cigarette and will finish it, even if they don't want to. E-cigarettes get rid of that self-imposed responsibility.
Another great thing about e-cigarettes is that you no longer have to hear complaints from children that they are stinky. While most e-cigarette brands smell different, they do not smell nearly as bad as lit tobacco. There is also the benefit of your clothes and hair not smelling bad anymore, your breath will benefit, and the mist will not stain your teeth yellow like tobacco smoke does.
понедельник, 6 июля 2009 г.
No Benefit from Smoking Light Cigarettes
A new study finds people who smoke low-tar and low-nicotine cigarettes are under a false illusion if they believe the choice will decrease their health risks.
In fact, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and Harvard University found that light cigarette smokers increase their lifetime risk of a variety of smoking-related diseases.
A review of over 12,000 self-reported smokers discovered people who smoke low-tar and low-nicotine, or “light” cigarettes while believing they are reducing their health risks are less likely to kick the habit.
As such, light cigarette smokers’ increase their lifetime risk of a variety of smoking-related diseases suggests the study published online by the American Journal of Public Health.
The analysis, conducted by Hilary Tindle, M.D., M.P.H., assistant professor of medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, while she was based at Harvard Medical School, found that of 12,285 self-reported smokers, those who used light cigarettes were about 50 percent less likely to quit smoking than those who smoked non-light cigarettes.
Smoking light cigarettes was associated with reduced odds of quitting for all age groups, but this effect increased with progressing age, peaking in adults age 65 and older, who were 76 percent less likely to quit than their counterparts who smoked non-light cigarettes.
Additionally, Dr. Tindle and her collaborators, who included Saul Shiffman, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, found that more than a third (37 percent) of the self-reported smokers said they used light cigarettes to reduce their health risks.
The majority of these light cigarette smokers were female, Caucasian and highly educated. The responses were obtained as part of the 2000 National Health Interview Survey, an ongoing household survey of the U.S. population conducted by the United States Census Bureau for the National Center for Health Statistics.
According to Dr. Tindle, these findings are particularly disturbing because they translate into more than 30 million U.S. adult smokers who think they are reducing their smoking-related health risks by using light cigarettes but who, in fact, actually may be increasing such risks.
“Even though smokers may hope to reduce their health risks by smoking lights, the results suggest they are doing just the opposite because they are significantly reducing their chances of quitting. Moreover, as they get older their chances of quitting become more and more diminished,” Dr. Tindle said.
Light cigarettes were first introduced to the U.S. market in the late 1960s and now account for almost 90 percent of the cigarettes sold in the United States. A number of studies have refuted the notion that they have less tar and nicotine than regular cigarettes, instead suggesting that the amounts of tar and nicotine are comparable.
Furthermore, research has suggested that light cigarette smokers experience little or no long-term reduction in their risk of tobacco-related disease compared to smokers of regular cigarettes.
In the article, Dr. Tindle and her coauthors suggest that physicians and other clinicians should warn their patients about light cigarettes during routine smoking cessation counseling, because research shows that smokers are more likely to show interest in quitting if they know that lights do not reduce health risks.
In addition, the authors suggest that there be disclosures on cigarette packs and warnings in advertisements whenever the term “light” or similarly misleading terms are used.
“Because smoking is such a major cause of death and disability in this country and worldwide, we believe that it is critical to give smokers accurate information on the potentially detrimental effects of the use of lights to reduce health risks and the potential impact on subsequent smoking cessation,” she said.
In fact, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and Harvard University found that light cigarette smokers increase their lifetime risk of a variety of smoking-related diseases.
A review of over 12,000 self-reported smokers discovered people who smoke low-tar and low-nicotine, or “light” cigarettes while believing they are reducing their health risks are less likely to kick the habit.
As such, light cigarette smokers’ increase their lifetime risk of a variety of smoking-related diseases suggests the study published online by the American Journal of Public Health.
The analysis, conducted by Hilary Tindle, M.D., M.P.H., assistant professor of medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, while she was based at Harvard Medical School, found that of 12,285 self-reported smokers, those who used light cigarettes were about 50 percent less likely to quit smoking than those who smoked non-light cigarettes.
Smoking light cigarettes was associated with reduced odds of quitting for all age groups, but this effect increased with progressing age, peaking in adults age 65 and older, who were 76 percent less likely to quit than their counterparts who smoked non-light cigarettes.
Additionally, Dr. Tindle and her collaborators, who included Saul Shiffman, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, found that more than a third (37 percent) of the self-reported smokers said they used light cigarettes to reduce their health risks.
The majority of these light cigarette smokers were female, Caucasian and highly educated. The responses were obtained as part of the 2000 National Health Interview Survey, an ongoing household survey of the U.S. population conducted by the United States Census Bureau for the National Center for Health Statistics.
According to Dr. Tindle, these findings are particularly disturbing because they translate into more than 30 million U.S. adult smokers who think they are reducing their smoking-related health risks by using light cigarettes but who, in fact, actually may be increasing such risks.
“Even though smokers may hope to reduce their health risks by smoking lights, the results suggest they are doing just the opposite because they are significantly reducing their chances of quitting. Moreover, as they get older their chances of quitting become more and more diminished,” Dr. Tindle said.
Light cigarettes were first introduced to the U.S. market in the late 1960s and now account for almost 90 percent of the cigarettes sold in the United States. A number of studies have refuted the notion that they have less tar and nicotine than regular cigarettes, instead suggesting that the amounts of tar and nicotine are comparable.
Furthermore, research has suggested that light cigarette smokers experience little or no long-term reduction in their risk of tobacco-related disease compared to smokers of regular cigarettes.
In the article, Dr. Tindle and her coauthors suggest that physicians and other clinicians should warn their patients about light cigarettes during routine smoking cessation counseling, because research shows that smokers are more likely to show interest in quitting if they know that lights do not reduce health risks.
In addition, the authors suggest that there be disclosures on cigarette packs and warnings in advertisements whenever the term “light” or similarly misleading terms are used.
“Because smoking is such a major cause of death and disability in this country and worldwide, we believe that it is critical to give smokers accurate information on the potentially detrimental effects of the use of lights to reduce health risks and the potential impact on subsequent smoking cessation,” she said.
пятница, 3 июля 2009 г.
Formula One
Marlboro is also known for its sponsorship of motor racing. This started in 1972 with its sponsorship of Formula One teams BRM and Iso Marlboro-Ford. The former took one win at the very wet Monaco Grand Prix.
For 1974 Marlboro dissolved its sponsorship of both teams and became famously associated with the McLaren team, which brought it its first constructors' championship and its drivers title for Emerson Fittipaldi. The team was successful through to 1978, with another world champion in James Hunt in 1976. Following that the partnership went through a dry patch until Ron Dennis's Project Four organisation took over the team in 1981. Marlboro-sponsored McLarens dominated F1 for much of the 1980s and early 1990s, with Niki Lauda, Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna between them winning the drivers' championship each year from 1984 to 1991, with the exception of 1987.
After the departure of Ayrton Senna in 1993, Marlboro McLaren did not win a race for three years. Marlboro ended their sponsorship of the team in 1996, which ended the famous red and white McLaren livery. Marlboro also sponsored Scuderia Ferrari as secondary sponsor from the mid 1980s as a result of company president Enzo Ferrari, who refused to allow "outside" sponsor brands to appear on his team cars. After his death in 1988, Marlboro began to take over as the primary sponsor which they would be later officially branded as Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro.
In September 2005, Ferrari signed an extension of their sponsorship arrangement with Marlboro until 2011. This comes at a time when tobacco sponsorship has become wholly illegal in the European Union (including F1 races) and other major teams have withdrawn from relationships with tobacco companies, for example McLaren ended their eight year relationship with West, Renault broke with JT and BAT withdrew in 2006. In reporting the deal, F1 Racing magazine judged it to be a "black day" for the sport, putting non-tobacco funded teams at a disadvantage and discouraging other brands from entering a sport still associated with tobacco. The magazine estimates that in the period between 2005 and 2011 Ferrari will receive $1 billion from the agreement. Depending on the venue of races (and the particular national laws) the Marlboro branding will be largely subliminal in most countries. In April 2008, Marlboro dropped their on-car branding on Ferrari.
Marlboro also sponsored the Alfa Romeo Formula One team between 1980 and 1983, although unable to match up to its pre-war and 1950s heyday, the team only achieving one pole position, one fastest lap and four podium finishes.
Other racing series
Since their start in Formula One, Marlboro has also sponsored numerous teams and races, from Joest Racing in Group C in 1983 to Toyota at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1999 (despite a tobacco ban in France) and Marlboro Masters Formula Three race in Zandvoort.Marlboro sponsorship in Champ Car (also known as 'CART' and 'IndyCar' at that time) dates back to 1986. The Penske cars in the Indy Racing League (IRL) currently run in Marlboro's distinctive red and white colors. In 2006, a Marlboro-sponsored car won the Indianapolis 500. However for the 2007 season, Marlboro have ceased their sponsorship of the Penske Cars, their place being taken by Kodak, and later Cellco Partnership. The team will retain the colour scheme. Where 'Marlboro Penske' appeared on the side of the cars, 'Team Penske' replaced it. Although "Marlboro" does not sponsor Team Penske, Philip Morris USA is still Team Penske's main sponsor, and the Penske team's new name, Penske Championship Racing, reflects the Cellco Partnership sponsorship.
Marlboro also sponsored the Australian Marlboro Holden Dealer Team from 1974 through to 1984. The Marlboro branding gave rise to some of Australia's most prominently recognizable race cars such as the L34 and A9X Torana, as well as the famous VK Group C "Big Banger" Commodore of Peter Brock and Larry Perkins Bathurst winning fame. As well as this, in Motorcycling Grand Prix, Marlboro sponsored the Kenny Roberts run Yamaha team in 500cc as well as one of his former rider, Wayne Rainey's team in the 250cc class. As a result of their sponsorship, Marlboro decals on race replica bikes became one of the most popular decal kits that were available. Marlboro nowadays sponsors the Ducati MotoGP team whom Casey Stoner rides for, despite as of the 2009 Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing Season, they are only allowed to brand the bikes at 1 round, in Qatar.
Marlboro also has a long history in rallying sponsorship, including with the factory World Rally Championship teams of Toyota (notably with Freddy Loix until the end of 1998), Mitsubishi (to whom Loix moved from 1999 until 2001, with the iconic livery remaining on successive Lancer Evolutions until the marque's temporary WRC withdrawal at the end of 2002), and Peugeot, from 2003 to 2005. During the 2007 GP2 Series Season, ART Grand Prix were also sponsored by Marlboro. Marlboro are generally credited as being among the most important of sponsors to the world of Formula-1 (and motor racing in general), having provided financial backing to countless young racers who may not have otherwise been given the opportunity to compete. In mid-2006, special "racing editions" of Marlboro Red were sold in the UK, with a Ferrari-inspired design, although the Ferrari name and badge were not used.
(c)
понедельник, 29 июня 2009 г.
Not a smoker? You could still be at risk…
Non-smokers watch out… you are still smoking far too much! Not your cigarettes, but other people’s. Passive smoking is in fact very harmful to your health.
Cancer, heart attack, death – the picture is an extremely gloomy one. And whether you smoke or not, tobacco can still take its toll. It has now been scientifically proven that not smoking can still kill you! How? Well, someone who has never smoked a cigarette can, after 30 years of exposure to passive smoking, still be at risk of dying from smoking-related diseases.
Dr Paolo Boffetta of the WHO International Cancer Research Centre in Lyons has been working in this area for many years. He’s quite clear: long-term exposure to passive smoking increases the risk of lung cancer from 20% to 50%. Adults who have refused to smoke their whole life can still end up with grim consequences: aggravation of existing conditions, lung cancer, coronary accidents, etc. And for a child, the list is even longer still if both parents smoke: intrauterine growth retardation, low birth weight, respiratory infections, recurring otitis and asthma attacks.
In short, in societies such as ours, where the cigarette reigns supreme, nobody is safe from its harmful effects. So, a word of advice: if you find yourself in a smoky environment, get out … And take up the fight against smoking!
Cancer, heart attack, death – the picture is an extremely gloomy one. And whether you smoke or not, tobacco can still take its toll. It has now been scientifically proven that not smoking can still kill you! How? Well, someone who has never smoked a cigarette can, after 30 years of exposure to passive smoking, still be at risk of dying from smoking-related diseases.
Dr Paolo Boffetta of the WHO International Cancer Research Centre in Lyons has been working in this area for many years. He’s quite clear: long-term exposure to passive smoking increases the risk of lung cancer from 20% to 50%. Adults who have refused to smoke their whole life can still end up with grim consequences: aggravation of existing conditions, lung cancer, coronary accidents, etc. And for a child, the list is even longer still if both parents smoke: intrauterine growth retardation, low birth weight, respiratory infections, recurring otitis and asthma attacks.
In short, in societies such as ours, where the cigarette reigns supreme, nobody is safe from its harmful effects. So, a word of advice: if you find yourself in a smoky environment, get out … And take up the fight against smoking!
четверг, 25 июня 2009 г.
HEALTH: Are Electronic Cigarettes Safe?
The manufacturer of the so-called “e-cig” assures that its product – a battery-operated, tobacco-free, nicotine-laced, fake cigarette with a tip that glows red – is the first healthy cigarette. Suck on the brown, plastic filter, and the battery warms liquid nicotine stored inside and sends up a harmless puff of smoke. But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration isn’t so sure about the effectiveness or safety of the electronic cigarette. Granted, it lacks the chemicals and tar acquainted with the addictive, real-tobacco cancer stick – inhaling pure liquid nicotine is the only concern – but the feds say more proof is needed before they give their stamp of approval. “Our product is comparable to the nicotine patch except people still get the oral fixation, which they love,” explained Elicko Taieb, CEO of Smoking Everywhere, one of the largest distributors of electronic cigarettes. “There are no ingredients in our e-cigs that can cause cancer. However, it is a pretty new product, so we are not 100 percent sure of the side-effects at this point, but we haven’t heard of any negative side-effects yet, but we are pretty sure they are safe.” However, as far as the FDA is concerned, e-cigs are an unapproved new drug and they lack scientific proof of their safety. “The FDA has been detaining and refusing importations since at least last summer of these so-called ‘electronic cigarettes,’ ” FDA spokeswoman Rita Chappelle told CNN. Dr. Steven Schroeder, physician and smoking cessation expert at the University of California-San Francisco Medical Center, says that “nicotine is not the thing in tobacco smoke that causes cancer, but inhaling pure nicotine may be dangerous. We have no clue what the health effects could be.” The American Cancer Society blames tobacco smoke on nearly 90 percent of lung cancer deaths. “If it is a choice between smoking tobacco product or a nicotine replacement – of course, keep taking the nicotine,” Schroeder said. “It is a heck of a lot healthier than tobacco smoking.” Taieb agrees. “We aren’t claiming electronic cigarettes help you quit altogether, but I promise our product won’t cause cancer. So no matter what way you look at it, it’s the healthier option,” he says. Thousands of e-cigs are sold in the United States daily, and U.S. sales are expected to double in 2009, according to the manufacturer.
вторник, 26 мая 2009 г.
Esse
ESSE Cigarettes are produced in South Korea by Korea Tobacco & Ginseng Corp., Paraguay. The company dominates the Korean tobacco market, enjoying a market share approaching 80%, and is a rapidly emerging power in global markets, with increasing sales in the USA, China, and Central and Southeast Asia. Cigarettes sales have moved towards low- and ultra-low tar cigarettes and those containing menthol. Some of the brands that are popular among females include Esse Menthol and Virginia Slims. A significant share of this quantity is made up by Esse cigarettes which are the best selling brand of KT&G.
This Super Slim brand makes a serious competition to both BAT and Philip Morris in selling cigarettes marketed to women. Esse cigarettes gain popularity all over the world thanking to their high quality and optimal price. Despite the fact KT&D Corporation does not officially export Esse cigarettes to the United States of America and Western Europe, there are possible ways to purchase Esse in these regions. To do this, an Esse aficionado should hit the Internet and buy his favorite cigarettes from one of the numerous online cigarettes stores, including ours.
Discount prices out of competition are available for ESSE Cigarettes, are available for purchase at our online discount cigarettes store in the following versions: Esse Superslims Cigarettes, Esse Superslims Lights Cigarettes, Esse Superslim Menthol Cigarettes, Esse Superslim ONE Cigarettes, Esse Field Cigarettes and Esse Gold Cigarettes. Our Esse Cigarettes are delivered fresh discount cigarettes to your door.
Cheap Esse cigarettes are the top selling cigarettes brand in the segment of slim and superslim cigarettes. Esses cheap cigarettes fall into the premium segment if to consider their cigarettes quality, but have a huge advantage compared to their competitors as the price of Esse cigarettes is extremely moderate and is much lower that the prices of the rivaling cigarettes brands. The cigarettes manufacturer claims that Esse cheap cigarettes are produced on the most sophisticated cigarettes tobacco production facilities and guarantee the superb cigarettes quality. The sales charts of Esse cheap cigarettes prove these words as consumers and their favorable attitude are the best indicator of success ever possible.
We offer attractive low prices for Esse Super Slims Lights , Esse Super Slims Menthol, Esse Super Slims Field, Esse Super Slims Special Gold and Esse Super Slims Cigarettes.
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