What is holding Up Passage of the Tobacco Control Bill?

The number of tobacco users in Ghana increases by the day, despite the health implications associated with it. Compared to the western countries, where most people smoke tobacco due to the excessive cold weather, smokers in Ghana have other reasons for smoking – either for pleasure or to get rid of an excessive nasty smell – which they later get addicted to.

The number of tobacco smokers in Ghana, definitely, cannot be compared to smokers in the west, however, the adverse effects of smoking, unfortunately, does not affect users only, but people who find themselves present during the moment of smokers' activity.

This, in the long run, increases drastically, the number of people in danger of tobacco-related diseases.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), passive or non-smokers are at a greater risk of getting lung cancer, coronary heart diseases, and even cardiac death.

Over 600 studies undertaken by experts link passive smoking to ill health, and conclude that passive smoking, or the inhalation of tobacco smoke by non smokers, increases the risk of lung cancer, heart diseases, and respiratory disease.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates also show that 200,000 workers die as a result of exposure to passive smoking in the workplace.

According to WHO, at least one person dies every eight seconds due to tobacco-related diseases. About 13,400 people die each day, and 560 people die each hour globally.

By the year 2030, tobacco is expected to be the leading cause of death in the whole world. According to the World Health Organisation, smoking is a greater cause of death and disability than any single disease, as it is responsible for approximately five million deaths worldwide, every year. Tobacco smoking is a known, or probable cause, of approximately 25 diseases.

The danger tobacco users are putting on non-tobacco users, makes it evident that the probability of the nation losing its labour force and future leaders in the future is high. On the other hand, if the government will think it through, and concentrate on passing the Tobacco Control Bill into a law, then the citizen's fate of getting tobacco-related diseases would be minimised.

Provision of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) makes it mandatory for all signatory countries to formulate legislations that will protect the citizenry from the numerous health hazards associated with tobacco use. Ghana was the 39th country in the world to sign the convention, and the first country in West Africa sub-region to ratify it in 2004.

Despite this, all attempts since then to enact a law to regulate tobacco use in the country, has witnessed several challenges, causing many to doubt the government's commitment to achieving the set the goals spelt out in the convention.

According to the First Vice Chairman of the Media Alliance in Tobacco Control (MATCO), Jorge Wilson Kingson, by signing on to the Framework Convention On Tobacco Control (FCTC), Ghana had committed itself to, among others, 'adopt and implement effective legislative, executive, administration, and other measures, and cooperate, as appropriate, with other parties in developing appropriate policies for preventing and reducing tobacco consumption, nicotine addiction, and exposure to smoke.'

In doing so, the country would be achieving the overall objective of the convention, which is 'to protect the present and future generations from the devastating health, social, environment, and economic consequences of tobacco consumption, and exposure to tobacco smoke.

Illinois' tobacco QUITLINE has expanded hours to help smokers; last year almost 34,000 called

Public health officials are trying to make it easier for Illinois smokers to quit.

Public Health Director Dr. Damon Arnold has announced the Illinois Tobacco QUITLINE has added weekend hours for the first time and expanded its daily hours.

That means it will be open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week, thanks to a $1 million increase in Tobacco Settlement funding from the General Assembly.
The QUITLINE is operated by the American Lung Association and staffed by medical professionals and counselors. Services include customizing a quit program for each caller; and mailed quit-kits that include self-help materials.

Fight with tobacco company ends, years after cancer victim's death

THE family of lung cancer victim Rolah McCabe has spent a decade battling British American Tobacco through the Australian courts. Yesterday, at a hearing that lasted a mere five minutes and 10 seconds, the bitter fight finally came to an end.

A confidential agreement has been struck between British American Tobacco Australia Services, the local offshoot of the world's second-largest cigarette company, and the family of Mrs McCabe, who died of lung cancer in 2002 at the age of 51.

No details of the agreement were divulged yesterday, but there is little doubt it came at a substantial cost to British American Tobacco.

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The tobacco company's extraordinary legal costs for the landmark case are estimated at more than $10 million.

Arnold Bloch Liebler, the blue-blood Melbourne law firm that has acted pro bono for the McCabes since 2006, racked up more than $3.5 million of its own costs just in responding to BATAS's lawyers. As part of the agreement legal documents obtained by Mrs McCabe's original law firm, Slater & Gordon, will be destroyed. The documents include internal reports compiled by BATAS's former solicitors, Clayton Utz, into the professional conduct of two of the firm's partners.

In 2007 Victoria's Director of Public Prosecutions, Paul Coghlan, referred allegations of criminal behaviour to the Australian Crime Commission after reviewing the internal Clayton Utz reports. The ACC decided not to investigate.

Due to confidentiality clauses no one was claiming a victory or a loss as they left the Victorian Supreme Court after yesterday's brief mention hearing.

A BAT statement said all parties had simply ''walked away''.

''The settlement does not include any payment whatsoever by or on behalf of British American Tobacco (or any company related to it) or the McCabe Estate,'' read the tobacco giant's statement.

The reactions told a different story. Rolah's son, Jamie McCabe, smiled and hugged his legal team outside court, while lawyers for British American Tobacco departed with glum faces.

HEALTH OFFICIALS SEEK TO BAN SMOKELESS TOBACCO AT FENWAY PARK

According to the Boston Herald, Red Sox manager Terry Francona may finally get the help he needs with kicking his chewing tobacco habit, as local health officials look to have all tobacco products banned from Major League Baseball games and ballparks.

While Fenway has already banned smoking within the park, the Boston Public Health Comission and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids are looking to ban chew as well.

“I understand this issue as a former smoker, but I also feel like we all have roles to play as we’re adults, and making sure that we’re not modeling unhealthy behaviors is something we can all do and do easily,” said Barbara Ferrer, director of the Boston Public Health Commission. “This would be another opportunity for our sports heroes to be heroes and really put out that very important image.”

Ferrer is looking to raise awareness of the issue and have it addressed during contract negotiations for the 2012 collective bargaining agreement.

Currently tobacco has already been outlawed in baseball’s minor leagues, the NCAA and the National Hockey League.

Nebraska Tobacco Tax Increase Proposal Harmful, Says Cigar Shop Association

A 225 percent increase in Nebraska excise taxes on certain tobacco products would be harmful to businesses throughout the state, according to the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association.
Legislative Bill 436 calls for higher cigarette and smokeless tobacco tax increases and an increase in the excise tax on other tobacco products including all cigars. The bill would raise taxes from 20 percent to 65 percent of the wholesale price.
“Tax increases of this magnitude backfire in this or any other economy. They never produce what they are expected to produce and they always lead to damaged businesses, lost jobs and lower tax revenues overall,” said Christ McCalla, legislative director of the IPCPR.
In addition, higher taxes on tobacco products inevitably lead to lost revenues to the state's cigar stores because customers either purchase less or they migrate to the Internet and purchase their products online where they are not taxed, McCalla pointed out. He also cited that higher prices lead to contraband product, brought in illegally and sold without generating state tax revenues.
“Nobody wins when that happens,” he said.
Earlier this year, the results of a poll of 500 Nebraskans were touted by anti-smoking forces as justification for tobacco tax increases statewide. At that time, the IPCPR branded the poll as ‘phony.'
The poll was paid for by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, an $8.4 billion organization that gets its funds from Johnson & Johnson which makes the leading brand of anti-smoking medication.
“The conclusions drawn from the poll results are phony for many reasons,” said Chris McCalla, legislative director of the IPCPR. “First of all, the poll's funding source has a vested interest in forcing people to give up the pleasure of smoking which will result from higher tobacco taxes,” said Chris McCalla, legislative director of the IPCPR. “Second, they are saying that 365 people should dictate higher taxes on those tobacco products by the citizens of Nebraska. Ridiculous!”
The IPCPR is an association of independent cigar store owners and manufacturers, most of whom are small, mom-and-pop tobacconists who primarily sell premium cigars, pipes and tobacco.

Noble students get a lesson in consequences of tobacco

Noble High School administrators recently pumped the consequences of tobacco use into the minds of roughly 1,500 students, allowing kids to get up close and personal with an inflatable, smoke-stricken pig lung as a part of Kick Butts Day.

Kick Butts Day is an national initiative to raise awareness about tobacco use, and as part of Noble's annual display a pig lung simulating 20 years of heavy cigarette use sat on a table March 22 near the main entrance next to a healthy lung so students could actually see the impact smoking can have on tissue health and overall organ function.

The lungs were eye-catching, and many students stopped between classes to check out the table run by district Health Coordinator Rebecca Hayes and Caitlin Littlefield, a representative from York Hospital who is also the tobacco prevention coordinator for the Maine Choose To Be Healthy Partnership.

Many students said they found the lungs "gross," and while a few muttered they weren't impressed as they passed by, most students said the display definitely had an effect on the way they view smoking.

"I never wanted to smoke anyway," said Tyler Howarth, a 17-year-old senior from Berwick. "This definitely shows me not to."

Tyler Anderson, a 17-year-old junior from Berwick, said he doesn't smoke but does use chewing tobacco. He said the lungs strengthened his decision not to smoke but didn't have much of an influence on his "dip" habits — that is, until he noticed an artificial mouth simulating the effects of using the product.

"I'm trying to quit, and that just makes me want to," said Anderson. "I'm a little bit sick to my stomach."

The students weren't the only ones who took notice of the display, which also featured a variety of antismoking information and cessation options, as staff members who presently smoke or used to do so also said it helped change the way they look at tobacco.

Bill, a custodian at the school who declined to give his last name, said the lungs might be "the final kick" he needs to help him quit smoking, as he has been trying to ditch his 30-year habit because of his family.

"I won't know until I try," he said. "I know my lungs are black. If I quit, it won't help that because the damage done has been done. There's no fixing it, but I am trying to not smoke as much."

Hayes said she hoped students learned a little about the dangers of smoking in order to "do some outreach to some of the kids who might be involved in some of these at-risk behaviors."

She said often messages about the risks are brushed aside, which is why the school tries to make a stronger statement with the decidedly graphic pig lungs.

"It's great," said Hayes. "When they actually see it and how smoking plays a role with how their bodies function, it takes it to a different level."

School Resource Officer Rick Varney, a 20-year-smoker who kicked his smoking habit 20 years ago, agreed.

"It has a good influence," he said. "It's good for the kids to see it."

Hayes said smoking among Maine youths has been rising over the years, and Kick Butts Day is among a variety of measures the district is taking to buck that trend. Other efforts include cessation programs, as well as adult programs through the district's adult education program in order to effect change in Noble's households as well.

More awareness needed on Tobacco Decree

As work continues on the enforcement of the Tobacco Decree, the Health Ministry said more awareness needs to be carried out in schools.

Spokesperson Peni Namotu said this, as they currently enter the third phase of the enforcement of the Decree.

Last month, five secondary school children were taken in for questioning in Nausori after they were found to be smoking in amusement centres in the town.

He added that when they were questioned, they revealed that they did not know that the sale of cigarettes was banned and that a section of the Decree does not allow smoking in public areas.

Namotu said that this has shown that more awareness is needed in schools and added that vendors need to realize that they face a spot fine if found to be breaching the decree through selling it to people below the age of 18 years.

At the moment, registration of people selling cigarettes is underway while other sections such as the enforcement and the penalties are being looked at.