Tobacco: Al the Facts, Legislation, and How it Affects Your Health.
The cost of tobacco to Hong Kong through loss of productivity and medical treatment is HK$ 5.6 billion per year (HKU study). If the value of the loss of life were included the cost to HKG per year is HK$ 72 billion.
The tax collected on tobacco products is attached.
It is easy to see that HKG Government continues to subsidise the tobacco companies.
People should ask why.
Last updated: August 30, 2010
Source: Crikey
Retailers and big tobacco have ended their campaign against plain cigarette packaging, conceding ”colourful packaging does indeed promote smoking.” Or so the website for the alliance of associations and cigarette manufacturers backing the campaign says.
So has the website been hacked? Crikey was sent an anonymous tip off this morning that said: “The Alliance of Australian Retailers Pty Ltd. have quit their campaign against plain-packaging for cigarettes.”
But we couldn’t find anyone — retail associations, tobacco companies or the PR agency responsible for the website — to confirm whether the campaign against the Labor Party’s anti-smoking initiative is continuing.
From 2012, cigarettes will be sold in plain, standardised packages carrying only explicit images and warnings against smoking under a Labor plan angrily attacked by manufacturers and sellers.
As Crikey’s deadline approached the website for the Alliance of Australian Retailers was still declaring on the front page: “The campaign has ended.”
“In the interest of public health and aligning with society’s values, we have decided to end this campaign. All Australian Retailers operate in mixed communities, and we believe the greater good of the non-smoking majority is worth more than that of the smoking minority.
“Current smokers will continue to smoke regardless of packaging. We refuse to give incentive to those that don’t smoke in any form whatsoever – thus we have ended our campaign against plain packaging.”
The alliance includes the Service Station Association, Australian Newsagent Federation and the National Independent Retailers Association. Neither group wanted to speak about the campaign, directing Crikey to Craig Glasby as the “only authorised spokesperson”. He didn’t return calls by deadline.
The campaign is also “supported” by tobacco giants British American Tobacco, Philip Morris and Imperial Tobacco Australia. A spokesperson for British American Tobacco confirmed the campaign is continuing but was “taking a different shape” without wanting to give more details.
Sheryle Moon, executive director of the Australasian Association of Convenience Stores, was leading the campaign as ‘director’ of the alliance, including a disastrous interview with the ABC’s Lateline program earlier this month where she admitted she wished her son would quit “because stopping smoking in the community is a good thing.”
Moon has since withdrawn from the campaign and her association has left the alliance. She told Crikey today the priorities of the action were “slightly different” to that of her association. She says plain packaging and a ban on retail display promotions is “another impost on retailers” but says the focus should be on the growing counterfeit tobacco market.
On its ‘what we stand for’ page, the seemingly hacked alliance website lists a number of diseases and health complications associated with smoking. It goes on to say:
“In recent times we have been hit with an excessive tax hike that has made our businesses a target for theft and only further fuelled the flourishing black market in tobacco products. Yet after reviewing the above diseases and compelling evidence that smoking is a negative strain on society, we have decided that we can bear plain packaging.
“In fact, it will even reduce cigarette companies’ printing costs, thus off-setting some of the tax hike burden.
“We believe that reducing smoking is good for our community. But good policies require more than good intentions. Whilst there is no reliable evidence anywhere in the world that plain packaging will stop people from taking up smoking, or help people to quit, it can’t hurt to try.
“With no credible evidence to support plain packaging, the Alliance has statement for Canberra:
“If it might work, but we’re not sure, and it decreases printing costs, let’s do it.”
Its links page includes references to ‘myths and misconceptions’ about smoking from the Cancer Council of Australia, while the contact page says: “Any comments or queries can be directed to mediawatch@your.abc.net.au”.
Last updated: July 28, 2010
Source: South China Morning Post
I refer to the letter by M. Kang (“Stop bothering the bartenders”, July 26).
Bartenders have an important role. They not only serve customers their drinks and food, they should also make sure the customers are in a safe and clean environment.
For example, if someone has already had too much to drink, the bartender should not serve that person any more alcohol and should try and persuade them to go home.
A good bartender will not tolerate anti-social behaviour in the bar, whether they own it or are “just staff”. The same principle applies to smoking.
If people complain about other customers smoking in the bar, in clear violation of the law, staff should not ignore the problem. And if the smokers start to get abusive, then tobacco control officers and the police should be called.
Under the present law, if tobacco control officers are called, the bar owner is not responsible for customers smoking so has nothing to worry about regarding legal action. It is only the smoking customer who should be concerned.
Wouter van Marle, Tai Po
Last updated: July 27, 2010
Source: Agence France-Presse in Beijing
Air pollution on the mainland increased this year for the first time since 2005, the environmental protection ministry has said, due to sandstorms, a rise in construction and industrial projects, and more cars.
The ministry found that the number of ‘good air quality days’ in 113 major cities across the nation had dropped 0.3 percentage points in the first six months of the year compared with the same time last year.
These cities had not recorded a fall in the number of good air quality days since 2005, Tao Detian, a spokesman for the ministry, said in a statement posted on its website on Monday.
The level of ‘inhalable particles’, a major air pollution index, was also up during that time in those cities for the first time since 2005, Tao said, blaming the deterioration in air quality on severe spring sandstorms.
“More construction and industrial projects started this year due to economic recovery and the rapid increase in automobiles should also be blamed,” Chai Fahe, vice head of the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, told the China Daily newspaper.
The ministry also found that more than a quarter of the surface water in the mainland was contaminated, and fit only for industrial or agricultural use.
Acid rain was also a problem in the first half of the year – out of 443 cities the ministry monitored, 189 suffered from the harmful precipitation.
And in eight cities, including a district of Shanghai, the rain that fell for the first six months was constantly acid, the statement said.
Tao said that despite some improvements, China still faced a “grim” situation in fighting pollution.
The mainland has some of the world’s worst water and air pollution after rapid industrialisation over the last 30 years triggered widespread environmental damage.
A report published in March by the London-based medical journal The Lancet said air pollution in China was widely to blame for 1.3 million premature deaths a year from respiratory disease.
Last updated: July 27, 2010
Source: Hong Kong Government News
The tobacco allowance for incoming passengers will be tightened to 19 cigarettes, or 25 grams of cigar or 25 grams of other manufactured tobacco, from August 1.(2010)
The Customs & Excise Department said today passengers exceeding these quantities must make a declaration to customs officers or face two-years’ jail and a $1 million fine.
The move will be promoted via television and radio announcements, and leaflets, posters and banners at control points and cross-boundary transportation facilities.
Last updated: July 20, 2010
Source: Government of Singapore
Tobacco (Control of advertisements and Sale) Act closing speech by Mr Khaw
Boon Wan.
Mr Speaker, Sir, 11 Members have spoken on this Bill. Dr Lam Pin Min gave us
a good account of the harm of tobacco.
Mr Hri Kumar’s passionate speech struck a chord. Your common message is loud
and clear: “tobacco is harmful, let’s do our best to protect our people from
its harm”.
Thank you for supporting this Bill. We will do what is practical to
implement it effectively.
Emerging Products
First, many members support the ban on emerging tobacco products. Mr Seah
Kian Peng’s account on snus, a smokeless product, is instructive. Let’s not
allow them to land here.
However, Dr Lam Pin Min and A/Prof Fatimah Lateef suggested that we do not
ban such products entirely, but to consider some of them as part of a harm
reduction strategy to help smokers quit smoking.
It reminded me of our experience with Subutex as a harm reduction strategy
to get drug addicts off heroin. The West touted this strategy and we tried
it out with disastrous results. It took MHA and I quite some time to reverse
the policy.
A less harmful tobacco product is an oxymoron. I share Mr Hri Kumar’s view
on this subject and agree with his robust approach. In the 1970s, the
tobacco companies introduced cigarettes purported to be “low tar”, “light”
or “mild” as safer alternatives.
They promoted such cigarettes to smokers who had heath concerns and were
thinking of quitting. These products rapidly gained market share. As a
result, there was a net increase in cigarette consumption. Independent
research later on showed that smokers compensated by smoking more cigarettes
or inhaling more deeply.
Prof Lateef quoted the positive experience of snus in Sweden. The Swedish
experience has never been replicated outside of Sweden. I note that snus is
a Swedish product.
The evidence is actually the opposite, with the use of snus resulting in
smokers becoming addicted to both cigarettes and snus. More smokeless
tobacco use does not mean less cigarette smoking.
Smokers use smokeless tobacco products to tide over nicotine craving in
places where smoking is prohibited while continuing to smoke in other places
where smoking is allowed – this perversely reduces the impetus for them to
quit smoking.
Meanwhile, tobacco companies get to entice non-smokers to develop nicotine
addiction, adding to their customer base.
Our experience with Subutex as a less harmful heroin substitute is similar.
Instead of reducing the number of drug addicts, we ended up with more. I
strongly advise against adopting such so-called harm reduction strategy.
But I agree with Dr Lam and Prof Lateef that we should try to help smokers
“to gradually quit in a controlled manner”. There are proper ways to do so,
one is through controlled Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), by following
strict guidelines. We do not prohibit nicotine used in such a manner.
I would like to assure Mr Alvin Yeo that we will, in the assessment process,
undertake the necessary studies before imposing any ban under Section 15. We
will keep an open mind about this.
Education and Smoking Cessation
Second, all the members expressed concerns over the rising smoking
prevalence among certain population groups, including the young, the ladies
and the Malays. Mdm Halimah’s speech in Malay made a heart-felt appeal to
the Malay smokers to think about the welfare of their children and to get
them to stop smoking.
To be credible, they have to walk the talk by quitting smoking themselves. I
join her in this appeal. I also thank Mdm Halimah for highlighting the harm
pregnant mothers bring to their infants if they smoke.
All the Members called for stronger smoking control measures. I agree
entirely.
We have implemented various programmes, and we will continue to try new
ones. We work with schools, religious institutions, the employers, the
charity sector and the community at large. I note Mdm Halimah’s illustration
of the Sheraton Towers as an exemplary employer who went the extra mile to
get their employees to quit smoking. I applaud such employers and urge more
to join the movement.
I heard Mdm Cynthia Phua’s call for schools to reach out to students who
smoke and get them to quit. I appreciate her sharing several research
findings done in schools overseas on effective counselling, including
telephone counselling. I note her point that with teens, enforcement and
penalty do not work as well.
The psychology often works the other way. What is prohibited becomes highly
valued. We try to tap on the young to guide us on how to reach out to their
peers.
I had focus group discussions with young lady smokers. They knew the harm of
tobacco and had tried to quit but when their own family members and close
friends are smokers, they found it difficult. This is obviously a complex
issue. As Prof Straughan noted, one underlying cause could be the larger
problem of some youths needing to embrace “sub-cultures” in order to seek
“affirmation from like-minded peers”.
We will definitely try to do more and learn from others. We have discussed
the various initiatives in this House before. In the interest of time, I
will not repeat them here.
Our efforts have not been futile. Let me quote one indicator. The proportion
of Secondary School students who have ever tried cigarette smoking has
dropped from 26% in 2000 to 16% in 2009. This is a victory for us. But we
need to do better.
Third, Ms Ellen Lee, Mdm Halimah, and Prof Straughan called for stronger
enforcement against sales to the under-age. I agree. We will step up
policing on tobacco retail outlets. We will consider raising the penalty on
repeat offenders. We are also considering disallowing tobacco sales in
outlets frequented by young customers.
FCTC Obligations
Fourth, Dr Lam Pin Min asked about Singapore’s compliance with the Framework
Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and whether we had been tardy. To date,
we will be the third country in the world to fulfil all the obligations on
tobacco labelling should this Bill be passed.
Dr Lam wondered if the delay in implementing the FCTC was a cause for the
increase in smoking prevalence here. I doubt it. We have been ahead of the
curve in tobacco control and in any case were largely FCTC compliant right
from the start.
Dr Lam asked if we should give the tobacco companies more than 12 months to
implement the changes to tobacco product packaging. We decided on “12
months” based on actual past experience when we introduced mandatory health
warning labels. They were able to comply.
I appreciate Mr Sin Boon Ann’s thoughtful piece on “lateral advertising”,
“subliminal marketing” and “advertising through the internet”. Mr Calvin
Cheng made a similar observation. Indeed, these are the innovations that
tobacco companies are mounting to get around the FCTC. It is a hot topic
currently being discussed among international regulators including
ourselves.
We do not yet have all the answers to these challenges. For example, how do
we deal with internet advertising?
How do we censor out scenes of James Bond smoking a particular brand of
cigarette? I have not noticed Mr Sin’s observation that Mark Lee seemed to
be particularly fond of Marlboro cigarettes. I will have a quiet word with
him the next time I see him.
But where we can, we should act. For example, we have removed the exemption
for congratulatory messages and sponsorship publicity.
Mr Hri Kumar has described past misleading behaviours by tobacco companies.
This is unethical behaviour. I agree with his observations.
From a public health perspective, misleading terms are just as misleading,
even if they are part of a trade mark. Mr Alvin Yeo raised several legal
queries on this. The new s17A will affect trademarks if they contain
misleading descriptors.
We are aware of our TRIPS and other international obligations and have
consulted the relevant authorities extensively on this point. The proposed
section 17A is aligned closely to the FCTC and will not violate Singapore’s
international obligations. We are in good company: the EU prohibits
misleading terms and descriptors even if they are part of the trademarks or
brand names.
Other Issues
Lastly, there were some comments which do not pertain to the proposed
amendments in the current Bill. But let me briefly address them.
Ms Ellen Lee and Mr Hri Kumar made a plea on behalf of the non-smokers and
especially innocent children, from the effects of second hand smoke from
inconsiderate neighbours, and irresponsible parents. Ms Lee asked the NEA to
widen the outdoor smoking ban to include more common places in HDB towns,
such as void decks and common corridors.
I will raise her suggestion with the NEA. Mr Hri Kumar asked rhetorically
how we could extend the law to the privacy of the home, in order to protect
the children from second-hand smoke. He knew it is outside my purview. But I
note his point.
Dr Lam suggested that we control retail pricing of tobacco products, to make
them expensive, thus curbing consumption. In practice, price fixing seldom
works, as we live in a region where cigarettes are cheap. For the same
reason, while we have been aggressive in tobacco taxation, there are limits,
but we will continue to use this strategy where practical and feasible.
Conclusion
Mr Speaker, Sir, tobacco related deaths and illnesses are preventable. Let’s
try to make Singapore as tobacco free as possible. When drafting this Bill,
we had extensive consultation with Singaporeans. The amendments received
strong support from them.
Mr Speaker Sir, I beg to move.
Article from: Herald Sun Australia – Grant McArthur
February 15, 2008 12:00am
BANS in pubs and clubs have helped reduce the number of young smokers by 30 per cent in the past year.
The number of 18-29 year olds smoking dropped from 26.2 per cent in 2006, to 18.6 per cent in 2007, figures released by Quit Victoria revealed yesterday.
Smoking was banned in Victoria’s 7000 pubs, clubs, gaming rooms and cigar bars on July 1 last year.
Overall, the number of Victorians smoking has dropped from 21.3 per cent in 1998, to 17.3 per cent last year.
But tobacco is still responsible for 4000 deaths in Victoria each year and costs the health system $5 billion annually, prompting a graphic new advertising campaign to further lower smoking rates.
A new ad will hit TV screens this weekend, centring on the whistling noise of a woman breathing — the sound of air passing around a tumour as it tries to enter her lungs.
It is a noise Associate Professor David Ball from Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre hears all too often. “I’ve seen cancers the size of grapefruit in lungs and the person is not aware of it being there,” he said. “Approximately 11 per cent of patients will survive five years and that compares with an overall 60 per cent survival for all cancers. “The human stories I see occur in people who may have given up smoking 20 or 30 years ago, but because of lifestyle choice they made then they are now afflicted by a disease, which in most instances is fatal.”
The South African National Halal Society has handed Clear The Air a poster with the following message:
The Divisional Commisioner of the region of Kashmir is calling on the High Court to take suitable steps to implement the following, in letter and in spirit, the following:
