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April, 2012:

Standardised packaging of tobacco products

Apr 16th, 2012
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http://consultations.dh.gov.uk/tobacco/standardised-packaging-of-tobacco-products/consult_view

Overview

We seek feedback on whether there might be public health benefits from the introduction of standardised tobacco packaging in addition to policies currently in place, including legislation ending the permanent display of tobacco products by retailers. We also wish to understand what other effects there may be should standardised tobacco packaging be introduced.

The consultation will run for 12 weeks, from 16 April 2012 to 10 July 2012. Responses are invited from any interested person, business or organisation.

Why we are consulting

The Government has an open mind at this stage about introducing standardised packaging. Through the consultation, we want to understand whether there is evidence to demonstrate that the standardised packaging of tobacco products would have an additional public health benefit, over and above existing tobacco control initiatives. We also wish to understand what other effects there may be should standardised tobacco packaging be introduced.

While ‘plain packaging’ is a term commonly used in connection with policies about regulating tobacco packaging, in practice packs would not actually be plain. For example, they would be required to have coloured picture warnings and brand names would still appear in a standardised form. The term ‘standardised packaging’ is considered to be a more accurate description of the policy concept and, therefore, it is used throughout this consultation document.

The Department of Health has commissioned a systematic review of the evidence on plain tobacco packaging. The review was supported through the Public Health Research Consortium (PHRC), a network of researchers funded by the Department of Health’s Policy Research Programme. The report represents the work and views of the authors, not necessarily those of the Department of Health. The Public Health Research Consortium report is available online.
A version of the consultation document in Welsh will be made available as soon as possible after the consultation has been launched.

Give Us Your Views

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Contact

Tobacco Programme tobaccopacks@dh.gsi.gov.uk

Dates

Consultation is Open

Runs from 16 Apr 2012 to 10 Jul 2012

Other Information

Audience:

  • PCT Cluster CEs,
  • NHS Trust CEs,
  • SHA Cluster CEs,
  • Directors of PH,
  • Local Authority CEs,
  • Businesses,
  • Public Health Organisations,
  • Academics,
  • Members of the Public

Interests:

  • Physical health,
  • Public health,
  • Health protection,
  • Health improvement,
  • Smoking,
  • Tobacco,
  • Well-being,
  • Prevention

An open letter to Philip Morris International CEO Louis Camilleri

Apr 16th, 2012
by Editor.
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Download PDF : PMI Open Letter

Consultation on standardised packaging of tobacco products – Equality Impact Assessment

Apr 16th, 2012
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Download (PDF, 89KB)

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Consultation on standardised packaging of tobacco products

Apr 16th, 2012
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Download (PDF, 1.63MB)

Of course this organisation funded the overseas attendance and travels of Raymond Ho Man Kit of the Lion Rock institute / Momentum 107

Apr 15th, 2012
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April 15, 2012

Tobacco ally Grover Norquist jumps into tobacco tax fight http://blogs.sacbee.com/the_swarm/2012/04/nonprofit-corporations-such-as.html

Grover Norquist shocked no one when his Americans for Tax Reform based in Washington, D.C., sided with the tobacco industry by opposing Proposition 29 on the June ballot to raise the California tobacco tax by $1.

Nor should it surprise anyone that Norquist long has done business with the tobacco industry, as documents in UC San Francisco’s massive online tobacco library show. Those documents became public as a result of settlements of suits against the industry in the 1990s and early 2000s.

In one letter, Norquist solicited a modest sum, $2,000, to help fund an expansion of his campaign to convince state legislators to sign the anti-tax pledge that he continues to push.

Whether Norquist received that $2,000 isn’t readily apparent from the documents. But other tobacco papers suggest Americans for Tax Reform was a regular recipient of tobacco industry largess in the 1990s.

Nonprofit corporations such as Americans for Tax Reform are under no obligation to reveal their donors, and generally don’t.

Occasionally, however, donations become public, as occurred when tobacco companies were compelled to release internal documents.

Some documents showing donations to Americans for Tax Reform can be found here, here, here,here, here, here, here, and here.

Norquist aide Patrick Gleason didn’t respond to inquiries about the tobacco donations, but questioned the news value of “a story on the fact that ATR opposes a tax increase, whatever it may be on.”

“ATR doesn’t think a tax increase that targets those with below average incomes and does nothing to rectify the state’s overspending problem is sound policy,” Gleason said in an email.

Posted by Dan Morain

The Sacramento Bee

12:01 AM 7:13 AM | 0 Comments | Share
© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.
Read more here: http://blogs.sacbee.com/the_swarm/2012/04/nonprofit-corporations-such-as.html#storylink=cpy

Duty-free industry welcomes agreement on illicit trade protocol

Apr 12th, 2012
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http://www.dfnionline.com/article/Duty-free-industry-welcomes-agreement-on-illicit-trade-protocol-1862540.html

Andrew Pentol

12-Apr-2012, DFNIonline.com

The protocol is not believed to call for a ban on duty-free tobacco sales

Consensus has been reached by the parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) to tackle the smuggling of tobacco through the adoption of a protocol on illicit trade. It is understood that the protocol does not call for a ban on duty-free tobacco sales, but does subject the channel to further scrutiny.

The fifth meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body took place in Geneva at the beginning of the month where the parties agreed a way forward to tackle the illicit trade of tobacco.

The decision marks the end of a negotiating process spanning five years. In 2008 a proposal was made during the negotiations to ban duty-free sales claiming they contributed to illicit trade. The duty-free industry associations immediately responded and since then have been promoting a strong illicit trade protocol while resisting claims that duty-free was part of the problem.

The protocol will now be submitted to the next meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the FCTC to be held in Seoul in November when it is expected to be adopted. This will then begin the process of the protocol being ratified by individual states. Once the protocol has been ratified by at least 40 countries, it willcome into effect and become binding on signatory parties.

A join statement from the European Travel Retail Council; International Association of Duty Free Stores; Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association; Asociación Sudamerica de Tiendas Libres; and Middle East Duty Free Association read: “We are especially pleased that spurious claims that the duty- free industry was itself involved in illicit trade have been rejected by parties to the FCTC. Illicit trade in tobacco products is a criminal activity that also hurts the duty- free industry. It is good news for the industry that this long running process has now come to a positive conclusion.”

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http://www.moodiereport.com/document.php?c_id=28&doc_id=30646&over18=1

Duty free associations welcome agreement on Illicit Trade Protocol

Published: 12/04/12

By Dermot Davitt

INTERNATIONAL. Consensus has been reached by the parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to tackle the smuggling of tobacco through the adoption of a Protocol on illicit trade. In positive news for the duty free business, it is understood that the Protocol does not call for a ban on duty free sales of tobacco.

The fifth meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body took place in Geneva at the beginning of April where the parties agreed a way forward to tackle the illicit trade in tobacco.

The European Travel Retail Council (ETRC), the International Association of Duty Free Stores (IAADFS), the Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association (APTRA), the South American Duty Free Association (ASUTIL) and the Middle East Duty Free Association (MEDFA) welcomed the news. Although a duty free tobacco ban is not called for, the Protocol does still subject the duty free industry to scrutiny in the years to come. The duty free representative organisations said they were confident that the industry would stand up to any scrutiny.

In a joint statement, they said: “We are especially pleased that spurious claims that the duty free industry was itself involved in illicit trade have been rejected by parties to the FCTC. Illicit trade in tobacco products is a criminal activity that also hurts the duty free industry. It is good news for the industry that this long running process has now come to a positive conclusion.”

The decision brings to a close a negotiating process that has spanned five years. In 2008 a proposal was made during the negotiations to ban duty free sales claiming they contributed to illicit trade. The duty free industry associations immediately moved to respond and since then have been promoting a strong illicit trade Protocol while resisting the claims that duty free was part of the problem.

The Protocol will now be submitted to the next meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to be held in Seoul in November when it is expected to be adopted. This will then begin the process of the Protocol being ratified by individual states. Once the Protocol has been ratified by at least 40 countries, it will go into effect and become binding on signatory parties.

Remote control roof on smoking area lands pub in court

Apr 10th, 2012
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Wexfordpeople.ie

A PUB smoking area is not a smoking area for the purposes of complying with the law when it has four walls and a roof. But Gorey District Court was told that it may fit the bill if only 50 per cent of the roof is in place.

The finer points of the legislation were teased out last week during the case taken by the health service against Demmac Inns, the firm which runs the Castle Bar on Enniscorthy’s Castle Hill. The case was brought after the environmental health officer called to the premises on August 15 last, when the smoking area was totally enclosed.

Demmac’s solicitor Julie Breen told Judge Gerard Haughton that her clients had spent €5,000 installing a retractable roof operated by remote control. On the date of the offence, rain was falling and the roof was left fully closed. A fine of €500 (HKD 5,300) was handed down and Demmac was ordered to pay prosecution costs of €800 (HKD 9,600).

http://www.wexfordpeople.ie/news/remote-control-roof-on-smoking-area-lands-pub-in-court-3071402.html?service=Print

Costa Rican Authorities To Get Tough On Smokers Starting This Week

Apr 10th, 2012
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http://www.insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2012/april/09/costarica12040909.htm

10 April 2012

Although the regulations and enforcements, nor where to pay the fines, is in place the Ministerio de Salud (Ministry of Health) says it will start this week visiting bars and restaurants around the country to ensure compliance to the Ley de Antitabaco.

“From next week we will visit these places, the Minister also informed by the regional establishments must remove any sign that indicates smoking area” said Roberto Castro, Director of Surveillance of the Ministry of Health, to the press last week.

With the move the smoking ban comes into its full rigor this week, and that all establishments are aware, if not met will take the necessary measures.

The sanctions against bars and restaurants, for example, can be a fine and include the suspension of the operating permit.

If a bar or restaurant loses their “permiso sanitario” it will then have to then initiate the complicated of getting it back.

Reports sent in to Inside Costa Rica indicate that the local municipal police in San José last week visited a number of bars and restaurants and issued warnings.

In many places smokers are being asked to go outside to feed their habit, some having to take to the sidewalks of the public streets as the debate centres on whether a parking lot is deemed part of the bar or restaurant.

In malls, like Multiplaza in Escazú, an ICR reader informs that he was asked by a security guard to snuff out while sitting  in his vehicle, parked in the mall’s parking lot, while smoking. “Where am I to go, to the pista?”, was the rhetorical question.

One of the requirements under the law is that establishments post anti-smoking signs.

WHO centre to help smokers quit is launched

Apr 10th, 2012
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SCMP

Agency’s first collaborative centre to share ideas on kicking tobacco habit builds on city’s success
Lo Wei 
Apr 10, 2012

Medical professionals from across the region will learn the lessons of Hong Kong’s success in getting smokers to quit the habit with the launch of the World Health Organisation’s first international centre for collaboration on smoking cessation.

Hong Kong was chosen to host the centre, which brings together experts from different countries to discuss ideas, in recognition of the government’s success in helping smokers quit, said Dr Shin Young-soo, the WHO’s regional director for the Western Pacific.

“The WHO has to learn from the Hong Kong government,” Shin said. “We look forward to sharing good practice and research to save lives from the tobacco epidemic.”

WHO director general Dr Margaret Chan Fung Fu- chun, a former director of health for the city, last October praised Hong Kong’s work in the fight against tobacco, saying it had done “extremely well”.

Over the past two years, the Department of Health has trained more than 100 health care professionals from Hong Kong, Macau and the mainland in helping smokers to quit.

The new centre will train 100 doctors, nurses and social workers each year from across China and Southeast Asia, said Dr Raymond Ho Lei-ming, head of the department’s Tobacco Control Office.

One of its key targets will be to improve help for smokers on the mainland, after a survey there showed that nine out of 10 mainland smokers who tried to quit in the last year found no help available.

The new centre will also co-ordinate smoking cessation services provided locally by public hospitals, medical schools and non-governmental organisations.

The centre in Wan Chai is the fourth collaboration centre on tobacco control in the region, with others covering different areas of expertise already up and running in Japan, Singapore and on the mainland.

A mix of higher taxes, social factors and an effective anti-tobacco campaign has seen the share of Hongkongers aged 15 and above who smoke drop to 11.1 per cent, down from 23 per cent in 1982 – one of the lowest rates in the developed world.\

wei.lo@scmp.com

cid:632F6C52-A940-4F0E-9B21-2785AC6B6692

Bogus Challenge to Cigarette Warnings

Apr 9th, 2012
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http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/10/opinion/bogus-challenge-to-cigarette-warnings.html?_r=1

9 April 2012

The tobacco industry has never been bashful about fighting back against attempts to regulate the promotion of its deadly, addictive products. The latest is an effort to derail new regulations requiring large health warnings on cigarette packages by making baseless First Amendment claims. It is the subject of an important case being heard on Tuesday by a federal appeals court in Washington.

Related News

·        U.S. Releases Graphic Images to Deter Smokers(June 22, 2011)

For Op-Ed, follow @nytopinion and to hear from the editorial page editor, Andrew Rosenthal, follow @andyrNYT.

There is evidence that the current surgeon general warnings on the side of cigarette packs are ineffective and virtually invisible. So Congress passed a law in 2009 requiring that large graphical and text warnings about smoking’s harm cover the top half of the front and back of cigarette packs beginning in September 2012.

The Food and Drug Administration then chose nine dramatic images to replace the current text-only warnings, including a cadaver on a slab and another of a man with smoke coming out of a tracheotomy hole.

Before the court now are two related rulings by a Federal District Court judge, Richard Leon, blocking implementation of the new labeling plan. Judge Leon concluded that the government’s prominent use of emotionally charged images “calculated to provoke the viewer to quit” smoking crossed a line. They went from conveying uncontroversial factual information, he said, to compelling tobacco firms to advance the government’s “obvious antismoking agenda” in violation of their free speech rights.

Reversing Judge Leon should be an easy call. The Supreme Court has long upheld restrictions on commercial speech that protect consumers. The imagery ordered up by the government does not amount to impressible ideological advocacy or “compelled speech.” The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit reached that conclusion in a nearly identical case last month.

A health warning does not have to be ineffective to be constitutional. The real message, of course, is backed by abundant evidence: smoking kills.

A version of this editorial appeared in print on April 10, 2012, on page A22 of the New York edition with the headline: Bogus Challenge to Cigarette Warnings.
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