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November, 2012:

No-brainer

Nov 27th, 2012
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More cheery news for cigarette smokers. While it has been well known that smoking destroys your lungs and can often lead to cancer, a new study published in the scientific journal Age and Ageing reports that “repeated exposure to tobacco smoke significantly declined the cognitive performance of older people that had elevated cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure”. The study conducted by researchers at King’s College London on 8,800 people found that high blood pressure and being overweight appeared to affect the brain at an old age, but to a lesser extent than smoking. Heart attacks and strokes are associated with cognitive decline. “Those at the highest risk of a heart attack and stroke showed the greatest decline of cognitive ability,” the study said. “Smoking habitually was strongly associated with lower scores on the tests. With these findings, the researchers inferred that smoking cigarettes actually rots the brain.” In another study that linked cigarette smoking to mental decline, research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 2010 found that smokers were more than 150 per cent more likely to experience symptoms of Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia.

Have you got any stories that Lai See should know about? E-mail them to howard.winn@scmp.com [1]

Source URL (retrieved on Nov 28th 2012, 6:09am): http://www.scmp.com/business/article/1092404/tv-companies-finally-provide-entertainment-only-air

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Illegal cigarette industry becomes largest tax evader in Pakistan

Nov 27th, 2012
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http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/pakistan-afghanistan/215836-illegal-cigarette-
industry-becomes-largest-tax-evader-in-pakistan.html

Illegal cigarette industry becomes largest tax evader in Pakistan
Tuesday, 27 November 2012

ISLAMABAD: The illegal cigarette industry in Pakistan has grown to become
one of the largest tax evaders in the country, causing great loss to the
national economy.

The local industry has suggested the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to
change its modus operandi related and introduce reward mechanism for the
officers who seize counterfeit cigarettes.

STUDY: Smoking Cigarettes Rots Brain, Decreases Cognitive Ability

Nov 27th, 2012
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http://www.isciencetimes.com/articles/4085/20121126/study-smoking-cigarettes-rots-brain-decreases-cognitive.htm

Smoking cigarettes stinks. Even many habitual smokers will admit that. And although it’s been well known that smoking destroys your lungs and can often lead to cancer, a new study has found that smoking might be even worse for your health than we initially thought.

In a study published in Age and Aging, a scientific journal, researchers are report that repeated exposure to tobacco smoke significantly declined the cognitive performance of older people that had elevated cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure.

The study included 8,800 people over the age of 50. High blood pressure and being overweight also appeared to affect the brain at an old age, but to a lesser extent than smoking. Researchers were from King’s College London, and they were trying to investigate the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke and the state of the brain during those periods.

The researchers found that risk of heart attack and stroke was strongly associated with cognitive decline. Those at the highest risk for a heart attack and stroke showed the greatest decline of cognitive ability. Smoking habitually was strongly associated with lower scores on the tests. With these findings, the researchers inferred that smoking cigarettes actually rots the brain.

“Cognitive decline becomes more common with ageing and for an increasing number of people interferes with daily functioning and well-being,” said researcher Dr. Alex Dregan in a BBC report. “We have identified a number of risk factors which could be associated with accelerated cognitive decline, all of which, could be modifiable… We need to make people aware of the need to do some lifestyle changes because of the risk of cognitive decline.”

This is not the first time that smoking cigarettes has been found to be associated with mental health decline. In 2010, a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that cigarette smokers were more than 150 percent more likely to experience symptoms of Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia.

Complicity in contraband: British American Tobacco and cigarette smuggling in Asia

Nov 26th, 2012
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Download PDF : v013pii104

BAT in smuggling, researchers claim

Nov 26th, 2012
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http://www.malaya.com.ph/index.php/160-news-flash/18483-bat-in-smuggling-researchers-claim

“The authors of the study said ‘ the industry documents have primarily provided evidence of complicity in smuggling by BAT.’”

“Cigarette smuggling, comprising around one quarter of exports undermines public health by making cheaper cigarettes more readily available and, in turn, encouraging increased consumption.”

This is the conclusion of a research “supported by the National Cancer Institute, US National Institute of Health”. The study covers Asia, Lebanon, China, Cambodia, Uzbekistan.

A research done by J. Collins, E. LeGresley, R. MacKensie, S. Lawrence and K. Lee entitled Complicity in Contraband: British American Tobacco and cigarette smuggling in Asia” concludes BAT documents demonstrate the strategic importance of smuggling across global, regional, national and local levels.

“Particularly important in Asia, contraband enabled access to closed markets, create pressure for market opening , and was highly profitable.”

The results of the research points out “documents demonstrates BAT’s detailed oversight of illicit trade, seeking to reconcile the conflicting demands of control and deniability.

The research admits that there are strong indications that other cigarette companies are similarly involved in illicit cigarette trade. However, the authors of the study said “the industry documents have primarily provided evidence of complicity in smuggling by BAT.”

The researchers noted “… the documents from BAT often seem more candid than those from its competitors.”

According to the researchers “this may be attributable to variations to corporate culture, a historically lower sense of vulnerability to litigation.” This is variously interpreted to mean that BAT may have mounted a huge and successful lobby that might have lulled BAT into the culture of feeling invulnerable or have a lower sense of it.

The researchers pointed out “many of the most dramatic disclosures of tobacco industry misconduct have been obtained from BAT documents including evidence of price fixing.”

What appears to be the preparedness of the Philippine government to give to BAT in the name of leveling the playing field the privilege of raising by higher than 700 per cent the tax on cigarettes for the poor fits squarely with the alleged involvement of the new player in illicit cigarette trade.

We have tirelessly explained the reality that when the price of cigarettes for the poor goes up beyond their means as a result of the proposed heavy tax burden, they switch to cheaper smuggled brands.

It is not exactly funny or strange that BAT has proposed a higher tax burden on the cigarettes for the poor although the brands it will export to the Philippines are premium, or cigarettes for the well-heeled.

The BAT cigarettes do not in any way compete with the poor man’s cigarette of the Filipino. How is the playing field leveled that way?

The record shows that demand for premium brands is a speck in the tobacco industry, less than two per cent in fact.

How does raising the price of low end cigarettes which do not at all compete with premium figure in the business interest of BAT in exporting cigarettes to the Philippines?

It hardly does. Low-end brands and premium have their own distinct identifiable markets. One does not cross the other. Therefore, British American Tobacco does not hope to compete with the low end brands of Philippine-made cigarettes which may succumb to smuggling after the proposed 700 per cent additional tax takes effect.

Therefore it has no interest in pushing for higher tax increase on cheap cigarettes. But it does so in the interest, it says, of leveling the playing field.

Given the fact that demand for premium brands hardly grows, why does British American Tobacco want to come back to the Philippines on condition that the playing field is leveled by making the price of the poor man’s cigarette beyond his reach?

A higher liability would not in any manner increase the demand for the premium brands of BAT. What is definite is the poor man’s cigarette will practically disappear after its demand is taken over by illicit cigarettes.

Again, how does BAT benefit from a situation such as this? It will not. But it can immensely if it joins the smugglers.

This is the whole purpose of the research study supported by the National Cancer Institute and the US National Institutes of Health. What the researchers found in the documents of BAT itself are far from flattering. On the contrary it is condemnable.

Now we ask, what gain will the country get passing the excise tax bill? We see none. What harm can happen? We see a lot. We surrender the tobacco industry to the smugglers. We may not collect the expected tax precisely because illicit goods do not pay a tax.

Smuggled or “blue seal” cigarettes will encourage more smoking on the youth because of cheaper prices.

***

email: amadomacasaet@yahoo.com

NSW govt bans all tobacco investments

Nov 26th, 2012
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http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news/nsw-govt-bans-all-tobacco-investments/story-fn3dxiwe-1226524368571

THE NSW government is stubbing out its tobacco investments across the state.

Treasurer Mike Baird says all NSW agencies will be instructed to ban indirect and direct tobacco-related financing following a review of the government’s investment strategy.

Mr Baird says the NSW government does not currently have any direct investments in tobacco, but some of its agencies do.

“A small proportion of NSW Treasury Corporation (TCorp) and other public-sector agencies do have tobacco investments in their investment portfolios, which have been made by fund managers on their behalf,” Mr Baird said.

Mr Baird said the independent State Super fund operator would be asked to exclude tobacco investments from its investment portfolio and mandates.

TCorp currently holds tobacco investments of around A$27 million, while WorkCover has around A$39 million and State Super has A$158 million, Mr Baird said.

Health Minister Jillian Skinner said the decision reinforced the NSW government’s strong anti-smoking stance.

“Today’s decision sends a further message to the community about the dangers of smoking and the huge burden that smoking puts on the NSW health system,” Mrs Skinner said.

The anti-smoking lobby group ASH said it welcomed the move by NSW to join the ACT and exclude tobacco companies from investment.

“Australian public money should not be invested in an industry that kills 15,000 Australians (a year and) drains $31 billion from our economy and undermines health policies,” ASH CEO Anne Jones said in a statement.

She said the federal government’s Future Fund, which currently invests around A$210 million in tobacco companies, was reviewing its policies.

Victoria had over A$100 million in tobacco investments and was being urged to do the same, Ms Jones said.

Big Tobacco loses bid to bar expert witness from testifying at class-action trial

Nov 26th, 2012
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http://www.globaltvedmonton.com/big+tobacco+loses+bid+to+bar+expert+witness+from+testifying+at+class-action+trial/6442760723/story.html

Big Tobacco loses bid to bar expert witness from testifying at class-action trial

Monday, November 26, 2012 7:32 PM

A trial got underway in Montreal Monday against three leading tobacco companies;seeking $27 billion from them for allegedly failing to adequately warn smokers of the dangers of cigarettes. Plaintiffs filed two separate class actions that were combined into what is Canada’s biggest-ever civilian lawsuit against Imperial Tobacco Canada (a BAT subsidiary);JTI-Macdonald and Rothmans Benson & Hedges in the Superior Court of Quebec.

Photo Credit: Geoff Robins , AFP/Getty Images

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MONTREAL – A Quebec judge has agreed to hear the testimony of a prominent witness in a massive class-action lawsuit against Big Tobacco, a man the industry has labelled as biased and ill-informed.

Robert Proctor is a historian from California’s Stanford University who has published extensively on the tobacco industry in books and academic papers. He’s also no stranger to tobacco litigation, having testified in some 30 trials.

He was called to testify on behalf of the plaintiffs behind a landmark $27 billion lawsuit in Quebec that pits an estimated 1.8 million Quebecers against three major tobacco manufacturers.

The defendants – Imperial Tobacco Canada Ltd.; Rothmans, Benson & Hedges; and JTI-Macdonald – have argued that the dangerous health effects of tobacco have been common knowledge for decades and there was no conspiracy to hide it.

Justice Brian Riordan decided late Monday that he wanted to hear from Proctor. He admitted as evidence part of his 100-plus page report, which critiques other reports done by three industry-paid historians on how much Quebecers knew about tobacco risks.

Lawyers for the tobacco firms spent the day attacking Proctor’s credibility. They tried to convince the judge that the professor had an agenda beyond critiquing historians’ reports.

The judge allowed about 30 pages into the record.

As for the rest of his report – which one tobacco lawyer described as 75 pages of anti-tobacco advocacy – Riordan said he would take it under advisement.

Proctor doesn’t couch his words when describing what conclusions he draws about the tobacco industry from his research. He has described tobacco companies in writings as liars, cockroaches and cancer-mongers and he says cigarettes should be abolished.

Proctor did not hide his opinions Monday.

“I believe it is wrong for an industry to kill millions of people,” said the author, researcher and self-described public health advocate, during a hearing to determine whether he should be granted expert status.

“I’m open to alternative views, but I’m not neutral about what your client has done to the lungs of the world.”

Proctor, who has more than a quarter-century of experience, has testified in dozens of trials in the United States. He admits that he has earned more than $1 million for doing so. He has never once been disqualified from testifying.

“I’m fair, but I do think bad things have been done by the tobacco industry,” Proctor said under questioning.

“I don’t think the tobacco industry wanted to kill people. I think it was more negligence,” he added. “I’m glad they are being brought to justice. That’s a good thing.”

His testimony is the latest in a case that is described as the biggest class-action lawsuit in Canadian history.

It’s not common for experts to be excluded from testifying, one of the tobacco lawyers said. But he argued that the court had an obligation to prevent Proctor’s testimony.

“The Supreme Court has said as recently as 2011 that the court has a gatekeeper function,” said Doug Mitchell, a lawyer representing JTI-Macdonald.

He and other tobacco company lawyers argued that not only is Proctor biased, he knows nothing about Canada or Quebec, and he cites documents not in the record in his report.

Another lawyer, Simon Potter, representing Rothmans, Benson & Hedges, questioned whether Proctor’s testimony was necessary.

“Is this person, this expert, going to help the court, as an expert should, with objective, helpful advice from a specialized field when the court is unable to decide without it?” Potter said.

“I think the answer is no.”

But the lawyers representing two plaintiffs dismissed the arguments from Big Tobacco and said it wasn’t Proctor’s mandate to know Canadian tobacco history.

“Based on a lifetime’s work, you have certain ideas, based on evidence,” said plaintiff lawyer Bruce Johnston. “Surely that cannot disqualify you from working on a file because that would result in the most qualified people being excluded.”

Plenty of witnesses have already appeared before the Quebec Superior Court since the trial began last March, including numerous former and current tobacco industry executives.

The case has already heard more than 80 days of testimony with thousands of pages of documents filed into evidence.

It has taken 13 years to reach the trial phase. It stems from two cases that were filed in 1998, certified and consolidated in 2005 by Quebec Superior Court, and there were motions, delays and appeals before it got underway in 2012.

Proctor’s testimony on his report begins Tuesday morning.

© The Canadian Press, 2012

Read it on Global News: Global Edmonton | Big Tobacco loses bid to bar expert witness from testifying at class-action trial

Left Field: Tobacco sponsor ban has hurt sports over the years

Nov 25th, 2012
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Submitted by admin on Nov 25th 2012, 12:00am

Sport›Tennis

LEFT FIELD

Alvin Sallay alvin.sallay@scmp.com

Legislation banning tobacco advertising was full of merit but it is sports, tennis in particular, that has paid the price

It was 32 years ago that Ivan Lendl’s star began rising. And one of the first titles in his career – he won 147 including eight grand slams – was in Hong Kong where he defeated American Brian Teacher 5-7, 7-6 (7-2), 6-3 in the final of a US$75,000 tournament at Victoria Park.

That was in the pre-ATP era. Lendl has fond memories, and harked back to that victory this week in a teleconference held by organisers of the BNP Paribas Showdown, which will come to Hong Kong next March. Lendl was quick to put his finger on the pulse by reminding us what makes Hong Kong tick.

Asked if he thought it was a pity that Hong Kong was not part of the ATP circuit any more, Lendl said: “It’s a very complicated subject and you can look at it from two directions. If Hong Kong is on the ATP, then players will like it and enjoy it because Hong Kong is a fantastic city from what I remember. However, if you don’t get the top-tier tournaments, then you are not going to get the top players.”

The Czech-American, who will play John McEnroe in a pro-set exhibition match at the Hong Kong showdown on March 4 (the main highlight will be a three-set contest between Li Na and Caroline Wozniacki), was quick to boost the official line and said that until such time a proper tournament was held, Hong Kong would have to rely on “special events” to get its fix of stars.

It’s sad that Hong Kong is reduced to this professional tennis penury. Lendl’s victory in 1980 was a prelude to a golden era for the game in Hong Kong, not so much in its own accomplishments, but rather in hosting a top-class tournament annually. In 1990, the ATP first organised its worldwide tour for men and Hong Kong was soon part of it with the Salem Open coming on board.

We were guaranteed some of the best players of the time would turn up. The players loved coming here, as Lendl said. We watched everyone from McEnroe to Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras to Andre Agassi, Michael Chang to Stefan Edberg. The fans were spoilt for choice, but sadly no more.

In 2002, the Salem Open was held for the last time. It ended in an all-Spanish final with Juan Carlos Ferrero defeating Carlos Moya. The promoters of the tournament, who owned the licence, pulled out and left for the bright lights of the mainland. They were dazzled by the prospects of Beijing hosting the 2008 Olympics and the fact that Shanghai was also turning into a world-class city. But Hong Kong, too, played a part in slamming the door on the ATP event. The government had introduced an anti-smoking law banning the advertisement of the harmful weed during the late ’90s and by 2002 the writing was on the wall for cigarette companies. Tennis was the worst hit as far as sports sponsorship was concerned, for apart from Salem, Marlboro was also backing is own championships at the time, giving Hong Kong a surfeit of big-name players.

When the smoke cleared, the sport had lost two sponsors with deep pockets and it was obvious that unless someone else stepped in, the tournaments, especially the Marlboro Championship, would not be able to attract top players who were given an appearance fee. As far as the Salem Open was concerned, it was assured of a couple of top-10 players, but with the promoters leaving town – and Salem pulling out due to the tobacco-advertising ban – that event also had a quick death.

There were calls from sports officials at the time for the government to fill the void. Among the suggestions was for the government to set up a sports lottery or put in place a tobacco levy. These calls were ignored.

The worst thing was the government’s duplicity. Although it was widely recognised the tobacco-advertising ban was due to the harmful effects of smoking, the government never went as far as banning the sale of cigarettes, instead continuing to earn revenue from taxation.

Sport, especially tennis, paid the price. For the past decade, tennis fans have had to rely on special events like next March’s showdown. While it will be good to see the likes of Lendl and McEnroe revive memories, this will hardly be competitive tennis. Even Lendl, 52, admitted it. The government has accepted the game needs help and has agreed to support the Hong Kong Tennis Association’s bid for a small WTA tournament. But, as Lendl said, unless a top-tier tournament is held, Hong Kong will miss out on seeing the stars in action.

Topics:

Tennis

Sponsor

Ban

Tobacco

Advertising

Ivan Lendl

Source URL (retrieved on Nov 26th 2012, 5:47am): http://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/1090055/left-field-tobacco-sponsor-ban-has-hurt-sports-over-years

why Hong Kong needs a massive tobacco tax increase – just compare Singapore retail prices

Nov 24th, 2012
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Hi from Singapore

Marlboro retail in 7eleven Clarke Quay convenience store

S$12 (HK$  76.08) (X-rate 6.34) versus HK$ 50 retail in Hong Kong

Smoking ban may reach all public buildings

Nov 22nd, 2012
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Published on ShanghaiDaily.com (http://www.shanghaidaily.com/)

http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article//Metro/2012/11/22/Smoking+ban+may+reach+all+public+buildings

Smoking ban may reach all public buildings

Created: 2012-11-22 1:53:51

Author:Yang Jian

SHANGHAI plans to expand its smoking ban to all indoor public spaces, including office buildings, with tougher standards for violations, to improve compliance with the city smoke-control law put into effect in 2009, officials said yesterday.

The current law still permits smoking in some indoor areas, such as restaurant smoking sections, making it sometimes difficult to enforce, said Li Zhongyang, deputy director of the office of Shanghai Health Enhancement Commission, in a report to the Shanghai People’s Congress.

“Some 90 percent of local residents support imposition of a stricter smoking ban, according to an online survey done by the commission this year,” Li said.

Local law enforcement authorities tasked with smoking control requested the ban for all indoor areas to make enforcement easier, he said.

Office buildings of state-owned enterprises, government agencies and other public facilities including hospitals and campuses are now required to be smoke free. Smoking is also banned in Internet cafes, entertainment venues and hotels’ public areas under current legislation, but larger restaurants can provide designated smoking areas.

“Many restaurants are unwilling to forbid their customers to smoke for fear of affecting their businesses,” said Hu Xiaoming, a lawmaker who took part in several smoking compliance inspections this year. She said some local government buildings, especially those for governmental departments in suburban districts, failed to implement the ban, with some officials smoking during meetings or in their offices.

“An official even argued, ‘It is my right to smoke,'” she added.

“The fine should be more severe … Anyone found smoking in public areas should be fined,” said Qu Jun, deputy director of the local legislature’s law enforcement inspection team.

Fines won’t require warning

Smokers now can be fined up to 200 yuan (US$31.33), but only after they refuse to put out their cigarette.

While the new draft measure doesn’t call for raising fines, individuals could be fined without a warning beforehand, officials said.

The fines totaled about 313,000 yuan (US$50,237) this year with 179 public venues and 77 individuals cited.

The city imposed an indoor ban on smoking in most public places on March 1, 2009. The current law covers 12 kinds of public locations, including schools.

“The law has proved to be effective though there are still some inadequacies,” according to Li.

Some 76 percent of local public venues have signs displaying the hotlines to report anyone smoking illegally.

Citywide, more than 85 percent of local residents are aware of the law, according to the commission survey.

Smoking was reported this year at about 18 percent of locations where it is now banned, half that of three years ago, before the law took effect, officials said.

Officials said Internet cafes, entertainment venues and restaurants are most affected by illegal smoking.

Even though smoking in banned in public transportation, only half of local cabs are kept smoke-free, officials said.

Some 68 percent of taxi drivers ask passengers not to smoke but less than half of them insist if the request is refused, according to the commission’s survey.

“Public health experts at Fudan University have started to install PM2.5 monitoring machines in 30 local Internet bars for scientific study, and we will install more such machines to collect evidence and information for health education,” said Tang Qiong, an official of the city health commission.

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