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February 22nd, 2013:

The Lancet and RCP

Feb 22nd, 2013
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‘ two-thirds of all deaths of smokers in their 50s, 60s, and 70s are caused by smoking; smokers lose at least 10 years of lifespan’

‘Sir Richard Thompson, President of the Royal College of Physicians, said:

As a young doctor I was depressed to see so many patients in their 50s and 60s suffering because they had started smoking as children. Back then there was very little we could do, but now we have the opportunity to help protect our children by implementing standardised packaging ‘

Download PDF : The Lancet

Stay Order refused on new tobacco packaging law

Feb 22nd, 2013
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http://www.dailymirror.lk/news/25930-stay-order-refused-on-new-tobacco-packaging-law.html

Stay Order refused on new tobacco packaging law

Friday, 22 February 2013 11:50

The Appeal Court today refused to issue a stay order sought by the Ceylon Tobacco Company to quash the Gazette notification for pictorial warnings on cigarette packets.

The CTC filled a case challenging the Tobacco Products (Labelling and Packaging) Regulations No. 01 of 2012 published by the Minister of Health in the Government Gazette Extraordinary No 1770/15 dated 8 August 2012. The Health Minister, Health Ministry Secretary and the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol have been cited as respondents in the petition.

The regulations, gazetted in August says, “No packet, package, carton or label of any tobacco product shall contain any message which is “false, misleading or deceptive concerning the effects or hazards on health from the use of any tobacco product or from any emission arising out of the use of any tobacco product”.
Pictorial health warnings on the dangers of smoking covering not less than 80 per cent of the outside of a cigarette packet as specified by the Health Minister’s gazette notification will come into effect from March 1.

The petitioner sought the Court to quash regulations gazetted by the Health Minister on August 8, 2012 and cited Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena, Minstry Secretary and the Chairman of the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol as respondents.

The regulations were prepared by the Health Minister under the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol Authority Act of 2006.

The regulations state as follows:

1. These regulations may be cited as Tobacco Products (Labelling and Packaging) Regulations and shall come into operation on the date on which a period of three months from the date of the publication of these regulations in the Gazette expires;

2. No packet, package, carton or label of any tobacco product shall contain any message which is false, misleading or deceptive concerning the effect or hazards on health from the use of any tobacco product or from any emission arising out of the use of any tobacco product;

3. No packet, package, carton or label of any tobacco product which is distributed, sold or offered for sale shall contain any term, description, trade mark, figurative or any other sign that directly or indirectly creates or is likely to create, by the use of words such as “low”, “light”, “ultra”, “mild”, or “extra” and impression that the tobacco product sold in such packet, package or carton is less harmful than any other tobacco product which is distributed, sold or offered for sale;

4. No manufacturer, importer, retailer, storekeeper, agent or seller of any cigarette packet, package or carton containing cigarettes, shall produce, supply, distribute, sell or offer for sale any such packet, package or carton unless every packet, package, or carton containing cigarettes which is distributed, sold or offered for sale carries the specified health warning as depicted in the Schedule to these regulations;

5. The pictorial health warning as is specified in the Schedule to these regulations shall be printed on both sides of every Cigarette packet, package or carton containing Cigarette and shall cover an are of not less that 80% of the total area of a packet, package or a carton;

6. Every packet, package, carton or label which is used in connection with the sale of any tobacco product shall have printed thereon information on the relevant constituents and emissions of the tobacco product contained in such packet, package, carton or label including Formaldehyde and other toxic contents if any;

7. Every tobacco product whether sold in a packet, package and carton shall have printed thereon the date, month and year of production thereof;

8. Every health warning and other information relating to any emission printed in any packet, package, carton or label of any tobacco product shall be printed thereon in a font size which is not less than 10 and shall be in all three languages;

9. The health warning on any packet, package, carton or label of cigarette product shall not be concealed by any other marks or pictures and shall be printed on either a black background in white letters or on a white background in black letters;

10. Every cigarette manufacturer of the different brands of cigarette products shall ensure that, there shall be printed on any packet, package or carton containing cigarette product, only on type of pictorial health warning of each category as is set out in the Schedule to these regulations and such pictorial health warning shall be changed once in every six months.

Tobacco in the EU : Exposure to second hand smoke reduced, but still too high, says Commission report

Feb 22nd, 2013
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http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-13-147_en.htm

Tobacco in the EU : Exposure to second hand smoke reduced, but still too high, says Commission report

Other available languages : FR DE DA ES NL IT SV PT FI EL CS ET HU LT LV MT PL SK SL BG RO

European Commission

Press release

Brussels, 22 February 2013

Tobacco in the EU : Exposure to second hand smoke reduced, but still too high, says Commission report

Protection from second hand smoke has improved considerably in the EU, according to a report published by the Commission today. 28% of Europeans were exposed to second hand smoke in bars in 2012 – down from 46% in 2009. The report is based on self-reporting by the 27 Member States, following the 2009 Council Recommendation on Smoke-free Environments (2009/C 296/02), which called upon governments to adopt and implement laws to fully protect their citizens from exposure to tobacco smoke in enclosed public places, workplaces and public transport. The report dispels concerns about smoking bans impacting negatively on the revenues of bars and restaurants, by showing that the economic impact has been limited, neutral and even positive over time. However, the report also illustrates that some Member States are lagging behind, in terms of comprehensive laws protecting public health, and enforcement.

Tonio Borg, European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, said: “The report published today shows that Member States have made steady progress in protecting their citizens from second hand smoke. Citizen’s exposure to smoking, however, still varies widely across the EU and there is a long way to go to make “Smoke Free Europe” a reality. I urge all Member States to step up their efforts to enforce legislation, commend those who have adopted ambitious smoke free laws and urge the others to follow-suit”.

Exposure to second hand tobacco smoke is a wide-spread source of mortality, morbidity and disability in the EU. According to conservative estimates1, more than 70 000 adults in the EU died due to exposure to tobacco smoke in 2002, many of them non-smokers or employees exposed to second hand smoking at their workplaces.

The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control calls on all of its signatories (176 parties) to provide effective “protection from exposure to tobacco smoke in indoor workplaces, public transport, indoor public places, and, as appropriate, other public places”. Guidelines were adopted in 2007 to help parties meet their obligations.

It was against this background that the Council adopted a Council Recommendation on Smoke-free Environments in 2009, calling on Member States to introduce measures to provide effective protection against exposure to second hand smoke no later than November 2012.

Other key findings of the report:

  • All Member States report that they have adopted measures to protect citizens against exposure to tobacco smoke.
  • National measures differ considerably in extent and scope. About half of the Member States have adopted or strengthened their smoke-free legislation since 2009. Many also started earlier.
  • Enforcement seems to be a problem in some Member States. Complex legislation (i.e. legislation with exemptions) is found to be particularly difficult to enforce.
  • The actual exposure rates for EU citizens dropped overall from 2009 to 2012 (e.g. for citizens visiting drinking places the exposure rate dropped from 46% to 28%). There are however very significant differences between Member States.
  • Belgium, Spain and Poland are examples of countries where the adoption of comprehensive legislation led to very significant drops in exposure rates within a short period of time.
  • The positive health effects of smoke-free legislation are immediate and include a reduction in the incidence of heart attacks and improvements in respiratory health.
  • Public support for smoke-free legislation is very high in Europe. A 2009 survey showed that a majority of Europeans are supportive. This is also supported by national surveys which reveal that support increased after introduction of effective measures.

For more information on smoke-free legislation in the EU see:

http://ec.europa.eu/health/tobacco/smoke-free_environments/index_en.htm

Commissioner Borg’s website:

http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/borg/index_en.htm

Follow us on Twitter: @EU_Health

Contacts :

Frédéric Vincent (+32 2 298 71 66)

Aikaterini Apostola (+32 2 298 76 24)

Tobacco

Feb 22nd, 2013
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Fifty years since smoking and health

… 50 years since the publication of the landmark report Smoking and health in 1962. Edited by Professor John Britton, chair of the … previous achievements in tobacco control and the future of smoking in Britain; how to prevent smoking; how to help smokers who want to …

Commercial resource – juliedalton – 26/09/2012 – 09:35 – 0 comments – 0 attachments

Passive smoking ban will cut smoking in the home

… by the Royal College of Physicians shows that a ban on smoking in enclosed public places is likely to reduce the amount of smoking in the home. The report, written by international experts and …

Press Releases – admin – 16/07/2012 – 11:45 – 0 comments – 0 attachments

Over 78,500 children have started smoking since consultation on standardised tobacco packaging ended

… it is estimated that 78,500 children will have started smoking in the UK, a number which grows by 430 every day. Now the Smokefree … clock is ticking. Every day hundreds more children take up smoking – children who need protecting from tobacco industry marketing. The …

Press Releases – andrew.mccracken – 14/02/2013 – 14:27 – 0 comments – 0 attachments

Passive smoking and children

… ‘Protecting children is a health priority. Adult smoking behaviour must radically change to achieve that. This report identifies … by Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer) Passive smoking is a major hazard to the health of millions of children who live with …

Commercial resource – admin – 26/09/2012 – 09:31 – 0 comments – 0 attachments

RCP comments on calls to ban smoking in vehicles

Commenting on the BMA’s review of evidence on passive smoking in vehicles, professor John Britton, chair of the Royal College of … (RCP) Tobacco Advisory Group, said: ‘Passive smoking is still a real issue, particularly in children and the vulnerable. …

Press Releases – andrew.mccracken – 18/07/2012 – 14:45 – 0 comments – 0 attachments

One hundred million years of life will be lost by those smoking now

… since the publication in 1962 of its first ever report on smoking – Smoking and health , the Royal College of Physicians sets out a stark warning …

Press Releases – andrew.mccracken – 31/08/2012 – 14:34 – 0 comments – 0 attachments

Ending tobacco smoking in Britain

… SKU: PUB15111000(001) Preventing people from starting smoking, and helping smokers to stop smoking are crucial if the massive burden of premature death and disability …

Commercial resource – juliedalton – 26/09/2012 – 09:59 – 0 comments – 0 attachments

Despite falling death rates, we must not be complacent about smoking

… of Oxford, will say that despite falling death rates from smoking in the UK, we must not be complacent about current smoking rates and continue to press home the message ‘Smoking kills– …

Press Releases – andrew.mccracken – 18/10/2012 – 13:35 – 0 comments – 0 attachments

Smoking and health (1962)

… A report of the Royal College of Physicians on smoking in relation to cancer of the lung and other diseases … This report highlighted the link between smoking and lung cancer, other lung diseases, heart disease and … it made a strong epidemiological case for the harm done by smoking. It called on government to implement a raft of public health measures …

Commercial resource – juliedalton – 26/09/2012 – 09:35 – 0 comments – 0 attachments

Smoking and the young

… 000 (003) The harmful effects to health caused by smoking are well known, and its prevalence in the adult population of the UK is … for children, where in the last decade the prevalence of smoking remained the same – and even increased slightly for girls. This …

Commercial resource – admin – 26/09/2012 – 09:30 – 0 comments – 0 attachments

RELATIVE RISKS GLOBALLY (accessed 2013 with most recent figures)

Feb 22nd, 2013
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Smoking kills more people each year than shark deaths, hypothermia, murder, suicide, drowning, death on the roads, industrial accidents, prescription and illegal drugs, tuberculosis and AIDS combined, and more than twice as many as alcohol. There is no other consumer product or risk factor that remotely resembles this degree of risk.

3,200 people die in Hong Kong annually from air pollution versus 7,000 from tobacco related diseases of which 23% are passive smokers.

Is there a priority here ?

Million

Tobacco          6

Alcohol           2.5

HIV/AIDS       1.7

TB                   1.4

Road                1.3

2013:

Tobacco

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs339/en/index.html

6 million

Tobacco kills nearly six million people each year, of whom more than 5 million are users and ex users and more than 600 000 are

non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke.

Unless urgent action is taken, the annual death toll could rise to more than eight million by 2030.

AIDS

WHO http://www.who.int/gho/hiv/en/

1.7 million people died of AIDS-related illnesses worldwide in 2011

TB

WHO http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs104/en/

1.4 million died from TB in 2011.

Road deaths

WHO http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs358/en/

1.3 million people die each year as a result of road traffic crashes.

Alcohol WHO http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs349/en/index.html

2.5 million deaths each year.

USA American Cancer Society

http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/tobaccocancer/cigarettesmoking/cigarette-smoking-who-and-how-affects-health Accessed 22 February 2013

About half of all Americans who keep smoking will die because of the habit.

Smoking cigarettes kills more Americans than alcohol, car accidents, suicide, AIDS, homicide, and illegal drugs combined.

Published on South China Morning Post (http://www.scmp.com)

Home > Make Hong Kong more family-friendly says women’s survey

Submitted by admin on Feb 23rd 2013, 12:00am

Business

LAI SEE

Howard Winn howard.winn@scmp.com

Living dangerously

A few more reasons why the dangers of smoking should be taken seriously: tobacco kills nearly six million people each year, of whom more than 5 million are users and ex-users and more than 600 000 are non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke. Unless urgent action is taken, the annual death toll could rise to more than eight million by 2030, according to the World Health Organisation.

Smoking kills more people each year than shark deaths, hypothermia, murder, suicide, drowning, death on the roads (1.3 million), industrial accidents, prescription and illegal drugs, tuberculosis (1.4 million) and HIV/Aids (1.7 million) combined, and more than twice as many as alcohol. There is no other consumer product or risk factor that remotely resembles this degree of risk. According to the American Cancer Organisation about half of all Americans who keep smoking will die because of the habit.

Source URL (retrieved on Feb 23rd 2013, 7:27am): http://www.scmp.com/business/article/1156581/make-hong-kong-more-family-friendly-says-womens-survey