Tobacco: Al the Facts, Legislation, and How it Affects Your Health.
East London and West Essex Guardian Series
Patients face £75 fines in hospital blitz on smoking
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Patients caught smoking at Britain’s biggest hospital group risk £75 fines and being discharged from care under a radical bid to improve health
http://www.wpro.who.int/china/mediacentre/releases/2013/20130715/en/index.html
Stronger bans on tobacco marketing needed to save lives – new WHO report on the tobacco epidemic
Beijing, 15 July 2013 – The WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic 2013 released last week highlights the need for stronger tobacco control policies including strengthened bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship to reduce tobacco use and save lives, including in China.
“This new WHO report highlights progress that is being made globally to reduce death and disease caused by tobacco consumption. Around the world, the population covered by at least one key tobacco control measure doubled from 1 billion to 2.3 billion in the last five years,” said Dr Michael O’Leary, WHO Representative in China.
“However, the report also shows that stronger action is needed to effectively tackle the tobacco epidemic in many countries. This is true of China.“
“This is especially the case if China is to achieve the targets it has set for itself to reduce rates of tobacco smoking, from the current level of 28.1% to below 25% by 2015,” Dr O’Leary said.
The specific focus of this year’s report is bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship. Comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship are one of the most powerful measures available to governments to reduce tobacco use.
Globally, there has been a steady increase in the number of countries that have established bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, but only 24 countries – covering 10% of the world’s population – have a complete ban in place.
China is among a group of 103 countries which are close to having a complete ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, but where existing laws require strengthening in order to ban all forms of tobacco marketing and be considered by WHO as having the highest level of implementation.
The Advertising Law in China currently bans advertising of tobacco products in the mass media (including radio, movies, TV, newspapers and magazines), but outdoor advertising, point of sale promotions, internet advertising, and tobacco sponsorship of events are allowed. ‘New media’ including micro-blogs are also beyond the scope of the existing Advertising Law.
“This new report highlights the urgency of strengthening bans on tobacco marketing in China “Dr O’Leary said.
“Around the world, the tobacco industry spares no expense on marketing its products. Experience from other countries is that the tobacco industry’s marketing tactics target young people, who are especially vulnerable to tobacco advertising and promotions.”
“We must act now to protect the current generation of Chinese young people from the hazards of tobacco use. “
“There is also an urgent need to protect Chinese women and girls – among whom the current rate of tobacco smoking is very low – from tobacco company marketing tactics, before they are lured into a lifetime of tobacco addiction.”
While enacting a complete ban on tobacco marketing is one of the most cost-effective tobacco control measures, the new WHO report shows that comprehensive tobacco control policies are required to achieve significant and sustained reductions in tobacco smoking rates.
In 2008, WHO identified six evidence-based tobacco control measures that are the most effective in reducing tobacco use. Known as “MPOWER”, these measures correspond to one or more of the demand reduction provisions included in the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC):
This year’s report is the fourth in the series of WHO reports on the status of the MPOWER measures.
China ratified the WHO FCTC in 2005.
Currently, there are approximately 300 million smokers in China: over one quarter (28%) of the population smokes, including 53% of men and just over 2% of women. More than half (53%) of smokers aged 20-34 years started smoking daily before the age of 20. An estimated 1 million people die each year from tobacco-related illness – almost two Chinese adults die from a tobacco related illness each minute of every hour of every day.
The WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic 2013 was released in Panama City, Panama on 10 July 2013.
For more information, please contact
Helen Yu
Communications Officer, WHO in China
Tel: +86 10 65327191
E-mail: yuji@wpro.who.int
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Ramadan Question: Does smoking – if smoke does not enter stomach – break the fast? Dr Ali Ahmed Mashael, Grand Mufti, Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department, Dubai, clarifies doubts and answers questions concerning Ramadan for Emirates 24|7 readers As told to Mohammad El Sadafy
Published Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Dr Ali Ahmed Mashael, Grand Mufti, Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department, Dubai Does smoking break the fast? What of the argument that smoke does not enter the abdomen and so is allowed?
Dr Ali Ahmed Mashael, Grand Mufti, Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department, Dubai says:
“Smoke inhalation – even entering the mouth or nose is invalidating the fast. We have evidence from the Hadith of Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him). Smoking is a violation of the sanctity of fasting, because it risks entry into the stomach.”
What is the Shariah law for personal grooming – like cutting one’s nails or getting a hair-cut during fasting?
This has nothing to do with the fast, so it is permissible to cut one’s hair during fasting.
Is there a specific food to be eaten at suhoor? Are some foods not recommended to be eaten?
Dr Ali Ahmed Mashael, Grand Mufti, Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department, Dubai says:
“A person may eat any food at suhoor unless it is forbidden. Muslim scholars throughout the history have not spoken about certain foods that should be eaten for suhoor, but they have stressed that Muslims can eat anything except what is forbidden. It is preferable to eat dates and milk. The Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him) said the best food for suhoor is dates.|
What is the rule for fasting before purification? What if a person is ‘unclean’ from the previous night, but did not wake up to be washed and purified. Can they directly continue fasting?
Dr Ali Ahmed Mashael, Grand Mufti, Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department, Dubai says:
“Purity (washing) is not a condition for the validity of fasting, but is a condition for prayer and if s/he wakes up and is not clean during the day of Ramadan or any other day, and is fasting, the fast is valid. S/he should wash directly after waking up.
“But one should avoid committing sin, especially not waking up for the Fajr prayer.”
Q) What is the Shariah law as regards physical contact with husband and/or wife during the fasting period of Ramadan?
Dr Ali Ahmed Mashael, Grand Mufti, Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department, Dubai says:
“Physical contact that causes any kind of arousal during the fasting period of Ramadan should be stopped immediately. There is nothing wrong with physical or verbal contact with a spouse as long as it does not lead to any violation of the rules of fasting.
A Muslim must keep away from desires that may spoil his/her fast.”
Q) What is the ruling of Shariah in case a Muslim has intercourse with his wife during Ramadan?
Dr Ali Ahmed Mashael, Grand Mufti, Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department, Dubai says:
“It is forbidden during the day of Ramadan, and penetration will sure break the fast and it is forbidden.
“You must hold on eating and drinking the rest of the day, and the (Kafarah) atonement is the expiation of committing the sin of the intercourse during Ramadan. He should fast for two consecutive months, and if one cannot, then he must feed 60 poor persons.
“The Maalikis have given the choice to the violator: The choice between emancipation and fasting for two consecutive months and feeding is better for him.”
Q) Does sputum break the fast if swallowed?
Dr Ali Ahmed Mashael, Grand Mufti, Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department, Dubai says:
“Most of the scholars said If sputum was swallowed during the fasting deliberately, the fast will be invalid and on the contrary, the Malkai Mathahb do not believe that phlegm invalidates the fast and Muslims should complete their fasting.”
Q) How should Muslims react when they see non-Muslims eat or drink during Ramadan?
Dr Ali Ahmed Mashael, Grand Mufti, Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department, Dubai says:“Non-Muslims living in Muslim countries must respect the beliefs of Muslims. “They should respect the feelings of Muslims and shouldn’t eat or drink in front of those who fast. However, patients or those travelling are allowed to eat and drink.
Abu Saeed Al Khudri had heard the Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him) say, ‘Whoever of you sees an evil must then change it with his hand. If he is not able to do so, then [he must change it ] with his tongue. And if he is not able to do so, then [he must change it] with his heart. And that is the slightest [effect of] faith.”
http://www.islandsbusiness.com/news/new-zealand/1964/more-tax-hikes-to-curb-pacific-smoking/
More tax hikes to curb Pacific smoking
From NZ HERALD
News
Tue 16 Jul 2013
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WELLINGTON, New Zealand —More Pacific Island countries are making moves to increase taxes on tobacco in a bid to reduce the high incidence of smoking – and related deaths – in the region.
The Pacific Tobacco Taxation Project has been in the works for the past three years, trying to change attitudes in the region, where one-third of the world’s smokers are from.
Smoking is one of the biggest killers in the Pacific.
Up to 75 per cent of the deaths from non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, cancer and respiratory diseases are related to smoking.
The project – a World Health Organisation initiative – has seen four Pacific countries increasing taxes on cigarettes; with more indicating they will do the same.
Samoa is the latest nation to announce it will raise its tobacco taxes in its 2014-15 Budget.
It follows moves by the Cook Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Tonga to bump tobacco taxes by up to 15 per cent.
The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), based in New Caledonia, has also been heavily involved in helping Pasifika countries to kick the habit.
The group’s tobacco and alcohol adviser, Jeanie McKenzie, said changing attitudes had been difficult given the “normality of smoking” in the region.
“It’s impossible to say why smoking is so popular in the Pacific, but [tobacco] is fairly affordable.
“In some countries, there are more women that smoke than men.”
The SPC is working with 22 countries or states in the Pacific.
McKenzie said one of the key factors for so many people in the Pacific smoking was that tobacco was so cheap.
Cigarettes can be bought cheaply – a packet of 20 costs about nine tala (NZ$4.83) in Samoa.
Increasing taxes would not stop everyone from lighting up, but it was a step towards change, she said.
“From a health point of view, if we want people to stop smoking, we’ve got to put the tobacco tax up – we want to hit them big.”
Smoking among Pacific Islanders in New Zealand is just as high, with one in four Pasifika taking up the habit.
Tala Pasifika – the national Pacific tobacco control service – was established by the Heart Foundation in 2009 to enhance Pacific leadership on tobacco issues.
Programme manager Stephanie Erick said they had worked with community and church groups to change attitudes towards smok-ing.
“One issue that we’ve talked about is people buying cartons of cigarettes in Duty Free and taking them back to the islands when they visit.
“It’s a cultural thing. They know lots of people smoke and so cigarettes are such an easy gift – they just open up the carton and pass them around.”