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November 2nd, 2011:

Cigarettes to self-extinguish thanks to new paper

http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/cigarettes-to-self-extinguish-thanks-to-new-paper-526772.html

Wednesday, November 02, 2011 – 11:21 AM

A new EU regulation means cigarettes being smoked indoors will self-extinguish if they are not picked up.

The regulation requires all cigarettes sold across the EU to be modified from November 17 to reduce the risk of an accidental fire as a result of a burning cigarette being left at rest.

When smoked normally, the new “Low Ignition Propensity” (LIP) cigarettes should not go out, but they are designed to do so when left at rest due to a new cigarette paper that contains narrow bands which act as “speed bumps”.

A lit cigarette abandoned outside will not self-extinguish, as the movement of air will keep it lit. If left at rest indoors however, the cigarette is designed to self-extinguish as soon as it burns back to one of the two “speed bumps” (see picture).

Irish retailers are already selling the cigarettes as the new designs are phased in. A similar regulation is already in force in the US, Canada and Finland.

A spokesman said smokers should not notice any difference in appearance, taste or flavour of their cigarettes.

Despite the change, smokers are advised to ensure they do not leave lit cigarettes unattended and extinguish cigarettes carefully.

The National Consumer Agency will enforce cigarette manufacturers’ compliance with the new regulation.

Read more: http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/cigarettes-to-self-extinguish-thanks-to-new-paper-526772.html#ixzz1cjBGAvmq

Plain packaging delayed by five months

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/plain-packaging-delayed-by-five-months-20111102-1munj.html

Julian Drape

November 2, 2011 – 7:19PM

AAP

Labor’s legislation on plain packaging of cigarettes is set to pass parliament next week, but tobacco products won’t be sold in olive-brown packages until the end of 2012 – five months later than originally planned.

The federal government says it will ram the draft laws through the Senate next Thursday with a “limited” debate followed by a vote.

The coalition supports the main plain packaging legislation but not an associated trademarks bill.

However, both will pass the Senate with the support of the Greens.

Cigarettes were to be sold in plain packs from July 1 next year but Health Minister Nicola Roxon announced on Wednesday that implementation would be pushed back until December 1.

Ms Roxon said the delay was necessary because it had taken longer than expected for the upper house to pass the legislation after it sailed through the House of Representatives in August.

“(But) that’s a small setback,” she told reporters in Canberra.

“Having a few last gasps for the tobacco companies doesn’t stop the fact we are going to put an end to marketing of tobacco products in Australia.”

Ms Roxon said there had been a lot of shenanigans in the Senate “and a lack of enthusiasm on the part of the Liberal Party” to pass the bills.

But opposition health spokesman Peter Dutton rubbished that claim.

Mr Dutton said Labor had delayed its own bill because it had other priorities – namely passing the controversial carbon tax legislation which has dominated debate in the upper house this week.

“The government runs the agenda in the Senate,” Mr Dutton told reporters.

“We want to see a reduction of smoking rates in our country.”

Under Labor’s revised timeline, the preliminary provisions of the plain packaging legislation will now come into effect when they receive royal assent – rather than on January 1.

Manufacturers will have to produce plain packets from October 1 next year instead of May 20, while retailers will be banned from selling any branded stock from December 1 instead of July 1.

Big tobacco has welcomed the delay but says cigarette makers need more time still to prepare.

Imperial Tobacco insists it needs up to 17 months from when the legislation is finalised.

“December 1, 2012, remains an impossible deadline,” Imperial spokeswoman Sonia Stewart said in a statement.

British American Tobacco Australia (BATA) told a parliamentary inquiry in August that manufacturers and retailers should be given until 2014 to make the change to plain packs.

The company has also vowed to challenge the world-first legislation in court once it passes parliament.

BATA argues that the commonwealth is planning to unlawfully acquire its intellectual property rights.

© 2011 AAP

Tobacco laws to pass Senate – Evans

http://www.skynews.com.au/national/article.aspx?id=680881&vId

Updated: 22:49, Wednesday November 2, 2011

Tobacco laws to pass Senate - Evans

The federal government plans to force its tobacco plain packaging legislation through the Senate next week.

Labor wants all cigarettes to be sold in drab olive-brown packs from the end of 2012.

Government Senate leader Chris Evans said the upper house would debate and vote on the legislation on Thursday, November 10.

Labor has tabled a motion outlining changes to the upper house’s legislation schedule with the support of the Australian Greens.

The coalition supports the main plain packaging legislation but not an associated trademarks bill.

However, both will pass the Senate with the support of the Greens.

Earlier on Wednesday, Health Minister Nicola Roxon announced the implementation of the world-first move would be delayed from July 1 next year to December 1, 2012.

Ms Roxon said the delay was necessary because it had taken longer than expected for the upper house to pass the legislation after it sailed through the House of Representatives in August.

‘I think that it is important that industry gets a reasonable timeframe to make an orderly transition to plain packaging,’ she said in a statement.


Dining permits cheaper if smoking banned – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-03/outdoor-dining-permit-smoking/2822010

Cheaper Permits for outdoor restaurants with smoking bans

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6CTR7nZA9A

Australia – ban on patio smoking

The Great Lakes Council in New South Wales, Australia bans smoking in outdoor dining areas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6CTR7nZA9A&feature=player_embedded